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Lance is bitter and moody and angry. He’s not sure what’s going on but he does not like this feeling. He’s standing in a corner with watchful eyes. He scans the room and takes in every exit, he takes note of where the others are; Coran is talking with some Puig ambassador, Allura and Romelle are in a group of girls on the dance floor with Nadia, Ina and Pidge laughing and dancing, Shiro and Curtis are sitting at the bar sipping their drinks and talking quietly with their heads close together, Hunk is nowhere to be seen, probably in the kitchens discussing food, and Keith…. Lance growls and stomps out of the room and runs straight into James Griffin.
“What’s got you in such a foul mood McClain? Maybe you should lighten up and try to get some action like Kogane is working on.”
Lance has to reign in his temper and resist the urge to punch Griffin in the face. He knows Keith is having a good time. He has been watching Keith all night as he drifts from one Blade of Marmoran to the next Olkari, to the next Altean and on and on. If Lance didn’t know any better he would swear that Keith was flirting. But Keith doesn’t flirt. Keith broods and sulks and he swings a sword. But it seems the longer the night goes on and the angrier Lance is, the more Keith turns on the charm. And for fucks sake why the hell is Lance so pissed about it? He does the only thing he can do and just walks away leaving Griffin to stare at his retreating form and laugh at him.
Lance stops when he opens a door and finds a balcony. There’s no spectacular view. In fact there are too many lights and you can’t see the stars. It’s in the middle of a buzzing city and there’s the distinct sound of cars and a bass beat from some distant club, and the smell of petrol and tar as the hot city pavement cools in the night air. It’s less than ideal but Lance takes a deep breath anyway.
He’s only outside for a few minutes when he hears door open behind him. He turns to see Allura. He frowns and turns back to lean on the balcony.
“I feel as if my presence is a bit unwanted at the moment.”
Lance sighs, “No. I’m sorry Allura. I’m just in a bit of a bad mood.”
Allura shifts and looks away, “I’m sorry Lance. I can leave if you aren’t comfortable with me being here.”
Lance reaches for her hand, “No. It’s ok. We’re ok Allura. I just have other things on my mind.”
He understands why Allura might think his mood is because of her, but the truth is he was able to see the two of them would never work out. Months ago he had asked her out and she had turned him down. Sure he was devastated but he couldn’t imagine the two of them as anything other than the great friends they are now.
Allura hmms softly. Lance feels her eyes on him and turns to see a bit of a smirk on her face, “What are you grinning about?”
“I was just talking to Keith before I came out here. He seemed to be in high spirits.”
Lance glares at Allura, “He’s being a shameless flirt. He’s had I don’t know how many drinks, he’s danced with at least one person from every different planet, and he should know better than to act so….so….so un-paladin like!”
Allura laughs a high tinkling sound that on any other day Lance would have found endearing, but tonight he wants to punch the princess in her face. It was as if she knew what he was thinking but didn’t care, “Why Lance McClain, are you insinuating that it is undignified for Keith to flirt when I have watched you flirt shamelessly for years?”
Lance sputters unable to form a coherent sentence, “I have not…..I…I don’t anymore….I haven’t….That is not the point ALLURA!”
Allura turns to the side and leans against the balcony clearly getting pleasure from Lance’s irritation, “Has no one activated your particle barrier lately? No future Mrs. Red Lion? Or perhaps I should say no future Mr. Red Lion?”
“You’re not funny Allura.”
Allura can't contain the grin on her face, “You know, I think you’re right. Keith did dance with at least one person from every planet represented here; except, he never danced with anyone from the planet Earth.”
The sound of the door opening causes both Allura and Lance to turn around. At the sight of Keith, Allura grins. “I’m off to get a drink either of you want one?”
Lance frowns and shakes his head. Keith, slightly tipsy, just smiles. “No thanks Allura.”
Allura leans into Keith just as she passes by and whispers loud enough that Lance can hear, “You should ask him to dance.”
Keith just looks confused even as Allura squeezes his shoulder and walks off. He is facing Lance and doesn't see Allura stop in the door. She's pointing to Keith and Lance can just barely read her lips as she mouths the words “Future Mr. Red Lion!”
Lance crosses his arms and turns his back to Allura and consequently Keith as well. He's too busy brooding to notice Keith next to him until he starts talking, “What’s got you all moody, Sharpshooter?”
Lance just glares at Keith, “I am not moody.”
Keith nudges Lance’s shoulder, “Aw come on Lance, we just won a war. Don’t be a Mr. Grumpy Pants.”
Lance leans forward and stares at Keith. His face is inches from Keith’s and Keith has to actually take a step back. Lance just continues to stare. “Are you drunk?”
Keith blinks, “I don’t think so.”
“Then what is wrong with you?”
Keith takes another step back and this time Lance can see a flicker of hurt or something flash across Keith’s face before it's gone, “Nothing is wrong with me. I’m just trying to have a good time. I was looking for you because I thought maybe you….You know what? Never mind. I’m just going back inside and find someone else to dance with.”
Lance can'tt help himself, “You’re making yourself look easy. It’s not a good look for the Black Paladin.”
The smile finally drops from Keith’s face, “Maybe I keep hoping for the right person to ask me to dance but it hasn’t happened yet.”
Lance can only watch as Keith makes his way back inside. He wants to rip his hair out, he wants to punch the wall, he wants to scream, yet he knows none of those things will make him feel better. None of those things will replace the hurt look in Keith’s eyes.
Lance finally makes his way back inside and sits at a table off in the corner. He's nursing a drink and watching Keith once again dancing with anyone and everyone. But the one big difference is the smile on his face. Before he found Lance his smile had been genuine, but now, Lance could tell there was a tension in his cheeks, a forced look, a clenching of his teeth. He watches as the song ends and Keith hugs whoever he happened to be dancing with and makes his way to where Pidge and Hunk are talking. And then he remembers the way Keith had looked at him, how he had smiled when he first walked out onto that balcony and stood next to Lance. “Maybe I keep hoping for the right person to ask me to dance.”
The right person.
It hasn’t happened yet.
A nudge to the shoulder.
The right person.
Sharpshooter.
It hasn’t happened yet.
Mr. Grumpy Pants.
It hasn’t happened yet.
The right person.
The right person.
The right person.
It hasn’t happened…..
Yet….
Lance slams his head on the table and groans. He hears a soft melody coming from the speakers and his head shoots up. He looks around the room hoping to find Keith. He is still talking to Pidge and Hunk. Oh boy he will never hear the end of this if he goes through with this in front of them. He looks at his drink and downs it then stands up. He makes his way across the dance floor and takes a deep breath. Lance sees Pidge give Hunk a discreet nudge, “I’m off to find some more food, you coming Hunk?”
Hunk gives Lance a knowing grin then turned to Pidge, “Sure. Let me tell you about these tarts they have in the back….”
Keith doesn’t even turn around, “What do you want Lance?”
Lance let his shoulders slump. Serves him right that Keith wouldn’t make this easy for him. “I wanted to apologize. I shouldn’t have taken out whatever moodiness I was going through out on you. So for that I’m sorry.”
Lance watches as Keith turns around and gives him a calculating look. His face gives away nothing but he let out a soft sigh, “Apology accepted.”
Lance nods and holds out his hand. Keith just looks down at it. When nothing happens Lance squares back his shoulders, “I was also wondering if I could have this dance.”
“You want to dance with me?”
Another calculating look, another poker face. Lance stays there, hand held out and waits. He knew he had been an asshole to Keith for no reason tonight so he would wait and take every steely look and if Keith rejects him, well he deserves that too. But until that moment, he would wait for Keith to make his decision.
Keith looks down at Lance’s proffered hand, “Fine, but I lead.”
Lance tries to hold back but he can’t so he just smiles and lets Keith lead him to the dance floor. Keith is frowning once he gets Lance on the dance floor. But then there’s a spark in his eyes and it’s as if something clicks. He tilts his head and considers Lance before he unleashes a smile. And damn it but Lance stumbles. He’s had years of following after his sisters and practicing at home with them when they took ballet classes. He was the epitome of grace on the dance floor but this mullet head desert rat smiles at him and he trips over his own two feet. And he’s sure Keith sees the flush on his cheeks because he starts to smile even wider and his eyes are crinkled at the edges and he’s on the verge of laughing.
Keith places his hand at the small of Lance’s back and pulls him against his chest and his voice gets soft but there’s an undertone of something and it causes heat to pool in Lance’s gut. “You know, if you were so jealous you could have asked me to dance sooner.”
Lance knows his face has turned a spectacular shade of red now, “Who said I was jealous?”
Keith just smiles and spins them around, “Maybe it was the way your eyes never left me. Maybe it was the way you glared daggers at everyone I danced with. Or maybe…..”
But Keith doesn’t finish his sentence. He just leaves it hanging and Lance can’t help his curiosity, “Maybe what?”
Keith licks his bottom lip and Lance can’t help but let his eyes linger. When he looks up and Keith catches his eyes, there’s a knowing smirk, “Maybe it’s in the way you haven’t flirted with anyone since I came back as the Black Paladin. Or the way you chose me in that weird ‘Garfle Warfle Snick’ game. What was it you said? I’m like the future. Or did you mean something else?”
Lance’s heart is beating double time. There’s no space between his chest and Keith’s. His hand is starting to sweat and he’s sure that Keith knows exactly what he’s doing. Since when did he learn to flirt so shamelessly? “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
He’s trying to look anywhere but at Keith now but Keith knows just how to push his buttons. It’s the same way Lance can push Keith’s buttons. They know just how to engage the other in some sort of verbal war or challenge each other to something stupid. But Keith is playing poker and he’s all in. He’s holding a royal flush and he’s calling Lance’s bluff.
“I thought you were the Sharpshooter of the team.”
Lance whips his head back to glare at Keith, “what are you getting at mullet?”
Keith is grinning and Lance realizes too late he’s fallen for whatever trap Keith has set. Hook. Line. And sinker.
“Well it’s just that you’re always going on about how well you hit the mark and I wondered just how true it was.”
Lance isn’t sure where this is going but again, he never backs down when Keith issues a challenge. “Any mark at any distance.”
The song has changed and people around them are dancing a bit faster but Keith and Lance are intertwined in their own dance, oblivious to everyone around them. “And what about Loverboy Lance, does he always hit the mark?”
Lance is now thoroughly confused. “They’re the same…..it’s me…they’re both….I’m them…I mean….Damn it Keith I’m both of them.”
And then Keith lays all his cards on the table, “Then why hasn’t Loverboy Lance hit the mark yet?”
And oh, ok.
Lance has stopped moving. Keith has stopped moving. And it’s like everything around them has stopped, they’re frozen in the moment and Lance moves to lean in but he hesitates. He looks Keith in the eyes and Keith is waiting. He’s not pushing the moment, he’s letting Lance take the lead now, and when Lance moves closer Keith closes his eyes. Lance presses his lips to Keith’s and it’s like he’s suddenly able to breathe again. Keith presses closer and Lance tilts his head and moves his lips. It’s slow and gentle, and Keith’s lips are soft. Lance’s hands are around Keith’s neck and fingers are tangled in soft hair. Keith’s hands have made their way under Lance’s jacket, the heat of them scorch Lance’s back through his button down shirt. He’s on fire, turning into ashes, but he’s oh so alive. And when they finally break apart Keith is smiling. And god he has no right to look so soft or so good with his swollen lips and mussed hair.
But Keith just leaves Lance breathless when he leans back in for another kiss, just as gentle as the first. This time he pulls Lance closer and rests their cheeks together as they continue to dance. And Lance thinks he’s dreaming but he shivers when Keith whispers in his ear, “Bullseye Sharpshooter.”