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Lance was awake. But unfortunately, he couldn’t get up or move at all. At first, he just waited, thinking at some point he’d be freed. But no luck.
“Uh, are you getting up anytime soon?” He asked out loud. But Keith just hummed and only snuggled closer to him. That bastard, he’s been awake this whole time.
“Don’t wanna,” Keith mumbled and he’d almost think it was cute if his full bladder wasn’t making him just a bit irate.
“Why not?” Lance said, squirming just a little, trying to get free. But Keith didn’t seem to want to relinquish him.
“‘m cold,” he said before Lance, with all his strength, pushed him straight out of the bed. Keith landed in a pile of bedhead and tangled limbs, looking up at Lance over the edge of the bed, betrayal in his sleepy eyes.
“Then put on a shirt then!” Lance said with a huff, before laughing slightly at the pouty on Keith's face.
Lance was starting to notice something about Keith. When they walked Keith would always brush the back of his hand against Lance's and sometimes outright reach out and take it in his own. When Lance was working on something Keith would always look over his shoulder, sometimes resting his chin in the crook of his neck. Even at work, Keith couldn't seem to help himself, reaching out to fix his tie or brush away a stray strand of hair clinging to his jacket.
He was starting to think that Keith, all brushed leather and sharp edges, was a little bit of a touchy-feely person. He desperately wanted to confirm his hypothesis, but he only had a sample size of one, since Keith didn't seem inclined to cozy up to anyone else. He thought about asking Keith directly, but he doubted Keith even realized himself. The other man wasn't very good at articulating what it was he wanted specifically from Lance.
Lance remembered when he had been in charge of the shopping and Shiro had come over for dinner, he had gone to the pantry to make some tea for them all and had remarked that the brand of black tea was different from Keith's preferred one. Lance had been surprised and asked why Keith didn't just correct him, the other man had just shrugged.
"It was fine, you had already bought it anyway."
Keith was very much a doer and didn't usually get too bogged down by the details, and even if he was he didn't share his thoughts out loud much. He could also be surprisingly awkward with affection, which was pretty contradictory to how the other man was currently lying halfway on his lap while they were both sitting on the couch watching a documentary about sea turtles.
It was a perfect time to test out his hypothesis Lance thought, looking at Keith who's head was pillowed on his thighs, relaxed but gaze still intently focused on the screen as tiny sea turtles raced across the shore for their lives. Carefully Lance reached out his hand, trying not to startle Keith, and laid it on the other's head.
Keith stiffened up for a second, and Lance thought about taking his hand away before he melted into Lance's touch. Lance blinked, he dared say this experiment was a success.
Lance continued his little experiments in secret. Instead of sitting across from Keith in booths at restaurants, he opted to sit side by side instead. He started reciprocating Keith's little touches, and even though it made him feel a little like mushy teenagers in love, it was definitely worth it to see Keith quietly light up at each little touch. He was currently washing Keith's hair as it had been caked with mud and a little bit of blood after a deal had gone south and he had tumbled off a marina, luckily the blood hadn't been his but Lance felt bad enough about it that he'd offered to help.
They had rinsed most of the mud out, refilled the tub, and Keith was now sitting quietly while Lance scrubbed at his scalp. Keith hummed, before pausing and speaking.
"I've noticed by the way," he said quietly, "what you've been doing."
Busted, Lance thought. Keith just sighed and leaned back into Lance's touch.
"Thank you for this, and for everything else," Keith continued. Lance smiled, before helping him rinse off his head again.
They had to throw away everything Keith had been wearing during his impromptu swim, it was a shame and he knew Mr. Sato would shed a tear at the mud-caked suit, but it was pretty much unsalvageable. Lance tossed it in a garbage bag along with everything else and Keith's shoes and leather gloves as well.
"You don't wear your gloves much anymore do you?" Lance asked him.
"My hands used to get cold easily, but it's been better lately," He said, before reaching out and grabbing Lance's hand in his own.
"I wonder why that’s been?" Keith wondered out loud, with not a trace of irony in his voice. Looking genuinely confused when Lance let out a fond laugh.
It was only a few days after that Lance himself noticed a few changes as well. He was heading out to pick something up from the store when he heard Keith get up from the other room. He paused as he was putting on his shoes, thinking maybe Keith wanted to get something specific for him. But when Keith padded around the corner all he said was:
"Have a safe trip, love you." Before waving Lance off. Lance blinked as he stood in the corridor, the door locking quietly behind him. He had another hypothesis but… he'd need more data.
From then on Keith made it an effort to drop little words of affection into their daily lives and conversation. When they pass by each other at work he always says hi, over even stop to ask how he was doing and pay him the occasional compliment. Keith was giving out a lot more compliments in general Lance noticed.
"I like that tie," He said while they were getting dressed for the day.
"Your cooking is getting a lot better," he offered when Lance successfully made frozen gyoza in the skillet. Neither of them had much in terms of talent in the kitchen, but it was good to learn a few things for when they didn’t have the time to eat out.
"You look beautiful," when Lance first woke up and decidedly did not look very beautiful, squinting in the sun, his hair a mess.
Part of Lance was mortified, at one point they were having a meeting with some top brass who flew in from Rome and Keith had leaned over and whispered 'you look gorgeous in that' and it had been just loud enough that the other translator had picked it up. She looked suitably scandalized.
But another, larger, and louder part was thrilled. Lance thought he was a fairly affectionate person, he had no problem showering those around him with praise and physical touches. But there was something about Keith, who could be a stone wall around most people, being so free with his words and praises that made his heart flutter.
It was in another event, this time in Milan when Keith had sidled up to Lance when they were free to mingle around and brushed his hands over Lance's shoulders.
" Molto bello ," he had said and Lance's mouth had dropped open, a few people around him also glanced up at that, understanding the Italian, no translation needed.
When they got back Lance had dug out his books on Italian and sure enough, he found a few sticky notes left in their pages that he didn't remember putting in himself. He had left a sticky note one Keith's pillow that night, reading ' I've noticed ,' and another right below ' thank you '.
"You know if you wanted language lessons you could have just asked," Lance said afterward, teasing.
"I used to be a language teacher," He was even teaching Laura, Adam's sister, some conversational Japanese over Facetime for when she was coming over to visit them during the summer.
"Hmm, I might have to take you up on that offer," Keith said, before stepping in close into Lance's personal space. "Are you offering hands-on instruction?" He asked. Lance giggled at the cheesiness but Keith just grinned, snaking his arms around Lance, and kissing him soundly.