Work Text:
An Unhealthy Obsession
If Keith has anything to be thankful for, it's the fact that Lance Mcclain was such a dear sweetheart. The golden boy was too much and too kind for anyone who is possibly breathing; a total package of perfection that he seemed too unreal to be true.
He has that caramel coloured skin that extends evenly throughout his body, eyes that were akin to the blue ocean somewhere in Costa Rica that the raven boy once visited, lips that were an excellent shade of peach and pink combined together, dark chestnut hair that is too smooth and effortlessly stylish, and body of that of an athlete but not too muscular.
Keith couldn't find the perfect match for him, not even himself who he thinks is better than most pathetic excuse of creatures.
He once met him when they were both in high school, Keith being the usual angsty teenager and Lance the goofy sunshine boy everyone loved. They had such a beautiful start, the latter lending him PE clothes as Keith misplaced his own, and Lance being the insistent person he was, led to them being friends. It was then that Keith realised he had found the one, and that Lance was to be his everything after that single incident.
They had talked, not usually since Lance had too much in his hands, but he tries to get a word from him or two from moment to moment. Until, that year ended and they never had classes together again.
Now, as time flew by, Lance had grown twice as popular as before but remained kind, and approachable, and- well, even more charming and irresistible. University was a pain in the arse but Keith was able to finally be with Lance again in some subjects, doubling his feelings for him.
But honestly, Lance had flaws that he didn't like to admit to himself to save the fantasy he had created for his well-being; although maybe Keith was the only one who notices them, or tend to notice them in the first place.
Just like how Lance, after all those years before, smiling and waving enthusiastically, seems to falter whenever he sees Keith. Lance also tends to avoid his eyes like he wasn't there lingering at the back at all, but Keith understands why- or maybe no- he admits that it sometimes hurts him. Lance also gives him the silent treatment for no reasons at all! Was he too comfortable to bask in silence with him- ah yes, that could be it, however he could at least try parting his lips and producing a short and simple hello! Lance also shuffles awkwardly and starts paling or something when Keith approaches him during lunch breaks, or dismissal times, leading to Keith not mustering any strength to start a conversation with him and swerving in the other direction at the last minute.
It was infuriating to say the least that Keith loses as much hair as an old person due to stress. But Lance was his Lance and Keith wouldn't give him up for the world.
One afternoon, Lance had decidedly skipped his football practice in favour of doing his usual visit in this one room, that Keith later on realised was a f*cking senior's room. He stayed behind outside as Lance disappeared within the door, waving his hands and hoping the brown boy would catch his goodbye wave but the latter decidedly ignored it.
Keith sighed.
Maybe Lance still harbours anger against him for that one spilling incident in the cafe. Should Keith apologize again? But Lance had insisted it was fine and had taken him on a date afterwards! He had treated Keith a drink for a mistake Keith may or may not have done on purpose.
The dark haired teenager was totally in conflict about everything that he didn't notice Lance slipping out with a dopey grin plastered on his handsome face; a man with a larger built soon following his stride.
Keith ran towards him but stopped a couple of steps behind as his blood ran cold in utter petrification. "What the hell-?"
Lance was with this Shiro guy. Again. Takashi Shirogane with almond grey eyes and ridiculously white forelock! That guy was bad news, very bad news for both Lance and Keith's relationship.
Keith clenched his fists, face heating up in a concoction of hatred, disgust, and betrayal. How could Lance do this to him after all the time Keith has been there for his welfare?!
"Lance, what are you doing?" Keith grumbled angrily but Lance seemed too preoccupied chatting with the senior student, he disregarded Keith's outburst. Ha, no- Lance wouldn't do that to him! Keith had placed too big of a distance between them, he probably didn't hear him.
He marched to where they were currently standing at, in the midst of a busy lobby, and as Keith was about to reach them, Shiro had the perfect timing of turning around and meeting his enraged eyes.
The guy gave him a bewildered stare that Keith could see the gears running in that head of his, before Shiro's arm protectively rests across his Lance's shoulder, whispering whatever the f*ck he was whispering, eyes never leaving his frame; causing his sweetheart to suddenly go tense.
If Keith's blood was boiling a moment ago, he didn't have words to describe what was happening inside him now. He was rooted on his spot, as Shiro guided Lance away, giving him cautious back stares every once in a while as if Keith was some sort of a menace to them.
Shiro was acting like the perfect antagonist in a story, wasn't he?
Keith only moved and remembered to breathe after the pair vanished out of his sight. A combination of laugh and wheezes escaped his mouth as his eyes blurred up with tears threatening to fall down his face.
"You're not supposed to go with him, Lance." Keith muttered, fingers slipping through his dark locks, desperately clutching at them. "He will hurt you, he's not safe, he's a terrible person."
When Keith finally had the chance to speak to Lance a couple of days later about some really important matter, it didn't work out so well.
He had waited patiently for his chance like a good dog, talked to Lance one-sidedly and smiled at him, gave opinions that were disregarded and followed, praised him for a job well done even though Lance looked like he was on the verge of puking in the bathroom cubicle after too much practice, but Keith quietly encouraged him that it was alright and Lance was alright then.
The golden boy was at the convenience store that night, buying his usual groceries for the next two weeks- maybe not the best place for Keith to suddenly spill the beans- but he just had to for Lance's sake!
"Hey," Keith called, a casual smile painting his face as he strolls over.
Lance whipped around, both hands preoccupied with two spreads, a nutella and a finetti. Keith knew he'd picked the former no matter what deliberation he usually undergoes.
"Hey, buddy." Lance replied, there was a slight drop in his tone but it sounded cheerful enough if you don't pay too much details into it like a freak.
Keith could feel his heart thunder beneath his chest, pounding against his rib cage just begging to be released in its prison as his whole body warm up in pleasure and endearment.
He cleared his throat to get to his point. "I don't think you should hang out with Shirogane."
Lance looked utterly confuse, absentmindedly putting back the finetti jar in the shelf and putting the nutella in his basket.
Bingo!
"I'm sorry?" He said, face scrunching up in perplexity as he crossed his arms defensively above his chest. "And why should I do that... Keith?"
Hearing Lance voice his name in such a concentrated manner was what Keith needed to hear again and again in his life that he felt bad for not bringing a recorder in advance to record it. Business first though. "You heard me the first time, Lance! Shiro is not someone whom you could trust! He's a bad guy, don't you see that scar on his face? That's what bad people usually have!"
And that was where it all went down. Lance face coloured in an amazing shade of red, but Keith has no idea what to make of it (was it due to embarrassment because he knew he was right or was it anger because he doesn't want to hear the fact that Keith was right?).
"How could you say that, you-!" Lance couldn't even bare to finish his words. "How dare you!"
"Lance, you don't understand! Shiro is not right in the head!" Keith started, his pitch cracking and ascending, garnering a few bystanders' attention. They didn't matter, only Lance and his safety mattered!
The other boy look repulsed all of a sudden, and Keith could feel daggers piercing his heart as Lance said, "Who do you think you are?" in such a loathsome way.
Keith's throat restricted, his eyes prickling as his entire world numbed in pain, and sorrow, and heart break, and before he could stop himself, he launched towards Lance, fingers and nails digging on each of his shoulders.
"You- I thought we were something!" Keith bellowed, eyes watering at the most inconvenient moment as he shook him back and forth in animosity.
Lance on the other hand, aside from being dumbfounded looked terrified out of his wits, his eyes as wide as they can be as he tried to wriggle from Keith's death grip.
"You are mine, and I am yours, you love me, and I love you- how could you do this to me, Lance?" Keith was now rambling impatiently, words spilling from his mouth without a pause, his grip getting only tighter by each passing minute, Lance could feel his skin slice open from the little cuts he was making.
Thankfully, a salesman appeared from what seemed like forever and deliberately separated the two, pointing a finger at each that they needed to sort whatever conflict they have outside and not in the convenience store. Lance pleaded to stay in and wait for someone to get him while Keith was still desperately diffusing phrases as to why Lance should not be with Shiro, leading for him to be sent out in the parking lot and him screaming how much Lance was in trouble for ignoring his every premonition.
Keith, in the end, quiet down as realisation crashes onto him that he had hurt his dear Lance and that he had screamed at him. He panicked, as the other boy suddenly appeared at the entrance, assisted by an older looking male (the same salesman) who shot Keith a very displeased look and a warning not to come near them.
He assisted Lance to a nearby parked car that just arrived, and out jumps the reason as to why all of this was happening.
Out of all f*cks in the f*cking universe, it was f*cking Shiro.
The two embraced and the senior led the younger one to the shotgun seat, before running to his side, locking the door once they were both safely tucked in. Shiro's eyes absently wandered and then suddenly halted to where Keith was standing, frigid as a glacier, and everything clicked to him as he started to get the idea of what was up.
But Keith was never going to let go of his boy so easily.
He screeched at the top of his lungs, a horrifying sound of a man in so much despair and outrage but if fused together, could be the sound of someone who had gone utterly nuts, before sprinting to where the car was parked, lunging at it like a wild animal.
Keith reached them before Shiro was able to roll off, and he started banging his fists on the window, screaming profanities in such incredible fury at the source of all his downfall.
"God, Shiro- don't go out!" Lance pleaded, tears springing from the corner of his eyes as his shaking hands grasped onto the other's bicep, stopping him from going out and hurting himself or- or that deranged person. He winced at each dull thuds and he tried to shy away from those piercing violet eyes that were the epitome of madness.
Shiro honestly wanted to confront him, but the look on Lance's unusually frightened face was enough to set his own wishes aside. He started his car and stepped on the gas pedal, hit the reverse, and this was the cue of the nearby security guards and salesmen to grab the screaming boy as Shiro sped off, muffling the yells and lowering them as they continuously put distance between them and that lunatic named Keith.