(( This whole chapter just makes me think of Shane Dawson's house ( ಠ ͜ʖಠ). ))

No social media. Snap was a ghost town when it came to stories, Twitter was most likely imploding, and their view counts were skyrocketing as the internet hopped on the bandwagon. And though Lance and Keith both knew that, they didn't check.

No.

That's not what they'd set out to do on that day.

" Hey, I was gonna start up a bonfire. Would you be down for that?" Pidge asked, looking over at Lance, Keith, and Hunk. They were all sitting on the large couch in Pidge's living room.

Hunk was on Pidge's left, and to his left, Lance and Keith were sitting together. They'd just finished up watching a movie, cause at least it was something to get their minds off of it.

Keith had a bag of Takis and was crunching on them, and he shrugged.

" I think that would be fun." Hunk said.

" Me too." Lance added. He glanced over at Keith. There was only about an inch between them at that moment, and words couldn't describe how much he wished there was no space at all. No, that wasn't the alpha thinking dirty things to himself. Rather, he was affectionate in his head and had trouble hiding it. Keith didn't seem like the type of guy to be mushy, so Lance was careful how much he showed when he could help it.

Keith blushed to himself from hearing Lance speak. Yeah. That's right. He-in light of all the drama- felt very much like an omega. Normally he didn't wear his secondary gender on his sleeve, but with Lance's scent as bothered as it was, and about what the situation pertained to, he couldn't help it.

" Sweet!" Pidge grinned. " I'll call Matt and Shiro and invite them."

" Can I call Shay, too?" Hunk asked hopefully, blushing to himself.

" Well, yeah. How is your girl, by the way?" Lance inquired. Hunk, though he was a beta, was one of Lance's very best friends. It was rare for alphas to not hang around other alphas a lot. Lance was an exception to that, and got to know every little thing about him.

" She's great!" Hunk beamed. " I'll let her know that we're all getting together."

" Me too... maybe Lance and Keith can get a minute alone while we call and start up the fire?" Pidge winked at Hunk and motioned over her shoulder. Hunk chuckled and followed.

Lance stiffened and turned utterly red, and Keith ceased in eating his Takis for a moment. He coughed and looked to the side while the others left.

" Well..." The alpha chuckled.

" She's really mature... I know." Keith remarked, setting the bag he was eating from aside. The butterflies in his stomach made it hard to maintain his appetite.

" I don't mind being alone with you, though~" Lance jokingly purred, leaning by Keith's ear while doing so.

Keith was a flustered mess at that.

" I'm sure you don't." He turned and replied, trying not to seem phased. Lance wasn't fooled by it.

The credits stopped rolling on the TV, and the two were left with the Netflix home screen.

" What do you wanna watch, Princess?" Lance asked him sweetly. He was such a cheeseball in that moment, and he couldn't be saved. He'd fallen. Lance's heart had a way of tipping head over heels, but it had been practically level since Allura. Until then. After meeting Keith? Yeah, he was done for.

Keith wanted to scoot closer to Lance, slowly warm up to him. It was a risk free situation. He was still somewhat hesitant, however.

" Do... do you like anime?" Keith asked him. Now there was the question. This might've been a dealbreaker.

" Ew, no." Lance huffed, and Keith's face sank as he turned up his nose. " I LOVE anime." Lance followed with a chuckle, and Keith shoved his arm.

" Loser!" He laughed.

" You really thought I didn't like it, huh?" Lance snickered, ruffling Keith's hair.

" You're a good actor." Keith justified and folded his arms.

" Thanks~" Lance said, grabbing the remote and going to the anime section. " Pick your poison."

" Soul Eater." Keith answered without hesitation. It was his favorite of all the anime's on Netflix.

Lance gasped and blushed to himself.

" You know Soul Eater?!" He gushed, ready to hug the other from happiness. Allura had never understood why he liked anime.

Keith nodded, smiling.

After Lance switched the show on, the two were content on the couch. Keith had never been with someone who seemed to like anime as much as him. He could now say that he had.

Lance glanced over at Keith, unaware the other was already gazing at him. He sputtered and awkwardly laughed, not trying to make it weird.

Keith wanted to reach out and hold Lance's hand, but after he moved it a couple inches, he hesitated. Lance noticed, seeing that the other's fingers were twitching in anticipation. He'd do him one better.

Lance took a leap of faith and wrapped an arm around Keith, pulling the omega snugly against his side.

" C'mere." The alpha whispered, hoping no one else would see.

Keith was definitely flustered, but he liked it too much to let it show. It had been forever since he'd felt comfortable enough to cuddle with someone. He scooted closer, leaning his head on Lance's shoulder.

Lance had a dopey smile on his face after that, feeling Keith's warm body against his own. He was so comfy to hold, and the alpha was so tempted to lay him down and spoon him. That might've been way too far, though.

" Is... is this okay?" Lance murmured in Keith's ear, pulling him closer.

Keith was shocked that Lance had even asked that. He'd never heard an alpha be so compassionate about something so simple.

" Yeah." Keith told him, scooting over more so. He was almost on Lance's lap, but not quite.

" Okay... I just don't want you to feel like I'm going too fast. Tell me if you're ever uncomfortable." Lance whispered, scenting Keith again.

Consent was a basic human right and all, that much was true, but Lance getting that much consent and telling him things like that was sexy. To Keith especially, it was something that built trust. He wouldn't go so far as to call it a turn on, but it certainly was nice.

Keith nodded and stayed near the alpha, soaking up his body heat and pulling a throw blanket over them. It had been a long time since he had felt that connected with someone, romantically at least.

By the time they'd finished a couple episodes, Shiro and Matt were knocking on the door.

" I've got it!" Pidge called and went for the door, and Keith and Lance were definitely shy about being seen in that position.

Keith pulled the blanket more over them both, getting by Lance's scent gland and nuzzling closer. He was definitely a little clingy, but the alpha didn't mind it one bit. Keith's inner omega was making an appearance right then, making him crave Lance's scent and body contact. It wasn't sexual, but it was innate in a way.

Lance's heart could've burst at that. He couldn't believe Keith was cuddling him like that, being how reserved the omega was.

" Aw..." Lance remarked, keeping his arms around the other. They were definitely compatible when it came to cuddles.

" Shut up. You smell good." Keith whispered, his eyes beading as he stayed by Lance's neck. He couldn't help himself.

" Woah." Shiro said as he and Matt stepped in. They observed Lance and Keith with slightly wide eyes, not having expected that.

" Heh heh... hi, guys." Lance nervously said, not sure what Shiro's reaction would be. The other alpha had been cool with everything so far, but he didn't want to seem like he was taking advantage of Keith.

Keith pulled his face back and looked at Shiro and Matt, somewhat embarrassed. He didn't want to stop cuddling, though. He'd forgotten how good it felt to share body heat with someone.

" Hi." Matt coughed. " Are we interrupting something?"

" No, no. They're just having some alone time. The fire is out back if you all wanted to settle out there?" Pidge cut in while snickering.

" Yeah, of course." Shiro said. He was proud of Keith for actually getting close to Lance like that, and didn't want to interfere. He wrapped an arm around Matt's waist and began to walk him through the living room. Of course they knew where the fire pit was.

" We'll be out there soon." Lance let them know, and Pidge winked at them and gave a double thumbs up. As much as she wanted to fangirl, it had been a hard day, and she was sure they didn't want to deal with that.

The doorbell rang again about thirty seconds later, and Hunk came bounding from the kitchen. He grinned and opened the door, his girlfriend, Shay, standing there.

" Shay!" He beamed.

" Hey! I made cookies." The sunshiny girl replied, and Hunk looked so in love that anyone on the planet couldn't top it. He stared at the plate of clearly homemade treats and ushered her in.

" Ah, that's why we're meant to be soulmates." He sighed happily, and Shay smiled. She noticed Lance and Keith on the couch and blushed.

" Er-" She stammered. " Hi, Lance."

" Oh, you probably haven't met Keith?" Hunk spoke.

Keith and Lance looked over, and Shay shook her head to say no.

" What's up, Shay? This is Keith..." Lance greeted, and Keith turned over his shoulder.

" Hi. I'm Keith."

" I just said that." Lance snickered.

" They're dating. I'm sure you've heard by now." Hunk chuckled, and Shay nodded.

" Nice to meet you." She said, and she almost dropped the plate of cookies once Hunk hugged her. It was adorable, though. The couple was so soft in their actions that it didn't much matter. They went into the kitchen, leaving Lance and Keith alone again.

" I didn't take you for the cuddly type." Lance quietly said, his eyes sinking to stare at Keith.

" I'm not." Keith denied.

" Hm? Really... cause it kind of feels like you're in my lap right now, Princess~" Lance teased.

" You're mistaken." Keith huffed, and Lance deadpanned.

" Totally." The alpha sarcastically responded. And after a few more moments of silence, Lance peered around Keith's shoulder to make eye contact with him. " We should probably head out to the fire, hm?"

Keith knew that they would have to, as much as he would've liked to stay right next to Lance and soak up his warmth. He was so cozy and comforting that it was hard to resist.

" I guess." Keith spoke quietly, looking back at Lance. His neck was craned at just the right angle, and their faces were only a couple inches apart.

There was another period of silence, and Lance found himself leaning closer without even realizing. Keith definitely noticed, and he pulled back before Lance could kiss him.

" Let's go." The omega nervously stammered, getting up. Too fast.

Way too fast. 

No kisses yet, though Keith found the thought racking around in his brain. He had to be careful, and that was just how it was.

Lance perked up, then his mind scrambled as he figured out what had almost just happened. He got to his feet swiftly.

" Y-yeah, right." He said, leading the way to the kitchen. Had he almost just gone through with that? Lance mentally kicked himself and tried to rein in his inner alpha. Keith didn't seem like he was ready for that sort of thing quite yet. Cuddles weren't an invitation for their lips and tongues to mingle, as much as Lance's instincts insisted they were.

" Do you think Pidge has drinks out there?" Keith asked. They were all 21 and above, so they often did have some fun with alcohol when getting together.

" Probably." Lance shrugged, though he was all worked up inside. He had to be mindful with Keith. He already liked him a lot, and messing things up would've taken a massive toll on him. He couldn't let that happen.

The two walked out through the sliding glass doors in the back, Lance overthinking the whole way there.

" Look who decided to show up." Matt teased the two. Their whole group of friends was sitting in foldable chairs, gathered in a circle around the firepit, which was alive with crackles and orange flames.

" Would you look at that... there's only one chair left." Pidge looked to the only empty chair. It was a purple one between herself and Hunk.

Lance looked over to Keith.

" Uh- it's okay! I'll stand." He offered, putting his hands in his pockets. Pressuring Keith? Nope, not this soft boi. Lance was fine standing as long as Keith was comfortable. It wasn't like his legs were broken.

" Or we could just share..." Keith murmured, glancing to the alpha shyly.

Lance blushed darkly, his thoughts blanking for a second.

" Or- yeah. Totally." He said, sitting down in the chair. Keith cozied up on his lap, and it made Lance wonder... why was Keith alright with that, but not with kisses yet? He didn't have a problem with it by any regard, it was just that he was confused about where the boundaries were. Was there a line in the sand? Was he missing something?

" You two are such dorks." Shiro chuckled from his chair, which was across the fire from them.

" Me?!" Lance gasped, wrapping his arms around Keith carefully. " Says the one who's burning their marshmallow right now..."

Shiro looked down at the stick he had, a marshmallow currently engulfed by flames at the end of it. His eyes bulged and he pulled it out of the fire, frantically blowing it out and seeing it was charred black by then.

He pouted.

Matt laughed from the chair beside him, having to smother himself.

" I'm sorry, Babe." He snorted.

Shiro looked over at Matt with a devastated expression.

" Rip Shiro's marshmallow, 2K19." Lance laughed.

" Do you want another one?" Matt asked him, unable to resist the other's puppy dog eyes. Shiro held up an empty bag, as there were none left. He was being dramatic to get attention from his omega, since it was the most fun he could have: messing with Matt.

" Oh, there's more inside." Pidge pointed back to her house.

Matt took Shiro's hand and pulled the very large man to his feet. They were going to get some more if Shiro was so disappointed. Shiro squeezed the other's hand and smiled to himself, then moved to drape his arm around the omega on the way inside.

Pidge shook her head. As much as she loved her brother and Shiro's relationship, they weren't exactly subtle. She took a sip of the mini bottle she'd brought out with her. It was about a shot and a half's worth of Fireball, but she was nursing it. Someone her size couldn't go drinking fast and hard without blacking out. She was a lightweight by any standard.

" Did you have drinks and stuff out here or...?" Lance asked. After the way his day had started out, and the way drama was rippling across the internet, it wouldn't have been unreasonable for him to want a buzz.

" They're in the fridge. Sorry." Pidge chuckled. " You can go help yourself if you want."

" That'd be a crime... don't you see how comfy Keith is?" Lance replied and rested his chin on Keith's shoulder, smiling toward him, witnessing the blush that had taken hold on the other's face.

" Lance." Keith tried to say.

" Yes?"

" I'm fine. Let's go." Keith got up, looking down at the alpha. It would've only taken a minute or two, and he didn't mind. Keith would've just had to watch how much he drank, since he was his own ride home.

Lance decided since Keith was already up, it was fine. He took the omega's hand upon getting to his feet, walking inside with him. He laced their fingers together, and Keith squeezed his hand more so. To some people, holding hands wouldn't have been enough, but for Lance, he knew that it was pushing it for Keith. His Mamà had always told him never to kiss anyone before the third date, but he wondered what Keith's thoughts were on that. He felt bad about earlier, like there was an awkwardness that had been growing between them ever since.

As they reached the sliding glass door, Lance swallowed his nerves and stopped Keith from opening it just yet.

" Keith..."

Keith looked over to Lance questionably, arching a brow. The light from inside glimmered in his eyes, and Lance definitely saw.

" I just wanted to say sorry... for earlier." Lance gulped, rubbing his thumb over Keith's palm. " I... I can respect your boundaries, I wasn't trying to-"

" Lance, what are you so nervous for? I'm not mad." Keith cut in. And that much was true. He wasn't angry or scared, just not ready yet. He knew most alpha's wouldn't have put up with a kissaphobic omega, and that it was asking a lot, but he also knew when the moment was right, he would feel it.

" Well..." Lance mumbled. " I just... I don't know. I don't want to rush you. I don't know everything that happened, and I'm not gonna ask unless you want me to know, but until then... all I can do is what you're okay with. I'll get better..."

In that moment Keith almost changed his mind, but shook the thoughts away. Not yet.

" You'll know sometime... just not now." Keith answered, his gaze pointing down for a moment.

" And I'm perfectly fine with that." Lance told him, reaching down and running his hand through Keith's hair. He caught Keith's eye contact again and smiled softly. It was contagious, as Keith's lips lifted up slightly as well.

The two made their way inside through the sliding glass doors, greeted with the kitchen before them. Keith walked over to the fridge, pulling it open. There were some hard ales, hard lemonades, and some beer.

" What'll it be?" He asked Lance.

Lance peeked into the fridge, about to answer before there was a thump. Keith jumped, as did the alpha as their eyes cut over to the walk-in pantry. Their eyes were wide as they heard something, both of them instantly wishing they could unhear it.

" Daddy..."

" You started it."

" Are you gonna finish it, though?~"

Keith would've dropped something if he was holding it, but since he wasn't, his jaw dropped instead. Lance coughed loudly, wanting Shiro and Matt to know that they weren't alone.

There was a moment of silence.

" OH! There's the m-marshmallows! Right, Sh-Shiro?!" Matt exclaimed, laughing.

Keith turned back to the fridge, trying to tune it out. Knowing it involved his brother made him feel exponentially uncomfortable.

" Lance?" Keith asked, nodding at the drinks in the fridge. Lance was broken from his frozen state, snapping back to Keith and telling him lemonade. God... even though those were his friends in there, he was having a hard time.

They'd just been over it... Keith... Keith had boundaries. He couldn't think about him in a position like that, even if his instincts wanted it to happen so badly. If Lance's inner alpha would've had its way, Lance would've had Keith at his place right then, making out with him while they pretended they'd only planned on watching Netflix. Keith's clothes would've been a distant memory, and Lance's hands would've had free range over every inch of the omega's skin.

Lance didn't want that, not yet. And taming his instincts was becoming more and more difficult as he came to realize something. He'd completely fallen for Keith. Every part of him.

(( ...

WHO WANTS MORE KINKY SHIRO AND MATT?

( ͡~ ͜ʖ ͡°) ))