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"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single guy in possession of a good grades, must be in want of a prom date."
MAY 10th
SAVE THE DATE
Keith glared at the garishly coloured poster offending the offending the door of his AP English classroom as he passed. Even as a freshman he couldn't understand fuss surrounding this 'superficial celebration of archaic gender roles and blatant pageantry'. Four years later, in his senior year of highschool, he had come to realise that not much had changed. Sure, he was slightly hairier, and liked to think he was less pretentious than his fourteen year old self, and he was definitely gayer, but he still thought prom was a dumb idea.
He had come to the conclusion that he was gay when he was fifteen. Not ideal for a small town with a heavy religious influence, and an LGBT population of approximately two. The situation was only exacerbated by his heterosexual friends trying to set him up with every boy with a sliver of effeminacy, gay or not. It was fine for them - they all had dates. Even Lance managed to hold it together long enough with his on-off girlfriend Nyma to ask her to accompany him that night.
Finally, the squeaks of rubber soles colliding with linoleum floors had faded as their reluctant owners shuffled into stuffy classrooms. This wasn't the first time Keith had skipped class, and it certainly wouldn't be the last. He rambled aimlessly around the school, his path lined with cerulean and lime lockers that once matched the scuffed floor they stood on. The prom committee had plastered their teacher-approved posters everywhere. The only thing worse than the clashing colour scheme was the 'clever' allusions to the school curriculum they used to encourage attendance.
"Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo? Hast thou bought me a corsage yet?"
"Is your prom dress made from copper and tellurium? It's so CuTe!"
"What could possibly be cooler than 0 Kelvin? Our Prom, that's what!"
And each infuriating little witticism was followed by an almost mocking "MAY 10TH SAVE THE DATE" that made Keith's skin crawl. That was tonight.
But maybe at this point he was just bitter.
By chance, he happened upon a wild Lance, leaning against the lockers as he scribbled on a save the date poster with a thick black sharpie. He pulled back to admire his handiwork when Keith approached him. "Pretty good right?" He chucked, smirking smugly. It had been another Pride and Prejudice themed poster, but Lance had taken the initiative to cross out 'good grades' and scrawl 'BIG DICK' in it's place. While vaguely amusing, Keith realised that Lance, in a fashion completely consistent with his character, had failed to think his act of defiance in the face of family friendly humour through. And he would never miss the chance to rub it in his face.
"You realise that you're not in want of a prom date?"
"I... like to think the two aren't mutually exclusive." Lance said, glancing over his shoulder at all the other posters he had already defaced.
"Right."
"Anyway, that's not the point I'm trying to make with this piece. It's an act of willful defiance against the regulations enforced upon us by the totalitari-"
"It's fucking high school, Banksy. Not North Korea." Keith interrupted, with a small smile. He cautiously wondered if Lance was trying to make him feel better, in his own way. "And besides, I don't think any amount phallic humour will convince the school to cancel the prom."
"Who said anything about cancelling? I can't wait for prom!" Lance said. "Aren't you excited?"
"I already told you: I'm not going." Keith said with a snap.
"Pffft. Yeah right." Lance said derisively. "You know you want to go. Everyone wants to go to prom. What else are you going to do on a Tuesday night?"
"Go somewhere without school supervision?"
"...Touché." Lance paused for a breath. "Okay, what'll it take for you to come? Is it a date? Do you want a date?"
Keith snorted, "Nope."
"How about money, huh? How much do you want?"
"I don't want your money, Lance."
"Well, what'll it take?" Lance groaned. "You're gonna miss out on an awesome night, man." Lance would never tell Keith, but he honestly considered him a friend. It'd the whole night would suck if he wasn't there.
"I'm not going, no matter what. Has anything good ever happened at a prom?" Keith raised his eyebrows, almost inviting Lance to answer his rhetorical question. "Never."
An idea struck Lance like a runaway shopping cart. "Well, why not embrace it?" He swung his arm around Keith neck, and forced him to look vaguely into the distance. "If you go to prom, I promise it'll be the worst night of our lives."
"W-what?"
"I'll do everything I personally can to ruin this prom. For you, man. All you gotta do is show up." He lightly poked Keith's nose, before releasing him from his grip and sauntering away. "C'mon - early lunch."
During lunch, Lance didn't mention any of this again. The group chatted idly about how they they were ambushed with a pop quiz in History, and made tentative plans for after prom. No one made any promises: prom was a free-for-all of hedonistic experiences when the teachers weren't watching. A few times, they eyed Keith with an almost resentful ricochet. It was hard to blame them, really. Keith's anti-prom statement was... slightly offensive in their eyes. What was so wrong with wanting to go and have a good time? They wondered if Keith knew that not everything had to be a political statement. Was that a gay thing? Would it be offensive to ask? Keith cleared his throat, causing the whole table to turn towards him. What he could possibly have to say on the matter?
"So... uh. Where did you guys get your clothes for the... tonight?" He asked, blushing slightly. They all turned to each other in surprise. Lance felt his heart begin to beat faster in excitement - was Keith actually agreeing to go through with their plan?
"You're going then? For definite?" He asked with a grin.
"Yeah, I think so." Keith said shyly in return. "It'll be fun, right?" He directed the last part directly at Lance.
"Totally! We can go shopping after school today. Together! This'll be awesome, bro!" Lance exclaimed, with a glint of mischief in his eye. "Meet me at the Greek statue by the mall - there's a few stores around there we can try."
And he did. At exactly four in the afternoon, Keith strolled across the shopping centre, trying to look casual and not at all nervous about going shopping with Lance. Not that he liked him in that way or anything. It just seemed like a strange thing for them to do together. He couldn't remember the last time he went shopping - he had mostly been relying on the gifts he'd gotten from family members on Christmas and birthdays, along with the occasional hand-me-down. He had to remind himself that prom was supposed to be a Big Deal, and it was probably best if he didn't make a fool of himself with a fashion faux pas.
Half past four rolled around, and Keith still found himself alone by the statue. They hadn't decided on an exact time, but Keith felt somewhat ousted as a result of Lance's lack of punctuality. Or rather, embarrassed by his own apparent enthusiasm. Or both. He half wondered if he should walk away and come back later, to save face in front of Lance.
"Keith! Buddy! My man!" Lance called, waving his arm as he ran towards him. "What's up? Have you been waiting long?"
"Thirty minutes. I thought we were meeting straight after school." Keith said with a clear tone of dissatisfaction. He surveyed Lance's approach with an unreadable expression. He had come to a stop right in front of Keith, and was panting softly.
"Sorry - I had to see Nyma. Still, no harm done. It's still technically after school, right?"
"Right." Keith snapped. "Let's just get this over with. Where do I go to get this stupid tux?"
"Uh, I'll show you. Follow me." Lance said. He grabbed Keith hand, leading him through the entrance and past store after store before he realised what he was doing. However, despite Keith's sour mood, he made no attempt to pull away. They kept walking, until they came to an old thrift store tucked into a corner of the mall. Keith might not have noticed it if it were not for Lance just now.
"You're kidding, right?"
"Gravely serious, I'm afraid." Lance said. "No better place than a thrift store to find something snazzy in a fix."
"'Snazzy?'"
"Snazzy."
Keith narrowed his eyes at Lance, scanning his face for any sign of mockery. Finding none, other than his familiar loquacious smile. "Fine. We can try it out, I guess."
Inside the thrift store, the lights seemed to be on a permanent dim. Clothing was on every surface in the room, whether it be in a pile or on a rail, filling the room while their musty odour. They seemed to be alone in the store, except for an old lady sat in an old corduroy armchair quietly snoozing behind the cash register. Every few minutes, she would mutter something under her breath in rapid Spanish.
"We can find anything we need in here!" Lance announced in a barely hushed whisper. "You go find yourself a blazer, and I'll find you a sexy waistcoat." He winked.
Keith blushed, and scuttled off. After trudging through mountains of material and forests of felt, under a ghastly orange sweater, and an even ghastlier 'Naruto' t-shirt, he finally came upon a single breasted, single vented, black blazer which would surely be suitable after a good iron. Luckily, a fancy-looking black necktie had wound itself around the sleeve of the blazer, like a pair of earphones in a trouser pocket, but more expensive.
Lance was less successful on the waistcoat hunt. He did, however, manage to unearth a pair of matching trousers for Keith's jacket, and a royal blue cummerbund.
"Well, can't I just wear that?" Keith asked, reaching for the pleated waistband.
"Nuh-uh!" Lance protested, withdrawing suddenly. "Blue is so not your colour. I'll wear it with my tux. What else do you need?"
"Hmm... shoes and a shirt right? Or do I need some kind of fancy underwear or something?"
"Dunno, you tell me." Lance said with a wriggle of his eyebrows, receiving a dismissive look, and a punch on the shoulder from Keith.
After another half hour, they had finally found almost everything on their list, except for the waistcoat. "I'd say this calls for a break, huh?" Lance suggested. "Wanna grab a cheap dinner somewhere?"
They ambled to a cozy little fifties themed diner, after they paid, and chose a booth for themselves to sprawl out in. The restaurant was a brightly light pandemonium of nuclear families and enough loud, blinking arcade games to give Keith a headache. The smell of overly salted fries and low grade meat filled their nostrils, making their stomachs groan and grumble.
"You know..." Lance began with scanning the singular menu on their table, while Keith scratched absentmindedly at the red and white checked table cloth, "It has occurred to me that we are school friends. We don't actually talk much outside of school, do we?"
"I guess not." said Keith slowly, wondering where he could be going with this. "What do you want to talk about then?"
"Um. I don't know actually. Do you like sports? That seems like a good 'guy' thing to talk about."
"Well... I'm not really a fan of team sports, but some of the Olympic stuff is cool. Fencing, swimming, gymnastics, judo.... That kind of thing." Keith confessed. Lance put down the menu, raising his eyebrows.
"Really? Swimming, huh? Are you any good?"
"Not really. My mom isn't really a fan of water, and my Dad... has never exactly been an option." Keith quickly picked up the menu, to distract himself. "He left before I was born. He was a real scum bag, a drug dealer or something. White dude with an Asian fetish probably." he said, with venom in his voice.
"Oh... I'm sorry, man. You can have one of my dads if you want." Lance said with an attempt at humour - He had never been a fan of this type of situation.
"You have two dads?" Keith asked incredulously.
"You're not the only gay in the village!" Lance laughed. "Remember my eighteenth birthday, I said I didn't wanna do anything? Well, instead of a party I decided to try and track down my biological parents. Family has always been important to me, and my dads are in the process of a divorce, so I-"
"Why didn't you say anything?" Keith asked, looking concerned. This explained so much about Lance's slipping grades over the last few years.
"The school doesn't know I have two dads, let alone the fact that they were separating. They were afraid I'd get discriminated against, I guess. like, remember when your math teacher called you a f-"
"Yeah, I remember. Thanks." Keith interrupted. "So, did you find your parents? Your biological parents, I mean."
"Yeah." Lance said. "I did." He took a long pause, considering what to say. Keith wondered if it wonder be a good idea to change the subject at this point, but before he could, Lance spoke again. "They're alright, I guess. I think I gave them a bit of a shock... They're very religious, I popped out before they tied the knot." He gave a dry chuckle. "It made sense to them, since I wasn't born under God, I was obviously going to come out a bisexual hell-raiser on the verge of dropping out of highschool..."He let out a short snort. "Needless to say, I didn't tell them about Henry and Richard, much less the divorce."
"Wow... that's... really shitty, Lance. I'm so sorry." Keith said, softly. "I had no idea."
Lance shrugged, "Hey, it's cool. And I just came came out to you, that's something!" He smiled a little, meeting Keith's for what was definitely not the first time, but certainly felt like it. He felt lighter all of a sudden. He hadn't realised his family's secret had been weighing down so much, but having shared it with Keith he felt like he could take on the world. Being bisexual was less of a secret, he felt he had never really been in the closet - he just did what he liked and let the rest of the town interpret it how they liked. Most people just assumed he was 'affectionate.' He was interested in seeing how Keith would react, though. He would be the first person he'd actually told with words. Plus, he could expect a positive response from the boy how was fast becoming the town's token gay kid, whether he knew it or not.
He still remembered when Keith came out, it had been in sophomore year. It was the year they had become friends. No one had expected the quiet kid who still dressed like it was the eighties to be a homo, which seemed dumb to Lance in retrospect. He remembered how quickly the hot gossip had burned across the school. Keith had flew off the handle when the math teacher had interrupted their detention to have the delinquent students say the Angelus at six o' clock. Keith had let out a loud sigh before he could stop himself. When the teacher asked Keith if he had a problem with his request, Keith replied that the school should be more inclusive of religions other than Catholicism. Then, the exchange that became legendary in Pine High School, thanks to Keith's infamously poor impulse control.
"What are you, some kind of lefty faggot?"
"Yeah, I am."
Boom. Keith got detention for a month. Mr Sawyer was written up for discrimination. Phone calls were made. Talks were given. And Lance knew he had to befriend the lonely boy sitting at the back of detention the next day. They had spent the last three years in some kind of purgatory between friendship and acquaintanceship. Most of the time, Keith was standoffish at best, but in some rare moments of jubilation he was just as big of a dork as Lance himself. Unfortunately, they were also equally contentious, which lead to copious amounts of what Lance liked to call 'bickerage'.
But now, he felt like this little dinner date they were on had broken a barrier of some sort. And if Lance knew anything about boundaries, they were made to be broken.
"Uh, yeah I suppose you did." Keith replied. "Congratulations, I guess."
"I think we've had enough of the mopey sad kid stuff, right? We're eighteen, Keith. Adults. Let's play truth or dare!"
"Fine." Keith said, with the hint of a smile. "Dare."
After a pause thought, Lance flashed a devilish grin and said "Okay, when the waiter comes over here - you have to ask for his number."
"Seriously?" Keith groaned, paling.
"Don't worry, he's not straight. I made out with him once at a party." Lance said in a matter-of-fact tone, which surprised Keith.
"Really, in front of everyone?"
"Yeah, sure." Lance shrugged. "The whole gay thing isn't as big of a deal as you think it is. Most people don't really care, dude. Especially when everyone in the room is pissed as shit." He said. "Most people who were there that night blacked out."
"Huh... So do I have to actually get his number, or just ask for it?"
"Just ask for it." Lance said, waving the man over. He was a handsome fellow of around twenty, with glazed over green eyes, a crooked nose and a perfect, dazzling smile.
"Hey! I'm Sam and I'll be your server tonight! Are you boys ready to order?" The waiter asked, with as much fake enthusiasm as he could muster.
"Yeah! I'll take the cheeseburger with fries, and a Pepsi." Lance said perkily, "How about you, Keith?"
"I... I..." Lance's heart dropped as he heard Keith stammer, would he go through with his dare? Keith took a deep breath, and began again. "I'll have a chicken burger, with a milkshake - and your number." He said smoothly, with a glib smile.
"Hahahah." Sam laughed dryly, fighting the urge to roll his eyes while a loud snort of surprised laughter escaped from behind the hand covering Lance's mouth. "I'll be right back with your drinks, guys."
"Why did you make me do that?" Keith groaned loudly, sliding down in his seat while Lance exploded in laughter. "I'm never going to be able to live that down!"
"Hush hush." Lance said laughing, "It's my turn now - I choose truth."
Keith pushed down on the table, dragging himself upwards to meet Keith's eye. "Okay... um... how far have you ever gone with a guy?" he asked curiously.
"Uh, what do you mean? Like on a scale of one to ten?"
"No! I mean... like... have you ever...? Keith widened as eyes as he finished the sentence, nodding slightly as if encouraging his brain to work.
"Oh!" Lance exclaimed, "Uh, yeah. Totally. Like twenty times. Maybe more."
"Really?"
"You haven't?"
"... No."
Lance sighed with relief. "Me neither, I lied. Sorry." He confessed.
"That's the whole point of the game, Lance!" Keith cried in a mock rage. "At least try to take it seriously!"
Lance raised an eyebrow and smirked. If Keith wanted serious, he'd get it. "Fine. I've given and received a good few handjobs. More giving than receiving though. Blowjobs on the other ha-"
Keith's face flushed into a bright red. "Lance!" He hissed. "We're in public! There could be children around! Or old people!" He felt like he wanted to die of mortification right then and there. How could Lance be so thoughtless? Only, to make matters worse, Sam approached them at that very moment, with their food on a tray. Keith let himself flop headfirst on to the table, and covered his face with his hands.
"Your meals, gentlemen." Sam said, with a smug smile. "Enjoy!"
"Why, thank you Sam!" Lance returned in a mocking simper. He took both plates from the tray, and let Sam deal with the drinks. "Wake up, Keith-ikins! Your dinner's here!"
However, Keith simply said, "Don't," and curled into a tighter ball, only unfurling when Sam had walked away. "You're the worst." He told Lance, deadpan, before biting into his chicken burger.
"I know." Lance returned, with a smile.
They ate ravenously, but quietly - focusing on the food rather than conversation. Even so, the silence was not an awkward one. It was a comfortable silence, shared between two friends in a relaxed setting. They did not feel the need to fill their silence with words, they just enjoyed each other's company.
When they had finished eating, Keith was the first to break for silence. "I still don't have a waistcoat, you know. Most of the stores will be closed by now."
"Don't worry about it, I have exactly what you need." Lance promised. "We can go to my house, after we pay." He motioned to Sam that they wanted the bill.
"Was everything to your liking, boys?" Sam asked, writing something on the bill.
"Wonderful." Lance sniggered.
"Glad to hear it." Sam replied in an icy tone, as Keith reached for his wallet.
"I got this, Keith." Lance winked. "You can leave the tip." He crumpled up the bill, and stuffed it in his pocket.
Keith considered arguing, but he figured Sam had been put through enough today. "Fine." He conceded, "But I'm getting the next one." Lance looked at him, and smiled. The next one.
After they had left, walking to Lance's house, Keith asked, "Did you really think he deserved a tip? I thought he was kind of rude." He jogged a little to stay at equal speed with Lance's long legs, but had no problems keeping up. Lance lived in a suburb, not far out of town. For, Keith, who'd lived for most of his life in a small apartment, the houses looked huge and cartoonish and vaguely ominous. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he recalled that one Tom Hanks movie where his suburban neighbours were murderers, or cannibals or something.
"Well, yeah." Lance said, "You'd be kinda rude if you had to put up with people like us all day." He paused, and then grinned at Keith. "Oh wait. You're already kinda rude!" He laughed. "But no, seriously. I mean, he works for minimum wage in that hell hole, ya know? We gotta do what we can to help. Besides... I feel sorry for him - you won't be calling him."
"What?"
"He gave you his number - but you're not calling him. He wrote it on the bill! Here, look..." Lance fished the crumpled up bill from his pocket. In large looping text, Sam had written in blue pen: 'Hey. If you ever get rid of the mullet, give me a call.' followed by his number. Keith stared at it incredulously. "But you're not calling him. I forbid you to get rid of that mullet, Keith Kogane - you look darn cute with it, and it completes the whole eighties' thing you've got going on." Lance said, with a mock stern accent as he ripped up the bill and put it in a public waste bin.
"Here, this is where I live: I'll introduce you to the whole family." Lance said, stopping at one of the identical houses where a middle-aged black man with a thin but bristly salt and pepper mustache was bent over a patch of soil, watering the garden. "This is my dad, Henry! Dad, this is Keith. We go to school together." Lance said by ways of an introduction. "Dad's growing tomatoes right now. Or trying, I guess... Anything sprouting yet, Dad?"
Henry stood up, towering over Keith. "Not yet unfortunately. Nice to meet you, Keith!" He took off his gardening gloves, and offered a pristine hand, which Keith shook shyly. "Would you be the Keith who-"
"That's the one, Dad!" Lance interrupted, indiscreetly shoving Keith along the drive away, "But he has to go now! Bye!" He grabbed Keith's hand again, and pulled him indoors. "Sorry, I have a lot of family, and we're on a tight schedule. Luckily, Richard doesn't live here anymore, so we can rule him out... Here, follow me."
"Are you okay about Richard leaving?" Keith asked. "You just seem very... chipper about it. Almost too chipper."
"I dunno, to be honest. It was a long time coming. Now hush about that, before Luna hears you." Lance said quickly, opening the door to a blindingly pink room, with an eight year old girl with short black hair inside. The room was covered in drawings, done presumably by Luna, of Lance's family. One particularly heart wrenching piece of artwork had been framed, and hung on the wall above her bed: A depiction of herself holding hands with two men, captioned 'i lovE my dAddiEƨ'. "Keith, this is my little sister, Luna! Luna, this is my friend, Keith."
"Hey Kief!" Luna called, waving vigorously despite her hand being covered in green paint, causing a small spray on her floor. "I'm painting an megalodon shark. Have you heard about 'em? They lived miiiiiillions of years ago in the water." She explained excitedly.
"That's awesome, Luna! Keep up the good work!" Lance exclaimed, closing the doors again. "You can tell mentioning the D-I-V-O-R-C-E is a no-no around her." He whispered. Keith nodded.
"My oldest sister is in this room," Lance said, pointing at the door across the hall. "She's probably sleeping though. She was on the night shift last night - she's a nurse. Her fianceé lives with us too, but she at work right now, at the museum. They're staying here while they save up for their own place, and so they never have to pay for babysitting! Don't worry about noise though, Lara and her son, Oliver are both quite deep sleepers. Oliver's just a few months old!" Lance babbled.
"Next door to Luna is where my brothers, Logan and Leo sleep." He went on, opening the door to one of the messiest rooms Keith had ever seen, although it was devoid of any actual humans. "Logan just finished college, we're kind of hoping he's able to get back on his feet soon. Leo-"
A head popped up from the pile of sheets on top of the bed. "The fuck do you want, pissdick?" Leo asked. He and Keith regarded each other with distaste. He was a sallow skinny kid, not unlike Lance, despite them being only related through adoption. A clear difference was Leo's glasses, his acne and the masses of curly hair atop his head. Keith could hear the shrill tones of a popular youtuber coming from his earphones. "Who's this fag?" He demanded, his voice breaking.
"Just showing Keith around." Lance said, in a slightly severe tone, and gestured to all of Keith dramatically. "Keith, this is Leo. He's fourteen, and he's a little shit." Leo retreated back into his pile, flipping them two of them off. "He's... a character." Lance said, with a sigh. Keith simply raised his eyebrows in response. "He's a recent adoptee, we think his foster family mistreated him, and he hasn't been dealing with the divorce well..." Lance explained.
"And next door to Lara is... me!" Lance declared, leading Keith to the door across from Leo's room. After they walked in, Keith could see that Lance's room was easily the smallest of them all. He sat down on Lance's bed, next to him, and observed the room. Lance had chosen to paint the walls a dark blue, and hung posters all over the place, mostly space-themed, and superhero-themed. He was surprisingly tidy, with just a single pile of folded laundry sitting at the end of his single bed. Under his bed, Keith spotted drawers of clothes, which explained his lack of a wardrobe.
"I can't believe you have such a big family." Keith told Lance. "You're like... the classic example of an only child. Why do all of your names begin with 'L'?"
Lance shrugged. "My family is nothing if not thematic. And that's not even the half of it, my biological parents had another five children after me. 'Course, they were married by then, so they kept those ones. Added them all on Facebook, they seem chill. Less... Catholic." He chuckled.
"Does it feel really weird? I mean, knowing those strangers are you full blooded brothers and sisters?" Keith asked, moving closer to Lance.
"No. Well, kinda. I mean, Lara, Logan, Leo and Luna are my real family, but I'm not against suddenly having a few more birthday presents to buy, a few more hugs to give, a few more smiles to remember when stuff gets hard, y'know? But I want to make sure Henry and Richard know how much I appreciate and love them, even if I also have María and Nicolas to think about now. Like... I know where my loyalties lie, you know? I just don't want to put anyone on a pedestal..."
"Yeah..." Keith murmured. "I think I understand." He went to pat Lance on the shoulder, but was pulled into a tight hug.
"Sorry, I-I just... I haven't really spoken to anyone about it before." Lance confessed quietly against Keith's chest. He could feel his shirt begin to get wet. Keith adjusted his position, so he could hold the sobbing boy tighter in his arms. He stroked his hair, squeezing him tighter and tighter. "It's just... Just... I was so eager to finally m-meet them." Lance wept. "Henry w-was so against it, but Richard... Rich-ard said I deserve to see what two parents who actually love each other looked li-like." Keith gasped before he could stop himself. "That wa-was when it all started. They suh-suh-separated before the end of the week. Buh-But of course, I'm an idiot and I go anyway a-and they say they're happy to finally m-meet me but... but you ju- you just know. You know they're ashamed of me and-and they think it's their fault for not being able to keep in it their p-pants when they were teenagers..."
"You don't need to be ashamed, Lance." Keith murmured. "And neither do they. Everything will be okay, in the end."
"D-do you really think that?" Lance looked up at Keith with watery eyes.
"I do."
Keith planted a small, cool kiss on Lance's clammy forehead.
"I really do."
They fell into a silence. Keith's heart sank as he realised he realised what he did. His famous impulsivity had stricken again. They were both frozen, staring at each other in fear and wonder.
"Lance, I..."
A knocking came upon the door. Lance pushed Keith away in shock, just as Henry stuck his head in to the room. "Can I get you boys anything? Some cookies, or- Lance, is everything okay?" Mr McClain stopped in his tracks upon seeing his tearstained son's face. "Have you been crying?"
"Uh... n-no." Lance said lamely. "Keith told me a really funny joke, and I laughed so hard, my eyes watered."
Henry glanced quickly at Keith, who was leaning against the wall, looking startled. It was clear that Lance was lying, the tension in the room was so thick that there was no room for a joke to squeeze in. Nonetheless, Henry was not prepared to have this particular conversation in front of a guest.
"Okay, Lance." He said, backing slowly out the door. "We'll talk about this later."
He shut the door tight, and Lance turned to look at his friend with a small smile. "You're adorable, you know that, right?" He teased with a sniff.
"Shut up."
Lance rubbed his nose on his sleeve, and got up of the bed. "It's time I gave you what we came here for." He said solemnly. Keith followed him through to what he assumed was Henry's bedroom. It was a bright and airy room, with a colour scheme of white, periwinkle blue, and lemon chiffon. A large window facing west lit the whole room with the evening light. Keith sat at the end of the study double bed, watching Lance rifle through cardboard boxes marked 'R'. Finally, he let out a yelp of delight and produced an elegant red silk waistcoat.
"He'll never miss it. It's from their wedding - if anything he'll be happy to 'lose it in the move'." Lance explained, using air quotes. He laid the waistcoat out on the bed, smoothing it down carefully.
"Lance, I can't wear this." said Keith carefully. "It probably means a lot to your dads... Besides, it looks so expensive - what if I ruin it?"
"It's not like Richard would ever want to wear it again." Lance said, examining the silk carefully. "It's better if it goes to someone who will actually use it. It's only been worn the once, it'd be a waste if you didn't wear it. Try it on, at least." He glanced at the digital clock sitting on a bedside locker."You know what? We actually don't have time. Put everything on. You can use my room, and I'll change in the bathroom."
Keith nodded, convinced. He made his way back into the smallest bedroom, and began to take off his clothes. It felt weird, standing in his underwear, in Lance's bedroom, but he decided not to dwell on it. He pulled himself into the black formal pants as quickly as he could.
Meanwhile, Lance was in the bathroom, examining the tuxedo he had chosen with Nyma. A grey, double vented, single breasted number, with lapels slightly darker than the rest of the suit. He had paired it with a black and blue bowtie and now, the royal blue cummerbund he had found in the thrift store. Nyma was happy to along with his plan when he told he after school. She said she had suspected his crush on Keith for ages, and she was happy to go with Rolo instead. Most importantly, she agreed not to tell anyone what he was going to do.
It dawned on him that he had to do something before he put on the tux.
Keith buttoned up the waistcoat, and shrugged the jacket over his shoulders. Despite the lack of a mirror in Lance's bedroom (which surprised Keith, considering Lance's vanity) Keith felt more confident wearing these clothes than he ever had in his life. His mother had always loved those phony makeover shows where some average looking person was taken under the wing of an overrated fashion icon and became an average looking person with fancier clothes by the end of the episode. However, now he felt like he could relate to the people on that show: the clothes really did make the man.
When Keith stepped out of the room, Lance was already ready and waiting at the door for him. His mouth fell open slightly, when Keith emerged from his room. The change was spectacular. He stood tall with a straight spine, meeting Lance's eyes without fear. The suit emphasized his sharp shoulders, and left nothing to the imagination when Keith turned around to shut the door.
"Vuv- Very nice," Lance said, reclaiming his moxie. He smirked, nodding. "Very nice indeed, my callipygian friend. The waistcoat really makes it! You'll be fighting the men off with a sword and shield."
Keith broke into a smile. "You don't look too bad yourself, McClain." He said. And it was true. What he failed to mention was that Lance's suit appeared to be slightly too small for him. Lance looked almost uncomfortable standing out in the hall, unable to put his arms by his side, but Keith didn't have the heart to tell him.
"Let's go downstairs for photos!" Lance suggested, grabbing Keith's hand and interlocking their fingers. "My dad will be so excited to see us!"
"Sh-shouldn't you b-be getting your pictures w-with Nyma?" Keith asked, stuttering as Lance dragged him down the stairs at a dangerous speed.
"Well, you're here, and she's not!" Lance pointed out. "Hey, Dad! We're ready!"
Henry emerged from behind the kitchen door, and clasped his hands together, his chest swelling with pride. "You boys look wonderful! Shall we take some pictures? Keith, do you want to call your parents over to see?"
"My mom's overseas at the moment." Keith said simply. "Don't worry about it."
Henry ushered to two of them towards the staircase, "Well, are you staying with family? You haven't been sleeping at home by yourself, surely? LEO! WILL YOU FETCH SALLY'S CAMERA FROM HER AND LARA'S ROOM PLEASE."
"Lara's fianceé has a fancy camera." Lance explained. "Dad uses it all the time."
Leo's reply came, "FUCK OFF."
Henry sighed deeply, and apologised for Leo's sake. "It's been a difficult few months for Leo, go easy on him." He said, before hurdling up the stairs two at a time to fetch the camera himself. They could faintly hear Henry sternly reprimand Leo for his language. He bounced down again and addressed Keith. "Seriously though, you can stay here tonight if you want. I'd honestly feel better if you did. "
"Dad, the photos!" Lance reminded him. "Let's get that stereotypical stairs shot, huh Keith?"
After a twenty minute photoshoot, Keith promised Henry that he would stay there tonight, and Henry swore he would make copies for Keith's mom. They thanked each other, and then Keith and Lance got ready to leave.
"Your dad knows I'm not your date, right?" Keith asked, as Lance closed the door.
Lance shrugged, "I don't - watch out for the tomatoes - I dunno. It doesn't really matter though, does it?"
"I guess not... So how are we getting there? By limo, or something?"
"Aha!" Lance laughed. "You've forgotten already, Kogane? I specifically promised you the worst night of your life."
Keith narrowed his eyes, "What are you suggesting?" Lance lifted his foot, showing the sole to Keith. At the heel, nestled into a little nook in the sole, was a pair of little wheels. "You're wearing Heelies. To Prom. What, are you suggesting a walk beside you?"
"No! Don't be ridiculous, Keith." Lance stooped down to a squat. "C'mon, hop on!"
"You're joking."
"You wish, babe." Lance winked. "Oh! I almost forgot!" Before Keith's very eyes, Lance starting unbuttoning his shirt, revealing a full-body Superman costume, complete with fake foam muscles. "There. Now, the look is complete. Now, get on my back before we're late."
At Pine High School, the students were beginning to arrive. Girls in long, sparkling dresses carefully stepping out of their limousines in their high heels, while their boyfriends extend their arms graciously to assist them. Imagine their surprise when they saw Lance McClain in a dishevelled tuxedo and Superman costume hightailing down the hill next to their school, with Keith Kogane on his back, laughing and screaming with adrenaline. They stood and stared, then began to cheer and clap as they got closer, and finally ran off to the side when they all came close to colliding.
That," Keith said, trying to catch his breath as he climbed off Lance's back, "was amazing!"
"I know right?" Lance wheezed. "You should learn to trust me more." They high-fived, and started to walk into the building. The hall was set out as if they were at a wedding, with a long buffet table off to the side, and numerous tables and chairs surrounding a cheesy dancefloor lit by a cheap multi-coloured disco light. The room was filling up quickly, with masses of people - many of whom Keith didn't recognise, despite going to school with them everyday for the past four years.
"Shouldn't you be trying to find Nyma?" Keith arched his neck, scanning the room. "I... think she's near the buffet table, talking to Rolo. Didn't they used to date?"
"Don't worry about it." Lance said. "I'm just going to talk to the DJ, I'll be back in a sec'." Keith nodded, and wandered off towards the chairs and tables. He sat at the tale closest to the dancefloor, believing this would discourage anyone from sitting next to him.
He was wrong.
"Hi! You're Keith, right? I'm Pidge!" In the chair next to Keith's sat a fourteen year old kid, extending their hand and smiling. "You're here with Lance, right? That was you, on his back coming down that hill?"
"Uh. Yeah. Keith Kogane." He grabbed Pidge's hand and shook it firmly. "How do you know Lance?"
"We have Astronomy and P.E together - me, Lance, and Hunk." Pidge pointed to another student across the hall, a sturdily built Polynesian guy who waved over at them when he spotted Pidge pointing. "I think the four of us are going to the same college next year, right? Garrison University?"
"Yeah, but aren't you a little y-"
Pidge rolled their eyes, clearly bored of having this conversation five times a day. "Yes. I'm fourteen. I'm an advanced student. It's all cool. Anyway, since we're going to the same college and we hadn't formally met before, I just thought we should get acquainted, y'know? Get to know the man behind the myth."
Keith held in a deep sigh. He'd never escape the math teacher incident, as long as he lived. "Look-"
"Lance talks about you all the time, did you know that?" Pidge asked, interrupting his lament.
"He does? What does he say?"
"Keith does this... Keith says that... Keith wants to... blah blah blah..." Pidge chuckled. "Honestly, you should hear him." Suddenly, they stood up on the chair. "HUNK! CAN YOU COME OVER HERE FOR A SECOND?" The guy from before came rushing over to their table, and took the chair on Keith's other side. "Keith, you have got to hear Hunk's impression of Lance." They nodded Hunk. "Go for it."
"Alright alright. Hunk laughed. "Go easy on me though, I'm a little rusty.
He adjusted his posture, sliding down in the chair and arching his neck exactly like Lance did. "Did I tell you guys what Keith got in Mrs Adam's pop quiz? Seven. Fucking seven. Who does he think he is? I got a six. Who gives him that right to be good at eveything? God. Guys? Did I ever tell you about Keith's conditioner? His hair smells like an ocean breeze. Do you think I should grow out my hair like that? Do you think Keith knows I'm bisexual? It's not a secret or anything but should I just like TELL him or would that be weird? Guys? Guys? Guys? Did I ever tell you guys I'm bi? Because I am. Guys, I just think it's important that you know. What do mean I told you yesterday? Screw you guys. Keith wouldn't treat me like this. Actually, he'd probably punch me in the mouth or something. And honestly? I'd probably thank him."
Keith exploded in laughter. "You're kidding, right? Holy shit!" He howled. These guys seemed awesome, he was looking forward to getting to know them next year.
"Deadly serious." Hunk grinned.
"Hey! Hey! Hey! Three of my favourite people in the same place! What is this, a crossover episode?" Lance laughed, sipping a cup of punch. "Heads up guys, I spiked punch."
"Jesus Christ, Lance." Pidge sighed.
"I also paid the DJ 20 dollars to play only a... specific playlist on my iPod." Lance said, with a sidewards glance towards the stage, where as if by cue, the DJ started to play 'Cotton Eye Joe'.
"Lance." Hunk said gravely. "Why are we friends?"
A mischievous grin spread across Lance's face, "Because last week I switched the school's floor cleaner with grease, maybe?"
"...You're bluffing." Keith guessed.
"Okay, yeah. You got me there. What were you guys talking about?"
"Have you talked to Nyma yet?" Keith asked quickly. "It'd be unfair to let her wait this long."
Lance's face fell. "Oh... Yeah. Will you be okay over here?"
"Of course! These guys are keeping me company, right?" Keith pointed out. Hunk and Pidge nodded enthusiastically.
Lance walked away, towards Nyma and Rolo. He hadn't expected Keith to be so concerned about Nyma. He was ruining everything.
"How's it going? Nyma asked, as Lance made his way over. Rolo had his arm around her, and smiled easily at the approaching boy. Lance didn't know how many times Rolo had repeated senior year. It didn't make sense - he was smart as hell.
"Sucky." Lance pouted. "He still thinks you're my date."
"Seriously?" Nyma said wearily. "Ugh. Why didn't you just ask him like a month ago when everyone else was organising their shit?"
"He was so adamant that he wasn't going! He literally just decided today! We went shopping together and it was totally adorable! We took pictures on my stairs, Nyma. On my stairs!" Lance lamented.
"Hmn." She muttered, "I think I have an idea."
Lance returned to the table where Keith, Pidge and Hunk sat, with a slice of cake in tow. "Hey guys! Having fun, Keith?"
"I... am, Lance. Thanks for convincing me to come." Keith said, smiling. He shared a glance with the other two, and chuckled. "Thanks for spiking the punch too."
"No problem." Lance said, bemused by what apparently could be the beginning of a tipsy Keith. "And it's only going to get better from here, you know."
"Where's Nyma?"
"In the bathroom. But afterwards, she has a secret to tell me apparently. " He winked at his friends, and took a sip of Keith's punch.
"Um. Lance?" Keith said. "Isn't that her up on stage?"
They watched as Nyma tapped the DJ on the shoulder, and interrupted the German 'Naruto' theme to use the mic. Rolo followed her onto the stage, and stood beside her silently. "Lance McClain." She said breathily. "I have something to tell you." She turned around and violently kissed Rolo, making exaggerated moaning sounds and head movements.
On his cue, Lance stood upon his chair, and shouted, "Oh no! What on Earth? How could this be?" In his best 'acting' voice. He reached for the cake on the table, and threw it as hard as he could towards the stage. Before long, their feigned lover's tiff had escalated into a fully formed food fight.
Cocktail sausages and mashed pot ores were flying through the air like malformed birds, splattering on anyone who got in their way. The DJ took no notice, and continued to play the 2015 hit "Why the Fuck You Lyin'", much to Lance's delight.
"Lance!" Keith called, dodging a slice of pie. "Are you alright? I can't believe that Nyma would do that to you..."
"How can you be so oblivious?" Lance shouted back. "It was all an act! I wanted you to be my date, you asshat!"
"...You did? Well, why didn't you just ask me, idiot?" Keith snapped, torn between feeling offended and flattered.
"You kept saying you weren't- watch out for that tomato- that you weren't going! And I hinted, man! I hinted my heart out!"
"I would've said yes if you just asked!" Keith said, sounding faintly hurt.
"Alright, alright, guys." The DJ said, as if only just noticing the food fight. "We're gonna slow it waaaay down now, alright dudes? Grab a partner and waddle on over to the dance floor." He swayed from side to side, as he chose to play 'Bring Me to Life' inside by Evanescence.
"Will you say yes now?" Lance asked, offering an arm to his companion and lowering his defences enough to be hit in the face with cake.
Keith stifled a laugh. "Only because you look so handsome in icing." He said, wiping some jam off the side of Lance's head. He lead Lance out to the middle of the dancefloor, and they began to dance together perfectly in sync. Awkwardly at first, but when they became acquainted with each other's natural rhythm, they became encapsulated in each other. They were in a world of their own, barely noticing that the song had changed to the cover of the 'Ouran High School Host Club' opening played only by stringed instruments.
"You're literally the worst." Keith sniggered. "Request something else." They were brought together, chest to chest by a wave of people who suddenly decided to get into a Waltz formation.
"No way." Lance said, leaning in closer. "I'm not missing the chance to be this close to you."
Once again, the two of them fell into a silence, staring at each other. Lance found himself at a loss for words when he looked into Keith's dark eyes. "Can I ki-" He was interrupted by Keith's mouth colliding with his own. Finally.
Hunk elbowed Pidge in the ribs and nudged his head towards the pair. "Astronomy is either about to get a lot better or a lot worse."
The rest of the night whizzed by before everyone's eyes. They danced and ate and drank until their hearts were content. And, at the end of the night, Keith found himself walking home with Lance, once again holding hands. Except it was different now. Different, but similar. A good change. They stumbled in the door quietly, careful not to wake anyone. They crept upstairs and into Lance's little room. After borrowing some of Lance's pyjamas, they squeezed into the single bed, intertwining their legs. Gazing at each other's sleepy faces across the bed.
"Did you have a good time?" Lance asked quietly.
"The worst prom ever." Keith assured him with a smile. "You?"
"Agreed." Lance yawned. "Aren't you going to sleep?"
"Not yet." said Keith. "This night just can't end. Not yet."