Archive of Our Own ^beta

Look, Lance was like any other kid. He loved superhero movies, he would wake his mom up early in the morning to watch Spiderman reruns, he had posters of Superman saving attractive women from explosions, he had action figures of the Teen Titans that lit up and made sounds. He basically ate, slept and breathed superheroes for the entirety of his childhood, and no matter what, the mention of any hero would grab his attention. 

His parents would bribe him with superhero movies and toys. They would call him Spiderman when he climbed trees, and tell him he had a smile like Superman. His favourite compliment was when his classmates voted him most likely to be a superhero. What he never expected, despite his deepest dreams and desires, was for that to become true. He didn’t expect to wake up one morning, dreading his eight am lecture, only to literally float out of his bed. He woke up, and suddenly all of those childish dreams, toys, posters and movies didn’t seem so crazy anymore. 

–

Lance stares at the ceiling, swinging his legs which are hanging off of his bed. He’s tossing a ball and catching it over and over again, only slightly listening to the conversation Pidge and Hunk are having next to him. He stopped giving them his full attention when he heard Pidge mention quantum mechanics. Nobody knows what any of it means, and he’s definitely not going to be the one to figure it all out. And to think the conversation started with what colour hair Pidge would have if she was an alien. Lance makes a particularly bad toss, and without much thought, levitates the ball back to himself. His eyes snap open fully and he turns to look at Pidge and Hunk. Thankfully, they’re too engulfed in their conversation to be looking at him. 

He lets out a breath of relief and puts the ball down. Pidge and Hunk don’t know, and can’t ever know about his powers. He only just discovered he has them a couple months ago, but he just has this gut feeling no one should know. The last thing he wants is to be taken for government experimentation. Not that he thinks Pidge and Hunk would sell him out, he just doesn’t want to take any chances. He sits up and rubs his eyes. It has taken him days to gain control of his powers to even some degree. That first morning, he nearly ripped his clothes in half just trying to put them on. Super strength is a blessing and curse. 

“Everything good?” Hunk asks. Lance nods and stretches out his shoulders. 

“Yeah, just remembered something I need to buy,” Lance says, “I won’t be long.” Hunk nods and turns back to Pidge. He’s grateful that Hunk isn’t the intrusive type. He’s not sure he could keep his secrets if Hunk asked him enough questions. As he’s leaving his room, Pidge grabs his sleeve and grins. 

“Get me a Celsius?” Pidge asks. Lance sighs, but gives her a thumbs up as he slips out of the room. He grabs his shoes, skips a jacket and makes his way outside. He doesn’t really feel temperature all that much anymore. 

He loves living with Hunk, but he hates that their apartment building is in the middle of downtown. His favourite power he has is the ability to fly. It has genuinely changed the chemistry of his brain. If it was possible, he’d fly anywhere and everywhere. It’s so freeing and there’s no damn traffic. That might be his favourite part. It’s just him and the sky. 

He makes his way towards the edge of town. When he starts freaking out about his powers, which happens often, he likes to get away from things. There’s a forest not too far from town that’s private enough for him to fly and weave through the trees. Especially later in the day, like now, when the sun is setting. Before he can make it there though, he spots a familiar figure. Of course. 

He sort of figured he was the only person with powers in town. Really, he still doesn’t fully have his head wrapped around the fact that he does have powers, but there’s at least one other person with powers. The idiot he’s come to call ‘Helmet Guy’. He’s always wearing all black and Lance has never seen him without a motorcycle helmet on. And naturally, the guy has the one power Lance was devastated not to have: super speed. Lance will never admit how jealous he is. 

Helmet Guy is at the corner of an abandoned building spray painting something on the wall. Lance sighs and starts walking over to him. He’s known about this guy for two months, but he’s never had the chance to actually talk to him. He always runs away the second he sees Lance. The same as always, when he looks up and sees Lance, he drops his can of spray paint and disappears into the distance. In all honesty, Lance just wants to be friends with him. He wants someone he can talk to about all of this and Helmet Guy seems like his only option. 

He decides he doesn’t feel like flying anymore and goes back towards town. He only barely remembers to grab Pidge a Celsius and something for himself on the way back. Every time he sees Helmet Guy and gets nothing out of it, it makes him feel more lonely. He has friends and wonderful family, but in a way, he’s still alone. There’s no one he can relate to inside and out. 

–

“So… are you busy right now?” Hunk asks. Lance looks up from his book, somehow still shocked that Hunk’s shoulders take up the entire doorframe.

“I’m reading,” Lance says. Hunk sighs and walks fully into the room, dropping heavily onto Lance’s bed. He can already tell that Hunk wants something from him just from the look in his eyes. 

“You know you’re the bestest friend ever, right?” Hunk says. Lance reluctantly puts his book down and tilts his head. 

“What do you want?” Lance asks. Hunk smiles with slight guilt. 

“I need to pick some stuff up from the pottery shop for my pastry final,” Hunk says. Lance raises an eyebrow and Hunk flushes slightly. 

“Most people use the plates supplied by the school,” Lance says. Hunk nods, scratching at the back of his neck. 

“I’m not most people, we know that,” Hunk says. 

“So you’re telling me this, why?” Lance asks. He knows the answer, to some degree, but he wants to hear Hunk say it. 

“I do owe you a mug,” Hunk says, “remember the one I broke last month?” Lance rolls his eyes. 

“Anytime I go with you, you abandon me to talk to Shay,” Lance says knowingly, “why do you need me there this time? I’ve successfully avoided that place for almost two weeks. Hunk groans and buries his face into his hands. 

“Because I’m going to ask her out,” Hunk says, “I’ve decided it’s now or never. And I just need you there for moral support. And I’ll get you a mug.” Lance hums. He could say no. Hunk is a grown man and can ask someone out without his help, but he also loves Hunk to death and would do almost anything for him. 

“Fine,” Lance says, “but if you chicken out, I’m stomping over there and doing it for you. I’m sick of you guys dancing around each other.” Hunk doesn’t dare argue that. 

“Thank you so much,” Hunk says, “and hey, they hired some new people last week, maybe you can talk to one of them so you’re not abandoned.” Lance chuckles and pushes Hunk’s shoulders with his foot. 

“Go get your keys before I change my mind,” Lance says. Hunk grins and practically runs out of Lance’s room. 

–

They get to the shop and Lance has to admit he somewhat missed the atmosphere. Even just seeing the outside of the shop makes something warm blossom in his chest. The door chime twinkles as they walk in and he’s met with the warm smell of pottery and cinnamon. Even if Shay didn’t work here, Lance could understand why Hunk likes it so much. “Wish me luck,” Hunk says, squeezing Lance’s shoulder. Lance watches as he walks over to the desk where Shay is talking animatedly with a customer. She grins when she sees him walking over. Lance rolls his eyes. He’s not sure how Hunk questions her feelings whatsoever. 

He wanders over to the first display of mugs he sees and glances over them. He honestly doesn’t really need a new mug, but he might as well occupy himself with something. As he’s looking, there’s a loud thump across the store when something hits the ground and the mug in front of him tilts off of the shelf. Without thinking, he levitates it back to its spot unscathed before it hits the ground. He gasps when he remembers where he is and looks around to see if anyone caught him. Thankfully, everyone looks distracted enough. 

He nearly jumps out of his skin when someone clears their throat behind him, though, “Shit,” Lance says, just barely avoiding bumping into the display. When he turns to the source, his heart jumps. He sees the prettiest eyes he’s probably ever seen. But then he takes in the rest of the features and memories from high school flash through his mind. He knows those eyes and the dark hair framing them, he knows the angle of the shoulders, though they are admittedly much wider now. It can’t be. 

“Sorry to startle you,” he says. And fuck, it is. 

“You work here?” Lance asks dumbly. The guy raises an eyebrow and looks down at his apron. 

“New hire,” he says, “need help with something?” Lance’s jaw nearly drops. There’s no way. There’s actually no way this is happening right now. 

“Keith?” Lance says. The guy purses his lips and looks down at his name tag. 

“Yeah, that’s what the tag says,” Keith replies. The name is so familiar in his mouth. It reminds him of nights sitting on abandoned roofs, ranting to Hunk about his rivalry. It reminds him of growling after every goal Keith scored. He never thought he’d see his high school rival ever again, but here is. 

“Do you not… you were on my soccer team in high school,” Lance says, voice slightly hoarse. 

“Was I?” Keith says, “I doubt you’re lying, I don’t really remember much of high school.” Lance’s jaw actually drops this time. There’s no way. 

“Are you kidding? You don’t remember any of it?” Lance says, “we were like… rivals… you know- neck and neck, always on each other’s asses.” Lance remembers every game vividly. Every time Keith didn’t pass to him. Every time Keith scored more goals than him. Keith raises an eyebrow and leans slightly in his hip. 

“I definitely would have remembered if I had a rival,” Keith says, “are you sure you’re not thinking of someone else.” Lance rocks slightly on his feet and scratches at the back of his neck. 

“Well… you’re not kidding,” Lance says in disbelief, “this is- shit this is awkward.” Keith chuckles and a familiar smile comes over his face. A smile Lance hated because he saw it every time Keith scored. 

“What’s your name, maybe it’ll rejog my memory a little bit,” Keith says. Lance feels pathetic. There’s no way he made everything up. But Keith doesn’t seem like he’s fucking with Lance. He seems genuinely clueless. 

“Lance,” he says, hoping he’s not too flushed from embarrassment. 

“Sort of rings a bell,” Keith says, “sorry I don’t remember you more.” Lance groans and looks back over to the mugs. 

“Mind helping me find a mug?” Lance asks. Keith grins. 

“A mug?” Keith asks. Lance pinches his brows. 

“Yes? Is that not a normal request at a pottery shop?” Lance asks. Keith chuckles again, and it’s a foreign sound to Lance. He remembers serious looks and scowls for the most part. 

“You just don’t strike me as someone who’s into pottery,” Keith says with a shrug. 

“We’re literally at a pottery shop, what else would I be here for?” Lance asks. 

“You walked in with that guy, and he looks like he needs the moral support,” Keith says. His eyes suddenly go wide with realization. “That’s why the name Hunk sounded familiar, he was the team manager cause of his business class.” Lance groans. The universe must really love messing with him. 

“So you remember Hunk but not me, his best friend?” Lance asks. Keith shrugs, but there’s a playful smile on his face. “Can you get me a mug or not?” Lance finally asks. 

“I wouldn't be employee of the month if I couldn’t,” Keith says with a wink. Lance sort of wants to punch him, but he hasn’t mastered his super strength enough to do that safely. Lance rolls his eyes and follows Keith to a different section of the store. The display they stop in front of is amazing. All of the stuff here is really well made and beautiful, but this section is particularly breathtaking. 

“Holy shit,” Lance says. 

“I’ve only been here for a bit, but I’ve made some stuff,” Keith says. Lance looks at him with wide eyes. 

“You made these?” Lance asks. Keith nods, looking slightly sheepish. 

“What, you think they hired me just for my good looks?” Keith asks. Lance feels like he has whiplash. He really never expected Keith to have much of a personality and it’s catching him off-guard. 

“How the hell did you make all of this in a week?” Lance asks. Keith shrugs and picks up one of the plates. “Are you just good at everything ever?” 

“Definitely not,” Keith says, “you wanted a mug?” 

“Right, yeah,” Lance says. Keith starts looking through his stock of mugs. Lance pointedly looks away at anything else. 

“So how long has this stuff with Hunk and Shay been going on?” Keith asks idly, “heard his name at least ten times this week.” Lance chuckles and looks over at Hunk. 

“Three months,” Lance says, “it’s getting a bit sad.” Keith hums still scanning his mugs. 

“You live with Hunk, I assume?” Keith asks. 

“I do, and thank god for that, he’s amazing in the kitchen,” Lance says. Keith shakes his head. 

“So you’re lazy on the field and in the kitchen?” Keith asks playfully. Lance gasps and puts a hand to his heart. 

“So you do remember me!” Lance exclaims. Keith turns to him with a smirk. 

“I don’t, but you just confirmed you were a lazy player,” Keith says. He turns back around and Lance is very glad he doesn’t have to keep looking at that infuriating smirk. 

“I did not-” Lance says, but the words die on his tongue when Keith turns around with a mug in his hands. Lance tries to hide his shock. Keith somehow picked the perfect mug.  It’s a deep blue and it’s covered in galaxies and made up planets. The handle is silver, twisting around itself like a vine.

“Like it?” Keith asks. 

“Not too bad,” Lance says, trying to sound casual. His face must betray him, because Keith smiles knowingly. 

“You should probably get to your buddy, his face is beet red,” Keith says. Lance looks over his shoulder and sure enough, Hunk is coming over, his entire face flushed up to the tips of his ears. When Lance turns back around, Keith is gone. 

“Okay, what the hell did I miss?” Lance asks. Hunk shrugs, but he’s grinning from ear to ear. 

“Shay asked me out,” Hunk says, “she asked me, Lance. I didn’t even have to do anything!” Lance grins and pats Hunk’s shoulder firmly. 

“I told you she’s into you,” Lance says, “I’m happy for you man. That’s great.” 

“I know, right?” Hunk says, “I mean… I was definitely going to ask her out at some point.” 

“I’m sure,” Lance says sarcastically. Hunk looks down at the mug in his hands and smiles. 

“Is this the one? It’s pretty cool,” Hunk says. Lance nods and looks around himself. Keith is nowhere in sight. He clears his throat. 

“Remember Keith from high school?” Lance asks. 

“You mean the one you were constantly complaining about? How could I forget?” Hunk says, “pretty sure fifty percent of our conversations were about him in senior year.” Lance frowns and puts the mug on the counter. 

“Well, he works here now and I’m pissed about it because he’s really good,” Lance says, “I mean, look at this damn mug.” Lance knows he’s being lame and pouty, but this is opening an old wound for him. 

“Damn, so he’s good at everything, huh,” Hunk says, “I can see why you hate him.” 

“I don’t hate anyone,” Lance mumbles, “he was just a nuisance.” 

“You know, I’m pretty sure you had a thing for him,” Hunk says. Lance pinches his brows. 

“On Keith?” Lance asks. 

“I mean, yeah. You talked about him all the time and I know you sounded angry but you were flushed in a nervous sort of way,” Hunk says, “I don’t know, just a theory.” 

“Are you out of your mind?” Lance asks. Hunk shrugs as the cashier comes over to check them out. Lance has never and will never have feelings for Keith. 

–

Something Lance has discovered since getting his powers is that sleep is optional. He can sleep if he wants to, but it makes no difference on his energy levels. At this point, he really only sleeps when he wants his brain to stop, thankful for the extra hours in the day most of the time. Tonight, though, he feels like he has cabin fever. He has the urge to run in circles in his room, but instead of being a nuisance, he heads outside for the night. There’s a collection of abandoned buildings not far from the centre of town, and Lance often goes there to work on his strength. But of course, Lance isn’t able to do anything in peace. 

Darting between dented up dumpsters, he sees Helmet Guy. Lance can hear him banging around each dumpster before he moves on. He doesn’t really have the energy to question what he’s doing, so he just watches quietly from the shadows until he starts to feel like a creep and makes his presence known. “What are you doing?” Lance yells. Helmet Guy looks up slowly, like he already knew Lance was there. He probably has super hearing or something stupid like that. 

He just shakes his head and goes back to punching the dumpster. “Give me something, man,” Lance says. He’s walking a thin line. This is the first time the guy hasn’t run away the second he sees Lance. Surely that’s a step in the right direction. Helmut Guy turns, flips him off, and runs away. Lance sighs, but he’s somewhat grateful to have the area to himself again. A lot of stray cats seem to gather here, so he spends hours at a time cuddling and feeding them. After a couple hours, he feels a lot less fidgety and makes his way back home. 

Pidge and Hunk are sitting on the couch when he gets back, hunched over a complicated looking card game. “It’s three in the morning, what are you guys doing?” Lance asks. Hunk raises an eyebrow and Pidge scoffs. 

“You just got back home, you can’t say shit,” Pidge says, “where the hell were you anyway?” 

“On a walk,” Lance says, “wanted some time to think.” Hunk grins and Lance already knows what’s coming. 

“He saw Keith at the pottery shop a couple weeks ago,” Hunk says, “and then he saw him at the grocery store twice.” Pidge’s eyes go wide. 

“You mean Keith from high school?” Pidge says, “you were so down bad for him it was hilarious.” Lance groans. He is not in the mood for this. 

“I wasn’t into him,” Lance protests. 

“Sorry, right, you were rivals,” Pidge says. 

“I’m going to bed,” Lance mumbles. As he walks away, he hears Pidge chuckling like she’s said the funniest thing in the world. He flops onto his bed and lets out a long breath. One thing he knows for sure is that he was never into Keith. He doesn’t think he could have been. He was so angry with him all the time, that was the only emotion he could even consider surrounding Keith. Sure, Keith has nice eyes and chiseled features, but Lance can acknowledge that without wanting to sleep with him. He decides to let himself sleep for the night. He really doesn’t want to think about Keith and his stupid mullet right now. 

–

“You always have fun at the arcade, man, please come,” Hunk says, nudging Lance’s shoulder. 

“Hunk, I love you to death man, but I don’t want to third wheel your arcade date,” Lance says, “I’m going to end up looking like some loser playing a bunch of games alone.” Truth is, Lance doesn’t mind being a third wheel all that much, but he really doesn’t find arcades that fun. With his recently heightened reflexes, the games have lost all of their appeal. He’s pretty sure he has the high score in most of the games there. 

“Please, you’re our only way to get in free,” Hunk says.

“You can’t just exploit me because I know the owner,” Lance says, crossing his arms. Hunk pouts and Lance curses under his breath. Hunk’s puppy dog eyes have a way of getting to him. He stays strong though. 

“I’m not going,” Lance says, “I’ll just call Pidge and hang out with her.” 

“Dude, she’s on a trip to Italy,” Hunk says, “at least come up with a good excuse.” 

“You’re the one exploiting me!” Lance says. 

“Please?” Hunk says, “I’ll tell Shay to bring a friend so you’re not lonely.” Lance shakes his head. 

“You know I don’t want to be set up with anyone,” Lance says, “I’m not going on a blind double date.” 

“It doesn’t have to be a date, I’m just offering you some company,” Hunk says, “we’re leaving in an hour.” He stands up from the couch abruptly and shuffles off to his room. 

“I never said I’d go!” Lance yells after him. He sighs and slumps into the couch. Looks like he’s going to the arcade with some stranger. Perfect. 

–

Lance admittedly feels a bit better when they get there. Singing shitty pop music in the car with Hunk seems to be the cure to all of his sorrows. When they pull into the parking lot, it’s not too packed and they spot Shay’s car right away. Hunk parks and basically runs over to her, wrapping her in a tight hug. Lance smiles at the two, happy to see things work so well for them. When he gets over there, Shay is free from the bear hug with a bright smile on her face. 

“Where’s the friend for Lance?” Hunk asks. Before Shay can answer, there’s a deep rumble from the other side of the parking lot and Lance watches with a frown as a motorcycle pulls up beside them. A motorcycle he has the misfortune of recognizing. 

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Lance mumbles. Keith comes to a stop and kicks the bike stand down, pulling his helmet off of his head. His hair flows out of it and over his shoulders. That damn mullet will never fail to piss him off. “You brought Keith?” Lance exclaims. 

“Well, I figured since you two already know each other…” Shay says. There’s something in her voice, but he can’t quite place it. He feels a little unsettled. 

“You didn’t tell me Lance was going to be here,” Keith says. Lance glares at him and gets a stuck out tongue in return. He can’t help the surprised chuckle that leaves him. 

“Oh, be nice,” Hunk says, “you guys are friendly enough, right?” Lance sort of wants to strangle Hunk right now. He definitely knew about this. 

“Let’s go inside, yeah?” Shay says. Lance nods and watches as she and Hunk happily walk hand in hand towards the arcade. Keith finishes packing his bike up and catches up to Lance. 

“So you know the owner?” Keith asks. Lance was not expecting small talk, especially from Keith, but it’s better than complete silence he supposes. 

“Yeah, he uh, his niece was my tutor for a bit in school and he just really seemed to like me,” Lance says with a shrug, “he lets me get some free tokens every time I’m here.”

“Cool,” Keith says, stuffing his hands in his pockets. Lance nods. He hates how awkward the air is between them, but it can’t be helped. When they get to the door, Lance pushes ahead and walks up to the desk, eventually convincing the employee to get the owner. 

“Lance!” Coran says, “nice to see you!” He spots the other three behind him and raises an eyebrow. 

“Before you say anything, I was forced here,” Lance says, “Hunk was on his knees begging me to get him some free tokens.” 

“Well, pleasure to see all of you here,” Coran says, “you guys want free tokens?” Hunk startles slightly when Lance kicks his ankle. 

“If that’s possible, yes please,” Hunk says. 

“You’re lucky I’m feeling nice,” Coran says, “next time, don’t drag poor Lance here. I’ll give you a discount even without him around.”

He looks directly at Hunk as he speaks and it makes Lance chuckle softly under his breath. Serves Hunk right for forcing him to hang out here with Keith. Soon enough, they all have their tokens and Hunk and Shay are quick to run towards the Mario Kart game. Lance sighs, jingling the tokens around in his hands as he looks around.

“Was your tutor's name Allura by any chance?” Keith asks. Lance’s shoulders sag. Of course his rival knows the woman he once had a massive crush on. 

“Yeah,” Lance says, “of course you know her.” Keith frowns. 

“What does that mean?” Keith asks. 

“I mean, you’ve seen her, she’s practically a goddess,” Lance says, “and of course my rival would be friends with her. Of course.”

“Once again, Lance,” Keith says, “we’re not rivals. You made up some weird story in your head in high school.” 

“No, please don’t make me sound crazy right now,” Lance says, “you’ll remember soon enough.” 

“I’m literally just telling the truth, if you’re crazy, that’s not on me,” Keith says. 

“You’re infuriating,” Lance says. Keith shrugs and looks around the arcade. 

“She had a thing with my brother before he realized he was gay,” Keith says, “I’m not her best friend by any means.” Lance sighs, but he has to admit he’s pretty relieved. He might have exploded if Keith was somehow involved with Allura. 

“I assume you don’t have any friends then?” Lance says playfully, happy to change the subject. 

“What games do you normally play here?” Keith asks, dodging the question. 

“Are you challenging me?” Lance asks. He can’t help it, something about Keith brings the competitive side out of him. 

“No, I was just asking a question, but sure, it can be a challenge,” Keith says, “what’s your favourite game.” Lance hesitates for a second. It’s not the best idea for him to start something like this. He’s going to forget to act like a normal human and he really can’t expose his powers to Keith. But the competitive streak wins, like it always did back then, and he grins. 

“Invaders,” Lance says, “you’re on.” Keith nods and he suddenly looks a lot more determined to beat Lance. The alluring tension he felt back in high school courses through him. It’s hard to believe it was one sided, but it’s gone on too long for Keith to be messing with him at this point. 

“So this is probably the coolest game in the entire building,” Lance says, “maybe even the coolest arcade game ever.” Keith looks at the game then back at Lance and smirks. “No, no, no, don’t tell me you’re really good at this game or something.” Lance says. 

“Space games are my shit,” Keith says. Lance turns away when a small smile breaks out on his face. He’s yet to meet someone who thinks this game is as cool as he does. He won’t show Keith what it means to him. Lance slides some tokens in and they both sit down. Keith looks like a natural as he grips the controls. He might actually put up a bit of a fight. “What’s the objective?” Keith asks. 

“We have to stop this huge fleet of aliens, which are called Galra,” Lance says, “we’re driving these cat robots with special abilities.” 

“So is it a mecha sort of thing or are we cats for no reason?” Keith asks. He knows what a mecha is. Lance’s nerdy heart swells. 

“You can only form the mecha if both players get over ten thousand points, which is hard to do,” Lance says. Keith raises an eyebrow. Looks like he’s taking the challenge. 

“So what, we’ll have to work as a team?” Keith asks, “barf.” Lance physically can’t stop himself from cringing. 

“What the fuck did you just say?” Lance asks. Keith chuckles, tipping his head back as the laughter tumbles out of him. Lance pointedly doesn’t look at his jaw. 

“You literally said that to me at the grocery store,” Keith says, “do you not listen to your own words?” Lance flushes and turns to look at the game. Now that he thinks about it, he did say barf when Keith said he was buying tofu. 

“You know what- shut up and play the game,” Lance says, “this is to shoot-” 

“I think I got it,” Keith says with a smirk. Lance rolls his eyes and turns back to his own screen. They both dodge and weave, hitting shots left and right. It’s going well, Lance just slightly ahead of Keith as they push forward. He has to admit, though, Keith is really fucking good. Lance isn’t putting all of his effort into it yet, of course, he doesn’t want to seem too superhuman, but he’s still putting some effort in. Keith is keeping up… extremely well. 

When they’re nearing the ten thousand point mark, Lance ups his intensity a bit, but so does Keith and suddenly, they’re tied and they have the perfect opportunity to form the mecha. Lance doesn’t even have to say anything, they’re on the same page. Within seconds, the mecha is formed and they are defeating everything near them. The game ends, and Lance can’t help the way he’s absolutely glowing. His grin must look comedic. It’s been a long time since he’s had that much fun playing the game. He’s almost excited enough to miss that Keith beat him. Almost.

“How the hell did you beat me?” Lance asks, unable to hide his genuine shock. Keith shouldn’t really be capable of beating him. Lance must not have been paying enough attention. He was pretty lost in the fact that someone was keeping up with him at all, so he blames the distraction for his loss.

“Why are you so surprised?” Keith asks. Lance sighs and looks at his own score. 

“You literally beat one of my high scores,” Lance says, “that shouldn’t be…” 

“Wait, one of your high scores? How many do you have?” Keith asks. Lance feels some pride, but it quickly vanishes when he remembers why he has so many high scores. It’s not very satisfying when you’re superhuman. Lance pulls up the score board and Keith smiles. “Damn, you got game. Impressive.” Lance sighs and looks at Keith’s new score. His other four are still better, but damn. 

“How are you better than me at everything?” Lance grumbles. 

“Hey, it’s not that serious, it’s just a space game,” Keith says. Lance leans forward, pressing his forehead against the machine. 

“I don’t think you understand what you put me through in high school,” Lance says. 

“I’m sorry that I don’t,” Keith says. 

“What game do you like, I need to beat you now,” Lance says, lifting his head up. He does not want to think about high school right now.

“It’s been a while, but I like skee-ball,” Keith says. Lance grins. Keith doesn’t stand a chance. 

–

Keith happened to very much stand a chance in every game they played. He obviously didn’t win every time, but he gave Lance a damn good run for his money. He honestly can’t say he’s had this much fun in a really long time. Having someone that can actually challenge him is refreshing. Now he understands why people in sports love playing against good teams. They end up with handfuls of tickets they don’t care about. “We tied,” Lance says in disbelief. 

“Really? After all of that?” Keith asks, looking at Lance’s phone. 

“There is one game we haven't done yet,” Lance says, looking up. Keith sighs and shakes his head. 

“Don’t tell me-” Keith starts. 

“You’re not afraid of heights, are you? Lance asks. He really hopes Keith says yes. 

“No, I’m afraid of doing stupid things with losers,” Keith says, “doing the two second rope course at an arcade fits that bill pretty well.”

“Aw come on, we can’t just tie, you know we can’t,” Lance says.

“Why don’t we play Invaders again? Maybe I’ll beat your best score this time,” Keith says. 

“What does the winner get?” Lance asks. 

“To win?” Keith says. Lance smiles and shakes his head. 

“Yeah no, that’s not enough,” Lance says, “if I win, you have to take me for a ride on your motorcycle." Keith raises an eyebrow when he realizes Lance isn’t kidding. 

“And if I win?” Keith asks. 

“You won’t,” Lance says. 

“Well if I do, you’re coming with me to see that alien documentary I was telling you about,” Keith says, “no one wants to come with me.” 

“You mean the five hour one you were talking about while we played air-hockey?” Lance asks. Keith grins. “Fuck you, fine.” They make their way over to the machine and start it up again. They quickly get into the flow of it and Lance’s cheeks hurt from smiling. Lance wins, of course, and it’s so worth it for the look of defeat on Keith’s face. 

“I hate you,” Keith says. There's no venom in it at all and Lance finds himself smiling softly. They make their way over to Hunk and Shay, who's holding a large plush bear. Hunk is grinning ear to ear, and rightfully so. Getting anything from the claw machines is near impossible.

“You guys look exhausted,” Hunk says. Lance looks at Keith then back at the other two.

“Turns out Invaders gets really competitive,” Keith says. Lance smiles and looks down at the ground. He doesn’t want Hunk to know how much fun he had tonight. He hates how often Hunk is right.

“Wait, Lance actually let you play Invaders with him? He never lets me play,” Hunk says. Lance shrugs, trying to seem indifferent. He sort of forgot he banned other people from playing Invaders with him. 

“I thought he was gonna suck, buddy,” Lance says, “I’m too worried you’re going to beat me.” Keith scoffs next to him and Hunk rolls his eyes. 

“So you guys had fun?” Shay asks, slipping her hand into Hunks. 

“I’d say so,” Lance says, looking at Keith. Keith sighs and pulls out his keys. 

“Shit,” he mumbles. 

“What?” Hunk says. 

“I owe Lance a ride on my bike,” Keith says. Hunk gives Lance a funny look, then shrugs and looks at Shay. 

“Well, looks like we're leaving Lance in Keith's hands,” Hunk says, “be safe buddy.”

“I guess I’ll see you at home then,” Lance says, “I have a motorcycle ride to attend to.” 

Hunk and Shay say their goodbyes and head outside, shoulders pressed together. Lance has to admit, they are tooth achingly sweet together. He turns back to face Keith with a hopeful smile. “Come on,” Keith mumbles. Lance follows him out of the building feeling a bit giddy. Sure, he can fly whenever he wants, but he’s always wanted to ride a motorcycle. “So, have you been on a bike before?” Keith asks. 

“I have not,” Lance says, “my mom would kill me if she knew I was about to.” Keith smiles and tosses a helmet to Lance. 

“I sort of imagine it’s what it feels like to fly,” Keith says. Lance knows it’s not, but he’s not going to argue. He looks down at the helmet and back up at Keith. “I only have one helmet and I don’t need to hear you complaining about bugs in your eyes,” Keith says. Lance knows the feeling and would never complain about it, but he needs to act normal. 

“Shouldn’t you wear it since you’re in the front?” Lance asks. 

“I’ll be fine,” Keith says, “now put on the damn helmet or you’re not getting on the bike.” Lance pouts, but he puts the helmet on. He’s not risking his chance on the bike over a helmet. Keith slides onto the bike and looks at Lance expectantly. When Lance slides in behind him, he’s met with the smell of pine and cinnamon. He wraps his arms around Keith, frowning when he feels how strong Keith actually is. Because of course he’s built as fuck. 

“Ready?” Keith asks, revving the engine. 

“Wait, you don’t know where I-” Lance starts. He cuts himself off when Keith peels out of the parking spot. He tightens his hold and curses Keith silently. 

“I’m not taking you home,” Keith says. 

“Are you going to kill me?” Lance yells over the wind. 

“No, we’re going somewhere cool,” Keith says, “I don’t wanna go home yet.” Lance doesn’t bother questioning him, he doesn’t really want to go home yet either. 

–

Keith parks the motorcycle next to a forest Lance doesn’t recognize. When Lance gets off, his legs are a bit wobbly and his skin is buzzing. Admittedly, it was fun as hell. Flying is still better, but honestly, the motorcycle is a close second. “Was the bet worth it?” Keith asks. Lance slips the helmet off and hands it to Keith. 

“Eh, it was cool,” Lance says. He can’t stop the grin on his face though, and Keith sees right through him. 

“Are you opposed to walking through the woods?” Keith asks. Lance looks at the dark sky and the darker woods. He should say no, but he finds that he really doesn’t want to. 

“Lead me to your pile of dead bodies,” Lance says. Keith grins and starts the trek through the trees. They walk in silence, admiring how calm everything is around them. When they stop, they’re standing in a clearing that overlooks a small lake. It’s breathtaking. “You seem like a lone wolf type of guy, why’d you bring me out here?” Lance asks. 

“I guess I just- I don’t know, I’ve enjoyed talking to you,” Keith admits, “I know I’m your enemy or whatever-” Lance throws a stick at him that Keith easily avoids. 

“I’m good at talking, I can keep doing that,” Lance says. Keith smiles and sits down, patting the grass next to him. Lance hesitates for only half a second before he joins Keith. He does really enjoy looking out at the stars. 

“So, about this rivalry we supposedly had,” Keith says. Lance closes his eyes and sighs. 

“Honestly, Keith, I don’t want to talk about this right now,” Lance says. Keith hums and suddenly Lance is very aware of how close they’re sitting. 

“Okay,” Keith says simply, “tell me about your favourite space movie then.” Lance opens his eyes, a small smile curving on his lips. He didn’t expect Keith to drop the subject so quickly. 

“Really?” Lance asks. 

“I’m not gonna make you talk about it if you don’t want to,” Keith says, “I just genuinely feel bad about not remembering you super well.” Lance shrugs, still looking up at the stars. 

“It’s fine,” Lance says. A comfortable silence falls over them. “Probably Prometheus,” Lance finally says. Keith wanted to talk, so he’ll talk. That’s something he knows he’s good at. They spend a good hour talking about space movies and games. Apparently, they have a lot in common. Lance finds himself easily losing track of time. He finds it easy to talk to anyone really, but Keith is really easy to talk to. 

Their conversation comes to a natural lull and they both look out at the moon. Lance feels really peaceful in a way he hasn’t felt in a while. Since discovering his powers, everything has been a whirlwind of emotions, but here, with Keith, things feel… normal. “I’m glad Shay dragged me along with her,” Keith says, breaking the silence. 

“Yeah,” Lance says softly. 

“Gimme your number,” Keith says. Lance turns to face him and raises his eyebrow, “what? I think we could consider ourselves friends, no?” Lance smiles and gives his phone to Keith to let him do all the work. “We should head back, I have class early tomorrow,” Keith says. Lance looks at the time and takes a sharp breath. 

“Me too,” Lance says. They make the short walk back to Keith’s bike and he forces the helmet onto Lance again. The bike ride back to his apartment is just as fun as the first time. Riding Keith’s motorcycle might be one of his new favourite things. 

–

Lance is flying around the forest, letting the breeze clear his thoughts. Things have felt really peaceful lately and it’s making him feel quite unsettled. He sort of hates the thought that Keith has become such a good friend. He just can’t even get himself to be that upset with Keith anymore. There’s still a bit of built up resentment, but he only remembers it’s there when he’s not with Keith. When he is with Keith, everything else seems sort of insignificant. 

As he leaves the border of the forest and heads towards the abandoned buildings, he hears a loud crash. He cautiously flies towards the sound. He doesn’t want to do anything stupid, so he keeps his distance until he knows what actually happened. He has to hold in a cackle when he sees what’s responsible for the sound. Helmet Guy is stuck under a pile of rubble where one of the abandoned buildings must have broken. 

“Need help?” Lance says, landing on the ground in front of the guy. He hears a sigh and he’s certain he’s rolling his eyes under the helmet. His leg looks to be pinned under some old machine that’s buried in the rubble. Lance can’t help but grin. Surely this means the guy doesn’t have superstrength. Point to Lance. The guy shakes his head and looks away. 

“Oh come on, you know you need the help,” Lance says, “I’m being really nice. I could just leave you here.” He hears a sigh, which is the first sound he’s ever heard the guy make. Even after seeing him over a dozen times, this is the closest Lance has gotten to him. 

“Look, there aren’t exactly a lot of people like us, shouldn’t we at least try to be friends?” Lance asks. The guy shakes his head and tries to wiggle himself from the rubble to no avail. “I’ll help you if you say something.” Lance says. He really just needs some sort of confirmation this guy is real and not a figment of his imagination. 

“Fucking hell, get this off me,” the guy says. His voice is muffled by the helmet. Lance pinches his brows. He doesn’t recognize it at all. He was sort of hoping it would be someone he knew. Lance grins and lifts the rubble off of the guy's leg. “Thanks,” he mumbles. 

“So can we be friends?” Lance asks. 

“No,” he says. 

“Can I at least have your name so I can stop calling you Helmet Guy in my head?” Lance asks. The guy looks down and takes a deep breath. 

“No,” he says. 

“You’re annoying,” Lance says. The guy shrugs, looks behind him and then in the blink of an eye, he’s gone. And of course, on top of superspeed and super hearing, he can jump stupidly high. Lance sighs and looks up at the sky. Why can’t this guy stop being so stubborn? Lance just wants someone to talk to. 

–

Lance has found that the field just outside of the forest is a safe place for him to work on his powers. He’s still terrified of accidentally hurting someone or revealing his powers. If he lets himself go too much, he could start levitating things around and punching holes through concrete. He’s practicing flying while levitating objects when his phone starts buzzing in his pocket. Without much thought, he answers, pressing the phone to his ear. 

“Yo,” Lance says. 

“Where the hell are you?” Keith asks, “all I can hear is wind.” Lance’s eyes go wide when he remembers he’s still literally flying. He lowers himself to the ground and glances around desperately trying to think of an explanation. 

“Sorry, just uh… just riding my bike,” Lance says. Wow Lance, so smooth. He mentally face-palms. 

“I thought my motorcycle was the first one you’ve been on, have you secretly had one this whole time?” Keith asks. Lance can’t help the chuckle that spills past his lips. 

“No Keith, a bicycle,” Lance says, “I’m on a bicycle.” He hears Keith sigh and grins. 

“Whatever, doesn’t matter,” Keith says. 

“I think it does-” Lance starts. 

“You said you’re good with kids, right?” Keith asks, cutting him off. Lance hums, raising an eyebrow. He’s very curious to see where this goes. 

“Yeah?” Lance says. 

“Look, I sort of need a huge favour and I don’t know who else to ask, so-” Keith starts. 

“You’re actually asking me for a favour?” Lance asks, “interesting.” 

“Oh shut up, will you help me or not?” Keith asks. 

“I don’t know, depends what the favour is,” Lance says, “it’s not exactly like I owe you one.” He hears some shuffling on the other end of the phone and some muffled talking in the background. 

“I helped you pick a mug,” Keith says, “remember that?” 

“Right, months ago,” Lance says, “what do you need?” Keith takes a long breath and pauses before answering. Lance doesn’t like that. 

“Well, Shiro volunteered me for this event at the school he teaches at,” Keith says, “it’s a youth program and there are a million kids here and the other volunteer called in sick this morning so it’s just me and I really can’t-” 

“You’re helping kids?” Lance says, laughing his way through the sentence, “holy shit.” 

“Lance, please, this wasn’t my choice” Keith says, “and I can’t do this by myself. And you said you’re good with kids, so I thought-” 

“When do you need me?” Lance asks. 

“Really?” Keith asks. 

“Really,” Lance says, “send me the time and address. I’ll be there.” He hears a sigh of relief and something warm swirls in his chest. “But you definitely owe me one after this.” 

“Copy that,” Keith says playfully, “see you soon. Thank you.” When Lance ends the call, his heart is beating heavily against his chest. 

–

It’s been a long time since Lance has been to an elementary school, and the second he steps inside, he’s hit with a wave of nostalgia. It smells like dirt, crayons and cafeteria pizza. He smiles when he sees all the art lining the walls. He really does love kids and seeing them express themselves is beautiful. They make things without any hard mental blocks or expectations. He walks down the halls, probably taking a little longer than he needs to so he can really take everything in. 

When he gets to the gym, the familiar sound of dodgeballs bouncing around grabs his attention. He pauses when he gets to the door. Keith is standing on one side of the gym, hair tied back away from his face, slight sweat coating his skin and stupidly well fitting fitness clothes over his body. Lance can’t help but stare. The sharp lines of his face are accentuated, his shoulders look strong and square and his body moves in an admirably agile way. He can only watch for so long before Keith notices him, and he feels himself flush when they make eye contact. Keith runs over to him and he has to clear his throat.

He totally wasn’t checking Keith out. That’s not something he would do. “You made it,” Keith says. He’s grinning and his skin sparkles with the slight sheen of sweat coating it. 

“Of course,” Lance says softly. Keith turns and glares when a dodgeball hits him square in the back, “needed me for dodgeball?” Lance asks. Keith sighs and pushes the loose hair out of his face. 

“Took me twenty minutes to get them to actually play,” Keith says, “it’s supposed to be a sports day and I can’t do this.” Lance looks at him sympathetically. He knows how hard it is to get control of a group of kids, especially when they’re hyped up on the energy from running around. 

“Well then, we should get in there and play, shouldn’t we?” Lance says. Keith’s shoulders drop in relief and his eyes seem to sparkle. 

“Go easy on em, yeah? They’re eight years old,” Keith says. Lance rolls his eyes, although there is a spike of worry in his chest. He has control, he doesn’t need to worry, he just doesn’t want to be responsible for taking a kid's head off with a dodgeball. 

“Obviously,” Lance says, “don’t be mad when I get you out though.” Keith scoffs and runs off to join back with his team. Lance goes to the opposite side. They play for a while, obviously being easy on the kids, but almost always hitting each other. Lance has to admit, it’s really damn fun. It’s been a while since he’s done anything like this, and seeing how carefree Keith is makes his heart swell. He’s glad he was able to take some of the burden off of Keith’s shoulders. 

Eventually, the kids start to grow tired of dodgeball, so Lance gets them all to collect the balls, put them in the bag and sit around him in a circle. He pointedly tries to ignore the way Keith seems to be looking at him in awe. He has a lot of practice, having a big family and all. Kids also listen to him for some reason. “I think we need a break from running around and throwing things, yeah?” Lance says, “what about a word game?” He gets a collection of cheers and grins. 

Keith is close beside him, silent, glancing at Lance every now and then. “Okay, Keith and I are going to think of a word. We’ll go in a circle and you guys each get one question to figure it out,” Lance says, “yes and no questions only.” One of the kids raises their hand and Keith points at them. 

“Can you give an example of a yes or no question?” the kid asks. Lance grins and bumps Keith’s shoulder. 

“You just asked me one,” Lance says, “it means the only answer I can give is yes or no. If you asked me my favourite colour, can I answer yes or no?” The circle of kids yell out no and Lance smiles at them. “Such a smart group of kids,” Lance says, “one more rule. If you guys get the word right, Keith and I have to do a funny dance. If you get it wrong, you guys have to do a funny dance. Got it?” 

The kids start cheering again, and Lance takes the chance to look at Keith. Keith is looking back at him with wonder in his eyes. “You are good with kids,” Keith says. 

“What? You thought I was a liar?” Lance asks. Keith shrugs and looks back at the kids as they calm down. They make their way through the game and Keith and Lance end up having to do quite a few funny dances. The kids only got the last word wrong, which resulted in a solid five minutes of funny dancing. Lance and Keith eventually had to join in, unable to resist the funny moves. Eventually, they get the kids in order again and line them up against the back wall. 

“We’re going to play basketball now,” Keith says, “there will be a red team and a blue team.” They hand all the jerseys out and let the kids get to know their teams. They explain the simple rules, step back and let the kids go at it. They’re not super strict about travelling or anything, so they get to sit back and watch. The break is welcome. “They really like you,” Keith says, bumping his shoulder. 

“I guess so,” Lance says with a shrug, “I think kids like me cause I’m still sort of a kid myself.” Keith hums, leaning back against the wall. 

“I don’t think you’re a kid,” Keith says, “I think you’re just… carefree. In a good way. You have fun.” Lance flushes slightly and looks anywhere but at Keith. 

“And you don’t have fun?” Lance asks. 

“Sure I do,” Keith says, “just not- not the way you seem to. It’s kinda admirable.” Lance takes a deep breath. He’s never been great with compliments, and getting one from his ex rival is doing something funny to his stomach. 

“You’re mister cool guy with a motorcycle,” Lance says, “pretty sure that makes you carefree.” Keith shrugs. 

“Or I just like to go fast,” Keith says. 

“What about the emo part, doesn’t that mean you don’t care about other people’s opinions?” Lance says. 

“I’m not emo,” Keith protests, right as the ball rolls over to his feet. He hands it to the kid that stops in front of him. 

“You are emo,” the kid says before running off. Keith’s jaw drops and Lance cackles, holding his stomach as he tries to calm down. Kids have the most impeccable comedic timing. 

“Aw, don’t pout,” Lance says. 

“Shut up,” Keith mumbles. Lance just smiles and nudges his shoulder. 

–

Thankfully, there are parent volunteers for lunch, so Keith and Lance actually get a break. Lance finds a picnic table away from all of the kids and sits down. It’s a nice day and he feels really good. He always does when he spends time with kids. Their natural wonder and curiosity is inspiring. “Your lunch,” Keith says, sliding a paper plate to Lance. 

“Why thank you,” Lance says, taking the pizza. They eat in silence for a bit, thankful for the calm and silence being away from the kids gives them. It’s genuinely mind blowing how much energy their little bodies can hold. 

“Thanks for doing this,” Keith says after a while, “I know it was a lot of me to ask of you.” Lance shrugs, and takes a generous bite of his pizza. 

“Why are you being so nice to me lately?” Lance asks through a mouthful of food. Keith cringes and sets his pizza down. 

“Swallow before you talk, please, that’s disgusting,” Keith says. Lance smiles and swallows his bite dramatically. “I’m nice to most people. And you’re not too bad.” Lance looks down at his plate and smiles. 

“I guess I had the wrong idea of who you were,” Lance says. 

“Alright, stop being poetic,” Keith says, “eat up.” Lance nods and digs back into his food. 

“So we really are friends then,” Lance says. Keith rolls his eyes and doesn’t even bother giving Lance an answer. 

–

The rest of the day goes really well. They manage to play soccer, frisbee and freeze tag before the kids tire themselves out. They end the day with some charades while they wait for the parents to come get them. By the time everyone is gone, Lance is covered in dirt and his shirt is wrinkled from all the little hands grabbing at it. Keith’s hair is a mess, but there’s a pleased smile on his face. “Doing anything tonight?” Keith asks. Lance shakes his head. 

“Don’t tell me there’s a nighttime portion of this too,” Lance says, “then you’ll really owe me.” Keith chuckles and shakes his head, threading a hand through his hair to try and fix it. 

“No, I just- I was wondering if you wanted to hang out,” Keith says. His voice is quieter than normal and his eyes are searching Lance’s face a little desperately.

“Sure, yeah,” Lance says. Keith smiles and it’s so genuine and bright. Lance finds that smiling really suits him. Once they have everything packed up, they head out to the parking lot, where only Keith’s bike remains. Lance suddenly remembers he supposedly came here on his bike. When he notices a second helmet attached to Keith’s bike, he decides to distract Keith instead of coming up with an excuse. 

“What?” Keith says when Lance looks at him. 

“Expecting to take someone home?” Lance asks, nodding to the two helmets. 

“No, I just- well you said you liked it last time so I thought I should keep a spare helmet around in case you wanted another ride,” Keith says, “Shiro sort of forced me to. He worries about my wellbeing or whatever.” 

“How dare he?” Lance says playfully. 

“Come on,” Keith says, “I have somewhere I wanna take you.” Lance doesn’t bother questioning him. The lookout from after the arcade was beautiful, so he trusts wherever Keith is going to take him. Keith slides on the bike and hands the extra helmet to Lance. Lance lets out a long breath as he slides onto the bike. Keith is firm against him and Lance notices that they fit quite well together. 

Thankfully, he doesn’t get very long to dwell on that thought before Keith is peeling out of the parking lot. Lance holds on tight as Keith speeds away. He idly wonders if he likes the bike because it’s cool or because Keith’s the one in front of him. 

–

Keith brings them to a different part of the forest this time and Lance is starting to think he has some sort of forest fetish, and honestly, he can’t blame him. A forest is way more peaceful than any city or town in the world. They walk through the woods for a little over five minutes before they come to a couple benches surrounding a fire pit. “How do you find all of these places?” Lance asks. 

“I liked to wander,” Keith says simply, walking over to the fire pit, “I don’t have anything to light a fire, but it’s still nice to sit here.” Lance nods and walks over to a bench to sit down. Keith sits next to him, propping his feet up on the log in front of them. 

“So you genuinely don’t remember me from high school?” Lance can’t help but ask to break the silence. He’s been beating himself up about this ever since they ran into each other at the pottery shop. He tries not to sound hurt in his tone, but he’s pretty sure he’s not successful. 

“I mean, I sort of remember you being on the team, but that’s really it,” Keith says, “I’m sorry.” Lance nods solemnly and looks at the empty fire pit. 

“I didn’t realize it was all in my head,” Lance says, “I feel a bit pathetic.” Keith huffs and bumps Lance’s shoulder. 

“I don’t think it’s pathetic,” Keith says, “I mean, it seems like it pushed you to be a better player, so that’s a good thing.” Lance hums and idly moves a pebble around on the ground with his shoe. 

“For two years I thought we were rivals. Since the day you moved to the school" Lance says, “but I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately and I’m starting to see how it became a one sided thing.” Keith hums, but he doesn’t say anything, so Lance keeps going. “After the tryouts for the team, Hunk was telling me about all of the players, perks of being friends with the manager.” He chuckles dryly. 

“He was a good manager,” Keith says. Lance nods. 

“He mentioned that you were the top pick for captain and I already decided I didn’t like you then. I wanted to be captain more than anything in the world,” Lance says, “so when we had the first team practice and you turned down being captain… I wanted to kick you. I couldn’t understand how someone could turn down my dream.” Keith turns to look at him, but Lance can’t possibly look away from the spot on the ground in front of him. 

“So then you went about your way, playing with that stupid crazy talent and I just had to watch as everyone admired you,” Lance says, “everything I did from that point on was to try and be better than you. I wanted to be captain, I wanted to score the most goals, I wanted the team to lean forward in their seats as much as they did watching you when I was playing.” The bitter feeling of jealousy crawls up in Lance’s chest dangerously. He takes a deep breath, remembering he’s not that kid anymore. Neither of them are. 

“So yeah, I guess I made it up, but it seemed like you were trying to take me down,” Lance says, “you never passed me the ball, you always had this smug look on your face and I just- I didn’t get it. I didn’t get why you got everything I wanted and didn’t even seem to appreciate it.” Lance has never actually said all of this out loud and a heavy weight lifts from his shoulders. Looking back now, he knows how stupid it was. It’s not Keith’s fault he didn’t want the same things as Lance. 

“Are you done?” Keith asks. Lance pinches his brows as a wave of anger washes over him. He just laid his heart out and that’s what Keith has to say. 

“Are you kidding me?” Lance says, “I say all of that and-” 

“Just wait,” Keith says, “I want to explain my side of things. I didn’t want to cut you short.” Lance sighs and gives Keith an apologetic look. 

“Sorry, go ahead,” Lance says, “opening old wounds.” Keith nods in understanding and takes a short breath. 

“I turned down being captain cause I knew I would be shit at it. I was not all prepared for something like that back then. The idea of being responsible for so many people freaked me out. I couldn’t even be trusted to take care of myself,” Keith says, “like you’ve said, I’m more of a lone wolf. I think I could do it now, maybe even enjoy it, but not then.” Lance didn’t ever stop to think about Keith’s perspective back then. 

“As for not passing to you, I was a selfish asshole and I wanted to score all the goals. It wasn’t personal, I was just a dick,” Keith says, “and I always looked either angry or smug in general. Shiro had to teach me how to stop doing that with my face.” He chuckles fondly at a memory Lance wishes he could see. 

“So it really wasn’t personal?” Lance asks. 

“No. I was an ass, but I didn’t have the energy for enemies. I was centered on myself and myself only,” Keith says, “and I really don’t remember much from high school. I was stuck in my own head.” Lance smiles softly and finally turns to meet Keith’s eyes. 

“You’re still emo though,” Lance says, not sure what else to say. Keith’s lips quirk slightly, but he tries to look angry. 

“Am not,” Keith protests. 

“And you still have a mullet,” Lance points out. 

“What does that have to do with anything?” Keith asks. Lance shrugs. He’s not sure, he just likes to pick on Keith’s mullet. In all honesty, it suits him really well. They fall into a much lighter conversation after that. Lance easily loses track of time and only notices, when they get up to leave, how close they were sitting. 

“You busy on Friday?” Lance asks. Keith bites at his lip as he seems to run through his schedule in his head. 

“No,” Keith says, “already cashing in the favour I owe you?” Lance shakes his head with a playful smile. 

“Not yet,” Lance says, “Pidge, Hunk and I have a movie night every Friday. You should come. I’m making them watch Parasyte.” Keith’s smile is bright in the dim lighting of the moon. 

“Sure, yeah,” Keith says, “I’ll be there.” 

–

“We’re even,” Helmet Guy says. Lance glares at him, brushing dirt off of his shirt. He was minding his business when suddenly there was a giant branch hurling towards him. Before he could use his powers to stop it, he was tackled out of the way. 

“Even?” Lance says, “you just tackled me to the ground. I could have stopped it myself.” Helmet Guy shrugs. 

“I saved you. We’re even,” Helmet Guy says. 

“You’re the reason the branch was flailing in the first place,” Lance exclaims. 

“Well, bye then,” Helmet Guy says. Lance grabs his wrist before he can run off, thankful for his strength over him right now. “What?” he spits. 

“Geez, I just want to talk,” Lance says. 

“We have nothing to talk about,” he says. 

“Oh, but we do,” Lance says, “you’re the only other person with powers that I’ve met.” 

“Right,” he says. 

“Whatever,” Lance says, “I’m not going to put effort into this if you won’t.” He lets go, but the guy doesn’t run away immediately. “What?” 

“Nothing,” he says, “just- nevermind.” He runs away before Lance can say anything. Lance is probably going to stop trying. 

–

“How much popcorn should I make?” Pidge yells from the kitchen. 

“We’re adding literally one more person,” Hunk says, “you’re smart. Figure it out.” Lance grins. He’s curled on the couch, watching as Hunk tries to solve a rubiks cube as fast as he can over and over again. The distraction is welcome because he’s a little bit nervous for Keith to come over. It makes their friendship actually feel real and he’s not entirely sure he’s ready for that yet. It’s like he’s giving up a part of himself that he clung onto so tightly from high school. 

“That was just under two minutes,” Lance says. Hunk sighs and pushes the cube across the table. 

“I’m never gonna get under a minute,” Hunk says. Lance pats him on the shoulder sympathetically. 

“I believe in you bud,” Lance says. Hunk sighs and stands up, heading towards the kitchen. He gets halfway there before there’s a knock on the door. Lance’s heart races a little bit. He’s not sure why he’s nervous. It’s just Keith. 

“Keith is here!” Hunk says. Keith shuffles into the living room, wearing sweatpants, a dark blue hoodie and a pair of glasses. He looks different like this. Comfortable. 

“Hey,” Keith says softly. 

“Come sit,” Lance says, patting the couch next to him. Keith comes over and sits down, tugging at the blanket Lance has over his legs. Lance shares it easily. He really only has it for comfort anyways. 

“Your place is cozy,” Keith says, looking around the living room. 

“Hunk will take the credit for that, but it was mostly me,” Lance says, “decor is a passion of mine.” 

“Of course it is,” Keith says. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Lance asks. 

“Means you’re a dork,” Keith says. Lance bumps his shoulder. Somehow, he doesn’t feel insulted by being called a dork. Hunk and Pidge join them only a couple seconds later with two huge bowls of popcorn. They hand one to Lance and Keith and take the other one to the other couch. They start the movie right away, because Lance is way too excited for his friends to see it to wait any longer.

“You promise this movie is really good?” Pidge says. Lance throws a piece of popcorn at her and she shuts up. The movie is damn good and Lance doesn’t need any interruptions. As the movie goes on, Lance finds himself basically melting into the couch. Something about Keith’s presence next to him is extremely comforting. And warm. Lance hasn’t felt truly warm in a long time, but somehow Keith is warm. 

He doesn’t notice until their shoulders brush, just how close they are. He finds that he doesn’t mind. He has no desire to move away. So he stays there, pressed to Keith’s side until he somehow falls asleep, something he can normally only do when he puts effort into it. 

…

He wakes up, skin tingling and warm, when his head is jostled slightly. He takes a deep breath as he gathers his bearings and he suddenly remembers where he is. He doesn’t move, he just tilts his head up and glances up at Keith. Keith whose chest his head is against and whose arm is around him. “Sorry, did I wake you up?” Keith asks. Lance hums. This is totally normal. 

“Sorry, didn’t mean to fall asleep,” Lance mumbles, “is the movie over?” 

“Yeah,” Keith says, “Pidge and Hunk went to bed. You seemed like you needed the rest.” Lance sighs, but he’s reluctant to move. Somehow it sort of feels like he did need the rest. It doesn’t make sense, but then again, nothing really does right now. 

“What time is it?” Lance asks. 

“No clue,” Keith says, nodding to his phone that’s out of his reach. Lance frowns, feeling a bit bad for Keith. Who knows how long he was sitting here looking at a blank TV screen. 

“What have you been doing this whole time?” Lance asks. Keith hums and it vibrates through Lance’s body. 

“Just thinking,” Keith says. Lance finally lifts himself from Keith’s chest and really looks at him. His heart drops to his stomach. It hits him like a fucking train. Keith is beautiful. The dim light from the lamp highlights his features. His eyes are deep and sparkling, his features chiseled and defined. Keith is attractive, which Lance has noticed before, but this time Lance is hit with the sudden urge to close the small gap between them and kiss him. “You okay?” Keith asks. 

“Yeah,” Lance mumbles, leaning back onto Keith’s chest. But no. He’s everything but okay. He’s sort of freaking the fuck out and he’s pretty damn pissed at Pidge and Hunk for being right. He feels a bit like an idiot. You really don’t think about someone as much as he thinks about Keith, if you’re not somewhat into them.

 They stay that way for a while longer. Lance doesn’t want to face his thoughts and if he stays here, warm and calm against Keith’s chest, he can sort of push everything away. But then Lance feels like he’s going to fall asleep again and he needs to get the fuck away from Keith before he does something dumb like kiss him. Keith gives him a quick side hug before he shuffles out of Lance’s place and it sends Lance’s heart into a frenzy. 

Fuck. 

–

The last thing Lance wants to do is tell Pidge and Hunk they were right, but he doesn’t want to freak out alone. It’s not like he’s never been into people before, he was never really single in high school, and sure it’s embarrassing looking back at it now, but it helped him avoid feeling lonely. The point is, he’s had his fair share of experience with feelings, but something about Keith feels deeper than anything has before. Maybe it’s because he’s older and his emotions have matured. Or maybe Keith is just… different. 

“So basically, I’m fucked,” Lance says. Hunk frowns and pats him on the shoulder. 

“You’re not fucked at all buddy,” Hunk says, “it’s a good thing to be into someone.” Lance shakes his head. This is definitely not a good thing. It would be good if it was literally anyone else. 

“What the hell am I supposed to do?” Lance asks. The way he sees it, he’s doomed to fall in love with a guy who will never feel the same. Sounds pretty shitty to him.  

“We’re adults,” Hunk says, “when you’re into someone, you tell them.” 

“Oh don’t even start with me,” Lance says, “Shay was the one who asked you out because you were too scared to do it.” Hunk sighs and runs his hand along his face. 

“Look, I realize how idiotic I was being,” Hunk says, “but that was the advice you gave me. You said the worst answer you’ll get is no. It’s better to get rejected before you let the feelings grow too much. Not that I think Keith would reject you, honestly,” Lance raises an eyebrow. 

“What possibly makes you think Keith would reciprocate my feelings?” Lance asks. 

“I saw you asleep in his arms last week on movie night,” Hunk says, “he didn’t look like he wanted to push you away anytime soon.” 

“So based on one interaction?” Lance says. He has to put a significant amount of effort in not to smile at the memory. 

“Look, you’re different around him. You’re authentic and happy. Not that you aren’t all the time, it’s just… more around him,” Hunk says, “all I can do is encourage you to nourish that connection. I want you to be happy and Keith makes you happy.” Lance swallows the lump that suddenly formed in his throat. 

“Thank you,” Lance says, “you’re- that’s really sweet.” 

“You always say how nice it is to see me happy with Shay and I never quite understood, but seeing you with Keith… I think I get it,” Hunk says, “I can’t force you to tell him how you feel, but I think it’s something you should consider.” 

–

Lance is sitting by the lookout Keith took him to after the arcade. He just wanted to be alone, and he ended up taking himself here. The breeze is gentle against his skin and the light buzz of the bugs is soothing. He just wants to give his mind a chance to breathe. Everything has been so hectic since starting college and Lance just wants a break from it all. He’s just about as relaxed as he can be when he hears footsteps in the woods. He snaps to attention and frowns when he sees who they belong to. “Of course,” Lance mumbles. 

Helmet Guy nods at him awkwardly. Lance looks back to the water and sighs. It would be too easy to get some peace and quiet. “Need something?” Lance asks. Helmet Guy tilts his head and walks a couple steps closer. 

“You fine?” he asks. 

“Don’t suddenly act like you care,” Lance says, “I just want some peace and quiet.” 

“Can’t you fly?” he asks. Lance rolls his eyes. Why did Helmet Guy have to choose now to be conversational? 

“Peace and quiet?” Lance reminds him. Helmet Guy nods, but he doesn’t move away. He just sits down where he was standing and looks ahead. Lance would normally love the company, but tonight is not the night. “What’s your issue? Are you purposely doing the opposite of what I want?” Helmet Guy huffs. 

“You’re never sad,” he says simply, “I’m intrigued.” Lance snorts humourlessly. 

“Look, my life is a bit confusing right now and I want to sort through those feelings alone,” Lance says, “what are you doing here anyway?” 

“I like to wander,” he says. Lance turns to look at him and squint, “you can talk. I won’t give advice, but you know…” 

“Like I want to talk to you,” Lance says, “you seem to go out of your way to avoid me. Talking to a brick wall would probably be better.” 

“Grump,” he says. Lance groans and buries his face in his hands. 

“Fucking hell, go away!” Lance says, louder than he means to. Helmet Guy actually flinches back and Lance immediately feels bad, even if he shouldn’t, “sorry, I shouldn’t yell it’s just- you’ve been pretty frustrating and I’m trying to figure what to do with this guy and you’re not helping-” 

“A guy?” he asks. 

“Yes, idiot, I’m not sure how to handle the feelings I have for a friend,” Lance says, “is that enough information? Are you going to leave now?” Helmet Guy sighs and puts his hands on either side of his helmet. 

“This is probably not the best time but I think this stuff is sort of my fault,” he says. 

“You’re not that important in my life,” Lance says with a scoff, “don’t get too full of yourself.” But then he takes the helmet off and Lance’s world crashes down on him. A whirlwind of emotions he’s never felt before crashes through him. But one thing stands out. Betrayal. And it hurts. 

“Look, I know this-” Keith starts. 

“No. Shut the fuck up,” Lance says. He can’t stop staring at Keith. Keith who’s been Helmet Guy this whole time. Keith, who he could have been talking to about his powers all this time. His heart is squeezing painfully in his chest. He stands up, not able to keep himself still. Keith stays quiet and still on the ground. “This whole fucking time, Keith?” 

“I didn’t think things would-” 

“You didn’t think things would what, Keith? You didn’t think you’d ever have a reason to tell me?” Lance exclaims, “you didn’t think for a second how much of a selfish asshole you were being.” 

“I wasn’t being selfish!” Keith says, but his words don’t even seem to convince himself. 

“Oh really? Not at all?” Lance pauses, waiting for an answer that doesn’t come, “Not only did you know about my powers, you knew I wanted someone to talk to. Did you think I’d hate you because you had powers too?” Lance asks, “oh, here’s another thing Keith has over me, he can run super fast. Oh woe is me, I’m so pathetic.” 

“Well it sure sounds like you hate me,” Keith says. 

“Because you lied to me!” Lance says, “are you fucking dense? I wouldn’t have cared if you just told me at the start. You had so much time. There was never a reason to hide it in the first place. I just wanted someone to relate to. I didn’t want to be alone.” His voice cracks at the end of his sentence and he looks away from Keith. 

“I thought it was better this way,” Keith admits, but his voice is weak and seems to be seeing the holes in his logic as he speaks. 

“Well think about someone other than yourself next time,” Lance spits, “fuck.” He slumps against a tree and slides to sit down. And to think he was about to confess it all to Keith. To think he basically just did. “And I guess everything is out in the open now. So thanks for continuing to ruin my life. You’re the same asshole you were back then.” 

“Shut the fuck up,” Keith says, “I’m nothing like I was back then.” 

“Sure doesn’t seem like you’ve changed,” Lance mumbles. It’s a low blow, he knows Keith has changed, but clearly not as much as Lance thought. 

“I was going to tell you, I swear,” Keith says, “things got away from me. I waited too long and then-” 

“Just go away, Keith,” Lance says, cutting him off, “I don’t want to do this right now.” 

“But you said-” Keith starts. 

“Yeah, I said I had feelings for you, just another thing you can laugh at me about,” Lance says, “please just- leave.” Keith frowns and takes a hesitant step towards him. Lance gives him a warning glare. 

“Are we going to talk about this eventually?” Keith asks, “I have more to say. A lot more.” 

“I don’t know. I need space,” Lance mumbles. Keith nods sadly and finally starts to walk away. Once he’s out of earshot, Lance lets himself cry, because why the fuck did Keith have to go and fuck everything up? Cause damn it, Lance still wants Keith more than anything. He can feel the desire deep in his bones, so strong that not even the anger coursing through him can’t cover it. For once, he just wants things to make sense. Is that too much to ask? 

–

“So what? You’re not going to class again,” Hunk says, “it’s been a week.” Lance groans and turns his back to Hunk. It’s been a week since his fight with Keith and he’s avoided everyone like the plague. He’s never been more conflicted in his life and it’s giving him a constant headache. 

“I’m not ready to face the world,” Lance says. 

“Have you spoken to Keith yet?” Hunk asks. Lance turns around and glares at Hunk. 

“Obviously not,” Lance says. 

“I can’t control you,” Hunk says, “but this is sad. Do something about this.” He leaves with a sigh and Lance is alone again. Truth is, he’s been itching to text Keith every second of every day. He misses him like he’s never missed someone before and there’s so much unfinished business between them, it’s driving Lance a little bit crazy. But Keith betrayed him. He’s not going to crawl back to Keith. Keith is going to have to crawl back to him. 

–

“It’s been so long since we’ve gone to the bar, come on,” Hunk says, “dancing always makes you feel better.” Lance wants to say no, but he knows he should probably get some socializing in. He’s sort of sick of isolating himself. And Keith hasn’t taken the time to text him even once, so Lance is really trying to be over all of that. 

“Fine,” Lance says, “but I’m leaving if I get too tired.” Hunk grins and pats him on the shoulder. 

“I’m really glad you’re coming,” Hunk says. Lance gives him a thumbs up and walks off to his room. He might as well make himself look somewhat presentable. He picks a light blue button up and some black jeans. He needs to be able to dance in whatever he’s wearing, or there’s really no point. 

When they get to the bar, the line is thankfully super short, so they get inside pretty quickly. The atmosphere seems to flip a switch in Lance and he starts to actually feel better. Everyone here is dancing and talking and drinking and the energy in general is nice. Lance wanders over to the bar with Pidge and they order a couple drinks for everyone else. Lance plans to stay sober cause he’s well aware of where his thoughts will wander if he’s drunk. 

He makes his way to the dance floor pretty quickly and loses himself in the music. Dancing with his friends seems to clear any and all thoughts from his mind and he’s beyond grateful for the distraction. Eventually his friends want more to drink, but Lance opts to stay on the dance floor. It feels so good to have his brain basically powered off, so he lets himself get lost in the music. As he’s dancing, he feels a presence behind him. He turns around and is met with a tall, muscular guy. “Hey,” the guy says. 

He has long dreads, chiseled features and his muscles are pressing against his tank top. By all means, he’s very attractive. And familiar. Lance looks up and meets his eyes and recognition crashes over him. “Ryan?” Lance says. The guy smiles and it’s quite dazzling. 

“Lance, right? We were on the soccer team together,” he says. Lance feels dizzy. He definitely had a bit of a crush on Ryan back then. Basically everyone did, honestly, so he can’t be blamed. Ryan did end up being captain in the end. 

“Yeah, I had no idea you still lived in town,” Lance says. 

“Came back here to help take care of my mom,” Ryan says. He’s close to Lance so he doesn’t have to yell and he smells really good. 

“Is she alright?” Lance asks. Ryan nods, moving closer to Lance to let someone pass him. 

“Yeah, just getting old,” Ryan says, “needs help moving everything into a smaller place with no stairs.” Lance nods dumbly. Ryan is so close and so warm and so familiar. His mind is kind of buzzing and he feels like he’s in a dream state. “Dance with me?” Ryan asks. Lance gives him a tilted smile and nods. Fuck it. He’s here to get over all the shit with Keith, so he sees no reason not to. This is the perfect way to do that according to every movie ever. 

The music, of course, drops to something a little more mellow and Ryan reaches out. Lance swallows, but he leans into Ryan anyways, pressing himself against his toned chest. This is what he wanted, isn’t it? They sway together, Lance’s back to his chest, as the music thrums around them. Lance closes his eyes and tries to enjoy the moment. He’s wrapped in strong, warm arms and he’s not rotting in his bed. 

Then Ryan presses a kiss just behind his ear and Lance’s breath hitches. Ryan kisses down his neck, his lips soft and warm. Lance leans into it with a content hum. It feels surreal that his high school crush is all over him right now. But the distraction only lasts so long before a different person flashes into his mind and suddenly he’s imagining a different set of arms around him. 

With his eyes closed and no dignity left, he imagines Keith is here with him. He imagines Keith’s lips on his skin and his toned chest pressed against him. It’s extremely embarrassing, but he can’t get his brain to stop. It’s like he needs Keith. He sighs and lets his eyes flutter open. He turns in Ryan’s arms and smiles apologetically, but Ryan already has a knowing look in his eyes. “Thinking of someone else?” Ryan asks. Lance pinches his brows and studies Ryan’s face. 

“How the hell did you know that?” Lance asks skeptically. 

“You said someone else’s name when I was sucking on your neck,” Ryan says playfully. Lance sighs and drops his head to Ryan’s shoulder. 

“Well fuck, that’s pathetic,” Lance says. 

“Eh, not really,” Ryan says, “bad break up or something?” Lance chuckles humourlessly and lifts his head. 

“Something like that,” Lance says. 

“Well, I’m here if you want a distraction, but I understand if you want to go,” Ryan says. Lance nods and bites at his lip. 

“Would you be down to just… talk?” Lance asks. He knows he and Keith have never been anything, but it still feels wrong to do anything with Ryan, “it would be nice to get an outside opinion on things.” Ryan shrugs and looks around the room. 

“Sure,” Ryan says, “I’m DD tonight anyway, so I’m not drunk enough to stay in here for long. My friends all look busy enough.” Lance smiles and starts dragging Ryan out of the bar. 

–

“That’s pretty tough,” Ryan says. Lance obviously couldn’t tell Ryan the actual truth, so he tells him what he told everyone else. Keith lied about forgetting who he was in high school and kept it secret that he overheard Lance telling Hunk he was into Keith. 

“It’s just annoying cause I want to be pissed, but I really do miss him being around,” Lance says, “and I didn’t even get to ask him out.” Ryan pats his shoulder and smiles sympathetically. 

“I think you need to hear him out,” Ryan says, “there are a lot of reasons he could have kept that from you.” 

“I know,” Lance says somberly. He wishes he could tell Ryan the real truth, cause that definitely changes things, but this is what he has to settle with. 

“It is shitty that he hasn’t reached out to you though,” Ryan says, “I guess keep waiting for him to reach out first. The balls in his court right now, he’s the one who fucked up.” Lance smiles softly. 

“Thanks,” Lance says, “I’m sorry, I’m sure this isn’t exactly what you planned for the night.” 

“No,” Ryan says, “but it was nice to see someone familiar. And not to be a dick, but I sort of thought you and Keith were already hooking up in high school.” Lancer rolls his eyes. 

“You and everyone else apparently,” Lance says, “everyone knew I had a thing for him before I did.” Ryan laughs and bumps Lance’s shoulder. Lance supposes people love enemies to lovers' stories. 

“Same thing happened to me and James back then,” Ryan says, “even James knew I was into him before I did.” 

“Wait, you and James?” Lance exclaims. James was an asshole and Ryan was nothing but nice. James was also obnoxiously straight as far as Lance knew, how could anyone have guessed that? 

“We had a fling for a while,” Ryan says, “I was the first guy he got with. People had no theories about him being into me, just that I was into him. And I guess I was.” 

“Well yeah, I totally thought he was straight as hell,” Lance says, “and god he was an ass.” 

“Yeah,” Ryan says, “he had a soft side though.” Lance can’t believe it. Everything he ever thought in high school was wrong apparently. James is still an ass in his mind though, no matter what Ryan says. 

–

Lance is alone in his apartment, staring at the TV, not really paying attention to what’s playing. It’s been two weeks since his fight with Keith and he feels only a little bit better. He honestly doesn’t think time actually heals wounds. He’s sufficiently spaced out when a knock startles him. He checks the time on his phone and frowns. Hunk obviously has a key, so nobody should be knocking at midnight. He contemplates not answering, but curiosity gets the best of him as always. He gets up with a huff and goes to the door. 

His heart stops when he opens it. Across from him, Keith is standing with his hands in his pockets. He’s wearing that damn dark blue hoodie and he looks so good. Without thinking, Lance closes the door and presses his forehead against it. “Lance?” Keith says, muffled by the door. Lance takes a deep breath. 

“Give me a second,” Lance says. All the emotions he was trying not to feel are rushing through him and he honestly feels a little bit light headed. Equal parts of him want to kiss Keith and punch him in the face and he’s not sure which side is going to win when he opens the door. When he feels like it’s been way too long, he hesitantly opens the door again. 

“Hi,” Keith says carefully. Lance sighs and grabs Keith’s arm, dragging him into the apartment. Keith gasps, but lets himself be moved past the door. Lance closes it and turns back to face Keith. He stands there for a second, eyes flicking over Keith’s features before he steps forward and wraps his arms around Keith’s waist and tucks his head under his chin. Keith freezes for a second, but then he wraps his arms around Lance and lets out a long breath. 

Keith’s heartbeat quickly calms Lance down, which is pathetic, but fuck did he miss Keith. They weren’t even anything before they were nothing but Lance doesn’t want to lose him again. Neither of them move and Lance is pretty sure he never wants to move again, but there’s a lot they need to talk about. He wants Keith desperately, but he’s also still sufficiently pissed. He quite reluctantly pulls back enough to look at Keith. 

“Hi,” Lance says. Keith smiles and squeezes the back of Lance’s neck. 

“Missed you,” Keith says. Lance shakes his head and steps back fully from Keith. 

“No- you can’t- not yet” Lance says, “we- we need to talk. I need to- fuck.” Keith nods and puts his arms down. “Come on,” Lance mumbles. He walks over to the kitchen and sits down, motioning for Keith to sit across from him. Keith sits down and folds his hands on the table. 

“I don’t expect you to-” Keith starts. 

“No, just- let me talk first, yeah?” Lance says. Keith nods, pressing his lips closed. Lance takes a deep breath and rubs his hand down his face. “We can’t just pretend nothing happened. You lied to me for months. You knew I wanted someone to talk to, and you could have provided that. I’m not going to be able to forgive you so easily.” Keith nods and looks down at his hands. 

“But I really do like you, unfortunately,” Lance continues, “a whole lot actually. It’s a bit infuriating, you’re good at everything and you’re hot,” Keith flushes and Lance pointedly looks away, “but you didn’t even text me once for the past two weeks. And I know I didn’t text you, but I have reason to be mad, you don’t.” 

“I know,” Keith says, “I was looking for you every night, I figured you would go out flying, but I never saw you. And I didn’t want to invade by coming to your apartment. You said you wanted space. I was giving you space the only way I knew how” he sighs, picking at his fingernails, “I got a bit desperate tonight.” Lance chuckles dryly. 

“And you let me confess to you when I didn’t know it was you,” Lance says, shaking his head, “I should be furious.” 

“Are you not?” Keith asks. Lance groans and covers his face with his hands. 

“No,” Lance says, “I’m sad more than anything and it pisses me off. Things were going well. I was going to tell you how I felt and hope for the best. Then you went and ruined everything. I was happy, Keith. Happy in a way I’ve never really been before.” 

“Ruined everything?” Keith asks. Lance definitely wants to punch him now. That’s what he took from that? 

“Yes, Keith, ruined,” Lance says, “I don’t take it lightly when people break my trust. I’ve wanted nothing more than someone to talk about my powers with since I discovered them. I could have been doing that the whole time.” 

“I- I didn’t mean to keep it a secret,” Keith says, “and I was happy. I was happy being human for you. I wanted to be normal. I wanted to be something solid in your life, not part of the problem,” he clears his throat and shifts in his chair slightly, “obviously, I went about that wrong,” Lance raises an eyebrow. He’s this close to punching Keith. “Look, I liked having this superhero secret to myself. It… it felt like something that was mine and mine only. I know it was stupid, but I was being selfish. I wanted something that I truly owned.” Lance frowns. 

“So what? It was a control thing?” Lance asks, “you thought I needed a rock in this chaos that is my life. You thought I couldn’t handle you having powers too?” 

“I don’t know. I don’t know why I did it and I really hate that I did,” Keith says. He looks up and his eyes are so sincere Lance finds it hard to keep eye contact, “I want you Lance. I want you to be the thing that’s mine. I’ll do anything you want if it means you’ll take the time to forgive me. I underestimated you and that’s my fault entirely.” Lance flushes and his heart speeds up. He didn’t realize how bad he was craving to hear Keith say that. 

“Fuck,” Lance says. Keith frowns and Lance waves him off, “you’re making it hard for me to stay pissed.” Keith’s lips quirk slightly and Lance sighs. He’s really having trouble being mad. 

“What can I do?” Keith asks, “anything. I’m willing to work for this.” Lance groans and closes his eyes as he drops his head to the table. What he wants to do is forgive Keith right now and bring him to his room, but what he should do is make him work for it to avoid problems down the line. 

“I guess just… prove this actually means something to you,” Lance says. Keith nods and there’s a pensive look on his face. 

“Are you opposed to going outside right now?” Keith asks. Lance raises an eyebrow. “I want to show you a couple things.” Lance should say no. He should go to bed and talk to Keith in the morning with a clear head. But where’s the fun in that? 

“I guess not, where are we going?” Lance asks. Keith grins and stands up, offering a hand to Lance. Lance takes it, pretending not to feel the tingling sensation where they touch. 

–

“Why are we going towards the pottery shop?” Lance asks. Keith pulls a set of keys out of his pocket and jingles them. 

“Because I want to show you the collection I’ve been working on lately,” Keith says. Lance sighs, but he’s willing to hear Keith out. If this somehow proves he’s trustworthy, Lance will be extremely shocked. Keith flicks the lights on as they step inside and leads Lance to the back room where they make everything. 

“So?” Lance says. Keith smiles sheepishly and goes to the back corner where there’s a table with his name on it. He opens a cupboard and motions for Lance to come over. Lance smiles when sees the collection of dishes. “Invaders themed,” Lance says softly. Keith nods and hands one of the plates to Lance. 

“I was planning to give it to you as a gift,” Keith says, “that night at the arcade was the most fun I’ve had in years. And I normally don’t prefer arcades.” Lance turns the plate over as he flushes. 

“How long have you been working on these?” Lance asks. 

“Since the day after the arcade,” Keith says, “I want you to have a full set. Plates, bowls, cups, the whole works.” It definitely shows that Keith cares about him. That Keith’s been thinking about him this entire time too.  

“This is really amazing,” Lance says. 

“I know it’s only a small thing, but I promise I won’t do something stupidly selfish like that again,” Keith says, “my reasoning made sense to me at the time, but man was I stupid. I think I need to learn how to communicate.” Lance smiles and gives the plate back to Keith. 

“You were definitely stupid,” Lance says, “but this is really sweet. And thoughtful. I had a really good time at the arcade too.” When Keith closes the cabinet, Lance hesitantly reaches for his hand. Keith offers it up easily and threads their fingers together. 

“Step in the right direction?” Keith asks. 

“Yeah,” Lance says softly. They walk to the front of the store hand in hand. Lance feels warm and fuzzy. 

“How do you feel about a piggy back?” Keith asks. 

“What?” Lance says. 

“Well, I want to go somewhere and running is honestly faster than my bike,” Keith says. Lance chuckles and Keith looks mildly concerned. 

“So you want me to pull a Bella and be a spider monkey?” Lance asks. Keith still looks confused and it’s kind of adorable. “Twilight, Keith, that’s a Twilight reference.” 

“Oh, haven’t seen them,” Keith says. Lance’s jaw drops. 

“Well, I know what we’re doing for the next movie night,” Lance says, “turn around, I’ll get on your back. Only to live out my Twilight dreams though,” Keith grins before he turns around and leans forward. Lance can’t believe this is happening. The second they start moving, though, all thoughts seem to clear out of Lance’s mind. He thought riding Keith’s motorcycle was amazing, but this is even better. When they stop and Keith puts him down, Lance leans on him so he doesn’t fall over. 

“What’d you think?” Keith asks. 

“That I’m fucking jealous I can’t do that,” Lance says, “and I know I’m supposed to be mad at you or whatever, but like, that and riding your bike with you are my new favourite things ever.” Keith grins and it makes his eyes sparkle. 

“I brought stuff for a fire this time,” Keith says sheepishly, leading them towards the firepit, “figured we’d wanna talk about stuff.” That much is true. Lance does want to talk about things, but at the same time, he wants to forget about it and finally kiss Keith. Lance watches as Keith makes the fire and damn, Keith really is beautiful and he moves with such confidence and grace. Lance wonders if his jealousy was ever actually jealousy or just admiration the entire time. “I can feel you staring at me,” Keith says. 

“You’re hot,” Lance says simply. He feels like he can say that now. Keith’s not forgiven entirely, but he’s forgiven enough for Lance to indulge a little bit. Keith laughs and tosses one last piece of wood on the fire before walking over to Lance. 

“You’re giving me a lot of mixed signals right now,” Keith says when he sits down. 

“My brain is giving me mixed signals,” Lance admits, “no matter how hard I try to be mad, I just think about all the reasons not to be. I mean, I get you wanting something that’s yours. You were in foster care, right?” 

“Yeah?” Keith says, pinching his brows. Lance doesn’t mean to go all therapist mode, but he wants this all to make sense.  

“Well, I assume you never really had much to your name,” Lance says, “doesn’t mean you weren’t being an asshole, just that there was a good reason you were. You didn’t want to lose the thing that belonged to you.” Lance takes a deep breath and looks into the fire, “and then you go all poetic and say you want me to be the thing that’s yours and my heart starts doing flips.” 

“I really do want you to be mine,” Keith says, “like… a lot. I’ve never really dated anyone before but, shit, I want to take you on cheesy dates and make you dorky gifts and wake up next to you-” 

“Stop, stop,” Lance says, “I get it.” He’s pretty sure he’s flushed from head to toe, “it’s just been hard for me to cope with all of this. I mean, I spent years thinking I hated you and that you hated me. And now you want to wake up next to me and-” 

“Hey,” Keith says softly, putting a hand on Lance’s knee, “we can do this at whatever speed you want. I will never rush you into anything. If all you want to do is hold my hand for the next three months, that’s fine by me.” Lance suddenly feels like he wants to cry. He blinks a couple times, but it’s no use. “What? Why are you crying? What did I say?” Lance chuckles and wipes a couple tears away. 

“I just missed you a lot,” Lance says, “I think I’ve missed you since high school. And even then, it’s only been a little over a year since we graduated. I don’t know what you’re doing to me,” he takes a deep breath, “And to think if I didn’t take my gap year I might never have met you again.” Keith smiles softly when Lance puts his hand on top of his. 

“I missed you too,” Keith says. 

“You’re fine if we take things slow?” Lance asks. Keith squeezes his leg and Lance looks at him. 

“Yes,” Keith says. And fuck it, Lance doesn’t want to wait anymore, this has been a long time coming. He brings his free hand up and pulls Keith to his lips by the back of his neck. Keith lets out a surprised huff, but melts into the kiss easily enough. It feels so good to finally know what Keith’s lips feel like and Lance doesn’t want to stop. He pulls back to breathe, but keeps his eyes closed, pressing their foreheads together. 

Lance threads his fingers into Keith’s hair and huffs. Of course it’s wonderfully soft. “For the record, I know you like the mullet,” Keith says. Lance sighs and opens his eyes, putting a small distance between them. 

“You are so annoying,” Lance says. Keith shrugs, not wanting to risk ruining the moment with a comeback, “thanks for doing this. You’re not forgiven yet, but I’ll work on that.” Keith smiles and kisses Lance’s cheek. 

“You don’t know how relieved I am to hear that,” Keith says, “just ask Shiro, I have been a mess lately.” Lance smiles because he was no better. 

“Is it a little pathetic that hugging you sort of fixed my horrible mood earlier?” Lance asks. 

“I hope it’s not pathetic, cause it made me feel a whole lot better too,” Keith says, “come here.” Lance gives in easily and tucks himself against Keith’s chest. 

“How did I end up falling asleep on you during the movie night?” Lance wonders out loud, “I don’t even have to sleep. I have to put effort into sleeping.” 

“I don’t know,” Keith says, “you just dozed off on my shoulder.” 

“So you cradled me in your arms?” Lance says, “totally normal thing for a friend to do.” Keith chuckles and Lance likes the way it rattles through Keith’s chest. 

“Can’t blame me, you’re damn cute when you’re asleep,” Keith says. Lance scoffs and flicks Keith’s chest. He’s not used to compliments like that. 

“I just never really fall asleep unless I put effort into it,” Lance says, “it was weird.” 

“Me either honestly,” Keith says, “didn’t wanna admit I fell asleep that night too for some reason, but I did.” 

“Maybe we’re each other’s kryptonite,” Lance says. Keith hums and rests his head against Lance’s. 

“Or maybe we’re just… safe around each other,” Keith says. Lance hums and lets his eyes flutter shut. He supposes he does feel really safe around Keith. Maybe they were supposed to find each other. Maybe there’s a reason they’re the only two people with powers. Lance doesn’t bother thinking about that too much, instead letting himself relax into Keith’s arms. He supposes things don’t need to make sense to feel right.