"You don't look half bad Mullet," Lance said. He was helping Keith tie his tie. It wasn't that Keith couldn't tie a tie it's just that Lance wanted to tie his tie for him. So there they were, standing only a few inches apart while Lance tied his tie.

"Not so bad yourself McClain." Lance had this charming smile that made Keith's knees go weak. He wanted to pull Lance down to his height and kiss the hell out of him. But he didn't. He just kept his fists by his sides and kept his eyes fixed on Lance's. Despite his cockiness, Lance's cheeks were a faint shade of red. His freckles shone bright like he dotted them with paint.

"Why are you looking at me like that." Lance's fingers were still wrapped lightly around Keith's tie as he cocked his head. Keith's heart kind of stopped. He wondered if this feeling would ever go away; that feeling that he was about to puke up his insides and melt all of his bones. He wondered if he could ever feel sane around Lance again.

"Like what?" Lance chuckled.

"Like that. All... I don't know." And Keith knew it. It was that look he'd always catch himself giving Lance. It was the one of utter admiration. It was the look a parent might give a newborn baby, one of love that never ended. "Are you sure your throat doesn't hurt too much? We don't have to go if you don't feel good." Keith smiled compassionately and placed his hands on Lance's chest.

"Trust me, I'm fine. I just lost my voice that's all." Lance was kind. Ever since last night he'd made sure Keith was comfortable or warm enough or just okay. Keith had no reason to be upset with Lance right there.

"Okay then, let's go." Keith wasn't entirely sure what he suspected. He had this vague picture of what it might've been, but it was just the room his friend had his Bar Mitzvah in. It was maybe just a small room with a wooden square for the dance floor maybe with some red curtains or whatever. He also expected there to not be a lot of people because it was just advertised on this stupid hand drawn poster.

Keith wasn't entirely wrong. The room was a bit bigger than what he pictured. There were glow sticks and such, so no one could really see anything. Lance seemed really happy. This was a part of him that he must've been robbed of when he went off to college. He was so used to dancing in the living room with his family to every song on the radio. Cutie Lance and the way his eyes lit up hearing the music.

"Keith go find us a table, I can get us drinks." At that they separated. Keith awkwardly scouted the area for a moment, feeling widely out of place. Why was he even here? And why didn't Lance forget that he promised to be here? He felt like a red stain on a white shirt. So he scooted around the edge to find a table. Uncomfortably, he sat at a high table for two. The chairs were pretty comfortable.

When he set his eyes on Lance, he was laughing with someone. It was a boy who was about Keith height. Lance looked so sweet, laughing like that. His eyes glimmered and he held two things that looked like a Slushie. His back was bent back a little as he leaned back in laughter. Keith wanted to run right up to Lance and pull him back because he felt so uncomfortable. There were dozens of people around and they all looked like they fell right into place. Keith didn't. Were his suspenders even? Did his hair look okay? Did he look awkward?

"Earth to Keith!" Someone called. It was Lance blinking at him from across the table. He smiled when Keith made eye contact. "I got us Granizados. They are kind of like Slushies. Try it." Lance slid one of them across the table, leaving a water stain on the dark tabletop.

"Thanks," Keith said. He took the straw between his teeth and tasted the lemony drink. It wasn't bad. "Tastes identical to a Slushie." Lance just shrugged. He looked cute, which was nothing new, but still. He was leaned back in his chair with the straw between his lips. The music wasn't super loud, but it was muffled as the speakers faced the dance floor.

Keith looked out across the wood. His heart was torn between anxiety and melting right there. There were dozens upon dozens of people that would be there to experience him totally fucking up. But at the same time, he wasn't as scared with Lance there. Lance fit in.

"Imagine the rumors," Lance said randomly, giggling. Keith cocked his head and looked back at Lance.

"Rumors? We're dating Lance, it's not a rumor if it's true." Lance leaned on his elbows in the table. The Slushie was between all his fingers but the one that was pointing at Keith.

"No, rumor is a story that is unconfirmed. We don't ever have to tell anybody we were dating and it would still technically be a rumor." Keith rolled his eyes. Maybe it was the suit, but Lance was dripping with appeal. His lips were coated with honey and his skin was like cotton candy. The appeal was sweet. And his smirk was magical. He was practically oozing with this strange attractiveness that Keith never really had acknowledged in full.

"You're really hot," Keith mumbled unconsciously, slurping his Slushie on the straw.

"What was that?" Lance asked, a playful and confused smile tugging at his lips.

"Nothing," Keith said quickly. Lance just shrugged. They made some announcement over the speakers that Keith couldn't hear, but judging by the fact that a whole bunch of people were filing on the floor, both could tell it was a big group dance. It wasn't anything like the Cha Cha Slide or the Cupid Shuffle or anything easy like that. Lance started sliding off the chair, feet landing solidly on the carpet. He moved his body so he was standing in front of Keith kind of awkwardly, fingers messing with the edging of the table.

"Can I..." he pointed a thumb over his shoulder indicating the floor. Keith rolled his eyes, shooting him a weird look he was so used to giving him.

"Lance you don't have to ask my permission to go dancing." Lance smiled. Keith was really in awe of Lance's bravery. Lance may have been confident, but Keith knew Lance never acted this confident around him. Lance's fingers curled around the inside of Keith's thighs just above his kneecaps.

"Are you sure you won't get jealous?" Lance smirked up at him.

"If I get jealous I'll go out there with you. Just don't go flirting with anyone cuter than me." Lance smiled.

"So no one?" Keith blushed. Thank God the room was dark. Lance was smirking. He stood on his toes to kiss the corner of Keith's lips before skipping off. Lance had hoped to maybe pull Keith onto the floor, but he wanted to save the moment. If he did it now, Keith might not agree to do a slow dance later.

Keith watched his boy and found himself staring. He looked so happy, his smile rather contagious. After only a few seconds, Keith was smiling just watching Lance. He was dancing with everyone. Right now he was dancing with an older lady who was there, spinning her around and laughing with her. He danced with her for a little while, laughing and stepping with her. Despite the age gap, they got along well and she was really getting it.

Then he switched to a boy his age, dancing and spinning around with him and laughing. Keith knew Lance wasn't flirting, his lips weren't moving with pick up lines, they were just open in laughter. He wasn't smirking to win the boy over, he was just having a good time. Yet Keith's chest stirred. He wished that was him.

Keith wasn't one to feel bad about himself. He wasn't one to wallow in self pity. He always thought it was dumb when people thought bad about themselves all the time. He tried not to be that person obsessed with tragedy and self-loathing. So Keith tried not to think about it. He tried not to compare himself to others because he knew he was nothing special and he was okay with that. But now he felt this pit of envy. He wanted to be that boy. He wanted to be able to give Lance happiness and love and... well, maybe he couldn't satisfy every need Lance had. Sure, he was a warm body at night, a pair of lips to kiss, and someone to love him. But... what about physical needs?

Before he could think, he decided to politely take the place of the boy. He walked right up to the edge of the floor just as Lance was about to switch people. "Lance!" he called over the music. And Lance stopped. And the way he looked was a way Keith would never forget.

He stood a little, his knees bent. He was smiling widely, his eyes brimming with everything good and soft and loving in life. He looked ready to take Keith in his arms and never let him go.

And Lance felt the same towards Keith. He looked so timid yet happy standing by the edge of the floor. He was grinning and blushing hot in the dim lights. His tie was crooked somehow, and his whole persona was lopsided, but he was adorable. So Lance reached out and pulled Keith onto the wood, hearing his laugh over the pumping speakers.

"What do I do?" Keith yelled out hoarsely over the music. He was grinning brightly, a grin that caused a stutter in Lance's movement. Keith was already swaying and mirroring Lance's steps.

"Whatever you want!" So Lance reached over and grabbed Keith's hands loosely. Lance was stepping back with his right foot and then took another step back with his left. Then he stepped forward with his left and then his right. He repeated this process and Keith mirrored it, giggling. They shared words through grins, unable to yell loud enough over the speaker.

They were laughing and it felt... perfect. Soon enough, the boys separated and danced with other people. They made rounds as the song came to an end, dancing with everyone who would let them. Keith was awkward but everyone still laughed and danced with him. Keith saw so many faces that night, and all of them were smiling.

Never before had a community felt like a family. Sure, Keith had been numerous places with numerous people, but he'd never felt this tight knit. His head was spinning faster and faster and his smile only got bigger. He could picture doing this with a family in the living room, swinging each other around and around across the carpet. If this was Lance's family, he wanted in.

And he found Lance again. And then Lance had his hands at Keith's waist and he felt that all familiar sensation of touch come over him. He shivered and blushed, even at the playfulness. Lance was hunched a little and giggling. Keith's fingers were wrapped around Lance's forearms like he'd fall. Lance's head was spinning too. He was so in love with the moment and Keith and these people crushed in on the floor ready to have fun. This was like Sunday afternoons at home. After church they would put on music and dance to ever song. Lance remembers spinning his siblings and messing with Camila until she got up to dance too. Even Papa would dance. The family was whole for one afternoon.

Brokenness didn't matter when you were dancing. You could give all of yourself to the other person and they would do the same. There were only a few times where stuff worked like that. So for that one hour after church, nothing mattered. Screw the pain, screw the torture, screw the darkness, it all took a break. The beating whether it be Papa or autism could all stop just for a second.

Dancing reminded Lance of that story in the Bible. That one where Moses parts the Red Sea and then lets it crash back down over the Egyptians. That was what this was like. Dancing and singing with the family was like taking a big staff and prodding the pain with it and then crashing all over the mental torture. And everything was good. So even here with Keith and all these strangers, it felt magical.

Now Lance was giving Keith 'The Look.' Keith laughed. The song ended, and it was back to the normal. "Uh... Grandizados?" Lance said sheepishly. Everyone including the two cleared the floor.

"You should dance more," Keith said. "I don't want to hold you back pretty boy, your feet basically won't stop moving." Lance chuckled.

"I wouldn't want to leave you," Lance said. His eyes sparkled because he wanted to do it. Those clear blue eyes glistened like they were so ready to find the nearest someone to dance with.

"Oh hush. Go find someone to dance with you. Try not to flirt or you're dead." Keith pouted but then kind of pushed Lance away. "Go! Dance!" Lance beamed down at Keith. His smile was radiant. Keith watched him walk off again, hips rocking when he walked and shoulders firm and still. Keith rested his head in his arms at the table.

Lance wasn't typically very uncomfortable asking people to dance, but suddenly he was. This sickening feeling crawled up his stomach and took his breath away. The person he wanted to dance with was Keith, but he didn't know this dance. So he spotted a girl dancing quietly in place to the song and walked up to her, smiling. It wasn't a flirty smile, of course not. It was a happy, welcoming smile, one that was inviting and illuminated the room like the sun.

"Do you want to dance?" Lance asked. She smiled and nodded. Lance cautiously took her hand and pulled her out on the floor, shooting a look at Keith before picking up where they were. While the dance was foggy in his head, his feet seemed to instinctively know where to go. They were preprogrammed with every step he had to take. He watched the girl, judging her moves and reacting to them so their bodies were in almost perfect sync.

Keith wasn't entirely sure what to expect, but not that. Lance was... wow. He looked incredibly focused, his eyes gleaming under the floor lights. The people around the outskirts grew as they danced together. Their hands would brush and sometimes their bodies would connect in ways Keith didn't know they were supposed to. Keith watched in awe as Lance pulled the girl in for a spin and then immediately jumped into putting his knee of the wood while she moved around him. Lance didn't have that sparkle in his eye, not the one for flirting. His eyes were indifferent to the girl.

Keith watched Lance move like it was walking. He was beautiful. Keith loved the way Lance's body moved. Keith loved Lance.

Lance was having so much fun. The air around him whistled as he spun around with the girl, hands at her waist, hands in her's. But Lance reacted not to the girl, but to the moves. The girl could be like any other, pretty face, pretty body, pretty outfit, whatever. So was every girl. But poor Lance was blinded by love. Poor Lance could only see Keith. He thought about Keith and his smile and his laugh and his quirky ways of walking or talking. The Korean boy who couldn't speak a lick of Korean (except for how to politely say, 'I like carrots'). Lance fell hard for that boy and it was hard to find a girl attractive when he had Keith as his own.

He was breathing heavily by the time he ended, his body close to the girl. Her right foot and his right foot were right next to each other, while their opposing feet were parallel and a little bit out from under their bodies. It was like Lance had stood in front of her, taken a step to the side and a step forward. Their hips were touching as Lance's right arm was wrapped around her waist. His other hand held her hand up by his ear. They heaved in unison from the exhilaration of this.

And then people clapped. And Lance saw a smiling Keith clapping from his own corner. Lance's eyes began sparkling. He smiled politely at the girl and thanked her. Then he smiled and released her hips, that crooked smile still gracing his lips. Lance was complimented by a lot of people on his way back. Lance never wanted to show off, so he just sat down sheepishly across from Keith.

"I only have one more person I want to dance with," Lance said. Then he shrugged. "You know. Just saying. How do you think I could get him up with me?" Lance leaned over the table, his arms crossing to form a pillow for him to rest his chin on.

"I'm not sure Lance, maybe you'll just have to flirt your way into it. Win him over a little bit." Lance's eyes fluttered darkly. He looked excited. Flirting was what he did best.

"What does he like? He's a handsy boy isn't he?" Lance asked. Keith felt a pair of hands fiddle with his under the table. Keith raised an eyebrow. As much as he hated to admit it to himself, Lance was winning him over just fine. He was having no problem being his normal flirty self. "Dancing is a whole bunch of touch all over." Keith smirked right back at Lance.

"Is that anything to be embarrassed for? Doesn't this specific boy have you to touch all the time. Why need a special time to do it?" Keith was so sure he got Lance from the way Lance set his jaw.

"Because I would be very very happy if he would do it since he agreed to this in the first place. And maybe I just want to show him off." Lance was fake pouting, but he was dead serious. Of course Keith knew dancing with Lance would make him happy, but Keith didn't want to make himself look like an idiot in front of everyone else. Keith didn't react at first so Lance laid over the table and peered up at Keith innocently. "Please babe." Keith flushed red. Babe? Really? The dumb name managed to fluster Keith nonetheless.

"You're a child. You really do know how to get what you want." Lance's face lit up. Lance's innocent flirting ended up with Keith wrapped up in his arms on the floor with several other people. Keith had his face hidden by Lance's body from trying to hide from everyone.

"You've attracted quite the attention, McClain," Keith mumbled. This made Lance smile.

"That's alright. The more people I get to show you're mine." Lance was keeping it up. He knew every way to dig himself under Keith's skin. While Lance had said it rather passively, Keith still had a weird picture that painted itself inside Keith's head. Keith was his. It sounded so... possessive. Not that Keith minded but it felt... unnatural. He was someone's. It was something of affection. All this time he'd hardly had anyone be so kind to him but now he had something more than just a friend. Keith's arms tightened around Lance's neck.

"Stop."

"You know you love me."

"Of course I do, that's why I'm asking you to stop." Keith knew he was really red but he didn't mind all that much. Lance blushed a rosy pink at that. Keith decided to throw himself into a pit he wouldn't be able to dig himself out of when he said it. They took a couple more lazy steps before Keith thought he was okay enough to stop glancing down at the tips of his shoes. He buried his face in the juncture of Lance's neck and spoke against the fabric of his shirt. "I love you a lot, more than I probably ever thought I could love you. Because you were a prick but I was drawn to you. And I'm glad I have you now, I don't think I could put up my act of everything being alright between us anymore." Lance chuckled quietly.

"Act? Didn't you hate me?" Keith was flaming red, and it had spread to his ears. He was very visibly red to everyone around them.

"I wish I did. It started out like that... but that's because I figured you were a spoiled brat. Then I heard about your family and your sisters and brothers and you and I realized that you're human too. You felt more like me because we shared pain.

"And then your stupid grin and your stupid face and your stupid everything just made me start to fall in love with you. And it was hard to look around at other people and try to see a potential relationship because I found you there in my mind. You were who I wanted in the end I guess. And it was hard to act like I wasn't totally in love with you. I'm bad at acting, Lance. I have walls up, I have never been able to connect with people. I have problems because I've been an orphan my whole damn life, I have trust issues and anger issues and just problems. But I felt this weird connection with you, I don't know. I can't explain it because I haven't ever felt it before."

Keith finished talking when he was out of breath. He could go on for hours about how much he loved Lance and why but he didn't. He decided to shut his big mouth and enjoy the gentle rock of their bodies. Lance didn't speak for a little while. He had to think about how to reply. While they danced he felt the smile slip into his face.

"I can't follow that up very well, uh, wow. Do you know what this song is saying?" Lance, the witty wordsmith, the flirty boy who always knew what to say, was speechless.

"It's in Spanish, of course I wouldn't know." Lance chuckled quietly. Keith wished he could speak Spanish. He lifted his head a little as his face drained of the heat there.

"Every time you laugh, you break my routine. You complete me, you set me free. If I were born again, I'd want to be with you."

"That's corny." Keith found himself smiling stupidly. Lance's fingers tightened around Keith's waist. Keith bit his lip. He wanted to kiss him, he wanted to kiss him he wanted...

"I know. But it's true. You have the sweetest laugh." Keith caught Lance's eyes and felt the red creep back.

"Lance, you gotta stop."

"What?" Lance smiled and laughed. Keith watched him desperately and smiled back.

"Being so flirty."

"Why. Does it fluster you?" Lance taunted. His fingers creeped up a little so they rested at the skinniest part of his waist. Keith shivered. Damn touch starved boy was so unaccustomed to being touched like this.

"No!" Lance chuckled lightly. He then leaned forward a little. Keith's heart went haywire before Lance's lips even brushed his. His brain sparked and crackled and broke. Keith was like a broken computer right when Lance kissed him lightly, sweeping him off his feet for the millionth time. Keith felt his knees start to wobble. What had Lance done to him?

He used to be so strong and so unbreakable. But Lance came in and changed that. He ruined Keith. He took Keith's insides and scrambled them and changed Keith to become this needy, broken boy. Damn Lance. Damn theft. He brought his pompous ass right into his class and fucked him over. Keith was used to the Taco Bell kind of love. This was something deeper, something that was a bit harder to navigate. And it was all Lance's fault.

Lance's arms moved to wrap securely around Keith's waist. And Keith held tighter to keep himself upright. There were stars behind his eyelids as his lips moved softly with Lance's. It was only a few seconds but it made Keith's insides explode. Lance still tasted like lemon but it was way more intense just because well... lemon slushies. Keith hummed softly, amazed at this feeling. This tugging.

Kisses like these would always be treasured. It didn't matter where, whether it be neck or back or cheek or lip, they were appreciated. And savored. And careful, each placed like a painter might arrange his colors or a photographer his subjects. It didn't matter where they were, it mattered that they were real. This kiss wasn't a drunken mistake. It was one that Lance gave to him completely willingly and lovingly. Cause neither boy had to hide from love anymore.

All too quickly it was over. Lance pulled away and smiled compassionately down. "I was hoping you'd do that," Keith mumbled shyly.

"Oh were you now?" Keith shrugged. They broke apart when the song ended, a little reluctantly. Their warm bodies were pulled apart as though it were natural to pull apart after a dance. But unlike their first time, they didn't pull apart and stay apart. Lance's hand slipped down Keith's wrist to tangle his hands with his.

"Okay you got what you wanted." Lance shrugged.

"We can go if you want." Now Keith shrugged.

"No, take your time Lance. Besides, I get the see your smile when you dance." Lance blushed a bit red sitting across from Keith at their table.

"I wouldn't mind heading home. This was a lot of fun I just... want to have alone time... with you... I-I guess." Keith smiled. His head still wasn't completely fixed from the kiss, and that sentence only made him melt more.

"Okay. We can go." They rejoined hands and left quietly, the cold slipping down their throats when they left. Neither boy had a jacket because Lance had said it instantly made them too formal if they went with a suit jacket on. But Keith had on a pair of stupid red suspenders to match his red tie, and Lance just had his shirt crisp and ironed with his classy black tie. He looked so nice. Keith wished he could look nearly as nice as Lance.

"Here, come for a second." Lance gripped tight to Keith's wrist and wrenched him away from the car. Keith sighed a little. He just wanted to get to the dorms and be with Lance in the warm air. Still, he followed diligently. His bones protested against the cold that whiplashed against them like whips.

"Where are we going?" Lance trotted a little faster. Where would he possibly take Keith? Lance continued to speed up until Keith was running to keep up. Finally, Lance stopped, causing Keith to slam into his back.

"Lance what?" It was a dilapidated abandoned gas station. The neon light was sideways and the leg of the 'p' was broken so it read 'ooen' instead. The two doors were chained with an old rusty chain that was red instead of silver. The red lining at the top was peeling off to reveal the wood behind it. The parking lot was covered in dirt like someone had come by and dumped layers of dirt on the gravel.

"Wait," Lance said quietly. His voice was softer than normal, but still reassuring. Keith's hand grew cold when Lance's hand left his. Lance crouched in the dirt and planted one hand there to keep himself upright. The shirt on his back moved as the muscles under it rippled. His feet shifted a little as he stretched to reach out across the dirt. It was only about twenty seconds until he stood up, hitting his hands together to get the dirt off.

On the dirt was a big heart. Inside it had Lance's initial and Keith's initial with a little plus sign between them. Keith had no time to be embarrassed before his face turned red. Lance was grinning at him goofily. It was a new smile, just another one Keith got to learn to love.

"That's corny." Keith said. But he couldn't quite hold back the smile that found it's way onto his face. Lance reached for Keith's hand again and stood next to him, their shoulders brushing. Keith was really happy. Like, really happy. Keith cant dance or sing or look nearly as nice as Lance, but he felt satisfied. He was overjoyed to stand beside Lance not having to hide his feelings or anything. The two boys were on even playing fields right now.

The wind rushed by reminding Keith it was fall which meant it got cold after the sun went down. The night was quiet, only the rustle of the leaves could be heard as they crunched under the wind. It was a nice night, a night Keith would love to enjoy. But it was chilly. His hair stood on end from the cold, his body slowly being taken over by that shivering feeling.

"You're cold. Let's go back." Keith glanced at Lance, his eyes hidden but barley glowing in the dark. His nose was a shimmering red. His eyes were focused on the letters engraved in the dirt like it were a tombstone or the only memory of Keith he had left. Truth was, Lance just couldn't believe it was real. He figured Keith wouldn't want to ever talk to him again even after endless apologies. And lance couldn't help but think about how bad that would be.

"Alright." Keith watched Lance like he used to, his eyes shyly scanning him until Lance looked up. He looked like a fashion model, his lanky body standing right there next to him. Once New York wanted him too, then Keith would go. But for now, it was his time with Lance. Keith thought about definitely playing Mario Kart with Pidge this weekend.

Lance's body creaked in anticipation of moving. He was just so comfortable despite the biting cold. He thought of everything from the bird's eye; Keith, their initials carved crudely in that heart, the rusty gas station. They didn't need a picture to show they were lovers. This was the cheesy thing they did in movies, the one where they felt they needed to prove their love. But Lance was almost certain they were two hearts connected so strongly together. Nothing could break them apart because neither could imagine life without the other anymore. Ever since Lance crashed the dorms, they knocked down their individual towers and built something together. Something more. And when Lance said he loved Keith, he believed it.

It's the same as you'd love a mother or a sister. It's this feeling of never wanting to let them down or leave them alone. It's holding their hand when they were unstable or kissing their cheeks when they got home. It was wanting hugs to last forever and for conversations to be endless. To dance through the suffering and enjoy time together as much as possible. Keith didn't fully understand the connection, just because he hadn't ever had connections with other people, much less a family. But Lance knew the similarity between these feelings. And it felt nice. Keith felt like home, the best home. The home on Sunday afternoons.

"Okay," Lance finally said back. He turned and pulled Keith back up from where they came, a bit slower than before. Lance's brain got thinking. He hated how Keith was heavy on his mind like a castle. He thought about Keith. Lance felt like he could lose everything and still be utterly in love with Keith. He could be bloodied and bruised and beaten with a gun to his head and the last name on his tongue would be Keith's. While the feeling was one he'd experienced before, one of undying love, it was still different. He didn't want to kiss Mama on the lips or kiss her neck when he woke up in the morning, he only wanted Keith in his arms, or Keith's arms around him when she woke up. He wanted to wake the boy up with a lazy kiss to the neck or the cheek or the forehead, somewhere corny like that.

He only wanted Keith. A boy. Not his mom, not his brother, Keith. This love was the same but different.

"It was cold out there," Keith said awkwardly when they reached the car. Lance smiled over the top of the car at him, watching Keith's dark eyes scan his back.

"A little bit. S'alright. Is your throat okay?" Keith hummed quietly into the cool air of the car. His voice was a little dry and crackly when he talked, and it kind of made it sound like he was a veteran smoker.

"Mhmm. Do you have a blanket or something in here?" Lance reached around his chair and felt around before pulling out a little blue and yellow blanket. He tossed it at Keith and smiled.

"Hope it's warm enough. We'll be at the dorms soon enough." Keith scoffed.

"Not like they're much better." The car started and Keith just tried to sit still. His body was still jumpy. It's not like he danced with cute boys on a regular basis. And he just danced with the hottest boy he knew and oh lord. It only makes sense that he wouldn't be able to calm down.

The drive wasn't long, but he wished it was longer. Lance had tangled their fingers together over the compartments between the chairs. Lance had put on some quiet music in the background that was much less annoying then soothing. Keith was really warm with the blanket and Lance's hand for the ride back. He wished the euphoria would last longer. He was in love with the moment.

But it had to end someday right? So Keith and Lance headed quietly up to the dorms, hardly saying a word. They just had their fingers knitted together loosely as they walked slowly up the stairs. Their footsteps echoed in the small hallway. They were so close yet it felt natural. Ever since they met they were always that close. It only felt normal to brush shoulders with Lance. Keith let his suspenders slip to cradle the sides of his body instead of his shoulders. When they reached the dorm, they fell onto Keith's bed, laughing.

"You're not a bad dancer Keith."

"Maybe compared to Kenny Mayne." Lance laughed. Keith looked over at him lazily, a lopsided smile slipping on his face.

"Still. You look pretty hot out there." Keith blushed. Lance was so sickeningly sweet. He was going to get so many cavities from this boy.

"Nothing compared to you." Lance shrugged and sat up.

"I've danced forever Keith. You've never danced in your life. It's alright." Keith sat up too. His head kind of spun. He felt like his head was heavier than everything else and that he'd just topple to the side. Maybe it cause he was tired. Most likely.

"Fuck that." Lance smiled. God Lance and his stupid smile. Keith leaned forward on his knees and braced himself by planting his palms onto the mattress. He pressed his lips to Lance's, cautious and wet as though not to break the boy. Lance's lips were soft and malleable under his, ready to accommodate Keith's agonizingly slow movements.

But then the shape of their bodies shifted drastically. Keith let out a rough hum when Lance's tongue met his. Keith slid forward (with a little guided help from Lance's hands) and crawled onto Lance's lap to strangle his hips. A heat built in the room around them. Lance's tongue clashed eagerly with Keith's and it took him back to the dock. Both blamed that on alcohol, saying there was almost no sexual intent behind it. But this was a little different.

Lance whined when Keith decided to roll his hips a little. Lance's hands were tugging up Keith's shirt to let his hands slip under the fabric. His body worked miracles against Keith who was currently unable to think. Of course, it was hard to think when a pretty boy's hands are up your shirt. Keith hummed quietly again, letting Lance into his mouth without a fight. Lance's tongue danced around the top pallet of his mouth and the back of his teeth. And Keith didn't know what to do. His hands wandered.

Keith's breathing quickened with Lance's. His jeans slid against Lance's as he scooted forward in his lap. Keith let out a soft moan against Lance's lips. "Someone's eager," Lance tried. But Keith hurried to snag Lance's lips back up against his. Lance gasped quietly when Keith took this strong lead he didn't know he had. His breath hitched as his hands reached up to loosen his tie.

"Fuck," Keith groaned. He wanted something more, he needed something more. So he set to get what he wanted just like Lance might do. "I-" Keith started roughly, reaching for the top button of Lance's shirt. He spoke again between two kisses. "Love you." Keith said it. It was like saying your name or your age, languid and without chinks. Like he'd been saying it his whole life. Lance's tie was stubborn as Keith tugged at it. Lance pushed Keith away, honestly — but joyfully — surprised at those words.

"Wait... what?" Keith blushed.

"You know what I said." Lance grinned up at him, utterly in love but cocky at the same time.

"I don't think I do. Did you mean to say it?" And there went the mood. Out the window. Keith sighed, hands falling from the top button of Lance's shirt to his lap. Lance's hands slid down to rest on the tops of Keith's thighs as they sat there rather anti-climatically.

"Of course I did. A reply might be nice."

"How do I reply when I don't even know what you said?" Keith groaned and slid off Lance's lap.

"Ugh, you're too difficult." Keith decided to unbutton his own shirt since Lance wouldn't do it for him. He faced the wall, picturing Lance pouting.

"W-Wait. What about the mood?" Lance asked frantically. It was very clear that Lance had desired the exact same thing as Keith. He'd just been an idiot who didn't know when to stop talking and start kissing.

"Gone. Dead. Sayonara. You killed it. May it Rest In Peace." He pulled his shirt off over his shoulders, shedding it like dead skin. He'd never felt very confident about the skin of his back, but Lance seemed to not mind very much about how rough a surface it was. He treasured its marred surface like it wasn't a burden or a hassle, just normal skin.

Keith aimed to shoot his shirt into the basket. And when he turned, Lance was watching him. He wasn't pouting or throwing a fit, he was watching him like a picture in a textbook. Examining him like a bug under a microscope. Keith stared back a minute trying to read Lance. What was he thinking? Why was he looking at him like that? He didn't look too condescending but he didn't look too laid back. He just watched him with this interesting smile where his jaw was set and his eyes kind of squinted. He looked almost like someone had taken his body and shaken him.

"Why are you looking like that?" Keith asked. He was now shirtless, yet it wasn't uncomfortable. Lance wasn't nearly as scared to admit his feelings now and therefore was willing to snatch Keith up and bring him back to the bed. Keith's blood began to calm down when they were apart. His heart rate slowed and the wires in his head were reconnected. His body was recuperating from the way Lance treated him with such care he wasn't used to. His body craved more, but he knew it would break him. He ran his hands down his arms, waiting for Lance's reply.

"Your back. Come here." Keith took a few steps forward so he was standing over Lance. Lance never stoped looking at him. He just watched him, that weird look fading to a sweet smile that made Keith want to run around the campus a couple of times.

Keith wasn't entirely sure what Lance was going to even after he touched him. His fingers wrapped around the back of Keith's upper thigh and pulled him closer. Keith resisted a little squeal. "Sit down," Lance mumbled. His fingers grazed around Keith's ass and up to cradle his hips, encouraging him to sit. So Keith turned around and sat between Lance's legs. The tension wasn't sexual, it was just... awkward. "Can I touch it?" Lance mumbled. His eyes wandered along the scarring skin tentatively, as though just setting his eyes on it would burn it again.

"Payback? Sure. You've touched it before." Of course he should be used to Lance's warm hands but he wasn't. He was a little surprised when he felt a warmth emanate from that rough patch on his back. Keith tensed a little at first, but then slowly got used to it. When it was late last night, he wasn't paying enough attention to think about Lance's fingers on his back. But now he was so conscious of every shiver, every pump of blood in the tip of his finger.

It drifted all around the big mass of charred skin, the rough surface feeling like the underside of leather. Lance wished he could see Keith's face. He wanted to see him look down sheepishly at the floor. He traced his finger around the edge of the patch, feeling Keith sink into the touch.

Neither boy spoke. They just communicated through the silence. When Keith seized up, Lance knew that was a sensitive place. Keith didn't know what was so interesting about it. It was just burned skin. It wasn't tragic or painful or anything. It was just a part of Keith he didn't really feel like sharing. He was an orphan, he didn't want to change it he just wanted to hide it. The orphanage scarred him, literally and metaphorically, so of course he was hesitant to let anyone see. Yet his walls came crumbling down for Lance.

"Someone's handsy today." Keith mumbled.

"Maybe I just like touching you." Lance's hands slipped off the patch so they instead wrapped around Keith's waist. Keith's heart rate sped up. Lance was breaking him down. Damn him.

"God you're too soft, you're giving me a toothache." Lance chuckled and hid his face in the juncture of Keith's neck.

As much as Keith teased and mocked, he loved these touches. As much as he tried to hint he didn't want the touches, he did. He wanted Lance's hands to go wherever they pleased — well, almost everywhere.

"You're so touch starved. You tense up whenever I touch you." Keith shrugged but then shivered when Lance's hair brushed his neck. Lance was just being too damn soft.

"I know Lance. I'm a roughly treated orphan. I have the scars to prove it." He said that softer than he intended. His past wasn't anything special, yet Lance was here. An orphanage shouldn't leave as many wounds as Keith had. Keith was just the special one. It didn't matter right? That's why he had walls. So why did Lance care? Wasn't he too lazy to bother make him feel okay? There were oceans between them... but now there wasn't.

Keith felt Lance shift away, his fingers wrapped softly around Keith's hips and kissed the bump of his scars. Keith sat up a little straighter. This seemed so natural to Lance like saying his name. It was like he'd done this his whole life. Knowing Lance, he probably had, but Keith loved the feeling of him being the only one. He'd ask Lance one day.

But to Keith, it broke him. It felt like Keith was a mirror that Lance was throwing rocks at. Keith wasn't used to this. All touches were fought and such. He obviously wasn't one to cringe away from every little brush of a shoulder because he actually loved touches. But touches like this... they were sacred and cherished and looked forward to.

"You're too soft."

"I love you too." Lance mumbled. Keith sighed happily.

"Delayed but accepted." Keith slumped down against Lance. Lance was warm and his skin was like smooth marble. Keith smiled at the wall across from him. Apart they were alive but together they were living. Everything felt softer when they were together. It was like life could wait, college could pause a second for a hug or a kiss.

Lance made Keith feel so much hope. He didn't need pretty eyes or a nice body to be loved. He didn't need parents or a home because he could plant his home in Lance. The fact that Lance could love another broken human made him so happy. Lance was here holding him like he was the only thing worth keeping in his life. Keith felt this overwhelming feeling in the base of his stomach.

Lance kissed Keith's cheek softly earning a shy laugh.  Another wordless 'I Love You.' "Come on, let's sleep in tomorrow. Oh, and don't do early Saturday laundry. I want you here when I woke up." Keith laughed. He got loopy when he was sleepy.

"M'kay Lance. I won't." Sickeningly sweet like honey.

The boys curled up together under the covers, their bodies fitting even more perfectly than before. Keith hadn't been one for cliches before Lance but the damn kid was turning him into a softie. His cold heart literally melted in Lance's hands. Hearts don't break around, so they were finally giving each other a break. No love is broken over here. Hearts are easy to break, and both had had their share of brokenness. No more. Lance hummed softly into Keith's ear as he drifted off.

So maybe Lance wasn't bad at all. Better than good. Maybe he was just perfect. Keith was stupidly in love with Lance and his fingers, touch, smile, hands, everything. Keith's head grew static as he drifted off to sleep. Would he survive this relationship? Or would he die of Lance's sweetness beforehand. Keith didn't know nor care. Heaven was a place right there with Lance.

There were plenty more things to happen. Plenty more fights to be fought and tears to be cried. But most of all there were more kisses to be shared. More hugs to be hugged and more love to be loved. And Keith would let himself love Lance like a hurricane. Because there were more kisses to be had.

And those kisses were definitely looked forward to.