Chapter Text
It starts by Lance stealing his sister's tiara.
“ Mama! ”
For the fifth’s time that week.
Lance barely takes notice of the angered screams echoing through the house, though. He’s too busy nibbling on one of the edges on the plastic tiara as he flops himself on his butt in the middle of the playroom.
“Lance,” he hears someone sighing behind him, making him turn around clumsily. His older brother greets him with a tired look but the amused twitch on his lips tattle-tales on him. “Really, baby bro? Again?”
Lance offers him a toothy smile.
“Pretty rock,” the toddler says as an explanation, a weak but fair excuse for his actions before he goes back to his mission to get the pretty blue rock in the middle of the tiara.
“That’s not even a rock,” Marco mumbles with a snicker before he calls for his mom. “Mama, Lance is eating plastic again.”
“Marco, quitaselo, por Dios! ”
“Ha, no way, he bit me last time!”
Lance ignores the exchange, not even taking notice of the extra pair of footsteps hurrying to his side until it’s too late and his treasure is taken from his small chubby hands.
“Ah!” he cries out in distress before he looks up at meets his mom’s eyes. “Mama?”
“Ah, ah, young man, we talked about this,” his mama says firmly, shaking her finger at him when he tries to reach for the tiara in her hand. “This is your sister’s, sunshine.”
“Mine, mama,” Lance whines, nose scrunching as it always does when he’s about to throw a tantrum. His mama doesn’t even let him get started.
“Lance,” his mama says in warning, narrowing her eyes as she holds his stare. The toddlers hold on for three full seconds before he whimpers and give it up.
“Meanie,” he mumbles tearfully, sniffling as he crosses his chubby arms. He pouts angrily when he hears his mama call for him, first stern and then gentler.
“Hey you,” she whispers quietly and Lance only turns when he feels a warm hand running through his messy hair. He sniffles as he turns to look at her through his tears.
“Your sister is hurt because you stole her tiara,” his mama says slowly, letting him process the words at his own time before she continues. “You don’t want Vero to be sad, right?”
“Nu,” Lance sniffles, making a small sound when his mama wipes the few tears that had rolled down his cheek. “But pretty .”
“I know, sweetheart,” his mama comfort with a gentle smile, “but it’s not right to take something without permission, right?”
“Right,” Lance agrees with a small pout while puffing his cheeks. His mama rolls her eyes fondly before he pokes one of his cheeks that makes him laugh.
“That’s my boy,” his mama praises him kindly. She looks up just in time as the door of the playroom opens once again and a pair steps inside.
Lance follows her gaze, clapping excitedly when he sees his father. “Ah, papa!”
“Hey, champ,” his papa greets him warmly before addressing his wife. “I have an angry tiny president who requests an audience, cielo.”
Lance watches as his mama sighs and waves her hands, silently telling his sister to step forward.
Veronica does so while stomping her feet on the ground, hands turned into fists as she walks. She throws a dirty glare at him when she walks past him and Lance pouts in offense.
“Hey, no glaring,” their mama chimes in firmly, sending them both a look.
“Hm,” the seven-years-old clicks her tongue, crossing her arms over her chest angrily. Their mama sighs tiredly before she holds out the plastic tiara.
“Corazón, maybe you should let him play with it for a few hours,” she says carefully as she passes the tiara to her daughter. “You know how much he likes it.”
“Then he should get his own!” Veronica shouts frustrated, red-cheeked as she takes the tiara and shoots an angry glare towards the toddler.
“Calmate,” his papa mumbles sternly, shooting her a warning stare. The seven-years-old huffs as she crosses her arms stubbornly but settles down under her father’s warning.
Lance purses his lips, his lip trembling, uneasy, as his stomach twists weird by his sister’s glare. He doesn’t want Vero to be mad at him.
He tries to remember the word, that word that Marco would always say whenever he breaks something, or when his mama would step on his papa’s flowers by accident.
“Vero,” he whimpers, rubbing his hands clumsily against his eyes as a few tears fall from them. “Sorry.”
Veronica blinks, her mouth opening and closing for a few times before she bites her lower lip tightly. Her eyes grow wide and turn a little misty and Lance whines when he’s suddenly being hugged.
“Don’t cry,” Vero whimpers, kissing his head as she sniffles. “I’m sorry.”
“There, we all apologized!” their papa shouts gleefully behind them, clapping his hands proudly. “Now, let’s get moving, family; abuelita is waiting for us!”
Lance blinks bemused as his sister lets him go, following their parents out of the room while excitedly talking about a new card game
“Tita?” Lance asks him, tilting his head to the side.
Marco nods with a smile. “Yeah, we’re going to see abuelita.”
“Yey, tita!” Lance shouts happily, clapping his hands. His abuela had the prettiest seashells he has ever seen in his life . He wonders if he will be able to eat one this time.
“Come on, little dude,” Marco laughs while picking him up from the floor. “You can eat Luis’s lightsaber on our way to abuela’s.”
Lance beams even brighter.
“I have found the solution! Family, please hold the applause!”
Lance looks up from his high chair, blinking curiously as he continues to sip from his sippy cup cheerfully. His papa stands on the kitchen’s entrance, a big wide grin on his face as he shakes something in his hand.
His papa’s grin falls when none of his family members acknowledges him. “Wow, way to kill my vibe, everyone.”
Lance giggles at him as he puts his sippy cup down, picking up instead the pieces of cereal from his bowl. His papa grins back at him and leans down to drop a kiss on his head.
“Solution to what, exactly, mi rey?” his mama asks from somewhere behind him. Lance hums to himself distracted but pouts when he sees his papa stealing some of his cereal.
“Ah!” He whines in protest as he tries to push his papa’s hands away from his bowl. He blinks confused, though, when his papa chuckles warmly at him instead before ruffling his hair.
“The tiara issue,” his papa says, chewing on the stolen cereal pieces. “Guess what’s coming in a few weeks?”
Veronica gasps from her chair on the table. She ignores the way both of her older brothers shout in panic when her glass of milk almost falls from her abrupt moves. “Arus Contest?”
Their papa nods. “Yes! It’s coming back! I talked with Mr. Smythe from down the street and he told me they were planning to make another contest this year since last year was a big success.”
“Oh, that’s great! The money they raised really helped the orphanage near downtown,” his mama says kindly, a small smile on her face. “I’m really happy they decided to make the contest again.”
Lance hums, blatantly ignoring the conversation happening above his head as he focuses on moving his bowl away from his papa’s reach. He shouts in annoyance when his papa’s hand still manages to grab more cereal.
How did he do that? Lance moved it all the way to his right side! That’s so far!
Curse his papa’s superpowers.
“That’s not all,” Lance hears his papa say which makes him look up in betrayal as the adult throws some more cereal to his mouth and chews. “This year, to raise more than last time, they are widening their categories -”
“Oh, oh, can I participate? Is the space section still open? I have practiced my constellations and Mr. Holt showed me some new ones last time I played with Matt -”
“Oh my god , Vero, breathe,” Marco says from her right side, rolling his eyes in mild annoyance.
Luis looks up from his Gameboy, looking around the kitchen confused. “What are we talking about?”
“Yes, Vero, the space section is going to be a thing this year,” their papa answers as he nods. “Marco, be nice to your sister. Luis, no Gameboy at the table.”
“Can we do teams? Is that allowed? How many people on a team? I want Matt on mine - Oh! I also want Nyma! And Professor Slav and Mr. Sven! Is that allowed?”
“I was nice!”
“But Pikachu - !”
Lance scowls as the voices of his siblings continue to echo around the kitchen. He doesn’t care, honestly, he’s still to fixed on his own issue at hand.
“ Papa ,” Lance calls, whining when his papa’s hand doesn’t budge from his bowl. His papa looks down at him with a smile.
“Yes, you! Exactly, champ! You’re going to participate and get your own crown with this new category.”
Lance blinks in confusion at the words before he slams his hands down on his tiny table and kicks his legs as he shouts. “ Papa! ”
Luckily, his mama comes to the rescue. “No, cielo, he wants you to get your own cereal.”
His papa blinks bemused before he looks down and smiles sheepishly. “Oh, shoot. Sorry, buddy.”
“My cereal.” Lance pouts at him and brings the plastic bowl closer to his chest.
“Is that a yes for him to join the contest?”
Lance loves their park; it’s big, green and the sand near the playground it's not as good as his home beach but it comes close.
Well, as close as he can get to eat it before he’s being picked up and pulled away from the playground.
“Mama, Lance’s trying to eat sand,” Marco sighs as he walks and looks down at his little brother in annoyance. “ Again .”
Lance shrugs him off, putting his hands on his older brother’s face as he whines. “Down!” he shouts as he pushes himself from his brother’s grip with no success.
“Ugh, Lance -”
“Down!”
“Alright, alright, break it up,” their mama says walking towards the pair, shaking her head before she takes her youngest son from her oldest. “Marco, please go with your sister and sign her up for her contest.”
“Ugh, why me?” The teen whines, pursing his lips when his mother throws him a look.
“Because I’m asking you,” she says slowly, her stern look slowly shifting until she’s grinning playfully at her son. “Go on, you might even see Daniela. I heard from Mrs. Holt she was volunteering this year -”
“Come on, Vero! I’m going to sign you up!”
“Ay! Marco! Marco, put me down! Mama!”
Lance giggles on his mama’s arms, both of his hands on his cheeks. “Silly Marco.”
“Silly Marco indeed, sunshine.” His mama laughs quietly, dropping a kiss on his temple. “Come on, let’s get you sign up for your own adventure.”
“While you two do that,” Lance hears his papa say behind them. He turns on his mama’s grip to look at the adult and waves at him with a toothy smile that earns him a smile. “Yes, hi, champ. Like I was saying, while you two do that, I’m going to sign Luis up on his contest.”
The nine years-old next to him bounces on his feet at the words. “Can we go now? The first match is about to start, papa!”
“No, it’s not, buddy. We still have half - Ow! Luis, don’t pull! Luis! Alright, I’m coming!”
“We will be right there for the first match after I sign Lance up!” His mama shouts towards their retreating figures. She laughs when his papa throws a thumbs up at her. “Text me the location, Hector!”
“Okay, okay!”
Lance blows a raspberry as a goodbye towards his papa but pouts when the adult turns around before he can even see it.
“Aw,” he mumbles sadly before he’s squealing in delight when his mama blows a raspberry on his cheek. “Mama!”
His mama coos at him before she nods. “Okay, come on, your group is near the duck lake. Wanna see the ducklings, sunshine?”
Lance claps excitedly. “Dupplings!”
His mama laughs at his answer as she begins to walk again and Lance only beams brighter. They walk through the park’s path while humming.
Well, his mama was humming, he was trying to fill in the words to the melody with random words he could remember. His mama seemed to approved since she kept on laughing and kissing his head fondly.
She stops only once they arrive to a small stand near the lake, a dark skinned woman with white hair greeting them with a smile.
Lance likes her because she called him precious and she let him play with her pretty earrings. Mama once told him that people with pretty jewelry were royals. Lance calls her Queen.
“ - and that would be all, Mrs. McClain,” he hears Queen say, catching his attention once again. “Lance here is officially inside the contest and we thank you greatly for supporting the event.”
“It’s my pleasure, Mrs. Altea,” his mama says with a quiet laugh before she waves goodbye, letting him wave on his own at Queen before she picks him up and walks towards the lake.
“Let’s go see the ducks before going to your brother’s match, yeah?” his mama suggests and Lance nods strongly in agreement.
That’s where he catches sight of his friend and Lance’s mood increases ten folds.
“Hunk!” he shouts, blatantly ignoring his mama’s gasp and not even caring that he almost falls from her grip at his sudden moves.
“Lance,” she scolds gently but lets it go with a small sigh. She makes her way towards Lance’s friend, greeting Hunk’s mama with a happy smile before putting her son down when Lance wouldn’t stop fidgeting.
“Lance!” Hunk shouts back at him with equal excitement. Lance giggles before he throws himself at his friend, hugging him tight and squeezing when Hunk giggles with him.
He hears both their mamas laugh warmly at their interaction but Lance pays them no mind. He barely catches a few words about the contest before he’s taken away by Hunk to look at the new eggs Mrs. Quack had laid earlier in the season.
“Gotta be quiet,” the three years-old tells him softly, putting his finger in the middle of his lips. “They sleeping.”
Lance coos and gasps in awe, watching as the older duck lays comfortably on top of her eggs. He had panicked the first time he saw it when he was a baby, tears quickly feeling his eyes thinking the eggs had been crushed but Hunk had reassured him they were okay, just warm and cozy with their mother.
“They’re cooking!” Hunk had said while hugging him in comfort back then. “Like a pie, but with life instead.”
They stare in silence at Mrs. Quack, cooing and gasping in awe every time the duck would quack at most. But their fun is quickly over when their mama’s come by and pick them up once again.
“We will see you both later after the photoshoot, then!” Hunk’s mama says with a smile, waving gently with Hunk in her arms.
Lance looks with curiosity as his mama waves back. “We will! Good luck!”
He’s not sure what was all that about, but he knows he’s going to see Hunk again. Lance can’t really complain.
“Come on, sunshine, let’s go see your brother’s match before we get you ready.” His mama says then, dropping a sloppy kiss on his cheek which he returns with ten times more saliva.
His mama doesn't complain.
His siblings call him a spoiled brat.
“Look at the beautiful smile!”
And boy , does he owns the title.
He’s not even sure what exactly are they doing but he knows that his mama is throwing him praise at every smile he gives her and he gets a cookie every few minutes.
Lance’s happy.
He’s also happy because he got to dress up pretty. His mama helped him with it; some shorts that allow him to kick his feet freely with his favorite blue short shirt he once wore in his abuelo’s birthday and Marco’s cool sunglasses.
He even got away with not wearing his sandals!
“Hey, mouth out of foot,” his papa says then, pushing away his weak try of shoving his naked foot on his mouth. Ah, ‘no sandals’ advantage is no fun then.
Lance pouts at the reprimand but doesn’t dwell on it much, not when his papa ruffles his hair with affection. “Papa!”
“Hector, su cabello .” His mama sighs exasperatedly in front of him, putting down her camera to glare at her husband. The man raises his hands in mock surrender.
“Ah, perdon,” his papa chuckles, taking a step back from the ‘stage’. “I will go get us some lunch since I’m not useful here .”
Lance watches his mama laugh with a fond smile. “Check on Luis on your way back? His prize announcement should be in half an hour.”
His papa nods contently. “No problem; want some fries and nuggets?”
“You know the way to our hearts, amor.”
Lance smiles happily as he watches both of his parents laugh, gazing lovingly at each other before they turn and do their own thing. He likes his parents, they’re funny.
His mama focuses on him once again, leaning forward to push his hair out of his face. “Okay, sunshine, ready for a few more photos?”
Lance beams at her and the flash goes off.
He’s showered with his mama’s praise, giggling and squealing every time his mama makes him do something else. He got to lay on the grass and watch the marshmallows in the sky, play with some of the grass without getting his clothes dirty and even chased some of the butterflies.
But then, his mama surprises him with something new.
“Do you wanna hold the ladybug, sunshine?” His mama asks him softly, holding out her open hand towards him. Lance gasps in awe at the small bug in the middle of her palm, its red and black skin making him stare in awe.
“Yes, please!” he says excitedly.
Lance barely notices the photos his mama takes his way, he’s too entranced with the small bug in his hand and the tickles he feels whenever it moves.
“He’s Tummy,” Lance whispers then, beaming brightly at his new friend. He felt it was an appropriate name since he also feels tickles in his tummy whenever he’s happy.
And Tummy makes him happy.
“Oof!”
Until Tummy is taken away from him abruptly.
Lance whines in confusion at the sudden attack he gets from the side. He frowns and looks to his right to see his attacker only to be greeted with black hair and light skin.
But Lance doesn’t care about that, he cares that he can no longer see Tummy in his hand and the realization makes him tear up within a second.
“Tummy,” he whimpers sadly, scrunching his nose in distress as he stares at his now empty hand in front of his face. He whines when the other toddler hugging him from the side tightens his grip. “Ah!”
“Oh my god, Keith!” Lance hears someone call from somewhere near them, he doesn't know for sure. But the boy hugging him looks up at the calling, so Lance guesses that’s his name.
Lance now can see the boy’s face and he can only stare at the pretty color in the boy’s eyes before he’s suddenly being squished by two hands.
“Papa!” the boy shouts happily back at the adult that makes his way other them hurriedly. The boy hardly notices, still too fixed on squeezing Lance’s cheeks for a second longer before he giggles. “Papa, ugly!”
“Keith, no! Oh my god -”
“Ugly,” the boy repeats obliviously, patting Lance’s cheeks with a proud gleam in his eyes. “Ooh-gly!”
Lance doesn't know what that word means but for some reason, it makes him cry harder .
The other toddler pauses on his actions, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion and concern at the sight of tears falling from Lance’s pretty blue eyes.
“No, no?” he mumbles quietly, whimpering when Lance squirms out of his grip and pushes him away with a whine. “No! Ugly’s okay?”
Lance ignores him. Instead, he turns and presses himself on his mama’s chest as he cries in distress, his sobs slowing down quickly to sniffles as his mama runs her hand on his back as comfort.
He catches from the corner of his eye as the strange boy takes a step back, starting to look unsure and a little scared but then he stops.
Lance blinks confused when he sees his mama’s free hand running small soothing circles on the other boy’s back just like she was doing for him.
“Hey, hey, it’s alright,” Lance hears his mama say gently and he wonders if she’s still only talking to him. “It’s alright, sweetheart.”
Lance makes a sound of confusion at the developing event but he doesn’t have time to complain about when the mean boy is taken away.
“I am so sorry,” someone says behind Lance and it’s enough to catch his curiosity and turn around. He sees another adult, a man with a jacket wrapped around his waist and holding the boy with the strange eyes close to him. “Is your little one okay? Keith can be a little too strong when he finds something or someone he likes -”
Lance huffs, tuning the rest of the words out. Instead, he focuses on glaring at the boy who keeps staring at him with wide eyes.
Lance doesn’t even squirm when his mama picks him up properly, still facing father and son. No, it actually works on his favor since now he can glare at the boy by being on the same level.
“Meanie,” Lance mumbles as he sticks out his tongue, making sure his mama was distracted to notice. The boy frowns at him but more out of confusion than offense.
“Ugly?” he whispers softly but Lance huffs and looks away, hugging closer and hiding his face on his mama’s neck.
“Please, Mr. Kogane, it’s alright,” his mama says kindly with a small laugh. “I have been through four toddlers by now; I know Keith’s a sweetheart and meant well.”
Someone sighs in relief behind Lance’s back and he can only guess it was the other man chatting with his mama. “Thank you for understanding, Mrs. McClain. Keith has been having a hard time settling in since we moved here. I hope this doesn’t affect the boys' chances of them becoming friends?”
Lance’s eyes widen in bewilderment when he hears his mama saying that it wouldn’t, that she would even organize a playdate for them to meet properly.
Wow. The deepest betrayal in the world done by his own mama.
Lance can’t even voice his complaints before they’re suddenly walking away. He can only stare as he meets the other boy’s eyes behind her mama’s shoulder, the boy doing the same with his papa.
Lance pouts at him, narrowing his eyes before he sticks his tongue out at the boy. He gasps and whines in offense when the boy pouts and sticks his own tongue back at him.
In the end, Lance can’t even be happy about his new crown because Keith also got a silver one which had pretty red and black diamonds just like Tummy used to have.
Lance will get it next year.