{ If someone's trying to role play Soul Eater or Banana Fish with me DM me on Instagram. Sorry I have too many Klance ones already.

@soki._.kun

I've been trying to find a role play partner for these ones for a long time but no one seems to want to ;-;

But anyways, enjoy the chapter and the CHARACTER DEVELOPMENTTTTTT~~!! }

Shiro's stomach was tied in knots as he and Matt sat at their table. They'd booked a private room at Marmora's for all of them, as to avoid the paparazzi and minimize the chance of the public eavesdropping. If the public heard what Shiro and Matt were announcing to their friends, it would've been absolutely anything but pretty. It would blow up all over Twitter and conspiracy videos would soon follow, and it was pretty much a given that drama channels would hop all over it.

" It'll be okay." Matt assured him, and Shiro nodded. " Pidge already knows. We're just telling everyone else."

" Right, but this is going to be big news for them. Keith is my brother and I'm basically telling him that he's going to be an uncle." Shiro explained. Fuck... he had to stop worrying so much before he went nuts.

" I'm sure he'll be really happy." Matt smiled and leaned closer, resting on Shiro's shoulder.

" Hey." Pidge said as she arrived to the room. She was wearing a nice button up shirt and khakis, smiling as well. Hunk and Shay walked in behind her, both of them also dressed up nicely. Hunk had on a yellow plaid button up and Shay was wearing a turquoise dress, her short hair curled up by her jawline and her ears sporting large hoop bangles.

" Hey, thanks for coming." Matt said, and Pidge pulled out a chair next to him. She was so excited that she could hardly contain it, looking like she might've burst.

" Of course." Shay smiled.

" You think I'd pass up eating food with friends?" Hunk chuckled. " Never."

" Where are Lance and Keith?" Shiro asked.

" They're coming. I talked to Keith earlier." Pidge said. She was honestly still worried about the whole James situation, but was trying her best not to show it. Still, though, she was a good friend and thinking of Keith and how to help him. If the omega ever needed anything, she'd told him that he could ask no matter what.

...

Keith and Lance were sitting in the parking lot of Marmora's and holding hands. The smaller male had been more than a little clingy that day and he had yet to realize it or do anything about it, but it wasn't like Lance minded.

" We need to head inside, KitKat..." Lance murmured from the driver's seat.

" I know... I just am trying to focus myself before we do." Keith told him. Truth was, he wanted to be there for his brother and he would've done anything for him. He wanted to make sure he was in the right frame of mind before going in there and seeing everyone. Any thoughts of James needed to be clear from his head.

The two had been off of social media for a while, not wanting to let that cloud things. Lance knew if he saw a million stories about James being out, he would've actually blown up and lost his temper. He hadn't even checked YouTube for two days, knowing that the drama channels would've been all over it by then. Damn, they sure were annoying.

It was a few minutes later before Keith said he was good and they exited the Jeep. And he truly was fine. When Lance was by his side, there wasn't anything that he couldn't do. After taking some deep breaths, they entered the building.

If Keith really thought about it, his life had actually been going well. He and Lance were moving in together and they were filming this amazing series for their fans. And he had been resilient from everything that had happened. Keith realized in that moment that he had nothing to be sad about. He realized that he could fight instead of cower from James, and would do everything he could to get him thrown in jail permanently.

He would be happy and enjoy his time with Lance any way he wanted, do everything he wanted with him, prove it all. Keith had a freedom to do whatever he wanted.

" What's that smile for?" Lance teased, pinching Keith's cheek and chuckling somewhat. It had been a while since he'd seen the other with that expression on his face. It was nearly a total opposite of what Keith had just looked like.

Keith smiled down at his feet and blushed.

" Nothing, Babe..." He told him, and Lance shook his head. He'd never understand him and had given up on trying at that point, but that was the beauty in it all.

A waiter showed them to the private room and people watched them the whole time, whispering about who Lance and Keith were. That was just the life of a famous person and they had it figured out by then.

" Look who finally decided to show up." Matt joked as Lance and Keith strolled in, late.

Keith snickered and he and Lance sat down.

" We lost track of time. Sorry." Lance said, reaching to hold Keith's hand under the table. Meanwhile, Shiro was still freaking out across the table. Looking at him, it wasn't obvious at all. He seemed as cool as a cucumber, but inside, it was the total opposite. He wondered what everyone's reactions would be, and there was always that irrational fear that their fans would overhear somehow and tweet about it.

" Could I start you all off with some drinks and appetizers at all?" Their waitress asked.

Drinks were almost all alcoholic besides Hunk and Shay. They rarely drank unless it was for one of Lance's spooky videos.

They also ended up getting the onion rings, along with the cheesy spinach dip.

After their drinks arrived, no one was really sure what to speak about. Keith looked across the table and saw his brother breaking into a nervous sweat, knowing that something big was about to happen. Was the collection launching? No. Shiro wouldn't call everyone there for business like that. It had to be something else.

" So... Shiro, what's the occasion?" Keith asked. His curiosity was getting the better of him in that moment.

Shiro felt like his tie was constricting his neck as he gulped and Matt grasped his hand. The omega was beginning to think that Shiro wouldn't be able to tell everyone while keeping his composure, despite how out of character that would've been for him. Fatherhood was something that had already changed Shiro somewhat.

" Well..." Matt began, and Shiro's very large hand migrated over to rest on Matt's tummy.

Pidge watched the two of them in anticipation, just wanting to hear the words come from their mouths. She was so happy that she was going to be an aunt. She would be willing to fight everyone for babysitting rights, too. 

" Shiro and I... wanted to tell you all something important." Matt announced.

Hunk raised a brow and Lance was finally starting to figure things out on the other end of the table.

" What is it?" Shay asked, very interested.

" Matt is-" Shiro stammered. " We're having a baby!"

Hunk gasped and Lance grinned, and Keith seemed content while looking his brother in the eyes.

" About time." Keith said. " You've wanted kids for so long."

" Congratulations!" Hunk wept and wiped tears from his eyes, blubbering.

" You both will be great parents." Lance told them both, prouder than he would've ever thought.

" Thank you, everyone. It was finally the right time." Matt said, and Shiro looked like he was going to cry for a moment there. He thankfully held himself together, though.

The waitress arrived with the appetizers and everyone pigged out on them, Keith especially. It was like he couldn't eat enough food. Maybe he was just starving because he was happy. Okay... that didn't make much sense, though. He tried not to think about it.

" So," Shiro began. After getting the news off of his chest, he felt much better. The weight of the world was off of him and he wanted to hear about everyone else. " Does anyone else have anything exciting going on?"

" Well, I made a triple decker PB and J this morning." Pidge laughed.

" Nice." Matt replied and high fived her.

Keith and Lance looked at each other, then at everyone else, then back toward each other again. Would that have been a good time to tell people? After all, this was just their inner circle. It wasn't like they would be telling the whole world about their pre-bond and whatnot.

" I think we do." Lance said, smiling at his omega.

" Don't tell me Keith's pregnant, too." Pidge said.

" No." Keith chuckled.

" Actually... Keith asked me to move in with him. And after the series, I am." Lance blushed, squeezing the smaller male's hand even more. He was a little nervous to be telling Shiro that, but whatever. He knew the older brother would accept it.

" Awww!" Pidge gushed. " Finally!"

Hunk smiled softly and looked over at the couple.

" What made you ask him? Just curious."

Keith felt his throat go dry. It was definitely difficult to say it out loud to other people, but he knew he had to. Romelle hadn't helped him figure it out for nothing.

" We... we have a pre-bond." The omega admitted.

Matt and Shiro had wide eyes upon hearing that. It seemed soon for their bodies to already be responding like that, but they also knew that they couldn't doubt them. They could tell that Keith was serious.

" That's great. You two deserve to be happy." Shiro told him, and Keith smiled. His big brother's support always had a way of making him feel even better about anything.

The rest of the appetizers were polished off soon enough, and Keith felt like it was getting hotter in the room. He figured it might've been the lights or the candles on the table, but either way... it didn't matter.

Keith rested his hand on Lance's thigh as they sat there, and he had started to lean his head onto his alpha's shoulder.

" You okay?" Lance asked under his breath. Keith nodded, but he couldn't help but let his hand hover over Lance.

Dinner wrapped up about an hour after that, and Keith had a bead of sweat rolling down his forehead as they were in the parking lot, saying their goodbyes to everyone. When Shiro hugged Keith goodbye, that was when he knew something was off. That smell was something that served as a memory from his childhood.

He caught Lance alone as Keith sat in the passenger seat.

" What's up, Shiro?" Lance asked, his hand on the handle of the driver's side door. And Shiro didn't want to make a spectacle of it, being that they were in public.

" You need to get him home. Don't go anywhere else. And before it happens, you need to figure out if he wants you to stay or go." Shiro whispered, and Lance was confused at first, glancing over his shoulder to look at Keith in the car. He wasn't quite sure what to make of it, wondering if maybe Keith was sick from worrying.

" What's going on?" Lance asked.

" He is going to hit a heat soon. I don't know what triggered it or why it's here early, but I know it's coming. It smells just like when he was younger and had his first one at home." Shiro told him.

Lance's eyes bulged.

Heat?! Keith always had those meticulously planned out and never left the house before one. Was it possible that the stress from James had triggered one?

Lance looked Shiro in the eyes and there seemed to be some sort of mutual alpha concern between them. It was like they both knew what had to happen next, but were keeping their cool for the sake of the public.

" Shiro... will he be able to tell me what he really wants? Or is it too late?" Lance asked.

Shiro peered around and looked at his brother and thought about it. Keith was coherent, even if his body temperature was rising. It was probably just now sinking in for Keith about what was happening, and Shiro figured that much.

" Yes. You can take him at his word for now, but don't wait more than an hour. Promise me." Shiro said, putting his hand on Lance's shoulder. " Promise me that if he wants you to leave, you will."

" What about Jam-"

" I would come to his place and watch over the house. But you would have to leave if he doesn't want help." He assured. But the thing about all of this was... it was a test. It was a test about multiple things. Keith's readiness and trust, and Lance's ability to put his instincts aside for the sake of Keith.

Lance sighed in a stressed way, but he knew that Shiro was right.

" I promise. I will call you when I know what his plan is."

...

Lance got Keith home, guiding him in the house. He was about to tell the omega to sit on the couch, but  Keith was already on his way to the freezer to pick up an ice pack. He grabbed it out and put it right to his forehead, his abdomen already aching.

" Lance..." Keith murmured. " You know what's happening, right?"

Lance wrapped an arm around Keith's waist and was ready to run and do whatever his boyfriend wanted.

" Yes." He told him. " Keith... I need you to make a decision. Do you want me to help you?"

Keith turned and faced Lance, still holding the cold pack to his head. It was a big decision for him, and being put on the spot about it didn't make it any easier. To say he wanted Lance to stay would've been to trust him with his biggest fear. It would've said that he had completely moved on from what James had done to him, and it would've meant that his semicolon tattoo's meaning was right.

He leaned by Lance's neck, thinking about if he was in his right mind. And he was. He felt like he could say either option and Lance would've done it to the best of his ability.

" I want you to stay." Keith murmured.

Lance felt his heart swelling as his omega confessed that to him. That was the biggest sign of love Keith could show him, and he would gladly relieve his pain.

" I will." Lance told him. " Forever."

{ MY EMOTIONS ;-; >~< :,) }