The night went by quickly, everyone getting full on their high classed meals and sparkling champagne.

Lance and Keith passed out in the limo on the way back, trudging up to their hotel room and going to sleep immediately.

Then, they woke up to the banging of Allura at their door.

"Lance? Keith!" Bang. " Guys we're supposed to be at the Avalon in twenty minutes! "  Bang.

Lance woke up first, opening his eyes slowly to the blinding sunlight through their window, and the thick heat of Keith's coat from the night before, slumped over the two of them as if it were a blanket.

"Huh-" Lance said, sitting up. "...motherfuckin....Avalon..?" He said sleepily. 

" AVALON?! " Keith sat up fast, his bed head prominent and voice cracking loud. His head hit Lance in the jaw, his boyfriend reeling back in pain as Keith scrambled off the bed.

"Avalon..oh my god Lance today's your debut shot-" Keith said, eyes bloodshot. "GET UP."

Lance rubbed his chin, curling into a ball under the coat. "Boy if you don't shut up... it's so early-"

"Lanceeee." Keith said, grabbing his feet. " I'm not joking with you-"

He pulled, Lance tumbling off the bed with a thud to the ground.

"Ow-fuck-" He whined. "I'm gonna be all bruised now. You know i have sensitive skin." He pouted, getting up.

But Keith was already gone, trucking into the bathroom at full speed.

"Nooo-" Lance gasped, clawing at the door slammed in his face. "Keith you take years to shower."

" And you don't?? Madonna? " Came back Keith. The shower started, as Lance slumped against the floor.

He cleaned up their clothes and trash from the night before, and picked out his outfit for the day. Since it was his debut event as Keith said, he'd be wearing whatever the company chose once he arrived, and would walk his first few runways.

At that, his heart stopped. It finally hit him.

This was it. The paparazzi would be there, loud mouths and critics. Glamor, and white noise. Polished floors, and heels. Razzle and dazzle.

Lights, camera, action. 

He squealed, hopping around the closet in excitement, grabbing a pair of jean overalls and Keith's NASA hoodie. Wearing each other's clothes had become a well... huge perk. Mutually.

Keith finally stumbled out the bathroom, his pearly whites shining and hair tied up and combed out. "Your turn."

" Took you long enough, we don't have all day. " Lance pushed past him.

"My apologies, your majesty." Keith said under his breathe, before throwing on his skinny jeans and flannel. Underdressed for the occasion, simply. Because today was the big day.

Today, Lance would run his first catwalks, and his performance would determine his placement in the critic's harsh eye. And today, Keith would be taking the shot.

Lance's magazine cover shot. 

They both had immense pressure on their shoulders, everyone seeking their perfection, their best and nothing less.

And they were already late.

They raced each other down the winding staircase, feet scuffling before they leaped the last four steps. 

Lotor and Allura were already gone, the lobby eerily quite compared to the night before. A driver sat out front, and the boys piled into the benz.

Pidge and the others were all still asleep. None of them had to attend the Avalon until that night, when Lance would be going on. They'd have vip viewing seats.

The Avalon was in a further district than the restaurant they had attended the night before. Hollywood was just as fabulous in the daytime though, as the boys gripped hands, flying down the winding Beverly Hill streets and Sunset drives.

Ten minutes or so later, the benz pulled up to a club. Luxurious, couldn't describe it.

It was large, and a glowing black diamond in the Californian sunlight. A golden laced tent stood over the valet area, where a red carpet led up the sleek steps into the glass entrance of the club.

A lot of people were there already, vans, limos, and sports cars all parked around the area, and lining up around the corner of the street. Lance's heart was racing, beating against his ribs like a drum.

"Let's go." Keith said, grabbing Lance's hand and leading them up the carpet.

Lance grinned, the sensation incredible even without anyone watching. He promised himself then and there, he would return to the red carpet.

That time under the gaze of a thousand eyes.

Keith's hands grew sweaty under his gloves, as Lance opened the glass doors to the club. Booming EDM met their ears, the black interior of the club giving a nighttime impression opposite to where they had just came from.

They were on a terrace, a floor below them holding the largest bar they'd ever seen, with flashing lights and thousands of mixers and liquors. Then, two floors down, was a gigantic floor, filled with chairs and red carpeting. Men and women bustled around, moving chairs, talking on their phones, and clasping clipboards.

Then Lance saw it. The main attraction.

At the centre of the room, admist the shiny black floor and golden lights, stood a catwalk. It was long, five times the length of his practice catwalk. And though it wasn't lit up, it was the brightest thing in the room. 

Lance's jaw dropped, as he gripped the terrace railing like a child, leaning over the edge, wanting to be down there more than anything. He wanted to be on the stage, he wanted to have everyone's attention.

"Keith and Lance-"

The boys turned to see a stocky man staring at his phone. "Glad you two made it."

"Oh-" Keith raised an eyebrow. "Hi?" 

" Hi. " the man said. "C'mon, Lance you come with me. Keith you see that lady over there? Green lips, peacock dress? Go talk to her. "

And with that, the guy grabbed Lance's arm, and whisked him away, talking a mile a minute.

Keith locked eyes with Lance before he lost site of him, in utter shock at his abrupt departure.

He took a deep breath, before starting towards peacock lady.

She was tall, taller than him.

"Excuse me-" He started.

She looked down at him. "Hi! Is there something you need?" She had been talking to a group of what Keith could only assume were models, their tans and smiles perfect.

"Oh, uh yeah. This guy told me to come to you." The lady cocked her head.

" I'm Keith Kogane-"

"Ohhh. Well why didn't you just say so darlin'?" She said with a sickeningly sweet smile. " Why you've got a tour to attend. "

"I do?"

" Sure do, sweets. Follow me. " She turned on heel. "I'll be back, babes." She said to the models, who just nodded and started for the bar.

Keith followed the lady down another staircase. She walked fast, her strides longer than Lance's. "Who are you?" Keith asked, struggling to keep up.

"Margot Nantucket, the Avalon's official events director. Call me Mars." She rushed down a corridor, and into a thick curtain, where a studio of makeup artists and stands lined up for miles it seemed.

" You have a tour. The photographers do, anyways. A tour of Avalon, though you should have studied up the portions Balmera owns. "

"Yeah-" Keith said, taking in the information.

They came to another studio, this one smaller, and the lights brighter. A group of people stood around a short girl, who was all smiles. The group turned at their entrance.

"Mars!" The girl smiled. " Is that Mr. Kogane? "

"Sure is." Margot said. "You're right on schedule too." She patted Keith's shoulder. "I'll be off now." and with that, she strutted briskly away.

Keith turned to the group, with an awkward wave. His eyes glossed over the group- the other photographers for the event.

"Keith!" He turned towards the voice to see Adam, standing tall with a grin. " Hey. "

Keith smiled, stepping up to his side, as the girl began talking again.

"What's going on?" Keith asked.

Adam chuckled under his breathe. "While the models get prepped for the event later, ya know- outfit checks, rehearsal, makeup, hair, last minute designs, all that jazz- we get the beautiful honor of a tour."

Keith laughed. "That's not too bad."

Adam glanced at him. "Whatever you say, bud."

They laughed, turning their attention to their tour guide.

"That's Bella." Adam crossed his arms. "Another director."

Bella led the group out of the studio, back the way Keith came with Margot, explaining the makeup studio for the models, and taking them though the other departmental studios, all for the models, before taking the staircase back up to other floors.

"This is gonna take a while, isn't it?" Keith asked, as they were introduced to the bathrooms.

"Yep." Adam said. " But at least we get some bro time eh? Just me and you, like old times. " he wrapped an arm around Keith's shoulders.

Keith smiled at him. "Yeah, just like old times."

...

"God it's been, like forever since I've seen some of these-" Lance said, running a hand through his precious fabrics. He stood next to Gordi, his Balmera administrator, who ran his schedule for the day.

"Yep," It was Ina. Her and Rizavi had brought Lance his newly tailored and perfectly fitted outfits. "How's Hollywood for you so far? "

Lance smirked. "Anything less than perfect would be a lie." He cheesed.

" I'm sure. " Ina said with a small smile.

"We've come here for like-" Rizavi bit her lip, counting on her fingers. "Six consecutive years?" She laughed. "Nothing special."

Lance pouted. "It's so special-"

"Well, of course, for you. Today's your day to shine! " Rizavi smiled.

"Yes, and we're on a tight schedule." Gordi huffed, their glasses loose on their long nose. "So let's already run through the outfits, okay? Make sure they fit, because we have makeup directory, first rehearsal, a conference meeting with Ren and-"

"Okay, okay." Lance said. " Way to ruin the fun, huh? "

Gordi gulped. "Well, like I said. " They lifted their clipboard. "Schedule."

Rizavi laughed. "You and Ina here would be great friends."

Ina and Gordi locked eyes, shrugging in unison.

Lance went through the outfits, one by one, making sure they all fit. And they did, which made Rizavi ecstatic. It took almost an hour though, and Gordi was clearly about to blow.

It didn't help that as Lance was saying goodbye to Rizavi and Ina, Allura and Lotor stalked in with their five or six agents, all as uptight as Gordi.

"Lance!" They said in unison, rushing over to him.

" Hey guysss. " Lance smiled. "How's everything?"

"Insane." Lotor said. "I could use a nap. Everything's so hectic, and there's so many rehearsals-"

"Yeah." Allura said. "I just wanna get to tonight. " She grabbed Lance's hands. "I can't wait to see you up there."

Lance squeezed her hand. "Me and you both, Lura."

...

The rest of the day went similar, with Gordi rushing Lance through his rehearsals, and makeup checks, and fittings. He barely had time to eat, before he was on his feet again practically running to conference meetings and instructional classes.

He ran into Allura and Lotor again sometimes, and met up with Plaxum for routine checkups now and then. He even saw Nyma. But never Keith. It was exhausting, but the day was flying by.

Meanwhile, Keith and Adam finished their tour, and sat around in the photography studio running through cover designs and themes for the zines. Lounging, to say the least.

Hunk, on the other hand, was on the verge of having a panic attack.

Not literally, but, it damn felt like it. 

He and his family had been in the Avalon kitchen since 5 a.m, unpacking, and cooking. Last minute dishes, preparing the hundreds of meals for serving, and setting up their catering tables.

He was exhausted, and his back hurt from his terrible posture leaning over food all day- but that wasn't even the problem.

He should've known, this being a world wide event, there would be a lot of competition. 

But when him and his family headed into the banquet room at noon to start placing their servings, there were a dozen other caterers from other companies.

They didn't say anything, no one did, but the tension between the groups was as thick as a knife as Hunk helped put up the food.

But deep down, it just made him more determined, because he knew his food was better. He had the talent, the hard work, and the passion, to compensate for the money and pristine plates these companies brought. 

It wasn't a contest, but he knew he'd won. He'd come so far, and this would be such a great headstart for his family...

Plus with their smiles and laughter as they cooked behind him...led by him.

It was it's own prize.

And so he pushed down his anxiety, Lance pushed through Gordi's schedule, and Keith made last minute preparations for his photo shoot.

Five p.m rolled around, and it wasn't long before they were being gathered up. The models were thrown into dressing and makeup rooms, photographers brought into the main venue area, where the catwalk was lit up, and the white curtain behind it was focused on. 

Hunk and his family bustled into the banquet area with other caterers, and they waited.

Last minute preparations and chaos fell in on itself as opening time grew closer. 

Outside the Avalon, Shiro's jeep full of six passengers pulled into the valet area, where it was parked for them as their id's and vip tickets were vouched for. 

They were dressed up, in tuxes and dresses, and in Coran's case, vintage royal robes.

"I hate this tie." Pidge said, pulling at the collar of her tux, the green tie and slicked back hair a good look for her. " It's so tight-"

"Take it off maybe?" Romelle asked, her pink gown flowing around her like foam. " Need me to? "

"Yeah, please." Pidge said, craning her neck as Romelle undid the tie.

"Think Adam's around?" Shiro asked, wearing a matching suit with Matt.

"Somewhere, yeah. Probably with Keith."

Shiro nodded, "This place is huge."

" Am I the only one who thinks it's even better than the hotel? " Shay asked, her hair curled to match her floral dress. "So expensive-"

"Yes, yes it's very nice." Coran said, as crowds of the elitest walked the red carpet, jewelry and cologne everywhere. Paparazzi pulled up in dark vans, fancy cameras and mics adorning their clothes. The club lights were turned up, the EDM blaring, and the noise of laughter and rapid conversation adding to the mix.

"Overwhelming. But nice." Matt said.

" Now, don't get your knickers in a knot. Let's go get our vip seats chirren, shall we?" Coran asked, adjusting his robes, before hastily setting off down the staircases.

"If he's our dubbed chaperone, we're dead. You all know that right?" Pidge said. 

" Yep. " they all said in unison, and laughter, before heading after the fast paced man.

They got their seats in one of the front rows, the sea of throne like chairs filled with critics, fans, and celebrities alike. The rich elite, filled to the brim with the enthusiasm of spending money. The paparazzi and their cameramen sat in front of the vip row, and in front of them..

"Look, there's Keith! And Adam! " Romelle said, pointing to the familiar mullet and dusty brown hair.

The vip row filled up with other invited guests, as the chairs overflowed, and the lights began to dim, the music growing quieter.

Finally, the lights focused on the catwalk, where a tall man in a suit with six rolexes on his wrist and a starched tie, smiled over the crowd. It was tight lipped, and pale, but a smile nonetheless. 

"Hello, and welcome to day one of the annual Avalon fashion show!"

Everyone cheered and applauded, as Keith fidgeted with his camera. What was Lance probably doing right now?

"I am your host as always, and the founder of Avalon's fashion industry, Brent Collins. I hope you're all having a wonderful night so far. Enjoy the entertainment of our dance floors, bars, and gambling rooms, and be sure to get a bite to eat in the banquet room from a variety of catering services provided by our very own modeling companies. "

More cheering and applause. Pidge turned to the group. "Let's go find Hunk!"

"Good idea." Shay said. " I hope he isn't too pressured by all this... "

"The more reason to give him our support." Romelle said.

And so the group headed off to the banquet room as everyone dispersed.

Hunk watched as his family's section was visited less than the others, but then word began to buzz, and there were more frequent visits, until... the first batch was gone and they were replenishing the dishes.

Every comment was the same mostly.

"I've never had Samoan before, but this is downright refreshing."

"I just love your vegan options! Absolutely exquisite."

Or. "I'll come back for more, I assure you." And they did.

Again and again.

Hunk was ecstatic, his friends helping him and the family keep everything organized, and congratulating them on the success.

His heart felt like it was about to burst, and he couldn't contain his smile. Not one bit. So he didn't try to.

The mingle session ended though, 6 p.m clocking in quickly. Everyone headed back to their seats, Hunk joining his friends in the vip section while his family ran the catering. 

Keith felt his palms sweating.

"You nervous?" Adam asked, adjusting his lens.

" Yeah. " Keith said.

" Don't be." Adam said. "You're the most articulate photographer I know. And that's saying something."

Keith smiled. "Thanks. I learned from the best." 

Adam chuckled. "Damn right you did." Keith laughed.

Then he ran a hand through his hair nervously. "It's just, Lance has so much faith in me... But- this is such a huge shot I have to get and what if I fail? "

Adam looked Keith in the eyes. "Then you fail. It's not the end of the world, and Lance won't love you any less. But. You won't. You're Keith fricking Kogane. Got it?"

Keith smiled. "Yeah. I'm Keith fricking Kogane."

Ladies and Gentlemen, welcoming our first modeling agency Olkarian Modeling, and their October line...

Keith paid close attention, as the announcements went by. Models tall, thin, plus sized, short, of all skin colors and races, and in every outfit imaginable. Wearing fabrics Keith had never heard of, all the way to the most famous brand names. It was iconic to watch, and the atmosphere was so aesthetically pleasing Keith found his nerves loosening.

They went agency by agency, line by line, name by name. Allura and Lotor appeared for nearly every agency, sometimes more than one line each, gorgeous and flawless.

The crowd was definitely louder whenever they appeared, but maybe that was just their friends screaming everytime.

And then... It was Balmera.

Lance stood in the back room, his outfits ready. He would be debuting three youth line outfits, already dressed in the first. Keith would be taking the shot of the third one for the magazine cover, so if any were to be perfect it would have to be that one.

The energy was so high from the audience, Lance couldn't help but feel his heart rate speeding and dropping at different moments. His adrenaline was rushing, and he tapped his foot anxiously. He was more excited than he had ever been in his life.

And more scared. 

Presenting the debut of Balmera's youth line, is Lance McClain.

Lance almost didn't hear his name, but he was up, and ready. He kept what Plaxum had told him, what Ina and Rizavi had told him- Alfor, and Allura, and Lotor- he kept it in his head.

But when he stepped onto the catwalk everything went silent.

His mind's eye focused on one thing. And everything else went quiet. The EDM, the crowd, his anxiety.

It was all silent, as he focused on a mullet, and those intense violet eyes.

Keith.

His anchor, and rival. Who had made him who he was today.

The one who had seen Lance's dream, and made it come true.

He'd given him more than Lance could ever ask for, more than he thought he deserved.

Keith had given Lance peace of mind, and a home away from home.

He found home in those eyes, and the calm of the storm.

And he walked the runway. With flawless poses and muscle memory. His outfits were nothing without the glamor of his smile, his wink, his charm. His eyes.

Because in his eyes showed passion, the passion reflected from his heart. Because he loved Keith, and he loved modeling. This was him. He'd never felt more complete.

He lined up in the final outfit, striking his final pose at the end of the catwalk, locking eyes with Keith.

Keith's heart stopped. This was it. Lance was perfect, always. But this-

Keith had fallen in love with Lance for his passion. His fire when he did what he loved was the most attractive thing in the world to Keith, but it wasn't only that. Lance's fire made Keith feel like he could do anything, go anywhere.

He had brought them this far, hadn't he?

Lance was so gorgeous in that moment, so passionate, and Keith was so, so in love.

He was falling hard, and his heart stopped.

And he took the shot.

______________________________________________________________________

took me a bit longer than expected but got out the double update!! together they were over 6k words 😗 imagine

hope you enjoyed!!

these two chaps were dedicated to bb boy keith,, happy birthday !! ahhh LOML 

qotd: how many more chapters do you estimate b4 this fic is over😳

listened to king princess this entire chapter bc ms. queen >>

hbd mr. kogane :)) love you to the moon and back enjoy your model bf you deserve the world :D

it's like 3 a.m for me yall-