Saturday ended with Lance, Allura, Lotor and all the other models being swept off to paparazzo interviews, and commemorative dinners with critics. Keith and the others went off to dinner on their own, exhausted from the hectic Hollywood ambience.

They pulled up to a Caribbean Grill, the cheapest place they could find- for the first time paying on their own since arriving in CA. The party of 7 bustled into the restaurant, throwing off expensive jackets and glossing over menus hungrily.

"I thought social things were supposed to be fun and rejuvenating, but I've never been more exhausted in my life." Matt said, yawning. "And I pull all nighters."

" Heh, " Shay chuckled. "That's being introverted for you."

" Still, it was real nice to see Allura and Lance up there. " Shiro said. "This is what they've been working towards this whole time, and it showed."

"You think they have Beef Wellington at the commemorative dinners.. ?" Hunk asked. " I really have a taste for Beef Wellington. "

"Oh, me too!" Romelle said. " Also, my pint of mint chip back home. " She said, Hunk nodding along.

"Hey," Pidge said, tossing a balled up straw wrapper at Keith- the wad hitting him square in the forehead. "You okay?"

Keith lifted his head, shrugging. "Tired?"

" Mhm. " Shiro said. "What's wrong?"

Everyone raised eyebrows, soft and concerned eyes turned on Keith. He sighed.

"Nothing. I just miss Lance." He smiled. " Is that a crime? "

"Awww, of course not!" Shay said. " We all miss him and Allura. It's natural. They did great today. "

"Yeah, I just wanna celebrate with him, ya know? I didn't get to say much before he was taken away." Keith said.

" I'm so, immensely proud of him. Shit, my heart hurts I'm so proud. " He chuckled dryly. 

"He knows." Hunk said, placing a hand over Keith's. "And don't worry, you'll have all the time in the world to show him."

"I'm so proud too." Coran said, sniffling and pulling out a handkerchief. "I remember my little princess, and Lance's first training camps. I never knew they'd come this far." He blew his nose loud.

They all laughed at that, patting his shoulders and giving him side hugs.

"This is a huge moment for Lance, so it's natural we're all overwhelmed too." Shiro said. " So don't worry. "

"Speaking of which, how'd the shot come out? For the zine cover?"

Keith's eyes lit up. "Good. He looks incredible. As always. Tomorrow, I'll be working all day to finalize it."

" Seems like tomorrow's gonna be another chaotic, aching feet filled day. " Pidge groaned, staring at her small shoes.

"Yep." Hunk said. "So let's eat like our lives depend on it! "

They all cheered to that, anxious for another day at the Avalon.

...

The night passed quickly, all of them passing out in their hotels before Lotor, Allura, and Lance were even let off. But everyone got their rest, and their final day in Hollywood began.

Lance woke up energized, and jumpy. He tugged the duvet off of Keith, his robe and morning face mask already intact. He started blabbering about how busy today would be, throwing random clothes at Keith's matted head.

"Get up, love. Get dressed. We have to be at the Avalon in an hour. You have to get started on your magazine cover, I have my first catwalks of the day by eleven. We have lunch with Ren, also. And then more runways-" 

"..can I wake up before you start giving me a full out schedule?" Keith croaked, throwing a pillow weakly at his boyfriends head.

Lance caught it, cocking his head at Keith. "Yeah, sure." He went and sat beside Keith.

" Thanks. " Keith smiled warily, rubbing his eyes. "How was your night? Sorry I fell asleep before you got back."

Lance's eyes lit up as he smiled wide. "It was awesome. We went to these five star restaurants, and this club, and the girls were-"

Keith raised his eyebrows at that. "The girls were what-"

Lance blushed, kissing Keith's nose. "Not as pretty as you, promise."

"They did look nice though."

Keith yawned. "Uh huh."

" I'm sorry. I'm not really used to being tied down. It's been a while since I've been with someone. " Lance pushed back a strand of Keith's hair. "But I'm totally loyal to you, I swear."

Keith smiled. "I know. And I don't mind if you find other people attractive, as long as I'm your priority." He laughed. " Though, I do get jealous, so don't push it. "

"I'd never." Lance said. " But yeah, that and a bunch of boring interviews and meetings. " He stood.

"How was your night?"

Keith slid out of the bed, his pale feet hitting the cold obsidian floor. "Good, we all went out to dinner. I uh, I missed you a lot though."

Lance turned to him. "You did?"

" Yeah. " Keith blushed. "Is that weird? Everyone said it wasn't -"

Lance melted. "Aww, no. I missed you too. It's perfectly fine." He pulled Keith into a hug. " I miss you every time we're apart. I swear it makes every second longer. "

Keith turned red. "You're sweet." He turned away, covering his face.

" You're cute. " Lance said. "But we'll have plenty of time to celebrate after all this, just me and you, alright?"

Keith nodded childishly, with a wide smile.

"Now, get dressed. We're gonna be late." Lance smirked, tossing Keith a pair of jeans.

"Yeah, yeah." Keith said, smiling up at his boyfriend. He swore he was glowing.

...

The Avalon was packed, majority of the staff and company runners having stayed overnight. Paperwork and emails were sent office to office, floor to floor, the runway polished and decorated, bars cleaned and drinks being sent in and prepared. The club would be opening way earlier than the day before, the event lasting until the night.

"Ah, you're here." It was Adam, rushing over to Keith. "Hey, Lance. Congrats on yesterday, you looked great!"

" Thanks, man. Means a lot. " Lance said, his half cocked smile genuine. He glanced down at Keith. "Guess I'll see ya when I see ya."

" Yeah. See ya. " Keith said, with a small wave as he watched the back of Lance's head disappear in the mob of workers.

"Did you get anything done last night?" Adam asked, pulling Keith's attention back.

Keith followed him to their studio from the previous day with the other photographers. " Er, no. "

"Wonderful." Adam laughed sarcastically. "Then you might need some coffee. We have a lot of work to do."

Keith groaned. "Alright. But is it okay if we take breaks, here and there?"

" Yeah, sure. You usually don't need them though, you okay? "

Keith nodded. "Yeah. I just wanna see someone, during the breaks. That's all."

Adam smiled at him. "Of course. I fully understand."

Keith smiled back. Lance was right, the seconds were definitely longer. But he had something to look forward to, now.

...

"Compact, and liner."

" Fabrics, fabrics, fabrics. More fabric. "

"Face paint, where's the face paint??"

" I'm hungry as fuck, y'all want anything? "

"We agreed curls looked better with the vinyl, did we not?"

Lance ran through everything in a blur. Concerns, questions, conversations, arguments- the tension and anxiety was overwhelming in the best way. He loved the energy, and how hard everyone was working to make sure he looked perfect.

Everyone was smiling and laughing, and cracking jokes despite the anxiety they all felt deep down from their time limit.

So Lance complied, running through blouse after blouse, stockings after frills, earrings after flower crowns, lip balms after eye shadows. He wasn't tired exactly, but numb, and he kinda loved it.

His smile didn't vanish through it all, as he washed his face and did it all again. He just wanted to get back on stage.

The first catwalk came fast, as his outfit was thrown at him. Blue cotton capris, a white cotton crop top, and a handbag.  Foundation and blush were added to his face while orders and last minute rules were yelled at him.

He took it all in, struggling to keep his jitters contained as he tried to stop from running his hands through his hair. For some reason, his confidence from yesterday's catwalk was gone, and he felt for the first time- scared.

He didn't know why, and it wasn't like him. But his stomach was churning, and his throat was closing up. The commands around him were getting louder.

Eleven hit, and the static and buzzing energy of the crowd behind the white curtains got louder. Then Lance was pushed out onto the stage.

He froze up. It was embarrassing as hell, but he did. Time seemed to stand still as he glanced around at the peering eyes and stark flashing cameras.

Where was Keith?

He knew he was probably working somewhere in the vast Avalon, so why did Lance need those gloved hands and that small smile? Keith wasn't supposed to be here.

But he looked anyway, because he missed him. So much.

And there he was. In the front row, down near the end of the catwalk. He locked eyes with Lance. Gave him a thumbs up.

And there were those gloved hands. That small smile.

And Lance's nerves were gone. Just like that.

He felt elated, like he was floating. He did his routine, eyes bright and smiley as he posed for the photographers. He added his own little flair as he headed back to the curtains. His heart was beating faster than before the routine, but not because he was nervous.

He felt magical. Reassured. Keith did that to him.

And Keith watched from his seat, absolutely enamored.

After that, they both felt the seconds grow longer once again. But they weren't sad.

It feels nice to miss someone, when you know they miss you just as much.

Lance went through more prep after that, and two more catwalks that Keith had to miss while he worked on the magazine cover. But they found each other at Ren's designated office, the vaulted ceiling and chandeliers way too lavish for a private lunch in their opinion.

"Sir," they said, sitting across from the man at his varnished desk.

"Boys, thank you for joining me." Ren smiled, his hair now a glittery silver to match his sparkly makeup. He reminded Lance of a Hunger Games capitol citizen.

"I brought some food from the catering lobby. " He said passing around plates and dishes of elaborate entrees. "But of course, I wanted to make sure something's clear."

The boys stopped picking at each other's food, mouths full and eyes wide.

"Ary weh in trooblef-" Lance asked, with stuffed cheeks.

"What? No, no." Ren chuckled. " I wanted to let you know when your payments will be put in. Y'know, you both are due quite a lot from this event. "

"Oh yeah," Keith smiled. " The money. "

"Yes, the money." Ren laughed, watching the boys eat. " Altea will start their modeling seasons over, and you both will be reassigned lines, Tuesday. And that will be when you also receive payment from this season. Alright? "

"That's awesome!" Lance said. "I just hope Keith and I aren't split up, next season."

Keith frowned at that. Is this how it felt when Lance and Allura were being torn apart?

Ren smiled sadly. "Trust me, after all the talent you two as a team have brought this season, I doubt anyone would break that up. You guys' chemistry together is..."

The boys glanced at each other, with a smile.

"Remarkable."

...

Meanwhile, Hunk was being bombarded with orders. His family's popularity had blown up since the day before. They had enough food luckily, but they were constantly cooking.

The kitchen was so nice though, Hunk felt like he was in heaven.

Everyone was polite, and complimented and asked questions about their heritage and culture. And though it was exhausting constantly, Hunk couldn't have been happier.

His family loved it too, especially the twins who liked flirting with all the pretty women with expensive bags. Mima and Hunk's father were exuberant when it came to explaining the history of their dishes, and how much it meant to them.

Their smiles made the exhaustion a little more worth it.

Plus, Shay and everyone else visited a lot, and their hugs along with Shay's forehead kisses made everything better. Plus, he didn't mind snacking a bit here and there.

He couldn't put into words how happy he was- how lucky he had been- to even have this opportunity. He had Keith and Lance to thank for that, and he had no idea how to repay that in words. Or even actions. 

The fact that someone did something this huge for him and his family sometimes overwhelmed his heart. His friends always told him how much he meant to them, but now when he had been at his lowest, they had picked him up without a second thought of hesitation.

He really understood now just how much he was loved.

So he kept cooking, and serving, because he was in his element, surrounded by everyone he loved.

...

Allura listened to the soft Lizzo in her ears, like she always did before a runway. She had already finished her runs for three of her six companies, and would be done with all of them by that night. But she was already exhausted. 

She had never worked this hard before, and could barely think straight sometimes. Other than her meager lunch with her hairdresser, she hadn't taken a break. And it was catching up to her. 

She didn't like taking breaks though, they slowed her down, and she didn't see herself as someone who had ever needed them.

But as she united with Lotor behind the catwalk curtains, she felt so exhausted. She didn't look it- the makeup covering the bags under her eyes and wrinkles over her forehead were enough. But she felt it. Like a sandbag in water- heavy and sinking.

She glanced up as Lotor took her hands. They were in matching suits, a dark navy with leaf imprinted loafers. 

"Are you sure you're up for this?" Lotor asked.

She nodded, avoiding his eye. "I'll be fine."

" It's okay to take a break. " Lotor said. "I understand. We all do."

She ignored him, instead taking the lead onto the catwalk as the previous model passed them. She ran her routine effortlessly, and flawless as always, but the sweat beading up on her concentrated brow showed her frustration.

She nearly stumbled returning to the curtain, and prayed no one had caught notice.

But Lotor had. His eyes had never left her.

"Allura." He said, as she collapsed against him with a yawn. " You need to stop. "

"No." She said , rubbing her eyes. "I'll be fine. Just another coffee." She turned to leave his side.

" Allura, " He grabbed her wrist. "Just come with me, take a nap. You need it."

She pulled away. "I. Do. Not."

Lotor rolled his eyes, before sweeping her up bridal style, and stalking off through the onlooking beauticians and designers.

"What on earth are you doing? Put me down!" Allura said, struggling to get out of his strong grip.

"Fall asleep, I've got you."

" But I-"

Lotor stopped, and glanced at her. He wasn't forceful in his gaze at all, more so pleading. "You need to let me take care of you. You have to know your limits Allura." He kissed her cheek. "Go to sleep."

With his soft voice and warm embrace, she gave in, nodding into the kiss, before burrowing into his strong arms.

She fell asleep immediately.

Keith passed Lotor a little later, sitting on the couch in the second floor lounge, Allura's long legs stretched across his lap.

He raised an eyebrow, only to have Lotor shake his head.

"Don't ask." He said with a dry laugh. Keith smiled at that, before heading down the hall.

He was on his way to Ren's office, with the finished magazine cover design on his laptop. He needed Ren's approval before sending it to the printing company, where the magazines would be finalized and distributed for sale.

He knocked once, and the door opened. Ren smiled. "Ah, Keith, you're back. What's up?"

Keith felt a little more comfortable with the man since the dinner on their first night in Hollywood, so for once he sat down without a forced smile.

He slid his laptop onto the desk. "I'm finished. I think." He opened his tabs to the final product. " I uh, hope you like it? This is my first magazine cover, so I'm not sure if it's my best work but I surely tried my best. "

"Sir." He added, wiping his hands on his jeans.

Ren was still staring at the screen, lips slightly parted. Then he smiled. A wide grin, as he stood, a beam of silver glitter.

He pulled Keith into a hug. "You better bet I'm teaming up with you next season." He chuckled.

" Thank you. " He said into Keith's shoulder. "So much."

Keith smiled softly, patting his back. "You're welcome, Ren."

...

The design was sent to the printing company, and uploaded to Ren's broadcasting system so he could advertise.  Keith packed up his work, and joined Adam as they headed down to the vip section beside the runway.

Their friends were there, Hunk too, to watch the final runways. Allura and Lotor were next up.

"How did bossman like the cover?" Matt asked, leaning in to yell over the booming EDM.

" He loved it, I think. Looked like he was gonna cry for some reason. " Keith chuckled. "Kind of embarrassing." 

" If success is embarrassing to you, you're messed up. " Adam said, shaking his head.

"What else is new?" Keith asked, causing them all to laugh.

" But still, " Shiro said. "You did great, and soon, Lance will be on that cover everywhere, and his skills would have paid off along with yours." 

Keith smiled. "He deserves the world, so I hope so."

Hunk smiled. "Trust me, you gave him that." 

Their attention was pulled to the catwalk where Allura and Lotor were beginning their routines.

They ran their poses and flaunted their outfits. They looked great- in Ralph Lauren's fall collection. Allura wore a gold and black gown, and Lotor held her hand delicately, while wearing a matching tuxedo and fur coat set.

The crowd was speechless. They looked gorgeous, glowing even. Lotor twirled Allura smoothly at the edge of the catwalk before dipping her, with a wink towards the crowd as Allura blew a kiss. Their charisma only added to the beauty of the outfits, as everyone applauded.

Paparazzi raged as critics scribbled away, and designers gossiped amongst themselves as more models came and went, and the night grew later and later. Lotor and Allura performed twice more, before the last few runs were scheduled. 

The final run was called- Keith's nerves causing his knee to bounce as the words were announced.  Balmera's Youth line, Lance McClain.

They watched closely as Lance stepped out onto the elevated runway, his slim feet in fitted black heels. He wore a tight fitted black jumper, with a turtle neck. It had gold chains and lace and really showed his body structure. He looked taller than he was. Curvier. The fabric looked like silk against his smooth skin. His hair was curled to frame his eyes, gold glitter skewed across his cheekbones.

He looked ethereal. Something perfect, and out of this world. Delicate, yet powerful, and gorgeous- daring you to get close. His eyes were determined and firm, boaring into the faces of the crowd, without wavering expression. His charm was gone, it was all determination and focus.

Keith couldn't breathe. Lance was perfect beyond measure, refined like an undiscovered gem. And he was his. Keith was dating this beautiful being, that could light up a room with a single smile, open a heart, and save a life without a second thought.

Keith was the luckiest man alive, in his opinion.

Lance rentered the curtain, leaving the stunning silence unmatched by his elegant presence. Then the applause began, as the annual Avalon runway event began to come to a close.

The EDM was cut short, and the lights dimmed to change the atmosphere, as modeling company leaders took the stage to congratulate their models on the successful season and present their heartfelt speeches. Many companies spoke on behalf of Allura and Lotor, and Alfor's speech for Altea was one of the most tear jerking. He was just so proud of everyone, and how far they'd come.

Ren took the stage last, and talked about his long list of clients, before coming to his final two.

"I would like to make a special shout out to my two newest clients, as I do every year." Ren said, looking like disco ball in the middle of the room. " If Keith Kogane and Lance McClain could please join me. "

Lance came out first, from behind the catwalk, wearing a tailored blue suit. Keith felt out of place in his jeans and gloves, but slowly ascended the back steps. He scrunched up next to Lance.

"I would like to congratulate you two on your first runway event." He smiled, shaking their hands. "You both have exceeded my expectations this season, and I couldn't be prouder. Mr. Altea has made it clear you two weren't on the right footing at the beginning of the season, but it's clear your dynamic is effortless now, huh?"

Lance grabbed Keith's hands. "I would say."

Ren laughed. "I see so much potential in these two." He said, before turning to look them in the eye. " I know you boys will go far, and I support you no matter what. " He said with a smile.

Keith grinned. He couldn't help himself, he let go of Lance's hands and embraced Ren. He didn't know why. He was just so happy in that moment, and Ren had done so much for them. 

Lance joined the hug, as Ren laughed, wrapping his arms around the both of them. Then out of no where, Lance felt the warm arms of Hunk. Bony knees from Pidge, and a scraggly mustache from Coran.

He craned his neck to see their entire friend group embracing them, Allura and Lotor holding on from behind. All smiles.

"It seems we're all proud of these two." Ren said with a smile.

"Immensley." Shiro said, roughing their hair.

"I'm proud of us." Keith said, turning to Lance. " Especially you. "

Lance smiled, pulling Keith's chin towards him. "It's mutual." He said, before connecting their lips with a smile.

Keith smiled into the kiss, before hugging Lance. The crowd was cheering and applauding as Lance dipped Keith with a laugh.

Keith was red faced but he didn't care. Lance was happy. And he was happy.

Their friends pulled them back into the hug as Keith smiled at Lance.

" Thank you, Keith. " Lance said as they were smushed between their friends.

"For what?" Keith chuckled, grinning.

"For giving me my dream." Lance said, eyes bright and childish.

Showing that pure happiness Keith had always loved.

" You. "

_______________________________________________________________________

!!!! hope you enoyedddd

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we are almost to 100k!!! CRAZY AHH also 1k followers :00

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qotd: how was your halloween!!!

a: i stayed up till 4 a.m watching horror movies :))

i really hope you loved this chapter and that it was satisfying :)

bc this is the enddddd !

i have an epilogue ima post tonight but this is the final real chapter :( don't be sad tho!! not the conclusion hehe

ilyyy once more