Hunk had persisted on the early site seeing for the past half hour until only Matt was left to agree.

"Can we wait until later today? It's so early Hunk." He whined.

"No its not. It's like almost 11. And I have so much planned! Me and Karin took all this time and you are just gonna bail?" he asked. He stared at Matt with wide eyes, pouting.

"Fine." Matt rolled his eyes. "But are you sure the list Karin gave you is...I don't know..adequate?" Matt asked sceptically.

"Well...I mean that restaurant we went to last night was pretty great so why would it not be?" Pidge asked him cocking an eyebrow.

Matt sighed. "Whatever. I still think it's too early.. I'm going to take a shower." He said leaving the room to his adjoining.

Hunk grinned, his smile beaming. "Good, now this list is pretty good. Karin said she has been to all these places before. And she loves all of them so they have to be amazing."

"What do you have?" Pidge asked scooting over to him on the bed. He pulled a folded up paper out of his back cargo pants pocket.

"Alright. So she gave me the list and I put then into a schedule for us to go through today." he said unfolding it. "So, I thought first we could head to Meiji Jingu. It's a shrine in Shibuya that is dedicated to Emperor Meiji and his wife Empress Shōken."

Lance blinked at him, yawning. "So..what you are telling me..is that this morning we are going to see a dead guy and his wife's shrine? Like in the morning?" He asked running a hand through his head.

"Actually the real grave of the emperor is not at the shrine. It's located at Fushimi-momoyama. It's a place south of Kyoto." Keith reassured him. But Lance just stared at him blankly.

"You're overloading his brain with knowledge Keith." Pidge said shaking her head. "How did you know that anyway?"

"I get bored and read a lot of stuff on the internet. There are a million articles on literally anything. I don't do much on the weekends now.." He fell silent, glancing once at Lance who was blushing slightly.

"Oh. Well then, yeah so after that I was thinking we could head to Asakusa here in tokyo to see Sensō-ji, it's an ancient Buddhist temple, one of the oldest in Tokyo. It became independent after World War II, after being a part of the Tendai Sect.." Hunk said. He looked up to see Lance stand.

"It's. Too. Much. Knowledge." He said stumbling to the door. "I'm going to get some food." He said with a yawn as he closed the door behind him.

Pidge shrugged nonchalantly. "So. Shrine, temple. Next?"

Hunk nodded and looked back at his list. "So the times are estimated, but it should be around time for us to eat something so I found this really nice diner." He said grinning again.

Pidge smiled. "You and your cuisine fantasies." She said shaking her head.

Hunk smiled. "It comes to the best. Now, its this place not far from the temple. The Suke6 Diner. I found it scrolling through places last night. The menu seems pretty familiar and Karin checked it out she said it sounds pretty great." He said showing Pidge a few screenshots, one of a nice small diner with dull orange lights and modern colors. There were a few screenshots of a table set with a brunch like meal.

"Noice." Pidge said giving him a thumbs up.

Keith sat forwards to squint at the phone screen. "It looks nice, Karin hasn't been there?"

"No. But no need to be uneasy she said it seems good." Hunk said waving off his question.

"Yeah is that it on your list?" Pidge asked.

Hunk laughed. "No way. So after that we can go to take the Yurikamome train to Odaiba. It's this hub full of different things to do. We can spend like the rest of the day there. I mean it's amazing! There are ferris wheels, you can see the mountains, there's a beach-"

"That sounds really great. But if we are doing all of that stuff don't you think we should start getting ready?.." Keith asked peering at his watch.

Hunk blinked. "-yes! Uh yeah sorry I got carried away. But I was thinking we could end the day at the Tokyo Skytree."

"Oh I've heard of that." Pidge said nodding. "The broadcasting tower in Sumida? I'm pretty excited to go there. I read that it reached 634 meters high in 2011, becoming one of the highest buildings in Tokyo."

"See? We should all be super excited. This is going to be great!" Hunk said smiling.

Keith nodded, he smiled. But there was a lot on his mind at the moment. Maybe all this site seeing would help. And it was super sweet of Hunk and Karin to put together a whole schedule of places for them to go. He just hoped Lance was happy here. It would be hard if it was Keith going to New York and then leaving to go on a trip with a bunch of strangers other than Lance.

Pidge headed to the bathroom, and Hunk went to him and Matt's room. Keith had the room to himself now.

He decided to give his parents a call. Or..his mom. Shiro was right. He needed to talk to his dad, who happened to not know Lance and his family were back. Or that Lance went on the trip. And the truth was, he was scared. Not of his dad being disappointed or rude or distant. He was used to that by now.

He was scared of how he would change.

Keith had noticed it. The subtle change in his moods towards his friends..family..anyone. At any given time. It was totally random and unpredictable. He would just snap. Maybe it was him turning into his father, maybe it was stress. Whatever it was it needed to stop.

Krolia picked up on the third buzz. "...uh hello? Keith?" She said. Her voice was dry and she yawned.

"It's me." He said.

He could hear crackling as she moved around. "It's like 3 in the morning here..ugh." She groaned. More crackling and static.

"Sorry Mom..I just need to talk.." Keith said. His bed head felt stiff and he felt weary but his Mom could always help him with all that. And everything else.

"Oh okay. What's up?" She asked.

Keith thought of how to say this. He hadn't told her Lance and his family came back or that Lance was on the trip. But she might have ran into Rosa or Melissa on the street..

"Well..uh Lance and his family are back-"

"Yes I know. How is that?" She asked. Keith blushed, he could practically hear it in her voice that she was smiling.

"Uh. I don't know..awkward? Different? I don't know. Mom he's not the same."

"Are you sure? Or are you the one that changed?"

Keith paused. So she noticed it too.

"I- I don't know. I've noticed that my temper is..shorter? I get upset and stressed and confused and-"

"Keith. Listen to me." Pause. "It's okay. This is all happening after Lance left right?"

Keith nodded. Then he realized she couldn't see him. "Uh yes."

"Then it's him."

"What?"

"He helped you with your temper and keeping you in check. Now he isn't there to help with that. You need him."

"Heh yeah no." Keith chuckled.

"Why not? Have you guys talked?"

"Uh no..well yes? Technically.."

"What happened?"

Keith explained what had happened the previous night.

Krolia paused. "Okay..so it's quite obvious that you are both hurt and vulnerable. Confused and scared. But you need each other. And it might be difficult to see. Especially because you're so stubborn-"

"I've moved on Mom!"

"My point exactly Keith."

Keith sighed. This was going to be a lot more difficult than he thought. "Have you told Lance this?"

"Told him what? I told him I've moved on. He should too if he knows what's good for him."

Keith could hear her breathing softly. She didn't say anything for a while.

"This is about your father isn't it?" she asked softly.

"No. I just don't want-'

"I know what you want Keith. You want to be happy and have your father be there for you again. And i know what you don't want. You don't want this."

Keith didn't reply. "I'm sorry Keith, that I have to watch you go through this, but I have tried and tried to change your father. Like you have tried and tried to change for him. But what I know is this, neither of you need to change. Especially change. Your father needs to accept you. And you need to accept how he feels on this. Do you understand?"

Keith breathed outward. "Yes."

"You need to talk to him yourself." she said. More static. "And Lance. You need to stop lying. To him and yourself Keith its okay to be honest."

"Okay. I - I will." he said.

"Promise?" she asked. Keith paused.

Never make a promise you can't keep.

"I promise Mom."

"Good. I love you Keith."

"Love you too Mom."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

They all went downstairs and ate with Lance before heading back upstairs for everyone to finish getting ready. It was already around 12:30 when they went to the car.

"I'm driving no if's and's or but's." Keith said holding up his driver's license. Everyone groaned except Hunk who shrugged and got in the passenger's seat hooking up his phone to gps.

"How uh far away is this place?" Keith asked sliding his seatbelt on.

"Only 12 minutes. Or that's what it says." Hunk said.

Pidge slid into the back, before getting shoved over by Lance. Matt got in the car on the opposite side.

"Everyone have seatbelts on?" Keith asked adjusting the mirror and looking at the three in the back.

Pidge laughed. "Yeah mom. We got 'em."

Keith set off out of the hotel to the freeway. "You know I could make a perfect playlist for this day." Pidge said looking out the window.

"Yeah? What would be on it? Electronic songs with weird lyrics?" Matt asked.

"Don't hate Elderbrook, that's actual talent. Not that you would know." Pidge snapped back.

"Well you haven't shown me so.."

Pidge huffed at him. "Turn here and keep going straight until you get on the interstate." Hunk notified Keith.

The sky was a light blue, cloudless, the sun bright. The air was cool, wind rustling through the thin crack in Keith's door.

"We are going to the shrine right?" Lance asked.

Hunk nodded. "Number 1 on the list."

"Can we play a game?" Matt asked. "This will go a lot faster. The trip will seem pretty long."

"Yeah not with Keith driving. I know you see the sign said 65 miles per hour Keith.."

Lance said.

Keith shrugged. "I'm only going 10 over, and if a cop comes after us, in tokyo if you are going fast enough they will let you go." he smirked.

"What game?" Pidge asked.

"Um..Truth or Dare?" Hunk asked.

"Oof, this might cause some controversy.." Lance muttered.

"Yes. that sounds fun. I love truth or dare." Pidge said rubbing her hands together.

"Who's first?" Pidge asked. There was an evil glint in her eyes.

"Um- I'll go." Lance said.

"Alright Truth or Dare?"

"Truth."

"Okay." she seemed to think for a little. "Is it true that Keith used to have a squeaky voice?"

"Pidge.." Keith complained from the front seat.

"Yeah actually. And I guess he only hit puberty like a little before I went to New York because it was only a small amount of time where I can remember him sounding like this." Lance laughed.

Keith shook his head from the front seat. Pidge's eyes widened. "Really? What was it like?"

Lance thought a moment then clearing his throat, he said in a very high pitched voice, cracking a few times. 'Hey Lance. You wanna go to the park today?"

Matt laughed along with Hunk and Pidge, Lance grinning. Keith decided to let it slide, If Lance could fit into the friend group and be comfortable by making fun of Keith's earlier days, that was fine with him.

The game continued similarly to that, Keith speeding down the road, Pidge asking Lance and Keith all about embarrassing times of their childhood. Soon, Hunk told Keith to pull into a parking lot. Multiple people streamed out of a plaza at the entrance of the shrine, tourists in the midst. The shrine was made of dark wood, with emerald green shingles and lanterns at the entrance. Keith found a nice spot to park and they got out to start to the entrance.

A huge wooden structure stood in front. They walked through and up steps to see the shrine up close.

The lanterns were decorated in words none of them could comprehend. They checked out the wishing tree, a broad tree in full bloom sitting in the middle of a small wall. The wall was covered in little letters, wishes and prayers.

They walked through the multiple back roads taking pictures and watching people praying in the shrine, it was serene and calming. Not at all like Lance thought, with the dead guy and all that.

He was actually having fun, he was totally sure Hunk was going to be a great friend, and a little bit of controversy with the Holt siblings had been resolved. And Keith...

Was not like the Keith Lance left behind. He was better? Or worse? It was hard to tell, he was just not the same. When he thought about something, it didn't seem childish or scattered, he seemed deep in thought. He was a lot more sensitive towards things too.

But Keith's smile was the exact same. Sweet and warm, but also like when they were kids, rare.

After going to Meiji Jingu, they headed down the street to Sensō-ji. Already they could tell it was much more crowded. It was a lot more popular than the first shrine, and it was quite clear.

You could tell it would look gorgeous at night from the extravagant lights streamed across the crimson painted structure. The temple across from the entrance was about two stories high it seemed with adjacent buildings decorated in the same red color and lanterns and lights.

They set down through the temple and multiple buildings, long lavish halls fully decorated in golds and reds. Stone pathways with blossoming cherry trees. Afternoon sunlights seemed shattered when it showed through the branches. When the wind blew, pink flowers would fall of the tree and the petals would float through the air.

Keith walked, hands deep in his pockets behind Pidge who was blowing up Karin's phone with pictures of almost everything.

The petals from the cherry tree flewin front of his face, the cool wind rustling his hair. He turned to see Lance staring at him. His eyes were wide, when he realized he was spotted he blushed and looked away.

The stone pathways led to huge plaza's and courtyards all surrounded by temples. It was beautiful. But Keith had other things on his mind. So did Lance.

It was around 3 when they got back in the car to head to the Suke6 Diner for a late lunch. It took a little longer to get to the diner, but they all quizzed each other on songs by giving them song lyrics. Lance won.

The diner was small, but had a urban chill simplicity. It seemed to be split into multiple parts, a dining area with blue tiled walls over white tiles. There was a bar with an illuminated wall behind it and a small stage with more tables off to the side. Plants were scattered around in random spots in the restaurant. Soft music played in the background.

They dined on Cuban sandwiches, and cucumber sandwiches. They talked about everything and nothing in one sitting. Keith tried to catch Lance's eyes but he couldn't. It seemed like in one day he had done everything and absolutely nothing at all.

---------------------

It took half an hour to arrive at the Yurikamome train, so it was around 4:30. The train station reminded Lance of the subway he used to take to school in Manhattan. He felt almost homesick for it...he wished Romelle was here.

Pidge payed in her currency from her father, and they boarded the 4:45 ride to Odaiba. The ride was only 10 minutes, and they all stayed quiet too anxious to arrive for another game.

The train took them on an overpass over plazas, courtyards, and buildings. Sometimes it went through glass tunnels, it was by far the coolest thing on the trip so far. Not many people were on the train other than them, so it was quiet and calming.

Once they arrived they did everything they could.

Visited venues and markets for souvenirs, and took more pictures. Pidge went to shops to take pictures and buy a few things for Karin and Allura.

They went to the small island where there was a replica of Lady Liberty. They checked out Diver city Plaza, a shopping area with different kinds of entertainment. Hunk checked out some of the restaurants and took pictures for Shay and his scrapbook.

They went to see a ferris wheel and the Rainbow Bridge, and a nice beach deck. They saw some new building innovations at Fuji Tv Building, and saw cinemas at the Aquacity Odaiba. Pidge got some ramen from there, they had ramen from different places in the world and she loved every minute of her feasting.

They checked out the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, and Matt and Pidge didn't want to leave.

Keith loved every second of this, and he was so happy all his friend's were happy but he was dreading going back to the hotel where he was sure to have to talk to his father, and Lance too. And Keith was sure Lance had moved on. He had Romelle and all his friends back in Manhattan.

The Tokyo Skytree was 25 minutes away from Odaiba, and they all just talked about everything they loved most at the entertainment hub. Keith wasn't sure, but he thought he caught Lance watching him sometimes.

It was 7:21 when they arrived. They decided they would split up to cover more ground since it was getting later, or that's what Pidge said when she told Keith to go with Lance.

But the boys agreed, despite the tension. They talked about all their old times as they checked out the skytree gallery, post and used panaroma guide to check out different tourist shops. They used up the rest of the money Pidge had given them to buy more souvenirs for each other. It wasn't as awkward after a while and they both ended up enjoying themselves.

It was almost 8 o'clock when they decided to head to the skytree since it was going to be illuminated. They shot their friends a quick text and headed up.

"This was really fun Keith, thanks." Lance said smiling as they stood at a balcony looking over the city. The breeze was light, tousling Lance's hair but he seemed to not care.

Keith nodded. "You uh weren't nervous around them?" he asked sheepishly.

"Eh yeah I was...especially around Pidge, but they all seem to be pretty great. I like Hunk a lot." Lance shrugged.

Keith nodded. He knew when Lance was lying. He knew that he wasn't.

"I'm sorry about last night Lance..I was a little rude I think." Keith said looking away towards the buildings below.

"What do you mean?" Lance asked.

"I- I lied to you."

Lance stood there quietly. "You know Keith, when I lived in Manhattan you could never see the stars like you can here." he said absentmindedly.

"I couldn't have views like this." he said now looking Keith in the eye.

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~Oof guess who? Yeah it's me the lame author of this shitty fanfic.........this was a crappy chapter so sorry lol

sorry this was a longer chapter than usual..i didn't wanna add it to the other. Btw next chapter will be the last childhood memory i'm sure u guessed anyway.