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Oh when I have you
I'm gonna brand you with my lips
And all of the world will know that you're mine now
We'll never lose faith
'Cause we'll never forget this taste
My love has the power to keep the tide down
-Tied Down, Jaymes Young
The first time is an accident. He doesn’t even realize it’s happened until he sees Keith walk into their shared class the next day and it’s there, staring him in the face. He doesn’t think he’s ever had such a hard time sitting next to Keith and not causing a commotion. Not even when they hated each other (though Hunk, Pidge, and Keith all still insist that rivalry was totally one-sided) or after the first time they hooked up and Lance still wasn’t sure how to act around him.
Maybe it was because suddenly there was a chance of being…discovered? Caught?
Hunk knows, though not the whole story, because Lance couldn’t not tell him. Because they are best friends, but also because he was going crazy not talking about it with someone, and Keith seemed to think it wasn’t a big deal when it obviously was. But other than that, Lance is pretty sure no one else knows about him and Keith. Pidge might have a theory, but Lance is fairly certain she doesn’t know anything for sure or he’d already be on the receiving end of relentless abuse over it. He’s not sure if Keith felt the need to tell anyone (probably not) but other than maybe Shiro, he’s not sure who Keith would tell anyways. Lance also isn’t sure what he would do if his professor knew he was regularly hooking up with his younger brother so thank God for Keith’s private nature.
So, Keith walks into class with a hickey on the underside of his jaw and Lance loses his mind a little bit. He knows he left it because Keith was over far too late the night before to have met up with anyone else before class the next day-not to mention they were very careful about letting each other know about other partners, and Keith hadn’t been with anyone else in ages. Lance knew he had been particularly enthusiastic during their make-out session because he had passed a test he had been worrying about for weeks and Keith had smiled at him with that awkward, lopsided grin he has and told Lance he “knew he could do it” and Lance needed to kiss him right then because he was adorable and there was a good chance Lance would do something stupid if he didn’t distract himself, like bring feelings into this feeling-free agreement they made. But he really hadn’t realized he had left it. Apparently, there are disadvantages to making out in the dark other than accidentally knocking something over. And Keith apparently bruises really easily.
Keith realizes Lance is being weird pretty early on, but waits for the professor to be answering a question from someone in the front of the lecture hall before he leans over, invading his space.
“What is your deal?” He hisses. His hair is still a little damp and the scent of his aftershave still strong.
Lance looks around, but no one seems to care what the two of them are doing. He runs his fingers over the purple bruising along Keith’s jaw and Keith freezes at his touch. Lance is breaking all sorts of rules to their agreement.
“Sorry about this, I didn’t realize.” Lance whispers.
He feels Keith’s jaw clench under his fingers.
“Don’t worry about it.”
“But-”
Keith reaches up and grabs his hand. He doesn't pull it away from his face, but it forces Lance to stop moving. The tips of his fingers are cold against Lance's, and Lance once again wonders why in the world he insists on wearing fingerless gloves.
“Lance. It's just a hickey. It's not that big of a deal.” He drops Lance’s hand and turns back around as if nothing had happened.
But in that moment Lance realizes one very important thing.
He's blushing.
It's slight, and fading, but Lance has spent far more time staring at Keith than he ever expected, and he definitely knows how to pick apart small details of Keith's expressions by now.
“You like it.” His voice is a little too loud, and a few people turn around to look at them, but Lance ignores them in favor of watching Keith go entirely still and his blush darken instantly. “Holy shit, you do.”
“Lance,” Keith growls a warning. “Now is not the time.”
And he's right. But Lance can't focus for the rest of the lecture. And the minute it's over, he hauls Keith out the door and to the nearest bathroom. Thankfully it's empty, but he's not totally sure he would have cared if it wasn't.
Okay he would have, but still.
“You like it.” He says again, and he thinks it was supposed to be a question but it doesn't really come out like one.
Keith looks like he would rather be literally anywhere else than in the men's room having a conversation about kinks. “Do we really need to do this now?”
“Yes!”
“Why?”
Why was any kind of conversation like pulling teeth with this guy? “Because I won't be able to focus until we talk about it.” Lance says, trying to appeal to Keith's recently renewed efforts in school.
“You barely pay attention in class anyways.”
“Hey!” Lance glares. “I only actively goof off in the boring ones.”
Keith doesn't reply. Or look at him. Lance tugs on his arm.
“Keeeith-”
“I thought you did it on purpose.” Keith finally admits. And he sounds...disappointed? That was not a can of worms Lance was emotionally equipped to open right now.
“I wouldn't have done that.”
Keith finally looks at him. “Why?”
“We never talked about if that was okay. And it's not exactly easy to hide there.”
His expression softens and he is really too pretty for either of their own goods. “I've had hickeys before, Lance. Lotor use to leave them all the time, I figured you knew I was okay with it.”
The only thing Lance really remembers from the short period of time Keith and Lotor were hooking up was actively trying to ignore the fact that Keith and Lotor were hooking up. At the time he had insisted it was because Lotor was his ex...something and there was no real closure to a strange relationship, so seeing him with a close friend was weird. Lately, he's realized he's not so sure that was really the case.
“Just because you were okay with it then, doesn't mean you're okay with it now.” Lance says instead of admitting he doesn't remember much of Keith's past relationships.
Keith rolls his eyes like Lance is being ridiculous again, but his expression is fond. “It doesn’t bother me, in fact I...kind of like it, so you don't have to feel bad or freak out anymore, okay? Now let's go.” He moves away from Lance, heading to the door, but Lance isn't quite done yet.
“So if I left more hickeys in the future, that would be something you would...like?”
Keith swallows audibly. “...Maybe.”
Lance hums, considering. “Hm, that didn't sound very convincing. I better not, just so I can be sure you're not uncomfortable.” Lance starts to walk away, but Keith grabs his hand.
He open and closes his mouth a few times looking for the words. “I hate you,” he groans without any bite behind the sentiment. “Fine, I would...I would like that.”
Lance grins. “Is there anywhere I shouldn't?”
Keith's expression contorts somewhere halfway between embarrassed and turned on. “...No?”
“Good.”
Lance drops his bag and pushes Keith against the wall to kiss him. A moment later, Keith's bag hits the ground too.
Lance is late for his next class but he couldn't care less.
Lance still isn't totally sure what is so appealing about hickeys, but every time he sees a mark blooming over Keith's skin, it sends a thrill of excitement through him. He's becoming a little obsessed and it’s a problem.
Keith has caught him staring during their shared classes a concerning number of times. Shiro even caught him once during a lecture, which was enough of an embarrassing wake up call for Lance to avoid Keith for nearly two weeks. Keith, however, had a very convincing argument for why he should not avoid him again.
Part of him thinks it's the memory that makes them so enticing.
The heating and cooling system in the science buildings is faulty and one day class is absolutely sweltering, even though blistering wind and rain have the October afternoon freezing outside. Keith sheds his jacket part way through class and a particularly dark bruise on his collarbone is visible just past the opening of his v-neck. The moment he sees it, Lance remembers leaving it. He remembers the way Keith whimpered under him when he realized what Lance was doing; the way his nails left burning trails down his back in revenge; how completely wrecked he had looked and they had only just begun.
Lance has to excuse himself from class and splash some cold water on his face just to calm down. When he returns, Keith is wearing his jacket again, even though it's still uncomfortably warm, and a devilish smirk.
Part of him thinks it's the tangible proof of their...situation.
On a rare weekend that has everyone with a free night, they go out for drinks, and after excessive pleading on Lance's part, dancing.
Lance drags Hunk out onto the dance floor with him and forces his friend to loosen up, until Shay joins them and monopolizes Hunk’s attention for the rest of the night. When Lance returns to the table, Pidge has disappeared to the bathroom and left Keith manning the table alone. Except another club-goer takes his solo status as an invitation to hit on him.
Lance slows, almost to a complete stop, as he watches Keith smile politely and nod along with whatever the stranger is saying. Keith doesn't seem overly interested, but if he's smiling, the newcomer has a better chance than most. And Lance has a stupid, twisted feeling in his gut. But as if he could feel eyes on him, Keith turns to find Lance, and waves.
Some of Keith's hair moves with the shift and suddenly the small collection of bite marks trailing down his throat are in prime position for the guy hitting on him to see. Jerking up, he follows Keith's gaze to Lance.
The wicked, reckless part of him that alcohol, and Keith, bring out convinces him sending a wink and a sarcastic wave to the stranger is a good idea.
The stranger turns on his heel and leaves without another word. Triumph leaves a pleasant buzz under his skin. Lance slides into the chair beside Keith, while he watches the man go.
“That was weird,” Keith says, turning back around. “Did you know him?”
Lance snags a sip of Keith's drink, almost gagging on the whiskey and coke. He really can't understand how he drinks that. “Nope, never met him.”
“Hm,” Keith takes his drink back.
Lance watches him for a sign of how he's feeling but Keith watches the crowd without giving anything away. The happy buzz makes way for a wave of guilt. “Were you hoping to...hook up with him?”
Keith frowns, considering. “I think I was mostly just interested in his tongue piercing.” He admits after a moment.
Lance chokes on a surprised laugh.
Keith shrugs. “Why?”
Lance shakes his head. There's no way he could explain his train of thoughts now. Especially not without giving too much away. “No reason. Let's go dance.”
Keith thinks for a moment. “Alright.”
Lance gapes at him. “Wait, what? Really? No argument? I don't even have to beg a little or anything?”
Keith throws back his drink and leans in close, voice dangerously low and the whiskey heavy on his breath. “Oh, I plan on making you beg tonight, but I'm not going to waste it on this.”
Lance gulps and Keith smirks.
“Yeah, okay.”
Regardless, Lance thinks he's getting a handle on everything, until someone else finally brings it up.
Lance, Hunk, and Pidge try to have a healthy, home-cooked meal at least once a week, along with a number of other roommate traditions, and somewhere between Lance discovering his friends were befriending his rival and coming to his own realization that Keith wasn’t completely terrible, Keith became an integral part of their roommate traditions. Even if he isn't actually a roommate.
Lance is chopping vegetables at the counter for their weekly dinner, while Hunk checks on the sauce simmering on the stove and Keith places premade refrigerated biscuits on a cookie sheet. Pidge finishes setting the table and returns to the kitchen a moment later. She sits on the counter beside Keith and helps him break apart the dough. There's a relaxing silence around them as they work...until Pidge shatters it.
“So is your latest hookup a vampire, or what?”
Lance almost slices off the tip of his finger in surprise. Hunk sends him a horrified look from over the stove, though if its about Pidge's question or the possible blood in their carrots, he isn't sure.
Lance runs his hand under water while Keith stops what he's doing to look at Pidge. “What are you talking about?”
“Well lately it seems like whoever you've been seeing is a little obsessed with necks.” She says with a casual wave of her hand.
Keith runs a hand over his throat as if he had completely forgotten. His expression is carefully blank, but Lance can see the tips of his ears turn red.
“Very funny.” Keith finally says blandly, turning back to the biscuits.
“Hey, Keith, I just wanted to make sure you knew, we all agree, you deserve someone who likes you for more than your O-negative.”
Lance wants to die.
“Thanks, Pidge. I'll keep that in mind.” Keith replies, voice unfairly steady.
Lance turns off the faucet and examines his finger. Thankfully the cut seems relatively shallow, but long. He'll need a couple bandages.
“What do you see in a vampire anyways?” Pidge asks innocently.
Sometimes Lance wonders if she was plucked from his own personal hell just to torture him on Earth.
Keith's gaze slides over to Lance, just for a moment, but long enough for Lance to know he's doomed.
“Well he's a vampire, so you know, good with his mouth.”
Hunk burns himself on the sauce and Pidge cackles.
After the disaster with Pidge and dinner, Lance adamantly avoids leaving marks anywhere they can be seen. Keith tries to tell him it's not a big deal, and that suddenly stopping will probably just make Pidge more suspicious, but Lance doesn't budge on the matter, and eventually Keith drops it.
On the plus side, it gives him more of an excuse to explore other areas and how Keith responds. He has a very specific plan in mind when he goes over to Keith's apartment that night, but it goes out the window when Keith takes the lead, pushing him onto the bed and crawling on top of him the moment they make it to Keith's bedroom.
In no time at all, Keith has him undressed, but it takes a significant amount of whining for Keith to pause long enough to, at least, remove his own shirt.
“Happy?” he asks as the t-shirt drops to the growing pile of clothes.
Lance reaches for him with a grin. “Delirious.”
Keith comes back willingly, smiling into the sloppy kisses Lance forces on him. The moment Lance breaks for air, however, Keith returns to his relentless exploration.
“You're very...enthusiastic tonight.” Lance muses, burying his hands in Keith's hair as feather-light fingers trail over the tattoo on his side.
Keith hums against his skin and dips lower. And yeah, he is more than happy to let Keith take this where he thinks it's going.
But then Keith follows up a sweet kiss to his hip with a sharp bite, and Lance gasps at the sensation. He slaps a hand over his mouth, mostly out of surprise, and lifts his head to glance down. Keith meets his gaze with an absolutely delighted expression. Lance knew Keith had always found how quiet he was during sex a little strange, but it isn't until that moment that he realizes how invested Keith is in understanding, or undoing, that little oddity.
“What was that?”
Lance swallows, his mouth suddenly dry. “N-nothing?”
Keith runs his teeth over the jut off his hip and Lance shivers. A whimper threatens to spill past his lips.
He feels Keith's triumphant grin against his skin. “I'm not so sure, I'll have to investigate a little more thoroughly.”
Lance had thought his new interest in hickeys ended with giving them, but the bruises left on his hips from the attention Keith lavished on them very quickly challenged that idea.
At least those ones wouldn't lead to them getting caught.
As long as Keith learns to keep his hands to himself, and off of Lance's hips, in the future.