Lance McClain is exact epitome of a kissass.
From how he dresses; all chic and neat. His uniform clearly ironed just beforehand. From his appearance; His hair always brushed. His teeth perfect white and disgustingly blinding. His smile enough to make all the girls swoon and the boys envy.
And of course, his personality. Never does anyone see Lance frowning or grumbling. He's always helping anyone in need, from teacher to students to the cleaners. He's never said no. He's friends with anyone and always smiling, thus he's got a bit of reputation.
To everyone, he's the perfect boy.
But not to Keith.
Keith hates kissasses. Keith, on the other hand, is the complete opposite of Lance. He does what he wants. He never says yes to any favors. He thinks everyone should take a shit and fuck off because he's busy himself.
Observe:
"Hey, Keith," Janet greets him, "Would you like to sign up for my chess club?"
"Fuck off, Janet. I'm not going to your fucking chess club."
--
Keith watches from his seat as Lance walks in the class, laughing with his friends. The brown haired boy runs a hand through his hair, dimples noticeable and Keith sneers.
As if he knows he's being watched, Lance's eyes meets his and he grins wider in silent greeting. Keith makes a face before tearing his gaze away, to the front of the class, still empty from the teacher.
He feels Lance's gaze on him but he ignores it.
A hand squeezes his shoulder and Keith turns his head. He frowns when he sees Pidge, the girl who sits in front of him in class and the most tolerable out of everyone.
"Sup, dickhead," Pidge nudges his head with her hand before taking her seat, dropping her bag on the floor.
"Sup, fucktard," Keith throws back.
Pidge grins at him before they begin talking about their homework.
---
Okay so maybe his attitude is kind of troublesome. Maybe. Just maybe.
Mr. Takashi sighs, rubbing his forehead. Keith notices he looks tired. Is it because of him? How many times has he sent him to detention? He doesn't know.
"Keith, how many times do I have to send you to detention? This is what? The third time this week?"
"Well, he started it," Keith huffs, crossing his arms as he leans against the chair more.
"Well, even if he started it or not, it's not for you to start brawling right in class! You scared the new substitute teacher half to death!"
"To be fair, he coaxed me into punching his face with his face!"
Mr.Takashi holds up his hand to stop him from continuing. He sighs again. "I don't want to hear it. You're cleaning the storage room with Lance today until it's spotless." His gaze hardens when Keith huffs out another annoyed breath.
"Lance? Why's he in detention? Isn't he some priest or something?"
"He volunteered. Says he needs the extra credit," the teacher replies, shrugging.
"Volunteered?" Keith scoffs, "Or pressured into?"
The teacher glares at him. "You should learn from a student like him."
"I have no intention on doing so."
Mr. Takashi sighs again for the hundredth times today. Then he motions for Keith to leave. Keith doesn't waste no time in grabbing his bag and getting the fuck out of here.
He gets called by his name before he reaches the door and he stops, head to the side.
"If I find you slacking off and making Lance do all the work, I guarantee you the next time you cause trouble, you'll be seeing the principle."
---
Keith kicks an opened locker door shut, grumbling and pouting as he makes his way to the storage. Can't believe he's in trouble for standing up for himself against that dickhead Ryan. He gets detention and all Ryan gets is a little warning?
He's in front of the storage room, debating whether or not he should go inside. He can run right now and ditch the whole thing. But then he'll probably get suspended. His parents will definitely kill him then. Hm.
He's stopped from his thoughts when he hears a loud crash from inside. He frowns. Oh yeah. He almost forgot Lance is doing detention with him.
"Why the fuck do I have to do detention? That fucking bitch! I should be sleeping right now and I'm fucking carrying books around just so she can go to a club? Fuck, I'm so tired of her."
Keith's eyes widen.
Oh?
Oh.
He smirks. He knew it.
He opens the door and walks inside, grinning on the inside maniacally when Lance gasps, looking like he's seen a ghost.
Keith puts on a mask smoothly, shooting him a confused and annoyed look. "What are you looking at?"
Lance coughs, shaking his head. "Nothing. Nothing. How long have you been here?"
Keith shrugs, "Just a few seconds ago. Why?"
"Just asking," Lance says softly, before he relaxes and continues his task.
--
They clean the entire storage in quietness, with Lance giving him short, brief glances every now and then. Keith acknowledges this. The kid's not as naive and dumb as he looks. The boy knows Keith must have heard something.
He's probably thinking of a way to bring it up without blowing his cover, Keith chuckles inside. His insides are gleaming, fingers twitching with excitement he hasn't felt for a long time.
"So what did you do to get yourself in detention?" Lance says after a while and Keith looks at him from his position. The shorter boy shrugs, "Fucked someone's face up."
"Ah," Lance nods, not knowing what else to say.
"What about you? Mr. Kissass. I hardly peg you for the detention type. Why are you here?" Keith asks him, even though he has a feeling of the answer already.
Lance smiles sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck. "Well, my friend has something important to attend to so I offered to take her place."
"You offered?"
"Well, yes. It's the right thing to do."
"But do you want to?"
Lance looks at him, eyes wide. "Excuse me?"
Keith looks at him back. "But do you want to? Go to detention, I mean. And seeing how familiar you are with the arrangements I'm guessing this is not the first time."
Keith watches as a faint blush appears on Lance's cheeks and smirks when the boy looks away, clearly taken aback.
"I'm just helping her."
"You know she's clearly using you."
"I-" Lance shrugs again, "I'm just trying to help."
"Helping her go to a party?"
Lance's head shoots up, pupil blown as he stares at Keith, who's whisked out his phone in his right hand and slowly moving it left and right, a small grin on his lips. Something clicks.
"You-"
Keith shrugs, "Recorded it? Yes."
Lance frowns and they stand there, in silence as Lance inhales what just happened. Finally, he sighs.
"What do you want?"
And Keith fucking shivers. God. There is something so fucking enticing about how quickly Lance changed his demeanor. From the chirpy voice he uses everyday to this deep, rough one. Fuck, Keith loves it.
The shorter pouts mockingly, blinking his eyes a few times. "Oh? Where did the perfect always smiling boy go?"
"Don't push me," Lance mutters.
"Or what? What are you going to do? Do everything I ask you to like you already do?"
He's walking nearer. He's getting closer, Keith realizes and everything in his gut tells him to run away but his feet do not seem to budge. It's like he wants to know what Lance will offer him. He does. He wants to know what Lance would do to him.
Lance stops when they're a few centimetres apart. Then he leans forward, lips beside Keith's ear.
"I'll kiss you."
Keith gasps, stepping back when he feels his whole face heat up and placing a hand on Lance's chest when he tries following him.
"You-"
"That's it, right? You want me to kiss you."
"What-"
Lance is the one smirking now, closing in on Keith until his back's pressed against the wall, trapped. He smells like the ocean and a bit of honey but Keith can only focus on his blue eyes, staring right at his violet ones, making his toes curl.
"I also know your secret, stalker."
Keith scoffs, "What secret?"
"On how you like to follow me around? Watch me in the changing rooms?" Keith flushes, averting his eyes and immediately confirming it. "You think you're so sly and mysterious, don't you? Never will anyone guess the massive crush Keith Kogane has of the school's perfect boy."
"Fuck you," Keith seethes.
"I think it's the other way around, sugar," Lance chuckles, placing a hand on his waist, squeezing it slightly.
Keith blinks, before he lets out a giggle. Then he laughs, high and free and throwing his head back. Lance frowns confusedly and Keith finds it so adorable.
"So this is your true self?" He says after calming down, his cheeks rosy with color. His arms, when the fuck it did, are around Lance's neck, drawing them even closer.
"Maybe," Lance shrugs.
Keith closes his eyes when Lance leans in, ready for the feeling on his lips but it never came. He opens his eyes and sees Lance so close to him, a breath away between their lips. His blue eyes are looking at his lips, a slight frown on his face, as if debating with himself.
"Would you rather I take your phone by force or we can work something out together?"
Then Keith leans in, placing his lips against Lance's and it's better than what he expected. Lance's lips are so soft, not surprising from his overall appearance and Keith can taste a hint of strawberry.
When he feels Lance's tongue licking his lower lip, he moans in the kiss, quickly parting his lips and allowing the taller boy to push his tongue in, feeling his every cavern.
His hands. It moved up towards Lance's hair. His fingers are tangled and he's pulling slightly, smirking when Lance groans and holds him tighter, pushing him against the wall more and devouring him more.
His mind is really blank and it's making him feel even more excited and hot. Someone who's always criticized anything and anyone suddenly has nothing on his mind but how fucking good Lance feels against him. How long exactly has he felt this way for him? Keith had placed his stalking habits as curiousity rather than affiliation. But never in the world he imagined kissing Lance McClain.
He pulls back from the kiss to breath and he feels his face warming when Lance leans his forehead against his. He's out of breath, it's quite embarrassing really.
"I never imagined you to be this cute," Lance chuckles, thumb rolling against Keith's warm cheek lazily.
"Shut the fuck up," Keith breathes out, still out of breath. (Really? So embarrassing, man, come on.)
Lance grins, but it looks different then his usual grin, in a way. Or maybe Keith's starting to imagine things. Maybe.
"Can I kiss you again?" He asks, leaning in. Keith pushes him off softly and shakes his head. "No."
Lance looks at him, before sighing and nodding, pulling himself away from Keith and stepping a step back. Even though it's a step, it looks so far away and Keith almost reaches out to take his hand and pull him back against him. He tucks a strand of hair behind his ear.
"I won't show the recording," Keith declares, huffing out a breath and rolling his eyes when Lance smiles at him. "But this stays between us. All of it."
"Aye aye, captain."
"If I hear anyone saying anything about us doing anything together, I'll post this in the school's blog."
Lance's smile doesn't budge. "Okay."
Then they fall into a short silence before Keith coughs, awkwardly searching for his bag and grabbing it, slinging it over his shoulder.
"I'll be going now," he says softly.
When he reaches Lance, he stops. Not because he wants to, even though he does. But because Lance is holding his hand, stopping him. He looks at him, his brain beginning to grow fuzzy. He watches with lidded eyes as Lance uses his free hand to comb his bangs out of his face. His brows furrow when he feels a soft peck on his forehead, before his bangs fall back into place.
"You're so fucking cute," Lance says.
Keith's frown deepens. "You know you curse way more than usual."
Lance just grins and shrugs, "I guess."
---
"Why is Lance partnering up with you?" Pidge whispers to him, her face scrunched up in confusion. It's something that happens really rare, actually. Pidge is never confused. She's always tired, annoyed or hungry.
"Fuck if I know," Keith makes a face.
"Alright, it's settled then," Mr. Takashi says to the class. "All of you have this period to discuss of your work with your partner."
Keith sighs, shooting Pidge a middle finger as she winks at him, already moving to sit with Hunk, one of the people in the class.
"Hey," Lance greets him, taking Pidge's chair and sitting backwards so that they're face to face. Keith lets out a short air through his nose, glaring at him. Lance is back to his usual smiley self, Keith can already tell the difference. Why he decided to choose Keith as his partner is out of this world. Keith usually waits until everyone is paired up and he gets anyone left.
"Why?" Keith asks him.
"Why what?" Lance asks sweetly and Keith really wants to punch him on his face.
Specifically on his lips.
With his own.
Shut up.
"This," he gestures towards both of them. "Why is this happening?"
"Mr. Takashi suggests it'll be a good idea for you to learn from me."
Keith snorts, "Cut the shit, McClain. Who's supposed to be your partner?"
Lance sighs, finally giving up. "Alright, fine. I don't want to work with Emily, okay? Her breath smells like fucking cat shit and raw egg mixed together with a crayon stick. And also, she has no personal boundaries."
"And what makes you think I don't have cat poo and egg breath?"
Lance smirks, "Cause we made out."
Keith glares, ignoring the faint blush on his cheeks. "Fuck off."
"Lance! I thought we're working together on this project!" A chirpy voice halts their conversation and Keith glances at her.
Braided, a faint layer of make up and white braces. Her brown eyes twinkling in disappointment. Keith takes a sniff and literally almost barfs. Okay, Lance is not lying about the smell and weirdly accurate on his description. Dis gus tang.
Lance smiles at her. "Sorry, Em. But Keith's really struggling on the topic so I offered to help. Maybe next time?"
Keith looks at him in awe. It's like he's able to completely mask himself into this perfect boy he wants everyone to think about. There's no slight of discomfort on his face while Keith looks like he's about to pass out from the smell.
Emily looks at Keith, blinking confusedly. Like she doesn't even know who he is and has seen him for the first time.
"Oh," she says, "That's so sweet of you, Lance."
"It's nothing. I'm just helping him," Lance lies smoothly.
"Yeah, thanks for the help, Lance. I really appreciate it," Keith says dryly, earning him a slight shift in Lance's bright blue eyes but it goes unnoticeable to Emily.
"Alright then. I'll just go partner up with Bryant. Thanks anyway," she smiles and walks away, leaving them together and Keith can finally breath, taking in all the oxygen he can.
"When's her birthday?" He asks, wheezing for air.
"Why?" Lance asks.
"So I can send her a fucking toothpaste."
---
"Seriously?" Keith sighs when Lance appears beside him on the way home.
Lance just hums, tilting his head mockingly.
"Why do you keep following me?" Keith asks him.
"Why?" Lance asks back, "You like it."
Keith shrugs, "Do you, though?" Lance looks at him, thinking of what the shorter means by it.
Like me. Do you actually like me?
"Do I like that you like me?" Lance says, smiling slightly. "Obviously. I can say whatever I want with you. I can do whatever I want."
"So I'm your sweet escape from the world?"
Lance grins, "Fucking diabetic."
--
"So what's your deal?" Keith asks him, leaning against his bed post, watching Lance who's busy looking around his room and touching things and spreading his germs everywhere.
"What?" Lance asks, still busy with himself.
"Why do you act all nice when you're actually a dipshit?"
Lance smirks, finally glancing at him. "You think I'm a dipshit?"
"That's not my point," Keith rolls his eyes, blowing a strand of hair that just fell in front of his face. "You're more tolerable as a dipshit compared to your usual self. So why do it?"
Lance shrugs, walking up to him. "Can I?" He asks when he's standing beside the bed. Keith shrugs and Lance climbs up to the bed, sitting with his legs crossed in front of Keith, looking at him with those pretty blue eyes and that smile he always has on.
"I don't know. People used to hate me then. I had anger issues growing up," Lance says, "So I decided I didn't want that and I just copied what this guy in my class did. It was nice at first, everyone started to like me and I had everything I always wanted. But the longer I fake it, the more it seems like it's actually me. Like I have to be nice or no one will like me."
Keith looks at him, "That's bullshit."
Lance throws up his hands, "I'm not making this up."
"No," Keith glares, pushing himself off from leaning against the counter and leaning closer to the boy, "The fact that you have to be nice for everyone to like you. That's bullshit."
"It's true!"
"Fucking bollocks! I'm not exactly the nicest person out there but there are still people who like me."
"Oh yeah? Who?"
Keith clicks his tongue, "Well, for starters: You."
Lance smirks, now he's leaning forward. "Me?"
"Yes," Keith says firmly, but he can feel his face warming and he's resisting the urge to look away from Lance's hard stare.
"And you're satisfied with that? With me being the only person that likes you?"
Keith nods, "Why wouldn't I be? Why waste time trying to get everyone to like you when you have people already liking you without you putting any effort? It just doesn't make sense."
"It doesn't," Lance agrees, softly. He trails off, eyes dropping from Keith's eyes to his lips. Then he lifts them back up again. "How long have you liked me?"
Keith swallows thickly, shivering when Lance notices it, licking his lower lip. "I don't like you."
Lance chuckles deeply, "You're a fucking liar."
"How long have you noticed?" Keith asks.
The boy smirks, making Keith squirm in how attractive he is. God, if they keep this up, Keith's going to end up with blue balls tonight.
"For a while. Didn't wanna say anything though. You were my dirty little secret."
"Gross."
Lance shrugs, "You were the one spying on me."
"It's not spying when you're changing in the same secluded area!"
"Okay but you can't deny you were checking me out all the time."
Keith throws himself on the boy, glaring and hitting his chest, shouting how 'it's not fucking spying you egotistic bigot!' And Lance is laughing like the actual dipshit he is. And Keith's really thinking about shoving his entire fist into his mouth.
But when he feels warm hands wrapped around his waist, he glances down and freeze, his whole body stopping.
Because he's straddling Lance's McClain's lap. Moreover, his hands somehow tangles itself with Lance's, holding them against the sheets and their faces a few inches apart.
"You were saying?" Lance murmurs softly, voice deeper it sounds like a growl almost.
Keith really wants to pull away because he's fucking leaning towards the boy. But he can't. Instead, he lets out a super super super embarrassing moan when Lance swifts below him, rubbing his crotch slightly.
It's a soft, quiet moan that slips out. But of course Lance notices it. And immediately, he grins.
"You like that?" He whispers, this time purposely grinding up and rubbing their crotch together so nicely that Keith trembles and falls, head in the middle of Lance's head and shoulder, letting out another moan, this time fucking in his ear.
"God," Keith breathes out, voice going higher with Lance's quick movements. "You're despicable."
"Am I?" Lance grins, groaning when Keith meets his thrusts. His erection is starting to hurt in his pants, both of them desperately rubbing it against each other. Lance releases his hands from Keith's hold and places it on the boy's waist, this time pushing him down while he thrusts up and Keith throws his head back, a hand covering his face as he cums inside his pants. Lance follows a few thrusts after before he sighs, pushing Keith to lay flat against his chest.
He breathes in. Keith smells like cinnamon.
He feels the boy huff against his skin. "I can't believe," Keith stops, taking more breaths, "I can't believe we just did that."
Lance answers by holding him tighter.
---
"Why is Lance looking at you like he wants you to come over?" Pidge asks him the next day while they're in class, waiting for the teacher to come in.
Keith's head's on the table, tucked inside his crossed arms. He hums, disinterested.
"He's still looking," Pidge shrugs.
Sighing, Keith lifts his head, shooting a glance at the popular boy. And like always, Pidge is right. Lance is staring at him and now that Keith's met his gaze, his eyes brightened hopefully and he motions him over.
Keith frowns, taking a look at the entire thing.
Emily's there. Jordan's there. Bryant's there.
Ah. The whole group is there, suffocating Lance with their useless chattering about clubs, parties and etcetera, Keith doesn't even want to know.
Help me, he can literally feel Lance's gaze telling him.
Huh, Keith sneers. Should he?
Honestly, he can just continue sleeping and forgetting everything happening. And possibly deal with a dejected Lance in the future, which he kind of thinks it's hot even though he shouldn't.
He makes another glance at the pouting Lance, begging him to come save him.
Keith sighs again, standing up and walking towards the group.
Of course, they gradually stop talking altogether when they see Keith, who's never talked to them before, waltzes into the conversation.
"Hey, Lance. I'm so lonely. Can you like sit beside me or something?" He asks dryly.
Bryant snorts, looking at Lance. "Dude, you know this guy?"
"Bryant, we've been in the same class for more than 6 years. Don't bullshit me with the dude do you know this guy. Yes, you think you're so cool that you can't remember anyone except the cool people, shut the fuck up." Keith turns his gaze back to Lance. "Can you?"
Lance laughs nervously, glancing back at his friends unsurely and seriously, Keith wants to puke over it because what the fuck. He literally hates them and wants Keith to save him from them but now he's acting like he'll die if he leaves? It's really not making a good image on himself, here.
"Yeah, yeah. Sure, Keith," Lance says, standing up, "I'll catch up with you guys later."
--
"Don't ever fucking do that again," Keith jabs him on the chest, glaring harshly.
"Well, I didn't ask for you to intervene!" Lance huffs, crossing his arms.
Keith scoffs, "Didn't ask? Bitch you were literally begging for me to save your fake ass."
Lance scoffs back, "Well, you didn't have to say those things to him. What will they think if I'm seen hanging out with someone like you?"
After the words slip his mouth, he closes them immediately, knowing the effect it will cause. Keith stills, his glare vanishing for a split second before he nods, lips pursing.
"Someone like me? Really?"
Lance sighs, reaching out for his hand, "Look, I didn't mean that."
Keith slaps it away, reeling back and shaking his head, face scrunched up in anger, disappointment and disgust.
"No. I think I get what you mean. You want everyone to like you. To think you're this perfect boy. But guess what," Keith hisses, "You're fucking not. So unless you take your fucking head out of our ass and realize that, no one will EVER like you. No one will ever like the real you. Even myself."
"Keith, I-"
Keith shakes his head. "Forget it, Lance."
And Lance can only watch painfully as Keith exits the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.
The boy turns his head towards the mirror on his left, eyes staring blankly at someone else. That someone else has the exact same brown hair, the same blue eyes and the same number of freckles as him.
But why doesn't it feel like him?
---
The next few days are quiet.
Lance pretends nothing happened. He continues on with his life, forcing the smiling mask back on to greet anyone in sight.
But the smile always cracks when he sees Keith. But the boy doesn't even spare a glance towards him, only using his time for the lesson or Pidge.
It's hard to not notice him there when you start. He's so quiet, so mysterious that it just reels Lance back in.
"...you in, Lance?"
Lance blinks away from his thoughts, breaking his gaze from the boy and towards Bryant, who's looking at him like he's grown another head on his head.
"What?"
"I said, are you in?"
Lance stares at him, not knowing where this is going.
"Today, behind the school. You in?"
Lance blinks slowly. "Sure."
Bryant looks at him. "What, bitch? You don't want to?"
Sighing, he glares up to him. "Sorry, didn't realize it was a crime to be tired."
Bryant raises his hands, eyes wide in surprise. "Chill dude," he says, "I was just asking."
With a hand rubbing his face, Lance sighs again, shaking his head. "Sorry," he mumbles, "didn't mean that."
"Course you didn't," Bryant mumbles, almost incoherent but Lance frowns when he hears a hint of sarcasm. "Just better not be late today or I'll kick your fucking ass."
---
"Hey," Lance makes his way towards Pidge when he sees her after school's over, talking to Hunk about what the teacher discussed in class. Pidge tears her gaze away from the conversation, frowning in confusion in seeing Lance.
"Uh, hi?" She says back.
"You're," Lance licks his lips, suddenly nervous for no reason, "You're Keith's friend, right?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you know where he is? I didn't see him after class just now."
Pidge frowns, "I don't know. I thought you guys have plans today? He said something about going behind the school today and he only has like 2 people he communicates with. So I assume it must be you."
It's Lance's turn to frown. "Behind the school?" A sudden feeling of déjàvu rushes through him as he struggles to remember who said the same thing.
His heart drops when a name pops into his mind.
Bryant.
Fuck.
---
"Is this a joke?" Keith hisses, buckling with all his strength but the rope doesn't budge. He's stuck against this goddamn tree, there's no way around it.
Bryant leans down slightly, his hands crossed against his chest as he smirks down. "I'm kind of impressed, Kogane. You're tied up and still you have the balls to talk shit."
"If you don't untie me right now, I swear to god I'll have the balls to beat you to shit."
"Don't make us do this, Keith," Emily says, shaking her head like he's the one at fault.
"Do what, exactly? What did I do to you guys that you think that it's necessary to waste my time like this?" Keith asks.
Bryant snorts, "Don't act innocent. You've been getting close to Lance these past few weeks, polluting his mind with your filthy attitude."
"Lance hasn't been the same since then. He's too nice for you!" Emily says.
Keith's eyes are almost stuck with how hard he's rolling his eyes. "Seriously? This is about him? We don't even talk anymore!"
"And it should stay that way," Bryant snickers. "He'll be here shortly, don't worry. And when he does, he can't do anything to save you because he's too nice like that. He will never defy me. He's too pussy. He'll probably just try to ignore and smile it through." He laughs, throwing his head back. "God, that's funny. Imagine you helpless as I beat the shit out of you and your only fucking friend ignoring it?"
Keith says nothing.
Alright. Okay. He just has to take a small, quick beating. No problem.
He cries out when Bryant lands a hard kick on his stomach, making him hit his back against the tree hard, definitely leaving scratches.
"What the fuck?" Keith coughs, a string of blood spurting out of his mouth and staining the green leaves under him.
Bryant grins down at him, foot lifted and against Keith's chest, pushing it slowly but harder every second and Keith frowns, gritting his teeth as his chest begins to burn. Fuck. He needs to get out of here fast.
"Ah! Fuck, stop!" He thrashes against the rope, making it rub harshly against his pale skin.
Bryant presses harder, right above his heart, eyes gleaming when Keith coughs again, lungs feeling like it's about to collapse and explode. It's burning.
He forces himself to glare when Bryant pulls his face up by pulling his hair back. Keith spits on him, smirking when the boy makes a disgusted face.
A punch lands on his right cheek and he's forced to turn to the right, the stinging pain still there. His mind is fuzzy and his body feels numb. He's too tired to fight back. Can he take more though?
He licks his lip, flinching when it burns and he tastes blood. Is he bleeding a lot?
"You ready for more?" Bryant says, rubbing the part on his face where Keith spat on him, "Cause I'm ready to fu-"
Keith gasps when Bryant falls to the ground, immediately passed out, his right cheek flaming red with 4 small dark circles of a person's knuckle. He looks up, eyes wide when he sees Lance, out of breath and tears running down his face.
"Lance?" Keith whispers, almost in disbelief. He whispers it so softly, like he doesn't believe he's actually there. It feels like he's hallucinating. Or maybe it's his head hurting. He isn't sure.
Lance drops to his knees and immediately unties the rope. When it's off, he brings Keith into his arms, placing Keith's head against his chest as he rubs soothing circles on his back, whispering things like I'm so sorry, baby. I'm so fucking sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
He sees Emily back away behind Lance but he ignores it, focusing only on the quick, constant beating of Lance's heart.
Keith realizes the boy's crying from the wet droplets running down his hair to his own face. And he shuts the boy up with a kiss, groaning when it stings a little bit, his blood smearing against Lance's lips.
---
They're in Lance's room now. And Keith admits it's bigger and nicer compared to his. It's mostly colored blue, with a hint of black or white on some of the furnitures. It is not surprising since all of his outfits have complimenting colors.
They're on his bed and Lance's currently treating his stomach, trying to lift up his shirt. He lifts it until it reaches Keith's chest, eyes hardening in the sight. Keith's laying down so he tries to lift his body slightly to see what exactly does his stomach look like but he winces when it hurts.
Lance carefully pushes him back against the bed and Keith sighs, giving up on trying and just letting the boy deal with it.
He watches as Lance takes out a green bottle, twisting the cap off and taking some of it on his fingers. He presses it against Keith's stomach but reels back when Keith hisses.
"Does it hurt?" Lance whispers.
Keith shakes his head, but he face stays frowning, lower lip stuck underneath his teeth. Lance continues, but softer and more delicate, rubbing it against the bruise that's forming, as big as his entire hand.
Next, Lance wraps bandage around his stomach. He says it's to help with moving around or something. Keith's too tired to argue so he doesn't say anything.
"What about your mouth and cheek?" Lance asks him when he's done with the stomach. He pulls the shirt back down.
"It's fine," Keith dismisses.
"Alright," Lance nods. Then he moves around the pillows, putting it under Keith's head and placing some beside him. Then he throws the cover on top of him. "You should get some sleep."
"Okay," Keith replies. He watches as Lance smiles softly as him, full of sadness and regret. Confusion rushes through him when Lance walks towards the door. He quickly sits up, crying out when it hurts. Lance stops and rushes back to him.
"Hey, hey, what's wrong?" Lance asks, worry written all over his face. He looks paler than usual and his blue eyes look tired. Darker.
"Don't," Keith whispers, "Don't leave me."
Lance looks at him with wide eyes, mouth slightly apart in disbelief. "Please," Keith adds, taking the boy's hand in his. And Lance can only nod, numbly sitting on the bed and watching as Keith sighs to himself.
"I'm right here," Lance finds himself saying even though Keith probably knows already. But he has the urge to say it. In case Keith needs the extra reassurance. He helps Keith lay back down on the bed and sits there until the hand holding his grows pliant and he has to place it on the bed.
His heart grows heavy watching the boy in front of him, knowing well that it's his fault this happened.
Lance places a soft kiss on the sleeping boy's forehead, lips tilting on the sides when Keith scrunches his nose, moving in his sleep.
I'll fix this, baby. He thinks to himself. Don't worry.
--
The next day Bryant doesn't come to school and Lance figured so. He punched him pretty hard, even his knuckles are slightly bruised.
Keith's still resting inside his room, even though he had snapped at Lance saying he isn't a baby and he can't tell him what to do but after a stern glare from the taller, he quiets down and pouts himself back to sleep.
Though, considering the amount of stares he's getting after he steps into the class, he's not surprised if the class heard about him beating Bryant up. And when he sees Emily glaring at him from his seat, a small smirk on her face, he knows she's the one who did it.
He sits down to his seat, dropping his bag on the side. He doesn't blame people staring. He's not even smiling. The perfect boy, who never touches anyone inappropriately, punched a boy unconscious? He smirks, alright it's kind of funny now that he's thinking about it.
"What?" He barks at a staring, poor girl. His voice is deeper and raspier, his smooth, soft tone that he usually use gone. The poor girl immediately breaks her gaze, biting her lip in fear.
He glances at the other students, laughing when they all immediately break their gazes.
"What's the matter? Aren't we all friends?" He teases. "What? I'm no longer smiling and you guys act like I'm being possessed or something."
"We don't accept your new, ugly attitude," Emily states, crossing her arms. "It's because of that boy, right?"
Lance frowns, "What about Keith?"
"He's corrupting you! He's making you say mean things that you never said before! And if you keep this up, Lance, no one will like you! Just like no one likes Keith!"
Pidge raises her hand for her side, "Actually I like him-"
"Shut up, Pidge!"
Lance looks at the rest of the class, "Do you guys hear this? She's spitting out bullshit and none of y'all are going against her? Say something!"
"No one likes a twat, Lance. You can make this all go away if you just stay away from him. Saying things like he does will get you in trouble."
"Keith is honest. He's loyal. He's intelligent and he's brave enough to stand up to bullies like you. Really, Emily? You're talking shit about nice when you watch me get forced into doing things? Where were you when Regina made me do all her detention? Where were you when Bryant broke my project and didn't even fucking apologize for it?" Lance takes a deep breath. "Keith may be a dick sometimes. But he tells me what I need to hear. He says that it's fucking useless to get everyone to like you and he's right. He has my back and tells me what's wrong and what's right while you just watch me suffer all these years? Bitch, he's the realest friend I've ever had. Anyone can say and do whatever the fuck they want and you can't do anything about it! So shut the fuck up."
Lance swallows his now dry mouth, glaring at the gaping Emily. He sighs, "And by the way. Buy a goddamn toothbrush, I can smell your breath all the way from here."
---
"How'd it go?" Keith smiles when he sees Lance come in the room. He's sitting against the bed, reading a book about bugs he found in the room. His hair is tied up into a messy, high ponytail and he's wearing-
"Is that my sweater?"
Keith shrugs, "Yeah. Hope you don't mind. It's really cold in here."
Lance feels his heart swell up and burst into tiny pieces. But he tries to hide it, nodding and sitting himself on the edge of the bed. Keith looks at him before scooting to the side, motioning Lance to sit beside him. Lance does.
"I really like you," Keith mutters, leaning his head on Lance's shoulder hesitantly. "Even with your façade. I still really like you."
"It's over."
"What is?"
Lance lets out a small smile. "My facade. I think I just screwed it over today."
Keith gets up even when Lance frowns and tries to lay him back down again. The boy stubbornly straddles Lance by the waist, hands hesitantly hovering on the chest, fumbling around with the shirt. "Is that a bad thing?"
Lance uses a hand to cup a side of Keith's face, smiling softly and insides fluttering when the smaller one leans in towards the touch, eyes lidded slightly.
"No. Not really."
"Don't you crave for their approval?"
Lance leans in towards for a soft kiss and Keith sighs into it, fingers pulling Lance closer by his shirt. When Lance pulls away to breath for a second, he mumbles against his lips, "Your approval is enough for me."
And Keith replies by pulling him back towards another kiss.
hi c: okie bye hope you liked this piece ! have a great day everyone !