*OKAY, I KNOW I HAVENT UPDATED IN 6 MONTHS BUT I HAVE A REASON. I haven't updated since August because I started my first semester of college in August and simply didn't have the time. I couldn't work on it over Thanksgiving break because I had to focus on my final projects (being a design major means a lot of projects). Then during winter break, I had a mental breakdown so that didn't work out either. I'm in my second semester now though and I'm taking fewer classes this go around so i can finaLLY FINISH THIS.*

November 22
8:58 am

leggylance: hey so uh matt told me he's driving home later today because it's thanksgiving and i was wondering if it was okay if he took me too because i need to talk to you in person. my family doesn't celebrate and neither does Keith so i won't be missing anything

11:14 am

katiehatesyou: of course it's okay. my parents will be happy to see you. is something wrong?

leggylance: it's just,, personal things?,, idk i just want to talk and in person is easier to articulate what i'm trying to say

katiehatesyou: okay. i was going to go out with jude and parker today but they can wait. we were literally just going to the library so jude can do some geeky shit

leggylance: aren't you a geek too?

katiehatesyou: we're two different levels of geek

leggylance: lol okay. i'll see you soon

katiehatesyou: yeet okay

2:27 pm

Pidge opened her front door to see Matt pulling into the driveway. She smiled as Matt and Lance got out of the car, "Hey! My favorite queers!"

Matt rolled his eyes, "I don't know why I expect different from you." he walked up to her and embraced her in a hug. While hugging her he softly whispered to her, "Something's wrong with Lance."

Pidge looked over at Lance as she pulled away from the hug. He was standing back a bit, looking at the ground, "Hey Lance, how are you doing?"

Lance looked back up and smiled, "I'm good, just a lot on my mind."

"Well, let's go up to my room and talk it out," Pidge smiled and held her hand out to him.

Lance took her hand and smiled still, "Thank you."

Matt pat Lance's back, "You two hang out as long as you want. I'll help mom and dad with dinner." Everyone in the family was very accommodating of Lance and had no issue with Pidge not helping out because of something like this. Lance was much more important to them than a fancy dinner. Thanksgiving is a sham anyway, they only celebrated as a reason to force the family to spend time together for a full day.

"Thank you," Lance said again before he and Pidge headed upstairs.

Once in Pidge's room, she closed the door and the two of them laid down on her bed, "So," Pidge started, "What's going on to bother you this much?"

"It's not a major deal. It's just something that I've been thinking about for years and now I'm just fed up with the uncertainty."

Pidge moved her head to look at him, "Years? Why haven't you told me before?"

Lance kept his gaze on the ceiling, "It's nothing important, it's just... Personal? I don't know. That and I didn't really know how to articulate it. It was always a concept in my head but it was never something I could put into words before."

"Can you put it into words now?"

Lance shrugged, "I don't know. I want to try though. I'm tired of not knowing."

"Not knowing what?"

Lance paused, thinking about what he should say next, "What the fuck is gender?"

Pidge laughed a tiny bit because of the way Lance had said it, but she was still taking this very seriously, "Gender is a scam."

Lance was silent for a moment, "Do I have to pick a gender?"

Pidge sighed, finally understanding what was weighing on him, "No. You don't have to pick anything. It's just a social construct."

"I don't want to pick one."

"That's perfectly okay," Pidge paused, noticing the tears forming in Lance's eyes, "There is nothing wrong with you for not wanting to pick one." She had been told that when Lance had come out as bi he asked if there was something wrong with him, she assumed that's why he was crying now.

Lance looked at her, "Papa didn't take it very well when I came out as bi."

Pidge sat up a bit, now realizing that wasn't why he was crying at all. He was crying because he was afraid his family wouldn't accept him, "True, but he came around, right? He loves you so much and is so supportive of you and Keith. And when you started wearing makeup he supported that too, it just took him a while to get used to it. He loves you. He was just raised conservatively and needs a little bit of time to understand these things. He doesn't know anything about being LGBT but he's willing to learn and that's what matters."

Lance looked back at the ceiling, "Will he want to learn about this?"

"He will learn about anything he needs to to be able to support you. Trust me."

Lance nodded, "I don't really have a label for not picking a gender, I don't want one. So I'm not going to come out. I'm just going to dress how I want and act how I want without being scared about it."

"Don't you already do that?"

Lance looked back at her, "Yes but I'm scared about it."

Pidge reached over to hold his hand, "You don't have to be. You just need to be you," she paused, "Are you still going to use male pronouns."

"Yeah, it's easier that way. Pronouns don't bother me too much. I was called "she" once and that was cool. So any pronouns are okay I guess."

Pidge nodded, "Okay. Is there anything else?"

"Should I tell Keith?"

"What would you tell him?"

Lance thought for a moment, "I don't know. I don't want to put words on this. So I don't know what to say about it."

"Then don't," Pidge hesitated, "We could all kinda tell already that gender roles really aren't your thing. So you don't have to tell anyone anything. We all already kinda know without anyone having to put words on it."

Lance nodded, "I think I like it better that way."

Pidge smiled, "As long as you're happy that's all that matters. We all love you, no matter your gender."

Lance sat up, "So nothing has to be different. We can just.. keep going on like how it is now."

Pidge nodded as she sat up the rest of the way too, "Yep. Nothing changed. Everything is the same."

"Well, one thing changed."

"What changed?"

"I'm not scared about it anymore."

Pidge smiled and pulled him into a hug, "And that makes me so happy."

Lance hugged her back, "I did a lot of research on sexual orientation before I came out as bi. That's why I know so much about it. But I didn't look into this."

Pidge looked at him as they pulled apart from each other, "Why not?"

"I didn't know what I was looking for."

"Did you find it on your own?"

Lance nodded, "Yeah, I think I did."

3:17 pm

Keith opened the apartment door, seeing Shiro standing there with a bag in his hand. Keith's eyes widened as he realized the bag was from the jewelry store, "Is that.."

Shiro chuckled, "Yep."

Keith pulled Shiro into the apartment, "Why do you have it?"

"When we filled out the paperwork I put my number down instead of yours so that when they contacted you we didn't have to risk Lance finding out," Shiro handed Keith the bag, "They called me yesterday and I picked it up on the way here. I group video called Pidge and Hunk and they helped me pick a box for it."

Keith pulled the ring box out of the bag as they walked towards the kitchen, but he realized there were two, "Why is there two?"

Shiro smiled, "Just open it."

Keith skeptically looked at him before setting the bag on the counter and holding the two boxes. One was plain and one was more ornate. He set the plain one down and opened the ornate one. There it was, Lance's engagement ring. Keith pulled the ring out of the box and looked at it, "Oh my god."

"Feels real now, doesn't it?"

Keith looked at him, "I'm actually proposing to Lance. I have the ring in my hand. Oh wow."

Shiro chuckled, "Open the other one."

Keith put Lance's ring back in the box and set it down before picking up and opening the second box. There was a second ring inside. It was just plain silver. Keith looked at Shiro, "You didn't-"

"We did. That's your ring. I knew you'd like a style more like that. Consider this your engagement gift from Adam and I. Now you don't have to pay for your own ring."

"Shiro, I can't let you-"

"Stop, I already did it so shut up and try it on."

Keith smiled and slid the ring on, it fit perfectly. He couldn't find the words to express the feelings brought by seeing himself wearing his ring, "This is actually happening..."

"Do you like it?"

Keith looked back up at him and nodded, "I love it, Shiro. Oh my god. How much money did you spend on this," he didn't like people spending lots of money on him.

Shiro rolled his eyes, "Stop worrying about the money. It's a gift. But if it makes you feel any better, it cost less than you spent on Lance's since there're no gems."

Keith looked back down at his hand and smiled, tears threatening to form.

Shiro walked closer to him and put his hand on his back, "It's really happening. Just one more month and you'll be wearing that ring every day."

Keith looked back up at Shiro, "I know we're hiding these at your place until then but I want to keep it on until you leave."

"Wear it as long as you want, Lance won't be back until tomorrow so we don't have to worry about him seeing and ruining the plan."

Keith smiled wide, "This is actually happening."

"It's happening."

November 23
2:29 pm

Lance opened the door to his apartment with a groan, "KeeeeEEEIIITTHHH"

Keith laughed from the kitchen, "What's wrong with you?"

Lance closed and locked the door before walking to the kitchen, "Stop everything you're doing and pay attention to me."

Keith turned to look at him, "Lucky for you I just finished putting all the dishes away so you have my full attention."

Lance pouted, "Couch."

Keith chuckled, "Okay, let's go to the couch. Do you want to watch something?"

Lance nodded, he grabbed the remote as Keith sat down and then he curled up in Keith's lap, "You pick. Just hold me."

Keith kissed Lance's cheek, "Did you have a bad day?"

"No, just a long one," Lance nuzzled into Keith's neck, "Pidge and I talked about some stuff yesterday and then today I stopped by to see my family before Matt drove me home. You know how they are."

Keith nodded, rubbing Lance's back with one and using the remote with the other, "What did you and Pidge talk about?"

"Nothing super important. I just needed validation."

Keith looked at him, "Validation about what?"

"It doesn't matter now. It's better now."

Keith smiled, trusting that Pidge helped with whatever issue Lance was having, "Okay, as long as it's better."

Lance leaned up and kissed Keith softly, "I just need you to hold me anyway."

Keith chuckled, "I'll hold you forever if that's what you need."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

*I'M SORRY THIS IS SO BAD!! I haven't written in 6 months so I'm a bit rusty. That and I didn't really have a lot of muse for this chapter. But I'm really looking forward to chapter 16. I've been thinking about it since chapter 3 and started working up to it in chapter 11. I'm so excited. And y'all ain't ready for chapter 17. Y'all better prepare yourselves. I'm coming for your toes.*