"Lance, remind me why we are in the middle of the bushes with leaves on our heads and with branches scratching our arms." Lance huffed, placing more leaves over his head and tucking his long tall body in the bushes as the parades of the festival in the city of Marmora flew by. "Because. I'm curious about this...Prince Akira Kogane of Marmora. I've heard tales from Coran that he has seen him and he is the fairest in all the land. He is gorgeous. I needed to see because I can't believe till I see for my own eyes someone wayyyy more beautiful than me."
Lance gave Pidge his signature grin and Pidge punched his arm,"That's all? Just so you can admire some pretty guy? You do realize Coran is known for being crazy, right?" Hunk turned around, wearing his yellow vest and green shirt that made him blend with the bushes and their yellow flowers,"Pidge, leave him alone. He just wants to see the prince. What's so wrong with that?" Lance slapped his buddy's back,"Thanks man." Pidge rolled their eyes,"If we aren't stealing from him, then I'm not interested." Lance grinned again and sighed,"Don't worry....actually, we will only steal if he really is prettier than me, so you probably have to worry." Pidge groaned,"I can't believe I'm friends with you." Lance laughed,"Love ya too, Pidgeon."
They stayed in low profile. Why? Because Lance was the Blue Bandit, who stole from the rich and gave to the poor. The last float in the parade would hold the queen and the prince, heir to the throne and with millions of suitors. Lance waited anxiously. Who was this man, with tales of fierce strength and stormy black eyes that shined brighter than the moon?
The parade was coming to an end, the most lavish float and gold was visible for a few feet. Lance couldn't see anything, though. Only bright shimmer. Lance eyes shined seeing the gold. Mrs.Huggins could use the money for her baby.
But his thoughts failed him. His mouth was dry. Those men that told him Prince Akira's tales were LIARS. He wasn't the fairest in the land, he was the most stunning gorgeous breathtaking man in the entire world. Elegant red satin shirt that showed half of his milky white torso and a black cape, the interior a shining gold, hung around his shoulder connected by a gold chain. Gold rays crowned his head in a headpiece that looked like the sun. Then with black gloves, red gem earrings, a gold choker and a red gem necklace that shimmered in the sun against his pale skin. Lance heart pounded louder than the trumpets. Pidge noticed and a sly grin plastered against their face,"Someone just fell in love." Lance shook off the leaves from his heads that showed his chocolate covered hair and skin, blue hood down and black vest showing as he slowly stepped out of the bushes, not enough so the guards could see. They wouldn't be arresting the Blue Bandit just yet.
The Prince stood next to his mother, Krolia. She wore a stunning purple silk dress and jewels adorned her neck. He looked solemn, as if he didn't want to be there. He looked up at the cheering fans and his eyes met Lance's blue ones. The instant Keith saw him, his cheeks turned pink and he looked surprised. His lips parted slightly and he stared.
Those eyes weren't a stormy black. They were violet.
Lance didn't hear Pidge . Pidge laughed,"So, I guess we're stealing from this guy." Lance's awestruck impression morphed into one of determination, confidence.
"Even better. We're breaking into his chamber tonight. I'm meeting this Akira."
~
Night fall dawned upon the castle of Marmora. The Prince forced smiles as he walked in the halls to the servants. He usually was nicer but he was way too tired. He opened up his door to his bed chambers in the side of the castle. He went to the vanity and splashed water on his eyes and took off his heavy golden ray crown. In fact, he took off the cape and all his jewels and his shoes behind flopping on the bed.
Then he heard a rustle in the bushes.
Keith sat straight up and dove for the knife he has under his pillow.
He opened the glass doors to his balcony and looks down. Ten feet down. Him.
Keith felt his cheeks turn pink. It was the stranger he saw. The one with eyes bluer than the ocean. Why the hell was he here?
"Your Highness?" Keith looked down, tone firm and hard. The only reason he wasn't sending for the guards was because he never felt a thrill like this before in his life. A stranger. At the castle!
"Who goes there? What do you seek?" He could hear the smile in the man's voice,"I only wish to see his Highness. It would be an honor to bestow my eyes upon that fair man again."
Meanwhile Lance spoke his rehearsed words, Pidge scoffed.
Keith didn't make himself shown,"Who are you?" Lance smirked,"Only a peasant, your Highness." Keith scoffed,"I doubt that. It's something more. Why are you here? To steal? Are you a thief? A beggar?" Lance grinned,"The only thing I'm begging is to see your fair face once more."
Pidge was gagging that this point.
Keith felt the need to see this handsome young man once more too. He stepped into the light. He looked down from the balcony and frowned. His eyes peered at the man below. The man looked up and his eyes widened before he smiled warmly,"I was a fool to not believe until I saw you for my own eyes your beauty. But then again, I never would seen you face to face."
Keith sneered,"Enough with the sappy talk. Why are you really here?" Lance shrugged. He ran to the wall and grabbed the strong green vines that trailed down. Then he started...climbing? Keith was startled,"What are you doing?" Lance didn't speak until he reached the top in the matter of seconds. Clearly, he was an expert when it came to these things. "Just wanted to talk."
Keith gaped, the man seconds ago was ten feet below was now a mere inches away. Keith's gaze traveled all over his tall sun-kissed body and he felt embarrassed for...checking him out. However, Lance was shamelessly doing the same.
"The name's Lance." Keith felt something wasn't right. He peered closer to the attractive man,"I've seen you before. Before the parade." Lance smiled,"In your dreams, maybe." Keith shook his head.
Suddenly he got it.
In one second and in all one movement, Keith was tugged Lance by his collar, knife to his throat and violet eyes glaring into Lance,"I knew you were up to no good. You're the Blue Bandit." Lance sighed,"Dammit."
Keith tugged on his shirt tighter, nervous to let him go,"Did you really thing your stupid comments and fake words were gonna trip me up? That's funny, really." Lance shrugged, despite having a knife to his throat,"Oh my words weren't fake at all, princess." Keith scowled, cheeks reddening,"I'm not a princess. I'm Kei-Akira. Prince Akira of Marmora." Lance chuckled slightly, and it made Keith's heart jump,"Please. Tell me your real name." Keith realized his hold on Lance was letting go so he tightened his grip,"As if I would be idiotic enough to say." Lance grinned,"What color is the sky?"
"What?"
"What color is the sky?"
"Um, blue? What the hell-"
"What color are the trees?"
"Green? I don't-"
"What do you use to eat salad."
"A-A fork."
"What color are the clouds?"
"White."
"What's your name?"
"Keith-FUCK!"
Keith's cheeks were the color of maple trees. He was tempted to just drop Lance right there. Lance grinned,"Gotcha, Keith." Keith stuttered,"I-you-that was so sly." Lance laughed boisterously, making Keith's stomach flip,"You fell for it though! How about this? I will never tease or trick you again about this if you don't turn me in to the guards." Keith raised his eyebrow,"That's the stupidest deal ever. They just want you dead. You're hated here." Lance nodded glumly with an expressionless smile,"I'm hated everywhere." Keith stared into his eyes, feeling slight guilt. Guilt? For the Blue Bandit?
Unfortunately, yes.
"Listen, just. Don't come back. It's dangerous. I-I know what you're doing isn't all bad but you have no choice. If I see you in public again though, I will turn you in. Understood? Be careful." Lance's eyes widened as he gripped onto the balcony rail and Keith lowered his knife and fist."You're letting me go?" Keith nodded,"Quick, before I change my mind."
Lance grinned, his heart roaring thunderously and cheeks a bright red. His blue eyes brightened again and-oh. He was really cute. Lance leaned forward, and hooked a finger under Keith's chin, tilting his head to the side and doing something no one ever dared do before. He kissed his cheek.
Lance leaned back and winked(because the fucker just can) and smiled,"Bye, Keith." And so, the Blue Bandit left the wide-eyed, blushing prince on his balcony.
~
Then he came BACK.
~
"What the HELL are you doing here?!" Lance secured his toes safely between the rails so he wouldn't fall off the prince's balcony,"You said that if you saw me in public, you will turn me in." Keith crossed his arms furiously,"Which is what I'm about to do right now." He opened his mouth, but Lance placed a finger over his lips,"You said in public. We are meeting here in private. So, you can't turn me in." Keith growled,"Actually, I can." Lance frowned,"Awwww, Keithyyyy. Please reconsiderrrrrr. I'm too amazing to go into prison. Besides, I'd easily escape." Keith sighed. He was insufferable. "Fine."
~
"Yup. That's what happened. Pidge and Hunk managed to sneak into the castle with me and the old man guy was guarding it, threatening to turn us in and then-WHAM. I got so freaked out I punched the guy in the face. I felt so bad I actually apologized to the poor guy who was knocked out cold on the ground. After getting the gold, we placed him in the hospital just in case." Lance shook his head, leaning over the rail,"Afterward it was funny as hell for Pidge. But Hunk and I felt so guilty." Keith's lip quivered. His eye twitched. God, the story was so dumb, so stupid, so-ugh! Lance just wanted to make him laugh, but he wasn't gonna give i-
"Pfft-that's not funny." Keith placed a hand over his red cheeks and couldn't help but giggle under his breath. What the fuck. Lance smiled dreamily and tilted his head, resting it on his cheeks with his smile lopsided,"You're beautiful when you laugh..." Keith felt his heart pound but he just stood up straight and erased his smile,"Oh please. That's enough for one night. You constantly tell me, it's getting obvious you're just humoring me." Lance kept on smiling, but he reached forward and grabbed his hand, gently running his thumb over his knuckles. "No, I'm dead serious. I mean it with my whole heart. You're stunning a-and beautiful a-and it's not just your looks! You're sweet and funny, witty and kind even though you don't want to show it. But I mean everything about you is so.."Lance sighed, glancing down nervously cheeks a bright red. Keith felt his heart go crazy in his ribcage. No. No no no no. Please don't. Lance smiled shyly at the floor,"What I guess I'm trying to say is.." He looked up, brave and determined,"Keith, I lo-"
Keith squeezed his hand before letting go and shaking his head,"Lance, don't say it. You'll just hurt us both."
"Why not?"
Keith reached up and hugged himself tightly,"Because if you did say it, I-I wouldn't be able to..ya know." He motioned his hands in front of him, to the sight of Lance almost confessing. He wouldn't be able to say it back. He looked into Lance blue eyes, expecting hurt and sadness. But there was still that air of determination in his eyes and he looked no where near discouraged. He smiled,"I figured it would be like that. But I'm not scared. I'll win you over, Keith. I know it. I promise."
After a small moment of silence, Lance kissed Keith's cheek like always and said his goodbyes and left.
Keith felt sick to his stomach.
"I-I wouldn't be able to...ya know."
He was such a liar.
~
Lance came back as usual, no heartbreak and no sulking. Instead, doing everything he could to get Keith to look at him. Was he that desperate? Yes.
Keith tried not to spike up his hopes. God, after all these months Keith realized they both...loved each other. More than anything. But he couldn't be with him. Not because he was a prince and Lance was the Blue Bandit but because he was scared. He didn't know how to be in a relationship, which is why he had to hide his feelings until he was ready.
No.
He did want to be in a relationship. He knew it. Just how would his mother react to him dating the BLUE BANDIT.
A thief!
"But then, after we managed to force Hunk out of the kitchen we stole some sweets too. We gave them to the village kids and they adored them. But they weren't as good as Hunk's cooking. That man is a true chef." Keith smiled,"I know. You brought me one of his strawberry tarts, remember? That was amazing." It was better than anything Keith's chefs made for him. Lance laughed," I know, right!? I remember when I was younger, I wanted to be like Hunk and cook as good as him. So, I saved up some money for flour and water and tried to make donuts. I ended up burning them and black smoke flooding the kitchen. Mama was furious, but when she saw my face covered in flour and messy dough she just didn't stay mad at me and my siblings and I cleaned up." Keith bit his lip. No laughing, no laughing-.
He then imagined Lance looking so innocent and cute with his face a mess and presenting his mother burnt blobs of food.
Keith chuckled, then he giggled, then suddenly he was curling up into a ball of laughter. Beautiful, sweet, joyful laughter. He looked up and his eyes met Lance's. His guard dropped and his emotions, his true emotions, bled through. Fuck. He took it back, guard up again and cautious, showing no love at all in his eyes, no happiness. But it was too late.
"You love me," Lance said, breathless. All the air in his body was gone seeing that look of pure love in Keith's eyes. He saw it for sure. He knew it. He just knew it! Keith turned his face, not daring to looking into his eyes again,"No I don't." Lance was almost speechless,"Yes. Yes, you do. I can tell. Just now-" Keith shook his head,"I don't know what you're talking about."
Keith turned his body away from the rail, away from Lance. With his back facing him, he opened the glass balcony doors and walked into his room. He left the doors open. He walked closer to the bed, and his hand reached out. He grabbed the elegant detailed bedpost and gripped it.
He didn't realize that for the first time in months of meeting in the shadows, Lance took one step and walked on the balcony.
"You love me." Keith's heart warmed hearing the pure happiness in Lance's voice. Affection dripped in it.
"Me? Love you? Lance, please." He hated the slight quiver in his voice when he said 'please'. Smooth, soft, hands reached forward and held his free hand. Keith flinched but he let Lance turn his body around. He let Lance grab his hand clutching the bedpost. His hands rested gently on his waist, clearly holding back. "I don't want to cross a line, but....even a thief deserves to be happy, right?" Keith nodded,"I-I suppose. I still don't see how this has anything to do with me." Lance smiled and kissed his cheek,"You have everything to do with it. Because you make me happy." Keith's hands shaking moved up and placed them on Lance's chest, intention being to push him away. But he couldn't bring himself to. He didn't want to. He gripped the blue hood Lance was known for. He stood on his tip-toes slightly and closed his eyes, pulling Lance closer. "Lance.."
A knocking came form the door. Keith's eyes opened abruptly and he let go of his grip. Lance still held onto him. Keith stared at the door with wide frenzied eyes. "Lance-you need to go. I think it's some servant, if they see you-"
"Kiss me, first."
Keith turned to his face to Lance. He was breathless,"What?" Lance grabbed his hand and kissed his palm, turning over his face and sighing into it,"Kiss me, Keith. Please. I want to know for sure. I want you to let me know for sure that you really do lo-" Keith cupped his cheeks and kissed him softly. Lance's hands moved down and gripped his waist firmly. Keith started to get ahead of himself and the knocking on the door seemed to tune out. They couldn't open the door anyway.
His hand cupped the nape of Lance's neck and his fingers played with the ends of his hair until his hands were all over him. Lance took a step forward and pressed him into the bedpost. Keith pulled at Lance's back, hands gripping his cape tightly as the kiss deepened even more. The unlocking of the door brought Keith back into reality. He pushed Lance's away softly and Lance kissed his cheek,"Thank you,"he whispered. Then he was gone. Keith was panting and out of breath, still processing everything. He brushed his hair and wiped his wet lips. His pursed his swollen red lips and the door opened. Allura, a servant, walked in. "Oh, Keith thank goodness. You're alright. You weren't answering and I was terrified so I grabbed the key. Nothing happened, right?"
Keith smiled nervously,"Yes, yes. I'm fine. Thank you. If you'll excuse me, I am quite tired so I am going to get some rest." Allura nodded and bowed before exiting. Keith's smile didn't fade as he collapsed on the bed, clutching his pounding heart.
~ (This is taking so looooooooong)
After that, Keith had no hesitation. He loved Lance with all his heart. He showed him the love he deserved and affection he wanted. God, he wanted that man for himself and he had him. Not for long.
Krolia was done with him not liking any of the suitors. So she set up a day where all his suitors would literally fight multiple trials for his hand. One of them will be eliminated.
Today was that day. The night before, Keith was horrified, having to hold on to his boyfriends as he comforted him. "I-I don't know what to do. I-please just..let's run away from all this. Run away from the kingdom, I want to be with you." Lance kissed his hair and his lips,"No need. I have an idea."
The day for the contest was there. Probably hundreds of men and woman lined up to sign in. That took two days, so it was delayed for which Keith was grateful. But then the contests started and it was clear everyone desperately wanted either Keith or the kingdom. Except for one.
He was terrifying. He wore a black cape and didn't show his face at all. His wore white gloves that covered him and somehow managed to horrify Keith. His speed, his strength, his wit. Who was this man that was threatening he and Lance's love? He clearly wanted something and he just might win it.
The contests and trials lasted days, one by one someone getting eliminated. It was taking too long so much that they had to start taking out at least 3 people after each trial. This speed it up to about 5 people after 7 days.
Keith panicked and Lance reassured him everything was fine.
He had someone helping them secure their happiness.
The last trial was a simple race. Keith turned a sickly pale. The black-caped man had long legs while his last competitor was a strong but large hunk who looked like he was gonna throw up. After 7 minutes, the black-caped now his future husband won after running two miles.
Krolia clapped, clearly impressed,"My good future son-in law. Please, come up to see your long awaited love." The black-caped man walked slowly towards the seats here Keith and Krolia stood. Keith felt his horror fade away with anger and resent,"If you really want to marry me, I expect you to take of your cape." Inside, he was shaking to his bones. The man reached forward and grabbed Keith's hand gently. A familiar gentle touch. He brought up both their hands and they grabbed the hem of the hood. The crowd around them leaned closer to see the face of this formidable man.
"T-THE BLUE BANDIT?!"
Krolia screeched. Keith's eyes widened seeing Lance's blue eyes and soft smile,"Hey, babe." The crowd gasped and men charged forward but the guards held them back. The guards that weren't protecting the crowd immediately raced forward to arrest the long-awaited capture of the thief. But the nearest and closest guard was threatened with a knife to his neck. Keith growled, holding the knife firmly,"Take one step closer and I'm slitting your throat." The guard spoke,"Y-Your Highness. Can't you see this is the Blue Bandit?" Keith scoffed,"What I see is my future husband, Lance."
The other competitor walked up and slapped Lance on the back,"Hey, Lance. You owe me some pie." Lance laughed,"Thanks, Hunk." Another short hooded figure ran to Lance and hugged him tightly,"You idiot." Lance ruffled their hair,"You love me, Pidgeon."
Krolia waved her hand the the guards relaxed, no longer threatening Lance. "What is the meaning of this. Why did you enter the contest, for my son's future kingdom and riches? Wouldn't you like that." Lance shrugged and laced an arm around Keith's waist,"Nah, I just love Keith. That's all. Well, maybe I love him so much I wanna marry him. Yeah, that's probably it." Keith choked on air and Krolia's eyes widened,"How could you fall in love with him?" Lance shrugged,"It's not hard, do you even know how amazing and wonderful your son is? Probably not, considering you literally gave him away like a prize and not with your son's consent. God, he was literally clinging onto me almost is tears and kissing me like...a lot when he first heard."
Keith turned a bright red,"Lance.." Lance kissed his temple," I know, I know. You love me." Keith turned even redder and hid his face in Lance's shoulder. He didn't see Lance's smirk. The crowd couldn't help themselves and cooed. "Listen, I know that stealing is wrong but have you seen your people? They were forced to eat from trashcans and eat dirt when they had nothing! Until I came along. I got them the money they needed. I know the way I did it was wrong, but you and other kings and queens weren't doing anything so I had to. In the meantime, I fell in love with your son and all I ask is your pardon for my crimes, your son's hand in marriage, and that you pay attention to the people." Keith sighed,"And that you pay attention to me a little. You always pushed me to be the best and I felt like I wasn't good enough until Lance came."
Krolia was stunned speechless. When she recovered her words she cleared her throat,"I-I hereby pardon the Blue Bandit for all his crimes and I will let you have my son's hand. I will also listen to the people more and pay their needs." She let go of her formality and rushed to her son, hugging him tightly,"I'm so sorry." Keith hugged her back.
The other kingdoms saw the state of their people and forgave Lance. Keith and Lance got married blah blah had 5 kids blah blah and HAPPY EVER AFTER!!!!