Honey whiskey by Nothing but Thieves

The feeling is familiar to a lot of people. There was just no logic to why your bed was so uncomfortable and hard when you were supposed to sleep, yet so agreeable and warm in the morning, making it impossible to get up. It's a paradox even the brightest scientists still fail to elude. Or perhaps they did, but Lance had no idea.

  The brunet groaned as the morning rays hit his face, making his pupils constrict slightly. He threw the cozy covers off of his body, and he sat up rubbing his eyes. His vision became clearer as he focused on his alarm clock. He had slept until 11 a.m. once again. He sighed loudly, annoyed with himself.

  Pulling himself out of bed, he went into his ensuite bathroom to get ready for the boring, empty day. Once he was sure he looked amazing as always, he took his phone from his nightstand. A smile crept onto his face, gradually tugging at his lips more and more. Lance's heart started beating with more fury as he read the text.

  "Good morning dumdum. I hope you slept well. LY"

  Lance's stare softened and his smile grew. He himself couldn't describe how much he adored this boy, this boy he was so grateful to be able to call his.

  These texts weren't occasional, it was now their routine. Every morning, and every night. And Lance wouldn't miss it for the world because it made him smile, it made him happy, it made him ready for the day and for the upcoming days.

  "Good morning pretty boy~ I hope you dreamed of me ;) have a nice day Mullet~ Love you more~"

  Lance replied, letting a smirk cover his face. He still couldn't believe that Keith was his, even after two months of being together.

_______________________

  "Buenos días a todos," the Latino spoke while entering the open kitchen.

Hunk was making him pancakes and gave him a warm smile. He was always the last up and the last to eat breakfast. Pidge and Shay were seated on the sofa and greeted him, then returned to probably doing silly stuff like gossiping. Shay had stayed last night because it was too dark out, and Hunk—being the caring and overprotective husband he was—forbade her to leave.

  Hunk was supposed to move out and live with Shay; he had been planning to for more than three months already. But the sweet man could never find the courage to pack and leave the comfort of his two best friends. Shay never minded, since she stayed over a lot anyway. Lance had thought that maybe Shay could move in with them. But then again, there was something called privacy too. So Lance would just enjoy what he had now, until Hunk moved out eventually.

  "So, any plans for today?" asked Hunk, the question adressed to everyone in the room.

  "Mhm, nope," replied Pidge turning to the two men in the kitchen.

  "No, sadly. It's such a boring Sunday," muttered Lance, taking a sip from his water bottle.

  "Maybe you could ask Keithy out, mhm?" Pidge had a smug look on their face as they proposed the idea to their tall friend.

  "Don't call him that," mumbled Lance, letting the idea roam in his mind nonetheless. He did miss Keith, and he hadn't seen him the day before.

  "C'mon, ask him. But I certainly don't want to hear you ranting about how perfect he is again, and how much you love him. If I need to hear you the whole day like yesterday, I think I'm gonna barf," groaned Pidge rolling their eyes and looking at Shay for help. The latter simply chuckled.

  "Fine, mom," taunted the Latino brunet. And suddenly his brain decided to be creative and cooperative, out of the blanc.

  "What about a group... date... thing?" Lance suggested. "Since nobody has anything productive to do anyway." He smiled proudly at his idea.

  "Well, it has been a while since we did something together... I think we should totally do that," Hunk agreed.

  "Great! I'm in too. Wow, I can't believe you came up with something like that, so you do have a brain," snorted Pidge. Lance was about to shoot back a comment but Pidge interrupted him. "Go ask your boyfriend now Lance," they smirked shooing him with their hand. Lance rolled his eyes and went to find his phone.

  "Hey babe? Are you, Shiro, Allura, and Coran free today?"

  Lance sent the text, and walked into the open kitchen again, taking a seat at the table and eating his private pancakes peacefully. Hunk stayed at the kitchen table with his friend but listened to what the other two were saying in the living room. Shay was telling Pidge funny moments she had had with her husband. The latter was mortified by them. Young people did reckless things, so he shouldn't feel that embarrassed.

  Lance's interest was dragged away from Shay as his phone buzzed beside him.

  "Nope, why? Group activity?"

  Lance smiled once again, he just couldn't help himself.

  "Guys?"

  All attention was directed on Lance.

  "Should we meet up somewhere or..?" he trailed off, and looked up at the other three for an answer.

  "Maybe at Allura's shop? We can decide what we'll do then?" Hunk suggested, the rest nodding in agreement.

  "Perhaps around one or something?" added Shay, glancing at the clock.

  "Yes! Perfect," Lance grinned and typed the information to Keith.

  "Tell Keith I said 'hi'," piped in Pidge with a cheeky smile.

  "Yeah, yeah, you gremlin," Lance burbled under his breath.

  "Yep, let's all meet up at Allura's flower shop, around one? We'll decide together what to do. <3 Oh, and Pidge says hi"

____________________

  The autumn breeze felt chilly against Lance's face. The fallen leaves were scattered around on the damp streets, the wind moving them with grace. The air around them felt heavy and warm, clouds hovering in the gloomy sky above them. Thank goodness the wind danced around them to make it easier to walk and breathe in the cumbersome atmosphere.

  The lean brunet and his two companions continued down the street to Allura's flower boutique. Hunk drove with his car, and would meet them at their destination. Lance had walked to Keith's place Friday after work, which was close to Allura's business, and Keith had brought him home. So Lance's car was still at the shop, and therefore they could use his as well if needed.

  Shay held a small conversation with Pidge on their way there, but Lance was far away, submerged deep in his own thoughts.

  It felt dark and emotional, winter was coming. It wasn't too long, only a few days left. Lance was excited and couldn't wait to feel the snow—if they were lucky that year—, to hold warm mugs of chocolate, to be cuddled up with Keith in front of the fireplace, to kiss Keith to keep warm, and to let his soulmate's smile light the dark winter days. Christmas and seeing his family again in the holidays were also things he looked forward to. Even though he had seen them all a month ago, when he had introduced Keith to them, once more, he was always glad to see them. He still missed them all dearly.

  Lance's eyes looked up from the pavement in front of him, and met with the figure of the gorgeous man he adored with all his heart. The same old mullet, the same old pale skin with soft freckles, and the same old violet eyes. He loved everything about Keith, even his imperfections. Without them, Keith just wouldn't be Keith. And he probably wouldn't even consider Lance if he was too perfect anyway.

  The Latino recognized he was smiling that love-sick smile he always wore when he saw Keith. He also noticed Keith doing just the same. Once the both groups collided, Lance's only focus was Keith. Both men gave each other a heartwarming grin, before stepping closer.

  Lance's arms found their way around Keith's waist, and Keith locked his arms around Lance's neck, nuzzling his button nose against the soft, tanned skin. Lance sighed in content, tightening his hold around his lover, his soulmate.

  "I missed you," mumbled Lance, as his face was buried in Keith's messy, raven hair.

  "We saw each other friday night, Lance," Keith huffed softly, "that was literally two days ago." Albeit amusement lingered in his tone. "But I missed you too," he whispered quietly, his warm breath tickling the other's skin.

  "God, I love you so much," he whined silently, and Keith's face heated up to ebullition.

  Lance just couldn't help himself. He didn't know why or how, but he just knew he loved Keith. The world's soulmate system worked to perfection. He felt most fulfilled with Keith at his side. There was a newly found happiness in his soul he could never replace now. It was unique and bewitching. Even when his life was hard and he felt like dying, that corner of his heart remained glowing and warm.

  He didn't skip the phase of "liking Keith", it was just that he had already jumped head first into "loving Keith" a long time ago. And when they reunited, he quickly went over those feelings once again. The first month they were together he hung onto the sentence, "I like you" or "I really like you." But after a while, Lance felt like he was lying when he said that. It wasn't true anymore, he didn't like Keith, he loved the man. Adored him even. His feelings never stayed in place, always growing by the day. Soon enough, there won't be words to describe how he felt for Keith. The Cuban knew he had fallen hard, but the thing with Keith was, their love was infinite. Like a never ending abyss, and Lance kept on falling for Keith, deeper and deeper in love. He had never stopped falling.

  Recently, the dark haired man started saying it back, but Lance didn't want to rush Keith into anything. He didn't want a pressured and insincere "I love you." He knew—noticed after some time—that his short-tempered soulmate was slow to open up, and shy towards affections. Shiro had explained he needed time to get to know a person and learn to trust them. The older sibling reassured Lance that with him it shouldn't take long, considering he managed to obtain a kiss on their first "date". So the Latino was willing to take it slow. No matter how long it would take, he would wait for Keith to get comfortable and say a real and heartfelt "I love you." He was ready to do anything for the man.

  "So do I, silly," responded Keith in a soft, loving tone, pecking Lance's jaw while he spoke. The warm feeling of Keith's lips lingered on the skin, making it tingle all over.

  Lance pulled away hesitantly and grudgingly, as he was pulled into those violet eyes again. One hand found itself cupping one of Keith's cheeks. His thumb grazed the few freckles on the soft, chubby cheeks.

  One of Keith's hands travelled up the back of Lance's head while intertwining his fingers into the short, soft brown hair. His other hand held the side of Lance's neck, his thumb running over the skin.

  Keith was lost in those blue puddles he admired. He stepped forward, closing the distance between their bodies. He tiptoed and raised his chin. Their lips met briefly, it was short and gentle. Keith leaned back slightly, and his eyes fluttered open again. He smiled at Lance sheepishly as the latter grinned like a dazed fool.

  "Alright we get it lovebirds, get a room," Pidge grunted and rolled their eyes. Keith jumped back completely and retracted his arms, crossing them over his chest in embarrassment. Both boys suddenly felt empty and cold. Keith uncrossed one arm and snaked his hand to subtly take Lance's in his. Warm smiles immediately hung on their pink faces.

  "So what are we going to do?" asked Shiro, rubbing his hands together and tapping his foot once everyone got inside. He seemed a little nervous and his behaviour was slightly off, but nobody questioned it. The poor man had so much to deal with on a daily basis, it wasn't too unusual to see him stressed out.

  "Go to the movies!" proposed Hunk.

  "I don't know... I've already streamed all the new releases," replied Keith pushing some hair behind his ear.

  "The opera then, I'm sure none of you have seen any of the new performances," stated Coran proudly, twirling his mustache. All the younger friends grimaced.

  "Um, sorry but no," answered Lance.

  "We haven't seen any performances period," added Hunk bumping his fingers together.

  "Well then it's a great time to start!" retaliated Shiro with a cheerful grin. The entire group with the exception of Coran and Shay shot deadly scowls at the man. "Okay, okay, fine," he surrendered holding his hands up in defeat.

  "Then let's go to the beach! If we're lucky, we could catch some pretty nice waves," Lance said, crouching down and moving his arms up and down in a wavy motion. A collective groan rose into the room as he excitedly snaked his arms in the air.

  Keith sighed and tapped his boyfriend's shoulder. "Lance," he grumbled, "it's freezing out and the water is probably just ice cubes. And even if we were to just stroll on the beach our faces would freeze off because of the wind."

  Lance squinted his eyes and crossed his arms in disappointment. He mumbled under his breath and stuck his lower lip out. The room fell silent as everyone searched for ideas. Allura twirled a leaf of the  plant set on her counter. Her face suddenly lit up.

  "What about laser-tag? I've never done it before, and it seems quite entertaining," she perked up, grinning.

  "Oh, I'm totally in!" Pidge shouted, excited.

  "Ooh me too!"

  "Same!"

  "Alright, I guess it's settled. Laser-tag it is! Let's go," cheered Coran as he got Shiro's car keys against the latter's will.

  They walked out the shop while discussing which laser game to go to. In the end it was decided that they would follow Shiro to the one he knew. They drove in three cars. Hunk's including himself, Shay and Pidge. Shiro's, who was joined by Allura and Coran. And Lance's, of course Keith accompanying him. They got into a single file crossing the city. Only fifteen short minutes until arrival at their destination, plenty of time to crack some jokes and listen to music.

______________________

  They got a lecture about the rules from an assistant in a small room. They had decided to only play one match, which was 20 minutes and to play in two teams. No other groups were signed in at that time so it was only between them eight.

  "Alright everyone, we all draw a straw, and the four shortest form a team and the other four will be the second team," Coran informed as he held his hand out, eight straws in it. The bottoms were covered by his hand making the same length poking out. Everyone took one, and compared.

  Lance looked at his team which was composed of Shiro, Shay and Hunk. Keith was on the other team with Coran, Pidge and Allura. He thought it was the perfect occasion to prove himself worthy to Keith. He was pretty good at laser-tag, if not really good. He also loved riling Keith up over small things, and they both were really competitive. Being on opposite teams would boost their performances much more.

  The buzzer rang in the room meaning the last game was over. The group of friends were lead into another small room with low neon lights. I was hard to see and the general ambiance was stressful. Hunk was already panicking as he went towards the vests displayed. On each vest was a nickname which the would have to remember so they would know the scores at the end of the game. Each went over the chest pieces until they found a name that suited them best.

  They all put on their vests and unbuckled their guns which were hanging from the belts around their waists. They tested the feeling of the pistol in their hands and played around a little. In the backroom there were little pots with neon and glow-in-the-dark face-paint too for additional "equipment".

  Lance glanced at Keith, only to see those beautiful violet eyes staring smugly at him. Lance raised a brow as to ask what Keith was thinking. The black haired man just smirked and turned around, walking over to where the others were, smearing on the face-paint.

  There were different varieties of colours, all of them neon. Allura decided to go with pink and white, similar to Pidge, who went with green and white. They drew different shapes and lines on their faces. Shiro wore a dark blue mixed with a dark purple paint, and Coran went with orange and white. Shay and Hunk both used yellow. Keith took the brush with red paint and smeared some lines on his cheeks. Lance took the blue, and looked into the mirror that hung on the wall beside the racks while applying the paint.

  "Everyone ready?" the employee asked. Lance nodded at her, just like the rest did.

  They followed her to a metal door opposite to the one they came in from. Lance felt a hand on his shoulder as he looked to his side to see Keith, a smirk playing on his lips. He pulled Lance down by his shirt and brought his lips to Lance's ear.

  "Whoever scores most points decides the next date," whispered Keith, pecking the brunet's cheek.

  Once the door swung open, a countdown echoed through the vast room. Lance was frozen, he couldn't move a muscle. His brain had blown a fuse. The others rushed inside leaving him behind.

  "Lance!" shouted Shay as she ran back and took his arm, pulling him along. Lance snapped out of his daze, and grinned wickedly.

  The game's on now, Mullet, he thought to himself.

  It was completely dark with only the glow-in-the-dark paint of the structures providing light. There were hallways, and ramps, and mazes all across the place.

  The lights on their vests were flashing brightly in the dark. Lance's team was blue and Keith's was red. The teams separated to find their bases. The countdown was almost over, meaning the game would start soon. Another buzzer sounded, and so it was war.

___________________

  Keith hid behind one of the walls. His base was just around the corner. The team split up after assigning positions and roles, and Keith was in defense. He was there if someone tried to shoot at it. He was trying to figure out a tactic for an effective defense. He knew Shiro was battling against Pidge and Allura near Blue's base, because they worked together and they both wanted to get Shiro. Coran was battling against Hunk and Shay not far from Red's base. And Keith, he was trying to find Lance.

  Who would have guessed, Lance aced this game. He was like a silent assassin. He came out of nowhere, and he was everywhere. It drove Keith insane. Lance had already bombarded their base countless times, and Keith had only had a few clear shots at the other's base. What he lacked in hitting the base, he made up in shooting the enemy. He had already hit each one of his adversaries countless times in places where it scored the most.

  Pidge and Allura were trying to attack the Blue base, but Shiro was defending it. Coran kept off Hunk and Shay from Red's base and vice versa.

  And then you have Lance doing whatever he was doing, with Keith trying to catch him, only to leave the base unattended and therefore missing him as the Cuban successfully hit it.

  Keith heard footsteps approaching. He leaned around the corner, but saw nobody. The footsteps stopped. Keith's heart rate went haywire, as he felt his heart bump against his chest. He saw something move, he was sure it was Lance. He was right, he saw the man sneaking up on their base. Keith came out of his hiding spot and shot Lance's armour repeatedly until the lights on his chest and shoulders turned off, meaning he was hit.

  Lance shrieked and dropped to the floor, rolling behind a wall. He was unable to shoot for ten seconds since his equipment was disabled. He should have run away but in the panic he simply hid.

  Once Lance's vest turned back on, there were more footsteps. He stayed glued to the wall but didn't notice Pidge and Allura shooting from an opening facing him. Lance tried shooting back, but was shot by one of them and therefor couldn't fire. He decided to quickly get out of there and try to score points elsewhere. Allura followed Lance, immediately running through the maze to try and catch up to him.

  "I'm gonna follow them, stay here and look out for Shiro," Pidge shouted over the background music as they followed Allura.

  Keith felt proud he had hit Lance multiple times already, but he shook his head. He couldn't let that small victory go up to his head.

  "Patience yields focus. Patience yields focus," he muttered to himself, closing his eyes in concentration.

  Somebody shot Keith from behind, he turned in one rapid swing, and he saw Shay. They both dove for cover. Once the Red player could fire again, he sneaked up to where the short haired brunette was hiding, and aimed. Just as he pulled the trigger, Hunk jumped in front of his wife out of nowhere, taking the shot for her. He scrambled up to his feet with her help. Keith kept shooting until he got her as well.

  He huffed proudly. He had high chances of winning. There was another person that came around another corner. Keith raised his gun ready to fire, but lowered it in relief.

  "I'll take over defending the base," Coran informed. "Running around and attacking isn't quite for me," he added with a puff. The black haired man inclined his head and turned around to leave.

  "Hunk and Shay are still lingering around here," Keith warned, and the man nodded.

  "Oh, Allura and Pidge are keeping Shiro away, but Lance has disappeared again," disclosed his ally. "If you could try to find him and keep an eye on him that would be great. Plus we found an easy target which adds quite a lot of points to our score if you hit it. Thing is, if it hits you—and it turns on every so often—you're penalized for twenty seconds instead of ten."

  Keith thanked the redhead and ran off, staying close to the ground and making sure his chest and shoulders stayed lower than the walls' rims. He followed Coran's instructions to find the target which apparently was a robot hidden in a corner. Knowing Lance, he would have found the location as well and must have stayed in the vicinity. So finding the robot meant probably finding the Cuban. Keith slipped past a corner, and manoeuvred through the maze of walls and obstacles. His breathing was low and heavy. He needed a strategy, and quick. Lance was a sharpshooter when it came to this game, and Keith really wanted to choose their date for once.

  He heard the hitch of a breath as he walked past a dead-end. He pretended to walk away with heavy footsteps, and he heard a relieved sigh. He tiptoed back and turned around the corner, pointing his gun at the person.

  As he had expected, it was Lance.

  "You shoot, and I'll shoot back when I get the chance," Keith stated with a threatening tone. He watched Lance intensely. The brunet slowly lowered his raised pistol and Keith mimicked his actions.

  "What exactly are you doing Keith?" Lance asked, wary. Keith needed a plan right now. He glanced over his soulmate's features searching for a weakness he could exploit, as his eyes lingered on those thin, soft-looking lips.

  The black haired man crouched down in front of Lance so he could be at the same height. He gently pushed Lance's gun to his side and held onto his other hand. The brunet's pupils suddenly dilated. Keith wasn't sure if they were like that because it was dark, or because Lance found him stimulating. Keith stared into those blue eyes. He could see himself in his boyfriend's eyes, the red paint on his cheeks giving a warm glow on the other's irises.

  Before Keith could think straight, his lips were on Lance's. But something was different from when they shared other kisses those past months. This one was more deep, more rough, more passionate. A new kind of adrenaline coursed through Keith's body. The kiss was strong and held many mangled feelings. It had a special force, luring them both for more. Keith pulled back, shocked by his own reckless actions.

  Lance stared at his boyfriend but also opponent, his eyes narrowing with a puzzled look. He seemed like he was trying to solve a difficult math equation.

  "I never knew you liked it rough, samurai," snickered Lance, his stare relaxing again. He wiggled his eyebrows seductively with a smug smile.

  "Shut up, sharpshooter," Keith snapped, blushing. He pressed down on Lance's hands and smashed his lips against the other's. This time Lance kissed back, and moved his lips slightly. Keith went along and turned his head to get a better angle. He crawled onto Lance's lap, his knees on each side of the brunet's thighs. Lance freed his hand from his pistol and hesitantly wrapped it around Keith's neck, pulling him closer. It roamed over the pale skin and crawled into the dark hair, gently tugging at the strands between his fingers.

  Keith's hands rested on Lance's chest, caressing up and down. He kept a firm grasp on his gun, doing his best not to get too sidetracked. He felt his opposer shiver under his touch and almost let out a moan. He smiled smugly into the kiss. His free hand slipped under Lance's shirt, roaming across the skin. It was warm, like it was on fire. An approving hum rose from the back of Lance's throat as Keith's cold hand went higher up the shirt.

  The raven haired man felt something wet against his lip, it was soft and warm. Keith realised it was Lance's tongue, and for some reason he didn't mind. The brunet's free hand traveled down to cup Keith's butt, squeezing it firmly. The latter gasped in surprise and Lance took that opportunity to slip his tongue into Keith's mouth.

  Keith shivered under his foe's grasp and pressed his thighs tighter around Lance's legs. He cupped the side of the taller boy's neck, leaving the warmth of his chest. The new, unfamiliar sensation made Keith weak and caught him off guard. His body was reacting in so many ways to the boy's kiss. Even though he loved it when he was weak for Lance, it was not the moment. He had to act soon.

  Lance broke the kiss leaving a thin string of saliva connecting their lips. Keith's face was burning, his breaths were uneven, and it was just too hot. Lance ducked down again and started kissing down his rival's jaw to his neck. As he started nibbling on the sensitive skin, Keith piped up with a quivering voice.

  "Mhm, Lance," he breathed out suppressing a moan. The restraint made the name sound unbelievably sexy, which caught Lance off guard. He raised his head to look at Keith with half-opened eyes, still in a heated trance.

  Keith's hand left the side of Lance's neck and reached out for his gun, pushing it against Lance's armour. He placed his hand on the sensor, activating the pistol. Now all he had to do was pull the trigger. He pressed harder so Lance was away from his neck, looking up confused, but also aware of the treacherous events to follow.

  "Sorry babe, but I'm gonna win," Keith said in a lewd tone. He fired his gun and stood up. Lance just sat there, unable to do anything. Keith did feel guilty for his trap, but he was sure Lance would forgive him. Just as he was about to saunter away sexily, their suits turned off.

  A robotic voice announced that all players had to leave the room from the exit. The game was over.

  Keith smirked victoriously and turned to look at his boyfriend. The brunet was slouched against the wall staring into the void. His jaw was hanging loose and his face was red underneath the blueish paint. The black haired man chuckled at how ridiculously devastated Lance looked. He hauled his pistol on his shoulder and walked away, head held high. He found his way towards the exit. Opening the door, he felt cold, fresh air hit his face as he cooled down immediately. The others were already taking their vests off and depositing them on the racks. They looked at Keith weirdly, and he gave them a confused stare. They left the room to go back to the entrance where the register was and also the scores.

  "So," trailed Pidge, nudging closer to Keith, "you two just had a make out session during the game? Instead of shooting each other?" they asked, amused with a knowing gaze. They wiggled their eyebrows and pointed to their cheeks. Keith frowned, flustered, but trailed two fingers over his face, smearing them with the neon paint he had put on before. Except the paint wasn't red anymore, it was different shades of purple with some blue over the red.

  "Um... no," denied Keith with an awkward smile and a bright blush.

  "Sure," replied Pidge in a sarcastic tone, giggling as they skipped forward. Keith tried rubbing the paint off with the back of his hand.

  Damn that gremlin child, cursed Keith, only now feeling the embarrassment of his actions.

  "Alright, here is the scoreboard," proclaimed the employee, as they arrived at the counter. Everyone looked up at it. Team Blue was the winner with 55'320 points. Cheers boomed and the team hugged. Keith's team just smiled and high-fived proudly, their score wasn't shameful at all, a nice 50'020 points. While the scores were being printed out Lance and Keith scanned the screen for their pseudonyms to see how many points they had.

  "18,490!" burst out Lance.

  "18,680!" exclaimed Keith.

  They looked at each other in the eyes. The brunet's face was drained of color and he fell to his knees devastated, holding his fists in the air.

  "Nooooooooo!" he wailed slamming his hands on the floor. "I lost!"

  "And I win," piped up Keith with a satisfied smile. He couldn't wait to take Lance on their next date.

  They were handed the small paper with the evaluation of every team. There was the accuracy of the shots, the number of bases shot, the special modes, the player tags, the team rankings, the overall ranking, basically all you needed to know about that twenty minute game.

  Lance analyzed everything and gasped. "No but that's not fair! Keith beat me by two hundred points!"

  "Sucks being a loser huh?" teased Pidge.

  "No you don't understand, if it weren't for that last shot, I would have been in the lead! Stupid chest worth two hundred points!" whined the Cuban.

  "What happened to 'super pro sharpshooter Lance'?" sniggered Hunk looking down at his own score. He cackled when he saw that he had a higher score than his wife. He grimaced playfully and teased her about it.

  "I was totally in ninja mode! I was on fire," bragged Lance, rotating his head and holding his hand out with his thumb and index pressed together in order to show his verdict. "But I was betrayed," he finished in a dramatic tone, looking at Keith with wide eyes and pursed lips.

  His soulmate looked around stiffly with a confused smile. Lance stepped up to him. He crossed his arms and raised his chin. He whipped out his hand and pretended to check out his nails.

  "So. How do you feel now, champion?" asked the brunet, frowning and underlining the word "champion". Keith tried to hide his smile with a haughty look.

  "I feel perfectly fine, thank you," he responded closing his eyes and forcing his lips down.

  "Oh really?" pursued Lance. "You don't feel a little bit of, I don't know... A teensy weensy bit of you know... SHAME AFTER TOYING WITH ME?" The Cuban held the back of his hand to his forehead, putting his head back. "I feel so used... A mere tool for you to utilize for your own profit, casting me away as soon as you've obtained your goal. And may I remind you your goal was also to beat me? I feel double betrayed," he gasped fanning himself.

  By then the whole group was giggling and laughing. The drama queen held his hands out to silence them.

  "Mock me not you low lives! For even though I have been beaten—just reminding you the man over there who I don't know cheated okay, alright?—I still have a score higher than all of yours," he chanted in the end, mockingly waving the little piece of paper with their points. He put back on his noble act and trotted towards Hunk.

  "Oh my dear best friend, my only trustworthy companion, will you accompany me on our way back home? I wish not to be seated with... Snakes," he squinted his eyes at Keith. The latter simply rolled his eyes in amusement.

  "Alright, alright your highness, I'll come with your sorry butt," acquiesced the chubby man. He threw his car keys to Shay. "Honey I'll let you drive Pidge and Keith. Oh and Keith, don't worry, I'll take care of your boyfriend. I'll turn him back to normal, well, as normal as he could be..."

  "Boyfriend? Me! Why never! My pure, untouched, royal self has no recollection of a lover whatsoever," wailed Lance as he was being pushed out the laser game.

  "Okay Lance, we get it. It's getting old now, if you could just cut it off," groaned Hunk. He turned back and mimicked a phone call informing the others to call him.

  The rest of the group scoffed at Lance's theatrical exit and started planning what to do next. None wanted to end the day so abruptly so Shay suggested they eat dinner together. They walked to the parking lot while discussing where to eat.

  Shiro nervously stepped in saying, "I actually, um... already reserved a table at Vivaldi's..."

  "What seriously? That's like, super expensive and formal," remarked Pidge, slightly confused.

  "Ooh did you plan this evening for months?" squealed Coran.

  "Actually yeah..." Shiro scratched the back of his head smiling sheepishly.

  "For us?" continued the older man, clapping his hands together. Shiro looked up alarmed.

  "What? No, I–"

  "Then it's settled!" cut off Allura folding her hands under her chin. "We're going to Vivaldi's tonight! Shay, call your husband, tell him to meet us there!"

  The friends all cheered except Shiro who stood back watching the events play out as if he had witnessed a total disaster.

____________________

  Keith walked glumly through the streets. Everyone had parked their cars and they were all headed towards the restaurant which was a couple blocks away. The sun had set a while ago, letting the cold of the night roam through the city. Shiro quickly caught up with his brother.

  "Hey, what's up between you and Lance? Why aren't you hugging him as we speak? Is he still mad because you got first place?" he asked, pointing to the brunet who was arguing with Hunk about which position was most comfortable while binge watching '13 reasons why'.

  "What? Ew, no, I wouldn't be hugging him! We don't hug. We've never hugged before," babbled Keith in a silly panic. Shiro gave him a knowing look.

  "Keith, you two have been dating for two months, you're childhood lovers, and you're soulmates. Plus we've all seen you hug and kiss."

  Keith cringed at his own stupid reply. He puffed out a sigh and shrugged. "I'm not really sure if he's still... upset about losing. We're both pretty competitive so... maybe?"

  "Oh yeah, he's totally competitive," barged in Allura, pressing down on both men's shoulders with her elbows. "He's always like this Keith. He really doesn't like losing, and he outs it on the person who overpowered him. In this case, you," she clarified. "But he mostly puts on an act, and pretends to be very offended when in fact he isn't."

  Keith listened carefully but knew Allura was wrong about one thing. Lance does go all theatrical when he loses in front of friends. But he does it to make the others laugh so he doesn't feel too bad about losing, because he actually tries his best but doesn't always get first place. Because he'll be fine as long as his friends don't see he actually isn't.

  Thinking about that made Keith a little sad. He knew Lance from a very young age, and he still acted the same. He did start feeling bad about tricking his soulmate and distracting him to get more points. But he reasoned with himself and concluded that where he was going to take Lance on their date would make up for it big time.

  Shiro patted Keith's shoulder. "Either way, don't let it get to you."

  After a while, Keith had distanced himself behind Allura and Shiro, who now had their hands intertwined. Allura rested her head on Shiro's shoulder as he kissed her temple softly, a smile barely gracing his features.

  The black haired man watched melancholically as the couple strutted happily towards the restaurant. He shot a quick glance back at the rest who were huddled around Lance. He decided he didn't want the Cuban to be upset with him, whether it was real or an act. After dinner he would make things right.

  Inside the restaurant were brightly lit chandeliers, and soft classical music dancing ear to ear of every customer. The group waddled inside, shivering rubbing their hands together. Shiro went to talk to a waiter about the reservations he had made. Both looked uneasy and anxious but in the end they seemed to come to a solution. The team was led to a long table where they were asked to sit. There was playful chatter as all looked through the menu. Hunk started listing the dishes which were worth trying and also began a speech about how pasta should really be cooked. They ordered a bottle of wine and a pitcher of water. Once everyone had told the waiter what they wanted to eat, Shiro coughed to catch everyone's attention.

  "I just wanted to thank you all for this awesome afternoon guys," he announced raising his glass of wine in the air. "We really were able to get closer as a team and as friends. This laser tag experience was great and we must do it again."

  The table cheered quietly and raised their glasses too.

  "And I say, a toast to the winner of today's game," he added and everyone looked at Keith. "Congratulations, but we won't let you have it easy next time."

  Everyone chuckled and toasted to Keith and the teamwork they accomplished that day.

  "I wouldn't exactly say he's the winner of today's game, maybe the cheater yes," commented Lance taking a sip of his wine. His friends sighed and smiled in amusement. He could be such a sore loser when he wanted to be.

  Pidge rested their chin on their crossed hands and stared at Lance provokingly. "You know Lance, you keep saying Keith cheated, but you never said how. I don't see how someone can cheat at laser tag. Why don't you explain what happened, huh?" they smirked.

  Lance and Keith both burst into flames. The raven haired man fidgeted on his chair, not quite sure what to say.

  "Well... He, um... He came up to me... and, uh... And told me he wasn't going to shoot... then he began telling me how good at the game I was, and how he was going to lose. He begged me to let him win, and I couldn't say no to those puppy eyes, so I considered it," invented the Cuban, fully captivated by his own story. He made himself appear as the great hero who was stabbed in the back, dramatically adding movements and sound effects.

  As the story continued for a while—everyone knew it wasn't true but it was still entertaining—Keith instead recalled what really had happened. His heart raced in his chest and his eyes began darting everywhere. He was ridiculously afraid someone could read his thoughts and know about the shameless kissing Lance and him had done. His head fizzed with embarrassment but also childish pleasure. Keith felt his lips tingle at the memory. Lance was a great kisser, not that he would ever admit that out loud. He had felt so good in Lance's arms, his lips traveling over his face and neck. It was something they weren't used to doing. It was certainly something Keith wasn't used to doing.

  He looked up and smiled at the brunet who was just arriving at the part where Keith supposedly shot him in the chest as he was supposedly reaching out for a peace handshake. Watching him so passionate about something that didn't even happen made the short man grow even more fond of him. He was also happy Lance was ready to cover for them both. As he watched his boyfriend's lips move, telling the story, his smile gradually fell as he realized something. Lance was a good kisser, yes. But how come? Keith wasn't bad, but he missed something. Lance knew how to kiss. He had experience kissing.

  A familiar feeling bubbled in Keith's gut. His intestines cramped together and his eyebrows furrowed. He sat up straight and glanced at the over-energetic man from the corner of his eye. He knew it was stupid, but he did not like the thought of Lance having kissed other people. Not one bit. Keith felt anger and jealousy boil up inside him. He clenched his fists in frustration.

  While the steaming man bubbled in his seat, Lance noticed the glare strafing the seat opposite to him. It was the expression Keith wore when something was really bothering him. The brunet knew he better intervene rapidly before it got worse. He glanced around at the faces which were listening to his story with a playful interest. He chuckled and swatted the air, ending the story saying he was manipulated and used for Keith to grab victory. His audience was slightly taken aback by the rushed ending. Lance paid them no attention and reached across the table to his soulmate who was a couple seats to his right on the opposite side.

  "Hey, um, Keith?"

  The raven haired man snapped out of his furious daze. He looked up to Lance.

  "Mind if I talk to you for a sec?"

  The rest around the table looked at them disoriented. Keith stuttered, completely perturbed. He proceeded to stay silent and nod his head. Both men excused themselves from the group and walked to another, more empty part of the restaurant. They hid behind a large aquarium containing a couple fish and other colorful marine creatures.

  Keith took a step back and looked at the ground, different emotions roaming around in his chest and mind. Should he be sad? angry? Should he even be bothered by it? He didn't know, he was overwhelmed by emotions. But he did intend to make things right. He had to apologize for tricking Lance and stealing the victory. Even though his drama queen seemed over it, he knew how to hide those feelings pretty well. Keith inhaled deeply and readied himself.

  "Look, I'm sorry okay?" Lance spoke out first.

  Keith flinched not expecting that from him. An apology? He apologized first? Lance made it clear he never apologized first, because he was just too stubborn. So this meant Lance was really sorry? But he had done nothing wrong, it was Keith who took advantage of his boyfriend.

  "I overreacted, but I never intended to really hurt you, Keith," explained Lance quietly.

  The live orchestra not far from them changed musics as they stared silently into one another's eyes. Keith frowned in culpability. He held his hands in front of Lance and shook his head.

  "No, no! Lance! I should be apologizing! I did in fact cheat, it was not fair, what I did," he affirmed, resting his hands on Lance's shoulders. He stared at the brunet's face with guilt. "I just... I really wanted to choose our next date..."

  Lance pouted and laid his chin on Keith's head, pulling him in for a hug. "I really wanted to choose our next date too, you know..."

  His lover pushed him back and squinted his eyes at him. "Lance. You wanted to choose our next date?"

  "Well, yeah... I mean–"

  "Lance. You've never taken our dates seriously. Last time you told me you were going to take me somewhere special you brought me to Staples. Staples, Lance. A freakin' office supplies store."

  The Cuban pressed his lips together in an awkward, culpable smile. Guilty as charged. He scoffed and waved his hand dismissively.

  "What? No..." He saw Keith's face a hundred percent done with his excuses. "Okay I admit it was more of a prank, and I really needed new binders, like, really needed them. But I do care about our dates. I love spending time with you so much, I don't care where we go. You could take me to buy kitchen knives with you, and I would still be overjoyed."

  Keith melted into a puddle of puppy love. He looked at Lance passionately and smiled. The brunet brushed his boyfriend's hair back while grinning.

  "But if you weren't angry about me bitching all afternoon, then why did you look like murdering the painting on the wall across from you?" whispered Lance jokingly. Keith widened his eyes in recollection, then lowered his gaze.

  "I... I was not..."

  "Um, you were too," retorted Lance. "Come on, tell me."

  The dark haired man separated himself from his soulmate and stuck his hands in his pockets, shrugging. 

  "Keith?" cooed Lance softly, trying to coax his boyfriend into talking. He reached out to him but as soon his hand came into view, Keith flinched at the unexpected movement.

  "Keith," repeated Lance steadier, concern coating the name. But the latter ignored the desperate call once again.

  "Keith, please! Seriously, what's going on?" Lance was starting to panic big time. He watched as his lover's face contorted with displeasure. He mumbled something but the brunet couldn't make out what it was.

  "What?"

  "...How many?" asked Keith, louder this time, his eyes still downcast.

  "How many what?" Lance was more than confused now. He desperately searched answers in Keith's eyes, but they kept fleeing his.

  "How many... people have you... have you kissed? How many people have you been with? How many people have you loved?" he demanded. He just needed to know. He needed to confirm his suspicions.

  "I–... Keith why... Why are you asking that?" chuckled Lance nervously. He was flustered and completely caught by surprise by the sudden questions.

  "Lance," Keith warned him with a dangerous tone. His face softened and he looked up at his soulmate with the genuine need to know. The brunet sealed his lips, staring at Keith once again, like he was a puzzle. He sighed in defeat and caressed the man's cheek, keeping his hand on the other's neck.

  "I've been with... a lot of people," he confessed, almost ashamed. "And... of course, I've kissed most of my partners as well. I mean, I'm a twenty-six year old man, I've had the time to date, and, well... get used to kissing, and, uh..."

  Keith nodded in understanding. At least now he knew. It was inevitable, really. He didn't know what he had expected. They had met again on one of his dates. It was obvious Lance dated. It was sure he kissed a lot of people before Keith. He was just upset they hadn't been in each other's lives more. All that he felt with Lance in the span of two months, he wished he had experienced all that much sooner.

  "But," continued the Cuban with a cheery tone, "You were the first person I kissed. You remember that, right?"

  Keith blushed and faced Lance. He was grinning foolishly nodding his head as to make the shorter man speak.

  "Yes... I remember," he admitted turning to look that the empty tables on his left. That souvenir brought up too many butterflies in his stomach. He scratched his nose trying to make the glowing blush go away.

  "And, you were the first person I loved." Lance was not done explaining, he needed Keith to know how he really felt, even if it was behind an aquarium in a classy restaurant. "Even though I dated a lot of people, I never loved them like I loved, and love you now. They were just like... crushes. You mean so much more to me, than all of them put together ever could! We've always had one hell of a bond, and I just want to cherish that now."

  The blood in Keith's system obviously forgot how to circulate since it was flowing only to his face, leaving his lungs and rest of the body with no means of function. The man felt lightheaded and absurdly giddy. He reacted on impulse and reached for Lance's collar. He tugged him down forcefully and crashed his lips onto the brunet's.

  Lance gasped in the kiss. He smiled as Keith let him go. He wanted to make a witty banter but the dark haired man didn't leave him the chance.

  "I'm sorry for thinking about the past. You're more than right, we should focus on us now," he declared. "Thank you for waiting for me, and being patient with me, and loving me."

  Lance guffawed and wrapped his arms around his soulmate's head, squeezing him tightly. "That goes without saying, my dear princess."

  Keith scoffed, pinching his boyfriend's side. The tall man squeaked and let go laughing. They stayed a couple more seconds staring at each other with a silly lovestruck expression plastered on their faces. Lance reached down for Keith's hand, slowly nearing the man. He tilted his head and raised an eyebrow, his way of asking for permission. Keith nodded and let Lance deposit a small, loving kiss on his mouth. He curled his fingers around his lover's hand and tugged it gently.

  "Let's go back to the others, they might start imagining weird things," he advised, leading Lance to the big hall. The Cuban sniggered but followed suit. At their table were already all their orders. Everyone had already started eating as they arrived.

  "Guys, you're just in luck, they brought the dishes a few seconds ago, it's still hot," exclaimed Hunk while chomping on some meat. The two men sat down in their respective seats.

  "So... did Lance propose or something?" inquired Pidge, playing with their fork in midair.

  "What?" Lance, Keith, and Shiro coughed out. Now all eyes were on the young computer geek.

  "Well, we could totally see you through the aquarium, and Keith just suddenly kissed you like you had asked him to marry you. So did you?" they repeated, looking at Lance.

  Shiro put his fork down and blinked several times. He turned to Keith moving his head to the side for confirmation. The younger sibling sighed and shook his head, rolling his eyes.

  "Um... No. We just... We were only..."

  "We just sorted things out. I told Lance to shut his mouth about this afternoon, and that I'd make it up to him," finished Keith. Shiro sighed in relief, immediately going back to his dinner.

  "Yeah exactly! Wait, what?"

  Keith raised his eyebrows and widened his eyes telling the Cuban to just go with it.

  "I mean, yes totally. I won't speak a word of it anymore," asserted the lean man. Pidge put both hands up in surrender, but kept a suspicious look on their face.

  "That's good to hear. Just maybe next time, choose another place for your gross make out session. First, we all look like messed up people with no lives in this rich person restaurant, and to top that, you two basically start acting for a porn movie in the dining hall. I heard some neighboring tables ask if they should call in a waiter to get you to stop before you began traumatizing the poor fish," disclosed Pidge, a cheeky smirk on their cute face.

  The group laughed at their friends as their faces turned redder than before. Keith shot glances around himself, and did see some people staring in his direction with weird looks. He lowered his head and played with the cloth napkin on his lap.

  "Could we just eat now?" interjected Lance in distress.

  "Yes please!" Keith blurted out, picking up his knife and fork.

  That only made the others laugh more at their adorable reactions. They all ended up switching subjects and dining peacefully. Everyone had a great time. The awesome afternoon ended in an awesome evening. It felt good to spend time with every person in their group at once. It wasn't always easy to get everyone in the same spot on the same day. There was always someone missing, an unexpected event coming up. But they managed it this time. Despite the ups and downs, it was a great day.

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Ahaha, finally after about 2 months? ^-^"
THANK YOU for your wait and patience, but VOILA! Here you go!
The next update shall be quicker!
A big shoutout to my editor who saved my ass back here on chapter 3 and is doing me a HUGE favor on chapter 4, I love you girl. You're too good for me (,:
ANYWAYYY, we hoped you liked the chapter! And we hope that you're willing to wait for the upcoming ones! We're quite the slow ones (;
If you haven't noticed~
It's 02;30 (Am), lord save me ;-; and I'm gonna play my first laser-tag game tomorrow with my group of friends!! AAAHHH I'm excited!! I'll fail to be a sharpshooter though, and I'm a sore loser like Lance (,:
Save me-

Word count; 9033