Keith could hardly see the road. The black pavement blurred under the yellow light of the headlights. This sickness crept in the corner of Keith's stomach, the sickness at the thought that maybe he'd get in a crash. Of course he wasn't suicidal or anything, but he was rejected again for the thousandth time in his life. He had almost no hope left that anybody would ever bother put up with him.

He wouldn't care if love costed a penny or himself, he'd pay whatever he had to feel that warm feeling he got from Lance. He rubbed his eyes with his sweater sleeves and looked at the card sitting on his dashboard. Maybe he should call...

He picked up his phone, ugly sobbing as he typed the numbers into his phone. His chest felt like the backbone of a spoon as it caved in. The phone rung quietly until it was picked up on the last ring.

"Hello?" a woman said. Keith pulled the phone from his ear and took a big gulp of air.

"Hey, um, it's Keith. I was just calling to let you know I'm on my way up to New York." His voice sounded so weak and unconvincing. It was like dirt on display. How she didn't pick up he was crying was beyond belief.

"Oh, Keith? You don't have to rush your decision-"

"No!" He said. "No, I promise I'm not rushing it. I just... I'm calling just to tell you. You did nothing to push me." He rubbed his eye on his shoulder, the fabric damp from his tears.

"Are you sick? It's not good to drive when you're sick." Keith forced out a laugh. He was so fake. How was she so oblivious?

"It's fine, I'm sick a lot. I'm used to it." Whatever gets him by, right? When he hung up, he broke down again.

He was an idiot. In the end his finger got pointed back at him because the prick wasn't Lance, it was himself. It was him all along who was the idiot. Distancing himself would've ended up even better. Every touch, every smile, every flutter of the heart and rush of blood would live on forever. He couldn't believe he fell in love. Only fools fall in love.

Maybe he was just a fool. A useless fool. He rubbed his eyes but it did nothing. They were clustered with never ending tears. How could he let himself believe he was wanted after eighteen years of being left in last. Nothing will ever change. Once an orphan, always an orphan. And he couldn't see. He felt like he'd blacked out everything was so dark.

His heart twisted painfully and he cursed Lance for doing what he does best. He cursed Lance's name for being so irresistible and wonderful. Like a mousetrap, that's what Lance was. A small part of Keith wondered if maybe Lance was just kidding. Maybe Lance did want him back. It was just another fight right? Maybe not. Lance looked mad. He looked like he'd burn Keith to ashes if he ever laid his eyes on him again.

He was going to crash.

Lance cried for a long while until he was just too damn tired of crying. His whole body was shaking he felt so weak. He ran a hand through his sweaty hair. His mom was texting him but he just tossed his phone on the floor.

"Lance, what are you thinking about?" Hunk asked quietly. Pidge was knocked out in the backseat. It was kind of dumb to take her out so late. Lance sighed exhaustedly.

"Keith," he said simply. "Always Keith. I'm always thinking about Keith." Hunk smiled softly into the night and kept on. He was always so collected. Not the no-fun-never-freak-out level of collected, but he was always ready to offer a big hug even if nothing was wrong.

"You're singing the same sad love song Lance. How can you think about Keith all the time and not like him?" Lance rubbed his eyes tiredly. The corners were wet with tears waiting to fall like ripe apples.

"I don't love Keith. He's an idiot."

"You are too. How can you be so sure?" Lance stayed quiet. The problem was he wasn't sure. Keith was a spectacular boy, and Lance wasn't entirely sure how to handle someone like that. Apparently how he handled it wasn't very good.

"I don't know Hunk. It just... crushes on guys have always felt so different how am I supposed to know?" Hunk smiled again, yawning briefly. He was such a bright ball of happiness.

"Trust me when I say I'm fairy certain you love him. Tell me what you think of when you think about Keith." Lance scoffed, not missing a beat.

"He's annoying. He's like an unrelenting mosquito. He takes pictures all the fucking time and he always talks a lot. He cries and gets jealous over my train wreck of my family. But he's really kind and looks really cute in those ugly neon bandaids we got from CVS at one in the morning. But he's annoying. I can't stand him." That wasn't all true. Lance hardly found the boy annoying. Keith was a gift to Lance, a sibylline gift Lance wouldn't ever understand. Keith was so damn complex every day was like making it through a maze. Keith was strong and lived eighteen years in a foster home and loved to tell the story.

At this point, Keith was basically his other half. Lance just the other day was begging Keith to stay and then he screams for him to leave. He couldn't believe how double minded that was. Keith had pretty eyes that was like a great desert that Lance never thought would end. His cold heart had willingly taken Lance in after they broke several layers of ice. Keith looked cute when he was sleeping. He had a really nice smile whether it was a tricky Mona Lisa smile or a full on grin. He had naturally nice skin that made Lance envious. Keith would walk across hot coals if it made Lance happy.

Keith made Lance feel needed. He made Lance feel like a king. Out of every photographer, every cute boy on campus, he'd scored one who cared for him more than he cared for oxygen or water or any of those things. Keith cared for him in his own weird way. Keith would protect Lance from his irrational fears and hold him when he was in shambles. He would hold onto Lance's hands for dear life like they were his lifeline. Keith made Lance feel like a necessary part of life. Lance's face warmed.

"Did you think of anything else?" Hunk questioned. His eyebrow was raised sarcastically because he already knew the answer. "Don't lie to yourself anymore Lance. It's okay. It's okay to fall in love, it's worth it." Those words clicked in Lance's mind somehow. They lingered there... processing. Processing. It's okay to fall in love. It's okay. Lance never figured he'd be scared of falling in love but maybe that's what was really wrong.

"Am I good enough for him?" Lance asked quietly. He silently promised himself he wasn't going home without Keith.

"That's up to him, Lance. You kind of... didn't make the best move back there. But make sure he knows you love him." Lance curled his toes in his shoes.

Love is such a tricky thing. It was a constant tug of war of emotions. But Lance just wanted a second without that. He wanted just a few minutes of pure unfaltering love to give Keith everything he could've ever wanted.

"You mean he doesn't know I love him? I asked him for a lap dance on Sunday." Hunk snorted.

"You what?" Lance laughed loudly, pleased by the change in mood. It kept his mind off the worry.

"He was trying to clean up some blood right? And he sat right on my fucking lap. And so I was like, 'Give me a lap dance while you're at it.' Of course it was a fucking joke but I know both of us were seriously considering it." Hunk giggled. Hunk was the giggly person always. It was cute, Hunk was cute. And Lance hoped someday there was someone who loved Hunk because Hunk was the best.

The street lamps lit up the car every few seconds so Lance didn't freak out because of the dark. He was sleepy, but he couldn't rest until he found Keith. Keith was too damn important to lose. The playfulness wore off in minutes as the anxiety set back in. Lance prayed to whatever God might be listening to keep Keith safe.

"Try calling," Hunk said simply.

"Seriously, God bless you, you're a genius." Lance opened his phone and punched in Keith's number quickly. He only had three phone numbers memorized; Mama's, Hunk's, and Keith's. He didn't even know his own damn number.

Keith looked down at his phone and saw Lance's name pop up across the top. He ignored it and turned on the radio instead. Lance's loss.

Lance frowned when Keith didn't pick up. He whined. He missed Keith. He wanted him back. This wasn't how he wanted to spend the night. He wanted to maybe cuddle up with Keith and fall asleep just like that, hands entwined and breath mingling between them. The gentle curve of Keith's body was permanently indented into Lance's body.

"What word did you use earlier? The one to describe how I felt towards Keith?" Hunk smiled. Again. Damn boy and his smiles.

"Enraptured." Lance nodded. It was a nice word. It wasn't false either. When Lance thought about it more, he really was enraptured. He'd hid his feelings and suppressed them until he didn't even know what feelings of love were. He loved Keith like a twister. Those feelings all flooded in at once like it would happen in a movie. His brain overflowed with this sappy, gooey liquid that stained his shirt like blood

"We have to find him," he told Hunk nervously. His whole body turned just to look out the window in hopes they'd pull up right next to his car.

"We'll find him, calm down." That all familiar anxiety replaced the marrow in his bones and the blood in his veins. His body felt like a TV without reception, just buzzing with static. He had to think of what he'd say, but he didn't know. There were so many things he wanted to tell Keith.

"Yeah but I'm still worried. He didn't pick up. What if he got in a crash or something?" Hunk waved his hand dismissively.

"He didn't crash. Keith has to be better than that." Lance tried hard to believe Hunk. He didn't know what to think if it wasn't the same thing as Hunk. All he knew was that he wanted to hold Keith and never have to let him go again. "Where do you think he went?" Lance wished he knew. There were millions of places he could go, millions of highways and flights he could take all across the country. There were city lights or rural farms. And there was Cuba.

Then he remembered the card, or lack thereof. His heart leapt in his chest. "New York," he said. He flipped his head to look at Hunk who kept his eyes on the road. "Hunk he's going to New York. That means he took the job!" Lance watched his fingers which began to quiver on his leg. Keith had promised Lance he'd never leave, but it was his own fault for making him mad. Obviously he had sent Keith mixed messages; stay, leave, stay, leave. Which was it?

Lance tangled and untangled his fingers together, occasionally scratching the skin on his fingers so pale pink lines formed. Keith broke his promise, but so did Lance. Lance had no one to blame except himself for this, but he wished he didn't have to blame anyone. It was his fault for getting them into this situation, he had to get them out. He kept his wide eyes out for Keith's old car. It was easily spotted, it was too old for anyone else to have. Keith's thing was old cars.

They drove miles upon miles away from their North Carolina campus life to find the boy who had one hell of a lucky escape. Lance tried not to go crazy, he tried to not pick up his phone and call Keith endlessly until he picked up. And if that was never, then so be it. This overwhelming feeling had overtaken him and he hated it. He wasn't supposed to care for Keith, so why was he practically in tears in the front seat of Hunk's car trying to find him?

Up ahead there was a car pulled the side of the road. Lance jumped and pressed his nose to the window. His eyes scanned the car. It was Keith's. "Hunk!" Lance screamed suddenly. Pidge sat up in the backseat, running her fingers through her now tangled hair.

"Lance, you scar-"

"Pull over!" he practically screamed. "Pull over! That was Keith!" Lance yelled. They slowed and pulled off just before they reached the shoulder to an exit. Lance's whole body was shaking in excitement and anxiety. Keith was there, he was okay. His car was shrouded in the darkness just off the exit by a Baptist clothing store. When the car came to a stop, his hand flew to the door before he could think. His heart was speeding forward like a bird in a cage, eager to escape.

"Lance wait!" Pidge called. She grabbed the back of Lance's shirt forcefully and pulled him back. Lance couldn't focus. His head was swimming with lights and stars and everything that he shouldn't have in his head, Keith being one of those things. "I'm gonna talk to him first so you can calm down. Don't want you to say anything stupid to your to-be boyfriend." Lance sat as Pidge climbed over his lap and stumbled out of the door.

Keith had his head rested on the steering wheel, his body on the verge of sleep. His car had ran out of gas but it was too late to keep driving anyways. He figured he'd gone far enough for Lance's pleasure. He still had this sinking feeling in his stomach that wouldn't go away. His eyes hurt from all of the tears that had practically drenched his jeans.

The car was beginning to frost over as he turned it off. Wouldn't want the battery to die, right? He shifted again, letting his eyes sink heavily. Maybe sleeping would help him process what was going on. Lance was the only thing he could think about, he'd rather have a nightmare than have Lance in his dreams. His body shook in the cold. He really hadn't prepared for this. The only things in his car of importance was his jacket, his camera, his keys, his money, and his phone. Everything else Lance could salt and burn if he wanted.

There was sharp knocking at his window. Cracking open his eyes, he saw Pidge's face at his car window. He reached for the button to roll down his window, Pidge scoffing.

"Next time call when you decide to drive off in the middle of the night you prick." Keith watched her in confusion.

"How... why are you here?" His voice was broken and speaking made his eyes fill with tears. Don't think about Lance. It was harder than it sounded.

"Hunk told me after you stormed your dumbass out the dorms." Keith smiled sadly. He ran his arms across his cheeks to dry the tears. "What happened? Get out the car." Pidge stepped aside to let Keith push the door open softly. Keith was breaking down but he made sure to not let it show. He was pulling a Lance and hiding himself away. It was like trying to put water through a sieve, the tears never stopped.

"Nothing. Lance just... nothing. He told me to go away so I did." Keith hated his little voice crack at the end. "Doesn't matter. Lance is a douche, if he wants to cut ties with me then so be it. I don't care." Pidge sighed.

"He doesn't want to cut ties, I seriously doubt that." Keith may be dumb, but he wasn't that dumb.

"He's with you isn't he? God tell him I don't want to see him." Pidge laughed, sinking on her hips. Keith's sanity was running low. His mouth was dry and parched from all the bullshit he spilled. He drunk in everything like water yet his mouth felt so dry. The trees around him swayed like they were going to fall. The cold bit into his arms and cheeks like piranhas, turning his skin the color of a rose. Keith shifted from foot to foot, tugging his sleeves over his fists. He leaned against his car door.

"Yeah you do." Keith scoffed, his eyes wandering down the highway where cars approached with such a stunning speed. When they drove by, the lights reflected on Pidge's eyes.

"I don't. I hate him."

"No you don't. You're in denial. You love him. Just give him a chance, please? I promise to God he won't hurt you." Keith shrugged. He closed his eyes nonchalantly. His whole body quivered in the cold. How the hell was Lance so good at this? His body was hot like he'd just sprinted a marathon, though he shivered violently under his clothes. His body felt like it was high off ten strong doses of laughing gas from the dentist. He was crawling around missing an arm and a leg and smiling and saying he was fine.

But then Pidge was there. Her arms were wrapped around his waist and her cheek was flush against Keith's chest. She squeezed him tightly, her jacket cushioning her bones. He hadn't thought about Pidge at all when thinking through this. The only thing he thought of was Lance and getting away from him. But Pidge also looked like she was going to cry. Like she could break down right there at Keith's feet.

"Lance is on his way," she mumbled quietly, pulling away. Keith regretted not hugging back, he was sad when the warmth left his body. He stared out across the highway again, wondering if he had time to throw himself in front of a car before Lance came out. The headlights made it look like someone had strung Christmas lights from one side of the highway to the other.

Keith scrunched his nose up in attempt to stifle another round of tears. "Hey," he heard. He didn't turn his head. He kept his eyes fixed on the blinding lights.

"Hey," he mumbled back. He didn't have to see Lance to know how uncomfortable he was. His arms were probably tangled by his chest and he was probably resting on one hip and letting his eyes wander around the space where Keith wasn't.

"I don't... I don't really know what to say to you. I mean, I know what I want to say but for once I don't really know how to phrase it..." Keith just kept his eyes on he grass. Lance's voice was so soft when he spoke, and Keith almost believed Lance wanted to fix this. Whatever 'this' was.

"Come on Lance, you're the wordsmith here, you should know exactly what to tell me. Because you know I'll listen to you." Keith ran a hand through his hair, trying to loosen the tension like one might loosen a shoelace that was too tight. Then he took a big breath.

"I know exactly what I want to tell you but I'm going to leave something out. And I don't want that." Keith scoffed, readjusting his feet.

"An 'I'm sorry' would be nice." Keith felt sour. It was hard to resist Lance, he was weak. His arms couldn't support the push back of Lance.

"I... I know. I'm sorry." Keith heard the drop of Lance's palms against his thighs. Keith finally decided to shoot a glance at Lance. He looked worn down. His eyes were red and puffy and he looked like the second he gets in bed he'd be out like a light. He had on Keith's jacket and mismatched socks.

"Doesn't sound very sincere." Lance sighed.

"What can I do to make it sound more sincere?" His voice was almost drowned out by the whoosh of cars. His eyes watered a little bit like he was about to cry.

"Nothing Lance. Nothing. You wouldn't want me around anyways-"

"Bullshit. I call bullshit." Lance crossed his arms again.

"How so?" Keith turned lazily to face Lance, his hip resting against the car door. He crossed his ankles and stared Lance down, hoping to scare him into putting up a white flag. Lance looked desperate, this wild look in his eyes. He had this vibe that he really had to pee or something, shifting back and forth nervously.

"Because I made a mistake. Okay? I am openly admitting I made a mistake. I shouldn't have yelled. It wasn't right." Keith rolled his eyes.

"Are you done? Because I'm going to continue on forward if you're done-"

"No!" Lance tripped forward to grab tightly to Keith's hands. "No, no, no please you can't go to New York." Lance then dropped his hands.

"Lance you're... you really don't know when to give up. You really are just a prick." Keith laughed a little. Why did Lance have so much emotional control over him? Despite Lance only pushing Keith away, Keith wanted to run forward and squeeze Lance until he couldn't breathe.

"You're fucking right. I don't know when to give up." Lance just sighed heavily. He knew he had to make his move soon or Keith would lose every ounce of interest he had in Lance. "Look Keith, I know I say dumb stuff, I know I pick fights. I know it's really hard to deal with me. I know I'm a handful because who wants to be with a guy who cries, right?" Keith just watched him for a moment, a bit bewildered.

"Your point?"

"You're making this a lot harder Keith?" Despair laced his eyes and his voice like the hem of a dress. Keith scoffed.

"Look, I don't know what you want from me but your jokes aren't funny anymore." Lance's eyes looked desperately into Keith's. "Can't you just let me go to New York and forget your fucking name?" Lance didn't like that. He never wanted Keith to stop saying his name. He wanted to hear it every morning and every evening.

"Please don't forget my name. It's really hard without you."

"I was gone for like a couple hours." Lance just sighed. He honestly didn't know how to say what he wanted. His body was shaking not only from the cold but from the anxiety gnawing away at his bones.

"I still..." Lance knew he'd have to swallow his pride one day and say it. But he didn't want to. "Please don't leave me Keith. I think... I think I might've... I might've fallen in love with you." The weight both let go of and pressed down harder on Lance's chest. Keith's eyes looked wild like he wanted to believe it. He looked like he was so happy... but not at the same time.

"Lance stop fucking with me-"

"I promise I'm dead serious Keith, I-" he ran a hand through his hair, eyes scanning the sky. "I guess I just wasn't sure what it felt like to love a guy. And it felt weird being around you and having this feeling that never went away. It was like a big grey cinderblock. Liking a guy is wrong, right? But it felt really right being with you.

"And... I get it's dumb. It's really dumb, but I find myself missing you when you're gone and wanting you closer when you're here. When you hold my hand or touch me the feeling grows and grows. Maybe I was scared of letting myself love you and maybe I was scared I wasn't good enough for you. I don't want to put you through the trouble I put Mama through. I don't want to hurt you anymore..." Keith's face had loosened with every word he said. His fists had loosened and he crossed his arms carefully over his body.

"How do I know you're not lying?" Keith whispered. "I want to believe you, you know I want to believe you." Keith bit his lip hard. He wanted to listen to Lance. He wanted to believe Lance had really fallen in love. But he was Lance, you never knew with Lance.

"What can I do to prove it?" Lance's voice broke and he took a step forward. He wanted to touch Keith, he wanted to reach a hand out and grab onto Keith and hold him.

"I..." Keith didn't know. He already believed Lance. His stupid ass already believed Lance wanted him back. He was just waiting for Lance to do something, anything to prove it.

"Kiss me if you want to be my boyfriend. If not I want you to go take your scrawny ass and go drive away." Lance didn't have time to ask before Keith shut his eyes. Lance hesitated. He wasn't sure but what was he scared of? What if he hurt Keith? What if he'd abused his feelings?

What if he hurt himself? What if this wasn't the right choice? Keith was a lot. Keith was annoying and a hassle and an overall mess. But he was also protective, caring, and kind; everything Lance wanted. And here Keith was, offering himself and his humility in front of Lance. His lips were pressed together lightly, waiting, but his arms were crossed in disbelief. He stood for about ten seconds, his lips staying the same and his body gradually curling into himself. He was so scared. And Lance? Lance just watched. What would he do? What should he do?

"I knew it. Lance you don't have to be so insincere. I'm getting gas." His eyes began to water as he began walking, ready to walk past Lance and never see his pretty face again. Block it. Delete their pictures. Erase all traces of Lance from his life.

"Wait! Keith." Lance caught Keith's arm in his hand tightly to stop him. Before Keith could wrestle out of his grip, he crashed their lips together. Lance felt every doubt wash away like dirt underwater. The whole highway was watching this unfold. The whole highway saw their little fight by the side of the road and the whole highway saw the boys almost drawn to tears. And now the highway was witnessing the digging up of a hidden love like a treasure chest. They were watching a confession from one boy to another.

Lance tasted like lemon and sleep but Keith could care less about what Lance tasted like in this moment. Just smelling him heavy around him made him break into tears. Eagerly Keith pulled Lance closer, tugging at his hood so their chests were exchanging heat. Keith took a heavy breath, sinking into Lance's touch as his hands settled around his hips.

Lance pinned him against the car, refusing to stop kissing him. Keith was so overwhelmed he felt like he was going to pass out. Lance took his breath away. He was just so kind and soft and he felt like he was going to cry. Keith didn't have to open his eyes to feel the heaviness of tears. Keith held him tight refusing to let go.

Keith let Lance willingly into his mouth. His tongue danced across the back of his teeth. Keith couldn't focus his mind was scattered. No matter what, he couldn't stop thinking, oh my god. Lance is kissing me. Keith finally had what he wanted most. He finally had Lance as his. And he grinned stupidly against Lance's lips causing them to part.

"You look good in my jacket by the way," Keith said quietly. They shared a quiet laugh, connecting their foreheads. Keith's hands loosened and trailed up to run through Lance's hair. Despite the whoosh of cars, it was quiet. Silence hung over the two. Only the sound of two hearts beating in sync could be heard. Lance's cheeks were a rosy red and Keith was certain his mirrored that.

"Thanks. You look better from this close." Keith sighed and buried his face in Lance's neck to hide his face. Lance laughed and held him closer, arms wrapping securely around Keith's waist. Lance was his Keith thought. Only his.

Lance couldn't begin to describe what he felt. He felt light. Keith was here in his weak hands completely willing to trust Lance. His heart was filled to the brim with what he guessed was love. Keith's eyes sparkled from the bright headlights. His lips looked so soft and kissable as they turned up into a crooked smile that made Lance's heart skip a beat. He couldn't wait to call Mama and tell her that he finally made Keith his boyfriend rather than just a friend. Just a friend. That felt so unfamiliar.

They were such close friends. They had threw punches, shared heated (and not so much) kisses. They got drunk together and acted drunk together. They roller skated themselves into embarrassment and cried in fear. They hugged and cuddled and yelled and fought about every dumb thing you could ever think.

But here they were now in the place they belonged. Opposites attract.

"We still have a problem," Keith said. He tried to be serious despite how airy he felt right now.

"What?" Lance's heart dropped for some reason. Was he regretting his choice already? But his fears washed away when Keith cracked a smile.

"I'm still out of gas and I am not leaving my car at the side of the road."

"We'll get you mother fucking gas Keith." Keith laughed and pushed Lance lightly. This quick flicker sparked in his eye that maybe he'd accidentally pushed Lance too hard so he toppled right into the highway. But Lance's smile didn't falter. He looked tired yet energetic. Keith couldn't stop smiling like an idiot even when all four of them hiked up to the 7-Eleven around the corner.

"Damn took you two long enough," Pidge giggled. She was on Hunk's shoulder to make sure they didn't get lost. Lance was walking beside them and laughing. Keith was trailing only a little behind just because he was struggling to keep up. Lance's fingers were intertwined with his tightly. This made it pretty much impossible for Keith to stop grinning like a school child. Sometimes when he'd forget Lance was holding his hand, he'd suddenly remember and blush and watch the trees as they walked up the highway shoulder.

"We knew each other for, what, ten days now?" Lance laughed. He had such a nice laugh. Lance looked back at Keith who was just grinning stupidly. It was the most un-Keith look ever. It's the look someone who was madly in love would give someone, but Lance was unaccustomed to it. "Why are you looking at me like that?" Keith laughed.

"Why not?" Lance kept laughing when he turned his head back. He watched Lance and it was like he was alive again. He was laughing and standing up straight and smiling like the sun in the dead of night. They stumbled up to the 7-Eleven and got a gas tank to drag back to the car. They were still giggling like they were drunk.

"Pidge I'm gonna run you into the door," Hunk said, smiling brightly. Pidge on his shoulders held her arms up to hit the top of the door when they walked in.

"If you hurt my best friend you are dead," Keith chimed, peeping around Lance to smirk at Hunk. Lance scoffed.

"If you hurt my best friend, you are dead Mullet." Keith just rolled his eyes. He couldn't get the lingering feeling of Lance's hands off his hips and he loved it. He still tasted the lemon on the tip of his tongue.

Even when they were lugging the gas tank back, they were laughing and tripping all the way until they reached the cars again. Keith had stars in his eyes the whole night watching Lance. When Hunk helped Lance pour the gasoline into Keith's car, he watched with his eyes sparkling. Lance was his everything.

"Ew Keith, stop looking like that. You need coffee or you're going to crash." Lance laughed from his place by the gas tank. His smile was so bright.

"I'm driving."

"Lance, whenever you weren't whining about missing Keith, you were whining about being tired," Pidge grumbled. Keith awed.

"Lance missed me?" Lance scoffed, sitting his weight on one hip and smiling triumphantly. Such a playful boy he was.

"Of course not!" Lance fake pouted and handed Hunk the gas can.

"Now you assholes drive back up there and put more gas in your car." Pidge said all of this while hugging Keith tightly around the waist. He smiled down at the girl compassionately.

"Thanks for bringing this stubborn idiot to me." Pidge rolled her eyes and pulled away in a heartbeat.

"You two are going to be disgusting. Peace fuckers." They car drove away in a few seconds.

"I'm driving," Lance mumbled.

"No you're not, you need to sleep." Keith reached for the door but Lance pulled him away. Keith laughed. "Lance!"

"No. You drove all night and I value my life so I'd rather not crash." Lance slipped in the open door before Keith could protest. Keith looked adorable pouting down at him. His eyes shined through his glasses. Then he left and got in the passenger seat.

For a while it was okay, both boys were wide awake. But Keith started to drift off, his head ducked under the seatbelt and forehead pressed to the cool glass. It was hard for Lance to keep his eyes on the road as Keith fell asleep. At one point, Keith reached his hand around blindly for Lance's and he grabbed it nervously, hands struggling to twine his fingers with Lance's. Lance laughed.

"It might be a little easier if you took your gloves off for once." Keith hummed.

"Shut up." Lance smiled. The car ride was peaceful. Keith hardly let go of Lance. He was asleep and peaceful and thinking about Lance. Lance was swarming his mind and he didn't feel guilty or ashamed. He could let his thoughts wander into Lance's ballpark and not even have to capture them back. He thought of Lance and his soft hands and his kind heart. He thought of Lance's blinding eyes staring at his own.

"I wanna kiss you," Keith mumbled. It was a total accident but when he cracked his eyes open Lance was flustered.

"A-again?" Keith chuckled tiredly.

"Of course again. Is it bad to want to kiss your boyfriend?" Keith loved how that rolled off the tongue. Lance and boyfriend were synonyms now. Keith smiled and hid his face in the sleeve of his jacket.

"Rain check until we get back to the dorms." Lance was happy. All the emotions of everything that had happened washed away. "We should call Mama and tell her," Lance said excitedly. Keith chuckled tiredly again.

"Damn, let a guy sleep." That was the extent of the conversation until they reached the dorms again.

Lance pulled up and saw Keith was still asleep. His glasses were crooked on his nose but he looked really cozy. If it weren't for the car, he'd snuggle himself up right beside Keith.

"Keith," he mumbled quietly. Keith stirred only a little before humming and sinking back against the glass. Lance smiled compassionately, flustered at Keith. He looked so comfortable, Lance didn't want to move him. "Keith..." he hummed again. He leaned over the seat to kiss Keith once more to wake him up.

Keith hummed again and made sure Lance didn't pull away for a couple more seconds. "Thanks for the wake up." Lance rolled his eyes. Corny.

"Get out the car unless you want hypothermia." Keith laughed tiredly and unbuckled his seatbelt. When he got out, he shyly wrapped his pinky around Lance's. It was a promise, their own little promise to each other. Love me forever. Lance blushed but Keith acted like nothing had happened. He just yawned and walked silently alongside Lance.

When they got upstairs, Lance sat down on the edge of Keith's bed and rubbed his eyes. "C'mere," he mumbled quietly. Lance expected Keith to do something cuddly like maybe sit beside him and put his head on Lance's shoulder. No.

Keith plopped himself right on Lance's lap and immediately hugged Lance to him. Lance was very caught off guard. He didn't mind. Keith's eyes were still rimmed with red, he must have cried pretty hard. Lance's own heart broke and the thought of him breaking Keith that bad.

"Y-you can't do stuff like that Keith." Lance stumbled out. Keith chuckled.

"S'alright."

"I'm sorry for making you cry." Lance pushed lightly at Keith's chest so he could push him away and run his thumbs under Keith's eyes. Keith sunk into the touch. This poor touch starved boy with all those ugly bandaids on his face. "I don't want you to cry on my behalf, I'm not worth your tears." Keith smiled sadly.

"I hated you. A lot. I called the agency, they think I'm going up there now. I couldn't see I thought I was going to get in a wreck." This whole time, the boys were pulling off pants or undershirts and curling up together under the covers. Lance was highly distracted as Keith spoke. The light hit his moving muscles and he looked like a piece of art or a picture. Keith was so gifted. He could snap something so wonderful and have it forever to look back on and remember. Lance wished he could do that.

But then Keith watched him and blushed. "Don't watch me." But Lance did. He continued to watch as Keith crawled under the covers, the light seeping into the rough skin on his bare back. Lance eagerly finished tugging the shirt under his jacket off and kicked his pants off to curl Keith up in his arms. He was so warm despite being pretty unclothed. He was just... pretty. Lance blushed. He didn't know if he'd ever stop falling for Keith. Every smile, every touch, Lance was swept off his feet anew.

He would never not be in love with Keith. He wanted to punch himself from just eight hours ago for being and idiot. With Keith here in his arms, his heart burst with affection. Even the boring white walls dripped with over saturation. Lance buried his face in Keith's hair, loving every curve of their bodies that fit like a puzzle piece.

"Lance, let's play a game," Keith mumbled. His figure was dark even under the dim lights.

"Now?"

"I spy with my little eye something-"

"I can't see anything it's dark," Lance insisted.

"Pretty." Keith finished. "I'll give you a hint, it's a person in this room and it's not me." Lance smiled slowly, a laugh taking over his throat. He wanted to kiss Keith's stupid face all over. Idiot with his dumb cliches. Lance didn't know how to reply. But Keith turned around and looked up at him with those shining eyes. Those eyes that glittered like that only when they were fixed upon Lance.

"You're an idiot." Lance mumbled. Keith laughed quietly, hiding against Lance's chest. Everything about this was all he'd ever wanted and it was with one of the best people. Keith loved Lance's smell mingling with his under the covers as they kept warm together. It was the most cliche thing, cuddling in winter and kissing and laughing and giving stupid compliments. But after eighteen years of nothing but rough treatment, he loved this feeling of being treasured.

Sometimes his friends would hug him if he were sad, but they knew if they interacted too much, they'd get the same treatment as him. So Keith put up walls. He couldn't bear watch someone get hurt like him. Beatings with frying pans and constant harping and verbal abuse was not fun, and Keith's heart was too soft to let that happen to anyone he loved. So he pushed everyone away. If someone tried to touch him he'd push them away or find an excuse to leave.

But now Keith felt warm. It felt unnaturally warm. It was something awkward for him, almost like trying to dance when you're not very flexible. But he loved it. Lance's hands were warm on his back. His fingertips were electric as they grazed over the rough skin of Keith's back. Keith wanted to get closer and closer. He just wanted Lance to be there forever. That's sure as hell what he hoped.

Keith was tearing down his walls and opening the door for Lance, letting him see all the darkness and the pain he hid. He kicked the bin over and showed Lance all the dirty laundry he refused to show anyone else. Lance was tracking mud on his conscious, making him less aware of the world and more aware of him and his body and his kisses. Keith kind of hated himself for falling in love, but then again, he didn't.

He just hoped he wouldn't regret it. He hoped he wouldn't realize Lance was a mistake. He hoped fights wouldn't break them up, just shake them a little. He prayed their fingers would never loosen from each other's. He prayed to god Lance wouldn't look around at everyone else. He begged Lance wouldn't look at everyone better than him and leave him. Idiot. Lance was an idiot for picking him.

He knew they'd fight, and sometimes it might be bad. He just hoped he wouldn't have to let go of Lance any time soon. And he was truly grateful to his friends for helping Lance come to his damn senses.

"So was the boy you were interested in me or is there someone who's ass I need to beat so you won't leave me." Lance scoffed a little. His fingers continued to trace around Keith's back like it was a maze or a connect the dots.

"It was you. It was always you." Lance said. "I just didn't know it was you." Keith smiled brightly against Lance's chest. Lance's fingers had traced their way right up into Keith's hair. He fiddled with the strands, running them between his fingers.

"Someone told me artists fall in love easier because they see the beauty in everything," Lance said. Keith was too tired to think of something so he said the first thought that came to his mind.

"I wouldn't have to be an artist to see how pretty you are." Lance's chest tightened. He was the giver of pick up lines, the king of them. But just then, Lance's chest tightened. Flustered? Did anyone else feel like this when they get told they are pretty? And why did he feel that? He knew he was pretty. Maybe just hearing it felt nice. It's like when you know you do good at something in school, you feel satisfied when the teacher acknowledges it. So maybe that's what he felt.

Mama had always told him he was a handsome boy. Maybe Keith was Mama's stand in while at college. Keith was an angel. When Lance called his name quietly, Keith didn't reply. He was asleep. Lance didn't care, he was just testing the water. He knew the alarm would be painful tomorrow, but he didn't care. He just held Keith quietly.

"If you ever feel yourself slipping," he mumbled quietly, kissing Keith's forehead. "I'll be right here to catch you."