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Lance knew he was loud and dramatic. It came with being a latino in a large family. He didn't expect everyone to understand, but fuck, it still hurt when he got called out in front of a large group of people, specially when he already felt like he didn't fit in and he wasn't the only one being loud.
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Lance sat at a table for an event he'd been invited to attend by participation.
The Garrison held a school play yearly for its art department.
Artists and musicians alike would come together to form a show with the theater teachers.
Lance, for both community service hours and because he liked his art teacher and wanted to help her, decided to join in set crew to help paint some of the stuff for the play. It was absolutely gruelling work,but he got to do it with Hunk so it wasn't that bad.
They'd spend a few hours everyday afterschool painting and listening to Lance's spotify playlist.
Lance focused back in on the conversation one of the girls next to him was having.
He sipped his lemonade and ultimately decided to pull out his phone to text Hunk and Pidge.
Lance:Wish you guys were here :(
Pidgeon:Don't have too much fun without us dork
Hunk<3: is the food gud?
Pidgeon:not as good as my ass...which is second to Hunks cooking
Hunk<3:awww pidget :)
Pidgeon:don't get used to it `~`
Lance smirked at his phone, only then noticing his battery percentage was very low and he should probably not use his phone if he wanted to live that night. (Mrs.Mcclain was very serious when it came to curfew)
He spent the evening mingling and joking around with the other seniors at his table. He was getting confident, his cheeks were pink from laughter and he knew he was starting to get boisterous,and then he heard James say,
"Keep it down Mcclain!"
It wasn't loud, just a huff of annoyance from under his breath but it might as well have been a gunshot because miraculously the volume in the room had dropped right when he said it.
Maybe it was just a smoking gun to him because nobody else seemed to have paid any mind to it.(maybe they were all thinking it. Maybe Lance was being fucking annoying and someone needed to say it. Maybe they didn't want him there because he didn't deserve to be there and nobody would give a shit if he never came in the first place.)
His smile dropped immediately and he felt a seaping coldness spread in his chest, a contrast to his face which was hot with embarrassment.
He spent the rest of the night reassuring his friend that he was ok,just tired,and trying to pretend like he didn't want to stab himself with a fork.
Eventually, his friend left too and Lance was left alone to spiral on his own without many distractions.
Grimacing to himself,he pulled out his phone and hesitated.
Alejandro: ¿mami, puedo dormir en la casa de Hunk esta noche?
Mami: No no, te di una hora para llegar a casa, tienes que cumplir la. Ya,vengase paca
Alejandro: Mami, Es q a Hunk le dio diarrea y esta muy malo asi q me quiere ahí para apoyarlo.
(No,no, I gave you a curfew. Come home,now)
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Lance:Hunk!!I just told my mom I'm staying at your place because you're sick and have dihharea so if she calls I need you to cover for me.
Hunk<3:?????uh..uh ok! I got you buddy
Pidgeon: Staying with Keith again are you? Horny little bastard
Lance:shut the fuck up rat. THANKS BABE I LLVE YOU <33
Hunk<3: I love you too sexy little man
Pidgeon: I'm telling keith
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Mami: ay q mal. Está bien entonces. Dile a Hunk q lo quiero y q espero q se recupere.
Alejandro: claro mami, gracias :( buenas noches
(Oh no how sad,alright you may go,let Hunk know that I love him and I hope he feels better soon) (Of course mom, thank you, goodnight)
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Lance exhaled and stood up from the table, staring at the familiar contact of his boyfriend as it rung.
After a few minutes, the phone picked up and Lance perked.
"Lance..?" Muttered the voice on the other line.
It was clear Keith had just woken up to his phone ringing.
Lance started picking at the skin around his nails as he spoke,his throat tightening after finding comforting hearing Keith's voice. "Hey um... I, I'm sorry for bothering you, I know it's late and I shouldn't be interrupting your sleep because you barely get 8 hours and I'm-"
"Lance. It's ok. What's wrong?"
"I um... I'm still at the dinner I told you about and I wanted to know if you could pick me up?I...I just need you right now." He exhaled shakily, feeling a little more overwhelmed than he had moments before.
"Of course. Send me the address, I'll be right there."
"...Thank you." He breathed out a sigh of relief knowing he'd get to see Keith soon.
"I love you."
"I love you too. Don't wait outside,it's raining and as much as I know how insane enough you are to walk out in the middle of the parking lot to dance in the rain,I don't want you catching a cold. I'll call you when I get there."
"Don't really feel much like dancing in the rain right now." Lance heard the clinking of keys on the other side of the line.
"Uh oh. It's serious then? Alright, I'm on my way."
Keith hung up and Lance stared at his homescreen, deciding to go back to his seat. He leaned his hair back and stared at the ceiling, letting his mind drown out all the other voices in the background.
'I am so fucking annoying. I ruined the night for myself. I shouldn't have been so loud. I am such an attention whore. I need to stop talking. Can I just shut up for one second?'
He paid in a haze after receiving the long awaited phone call from Keith and walked outside, huddling deeper into his bomber jacket and scrambling to open the door to Shiro's car with frozen fingers.
He shuddered as he closed the door behind him, leaning back into the seat to drink in the warmth from the car.
Keith leaned over and gave him a featherlight kiss on the lips, making his heart flutter. His lips curved into a small smile,temporarily forgetting what he was so upset about in the first place. He sighed.
"I'm really sorry for making you come out at this hour of the night."
"Hey, it's fine. Shiro isn't home,went to Adam's, so it's just us tonight."
Lance smiled softly,knowing his night would be full of soft kisses and warmth.
The ride back was almost 20 minutes long with the new weather traffic. The wind whipped on the windows and the rain pounded on the roof, mixing in with Keith's Wallows playlist.
The heater hummed, making Lance snuggle deeper into his seat with comfort. Eventually,Keith pulled into a parking space in front of Shiro's apartment.
"Huh...the fucker upstairs didn't steal my parking spot. What a miracle." Keith mumbled under his breath as he undid his seatbelt.
Lance huffed out a laugh as he undid his own, following Keith up to the familiar door of the Apartment he shared with his older adoptive brother.
Keith threw the keys on the kitchen counter and slid his jacket off to scratch his stomach under his tank top, his bedhair made love swell in Lance's heart.
Lance followed Keith into his bedroom where he stripped of his jacket and Jeans,throwing himself on the other young man's bed after dropping his clothes on the floor knowing his boyfriend didn't mind.
He buried his nose into the sheets taking in the surrounding smell of Keith. The weight of the bed dipped as Keith climed in with him, having throwing his pants on the floor too.
He poked Lance's side rather harshly (ouch) until he made space for him. After snuggling into Keith's chest and wrapping his arms around the others waist, he felt the vibrations from Keith's voice as he spoke.
"Wanna talk about it?"
Lance burrowed deeper into Keith's arms, the silence stretching for a while.
"Do you think I'm obnoxious?" He asked sheepishly.
Keith hummed, "oh definitely. I just date you for your juicy ass."
Lance playfully smacked Keith in the ass as a response.
"I do think you're obnoxious but in the best way possible because I love everything about you." He whispered, pressing a soft kiss to the top of Lance's head. "Why do you ask?"
"Dunno...just, I feel like I'm too loud sometimes and that people get tired of me and I just...I hate that I'm so annoying sometimes I just want to...I don't know I just-" His voice cracked as he started working himself up.
"Lance. If any fucker ever shits on you in front of me I promise I won't let them see the light of day." (Lance knew keith was serious about his threats)
"I love you. I love you even if you can be annoying at times,even if you're loud because it's a part of your personality. If people have a problem with you they need to focus on their own shit instead of trying to make you feel like ass."
Lance wrapped his arms tighter around his boyfriend.
"I was, I don't know just talking...I was being loud I know but I thought...y'know it was ok? Because there were more people being loud and...James told me to keep it down in front of everyone and god Keith...I was so embarassed."
"That piece of shit. I never fucking liked James. Watch what's gonna happen next time I see h-"
"Keith...no, I mean yeah it hurt me but there's nothing we can do about it. It's just me being butthurt."
"Your feelings are valid Lance. Don't make yourself feel like shit for feeling like shit over something you think is small. You're allowed to feel bad over something like that. He could've nudged you and asked you nicely and you weren't the only one being loud so it's clear he had a bias." Keith murmured sternly, massaging Lance's scalp.
"I- thank you for...listening to my stupid rants. I love you." Lance sniffled softly.
"They're not stupid. I love you too. Get some sleep, it's probably midnight."
"Mk..."
But Lance was already drifting off to the warm,secure arms of the person he loved the most in the universe (after Mrs.Mcclain because nobody beats his mom and Keith knows this.) With the howling of the wind and the pounding of the rain falling on the window outside.