https://i.pinimg.com/originals/86/7a/a0/867aa01a8137ba8cf57c575acda97092.jpg

Graduation doesn't really feel like graduation if you still have two more miserable years of school ahead of you. The afterparties are all the same, though.  Keith had never been much of a party person, for obvious reasons, but Pidge and Lance had bullied him into attending one that night because it was a "special occasion" and he needed to "socialize like a normal person" once in a while. 

Honestly, the whole party thing reminded Keith of his middle school days when his parents made him go to the school dances at the town's rec center every month. Keith would hide in the bathroom or the corner of the room as all the other students huddled in large circles, laughing and dancing awkwardly to the outdated music and strobe lights. 

Looking back on it, he figured that the popular kids probably weren't having any more fun than he was, but the fact that they at least had friends to be awkward and miserable with always made him feel gawky and awful. That was, of course, not to mention that his style and the way he handled himself in middle school was downright humiliating but, again, he was sure that a lot of people probably felt the same way. 

Aside from the rec dances, Keith had attended prom in senior year with Shiro and the band (overrated) and one or two here or there throughout the past two years in college. They were all pretty much the same, and boring to Keith, but he wasn't about to bail on Pidge and Lance just to spend the night alone in his apartment. 

He decided to wear a loose silky button down over black jeans and Docs, running some mousse through his hair in an attempt to make it cooperate, only to have it spitefully give him a perfect impersonation of e-boy hair. Glaring at his reflection, he resigned to just pulling it back into a low ponytail, hoping that the darkness of the frat house they were going to would mask how stupid he thought he looked. 

His phone rang (the ringtone being 'Never Gonna Give You Up' so he knew it was Pidge calling) and he hurried to answer it. "Are you here?" he asked, pinching his phone between his ear and his shoulder as he shoved his hoodie into his backpack with the rest of his things. 

"Yuh," Pidge responded lazily. "Are you ready or do I need to go get your boyfriend without you?" he teased. 

"Not funny, shrimp," Keith said in a low voice as he locked the door behind him and jogged down the stairs to the base level of the complex. Pidge's beat-up green Prius (a hand-me-down from his older brother) was idling out front, Twenty One Pilots playing loudly from the stereo. Pidge hadn't really dressed up, which was expected, settling for a soft grey sweatshirt and khakis. 

Keith climbed into the passenger seat, tossing a few empty Monster cans and crumpled receipts laying in the footwell into the trunk before inspecting the backseat to make sure that Lance wouldn't be covered in the miscellaneous trash and junk Pidge liked to keep in his car. "Sorry," Pidge waved a hand dismissively at the trash, "I pulled an all-nighter for that company I was telling you about and I needed the caffeine."

"You mean 'totally illegitimate and illegal hacking agency', not 'company', right?" Keith said inquisitively. Pidge was a genius with technology, but his judgement could be flawed at best, especially when concerning viable sources of income. 

"Hey, if I get paid, then that's all that matters, right?" Pidge shrugged off Keith's concern. "A job's a job." Keith bit his lip. Pidge's fierce independence scared him sometimes. "Anyways, you need to be my GPS. Which way to Lance's?"

Keith had been surprised when Pidge had advocated for the afterparty. As far as he knew, Pidge wasn't much of a socialite either. He was a freshman at the city's local community college, saving up for his first two years before transferring to a private college, so Keith wondered if Pidge was having a hard time finding friends, therefor leading to his unusual interest in social interaction. Of course, the short brunette had Keith and the rest of the band, but they only saw each other at hugs 'n mugs or band practice. Keith wondered empathically if his friend was lonely. 

As the two made their way to Lance's, they talked about their plans for the summer, Keith's being mainly working at the Arboretum, re-learning how to skateboard, and working on his art and Pidge's being "getting that cold hard cash". 

Soon enough, they were pulling up in front of Lance's family's big, ranch-style house. Keith pulled out his phone to text Lance that they'd arrived, but Pidge slapped his hand disapprovingly. "What?" Keith asked incredulously. He was rewarded with a stern glare from Pidge. 

"You never text your date when you pick them up. The gentlemanly thing to do is to go up and knock on the front door."

Keith blanched. "Pidge, I've never met his family before."

Pidge rolled his eyes and unbuckled his seatbeat, stepping out of the car. "I'll come with you, then. Come on." Keith would rather curl up with the empty Monster cans in the trunk than go inside with Pidge, but he forced his body out of the car, shoving his hands in the back pockets of his jeans as he walked up to the house with his wingman. 

From out on the porch, Keith and Pidge could clearly hear the clamor going on inside the home. The sound of laughter, music, and utensils floated out onto the porch from the open windows. Keith felt a twinge in his chest as he thought aboout his own family. Pidge nudged him and he snapped out of his memories, pressing the doorbell before he could second-guess himself. 

For a moment, he was worried that the family hadn't heard him, but then a woman's voice called, "Someone get the door!" and another replied with, "I've got it!"

Keith steeled himself, hastily flipping his septum ring up inside his nose before the door opened. A small boy, maybe seven or eight years old, stared up at Keith and Pidge from behind the secondary screen door. "Strangers!" he exclaimed excitedly. "Mama, can I let them in?"

A short, plump woman wiping her hands on a dishtowel rounded the corner of the foyer and smiled at Keith and Pidge. "You must be Lance's friends! Sylvio, let them in." The little boy swung the screen door open and Keith and Pidge stepped into the house, looking around at the brightness of it all. "Lance!" she called up the stairs to her left, "Your friends are here!"

Keith looked back at the woman and held his hand out invitingly, saying in the smoothest voice he could muster, "Hi, I'm Keith." The woman's expression changed slightly in recognition, but she blanketed it with a warm smile so quickly that Keith wondered if he'd imagined it. 

"Pleasure to meet you, Keith," she said in turn, clasping Keith's hands with both of hers,
"I'm Elena, Lance's mom." Everything about Elena was warm, from her dark brown eyes to her auburn hair pulled up into a messy bun piled on top of her head. Keith felt the same pang of homesickness he'd felt outside as the image of his mother's face swam in his head, but he pushed it away and Pidge introduced himself to Elena. 

He realized that the little boy, Sylvio, was staring up at him with his wide, dark eyes. Slowly, a smirk spread across his face. "Abuela, is this the boy that Lance is always-"

"¡Cállate, conejito!" Elena interrupted Sylvio, batting his head with her dishtowel as he giggled mischievously and scampered out of her reach and back into the room where all the voices were coming from. Sighing in exasperation, she gave Keith an apologetic look, but he was smiling. Good to know that Lance talks about me...

As if summoned by Keith's thoughts, Lance suddenly came bounding down the stairs, slinging his bag over his shoulder and swooping behind Elena to plant a kiss on her cheek. "¡Adiós, familia!" he called over his shoulder, a chorus of goodbyes and jumbled spanish farewells echoing back in turn. Lance laughed as Elena ruffled his hair, "Adiós, Mamá."

"Have fun, mijo!" she called as the three boys stepped out the door. 

Keith took the moment as they walked to Pidge's car to sneak a glance at Lance's outfit. Pastel pink sweatshirt, white Chucks, and jeans with big rips that went suggestively high up his thighs. Lance caught Keith's eyes and smiled. "Hey," he said softly. 

"Hey," Keith murmured back, brushing the back of his hand against Lance's as they walked. "You look really nice."

Lance laughed a little, "Yeah? You too."

...

new ch coming later today, sorry this ones so late <33

qotd: halloween is around the corner.... what're u guys thinking for costumes? my little brother wants to be katara so i'm thinking appa for me lol

luv u<3333