Dirty Laundry by Gibslythe

Day 9 Ch. 35

Christmas Eve Day

3:10 P.M.

Keith found Lance behind a kitchen counter, his arms covered in white flour all the way to his elbows. The boy looked distraught, white flour decorating the skin between his nose and cheek.

Lance looked up from the mess he'd made only to flash Keith a toothy grin, finally noticing the bashful boy. "There you are! I was wondering where'd you'd gone. Here, you can help me make the-"

"Actually," Keith stammered, holding tightly to the plastic CD case. He'd taken so long to wrap the damn thing, and yet it still looked ridiculous. He held it behind his back, hoping Lance wouldn't notice. "I was wondering if you could take a quick break?"

"Why? Is something wrong?"

Keith shook his head quickly, making his dark bangs shift. He moved a hand to tuck them behind his ear, already feeling the warmth in his cheeks. " No, I just wanted to talk to you and-"

Both boys never noticed Rosa re-enter the kitchen, a flour covered apron wrapped around her round body.

"Keith! I haven't seen you all day!"

"Sorry," Keith mumbled, lowered his head bashfully. "I was out buying last minute christmas gifts."

Both Rosa and Lance's eyes brightened at that, their expressions almost identical. "Oh Keith," Rosa began, wiping her hands on a rag. "You didn't have to buy anything for anyone." The woman was so warm, reaching out to grab Keith's fingers in a motherly display of affection. In a swift attempt to hide the mixtape, Keith stuffed the plastic case into the back seam of his jeans.

"Yeah, Keith," Lance began, his eyes wide in a rare look Keith didn't recognise. "You didn't have to do that."

But he did. Besides the plastic case and pack of CDs for Lance's mixtape, Keith's other gifts were more than just important, more than just presents for a simple family he'd visited on break - they were for a family that Keith loved.

Keith couldn't believe it either. Love? Him? That had never happened before.

A humble grin lit up Keith's skin. "It's alright," He confirmed, holding tightly to Rosa's hands. "I don't mind buying a few presents. I wanted to buy them."

"If you say so," Rosa tutted, giving Keith's palm one more squeeze before letting go. She turned back to the kitchen and softly pushed Lance out of the way, digging her hands into the flour and dough.

"Ma!" Lance cried, frowning as she took his place. "I was doing that!"

She gave her son a firm look, lips pulled into a tight line. "Lance, this is my way of kicking you from the kitchen. Go hang out with Keith- he looks lonely."

"But-"

"I've got it! It's okay, dinner is almost finished anyway. Go have fun." She smiled, giving her son a soft, flour covered pat to the cheek. Lance squirmed like a child, wiping at the flour handprint in annoyance.

Once Lance had washed the flour from his arms as best he could, the two boys retreated from the kitchen. As they moved down the hallway, Keith couldn't help but overhear voices behind the closed door of the guest room (or, as Keith now knew it, Sophia's old room.)

"...I am not comfortable with that boy in this house!"

"Mother, listen. Keith is a welcomed guest in our home, and Rosa and I asked you rather politely to tolerate anything and everything you didn't like."

The next words were cold, harsh. "Yes, I know Jaime, and for your sake I'm being polite. But my patience is running thin! If you would let me just…"