Chapter Text
Classes drag, even for a teacher. It’s not that Keith doesn’t like teaching, but with Christmas only a few weeks away, he’s just as anxious to have a couple of weeks off as his students are. He knows that he doesn’t necessarily need to teach, not with Lance’s YouTube channel kicking off as quickly as it is, but he didn’t bust his ass at college for nothing. So, he’s going to teach; he’s going to contribute toward his family with Lance.
He walks into his third period class only seconds before the bell. His students are already in their seats, glued to their phones as they have been since the semester started, but he ignores this for now in favor of setting his backpack down across his desk.
He’s never been a fan of briefcases. They make him feel old, strict, and he’s got a reputation for being a favorite among students. He’s second behind Shiro because, as it would seem, no one can compete with Shiro. But, Keith’s always been competitive in nature, so he’s going to keep trying to win all of the students over. And, that’s why he allows them extra time on their phones before he actually starts class.
He drops into his chair and kicks his feet up on his desk as he pulls his own phone out. YouTube notifications light up across his screen, and he sees that Lance has posted a video a couple of hours ago. That would be the first out of three, Keith thinks as he swipes out of the notifications in favor of shooting the brunet a text.
[To: Lance] Someone’s started his day early.
He gives it two minutes before he locks his phone with a sigh. Not only did Lance not reply, but the brunet didn’t even read the text. Keith’s not too surprised considering Lance is probably recording a video to be edited and posted within the next two hours, but a text would have been nice.
“Okay, class,” Keith says, his signature warning for the students to put their phones away and pay attention. “Your texts and tweets can wait until after class.”
Most students oblige, but a few girls that occupy the back corner of the room continue typing on their phones as if his words went in one ear and out the other. Keith knows these three well; they are always keeping him on his toes.
“Claire, Jessica, and Jody. Phones up.” He keeps his tone light, casual, yet it still holds enough color of authority that has all three girls looking up at him.
“Just a moment, sir. We are tweeting Lance.”
Keith leans forward with a sigh and drops his chin into his palm while the fingers of his free hand drum against his desk. Did he mention that Lance has a steady fan-base among more than half of the high school he teaches at?
It’s not a huge deal, except that Keith has been married to Lance for four years now. His students don’t know; how could he tell them? They would never leave him alone.
“It can wait until after class,” Keith presses, and Jody, the quiet one of the three, looks up at him with wide, worried eyes. Her expression has Keith straightening in his chair, and he quirks his head to the side, prompting the young girl to speak on the apparent concern pulling at her face.
“Sorry, sir. It’s just… Well… We watched his newest video earlier, and he really didn’t look well. And, now he’s worryingly silent on all of his social media sites.”
Keith blinks slowly at this. Worry tugs at his heart and shoots hot across his veins. A pit of concern builds in his stomach, but he manages to keep his face composed; it’s a talent of his, really. The mature thing to do would be to step out and call Lance, but before he can take action on this, Claire is walking toward his desk with her phone in hand.
“Look,” she says, and before Keith can ask her to take her seat, she’s sliding her phone across his desk with Lance’s video pulled up. A frown is already pulling at his lips at the sight of Lance’s too pale complexion only colored with a deep flush across his cheeks, and this is paired with glassy, dull eyes that all but scream fever.
Lance has a blanket wrapped around his shoulders, and the smile on his lips is forced, tired, and when he opens his mouth to talk, he suddenly turns away from the camera to cough harshly, over and over.
Keith is thoroughly confused because Lance had been feeling a little more tired than usual last night, but that was it. The brunet had said nothing about feeling ill.
He pauses the video and drags and sharp gaze toward Claire. “He’s like this the entire video?”
“Yes, sir. If anything, he gets worse as the video goes on.”
Nodding, Keith thinks back to the unread text he sent Lance, and he’s on his feet and grabbing his phone and backpack before his mind catches up to what he’s doing. He’s at the door before he remembers there are twenty-five students witnessing his abrupt actions.
“Something came up,” he tells his class. “I’ll get Shiro to deal with you guys.”
“Take care of him,” Claire calls out, and Keith shoots the blonde a wide-eyed look that’s paired with a slacked jaw. The blonde winks at him, and Keith pushes the realization that his class knows about him and Lance to the far back of his mind as he storms out of the room and down the hall toward Shiro’s classroom.
Knocking is out of the question; it’s too time consuming. He throws the door open, and Shiro’s class falls silent.
“Keith?”
“I need you to do something with my class. I have to go.”
Shiro must sense the urgency in Keith’s tone because he tells his class to keep working before he ushers Keith back into the hall.
“Of course, but what’s wrong? Is everything okay?”
“It’s Lance,” Keith replies, raking a shaking hand through his hair. “He’s sick; I need to-”
“Go,” Shiro says, cutting Keith off. “Just be careful driving back.”
Keith shoots Shiro a nod with eyes that bleed gratitude before he spins on his heel and books it down the hall.
*****
Keith’s taking the steps up toward his and Lance’s apartment two at a time. His heart is threatening to leap from his throat as fear grips an icy grip at his veins. He had tried to call Lance four times on the short drive home, but he came up with Lance’s voicemail every time.
Keith has no idea if Lance is alive or dead as he whips down a hallway, skidding to a stop in front of his apartment door. He fumbles with the keys twice before he can finally get a trembling hand to cooperate. The second he hears the lock click, he throws the door open as if his life depends on it. And, well, in this case, it does since Lance is his life.
“Lance!” Keith shouts, tossing his backpack to the floor as he scans the apartment. “Lance!” He tries again, voice breathless and panicked as he moves from the living room to the kitchen at rapid speed. He still doesn’t spot Lance, so he turns toward the bedroom, a third scream of Lance’s name hot on his lips as he throws the door open.
The shout falls against quiet lips as he spots Lance sitting up in bed, hair disheveled and eyes drooping.
“…Keith?” Lance rasps out, turning to cough harshly into his fist.
For a moment, Keith can only stand and stare at his husband, who is very much alive, as the gears in his head slowly shift and turn until they click into place. “Lance,” he breathes out, crossing the distance between the two at a record speed. He drops onto the edge of the bed and pulls Lance tightly to his chest, squeezing the brunet hard as if the two had been separated for years.
“Keith, what’s wrong?” Lance mutters into Keith’s shoulder, and Keith pushes Lance back but keeps both hands to Lance’s shoulders.
“Jesus. I thought… I wasn’t sure.. You didn’t answer my calls. You looked so sick in the video.”
“What?” Lance asks around a few coughs.
Keith sucks in a measured breath as he curls his fingers in tighter around Lance’s shoulders. “Some girls in my class are your fans. They showed me the video you posted earlier, and you looked terrible. Then they told me you went silent on social media, and you hadn’t answered my text or any of my calls, and I thought.. I thought something bad happened.”
Soft sympathy washes over Lance’s face. “Oh, babe. I’m sorry. I decided to take a nap after I posted the first video; I think I got what Hunk had last week.” He pauses to cough. “I must have slept like the dead because I didn’t even hear my phone ring.”
Keith nods, moving one hand to cup Lance’s cheek and frowning at the worrying heat. “Did Hunk have a fever this bad?” He asks as he slides his hand up to Lance’s forehead.
Lance shrugs and turns away to cough into his fist once more. “I can’t remember, but I’m okay, really. You can go back to work; I’ll be fine.”
Keith shakes his head the second the words leave Lance’s mouth. The thought of going back to face his students who know that he and Lance are together is unsettling, but leaving Lance while the brunet is this sick is even worse.
“Not a chance,” Keith says as he gets to his feet and pushes Lance gently back against the pillows. “I’m staying to take care of you.”
“I won’t object to that,” Lance mutters, eyes struggling to stay open.
Keith leans down to tuck the blankets around Lance’s slightly trembling frame before he moves in to brush a gentle kiss to Lance’s overheated forehead. “Rest, Lance.”
Lance nods, eyes fluttering closed. “I love you,” he rasps out, and Keith breathes out a quiet breath.
“I love you, too.”