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Lance loved summer. He was all about the seaside and surfing, and checking out hot girls in skimpy swimsuits. Likewise, he sometimes admired the buff, tanned guys playing beach volleyball. It was his first weekend off from his summer job at the beach restaurant, so why the hell, instead of riding the waves, was he spending it stuck in the middle of the woods?
“You’re walking way too fast again, wait up!”
Keith stopped his long strides and glanced behind him. “Hurry up or we’ll never reach the camping grounds before the sunset.”
Hiking was horrible. By now they’d been walking for what felt like hours. Lance’s feet hurt in his borrowed hiking shoes, he was surely getting blisters. His shoulders were stiff from carrying the heavy backpack, and his sweaty t-shirt was sticking to his chest.
He swatted another mosquito away and cursed under his breath. The bug spray had helped nothing, he was still covered in itchy red bites wherever there was bare skin. Keith kept walking along the trail ahead of him, looking totally unfazed. He was carrying an even larger backpack with a tent and other camping supplies in it. He reminded Lance of those bizarre survivalists he’d seen on TV.
It was a hot day, and Lance longed for the sea breeze. “When you asked if I was free this Saturday this wasn’t exactly what I had in mind,” he grumbled. I miss you already, bikini babes.
“I told you you didn’t have to come,” Keith huffed.
First Keith had invited him, and then said he should forget about it. So, Lance had naturally tagged along out of spite.
“As if I could let you go wrestling with bears all by yourself! If you die they sure as hell aren’t gonna hire anyone new, I’ll just have to work twice as hard!” Lance groaned. He could’ve been swimming or having a milkshake right now. Hiking made him hungry and he’d already eaten all his snacks—that included Keith’s weird energy bars that had tasted like banana-flavored sawdust.
“For the last time, it was only a wolf. There aren’t any bears here,” Keith said, like chasing off wild animals was an average weekend activity to him. “If there were, they’d still stay miles away from all the racket you keep making!” he continued when Lance let out another frustrated groan.
Keith was the other waiter at the restaurant Lance worked at. They also went to the same university, but haven’t had any classes together so far. Lance kind of hated him. The guy was terrible at customer service yet he didn’t lose his job—their manager sure had a soft spot for him. Lance had never seen Keith smile during his shifts yet he was always tipped generously. Maybe he threatened the customers so he could beat Lance when they were competing who could make more in a day.
It certainly had nothing to do with how his hair was always tied in a dumb little ponytail, distracting Lance every time he saw the back of his head. Or the way the black pants of his uniform fit snugly, as if they were a size too small for his fat ass.
“Since when have you been working particularly hard anyways? Didn’t you only take the job to flirt with the girls?” Keith asked, knowing all too well they were both broke students.
“Excuse me, I have bills to pay, and I’m saving for a car that’s cooler than your brother’s SUV!” Lance’s customers loved him. There was nothing wrong with striking up a conversation on slower afternoon hours. Keith had no right to talk about work ethic when he kept scowling himself!
“Which he kindly lent to us while he’s on a business trip, so I don’t know what your problem is,” Keith said, and well, it was a good argument.
Lance sighed. “Never mind that, I’ll be the one driving us back and it will be your turn to get carsick!”
“Why?” Keith asked, and had the nerve to look offended. “What’s wrong with my driving?”
“It fucking sucks! Or did you drive over every pit and bump on the road on purpose?” Lance wouldn’t put that past Keith. It had to be a revenge after Tuesday’s incident. Lance had found Keith’s worn-out sneakers in the changing room and tied the shoelaces together in tight knots. It had seemed like a fun joke at the time.
The bickering continued until they passed a sign that read Lake Altea, 2 miles. It raised Lance’s spirits for a while, until Keith was urging him to stop dragging his feet again. Lance wished he could’ve at least ordered a large pepperoni pizza when they got there. Of course there wasn’t any cell phone signal in the backwoods, neither any place that would deliver. He’d already checked when they’d stopped for their first break.
**
“We’re here,” Keith said as they arrived to their destination. He sat on a large rock and took a sip from his water bottle.
Lance immediately dropped his backpack to the ground. “Fucking finally!” he sighed, wiping sweat off his forehead. “I want to go swimming right away!”
The clearing surrounding the lake was a nice spot for camping, like a secret oasis. The forest air felt fresh and clean in a way that it never was in the city, and had a lingering earthy scent. That alone made it almost worth the long hike.
“Let’s set up the camp first and I’ll come with you,” Keith said and started unpacking. Clearly he didn’t need any rest, Lance could sense his quiet excitement from the way he fiddled with the straps.
Keith connected and inserted the tent poles with practiced ease. Lance just stood there, not really knowing what to do next. It annoyed him that Keith didn’t ask for help, like Lance was too incompetent to assist him.
“There’s only one tent? Seems kind of small...”
Keith glared at him. “I’ve been going camping with Shiro every year as long as I can remember and he’s bigger than you. So trust me, there’s a plenty of room.”
“Gee, I feel so privileged to be your second choice,” Lance said bitterly. Ok, maybe he’d felt a little bit bad for Keith when he’d told him his brother probably couldn’t make it this summer. After transferring jobs recently, and because Keith worked most weekends, their schedules didn’t match at all.
“I could have gone alone but you insisted tagging along! So stop whining!”
“Whatever, boy scout,” Lance muttered, rolling his eyes.
Keith’s turned around to push the tent stakes to the ground. Shrugging, Lance started digging up for his swimsuit from his backpack. He’d just go ahead.
The lake itself was quite big, clear water and soft sand looking inviting. There was a wooden pier and and an old, upside-down rowing boat on the shore. It could be used to reach the small island in the middle of the lake.
Lance swam around lazily, enjoying the warm sunshine and refreshing dip into the cool water. He could see small fish swimming in the bottom. They were too fast to catch with bare hands, maybe if he had a bucket.
Lance heard footsteps on the pier. He inhaled a mouthful of water and broke into a violent coughing fit when he saw Keith.
Under his t-shirt Keith was hiding well sculpted abs. It made Lance wonder if he played any sports or only hit the gym regularly. Keith’s skin was creamy white and flawless, it would quickly turn pink in the sun. His skin tone contrasted with the prominent dark birthmark just above the waistline of his swim shorts.
“Drowning already?” Keith asked, seizing every opportunity to mock Lance.
“Shut up.” Lance took a deep breath to get himself under control again. He then dunked his head underwater to cool off, before he ended up ogling Keith’s body again.
Keith untied his hair and put the red hair tie around his wrist, soon joining him in the water.
Lance had never seen him with his hair down before. It was weird, definitely weird. Keith’s hair looked longer like this. It was sticking to his neck and reached past his collarbones.
Keith shook his wet bangs away from his eyes. “Wanna race to the island and back?” he challenged Lance with a cocky look.
“Bring it on, mullet!”
Lance knew he was an expert swimmer, but Keith’s upper body strength caught him by surprise. Soon they were neck by neck. Keith reached the island first but lost some speed during the turn. Lance was on the lead again.
He put his back into it, but Keith was quickly catching up. There were only about hundred feet away from the shore now. Fifty, twenty, twelve–
Lance touched the pier first, securing his victory. Keith slammed his own hand next his only seconds later.
“Dude, you’re fast,” Lance panted, “but no one can beat me!”
“Congratulations, champ.” Keith’s tone was sarcastic as usual but the corners of his mouth turned up. Lance raised his hand in triumph, and Keith returned the high-five.
They climbed the ladder and sat down on the pier, catching their breaths.
“This will never compare to Varadero Beach but I still like it. It’s so peaceful here,” Lance said, watching a bird landing on the opposite shore. He scratched the bug bite above his knee.
Toweling off his hair, Keith looked at him. “Do you miss Cuba?”
“All the time. I don’t know why though. I’ve been living in the States for years, and most of my extended family has also moved in here. But it’s where I was born.”
“Must be nice, having a large family,” Keith said. He set the towel aside and combed his hair with his fingers.
Lance splashed the water with his feet. “It wasn’t always easy to live with so many people squeezed in the same house,” he said, smiling at the memory of home.
“Between work and spending time with his fiance, Shiro rarely comes home for dinner anymore,” Keith said, a thoughtful look on his face. “It’s too quiet without him.”
“Do you even know how to cook?” Lance asked. He couldn’t imagine Keith making anything more complicated than ramen noodles.
“No, not really,” Keith said, “usually I just order take-out.”
“That doesn’t sound very healthy,” Lance pointed out. “You know what, I’ll invite you over for dinner sometime! My mom is an amazing chef but Veronica makes the best churros!”
Keith hesitated. “I don’t want to intrude,” he started, but Lance wouldn’t take no for an answer.
“Nonsense!” he waved his hand, “We have big dinners all the time so one more person is nothing! My nieces and nephews are the cutest, you should come and meet them!”
“Are you sure it’s okay?” Keith asked.
“Absolutely!”
“In that case… I’m looking forward to it,” Keith said, eyes flicking at the other direction.
Lance nodded. “It’s a date, then.”
Keith still wouldn’t look at his way. When he flipped his hair over his shoulders Lance saw how red the back of his neck was.
“Keith, go put on some sunscreen! Your skin is all red, it’s about to burn!”
**
After swimming, Lance had realized how hungry he really was. Keith made them late lunch from one of those fancy dehydrated meal bags, and surprisingly enough, the chili hadn’t been half bad.
Then they’d gone back to the lake and pushed the boat into the water. After rowing, talking and relaxing for a couple of hours Keith had challenged him to a fishing contest. Because they hadn’t specified the rules, it wasn’t clear who had won. Keith had caught more fish but Lance’s fish had been clearly bigger.
Now it was already evening and the sky above them was filled with countless shining stars. The fire was burning brightly and the fish was cooking on a stick on the side.
After today Lance couldn’t say he wasn’t a bit impressed. Keith was efficient, experienced and in tune with nature. Some kind of primal instincts were telling him that he would be a good partner. If an apocalypse happened, Keith could provide for him. Lance shook his head to get rid of the weird mental image of caveman Keith, dressed in furs, carrying a spear over his shoulder and a dead rabbit in his other hand, presenting it to Lance like an expensive gift.
The night air felt considerably cooler, and Lance moved closer to the fire. Sitting on a fallen tree trunk, Keith was idly playing with his hunting knife. The fire gave his face an attractive hue, emphasizing his features. His dark eyes looked almost purple against the flickering flames.
Tearing his eyes away, Lance picked up a pine cone from the ground and threw it at Keith’s head. It landed straight in middle of his forehead.
“Boom, headshot. I win.”
Keith looked up and raised his eyebrows at Lance. “If I’m dead then who’s gonna protect you from the wolves?”
Lance gulped, he’d completely forgotten they were in the wilderness, far from civilization. Who knew what kind of animals were lurking nearby, attracted by the smell of fried fish.
“Oh, did you know that somebody was killed in these woods, about ten years ago?” Keith asked.
“You’ve got to be kidding me…”
Keith leaned in and lowered his voice. “I’m not joking, it was on the news. He was a college kid like us, beaten up to pulp and then dumped into the lake to drown. They couldn’t catch the culprit. Not enough clues, no evidence.”
A shiver ran down Lance’s spine. He looked around, but could see nothing in the darkness surrounding them. “There’s just no way you’re not making all that up!”
Keith’s eyes widened. “Shit, Lance, don’t move. I think I heard something, he said, his expression turning serious.
It wasn’t funny anymore, Lance was getting goosebumps. “Stop…”
Keith grabbed his knife and slowly backed off from the fire. “I’m gonna go check it out.”
This time Lance heard it too. It was something like a twig snapping, but it was louder, and coming from behind his back.
“Keith! Don’t leave me!” Lance jumped to his feet and grabbed the sleeve of Keith’s hoodie. He buried his face into Keith’s neck with a muffled whimper.
A moment later he let go when he noticed Keith’s shoulders were shaking from laughter.
“You should’ve seen your face!” Keith grinned like he’d witnessed the funniest thing ever. He put the knife away and sat down.
Lance pouted and punched his arm, sitting down next to him. “Jerk.”
“The fish looks like it’s ready, let’s eat,” Keith said, throwing another log into the fire.
For such a simple dinner, it was amazing. The fish they’d caught by themselves tasted better than anything Lance had sampled at the restaurant. The boiled potatoes on the side brought out the flavor even more.
After they had finished eating, Keith made a quick trip to the tent. He returned with a bag of marshmallows and a bundle of cloth.
“Here.” Keith passed it to him. Lance assumed it was an extra blanket but it turned out to be a thick sweater. “Wear it, I saw you shivering earlier.”
Lance pulled the sweater over his head, breathing in the scent of Keith’s laundry detergent and something spicy under that.
“Better?”
“Yeah, thank you.”
Keith poured some water to the kettle. Soon Lance had a steaming cup of hot chocolate in his hands, to go with the roasted marshmallows. For the first time he didn’t feel the need to fill the silence with his chattering. There was warmth blossoming in his stomach that had nothing to do with the sweater or sitting in front of the fire.
He wasn’t sure if Keith noticed he was shifting closer and closer to him. The heat was steadily rising, all the way up to the tips of his ears.
Keith was the one to speak first again. “Thanks for coming with me. I don’t exactly… go out, meet people and things like that. You’re cool, I guess,” he paused and drank from his own cup. “I kind of wanted to get to know you better.”
“Keith, we’re friends aren’t we? I think you’re pretty awesome too. Seriously, you’re like Bear Grylls or modern day Indiana Jones! I doubt there is anything you cannot do!” Lance nudged his side. Everyone needed a bit of reassurance every now and then.
Keith chuckled. “At least you aren’t comparing me to Tarzan. You’d make a pretty good monkey though.”
“Watch your mouth, Lara Croft!”
“She? Then how do you feel about Nathan Drake?”
“Handsome, fearless and a great sense of humor… Just like me, right?” Lance winked, shooting finger guns only because he knew it annoyed Keith.
“Idiot.” Keith kicked his ankle without much force. Lance grinned, glad that Keith had appreciated the joke.
“Shiro is the only family I’ve got, but now he’s getting married and stuff so… I’m glad you’re here,” Keith said, his voice falling quiet at the end of his sentence.
“I’m glad I’m here too. I never thought I’d have so much fun.” After saying it out loud, Lance realized how true it was. He’d really had a great time today.
“I mean, at first we didn’t get along at work at all. I hated you and your stupid mullet. But maybe you’re not so bad after all.” Keith was reliable and straightforward, and participated in Lance’s banter the way no one else did. And sometimes, when Keith looked at him intently, his heart started beating a little bit faster.
“Look at us, talking about our feelings and stuff,” Lance said, swallowing down the nervous laugh that tried to escape.
Keith slapped Lance’s hand in disapproval. “Shut up, we’re having a bonding moment. Don’t ruin it.”
Lance’s mouth indeed snapped shut. He couldn’t concentrate on something as complex as speaking when the touch lingered, Keith's fingertips brushing against his knuckles. He nearly stopped breathing too.
“I wasn’t kidding when I said I wanted to know you better,” Keith said.
He moved his hand away, and slowly wrapped his arm around Lance’s shoulders.
Lance froze, but forced himself to relax. He couldn’t shake him off right after declaring they were friends. So he did the only thing he could and leaned in to the touch. He even let his head rest against Keith’s shoulder, but only because it was more comfortable to sit that way. Keith was warm and solid against his side.
He didn’t remember closing his eyes but he woke up to Keith gently shaking him awake. The fire was slowly dying, embers glowing red.
**
Despite what Keith had said, the tent did feel small, intimately so. Keith set his sleeping pad and bag on the left side and laid down. Lance quietly did the same, taking the right side.
“Well, goodnight.” Keith turned the flashlight off and snuggled up in his sleeping bag.
Lance tried to get comfortable too but after his nap, he was still wide awake about an hour later. There was a rock under his back and his muscles ached from hiking. He should’ve brought a proper pillow, there was no way he could sleep like this. A lonely mosquito was flying around on the ceiling, distracting him from any strange sounds coming from the woods. Even if he knew Keith’s stupid ghost story couldn’t possibly be true, he couldn’t shake the feeling of uneasiness.
Keith was fast asleep. The tent was too small for Lance to straighten his legs but at least it was wide enough to put some distance between them. He watched Keith’s back and listened to his even breathing. His hair was down again, smelling faintly of smoke.
Keith mumbled something in his sleep and rolled over. The tent let some of the moonlight in, and Lance could see most of his face. His attention was drawn to the full lips and soft puffs of air coming from between them. With his eyes closed, Keith almost looked like he was expecting a kiss.
No! We didn’t come here to canoodle like some horny teenagers! Lance remembered all too well the slasher flicks from his movie nights with Pidge and Hunk, and how the killer always went after the amorous couple.
“Ow!” Lance slapped his neck. The damned mosquito had attacked him and sucked his blood while he’d been lost in his thoughts.
Keith slowly opened his eyes, awaken by the sound of Lance’s loud yelp.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you up... “
“No, it’s fine… You can’t sleep?” Keith said, his voice a little rough from lack of use.
“Well, yeah... Not really used to the wildlife.”
“Guess that’s my fault too. Sorry for scaring you shitless earlier.”
“Don’t worry about it. I guess it was pretty funny,” Lance said, recalling how he’d managed to make Keith laugh with his reaction. It felt like an achievement now. Keith had a really pretty smile, and Lance treasured it, liked how Keith was so relaxed around him. He yawned and closed his eyes.
“Have you ever kissed anyone?”
Lance’s eyes snapped back open and he saw Keith looking at him. The atmosphere had immediately become thick with tension.
Keith must have realized it too, and tried to backpedal. “Fuck, that came out wrong, of course you have–”
“I’ve never kissed a guy,” Lance said, cutting him off.
“Would you like to?” Keith whispered.
Lance tried to speak but the words died inside his throat. Their eyes met.
Keith pressed his lips against his, their noses bumping slightly. It only lasted a few seconds, before he pulled back, like he couldn’t believe he’d done something so bold.
Lance lost his composure. He pulled Keith halfway on top of him, closing the space between them.
Keith tensed up for a moment until he was returning the kiss. Lance held Keith’s face between his hands, caressing his cheeks gently. He could feel every little sigh falling from Keith’s mouth. His lips were so soft, so warm, and Lance never wanted to stop kissing him. It was way better than surfing, way more thrilling than anything could ever be.
Keith broke the kiss all too soon, pressing his forehead against Lance’s. Then he moved off, turning to his side again without another word.
Lance just laid there, face flushed and lips kiss-swollen. He was out of breath, too stupefied to say a word, wondering how he was supposed to get any sleep now.
**
Lance woke up alone in the tent. There was no sign of Keith, his side as empty as if he never slept there. He wondered if he’d been dreaming last night. It had felt too real, he could still recall the softness of Keith’s lips and the approximately-seven-minutes in heaven.
Keith had already made breakfast. He was drinking coffee and eating grey goo that looked like some kind of oatmeal. There were also ingredients for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
The awkwardness outside the tent was definitely real. With Lance’s occasional college party hookups he could stealthily sneak off afterwards. Now he was still in the middle of nowhere, and instead the walk of shame across the campus, what was awaiting him was a roughly 4-hour-long trek all the way back to the car. At least Keith hadn’t ditched Lance yet and left him get eaten by bears.
Biting the bullet, Lance sat next to Keith, acting as normal as he could. “Good morning.”
Keith looked up from his now empty plate with a frown. “Morning. Your snoring woke me up.”
“Sorry… Can I get some coffee too?”
Keith shrugged. “Help yourself. Take your sleeping bag out to dry when you’ve eaten,” he said, standing up. He turned his back to Lance and walked away.
Lance watched him go until he’d disappeared behind the trees. So they weren’t going to mention that they’d totally made out last night? Fine, If Keith wanted to avoid him then let him have his brooding break.
Lance finished his sandwiches and rinsed off his mug. He did his business in the bushes and changed his clothes. He combed his hair, brushed his teeth, and washed his face. He hanged his sleeping bag on a branch of a tall tree.
As he returned to the tent and packed up his stuff in silence, Lance wondered if Keith was alright. He was starting to get worried, he’d seen him leave even his knife behind.
The forest felt unwelcoming when Keith wasn’t around. And he… he was beginning to realize that he wanted Keith around.
“Took you long enough. Where were you?” Lance asked when Keith finally returned to the camp over an hour later.
“It’s none of your business.”
“It is my business when you suddenly leave!”
“Look, I just needed some space to think after yesterday!”
And oh… It made sense that Keith had needed to get away to figure out how he should break the news that he wasn’t into guys after all, or worse, just didn’t see Lance that way.
Lance had just fucking lost it and forcibly made out with him. “Right, I shouldn’t have done that. Sorry.” If Keith hadn’t pulled away he would have soon found Lance’s tongue down his throat.
“No, it was my fault for making a move on you. It’s fine if it didn’t mean anything to you. I hope that doesn’t make things awkward between us and we can still be friends after this. So I’m sorry too, for pulling that kind of shit,” Keith said, stepping back and crossing his arms.
“Yeah, it was a mistake, so let’s just forget about it,” Lance said stiffly.
Keith hardly ever apologized. It was something that caught Lance completely off guard. That probably explained why it took him a full minute to register what else Keith had said.
“Wait. Waitwaitwaitwait! What the fuck?”
Keith sighed. “I already said it’s fine! The mood was kind of romantic yesterday and you just got caught up in the moment. Stuff like that happens.”
“You like me? Since when?!” Lance was screeching by now, making vague hand gestures between him and Keith.
“For a while now, alright? I thought it was obvious! I practically asked you out on a date!” Keith yelled, making him flinch.
Digesting this new information was hard. Something in Lance’s stomach was making somersaults. He stared at Keith, jaw hanging open.
“Even if you said you don’t like camping, you still accepted my invite, like you truly wanted to spend time with me even if it was while something you don’t enjoy doing... I thought you kept complaining only because you were embarrassed about it,” Keith said, keeping his eyes downcast.
Lance didn’t have an intelligent reply to that. His brain was still stuck on the Keith likes me part, playing on a loop like a broken record.
“Are you done freaking out yet? This is kind of humiliating, to be honest,” Keith said. He looked like he was about to flee back into the forest any minute now.
“So, you actually enjoyed it last night when we made out?” Lance hadn’t meant to ask that. His brain had just short-circuited again, brain-to-mouth filter failing.
“Well yeah, obviously... although it was kind of sudden,” Keith admitted. “Why?”
“I want to do it again.”
Keith’s eyes widened in surprise. “Then you… weren’t just fooling around? I- I didn’t realize that you– I thought… I need a moment,” he stammered, hiding his face in his hands.
“Keith, it’s okay,” Lance said. He raised his arms, looking at Keith expectantly. “Come here…”
They hugged for a long time, neither of them wanting to let go. Lance rubbed soothing circles on Keith’s back, Keith’s arms around his shoulders holding him tightly.
Keith loosened his hold, stepped back until there was a bare minimum of distance between them. Then he grabbed Lance’s shoulders again and pulled him down for a kiss.
**
Hiking back wasn’t so bad when they were walking side by side, hand in hand. Or at least they’d tried to, before Lance had tripped on a root and fallen over on the narrow trail. After that, Lance had let Keith walk few steps ahead of him, much like yesterday.
Keith still hadn’t caught on why Lance wanted to have so many water breaks. He was merely using them as an excuse to make out, because oh boy was he thirsty. Or if Keith had it all figured out, he still didn’t seem to mind. He didn’t even tease Lance when he demanded another break twenty minutes later.
“We’ll never get back to the car at this rate,” Keith muttered, when Lance’s hands landed on his waist again. He made no move of stopping his advances.
“Shut up, we have all day,” Lance said, a dopey grin on his face. “I have to make sure I’m not dreaming…” He leaned in to kiss him softly.
“You were dreaming about me?”
Lance looked at him fondly, fingers trailing up and down on Keith’s sides. “You showed up in my first shift looking stupidly hot in your waiter uniform. I only dropped that pile of plates because of you. After that you were always haunting my dreams, while I was trying to figure out how to one-up you.”
Keith pulled him closer still, a blush staining his cheeks. “I thought you were just incredibly clumsy.”
“Yes, you told me that. I told you to fuck off,” Lance chuckled. “Cute and mean, how could I ever resist you?” His hands slid lower until they were resting on Keith’s butt, giving it a squeeze.
“Idiot,” Keith said, swatting his hands away.
“I want a better pet name than that, dipshit.” He pecked the side of Keith’s mouth, pulling away when Keith tried to capture his lips between his own. He smiled cheekily at Keith’s disappointed expression.
A mischievous glint lit up Keith’s eyes as he took a hold of Lance’s jaw, bringing their faces closer together. “Sweetheart,” Keith whispered, his lips brushing against Lance’s ear.
Lance nearly combusted on the spot, flushing bright red. “No! No, I take it all back, that’s way too much power–”
Keith kissed him.
“Seriously, don’t ever call me that again–” Keith’s lips quickly interrupted him again.
“Or I might–”
“Just–”
“Ngh…” Keith moved downwards to kiss his neck, and Lance completely lost his train of thought.
Keith pressed him against a large tree trunk, holding him still. Lance found another new way to appreciate nature and the lush green forest around them.
“Mmmh, you’re gorgeous,” Lance moaned against Keith’s lips when they broke apart, catching their breaths. Keith stared at him dazedly. His eyes were half-lidded, hair tousled from Lance’s handling.
“Hey, Keith? Thanks for taking me for a hike,” Lance said, attempting to comb Keith’s hair back into a place.
Keith pressed one, final peck on his forehead. “We can rent a cabin next time.”
Lance smiled and chased after his lips, unable to stop. “Nah, no need. I kind of like camping.”
“Are you sure? I thought you’d like a real bed?”
“You… I can’t believe you’re actually flirting with me.” But when Lance really thought about it, they’d practically been at it the whole summer.
“What are you gonna do about it?” Keith asked and yeah, there was just no way Lance could keep his hands off when Keith was looking at him like that.
Lance tackled him and claimed his lips again, pressing their bodies together. Keith flipped them over easily, and so they continued rolling around, backpacks laying forgotten somewhere. They kept exchanging deep kisses and enjoying the gentle summer breeze, content in each other’s arms.
And if they didn’t reach the parking lot before nightfall, well, they always had their flashlights.