*I've decided to make a little competition in this story. Last chapter's title was chosen by my old friend. This chapter's title will be chosen by you guys too! Just leave title suggestions in the comments and I'll pick whichever one I feel suits the chapter best. Whoever wins this chapter will get a shoutout in the next chapter, and so on (Edit: Suggestions for ALL chapters are CLOSED now that the fic is completed)
&& Now, this chapter's song is Cool Kids by Echosmith. It's one of my favs. The picture is an old screenshot of one of my old tumblr posts. my tumblr url is florelunae now so I could be multifandom. I hope you find it funny. And that's it, my dudes! Enjoy!*
(6141 words)
"Stop being an asshole!"
"Stop being a gremlin! -OW!!"
These were the sounds Hunk heard from the Holt family kitchen. Sighing, he reentered the living room to see both Pidge and Lance on the floor wrestling with each other.
"I left for five minutes, what the hell." Hunk said as he grabbed Pidge and pulled her off of Lance, she was winning this little fight.
She kicked her legs, "Hey!!! Put me down!"
Lance sat up and quickly ran out of the room, "Victory!!"
"What?!" She wormed her way out of Hunk's arms and ran after Lance, but he had locked himself in the bathroom, "Lance, you jerk! Give me my phone!"
Lance giggled from the inside, "Let's see who you've been texting."
She tried to get the key from on top of the door frame but couldn't reach it, "Ugh! I swear I'm going to kill you!!"
Hunk slowly walked into the hall, not wanting to get too involved but sort of wanting to see how it all played out. It was entertaining to watch them 'fight' until you were put in the middle of it all.
Lance laughed, "Wow, you two are totally cheesy. Tinker Bell?"
She rolled her eyes, "Yeah, whatever Lancey Lance." She teased, using Keith's most frequent nickname for him.
He just kept scrolling through her texts with a laugh, "Ooo, new text from Matt. Let's see what he wants." It went silent for a moment, not even a snicker came from his mouth.
She instantly got worried, "Lance? What is it? What did Matt send me?"
"Shit.." He mumbled as he opened the door, "He said he's freaking out and needs to talk to you right away." He gave her the phone back.
She snatched it from him and read the text with her own eyes.
matttheew: I'm totally freaking out right now. Like??????!!!!!! WHAT IS HAPPENUNG TO ME???! Call me asAP!!
*gonna but in here for a sec. I hate doing these in the middle of a part. but I just wanted to say that it isn't just "matthew" with extra letters. well, it is. but when you break it up, it says "matt the ew". matt is a clever lil smartie that likes puns and codes. and he'd totally be a huge meme with self-deprecating humor. so yeah. that's all I have to say. continue.*
She quickly hit call as she walked back to the living room. Hunk and Lance followed her, the three of them all sitting in the couch together. Pidge in the middle.
Matt quickly answered, and even though Pidge didn't have speakerphone on, Hunk and Lance could still hear, "Pidge, oh my god, I'm about to have a meltdown!!"
"Slow down, Matt. What happened? Are you okay?" She asked, trying to stay as calm as possible.
"I quit my job, I couldn't go back. Jesus, everything is so weird!" He was super worked up.
"You gotta breathe, big bro. Come on. Deep breaths. Then tell me why you quit." She was used to handling panicking like this from all of Lance's panic attacks that she had witnessed.
He took a few deep breaths before blurting out what happened, "IsleptwitymycoworkerJakeafterwegotdrunkatthispartyandnowit'ssuperawkwardbecausehe'sgayandIdidntthinkIwasgaybutIsortalikeditandnowIdon'tknowwhattodo!!!"
"Wait, what? Slow down." She looked over at Lance, who seemed to have understood some of that. His eyes were super wide.
Matt sighed and told her again, but a bit slower and with fewer details, "I slept with my coworker, Jake. Jake, who is male. A boy. I slept with another boy!!"
Her jaw dropped, "Holy shit! What happened?!"
He took another deep breath, "He invited me to go to this party with him. I thought nothing of it and said yes, sounded like it'd be fun. An hour into the party we're both drunk and hooking up in an empty bedroom! Apparently he's gay and invited me with those exact intentions."
She thought for a moment, "He didn't, like, force you... Right?"
"No! Of course, not! He's a nice guy!" He paused, "The problem here is that I never said no. I wanted to have sex with him. And I think I liked it, I don't know! It's really fucking with me because I never thought for a moment that I might be gay! But now...."
"But now you're not so sure." She sighed, "You quit your job because of this?"
"Yes.. And no." He was the one to sigh this time, "This happened last weekend. I tried talking to him about at work on Monday, to tell him I didn't like him like that. That I was drunk and it was a mistake to lead him on like that.."
"Okay, and how did that go?"
"I chickened out and ended up not telling him... I just avoided him all shift. But then he came to me after I clocked out. He assumed that since I was so into it at the party, that it would be a great idea to grab my ass. I instinctively slapped him but I felt really bad about it and started apologizing like crazy."
"Why did you apologize?!" She looked pissed, "He groped you, that's workplace harassment!"
"He didn't know any better! We had literally fucked two nights before, he thought I was into him!" He let out a deep sigh, "I felt bad about slapping him. But he thought I slapped him because he startled me, not because he grabbed my fucking ass. So he sorta cornered me against the wall, asking me out on another date. I totally panicked and pushed him into a pile of empty boxes before leaving."
Pidge's look of anger remained firmly planted on her face, "This Jake sounds like a huge asshole."
"He's really not! I just never got the balls to tell him I didn't like him. It was all a big misunderstanding! But the next day he came to talk to me again, but this time in the open and not in the back room. It was off to the side so we could talk a bit more privately but there were still people around. He said he was sorry if he did anything to scare or hurt me in any way. I was a stuttering mess but I managed to tell him why I reacted the way I did. It was super awkward. He felt really bad, thinking he had pressured me into it or something. Which he didn't, he didn't do anything wrong. It was all me. I feel really bad about it still. Wednesday and Thursday were beyond awkward. He avoided me at all costs, only talking to me if he had to. The whole time I'm having an existential crisis because I didn't think I was into dudes until now. Today I ended up quitting, it was becoming a distraction for both of us. I'm coming home in a few weeks anyway, I'd have to take leave or quit either way. So that worked out. But now I'm totally confused about everything!!"
Pidge sighed, her anger subsiding, "Well if you liked having gay sex then that's a pretty good indicator that you might be gay. Or at least bi or pan. Actually..." She glanced at Lance, who was sitting next to her and listening to everything, "I think I know a certain bisexual best friend of mine who might be a great help with figuring it out. It'd be helpful for you if you talked to someone who's had issues with their sexuality. I've never thought twice about it, but Lance has. He and Hunk have been eavesdropping this whole time. But don't worry, I'll swear them to silence if you want me to."
Matt took a deep breath, "I guess if he's already heard everything anyway... It couldn't hurt to talk to someone who's been through it."
"My thoughts exactly!" She smiled, "You can talk to him now if you want."
"No, just tell him to text me later. I'm sure you guys were having fun until I interrupted."
"You're more important than fun." Her smile softened, "And we weren't really doing anything too exciting anyway."
"Yeah, you're more important than fun too. I'll text you tonight, okay? I have an essay to finish bullshitting." He laughed.
Pidge laughed too, "Okay. Later nerd."
"Later," Matt said as he hung up.
Pidge leaned back into the cushions with a huff, "That asshole scared me." She chuckled a bit.
Lance chuckled too, "Well, now we can rightfully laugh at his jeans."
Pidge burst out laughing, all three of them did, "That's why Jake thought he was gay!"
They kept laughing together as the front door opened, Pidge's parents walking in.
"What's going on in here?" Sam asked as he walked into the living room.
"Nothing," Pidge said as she stopped laughing, sitting up. She and Matt a rule not to tell their parents anything about the other unless they specifically said it was okay or someone was in some form of danger. It caused less trouble that way.
Colleen smiled at them before walking to the kitchen, she and Sam were always glad to see Pidge and Lance having such a good time. They were the two that made it out of the Anna situation the worst.
Sam walked to the couch, smiling at the three teens, "How are you boys doing?"
"Good." Lance and Hunk said at the same time, laughing after.
"We're great, dad," Lance said with a smile. He called both Colleen and Sam 'mom' and 'dad'. Pidge called Lance's parents 'mama' and 'papa' too.
Sam nodded, "That's good. I thought you three were going to Allura's with Shiro and Keith today."
"Keith's working and Allura canceled." Pidge shrugged, "I'm sure Shiro wasn't going either way though. We think they broke up today. They've been having a bit of a rough time."
Lance nodded in agreement, "Yeah Keith went to Shiro's after dropping me off at work. Shiro asked him to come over."
Sam sighed, "That's a shame, they're good kids."
"Two people may be good as individuals but that doesn't always mean they're good as a couple." Hunk pointed out.
Sam nodded, "Very true." He turned his attention to Lance, "How are your scars doing? Katie's aren't showing any signs that they're going to fade any time soon."
Lance shrugged and looked at the scars on his wrists from where Anna had tied him up. They stood out against his skin, having not faded at all, "It's just a scar, nothing I can't live with."
Pidge smiled and held out her hand next to his, her scars stood out as well, "They're our matching friendship bracelets. Permanent ones."
Then the three teens spoke at the same time, "Friends who survive a psychotic murderer together, stay together." Then they all laughed at their jinx.
Sam gave them a sad smile, "I'm glad you've all found a way to get through it. Are you still seeing a therapist, Lance."
Lance sighed, shrugging a bit, "Yeah, every other week. But it was at least twice a week nine months ago so I'm making progress." He had chosen not to go visit his parents to avoid these exact questions, but he didn't want to be rude and not answer. He knew everyone was worried about him.
Sam nodded, "That's really good. Are you still taking your medication?"
Pidge rolled her eyes, "That's enough, dad. He has his own parents asking questions like this. Cut him some slack. Besides, he lives with Keith. We all know he isn't going to let Lance get bad again."
"I know, I know." Sam sighed with a smile, "I was just checking on him."
"I'm fine, really." Lance smiled at him, "I could be better, in all honesty. But I've improved a lot in the past 9 months. I'll be okay. And Pidge is right, Keith isn't going to let me get bad. He's always there when I have nightmares, he reminds me to take my meds, he takes care of me."
"I don't doubt that. You two are in it for the long haul, that much is clear.. I'll leave you kids be now." He left the room, the three saying bye to him as he walked away.
Hunk looked at Lance after Sam was gone, "You did tell him the truth, right? You really are feeling better?" It wouldn't be the first time Lance had lied about his mental state. He had lied to his therapist's face when he was super bad. Keith had to stop him from making a bad decision that night. But it's been 6 months since that.
"I may have sugar-coated things a bit... But I am getting better, really." Lance smiled at his friends, "I admit I've hit a bit of a slump, the past few days have been hard. But Keith knows this time, I'll get through it."
Pidge sighed and smiled, "Okay, if you're sure." She only had to go to therapy for a few weeks after the incident. She wasn't traumatized like Lance was. But for her it was just one night of scary shit, it was a full week for him.
"What time is Keith getting off work tonight?" Hunk asked. He always tried to wait until Keith was off before taking Lance home. No one liked the idea of leaving Lance alone for long periods of time, it just leads to panic attacks and everyone getting a million texts from him.
Lance shrugged, looking at his phone, "I think seven." He went looking through his photos, he had a picture of Keith's work schedule for that week, "Yep, seven."
"It's 6:20 now.." Pidge said, checking the time on her phone, "We can chill until he gets out if you want."
Lance shrugged, standing, "Actually, I should get back now. I have a project due next week." He didn't give a fuck about being home alone (until the anxiety kicks in, that is) and hates when they treat him like he's 'made of glass' (his own words).
"Are you sure?" Hunk asked, "There's still forty minutes left."
Lance just shrugged, putting his phone in his pocket, "If you wanna stay, then stay. I'll go ask Isa to drive me home. I'll say hi to everyone while I'm there."
"I'll drive you, I just think we should stay a bit longer." Hunk bit his lip.
Lance shook his head, "No, stay with your girlfriend. I'll text you when I get home." He started to walk towards the front door.
Pidge sighed, letting him go, "Okay... Bye."
Lance gave a slight wave to everyone before leaving, heading down the street to his parent's house.
Hunk watched him through the window, "Are you sure that's a good idea?"
"Definitely." Pidge shrugged, "His family will try to get him to stay as long as they can, they miss him. Keith might get home before he does."
The realization showed on Hunk's face, "Duh, I should've realized that. It's going to take him twenty minutes alone just to get his mom to stop asking questions."
Pidge smirked, "Exactly. He'll be fine. Even if he's clearly not telling us how bad he really is."
"Keith would tell us if it got out of hand, right?" Hunk turned to look at her now that Lance was out of sight.
She nodded, "Yeah, definitely. He always does. If Keith isn't worried, then we shouldn't be either."
︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵
Meanwhile, at Fran's Diner, Keith had just finished cleaning off one of the tables he was waiting on. There weren't any customers in the diner right now, the rush wouldn't start until after the game at the school let out. Then all his classmates would flood in, but Keith would be gone by then. He took the dishes from his last table back to the kitchen, where his coworker was busy cleaning them all.
She went to school at St. Vivian's so he'd known her since she moved to town, her name was Emilia. She was a sophomore, but super mature for her age and taller than most girls her age. Her makeup and dyed black hair made her look even older. Most customers thought she was at least 20, hardly anyone believed she was 16. Keith had to show a few perverted customers out on their late nights.
"What's wrong?" She asked as she took the dishes from Keith, "I know that face, Keith. You're thinking about something, probably overthinking. "
He sighed, leaning against the counter next to the oversized sink, "I'm worried about Lance..."
She glanced at him as she kept washing, "Aren't you always?"
"Yeah, but I think he's starting to get bad again.." He ran his hand through his bangs, the only part of his hair not in his tiny ponytail, "Maybe I'm overreacting... I don't know. He's been getting more nightmares lately. Maybe it's just a coincidence. He seems a lot more chill these days. But I don't know if that's good or bad. He's been wanting to spend more time inside watching TV rather than going out doing things. Maybe it's just his anxiety going down. When it's up he can't stay cooped up, he has to do something to distract himself. The entire time I've known him he's had some shit going on. Maybe he's just calmer when his life isn't a hell hole."
She sighed and turned the water off, looking at him, "Trust your gut. Don't jump the gun just yet, but maybe you should ask people who've known him longer if this is typical behavior for him. Yeah, you've known each other for 10 months now. But like you said, he's had shit going on in his life for those entire 10 months. I'd ask your friends about it, maybe his siblings too. You've seen him at his worst, you see it every day. But have you ever seen him at his best?"
Keith sighed, "You make a good point. I'll call his sister when I get the chance."
They heard a bell from the main area of the diner, meaning new customers just showed up.
"You're up gaylord." Emilia said as she turned the water back on. Keith was the only waiter scheduled for that shift. They had three coming in after he left.
He rolled his eyes, "Shut the fuck up, Em. I caught you making out with Stella in the bible study room last year." He walked away from the sink, hearing her snicker behind him. She couldn't deny that even if she wanted to.
Unfortunately, the cook overheard that and hit him with a towel, "Language, Kogane." The cook was named Freddie, he was over 40 years old. But he was also the manager. His older brother owned the place, it was a family business. Fran was their grandma.
Keith shrugged, "Yeah, yeah. I know." He walked out of the kitchen to see two people sit down at a booth near the kitchen door. A boy and girl both about his age. But the boy had his blue hood up, pulled forward enough to cover most of his face. The girl was wearing huge sunglasses and sunhat, also covering most of her face. Keith definitely thought that this was weird but he grabbed two menus and walked to their booth anyway.
"Hello, welcome to Fran's. I'm Keith and I'll be your server this evening ." He set down the two menus in front of them, "Anything to drink while you look through the menu?"
"Water." The girl said simply, looking down at her menu.
The boy snickered, looking down and trying to hold it together, "Same.."
Keith found the situation even weirder now but went along with it, "Okay... I'll be right back." He walked to the bar of the diner and started to get their drinks.
Emilia walked out then, taking one look at the new customers and walking to Keith, "What's up with that shady couple?" She asked in a whisper. She just hung out with him when they were slow, there were no dishes to do.
Keith shrugged, "I dunno. Probably a prank, maybe a dare. Stay on guard, I guess." He whispered back before taking the two glasses of ice water to the booth, "Here you are." He said as he set the glasses down, setting down straws too, "Do you need a few more minutes?"
The girl shook her head, "Cheeseburger and fries. No salt on the fries, and nothing on the burger but cheese."
Keith furrowed his eyebrows but wrote down her order, "Alright, anything else." She shook her head so he turned to the boy, "What would you like?"
The boy was having trouble holding back his laughter again, "Chicken fingers... With fries, but I do want salt." He covered his mouth, snickering.
Keith wrote that down, "Uh... Okaaay. Any sauce for your chicken?"
The boy nodded, his face still hidden, "Barbecue.."
Keith wrote that, "Alright. That all?"
They both nodded so Keith took their menus and walked back to the kitchen, giving their order to Freddie.
Emilia walked back over, "What's got that dude so giggly?" She kept her voice low since their table was so close, but she didn't need to whisper here.
"No clue." Keith sighed, "And that girl is apparently picky with her burger. Nothing but cheese, and no salt on the fries. I knew a girl who always ordered that at my old foster home. Then she'd add the ketchup herself."
"Maybe it's that same girl, playing a prank on you?" Freddie suggested as he started the meal.
Keith shook his head, "No... It couldn't be." He looked down, "Definitely not." He glanced at the clock, it was 6:27, "Hey, can you guys keep an eye on them? We're not busy so I want to see if Lance has tried to get a hold of me. I haven't checked my phone since I got here two hours ago."
Freddie nodded, "Yeah, no problem. I'll send Emilia for you if we need you." Keith had been working here since he moved to town a year before the Anna incident. Freddie knew all about what happened and was very understanding about it and would let him split his breaks up on days he wanted to check on Lance more frequently. His breaks were shorter but he got more of them. But today was busy because of the game. Before and after games are their busiest times ever, but they're dead during them.
Keith smiled at Freddie before going back to their locker room. It was just a small room with a bunch of small lockers that didn't even lock. He went to his and got out his phone, checking his messages.
5:09 pm
leggylance: okay, don't work too hard. btw Allura cancelled so I'm going to Pidge's with Hunk instead. Love you!!! ♡♡♡
He'd sent it when he got off work nearly an hour and a half ago.
6: 23 pm
katiehatesyou: lance just left my place. He's going to his parents to visit, then Isa will give him a ride home. Just wanted to keep you updated in case he forgets to text you
That was only from a few minutes ago. Keith sighed and texted her back.
kmskeith: i haven't gotten a text from him since he got of work but that's okay. Thanks for the update
He then texted Lance back.
kmskeith: I'm fine baby, I'll be home soon. I love you too. Oh, pidge texted to tell me you stopped by your parent's place. Tell everyone i said hey
He was about to put his phone away when he got another text.
shirogone: lura made up her mind, we're over.
Keith sighed as he read that, but he knew it was going to happen eventually. He just knew it'd be hard for Shiro. He put his phone back in his locker and got back to work, planning on calling him after he got off. When he walked back out to the kitchen, he checked on the booth from the doorway. He saw the two teens whispering to each other, keeping their faces hidden. He couldn't help get an eerie vibe from them.
"Keith, are you okay?" Emilia asked, putting her hand on his shoulder.
He nodded, turning to look at her, "Yeah, I think I'm just a bit paranoid..."
She sighed, "After everything you've been through, I'd bet. But those two are giving me the creeps too. I just want them to leave."
"Yeah, me too." He glanced back at them for a moment before walking over to see if Freddie was done with their order. He had finished the chicken and was just finishing up the burger. Keith waited patiently for him to finish before carrying it out to the couple, "Here you go. Do you need anything while I'm still here?"
They both shook their head. The boy just couldn't help but laugh every time Keith came to the booth. The girl waved her hand, shooing Keith away.
Keith didn't mind, he didn't want to be around them anyway. He quickly left and went back to the kitchen, "God I can't wait until they leave." He said in a hushed tone as he walked back to the sinks to talk to Emilia.
The two talked in the back of the kitchen for a while, trying their best to get away from the creepy vibes the couple gave off. But Keith did go back out every once in a while to check on them, getting them a refill when he got them their bill. As it neared the end of his shift he heard the bell. He assumed the rush was starting and people were showing up. However, when he went out the diner was empty. The couple was gone. They had left a $20 bill on the table, a business card paper clipped to it. Keith picked it up, looking at it curiously. It wasn't an ordinary business card. It was white with two simple words in small, black text.
"custodi mutationem"
Keith looked at it with confusion, Emilia coming up at reading it over his shoulder, "The fuck is that?" She asked.
He shrugged, "No clue.."
She read it over a few times, "Ah... Custody mutations."
He looked at her and laughed, "I'm sure that's not it." He looked back at the card and flipped it over, seeing there was more on the back.
"sic incipit tempestas ingruerit"
"What's with all the gibberish?" She frowned.
He shook his head, "I don't think it's gibberish. Actually, it looks like it might be Latin.."
"You know Latin?" She raised her eyebrow, suspecting that was total bull.
"No. But Lance does. He might know what it says." He put the card in his pocket, "He's taking AP Latin, and he's top of the class. If it is Latin then he'll know"
She nodded, "Okay. Oh, I came over to tell you that your shift is over. I'll clean the booth. You've already put in an extra half hour today. Besides, Daisey, Sean, and Nora will be here any minute to take your shift for the rush."
I smiled at her, "Okay, thanks. I hate getting home after Lance does, you know how he gets." He went to the backroom and went to his locker, taking off his apron and putting it in, taking his leather jacket out and putting it on. He grabbed his phone and checked it again.
6:48 pm
leggylance: i just got home. miss you!!!!
leggylance: ♥ *✧ ♡ ✧ ♥(ꈍᴗꈍ)♥ ✧ ♡ ✧* ♥
Keith laughed at the texts, thinking he had the most adorable boyfriend in the world.
kmskeith: i just got off work beautiful. I miss you too. I'll be home in a few. I'm going to call Shiro real quick so don't panic if you can't get hold of me. I love you. ♡♡
He put his phone in his pocket before going back into the kitchen to grab the dinner Freddie had made for him and Lance. Normally, he'd take it out of the employees' check if they got that much food. He only allowed free food in small portions and offered discounts for larger ones. But he made an exception for Keith, knowing his circumstances. After getting the food, Keith clocked out and went out to the back parking lot. He put the bag of food in the holder on the back of his bike before taking out his bluetooth headset and helmet. He'd bought the bluetooth specifically for riding. He called Shiro, letting it ring as he put on the headset and his helmet on top of it. The helmet blocked the wind from messing up the sound quality since it was shielded in the front. Shiro answered as Keith was starting his bike and leaving the parking lot.
"Hey, Keith.." Shiro grumbled.
"Hey, dude. How ya holding up?" Keith asked with a sigh.
Shiro didn't answer at first, "Could be better... Totally saw this coming but that doesn't make it easier watching my three year relationship go down the drain.."
"Yeah, I know it must be tough." Keith paused, not knowing what to say, "This is honestly for the best. Long-distance almost never works out. Especially a distance that big. You'd just be putting off the inevitable. At least you ended things on good terms."
"You're right." Shiro said with a deep sigh, "I'd still be where I am now, just at a later point and things might've ended bad between us.. You're right, this was the best option. Just... It just hurts.."
Keith thought for a moment before speaking, "Pull a classic move from every chick flick ever. Eat so much ice cream and chocolate that you throw up, maybe get a little drunk, and watch loads of sappy movies. Allow the grieving period for your relationship, you might feel better in the morning. You can't lay around depressed forever, get it all out of your system tonight."
Shiro laughed a bit, "You know what, I just might... Are you home yet?"
"No, but I'm on my way now. Why?"
"I was just wondering. I'll let you go, man. I'm sure Lance will want your full attention when you get home." Shiro chuckled.
"Yeah, he can talk your head off sometimes." Keith chuckled too, but then he got serious, "He still gets antsy when we're apart, even more when he's alone... He only got home less than twenty minutes ago so I know he's okay, he can be alone for about forty-five minutes before going into a panic attack now. But he's bound to be anxious right now unless he's managed to focus himself on something else."
"Well, nine months ago we couldn't leave him alone for even five minutes without him falling into a panic attack." Shiro sighed, "He's doing a lot better."
"Yeah, he is." Keith pulled into his parking lot, "I'm home, man. Talk to you later."
"Okay, see ya," Shiro said, hanging up.
Keith parked his bike and went inside with their dinner. They were on the third floor.
He got to their apartment hurriedly, getting inside and locking the door behind him, "Lance! I'm home!" He didn't get a reply, "Lance!!" Still nothing, "Lance?!"
Keith quickly rushed into the living room, not seeing Lance there, "Lance?!" He was starting to panic.
He ran to the kitchen next, still no sign of him, "Lance!"
He checked the bathroom but he wasn't there either, next he checked the bedroom.
Lance was asleep in bed, his headphones on and curled up tightly in the blankets.
Keith sighed in relief, setting the bag of food on their dresser and walking over to the bed. Then he leaned down to kiss Lance's cheek as he took his headphones off, "Lancey... Wake up, babe." He said softly, gently rubbing his boyfriend's shoulder.
Lance stirred a bit, "Hmm...." He sat up slowly, reaching up to rub his eyes. Afterward, he looked up to smile at Keith, "You're home." He said sleepily.
Keith nodded, leaning down to kiss him properly, "You sure were tired, didn't you just get home twenty minutes ago?"
Lance grabbed his phone and looked at the time, nodding, "I didn't feel good."
Keith frowned and sat on the bed next to him, "What's wrong?"
Lance shrugged, "It's just been a long day, I wanted to take a nap. I stopped by my parent's house and answered questions for twenty minutes before I finally got Isa to drive me home."
Keith sighed, "You promise me that's all it was, just a long day?" He knew when Lance got really depressed he could end up just staying in bed sleeping all day.
Lance nodded, "I promise. You know I'd tell you if I'm getting bad again, I don't want to repeat that night six months ago... With the pills..."
Keith frowned, he hated that memory. He had found Lance crying in the bathroom taking a brand new bottle of ibuprofen out of its packaging. Keith showed up just in time to stop him from taking them all, "Let's not talk about that night... Best not to dwell on bad memories."
Lance nodded, "Okay.. But my point still stands, if I feel myself getting bad again I'll tell you."
Keith kissed him softly, "I know, Lancey... But you've been off the past couple days, you've been having more nightmares too."
Lance sighed, "So I hit a bit of a slump, it doesn't mean I'm getting bad. I'll get over it."
Keith nodded, "Just let me know if you can't get out of that slump..."
Lance kissed him, "I promise."
Keith gave him one last kiss, this one on the top of his head, "I brought dinner home. Let's eat before it gets cold."
Lance nodded and got out of bed, following Keith to the kitchen. Once they sat down Keith started pulling their food out of the bag. This was their routine. They'd sit down and eat dinner together while talking about their days. They just had less to talk about on the days they spent together.
Keith held Lance's free hand while they ate, "Are you almost done with your Latin project?"
"I'll work on it tomorrow." Lance said with a shrug, meaning the answer was most definitely 'no'.
Keith rolled his eyes with a chuckle, "Okay... How was work today? Was that okay?" He asked as they started eating.
Lance shrugged again, taking a bite of his food first, "The usual. Except there's was one guy who slipped me a card when he gave me the cash for his drink. I ignored it, thinking it was just his number or something. But after he left, when I was about to throw it away, I saw it wasn't his number at all. It said 'keep the change' in Latin on one side and something about storms on the other side, also in Latin. I just tossed it."
Keith tensed slightly, "I got a weird Latin card too..." He let go of Lance's hand and reached into his pocket, pulling the card out to show it to Lance.
Lance took it and looked at it, "Yeah, this is exactly what I got..." He pointed to the two words on the front, "That says 'keep the change'." He flipped the card, "And this means.." He paused, rereading it to make sure he was right, "Well that part means storm... No, it's more specific. It means whirlwind... And this... It could mean a few things depending on context... Hm... Jeez, this is why I just threw mine away." He kept reading the card, mumbling to himself so low that Keith couldn't understand him. Then he set down the card with a sigh, "I think it says a storm is beginning, a whirlwind specifically."
Keith took the card back, looking at it again, "Weird.. Maybe it's just a prank? It wouldn't be the first time someone tried to screw with our heads after finding out what happened in August. This was left by a couple our age. The boy couldn't stop laughing every time I came over. The girl barely spoke at all."
Lance frowned, "I hope that's all... Just a prank.." He looked down at his food.
Keith set the card down and reached over to hold Lance's hand again, "Hey, don't worry. If we get so much as one more creepy message then we'll go straight to Detective Anderson, okay?" Anderson was the one in charge of the Anna case, he also handled all the pranks like this in the past. Keith had his number on speed dial, so did Lance.
Lance nodded with a slight smile, "Okay.." He held Keith's hand a bit tighter, "Good idea."
Keith raised Lance's hand a kissed the back of it, "I'll take care of you, I promise." He then kissed Lance's scar, "I'll protect you. I won't let anyone hurt you again... Ever."
Lance smiled and leaned over, kissing Keith softly, "I know."