"NO WAY!"

Shiro chuckled, shrugging, "It's dumb, but we do it every year."

Lance stared at him, shocked. "In December?"

Nodding, Shiro showed Lance the pictures from the previous weekend. "There were some pieces of ice last year. We call it our own Polar Plunge."

Lance zoomed into the photo, looking at Keith and Shiro's hilarious faces as they launched themselves into the ocean, then their grimaces as they clutched several towels around themselves. 

"Why?" Lance asked, shivering just thinking about it. Shiro had just told him how he and Keith had a tradition of driving to the coast and jumping into the ocean in December every year, just for the hell of it.

"When we were little, I wanted to see how cold it was in the ocean at Christmas, and back then we lived very close to a beach, so he and I walked down in our bathing suits, expecting it to be a few degrees colder than usual, and we dove in. We both missed the next day of school because we were sick, but we agreed to do it every year since."

Lance laughed lightly. He wondered what Keith looked like as a little kid. Did he have a mullet?

Shiro frowned. "Didn't Keith tell you any of this?"

Lance shrugged. "He just told me that you two were going on a road trip together. Left Friday, got back Saturday, just like he said, so I didn't worry."

"Were you worried that he was, like...?"

"Cheating?"

"Yeah."

Lance offered Shiro a sad smile. "We've only been dating for a few weeks. It's not like we're super serious. I don't want to act too clingy."

Shiro rubbed Lance's back. "Well, I can promise you this- he wasn't cheating, so you can relax a bit." Lance sighed in relief. "But, seriously, Lance. Keith doesn't know how to do this whole dating thing. He's never had a relationship like this before, let alone a boyfriend. He's nervous that he's going to screw things up but, at the same time, he doesn't know how to connect with you, sometimes. And that's not your fault, it's just something that grows the more you two talk and interact and spend time together. "

Lance nodded, renewed by Shiro's speech. "I think I have something in mind."

...

Keith was happy to be home, that's for sure. Kicking off his shoes and putting down his bag, he called out, "Lance! I'm home!". 

Lance's Adidas were by the door, so he should be home, yet Keith heard no reply. Shrugging his coat off and hanging it on the hooks on the wall, he walked to the kitchen. "Lance?" he asked the empty room. 

The dining room was empty too. As was Keith's bedroom. The last option was the bathroom. Keith knocked on the door, listening. "Lance?"

"Come in." Keith opened the door to see Lance perched on the edge of the bathtub, wearing nothing but a pair of boxers. Looking behind Lance, Keith noticed that the tub was filled with ice water. 

"I made you a Polar Plunge," Lance said hopefully, his eyes bright. 

Keith stood there for a few seconds, confused until he realized what Lance meant. "Lance..." he started, uncertain. 

Lance's smile drooped a little. "You don't like it?"

Keith stepped forward, rushing to say, "No! I mean yes! Yes, I do like it, no, I don't not like it, Lance. I like it."

But Lance's smile didn't return. Instead, he sniffed, and not a moment later, he was a mess of tears, crying loudly in the small bathroom. Keith, alarmed, searched for something to say. "Lance? Love, what's wrong?" Keith carefully plucked Lance off the side of the tub, carrying him to the living room where he set his boyfriend down on the couch. 

Wiping Lance's tears from his cheeks, Keith smiled gently. "What can I do? What's wrong?"

Lance sniffed. "I just don't know what to do." His voice was thick.

Keith kept Lance's eyes up, searching them for answers. "What don't you know what to do?" he encouraged. 

"I don't know how to be close to you."

Keith felt like his heart stopped. This was what Lance was worried about? Not being close?

"Oh, my darling," Keith sighed, pulling Lance into his arms. "You shouldn't worry about that." 

"I can't help it."

Keith kissed Lance's brow, looking deep into his eyes. "Trust me."