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Picture the scene. It’s New Years Eve and for the first time Keith agreed to stay up all night, to watch the fireworks and countdown and all that crap. Yeah it was never special to him. A new year to fuck up and make mistakes in. A new year to be angry and sad and scared and hurt. A new fucking year. Happy fucking New fucking Year. Fucking fuck.
But this year his friends spent a month persuading him to join them. A month telling him:
‘They’ll be feel alcohol!
‘And free food! ‘
And fireworks!’
‘I hate fireworks’
‘Keith that is a lie and both of us know it.’ Shiro was right but Keith had no intention of letting him have the satisfaction of knowing that.
‘There will be lots of free alcohol! Lots!!!’
‘And great company!’
‘Are you going to be there Lance?’
‘YES!’
‘Definitely no then.’
‘I hate you.’
‘Free alcohol!’
A month.
They wore him down eventually.
Hunk said he’d cook which clinched it really, along with a couple other things.
So now he’s sitting there, champagne in hand (How much money did Allura have again...?) in a New York penthouse, looking across the sky waiting for the fireworks and countdown and all of it to end so he can go home to him bed. To sleep. For the next fourteen hours.
18:12 GMT.
Six more hours to go.
Keith slouched back and watched his friends at play.
Pidge was arguing with Hunk, sitting on a counter in the kitchen eating cookies, whilst Hunk held up his end of the argument on advanced astrophysics whilst cooking... fish?
Keith liked fish.
Shiro was sleeping. On a sofa. With a cat on his chest. Surprise surprise. For some reason Allura’s cat seemed to love him. A black cat, which was in Keith opinion, Satan’s familiar and needed to be exterminated immediately. But whatever.
Allura was in another room somewhere, probably putting on some dress which would turn both Shiro and Lance into blushing messes.
Lance.
What was that incredibly attractive asshole doing...? Where was he...?
The door bell went.
‘That’ll be Shay, Rolo and Nyma! And Coran!’ Hunk shouted.
‘Ew why Nyma and Rolo?’ Pidge wrinked her nose.
‘Because they are nice assholes who have good wine cellars. Well Nyma does.’ Keith muttered.
‘They stole Lance’s car!’ She yelped.
‘Yeah and how else would we have met them? Look that was a dick move on their part but we then helped them out with their problems, and they helped us out when that prick Zarkon was harassing me and Allura. And now we like them.’ Keith said going over to the door. ‘Have coffee with them sometime, they know their shit when it comes to physics stuff. And they have a robot.’
‘Hmpf yeah right.’ Pidge muttered glumly whilst managing to look incredibly excited at the same time. Really, the child was a miracle. Keith slouched over and opened the door.
‘AAYY! Keithy boy!’ Rolo grabbed him and squeezed him tight. ‘Hey you’ve been working out again! Why? Preping for the fighting season?’
‘Among other things.’ Keith said with a grim smile.
‘We brought alcohol and Shay brought the lighting effects and cake!’ Nyma said ‘and Coran, who is just bringing it up, brought various other beverages and some soup.’
‘Why is he bringing soup.’ asked Shay quietly as they walked in.
‘Because he is Coran. There is no other reason.’ Keith replied.
He helped them unpack helping Coran upstairs with a box almost bigger than the man himself. Then he poked Shiro awake. Which resulted in a painful smack to the head, a loud groan and a death stare.
‘Shiro it’s nearly 7 o’clock. You need to wake up.’
He was met with a louder groan.
Keith replied with a sharp jab to the ribs and a promise to tell Allura about that one girl from Brooklyn whom he dated a year ago, which woke him up a treat. In fact he looked rather on edge.
Keith decided now would be a good time to beat a tactical retreat and slipped away into the darker corridors now being strung with fairy lights by Shay. It was rather pretty actually. He wandered on. He had accounted for everyone except Allura and Lance and he was rather curious as to what they were doing.
Arguing?
Was Allura trying to kill Lance for another shitty pickup line?
There was also the possibility that they were passionately kissing in some corner of this veritable castle in the sky but that seemed unlikely.
Allura had standards.
He wandered on.
Standing outside a door covered with painted cherry blossoms he heard Lance’s laugh, mingling with Alluras. He knocked and it stopped suddenly, which was a shame really. Lance opened the door and started slightly.
‘Keith? What happened?’
‘Rolo, Nyma, Shay and Coran are here. Also the others need help with preparation so could you guys come over? What are you two doing anyways?’
‘I, the talented and wondrous person that I am kindly agreed to help Allura become even more beautiful than she already is, by enhancing various aspects of her person with - ‘
‘You did her hair and makeup, got it. Cool.’
Lance glanced at him with a grin spreading across his face. The all too well known ‘I am going to say something stupid to get under your skin grin.’
‘You sound relived Keithy baby. Were you jealous darling? Of Allura having me all to myself?’
Lance leaned in closer and closer with mischief gleaming behind his black pupils.
yes whispered the first thought.
no said the second.
‘Why would I be. Allura has standards.’
‘Ah. Darling. You wound me.’ Lance said softly stepping closer. Brushing Keiths shirt. Keith glanced up into his eyes. Mistake. But even so...
It’s my turn to fuck with you pretty boy. New year new me I suppose.
Keith smiled. His grin of pure evil and death. It was rather beautiful in a certain light if fucking terrifying.
A hand pressed on Lance’s chest and he was pushed up against the wall. Keith ran his hands down Lance’s side as they rested on his hips, so, so lightly. Then, as a hot flush spread up from Lance’s collar Keith whispered into his ear
‘Oh darling, I’m so sorry. What can I ever do to make it up to you?’
One hand reached up and stroked his cheek. Slowly. Gently. The other travelled up his side and circled round his neck. Fingers trailing. Slowly.
Lance let out a tiny squeak and missed a breath.
Keith moved back and rested his nose against Lance looking deep into his eyes. And flicked his ear with the force of a black belt taekwondo champion.
‘KEEEEEIIIIIITH! WHHYYYYYYYYY!?!?!’ Lance melted to the floor in a pathetic mess of false tears and wails mixed with Keith and Alluras laughter who had apparently filmed the entire exchange and was laughing so hard she had to prop herself up with the door frame.
Keith looked at her. And grinned again.
‘You look stunning Allura. I think we should show Shiro right now.’
Her eyes shone. The two of them were partners in crime and were having so much fun.
‘Hello Shiro.’
He spat out his drink. And stared. And, as per Keith's prediction became a blushing mess. Which wasn't surprising. Lance had really made her look stunning.
She was wearing black, which stopped halfway down her thighs and gave way to some strange lacy netting so you could see her legs, with silver coiled around them. Her hair was pinned up with three pins, black and silver and round her neck hung a silver snake, coiled, with it’s eyes staring out over her heart.
She smiled wickedly. ‘Would you help me with the bar?’
He nodded blankly.
Keith snorted. What an idiot.
He looked sideways to Lance ‘Hey well done. She looks awesome. I’d be jealous of Shiro if I wasn’t gay.’
‘Thanks man. I mean she doesn't look as pretty as -’ He stopped rather suddenly.
Keith looked at him. ‘Yeah? Who?’
‘No one. I was thinking of someone else who you don’t know.’ Lance was speaking faster, and Keith got the distinct impression he was lying.
‘Anyways man I said I’d do Pidges, Shays and Nymas hair so... laters!’
‘Uhuh. Way to get out of helping.’ Keith sighed. Asshole. He glanced at the clock.
18:59 GMT.
5 hours left.
He helped Hunk for an hour or so. There was so much food, all laid out along some huge table. It took about 82% of Keiths self control not to just eat it all there and then. The other 18% was occupied with, other, matters.
20:04 GMT
4 hours left.
‘Food’s ready!’ Hunk yelled out.
‘WOOOO!’
‘Lance please contain your enthusiasm until you are a good three meters away from my ear next time.’ Pidge snapped.
Usually Lance would look at least a little afraid at this point, but he seemed too buoyed up on the idea of Hunks cooking and on the 7 glasses of champagne he’d had (No seriously. Where does Allura get it?) and blew Pidge a kiss on his way over to the food.
‘Alright my knights in shinning armor.’ Allura called out. ‘I want to thank you so much for being here and helping me set up for this, it means a huge amount to me. Now all the other guests will be arriving soon, the time set was 8:30, so be prepared for a fairly large crowd. Now don’t eat everything Lance and possibly Hunk but mostly Lance or else I will be displeased.’ She glared at the boy dressed in blue with a piece of sushi half way to him mouth.
Keith laughed and moved back to the bar where Shiro had been forced into a suit although mercifully with no tie. He looked good, and Keith had a sneaking suspicion that Allura shared this opinion. She was watching him, looking his way from across the room.
They talked. They were old friends, like brothers in a sense, they might’ve been in anther life. They chatted about food, and Voltron, Allura’s company. They talked about coffee and aliens and then they moved onto girls. Or in Keiths case boys.
‘Shiro, you like her. Ask her on a date. Take her out to get coffee some time.’
‘No! And shush she might hear you!’
‘She is literally on the other side of the room surrounded by adoring fans. How could she hear you? Also, why!? She clearly likes you back!’
‘She is way too good for me! Anyway why are we always talking about my love life? How about yours? Actually told Lance you are completely infatuated with him? That you once contemplated writing poetry about him?’
‘I hate you.’
‘I’ll take that as a no. My question is why though? He clearly likes you. Cares about you. I think he would happily be in a relationship with you.’
‘I still hate you.’
‘Ok. Just ask him out!’ Shiro looked at him for a moment, contemplating. ‘How about you ask him out at end of the countdown, and if he says no just go home. It’s what you were going to do anyway and you’re going to have to face facts eventually.’
‘Only if you ask out Allura.’
‘What! No! Never!’
‘Then I won’t do it.’
‘But you will be happier! And less grouchy! And you will never come round to mine and whine at me about Lance ever again and eat all my cereal!’
‘That is exactly what you do.’
‘Touché.’
They sat in silence staring at each other for a bit.
‘Shiro!’ Allura shouted from across the room ‘Come meet Thrace! He’s an old friend of mine.’ A man dressed in purple stooped to kiss her hand and smile up at her. He had too many teeth.
Shiro visibly stiffened his hand curling into a fist.
‘Nope, no way, not happening’ Shiro muttered a shadow passing over his face. ‘Yeah Keith we are on, and if you see that guy sliming his way over Allura then pour water on his head.’
‘With pleasure.’ Keith said, smiling as he watched Shiro storm across the room staring the other man into submission. He really was quite scary when he wanted to be.
8:46 GMT
3 hours 14 minutes left.
So technically speaking, Keith had promised Shiro that he would go and tell Lance he loved him with all his heart and soul. But he wasn’t supposed to so that until midnight. And there was some extremely attractive asshole speaking to him right now and Keith just couldn’t think of a reason to not chat with him and slowly get closer and closer to him curled up on his shoulder, watching Lance as he did exactly he same think with Hunk. Not fair.
Then ‘get up.’ Pidge said sharply.
‘Um why?’
‘Because I say so. And you are making Lance sad.’
‘Boo hoo? Why should i care? Anyways he makes me sad. Time to return the favor.’
‘Fuck you Keith’ Pidge snapped as the tiny gremlin dressed in green ragged him away to the other side of the room. ‘You are helping me with the bar for the next hour.’
‘Why!?’
‘Because I said so.’
‘I don’t take orders from -’
‘And Allura said so and Shiro said so and Rolo said so and’ she stopped looking at his slightly disgruntled face. ‘Want me to carry on? I have more.’
‘No. I’m good. I will, being the magnanimous and wonderful person that I am, help with the fucking bar.’
10:07 GMT
2 hours left. Only 2 hours.
Keith decided he was going to be an idiot. Because why not. I mean, really, why the fuck not. He decided, that since it was the end of the year, Lance was never going to love him, he would be alone for ever, he might as well flirt with whoever he wanted to (except Lance because fuck that asshole) and just have a nice time.
So he did.
Ok so he was a bit tipsy at this point, but just a bit.
Probably.
He flirted his way through six guys, made out with four of them, came close to fucking one but decided no at the last minute because he wasn’t Lance. Oh fuck you brain. Fuck you heart. Fuck you both. You’re wrong.
Lance apparently had done the same, but he had more choice so could slime his way through every person in the room (and probably had) except, apparently, Keith.
Speaking of slime, where was that Thrace asshole...?
11:00 on the dot.
1 hour. Then he can go home.
But seriously. Where was Thrace? And Allura...?
Shiro was sitting at the bar, looking broody and sad, glaring at a drink like it had killed is family. Keith slipped into a seat next to him.
‘Where’s Allura?’ He asked.
‘I. Don’t. Know.’ Shiro sounded like he was having to physically restrain himself from ripping someones arm off.
‘Have you looked for her?’
‘No, I fucking haven’t.’ Shiro sounded more and more tense.
‘Did Thrace go off with her...?’
‘No. Lance did.’ Now he sounded livid and turned to look at Keith with metaphorical fire in his eyes. Angry fire. If fire could be angry.
‘Ok...Why are you angry then?’
‘Because,’ he spat out ‘I was just about to ask her to go get coffee sometime, then Lance came over, on the verge of fucking tears because he saw you kissing some asshole who you had no right to even speak to. And lo and fucking behold. She left me to comfort him.’
Keith stared at Shiro. ‘And this is my fault... how?
‘If you, would fucking tell him how you feel then I would be dating Allura, you two would be kissing in a corner and everyone would live happily ever after!’ Shiro was practically shouting by the end of the sentence and Keith felt himself go into defense mode. He was going to shout at Shiro right back but then -
‘Preach it sister!... Brother.... cYborg...’ Pidge stood there swaying slightly next to Nyma, who was propping her up.
‘Fuck.’ Keith muttered ‘Pidge you are cut off. Jesus Christ, you are so fucking pissed.’
‘YES! I Am!’ She giggled Nyma following suit soon after.
‘Nyma. Are you sober enough to get her some water and make sure she drinks it?’ Shiro asked rubbing his eyes.
‘Yeah I am. And Hunks over there we’ll talk to him if we need help. Come on Pidgey Pie. Let’s get you some water.’
‘WAIT. I need to tell... Tell Keith something.’ Pidge lent on close to his face, swaying back and forth still. ‘Lance really likes you, Really Really really likes you. You should kissss him. Kay?’
Shiro looked at him with smug expectation. Was that even a thing?
‘Fine! I will go find Lance! Happy?’ Keith said glaring at Shiro
‘And kisS him.’ Pidge said holding his shoulder ‘Don’t forget to kisss him.’
Keith sighed ‘Yes pidge, I will kiss him.’
‘GOod. Nyma can I see your robot?’ Pidge asked as they walked away.
Now Shiro just looked smug. Really fucking smug. Nauseatingly so.
‘Ok ok ok I’m going! Bye you absolute asshole.’
So Keith went on a Lance hunt.
He couldn’t find him. He looked in all the rooms all the corners.
He wasn’t in the fairy lights corridor making out or taking stupid instagram selfies.
He wasn’t drinking at the bar.
He wasn’t surround by a massive group of friends.
He wasn’t flirting with someone or something (he had been know to flirt with lampposts before.)
There weren’t many places left.
So Keith tried Alluras room.
He slipped along the corridor to find the door covered in cherry blossom.
He knocked.
He received only a slight laugh and Allura saying ‘Sorry now’s not a good time Shiro. I’ll find you later ok?’
Keith stared at the door for a second the said ‘It’s Keith. And, if Lance is in there, I just wanted to say sorry. Sorry. I’m really, really sorry. Anyway. See you back at the party for the countdown. Kay? Bye.’
It was 11:45.
He only had fifteen minutes left. So he went to watch the fireworks. There was nothing else he could do.
10 minutes.
Still no Lance.
7 mins.
Nothing.
4 mins and -
there. There he is. Allura is on his arm and Shiro comes up to meet her. Looking at her face. At her smile.
He loves her so much. She better know that.
And then there’s Lance. Who launches himself back into the world of the party with renewed vigor.
I love you, you beautiful beautiful man. Completely and utterly.
Then they all started shouting.
10!
Looking through the crowd and all he can see is Lance’s smile. And how it makes him happy.
9!
Fuck that smile.
8!
I love your smile. I love you. I love your eyes. I love you.
One hundred and one reasons why Lance was perfect ran through his mind right then and there and he just carried on looking, staring at him to find them all. Like -
7!
- his eyes. They are so blue. Like the sky. Or the sea. Or sapphires. Shinning. Special. He just wish they’d look his way more -
6!
often, oh look the universe doesn't hate me today. Lance was looking at him. Right at him. He’s stopped -
5!
smiling. Why? Please don’t stop. I love your smile. Please -
4!
smile more. Lance had started moving towards him. Lance is moving closer and closer looking right at him but -
3!
not smiling. Why? Fuck it it’s hopeless. Keith turned his head away. He wanted to run away. He made Lance sad. It’s his fault Lance wasn’t happy. All his -
2!
fault.
And then Lances arms were around his waist clinging on, holding tight and looking right at him with his dark blue eyes. With a slight slight smile tugging around his lips. Fuck his -
1!
smile. Smile more. Smile you beautiful beautiful thing. Please smile for me.
0! HAPPY NEW YEAR!
And then Lance McClain, Lance pretty boy McClain, Lance funniest boy Keith had ever met, Lance the most beautiful person in the world, nay galaxy, Lance the most wonderful boy who was so stupid and homesick and lonely and surrounded by friends and special and silly and perfect and imperfect, was kissing him.
Him.
Keith Kogane.
The angry kid with problems. The guy with daddy issues. That one person who everyone was afraid of, because he rode bikes and had a knife and knew how to use and hadn’t got many friends but had had a lot fights. Him. Keith.
The fireworks went off around them.
Rolo shouted something inappropriate.
Pidge sat on Rolo’s shoulders and sang at the top of her voice.
Shay kissed Hunk on the cheek.
Nyma squealed and hugged Rolo tight.
Allura knelt down and asked Shiro to marry her. Or failing that go and get coffee.
Shiro picked Allura up and spun her in circles laughing.
‘Coffee first. Then I’ll marry you.’ Ok so they were a bit drunk.
And Keith kissed Lance.
Lance kissed Keith.
They held each other and kissed for a very long time and didn’t want to let go at all.
Then Lance started to whisper in his ear.
‘I love you. I love you Keith Kogane and I have for six months and counting. I love you and I am never letting you go. Ever.’
And then he kissed him again. Or at least tried too.
Because Keith then pushed him away, grabbed him by the shoulders and said ‘Asshole. I’ve loved you for a year and a half. And another thing, I came here to drink champagne and watch the fireworks, not make put with a pretty boy. So will have to wait. Plenty of time for that later. So fuck you Lance. I love you.’
I all fairness, he did rather spring it on him. But the asshole didn’t have to look so surprised. Then pleased. Then evil.
‘How ever did you manage to restrain yourself for that long, I mean, I know I am perfectly irresistible.’
‘Easily apparently. I just imagined you kissing Allura and then about wringing your fucking neck.’
‘Ah.’ Lance awkwardly rubbed his neck.
‘Although...’ keith said softly, beginning to grin ‘There are plenty of other things I could do to your neck...’
Lance started to blush again, a smile creeping it’s way across his face. ‘Likewise handsome. Wanna dance?’
Keith blinked owlishly.
‘No.’
...
‘I hate dancing.’
He danced. After watching the fireworks. It was surprisingly enjoyable. Then Keith fell fast asleep in Lance’s arms, on a sofa that was really a glorified bed.
He was so happy.
So safe.
So loved.
Kiss me.
And never let me go.
I love you forever and always. I should know. It’s me. And you.
And you are very, very special.