lungs // klance

5: while you're changing like the current

age twelve

Lance has gone through a lot of changes ever since he met Keith, but it feels like lately the frequency of said changes has been turned up to eleven. All the girls in his grade have suddenly shot up in height, his voice cracks in an embarrassing squeak whenever he gets really excited, he constantly has to ask for more hand-me-downs from his older brother because he's already outgrown the ones he gave him just a month ago, what the hecko.

Keith is immensely entertained whenever Lance rants to him about the onset of human puberty, but he doesn't get to have the last laugh. The mer soon starts to go through rapid changes of his own: he developes more gills on his neck, his baby scales shed and they return harder and tougher, extra sets of fins start to appear on his forearms, his back, the sides of his tail. His voice changes, too, though it's not nearly as embarrassing as Lance's - it's become more melodious, like traces of a song flowing through his words.

Okay, so maybe he does get to have the last laugh. Mermaid puberty is way cooler than human puberty.

Lance tells him this every time Keith shows off a new fin or tugs his mouth to the side to reveal thin developing fangs, but Keith admits to him one day that he doesn't find it nearly as awesome as Lance does. That he's actually a little envious of Lance because he knows whatever change he goes through is normal for humans, while Keith is left to wonder if his body is doing what it's supposed to. He has no fellow merfolk to ask, no books to read. Lance tries helping him by doing some research of his own, but he comes up with little more than theories and stories of their existence. He wishes Keith would think about looking for other mer, maybe even finding his family, but Keith always shuts the thought down.

It's a few weeks until summer vacation. Lance always increases his visiting time with Keith at this part of the year, getting as much fun in as he can before tourist season starts and they have to be extra cautious about meeting under the pier. They've had too many close calls with someone curiously wandering under while Lance and Keith are there. He carries his new surfboard underneath his arm with pride, unable to keep his eyes off the beautiful sleek surface for too long at a time. Taking the familiar trek across the beach, he watches experienced surfers riding the waves with ease, feeling a longing in his chest. He passes them and makes his way to the pier.

"Check it out!" he calls the moment he sees Keith's familiar dark hair in the water. Keith pops the rest of his head out in surprise. Beaming, Lance stabs the surfboard upright into the sand and poses dramatically next to it. "Ta-da!"

His voice cracks, utterly ruining the moment.

Keith drifts closer, gazing at the surfboard in awe. "Since when did you surf?" he asks, his magical merboy voice much prettier in its development.

"I don't," says Lance, "not yet. But I'm going to start lessons over break." Pulling the board out, he brings it over to give Keith a better look. "I just wanted to show you first." He places it down and lays it out over the water, letting it float to Keith.

Keith draws his hands delicately over the surface. His eyes rove over the board, and Lance can't help but admire the scales that scatter across his cheeks. He looks... a lot more interested in the board than Lance expected he'd be. A little too interested. Actually he's staring at it so intently Lance grows a little concerned.

"Uh, buddy?"

"What?" Keith starts out of his daze, blinking owlishly. "Oh. Sorry. I was just thinking..." His gaze falls back down to the surfboard, stroking the side idly. "I have something I want to show you, too. And I think I can now, with this."

"What is it? What does the surfboard have to do with it?"

There's a glint in Keith's eye as he says, "Hop on."