Lance: Hey, I'm on my way

Keith: Do you still have the address I sent you earlier?

Lance: Why yes of course ;)

Keith looked at himself in the mirror, sighing quietly and standing up from his vanity seat. It had a red upholstered cushion on it, and was the most comfortable chair ever. He was sad to not sit in it anymore, but not just because of that reason. It was also because he was reminded of his dates with James.

He shook away the thoughts and tried to focus on the present. His hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail, and he wore a black and baggy sweatshirt. It was long enough to cover his ass when he was standing, so nobody could get a look at him through his leggings.

Keith hated the idea of the general public sexualizing him, so he was careful when he planned his outfits. Too careful. It was plainly obvious to see that he'd been hurt before, judging from the way he went about things and lived his life, but he hid it the best he could.

Lance was a fresh start, or so Keith hoped.

He took his phone, seeing the message and feeling his heart beating faster. He could do this. He wanted to, for himself, for everyone who'd ever been in a situation similar to him.

...

Lance had pulled through the gates, which Keith opened at the front of his property. His car was purring until he shut off the engine and stopped by the front door. It wasn't a mansion, but it was definitely a nice place by any standard.

He looked in his rear view mirror, slicking his hair back with his hand in a nervous gesture. His eyes fell down upon his outfit, and the pair of blue jeans and high tops he wore. His blue Champion hoodie was casual enough, he thought.

After checking his breath, Lance stepped out of the vehicle. His heart was beating out of his chest and his hands were jittery as he hid them under his sleeves and folded them over his knuckles. He hadn't been on a date with a guy since high school. It would definitely be different, but he hoped that it would be so in a good way.

As an alpha, Lance knew that he'd most likely be making some of the first moves. Wait. First moves?! He wasn't planning on having sex with him right then- he was over thinking it all. He shook his head and knocked on the door, clearing his throat in a flustered way.

Sex? Lance hadn't had it since his last date with Allura, many months before. He didn't want it on his mind when he was with Keith, and tried his best to shoo the pesky thoughts away.

The door slowly creaked open, Keith peeking out from behind the wood. Lance smiled excitedly, feeling himself getting more worked up. The scent of the omega slapped him in the face, but in a delightful way. It was like what a campfire and s'mores would smell like, and Lance felt his heart flutter. He sincerely hoped that this would work.

" Hey, Keith..." Lance greeted, and he had to admit, he was seeing him in a whole different light than before. Even after their texts and chats, he hadn't prepared himself for seeing how cute the omega was.

Keith opened it more so, blushing lightly.

" Hey-"

Scampering was heard from behind him, and Keith's eyes widened as Kosmo came running past him and pounced on Lance. The alpha nearly fell over, considering the husky was bigger than he himself was.

" Wah!" He exclaimed, and Kosmo panted happily, licking his face and pawing at him in a friendly way.

" Kosmo! No!" Keith scolded and helped pull the very large dog off of him. He was laughing nervously, not having expected his pet to do that. Especially after he'd called Matt and Shiro over to pet sit for the night. They were in the living room right that second, having let the dog out! Keith would have to give them a talking to. " Sorry!" Keith said, and Lance chuckled to himself.

" It's fine. He's a cutie." Lance responded and knelt down so that he could give him some petting and scratching behind the ears.

Shiro and Matt peered out from behind the living room wall and spied on the two, and when Lance looked up, he saw that the couple was there. Maybe it wasn't enough of an indicator that Shiro's car was in the driveway, but whatever.

Keith sent Kosmo back toward Shiro, and Lance was thrown off his game somewhat. He hadn't anticipated being interrupted like that.

" S-so..." Keith stammered, mentally kicking himself. " You ready to go?"

The smaller male's eyes kept falling over Lance's body, and the way that he could somehow make a simple sweatshirt and pair of American Eagle jeans look hot. His chestnut brown hair looked soft yet styled, and Keith was already getting a whiff of his scent. It was fresh, yet strong like palm trees and sandy beaches.

" The real question is... are you?" Lance asked in a flirtatious way. He was starting to get a hold of himself again, and though the atmosphere was still a little awkward, it was cute. Keith was cute.

Keith took that as a challenge.

" Of course." He said, stepping out more so. When he glanced over his shoulder, Shiro nodded at him reassuringly. He knew that his older brother had the information on where he was going, who he was with, and would immediately know if something wasn't right. Not that Shiro was worried about Lance, but Keith wanted to be sure nobody would try and hurt him again.

Lance didn't take Keith's hand quite yet, but he waved at Shiro before they shut the door. Crickets chirped in the background as the pair approached Lance's blue Jeep, the one with tinted windows. It would've been sketchy if he was a normal person, but he and Keith both respected their privacy, and both understood it.

Lance opened Keith's passenger door, and Keith, who hadn't been expecting him to, accidentally bumped into the alpha.

" Oh, uh- sorry." The omega said, and Lance blushed, stammering like a flustered idiot.

" No problemo." He tried to play it off and flash him a smile, and Keith felt his face heating up while taking a seat in the car.

There was an awkward silence when Lance got in the driver's seat, but the alpha wasn't about to let it last.

" So... it's nice to meet you. Like, in this context I mean." Lance said, looking over to Keith and seeing the way he'd crossed his legs and folded his arms. He looked vulnerable almost, but the tiny smile he had betrayed his body language.

" Yeah. It's cool to see you cleaned up, and not melting Barbie Dolls with a blow torch." Keith joked.

" You say it like it's a bad thing, but you still watched those videos, hm?~" The alpha purred back. It wasn't a sexual type of purr, but more like one that could make Keith's hair stand on end and his omega instincts quake. It just proved that Keith had been on Lance's channel and watched his stuff, which filled Lance with pride.

" You got me there." Keith said, and Lance only smirked to himself more.

More silence for a few moments.

" Are you going to tell me where we're going now?" Lance asked, glancing over to him. His eyes were taking notice of Keith's outfit, and how not much of his body figure was recognizable through the extra fabric. He didn't mind. In fact, it let him know a few things about Keith, or rather, he inferred things. He assumed Keith would be shy and quiet, but boy, he was in for it.

" How about you let me give you directions?" Keith chuckled. " I told you it was a surprise."

" C'monnnnn!" Lance begged.

" Go left out of the driveway." Keith pointed. He saw Lance giving him puppy dog eyes, and felt himself wanting to give in. He didn't, though. As hot and adorable as the alpha may have been, Keith wanted him to be surprised.

" Fine." Lance pouted.

The whole way there, the energy in the car was a constant and alive thing. Whenever the two caught the other's eye contact, they would blush. It was a toss up as to who was more red by the time they were halfway there.

With the drive into LA being long, the two couldn't just sit and not talk the whole time. It was a date, after all.

" So..." Lance began. The two were currently on the freeway, stuck in traffic. Lights were seen around them, horns honking occasionally, and the sky was painted purple from the sunset that was dying out. " What made you swipe back on me?"

Keith looked over to Lance, slowly uncrossing his arms without realizing.

" You... didn't seem scary like a lot of the other guys who swipe me." Keith spoke.

" Scary?" Lance arched a curious brow.

" You know, like- jacked. All muscled out." Keith tried to say, but then he realized how it sounded and he began to stammer. " N-not to say that you don't have muscles! I- uh!" He facepalmed.

Lance would've been offended, but not when Keith was so cute while fumbling like that. He continued staring at him, looking slightly smug and waiting for the flustered omega to finish.

" You're hot I guess." Keith pinched the bridge of his nose. He had never mentally slapped himself so hard before.

Lance was enjoying himself too much. He scooted a little closer, as much as his seatbelt would allow.

" Thanks~" He said, and Keith covered his mouth while trying to get a hold of himself. Maybe it was just him, but he'd forgotten how to flirt. Either that, or Lance was too hot and was making his brain short circuit.

" Why'd you super-like me?" Keith asked, wanting to change the subject before he could explode or worse.

Lance hadn't been expecting that, and the rosy pigment on his cheeks took over more so. He pondered for a moment. It wasn't just because Pidge had been there and set them up, as much as he might've liked to make that excuse. It was more that he'd always sort of looked up to Keith, despite them only having an age gap of a few months.

" I think... just because you were always there. I started my channel because of you..." Lance admitted.

" Me?" Keith's eyes widened slightly. " What did I have to do with that?" He was dumbfounded, and right as Lance was about to respond, there was a loud noise. A horn from behind them was beeped for a solid five seconds, and they turned to see that the cars were moving again. The two had been so focused on each other that Lance had forgotten to drive.

Lance was quick to fix it and keep driving, and about twenty minutes later, Keith had directed him to the tiny Korean Restaurant. It was busy, despite the building not being very big. And it wasn't sketchy at all, like some restaurants of that size could be in the city. It was cleanly and even from the back parking lot, the two could smell the food.

Keith stepped out of the Jeep, and Lance was gonna get the door, but he'd been beaten to it. He awkwardly shoved his hands in his pockets, blushing and pursing his lips. His alpha instincts made him want to guide Keith in, or take his hand, but he didn't want to make the other uncomfortable.

He only looked up at the bright orange, light up sign. New Seoul, Korean Food. That was what it read, and he realized that he'd never really had anything like that to eat before.

" Do you come here a lot?" Lance inquired, seeing the sparkle in the other's eyes. Keith nodded and smiled.

" Let's head in." The omega said, walking forward, and Lance took a second before following him. A whoosh of cool air hit them as they stepped through the double doors, Lance making sure to get the door for Keith. He loved to think of himself as a gentleman, and Keith seemed to get more flustered by it, so it only drove his actions more so.

A polite Asian lost greeted the two at the front, and there didn't seem to be a wait.

" For two?"

Lance and Keith each gave a blushy nod. They were told to follow the man back, which they did. There was a booth in the very back of the restaurant where they were sat, and Keith was fidgeting under the table out of nervousness. He was a regular customer there, and he wondered if the staff would notice he was on a date. It didn't matter that much though.

Menus were set down at their table, as well as waters. Their newly appeared waitress winked at Keith supportively while leaving the two, and Keith stared at his lap, flustered for a moment. She was the one who usually waited on him.

Lance went to cross his legs under the table, accidentally bumping into Keith's leg. His eyes bulged.

" Oops." The alpha said with an apologetic look.

" You're fine." Keith assured, feeling his cheeks boiling. He had forgotten what it felt like to sit across the table from someone, what it felt like to have a handsome alpha take him out. He had to say, he liked it. Lance seemed really polite so far, and not overly macho. Keith wondered if that would change as they got to know each other better, though.

" So..." Lance spoke a little while later. " Why do you come here so much?"

" Well, I'm actually a fourth Korean, so I like eating the traditional foods they have here. It makes me feel like I'm in touch with my culture, you know?" Keith answered, tucking some hair behind his ear in a cute gesture. Lance noticed, swallowing thickly and trying to not let it get to him too much.

" That's actually really cool. I'm over half Cuban, and my Mamá always tried to keep us in touch with our roots, too." The alpha smiled, and he felt Keith's legs by his own under the table. It was like the two were playing an unconscious game of footsie, but not an aggressive one.

" Us?" Keith questioned, arching an eyebrow.

" Yeah. I have three other siblings." Lance elaborated, beaming. It was clear at that point that he loved talking about his family, and Keith noted that. " I have an older brother named Marco, a little sister, Veronica, and a little brother, Luis."

" Your parents must be really proud." Keith took a sip of his water.

Lance looked down for a moment.

" Yeah, she is..." He said quietly. Keith realized he'd assumed too much.

" Oh, I'm sorry- I..." He stammered.

" No, no... it's okay. It happened when I was little." Lance assured him, looking back up. He didn't seem glum, or happy. It was a neutral sort of expression that he wore, but it didn't make it any less heartbreaking. " He was a good man... so we don't grieve him. We just celebrate the fact that he was around to raise us for as long as he was."

Keith was silent for a moment, knowing the feeling of losing a parent all too well.

" Anyways." Lance changed the subject, mustering a smile and not wanting to focus on it. " You're going to have to help me decipher this menu. I have no idea what I'm reading." He chuckled.

" Oh. Yeah." Keith said and opened his up. The foods were written in English characters, so he could read them.

" What do you normally get here?" Lance asked.

" Uh- probably the bulgogi with a side of kimchi." The omega replied, and Lance still seemed confused. " Basically it's like beef barbecue with some fermented veggies on the side."

" Okay, bet. I'm down." Lance smiled. He was really fine with anything so long as he got to share a meal with Keith.

He went to unwrap his straw, smirking to himself while ripping the end off. He blew it at Keith as a way of lightening the mood.

The straw wrapper landed on Keith's shoulder, and he snickered while going for his own straw. Luckily he hadn't unwrapped it yet.

" Oh, it's on..." The omega laughed. Right as he was about to blow it at Lance, the waitress showed up. Keith and Lance both became flustered and blushed.

" Are you both ready to order?" She asked, winking at Keith.

Keith coughed and nodded. And after he and Lance had stumbled their way through ordering, and she'd gone back to place their order, the two were still blushing messes of people.

Lance got over it a little quicker, staring at Keith from across the table with a mushy look.

" Has anyone ever told you how cute your blush is?" He asked, and Keith tensed up somewhat.

Lance found a straw wrapper bouncing off of his face.

" Shush." Keith snickered. He had never been the best at receiving compliments, and Lance was coming to figure that out.

The alpha didn't complain, only smiled more. He took in how cute Keith looked with his nose piercing and wondered if he was more rebellious than he came off as. He wondered what was hiding under the baggy clothes, and- woah! Nope. Derail. Not the time for such thoughts.

Right as Keith was about to talk again, there was a squeal from the other side of the restaurant. There was a group of three girls, each of them holding up their phones and pointing at the two.

Keith was normally nice to fans, but he couldn't help but find them pesky when he was on dates.

Lance shrugged it off.

" Don't mind them." The alpha said, and he reached over to take Keith's hand gently. He fended off getting flustered about it, giving in to his instincts at least for a moment.

Keith was heating up from the inside out once he felt their fingers laced together. It was such an odd, yet fulfilling feeling. Part of him wanted to pull back and let go, the paranoid side that wondered if Lance was about to drag him somewhere and-... do something. The rest of Keith took a deep breath, though, and knew that he liked the feeling of holding his hand. It was innocent. Innocent was safe, and safe was good.

" Your hand is really warm." Keith chuckled, looking over at Lance with blush staining his cheeks.

" Maybe yours is just cold~" Lance purred jokingly. He'd always run hot, always been like a literal space heater.

" Omg! Omg they're holding hands-" Was whispered and squealed between the girls, and Keith looked over to see them snapping pictures. Now there was the downside to being an influencer. If anything needed to stay secret, it needed to stay in the house. But Keith was too scared to be home with Lance just yet. In private environments... it was much easier for him to pull something.

Lance ignored them, still focusing on Keith.

" Tell me more about yourself... I want to know the little things." He smiled.

Keith stammered at first.

" Well, I'm Keith, I'm 22, I have a YouTube channel... I do SFX makeup, conspiracy videos, and anything else people ask-"

" That's sort of common knowledge." Lance chuckled. " What's something I wouldn't know about you, hm?~"

" I don't know... I like horror movies and I have a major sweet tooth." Keith shrugged lightly, not yet letting go of Lance's hand. " Shiro is always having to tell me to cut back on the cupcakes." He laughed.

" That's adorable." Lance smirked.

" Sh-Shut up..." Keith stuttered and looked to the side, blushing. " No I'm not."

" False."

" Fine." Keith said, narrowing his eyes and finding them falling over Lance again. " Then you're hot." He retorted.

Lance was a blushing mess at that, and he was thankful that the waitress brought their food. They'd ordered the same thing, but only because Lance wasn't versed in Korean food.

" Smells good." The alpha commented, not hesitating while going in with his fork, stabbing some of the kimchi first.

Keith watched Lance, trying not to laugh. He bit his lip at the other's hilarious reactions to the food. It was a game of anticipation as Lance forked some into his mouth.

" What do you think?" Keith asked, cutting up a piece of beef from his bulgogi while watching.

Lance moaned in his throat.

" That's so good." He slumped over in the booth somewhat, and Keith wondered if the alpha was gonna orgasm from the look on his face.

" Glad you like it." The omega spoke before eating some of his own.

And for the rest of their date there, the two were having the time of their lives, gabbing, eating, and learning. By the time the bill was placed on the table, the they ready to squabble about who paid.

" Mine." Lance tried to take it.

" No, no." Keith insisted, trying to pull the check over.

" Not today, princess." Lance smirked and got a hold of it. " This one's on me."

Keith folded his arms.

" I'm getting the next one..." He muttered.

Lance perked up, pausing with his wallet in hand.

" So there's going to be a next one?" He purred. Keith blushed immediately, not even having realized what he'd said.

" Uh- I mean-" The omega coughed, covering his face. Lance chuckled to himself, internally cheering once he saw that. So Keith liked him back? Win. He'd already been swooning about how well things had went.

" C'mon... let's go." Lance stood, and Keith's eyes bulged when he saw that Lance had left a fifty dollar bill in the check.

" Woah, did you mean to put that much?" Keith asked, getting up as well.

Lance nodded, and he made sure Keith was by his side as the two began making their way out.

" Pay it forward." The alpha smiled, looking over at Keith.

Okay.

Generosity had never been so hot before. Keith felt weak in the knees for a second, but didn't let it get the better of him. He had just never been with anyone so warm... Lance's aura and whole demeanor spoke to who he was.

They stepped out into the warm night air, and Lance stared down and over at the omega.

" Can... can I hold your hand again?" He asked.

Keith felt his heart skip a beat.

" I mean- only if you want to." Lance added, laughing to himself nervously. He was so busy doing that, that he was almost caught off guard when Keith took his hand, lacing their fingers together gently.

" I-"

Snap. Flash. Bright.

The pair cringed back, the backs of their eyes stained from the cameras flashing at them. Believe it or not, YouTubers were frequent targets of the paparazzi.

" Lance, Keith, is this a date?!"

" Are you two a couple?"

It was one thing when a small group of girls was fangirling in a restaurant, but a whole 'nother when groups of people had cameras and were most likely looking for tea.

" Come on, Keith." Lance tugged Keith with him, hoping that they could just get to his car, where the windows were tinted. He knew he should've just offered for Keith to come to his place, but no, and now there would be headlines all over by morning.

Keith walked fast to keep up, dizzied from all the lights. He soon found it harder to do so as Lance pulled him quicker.

" Just ignore them." Lance said, relieved once they reached his Jeep. He opened the door for Keith and helped the omega in before getting in on the driver's side.

The two both sighed in unison, not having meant to.

" Well..." Keith said.

" It's alright." Lance assured. " What do you say I take you home, hm?"

Keith pulled out his phone to check the time, seeing it had gotten late. As much as he might've liked to stay out with Lance, he didn't want to push it on the first date.

He nodded, and the paparazzi were a distant memory as Lance started the Jeep and pulled out of the parking stall. The two were still holding hands, gentle and in a harmless way. Who knew something so simple would feel so good?

Even though the ride back was relatively silent, it was peaceful and positive. The atmosphere was buzzing with infatuation and potential.

Keith almost couldn't believe how relieved he was when they got home. It wasn't because it was a 'long night' or that the date was hard. Not at all. It was more so a weight off of his shoulders, because Lance had been such a gentleman.

" I..." Keith began. " I had a good time tonight."

" Yeah, me too." Lance smiled softly. It was written all over his face how mushy he was for the omega.

That would've been the moment where they kissed if it was a movie. But it wasn't a movie, and Keith definitely wasn't the type to kiss on the first date.

" Maybe... we could do this again. Soon."

" Of course." Lance spoke softly, and he couldn't contain his blush. Part of him debated on whether or not to lean in and seal the night with a kiss, but he didn't. Lance could tell that the other wasn't okay with that yet, and it was just fine. " I'll call you tomorrow."

Keith nodded, and he squeezed Lance's hand before getting out, saying goodnight, shutting the car door, and heading inside of the house.

Kosmo's paws were heard scratching the hardwood as the husky dashed toward the door.

" He's back!" Matt exclaimed, and he and Shiro were quick to come out and greet Keith. They were like excited parents standing there, like Krolia might've been getting a run for her money.

" How'd it go?" Shiro asked, hopeful.

Keith leaned his back on the door and slid down it, smiling brightly and petting the dog.

" Great."

(( Gahhh! I can't handle how soft Klance is in this book >~<! Also... can people stop asking so much about my update schedule? Dates and times stress me out. I try for 2-3 times a week, but still. Thanks.))