Citrus. Klance AU

Chapter 21

I'm releasing another book soon as a celebration for In Too Deep hitting 10k. Look out for it! It will be called Love, Loss and Everything in Between :)

My mum insisted on cooking us dinner so we ended up sitting around my kitchen table. Keith was squished in between me and Marco whilst Luis was sat the other side of me. We started to dig into the meal and it was unlike anything I had ever tasted in months. My mum was watching me closely as I shovelled the food into my mouth, smiling dreamily at the taste. "So you and Keith..." My mum started and I looked up, mouthful. My fork was frozen mid air, a few centimetres away from my lips. "Are you together?"

My face heated up substantially and the fork almost fell from my grip. "No, no, no. He's just a friend, mamá."

"Oh, perdón. I just thought you two seemed... never mind."

"Seemed what?" Keith blurted out before the topic could shift.

"I don't know. You won't leave his side. You're kind of protective but in a good way."

"¡Mamá!"

"I ship it. Isn't that what the kids say these days?" My mum chuckled, eliciting a loud laugh from me, Keith and Veronica. I had a sudden urge to shove my face into my food just so I wouldn't have to hear them talking anymore.

"Mamá, eres la mejor (you are the best). I can tell you all now, I kind of ship you too. I mean, have you seen the way you look at each other? You're like a pair of sappy teenagers." Veronica chipped in and, just as I was about to slam my head down against the table so hard that I would get a concussion, Keith spoke.

"I don't think it matters whether you 'ship' us or not because feelings are feelings and they cannot be controlled. Lance has been through a lot and he isn't ready for another relationship yet."

Veronica choked on the piece of broccoli she was eating, harshly patting the front of her chest. "It was just a joke. No need to take it so seriously."

"I'm sorry," Keith glanced down into his meal, his eyebrows furrowed. "This is lovely by the way. Thank you."

"You don't need to thank me. I should be thanking you for keeping my hijo safe." She sent me a smile, her eyes sparkling beneath the light. She was hardly blinking, as if looking away for just one second would lead to me disappearing again.

-

We were huddled around Marco's PlayStation, playing a game called Overcooked. Marco was holding onto the remote, leant forward as he focused on the game. Veronica had the same determination as she moved the joystick. Keith wasn't looking at the screen: I could feel his gaze against me. I turned to meet his eyes and he blushed, looking ahead. When Marco and Veronica finished their level, they handed their remotes to me and Keith.

Fully determined to beat my siblings' two stars, I ensured my fingers were moving like lightning. My character (the panda bear) was holding some chopped up fish and I pushed the stick forward with as much power as possible- not that it made him move any faster.

"¡Vamos, vamos! (Go, go!)" Luis screamed, his voice cracking slightly. Keith took the fish from me and shoved them onto a plate. The timer was counting down and my heart was beating much faster than usual. It was like a bomb on the verge of detonating. There weren't any more plates available and I heard Keith grunt in dismay beside me, desperately running around with some more chopped up fish. Five. Four. Three. After I washed up a plate, Keith took it and dropped the dish onto it. He sprinted to the counter and served it just as the counter hit zero.

Ridiculous amounts of tension thick in the air, our score were revealed. Three stars. "Yes!" I yelled, holding up my hand for Keith to high five.

"I want a new partner." Marco whined, pouting and bringing a hand through his long fringe. Veronica snapped her head up from her phone and sent him a nasty glare.

"You were the one who kept forgetting to wash up the plates!" She yelled, making me jump a little bit. Keith noticed my alarm and placed a gentle hand on my thigh. I shifted in my seat and pushed the hand away, ignoring the hurt look he sent me. Some shouting wasn't enough to trigger me into a panic attack. I could handle it on my own.

"At least I actually chopped stuff and didn't stand around like an idiot!"

"I did more than you!"

As I stared at my sister's fuming expression, I felt my heart skip a beat. I didn't realise just how much I had missed hearing my siblings bicker until I got it back. I wanted to appreciate it, as nasty as arguing was. Eventually, my mum split them up by turning the PlayStation off. "¿Puede estar tranquilo? (can you be quiet?) Esto es embarazoso. (it is embarrassing)" She muttered, picking up the remotes and placing them on the table. Luis pouted and folded his arms against his chest like a toddler amidst a tantrum.

"This is unfair! I didn't even get a turn!" He screech, making me laugh softly. My lips curved up into a smile and I couldn't stop myself from leaning forward and wrapping my little brother in a hug. He froze, obviously confused, but soon hugged me back. Tears welled up in my eyes as I buried my head into his shoulder. I felt multiple pairs of arms wrap around me too and it took an embarrassing amount of time for me to realise we were amidst a group hug.

"Los quiero a todos. (I love you all)" I whispered and it didn't matter that nobody responded.

-

"I'm an emotional mess," I whined as I collapsed backwards onto Keith's bed. Keith let out a soft laugh before falling down beside me. We stared up at the ceiling that was hardly an appealing view but neither of us minded. I shut my eyes and imagined laying on the beach with a breeze washing over both of us. "I can't stop crying." I didn't even see the point in wiping away the tears anymore so I was just letting them fall.

"Hey, that's okay," Keith rolled over to face me, his voice softer than a cushion. "I'm sure seeing your family again was overwhelming after all this time." I turned so that I could look at him too. Our noses were just centimetres apart.

"Yeah... it was weird. Luis is so big now. I- I missed my little brother grow up."

"He's still going to grow even more, Lance. You won't miss that."

"Well yeah but... what if they don't want me around?"

"They obviously do. You saw how happy they were with you earlier." Keith reached out and brushed his hand against my shoulder. I tensed but, as soon as his hand came to a standstill, I relaxed again. "They want you in their lives. I know it."

"I feel so bad. I just left them and ran off with some guy I knew they hated. I'm such an idiot."

"You aren't an idiot. We've talked about this before. You loved him and feelings can't be controlled. I- I know that all too well." Keith mumbled the last sentence but I just about caught it. His eyebrows creased and, for a brief moment, I thought he might have looked slightly tearful.

"What do you mean?" Keith's hand fell from my shoulder and I almost asked him to put it back.

"I told you. I like you. I kind of wish I didn't because it's unfair on you but I do. And- And I can't control that."

"I know you can't." I shuffled closer so that our noises were touching. Keith avoided my gaze so I took it upon myself to place my hand on his hip. I leant forward ever so slowly until our lips brushed against each other. My hand was trembling violently as he started to kiss back and move his hand into my hair. I pulled back a minute or so later, my chest rising and falling at a rapid pace.

"No, no," Keith scrambled up onto his feet, shaking his hands rapidly in front of him. I felt my heart drop to the floor, smashing into a million pieces. Keith was giving me mixed messages. "Lance, don't force yourself into this. You aren't ready."

I sat up, swinging my legs over the side of the bed and staring down at my lap. "I- I'm sorry."

"It's okay, I can wait as long as you need."