" You can't just cancel it..." Shay told Allura, who's mascara was streaking down her cheeks in murky trails.

" There's only four of us left... what's the point." The cheer captain sniffled. She was pretty torn up over what had happened.

" Because it's not fair to us. We can still bond and finish out the season together." Shay rubbed circles on her back in a supportive motion. In all the years these girls had known each other, Allura had never been this upset. " We still have Shannon and Keith."

" Yeah, Keith who's on crutches. We only have Shannon who's eligible to cheer at this point." Allura tied her hair back into a very sloppy bun. " We'll be lucky if they don't cut the program."

" They won't cut it with only a few weeks left."

" And what about basketball cheer? We'll have to hold more tryouts." She facepalmed. This situation was more stressful than anything they'd ever had to deal with. " Oh no! And we can't even go to competitions without stunting..."

" We'll get through this. We always do." Shay reassured her. Allura sighed. At least Acxa quit with most of the other cheerleaders. So there was a small upside to this very bad turn of events.

...

" You're saying the school cut the entire stunting program?" Keith's eyes widened while Shiro talked to him.

" Yes... there's a reason I waited to tell you." The older brother said. " I didn't want you to think that this is your fault." Shiro took a sip of his coffee. " Too many people have gotten hurt over the years, so the police finally let the school board know. It's not just because of you getting hurt."

Keith was silent for a second, and he ran his fingers through his hair.

" Allura must be devastated..." He mumbled a short while later. Then he remembered something. The sleepover. Allura said it was supposed to happen that day. " Damn it."

" What?" Shiro raised an eyebrow.

" I have to go to that team bonding thing tonight." Keith sighed. " I don't want to."

" You're going." The alpha told his brother. " You can't skip out on team bonding."

" Everyone is going to be really mad about the stunting thing. I think me showing up on crutches might just rub salt in the wound." He folded his arms.

" Nice try." Shiro said.

" But... I wanted to see Lance today... I haven't since... um... two days ago." Keith looked at him with somewhat begging eyes.

" You've seen him at school. Remember, Lance has a family too." Shiro told him. " I'll drive you over to Allura's later."

" Wait... don't you have to work?" Keith furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

" I took the day off." Shiro said it like it was no big deal.

" Really? It's been a while since you've done that." Keith was surprised to say the least. His brother was a total workaholic. Days off were usually out of the question.

" I know. But I need one." Shiro rubbed under his eyes.

" You do realize I could always get a job, right? You shouldn't have to work yourself to death to pay for everything." The omega offered. Usually, he'd bring this up and Shiro would shoot him down right away.

" I'm not working myself to death." Shiro said. But the lines under his eyes spoke something completely different than him. He didn't want Keith to be home alone today. After all... Lotor could get out at anytime.

...

" I miss you..." Lance said from the other end of the phone. He and Keith had been on the line for about forty five minutes now.

" I miss you too." Keith said.

" Are you sure that you can't come over or something?" Lance sighed. He was bored out of his mind while laying on his bed. He longed for the warm fuzzy feeling he got whenever him and his omega cuddled.

" I have to spend the night at Allura's for some team bonding thing. It's about to be really awkward." Keith really didn't look forward to it.

" Why?" Lance asked.

" Because now the cheerleaders are prohibited from stunting."

" That's actually a good thing if you ask me." The alpha said. " They've hurt you too many times."

" I don't know..." Keith looked off to the side. " It's Allura and Shay's senior year, I can't imagine how sad they are."

There was a knock on Keith's door, and Shiro came in a couple seconds later.

" Keith, it's almost three. We should get going." He said. And the little brother groaned.

" I gotta go." Keith begrudgingly said.

" Babbbeeee no! Don't hang up!" Lance whined from the other end.

" I miss you too, but... seriously?" He chuckled while slowly getting up. Keith grabbed his drawstring bag that he was taking to Allura's.

" Fine... I'll see you soon, Princess." Lance grumbled from the other side, though he wore a smirk that covered the majority of his cheeks.

" Wait, what? I'm going to be-" Keith was cut off when the phone call ended. His boyfriend sure was a weirdo sometimes.

...

It was a while later, but Keith was eventually on his way to Allura's bedroom. The stairs had been one hell of an assent, but the cheerleader had managed to scoot up step by step. The cheer captain carried his crutches to the upper level for him.

The hallway and doors looked way too familiar, and Keith got déjà vu upon seeing the middle room. Allura opened the door to her room before he could get lost in the wood's randomized pattern.

" Where is everyone?" He perked up, seeing that Shay and Shannon were the only people in there.

" About that..." Allura awkwardly said while shutting her bedroom door. " There's nobody else coming."

" Isn't this supposed to be team bonding?" Keith was more than a little puzzled.

" This is the entire team. What, you didn't tell him?" Shannon looked at Shay and Allura questionably.

" I was getting there..." Allura turned to Keith. " Everyone else quit because we can't stunt anymore. This is all we have left." Her eyes pointed toward the floor.

" Are you kidding me?" Keith wasn't nearly as shocked as he should've been.

" Nope. They're all fighting for openings on the dance team. At least they can go to competitions and win stuff." Shay was actually jealous, and the tone in her voice was almost... bitter.

" Well... this sucks." He didn't really know how to respond to that.

" We're going to bond anyways." Allura twitched while forcing a smile. " Now that everyone is here, we can start the makeovers."

" M-Makeovers?" Keith stuttered nervously. He made his way to the corner of Allura's room, where there was a fluffy chair.

" Yup." Shannon raised her eyebrows evilly.

" I don't like makeup." The omega backed up against the chair.

" It's not that kind of makeover." Shay giggled.

...

" I don't like this... my face feels... crunchy." Keith felt at the black mask that had been spread all over his face.

" Don't touch it!" Shannon smacked his hand away before he could smear it.

" It's gross." He groaned. God. He was sure a sight while sitting in front of Allura's vanity mirror. They'd pulled back his hair into a messy ponytail. And they'd also used a thin headband to secure his bangs back.

" Oh come on... it's not that bad. Plus, your skin will be so silky smooth the next time Lance kisses you." Shay smiled at him. She too was wearing a face mask.

" How is Lance, by the way? I know he was having some major issues with his temper." Shannon asked. And Allura, who was applying her face mask, joined in on the conversation.

" He is an alpha. That happens to us sometimes." She said. " The pheromones are even more intense after-" Allura gestured to Keith's bonding mark, which was scarred over on his neck. " that happens."

" He's fine. But I will say, he's been kind of clingy lately." Keith really wanted to scratch off the half-dry black substance on his face.

" Ooo... does someone have some tea to spill?" Shannon side eyed him.

" No-no... it's just... he gets worried about me a lot because of everything that's been happening." The omega told them. " He wanted to see me today, and I miss him a lot."

" You literally just saw him at school yesterday, silly." Shay laughed.

" Yeah... but still."

" Who's the clingy one again?" Allura jokingly said as she finished putting on her mask.

" They're just so in love with each other that they can't bare to be apart!" Shannon said in a Shakespearean way.

" Lance and I can totally be apart for a day or two. It's completely, one hundred percent, not an issue." Keith tried to convince them, but his tone of voice was soggy.

" It's that bite mark. That's what it does." Allura said. And she dug through a chest that she'd brought from the closet. It was filled with nail polishes of a vast variety. Literally any color someone could think of, it was there. " It makes any feelings for him stronger..."

" That explains a lot." Keith sighed. And everyone jumped when something tapped against Allura's bedroom window.

" What was that?" Shay asked nobody in particular with a shaky voice.

" This is how horror movies start!" Shannon exclaimed. " A bunch of girls, alone in a house-"

" Ahem." Keith cleared his throat.

" Right! Sorry!" She said. And Allura stood up. She walked over to the window, peering through the transparent glass surface.

It was nearly enough to give her a heart attack when Lance appeared on the other side. His signature cheeky grin was colonizing half his face the second he saw Keith.

" Lance?!" Allura almost screamed, but she opened the window for him. " What are you doing here?!"

" I missed my boyfriend..." Lance crawled through and awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. " Omg you guys are doing face masks?! I tried to convince Keith to let me do that to him!" He whined, and his lower lip puffed up in a pouty gesture.

" There's a lot of things you have done to him, though." Shannon said. It was borderline suggestive.

Keith finally understood what his alpha had meant on the phone earlier. He had been planning to crash the sleepover since then, or so the boy assumed. The omega wasn't even mad. He was overjoyed to see his boyfriend.

Was Allura shocked to see Lance climb through her window? Yes. But did she object to it? Not really. The team bonding sleepover idea got ruined when nearly the entire squad quit. So why not let Lance hang around?

Keith went to facepalm, but he paused before he could ruin the mask. Lance chuckled at him before sitting by his omega.

" I told you I'd see you soon~" He purred in the smaller boy's ear.

" You're creepy." Keith told him.

" You know you love it." Lance smiled. But then he noticed all the nail polish. " How much nail polish does one person need?!" He exclaimed.

" I know right!" Shay called from where she sat on the bed. And Lance smirked.

" You got new sheets, huh?" He teased Allura.

" Well what was I supposed to do?" The cheer captain stuck up her nose.

" Wash them?" Keith rose an eyebrow. Luckily, the black, sticky mask covered up how much he must've been blushing.

" Not good enough." Allura shook her head. " If you two ever do something so intimate, and vulgar on my bed again, you're buying me a new one." She was completely serious as she stared right through them.

" Right." Keith smiled lopsidedly. " I don't remember what went down... but it won't happen again."

" Maybe not in her bed~" Lance said. "Don't be so sure when I'm already planning out your birthday present, Babe."

" How did you-"

" Shiro told me." The quarterback answered Keith's question before he could finish asking it. " What, did you think I wouldn't figure out when my omega's birthday is? You're going to be eighteen. It's a big deal." Lance smiled.

" Trust me, you'll like your present." Allura assured him.

" Yeah. I know exactly what you like..." The taller male purred down Keith's neck.

" How?! I didn't tell you everything!" Keith let out a high pitched, flustered noise.

" I have my sources." Lance looked at Allura. " You'll be happy... I'm going to spoil you so much." He kissed the top of Keith's head.

" Why though? It's just another day of the year." The omega said, and Lance pulled him onto his lap.

" Because I love you and you deserve to be happy. That's why." He whispered.

Allura knew exactly what Lance was doing, and the present(s) were completely perfect. She hoped Keith would have the most magnificent day. Him and Lance needed a break from all the bullshit.

" I'm a little scared... Allura, what did you tell him?" Keith looked at her with somewhat wide eyes.

" What didn't she tell me? I knew you were kinky.. but even I was surprised." Lance chuckled.

" Keith! How about you give Lance a face mask, hm?!" Shay changed the subject, not wanting the conversation to go there.

" Yeah, Babe." The alpha smirked at his boyfriend.

" S-sure..." Keith looked down. Just how many fantasies had Allura told him? There were too many to keep track of.

Keith grabbed the tube of face mask, and he was about to use his fingers to put it on Lance.

" Woah. Hon, no." Allura laughed, rooting through another case of beauty products. " Here's a clean applicator." She tossed it over.

" Nice catch." Lance told his boyfriend.

" Omegas can catch, too." Keith narrowed his eyes.

" What-no that's-uh not what I meant! I-" The football player rambled.

" I was kidding." The omega brushed some short strands of brown hair from Lance's face. He blushed seeing the small smile Keith wore.

...

It was a little bit later when their masks were all dry. Keith hated how crusty his face felt.

" No, I wanna peel it off!" Lance said while picking at the corners of Keith's face.

" Why does it matter?" The omega laughed a little bit. He was sitting in between Lance's legs on the floor. And the alpha was leaning around him.

" It's satisfying." Lance spoke while tugging at an edge of the mask.

" Fine..." Keith said.

" Why are they so adorable?" Shannon asked Shay, who had already started peeling her mask off. Allura looked down. Why couldn't she have that type of relationship with someone? The answer still alluded her. She was pretty, had a great personality, and got good grades. Allura was definitely girlfriend material. But still no dice.

" You okay over there, girl?" Shay noticed her friend was staring at the floor.

" Me?" Allura perked up. " Yeah- um... I'm good."

" Ow!" Keith let out a yelp. " Just do it like a bandaid!" And Lance rolled his eyes.

" That's not how you're supposed to do it! Now, hold still!" He had half of the mask peeled back. Lance kept going, and once he got to the forehead area, he easily picked it upwards from the skin. " See? Not that bad." The alpha smiled at his boyfriend. " Now I can see your beautiful face." He booped Keith on the nose.

Keith blushed and facepalmed. He smirked when he realized Lance was still wearing his mask, however.

" My turn." He evilly mumbled.

" If you rip it off, I'll be pissed at you." Lance gulped.

" Just hold still." The omega mocked.

" So, would anyone be opposed to me inviting Hunk, Matt, and Pidge over as well?" Allura asked the group, knowing if she had to watch Klance all evening, she'd go nuts.

" I think that's a great idea." Shay smiled, still not believing that Allura wasn't a little bit off.

" I mean, sure? But are you sure that your parents would be okay with guys spending the night here?" Shannon asked.

" They're okay with Keith spending the night, so I'd assume so." Allura grabbed her phone, which had been sitting at the end of her bed.

" But Keith is... Keith." Lance laughed.

" What is that supposed to mean?" The smaller male yanked a little too hard on Lance's face mask and tore a tiny piece off.

" Ouch! Nothing, take it easy, Babe!" The alpha exclaimed.

" I think he means that Keith is literally the gayest gay to ever gay." Shannon told the cheer captain.

" Exactly." Lance smirked at his omega. " But Hunk and Matt aren't. Well, actually... Matt is questionable." He corrected himself.

" You seriously think Hunk is straight?" Shay giggled. " He doesn't care about genders."

" Guys, literally, my parents are fine. And as far as I know, they're going out tonight. The house is pretty much ours." Allura told them. " I just figure that if we're all here anyways, we should invite them. All the snacks I bought for this won't just eat themselves."

" Is it really that obvious that I'm gay?" Keith whispered to Lance. And everyone in the room answered with some variation of yes.

" We've been over this. I can tell from a mile away." Lance started taking Keith's hair down from the pony tail.

" I don't like assuming people's sexuality... but it is pretty obvious." Shay said.

" I have to agree." Allura chuckled. " But I'll text everyone. Hang on."

" I wonder if they're all free." Shannon said.

" Oh believe me, it wouldn't matter if Pidge was halfway around the Earth, she would make time to be at a sleepover with Keith and I." Lance joked.

" I completely forgot how hard she ships us." The omega pinched the bridge of his nose.

(( Hey, everyone! I've been doing my best to keep up with updates every 2-3 days, but bare with me! Soccer has been ridiculous lately, so that's part of it. Just know that every free minute I have gets devoted to this book. I'll update again soon, Loves!))