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When Keith woke up, he was still enveloped in warm darkness. It took him a few moments to realize that the warmth was Lance and the darkness was the basement. There was a small light floating down the staircase from the crack beneath the door and Keith could hear the sounds of the slowly awakening Mcclain family coming from above. He stretched out his legs, which were tangled in Lance's, and turned to face his boyfriend, who'd been spooning him all night without moving. Keith couldn't make out the features in Lance's face in the dark, but he could feel his breath on his face and the smell of peach shampoo lingered in his nose. 

Keith placed a soft kiss on Lance's temple, then gently slid out of the bed and checked his phone for the time. 8:16. It was Monday, so he had work at 10, and he was hoping to stop home and shower beforehand. Though he'd never admit it out loud, there was possibly nothing else in the world he wanted more than to curl back up inside Lance's arms and wake up with him an hour later, but Allura appreciated punctuality and would make him scrub the greenhouse's floors if he was late. 

He dug through his bag quietly, searching for his glasses, and slipped the tortoiseshell frames over his ears when he found them. Pulling on the sweatshirt Lance had given him last night and swapping the cotton shorts for his jeans, Keith shoved his socked feet (yes, socked- he slept in them) into his trusty Vans and crept up the basement stairs. 

In the kitchen, Elaina was already whisking around with several baking ingredients out on the counter, a pan of caramelizing onions sizzling on the stove behind her as Ronny whisked a large bowl of eggs together. Elaina looked up as Keith entered and smiled. "Did you find the air mattress? Lance didn't give you the one with the hole in it, did he?" she asked cheerily, wiping her hands on her floral, decently stained apron. 

Keith returned the smile easily. "Yeah, I found it and it worked great, thank you." Ronny met Keith's eyes over Elaina's shoulder and she smirked knowingly. Keith blushed, but Elaina wasn't looking at him anymore. "What can I do to help?" he asked, nudging his glasses up the bridge of his nose. Elaina cast him an appraising glance before pointing sheepishly at the dishes already piling up in the sink. Keith nodded and immediately shoved up his sleeves, turning on the tap as the morning sunlight brushed through the window in front of the sink. 

"Some of us already left for work, so it's just Lance and Rachel, the little ones, and their grandparents left to feed when they get up," Elaina explained as the scent of Mrs. Meyer's Radish Dish Soap settled into the aromas of the cooking food. Keith nodded, ticking Oscar, Marco, Luis, and Lisa off the list of occupants. 

Veronica looked at the clock. "Speaking of which, Mom, I gotta go." She poured the eggs into a waiting frying pan, gave the handle a small shake to settle them, and swooped forward to kiss her mom on the cheek before hurrying out the door. Keith felt a little nervous being alone with Lance's mom, but he held his composure, methodically scrubbing batter and grease off pans and plates. 

Keith couldn't help but be reminded of how he used to wash dishes with his mom when he was little, standing on a stool next to her after dinner as his dad smoked his nightly cigarette and strummed at an old guitar out on the deck. Krolia would hand Keith a sponge loaded with warm, sudsy water and hand him the easy dishes to wash. Krolia's hands, even under the water, were rough and calloused, but Keith loved them. Afterward, they'd dry the dishes with towels and put everything back in place and then Krolia would pick Keith up, settle him on her hip, and lean quietly in the doorway behind Tex and his guitar, listening to him play and hum old ranch songs. Keith would rest his head on her shoulder and close his eyes, hands still a little damp, and fall asleep.

"Keith, would you mind flipping these for me?" Elaina's voice snapped Keith out of his memories and he nodded, wiping his hands on his jeans and taking the spatula from Elaina as he manned the pancake griddle, flipping the cakes easily. 

Taking a risk, Keith spoke up. "My dad loves pancakes. He always used to make them with cornmeal, for some reason. I think it was because they're supposed to be healthier, but I always drenched mine in so much maple syrup I don't think it paid off." 

Elaina laughed, enveloping vegetables and cheese into the waiting omelet in the pan beside him. "I made potato pancakes for dinner once and Sylvio tried to put syrup on them. It was a disaster." And just like that, they fell into comfortable conversation, rotating about each other as they prepared breakfast in tandem. Keith found himself forgetting his anxiety and a songbird of hope crowed in his chest triumphantly. Within what seemed like mere minutes, everything was plated and placed on the table and Elaina was walking to the staircase to call for the little ones and the grandparents. She looked over her shoulder and smiled. "Would you mind getting him?" she asked, nodding her head in the direction of the basement. Keith nodded, drying his hands. 

The basement was still dark as Keith entered, closing the door behind him to muffle the sounds of Nadia and Sylvio's laughter as they entered the kitchen. Keith crept down the stairs quietly, his eyes adjusting slowly as he made his way over to the bed, thankful that Lance kept his floor blissfully clear of clothes and clutter. The sound of Lance's heavy breathing through the dark set a familiar feeling fluttering in his chest. He was able to make out his boyfriend's figure-- his arm thrown over his face, one leg sticking out beneath the duvet. 

Keith slowly clambered onto the bed, crawling on his hands and knees over Lance's sleeping body, framing him with his arms and legs. Lance shifted in his sleep but didn't wake up. Slowly, and with shaking breath, Keith bent and pressed a kiss just below Lance's jaw. Suddenly, there was a slight stir. "Keith," Lance murmured sleepily and Keith's whole body lit up at the sound of his name in Lance's morning voice, all deep and gravelly. 

"Good morning," Keith said, smiling a little. Lance reached up and pulled Keith down to him, crushing him to his chest in a tight hug. "Lance," Keith said weakly, "I cannot breathe." Lance hummed in response, kissing Keith's forehead affectionately.

"You smell like breakfast," he commented, turning onto his side to trap Keith further. 

"It's ready upstairs," Keith responded, trying to unwind Lance's arms to no avail. Lance laughed breathily in that deep, sleepy voice and pulled Keith closer, his arms iron bands of willpower. 

"It can wait."

...

i am deeply deeply sorry this is so fuckin late and that its so short, my schoolwork has been KICKING MY ASSSSSSS and i have been working nonstop to catch up lol thank u for being patient

qotd: what is,,,,,, ur favorite holiday song?

aotd: last christmas is undoubtedly the best

I LOVE U I LOVE U I LOVE U MUAH <3