Romantic intimacy had never been a big focus for Keith, simply because he always felt he needed to improve himself before he could look to commit himself to a relationship. That said, it wasn't like he was actively trying to stay away from romance, either. If it happened, it happened - that had been his philosophy for a while now. And, well...something had most certainly happened.

He and Lance had been seeing each other for over a week now, with Keith paying nightly visits to the Web to steal some of Lance's time just to talk. Lance seemed to understand that he only came to talk, now, too; there were no more expectations for sex. Most of their interactions took place in the club due to their schedules, and while Keith still wasn't any fonder of strip clubs than before, he tolerated it to see Lance.

They both wanted to spend more time together outside of the Web to have fun, but the opportunities were scarce. Sure, they'd gone out two more times since the mall date, and they texted much more often than a customer would a worker, but Keith had still never been able to fulfill his promise to take Lance racing again...that is, until now.

The Web of Sins was already in sight, and he was having difficulty keeping his chest from bursting open like a piñata of excitement as he pulled into the parking lot. They'd been planning this night for what seemed like ages, and honestly, it was all Keith ever talked about. He'd lost count of all the times he promised Lance they would go racing together at his track, and now, they finally would.

Excitement and giddiness made him move fast as he gave the bouncer his money and entered the Web. He technically could've just waited outside for Lance, but this night had been hyped up for quite a while, and he wanted to make it even more special by personally going in to pick Lance up. Losing a few dollars to the entry fee was worth it.

The club seemed to be leaning towards warmer colors tonight - reds and oranges taking prominence over the usual purple and blue. The pop music was a nice deviation from the more frequent techno tunes that usually played, as well.

This was how Keith taught himself to stay sane with so many frequent visits to the club; by focusing on the positives, since the club did have some pretty neat aesthetics to it. Well, that, and by focusing on anything other than the dozens of men ravaging other men as far as the eye could see. It wasn't like he'd been doing this for a long time, but he'd trained himself pretty well by now to only focus on what he wanted to see. That's why it wasn't too hard for him to spot Lance, already dressed in his attire for going out, making his way past the bar towards where Keith had just entered.

Keith couldn't help but smirk to himself, proud to say that he totally had the timing of Lance's shifts nailed down. Lance had spotted him, too, and Keith was going to call out in greeting when he saw an older man slap Lance on the ass as he walked past.

Suddenly, a civil greeting was off the table, and Keith was already storming forward, brows narrowed as he pictured the seven different ways he could mess that man up and make him regret touching Lance without permission. Fuck, it disgusted him to no end.

Lance met him halfway, though, and the look in Keith's eyes must've given away his anger and loathing, because he wrapped his arms around Keith to steal his attention. "Hey, come on, you can't just go starting stuff in the Web. Aren't you at least going to greet me?"

Keith grumbled and shifted his gaze to Lance, anger fading a bit due to how cute and calming the boy looked. It was like his blue eyes were pools that cooled down his anger, and he took a deep breath, focusing on Lance's arms on him. "...but he can't just go touching you like that. He should be taught a lesson..."

Lance let out one of his angelic giggles, gently poking Keith's chest and risking a glance back at the man who had become Keith's mortal enemy in just the span of ten seconds. "We're in the Web, Keith! Technically, he didn't do anything wrong."

"Touching you without permission is wrong," Keith insisted. "Especially the way he did it." Obviously, Keith knew Lance got touched by a bunch of men all the time, and he was still working on learning to deal with that, but seeing someone touch Lance without permission was a different game entirely; one that Keith wasn't willing to play. "Just let me make it clear to him."

He tried walking forward again, but Lance got in his way more, looking up thoughtfully. "You're so dramatic...fine. But you don't need to go make a scene. Why don't we just...show who I belong to?"

"What? You don't belong to any-" Before Keith could finish, Lance had wrapped his arms around Keith's neck and pressed his lips to Keith's, completely interrupting all of his thoughts and rendering his body a motionless vessel of shock and elation. There was no messiness to the kiss - just one pair of lips against the other for a good five seconds before Lance pulled away with the most innocent yet mischievous of smiles.

"There. That oughta send a message."

Keith took a moment to gather himself, still amazed at what had just happened. He knew Lance was a very physical person, so stuff like this was bound to happen without much warning, but still...wow.

Due to his state of awe, they just stood in the middle of the club for a while, with Lance examining Keith as his lips slowly but surely curled up into a grin. The old creep was looking away from Lance now, and yeah, as impromptu as that kiss had been, it had definitely felt better than just resorting to violence. Keith had a streak for letting his anger get the better of him, in fact that had been the whole reason Shiro and Matt had sent him to the Web in the first place, so whenever he found a peaceful way to satisfy his temper, it always felt like a win for him. Plus, he'd just gotten a kiss from Lance. This night was already off to an amazing start.

"Hey...not to rush you or anything, but did you wanna get out of here? I've been looking forward to tonight." Lance poked his arm a few times, and Keith immediately snapped back to reality, happiness welling up inside of him upon hearing that Lance had been looking forward to racing.

"Yeah! Come on!" Without even thinking, he grabbed Lance's hand so they could walk out together, saying their goodnights to the bouncer and walking to his car. Adrenaline was already pumping in Keith's veins, and the night had only just begun!

As usual, he opened the passenger door for Lance, but Lance paused before getting in, eyes going round with concern. "You didn't have to come in to get me, you know. Didn't it just waste your money?"

Having Lance worry about him was always really cute, and Keith had to hold himself back from doing something stupid like trying to kiss his forehead. "It did cost money, but I certainly wouldn't call it a waste." He smiled reassuringly. "By the way...that kiss back there..."

"Did you like it? Showing me off?" Lance giggled, trailing a finger against Keith's arm lightly, as though he just couldn't help but be seductive. "You can show me off more to the other racers. Doesn't that sound fun?"

Keith was taken aback at that, not particularly fond of the idea of 'showing Lance off' like he was some sort of item, but he didn't comment on it as they got in the car and started towards the track he and the others in his racing 'clique' used.

"So, when we're at the track, if they use the name 'Red Paladin', just know that that refers to me. I'm the Red Paladin, my beauty's the Red Lion, it's a great time."

Lance laughed, leaning against the door. "'Red Paladin'? Is that like a stage name, like how mine is BabyBlue?"

Keith had never drawn a comparison between racing and strip dancing before, but if it gave him something in common with Lance, then he didn't mind. Besides, he wasn't wrong. "Yeah, I guess it sort of is!" He risked a quick glance at Lance to take in his smile, and just seeing the genuine excitement on his face made Keith that much more eager to do this. One week ago, it still felt like Lance was forcing himself to be around Keith...but now, ever since their time at the mall when Keith opened up to Lance, things felt much more...natural between them.

"We're going to have a blast, trust me! I'm actually the top racer there! No one else has ever beaten me and Red in a race, you know!"

Lance giggled more. "Keith, you've already told me all this!"

Heat crept up Keith's cheeks as he remembered that he had indeed told Lance all of this during their first 'date' at Garret's Grill. "Oops! Sorry! I, uh...forgot." He mentally scolded himself for getting ahead of himself and wanting to hype up the night even more, but then again, his repetitive rambling had made Lance smile and giggle, so maybe his embarrassment was worth it. Still, he'd rather steer attention away from the fact that he was the most excited one despite having raced tons of times, so he turned on his music - specifically, his 'Lance playlist', which consisted of songs he'd come to learn Lance enjoyed.

As soon as the first song started, Lance's head bolted up to stare at him. "Is this Jason Mraz?"

Keith grinned at the cheerfulness in Lance's voice. "Sure is! Don't think I've forgotten about your guitar skills and stuff. I'm looking forward to you playing for me one day!"

Lance gave a light chuckle that differed from his usual giggling. It was just as cute, but there was a bashfulness to it that made Keith want to compliment him over and over again just to hear it.

"Yeah...me too."

Keith grinned from ear to ear, already excited for the many things they could look forward to after tonight; things like playing music and meeting each other's friends and just having fun in general. He didn't want to get too ahead of himself, though, so he kept his excitement to himself and just let Lance silently slow dance while gazing into the window like an adorable kitten.

It was funny, really. The more Keith got to know Lance, the more he proved that he could be the most popular sex worker at a club and the most talented pole dancer out there, and it wouldn't matter; he was still the purest being Keith had ever known and ever would know.

***

There was no large greeting house of any sort at the racetrack - just a drive-through booth that lead to the parking area where the guys hung out when there wasn't a race going on. The man running the booth grumbled as Keith pulled in, immediately recognizing his car.

Keith was reminded just how much he loved it here every time he came. The track was one of the few things that gave him relief from constant studying, although just recently, Lance had become another escape from school.

Lance looked around a bit before turning to Keith for an explanation. "Wait, is there no entry fee to use the track? We can just drive right on in?"

A smirk plastered itself on Keith's face, and he'd be lying if he said he hadn't been waiting for Lance to ask that. "Actually, you're right. Everyone has to pay...everyone, that is, except for me. You see, the track has a rule that the top racer gets to use the track for free, and, well, let's just say I'm the one holding the crown." He grinned at Lance proudly, and his reaction didn't disappoint.

"So then...wow! No joking this time; I guess you really are hot stuff! I'd imagine that'd make the other racers jealous of you, though." Lance giggled at the last part.

Keith blushed a bit, feeling smug and pampered. "Oh, yeah. They aren't super fond of me, but hey, it isn't my fault I'm unbeatable." He enjoyed flexing a bit when it came to racing, and having Lance here to boast to just made it that much more gratifying. He wasn't trying to be a gloating dick or anything - he just enjoyed keeping racing exciting and competitive.

There were several other cars already parked around the main lot, with most of the guys out and talking. Conversation quickly stopped when Keith drove in, though, and it felt just like arriving at a party and turning everyone's heads.

Lance was bouncing in his seat, twisting around to take in the entire venue, and it was the most adorable thing Keith had ever seen.

"Hey, come on! Let's get out!" He poked Keith playfully. "After all, you can show me off to those guys who don't like you."

Keith furrowed his brows, still disturbed at the idea of showing Lance off, but he dismissed it, stepping out and grinning at the way the other guys looked at him in resentment as he opened the door for Lance, too.

"Wow...this is so cool," Lance muttered as he followed Keith out, and his awe made Keith chuckle because there really wasn't much to take in.

"Is it? I mean, it's just a vacant parking area. I guess more people showed up tonight than normal, though, so that's something, but just you wait. The real magic happens on the track-"

"Hey! Red!"

Keith grumbled and looked up to see one of the guys approaching with a cocky grin. He didn't know them by name, only by label; Shadow Trail.

"Great. What do you want-?!" Before Keith could kick himself into full competitive mode, Lance quickly latched onto his arm, and his heartbeat sped up as though it were the one racing.

His competitor scoffed at the sight. "So it is true. I was at the Blade of Marmora's bar with Rolo the other night, and he told me about how he met you on the road with some cute new accessory. Guess you brought your trophy with you tonight to gloat, hm?"

A low growl rumbled in Keith's throat as he took a threatening step forward, temper immediately spiking up to a boiling point. His fists were clenched, ready to take out the asshole's crooked teeth if he made one more out-of-place comment. "He's not my accessory, nor is he my trophy, you miserable low life."

The dude chuckled, pissing Keith off more with every second of his existence. "Maybe not after tonight. Tell you what, Red, I challenge you to a race around the track. I've got a new set of sturdier tires and upgraded my short shifter, so I figured I might as well do everyone a favor and relieve you of your free pass into the track."

Keith's competitive flare was already heightened by his anger, but he didn't smirk or change expressions at all. "You're on," he snarled, which was a more pleasant way of saying 'I'm going to destroy you, motherfucker'.

He started to return to his car when the guy called out again, making Keith grumble in annoyance.

"Hold up! That isn't all." He was grinning, but not at Keith. He was grinning at Lance. "You've been hogging your position, and it's clearly gotten to your head over time, so why don't we shake things up with a bet. If I win...your accessory becomes mine for the night."

A heavy silence sweeped over them, aside from the guys in the background cheering, as Keith took a moment to take in those words. Then, all at once, fury clouded his vision, and racing was suddenly not an option; he was going to give this bastard what he deserved. His blood vessels literally felt like they were cysts of hot lava, bubbling and popping with heat, and his breaths came out more like the hissing of hot steam as he advanced forward and lifted his fist. "You're gonna regret opening your mou-"

"Keith!" Lance's sudden voice was like a sudden splash of cool water to fire, holding him back a bit and drawing his attention down to where he was clinging onto his arm harder. "It...it's okay, Keith. I'm okay. I'm okay with it." He smiled meekly. "I'm okay with being bet on."

Keith stared into Lance's eyes, and sure, the vast blueness in them reminded him of pools of cooling water, but that wasn't what quelled the intense fire in his blood. It was the overall look on Lance's face. It was the fact that Lance was telling the truth - he was okay with being bet on. That was what quelled Keith's anger, replacing it with sorrow.

"I believe that you'll win, anyways, so really, it's okay!" Lance pressed on, but the heat was already flushing out of Keith's body, replaced with a mournful determination.

"No." He declared, eyes narrowing. Lance may have been okay with being a betting chip, but Keith was not. He refused to objectify Lance into a prize to be won. "If you need to make a bet, then we'll bet on me."

"Wha? Keith?!" Lance gasped, but Keith continued.

"If I lose, I'll quit racing; period."

Lance backed up a bit at that, and even his prick of an opponent fell speechless. Keith was feeling bolder than ever, though, and his lips finally curled up into a challenging smirk.

"Still confident you can take me?"

***~Lance~***

Lance wanted to whack Keith over the head for the stunt he just pulled, or to at least shove him really hard, but it was difficult to stay upset when Keith was being all protective of him.

He really wouldn't have minded it if they betted on him, since he was used to being with a bunch of different men on a daily basis anyways. Not that it wasn't different being with Keith, because it definitely was, but he didn't want Keith risking his racing career over this...

"I can't wait to wipe that cocky grin off your face!" The guy snarled before stomping back towards his car, and Keith turned to smile at Lance.

"You ready to race?"

Lance's mouth hung open a bit as he stared at Keith, who appeared to be unconcerned with the fact that he'd just offered to give up racing if he lost. "Keith...why?"

That was all he needed to say as Keith reached down to grab his wrist reassuringly, the sudden touch igniting Lance's skin. "Because, I'm not going to just treat you like some trophy that can be tossed around. And besides," he leaned towards Lance, whispering just for dramatic effect. "I have a reputation to uphold. Go big or go home, right?"

Lance's insides melted a little as he gulped, because that was both one of the sweetest and hottest things he'd ever heard. Whenever Keith talked about racing, he always overdid the 'bad boy' persona and usually just came off as more entertaining than anything else, but it was times like these where he got really passionate that Lance found him particularly and incredibly hot.

"...okay." He returned Keith's smile and gave a small nod, letting him open the door for him. He knew by now that it was impossible to have any expectations for Keith since the way he treated him was unlike anything Lance had experienced before, but still...when he did things like this, when he went out of his way to treat Lance like an actual human, it took his breath away every time.

They exited the parking lot to where the track was, and if Lance had been breathless before, he got the wind completely knocked out of him upon seeing it. A straight road stretched out in front of them for a good mile before diverging into a series of curves that weaved themselves into what seemed to be an intricate design of smooth, black pavement. It was all so structured it looked unstructured, and he'd be lying if he said he wasn't at least a little nervous, but he had faith in Keith. He knew they would win.

They pulled up to what must've been the starting line before stopping, and Lance turned to watch the other car stop next to them.

"Paint looks new. I guess he went in and got completely revamped." Keith commented.

Lance observed the black armor of the car, but he really couldn't see anything that suggested it was freshly painted. Keith's vehicle expertise continued to impress him to no end.

The window began lowering as Keith leaned towards Lance's side of the car to shout at their opponent. "When the next minute strikes, that's when we'll start!"

He was met with a begrudged agreement, and that was all he needed to hear before he closed the window again, ignoring the mess of 'intimidating' insults that came spilling out of the guy's mouth. Lance found the entire thing incredibly amusing.

"You weren't kidding. They really don't like you." He giggled.

Keith scratched his head and smiled at Lance briefly before committing himself fully to his focused, competitive state again, hands gripping the wheel in preparation. "Yeah, but sorta makes it that much more enjoyable when I beat them, you know?"

Lance figured he'd also do his part to prepare and gripped onto the seat, remembering how fun yet wild the last race he'd been in had been. "No, no, I get it! I sort of relate, even. I mean, I'm the most popular stripper at the Web, and that means I get the most men and money, and that means a lot of the other strippers are resentful of me." He turned to Keith, and they made eye contact. "I guess we have quite a bit in common."

"Oh...yeah. I guess we do." Keith looked Lance over before returning his smile, face tendering up in a way that forced Lance to have to look away.

Just a week ago, he'd come to the decision that it was okay for him to be something other than a fly trapped in a web; it was okay for him to try to experience life all over again. Slowly but surely, he'd been learning what it meant to have fun and to enjoy leisurely things thanks to Keith, but there was still some adjustment that needed to be done. Sometimes, he would look at Keith and just be blown away by how well he treated Lance; so much so that he had to look away. That was what was happening right now. Keith's tender smile promised that he wanted to have fun with Lance, and that was something that was still difficult for him to process.

The sudden revving of an engine shocked him out of his thoughts, and he jumped in his seat a bit as Keith cursed and slammed his foot down on the pedal.

"Shit! Hang on, Lance!" They shot forward roughly two seconds after the other car, quickly closing the distance until they were just barely behind.

This wasn't the first time Lance had experienced such fast action, but that didn't mean he was used to it. He couldn't even scream or yell as he clung to his seat harder than before, heart already pounding as the deafening sound of the two cars speeding against each other rushed in his ears.

He was reminded of why he found racing with Keith so fun; he could feel every inch of his body going tense with adrenaline as the night blurred past them, and it was almost like he existed in a completely different pocket of space, where he and Keith defied the laws of reality and he wasn't able to focus on anything other than how fast they were moving. But of course, that all changed when they hit the first turn.

Keith's car suddenly jerked to the left, and Lance, who had let down his guard to relish in the thrill of the race, suddenly found himself colliding into his door despite his seat belt.

"Ouch! Hey, what..." He trailed off when he saw the amount of turns coming up, and he immediately held onto his seat for dear life as Keith and the car beside them tackled the road neck in neck.

It quickly became too terrifying for Lance to watch what was coming, so he shut his eyes and let out yelps of excitement and terror as he felt them swerving and weaving through the turns.

He felt like he would be thrown from his seat at any second, and even though that was impractical since he was wearing his seat belt, it still made him hug the seat tighter. They might as well have been in freefall down a cliff at this point as they zoomed forward, and Lance swore he could almost imagine that feeling of plummeting downwards so long as he kept his eyes closed.

They made a particularly long turn, and Lance cried out in delight, stomping his feet against the ground like an excited child. This was it. This was the feeling of freedom granted by racing that made him feel so alive, and in a way, this was the embodiment of everything Keith gave to him. He wasn't even looking outside, and yet, he could feel existence itself rushing past them as the wind roared and parted, unable to keep up with their speed. They were streaking down the road, and it was all so intense and fast and unpredictable, but Lance loved every second of it.

He could feel their path opening back up to a straight road, but his heart continued to follow their zig-zagging rhythm from earlier for a good while. Only once the pounding in his chest calmed down a bit did he open his eyes, grinning from ear to ear at the familiar sight of the outside world appearing and disappearing through his window in an instant.

When he looked for the other car, though, he realized with a panic-stricken gasp that they were losing by quite a distance. "Keith, we need to hurry!" He exclaimed, heart picking up pace again. That feeling of just existing and being free was gone, replaced with a competitive fire as he hugged the seat tighter in anxiousness.

"Right!" Keith accelerated, cascading them through the air and towards the car in front of them with a vengeful speed.

Lance turned to giggle at Keith, but halted when he saw the look on his face. His lips were pursed together and he was sweating abnormally, cocky 'bad boy' grin completely nonexistent. In fact, his entire competitive aura was nonexistent, leaving just an air of anxiety and distress.

"Keith...? Ah!" Lance gasped as they suddenly made another turn, having momentarily loosened his grip on his seat. Luckily, it was just a single turn before they were back to a straight road, and Keith had slowed down so the turn was easier...but now they were even more behind.

"Keith!" Lance shouted, risking taking an arm off his seat to point ahead. "What are you doing?! If you lose, you said you'd never race again!"

Keith winced at his shouting, speeding up a bit, but not nearly enough to catch up. "I-I know, but...there are more turns coming up, and...you looked pretty terrified, clinging onto the seat during the turns, so..."

Lance rose an eyebrow, trying to make sense of what he meant. "What? What does that have to..." He trailed off, realization sinking in and quickly birthing irritation. "So you're...going slower for my sake?"

The guilty look on Keith's face told him everything he needed to know, which only increased his anxious irritation. "Keith, you can't lose after your bet! Come on, just go! I wasn't even scared, those turns were super fun!"

"Yeah, but-"

Lance grumbled in exasperation. "I want to race with you, Keith, I want to have fun with you! This isn't fun!"

Keith's eyes widened at that, and he risked a glance at Lance despite the car still moving at at least 70 miles per hour.

Lance gave a small nod of encouragement, meeting Keith's gaze. "This isn't fun. Going fast and feeling free - that's what I love about racing with you, Keith. And besides..." He hesitated, still slightly uncomfortable when it came to talking about his feelings, but he pushed through for Keith. "...I trust you not to put me in danger."

They stared at each other longer than two people probably should when inside of a moving vehicle, which sort of contradicted Lance's previous statement of Keith not putting him in danger, but he decided this didn't count as Keith steeled himself and nodded.

"Okay. You're right. I'm sorry. Hold on!" They picked up speed all of a sudden, and the distance between them and the opposing car started to vanish like a magic trick.

Lance hugged his seat tightly and gave an excited squeal, keeping his eyes open this time as they hit the next turn without slowing down. A part of him was still confused and irritated with Keith, but right now he wanted to focus on the race and on making sure Keith didn't lose the bet and his title, so he pushed his conflicted feelings aside for later and indulged in the thrill of freedom he got from racing.

***

The rest of the race just went on to show how much Keith had been holding back, because all it took was two more curvy pathways for them to catch up before quickly overtaking the other car. They had won by a pretty large margin.

Lance's anxiety over them losing in the beginning seemed so silly now due to the magnitude of their victory, but what certainly wasn't silly to him was Keith's reason for starting so slow in the first place. He had done it 'for Lance's sake'...but...what did that even really mean?

"Thanks for the race," Keith grinned at the other racers and tossed a particularly pointed look at the cocky dude who had challenged them before pulling out and exiting the track. "Man, that was pretty exciting, huh? Say, did you wanna get some drive-thru food real quick? I mean, you probably haven't eaten, so..."

Lance's face twisted in frustration, partly due to the mere mention of fast food, but mostly because he just needed to confront Keith about his little stunt in the beginning of the race.

"Actually, I'm not hungry. Could we...go to a park, instead?"

Keith raised an eyebrow at him. "A park? But it's, like, midnight."

"I know. I just want to stop and talk somewhere for a little bit, that's all." Lance insisted, earning him some curious looks from Keith.

"Yeah, alright. If that's what you want." They started for a nearby park in silence - no music or anything, which set Lance even more on edge. Maybe it was foolish for him to be so caught up on Keith constantly taking hits for him, but he just couldn't understand it.

Keith didn't question why Lance wanted to talk at all, as though he could sense the tight atmosphere, and they just stared forward at the road until they finally pulled into the park. Obviously, they were the only ones there since it was pitch black out.

For a few minutes, the only sound was the chirping of crickets from outside, painting the perfect scene of what silence sounded like during spring. It was clear Keith wasn't going to initiate the conversation since he didn't even know what this was about, but Lance wasn't sure how to start it either. This wasn't something he ever did, after all.

He took a deep sigh and let his inner turmoil speak for him. "...why do you get so...sheltering...of me?" He turned to Keith, who mirrored him with a troubled face and responded almost immediately.

"What do you mean by 'sheltering'?"

Lance paused at that, thinking his feelings through. "Well...like, for example, when you came to pick me up at the Web earlier, and you were ready to assault some guy just for touching me...or when you yelled at the other racer for betting on me..."

"What?!" Keith turned the interior lights on so they could see each other better in the dark, and Lance could detect that same concern in Keith's eyes that he'd seen so many times now. "Is it...is it bad that I do those things? I mean, if I see people treating you badly, I'm not just going to stand by. That's not sheltering, is it? Or...do you not like it?"

Lance panicked a bit, because that definitely wasn't what he meant. He actually enjoyed the examples he'd listed and found them sweet; it was a part of what made Keith who he was. "No, no...I guess I didn't explain well enough. I mean...while we were racing. When you started going slower just because you thought the turns scared me...I just...that's the one thing that got to me. So...why did you do that?"

Keith looked confused at first, but then he gave a wide, sympathetic grin. "It's because that's a very important factor, of course. I mean, if something I do is freaking you out-"

"But what about the bet you made?!" Lance shouted, smacking his fist down on his knee. "You said you'd quit racing if you lost! Would you have? I mean, I wouldn't want you to quit just because you had to slow down for me! Why would you do that?!" He stared at Keith intensely, teeth clenched in anticipation.

Keith's eyes widened at Lance's sudden increase in volume. "Like I said, I don't want to do anything that makes you feel like you're in danger."

"But if you lost because of me, if you had to stop racing because of me, that'd make me feel guilty!" Lance argued. He was more riled up than he'd been in a long time, but it wasn't necessarily because he was angry. No, 'angry' wasn't the right word.

He could see himself in the reflection of Keith's eyes, and the longer he looked, the more he reminded himself of the very man he was looking at. The look on Lance's face was oddly reminiscent of Keith's, or at least, reminiscent of a look that was often on Keith's face - worry. He was worried for Keith.

Keith seemed to see it, too, and he slowly reached forward and grabbed Lance's hand with a sheepish and tender smile...a very tender smile. Just seeing it for a few seconds was enough to send a surge of heat rushing to Lance's cheeks.

"I...I think I get it," he started cautiously. "You're upset because I almost lost my racing privileges to protect you...is that it?"

He squeezed Lance's hand consolingly, and suddenly, it was infinitely harder for him to stay upset with Keith. "Y-yeah, something like that, I guess..." He sighed, sinking down into his seat defeatedly. "I don't even know...I...I don't know a lot of things. I don't understand a lot of things. I guess I just didn't like that you were willing to give up something you love doing...just for me? And I guess I don't understand it, either." Lance's face fell as he grew frustrated at himself for not understanding anything. "I just...don't know what I'm doing. I'm sorry..."

"Hey! Hey, hey, hey," Keith spoke quickly, reaching out until he was squeezing Lance's hand in both of his. "You don't need to be sorry. I mean, after all, I don't know what I'm doing either!" He chuckled, and Lance managed to look back up at him with a weak smile.

A few moments passed with them just looking at each other before Keith spoke up again. "If you want to understand, I can try explaining it to you."

Lance tilted his head curiously, not quite sure what he was referring to, but he nodded anyways. He wanted to understand everything Keith did.

"I'm sorry if you felt like I was being too sheltering of you, or if I made you feel guilty because I almost lost. It's just, I really don't want to mess this up..." Keith sighed and turned to face forward. "You know, you make me feel really different. I'm known by most people to have some issues with my temper, and even I'll admit I lash out too much...but you sort of, I don't know, subdue them?"

Lance's heart skipped a beat as he observed Keith's pensive face. "...what do you mean?"

"Well...for example, when that man touched you at the Web. I was ready to lash out, but...you subdued my anger. Same with during the race." He turned to look at Lance again, cheeks a little red. "I guess what I'm trying to say is...I like being around you. I...I think you're good for me, and I want to be around you more...so if I'm treating you like you're too fragile, I'm sorry. I just really don't want to mess this up. I don't want to hurt you."

A thousand suns exploded inside of Lance, lighting him up with flames of embarrassment, disbelief, and unfathomable joy. His head was light after hearing such overwhelming things from Keith, and he was pressed to believe this was all some sort of fever dream. There were no words he could possibly say to convey all of his emotions, so he squeezed Keith's hand back, propped himself out of his seat, and pushed their lips together for the second time that night.

Nobody had ever told Lance they got emotional satisfaction from him before; it was always physical satisfaction. Everybody only wanted him for his body, and Lance was honestly perfectly fine with that since that was his job after all, but hearing Keith say Lance was 'good for him' in an emotional context felt like he was fulfilling a dream he never knew he had. It was strange - it made him happy beyond belief, and he wanted to keep hearing more about it from Keith, but at the same time, it was so unfamiliar that he wasn't sure if should feel this way. He needed more time to understand it...but at least he had an idea, now.

Kissing Keith in this moment made for a good distraction from all his confused thoughts, so he just focused on that, leaning out of his seat more to deepen the kiss. His hands landed against Keith's chest, fumbling against his shirt a bit to heighten the physical intimacy until they pulled away, panting lightly.

Lance's tongue darted out over his lips absentmindedly as he sighed, eyes scaling up and down Keith's body. "You're...really sweet. Keith, I..." He trailed off upon noticing a discreet bulge in Keith's pants, heart leaping.

This was new. It had been so long since Lance had had sex outside of work, and strangely enough, it had barely even crossed his mind to have sex with Keith during the past week of knowing him...but now, just by noticing Keith's arousal, Lance's heart was beginning to speed up. Emotional intimacy wasn't something he understood, but when it came to physical intimacy, it was a much different story.

"Hey..." He slipped into his flirty voice and slid out of his seat towards Keith, who immediately became frazzled and tried to lean away - much to Lance's amusement. "It's been a pretty crazy night, hasn't it? I see someone's been enjoying it, though..." His hands teasingly began sliding down Keith's body, and the humiliated look on Keith's face said he knew he was caught.

"I-it isn't what it looks like...I just, there's been a lot of adrenaline going on tonight, so that's why..."

Lance chuckled. "So that's it. It'd be a pretty virgin move to pop a boner just from one kiss. But then, does this mean you always get hard after a race?"

Keith's face reddened more as he gulped. "N-no! I just...you were there with me, so...I'm sorry. I can handle it when I'm home, so-"

"You don't really think I'm letting you get away from me that easily, do you?" Lance was completely out of his own seat now and was practically straddling Keith, body swaying in a hypnotic rhythm as he grinned. "Come on, what happened to the bad boy from the racing track? You don't need to take care of it by yourself when I'm right here." He grinded his ass down against Keith's crotch and felt his chest swell with even more excitement when Keith winced.

"Lance...really, it's okay. I can take care of it. You don't need to do this."

Lance paused and raised an eyebrow, a bit of frustration prickling at him. Sex wasn't something he tended to get excited for since it was a regular part of his life, so the desire he was feeling right now was new to him and it was frustrating that Keith wasn't picking up on it. "Aww, come on. I know you want it!" He teasingly rolled his hips against Keith's again, prompting Keith to gently push Lance away from his lap.

"No, we shouldn't..." Keith pursed his lips together as Lance's eyes bore down onto him impatiently. "Listen...you don't have to. Like I said, I'll handle it. I mean, I don't want to just take you like everyone else..."

Lance scrunched his face up a bit and placed his hand on Keith's cheek a little too hard. It was basically a gentle slap. "Keith. I. Want. To. Have. Sex." He deadpanned, emphasizing each word with a pause.

Keith's face flushed red all over again, but he shook his head and grabbed Lance's wrist, slowly guiding his hand away from his face. "Lance, no...if we have sex, I'll be just like the other guys at the Web who go there to have sex with you..."

Lance observed Keith's dejected face before sighing. So that was it. "Is this what you meant earlier, when you talked about treating me like I'm fragile and how you didn't want to mess up?"

He was met with just a nod, and it almost made Lance laugh at how restrained Keith was acting. His erection clearly wasn't going anywhere, but he was passing up this opportunity for Lance's sake...except not really, since Lance actually wanted this. He couldn't be annoyed with Keith if he was holding back for a reason like this.

"Keith, it won't be like with other guys at the Web, because I'm actually asking for this, and it isn't for money...it's just, because I want it." He set himself back down on Keith's lap. "I want you."

He could see the breath catch in Keith's throat as he let Lance straddle him, eyes trailing up and down his lean, curvy body, and as much as Lance wanted to continue egging him on and encouraging him to fuck him, he didn't. He wouldn't pressure him or anything. He wasn't even sure if Keith wanted to have sex, although he was pretty sure he did. At the very least, Lance wanted to have sex. Physical intimacy was something he was good at, something he could feel good about, and he missed being able to feel that with a person who he felt a connection to.

Keith met Lance's eyes with uncertainty, taking several deep breaths before resting his hands on Lance's sides. "...okay. If you truly want this...I want you, too."

Lance beamed in excitement, surprising himself with how ready he was for this. He lifted his arms above his head as Keith pulled his shirt up and over him, exposing his slender figure. "Your turn now." He winked, helping Keith wriggle out of his shirt, and as soon as he saw the muscles, he realized this was the first time he'd seen Keith shirtless. He certainly liked what he saw.

"I already knew you were pretty gifted down below, but who knew you worked out?" Lance chuckled, pressing their foreheads together as they stared into each other's eyes with lust.

"Well, I've got to say, I'm not surprised by what I'm seeing at all. Of course your body is perfectly shaped - just like every other part of you."

Keith's words sent heat crawling up Lance's cheeks. He'd never been complimented like this during sex before...

"Here, help me remove these." Keith tugged at Lance's shorts, prompting the distracted boy to yelp in surprise.

He looked down and watched as Keith's hands worked with his shorts, heart racing faster and faster by the second. This was new; he'd slipped out of it for just a second, and now, Keith was taking control of the situation before Lance could. He didn't particularly mind letting others do as they pleased with him, but what Keith was doing wasn't making any sense.

"What're you doing? We should get the poor thing out of there, don't you thin - Keith?!" Lance gasped as Keith successfully unbuttoned his jean shorts and pulled them down while sensually feeling up his waist and ass.

"Shhh. If we're doing this, let me make sure you're getting the pleasure you deserve." Keith whispered, freeing Lance's dick from the confines of his underwear.

Before Lance could protest, Keith wrapped an arm around his neck and pulled him down into a kiss while his other hand lingered dangerously close to his crotch. Lance had never before in his life experienced what it was like to be the one getting all the attention. It was as puzzling as it was overwhelming, and he was at a loss for words as Keith reached up and turned the lights in the car off.

The sudden switch to darkness just heightened Lance's lust, peculiarly enough - probably because it suggested things were going to get steamier. Keith's hand wrapped around his rapidly hardening dick, pumping it lightly as his tongue traced over Lance's lips.

Soft moans escaped Lance as he squirmed against Keith's touch, sounds muffled by Keith's mouth over his. He wasn't sure what was going on; all he knew was that he was absolutely not in control of the situation right now. Sex was normally Lance granting sexual release to his partner...in fact, he couldn't even remember the last time someone else had touched him like this, and that just made him that much more sensitive.

"K-Keith...!" He arched his back as he felt a thumb swiping across the head of his dick, and his body physically trembled from both how good it felt and how unusually different the entire situation was. He had to wrap his arms around the back of Keith's neck to help stabilize himself as he let out throaty moans straight into Keith's ear and instinctively rolled his hips forward into Keith's hand. "Keith...this is...ah!"

"Shhh..." Keith hushed gently, grinding his hand down against Lance with increasing levels of pressure. His other hand slid down Lance's sweating back until he reached his ass, cupping his voluptuous cheeks and squeezing lightly. "Still think I'm a virgin?" He whisper-growled.

Lance gave a high-pitched whine and bucked his hips more in an attempt to fuck Keith's hand. He was beyond the point of trying to understand it now; all he knew was that what Keith was doing was something he'd never gotten before and it felt amazing, and he wanted more of it. Obviously he knew what it felt like to touch yourself, but to have another person doing it and putting his pleasure before their own was a pleasure all on its own.

"Keith...ah...Keith! It's good...I...I like it..." He confessed in the heat of the moment, burying his face into the nook of Keith's neck and relishing in his scent, relishing in the feeling of their naked chests pressed tightly together, and relishing in the waves of passion and pleasure that rippled up his body with each of Keith's strokes.

Keith's hand went from squeezing Lance's ass to massaging it, pumping his cock faster and harder the more Lance made noise. "That makes me happy. I want you to like it. This is what sex should be like."

Lance twisted to and fro against Keith's body, a constant stream of moans and whimpers escaping him. He'd never known sex to be like this, but he certainly wasn't going to complain about it right now. His dick felt better than it ever had before, and feeling Keith's hand caressing his ass offered him a naughty sense of comfort.

"Keith..." He moaned his name again like it was the only word he knew, thrusting into his hand as lust and desperation began piling up. He'd never approached climax so quickly before. "Keith..." His voice came as more of a warning this time, which only prompted Keith to grip his shaft harder before pumping with ferocity.

The heat kept spiking in Lance's body, overtaking him in spurts and drawing him closer and closer to release...and then, when Keith teasingly slipped his fingers against Lance's entrance, he lost it.

"Keith...I'm...!" He ended his sentence with a sound that fell somewhere between a shout and a squeal, clinging onto Keith's back like it was his lifeline as the heat finally hit its peak, bubbled over his stomach, and shot from his dick.

His body shook with his orgasm as he bucked his hips, riding out his first handjob climax in a long time. The sensations were familiar, but they felt so new - he couldn't remember the last time sex felt this good. His head slumped down against Keith's shoulder as ropes of cum splashed onto his chest, continuously being milked by Keith's hand as he stroked Lance through it. His other hand continued teasing his hole, so that even as Lance's orgasm began to die down, his excitement burned as fiercely as ever.

"Keith...condom...I..." Lance tried reaching for his pants, but it was difficult given that he was straddling and leaning into Keith's body, so Keith did it for him.

"You mean you...?" He reached into Lance's pants and, sure enough, pulled out a condom and a bottle of lube. His face slowly melted into one of confusion as he stared at the items in his hand. "...you were just carrying these with you?"

"I always carry them," Lance admitted, burying his face against Keith's shoulder more. "Just in case."

Keith's hand retreated from behind Lance to cup his cheek and guide his face back so they could look at each other, and whereas Lance was more than ready to let Keith fuck him, Keith's face was reluctant and wary.

"Lance...are you sure you aren't just doing this because I had an erection?"

Lance gave him a sharp glare, prompting him to immediately elaborate.

"I-it's just, I need to make sure. 'Just in case' makes it sound like you've been ready for me to take you just like another man from the Web...and that's not what I want. I want you to want this and I want to show you that sex is more than just giving pleasure to others. So...I need you to tell me the truth. Are you doing this just to try and please me?"

They stared into each other's eyes, and Lance felt a tingling in his chest. While it was a little frustrating having Keith constantly needing validation since Lance just wanted him to fuck him already, he knew it came from a deep place of caring, and that warmed his heart.

"I want it, Keith," he breathed out, hands gripping his shoulders and admiring the feeling of muscles beneath his fingers. "I want it for both of us. You've already made this different and special...now finish. Give it to me."

Keith's breathing picked up at that as he examined Lance's face for any trace of dishonesty. There was a brief moment where Lance thought he was going to try and stop them and he would have to convince Keith again that he wanted it, but then, Keith's hands moved down, and he began making quick work of his tight jeans.

Lance's excitement spiked as he lifted himself up from Keith's lap a bit so he could undress faster. He couldn't believe this was happening. He was having sex outside of work, and he was going to enjoy it. God, was he going to enjoy it.

Each passing second felt like an hour as he impatiently waited for Keith to finish pulling the condom over his cock, which was just as large as Lance remembered it being from when he sucked it during their first meeting.

He was just starting to think back to how strange he'd found Keith at that time and how strange he still found Keith when a pair of fingers prodded at him from behind, drawing out a surprised squeak from him. They were already lubed up.

Keith chuckled. "You're still super cute like this."

Lance's heart leapt at that. Nobody called him cute during sex, it just didn't happen - but he decided he liked it. "And you're - ah!" He cried out again as Keith's fingers slowly slid into him, gently experimenting with his body and giving him time to get used to the entry before wiggling around.

It took no time at all for Lance's body to relax - he prided himself as being a natural at this, after all. Still, Keith treated him attentively, only going further when Lance urged him to. His fingers parted and began making scissoring motions against Lance's walls, stretching them and slicking them up for the main event.

Keith was definitely being overly cautious as he slipped a third finger in and continued stretching Lance even though he knew he was more than ready to take his dick. For Keith's sake, he allowed him to continue preparing him for a while longer, but this was the first time in ages he'd wanted sex, and he could only take so much waiting.

"Keith!" Lance grumbled, nails digging into his shoulder blades and catching his attention. "Fuck me against the steering wheel already."

A part of Lance thought he would have to convince Keith more, but the man instead met him with a grin and quickly began covering his cock with lube. It seemed he understood that Lance really did want this. Good - Lance found it very sweet how considerate Keith was, but he wasn't sure he could deal with constant reassurance during sex. Physical intimacy was a necessity for Lance, and nothing could change that.

"Time to lose my virginity." Keith chuckled at his own joke, and Lance found himself smiling. Humor during sex - now there was a thought. He decided he liked this, too.

He positioned himself above Keith's cock, reaching down to guide the tip to his hole. His heart was pounding against his chest in anticipation, and instead of going down on it, he waited to let Keith make the first move. Keith had spent all night making sure Lance really did want this - he figured he'd make sure Keith really wanted this, too.

Keith felt up Lance's sides appreciatively, almost like he was worshipping Lance's body as opposed to all the selfish, objectifying touches he usually got. When his hands reached Lance's arms, they quickly made their way back down to his hips, capturing them in a firm grip. And then, he began easing his cock into him.

Lance relaxed himself down onto Keith, stabilizing his breaths and focusing on the feeling of Keith's hands on him. He was ready for pain at any moment, since many men he was with enjoyed making him feel some pain, but none ever came, and Keith proved he truly wasn't a virgin as he helped Lance all the way down his cock.

Their eyes met for the hundredth time that night, both of them now fully accepting that this was happening because they both wanted this. Lance's insides were fluttering in ways he hadn't felt for a long time, and, in a bout of passion, he pressed their lips together again.

Kissing wasn't something Lance did too often nowadays since most men just wanted to get to the sex, and it happened even less during sex, so this was something special to Lance as he shut his eyes and indulged in the feeling of Keith's lips against his while his walls adjusted to Keith's size.

Their tongues danced together as Keith lifted one hand to Lance's face, stroking his cheek gently, and Lance keened to all the attention. His hips rolled down against Keith's cock to signify that he was ready for more, had been ready for more, and the fact that Keith got the message and didn't make him wait any longer made him the happiest man alive.

With Keith's guidance, Lance lifted himself up his cock, watching the member exit his body, before briskly going back down.

"Lance!" Keith groaned, his grip getting tighter.

As glorious as this situation was, Lance found himself focusing on the fact that his name had just been spoken during sex. Keith hadn't called him 'slut', or 'whore', or anything of the sort. It was his name he said. Even in the clutches of lust, he called Lance by his name. Keith was so different and always so benevolent to Lance - it was time to pay him back.

Lance didn't wait for Keith any longer. His grip on Keith's shoulders mirrored the ones on his hips, and he flashed him a seductive grin before taking Keith's cock at his own pace.

Sure, Keith was no virgin, but he wasn't Lance. Lance knew what he could take, and he knew how to give pleasure more than he knew how to do anything else. He lifted himself up and down Keith with as much speed as he dared to, never letting the tip leave him when he went up and practically sitting on his balls when he went down.

The groans and gasps of pleasure from Keith were music to Lance's ears, and he made no effort to try and control Lance's movements. He bucked his hips upwards and caressed Lance's thighs, but other than that, Lance was the one driving.

His walls clenched around Keith as he leaned his head back, sweating and panting and fucking himself on Keith's dick with an ardent fire. The pleasure burst through his entire body as he grinded himself against Keith's hips with each plunge downwards, already hard again. He always had good stamina - he had to for the line of work he was in - but he barely even noticed his own revived erection. He was too focused on not only bringing pleasure to Keith, but also on the pleasure he himself was receiving.

"Lance...!" Keith groaned again, thrusting his hips upwards and causing Lance's entire body to shiver upon feeling him brush against his prostate.

Immediately, Lance leaned back until he was resting on the steering wheel, eyes meeting Keith's with encouraging lust. "Fuck me against the steering wheel. Keith, please."

Keith didn't need him to beg any further than that. He repositioned himself beneath Lance, arms wrapping around his torso and helping to support him against the wheel before thrusting his cock back into him.

Lance gasped as he was shoved against the wheel, and he gasped again when Keith's cock went straight to his prostate. "Oh god, Keith!" He threw his head back and began trying to wrap his legs around Keith as he fucked Lance, cock spearing him again and again right where it drove him craziest and showing no mercy in overloading his body with pleasure.

It was unbelievable how Keith could come off as so gentle and cautious and yet turn out to be so powerful and passionate when he got into it, but what was most unbelievable was the way he could still make Lance feel like he was being comforting even while fucking him. His hands were helping to ease the strain on Lance's back from laying against the wheel, constantly caressing his skin, and he gave Lance nothing but pleasure by constantly driving his cock into his prostate. He was one of a kind.

Lance arched his back as the shockwaves of pleasure stacked up continuously with Keith pounding into him, thrusts picking up speed and power with each passing second. Neither of their bodies were going to last much longer; Lance had had enough sex to be able to tell that much.

"Keith..." Lance lifted his head to look at him, but that was the most he could get out before letting himself roll back against the steering wheel like the mess he was, moaning and taking Keith's cock obediently.

Keith began rising out of his seat while still fucking Lance just as hard, moving his body closer and closer and lifting Lance's legs with him.

Lance was too out of it to notice, or rather, to into it to notice. He was quickly approaching his peak as ecstasy overtook his body. His toes curled from around Keith's back, white beginning to cloud his vision. He was getting so close, and he was ready, so ready to release all the pleasure and desire in his body-

His thoughts were cut off as Keith pressed their lips together. He kissed him. He kissed Lance while fucking him, tenderly sliding his tongue inside his mouth and showing something more than just lust. At this rate, Lance's heart was going to burst along with the rest of his body, and he melted completely into Keith, rolling his hips down against his cock and opening his mouth up for him.

His climax was much sweeter than any he'd ever experienced before, the passion heightened by having Keith's tongue exploring his mouth. He moaned against his lips and tightened his legs around Keith's waist as he came for the second time that night, spilling his seed over both their bodies messily.

Pleasure racked his body and left him a puddle of relief and euphoria, and while most of his body began relaxing, his walls tensed even more and clenched around Keith's cock, tightening and increasing the amount of pleasure Keith got until he met the same fate as Lance.

Keith pulled off of Lance's mouth briefly to moan his name, bucking his hips as deep inside of Lance as possible and grinding his way to orgasm.

The feeling of Keith's ecstasy spreading from his body to Lance's set him on fire, and he lifted his head up in a desperate cry. Keith gave him exactly what he wanted, reconnecting their lips and entangling their tongues in a passionate make out session as they came together, relishing in this moment of pure intimacy and intensity.

Lance wasn't even sure when it all came to an end. One moment they were grinding their way through their climax, mouths sloppily coming together as one, and the next, Keith was leaning back into his seat with Lance leaning into his chest for support. Both of them were panting and sweating and were just severely exhausted and spent. It was something else new for Lance - his high stamina had been all but depleted after just one go with Keith. Although, he did get a handjob before having sex, so maybe that was part of it.

Keith's cock slid out of Lance, allowing him to get more comfortable on his lap, and even though their bodies were sticky with sweat and cum, Lance had never felt more cozy.

Neither of them spoke for...a while. Again, Lance was in a daze and his concept of time was just gone, which baffled him. Man, was he looking forward to more sex with Keith if it could do this to him. Eventually, though, Keith did break the silence.

"...so, that was the best half hour of my entire life."

"Half hour?" Lance breathed out, pausing as he realized how out of it he sounded.

Keith shrugged, fingers playing with Lance's hair. "Something like that."

They fell silent again, listening and feeling each other's breaths and heartbeats, letting each other's bodies cool down a bit; although Lance felt like he might just fall asleep if he spent much longer snuggled up against Keith while straddling his lap. Having his hair stroked wasn't helping his fatigue either. He was used to having it pulled, so feeling Keith's fingers gently twirling his hair was incredibly lulling.

"So," Keith once again broke the silence. "After that, I've gotta be even more jealous of the guys at the Web, heh." He chuckled at the end, but even in his hazy state of mind, Lance could tell Keith was just playing it off.

Suddenly feeling protective, Lance lifted his face from Keith's chest to look him directly in the eyes. "If you don't want me having sex with other men, I won't."

Keith blinked in surprise at that. "Oh, no, you don't have to do-"

"I'm serious!" Lance surprised himself with the determination in his voice and his heart. "I won't have sex anymore. I...I don't think I could view it the same way anymore, anyways..."

He gulped, watching Keith intently, not sure what it was he was looking for. Keith just looked completely taken aback, returning Lance's gaze as though he were looking for something, too.

"...are you sure?"

Lance didn't even hesitate to nod. "I'm sure. Honestly, I've got enough money by now, and my performances get me enough. I don't need to have sex anymore." It was strange how easy it was for him to say this when he'd been having sex to make money for several years now. It was almost like he'd been waiting for something to give him a reason to stop...

Keith's face quickly lit up with a smile as he hugged Lance, that still being his natural reaction rather than a kiss. "You don't know how happy that makes me...! Not because you'd want to do that for me or anything. Just...it comforts me and makes me feel like you're being safer, more caring towards yourself, and I just...it makes me happy!"

Lance's heart skipped several beats at that, and he couldn't even respond as he let Keith squeeze him. Keith wanted him to be safe? To care about himself?

In hindsight, it made complete sense, and Lance had always known it; he'd just never put it into words. He wasn't sure if he should feel flattered or just straight up happy that Keith wanted Lance to be better than he was right now...but that was okay. They had time to figure this stuff out. For now, he would just relish in this moment and enjoy thinking about all the future moments similar to this one they might share, so long as they continued on the right track.

"...we should probably get dressed and get you back to your car so we can both get some sleep tonight, hm?" Keith suggested.

Lance lifted his head and looked around, only now remembering they were literally at a park at midnight hours. "Oh. Yeah, that seems like a pretty good idea." He giggled and reluctantly left Keith's lap, dragging his clothes with him to dress in his own seat. Keith offered him a towel that he had in his car for unspecified reasons so he could clean himself.

As they were both bringing themselves back to a state of decency, Lance reflected on what had just happened between them now that his head was clearer. "Keith?" He called out, suddenly feeling the need to give some final reassurance.

Keith's head quickly turned to him like a prairie dog poking out of its hole at the first sound of morning. "Hm?"

Lance giggled on the inside, but he remained sincere on the outside, smiling. "I've never experienced anything like this before. It was new...and amazing. Thank you. For everything."

Time slowed down for them as they stared at each other, and it felt so strange to Lance, sharing a tender moment after just having sex, but he liked it. He liked it a lot...and so did Keith.

"Likewise. You were amazing..." Keith's lips curled into a smile before he redirected his attention to his pant zipper to finish getting dressed. "Parks are going to forever give me some fantastic memories from this point onwards. You ready to go?"

Lance laughed at that, sitting in his seat fully dressed and instinctively pulling his seat belt on. "Let's do it!"

They pulled out of the parking lot, and as Lance looked around at the shadowy scene, empty benches and obscure tree silhouettes, he felt an eerie sense of comfort. He, too, would draw good memories from parks from now on.

***~Keith~***

"I guess this is goodbye for now," Keith said, holding both of Lance's hands in his just outside his car, as was routine for them at this point after every date.

Lance gave him one of his trademark sweet smiles. "Yeah, I guess so. It is pretty late after all."

Despite exchanging their goodbyes, neither of them pulled away. They were staring at each other, squeezing each other's hands, too hesitant to let the night end, and while Keith was impossibly happy that Lance would want to just stand here and hold onto him, he knew they both needed sleep.

"How about I come see you tomorrow. Sound good?"

Lance giggled, giving Keith goosebumps from how angelic he always sounded. "You've visited me, like, every night! Keep it up and I'll begin to get used to it."

"Good. You should get used to it, because it's a part of my nightly routine now." Keith smirked, leaning down and kissing Lance quickly. It was still so crazy to him that they could just kiss like this now without having to make a huge scene out of it, but even if there was no huge scene, it still made his heart flutter each time he got to be intimate with Lance. He was still and probably always would be the most gorgeous man Keith ever met.

"If you say so." Lance's face was so soft as he slowly took a step backwards, fingers sliding against Keith's until they let go of each other. "...okay, then. I'll see you tomorrow!"

"I can't wait!" Keith winked at him, pride swelling in his chest when Lance giggled one last time before waving and walking towards his car.

Keith could only sigh in a dazed state of captivation, leaning against his car. Lance often watched Keith drive off, so he wanted to be the one to watch Lance for once.

"You know, Red, it's so unbelievable...things happened so fast. But...I guess...I'm with him and he's with me now..." Keith muttered, petting Red's roof as Lance pulled out of his parking slot and stopped to wave at Keith through the window.

Keith's first instinct was to check that Lance was wearing his seat belt, which he was. That was a relief. He returned the wave with a wide grin before watching him drive off into the night, sighing dreamily once more.

He stayed leaning against Red for a while before deciding he should also get going. As he got back in the driver's seat, though, it occurred to him that he would never be able to sit there without remembering the first time he and Lance had sex again. Great. He was totally fucked now. Either that, or he was just really, really tired.

A long yawn gave him his answer, and he started up his car and began pulling out of his parking slot. Before he left, however, he caught sight of a fancy looking man leaving through the front of the Web, his elegant suit attire just screaming 'rich boy'.

There wasn't a particularly reason Keith stopped to look at him - his eye had just taken notice of the man's unnatural white hair that went well past his shoulders, not to mention his pale complexion that stood out against his clothes, especially in the dark of the night.

He shouldn't be so surprised. All types of men must've visited the Web - peculiar, rich men included. He didn't give it another thought as he drove off and wrote the man off to the back of his mind, forgetting about him within the next ten minutes.

He would remember him, though. He would remember him very soon.

***

And just like that, the story begins for real now. The buildup is complete. Buckle in and make sure your seat belts are fastened tight; this story is no longer safe.