Lance’s POV
Lances legs burned with every step he took, his lungs attempting to bring in enough oxygen to keep his vision clear. The air was cool, making his lungs burn ever more and his throat feel raw. He turned down another street, keeping his eyes trained on the sidewalk.
Come on Lance! You're almost there. Lance kept pushing his legs until he felt bile start to move up his throat. He swallowed it down and thought about stopping, quickly pushing the idea out of his head. I don't have time to waste.
Lance was running for a few more minutes before he skidded to a stop outside of a house. It was an older house. Two stories, painted a creamy white with a wrap around porch a tree in the yard. Lance had only been to this house a few time with Camillia but he still remember which window to looked for. Lance quietly walked into the yard, moving to the right of the house, keeping his head low. He glanced up at a window on the second floor. Rolos.
He reached down, picking up a small pebble and aimed it at the window, winding his arm back but stopping himself from actually throwing it. You dumbass, that could crack the window. Lance dropped the peddle and ran his fingers through his hair. What can I do. He became lost in thought and his fingers fell to his side's. I can call him! He fished out his phone and dialed the number, holding it up to his to ear. His eyes trained on the window, scanning for movement or any kind.
His phone rang three times before a groggy voice broke through it. “Hello?”
“Get up. I need to talk to you.” Lance attempted to hide the hatred in his voice but he knew he didn't succeed.
“Lance? What are you calling the shots now?” Lance heard a bed creak and soon the lights in the room were turned on. “Where are you?”
“Outside your window.” Lance stared up at the window, his eyes burying themselves into the glass.
“You're where now?” Lance heard footsteps from the phone and a few ticks later the window slide open, revealing an exhausted Rolo. He still held the phone up to his ears and stared at Lance, only slight confusion breaking through his expression. “Should I question why you're here?”
Lance shook his head and met Rolos eyes, “no, but I would like it if we could talk face to face.”
Rolo squinted his eyes at the tanner boy and sighed, mumbling into the phone, “be right down. Met me out front.” Rolo ended the call and the window was shut. After a few moments the light in Rolos room turned off and Lance moved towards the front of the house.
Lance leaned against the railing on Rolos porch, his heartbeat pounding in anticipation. He could feel the adrenaline start to leave his body and anxiety started to fill his veins. What am I even doing here? What can I say to him? Lance swallowed around the lump in his throat. God, I didn't think this through.
Before Lance could bolt away from Rolos house and bury himself under ground the front door opened slightly and a tall figured stepped out.
Rolo looked tired. Well scratch that, he looked drained like he had no energy to do anything. He wore loose sweatpants, a jacket that barely stayed on his shoulders and his hair looked like it was brushed through with his fingers.
Lance stared at the older boy in front of him, “Rolo,are you okay?”
Rolo made a small growl and quickly walk down his porch steps, standing in front of the tanner boy. “I'm fine, what do you need?”
Lance motioned for Rolo to follow him and both boys made their way down the road, far enough away from any houses but close enough to be under the street lamps. Lance paused and turned towards the tired boy, who during their walk lit up a cigarette, simply letting it sit in his mouth.
“You need to stop.” Lance crossed his arms, keeping his eyes trained on the others boys.
Rolo blinked at Lance and pull the cigarette out of his mouth. “It's an addiction, plus who are you to tell me how to live my life?”
Lance shook his head, “no, not smoking. You need to stop what you're doing to me. Delete the picture and leave me alone.”
Rolo blinked at the tanner boy, “so you really do think you can tell me what to do? Where did all of this confidence come from?” Rolo took a step towards Lance.
Lance clenched his hands into a fist. “I'm not joking around Rolo. I'm tired of you acting like you know what's best for me! Acting like you know my problems or my situation!”
Rolo glared at Lance and took a puff of his smoke, releasing it after a few seconds. “Lance, I'm not doing anything wrong. You're just worried about me telling your family but I said I wouldn't if you stayed in line, and right now,” he looked Lance up and down, “You're doing the opposite of that.”
Heat. That oh so familiar heat started to move over Lance and he fought to keep his cool. “I can take care of my own. I can keep the secret if I want too. You have no say in if I want to keep the secret or not.”
“...Do you like Keith?” Rolo stared at Lance, his eyes glazed with disbelief.
Lance shook his head and unconsciously dug his fingers into the palm of his hand. “No. I don't like him but I also don't like living with the idea that you can destroy my life whenever the fuck you want all because you fell in love with a girl that choose her soulmate over you!” Silence. That's all there was between the two boys and before Lance could even think about what he just said to Rolo, pain exploded on his right cheek.
Lance stumbled backwards, clutching his cheek with his long fingers. Rolo wasted no time and took the remaining steps toward the tanner boy, grabbing the front of his shirt. “Shut the hell up!” He shook him a few times. “You don't know anything about me or my feelings for Cam!”
Lance placed his hands over Rolos, attempted to pull them off him. “It's Camillia! Only people she likes can call her Cam!” He dug his nails into Rolos skin, unfortunately having no effect on him. “She doesn't like you or me or anyone from this town. You act like you can fix me when you couldn't even fix her!”
Rolo shoved Lance to the ground taking a few steps away from him. “I couldn't fix her because she didn't want to be fixed. She acted like she was upset with her soulmate but in reality she didn't care. I thought you did though. You're so devoted to God I thought you would only be into girls but now I see that you aren't straight.”
“I AM STRAIGHT!” Lance's voice echoed throughout the empty streets and both of them remained completely still. Lance heard the wind rustle through the leaves and shivered at the gaze Rolo was given him.
Finally Rolo moved but it wasn't what Lance was expecting. He didn’t turn and walk away from Lance. He didn’t surge forward in hopes of grabbing Lance. He simply grabbed his stomach, as his shoulder bounced with laughters. His laughs were choppy and his voice cracked with every laugh.
Lance was confused, why is he laughing at me? This is no laughing matter! Lance stared up at the boy who was laughing like he just heard the funniest joke in the entire world.
After minutes of Rolo’s cackling, he straighten up his back and wiped his eyes. “Oh my Lance, you’re funny. Look you can pretend that you are straight all that you want but you and I both know that you’re not. There is no saving you now, you’re too far gone, believe me I know when someone doesn’t want to fight themselves anymore.” Rolo crossed his arms and glared at Lance.
Lance blinked his eyes in disbelief, he couldn’t bring himself to even say anything back so he retorted to staring at the pavement, clenching and unclenching his fist in pure anger.
Rolo kept his eyes on the tanner boy, hoping to catch him on fire with his stare. “We already know how this is going to end and Lance,” Rolo crouched down next to him, getting eye level with him, “if you pull a stunt like this again, your secret won’t be a secret anymore.” Rolo stood and started to walk away, leaving Lance on the ground.
Lance watched Rolo walk away, he watched him run his hands through his hair and disappear out of site. Lance didn’t move, he couldn’t move, his limbs felt glued to his spot on the cold pavement. Shit, I really messed up this time. Lance brought his knees back up to his chest and placed his forehead on top of them.
Lance didn’t know what to do and soon he found that he couldn’t breath. “Why, why, why, why?” his voice started out weak and small but started to grow with each word until he was screaming them. “WHY, WHY, WHY, WHY?!” Soon his brought his head up and pushing himself up in a standing position, his eyes looking at the sky. “WHAT DID I DO TO DESERVE THIS? I’VE DONE NOTHING BUT FOLLOW YOUR PATH AND WAY OF LIFE AND THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY ME?!” Lance didn’t care that he was screaming or that he woke up the neighborhood dogs, he couldn’t keep the words in any longer. Lance started to pace, keeping his anger turned towards the sky. “I DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU WANT FROM ME! I DON’T UNDERSTAND YOUR PLAN AND RIGHT NOW I DON’T CARE!” Lance would have kept screaming if his legs didn’t give out of him, slamming his knees into the hard pavement. Tears falling down his face, leaving streaks down his cheeks. He was silent for a few seconds, letting the pain move over his legs before he screamed out in anger. He couldn’t stop it and soon he found his fist slamming into the ground, repeating the only words that would flow out of his mouth. “I hate myself, I hate him. I hate myself, I hate him…” These words were on constant repeat and Lance had no intention of stopping until he felt better.
---
Keith’s POV
Keith awoke with a start, his heart pounding out of his chest. He felt anxious and he ran his fingers through his hair that was sticky with sweat. After a few moments of attempting to catch his breath, Keith swung his legs over his bed, standing with a slight shake. I need water. Keith slowly made his way down stairs, with one task on his mind.
Keith was on his second glass of water when he heard keys jiggle from the front door. He cautiously leaned around the corner, staring at the door and smiled when a familiar shape walked through. “Shiro! I didn’t think that you were coming home tonight.” Keith approached his brother to give him a hug and Shiro gave him a confused look.
“Hey Keith, um why are you awake at two in the morning?” Shiro hugged his brother, pulling away after a few moments and shrugging off the jacket of his uniform.
Keith stared at the floor and moved to sit down at the kitchen table, Shiro following him. “I had a nightmare and just woke up.”
Shiro nodded at his brother and leaned down to take off his boots, untying the laces with ease. “Was it about when you were younger?” Keith nodded and Shiro released a small sigh, “did you wake up mom and dad?” Keith shook his head no and Shiro rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, it was just about my parents…” Keith’s voice trailed off and Shiro grabbed his shoulder.
“Keith, you can’t blame yourself for that, you were only six when it happened.” Shiro’s gaze met Keiths and he immediately pulled the younger boy in for a hug. “It’s not your fault okay? It was never your fault despite what you may say and your parents may say or try to tell you. They're the ones that left you.” Keith nodded into Shiro’s shoulder and after a few minutes he pulled away from the older boy.
“Thank’s Shiro, it means a lot.” Shiro nodded and Keith watched him stand to get a glass of water. “So why are you home?”
Shiro took a gulp of water, sighing at the coolness of the liquid and made his way back to the table. “Matt needed to go home, something about his family.”
“Is everything okay?” Keith silently prayed as an imaging of Katie came to his mind.
Shiro waved his hand in the air, “yes everything is okay. He needed to help Pid- Katie. He needed to help Katie with a project.”
Keith nodded, ignoring the questions that popped in his head about what Shiro just said. “How are you and Matt doing?” Keith gave a small laugh at the blush that formed over Shiro’s face and Shiro gave him a small glare.
“Matt and I are great, we’re like two peas in a pod. I think that we’re ready for the next step to be one hundred percent honest.” Shiro gazed at his cup and took another sip, “but don’t tell anyone.” Keith nodded and Shiro gave him a smile. “Uh Keith, feel free to ignore this but is there any change between you and Lance?”
Keith stared down at the table and started to tap his index finger on it. “Kinda. Yesterday I got his number so I think that we’re becoming friends, so that’s better than nothing.”
Shiro gave a slow nod,”so you’re not mad at him? He did treat you like trash.”
Keith sighed and placed his head on the table, letting his raven locks fall over it. “I know I should hate him but I don’t.” Keith lifted his head slightly off the table and crossed his arms. “I can’t find the hatred in me to hate him and I honestly don’t understand why.” Shiro raised his eyebrows at the younger boy, “what do you mean?”
“Well, I guess I mean that I understand his situation? I don’t know Shiro, all I know is that I don't hate him. Like I know I’m supposed to he did punch me and call me homophobic names but I also can’t bring myself to hate him. He hasn't even apologized to me yet I guess I feel bad for him.” Keith started to tap his fingers again and Shiro looked lost in thought.
“Why do you feel for him? Sorry I just know nothing about this boy.”
“His parents are very religious and Lance had a sister who’s soulmate was another girl and Lance’s parents kicked her out when she went with her soulmate.” Shiro’s eyes were the size of the moon as he stared at Keith is disbelief.
“They did what now?”
“Kicked her out, all because she chose her soulmate. Katie and Shay told me about that and I can see how much Lance loves his family and will do anything for them.” Keith leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling. “When I first met Lance and he punched me I was furious, I wanted to punch him back but I never got the chance. As we were both sitting in the principal's office, waiting for our parents the only thing running through my mind was hatred and confusion. I felt pain because I was just rejected by the person who is suppose to love me and hatred because I didn’t understand why it happened. Yet when Coran talked to me, mom and dad he explained Lance’s views and his religion slightly and I started to understand. I know that religion is no excuse but it make sense to why, he does go to a more conservative church.”
Shiro nodded as he attempted to absorb all of the information Keith was telling him. “Do you think you still have a chance with him?”
Keith shrugged, “I like to think so, after all when we talk Lance seems calming and a bit more happy. Like he doesn’t care about a giant man in the sky.”
Shiro gave a slight chuckle at what his brother said and stood from his chair. “Well Keith, I think that you may have a shot with him if you play your cards right. I don’t think the universe put you two together for a friendship.”
Keith blinked at what his brother said, “what do you mean? I was thinking that we were meant to be friends.”
Shiro shook his head and motioned for Keith to stand up, both boys slowly heading up the stairs. “No, I think that you’re suppose to teach him something, I think that your suppose to help him grow and change his views on things. Now I haven’t slept in two days and you have school in a few hours. I’ll see you tomorrow. Goodnight Keith.”
“Night Shiro.” Keith watched Shiro retire to his room and made his ways to his, falling on his bed, Shiro’s words repeating themselves as he drifted off to sleep.