Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"You fucking asshole, you think you're so much better than everyone else huh?" 

Keith turned to see an all too familiar face dashing towards him as he was trying to get his vape to work, but it seemed like the cartridge had gotten jammed. Great timing, Keith thinks to himself as he tries to dodge the punches that are constantly getting thrown at him.

"Dude, I have never spoken to you?!" Keith yells as he moves away from a punch that was way too close to his face. Lance, Altea High's golden boy, who glowed up during his senior year that completely changed his persona, making everyone forget about how much of a geek he used to be.. Lance does not stop trying to land a punch on Keith, so naturally, Keith takes a swing at him. He meant to kick him lightly enough to make him back off however, Lance moved, making the kick land on his face, and he fell, like-actually dropped, full MMA takedown style. fuck did I kill him?? Keith thinks to himself, panicking. I cannot be the guy who's known for being a thug, they have already labelled me as some emo lone wolf guy, ughhhh.

Keith calms himself and quickly picks up the lanky boy and rushes Lance to the infirmary. The nurse stares at Keith and says, "Finally, something interesting happened in this perfect place." Keith stares at her in disbelief, but the woman just chuckles and tells him, "Put that pretty boy on the bed and don't worry, he just passed out. His pulse is still there." Keith takes a breath of relief, for someone who was an A+ student in biology, he shouldn't have freaked out so much, but honestly, who wouldn't? The school bell rings, and so Keith walks back to class thinking about how going to taekwondo did benefit him after all.

Note to self: I should probably thank Shiro for forcing me into it, I guess he was really on to something, he thinks to himself as he reaches the class. He takes a seat, and after a few minutes, he rummages through his backpack for a notebook, and then it dawns on him. I fucking lost my vape because of that damn social climber.

The next day, right before biology class, Keith spots an all-too-familiar lanky figure walking toward him. Panic sets in. He quickens his pace and rushes into class, sliding into the corner seat like a fugitive. But of course, life had no intention of letting him off easy—because Lance, yes, the same dude he accidentally knocked out yesterday, slides right into the seat beside him.

"Hey man, I didn’t mean to knock—" Keith starts, but Lance cuts him off, casually handing him a caprisun and a bun.

“Nah, it’s all on me,” Lance says with a grin. “So I owe you an apology. And thanks, by the way, for carrying my unconscious ass to the infirmary.”

Keith just stares at him, suspicious. He takes the snack but raises an eyebrow.
“It’s not poisoned, right?”

Lance laughs. “Please, my mom would rather kill me herself than see me in prison for any charge.”

After class, while they’re packing up, Keith glances sideways and asks, “So... why did you attack me?”

Lance winces and cranes his neck awkwardly.
“I thought you stole my girl. Well... she’s not really my girl. But I called dibs on Harper first, dude.”

Keith’s nose crinkles at that.
Keith—the same boy who got jealous of Mary Jane when Spider-Man kissed her upside-down wasn’t exactly out here stealing anyone’s girl. In fact, he wasn’t into girls at all. But telling Lance felt like handing a match to someone who might burn the whole school down with the gossip.

“I’ve never even talked to her, man,” Keith mutters. “So why’d you swing at me?”

Lance shrugs. “She kept talking about this guy with long black hair and piercings, so I figured it was you. Thought y’all were keeping it low-key, like something casual. You kinda look the type, no offense. But then I woke up and saw her Insta story. Turns out she meant Derek. You know that Derek from our school's lil' band.”

Keith chuckles. “That sucks. But hey, I’ll take it as a compliment. If she was describing Derek and you thought of me... I mean, he’s a fine dude.”

Lance rolls his eyes. “He’s, like, mid at best. But you’re cute when you laugh. You should do it more often, I bet the girls would eat it up.”
He adds a wink, and suddenly Keith’s face is way too warm.

Despite the rocky start, Lance and Keith slowly become... friends. And sometimes, just sometimes, Keith feels his heart rate spike when Lance says or does something a little too flirty. Keith tells himself it’s probably the amount of butter on his toast. But deep down, he knows, it’s the way Lance stays. The way he lingers. The way he shows up, even after knowing Keith

As time passes throughout their final year in high school, they get a lot closer, and the friend group expands. They know each other's friends and family, they go out in a big friend group combining both Lance's and Keith's friends. It was funny how the start of a fight turned both their lives for the better, they were so close to the point they knew what the other liked on their subway!

Chapter Text

Keith woke up to the sound of his alarm blasting. He was surprised he remembered his dream for once, but it's rare for him to dream of a memory from the past.

Eyes still shut, he blindly patted around his bedside table for his phone. When his hand finally brushed against it, he cracked one eye open.
7:40 AM.
Fuck.

He scrambled out of bed, took what was possibly the fastest shower of his life, and bolted out the door to catch the shuttle bus to campus. Miraculously, he made it. But now he was hungry.

On the bus, he opened his front camera and ran a hand through his hair, trying to make himself look halfway presentable. It helped, kind of? To be fair, he thought, most biotech majors look like they’ve already died once and come back halfway.

Still tired, but somewhat jolted awake by the morning air, Keith walked into his first class of the day, PSY110. He wasn’t even sure why he had to take it.
Is it really that important for a future lab tech to learn psychology?
It made no sense.

He stood in the aisle for a second, debating between the third and fourth rows before settling on the fourth. Sitting at the back would make him look like a slacker. Which, fair enough, he kind of was. But grades still mattered.

Thirty minutes in, boredom started to seep in. So did the hunger.

And the itch.

He tried to resist it, but god, it was hard. He’d been planning to quit. For real this time. The only reason he even made the switch from smoking cigarettes to vaping was because he hated how the cigarette smell clung to every item of clothing he owned.

There was a Geek Bar stuffed in his jeans pocket from yesterday, watermelon flavor, the one that reminded him of that candy he liked as a kid. In his backpack, there was an Elfbar too, one he claimed he bought on a whim because it looked pretty. He liked to think he didn’t reach for it often.

But if you’d ever sat through a class with Keith Kogane, you’d know that man released more smoke than a fleet of lorries working overtime for a logistics company.

During the break, he headed outside for a few puffs, watching the rest of the class talk in little circles of friendship. He didn’t share this class with anyone, so today, like most of the week, he was the loner. But do not be mistaken, he had friends whom he adored. But he'd never admit that. 

Eyes closed, he did a slow French inhale. He didn’t do it often, but when he did, it made him feel calmer. It's definitely due to the nicotine addiction, and he knew it. But it's hard to break a habit that's stuck around long enough to see how many pairs of socks he changed due to them always getting holes in. 

He went back to exhaling normally, and that’s when he noticed it: a perfume, woody and musky, drifting toward him. It was nice. Familiar.

He didn’t have to turn around to know who was behind him.

Then came the voice, deep, raspy, and unmistakably James.

“I thought you were quitting, Kogane.”

Keith gave a soft smile and turned to meet the expression he already knew would be there. James Griffin looked at him with a mix of annoyance and something dangerously close to amusement.

“You said you’d stop fucking girls from frat parties last semester. But I heard you got with both Claire and Brianna. They’re cousins, you know, word travels.”

James chuckled and, with a cocky grin, he replied, "Well, who knew you were keeping tabs on me? I always knew you were a lil' interested in me." 

James and Keith have always had this teasing, sarcastic tone when talking to each other. They're from the same high school, and James was one of the popular boys who acted all nonchalant, but Keith caught him in the comic book aisle too many times for them to just be acquaintances. But Keith wouldn't say they're friends either, just people who talk sometimes. 

"In your dreams, I know too much about you, nerd. So, you'd better watch it before I spread the word that you had a thing for Nightwing and used to be on X doing atrocious things. You might still be doing that, so who knows?" Keith tells him with a cheeky smirk, knowing he always will have the upper hand doing banter with James. He then lightly blows smoke on James, making James crinkle his nose in disgust. 

James laughs lightly. "You'll never stop bringing that up, huh." He then puts his hand on Keith's hair and rustles it slightly. "But genuinely, Kogane, you already look half dead; you'd better quit, or you'll lose the only thing good about you, which is your looks." 

Before Keith can argue, James is already walking back to his friends, who seem to be talking amongst themselves. Keith already knows they're going to be asking James about why and how he talks to Keith. A lot of people get shocked when they see them together, honestly. Keith likes to think it's like seeing an octopus and a tiger together, which is very weird because they're both from different ecosystems. Yet how are they together? As much as Keith dramatizes their differences, both him and James are very alike. That's why they can get along in a way. James just blends in with the crowd, whereas Keith isn't bothered to live by anyone's standards. 

After buying something from the vending machine, he walks to class and mentally puts himself through the next two hours of the monotone lecturer. Today's lesson was about friendships and how they're vital to human nature since we are social creatures. Keith smiles and thinks of Lance; he's one of the people who would cry if he didn't have people to talk to. Keith's social battery dies sometimes, and he needs space, but Lance recharges through physical affection. Him and Lance are like the north and south pole,s but they understand each other the best. 

After class is over, Keith packs up his stuff, which is only the tablet he has put on the table for decoration to make it look like he was focusing in class. As he leaves class, his phone is vibrating, so he picks up without even looking at the caller ID because he knows it's going to be Loverboy. "Bro, I'm walking to Xeo cafe already, and I'll order you a caramel frappe, so don't worry about it. When will you get here?" 

Keith ends the call after Lance says he will be there in 10 minutes. Because Keith's class was psychology, his class was near the cafe area, whereas the science block is further. Keith's more comfortable there because he can't help but notice that psychology students are very elegantly dressed.

Goddamn nepo babies, like the business majors, probably.

Chapter Text

“Yo mullet.” Lance greets Keith as he sits down in front of him. He grabs the caramel frappe that has Dumbass written on it, he glares at Keith, and he says in an overly dramatic voice, "Keeeith, stop telling the baristas to write this on my cup. They'll think I'm some loser, which I'm not!" Keith smirks and looks up from his phone. "The way you had to clarify makes it harder to believe you aren't one McClain." 

Lance gasps dramatically, "Someone's forgetting who was one of the players on the football team. I've always been cool, okay!" Keith chuckles and says, "Yeah, sure, that explains why you got here through your scholarship from being on the debate team, as well as Model UN. You've always been a nerd, Lance. Remember, you were also the president of Green Flag." Lance rolls his eyes and says, "There's nothing wrong with being environmentally conscious, and I appreciate the fact that you remember how good I was at debate. You remember I was—" Keith cuts him off, "Don't let it get to your ego; the only reason you were good at debate is because you physically cannot shut the fuck up when angry. Mr. Always Right." 

Despite it being an insult, Lance has a smug face. He’s on his high horse, and Keith remembers all those clubs he was a part of. He loves attention in general, but he loves it even more when it’s specific, to the point that he became a part of Keith’s memory.

It might come off selfish, but sometimes Lance wants Keith to always remember him. And even when they’re older, he wants Keith to remember that he loves caramel frappes with extra whipped cream. The way he orders them for Lance whenever Lance is late, and he acts like he’s used to it. But internally, he always feels a sense of acknowledgment. That someone truly cares about him. 

"So how's your semester going? Are you still gonna pull the loner act?" Lance asks Keith while sipping on his frappe, waiting for Keith's reply. 

"It's not that easy to make friends when everyone seems to already have their groups, Lance. I'm not as extroverted as you, so it's a lot harder just walking up to people, especially when they tend to think I'm some mean fuck just because of how I look." Keith sighs and sinks into his chair after saying that, making Lance feel bad for him. "You might have a mean mug, I can't deny it, but you're such a softie underneath all that Hot Topic clothing." 

Keith playfully glares at him. "It's fine; I don't mind being alone just in classes. After class after class, I have you, Hunk, Shay, and Pidge anyway. Plus, most of my assignments are individual, and if I need a group, I'll ask James." Lance's face goes from his usual smiley one to a weird expression. His lips twitch to the side showing his displeasure in hearing James' name. Keith knows how much Lance and James don't get along, since highschool they were truly rivals. Lance likes to say that Keith was his rival in high school, but if you were in Altea High School back then. Everyone knew how much these two hated each other's guts. 

Keith crumples up the tissue in his hand into a ball and throws it on Lance's face, snapping Lance from his non-stop trin fo thought. "Get out of daydream land, Lance; didn't you come here to yap to me about that girl and her boyfriend?"

“EW, did you just throw the same tissue you wiped your mouth with on my GORGEOUS face?!?”

Keith laughs in reply, watching Lance go on about his expensive skincare routine and how that tissue probably has so much bacteria.

“You shouldn’t let anything touch your face, Keith,” Lance says dramatically. “The surface of everything is filthy—like, disgusting.”

As if Keith, a biotech major, wouldn’t know that already.

But he lets Lance carry on. Because Keith would always rather hear Lance talk for hours than see him go quiet and spiral in his thoughts. Underneath all that confidence, Keith knows who Lance really is: A Latino boy trying his best to be someone worth admiring. Someone people genuinely like.

He’s a lot more insecure than most would ever guess

Lance dabs his face with a fresh napkin, grumbling about Keith’s total disregard for basic hygiene. God, sometimes he wondered if Keith even knew what skin was. He continues telling Keith about the latest gossip that happened over the semester break. From an outsider's perspective, it might seem like Lance is always the one talking and Keith is just there, but it’s always been that way, and honestly, Keith is way more into gossip than he lets on. As always, he doesn’t say much back, just stirs his drink and watches with that stupid little half-smile. 

And Lance keeps going. Because the silence between them isn’t uncomfortable, but if he stops talking, Keith might say something too real. Or worse, he might ask Lance about why he doesn't like James. And then Lance would have to answer, which would reveal a part of him that he always wants to keep to himself. He knows he overthinks. It’s kind of his thing since he was a kid. Replaying moments that happened ten minutes ago like they were life-or-death situations. He tells himself it's dumb, but still, a part of his brain never really stops running. 

So instead, he talks.

“Are you even listening?” he asks, just to fill the pause.

Keith hums without looking up. Smirking.

Asshole.

“You’re lucky you’re cute,” Lance mutters, mostly out of habit. It slips out before he can stop it, and his eyes immediately drop to the rim of his cup.

Shit.

“What?”

“Nothing.” He says it fast. Too fast. Plays it off like it’s nothing, like his heart didn’t just lurch into his throat for a second. Keith tells him there’s cream on his lip, and Lance wipes it off with all the drama of a Shakespearean lead. “You’re in biotech, Keith. You should care about presentation. First impressions matter.” Keith chuckles. Not one of those sarcastic scoffs; it's an actual laugh.

“Good thing you’ve got enough for the both of us.”

Lance doesn’t say anything. His brain short-circuits, he looks at Keith’s soft expression, the way he’s leaning just slightly closer now, and thinks

God, when did he get smoother and hotter? 

Chapter Text

The music was too loud, the lights too bright, and someone had already spilled something sticky near the entrance. With each step Keith took, he could hear the sound of a suction-like peel. It was mildly gross; the reason it's mild is because this frat house is still somewhat better than the majority of the others. And there's no vomit, so Keith counts it as a win. 

“I can’t believe I let you drag me here,” Keith muttered as Lance shoved a red paper cup into his hand.

[FLASHBACK STARTS]

“You’re coming,” Lance had said two days ago, while lying upside down on Keith’s bed, scrolling on his phone with his legs hanging off the edge.

Keith didn’t even look up from his laptop. “Hard pass.”

“It’s at the Bluen house, Keith. You know, Bluen, the one with the clean floors and the guy who owns a Dyson?”

“That’s not a selling point.”

Lance groaned dramatically. “You haven’t been to a party all semester."

"It's the start of the new semester, Lance; we do not need to start partying this early. You mixed with the business majors too much." Keith tells him with his obnoxious face. Lance sighs and says, "You gotta stop stereotyping, man; it's so not cool." Keith shrugs as a reply. Unfortunately, he's one of those STEM kids who makes his intelligence his entire personality, and he knows it's bad. That's why he only says shit like this around Lance. Because he trusts Lance.

"You’re becoming a recluse. Next thing I know, you’ll start talking to your petri dishes and naming them after anime characters.”

Keith smirked, still typing. “You’re assuming I haven’t already.”

Lance sat up, eyes wide. “Please. Just one night. I’ll even get you that limited edition band merch you like. Come on. For me?” He's giving Keith those goddamn puppy eyes, the ones that Keith can't help but get lured into by. How could he say no when Lance wants to go so badly and wants to go with him and him only?

“Fine,” he’d said. “But I’m not dancing.” 

Lance had grinned like he won the lottery. “You always say that but end up dancing after a few shots.”

Keith rolls his eyes and says, "At least there'll be hot guys there. You better not ditch me for some chick because I swear I will grab you by the balls to come back." For some reason, that made Lance feel happy, knowing Keith wants his presence there with him even though he could have multiple guys to talk to and go home with. But Keith is always so clueless to how much of a pretty boy he is. 

[BACK TO PRESENT]

Lance blends in with the party so well; he's got a bunch of people coming to say hi. If Keith took a shot for every dab and hug he got, he'd end up in the ER within the first 10 minutes since they entered the frat house. He takes a sip from the red cup; the suspicious drink is probably jungle juice. It tastes like a weird mixture of vodka, whiskey, rum, and soju, which is honestly the perfect recipe for fatty liver. He grimaces at the taste, but he already paid the 10 dollar entrance fee, so he's going to drink as much until he feels hazy.

"It tastes fucking awful, I know." Lance yells at him, and he nods his head as a reply; he doesn't want to yell back. This is the part he dislikes about house parties; it's so hard to hear one another over the blasting music. Well, Keith doesn't really hate it; he just hates straining his voice, because sore throats are his worst enemy. 

Lance goes to grab another drink from the drink station, and Keith watches as he leans on the wall. He watches how brightly Lance smiles at everyone and how effortlessly he's able to just talk to these random strangers. He's gotten a few centimeters taller after graduation, and he couldn't stop bragging about being 6 ft to Keith. He can't help but notice how much Lance has grown because under the ambient lighting, his broad back really stands out; he's become more well-built, and having that height of his makes him look very attractive. But Keith would never compliment him in such a way because Lance would get too much ego, and he already has enough to cover 5 acres of land, so it's not necessary to give him more. 

A girl approaches Lance, and Keith's grip on his paper cup tightens. He knows how it goes; this always happens, and Keith has got to get used to it, but whenever he sees Lance smile and put his arms on a random girl, he can't help but feel his stomach churn slightly, making him uncomfortable. He developed a crush on Lance during their final year of high school; it was just a small one. Keith doesn't know why he can't swallow these stupid feelings down his throat so they never show up again, but he always gets this feeling whenever he watches Lance flirt with someone new. Keith will always be Lance's close friend, maybe best friend at best, but nothing more, and he shouldn't be thinking of his friend this way. It eats him up knowing that he's not a genuine friend, but who wouldn't have feelings for a guy looking at you with those eyes.

Kieth wants to vomit when the blasting song changes to Can't Feel My Face by The Weeknd. God, who is this DJ, and why did he have to make Keith's life feel like he's the damn second lead in some series who's the loser that is always going to pine after his friend. 

He always knew that Lance was flirty and loved to dance, but nothing prepared him for the jealousy he felt watching Lance pull her in like that.

The lights strobed gold and red as the beat of “Can’t Feel My Face” kicked in, loud and unapologetic.

“She told me, "You'll never be alone." Oh,Oh, Woo…”

Lance’s hands found her waist effortlessly. He moved like he owned the room, like the music was made for him. He looked like he was part of those sexy edits Keith saw on TikTok. He moved his hips to the beat so well, making her giggle. She laughed at something he said, leaning in close. Keith never felt more alone than he did in that moment; he's always had to keep his feelings to himself, and that's the worst part of liking someone who's a part of your friend group. You can't tell anyone. Well, except for Shiro and Pidge, they knew from the start. 

Keith watched from across the room, motionless, his fingers clenched around the rim of his cup.

“I can’t feel my face when I’m with you…”

Lance spun her just a little. Casual. Flirty. Like it meant nothing. Then he pulled her in, grinding against her body, making it intimate and sexy. Keith shouldn't be watching this with the kind of intensity in his eyes that he has right now. If anyone saw him, they'd probably think he was either a stalker or a heartbroken fool. The second one is both true and false. But this isn’t the first time he’s felt his heart crack a little while looking at Lance.

And you can't blame Lance. It’s Keith’s fault for having these stupid, one-sided feelings. He couldn’t feel anything now except that heavy kind of numbness, the kind that makes you want to sink to the ground and hold yourself together before something spills out.

He laughed under his breath, bitter and quiet. He takes a few more puffs out of his vape and thinks he needs a drink because he coudlnt feel his damn face either right now. And he needs a wake-up, so he goes over to the kitchen and grabs a beer can, mixing it with some remaining soju he sees in the bottle. He couldn't be bothered about the hygiene right now; he just wants to get tipsy so he can feel better. 

As he walks out, Keith bumps into a taller man. He was about to apologize but stops when he sees it's James. James gives him a smirk and asks, "Never knew this was your type of scene, Kogane." Keith rolls his eyes. "It's not, but since I'm here, I might as well drink myself away as a stress reliever." Keith walks away from James and thinks about how he seems to be the shortest one amongst most of the guys here. Well, he doesn't mind, but he never really knew that James was so big until earlier. Then suddenly he feels himself pulled; he turns to look at which fucker was trying their luck tonight and sees it's James? 

"I know I shouldn't care, but I am slightly afraid of you whenever your eyes get all soulless like that, Kogane. So drink with me at least." 

"I don't need your pity, and don't you have a big friend group to entertain anyways, Griffin?" James laughs. "That's exactly why I can escape and they won't realize because they're all drunk and dancing. So let me accompany you while Lance is off with Alice." 

Keith stares at James with a look that says, So you know, I came here with Lance. And James gives that cocky grin; he always knows about everything. Goddamn popular kids and their information source. Keith shrugs and finally gives in; well, it's not like he hates Griffin anyways. He's got nothing to lose from just dinking with him.

Keith leans against the wall, staring at Griffin. He raises an eyebrow and nudges him lightly in the chest—subtle, but a clear message. He doesn't want anyone getting the wrong idea when James Griffin, of all people, is cornering him at a party.

James gets the hint and moves to lean beside him before dragging Keith over to a sofa, where someone is already passed out. Without hesitation, James shoves the guy off and flops down, patting the empty space next to him. Keith laughs and joins him, tossing his legs across James’ lap without thinking.

They start talking about the girl Lance is dancing with while sipping from their drinks. Keith vapes a few puffs, exhaling slow, practiced hoops. James raises a brow.
"You’ve been vaping for what, two months? And already learned all the tricks, huh, Kogane?"

Keith’s already a little tipsy, he downed a whole bottle of soju James had stolen from god knows where, so he smirks.

"I know a lot of tricks. Depends on which ones you wanna see."

James goes red. "I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that. Just gimme a puff. You always use that same flavor."

James doesn’t even vape. He just wanted to change the subject.

Instead of handing it over like a normal person, Keith holds the vape near James' face and leans in a little. It’s definitely suggestive, no real way to make it look innocent, but James plays along, inhaling while looking straight into Keith’s eyes.
He exhales slow (not really breathing it in), and says,

"Did you like that?"

Lance had just come back from saying hi to some friends near the beer pong table, the girl who he was dancing with was in the bathroom and honestly Lance couldn't be any bothered about her. She was just pretty and fun for a dnace, he didn't tsake it as anything more than that. His head turned when he heard a familiar laugh, Keith. His Keith.

Lounged back on the couch, legs casually draped over James Griffin’s lap. He was laughing, blowing smoke into the air while James leaned in a little too close. Lance slowed mid-step. His smile froze just a bit, but only for a second. Then he blinked, rolled his shoulders back, and kept walking maintaing his carefree smile walking towards the couch.

"Keith," Lance called out as he reached them, voice smooth but just a little too loud over the music. "You good? You don’t usually hang around when things get this... fratty."

Keith just gave him that unreadable half-smile. He's fucking drunk and Lance knew it from that smile itself. 

Lance’s eyes flicked to James. “Griffin.”

James looked up, unfazed. “McClain.”

Lance leaned on the armrest next to Keith, resting one hand lightly on his shoulder. “You good?” he asked, casually. “You looked a little… uh, boxed in. Figured I’d rescue you.”

Keith raised an eyebrow. “From what?”

Lance shrugged. “I dunno. Bad taste in company?”

James scoffed. Keith snorted.

Lance smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Come on, they’re about to play that dumb song you hate. Walk with me?”

Keith hesitated just enough for Lance to notice then nodded and let him pull him up. His vape was still in his hand, and James smirked and said "You never answered if you liked it or not."

Keith didn’t look back, but he did raise his hand in a lazy wave, the vape still between his fingers.
“Don’t wait up,” he said over his shoulder, casual enough to mask the sudden tightness in his chest.

Lance didn’t say anything at first. He just kept walking, tugging Keith along by the sleeve like it was instinct. Once they were far enough from the noise and eyes, he finally muttered, “Since when did the both of you get so chummy?”

It felt weirdly accusatory, despite it being phrased like a curious question. But Keith caught the edge in his tone anyway. "I know you don't like him very much but I've kinda been friends with him since highschool and you know it too. That's why the football guys never said naything about the rumors of me being gay." 

Lance can't help but roll his eyes at that. 

Chapter Text

It's a Friday night, which means it's their usual hangout night. Hunk and Shay drive to Pidge's apartment, since most of their dorms are pretty small, and it's an unspoken rule that they host it at Pidge's ever since they all moved to college. After buying some snacks with Lance, Keith sits in the passenger seat with a frown because he wanted to drive, but Lance wouldn't allow it. 

"I have a license; I drive pretty darn well!" Keith tells Lance angrily. I mean, he did fail twice because he gets angry when it comes to reversing, but that's his only issue. He drives his bike really well.

Fucking car laws and cars are so damn chunky for no reason. Lance just laughs at Keiht's complaining and his huffs and puffs. Lance then says, "You know, when you were drunk, you talked to me about how you and Griffin used to hang out back in high school." 

Keith pauses for a minute and puts his phone down; he's confused about why they're talking about Griffin. "I mean, you knew we used to hang out back then too. Why are you so shocked about it?" 

"Probably, because you told me he's the reason you never got bullied from middle school to high school, so you guys go way back further than I knew. I guess he's a close friend of yours, huh?"

Keith just shrugs, "He's quite similar to me, and we went to the same middle school and were forced to be a pair during an activity. We ended up winning first prize for everything, so they never put us together again; that's how we became friends. I wouldn't say we're close friends, but we are childhood friends."

Lance hums as a reply, not knowing how to feel as he watches Keith reminisce about his childhood memories with a smile. He usually finds it cute, but the fact that Keith was smiling about James Griffin rubbed him the wrong way completely. The same Griffin that always wore that smug expression on his face just because he was from a wealthier family that had connections and he was top of the class being Keith's childhood friend didn't really make sense. Well, it did, but Lance just couldn't accept that Keith had James before he came along, but at least he knew that he means more to Keith than Griffin. He hopes so.

Once they reach Pidge's apartment, they seem to be early, so they help her set up the pillows and mattress on the floor. When everyone came, they all hugged; they do this little hangout session every month once or twice to make sure no one runs away from their bond, as Pidge likes to say. They all shared stories about their college, and how it seems in Hunk's class there's a girl that is clearly hooking up with a professor, and everyone knows. Their gossip session turns into a competitive round of Uno, with Pidge winning twice and Keith thrice, making everyone groan because how on earth is Keith so competitive yet good at every kind of game except video games.

"It's actually unfair how much God has blessed you with talent and luck." Pidge tells Keith, making him laugh when he notices everyone nodding in agreement. "Lance is definitely luckier in other aspects, though." Keith says slyly.

Hunk laughs and says, "After he hit 6 ft, he couldn't stop entertaining any pretty human that came up to him. Your pants slide down just as fast as you used to run as a quarterback." Lance gasps, offended at that. "I may be a flirty man, but I do not fuck around that much. Just exclude the blowjobs," he says with a wink, making Pidge gag and Shay laugh even more. 

Keith decides to snitch on him, so without missing a beat, with a smirk, he says, "That's why he was so busy a few days ago grinding with some girl on the dance floor." Lance's jaw drops on the floor; he gives Keith a look that screams BETRAYAL. Hunk just looks at him with the expression of both shock yet expectation that this would've happened. 

"Didn't the semester just start for both of you?" Shay asked, so shocked by how frivolous with flings Lance actually is. "Yup," Keith replies, popping out the "p" purposely to irritate Lance more.

Keith enjoys whenever he gets to see more from Lance; rather than his usual smiling face, whenever Lance is tense or angry, it makes Keith want to tease him more. It's funnier when he has to defend himself; those debate skills will never retire no matter how old they grow. 

Chapter Text

The drive was quiet, just the occasional hum of tires against the road and the sound of Lance’s fingers drumming the steering wheel. Morning light spilled in lazily, filtered through Lance’s sunglasses as he squinted at the road ahead.

Keith hadn’t said much since they got in the car. He looked half-awake, leaning into the window, hoodie up, eyes still hazy from sleep or pretending to be.

Lance broke the silence first, his voice flat but light enough to pass as casual.

“So… you and James, huh?”

Keith shifted, not enough to look guilty, but enough for Lance to catch it.

“What?”

“You know.” Lance’s lips quirked, not quite a smile. “The whole ‘just a little’ crush thing. From last night. That was reaally subtle, by the way.”

Keith sat up straighter, reaching for his coffee, even though it had gone lukewarm.

“It’s not—” He paused. Chose not to finish. “It’s nothing serious.”

“Right.” Lance nodded, eyes fixed on the road. “Just a little. Nothing major.”
A beat passes. Then: “What do you like about him?”

Keith looked over, surprised. Lance didn’t sound mocking. Just… curious. But the kind of curiosity that came with a bite, like it wasn’t entirely about James at all.

Keith shrugged, forcing it to look natural.
“He’s just… easy to talk to, I guess. Kind. We’ve known each other a while.”

“Huh.” Lance pulled up to a red light and finally turned to face him, sunglasses still on, expression unreadable.
“Didn’t know you needed easy.”

Keith didn’t have a comeback. He just sipped his coffee again and looked out the window, pretending the sunrise was worth focusing on.

Lance didn’t say anything for a while after that. But the silence wasn’t peaceful; it hung between them, thick and buzzing, like static right before a storm.

The red light turned green, but the tension didn’t go anywhere.

Keith shifted again, his grip tightening on the coffee cup. He wasn’t usually this bad at lying. Or maybe he was just bad at lying to Lance.

“You’re the one who asked,” he muttered, voice a little sharper now. “I didn’t think it was gonna turn into an interrogation.”

Lance raised an eyebrow but said nothing. His fingers were still tapping the wheel, but slower. Tighter. Keith didn’t notice; more like he pretended not to.

“James is… I don’t know; he’s smart. Funny sometimes. Has a good body, sure. Like, he works out! You’ve seen him.”

That came out wrong. Way too enthusiastic at the end, which was obviously going to get a horrible reaction.

Keith caught it immediately and bit the inside of his cheek.
“I mean, not that it’s. That’s not the point.”

Lance didn’t laugh. Didn’t joke. He just kept his eyes on the road, jaw tight.

“So, it’s the body, huh?” He said. Too light to be genuine. Lance couldn’t help but let the bitter tone slip out every time he spoke. He just didn’t understand why Keith would like James Griffin. Like, sure, James has a great body, but so does he. And like, he’s taller and way more built than that prestigious prick. God, why is he even comparing himself to James right now? 

Keith scoffed.
“Oh, come on, you know I didn’t mean to say it like that. That’s not what I meant.”

Lance didn’t answer. He just made a small, bitter noise under his breath and turned up the music, not loud, but enough to fill the space Keith had ruined with his mouth.

Keith slumped back into the seat, staring out the window again. He hated having to bring up James. And having to keep up with the whole fake crush thing is going to be so hard. But he wasn’t given a choice in that scenario. What else could he have said? The reason he even had to lie in the first place is that the truth would ruin everything he had going on right now. But if he told the truth and admitted who he liked, then this silence would feel a lot worse.

Once they had reached their university car park, they moved in silence. As though they were walking through a field of broken branches and had to stay quiet or Bigfoot would get them. So as per usual, they parted ways, but this time it felt different. They didn't do an awkward hug, Lance didn't make his dramatic jokes, nor did Keith playfully push him and run. They just parted ways as though they were acquaintances. Which is the furthest thing from the truth because they were the kids who purposely picked the same university to be close to one another, and even right now, they're both in their own rooms thinking, "Why the fuck did I say that?"

Chapter Text

The next morning came, to both their disappointment. They both would have preferred to rot in bed, replaying every word from last night until the mattress swallowed them whole. But unfortunately, they were university students. And classes worth thousands of dollars don’t really care if you said something stupid to your best friend the night before.

Lance spent more time than usual getting ready and making sure he looked buff in his outfit. He's usually fairly confident in his physique, but he couldn't help but put on a slim-fit, tight HnM shirt. The ones he always wore when he had a hot date or wanted to swing by the bar casually. Maybe he did want some attention today.

Attention from a particular boy with pretty hair, actually, not that he'd ever admit such a thing. He flexed in the mirror. He just held his jacket in his arms as he put on his backpack and left, but before he left the door, he had to take another look at his hair, which he spent a solid 30 minutes brushing. He said bye to his roommate, who was eating breakfast at the table, and even Caine gave him a look cause why was he all fancied up for a class about Machine Design?

Keith, on the other hand, was incredibly efficient for once in his life. He woke up early and got ready properly without any rush, and even had time to eat breakfast and take a snack with him as he left for class. He didn't even touch his vape while getting ready, which is highly unusual for him. His roommates looked genuinely concerned. Keith usually functioned at the speed of a sloth in everything except schoolwork and the random things he happened to be brilliant at. Naturally gifted bastard. It made everyone jealous.

They were bound to run into each other, same department, same hallways.
Around noon, with a gap between his classes, Keith wandered the campus and spotted him.

Lance, of course, was surrounded. Talking, laughing, soaking in the attention. A couple of girls hung off his arms, fingers brushing over his biceps. Who wouldn’t? Keith thought bitterly.

Their eyes met, and for a second, Lance felt the world tilt. He’d known he’d have to see Keith sooner or later, but still, not like this, not when his chest was already tight from overthinking last night. He refused to freeze, though. If he stopped now, Keith would think it was all his fault, and Lance couldn’t let that happen. So, like any 20-year-old trying to act unbothered, he strode up and dabbed him up, casual as anything.

Keith hated dabs. He thought they were stupid, unnecessary, all elbows and awkward palms. Although most would argue that he's one of the smoothest when it comes to it, surprisingly, on the contrary to his appearance. But he also knew it was the kind of thing most guys defaulted to. Now he knows that they're just playing it cool and running away from confrontation, but Keith didn't want to talk about all his thoughts either.

They are still men after all. Men and communication never go together, so it's not surprising to see nerds running away from their problems. This little greeting they're doing, it's just a way to act like everything was fine when it wasn’t. And the worst part? He still did it. Because when it came to Lance, he always did.

Like magnets, they met halfway, pulled into each other’s orbit whether they wanted to be or not. Whether they fight a million times or get angry at each other, they will always still be next to each other in every stage of life because they're best friends. At least that's what they like to call each other.

As Keith walks to the library, he lets a sigh as though the weight of the world is on his shoulders. By weight of the world, it's just his unrequited love for his best friend, who happened to be getting fondled by a bunch of beautiful women. If he weren't gay, he too would love to be fondled by beautiful women.

But he's gay and picky, so he does not have many options in this trashy university. Not like he's the type to fuck around either, he grew up in Texas until he was 12 before he moved, so those conservative values stuck along with him throughout life.

He stopped by the staircase and took his vape out. He shoved the finished flavor pod in his pocket and refilled it with a passion fruit flavor, not that he enjoys passion fruit much, but he wanted to try something else.

As he exhales the smoke, he thinks maybe he should try someone as well, a change of method to get over his stupid crush. He starts to overthink and is slowly letting out streams of smoke. They help calm him down and make him feel a little better until he hears a voice call out, "No smoking on school grounds, Kogane."

He puts his vape in his pocket and says, "You didn't see anything," and James rolls his eyes, saying, "That sickeningly chemical sweet smell that's trying to present itself as a passionfruit."

"Since when were you such a passion fruit expert. Gosh, do all rich kids go for classes to learn how the finest fruits are supposed to taste?" Keith says with an eye roll as he walks up to James. He has his hands in his pockets as he leans on the wall. He's being a prick, and he knows it, but the words came out more sarcastically than he wanted.

James raises an eyebrow at that, "You've got something up your ass today, actually, is it because you don't? Is this attitude caused by a lack of sex?" That damn smug face of his when he knows he's thrown off someone is the thing Keith hates about James.

Keith can't stop the pinkish-red hue that's appearing on his face as he tells James to "fuck off." Which just makes James laugh, the kind of laugh he doesn't let out too often. His eyes crinkle a little with amusement.

"At least that got the attitude to lessen, not that I hate when you get cranky though, it's funny seeing you riled up. Very rare because the only expression on you is usually the look of boredom or disappointment in life."

"Hahaha, aren't you hilarious. I make other expressions, just not when you're around, you asshole. You've got an unbelievably punch-able face, you know?"

"You said you liked my face back then, though so I assume you still do Kogane."

"That was because i was 17 and intoxicated, nothing more so get off that high horse, you rich kids all love being praised i swear."

James just smirks at that and Keith can't help but chuckle because James isn't denying it. Little, did they know that Lexi as usual saw it and took another picture to put in her insta dump or today.

Chapter Text

Lance was done with this monotone lecturer. His grades in the subject were solid, so instead of listening, he scrolled under the desk. Jayden sat beside him; he wasn't even part of the class, just tagging along because he was bored. Using his tablet as a shield, he leaned in to peek at Lance’s phone.

They skimmed through stories about the new Adore café everyone was obsessed with. Jayden sighed. “Man, I can’t. I’m cutting. Meanwhile, you eat like a horse and don’t gain anything.”

Lance smirked. “High metabolism. Sucks to be you.”

Jayden rolled his eyes, but then his face lit up. “Oh—Lexi posted!”

“Relax,” Lance muttered, shooting him a side-eye. “It’s just her usual sunset thing.”

“Yeah, but you never know with her. Sometimes there’s drama hidden in the background.” Jayden tried to zoom in on the photo until Lance snatched his phone back.

The next post, however, made Lance freeze. Keith, his Keith, was laughing. And right next to him stood a guy with obnoxiously styled hair. Griffin. Of course, it's that prick.

“Whoa,” Jayden whispered. “Keith’s prettier when he laughs. Who’s the dude with him?”

Lance’s jaw tightened. “I don’t know.” He slapped the phone face down on the desk, pretending not to care, though the image burned in his head.

Why was Keith laughing that hard? Griffin wasn’t even good-looking. Spoiled rich kid, weak from sitting indoors all day. Did he even know Keith’s favourite star? Probably not.

The click-click of his pen gave him away until the lecturer cleared their throat. Lance startled, muttered an apology, and sank lower in his seat.

“Totally unbothered,” Jayden teased.

“Shut up. Got a lot on my mind,” Lance shot back.

“Another hoe of yours?”

Class ended before Lance had to answer. He packed up fast, ditching Jayden with a wink. “Even if I had one, I wouldn’t tell you. You try too hard.”

Jayden flipped him off, but Lance was already halfway to G.5. He waited outside for twenty minutes until that long black hair appeared in the crowd. “Hey, mullet—” His grin faltered. Next to Keith was Griffin.

Keith gave him a startled, awkward smile. Lance should’ve walked away, let Keith have his time, but screw that. Bros before hoes. He swung an arm around Keith’s neck. “Hi, Griffin.” His tone was flat.

“McClain,” Griffin replied smoothly. “Don’t you have class in the other block?”

“What’s it to you? I came for Keith, obviously.” Lance rubbed his cheek against Keith’s in mock affection, making Keith groan.

“I’ve got a minor in tech. That’s why Keith and I share a few classes,” Griffin said, smug as ever. “Would you like to join us for dinner?”

Lance narrowed his eyes. “I can pay for myself, thanks. But sure, if Keith’s in.”

Keith sighed, clearly fed up. “Texas Roadhouse, then. James is paying, so order big.”

Griffin laughed, the sound grating in Lance’s ears. Still, Lance walked beside Keith, close enough that Griffin couldn’t slip in between them.

They took a booth, Keith sliding in next to Lance without hesitation. Griffin sat opposite, his foot brushing against Keith’s under the table.

Lance didn’t hesitate. He kicked back, hard. “Oops,” he said casually, eyes still on the menu.

Griffin’s smile twitched. “Careful, McClain. People might think you’re jealous.”

Keith groaned. “Can we not start—”

But Griffin wasn’t done. He leaned his elbows on the table, eyes flicking between them. “Speaking of jealous, Keith… do you remember the girl who was dancing with Lance at the frat party last week? That girl couldn’t stop dancing with him. Practically glued herself to him.”

Keith stiffened, rolling his eyes as he stabbed his fork into the fries that seemed to be getting cold on the plate. “How can I forget. It looked like they were having foreplay on the dance floor.” His tone was flat, but the tips of his ears gave him away.

Lance blinked, caught off guard. “What? She was just having fun. Look, it wasn’t like that.”

Griffin hummed like he didn’t believe a word. “Mm. Shame, though. She looked like she could’ve been fun. But maybe Lance should branch out, try new things, y’know?” His smirk turned sly. “No harm in experimenting.”

The air shifted. Keith’s jaw tightened, his hand curling into a fist under the table. Lance, meanwhile, felt heat crawl up the back of his neck, not from embarrassment, but from the way Griffin was talking, like he had a right to stir things between them.

Lance forced a laugh, though it came out sharper than intended. “Thanks for the advice, Griffin, but I’m doing just fine.”

Keith didn’t say anything, but Lance noticed the way he stabbed at the fries like it had personally offended him.

Griffin leaned back, stretching an arm across the booth like he owned the place.

“But you know,” James drawled, eyes locked on Keith, “Cowboy, you could do better than McClain with that pretty face of yours. Plenty of people would kill to have your tongue in their mouth. How about it?” His smirk deepened. “Wanna explore someone instead of a science book?”

Keith’s face went red instantly. Not the shy kind, more the oh my god, gross kind. He shoved James’s arm with a scoff. “Ew, dude. We’ve known each other since middle school. Don’t be disgusting.”

James laughed like he’d just scored anyway, leaning back against the booth.

Lance, however, didn’t hear the “ew” the way Keith meant it. All he caught was Keith’s blush and the history in his voice. Childhood friends. Comfortable enough to joke like that. His stomach twisted.

“Wow,” Lance cut in, too cheerful, too quick. “Appreciate the dating tips, Romeo, but Keith doesn’t need your help.” He slung an arm tight around Keith’s shoulders, tugging him close. “He’s got me.”

Keith blinked, startled, looking up at him with wide eyes. “Lance—”

James’s smirk only widened, like he’d just found a brand-new game to play.

Keith gave him a startled look, lips parting like he wanted to say something, but James leaned forward again, eyes glinting.

“Oh?” he said, tone lazy but loaded. “Funny. You didn’t seem to catch what I meant, McClain.” He tilted his head, gaze flicking deliberately between Lance and Keith. “Maybe Keith should explain it to you later… if he wants to.”

Lance bristled, heat crawling up the back of his neck. He didn’t know what James was implying, only that it made Keith blush harder, and it made him want to knock that smug grin off James’s face.

Chapter Text

From the clatter of the restaurant to the hush of the park, Keith could feel the change in Lance. The laughter from dinner had faded, leaving behind a silence that seemed to grow heavier with each step they took.

Keith couldn't help but wonder, why is he being so quiet. The silence was awkward and not the comfortable kind, the air around them made it seem like as though they're not friends for gods sake.

Someone has to say something and so Keith decided he'd be the one to cut through all this nonsense.

"Hey, are you okay. I know you don't like James but you've been off even during the dinner?" Keith asks as gently as possible. No sighs, no sarcasm, not even a harsh tone.

Lance turns and gives him a wobbly smile before doing some weird stretching movement. "Well, I don't really like the guy at all and it's just so weird for me to grasp the fact that he's your crush."

Keith groans, he truly wishes he had not lied that night and just made up some excuse. "Lance, it was a small crush like the type we get during kindergarten. I don't really like him that way at all."

"Still— Wait did you just say was? Like past tense?? So you don't anymore???" The light seemed to come back to Lance's face that wobbly smile now replaced with the usual one he gives when he knows he's won something.

But he didn't win anything. Why on Earth is this man so happy, Keith wonders.

"Tell me why you hate him though, I've always wanted to know." Keith asks him breaking his little happy moment.

"Uhm, I don't necessarily hate him. I just think I've always been envious of him, cause I was captain of the football team on my last senior year and only because he decided to leave the position. He's always been the type to just stand out whereas I always had to try so hard."

"But that doesn't mean you're any lesser than him you know. Everyone has their own thing." Keith replies rubbing Lances shoulder in hopes to cheer him up.

Yeah, but it’s hard when there’s a guy everyone admires, who does everything better than you. I was your friend too, but I couldn’t stand up for you when it mattered. He did.” Lance’s voice was low, tinged with regret, like the thought still gnawed at him years later.

Keith nudged his shoulder, trying to cut through the weight of it. “I’m not some damsel in distress. If anyone had tried me, they would’ve lost. And I knew you’d be there if it really counted. We were sixteen—high school was all about reputation. But we grew up, didn’t we? The past doesn’t define us. The choices you made back then don’t make you a bad person now.”

Lance’s smile in response was small, grateful, and it struck Keith harder than he wanted to admit. God, he looked unfairly beautiful when he let his guard down like that. The wind played with his wavy hair, his warm skin contrasting against those dark, earnest eyes like some prince torn out of a fairytale.

But before Keith could sink too deep into that thought, Lance grinned wider. “Besides, I’m way hotter and smarter now. Sixteen-year-old me couldn’t compete with this bad boy.” He flexed his biceps dramatically.

Keith laughed, rolling his eyes at the ridiculous display. Yet his gaze lingered a beat too long, tracing the shape of Lance’s arm. He hated to admit it, but sometimes he wondered what it would feel like to touch him the way those girls did.

Keith rolled his eyes, though the corners of his lips tugged up. “Please. You’re insufferable sometimes.”

Lance bumped shoulders with him. “Oh, come on, you know you love this bad boy energy.”

"Please you dey about your GPA, you're the furthest thing from being a badboy." Keith says as he takes out his vape to let out a puff.

"Hey, let's not mention that." Lance stops midway through his whining as Keith lets out a puff of smoke.

"Did you change the flavour?" He asks Keith.

Keith smirks and replied with a shrug, "Was really stressed and this was the only refill they had, I'm not keen on it though. Do you wanna try a puff?" He asks Lance expecting Lance to say no as usual.

"Why not." Lance says and opens his palm out to Keith who malfunctions and immediately says "No, no, no!"

Lance laughs at how stern Keith is being, Keith starts lecturing Lance about how bad it is to vape which is ironic because he's a nicotine addict.

Lance groaned, dragging his hand through his hair. “You’re impossible, you know that?”

Keith just smirked, leaning against a tree as the park grew quieter around them. “Maybe. But you love it.”

Lance rolled his eyes, though the corners of his mouth twitched. For a moment, the bravado slipped, and he let out a sigh that sounded almost… tired. Keith noticed immediately.

“You okay?” Keith asked, stepping closer. His tone was gentle now, softening from the teasing of a few minutes ago.

Lance shrugged, looking at the path ahead. “Yeah… I mean, I guess. It’s just… sometimes I feel like I’m never good enough. Everyone’s always doing better, being cooler, faster, smarter… And I don’t know, I worry about screwing things up.”

Keith’s chest tightened. He reached out, lightly brushing Lance’s arm. “Lance… listen. You’re not sixteen anymore. You’ve grown, you’ve learned, and you’re… you. That’s enough. You don’t have to be anyone else, and you don’t have to measure yourself against anyone.”

Lance blinked, looking at him. There was no teasing here, no smirk, just quiet, steady reassurance. It made something in him unclench. “Thanks” he muttered, his voice low, almost shy.

Keith smiled, stepping closer. “Come here.”

Before Lance could protest, Keith wrapped his arms around him. Lance froze for a heartbeat, then leaned in, letting himself be held.

He's getting a hug from Keith Kogane, the guy who's like a cat. He rarely ever shows affection so if you're getting a hug from a fussy cat you better enjoy it.

The hug lingered longer than usual. The wind lifted Keith's slightly wavy hair across Lance’s face, making Lance smile. Keith enjoyed the warmth of Lance’s body pressed against his own. It was nice to feel like you had someone by your side when times go tough.

“See?” Keith murmured into his hair. “Nothing’s wrong. You’re okay.”

Lance exhaled slowly, resting his head against Keith’s shoulder. “Yeah… I guess I am.”

They stayed like that for a few moments longer, just holding onto each other, letting the quiet of the park stretch around them. When they finally pulled back, their smiles were shy but genuine, and the tension from earlier, about James, about insecurities, about everything, felt a little lighter.

As they walk back to their dorms, they both part ways to their own buildings and Keith realizes he has Lance's jacket with him but he doesn't wanna give it back to Lance.

Not when it smells so much like Lance, god Keith could smell Lance's cologne all over his own clothes right now it's mixed in with his vape flavour and for some reason that stirs something in him.

Once Keith gets home, he rushes to his room and lays on his bed hugging the hoodie and trying to soak up every bit of the smell of Lance. He wanted to smell like Lance everyday cause it felt better than nicotine when he inhaled it, the scent of home. It was so comforting he felt himself naturally go to sleep.

Chapter Text

That night, Lance stays up longer than he wanted to. He can't help but wonder if the girlfriends he had were ever enough for him. He kinda feels like he wants Keith to himself and that's not a very straight thing. He's been bisexual for a while now but he never thought he would fall for his best friend. Like for instance, what if Keith replies, "Ew?"

Lance would actually jump from the 11th floor of his dorm. He cannot imagine his life without Keith, especially since he had already imagined his future surrounded by Keith. Their movie nights, late-night walks, and the only guy he calls when he's drunk out of his mind because he knows Keith would come running to pick him up.

His brain is on overdrive, and he can't stop overthinking every little moment. But the one thing that Lance knows is he hates how James is os familiar with Keith. Why does James touch him like that? James doesn't even know Keith the way Lance does.

But why Lance hates it so much was the thing that Lance couldn't help but think about. That strange lump in his throat that forms every time he even sees that greasy hair, the way he wants to punch James so bad, even though he hasn't spoken a word. The sight of James makes Lance want to scream, but this feeling doesn't stem from his insecurity. But it all started the second Keith said he liked that bastard.

Friends don't hate their friends for no reason, and Lance knows that. He put his face in his pillow and thinks fuck my life, being a bisexual man was already hard enough, but now he had to fall in love with the one person that's been with him through it all.

[ The next day ]

Lance stares at his watch. Lance's eyes dart to the small, digital display on his wrist, the numbers flashing a stark reminder of the dwindling time: 3:30 PM. Four more hours of lectures loomed, a prison sentence before he could finally break free and bolt to Keith's dorm. The thought fueled a nervous energy, a restless impatience that clawed at his resolve. He needed answers, needed to unravel the tangled mess of his emotions, and Keith was the only key. He needs to sort out all his thoughts. The only way he can do that is by seeing Keith face-to-face and saying everything; he doesn't care if they end up yelling and fighting for hours, but he cannot afford to stay confused. As his mother always said, some fights are worth starting, even if everyone thinks it's a small and silly matter, but you know you can gain an answer.

Once his last class is over, he dashes to Keith's dorm. He checks his hair in his iPhone camera, but before entering, he sees that smug bastard, James, leaving Keith's dorm. He knows he should hold his emotions in, and he can't show his anger to Keith when it isn't even his fault, but he can't help but slam the door open and glare at Keith.

"What was he even here for ?" Lance asks, his tone laced with venom

"Don't break the door, Lance," Keith says with a smile, but when he turns his head, he realises Lance is actually angry, and that is not a common sight.

"Why are you angry? Did something happen?" Keith is so confused about his behaviour. Lance's expression doesn't change; it gets sharper.

"Keith, are you banging Griffin? Is that it? You don't have to lie." He accuses, and Keith gets red at this statement, which infuriates Lance more.

"Lance, as angry as you are. You're not allowed to toss accusations at me. I did not sleep with James to answer your question, but even if I did, why is it your business? You slept with half of the sorority!" Keith's voice rises without him realising.

"Okay, way to slut shame Keith, I was just asking because I care. Is it so bad to care about you, huh?! You just deserve more than a spoilt prick." Lance yells back.

Keith looks at Lance, confused, because he doesn't understand why Lance would be so affected by this. "Then suggest to me someone whom you think, then huh, you tryant," Keith says angrily.

Lance walks closer to Keith, making him back up. There's a slight gap between them, and Lance softly says,"What about me?"

Keith's eyes widen, and he can't believe his ears. Is this one of his lucid dreams, or did Lance actually say that? "I want you all to myself, Keith. I wanna be the only one who sees you laugh until you snort, I want to always be the one who you allow in your bed at 4 am, drunk. I don't wanna see you with someone else by your side. Can't I be that person instead of James?"

Keith starts laughing because he can't believe his ears, and he doesn't know what to do. "That was a bit corny, don't you think?"

Lance laughs sheepishly and brushes his hair with his fingers, the habit he does whenever he's nervous. "I meant every word of it, though." He kisses the top of Keith's head, and Keith can't help but blush.

Keith feels his heart hammering in his chest; his body is frozen between the desire to run and the urge to stay. Lance’s words replay in his head like a broken record. The room feels too small now, too warm, as if the air itself is holding its breath. “You’re serious?” Keith finally mutters, his voice trembling, almost inaudible.

Lance exhales, shaky but determined. “Yeah, I’m serious. I’ve been serious for a while now. I didn’t realise it until you said you liked someone else.” His voice cracks slightly, and Keith can see that he’s fighting hard to stay composed. “I thought it was just jealousy or whatever, but it’s not. It’s you. It’s always been you.”

Keith bites his lip, trying to hide the storm that’s threatening to spill out of him. His mind flashes with every memory—every laugh, every late-night talk, every stupid inside joke, and suddenly it all makes sense, painfully and beautifully. “You’re such an idiot,” he says softly, almost smiling.

Lance chuckles under his breath, stepping even closer. “Yeah,” he admits, his gaze locked on Keith’s, “but I’m your idiot… if you’ll let me be.”

Keith doesn’t answer right away, but he moves a bit closer to Lance. He just tips toe and pecks Lance on the cheek. Lance laughs and says, "Can I show you the other type of kiss?"

Keith's face reddens with Lance's flirting; he's used to it but that's because it never meant anything, but now it does. He lightly pushes Lance and says, "Don't you have hoes for that?"

"Why would I need anyone, when I have a sexy boyfriend who's all mine."