The school day seemed to be going exceptionally slow for Lance.

He couldn't concentrate in any of his lessons, the kiss that he shared with Keith this morning was the only thing on his mind.

He didn't understand the sudden change that had overcome his ex boyfriend. One minute he was looking at him like he was the scum of the earth and the next he was telling him that he loved him? It didn't make sense.

Yes, Lance had been wanting this for a long time but he'd accepted that it would never actually happen. He'd accepted that Keith had far from moved on.

"Mr McClain!" A voice shouted and Lance almost fell out of his chair.

He looked up at his teacher and gave an apologetic smile.

"Yes Ms Rodriguez?"

"You may have an A grade in my class but that is no excuse for not doing your work." She said with a nice but firm voice.

Lance nodded and picked up his pen before trying to complete the worksheet in front of him.

~

"Hey Lance, ready for me to whip your butt?" Hunk asked as he came to a stop beside his friends locker with a tired looking Pidge.

Lance jumped and then turned to face them with confusion.

"Wh-what?"

Hunk looked at him strangely.

"It's Friday?" Pidge said as though it were obvious.

Shit... game night.

"Oh uh... I actually can't come tonight. I told mama I'd watch the kids while she's at work." He lied.

And of course, Lance having the worst luck in the world, Keith chose that exact moment to walk up to him.

"Ready to go?" He asked quietly before looking at Hunk and Pidge, clearly not realising that he had just baited Lance out.

Hunk and Pidge looked at Keith and then to Lance again with looks that meant 'Bullshit. What's really happening?'

"Hey Keith, yeah. I was just letting Pidge and Hunk know that we're babysitting tonight." He said.

Keith saw the look on Lance's face and instantly knew what was happening.

"Okay cool, well they finish school in like fifteen minutes so..." He said, smiling at Lance's friends for a second.

Lance looked at his watch and cursed.

"Welp. Gotta go guys, seeya!" He said quickly before grabbing Keith's arm and pulling him in the other direction.

"What was that all about?" Hunk said as the two friends watched them leave.

Pidge narrowed her eyes at Keith.

"I don't know. But if he's involved, it can only mean trouble."

~

Lance felt bad for lying to his friends. He really did have to pick his siblings up, but he knew his mother would be home tonight so he didn't actually have to babysit.

He had just finished putting Keith's bike in the back of his truck, he made sure it was secure before finally getting in and starting the engine.

Keith was looking at his phone as Lance backed out of his parking space, smiling at something he couldn't see.

Lance felt annoyance nip at his consciousness as he kept driving. What was so important that Keith would be smiling like that?

'No, Stop it.' Lance told himself, he didn't have the right to feel annoyed. He was probably just looking through Tumblr like the emo he is.

When they pulled up to the school Keith finally put his phone away and looked at Lance.

"You look pissed." He said, blunt as ever.

Lance looked at him and shook his head before looking away again.

"Come on, they're probably waiting." He said, getting out of his truck and slamming the door.

Keith raised an eyebrow at the boy but followed behind him anyway. He hasn't hung around with Lance in so long, it's reasonable to think that his behaviour may have changed a bit.

They quickly made their way into the school playground.

Carlos saw them first.

He nudged his sister's and whispered something that made them all giggle and then they ran over.

"Lance! Keith!" He called excitedly as he got closer, he hugged their legs when he reached them, a smile lighting up his face.

Keith chuckled and ruffled the boys hair as his sister's finally caught up.

"Hey Cal, how was school?" Keith asked as Lance hugged Andrea and Rosalie.

"It was okay. Kids and stuff." He said with disinterest and Lance couldn't help but think 'same.'

The journey home was fun and filled with chatter and it helped Lance cheer up a bit.

"But Keith, why are you here?" Carlos suddenly said and Keith chuckled.

"Oh I'm sorry, I'll just leave then shall I?" He joked and Carlos shook his head frantically.

"No, no. I mean why are you here because Lancey said that you don't like him anymore."

Lance nearly crashed into the car behind him upon hearing that. His grip on the steering wheel got tighter as he heard the beeping and profanity from the driver behind him. Keith chuckled.

"Did he now? Well let me tell you a secret Cal, Lancey doesn't know what he's talking about."

Carlos laughed and poked his tongue out at Lance, who was giving him a death glare in his rear view mirror.

When they finally made it back to the McClain household Lance could breath again.

"Kids, go and get your school clothes off and clean up before dinner. I want homework done." He said, and they all groaned before trudging upstairs to their rooms.

"Well that was fun." Keith said, he had always loved to get Lance flustered.

"Wait here." Lance said abruptly before he ran upstairs to his room, he heard Keith chuckle when the door slammed shut.

Lance leaned against it, panting heavily. Oh god, he didn't know if he could do this.

Normally he wouldn't care about things like this but him and Keith were still on thin ice, they'd only just started talking again. He didn't want anything to ruin it.

Suddenly Lance saw something move from the corner of his eye, he turned around again to look properly and he would swear to this day he had never screamed so loud in his life.

"Oh. Hello there. Lovely to meet you." The stranger said.

Yes. The stranger. There is some random stranger sitting on Lance's bed.

"What the fuck!? Get out of my house, what!?"

"Oh... but I had been waiting for your return master." The ginger man said.

"Master!?" Lance shouted, annoyed now.

"Please, master there is no need to shout."

Lance just stared at him. Was this some kind of joke?

"Listen I don't know who you are or why you keep calling me master but you need to-"

"Oh of course, how silly of me. I'm Coran. I'm here to make all of your wishes come true." The stranger interrupted enthusiastically.

"What are you, high?" Lance asked, calming down somewhat... it didn't seem like this 'Coran' was dangerous. Weird maybe, but not dangerous.

"Actually I think I've shrunk after being stuck in this ruddy thing so long." He said as he grabbed the little tea pot that Lance had found in the attic the night before with a genuine frown.

Lance looked at Coran and then the teapot blankly.

"Are you still confused master?"

Coran sighed and rolled his eyes when Lance didn't answer.

"I'm your genie! You summoned me!"

Lance was pretty sure his brain was about to explode.

"LANCE! CARLOS TOOK MY BARBIE!" Andrea screamed from somewhere in the house.

"I'LL BE THERE IN A MINUTE!" He called back.

Lance looked at the ginger male in front of him.

"You're trying to tell me you got inside that thing? Either you're crazy or I'm getting pranked hard-core."

"LANCE! HE WON'T GIVE HER BACK!"

"WAIT! I'M COMING!"

"Of course I fit! And this is my home thank you very much, not a thing." Coran said, looking offended.

"LANCE!"

Lance groaned.

"Okay then listen. I'm your master right? So you uhh... get back in there and do your thing until later." He said before running out and locking his bedroom door, the rational part of his mind seemed to be asleep at the moment.

When Lance got downstairs, Keith had just finished tickling Carlos to the ground to retrieve the stolen Barbie, which he handed to Andrea.

He sighed as the two kids ran past him and up the stairs again.

"Thank you." He said as Keith stood up.

"No problem. What were you even doing up there?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Um... I was... feeding my fish."

"But... you hate fish..." Keith said with a sceptical look.

"Enough about the fish. What do you wanna do?" Lance asked, desperate to change the subject.

Keith raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms as he sat on the couch.

"Why are you acting weird?" He asked.

Just then, Lance heard the unmistakable sound of keys in the front door.

Fuck.

Oh no.

Shit.

He completely forgot.

"Hello, my darlings." Lance's mother said as the kids tackled her.

Lance went pale and his eyes widened.

It took about twelve seconds for her to eventually realise but when she did... everything fell dead silent. Even the kids had shut up for once.

"You..." she spat as her eyes locked onto Keith, who was standing now and very still.

"Mama please, I kno-"

"Silencio."

Lance fell quiet.

"Crees que puedes regresar después de todo lo que le hiciste a mi hijo!?" She said to Keith, who looked visibly stuck. He didn't know Spanish and Lance's mother knew that very well.

(You think you can return after everything you did to my son?)

"Mamá, por favor, no es culpa de Keith-" Lance said but he was cut off again.

(Mom, please, it's not Keith's fault.)

"Escuché a mi hijo llorar en la cama por la noche por tu culpa. Cómo te atreves a volver aquí!"

(I heard my son cry in bed at night because of you. How dare you come back here!)

Lance felt himself tearing up.

"Mamá! Te amo pero, por favor, para! lo discutimos!" Lance shouted, his voice wavering on every word.

(Mom! I love you but please, stop! We discussed it!)

Lance's mother paused upon hearing him, she turned to see the tears finally running down his face and she tutted. She gave Keith one last stern look and then walked over to wipe the tears away.

"Si ese chico alguna vez te lastima de nuevo-"

(If that boy ever hurts you again-)

"Mama..."

She nodded and kissed his cheek before walking from the room, the children silently following.

"What... what were you both saying...?" Keith asked, very quietly.

"It doesn't matter. Come on, I've got video games in the basement." Lance said, taking his hand and pulling him in that direction.

"Are you sure that's a good idea? I don't think your mom wants me to be he-"

"It's fine. Please?" Lance asked, stopping to look at him. He needed to just relax.

Keith's eyes travelled over his face for a few seconds before he nodded.

"Okay... let's go."

•••

I'm so sorry if the Spanish doesn't make sense, I used Google translate so feel free to correct me. :)

~max