I think I would like to upload a chapter every Friday, or at least every weekend, so look forward to that!

***

The memories of the night before were as clear as daydreams in Lance's head, constant laughter ringing in his ear that seemed so vivid yet unreal. Maybe it was pathetic and embarrassing that his heart still increased in speed just by thinking about the race despite the entire affair having taken place last night, but he couldn't help his sense of wonder as he stared at the ocean-themed dream catcher that hung above his bed. Somehow, the thought that they would be having more fun today, fun that excluded sex, brought him even greater excitement.

Lance hadn't felt this way in a very long time. The very concept of excitement and leisurely joy had disappeared one year ago...exactly one year ago, in fact.

He slowly sat up in his bed, mood sombered as he reached for his phone and observed the date.

April 23. The cursed day. The day Lance's life lost its light. The day he was left all alone.

One year ago from this day...he disappeared.

Whereas his memories of last night had brought him excitement, remembering his past affiliation with April 23 was beginning to make Lance feel sick to the stomach, and he scooted back to lean against the headboard of the bed.

He couldn't do this. He couldn't go out today, couldn't go to work, couldn't see other people's faces. He had to cancel all his plans, there was no way he could do this, he just needed to curl up in bed with a bottle of liquor and hope to make it through the day...

No, he scolded himself, clenching his teeth as sweat gathered on his brow. You have to try.

Lance could clearly remember how agonizing and lonely his days had been at first, how he had felt like it was useless to go on. The only thing keeping him from giving up on life had been pathetic hope as he waited for his prince to return for him...

Eventually, he had to make the conscious decision to start hanging around Pidge and Hunk, so that he wouldn't go crazy while waiting...but that was many months ago. That was so, so many months ago, and it felt like even longer. Every day on his own felt like a lifetime, and third wheeling in Pidge and Hunk's antics was the distraction that had gotten him this far. But it had been an entire year now. Today was the anniversary of that day, and Lance wasn't stupid. He knew that nobody was coming back for him.

Maybe one year was enough. Maybe the amount of suffering he'd experienced within this past year was enough. Maybe he'd endured enough to the point where he was able to think about putting a foot forward. Maybe he wanted to put a foot forward.

He doubted it, doubted that he could experience anything other than these shackles that kept him chained where he was, like a caged bird stripped of freedom...but at the same time, there was that lingering sense of 'maybe'.

Today, the anniversary of the day he left, would decide it all. If, after exactly one year, Lance could actually smile...if he could actually have fun exactly one year later...then he would take it as a sign that the world was telling him he could finally be free of his chains. He would try to unlock his cage.

He took multiple deep breaths, cementing his decision to make an attempt at overriding the awful memories this day brought up by making new memories. His finger slid through his phone to see texts from Pidge and Hunk respectively, most of which consisted of questions regarding his 'date' last night along with demands for him to 'get his ass to Arus Cafe stat'. Wow, Pidge sure was pushy, but he figured he'd respond to her since Hunk was probably blowing everything out of proportion.

'Alright, I'm coming', he texted her, stretching in his bed a bit. Her answer came way too soon.

'Good. You better not be lying. I have a tracker on your phone, you know. I'll know if you're lying'.

Lance's jaw dropped as he read that message, unsure if he was supposed to take that literally or not since this was Pidge of all people he was talking to. Putting a tracker on his phone was definitely within her skillset.

'Haha...I'm coming' he assured, getting up and turning for the bathroom. Before he could even take two steps, however, his phone buzzed again.

He debated if he should just leave it and reply once he was done getting ready, since Pidge would probably just keep replying at the speed of a super computer generated bot, but decided there was no harm in just answering one more thing.

He was glad he did, because when he picked his phone back up, he saw the notification was from none other than Keith, and for whatever reason, that made his face brighten as he read the text.

'I'm open any time after 3 or 4, if that works with you?'

'I'll wait for you at the Web at 4:30. Just come get me from there'. Lance answered so quickly, it was almost like he'd put some thought into it beforehand...because he had. For a lot of last night, actually...

Keith responded with 'sounds good!' followed by a dorky emoji; the one with its tongue sticking out. Lance couldn't help but giggle at that, tossing his phone back on the bed and walking to the bathroom with much higher spirits. He wanted to be picked up from the Web so that he could just jump straight into work after they did...whatever they were going to do. He still wasn't really sure what Keith wanted.

Sex? No, Keith had made it clear that wasn't what he was after...although Lance didn't fully buy it still. And if he was after sex, that was fine. Lance wouldn't mind it, since that was his job. That was his thing.

But maybe, if Keith was telling the truth about just wanting to have fun...then Lance could allow himself to indulge in it.

Just maybe.

***

Lance arrived at Arus Cafe half an hour later and immediately spotted Hunk and Pidge sitting at one of the outside tables. They saw him as soon as he approached as well, because, of course they did. They always seemed very attentive for whatever reason.

"Lance! Hey!" Hunk shouted, waving him over.

Lance wore his best smile and sat down.

"Hunk, please. He's right there, we don't need to yell," Pidge said, pushing her glasses up pointedly before turning her attention to Lance with a smile. "But really, hey! Hunk and I already got you a café con leche, and there are some cinnamon rolls on the way!" She pushed the cup over to him, and he delicately grabbed the handle, surprised to find it was still hot.

"Thank you for the coffee drink! I'm sorry for keeping you waiting long, though...I'm surprised the cinnamon rolls aren't here yet. Slow service today?" He made conversation to be polite.

"Oh, no, you know this place has great service. We were just waiting a bit so that everything would still be fresh and hot by the time you arrived," Pidge explained.

Lance's eyes widened in bewilderment upon hearing they'd waited to order just for him. For as long as he'd known Pidge and Hunk, they'd always done things like this, and as much as he tried to understand why, he still just couldn't think of a reason for it. They weren't trying to have sex with him, obviously...probably...and they weren't gaining anything from letting him third wheel with them. Yet, despite this, they'd put up with him for months. But why?

"So, Lance!" Hunk leaned forward a bit, breaking Lance out of his inner crisis. "How was your night?"

Lance immediately remembered the reason they'd called him here, and he couldn't stop the nervous chuckle that escaped him as he shifted in his seat. "Oh! Um...it was good," he answered simply.

Pidge gave a heavy sigh. "Boooooring! We want the juicy details! Who was the guy? How did you meet? What'd you two talk about?"

Hunk nodded along with everything she said. "Yeah! I never got to - oh, thank you!" He paused briefly to accept their plates of cinnamon rolls from the waiter, setting one in front of each of them before turning back to Lance. "I never got to hear about any of it!"

Lance gulped. He normally didn't have much of a problem saying things related to his work to Pidge and Hunk since they knew he was a stripper, but this was different. What happened between him and Keith was on a fine line between work and...something else. As for what that something else was, he wasn't even sure himself.

The cinnamon roll in front of him smelled pleasing enough, but there was no way he could eat something sweet, especially not for breakfast, so he just treated it as a distraction more than a meal, poking his fork against it harmlessly. "It's not that interesting, really. How about you two? How were your nights?"

Hunk gasped, taking a moment to swallow the roll in his mouth before speaking up with enthusiasm. "Are you kidding? Of course it's interesting! I mean, really, it's the only reason we're here right now instead of working on the master key."

"Yep," Pidge agreed, leaning back into her chair a bit. "Honestly, the deadline for that is coming up, so maybe we shouldn't be taking breaks...but anyways, this is too big not to talk about."

They watched Lance expectantly, but he was so shaken by their comments that he momentarily forgot how to speak. Apparently they took a break from working on the master key, which had a deadline that was getting closer, just to talk to him? Just to discuss his night with Keith? And then there was the fact that the cinnamon roll in front of him right now was hot and fresh, even though he wasn't going to eat it.

Pidge and Hunk were always very...nice...to him. He wasn't sure if he could put it any other way. They were always going out of their way to include him and to treat him like a human...just like Keith.

Maybe, maybe, maybe...

He took a deep breath, clenching his hands together as he made up his mind. Today was the anniversary of that day, and it was also the day where he would decide what direction the world intended for him to go. If he wanted results for today...he would have to push some boundaries.

His heart was already beating fast with anxiety, but he somehow managed to find his voice and push through. "...it was a bit of a misunderstanding, really..." he started, clasping his hands together beneath the table in hopes of alleviating his nerves.

The other two seemed interested enough in that small detail, sharing a quick glance before giving him even more of their attention than before.

"What do you mean a misunderstanding? Don't tell me he's actually 'straight' and just went out with you to prove to himself that he didn't enjoy being with guys or something like that," Pidge complained as though the situation was so predictable, and Lance found himself welcoming the younger girl's humor greatly.

"No, no, nothing like that! We did enjoy each other's - I mean! I think he liked it just fine..." Lance gulped, face already reddening from accidentally saying they had both enjoyed the night. Even though he was positive he had. It still felt so strange... "I-I just meant, I thought it was a job...but then it ended up being...not a job?"

"So that's why you were there during your usual working hours!" Hunk shouted, smacking his fist down on his palm like he was having an epiphany.

Pidge was leaning towards the table again, eyes slitted in a somewhat threatening manner. "Oh. So did he con you?"

"No!" Lance gasped, his quick answer surprising even himself. More heat crawled up his cheeks. This was hard. He'd never held a conversation with Pidge and Hunk much before, especially not one about himself. "I-I mean...it was my fault for misunderstanding. But everything turned out fine...I mean, we got in a highway race after eating, and-"

"A highway race?!" Hunk exclaimed suddenly, startling Lance. "But it isn't safe to race on public roads!"

Pidge rolled her eyes. "Don't be so dramatic, Hunk. It isn't safe to talk on your phone while driving, yet people still do that."

"I don't!" He argued, but she clearly wasn't listening to him anymore, her focus completely on Lance.

"So like, wow, this dude sounds totally hardcore. What was his name again?"

Lance's lips curled up slightly in amusement at their antics, and he was certain no two people were a better fit for the term 'two peas in a pod' than Pidge and Hunk. "His name was Keith."

"Ah," she nodded, as if suddenly understanding something Lance didn't. "Guess that rules out my earlier suggestion. 'Keith' is a very gay name."

"Pidge, a name can't have a sexuality!" Hunk protested.

She didn't seem to care about his argument as she cut a piece of her cinnamon roll, poked her fork through it, and pointed it at Hunk. "Shush! I only speak the truth. Anyways, now that we've established that he's 100% gay, and that he's into stuff like racing, I must ask, does he have a phone number?"

That question threw Lance off a bit, but he quickly regained his composure. Despite his anxiety, it felt sort of relieving to be trying to talk to Pidge and Hunk in a more normal manner. "Uh, yeah, he does have a phone number, actually. Why?"

Pidge shrugged. "Because I'm going to need it to get a tracker inside his phone. That way, if he wrongs you, I can find him and take him out."

"Pidge, no!" Hunk gasped in horror, pushing aside his empty plate so that he could stare directly at her.

She was as nonchalant as ever, observing her fork in front of her eyes. "Hey, don't get all authoritarian with me. Wouldn't you do the same?"

Hunk hesitated for a second at that, but quickly countered. "Well, of course I'd be upset if he tried something on Lance, but that doesn't mean you can just say you'll take someone out! That's scary!"

"How is that scary?" Pidge dropped her fork back on her plate with a loud metal clang. "All I suggested was putting a tracker on him for precautionary measures. That's not scary. Carrying around a needle full of paralysis drugs - now that's scary. Honestly Hunk, I don't mind horrifying people, but at least be horrified over something that's actually worth it."

An inhuman wail of pure terror squeezed out of Hunk's throat, and even though Lance had to agree that that last bit was more than a little terrifying, he still found them entertaining. And then there was the fact that they were arguing over whether it was okay or not to hurt someone if they did something to him.

Lance honestly wasn't sure what to make of the entire conversation; he wasn't even sure if he believed it to begin with. Would they really stand up for him if someone hurt him? Were they really willing to go that far? If they were there when Lance got hurt in the past, would they have done something?

"Dude, you have to introduce us properly some time!" Hunk's voice snapped Lance out of his reverie, and he looked up to see Pidge had seemingly stopped spewing out traumatizing facts about what she would and wouldn't do to Keith.

His smile grew a bit wider. Maybe, if he made it through the day, and if he was able to unlock himself from the cage he was in, he would be able to trust that Pidge and Hunk didn't have ulterior motives. Maybe, he would be able to believe that they were nice to him just because they were.

Maybe, maybe, maybe...

"Guys, I think you're looking into this too much...the entire thing was still just a misunderstanding..." He reminded them, nervousness settling in all over again when they looked at him with dissatisfaction.

"Hey, just because it was a misunderstanding doesn't mean it can't mean anything! I mean, just look at us! We practically met by chance, and now, we're totally inseparable!" Pidge declared.

Lance almost gasped out loud, completely shaken upon hearing that. They were...inseparable? He'd never thought of it that way...and frankly, he'd prefer not to. The last time he'd thought something like that, it only lead to unmeasurable pain, exactly one year ago today...

Still, hearing Pidge say something like that was new to Lance. He certainly didn't see it that way, but if she did...well, what did that mean?

"So!" Hunk clapped his hands together. "Why don't you finish telling us about your night with Keith? You haven't even given us any juicy details yet!"

Lance gulped and, in typical nervous fashion, started to just spew out words. "Oh! Well, uh, like I said, we ate, and then we went racing, and then we talked about stuff, and uh..." He paused, trying to think of 'juicy details'. He wanted to give them what they wanted to hear, wanted to satisfy them, because this conversation was honestly feeling super good and he didn't want to ruin anything. "He said he's studying to become a pediatrician? And he races, but, I already said that...and the whole night was sorta weird because he kept opening doors...but overall it went pretty okay." He ended his rambling with a sheepish and hopeful grin as Pidge and Hunk exchanged a look.

"...wow. The dude sounds pretty nice," Hunk observed.

Pidge hummed in agreement. "Yeah. Maybe too nice. Perhaps I should look into-"

"Pidge, no!" Hunk scolded, already knowing she was going to make some scary remark.

"Ugh, fine." She rolled her eyes before smiling at Lance, showing off her mastery over the art of swapping between being entertaining and serious. "But really though, he does sound pretty nice. You said he has a phone number, so he must've given it to you, right? Are you gonna see him again?"

It still felt like they were making a bigger deal out of the whole thing despite him saying it was just a misunderstanding, but Lance didn't correct them again. After all, even he still wasn't sure that was true. "Uh...yeah. Actually, we planned a..." He stopped, suddenly at a loss for words. What did they plan? They said they would see each other again later today, but...what was Lance supposed to call it? "...we're meeting up again. Later today."

Hunk and Pidge immediately overreacted upon hearing that, but Lance couldn't share their enthusiasm. He was, without a doubt, interested in seeing Keith again, to try and make sense of everything from last night, but the question was haunting him more than ever now. What was he supposed to call these outings of theirs? And how was he supposed to describe their relationship?

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Lance had some idea of a possible answer. He knew there was a reason Pidge and Hunk reacted the way they did. There was a clear interpretation for the interactions he and Keith had, but no matter how much it was implied, he didn't want to jump to the conclusion. Not yet. But maybe, if he managed to make it through the day...if the sun still shined on this anniversary day...then maybe he could entertain the thought. Maybe he could find a word to describe their interactions.

Maybe, maybe, maybe...

***~Keith~***

As soon as Keith finished helping Shiro organize his most recent order of textbooks, he went straight home to get ready for his...hang out...with Lance. Excitement helped him dress quickly, and he was on the road to the Web of Sins in no time at all.

Keith's face was still a bit flushed as he remembered Matt waving him off for his 'date' just an hour earlier. This wasn't a date, and last night hadn't been a date; Keith knew that much. At least...it wasn't a date so long as Lance didn't want it to be.

The events from the previous night were still fresh in Keith's mind. Even now, he could remember the thrill of speeding past Rolo, the bliss of hearing Lance laugh as he experienced racing for the first time, and most of all, he couldn't wipe the memory of Lance's elated smile, reaching both of his ears as he blessed Keith with the beauty of a rainbow following a stormy day. Truly, Lance had reached levels of 'adorable' last night that were so high it was ridiculous. Keith knew he was the most popular stripper and all, and he'd always found his dancing captivating and his face extraordinarily charming up close, but he felt like he'd seen an entirely different side to Lance last night. He wasn't sure if he was just being delusional or not, but he was sure the Lance he'd raced with had been different from the Lance in the Web, and even different from the Lance in the restaurant...and somehow, it made him feel closer to him. Whether that was a good thing or not, Keith wasn't even sure.

His feelings for Lance as of currently were rather simple - the most he knew was that he wanted to see the stunningly attractive boy outside of the Web again, because Keith had had fun last night. Things got complicated when he thought about Lance's side of the equation, though, and how he'd gone into it just expecting sex. Even after Keith explained that he was just trying to make it up to him, Lance still asked if he was expecting sex when he asked to see him a second time. It was...a bit disturbing, honestly. It made Keith want to understand Lance's life as a stripper more. It made him want to understand what stripping was like in general; because if it gave Lance those kinds of thoughts, then...he could only describe it as being unhealthy.

That said, Keith was proud of himself for managing to ask Lance if he could take him out a second time. Sure, it was a little easier since they weren't using the term 'date' to describe their time spent together, but it had still been a while since Keith did anything like this. He couldn't help it, though. At first he had just been interested in the things Matt told him about Lance, but now he was genuinely interested in him. The thought of seeing different sides to him, even the bad sides, got Keith excited.

Discussing what it was like to be a stripper more would have to wait for later, though, as he pulled into the Web's parking lot. Sure enough, he spotted Lance waiting for him outside the entrance in a cute blue crop top that instantly had Keith's jaw collapsing to the floor of his car. Lance's sex appeal seemed to grow every time Keith saw him, and he didn't understand how he did it. How was it even possible?

He could only stare in awe as Lance walked over to his parked car and leaned against the passenger seat door, an expectant yet flirtatious look on his face. The window lowered so they could speak to each other.

"Hey," Lance's voice was so smooth it sent shivers down Keith's spine, and when combined with his look...yeah. Keith was absolutely screwed.

He gulped and somehow remembered to unlock his car, ogling eyes only widening more when Lance opened the door and slid into the seat. His dark blue jean shorts showed off his curves generously in a sitting position, and then there were his legs, which might've been the most slender pair of anything Keith had ever seen.

"I'm flattered you're checking me out, but my eyes are up here." Lance giggled, snapping Keith's attention back to reality.

Red quickly climbed Keith's cheeks as he cleared his throat awkwardly. Shit. He couldn't even deny that his current state of flusteredness made him seem like a total virgin, but who wouldn't be acting this way upon seeing Lance looking this attractive.

"Sorry! Uh...sorry. Just - you look amazing."

Lance looked down at himself with a small smile. "Thank you...you look good, yourself. Your mullet is looking well groomed."

Keith's face reddened more as Lance chuckled, but he was willing to accept any compliment from Lance. God, the way he laughed just added to his cuteness...he could just sit there watching and listening to Lance smile for hours, and so long as he was happy, Keith would be, too. That was how heartwarming his smiles were.

...and apparently, Keith did just sit there watching and listening to him; not for hours, but for at least a good minute. He didn't even realize until Lance cleared his throat.

"So...did you have plans for today?"

A collection of embarrassed reprimands swarmed Keith's head like fireflies as he turned away from Lance. "Oh, right! Yes! I was thinking we could maybe go to the nearest mall? You know...just have fun?" He figured he might as well clarify his intentions, just in case. He didn't want another misunderstanding.

"The mall, huh..." Lance's face fell a bit, immediately sending a spike of panic through Keith.

"But I mean, if you don't want to, we can go somewhere else! Anywhere else! Where, uh...where would you like to go, Lance?" He offered.

Lance answered him with a giggle, smile quickly reappearing on his face. "Oh, no, the mall is fine! It sounds fun. Let's go!"

Keith paused to observe Lance for a while, but the forlorning look from before was gone, as though it'd never existed. "...if you say so." He prepared to back up, but paused once again upon throwing a quick look in Lance's direction. "Oh, uh...if you could wear your seatbelt, that'd be nice. I mean, Red and I won't be doing any racing today, probably, but it's still safer, you know?"

Lance glanced back and forth between Keith and his seatbelt, hesitating. "Oh...sure. Of course." He buckled himself in and shot Keith a smile. "Safer. Right."

Keith wasn't quite sure what to make of his reaction, so he just went along with it and pulled out of the Web.

This was it! He was going on another...outing...with Lance! Honestly, just being near him made Keith excited. It always had, simply because of how breathtaking Lance's presence always was. Still, they hadn't known each other for too long, so he figured he'd try to ease the atmosphere.

"Hey, you can put on any music you want! Radio is all yours," Keith offered.

A look of shock and then alarm flashed through Lance's eyes as he glanced around the inner workings of Keith's car. "Oh. Okay. Uh..." His eyes continued to dart around, and he suddenly seemed more disorganized. Maybe Keith had put him on the spot? He'd declined putting on music when Keith had offered him last night, too.

"Actually, maybe I'll show you some of my favorite songs!" Keith suggested, smiling when he saw Lance instantly relax into his seat with a small nod.

Maybe Lance just didn't like having to suddenly do stuff like that, or maybe it was something else. Whatever the case, Keith was taking note of it so that he could make their outing go as smoothly as possible. As much as he wanted to know more about Lance, his top priority was just having fun today; and he planned on doing just that.

***

Once they arrived at the mall, Lance seemed more comfortable, and he even lead the way inside with enthusiasm. It made Keith's insides swell as he watched him from behind, trusting that Lance knew where he wanted to go since he seemed very fashion savvy.

"Keith! Can I go in this one?" He asked, stopping and pointing at a store named 'Balmera'. His eyes were sparkly and pleading, and even though it was incredibly cute, it still made Keith frown a little.

"You don't need to ask my permission. Go ahead! I'm trusting you to show me all the good places, you know." He chuckled.

Lance's face fell a bit at that, as though he were confused, but he recovered with a smile as quickly as always. "Okay!" Keith trailed behind as they entered the store, eyes fixated on the back of Lance's head.

He was starting to notice a trend, even since last night, where he would say stuff that would make Lance look confused. It didn't quite make sense to him just yet, but he was doing his best to take note of everything he could about Lance...because he wanted to know him better.

Speaking of a confused Lance, the boy had a hand resting on his hip, looking around with an unsettled expression as Keith walked up to him. "Is everything alright?"

Lance sighed. "I guess it's just been a while since I've been in Balmera. The store looks different and nothing is where it used to be."

"Perhaps I can help?" Keith would've jumped in surprise, but the voice that spoke was so soft that he was simply momentarily startled. A larger woman with short and curly brown hair was standing behind them, worker's uniform displaying the name, 'Shay'.

Keith stepped to the side to let Lance talk to her, but he just avoided eye contact, suddenly seeming smaller and less sociable. It was a bit strange since he was such a social butterfly in the web, but Keith didn't like seeing him look uncomfortable, so he offered his support. "That'd be awesome! We just need some help navigating. Right, Lance?"

Lance blinked in surprise at being brought into the conversation, but he gave a meek nod and stepped forward. "Yeah."

Shay clapped her hands together. "No problem! What can I do for you? I'd be happy to show you the men's spring ware section, or perhaps you're already preparing for summer? Here at Balmera, we have the latest upcoming fashions prepped for-"

"Lingerie."

Both Shay and Keith did a double take as Lance interrupted her, although, Keith was pretty sure he shouldn't have been surprised as Lance repeated himself.

"I'd like to find the lingerie section, if you don't mind."

The three of them remained silent for a good five seconds, prompting another worker to walk over. He looked similar to Shay, only taller with the hints of a mustache. "Is everything alright, Shay?"

His presence snapped her out of her surprise, and she quickly smiled at him. "Yes, Rax. I was just showing these men to the lingerie section."

Rax looked Keith and Lance over once or twice before chuckling and resting a hand on Shay's shoulder. "I can do that for you, Shay! Although, they may want to ask you what girls prefer. That's sorta creepy though. I won't let some guys creep on my sister. Come on fellas, I'll show you the way. So is it just one of you buying your girl something or both of you?"

"It's for work." Lance didn't even hesitate to correct him as Rax froze, mouth falling open a bit. He looked them over again, particularly Lance, before realization settled in.

"Oh. Oh."

He didn't say anything more, but just the tone of his voice and the look on his face made Keith suddenly get protective. Luckily, before he could act out, Shay stepped forward while pushing Rax lightly.

"Come! I'll take you. Rax, go help somebody else." She began leading Keith and Lance away without waiting for any answers, and they gladly followed after her, leaving Rax watching from behind. Keith could just feel his ugly judgemental eyes on them. Yes, they were very ugly. They weren't even hazel-colored; they looked yellow, as if the asshole had jaundice or something.

Wow. Okay, Keith was letting anger fuel his thoughts as usual. He shifted his attention to make sure Lance didn't look too down, which he didn't. Maybe he was used to getting that type of response? But if that were the case, couldn't he have just...not said it was for work?

"Here! You should find everything you're looking for in these aisles!" Shay said, stopping and spreading her arm to the side to gesture at the array of different lingerie items - many of which Keith didn't even know what to call. Her face suddenly deflated a bit. "Oh, and...forgive my brother/coworker, Rax. I'm sure you'll look delightful in whatever you buy!"

Lance smiled, which was a welcome sight to Keith. "Thank you."

The soft spoken girl nodded before waving and taking her leave, and Keith couldn't help but watch her rush off, his heart warming a bit at how she'd apologized for her brother. It may have just been customer service, but she seemed like she genuinely disapproved of Rax's words, seeing how she'd stepped in and hurriedly showed them away from him. Keith liked seeing people treat Lance well, since he knew how people treated Lance at the Web.

Speaking of the Web, Keith still had questions for Lance about what it was like working there, and now seemed like a better time than any to ask.

He peeked over Lance's shoulder, watching him sort through panties with a small smile. "...hey," he started.

Lance continued doing his thing, raising a lacy black one in front of his face, completely fixated on shopping. "Hm?"

Keith quickly glanced around before lowering his voice. "You know...you could have just not told that Rax guy. About your work, I mean."

"It's no big deal," Lance assured, folding the underwear and holding onto it. Keith momentarily got distracted from imagining what that would look like on Lance, which wasn't hard since he'd seen him in little to no clothes before, but frustration towards Rax brought him back to their conversation quickly.

"But...the way he looked at you... I mean, I'm not the biggest fan of strip clubs, but I'm not going to go giving judgemental looks...isn't it irritating to you?"

Lance paused his shopping at that, remaining quiet for a few seconds, thinking his words through. Then, he turned to look Keith in the eyes.

"People have a predetermined misconception about stripper life - that it's a bad thing, some sort of disgusting taboo. But if people want to do it, whether for fun or if they're just doing it to get by, who are others to judge that? It just says more about the person doing the judging than it does about the stripper. I don't find it irritating when people judge; I find it unfair." Emotion was quickly seeping into Lance's eyes like a dark fog, and it almost seemed like he wasn't even speaking to Keith anymore. "That's why I don't care about saying stuff like that in public. They can go ahead and draw their own conclusions. See how much I care now."

He fell silent, so that the two of them were just standing opposite each other, processing those words for a bit. Then, in classic Lance fashion, he brightened up. "I'm sorry for that word vomit! I just...I'll go look at more panties over there." He bowed his head a bit before hurrying off.

Keith was reflecting on Lance's words religiously, and he had to admit, he agreed with him. Keith always reminded himself that he didn't know what circumstances people had for working in the sex field, and thus, he had no right to judge them.

He also admired Lance for not being afraid of what people thought of him. It was yet another side of Lance that Keith was allowed to see, and it helped him better understand Lance's life as a stripper.

They can go ahead and draw their own conclusions. See how much I care now.

That line made Keith slightly uncomfortable. It had felt like Lance was saying that to somebody specific...but right now, he wanted to try bringing the mood back up. After all, the main priority today was to have fun.

He walked over to Lance and, upon seeing a panty with strange designs, pointed it out. "Look! This one literally has a shark on it!" He chuckled. "Who designs underwear with sharks?" To his relief, and joy, Lance joined in on his laughter.

"That is a rather interesting choice of design for lingerie. Balmera has literally everything! The shark is cute, though."

Keith raised an eyebrow. "Cute? Do you like sharks?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I, uh...I like most ocean-related things," he admitted, looking strangely and adorably bashful, as though he were embarrassed to say something like that.

"That's awesome! Oh, but uh..." Keith suddenly felt bad for making fun of it. "...are you gonna get it?"

Lance finally looked up at him, observing his face for a second or two before bursting into laughter. "What? Why would I get it? It's so...oh my gosh!" He stopped talking to continue laughing for a brief moment. "It's...it's a shark...! It doesn't matter how much I love sharks, I'm not going to put one on my...! Oh my god...!"

Keith suddenly felt like shoving his face into a pillow and then stuffing it under several rocks. Not only did he feel embarrassed and dumb, but Lance just looked so cute laughing the way he was, and it wasn't doing his already-red face any favors. "O-okay...I just wanted to make sure!"

"Even...even if putting animals on sexy lingerie was a socially acceptable fad, I still would never do it!" Lance slowly calmed down from his laughing, rubbing at his eyes a bit and finally sighing. "I'd rather not mix my love for the ocean with stripping."

Well, that was pretty understandable. Keith couldn't see himself ever bringing his love for racing into his studying or anything.

A thought suddenly hit Keith, and he couldn't help but to blurt it out. "Wait! What about seashell bras? I mean, those must totally be 'in', right?"

He could see in Lance's eyes that he was taking a moment to imagine it before the tan boy broke into another laughing fit, although Keith wasn't as embarrassed this time since that'd been his goal.

"Thank the lord you're not in the fashion business!" Lance breathed out, clutching his sides as he leaned back against the wall. Keith chuckled with him, and he was about to agree, because honestly he would not survive the fashion business, when Lance's giggling suddenly resulted in the cutest little snort Keith had ever heard since last night at the restaurant.

Lance's face immediately flushed red as he fell dead silent, eyeing Keith with round, guilty doe eyes.

Keith was just as red as he was, and he could feel the heat in his cheeks and his head. "So cute."

He must've gotten really lost in the moment, because he didn't even realize he'd said that out loud until Lance turned his back to Keith in embarrassment.

Damn. Keith would've been flustered too if not for how cute Lance looked trying to handle his embarrassment. He was hugging himself lightly, refusing to look at Keith, and when he spoke, his voice was soft, as though he didn't trust his own voice.

"...let's keep going, shall we?" He walked further into the shop without waiting for an answer, and Keith could only stare after him in a bit of a daze, shaken by how Lance just got cuter every time they spent time together.

So cute.

***

After a hasty trip through most of Balmera's lingerie aisles, Keith followed Lance to several other stores; many of which he didn't even know existed. Seriously, why was there a store dedicated to selling socks? Sure, that was convenient for customers, but there was no way Keith could believe that business was successful.

It didn't take too long for him to lose track of how many different stores they visited, but he did keep track of time, and right now they had roughly two hours' worth of bags on their hands. Keith was carrying most of it per his own insistence, and honestly, he was starting to regret it a bit. Luckily for him, Lance's next destination was a bench next to a fountain.

"I'm sorry, just tell me to stop shopping and I will," Lance said, brows furrowed as Keith set the bags down and sunk into the bench.

"Oh, no, don't worry about it! I volunteered, remember? You're fine. But a quick break like this might be helpful." He tossed Lance a reassuring smile, prompting him to calm down a bit and take a seat next to him. "So! You were saying something before about the music in that other store?"

Lance rubbed his arm, chuckling a bit. "Yeah. It was one of my favorite songs; 'I won't give up' by Jason Mraz. I actually know how to play it on guitar."

If Keith had any type of food or drink in his mouth, he would've choked on it as he straightened up on the bench. "Wait, wait, wait! You can play guitar?!"

The sudden attention startled Lance, making him laugh nervously. "Uh...yeah, I can. I mean, I'm not that good, and I can't play a ton of songs, but I have some skill with it."

As much as Keith wanted to know about and understand Lance's stripper life, he much preferred getting information like this; hobbies and talents of Lance's that were just him, like his love for sharks. "That's so awesome...I don't have much musical talent. As you know, my expertise is with racing...oh! Hey! I have an idea!" Keith slammed his fist against his palm, suddenly inspired. "How about we make a deal! I'll take you racing at the track! In return, you have to play a song for me on guitar. How does that sound?"

Lance's eyes widened as Keith looked over at him expectantly, smiling. It really had been a long time since he made an effort to go out with anyone other than Shiro or Matt, but he wanted to do this with Lance. He wanted to see more of him...but he wasn't sure how Lance would respond. He looked traumatized from Keith's suggestion, honestly. Maybe it had been a mistake...

"Of course, don't feel pressured to accept or any-"

"No!" Lance interrupted, face flashing with a bit of panic. "I-that's not...I mean...I want to race again..." His voice was soft, and he avoided making eye contact.

Joy surged through Keith at that. "Really? I'll take you, then! We can go next time your work schedule aligns with when the track is open at night!"

Lance's lips curled up slightly, showing a bit of excitement, and that just fed into Keith's excitement. "Really? Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure! It'll be fun!" Keith assured, for some reason feeling increasingly satisfied with himself the more he saw Lance smile.

"...if you say so." Lance began to shuffle through the clothes in one of his bags, as if not knowing what else to say, and Keith found it super cute. Honestly, he found almost everything Lance did super cute. Maybe that was why he enjoyed spending time with him.

He leaned back into the bench, just watching Lance through his peripheral vision, when suddenly, a table situated on another side of the fountain caught his eye. There were young students and older chaperones alike, and the sign at the front told him that it was charity work of some sort.

"...hey, Lance, I'll be right back," he said, quickly getting up and walking over after hearing Lance utter a small 'okay'. There wasn't much of a line or crowd, which just broke Keith's heart, but at least that allowed him to step to the front of the table without having to wait.

"Hello, sir!" A teenage girl greeted him from behind the table.

Keith couldn't stop the smile that spread on his face as he looked at her and the younger girl sitting to her side. "Hey. How's your day been?"

"It's been fine! Donations have been going alright, so that's something. Speaking of donations, would you like to offer support to the Child's Hope's Charity? The money is all being used to provide aid and relief to those without a home or a family."

The younger girl nodded, speaking with enthusiasm. "Yeah! We're gonna make the world a better place!"

Keith's smile spread even wider, and he already had his wallet out as he went through his money. "That sounds wonderful...the work you're doing here is very noble and appreciated, ladies. You should be proud of yourselves." They beamed at him as he offered his donation, heart swelling with pride for these girls. They were so young, and yet, they were already doing what they could to help others...unlike Keith, who was just trying to make up for things by starting now.

They exchanged their goodbyes before he walked back to Lance, who had been watching him the entire time. He looked...strangely captivated.

"...you really are just a good person." Lance didn't seem to mean to say that out loud, but he did, and it caught Keith off guard; especially since he was hearing it from Lance.

"Wha...? What do you mean?"

Lance blushed a bit and looked down, which was fine with Keith since he was also avoiding making eye contact. "I...I just mean...how you went to donate just now, that was...really nice of you."

Keith pursed his lips together, part of him telling him not to go into his insecurities and the other telling him to correct Lance. Naturally, he went with the latter, always the type to speak up. "No...it isn't like that. I mean, it isn't because I'm 'good' or anything. They were raising money for kids who are without a home or a family, and...I never had a family as a kid, either, so I could relate. That's really the only reason I did that." His eyes wandered over the bags of clothes to keep himself distracted, wondering if Lance's view of him would change, although he didn't even know what that view was to begin with. If he really did think of Keith as being good just because of this one thing, though, then...that was just incorrect.

"You're studying to be a pediatrician, right? To help kids? Doesn't that make you...good?" Lance asked, pausing at the word 'good'.

Hearing Lance bring up his desired profession made Keith wince. "Being a good person and trying to be a good person aren't the same thing. I mean...I want to help people, but I'm not really qualified to do it, you know?"

Lance watched him expectantly, staying silent and waiting for him to elaborate; so he did.

"I mean, I'm not perfect or anything, and I never was. I still need a lot of help myself, so that kind of means I don't have the right to be offering help professionally..." He sighed, having not expected to take such a self-depreciating turn on this...outing...with Lance. He didn't normally go around letting his doubts come to the forefront - things had just escalated here from Lance bringing up him trying to become a pediatrician. "...sorry about that, I know, it's kinda pathetic. You probably don't want to hear all-"

"It makes sense though, doesn't it?"

Keith gasped inaudibly as Lance cut him off, and he pulled his eyes away from the bags to look at the other boy. "...what?"

Lance's face had a look of sincerity on it. "What I mean is, that's why you want to help people, isn't it? Because you know what it's like? Like you donating money because you understand their cause. If you needed help and understand what that's like, then that's why you want to help others who are like you. Right?"

Keith wasn't sure if Lance was trying to raise his spirits or if he was genuinely looking for answers to his questions as he tried to rationalize Keith's messy mind, but whatever the case, his words shook Keith to the core. He heard things similar to this from Shiro all the time, and while it did always make him feel better about himself, he still never felt like he was qualified to be someone who others could look to for help, since he himself still had growing to do. But Lance was right...he wanted to help others so they wouldn't ever have to feel like him.

He was speechless and in awe as he stared at Lance, who had just described everything that drove Keith to do what he did. He hadn't said it word for word, but he'd practically repeated what Shiro always told Keith, which was that it was okay for him not to be perfect. And it wasn't that Shiro's words had lost meaning over time; it was just shocking to be hearing this from someone else.

"...Keith?" Lance's voice snapped him out of his daze, and he expected red to creep up his cheeks...but it didn't. There was no embarrassment. There was only awe for Lance. There was only the quick beating of his heart that just doubled every time he replayed Lance's words in his head. Keith hadn't felt the way he currently did in a long time.

"S-sorry, I..." He cleared his throat. "...thank you, Lance. You're right. That's exactly why I want to become a pediatrician, or just someone who can help others in general. Sorry about...you know. Sorry." He felt like an idiot for getting all sentimental, but when Lance smiled the way he did, shutting his eyes in delight, he decided it was worth it.

"Aww, it's okay! I thought it might be something like that." He giggled, and Keith's heart began to pound even faster.

He may have just gone through an existential crisis about his drive for wanting to help people, but right now...he was sure this was a situation where he was the one who needed help...

...because Keith was positive he would die of a heart attack if Lance kept smiling the way he was.

***~Lance~***

Lance was completely shaken to the core by what he'd just witnessed and the things he'd just learned about Keith. The thought that Keith still had some ulterior motive for spending time with him had crossed his mind many times, but now, he could see that Keith was just such an inherently good person. Sure, he could always just be putting on a show of being nice to Lance just for personal benefit, but seeing him donating to charity was something else. There was nothing for him to gain there. He was giving away his own money at the expense of others...and then, of course, there was all the confessions Keith had just spilled.

Honestly, Lance had never had anybody talk to him about their personal insecurities and feelings of self doubt. It was usually all just physical satisfaction of some sort that people wanted from him, or in Hunk and Pidge's case, they wanted his company...or something. He still wasn't quite sure about them, but he at least knew that neither of them ever opened up to him about their emotions.

It didn't make sense for people to show sensitivity in front of Lance if they were just planning to use him, which was why he'd never heard somebody talk to him about this stuff before...but here was Keith, opening up to him and telling him things that he wasn't even sure he should be hearing, and Lance was sure of it now; Keith was unlike anybody Lance had ever met before.

Just seeing how much Keith wanted to help other people was eye opening, and hearing the reason behind it only shed more light onto Lance's view of him. He'd said he didn't have a family, and while Lance wasn't sure if that meant he was an orphan or not, he understood the implication was that Keith wanted to help people due to his past. Hearing him talk about how imperfect he was and how he still needed help gave so much insight into why he was how he was, and Lance was pretty sure he would've been able to see straight through Keith's body if he'd revealed any more about himself.

Keith just wanted to help people who were like him. That was it. That was all there was to it, and the more Lance let that sink in, the more he felt he could trust that Keith was genuine. After all, the guy was willing to donate to children and was dedicating his life to help people as a pediatrician simply because he didn't want people to hurt the way he had in life. Maybe...maybe he was willing to put up with Lance, too. Maybe he was actually spending time with Lance just for him.

"Hey, did you wanna start heading out? I know your shift starts soon," Keith suggested.

Lance quickly glanced at the nearest clock. "Oh, yeah, sure!" They began grabbing their clothes bags, with Keith insisting that he carry most of them, and Lance couldn't help but smile fondly.

Maybe Keith, for whatever reason, genuinely wanted to be around Lance without an ulterior motive.

Maybe, maybe, maybe...

***

By the time they pulled into the Web's parking lot, the sun was already beginning to recede into the horizon, blanketing everything in the dim gold of sunset. It almost seemed like a routine for Keith to get out and open Lance's door for him, and honestly, he was beginning to think maybe he wouldn't mind it being routine.

They stood opposite each other just outside Keith's car, having already sorted through who's bags belonged to who. Lance wasn't exactly sure what to say, so he just stood still until Keith broke the silence.

"...I had fun today."

Lance rubbed his arm sheepishly, clothes bags weighing down on him a bit. "Yeah? I did, too." To his surprise, he was being serious. It was mind blowing, honestly. Before last night, the concept of 'having fun' was something he couldn't understand - at least, not in a nonsexual way - so the fact that he could say he had fun seemed like something straight out of a fairytale; even moreso since he had had fun on today, April 23.

Keith was also rubbing his arm now, as if he were copying Lance's mannerisms. "So...would you like to go out sometime again...? Or, we can talk about it some other time, like we can text about it. I mean, if you want to!"

Lance's lips curled up in amusement at Keith's dorky rambling, and he couldn't help but chuckle a little. "Keith! Didn't we already talk about this?"

"Well, yeah, sort of, I guess. I mean, I said I'd take you racing whenever our schedules aligned, but...you know, just wanted to make sure..." Keith muttered.

As excessive as Keith was being, Lance found it sort of...endearing? It was cute of him; even if Lance didn't understand why he felt the need to be so assured. "If it's what you want, just text me your plans, and..." Lance cast his eyes downwards, feeling a bit embarrassed since he'd never made plans like this before. "...and we'll decide on something."

Despite the sun getting lower, Keith's face only got brighter. "Alright! Great! It's a date, then!"

Lance's head immediately perked back up to stare at Keith, somehow thrown for a loop just by that one simple word. Date.

Keith took a step back, and Lance could practically see the nervous sweat dripping down his forehead. "Uh, I didn't mean it in an implicative way! I just meant...you know, like, a date, as in an appointment, that kind of thing! I'm sorry if that was awkward," he muttered the last bit in a much quieter, apologetic tone.

His clarification didn't lessen Lance's confusion whatsoever. For whatever reason, hearing the term 'date' was like a wakeup call, and Lance was suddenly questioning everything. Or, well, he'd always been questioning it, he'd just never verbally questioned it...but now seemed like a better time than any. "Hey...why do you say that?"

A look of regret immediately seized Keith's face. "S-say what?"

Lance was frowning now. "Why do you say you want to go somewhere again? Why...why are we doing this?"

Keith's eyes softened, and the panic left his face. "Oh. It's because...well, because I like it. I like having fun with you, and..." His face reddened as Lance leaned forward a bit expectantly. "...and...I like you, too. Not in like, a weird way or anything! I just mean, I think you're sweet, and you're a breath of fresh air from studying, and you're also super cute-ah! Shit! I mean-!"

Lance's eyes got wider and his heart beat faster with every word that left Keith's mouth, desperately trying to digest what he was hearing. For some reason, it made him...happy. His chest was swelling, and while he still didn't fully understand Keith's reasoning, he did understand that it was the truth. He was sure of it. After seeing Keith donating today and listening as he opened up about his insecurities, Lance knew there was something different about Keith. At the very least, he wanted to believe there was...because today was the anniversary of the day he was abandoned. Today was the day he was going to decide if he was allowed to break free from his chains...he had to at least try. So, with that in mind, Lance held his breath, took a literal and metaphorical step forward, and gently pressed his lips upon the cheek of an unsuspecting Keith.

Time froze for a moment, with Lance becoming increasingly aware of just how hard his heart was drumming against his chest. Kissing wasn't something he did too often since it wasn't a necessary act in having sex, and cheek kisses definitely never happened, so this was new for him.

Keith didn't pull away or move whatsoever, so Lance kept his lips pressed to his face for a good five seconds before leaning back and looping his arms behind his back. When he got no reaction, he immediately started to assume the worst, that he'd perhaps gone too far or rushed it or something. After all, he didn't know what he was supposed to do in this situation.

"Um, sorry if that was uncalled for..."

"What? No, no, no, no!" Keith exclaimed quickly, raising his hands in protest. "That wasn't...I mean, I just...I liked it."

Lance slowly looked up to see Keith's face, rosy from blushing, and he couldn't help but think that this was the strangest thing ever. Somebody was blushing because of him, and while his normal reaction was to say Keith was a total virgin, he knew it was something else. He knew...because his own face was heating up, and his insides got all tingly when Keith gave him a reassuring smile.

He had wanted to continue spending time with Keith so that he could understand why the thought of having 'fun' with him, like when they raced against Rolo, made him feel the way he did. But now...he just felt more confused than ever.

"Oh, uh, it's probably nearing time for you to get ready for work, huh?" Keith looked like he regretted changing the subject, but Lance was thankful for it in a way. He was still so unfamiliar with all of this...

"Yeah, I guess so. It was, uh..." He hesitated to speak his heart, but another look at Keith somehow reminded him that he wanted to try. "...it was nice, shopping at the mall today."

Keith gasped just loudly enough for it to be audible before smiling. "Yeah. I had fun, too."

They spent another minute just standing in front of Keith's car, silently looking at each other, before Keith cleared his throat. "I'd better let you go now, huh?"

Lance giggled and took a few steps back. "Yeah. Bye, then!" He waved with small wiggles of his fingers, and Keith copied him, just like he had when saying goodbye the night before. Lance giggled even more, thinking that it looked super weird when Keith did it.

"I'll text you, promise! Have a good rest of the night!" Keith shouted before getting into his car and pulling out of the Web.

A sigh overtook Lance's body as he watched the Red Lion driving away against the sunset. It made for a breathtaking scene straight out of a painting, fire coloring the sky, and the beauty just reminded Lance of everything he'd experienced today.

Today.

He slowly took his phone out and went straight to the calendar, mood dampening. April 23.

He switched over to his photos and started scrolling, a bit of anxiety biting at his insides. Surely there was no harm in just looking at pictures...right? It was the anniversary of their last day, after all...

Before he could scroll far enough to find any of the pictures he was looking for, his phone buzzed, and to his surprise, a text notification from Keith popped up. Reflex immediately had him checking his messages so that he could reply as quickly as possible.

'Sorry, I was sorta flustered earlier, but I thought I'd at least say, you have really smooth lips!'

All desire to look at photos from his past slowly faded away as Lance's lips curled up into a smile, and he switched to look at Keith's contact info in his phone.

Today, on April 23, the anniversary of the day he'd been left behind, he'd decided that he would see what the world wanted to do with him. And today, on April 23, the anniversary of the day he'd been left behind, Lance had gotten his answer.

He'd spent the majority of his day having fun with Keith and learning that he was an impossibly good person, and even making future plans! He wasn't sure if he was just naive or if Keith really was as genuine as he seemed, but he at least wanted to try. He had to at least try for today...

And it seemed, at the end of the day, that things had worked out. Maybe the world was letting him know one year of suffering was enough. Maybe the world was letting him know it was okay to take steps forward.

Maybe, the world was letting him know there was a key to his heart. It was a strange and unbelievable thought, but it felt so freeing all the same.

And so, with that in mind, he deleted Keith's contact name on his phone and renamed him, smiling to himself in content.

'KEYth'.

***

Okay, so, I was pretty excited for this chapter, because here, we finally see that Lance isn't your typical 'I'm gonna wallow in despair' type of character. It's been a year; he genuinely wants to move on. He wants to get better. You know how some people wait until New Years to make a New Years resolution for their life and stuff? That was basically Lance waiting for April 23. He's by no means a weak person, he's just hurt, but he actually wants to try to get better and we see here, he is trying. And since everything is going so well, that means things are going to just keep being happy and working out from hereon out, right? Right? RIGHT?!

DID YOU KNOW THE WEB OF SINS ACTUALLY EXISTS?

That's right! Go to my profile, and there, you'll find the url link! You can ask me questions regarding this fanfic or about anything in general, and I would love to interact with all of you! Furthermore, if you follow me, you'll get regular teasers for the next chapter of this fic! Be like Keith and check it out!