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Lance awoke to an empty bed on a warm summer's day, feeling a bit cold and rather confused at first, so accustomed to waking up encased in the warm hug of his lover. Getting up for work these past four years had never been harder. The each morning turned into a haze of fuzzy emotions and drowsy affection. Never had he been more happy that Keith had entered his life.
Keith. Whatever wind of fate that Chanced to drop Keith in the apartment across the street would have his thanks for eternity. He supposed he should really be thanking the wind of fate that brought Shiro. But Shrio admitted at his wedding last year, he only picked that building after having seen Allura, while visiting Pidge’s bookstore with Matt.
He also supposed, Keith would have stuck to his life, never venturing across the street, if Lance had not been tending his garden that night. A garden that he had to deal with the losses in his life, to deal with stress, to deal with feeling hopeless and helpless and frustrated.
He continued to think, what if Maria had never left him, what if he had never lost his leg, what if he had never joined the military, what if he had never married Maria, what if he had the money to go to school like the others in the first place. What if he got his dream job. Would he have gotten his dream boy?
Maybe?
The fact Lance could never be sure made it so easy to let all of these things go. While Keith often scolded Lance for joking about it, Lance really would lose a leg for him.
And when it came down to it, past the grueling pain he might still have nightmares about, and the stressful and frustrating physical therapy, and the helplessness he felt sometimes, losing a leg wasn't that bad. He knew some had it worse. He knew that he could have had it worse. Nix dieing from the list and Lance could have lost his hands or an arm, along with his ability to work and get himself back on his feet. He could have lost his hearing, never able to hear that gruff sexy voice of his partner, as they spoke their first words to him each morning. Or his eyes, and he never would have been able to look into Keith's deep eggplant colored eyes.
He had never seen eggplant eyes. It was the first thing he had noticed, besides the awkward demeanor shoved into the body of a confident handsome guy. Keiths awkwardness made him so adorable sometimes. He had watched that boy walk from shop to shop, passing his twice before standing out front. That shocked face when Lance first greeted him. The curious eyes roaming around the shop, as if it was the first flower shop he had entered. It was, Lance found out. The way that curious face turned into a confused scowl as Lance accused him of being a spy for his ex-wife. Ahhh good times.
The thought process had really been “ No way anyone this damn pretty is here just to talk to me.” Hence, alternative motive. Lance had never told Keith, but it wasn’t the first time Maria had sent a model in looking for an application to work for him. Something about the messy kid screamed too good to be true.
And yeah, he still is.
Speaking of Mr. “ Too good to be true”... where was he? A stray thought passed through his head as he felt his mind coming into focus.
Right… Shiro's. He Spent the night with Shiro.
Lance pulled himself over to the side of the bed, reaching down to grab his “morning leg” and all that went with it. The routine of putting on his leg, applying each part, the weird stump sock, locking it into place, was ritual by now. Lance often found it was a good time to let his mind go blank, the chatter at the back of his head all focused on this one activity.
Many sensations were odd to him. The feeling of stepping onto a cold wood floor for sure, but only one foot. These were the odd things he tended to noticed. He shuffled into the kitchen, opting out of taking the wheelchair. While he was ever thankful for the thing, and he loved it, he had gotten sick of sitting on his ass after having learned he had lost weight, so they had to counterbalance all his legs. He was left with a stump, cane, a wheelchair and a sour attitude. Though on a positive note, Keith took a week off to help him, and they spent more than half of it in bed, enjoying each other.
Lances note to all out there, Wheelchairs are not great for having sex in. Not bad, but not great.
As he started fixing himself a cup of coffee, cleaning the french press Hunk had bought them last Christmas, his mind fixed on the counter.
Isn’t it odd, that places we’ve been to so many times, looking back on the first memory of that place, the whole place seems unfamiliar. If Lance were to visit that first stormy night, after having dinner with his friend and having his ear shouted off for expelling the new kid on the block from his store, he would look at this apartment with an unfamiliar air. It was such a clear memory to him, and now he lived here.
Lance oftin thought back to when they met. Though Keith never knew this, he had seen Keith the night before. Hence having more suspicion towards the beautiful man who had just happened to move in across from him. While stepping out onto his garden one night, he had noticed Keith up on the balcony, talking to someone, and then suddenly stripped away his shirt and walked back in. Lance remembers choking before blushing wildly and stepping back in. Even though there was a distance between them, Lance could tell the dark haired figure was fit, and who ever he was with was lucky.
Lucky. Guess he was Lucky now.
The Kettle screamed and he poured the hot water into the press, waiting for it to brew. Something was missing today. He couldn’t place it quite right. Stuff was missing from his head. The reason Keith was at Shiro's. The reason he had slept in. His phone had been charging on the kitchen counter too. Which was odd. Usually Lance slept with it beside him like any normal person of this new techno world.
42 missed calls from Hunk.
What the heck?
Lance was about to call back when he heard vicious pounding from their apartment door. Jumping he nearly knocked over his coffee. He waited a moment, staring at the door.
“ LANCE! WAKE UP!” It was Hunk. Lance scurried over to the door as fast as his stiffer morning leg would take him. He unlocked the door, opening it to see a rather frazzled yet well dressed looking Hunk.
“ Are you deaf? I’ve been calling you for hours!”
“ No, my phone was charging in the Kitchen, what's up?” he asked.
“ What’s up? Lance… You’re supposed to be getting ready...
Lance raised his eyebrow in question to convey this still wasn't enough for him to go on.
" For your wedding.”
Oh.
Oh shit.
One freak out and a lighting fast shower was met with a lukewarm cup of coffee and Lance gazing angrily into the bathroom mirror.
“ It's a zit.” he confirmed.
“ Really? That's so weird.” Hunk said from the doorway to the bathroom, “ you haven’t gotten a zit since sophomore year of highschool.”
“ Oh, I have.. I'm just really good at fixing or hiding them. Fuck, though… that's right on the cheek.”
“ You know what’s really weird?” Hunk said, watching Lance poke at the blemish with an ear swab. “ The fact that you forgot today is your freaking WEDDING!”
“ I know! Okay! I just… last night I freaked out so much that I passed out and when I woke up it was like my brain went blank. I couldn’t remember anything except that Shiro stayed over at Shiro's.”
“ What?” Hunk said.
“ Ugh! I mean Keith stayed over at Shiro’s. You see? I'm a mental mess. And a physical one!” Lance pointed at his reflection.
“ What do you have to worry about anyway with Keith. You two have been doe-eyed after each other since you brought him flowers.
“ Me maybe, but him I had to win over,” Lance said, examining the dot on his face further. “ No good. I'm gonna have to call Allura.” Hunk rolled his eyes.
“ You know, you’re getting married in about two hours, could you focus on the big picture here.”
“ Hunk, I am focused on the big picture. I'm focused on every picture. Every picture that's gonna have this pimply mug in it.” Hunk left while the phone was ringing for Allura.
“ Lance! Everything okay with the suit? I can be up in a bit to help. I'm helping Keith out now.”
“ Yes... I actually haven't... Put it on yet. I'm having a major skin emergency.”
“ Okay... I’ll be-” Her voice cut off and was replaced with another. “ Lance, Keith still needs Allura to finish working, could you give us like ten minutes here.”
“ Shiro. It's an emergency! Put Allura back on!”
“I’m sure it can wait, try to take some deep breaths and she will be up in ten.. Oh. Keith wants to talk to you, should I put him on?”
“ What? NO! It's bad luck!”
“It's not like you’re gonna see him. It's fi-”
“ Nope! Nope! Nope! It's bad luck. Tell him I will see that cute but of his when he is ready to strut down the Aisle, in the meantime. ALLURA! STAT!”
“ Lance put on the pants of your suit and I'll be up in five.” And with that, the line went dead.
Five minutes later, Lance had swapped out his morning leg for his dress one. No one would see the blue rose pattern, but it was important for him to wear it. Lance had felt a little like a freak after the accident, while he got used to it, brushed off people staring at him, it did get old fast. This leg, he actually got compliments on. It was so strange. Sure kids were quick to say he looked cool, but having a mousy looking white girl come up and tell you it's gorgeous, or some dude at the club giving you ‘props’, it all made life more easy to manage.
Besides, Keith loved it. This leg was the equivalent of Lance wearing sexy underwear, not that either of them would opt out of that in the more literal way, but this leg marked good times and celebrations, and ‘good times’.
A quick dainty knock on the door and Allura was let in by Hunk.
“ Show me the damage..” She said sternly, setting her make up box on the coffee table. Lance took a seat on the couch.
Allura took a few moments to get a good look at his face before, digging through her box of wonders.
“ You know,” She said, pulling out different skin toned foundations and coverups. “ You’re not the only one freaking out right now.”
“ Please, I overslept because I fell asleep around four. And I fell asleep around four because I was stressing the whole time.”
“ Better than Keith, do you think he even slept?”
It was odd, but something about that fact calmed Lance down a little.
“ Sure, he’s all straight-faced and ‘ I’m fine, really.’ but the second you turn away he starts loading black ground pepper into the coffee maker in our apartment, walking into doors, and putting his shirt on backwards.”
Lance smiled. Yeah, that was Keith. He was the same when blue was pregnant. Mister ace precision turned into a lump of clumsy mistakes and bad decisions. It was this fact that led to a good month of jokes for Lance, due to his remembering their poker night the first time they had met years ago. Keith really wasn’t that bad of a poker player after that. The group discovered he just had a natural poker face, and no tells. In fact, the only way they could tell if he had a really good hand, he would show some physical affection towards Lance as if he was some big titted girl walking around the tables in Los Vegas, I.E. he got possessive. While it made these poker games impossible now it showed how nervous Keith was the first time they had played. Even when they started playing strip.
Keith had actually admitted the tension had turned him on. Well, that was a fact Lance saved for a rainy day.
Allura began applying soft cream to his cheek, along with a bit of wax, creating a new surface layer that covered the bright bump, before she started in on the foundation.
“ How heavy do you want it.”
“ Light. Just… more natural than natural. I wasn’t even gonna ask for makeup before this. I think I scared Keith off last Christmas party.”
“ It was drag.”
“ It was eight pounds of makeup. Next year I’ll stick to the dress.”
“ Next year we’ll get Keith in drag.” Allura smiled. Lance smiled back, only to have his jaw pinched by Allura, her way of asking for no movement.
“ Okay, you’re fixed. I’m a goddess.” She held up the mirror, and besides that cheek looking a little too perfect, it was like he was back to normal.
“ Thanks, Allura.”
“ Now put on the rest of your suit, I’m gonna borrow your bedroom to get changed, I’m gonna be in photos too ya know.” She said, swiftly standing up and strutting off.
Shirt and jacket added, Lance found himself standing in front of the long mirror set up in the living room. His suit was a light tweed blueish gray, lined with a midnight-blue silk, vest to match. He was wearing a white shirt underneath and a gold pocket watches his mother had given him last Christmas that had belonged to his grandfather, who had passed away.
Aside from Lance's own proclamations that he wouldn’t let the two get married till he could pay for half of it, they postponed the wedding from there normal anniversary date in December, due to his grandfather passing away. It wasn’t a sadness that was really dwelling, atimers taking away most of his grandfather long before the man's last breath, but it had been a struggle none the less, and Keith and Lance both agreed that while a celebration wasn’t in poor taste, they did not want to associate their anniversary so close to another more tragic one. It had been Keith's idea to change the wedding to a summer one. Keith who also wanted a small wedding. Keith who picked the location, the date, everything. Sure Lance handled the fine details, like their invitations, and the cake flavors, and table decorations, and who sat where for the reception. But Keith had put a surprising amount of opinions towards the whole occasion.
Shiro had made this strangeness most clear when he described Keith's lack of enthusiasm over planning or even having his own birthdays.
Lance was now struggling with the not of his necktie, matching the midnight blue silk. His hands that were usually so calm had been shaking. He didn’t even remember being this fidgety for his own wedding.
“ Hunk! Come here.” Lance called out. Hunk joined him swiftly. His suit was a similar color, less blue though, more of a neutral gray like the rest of the grooms men. “ let me tie this around you, I can't do it for myself.” Hunk leaned down, letting Lance work on the tie, and sure enough his hands settled. Something about telling himself it wasn’t his tie, calmed him. Once he finished, Hunk loosened and pulled it off, handing it back to Lance to adjust around his own neck.
He looked in the mirror again, and there he was, in all his nervous glory.
“ Ah, there’s groom B,” Allura said walking out of the room. She was dressed in a pink flowy dress that looked modeled after a greek toga. The color complimenting her dark skin and light hair, she had added gold bangles to outfit that jangled as she moved her arms. She approached Lance from behind, placing one hand on his shoulder and one on the opposite arm in encouragement.
“ I don’t know why you too are so nervous.”
“ You weren’t nervous for your wedding.”
“ I had some jitters, but nothing like this. I knew then what I know now, that Shiro loves me, and even if everything caught fire we would be married and happy.”
“ That’s… a weird way of putting it.”
Allura shrugged.
“ Well..” Lance started. “ Is he as bad as Shiro was?”
“ No one was as bad as Shiro was.” Pidge chimed in from the doorway. Everyone turned to see them, dressed in a pastel light green blouse and a gray vest, the same color as hunks, with pants to match. Lance often forgot how long their hair was getting now. They often would wear it up, now that they were growing it out, but now it hung closer to shoulder length. Two bunches in the front wrapped around in a braided style, meeting at the back. They were also not wearing there trademark glasses, which were instead tucked in their breast pocket.
“ Pidge!” Allura exclaimed, “ You look stunning.” Pidge smiled nodding at the compliment before continuing.
“ Your hubby was so ass backwards that Keith was practically attached to him by the hip to keep him from accidentally hurting himself.” Pidge smiled. Lance thought back on that. It was true. If Lance was jittery, and Keith was a calm cluts, then Shiro was some horrible combination of the two. There was a good hour where he wouldn't speak, and everyone was worried that when Allura walked down the aisle, he would faint. He didn't though. He claims that seeing her calmed him. But Pidge had their smart money on the fact that his body locked up and his brain as good as passed out. Which was fair, Allura did look beautiful that day.
His phone went off, and he noticed a text from his mother. Right, she was busy setting up for the wedding with his family.
The news says it might rain, should we put up the tent?
Lance's heart sunk a little. Any other day he wasn’t opposed to rain, he loved the rain, but it was an outdoor wedding. No one would be down with standing in the rain for a few hours. He stepped out onto the balcony, past their small vegetable garden, to look over at the roof of Blue rose. Otherwise known as the outdoor bar Sky Garden. He looked up at the storm, looking as if it was going to rain any minute biting his lip in worry. He walked back in, texting his mom to put the tent up only if it started.
Maybe the whole thing would blow over.
Most of the worry was due to the fact that the tent they had was really meant for the reception, as shade. While it would keep some dry it didn’t cover the venue. The small L-shaped strip of the area still with a rough, plus the tent, wouldn't be enough cover for the guests and the wedding party.
His phone buzzed, and he looked down.
Don’t worry about the rain.
It was from Keith. Dammit. He wasn’t sure if texts counted. They probably did. He refused to respond back. He would have no bad luck on his wedding.
“ When do we head over?” Pidge said. They had sat down on the couch with Hunk who was now working to undo the knot of his own tie that he had messed up.
“ fifteen minutes?” Lance said looking down at his phone. “ Keith should be over there now. We gotta meet up at the bar so we can walk down the aisle together.”
Allura looked out the window.
“ Ah yes, I can see him crossing the street now.”
Lance had to physically turn away to keep his neck from snapping to look.
“ Okay, your mice are setting up right?”
“ They’re people Lance.” Allura sighed. “ And yes.”
“ Hunk, best man on my side. You got the rings?”
“ Yup.”
“ Pidge, your DJ stuff is safe right?”
“ Dude. I've been water proof since 2002.”
“ Okay... Okay.” Lance kept repeating to himself. “ You guys head over. I'll be there in ten. I gotta get Blue and Red in their carrier.”
“ Try not to get cat hair on the suit,” Allura called out as the three left. He felt an odd awareness of his surroundings pick up, as though he could feel the space around him more, feel how empty it was. He looked at his phone again, Keith's unanswered text still sitting as an alert on his screen.
Ten minutes. How had years waiting for this turned to minutes? How had a lifetime of fate and circumstance even lead to this? He fell into the couch. The couch that Keith had slept on for years before they had shared countless of special nights on it. Keith proposed on this damn thing. They had paid to have this thing fixed rather than buying a new couch. He slumped over, feeling the warmth of the fabric, the familiar smell.
And then, he laughed. He laughed and he couldn't stop, he laughed so hard he started fanning his face, trying to hold tears back before they ruined his makeup. He laughed so hard he began clutching his stomach, rolling off the couch onto the floor.
His laugher slowed as he heard the soft mewing of his two cats, probably still in the bedroom. He stood, feeling better now for some reason.
Grabbing the cat carrier he switched the oven on and waited, setting it down in front. A few minutes later, Red came streaking into the room and climbed inside without hesitation. Blue following a bit more slowly but always rather fond of her cat boyfriend. Blue was a bit slower these days, but having a litter would do that to anyone. Sadly, Keith and Lance, we’re not really for keeping seven extra cats, so the bulk of the litter lived with Lances family, for the time being, Alice taking care of them.
With his cats stored away, he left in a stride, the door of their shared apartment closing behind him.
He crossed to his flower shop, up the stairs to his old apartment, now one of the hot spots in town, which is saying something for living in San Fran. The idea had, at first, been to strange to get married in what essentially was Lances old apartment, and with the old wedding plans they had rented out an average reception hall for the event. Keith insisted once the date switched to summer that they hold it in Sky Garden. So much so that Lance had a hard time saying no.
Lance practically skipped up the stairs, Red and Blue letting out mews of concern and confusion every so often. The stairs leading to his back door where no longer as drabby as they used to be, and were now polished warm oak with dark blue walls and ‘upcoming event’ posters hung on the walls every other step. The wood door had been replaced with glass one, etched in it was the secret garden logo, matching his Blue Rose one downstairs. The door swung open and he was greeted by a warm hug and a familiar smell.
“ Mamá, ¿cómo van los preparativos?”
“ Bien bien. Todo va bien hijo. Pareces cansado, ¿has dormido? ¿Qué comiste esta mañana?”
“ Estoy bien mamá. ¿Dónde está Keith?”
“Está afuera.” She smiled. “ Muy guapo. ¿Qué hice para que Dios me diera un buen chico?”
“ Mamá. Por favor…” He smiled blushing, feeling giddy. He let his mother pepper his good cheek with kisses, which led to his grandmother doing the same.
“¿Has visto a tu amante?” his grandmother asked. “Sr. cejas se ve muy guapo.”
“ Aún no abuela.” He smiled. It was odd seeing such a small part of his family present, just closest family. They would have an extended party after the honeymoon. He moved away from his family so that he could head outside. The bar looked great. Two thirds of the roof had been removed two years ago, creating a lovely outdoor paddo. Instead of a full roof, there were thin cross beams that allowed Ivy to grow in heaps, making almost bushes of it near the ground by the entrance and fading out into the main garden. Now Wisteria hung as well, joining the dark ivy, it was usually dazzling in the sunlight. He continued out to the altar that was no more than a platform for the two to stand on. Keith wasn’t out here. But he could look up into there apartment and think back to that first night they had spent together. There ‘not date’ date, and Lances first attempts at true romance for the first time in years.
He will be the first to admit, the dancing wasn’t subtle. But man was it fun. He might not have been clear of what he wanted then, but if not for those budding feelings leading him to act without thought, he might not have been here today. He meant that in more ways than one.
He looked around the deck, there was a small garden of cacti and succulent plants that he had given Keith claim over, he would slowly win the boy over to plant therapy. Keith usually stuck to his guns, going to the gym to work out any frustrations, or if Lance was frustrated too they would do some other exercises. While Lance was adamant on getting the boy to garden, Keith in turn dragged lance to the gym once a week. Lance did have military training, so he was able to keep up for the most part, but Keith was astronaut trained. Not just normal astronaut either. Like, going to fight a space war levels of fit. Sparing was Keith's favorite. Though it was a little risky for the two to spar together, close physical contact usually leading to some sexual tension.
While Lance would hardly be the first to admit that his leg weighted him down, he could appreciate how much Keith made him feel normal. Like the leg was just some minor issue. Keith had also taken to buying Lance new legs for all occasions, and a wall mount in there bedroom to display them all.
“ Well, at least one of you looks like you got your head on straight.”
Lance turned to see Shiro, dressed in his matching groomsmen suit, a red rose on the lapel.
“ You kidding? I was about to kidnap Keith last night and just drive him off to Vegas.” Lance said smiling, feeling more and more confident by the second, somehow the fact that the company was limited to the close and intimate friends, it put things into a different perspective.
“ I don’t think he would have minded, I'm sure the same thing crossed his mind in fact. If you weren’t so adamant about the whole not seeing each other before the wedding he would have stormed up and whisked you away, no doubt.” Shiro spoke with a warmly amused tone. Lance chuckled in return as no doubt the same image rolled through there minds. Lance sitting in Keith's lap bridal style while Keith drove his motorcycle off into the sunset.
“ Nervous?” Shiro asked.
“ For some reason, yeah,” Lance said, looking out again to the building across the street. “ It's just one of those things, where you’re just waiting for something to go wrong, or to wake up from a dream, because this all seems to perfect.” He felt his mind reel back through time, away from the moment and off into space, to his imagination. Where he saw himself waking up in his apartment, as it used to be, the apartment across from him empty.
“ You’ll be fine. If I can marry Allura, you two can handle each other.”
“ Yeah. That was funny.” Lance started chuckling.
“ Okay.. yeah. Not that funny.” Shiro's warm smile faltered to a slightly embarrassed and annoyed look.
“ You’re kidding right? Your wedding went viral. That wedding is probably the reason Keith and I didn’t run away.”
“ You could be worse.”
“ Yeah no kidding, but that’s a high bar. You’re still such a mess around her.”
“ She does things to me.” His annoyed look fled in place of a distant dreamy look.
“ Gotta get your shit together, you might be a real dad one day.” Lance said, nudging Shiro in the ribs, who went flushed.
“ What about you and Keith. Kids?”
“ We will be very happy Uncles, most likely. With many cats.” Lance grinned. The idea of him and Keith in there 80s with a house full of cats was just too funny.
A drop struck Lances cheek, and he gazed up to see a stroke of lightning paint the gray overcast, followed by an instant soft rumble.
“ You two!” Allura called out to them! “ Get inside!”
They scrambled in, and soon a few drops turned into an all out down poor. The space was pretty tight now with more and more people scrambling in from downstairs and outside.
“ What are we gonna do now!” Lance yelped looking out into the heavy rain.
“Shiro!” A voice called out, a voice he knew. A voice that made his neck fix in place as he kept his eyes looking out to the garden, but all his attention was fixed on this voice.
“ You, me, Hunk, and the other guys will strip suits and set up the tent. Pidge I need you and Allura to run to the store and get some umbrellas. Let’s go, before the rain gets worse.” the crowd in the bar started to shift, men stripping off their jackets and dress shirts, some of the woman heading out with umbrellas to try to shield the men from the rain. Lance scrambled into the bathroom before he was seen. Or at least, before Keith saw him. He sat on the toilet, good foot perched on the lid with his knee tucked under his chin, listening to the bustle outside. A few deep breaths and he felt his thoughts relax. He was trying to remember if rain on a wedding was bad luck, if this was some signal that the universe was gonna go back to kicking his ass.
Kieth. The dude was strange, no doubt about that, and far from just a pretty face. It was as though god had made him out of some completely new material. ‘Husband material’ a voice whispered at the back of his head, and he chuckled. Yeah. There was points to that explanation. But if Lance were to describe Keith, honestly, you couldn’t exactly make a greeting card out of it. His attitude was like a knife. At first you think, holy shit that dude is dangerous, but at the same time that character holds a function. He was serious, and hard edged in the moments where things were most extreme. He was calm and collected and he handled each situation with the same worth and thought. His actions served two functions, which could be why he used such few words.
If Keith had been just words, Lance wouldn’t have been so sure, so sure that Keith was exactly what he needed. The man was like fire. A fire that would never burn you, could never burn you, because it was too busy protecting you from others. Again, not really making sense, Lance supposed he wasn’t the best with words either.
There was a knock at the door, and Lance jumped at the sound. How long had he been tucked away?
“ Lance? Buddy? You in there?” It was Hunk.
Lance stood, stiff and shaking, opening the door an inch to peek out. He saw Hunk, hair and face still wet from being outside, peering through the gap. Pidge, slightly windswept, was just next to him..
“ You gonna let us in, or are you still taking care of business…” Pidge asked tactlessly. Lance opened the door and they stepped in. He reclaimed his seat on the toilet, not looking up at them.
“ You’re more jittery than you were with your marriage to Maria.” Hunk pointed out. Pidge was apparently holding Lances flowers, and handed them to him. A bouquet of blue hydrangea and roses, peppered with lavender and baby's breath, tied tight together with twine.
“ Maybe bring up his past marriage isn't the best thing to do on his wedding day Hunk.” Pidge said with a slight edge of stress to their voice.
“ Oh.. Yeah.. right. Sorry.” Hunk bashfully apologies.
“ No it's fine.” Lance said, not looking up from the flowers. “ I thought the same thing.”
“ Well,” Hunk started again. “ Not sure why you’re nervous than. The dude is head over heels for you, and you for him.”
“ Yeah,” Pidge added. “ That gay child could have had the pick of the litter with that face, and his first actual factual crush was you.”
“ I mean you’re a good catch too. You’re both super lucky.” Hunk continued. Lance looked up at them. They were both smiling weakly, not for lack of enthusiasm, but overbearing concern. Lance offered him a smile of his own.
“ You’re right. In terms of soul mates I’ve basically climbed a mountain, there is nowhere higher for me to climb in expectations.”
“ There’s space.” Hunk answered. Pidge elbowed him harshly in the gut. Lance just laughed.
“ If space is an option, then Keiths an alien.” Lance smiled, the two joined in, all chuckling at a shared mental image of alien Keith.
“ I guess,” Lance continued, “ With that in mind, it feels like I got a lot to lose, like looking down and getting vertigo. You could promise me I won't fall, but I still might vomit at the sight of where I could fall.”
“ Poetry.” Pidge said simply. “ If your hubby to be was half as eloquent we might not have needed the rain to get him to calm down.”
“ Everything okay out there?”
“ Yeah.” Hunk started. “ They got the tent up. Its holding out pretty well. Now they’re just putting out the seats and whatever.”
“ Keith looked like he was about to do something stupid till it started raining.” Pidge explained. “ Something about a crisis slapped his head back on straight. They got the tent up pretty fast with him leading the charge.”
Lance chuckled.
“ Let's get this show on the road!” Hunk chortled, beaming at the two of them, giving a generous slap to Pidge’s and Lances back.
“ Yeah, quit hiding in the bathroom you nerd.” Pidge added, smirking.
“ I’d watch yourself Pidge, or I’m gonna bring the torment at your wedding.”
“ As if anyone could tie this down.” Pidge said, gesturing two thumbs at their chest.
“ Amen to that.” Lance laughed. “ Fine, we can team up on Hunks.” Both looking over to their largest friend who suddenly looked scared.
“ Well! Look at the time, We best get to our places. Come on Pidge!” And then Hunk dragged a giggling Pidge from the bathroom.
With the lack of friends the silence felt thick. But it didn’t last for long. Soon there was another knock at the door.
“ Whats up now?” He called out, refusing to stand again. But no one answered. He stood again, setting the flowers down in the sink, walking towards the door.
“ Do you need to use the bathroom?”
“ 나는 남편이 필요해.”
He could just barely make out the Korean coming from the other side of the door. He knew who it was. He knew he shouldn’t open the door. But if he was being honest, there was only one thing that could conquer his nerves.
He opened the door.
“안녕 내 사랑.”
Lance heart melted at the site of Keith, to the point where he thought his good knee would buckle. His hair was wet, bangs smoothed back, showing off those eggplant eyes and viciously cute eyebrows. His suit matched Lances all for but the tone, instead of a grayish blue, it was a grayish red, complementing his soft bright skin and dark hair. Keith stepped in shutting the door.
“ Mala suerte.” Lance said, pausing for a moment before smiling. “ Tienes swing mi amor.”
“ Thanks. Enough freaking out about bad luck. It's not like one of us is walking down the aisle. We’re going together, we are gonna see each other before hand no matter what.” Keith cast lance a glowing smile, wrapping his arms around Lances waist, Lance offered the same, his arms falling around Keith's shoulders.
“ Wish you said that before last night.”
“ Did you miss me?”
“ Like a flower misses the sun, like a bee misses a flower…” They embraced, and Lance found himself nuzzling into the soft skin of Keiths neck, the longer hairs tickling his nose. Still so short from his last haircut. “ Like the mullet misses its Keith.”
The two laughed at that, Lance pulling back too look at Keith.
“ You look tired, sleep at all?” Lance asked, smirking. Keith chuckled in turn.
“ You’re hair's still wet.. Did you get wet outside? Or did you oversleep?”
“ Over slept. Hunk left me about a million messages.”
“ Phone in the kitchen?”
“ Yeup.”
They sighed into the embrasse.
“ Where are the cats?”
“ Mom grabbed them. I don’t think they will be outside for the ceremony though, I’d rather not have red clinging to us like… well… a half drowned cat.” Keith giggled. Pulling back.
Keiths hands rested on Lance’s face. Lance could feel the cold wet that surrounded them.
“ Geez. You’re so warm.” He commented, his eyes locked onto Lance's own, neither of them breaking.
“ You are too, usually.”
Keiths thumbs stroked Lance’s cheeks, the look in his eyes one of aparazing disbelief, as if he was trying to seek out faults that would prove Lance wasn’t real. When a thumb approached close enough to his mouth, Lance kissed it. Keith shuddered in turn, a shudder that made Lance struggle to believe they had been dating for years rather than weeks.
“ How much trouble would I be in…” Keith started, his gaze becoming lidded, eyes hazed, breath hot. “ If I didn’t wait to kiss you.”
“ Let's see…” Lance spoke with an appraising tone. “ On the one hand, it's kinda cheating our public who want to see that shit.” Keith was closer now, and the mood switched from tender to something ten degrees hotter. Keiths hands slid down to Lance’s neck, and Lance hands found his husband to be’s tight rump. Keith ground into Lance in turn, their lips still hovering over each other.
.
“ Then again, if we hold off, what might happen up there may not be for all audiences.” Lance added in. Keith growled in frustration, his lips moving to hover around Lances exposed neck, still not touching.
“ Screw them.” Keith said in a growl.
“ That’s your job.” Keith was shaking in his hands. Both mouths just hovering over patches of skin while hands roamed.
“ But on the third hand...” Lance started, and Keith hissed a plea for him to shut up. “ Think about how wild tonight will be, and the next night… and the night after that.” Lance continued to whisper into Keith's ear, feeling him slow his actions, but hearing him let out a soft whine.
Keith finally let go.
“ Fine. But we’re not sleeping till I’ve had my fill.”
“ Fair.”
“ And I want a quicky between after the wedding and the reception.”
“ Will you take some heavy petting, I’d rather save any full nine yard stuff till we are officially on the honeymoon.” Lance offered, and Keith looked like he was about to turn him down the way he was pouting. Hell, Keith looked like he was about to just throw Lance over his back and take him back to the apartment.
Mmmmm… later.
Keith took a full step back, and while Lance missed the closeness, he was amused that Keith understood it was what he needed, what they both needed, if they were gonna ever leave the bathroom anytime soon.
“ Nearly time.” Keith said.
“ Yeah.”
“ You nervous?”
Lance thought for a moment. Vertigo, yes. There was that high when you reached the top of a sumat, and the fear as you looked back down. But maybe Keith really was beyond that top. Maybe he had hoisted Lance into space. There was no fall. No vertigo. Just Keith, and the stars.
“ Not anymore.”
Keith had done a good job of making adjustments. The tent now sat covering the guests, Lance's family, some of the people Keith worked with, Allura, her team, his mom, dad, grandmother, and Alice. Down the aisle Coran stood, happy as a clam, with Pidge next to him holding a white umbrella. To Corans left was Hunk, Smiling brightly, a blue rose now stuck to his lapel, as well as holding blue umbrella. To Corans left was Shiro, his umbrella a bright red. Lance could feel the eyes turn towards him, and his hand clutched at the flowers in his hand. Keith appeared by his side, matching flowers gripped in his opposite hand, Keith's left arm linking with Lances right.
And then they walked.
As they walked, Keith leaned towards Lance ever so slightly.
“ I forgot to tell you something.” He whispered. Lance felt oddly giddy, trying not to laugh, tempted to tell Keith to shut up, that this wasn’t the ideal moment.
“ Yeah?” Lance asked.
“ The first time we met properly, it was raining. The first time we kissed it was raining. So... “ They stepped forward, reaching the altar. Into the rain. Neither Hunk nor Shiro made a move to cover them. Lance turned to Keith as they stepped on the platform smiling.
“ You big cheese ball.” He said as he could feel the heavy rain instantly start to dampen his head.
Flowers handed off to Hunk and Shiro respectively, Coran began his rather long winded speech. Lance wished he could say he listened to every word Coran was saying, how he could appreciate the poetry of them, but he was too busy looking at Keith, holding his hands, stroking the top of Keiths hand with his own thumb. His chest swelling with pride as Keith's eyes lit up with lighting. Their smiles growing as the rain continued to fall, harder and harder. Then it came time to their vows, and Lance suddenly couldn’t remember his.
“ And now,” Coran announced. “ The couples will exchange their vows, which are their own to each other. Lance...”
The sound of rain grew louder.
“ I forgot what I wrote.” Lance said earnestly, the guests chuckling along as Keith offered him an amused smirk.
“ But…” Lance continued. “ It shouldn’t be to hard to explain how much I love you, or at least try. After all, I’m gonna need the practice if I wanna express that every day for the rest of our lives.”
Lance felt Keith's grip tighten, his smile no longer amused but one of enraptured joy.
“ Keith. Explaining the overall ‘why’ I love you is impossible to me. Because there is no ‘why’. I love how strong you are, for me. That you let me walk on my own, rather than try to hold me up. You treat me as an equal, and I know anyone equal to you is amazing, because you’re amazing. You…” Lance felt his breath stop in this throat, as though it was gripping his insides, trying not to leave. Tears forming, Keith's grip grew tighter, and the breath relieved.
“ You gave me my life back. In a way I thought no one ever could. You didn’t just fix me, or let me fix myself. I’m not patchwork. I'm a whole new me. One who is completely and totally in love with you. No matter how long or short your hair is..”
The guests Laughed again, and Keith looked as though he had been holding his breath, the way he laughed, gasping slightly, pretending to be annoyed, turning his head away for a second before repositioning himself.
“ You were the life, in my desert. My cactus. And I vow to be there for you as much as you have already been there for me.”
He let go of one of Keiths hands, turning to Hunk, who was there with a ring in hand. He took it, happily sliding it onto Keith's index finger.
“ With this ring, I’m as much yours, as you are mine.” Lance finished. Nodding awkwardly to signal he was done.
“ Keith…” Coran said.
“ Fuck man.” The laugh that followed Keith's outburst was loud and full of energy, and took a while to quiet down. “ Like you didn’t totally memorise that.. It's not fair.” Keith was mumbling, and his voice sounded cracked and broken, oddly fitting his cheeks which were perched higher than Lance had ever seen them. Keith cleared his throat.
“ Lance.” Keith started. “ Before I met you, I was perfectly happy with the idea that there was no one for me. I was more than happy to be alone, with my few friends, a good job, and maybe a cat at some point.”
Lance smiled at that, gripping Keith's hands again.
“ You say… that I’m strong, that I make you strong, but… I’m only this strong because of you. I… took few risks when it came to my social life. I’ve never loved someone like this, before you. You made me feel freedom, more so than my bike and my plane or whatever Pidge and Hunk build next.”
A laugh bubbled out of Lance before he could stop it.
“ You and your friends, showed me what living was, really living.” Keith smiled around the room.
“ You gave me a family, and friends, and now I can’t picture a life without you. You had me from the moment I heard you singing, the day I moved into this neighborhood, as you watered your flowers across the street. I left my safe social life, and made friends, because I wanted to know more about you, I wanted to be there with you, to have you.”
Lance was crying, no way he wasn’t crying. Small hiccups burst from his throat as Keith's grip tightened. How dare he not cry. How could he not cry at his own words.
“ You lead me to this garden of a life, away from my desert. You proved me wrong, which is saying something. I love you, and I’ll be damned if I don’t try to prove it every day, for the rest of our lives.”
He turned to Shiro, and Lance thought his heart would stop. When Keith turned back, he had the ring. It slipped right on. Cold and wet from the rain.
“ With this ring, I’m as much yours, as you are mine.” Keith repeated. And something about the idea that he remembered it word for word struck a much louder cord with Lance. His eyes shut, tilting his head up towards the sky, all he could feel was the rain hitting his face, and Keith's warm hands in his. He wanted to sob on the spot. But he held back. Pidge probably set up a camera somewhere, he didn’t want to be the next Shrio.
“ By the power invested in me,” Coran started, Lance looked back down to see Keith, practically bouncing with anticipation. “ By get ordained today dot com, I now pronounce you Husband and Husband. So you can kiss already.”
Coran hardly finished his sentence before Keith let go of his hands in turn grabbing his lapels and yanking the taller man close. The kiss, aside from being a lot faster, felt reminiscent of their first kiss. Lance wondered if that was Keith's intent. That romantic. Lance would show him. Lance wrapped one arm around Keiths waist, the other cradling the back of his head, and without breaking the kiss Lance dipped Keith.
While whoops and cheers sounded off in a roar, the heavens themselves rumbling in approval, Keith hardly noticed his now overly horizontal position, instead kissing Lance as though he had be starved for it. And maybe he had, because Lance sure felt starved.
The wedding moved inside for a moment. Lance and Keith moving off to the bar's office/ stockroom or what used to be Lances bedroom. Allura came with a change of cloths in hand.
“ Let your jackets dry out… and change into these, found them the other day. They were going to be decorations but…”
Lance pulled out the shirt, holding it out, it was the old sky garden shirt. Blue, with FLOWER POWER in large white text on the back. Lance looked over in amusement to see Keith gazing at his own.
“ Okay..” Allura said looking over the pile of cloths now hanging over the desk chair. “ Pants.. Some spare suit jacket, and your shirts…. Don’t take too long to change. Okay boys?” Allura said, winking as she left the room. Lance looked down at the shirt in his hand, noticing the gold ring on his left.
“ Holy shit… Keith. Can you believe we jus-”
Weather or not Keith believed they just got married, in that moment, would remain a mystery to Lance. As Keith decided he had waited long enough for some promised heavy petting. Lances old salvaged couch sat in the corner, and Lance felt himself get pushed back towards it. Once his legs hit that barrier, Keith broke apart, stripping Lance of his dress shirt before shoving him into the couch and climbing on top. Lips attaching to Lance neck.
“ Geez Keith. We’re not ‘trying’ are we?” He joked. But he felt his erection grow stronger as Keith stripped off his own shirt, not breaking away, not stopping his grinding hips.
“ If by ‘ trying’ you mean ‘trying to not think about you the other night… on that poll’ then yeah… no. Not trying.” He ground again, harder. Grips tighten and lips meeting in a fever.
Right.. That night. When it came to the bachelor party, both Keith and Lance were opposed to any tradition. Shiro had managed to convince Keith to go out drinking, while Pidge and Hunk did the same for Lance. But both Lance and Keith had been working on a rather special gift for their wedding night, without the other one's knowledge, and after some liquid courage, they found each other and a means to show off their new talent.
If Lance knew they were both thinking about taking stripping lessons for the entertainment of the other, Lance would have suggested that they take the classes together. Putting aside the idea that they wouldn’t have been able to keep there hands of each other then too. Sure enough a few drunk texts later, Lance and Keith were taking turns on the temporary pole Keith had gotten. Although Keith would disagree, Keith was better by far. That was probably because he was less awkward without one fake limb dragging him down, not that Lance didn’t try.
Now the mental image of Keith swinging around the pole with power and grace, mixing in with their current position left, lance was full mast. Bouncing his hips against the springs in the couch and into Keith's groin to let of as series of moans.
Knocks sounded at the door.
“ Not yet you too…” It was Pidge. “Try to mingle with us first before you run off and do that for a good two weeks.”
“ Yeah!” Lance called out. “ Out in a bit.” The two sighed frustratedly into each other's arms.
“ We’ll have time.” Lance said nudging Keith, taking Keiths hand and fiddling with the new ring. “ We have a life time.”
“ Doesn’t mean I wanna wait any longer.” Keith smiled, kissing Lance lightly on the cheek, before standing up to get dressed. The two stepped out. Lance insisting they wear the shirts backwards to show the text, dressed up with suits and pants both a darker gray than the best men. It suited the scene though, as the sun was starting to set into night.
The rain had apparently stopped while the two were changing, and now Allura and her team were out setting up lanterns in the garden.
Lance and Keith danced to the same song they had danced to that first ‘not a date’ date. Lance forever claiming it was theirs. He hummed along, as usual. What was less usual was hearing Keith humming too, singing some of the words.
The cake, was a simple three tiered buttercream, each layer a different flavor of cake, made by hunk. The design of it was simple enough, white with some piped flowers at the base. Pidge had found two small toy airplanes, one red, one blue, to sit at the top. The cake cutting went okay, both promising they would step away from the cake before they started trying to shove cake in each others face; no one trusting they wouldn’t have turned back for more ammunition. Lance had gotten Keith fairly good, covering his nose and mouth. Keith in turn had gotten a large chunk to Lance's cheek and eye.
While everyone else started cutting into the rest of the cake, the two cleaned up, Lance rubbing away the icing, noticing something mixed with it.
“MY MAKE UP!” He gasped.
“ You were wearing make up?”
“ OF COuRSe….. I… oh shit the rain.”
“ You just realised that now.”
Lance zoomed over to the nearest reflective object, which happened to be the chrome faucet in the sink. The glaring red mark that had sat on his check this morning now was hardly more than a small blip. Keith leaned over, unable to understand what Lance was looking for.
“ I thought you weren’t gonna let Allura do your make up.”
“ I had this huge zit on my cheek this morning. I had to.”
“ You nerd.” Keith leaned in and kissed it. “ Holy shit.. Somehow I can still tasted the cake and it's awesome. Let's go get some. Lance agreed, letting Keith drag him back out into the main room.
There had apparently been a bet going on that Lance would say something along the lines of “ You are my co-pilot” or “ You are my garden.” During his vows with Keith. Which Pidge lost both.
“ You let me down man.. How could you. That money was gonna be my wedding gift to you.” Lance Laughed.
“ Next time, let me in on it. Those were some great lines I could have used.”
“ Please no.” Keith chimed in, arms wrapping around Lance. “ How did we do on the Shiro scale Pidge.”
“ Stop calling it that!” Shiro called off from a few feet off.
“ For a while I thought you might.” Pidge said smiling. “ Your crying was too cute though. Keith was safe.”
“ Wasn’t bout to pull a Shiro, I was practically eating my tongue to keep from crying.” Keith added.
“ Hey Pidge. Pull up the video again.” Lance suggested, and Pidge adorned a wicked grin. Somehow laughing at Shiro sobbing like a kid that had just been told they were going to disneyworld made the night perfect. Formalities were shot when Shiro decided to defend his honor by challenging Keith to a drinking contest. Lance wound up dancing with everyone that night at different levels of skill. Apparently some of Keiths, very straight, very male, coworkers had let it slip that they were too attracted to Lance. This did loads for Lances ego, but was shit in terms of keeping Keith sedated, as he was now more jumpy and possessive than ever. Dragging Lance home.
The cats stayed with Pidge. Because early in the morning they had a road trip to go out on. Lance was never one for motorcycles, but Keith had managed to teach Lance for ‘emergencies’ this now resulting in there honey moon being a few weeks spent in the shack out in the deseret. Sure they could have gone somewhere fancy, and they intended to spoil themselves with awesome food and fun when they got home, but the two weeks were more or less a safety. For no one else being able to hear what they got up to. That was the plan anyway. But now Lance wasn’t sure if he was going to be able to get Keith to sleep so that they could head out that following morning.
If Keith hadn’t been drunk before, it sure was getting to that point. Lance damned his imbalanced walking as Keith clung to him in the elevator, grinding biting, and Lance was just sitting there taking it. Trying to keep himself from exploding right there on the spot.
“ Babe...if you can keep this energy for the rest of our lives.. I might just have to marry you.. Again.” Keith broke away for a second.
“ I might just have to take you up on that.”
Two seconds later the doors opened, and they were scurrying down the hall, to their apartment, to their bed. Lance felt like he was flying with Keith by his side, hand in his, excited for the future.