Chapter Text
Keith always liked the idea of soulmates. He has never had anything constant in his life but always found comfort in knowing that there was someone out there he was destined to be with. He knew that he would not meet his soulmate until the universe decided that they were ready and he didn’t know how exactly they would connect. But nevertheless on the night of his eighteenth birthday he tossed and turned all night waiting for something to happen, but nothing ever did. This taught him that his soulmate was younger then he was but he did not lose hope. Then one night, July 28th to be exact, it happened.
He was sleeping peacefully when all the sudden he was woken up by singing. Not just any singing but someone singing happy birthday. Keith sits up and looks around his room but nobody is there. He then realises it is in his head. Why was happy birthday playing in his head at midnight?
Wait.
Is this his soulmate singing? Is this his connection? Songs?
Keith quickly tries to think of a song, but he can’t think of one. The singing in his head has ended and he feels the presences leave. He missed his chance, he missed his chance at meeting his soulmate and he doesn’t know what to do. He gets out of bed and paces around his small studio apartment freaking out about his missed chance. After a good hour of pacing he sits on the couch and ends up falling asleep in the most uncomfortable of positions.
He wakes up to his phone blaring from the other side of the wall and gets up to shut it off. He remembers the night before and decides he needs to go to the gym to clear his head. He puts on his workout clothes and gets on his motorcycle and heads over there.
Once there he gets on the treadmill and puts in his headphones Welcome to the Black Parade begins to play.
When I was a young boy.
Huh, Keith thinks, that is a new voice.
To see a marching band,
“He’s back!” Keith says out loud scaring the guy next to him.
“Ugh I wish” the voice in his head says.
It is a man’s voice! His soulmate is a guy! He was really hoping it was.
“Umm hello?” Keith thinks.
Silence.
Then a very faint, “Hello.”
Keith smiles, “Oh my god yes you can hear me!”
“Well duh you are in my head.”
Keith laughs, “No I am not in your head, well I mean I guess I am but I am real too!”
“And why should I believe that? How do I know I am not just going crazy?” The voice sounded skeptical.
“No I am real,” Keith promised, “I am at the gym right know and I was listening to Welcome to the Black Parade which is why you were singing it. I heard you sing happy birthday to yourself last night. Happy birthday by the way”
“Thanks.” The voice mumbles.
“I promise you I am real.” Keith pleads.
He feels a sigh in head, “Ok so what is this then?”
Keith’s heart beats faster, “I think this is our soulmate connection.”
After what felt like a century for Keith he hears a very faint, “You don’t want me.”
Keith panics, “No I do I promise.”
“No guy trust me if you met me you would not want me. I’m sorry you got such a shit soulmate. I have to go now. Good bye.”
“No wait!” Keith says out loud adding to the strange looks he was already getting. But he does not care. The voice in his head is gone and he is not sure if he will ever hear it again.
The rest of Keith’s day is a blur. He can’t tell you what he did or what he saw he spent the whole day in his head hoping to hear that voice again. But he never did. It stayed silent. It was a week until he heard another song. It was very faint and in a language he did not recognize, but it was beautiful. He laid in bed listening to a beautiful voice speaking what he now realises is Spanish. The song ends and he knows he has to say something,
“That was beautiful.” He thinks.
“..Thanks.”
Keith wants to keep the conversation going, “So do you speak Spanish?”
“Yeah.”
“Cool.” Keith wants to say more but does not want to scare him away again.
Eventually the voice talks, “My family is from Cuba, we came to America when I was young.”
Keith’s heart feels warm, “Wow that is really cool do you like living here?”
Keith feels the shrug, “Yeah it’s alright I miss the beach though.”
“You don’t live near a beach? Keith asks.
“Ha.” The voice says, “Not even close.”
“Oh,” Keith says, “sorry.”
“Not your fault.”
“I live in the desert.” Keith says hoping to keep the conversation going.
“Cool.”
Pause.
“Do.. Do you like it?”
Keith shrugs, “Yeah I moved around a lot and the desert is definitely my favorite place.”
“Cool cool.”
“Yeah.”
“Well umm I should get to bed but it was great talking to you?”
Keith smiles, “Yeah you too.”
Keith gets to talk to the voice at least once a week now. He is able to ask him a few questions without scaring him off. Like his favorite color and hobby and simple things like that. He can’t ask anything to big or he might leave again.
It is a month later when at three in the morning he is woken up by the voice.
“You are a failure.”
“No one likes you.”
“You disappoint everybody.”
“He does not want you.”
Those same thoughts fly around his head over and over. Keith jumps out of bed, “Wait what is happening?” Keith thinks.
But the voice only continue getting louder and louder until Keith is on his floor crying.
“He does not want you.”
“No!” Keith says out loud, “That is not true. None of this is true. Don’t listen to it please.”
The voices stop.
“Did I wake you? Oh god I am so sorry I didn't mean to wake you.”
Keith takes a deep breath, “No it is ok don’t worry.”
“No it is three in the morning and I woke you up I am so sorry.”
“Hey.” Keith says out loud, “Don’t worry about me tell me what is wrong.”
“I just have these thoughts sometimes but don’t worry.”
“You are my soulmate of course I will worry.”
“I already told you. You don’t want me.”
“Well that is for me to decided isn’t it?”
No response.
“Look,” Keith sighs, “my life has not always been easy and it seems like yours hasn’t been either. I always found comfort in knowing I had a soulmate and I want you to feel that comfort too. I don’t care if you just want to be platonic soulmates or you never want to meet. Just know that I will always be here for you.”
“Ok.”
Keith sighs in relief, “Are you ok now? Do you want to talk about it?”
“No I am ok, Go back to sleep. Thank you.”
Keith smiles, “Anytime.”
The next morning Keith is woken up by Hollaback Girl playing in his head.
Keith groans, “Really?”
The singing stops, “Sorry.”
Keith groans again, “No it is fine,” Keith yawns, “Go on.”
Keith hears an exasperated sigh, “Well I can’t now.”
“Why not I hear you sing all the time.”
“Yeah but this is different I am.. Showering.”
“So?”
“So? SO?” Excuse you sir but I am naked.”
“Ummm I can’t see you?” Keith is confused.
“Yeah but I can hear you and it is weird.”
“Ok? Well what do you want me to do about it? You were the one singing?”
“Ugh just listen to something else!”
“Ok ok!” Keith gets up and grabs his headphones and Fall Out Boy begins playing.
“Better?”
“Yes thank you.”
After five minutes he speaks again, “Did you mean it?”
“Yes.” Keith responds.
“Okay ummm cool.”
Keith chuckles, “Yeah.”
Keith feels a deep breath, “My name is Lance by the way.”
Keith’s heart beats faster but he tries to at least sound cool, “Mine is Keith.”
“Huh. I like that name.”
“I like yours too.”
“I have to go but I will talk you later Keith?”
Keith smiles, “Yeah bye Lance.”
Keith and Lance continue to talk for months. They learn everything about each other. Lance learns about Keith’s parents and Keith learns about Lance’s self esteem issues.
It is one night in January around eleven that Lance speaks, “Hey Keith? You awake?”
Keith puts down the phone he was scrolling through, “Yeah?”
“Would you ummm,” a pause, “would you want to video chat?”
Keith jumps up out of bed, “Holy shit yes!”
Keith hears laughter in his head, “Okay cool me too.”
Each one gets their computers and add each other on skype. Keith hits the button to call Lance and his heart is beating out of his chest. Lance picks up and Keith sees Lance for the first time.”
“He’s beautiful.” Keith thinks.
Lance laughs, it is a beautiful laugh, “Well thank you, you are not so bad looking yourself.”
Keith’s face reddens, “Oh god you heard that?”
“Fraid so.”
“Ughh” Keith groans, “this is going great for me.”
Lance smiles, “I agree.”
“So not to be the one to like kick a gift horse in the mouth or whatever but why did you decide to video chat?” Keith asks.
“Honestly?” Lance thinks, “I wanted to know if you were as hot as your voice sounded.”
Keith raises an eyebrow, “And? Final verdict?”
Lance places his fingers on his chin rubbing an imaginary beard, “So far all signs point to yes.”
Keith laughs, “I appreciate that.”
Keith and Lance video chat every night after that for the next month. Most nights they even fall asleep with it still on and Keith gets to wake up to see a sleeping Lance and it fills his heart with joy.
But he does not wish for more, yeah he would like more one day but he will never pressure Lance to do anything he does not feel ready for.
It is a normal Thursday when Keith wakes up to his skype call being disconnected. He is kinda bummed about it but he thinks to Lance to have a good day. He goes to the gym and work and has a really good day. As he is walking home he begins noticing all the flowers. He pulls pulls his phone to check the date and groans.
How could I forget Valentine’s Day?
“I didn’t.”
And that is all Keith hears. He decides the best course of action is to rush home and do some online shopping for something for Lance. He is moving so quickly he almost doesn't notice that his front door is open
Keith walks in slowly ready for whatever might happen. What he does not expected though is someone sitting on his couch playing video games and he looks to have about three pizza boxes along with some smaller boxes.
“Umm,” Keith looks around, “Can I help you?”
The game pause and the mystery man stands up to reveil,
“Lance!” Keith runs and engulfs him in a hug and Lance hugs back.”
“Oh my god what are you here?”
Can’t breathe,” Lance says
“Oh sorry,” Keith let go and put him back on the ground, “What are you doing here? How did you get here and better yet how did you get into my house?
“Oh umm” Lance scratches the back of is head, “I want to surprise you and I have this friend who is really good at finding out information and umm I broke in”
Keith laughs, “It doesn’t matter I am so happy you are here.”
Lance hugs him back, “Yeah me too.”