Archive of Our Own

Obviously Lance loved his job. 

Didn’t mean that there were days where he experienced some obstacles like rude models, shoots that would drag on and on, him forgetting to bring several products of his makeup kit (sometimes he’d forget his whole kit, but let’s not talk about that), and of course there were days like these. 

Lance was staring. Oh, he knew he was staring. 

Ah. Certain types of models. 

Like, really hot models. 

Don’t get him wrong, all the models they worked with were good-looking, handsome, beautiful, breathtaking, alluring, gorgeous_, and just generally attractive but this one. 

Well. 

Yeah. 

Lance had tried to mentally prepare himself for how exceptionally attractive Keith Kogane in real life would be. Sharp jawline, broad shoulders, slightly pouty (very kissable) lips, big eyes with long and dark eyelashes, nicely shaped eyebrows, cute smile, raspy voice— like, even his voice was attractive. 

Was that allowed? 

Absolutely not. 

That was just… too much attractiveness in one person. Whoever forgot about “sharing is caring”? 

“‘scuse me.” 

Pidge, their editor, brushed by to take her place behind the monitors and gave him a knowing look, as if she knew he’d been drooling. 

Damn, he felt like a creep. Staring almost shamelessly at the model who was now talking to their photographer, Allura, nodding along to her words and appearing to be genuinely interested in what she had to say. That was always a good sign, and Lance smiled at that. They’d worked with plenty of models who’d brush Allura off or worse and this only added to Keith’s attractiveness. 

Lance guessed she was going over the concept and ideas, seeing as she was pointing at the décor, waving around with her elegant hands, and motioning towards certain areas of her own body, probably to explain which part she wanted to be the focus of the frame. 

Hm.

It was nice to know that one of his idols/crushes seemed like a genuinely good person. Not that… Lance hadn’t watched his interviews like fifty times like a stupid stalker or anything. 

It’s just— Keith had been in this business several years and Lance wanted to be supportive, y’know? As far as Lance knew, Keith Kogane was a pretty reserved guy who never got too personal during interviews, which Lance respected. And there was something so… elegant about Keith. 

Maybe it was the way his eyes were so kind and always seemed so telling. 

Or the way he always appeared so chill, one hand in his pocket, head tipped to the side and his bangs falling into his face just right. 

Or how he carried himself so humbly, not at all arrogant or disregarding. 

Hm… 

Wait, Lance should start preparing his makeup kit instead of staring at their model like a love-struck teenager. 

It wasn’t the first time Lance was attracted to one of their models, certainly not. He’d never, however, had the guts to ask them out because all of them were way out of his league. Besides, did they even have time for a relationship? Most models they worked with were booked to the max and seemed like the type of people who were heavily focused on their career, rather than their personal life. 

So yeah, Lance usually talked himself out of asking these models out, kinda like he was doing right now. 

“This is Lance, is our makeup artist,” Allura’s voice sounded and Lance made the mistake of looking right into Keith Kogane’s eyes. 

Oh no. Oh god. 

Oh no. 

“Hey, I’m Keith.”

As if Keith needed an introduction.

Shit, where were his manners? Lance was so caught up in his own gay panic that he could barely nod his head and put on a smile. “The pleasure’s all mine.”

Not that the model had said “nice to meet you” or anything, but eh, at least Lance hadn’t lied. 

As expected, both Allura and Keith looked moderately surprised by Lance’s slip-up, but shrugged it off. “Alright, Keith, let’s go to the back and go over the outfits with our stylist.” 

Why hadn’t Lance been mentally prepared for this moment? It wasn’t like they had a schedule and looked at the models’ portfolios before their shoots or anything. 

Nah. 

Okay, he blamed it on his feelings. Apparently his feelings were so intense that he forgot how to function, which was definitely a new thing.

A very terrifying new thing. 

“I need coffee,” Lance mumbled to himself, plopping down next to Pidge who was scrolling through the company’s website. 

“You definitely do.” 

After contemplating his life for the next ten minutes, Lance began to prepare his makeup kit for Keith, laying everything out on the table and putting his small suitcase out of the way. This morning Allura had already talked to him about the “natural look” she wanted and Lance already knew exactly which look he was going for. 

“Hey.”

“Gah!” Lance jumped up to see Keith hovering behind him and Lance’s eyes gave him a once-over before he could even stop them. 

Keith was wearing black, torn up pants, a tight white shirt and a loose, black jacket over it, giving off a subtle, boy-ish, “I-just-put-on-whatever-I-could-find” look, and Lance was very into it. 

Their hair stylist, Nyma, was also walking over to them, and Lance quickly fixed his black mask. It was slipping off because his jaw was on the floor and that was not professional.

Still, in these cases, Lance was very glad that he was wearing a mask because it hid his red cheeks. As long as his forehead wasn’t red, Keith wouldn’t know about his gay panics and Lance was grateful for that.  

“Heeelllo,” Nyma sang in her pretty voice and stood behind the chair, her satchel dangling off her hip and her long hair pulled into a high, elegant ponytail. “Are we ready?” 

Keith nodded and sat in the chair, glancing up at Lance expectantly.

Right.

Lance realized that he’d almost forgotten that he was the makeup artist here and like, needed to do his job. 

Dang it. 

“Oh, uh. Right. Gonna go grab my primer.” 

Smooth, Lance. 

Nyma began to run her fingers through Keith’s hair, her eyes concentrated as she kept glancing between Keith and his reflection to get that perfect “messy but cute” look with his hair. Even though Lance was under the impression that Keith had that look written all over him already. 

“So, how long have you been a model?” Nyma easily slipped into small talk, grabbing a brush from her kit and getting to work. 

Lance finally got his ass into gear, grabbing a primer and applying it to Keith’s face with a brush, trying not to freak out at how close he was to the other’s face. 

This was so stupid. How was Keith’s skin so smooth? It looked so pretty from up close. 

“Your skin is amazing,” he blurted out and both Nyma and Keith looked over at him, but only Keith was wearing an amused smile. 

First time Lance had seen Keith smile in real life and oh boy not good. 

That was one of the most gorgeous smiles Lance had ever seen and he’d worked with a lot of models. 

And Lance realized that the first two things he’d said to Keith were complementary and flirty and he wanted to die. This was not professional. Not that he’d never complimented their models, on the contrary, everyone constantly complimented their models, but for some reason this felt different. 

“Thanks,” Keith murmured and their eye contact was way too intense for Lance to handle. Even his brush had stopped on Keith’s nose and he quickly went back to blending out the primer on his cheeks. “I hardly use anything, though. Just a cleanser and moisturizer. But my manager makes sure I get weekly facials.” 

Aha, now Lance had found his voice again because this was something he could talk about. Even Nyma started to look amused now because she knew that Lance was a skincare junkie. 

“Oooh, you’re one of those people with naturally good skin? I see.” It had a hint of playfulness and defiance in it and Keith didn’t hesitate to bite. 

Keith’s eyes lingered on his. “Do I detect a hint of jealousy?” 

This couldn’t be real. 

Was Keith flirting? 

Right in front of Nyma? 

Nyma didn’t seem to care, though, as she was brushing through Keith’s hair and putting in all sorts of products to make it stay upright and give it more volume. 

“Maybe,” Lance mumbled and couldn’t help but boop Keith on the nose with his brush, making Keith scrunch it up cutely in response. That was just unfair. “You’re probably the palest shade that I own.” 

“Probably.” 

Lance snickered as he turned his back on Keith to grab the foundation and– 

Uh-oh. 

There it was. 

In the reflection of the mirror, Lance could see Keith’s eyes on him, looking him up and down. 

The mask was a blessing and Lance bit his lip, wanting to flail and dance around because a model, someone literally hired for their looks, someone who got paid because they had a pretty face and good body, was checking him out. 

…Was he still alive? 

Probably not. 

“Hold on, Lance, I gotta blow dry his bangs.” Nyma brushed past him to plug in the blow dryer and got in front of Keith to do her work. This gave Lance plenty of time to continue having his gay panic while he was picking out the right shades of product he’d planned on using on Keith. 

Sadly, it didn’t take that long for Nyma to finish up and start working on the side bangs and strands, so Lance could come in with his foundation brush and start applying the face makeup. “Please tell me you wear sunscreen, though.” 

This made Nyma snicker whereas Keith bit his lip on a grin. “Ohh, poor you.” 

“Sunscreen is important.” 

“Takin’ advantage of the fact that I have to sit here and listen to you, hm?” Keith then grinned and his eyes had a cute, playful sparkle in them. It was very distracting and nearly caused Lance to put foundation on his ear. “Do you do this to all the people you work with?” 

“Hm, just you.” 

That was a big flirt and Lance bit his lip, again, very grateful for his mask, and looked back at Keith while he blended the foundation into his jawline. It was a risk, a huge one at that, especially in front of Nyma. Fortunately she seemed to be very busy with this particular strand of hair that didn’t wanna stay put. 

“I feel special now.”

Lance glanced at Keith to see a look. That was definitely a look and Lance’s heart just about jumped out of his chest in excitement. 

It was unbelievable that Keith was going along with this. And that Lance could feel something in the air. 

And that he also felt kinda bad for Nyma because he didn’t want her to be a third wheel here. 

“As you should, Lance doesn’t just lecture anyone, y’know,” Nyma then spoke up, getting behind Keith and fluffing up his hair with her hands, her clear voice laced with amusement. “Skincare is very dear to his heart. Better watch out that he’s not gonna stalk you, demanding that you use his go-to cleanser. Might get so bad that he’ll pull an Edward Cullen on you, applying his favorite lactic acid on your face while you’re trying to sleep.”

Lance was about to defend himself when Keith snorted and started—laughing. 

Help. 

The foundation nearly fell out of his hand and Lance made a show of almost dropping it three times but nearly catching it every time.  

That just made Keith laugh even harder.

This was totally uncalled for. 

Illegal even. 

“I can’t believe you compared my devotion to skincare to a stalking, sparkling vampire’s antics,” Lance pointed out, holding up an important finger, and Keith just continued to shake with laughter while Nyma played with his hair. 

“Keith, will you be the Bella to his skincare routine?” 

This was getting out of hand. Lance’s face was so red now that he could feel it burning against his mask and the butterflies in his stomach were driving him insane. 

“Nyma!” Lance screeched and held up his concealer brush like a weapon. “You’re wrinkling the foundation! Stop making him laugh!” 

“Oh my god,” Keith breathed and looked away for a second, his nose scrunched up and his lips stuck in a pretty smile. Lance let out a wheezy squeak in response to the adorable sight. 

Luckily, Nyma seemed to be done with his hair for now, draping the wavy strands over his shoulder and rearranging his bangs here and there with her delicate fingers. Despite her teasing, Nyma was really good at her job, creating a subtle, messy look with Keith’s hair. It gave him cute bedhead vibes. 

And Lance was here for it. 

“‘Kay, ‘m done. He’s all yours. Don’t forget the lotion,” Nyma chirped innocently and Lance was about to drown himself in the foundation bottle he was holding. 

Ah yes. 

Yes. 

The part that he both hated and loved about his job, which we’ll get to in a moment. First, Lance needed to survive the rest of the makeup routine. 

“So, I guess it’s just you and me now,” Lance grinned, his voice wavering a bit.

He applied some powder to Keith’s face before turning back to grab the contour kit, trying to hide his mental breakdown.

“Seems like it,” Keith answered in an almost lazy tone and glanced over at Lance in the mirror while he was rummaging through his products on the desk. “Think you’ll be able to handle it?” 

More flirting that Lance couldn’t handle. Like, was this casual flirting or was it flirting flirting? Lance was prepared for the casual, innocent type because it didn’t have to mean anything. Then both parties could just enjoy the moment and then move on with their lives. 

But Lance was already drowning in this quicksand of flirting, not sure if he’d be able to get over Keith. Said model was one of his favorite idols and Lance had no idea whether he’d be able to deal with all these… gay feelings. 

Poke. 

Lance screeched and turned around, eyes wide as he stared at Keith’s amused smile, the devious finger still in the air. “Still in there?” 

Apparently he’d been too quiet than socially acceptable. “Yeah, just uh… couldn’t find what I was looking for,” Lance lied his way out of it, holding up the contour powder and a large brush. He leaned in to accentuate Keith’s pretty features even more, trying not to get too distracted by his pretty eyelashes and pretty lips. 

“Y’know,” Keith began and Lance tried to mentally prepare for whatever was about to come. “Now I can’t help but wonder what your face looks like. You must take really good care of it if you’re so passionate about skincare.” 

Oh. 

Well. 

That made Lance’s hidden cheeks so red that he was very much grateful for the mandatory mask, because woah, Keith had basically just told him he wanted to see his face. 

Lance’s hand hesitantly reached for his black mask, eyes darting around quickly, but he knew that he’d probably get his ass kicked if he pulled it down. Keith’s eyes followed Lance’s hand, indicating that he was indeed waiting for him to take it off, his lips curled into a victorious smile.

Maybe this was a good opportunity to… 

“Hm,” Lance began, raising his eyebrows and gently tipping Keith’s face to the side to highlight his nice jawline with the contour powder. “If y’wanna see my face that badly, then maybe we’d have to meet outside of the studio.” 

There it was. 

The ice-breaker. 

The invitation. 

The opening. 

The–

“I might have to take you up on that.”

– downfall of Lance’s sanity.

Clank. 

“Oopssosorry.” 

Lance bent down to pick up the brush, clearing his throat and placing it in the corner of his desk, no longer usable. 

It was annoying to see how amused Keith was, like, it was unfair. Lance was going through several rollercoasters of panicking and feelings, having to deal with all of this, while that ass of a model was just having the time of his life. 

“Don’t give a guy false hope, it’s not polite.” Lance waved his powder brush, as if that helped his point.  

But then something changed in Keith’s eyes and he frowned for a split second. “What, false hope? What’d you mean?” 

Could… could it be that Keith was actually into him? Without even knowing what he looked like? Not that Lance was too insecure about looks, but Keith was a model. A genetically gifted person, so uh yeah, Lance was a bit intimidated by Keith’s possible attraction to him. 

All these intrusive thoughts were very annoying while Lance was just trying to do his job. 

“You’re… not just being nice?” Lance whispered, getting a bit closer to Keith’s face to make sure that this conversation was between them. 

Stupid Keith simply just grinned and leaned back in his chair, looking way too comfortable. “Why don’t you accept my offer and find out?” 

This guy—

“Lance, is he done yet?” 

Yes. Yes, Lance was done with him. 

“All yours.” Lance grabbed Keith’s biceps for no reason and gave him a little shove towards Allura. There was an unmistakable snicker and (ah) Keith cast one last look over his shoulder at Lance before he walked over to Allura to talk poses. 

Now Lance could die in peace and try to keep it together as he cleaned up his messy desk. Pidge had put some music on, which was nice to have in the background, and helped Lance unwind a bit. 

He was still warm. Keith’s presence had left a mark on him, or something, along with the fact that… Keith had shown interest in him despite not even knowing what he looked like. 

That was new. 

Lance pretty much got along with everyone, so he had expected things to go somewhat okay with Keith. What he didn’t expect was for things to turn out like— whatever this was.

Well. 

“Lance, c’mon, they’re about to start,” Pidge helped him out of his daydream. 

Lo and behold, Lance looked over his shoulder and saw Keith sitting on a stool in the middle of the set. One knee pulled up, elbow resting on his thigh and giving the camera a neutrally interested look.

Oh. 

“Right, uh, hold on.” Lance grabbed some things for his kit which was secured around his hip and he followed Keith over to the back where Allura was, waiting for his cue. 

This was usually the semi-boring part. In the beginning of his career, Lance found it fascinating to watch Allura work and come up with ideas for poses. She was so good at making the models feel comfortable, even when they were new to the industry, and knew exactly what to say to encourage them. 

Now that Lance had gotten used to the process, he would simply chill and talk to Pidge in between shots. 

But this time— it was Keith. 

Keith, like many other models they’d worked with, was a natural in front of the camera. He flawlessly followed Allura’s instructions. Looked nice from pretty much any angle. Knew exactly what he was doing and ugh. 

“Touch ups,” Allura called after a few shots and Lance and Nyma followed suit. 

Lance gave Keith’s face a light dusting of setting powder while Nyma fluffed up his hair. 

And Lance caught it, the fluttering of Keith’s eyes when Nyma ran her nails over his scalp. “Heh, that always feels so nice. One of the best parts about this job,” he grinned almost dreamily and Lance just about died.

Keith loved head scratches. Duly noted. 

And now Lance wished he could run his fingers through Keith’s hair. 

Damn it.

“I know, right,” Nyma snickered and patted his shoulders before she walked away, winking at Lance. 

Muh, this was just mean. Lance’s part was not nearly as satisfying as those head scratches. “Sad to say that my makeup brushes don’t have the same effect,” he said in a dramatic voice, causing Keith to snort. 

“Don’t worry, because you definitely do have an effect.” 

Oh? 

Oh. 

Haha. 

What. 

“Huh?” 

Their eyes met and Lance swallowed, his brush hovering near Keith’s cheek. That blatant flirt. Right here, right now? 

Oh great heavens. 

“Alrightgottagobye.” 

Lance bounced away, shoving the brush back into his kit, eyes wide and staring at the floor. The white flashes of the camera went off again and Lance cleared his throat as he stood next to Pidge again, fixing up his mask unnecessarily. 

“Good thing you can’t see your face, but your eyes are still a dead give-away.”

“Shut up.” 

There were a few changes of clothes after every ten minutes or so and Lance and Nyma were called forward in between them. After the third time, Lance somewhat got used to it and managed to convince himself that his poker face game had gotten stronger. 

It was totally a secret that Lance was barely surviving.

However. 

It did not stand a chance against the next few shots. 

The shirt had become… unbuttoned. 

Chest.

Make a sanity saving throw. 

“Touch ups!”

“Nghffdh.” 

Allura was not amused by Lance’s obvious stalling and gave him a small push towards Keith. “C’mon, you can’t keep us waiting like that.”  

Were people aware that it was Lance’s job to contour Keith’s abs as well. Were they aware that Lance had to touch Keith’s chest?

Of course. It wasn’t like this was his full time job or anything. He’d done this hundreds of times. On many different models. So many that it shouldn’t matter that this was Keith Kogane. 

Keith was just like any other model. 

No one special.

Nu-uh. 

“Hey.” 

Why was he already in front of Keith and why was that such a powerful word.  

Lance forgot how to human for a second and just stared at Keith for a full three seconds before he leaned in and ran the contour powder over Keith’s chest to highlight it.

It was obvious Keith took really good care of his body. His skin was completely smooth, his muscles perfectly defined, he smelled good, his happy trail was trimmed to leave just a perfect, dark line between his navel and… the downstairs area. 

“... Can you flex your muscles for a second,” he managed to splutter and Lance watched Keith’s abs tense. The muscles became more prominent, giving Lance the perfect outline, and he was actually about to faint. “Great. Thanks.” 

“Y’still alive down there?” 

Barely, but Lance was totally cool about this. Cool as a cucumber. Running a smaller brush between the abs to accentuate them and doing the same to Keith’s… pecs. 

“Yeah, ‘m fine,” he mumbled and glanced up at Keith, who was grinning down at him. “Stop enjoying this.” 

“You’re freaking out.”

This blatant call out was so uncalled for. Unbelievable. 

“You’re…” Lance couldn’t think of a comeback, seeing as his mind was rather occupied at the moment, thanks. And he knew that Keith knew, because that little shit looked beyond amused at his struggle. “I’m busy, stop distracting me!” 

Lance finished off powdering Keith’s torso and put the brush back into his kit. He stood back up straight, coming face-to-face with a grinning Keith. “Alright, can I distract you when you’re not busy then?”

“Bye.”

Nope, nope, nope, nope. 

The flirting was too much. Too much for Lance to handle. 

For now, Lance somehow found his way back to his post, going on standby mode. It only took one knowing look from Keith to snap him out of it and Lance was about to make some kind of rude gesture, but Keith had already slipped back into character.

Damn, this guy was a pro. Putting his hands into his pockets to make the jeans ride low on his hips and the elastic band of the boxers stand out. His thumbs rested on top of the pockets as Keith gave the camera a somewhat— annoyingly sultry look, his bangs somehow framing his face perfectly. 

(Yeah, Lance, that was literally Nyma’s job.)

(And it was literally Keith’s job to eye-fuck the camera.) 

(And it was literally Allura’s job to have him pose like this.)

Ugh. 

How was he supposed to get through the day? 

The camera clicked away and Lance couldn’t help but stare at the large viewfinder right next to Allura. Granted, the pictures looked amazing. The lighting gave Keith’s skin a dewy effect, his eyes sparkled prettily and he managed to make the poses look natural. Yet, he and Allura managed to draw the attention to the clothes. Because yeah, it was mostly about the clothing, after all. 

Not about Keith.

Could this get any worse? 

Spoke too soon. 

“Ah. We’re doing boxers, too?” Lance said in the most casual tone he could muster to Allura, who nodded, browsing through the pictures she had taken earlier. Obviously she wasn’t affected whatsoever, having had this job for over five years.

Either that, or her poker face was impenetrable. 

In which case, Lance needed her to teach him.

She glanced up at him for a second, her eyes twinkling dangerously. “That a problem?” 

As if.

Rude. 

Lance hated it here. “No, ‘course not. I’m totally a professional.”

“Uhuh.” Lance resisted the urge to imitate her like a child and went to stand in a corner where he belonged. 

He was gonna see Keith shirtless. 

Shirtless. Keith. 

In real life. 

Ah. 

Gotta calm down. 

Gotta keep it together. 

This was a professional environment. Not a museum. 

Lance kept telling himself that, both mentally and in a tiny voice out loud as Keith came out of the changing room, wearing only a pair of boxers and a (temporary) red bathrobe. 

Help. 

“Lance.”

“Yes.”

Allura motioned towards Keith with her head, raising her brows, and Lance began to walk, the bottle of body oil trembling slightly in his hands. 

He’d done this before. He had done this before.

Nothing new, nothing special. Nothing weird about it. Totally normal to put oil on models to give their bodies a “natural” glow. 

Except that Lance was genuinely scared that he was gonna drop the bottle now that he was standing right in front of Keith. 

Now was also not a good time to realize that Keith was slightly taller than him. 

“Hey, we seem to keep running into each other.”

The flirty joke made Lance pout behind his mask because he was so not ready for this. 

“Right.” Lance took off the cap and put it on the stool, trying not to have too much eye contact. “Alright, gonna… uhm, touch your shoulders, arms and legs, yeah?” he said as professionally as possible, pouring some oil into his hands and rubbing them together. Before he touched Keith, Lance glanced (up) at him one last time, waiting for consent and approval. 

“Yeah, sure. Smells good.”

Keith was grinning, his eyes playful and knowing.

What the fuck. 

The bottle almost fell and Lance shook his head, mostly to yank himself back to reality. It did smell good. It was lavender, Lance’s favorite. “Right, okay. Here we go.” 

Aaaand down Lance went. 

Keith’s skin was soft, as soft as Lance had expected it to feel. And warm. And Lance could feel his heartbeat when he applied the oil to his chest and shoulders. It felt… nice.

There was a new level of attraction unlocked and Lance didn’t really know how to deal with it, other than go on autopilot and rub the oil into Keith’s skin. 

At least he had an excuse to stare at Keith’s chest like this. He loved the fact that he didn’t have to look Keith in the eye now, because oh man, he wouldn’t survive that. Lance’s eyes scanned Keith up and down, unable to breathe like a normal person because the lotion only made Keith look impossibly more attractive.

“Mmkghm.” Lance cleared his throat for no reason, grabbing some more oil and warming it up in his hands, readying himself to touch Keith’s legs. His fingers accidentally (yes, it was an accident, shut up) brushed over Keith’s navel on his way down and he blinked a few times, trying not to seem affected by all of this. 

Especially since Lance had to sit down on one knee in front of Keith. 

Again, totally normal. Totally professional. 

Lance rubbed the oil into Keith’s legs, feeling the tight muscles under his fingers.

Ungayly, Lance wondered what his leg routine was because those thighs looked amazing. Truly, totally objectively, he’d have to ask later. 

Y’know, if he survived the gay apocalypse. 

“You’re doin’ great, don’t worry about it,” Keith spoke up and Lance glanced up at him, eyes widening comically. “This part’s always kinda— awkwardly intimate, but you get used to it. Just take your time.” 

That was… surprisingly nice. Lance’s eyes softened and his heart fluttered for a second, smiling widely behind the mask. And just like that, his nerves started to tone it down a little. “Thanks.” 

Keith smiled at him and nodded. “Hm, I like that I can see the smile in your eyes,” he mused and even though he was flirting, there was something really genuine about his voice that made Lance want to melt into a puddle. “It’s cute. You have pretty eyes.”

Aaaand right back where we started. 

C’mon, it was time for Lance to start flirting back. With the hopes of Keith toning it down a little. 

Which didn’t make much sense, but Lance’s natural inner flirt was having a hard time right now. 

Lance’s hands twitched, making his fingers pause at the back of Keith’s knees for a second, which was not a good spot to linger. “Down, cowboy,” he mused. It was an attempt to get Keith to not flirt with him for just a second so he could finish this, but Keith’s grin only widened. “You’re the one who’s practically naked here.” 

“Mhm, and the pay’s pretty good.” 

More eye contact and Lance mirrored the smirk, making sure that Keith could see it in his eyes, leaning just a tiny bit closer and digging his fingers into Keith’s thighs.

It had the desired effect. The muscles under his fingers twitched and Keith’s eyes narrowed dangerously, clearly affected. “I said, down.” 

And with that, Lance put the cap back on, a little louder than necessary and walked away, his heart beating loudly against his ribcage, unable to believe that he just did that.

“That took a bit longer than necessary.”

“Not now, Pidge.” 

After a few more grueling hours, the shoot was over, and Lance felt like he could breathe again. 

Keith seemed very tired, yet was polite enough to have some small talk with the rest of the crew while everyone got ready to go home. 

It wasn’t like Lance wanted to linger around. He wanted nothing more than to go home and roll around in bed while he replayed the day over and over again.

But he couldn’t.

Because of that one, haunting question.

“Why don’t you accept my offer and find out?” 

So, yeah.

He hovered.  

Taking his sweet time cleaning up his brushes and palettes, trying not to look too obvious.

Even though no one was paying him the slightest bit of attention, since they were all keen on going home after a long day of standing on their feet. Lance was tired, too, not even sure if he could hold a decent conversation in his current state.

Still, he didn’t wanna take the risk of losing out. 

He didn’t have Keith’s number. 

Obviously Lance followed him on his socials, though. 

Oh, maybe he could send Keith a dm? Or was that too much? Too… in your face? 

It wasn’t nice to come to the conclusion that Lance didn’t need Keith’s number and thus, no need to stay behind. 

This was becoming way too main character syndrome and dramatic for Lance, so he shoved everything into his kit and took off his mask with a loud sigh. The cool air felt nice on his skin and Lance couldn’t wait to get home and put some moisturizer on. 

“So, that’s what your face looks like.”

No.

No way. 

Lance glanced up into the mirror and saw Keith standing behind him, fully dressed again. His arms were folded over his chest, hip sticking out as he’d put his weight on just one leg, appearing oh so casual. He was holding his phone loosely, toying with the ring on the back of the case and Lance’s mind wandered off right away. 

Seriously, he didn’t have the energy to deal with this right now. 

“Heh, and what’s the verdict?” he flirted. 

“Guilty of all charges,” Keith grinned and took a few steps closer so they were standing next to each other. He leaned on his desk and Lance was once again overwhelmed by the smell of his cologne. Did this guy really put on some more cologne after he changed? “Like I thought, your face is cute and the evidence proves that.” 

Oh god. Help.

How was he supposed to respond? How. 

This was all very intimidating. 

Were there any other people around? 

After a quick glance to the side, Lance saw that they were practically alone now, which only fueled his anxiety. The last few members were hoisting their bags over their shoulders, saying their final goodbyes and walking out the doors. His eyes slowly crept back to the model standing in front of him. 

“... Yeah?” Lance managed to get out in a decently stable voice. 

“Yeah.” Keith took a step closer, which was even more intimidating. “So, have you thought about that offer?” 

This guy was just that direct, huh. Just— throwing everything out there. Taking his chances, not hiding his attraction in the slightest. 

To make it even more obvious what he was talking about, Keith held up his phone with a little, playful shake, the unlocked screen facing Lance. His dark eyes sparkled with mischief and Lance felt his cheeks reddening as he realized that Keith had opened his contacts list. 

He was… asking for his number. 

Haha.

“I uhm—” Lance squeaked, causing Keith to chuckle and shake his head in amusement. “Hear me out, man. You’re like, a model.”

“I’m aware.”

“And I’m a makeup artist.” 

“Mhm.” 

“Y’see what I’m getting at?” 

Even though he himself wasn’t actually sure what the hell he was getting at. 

“If you’re saying that I’m somehow above you…” Keith mused, his lips pursed as he twirled his phone in his hand, which was annoyingly attractive. “Well. I didn’t think we’d already be talking about positions, but if you insist—”

The most ungodly sound came out of Lance’s mouth and he took a step back, his face so red that it might’ve erupted and spewed lava everywhere. He had an actual physical reaction to those words; his arms and legs spasming, his torso curling and his eyes screwing shut. He clasped his hands over his mouth and glared at Keith, mentally accusing him of causing that unfortunate chain of events. 

But that bastard was laughing out loud, which just made everything worse. His nose scrunched up, his lips curled, broad shoulders shaking, free arm hugging his own waist…

Even his laugh was attractive and Lance hated his life so much. 

“I can’t believe you just said that.”

Keith shrugged, biting the tip of his tongue while his lips were still curled in an amused smirk. “You’re just too easy to tease. Not to mention, fun,” he said, sounding a tiny bit apologetic. “But yeah, y’wanna?” 

That stupid phone was in his face again, so Lance slowly reached for it to add himself to the contacts list. His fingers trembled as he added his number. “There.” 

Keith was about to take it back, but then Lance pressed his lips together, deciding to play along with this little game of Keith’s and held the phone out of the way. 

Yes, this was probably dangerous territory, but Lance’s pride was on the line here. 

Not that he had much pride left, but still.  

The other’s dark eyes narrowed for a split second and Lance instantly regretted his choice. Within less than a second, Keith was all up in his personal space to retrieve the phone. 

“Really now,” he murmured, his face so close to Lance’s that he could feel the words across his cheek. Both of their hands were now wrapped around the phone and Lance was pretty sure that his heart was gonna jump out of his chest. “Can I have it back? Or am I gonna have to fight for your number?” 

Listen, Lance was a weak man. And only human. 

His grip weakened, along with the rest of his body, and Keith took advantage right away. He held eye contact as he gently pried the phone out of Lance’s hand, their fingers lingering together way longer than necessary. 

“Thanks.” Keith also hovered close to him, his eyes scanning Lance’s face, causing his smile to widen. 

“... Uhuh,” Lance managed to say in a breathy whisper, his voice way too high, totally aware of the fact that their torsos were touching and that Keith was checking out his face. 

It was a good thing they were alone because holy mother of—

But then it was over.

Keith pulled back and it was as if Lance could breathe again and he let out a low breath, trying to collect himself. 

“Alright, I’ll text you,” he grinned, pocketing his phone and brushing his bangs out of his face, which was when Lance noticed the fingerless gloves for the first time.

Honestly, at this point, Lance had no idea how many more strikes he could take, but he was definitely running low on gay HP. 

Lance cleared his throat and tried to look semi-presentable by pushing his hip against the desk. “Great, lookin’ forward to it,” he sort of chirped, his voice already a little more in his natural range, which was the least he could manage. 

To drop the final bomb, Keith gave him a quick wink and left to leave Lance drowning in his own gay misery. 

Did… did all of that just happen? 

Bzz bzz

Unknown number: how about saturday? 

Yep. All of that just happened.

The absolute stupidity didn’t stop there.

Because now there was a famous model at Lance’s house and there was one big problem.

Listen.

That first text caused a chain reaction.

Every hour. Every minute. Every second Lance would check his phone to see if Keith had texted him.

Like, it had come to the point where Lance was giving up sleep to keep talking to him. Staying up until two in the morning, typing away on a screen that was way too bright for him to handle.

It was not an obsession. Lance was merely interested in him.

And besides, Keith was the one who kept texting him back.

After texting each other non-stop for five days, they went on a date.

A date that had been going for over eight hours.

And yes, Lance had checked the time three times to make sure he wasn’t exaggerating.

That was not even the worst part of it.

The worst part was Keith’s incredibly rude outfit.

That thot had dared to show up in the tightest shirt Lance had ever seen. If he hadn’t known better, Lance could’ve sworn Keith had straight up dumped a bucket of black paint on himself and called it a day.

It was straight up in-your-face and Lance couldn’t believe Keith was forcing him to sit there and pretend like he didn’t want to stare at his chest the whole time.

It didn’t matter that Lance had already seen his bare chest, okay, this was just— yeah.

Not to mention those stupid pants.

Anyway.

They had met up for coffee and ended up sitting there until closing time. Keith kept leaning on the table with his elbow, cheek cupped in his hand as he listened to Lance ramble about his life, his friends, weird encounters with other models, what he liked to do his spare time and—

At some point realized he’d been talking about himself the whole time.

So, like the exceptionally smooth guy that he was, Lance suggested that they had dinner to give Keith the opportunity to talk about himself.

It worked.

His masterplan totally worked.

But he was (not) ready to pay the bill because that would mean the end of their date.

Until Keith said, “Hey, you live nearby, right? Y’wanna hang out and watch a movie or something?”

And who was Lance to say no to that?

So, back to his current predicament.

Keith’s arm had brushed against his and there was absolutely no way his brain could make this up. Nah. No way that it could recreate the smell of Keith’s cologne, mimic the sound of his voice, make Lance feel the warmth of Keith’s skin. 

After this thorough analysis, Lance came to the following conclusion: 

Apparently this was happening. 

Yeah.

“Nice place. It’s very you,” Keith smiled and Lance felt his heart flutter. 

What did that even mean? Hopefully a good thing.

“Yeah? Let me show you around. Then we’ll have some drinks and chill.” Lance took off his shoes, hung up his jacket and laid the keys on the dinner table before holding out his arm invitingly for Keith to go ahead. 

Lance was not a hoarder, but he wasn’t minimalistic either. There were pictures of him and his family and friends scattered over the walls, blankets draped over the couch, several small bookcases, some plants here and there, a TV accompanied by a cabinet with several game consoles, games and DVDs. His kitchen was in the corner and had a small dinner table in the middle.

Somewhere in between, Lance had cast a Spotify playlist on the TV, putting the volume nice and low so it was nothing more than background noise. 

Keith smiled a lot during the mini tour of Lance’s apartment, which made him stupidly giddy. 

“Here’s the bathroom and this is my bedroom,” he explained happily, opened the door to his room, froze on the spot—

And closed the door. 

“On second thought, why don’t we go have a drink first?” 

Lance was about to turn around and grab them drinks, coffee, booze, anything as a means to distract Keith. Instead he ended up bumping into his date who was very much in the way. 

And also annoyingly pretty.

How could he have forgotten? Keith was not allowed in his bedroom. Ever. No matter how much Lance wanted him to. 

Maybe he had to move.

Cities. 

Possibly continents.  

“Lance.” 

Avoid, avoid, avoid. “Coffee? Tea? Beer? Something stronger maybe?” 

‘Cause he could definitely use something stronger, thanks.

But then—

Hands. 

Large hands on his waist and oh god, that surely got Lance’s attention. He looked up into Keith’s pretty dark eyes that were sparkling with amusement. “Any particular reason why we’re not going into your bedroom?” 

“Yes.” 

Think, brain. 

But thinking was a bit hard when there was a pretty person right in front of him who was also touching him. Lance could feel his lower back hit the door, his hands finding Keith’s lower arms for support and ah, he had a major problem. 

“Mhm, and that reason being?” Keith asked, his lips curling into a lopsided grin. Lance felt like he was gonna lose his mind because hello, who decided that Keith had permission to exist? “If you’re gonna say that it’s a mess… trust me, it can’t be worse than my place.” 

“Oh yeah? Don’t you have people who clean for you?”

Keith grinned and squeezed Lance’s waist, which made his knees feel weak. It was a good thing that he was leaning against the door and that Keith was holding him, otherwise he would’ve sunk to the floor. “Heh, you sayin’ I’m too lazy to do that myself?” 

Uh-oh. Oh no, had he offended Keith? 

“Whuh.” The sound that came out of Lance’s mouth was so beyond embarrassing that he was pretty sure he was already sinking to the floor. In reality, he was still standing and just staring at Keith. “No, no, no, no, I didn’t say that! You’re—”

Amazing. 

Cool. 

Intimidatingly hot. 

But Keith’s cute laughter interrupted Lance’s gay train of thoughts, indicating that he was obviously teasing. Lance narrowed his eyes, holding up an accusing finger. “You can’t just do that!” 

“Sorry, you make it too easy,” Keith murmured and got a bit closer, which caused Lance to let out another weird, squeaky noise. Their noses were almost touching now and he could feel Keith’s words on his cheek. “But seriously, what’re you hidin’ in that bedroom of yours, hm?”

Lance pressed his lips together and had to resist the urge to lean in and kiss Keith right there and then. They were but a breath away and Lance would be lying to himself if he said he hadn’t been staring at Keith’s lips ever since he walked out the studio’s doors. They just looked so kissable, so perfectly shaped, so full, juicy, and possibly still tasted like that chocolate ice cream they had for dessert? 

Damn, was Lance truly analyzing someone else’s lips? 

In his defense, they were right there and Lance was a man down. 

Fingers were sneaking under his shirt and Lance felt heat pooling in his stomach, spreading up to his neck and face. Keith’s hands were nice and soft, cupping his waist under his shirt, fingers resting gently on his lower back. “Lance, y’still with me?” 

“I think I left myself at the restaurant,” he brought out intelligently, causing Keith to laugh against his lips. 

Totally fine, by the way. 

“Am I distracting you?”

“Yes.”

“Want me to stop?”

“No.” Lance’s hands slid over Keith’s lower arms, up to the inside of his elbows, further up, thumbing over his biceps until they were on his shoulders. “I’m good.” 

Keith’s smile widened and got even closer, so that the tips of their noses brushed together. “Yeah? Hmm, I kinda really wanna kiss you now.” 

And Lance’s brain really kinda stopped working. There were some delayed reactions. Such as his face turning bright red, his hands tightening their grip on Keith’s shoulders and the hairs on his skin to all stand up straight. His knees were weaker than ever and his breathing quickened, but he was still standing. 

Barely, though. 

“Alright,” Lance breathed and closed his eyes as he noticed Keith leaning in to brush their lips together. 

Ah. 

He was right. 

Keith’s lips were perfect. They were soft and plump, moving nicely against his own, and Lance couldn’t help but sigh almost dreamily through his nose as he began to kiss back. The hand on Keith’s shoulder slid higher to cup Keith’s nape and comb through his hair while Lance felt him pressing their chests together. 

His head was spinning and his heart fluttered in excitement. Lance gently bit into Keith’s lower lip, a nervous giggle falling from his lips when he felt Keith’s hands sneaking farther under his shirt, fingers running over his stomach and ribs. 

It felt so good. Keith was warm, he smelled good, his hands were so gentle and Lance couldn’t help but stand on the tip of his toes to press even closer. “Hmm…” 

Oh, and there was that hint of chocolate Lance could taste on his lips, making him smile into the kiss. 

Not to mention that Keith was genuinely a good kisser. Balancing just between leading and following Lance’s pace, so that it felt natural. Lance didn’t even have to think, didn’t feel the need to. His body simply took over, kissing Keith over and over again until his lips became sensitive and tingly. 

Lance could feel the heat in his chest and stomach spreading all the way to his arms, legs and even his head. He was hot, becoming dizzier and dizzier with excitement and… some other things. 

It was almost becoming too much. Keith’s grip had tightened on his waist, pulling their bodies flush against each other and Lance’s eyes fluttered, a gasp falling from his throbbing lips, which Keith took advantage of. Pressing closer… kissing harder… 

“Okay, hold on,” Lance whispered and pulled back to take a quick breather, his hands laying on Keith’s chest, feeling his fastened heartbeat through his shirt. His lips were still throbbing. “Uhm… woah, yeah. I uh, y’know, uhm…” 

Keith laid their foreheads together and Lance relaxed, closing his eyes again and breathing deeply. “Yeah, same.” 

Lance chuckled breathlessly, hands crawling up to cup Keith’s jaw as he opened his eyes again and smiled at Keith. His mind was too foggy to form words and Keith seemed to be in the same state of mind. Honestly, he was grateful for that, as he was pretty sure he wouldn’t be able to process anything. 

Their eye contact did feel intimate, though. Keith’s pupils were wide, making his eyes appear even darker, but they had that sparkle that made Lance want to melt into a puddle. His heart wouldn’t stop beating fast and the heat was still spreading throughout his body, completely hypnotized by the way Keith was looking at him. 

This was rather unfamiliar territory. 

There had never been anyone else who looked at him like that. 

“I really like you,” Lance blurted out, almost wincing at how bad his timing was, but Keith only smiled. 

“Well, I sure hope so, otherwise this would’ve been a really weird situation. And position.” 

Lance snorted and stroked Keith’s cheekbones with his thumbs. “Are you gonna say it baaack?” he asked playfully, chewing his bottom lip and vibrating with nerves, having no idea how he suddenly got the confidence to ask this. 

They’d gone on one date and just kissed. Against his bedroom door. And Keith’s hands were under his shirt. 

But hey, gotta make sure they were on the same page here. 

Because one could never be sure enough. 

“I like you, too,” Keith finally murmured, caressing his hip bones and slipping higher, fingers ghosting over his waist and ribs as well, making Lance let out a shaky breath. “Aww, you’re so sensitive. Cute.”

Lance groaned and gave Keith’s chest a half-hearted push. “Ugh, shut up, ‘s been a while, alright?” 

Why did he say that. 

Oh god, why did he say that. 

It was so very embarrassing that Lance covered his reddening cheeks to try and hide them. 

“That’s okay,” Keith whispered, giving him another slow kiss. He laid his hands over Lance’s to gently pry them away from his face, intertwining their fingers afterwards. “Please tell me if I’m going too fast or too far, yeah?” 

That was it. 

Lance had officially become a puddle on the floor. 

Poor Keith would have to scoop him up and carry him around for the rest of the night, because Lance would not be able to recover. 

Well, the thought of Keith carrying him around wasn’t that bad actually. 

Their eyes met and oh man, there was that intense level of intimacy again. Keith’s eyes were searching his, appearing so soft, even containing a hint of worry. “I uhm… you’re fine, that was fine. ‘m just—” Lance flailed their hands around, which made Keith laugh against his lips. “You’re so nice, it’s freaking me out.”

Even more laughter and Lance was in desperate need of help. 

“Yeah? Want me to be mean instead?” Keith mused, slowly letting go of Lance’s hands so that he could slip them back under Lance’s shirt, his fingers now teasing as they crawled higher. It made Lance shiver and squirm a bit, instinctively reaching for Keith’s wrists because uh-oh. 

Lance narrowed his eyes up at the man who was gonna get his ass dragged to court. “Keith, think about what you’re doing.” 

“Oooh, are you threatening me?” Keith snorted.

“Yes.”

“Hm. I’ll take my chances.”

Before Lance could try to get away, those sneaky fingers began to wiggle against his ribs, tickling him in earnest. 

A squeal slipped out and Lance pressed himself against the door in an attempt to escape, but he was totally trapped. His face exploded and it felt like there were now hundreds of butterflies swarming around in his stomach. 

They were so close and Keith’s hands were so warm on his skin.  

“Shit, n-no!” he yelped, pushing against Keith’s arms, but this guy worked out on a daily basis, so Lance didn’t stand a chance. He wouldn’t budge. “Keith, you— aah! Stop, oh my god!” Lance couldn’t stop giggling, doubled over, knees getting weaker from laughter. 

Keith didn’t seem to care and Lance could hear the smirk in his voice as he spoke, “I don’t want to, though. You’re so red and your laugh’s cute.”

This was not happening. 

It just wasn’t. 

Nope. Bye. 

Slowly but surely, Lance started sinking to the floor, unable to hold himself up right due to his weakened state, but then he felt Keith’s arm around his waist, keeping him from falling. “Heh, got you,” he somewhat registered Keith saying into his ear, and Lance let out a defeated noise, his heart beating fifty miles an hour. 

“Uncalled for,” he panted, trying to catch his breath as he looked up at Keith, tears of mirth in his eyes, and his lips still curled. “‘m so gonna kick your ass later.” 

But Keith didn’t seem fazed at all. On the contrary, that assbutt just looked beyond amused. “Promise?” 

Lance slumped into Keith’s arm and felt lips brushing against his cheek, making his eyes flutter because that was so sweet. “Mhm, you just wait.”

He felt warm. The butterflies hadn’t calmed down yet, either. They were still fluttering around, and Lance’s blush had spread down his neck, chest and even up to his ears. The places where Keith had touched him were still burning and Lance absently squeezed Keith’s arm, closing his eyes and laying his head on his shoulder.  

There was a silence for a few more seconds in which Lance was trying to calm down his racing heart. For some reason, the silence didn’t feel awkward, at all. It was actually kind of comforting and Lance’s lips curled into a relaxed smile, nuzzling Keith’s shirt.

But then there were two fingers under his chin, guiding him into another kiss, their lips brushing against each other.  

Over and over again.

Until Lance’s lips were plump and his breathing was slightly out of control again. Warm hands rested on his hips, daring to go over to his lower back to press their bodies together, so that Lance was no longer pressed against the door.

It made room for those hands to slip even lower to feel over his ass. 

Oh, this was new. 

Very new. 

And Lance couldn’t help but snicker a bit, causing Keith to smile into the kiss as well. “Mmh, what?”

“Your hands’re on my ass,” Lance whispered against his lips, as if it was a secret, not breaking the kiss. He didn’t feel like pulling away and apparently Keith was right there with him.  

The hands on his ass gave each cheek an individual squeeze, which was both kinda funny and sexy. “Mhm, I was tempted. Is it oka—”

“Yes.” 

They both laughed softly into the kiss and Lance’s own hands began to explore as well, squeezing Keith’s shoulders and dragging his nails down his back. That earned him a shudder and Lance grinned victoriously, glad to return the favor. 

There was something inexplicably enticing about the way he was stuck between Keith’s warm body and the door to his bedroom. Lance’s heart was fluttering with excitement and he couldn’t help but finally take a leap and slip his hands under Keith’s shirt as well. 

Even though Lance had already had his fair share of experience thanks to the stupid lotion.  

Still, this was different. 

Now it felt way sexier and more intimate. Excitingly so. 

Especially since Keith seemed more sensitive to his touch now and Lance kissed him a bit harder in response, letting his fingers brush over the hint of abs and Keith’s happy trail. “Mmh, Lance.”

“Yeahh…”

“Maybe we should… mmhh…” More kissing and grabbing. “Move this, hmm.” A particularly nice squeeze. “To the bedroom?” 

Oh hell yes. 

Without thinking, Lance blindly reached behind him to fumble with the doorknob for a second before the door swung open and they could walk in. He didn’t wanna interrupt the kiss for even a second, so his hand was slapping around against the wall until it found the light switch. Impatient hands pushed him further into the room, groping and feeling him up under his shirt, making Lance gasp against Keith’s lips.

“Mmh… Keith—” Lance’s legs hit the bed and he fell back, opening his eyes to stare up at Keith’s flushed, swollen lips. They lingered on Keith’s eyes for a second before they noticed something on the wall.  

… Oh no. 

“Don’t look!” 

Lance’s hand slapped over Keith’s eyes and he yelped in surprise, gripping Lance’s arm instinctively and ugh, he was so nice and strong. “Lance! Wh— lemme see! If you’re that embarrassed, we could just turn off the lights!” he tried to negotiate, but then his lips curled into a knowing smirk. “Or… is this something you’re into, huh?” 

His heart dropped. Probably fell out of his ass. 

“Oh my god, Keith.” 

Alas, Keith seemed stronger than him and managed to pry Lance’s hands off his eyes. 

And Lance decided that he couldn’t postpone it any longer and had to deal with the consequences of his own gay actions. 

And let Keith look around his bedroom. 

And just— deal with it. 

“... So, I take it you’re a fan?”

Understatement of the year. 

Because well. 

There were posters. 

Of many different models, including ones Lance had worked with over the last few years. Most of the photos were close ups, focused on the makeup, rather than the outfits.

It was kind of Lance’s portfolio and inspiration.

But there were also posters… of Keith.

Lance’s defense, most of them were— somewhat innocent. Keith was fully clothed in most of them. There was a sliver of skin revealed here and there, depending on the pose, and there were a few of Keith in just a pair of boxers and/or trainers. 

Almost as if Lance had purposefully chosen to look respectfully at his model crush. 

Except that Lance was now facing his pillow, pressing it hard against his face to avoid posters’ Keith and real life Keith’s gaze at all costs. There was no way he could face Keith like this, let alone talk to him. 

How was he supposed to explain all of this? 

He felt like a stupid creep, despite all the other models’ posters. His heart was beating wildly against his ribcage and Lance let out a small, desperate whine in embarrassment, not knowing how else to communicate his disastrous feelings. 

Now it was Keith’s turn to uncover Lance’s eyes and Lance was too defeated to fight back. He continued to stare down at the blankets, praying that they could somehow make the situation better. 

“This is the most awkward I’ve ever felt. And I’ve spilled drinks over my crotch in public,” he mumbled, still avoiding Keith’s eyes, but he did hear a quiet huff of laughter. 

Keith had shifted closer and nudged Lance’s nose with his own, which was such a cute thing to do that Lance felt a little better. “I think it’s cute. I didn’t know your crush on me was that bad.”

And the cute moment was over. 

Lance groaned and gave Keith a shove, causing him to fall over backwards on the bed with a shout of surprised laughter. “Shut up!”

“Hm, no.” Then Lance was taken by the arms and pulled right on top of Keith. Now it was his turn to shout, except it was definitely more panicky than Keith’s. Warm hands cupped his waist and Lance was just staring down at that pretty face, admiring Keith’s features even from this angle. “It’s cute, stop worrying.” 

How was this cute exactly? Lance slowly dragged his hands to Keith’s chest, just letting them rest there as they continued to gaze into each other’s eyes. The heartbeat beneath his palm was certainly comforting as it was nice and steady, so Lance was sure Keith was being honest with him. “You don’t think it’s creepy?”

Keith’s eyes softened and his hands dragged up and down Lance’s back. It was nice and comforting, making Lance’s eyes flutter as he started to melt into Keith, the tension leaving his body. “Not at all. At least they’re not all thirst traps. However, I do see one where I’m wearing nothing but—”

Smooch.

It was the only thing Lance thought of and it seemed to work. Keith’s hands worked over his back once more, even daring to go lower and fondle his ass for a few seconds as they kissed. Lance smiled into the kiss, totally happy that his little plan worked and that Keith was now cupping the back of his neck so sweetly. 

“Smart,” Keith whispered against his lips and Lance couldn’t help but chortle into the kiss, pressing down into Keith’s body and bringing his hands up to Keith’s soft hair. It was fluffy and silky, making it easy for Lance to play with it and drag his nails gently over Keith’s scalp. 

The kiss became a bit more heated as Keith moved his lips faster and harder, pulling back for a second to let out a small breath before going back in to try out a different angle. Lance’s lips had become pretty sensitive, making it all the more enjoyable for him, and he couldn’t help but sigh happily from all the sweet yet daring touches of Keith’s hands. 

Butterflies swarmed around once again, making Lance feel warm all over. He had goosebumps everywhere and every single touch made him shiver. Keith had decided to lower his hands to the back of Lance’s thighs and knees, which caused Lance to yelp in surprise, but all it took was a murmured, “I’m sorry, is it too much?” for Lance to relax back into his date and let those hands continue their journey. 

“No… keep goin’,” he murmured, his voice low and raspy from all the kissing, grinning as Keith squeezed his ass again. “Y’like my ass that much, huh?”

Amused laughter ghosted over his tingling lips. “Mhm, checked it out every chance I got. And now I finally get to—” A quick smack and Lance gasped, sitting up so he was straddling Keith’s hips, which was… uhuh. “do this.” 

“Hey!” But Lance was laughing, taking Keith’s prying hands away from his ass and pushing his wrists into the bed, leaning over him. This position caused the butterflies to multiply and for Lance’s heart to pick up the pace whereas Keith looked like he was enjoying every second of it. “Be gentle. It has feelings.”

“Your lovely ass has feelings?” Keith was snickering, not even fighting Lance’s grip, or at least, uninterested in doing so. “Bet it feels very seen right now, doesn’t it?” 

Lance both loved and hated how they apparently had the same sense of humor. 

Yeah, he’d have no trouble falling for this guy at all. 

What. 

“It’ll get back to you on that in three to five business days,” Lance grunted and Keith snorted in amusement,, finally slipping his wrists out of Lance’s hands and intertwining their fingers once again. He looked really pretty with his hair framing his face. 

“In that case, can I get its number?”

“I can’t believe you’re cheating on me with my own damn ass.”

Keith was biting his lip but then burst into laughter, shaking his head and squeezing Lance’s hands, and Lance’s eyes softened, watching him with a stupid smile. 

“Hmmm, cheating on you, huh? Does that mean I’m your boyfriend?” 

Aaaah. 

Mmmmhhh.

Mayday, mayday. 

Lance was sinking. Into gay hell. 

Maybe he could take those stupid posters with him.

He hadn’t realized that Keith’s hypothetical cheating would mean that… Keith’d have to be… his boyfriend.

Boyfriend. 

That sounded nice. 

So nice in fact that Lance couldn’t hold back the embarrassed yelp and let himself plop back down on top of Keith just so they wouldn’t have to have eye-contact. 

The laughter died down and Lance felt Keith hugging him gently, stroking up and down his back and Lance couldn’t help but appreciate that Keith was giving him some time to process all of this. He definitely needed it. 

Like, this guy had been his crush for years.

Don’t get him wrong, he’d be shouting it from the rooftops that he was dating the Keith Kogane.

Still, it felt incredibly surreal that he had somehow managed to meet him, talk to him, go on a date with him, and now he was in his bedroom.

Surrounded by multiple posters of him.

Yeah, Lance wouldn’t be able to sleep for the next fifty years or so.

“I can’t— call you my boyfriend after one date?” he finally managed to bring out, glancing back up at Keith, his eyebrows raised. “Isn’t that weird?”

“Why?”

It was such a genuine question that Lance was the one who was taken aback.

“I mean,” he began, sitting up, not even realizing he was straddling Keith’s waist. “Aren’t you supposed to go on, like, three dates at the very least?”

Those damn hands found his hips again, thumbs resting dangerously close to his thighs. Lance was about to combust, but kept his composure because Keith opened his mouth to respond. “So, correct me if I’m wrong, you’d like to go on at least two more dates with me?”

Damn this guy. And his stupid smile.

“That was not the point!” Lance screeched, holding up his finger to add to his argument. “I—”

“The answer is yes, by the way.”

Listen, Lance was more than willing to go on more dates with Keith.

And someday call him his boyfriend.

And brag to everyone that he was dating a model.

And most importantly, have Keith cheat on him with his own butt.

“Then yes, that was totally my point.”

“On one condition, though.”

“Mhm.”

“You only get to keep the thirst trap posters.”

“Deal.”

(Lance didn’t.)

(But Keith still ended up being his boyfriend, so he won.)