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Perfect by Ed Sheeran

『Wʜᴀᴛ's ᴀ sᴏᴜʟᴍᴀᴛᴇ?』

『Iᴛ's ᴀ... Wᴇʟʟ, ɪᴛ's ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴀ ʙᴇsᴛ ғʀɪᴇɴᴅ, ʙᴜᴛ ᴍᴏʀᴇ. Iᴛ's ᴛʜᴇ ᴏɴᴇ ᴘᴇʀsᴏɴ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴋɴᴏᴡs ʏᴏᴜ ʙᴇᴛᴛᴇʀ ᴛʜᴀɴ ᴀɴʏᴏɴᴇ ᴇʟsᴇ. Iᴛ's sᴏᴍᴇᴏɴᴇ ᴡʜᴏ ᴍᴀᴋᴇs ʏᴏᴜ ᴀ ʙᴇᴛᴛᴇʀ ᴘᴇʀsᴏɴ. Aᴄᴛᴜᴀʟʟʏ, ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀ ʙᴇᴛᴛᴇʀ ᴘᴇʀsᴏɴ, ʏᴏᴜ ᴅᴏ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʏᴏᴜʀsᴇʟғ ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ᴛʜᴇʏ ɪɴsᴘɪʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜ. A sᴏᴜʟᴍᴀᴛᴇ ɪs sᴏᴍᴇᴏɴᴇ ᴡʜᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴀʀʀʏ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʏᴏᴜ ғᴏʀᴇᴠᴇʀ. Iᴛ's ᴛʜᴇ ᴏɴᴇ ᴘᴇʀsᴏɴ ᴡʜᴏ ᴋɴᴇᴡ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀᴄᴄᴇᴘᴛᴇᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀɴᴅ... ʙᴇʟɪᴇᴠᴇᴅ ɪɴ ʏᴏᴜ, ʙᴇғᴏʀᴇ ᴀɴʏᴏɴᴇ ᴇʟsᴇ ᴅɪᴅ ᴏʀ ᴡʜᴇɴ ɴᴏ ᴏɴᴇ ᴇʟsᴇ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ. Aɴᴅ ɴᴏ ᴍᴀᴛᴛᴇʀ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ʜᴀᴘᴘᴇɴs, ʏᴏᴜ'ʟʟ ᴀʟᴡᴀʏs ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴛʜᴇᴍ... ɴᴏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴄᴀɴ ᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ.』

~~~~***~~~~

Time had passed by too quickly. It seemed as though the group of close friends had entered the restaurant only minutes ago, and they were now strolling on the sidewalk, going home. Shiro and Allura had stayed behind saying they wanted to wait for dessert. The others thought it was getting late and frankly, that Italian restaurant was not the cheapest around. Hunk groaned and complained about wanting a chocolate gelato with a plate of strawberries on the side. His wife consoled him saying she had some ice cream at her place with strawberry flavored candy. The two proposed driving Pidge home on their way since it was in the same direction. Lance and Keith were then driving Coran home who lived a little further than the rest.

They talked about curtains the whole way—surprisingly, a topic even Lance and Keith got engrossed with rather quickly. They dropped off the silly man in front of his house. He kept on rambling for a few minutes but finally said he needed to get some rest. The two in the car chuckled and drove out of the neighborhood.

"Oh wait," blurted out the dark haired man, holding onto the steering wheel. Lance stopped the car on the edge of the road. "I want to drive."

Lance frowned. "Why?"

"I... I would like to take you on our date," he confessed, letting his hand slide down to land on his lap.

"Now?" smiled the brunet, amused. Keith nodded sternly, his cheeks red. Lance acquiesced and unbuckled his seat belt. He got out the car and walked around it, winking at his lover through the windshield. Keith scooted over to the driver's seat. His short legs made it easier for him to squeeze from one side to the other. He adjusted the car seat so he could comfortably reach the pedals and see over the steering wheel. He tilted the rear view mirror as Lance swung himself next to Keith.

"All set?" asked the Cuban. His boyfriend nodded, turning the keys, and making the engine start again. The car advanced slowly until they were back on the main road.

They said nothing for a while. Keith was concentrating on the road, and Lance was playing with the cat figurine he kept hanging on the visor. He tapped his fingers to an unknown rhythm whilst glancing out the window. They were on a highway now leading out of the city. He gazed over to his left and contemplated Keith. The man wore a stern expression on his handsome face. His eyes were steady on their path. They twinkled every time a car crossed them on the other side of the freeway. His position was otherwise natural. His hands were firmly gripped onto the wheel but with a certain ease. His shoulders were relaxed, but he kept a straight posture. Lance never thought someone could look so good while driving. Then again, it was Keith he was talking about, the man could look good doing anything. Except crying. He proved to be a very ugly crier.

The tanned man reached out to his soulmate's right hand. He glided over the back of his hand, and settled over it, curling his fingers over Keith's. The driver quickly gandered over to Lance in perplexity. He immediately went back to focusing of the road. The Cuban's fingers slid under Keith's palm, detaching his hand from the steering wheel. The dark haired man kept shooting glances from in front of the car to his partner. Lance carefully took Keith's hand in his, holding it delicately like a princess's. He placed a sweet kiss on his boyfriend's fingers. His lips wandered further, and claimed the other's knuckles, back of the hand, wrist, and forearm.

The short man squirmed while squeezing the helm with his left hand. Shivers travelled from the tips of his fingers to the base of his neck. He rolled his shoulder covering that sensitive spot, and tried prying his arm away.

"Lance, what are you doing?" he breathed out erratically. His face burned brightly once he pronounced those words. He was so affected by simple kisses it was too embarrassing for him to handle. Lance smirked and leaned in closer.

"I'm displaying my unconditional love for you," he replied in a low voice, dangerously close to Keith's ear. The hair on his neck spiked up and his heart started racing.

"And you need to do that now? While I'm driving?" he groaned, just a little bit displeased.

Lance nodded, "Yup. You look so sexy while driving, I just have to kiss you."

Keith tensed up and sat up even more erect. He tried to put the comment aside and not let it affect him. He coughed stiffly while shifting on his seat. "This isn't the first time you've seen me drive, what's gotten into you?"

The brunet sighed in a pleasurable daze. "Yet it is only now I realize how hot you are, gripping that steering wheel tightly, and sitting all cool and handsome," he growled, keeping Keith's hand under his chin so he could rapidly plant pecks on it.

The long haired man was absurdly flattered, and allowed his smile to grow. He tittered softly with shyness. He couldn't see Lance's face but he was persuaded he was swooning over him. He spread his fingers to interlace them with his boyfriend's. He pulled their connected hands toward himself to softly smooch the back of Lance's hand. He laid it on his lap so his hand was over the brunet's. That way he could keep the sweet distraction from bothering him any longer, but he could still feel the comfort of having Lance with him.

_________________________

They pulled up in an empty parking lot pretty much in the middle of nowhere. Lance stretched his arms out and yawned. He had fallen asleep on Keith's shoulder as the latter was driving. They finally made it to their destination—which was a forest on a hill.

Keith opened the trunk and rummaged through it. Meanwhile, the Cuban stared around at the tall trees and badly lit drinking fountains.

"Where the hell are we?" he asked, trying to make out where they were. It didn't look too cozy around there. He turned to his boyfriend who was hauling a huge blanket and two padded jackets. Lance frowned, disoriented. "Since when do I have those?"

Keith slammed the trunk shut after picking up a flashlight. He locked the car and strutted to his soulmate. "I put them there a few days ago. The blanket and flashlight you always keep so I just needed to bring jackets."

"But how did you know we were going to do this?"

"I told you, I really wanted to take you here, so I prepared in advance for whenever I'd get the chance," explained Keith. He handed Lance one of the large jackets and the folded blanket. He manned the flashlight after closing his own coat. They walked into the woods and further away from the blinking streetlights.

There were many interesting sounds in that forest at night. The crickets were chirping, some owls were hooting, bats were flapping around, rodents were scurrying off to safety, Lance was almost hyperventilating.

After five minutes of trekking in the dark with the constant panicked breaths of his boyfriend, Keith couldn't take it anymore. He turned around and flashed the brunet in the face.

"Lance, what is it? You sound like an asthmatic rabbit after a race," he interjected lowering the light to their feet.

"Uh, no... No, no. I'm fine," responded the tall man, rubbing his eyes.

"Really? Because you almost sound scared."

Lance scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest. "What? Scared? Are you kidding me?" he retorted. "I'm freaking terrified."

Keith gave him a look of incomprehension, shrugging his shoulders and frowning with his mouth slightly open.

"Hey, don't give me that look!" The black haired man sighed. He crossed his arms ready to listen to Lance. "You'd be scared too if you had no idea where you'd be going! We're in a forest at night in a town that looks deserted with unsanitary drinking fountains, creepy lampposts, dangerous animals, and probably murderers."

Keith raised an eyebrow. "But I'm here with you, and I know this place. No one's here and no one's gonna kill you."

"That's exactly what a murderer would say before murdering someone," pointed out Lance.

"You really think I would bring you all the way out here in the middle of the night to kill you?" recapitulated Keith staring at his boyfriend in amusement. The brunet grimaced, clearly dubious. Now Keith was getting almost irritated. "Lance."

"...What... What answer won't get me killed?" whispered the lean man.

"Really Lance?" exclaimed Keith in stupefaction. "Oh my god you're unbelievable!"

"So... you won't kill me?" tempted Lance, raising one finger up. His partner glared at him.

"Ugh! Just... Just follow me and don't say anything," ordered the frustrated man. He grabbed Lance's hand and pulled him along.

"Is this because I was being a sore loser? I was only joking, ha ha, see, I'm laughing! Or maybe you're a hitman who has come to kill me. Oh, just so you know, I genuinely fell in love with you, and you fooled me perfectly. You're one hell of an actor I can give you that. I never thought this would be my end though," confessed the brunet. Keith groaned loudly which made Lance guffaw. He kept on wheezing and mocking his lover until he finally exploded with anger, but mostly with laughter.

They made it rather quickly to the top of the hill. There was a clearing with a couple picnic tables set at the rim of the woods. Keith led Lance to the center of the grass field where they spread out their blanket. They laid down on it, facing the night sky.

"Woah..." Lance marveled at the beauty of the sea of stars displayed before him. "Are you seeing this?"

"I am," murmured Keith quietly.

Lance turned to stare at his soulmate but the man already beat him to it. He was admiring him with the softest, and most endearing look on Earth. The brunet chuckled and wiggled closer to his love.

"Did you even look up?"

"I don't need to. Your eyes are the only stars I want to see tonight," replied the charming beau.

You've been hit by, you've been struck by, a smooth criminal, were the lyrics beating in Lance's mind as his heart rocketed far off into the glistening stars. He smiled sheepishly and rolled onto Keith, hugging him securely. The dark haired man exhaled feebly as he was being squashed, but cackled softly. They repositioned themselves so that they were laying as close to one another as possible, arms linked from shoulders to fingers, and side of the heads touching. Their legs were piled up over each other in a complex knot. They stared at the sky, observing every little detail. Their hot breaths rose into the air at each exhale, and they began blowing more out just for fun.

Lance raised his and Keith's hand in front of them. "Look," he said, "we're part of the sky." He kept his left arm over his head and Keith did the same with his right. They stared at the tattoo dwelling on their skin until it blended in with the other stars. A beautiful constellation of love and devotion.

"What do you think, is its meaning?" questioned the short man, slowly dropping his hand.

"Hmm?"

"What do you think our tattoo means?" rephrased Keith. "Since they're supposed to have a reason that connects and fits with the both of us. Why do you think we have this one?"

Lance sighed heavily. He pondered as his thumb grazed the marked skin.

"Well... It's a constellation. That's connected to the stars, to the universe. We both love outer space," asserted the Cuban.

Keith rolled to his side so he was facing his soulmate. He clasped his hands around Lance's left arm. "True. Go on," he urged softly. His lover also turned around and laid his right hand over Keith's.

"The arrow for you is... It's your personality, in a way. It's sharp, very manly," teased Lance as he pinched his partner's biceps. Keith giggled and whispered for him to stop. "It's a weapon, so it's dangerous. Maybe it's for your aggressiveness, and short temper."

Keith lowered his eyes in guilt. The brunet immediately pulled their hands closer to his chest.

"But that's not a bad thing at all!" he reassured him. "You're aggressive and competitive. You move forward in life. And when you aim that arrow, I guarantee you, it hits bullseye every time. Just look at me, I'm lovestruck with you. You hit my heart just in the right place, now I'll never be able to get over you."

Keith reddened at the affectionate words Lance blew at him. He retreated in the fluff of his jacket until the cogs in his brain would stop fizzing and spinning out of control. He retracted his hands so he could rub his soulmate's on his cheek.

"And you have a big, beautiful heart. You are kind, and loving, and romantic, and simply too pure. You devote yourself entirely to your partners, sometimes even until they drown in your affections," theorized the raven haired man. Lance agreed with a sad nod. Keith freed his left hand and extended it so he could caress his boyfriend's face. "But lucky for you, I'm never satisfied and I'm always in need of affection."

The Cuban almost squealed in delight. He embraced Keith by the neck, suffocating him in the padded coat. They both laughed wholeheartedly while their bodies were pressed against each other. It gradually got quiet. Keith could only see Lance's neck from where he was laying. He observed the light rise and fall of his chest. Another doubt roamed in his mind. He debated whether to confront Lance about it or simply cast it away for the moment being.

"Do you know why I dated so many people?" asked the lean man out of the blue. Keith gasped quietly and pushed himself back so he could see Lance's face. It was incredible, that was the exact thing he had wanted to know.

"To... To find your soulmate quicker?" he guessed. Lance smiled and brought Keith closer to his heart.

"Yes, that's one reason," he chuckled. "But I mostly did it because I had a taste lingering in the back of my mouth–... Uh heart– no mind... you get the idea! The taste of pure, genuine love and happiness. I could only guess it was because of that weird boy to whom I had made a promise. I didn't know if he was my soulmate. I didn't know what he looked like. But I did know I wanted to live the rest of my life with him.
"So I set out to find him. I thought, 'screw you soulmate, I got myself a fiancé who made me the happiest person in the world!' All I had to do was remember who he was so I could marry him. I didn't want to bother Mama, so I decided to find him on my own, forcing my brain to remember everything.
"At some point I thought, 'hey, while I'm waiting, why not date anyone I want?' So I began dating any boy or girl who was willing to give me their time. I thought I was in love countless times. But they made it clear they weren't. I was ready to settle down with each one of them, even though they weren't my soulmate. I just thought maybe I could be happy without my fated person, like I was with that kid.''

"But I guess I was never completely satisfied, and neither were my dates. We were just there to 'pass the time'.
"However one day, I met a total jerk—the complete opposite of what my first lover was. He was rude, salty, handsome, an ass, and mean. All I wanted was for my mystery lover to come and find me since I was twenty-six and I wanted to get married already. But just like how Lilo asked for an angel and got stuck with Stitch, I got stuck with you. My very own bizarre alien cuddle buddy."

At the end of Lance's story, Keith was gasping for air. He clutched onto his stomach with one hand and wrapped the second around his significant other's neck. The brunet only joined in the laughter because of how adorable he found his sweetheart. As ugly as Keith could be crying, he was just as handsome laughing. Tears pearled in the corner of his squeezed-shut eyes, his cheeks were doused with a pink blush, his nose scrunched up at each big intake of air, his mouth stayed wide open to let the cheerful sound out, and his smile was most marveling.

"God, I want to kiss you so bad," burbled Lance in a trance. Keith snorted and took his soulmate's face in his hands.

"What's stopping you?" he asked seductively. The Cuban smirked and pressed Keith's cheeks together. He began attacking the short man with thousands of big smooches, missing the mouth several times. He didn't stop bombarding him with sloppy kisses even when Keith was begging out of breath. He curled into a ball trying to flee the assaults. But since he was covering his face, his ears and neck were attainable. Lance dove down and pecked the man where he was most sensible. Keith screeched in laughter and uncoiled. He playfully fought with his boyfriend, holding both his arms as far away from himself as he could. He managed to gain the upper hand and rolled over his tall soulmate, sitting on his chest. He pinned both his hands near his head.

"Stop," ordered Keith shaking like a leaf. He was gasping for air and any kind of energy seeing that he was completely out of strength. At each breath he tried to take he hiccuped with giggles. Lance tilted his head with a look of consideration. "I said stop," repeated the dark haired man with a chuckle. He slowly let go of Lance's arms. He closed his eyes and huffed in relief. Just as he thought it was over, the sneaky Cuban grabbed him and pulled him down, switching places so he was hovering over him.

Keith rolled his eyes in exasperation. They chortled briefly again. The short man pulled Lance by both his ears and pressed both their faces hard against each other. Their noses were poking one another's cheeks, and they were more laughing than kissing.

They managed to calm down after many failed attempts. They laid on their backs once again with their hands glued to each other. After a short moment of silence, Keith spoke again.

"I'm... sorry... that you had to go through all those heartbreaks, I mean..."

Lance turned around surprised. "It wasn't your fault, I was the one who believed I could fill the blank with any puzzle piece."

"Yeah but... I can't help thinking we both would have been a lot happier if we had met sooner. You wouldn't have had to go through all those breakups," mumbled Keith, slightly upset. The brunet pressed on his boyfriend's hand.

"Hey," he whispered cautiously, "I'm fine, okay? I got over each one of them pretty well. You don't need to worry, alright?"

Keith hesitated but gave a reluctant nod.

"Besides, I'm the one who should be worrying here. You were left alone with no family at the age of ten. A problem child like you must have changed foster families a dozen times. Now that's something difficult to swallow..."

The raven haired man played with his companion's jacket zipper. He gandered pensively at nothing in particular. Lance raked his fingers through Keith's hair.

"You don't have to say anything," he hushed. His boyfriend looked up to him with a sad smile.

"No... You have the right to know," he disclosed. "You're... You are my other half, it's only fair I share this with you..."

The brunet stared at Keith with admiration. He nodded in delight. They waited a few more seconds before the troubled man spoke. He laid flat on his back to watch the sky. His hands connected on his stomach as he searched for his words.

"When... After grandma... died, I was sad... shocked... lost... and scared. I didn't have any family left. I didn't want to be alone. Then I lost you too. I felt very angry and frustrated, because all those bad things were happening to me, but... I couldn't do anything about it. I couldn't stop grandma from dying. I couldn't stay with you. I couldn't do anything, I was just... I was just a weak kid. ''

"I was put in a world that I knew nothing of, a strange place. There were other kids in my room, many other kids. I didn't like having people around my stuff. The anger I had against life... I took it out on my comrades and preceptors. I hated the orphanage, I hated school, I hated the families that came to adopt me. I ran away every time. I was put in a disciplinary school. I hated that place too. ''

"All I thought of everyday, was to run away and find you again. It was the only thing in my head, for... for two years. I ran away repeatedly just so I could try and see you. But, um, after continually failing, getting caught, and punished, I lost my drive. I began settling down.''

"Before, I was the only child screeching at every little thing, now, I was the only child who never spoke a word. I completely closed myself off. It was horrible for the adoptions. No one wanted a grumpy kid approaching his teenage years—ha! that was just the worst.''

"But I was still taken in at the age of twelve, by Shiro's family. Our parents came by the orphanage a couple times. They wanted a second child but... couldn't, uh... couldn't conceive. So they were mostly looking at the toddlers and small kids. Then Shiro tagged along one day. He was... seventeen?—yup, he was seventeen at the time. I don't know why, but he thought I was the perfect... perfect little brother. I hated him from the start.''

"He somehow managed to convince our parents to adopt me. He later told me one of his main arguments was our age gap, he didn't want a younger sibling who wouldn't even remember his face when he came back from college...''

"Well anyway, I got adopted, and I grew attached to Shiro. He told me I shouldn't be depressed all the time—literally became a philosopher to get me out of my shell, and then we were bros for life. But... I was still... scarred, about getting attached to people. I was still sad every time I thought of you... I had stopped my feelings, I repressed everything. I didn't want to hurt anymore. Then I wondered... 'Will I even be able to love my soulmate? What if I fuck that up too?' And I kept on spiraling, again, and again, and again...''

"Eventually, I even gave up on you... I was sure that with your personality, you would have already found your soulmate... and married them. So I pretty much abandoned hope on finding my soulmate, and you.''

"Then, Shiro met Allura. He had never been happier. They moved in after one month of being together. They had really connected immediately. Ultimately, seeing me without a significant other upset him. He pressured me into finding my soulmate so I would stop being so alone... But I liked being alone. Alone meant not risking getting hurt. Alone protected me. He eventually hooked me up with one of his acquaintances which he thought had a lot of things in common with me. I went to the date, and... well, you know the rest."

Lance stared at Keith as he kept his eyes on the stars. He nudged closer to him. His right hand went to touch the man's cheek, pressing it so he would turn his head. He smiled a small smile.

"Hey..." He didn't know exactly what to say. He was sad Keith had gone through all that alone. He was glad it was over. He wanted Keith to know he felt sorry. He wanted him to see that now he could be happy. If Keith was hurting now, he wanted to help him. But he didn't know how, and it was him who was hurting.

The guy next to him shifted so he was laying on his right side. He took Lance's hand and kissed it gently. "I know," he murmured so quietly, the crickets' chirps were covering the sound. "I'm fine now. Thanks to you. Everything is so much better with you in my life. I see the world differently now, okay? So forget I ever said those things, alright?"

The Cuban shook his head and cuddled closer to his lover.

"Nope. I won't. This is part of you. I need to know that, like if you ever do go spiraling again, I will know how to help. I will know the reasons, and therefore I will be able to find the solutions. I'm sorry you suffered for so long... But hopefully, it's over now. I'm here, and I'll protect you. They don't call me The Great Sir Lancelot for nothing," he declared, lifting his eyebrows.

Keith gawked at him incredulously. Tears had begun to accumulate in the corner of his eyes. "No one calls you that," he choked, still emotional over what his boyfriend had said to him.

Lance scoffed. "Pfft, yeah they do."

The dark haired man let a wave of feelings crash onto him. He started crying of gratitude, happiness, sorrow, and fear. Lance clicked his tongue repeatedly in a disapproving manner. He wiped away the streams of tears on his soulmate's face.

"Nononononono," he disagreed. "No you don't. Don't you dare cry. I don't want to see your ugly face now, I still haven't taken fully advantage of your handsome driving face."

Keith coughed up a snigger. "Shut up," he protested, lightly hitting Lance's arm. He looked up to his savior with a wide smile. He sniffed a couple times and rubbed his eyes. "Thank you."

Lance simply hummed and kissed the man's nose. He kept him close to his chest in a loving embrace. They stayed like that for quite a while, almost drifting off to sleep.

"Hey Keith?"

"Mmh?"

"I'm getting cold."

"Yup, me too," he replied sitting straight up. They both scooted down to the edge of the blanket, each taking one corner of the upper rim. They huddled together and wrapped the blanket over both of them.

"Wait, look, like this," explained Lance, picking up Keith's legs. He placed them across his own and pushed them close to his chest.

"My hands are cold," added Keith.

"Hand them over," winked the brunet.

Keith snickered at the pun but still gave Lance his cold hands. He watched as his boyfriend kissed them dearly before clasping them under his own. He lowered the ball of hands so they were between their warm jackets. Keith rested his head on Lance's shoulder. He gazed at the moon surrounded by stars and planets which he couldn't recognize.

"I love you," he suddenly breathed out.

His soulmate whipped his head around in astonishment. He gawked at the raven haired man for a long moment. His face softened and he was on the verge of crying.

"I love you too baby," he wailed dramatically, a bubble of joy filling his chest. Keith chuckled as he glanced up, discreetly pouting. Lance bent over to kiss the lips which were offered to him. "This is officially the best date I've ever been on. I even forgive you for betraying me earlier. And trying to kill me."

Keith couldn't help but laugh. He had the giggles that night, all thanks to the beautiful person next to him. He put his head back in the crook of Lance's neck, and the tall man rested his head on his.

"First one to see a shooting star gets to kiss the other," challenged the freckled man.

"Ooh, I like where this is going," chanted the Cuban.

They focused on the twinkling lights dotting the dark sky. With their hands bound together, they had to point to the stars with their noses. It resulted in many confusions, contortions, and cachinnations. In their rush they mistook planes for shooting stars, lightning bugs for meteors, and a drunk bat for a U.F.O. Their eyelids began putting on weight, and their eyes started stinging. Their yawns got louder, and their laughs quieter. The two lovebirds gently flew off to their nest to fall asleep in each other's arms.

_______________________

The bell hanging from the corner of the door chimed as someone entered the sweet-scented flower boutique. It was soft and melodious, but for one, it was loud and annoying.

"You're late Lance," sang Allura as her employee trudged past the potted plants to the counter where she was standing.

"Oh, did you miss me princess?" he responded winking, bags under his eyes.

"Lance, we both have boyfriends."

"Oh right, right... Sorry, I'm just a little tired," mumbled the brunet, closing his eyes and grinning. Except now that his eyes were closed, he didn't want to open them again. Allura suppressed a snort as she watered a plant.

"Mm-hm... I see," she observed Lance as he rubbed his eyes. He stretched his back then patted the lower part of it. He rocked his hips while taking small steps. He cracked his neck, and rolled his elbows, all in discomfort.

"Oh my..." sneered the beautiful woman.

"What?" Lance looked up at her after putting on the shop's green shirt.

"I get it now... Why you're... 'tired'," she smirked deviously. The Cuban stared at her deadpan as he tried to process her innuendo. His sleepy eyes widened in distress, and his face heated up.

"Oh! Uh, no! No that's not it! You've got it all wrong!" he blurted out waving his hands around.

"Oh really? Because I would say little Keith took you out for one hell of a ri–"

"Nope! Nope that–! That never happened! Stop talking!" he shouted hiding his face in his shoulder. "We only stayed out really late and slept in the back of my car which is way to small for me, and super uncomfortable!"

Allura sighed as she plopped down on her chair. She put down the spray bottle with a disgruntled frown. "If you say so..."

Lance let out a relieved sigh. He took his pair of floral snips to cut the flowers he needed for an arrangement.

"But you're still late, and as much as you're my favorite employee–"

"I'm your only employee."

"–I can't let it slip," declared Allura while mercilessly cutting a bud off its stem. "Unless..."

Lance stared at her wide eyed, holding his hands together. "Oh please anything but overtime, I just want to go home when this is done!" he pleaded shaking his hands.

"Unless," she repeated, "you tell me everything that happened after you two left the restaurant. I want all the sickening sweet details!"

The brunet stood tall again. "Huh? You want to know... what happened on our... date?"

Allura slammed her hands on the working table. "Of course! You two haven't been on a real date ever since that night on the ferris wheel. I've been dying to get some news on your adorable relationship! I'm running low on prompts here," divulged the overexcited beauty, pressing her knuckles under her chin.

Lance frowned as he picked up a strand of lace. He acquiesced, seeing no wrong to it. They discussed passionately the subject of his relationship with Keith. They didn't notice the time passing and they believed they had worked quicker than ever on the assortments. Customers came to pick up their orders, some just promptly bought bouquets, or some purchased house plants. The two florists kept buzzing around the colorful shop from the vitrine to the back of the boutique, and back to the counter. They offered small assortments to children who accompanied their parents, helped lovers pick out the perfect gift for their significant others, joked around with mothers picking up Halloween wreaths for their families. A group of old men came in at once all very well dressed. They said they were an old high school band who decided to take their wives on a "back in the days" date. Allura thought they looked incredibly adorable, and insisted on taking a group picture with them, their flowers, and their cute little polka dot neckties. At some point, a man rushed in saying he had forgotten his lunch date with his wife, and needed a small gift to raise her spirits. Another panicked customer rushed in saying it was her girlfriend's birthday but she didn't know what to get her. Lance talked to her for a while listing and explaining all the meanings the flowers could be for her partner. They ended up gossiping about facial masks and skin care which could also be considered as a sweet gift. Allura had to step in because they were about to get out of the boutique as if they had entered together.

Lance dropped himself on a chair groaning very loudly. It was already two in the afternoon, and time for their lunch break. Allura had gone out to buy sandwiches and he was in charge of the shop. It had been an exhausting morning, and there was still two more hours before the flower boutique closed, and about thirty minutes of cleaning up and preparations for the next day. The brunet laid his head back, slowly closing his eyes. The dark curtains behind his eyelids slowly descended, nearing him to sleep.

The din of the bells above the door shook Lance out of his sleep. He jolted forward and almost fell out his chair.

Damn those cursed bells, I'll throw them out one day I swear! he threatened in his mind.

"Hey, I'm back," greeted Allura as she dropped the paper bag on the work table.

"Hey, I heard," grumbled the Cuban sarcastically.

"I got you coffee!"

"Oh sweet Lord, thank the Jesus!" cried out Lance pouncing on the hot beverage. He swallowed it gently, and melted as it flowed down his throat. "Mmh... I should have taken ten more of these this morning dammit."

"How many did you have?"

"Like three."

"I see," tittered Allura. She took her vest off and hung it in the back of the shop and came back with the green shirt, putting it over her casual tank top. Just before she pulled it over her shoulders Lance caught a glimpse of something.

"Hey Allura, what's that on the back of your shoulder?"

She tensed and looked at her friend. She glanced at the covered part of her skin. "Oh, um... It's a tattoo! Shiro and I went to get one a few days ago."

Lance nodded sipping his coffee. "And can I see it?" he requested fumbling through the paper bag in search for his lunch.

"Oh, sure. Of course." She pulled the sleeve down so the brunet could clearly see. It was a beautiful, magenta, monocot flower. On each petal was a line of clear pink. A yellow spadix in the shape of a trident stuck out in between the three petals. Its stem was green with a few small leaves poking out. Behind it was the planet Earth in gray tones. The stem of the flower went around it making both objects interact.

"Woah, I can't believe you paid to get stabbed with a needle a thousand times when you already have a painless tattoo," stated Lance, cringing at the horrid thought.

"Pfft, it wasn't that bad," shot back Allura, buttoning her shirt.

"And now Shiro has the same tattoo? A pink flower? On his shoulder?" asked the lean florist in a mocking tone.

The white haired woman scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Well, he has the same thing but on his, the Earth is in color, and the flower is in black and white."

"Oh okay," cackled Lance, unwrapping his sandwich. "And... And now... he has a pretty, little flower on his shoulder... forever?" The more he thought of it, the funnier it got for him. Allura gave him an upset yet slightly amused look.

"Aw come on Lance, I think it's cute," she argued.

The Cuban got a hold of himself. "Yes... You're right, it is cute," he stifled a last laugh. "No but really, the tattoo is really pretty, it's some nice work."

Allura rubbed her shoulder blade smiling. "Yeah, Keith is really good, isn't he? He's actually quite talented, I'm surprised he hasn't moved into a bigger shop," she pondered aloud.

Lance swallowed the first bite of his sandwich in a rush. "I'm sorry, what?" he choked out, punching his chest.

"I said, Keith did a really good job and that he was talented," repeated Allura. "What, are you deaf now in addition to being dumb?"

"Keith is a tattoo artist?" burst out the brunet in total incredulity.

"Oh my gosh, you really are dumb."

"Seriously?" Lance put his coffee and sandwich down in order to process correctly. He clapped his hands together and rested them under his chin in thought. He extended his arms with both hands still flat against one another. "The man spends his day stabbing people for money?" he screeched quietly, unable to come to terms with the new information.

"That is not the definition of his job, but yes, he's a tattoo artist. He owns a tattoo parlor down the street," explained Allura. "Did you seriously not know about this?"

Lance shook his head furiously while staring blankly at the floor.

"You've been dating Keith for two months and you didn't think to ask about his job?"

The Cuban remained silent, insinuating a "no."

"Oh my god, how is Keith still with you?"

"Honestly I don't know either."

Allura groaned. She didn't know if it was hilarious or plainly sad. "Lance!" she whined. "You who loves knowing everything about your partner, you didn't think of asking what he does for a living? Do you even know his favorite activity?"

"Yes—for the record it's pottery. He sucks at it but he loves it," replied the brunet. "And I forgot okay! I just assumed he... he... I thought he worked as a simple... That he was a... –I think I just presumed he was either a hitman or a really angry short person."

Allura slapped her forehead. She was going to get white hair for real with that boy. Lance threw his arms to the side while shrugging his shoulders, as if he wasn't to blame. She simply waved at him, rubbing the side of her head. The brunet shrugged and went back to eating his sandwich. Being in a relationship was hard, all he wanted was to eat and sleep, and get some love.

_______________________

The sign on the door was turned indicating the business was closed. Every plant was watered, the floor was swept clean, the flowers were nicely displayed, and the lights were turned off. The two florists hung their shirts in the back and grabbed their belongings. Allura locked the shop blinds once they were both out. They took out their car keys and got in them, both vehicles parked side by side. As both engines rumbled, they lowered their windows as usual to say goodbye.

"Thanks a lot for today Lance! Go home and get some rest," shouted the long haired woman over the sound of the car. She buckled up and pushed her sunglasses on her nose.

"No problem! But, actually could you give me the address to Keith's parlor, please?" responded the brunet.

"Ooh, are you going to pay him a surprise visit at his work?" gleamed his employer.

"I... I just want to invite him to grab a coffee," he admitted putting on his seat belt.

"That's so sweet! Taking the first step like that!"

"It's not the first time I ask him out! Just–... Just give me the address please!"

"Alright, alright," she giggled in defeat. "He works down this street, near the intersection of Lamsville Avenue. You shouldn't miss it, it's a nice little shop with pretty inscriptions and it's called 'Keith's Inkdom'!"

"Thanks."

_____________________

It was not in fact a "nice little shop", it was a huge tattoo and piercing parlor. Lance walked up to it with his jaw hanging on one screw. The entire front of the shop were large glass windows offering a view of what was inside. On the glass was written the name of the place as well as the phone number and other info. An old fashioned, wooden board hung over the door like a pub sign. On it was "Keith's Inkdom" in a beautiful calligraphy.

Facing the broad vitrines were little tables and shelves displaying different types of piercings and earrings. Lance snuck through the door to see the inside. It was spacious and well lit. Some Nirvana was playing in the background. On one side there was a sort of waiting space with couches, magazines, and water jugs. On the other side was a cash register behind a black marble counter. On the bordeaux walls were posters of rock bands, or models, with tattoos and piercings. The ground was covered by black tiles with white lines separating each flooring. On the ceiling were black beams on which LED lights were fixated.

There was a sort of back room not completely cut off with the rest of the shop. A simple black curtain was used as a wall. No one seemed to be in the lounge. The tall brunet took out a small flower he had picked up before leaving work. He held it close to his side as he walked through the curtain. There was Keith opposite to him, except Lance barely recognized him. He had his mullet tied in a low ponytail and his nose and mouth were covered with a mask. He had his extremely focused stare which always turned Lance on. He glanced down to his hands which were covered in latex gloves, and one was holding a tattoo gun. Once the Cuban saw his boyfriend was in the middle of needling a client, he freaked out and shrieked.

The cry startled the artist who jumped back. "OH MY GOD! What the fu–?" he shouted in fury and surprise. His eyes widened when he saw the tanned man turned around with his arms crossed over his chest, rocking himself rapidly. "Lance?" He pulled his mask down and turned off the power supply.

"What is going on? Is something the matter?" asked the woman who was laying on her stomach, stranger to what was happening behind her.

"Oh, um, I'm terribly sorry, no everything's fine! But what the hell are you doing here Lance?" cried out Keith turning back to his soulmate. The Cuban spun around at the mention of his name. His stance was tense and he was holding his hands behind his back.

"I... I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to barge in," he murmured, never looking down to the needles or Keith. "I'll just... wait out here." He shuffled out behind the curtain, leaving the dark haired man in a state of alarm.

"Who is it?" prodded the blonde.

Keith was still staring at the curtain in disbelief. He turned back to his customer in a daze. "My boyfriend... I think?" He was too sleep deprived for things like that. He picked up the tattoo machine and turned on the power.

"Wait wait wait," she interrupted holding her hand up and raising herself from the inkbed. "Why don't you greet him properly, I'll just wait for a few secs."

"What? Oh no, I can–"

"It's fine, besides my skin could use the break."

Keith looked down at the huge wolf head he was working on, which was colored half way in. He nodded and put his tools on the metal tray next to him. He quickly disinfected the skin before leaving. He threw his gloves in the trash right after. He left the mask on the tray and stood up.

"Thank you," he whispered. "But don't move, okay? The ink isn't fully incorporated yet."

The customer nodded and laid back on her arms. Keith stepped into the front room to find Lance jittering on a waiting couch. He stood up when he saw his significant other.

"Hi, um, I'm sorry, I didn't... I thought no one was there, and then I was surprised, and, uh... Sorry," he said bowing his head down. Keith walked up to him. He slipped his hands in his back pockets.

"It's... uh, fine, no harm done, you just really startled me," he replied. "But, how did you find this place? You couldn't possibly be here for a tattoo... Right?"

Lance chuckled awkwardly, shaking his head. "No no no... I... just um... I was looking for you," he confessed, presenting the red rose he had kept hidden behind his back. "And I wanted to ask you... if... you wanted to grab a coffee with me, later?" The brunet grimaced clumsily, scratching the back of his head.

Keith accepted the gift still flabbergasted. He wasn't yet over the fact that Lance had come to his workplace, to offer him a rose and ask him out, of all things. He blinked his way out of his confused haze to gawk at his boyfriend. His lips were barely parted and he raised his head. He slowly nodded, a blush creeping on his face.

"Coffee... rose... yes... Uh! I mean... Thank you! Yes! I'd like that," stammered the short man, completely out of it. His little beating heart was just too excited by the pleasant surprise. He grinned at Lance while twirling the rose between his fingers. "I'll be right there, once I'm done with madam..."

"Oh! Sure, of course! I'll wait here, take your time!" fumbled Lance, sitting back down. Seeing Keith bashful made him flushed and thrilled. He watched as his soulmate scurried off. The man abruptly spun around and walked back to the Cuban. He bent down and kissed Lance's cheek.

"Thanks," he smiled, then darted behind the curtain.

Completely smitten with his boyfriend, Lance grinned like a mad man while waiting for him. He listened to the tracks playing and even read a couple magazines. He couldn't stop visualizing Keith with his hair pulled up. It was the first time he had seen his hair that way. He had always thought it was ridiculous to keep it long that way, but now that he had witnessed the effects of it pulled up, he was a doomed man.

After forty minutes of jamming to rock bands, Lance was relieved of having to wait. The client finally emerged from the back room, shortly followed by Keith. She smiled at the brunet then turned to the tattoo artist. They discussed the safety protocol, and what to do in case of infections. They chatted a moment while she paid. When everything was settled, she left the parlor after waving at both men.

Keith went to the inkbed to clean up, and sterilize all the needles. He came back wearing a marine blue raincoat and carrying a black satchel. He had put his hair back down which upset Lance.

"Awn, your hair," he complained, gathering his stuff and standing up.

"What about it?" muttered Keith as he locked the cash register. He quickly ran back to the secluded part of the lounge.

"I liked it up," pouted Lance, waiting for his boyfriend at the door. He came back holding the rose the brunet had given to him earlier. It was in a lean vase with golden markings. Keith set it on the counter above the cash register.

"There... It gives the place some life," he concluded, trotting over to Lance. "Really? I thought you hated my mullet," he jumped back onto the subject of his hair.

"Well... I wouldn't exactly say hate... More like... I find it a little stupid and old fashioned... But that was before! Now, I want to see you with your hair up all the time!"

The raven haired man crouched down to lock the protection screen to the pavement. He breathed lightly with a small smile displayed on his face. He stood up to meet Lance. "I don't know... I like my mullet. And keeping my hair tied up hurts my scalp."

"Oh please! For me! Once in a while at least!" pleaded the Cuban, shaking his boyfriend's arm. Keith hummed in consideration. He shrugged then nodded. Lance cheered, pumping his fist in the air. They walked down the street to the nearest cafe. Their arms kept bumping into each other, as if all they wanted was to be linked together. The little game of provoking and hiding quickly ended, since Lance was fed up with it. He curled his arm around Keith's and grabbed his hand. They pursued their saunter now glued side by side.

In the cozy coffee shop, the two men timidly separated themselves from one another and stood in line. Lance ordered a mocha latte and Keith a chai latte. The brunet added to the order a blueberry muffin after many minutes of reflexion. They took their beverages and single pastry, and found themselves a small table near a window. Once their coats were out of the way, they took the warm cups in their hands and hummed in glee as the drinks touched their taste buds.

Lance watched Keith sip on his tea. He kept his coffee under his chin to let the vapor warm his face. "How come you didn't take coffee? I would have expected you to be the type to get a dark expresso or something."

His soulmate looked up from his hot beverage. He pinched a piece of muffin between two fingers and stuffed it into his mouth. "No, I don't really like coffee. It gets me too riled up. And it's never a good thing to be twitchy when working..."

"Oh right... But then how did you survive today? I've had six cups of coffee and I'm still a little drowsy!"

Keith gandered at him in surprise. He sat back against his chair and started laughing. "You won't cease to amaze me," he murmured fondly.

Lance flinched at the comment. In front of his eyes was some sort of pink filter with floating hearts around his lover. All sound was cancelled and all he could hear was a soft melody flowing past Keith's lips. His smile became the most beautiful thing in the room—if not the world—and his squinted eyes were just too damn alluring. No matter where he looked on Keith, all he could see was perfection. The brunet covered his forehead with his hand and sighed. That love filter of his was really getting out of hand.

"Lance? Hey Lance." Keith was snapping his fingers in front of the dazed man's face. The Cuban jerked up and looked at his boyfriend. He lowered his coffee because the steam had heated his face too much, or it was the blood rushing to his head that made his cheeks burn that way. "Lance, I've been talking to a sack of potatoes instead of you for three minutes... What were you thinking of that you left had to leave Earth for?"

"I was thinking of how amazingly stunning you are," he answered frankly. The black haired man remained frozen for a second. He coughed timidly and held his cup before his red face.

"Oh... Um... Okay..." With Lance's startling reply, Keith was at loss of words. He hummed trying to place his thoughts in order. "I... I was saying... Um, asking, why the sudden gift and date? Are we... celebrating something?"

"My undying love for you."

Keith snickered softly. He sighed and raised an eyebrow, giving Lance the "no-but-seriously" look.

"Well... It's mostly to– ...I'm not really sure," admitted the Cuban. "I guess there's the fact that I love spending time with you, and I never took you out for coffee... But I think it's mostly because I felt bad for not asking and knowing about your job... It made me realize I don't know a lot or little, or big things about you. Soulmates are supposed to know things about you, that even yourself had no idea of. Me, I'm not sure I know anything about you... And it made me scared... I didn't want you to be with someone who knew nothing of you. So I figured I'd take you out to talk..."

The short man reached out to hold Lance's hand. "Do you know my full name?"

"...yes."

"My address?"

"Yes."

"My number?"

"Mh-hm."

"Birthday?"

"Yes."

"Allergies?"

"Yes?"

"How much I love and care for you?"

"...I guess, maybe?"

Keith smiled. "Then you already know enough. The rest is nonsense. You don't need to know my favorite color, or what I like to drink. You just need to know who I am, and that I will always love you."

"But do I even know who you are?" questioned Lance, afraid there were many facets of his personality he didn't know yet. Did he really know "Keith"? His Keith?

"I guarantee you, you are the only person in this world who knows me better than anyone. You know how to make me laugh, smile, cry. You know how to surprise me, make me angry, annoy me to death. You know how to take care of me, how to talk to me. You know all these small, easy-to-forget things about me. I don't understand why you're thinking this when just last night you proved to know a lot about me. You probably don't realize it, but I doubt anyone could clone me without you noticing something's wrong."

"True true," approved the brunet with a smirk. "But still... Why didn't you tell me you were a rad tattoo artist?"

"You're afraid of needles. I didn't want you coming around and having a fit like today."

"Oh right... Logical... But still!" he exclaimed in disagreement. His boyfriend simply rolled his eyes.

"Well, as compensation, you have to answer this. Do you have a tattoo?"

Keith chortled in his tea. He gazed at his lover with playful hesitation. He gave in with a nod. Lance slammed his coffee down on the table.

"Oh my god! Where is it? I haven't seen it yet so it must be on your butt! No? Then your foot! Seriously? Then... Between your toes? No, right, that's on me... Um... Ooh! Behind your stupid mullet! ...Damn!"

The freckled man was having the time of his life teasing his soulmate. He proudly sipped his chai latte while denying the whereabouts of his tattoo. Their game continued for quite a while, Lance was determined to get the answer right.

_______________________

The lights in the living room and kitchen of Lance's house were seeping through the windows into the dark neighborhood. The man parked his car in the driveway which was already packed with two cars. Keith stepped out of his vehicle a couple yards from the house. The couple entered and were greeted by their friends in the living room. They were called in during their date by Hunk who said they needed to get to their place quick. There was Shay, and Pidge, but also Shiro, Allura, and Coran.

"Shiro? I didn't think you'd be here as well," mentioned Keith taking his raincoat off.

Pidge stood on their knees to peek over the couch. "Where were you guys? We texted you a thousand times telling you to get your asses over here!"

"There was traffic, we couldn't help it!" explained Lance pushing his tiny friend into the sofa. They jerked back up with a scowl.

"You could have at least texted us that you were coming. We thought you would ditch us," they retaliated, crossing their arms on the armrest.

The lean brunet chuckled shyly. "Actually, we didn't notice your texts... Keith and I were on the phone the entire way, so we didn't hear the notifications."

Pidge cringed, rolling on their back and spreading their legs over Hunk. "Ew, you can't even spend fifteen minutes without your boyfriend? Are you afraid you'll forget you have one, Goldfish?" they teased.

Lance stuffed a pillow in their face and pressed down on it. "Shush you. I love him okay?" he responded sticking his tongue out.

"Alright, that's enough now," ordered Hunk, pushing Lance away from their housemate. "Shiro and Allura have something to tell us, and it must be important otherwise they wouldn't have done it in person. Oh my god, is someone dead? Is someone dying? Oh my god! It's Shiro isn't it?"

The tall man flinched in confusion. "What? No! I'm not– We're fine, no one's dying," he cleared out, feeling a migraine coming. Hunk slouched back into the couch with a long, relieved sigh.

"No, it's quite the opposite," chimed in Allura, "we have some good news."

The couple were both sitting on some stools in front of all their close friends. They looked at each other and nodded, intertwining their hands.

"We're getting married," they announced together. Everyone looked at them with huge eyes, and jaws skinning the floor. Suddenly an eruption of happy cries broke the silence. Pidge and Shay jumped onto Allura, congratulating her. Hunk, Coran, Keith, and Lance shook Shiro's hand, hugged him, and patted him on the back, glad for their friend.

"When did this happen?" inquired Shay, fanning herself to try and dry the tears before they leaked.

Allura chortled as she wiped her eyes. "Last night, at the restaurant, after you left. Shiro had made reservations for just us two, but in the end we all went in," she laughed, patting her fiancé's arm.

"Oh no, we must have caused a lot of stress!" exclaimed Shay, horrified.

"No it was fine, that wasn't the worst part at all... The worst part was having to wait for Allura to stop ripping her paper napkin, and give me an answer," disclosed Shiro, wrapping his arm around his soulmate's shoulders. The room awned collectively.

"Wait," interrupted Lance, looking at the floor deep in thought. "So that's why you wore your Gucci sunglasses and belt assortment today! You only wear those when you're especially happy!"

Keith glanced up at his boyfriend, incredulous. "You mean to tell me you noticed a pair of sunglasses over an engagement ring?"

The Cuban stood silent wearing a sheepish grin. Allura giggled as she held her hand in front of her.

"To be fair I had gardening gloves most of the day," she pointed out.

"Ha!" shouted Lance, snapping his fingers at Keith, too excited about winning the argument. He straightened up and crossed his arms. "Plus she said boyfriend, not fiancé..."

"What?"

"Nothing..."

The long haired woman picked up on what the brunet had grumbled. She shrugged and hid her hands between her thighs.

"That's true, I did say that... Sorry," she grinned. "I guess I'm still not used to it... Actually, I still can't believe it..." She looked up to Shiro dearly. He smiled back and pecked her lips gently.

"So anyway," continued the dark haired man, snaking his arm around his fiancée's waist, "we wanted you to be the first to know, and the first to be invited to our wedding... What do you say?"

All the people in the room cried out enthusiastically in union.

"Yes of course!"

They applauded their friends and congratulated them some more. Lance raised his hand in the air while making a statement.

"I just have one request!" he declared with a stern face.

Shiro rolled his eyes with a smile. "No Lance, you can't be the flower girl..."

The brunet snapped his fingers in disappointment and cursed under his breath, "Darn!" He raised his head with one hand over his chest and the other behind his back. "But that wasn't actually what I wanted to ask," he divulged slightly bending forward.

"Then what is it?" asked Allura, amused.

"I want to be the one to style the bride's hair!"

His friends stared at him, always entertained by the Cuban's weird behaviour. The couple processed the peculiar request.

"And you'd be able to take care of that?" jeered Keith, pulling a chair and straddling it. He rested his arms over the rear and watched his boyfriend with amusement. Lance threw his hands on his hips.

"Uh, duh! I've had plenty of practice on my sisters! Who do you think did their hair from kindergarten to prom?" he announced proudly.

Allura smiled sweetly. She gazed at Shiro for approval. He gave a long sigh, but acquiesced. The beautiful woman laughed gleefully, holding her hands in the air. "Yes you can!"

Lance cheered and went to high-five her. He started babbling about hair brushing technics, hair accessories, types of hairdos, and sparkles. Suddenly, he whipped around and pointed at Keith who was looking at nothing in particular. The unexpected gesture snapped him out of his daze and he raised his head, attention on his soulmate.

"You. Keith. You will be my lab rat until I master the art," proclaimed the brunet. The short man dropped his arms to his sides.

"Why me?" he asked, desperate.

"Because your hair is long, and soft, and fluffy, and because I want to braid your hair so badly. You can't say no because you love me."

Shiro walked up to Keith and placed his hand on his brother's shoulder. He said nothing, simply shook his head desolated. The black haired man looked from his sibling to the rest of the room, searching for answers.

"What? What is that supposed to mean?" His eyes darted to everyone but they all cast their eyes down with a hidden smirk. "Guys!"

Then out of the blue Lance was fondling with Keith's hair, picking up strands and twirling them. "Okay, we'll have to properly rinse them, then brush them, then I could curl your hair," started planning the over-passionate man.

His soulmate squirmed and whined. He gave up after realizing it was futile to ask Lance to let go of his hair. He leaned against the chair letting the brunet's long fingers play with his dark locks. It actually wasn't that bad. The feeling of the other's nails against his skull brought him closer to falling asleep. The pleasurable sensation sent shivers down his spine. Just like a kitten, he felt like purring against his lover's touch.

"So! Till when must I be ready?" exclaimed Lance, fingers still dancing on Keith's head.

"Right! If all goes well," announced Allura, never looking away from her fiancé, "the ceremony will take place in Ocean's hotel on the fourteenth of February. It's more like a huge beach house that we are going to rent, so it's not really a hotel."

"On St. Valentine's Day?" squealed Hunk, holding his hands under his chin in excitement. "It's so romantic!"

"Truly the perfect date indeed," declared Coran, placing his hand in front of his mouth in a thoughtful way. "The angel of love himself will certainly bless your union!"

A new wave of chatter rose as the group discussed the ceremony. Shiro made his way through the racket to his younger brother. The latter was half asleep talking to Lance about the type of food there would be at the wedding, and who would eat the most without passing out. The older sibling pointed behind him, motioning to talk to Keith in private. Lance removed his hands from his boyfriend's hair, and let him get up. He took the seat in the meantime, sitting down just like Keith was before. He watched as the brothers stood secluded from the chittering group. He observed Shiro's stern expression while he talked, and Keith's focused frown as he listened. At some point, the short man smiled softly and nodded. They awkwardly shook hands, which turned into a loving hug. Shiro stuck his little brother's head in the crook of his elbow and ruffled his hair in excitement. Keith complained, trying to undo himself from the muscular death trap. He was finally able to stagger off somewhat unharmed. He noticed Lance was sitting in his spot. He trailed his fingers over the man's arm, up to his jaw, and back of the neck.

"That's my seat," he murmured in his lover's ear. Lance quivered feeling the breath roll down his skin.

"Sorry, not anymore."

Keith nudged the brunet gently. "Come on, move."

"No... Go away," insisted Lance laughing.

"I'll let you sit on my lap."

Lance was up in half a second pushing the chair forward. Keith burst out laughing as he sat down. His soulmate immediately landed right on his thighs. The raven haired man groaned at the sudden impact.

"Ugh! You fat hippo, you're crushing me," he complained wrapping his arms around Lance's waist.

"Shut up you ugly mole rat," retorted the Cuban, leaning back against his boyfriend.

"Now I'm really offended," pouted Keith, pinching Lance's ribs. His hand was swatted away with a yelp. He tugged on the brunet's waist, bringing him closer to him. He rested his cheek on the other's back, and observed their friends.

Everyone was wearing a huge smile on their faces. Pidge and Hunk were reenacting a wedding walk together, Hunk as the bride. Coran, Allura, and Shay were fake throwing petals in total hysteria. Shiro was holding a blanket over Hunk's head which was a veil in that scenario. At some point they began trudging forward like robots for no apparent reason. Coran swooped Pidge up and held them up as they pronounced Hunk and Shiro, husband and wife. They bowed down and fake arm wrestled when "you may kiss the bride" was proclaimed. Allura swooped in and stole the bouquet which was a small, square pillow. She cheered saying it was her turn. She pulled Shiro down by his collar to kiss him. Their little play was a complete mess with roles overlapping, and silly props, but they had a great time celebrating the merry news.

Keith rubbed his face against Lance's back. "I can't wait for the ceremony," he confessed, watching his friends dearly.

"Really?"

"Yeah... I really like weddings, although I've only been to one."

Lance sighed and looked at Shiro and Allura's gleaming faces. "I'm happy for them. It was about time."

"Mmh... It's going to be an amazing ceremony," chuckled Keith. His significant other curled his back to lay his head on the short man's shoulder.

"I can't believe they refused to give me the role of the flower girl. I would have made an adorable flower girl, don't you think sweetie?" teased Lance, cupping Keith's face.

"O' coursh," he replied with his cheeks pressed together, giving him fish lips. The brunet guffawed and let go of his poor boyfriend's face.

"So, what role did they give you?"

Keith raised an eyebrow in slight surprise. Lance had always had a certain intuition that the black haired man never understood, especially since he barely ever used it relevantly. He crossed his arms over the Cuban's chest.

"I'm Shiro's best man," he declared in a snobbish tone.

"Ooh nice," responded Lance, turning Keith's head towards his. "But are you really the best man there is?"

The freckled man smirked slyly. He pinched his boyfriend's cheeks from under his chin, earning a snicker. "I'm the best man you'll ever get," he retorted, passionately smashing his lips onto Lance's force-puckered ones. They laughed together, keeping their noses pressed together.

"Hey, Shrek and Donkey, get over here, we need two buffoons to play the human sacrifices," called out Pidge.

Keith widened his eyes and guffawed. "What kind of sick wedding are you all attending?" he questioned with a squeamish smile.

Lance stood up pulling his boyfriend with. "Wait, which one of us is supposed to be Donkey?" he remarked sauntering over to where their friends were. "Because I refuse to be anything else than our great lord Shrek the Great, the Gross."

"Shut your meme trap and go get burned at the stake," ordered Keith pushing the brunet forward.

Very quickly their little play escalated to an unimaginable mess. The harmless wedding turned into a full reproduction of the Titanic, mashed up with The Lion King. There weren't even roles or parts anymore, people were just quoting or mimicking scenes from different movies. The evening ended in pizza movie night despite it being a Monday. Everyone was sprawled over the living room with boxes of pizzas stacked up on the floor. Pretty much no one was paying attention to the movie, and were instead having small conversations of their own. Shiro and Allura were cuddling in the large couch, watching over their friends. It was only with their silly group that a simple announcement of good news could lead to three deaths, two remarriages, a missing goat, and a burping contest. In the end, it was a pretty emotional evening.

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Hiya all! Like we promised it came soon!

Next chapter is the last one sadly ;-; It'll take a while bc we both want some free time in our breaks, but no worries!
It'll be here soon enough!

Word count; 11584

Thank you for your patience and we hope you liked it! ^-^

[PS] I was second place out of 8 wth the lasertag game ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) I'm great at sneaking up on the other team members and shooting their ass in face to face combat-
I failed as an assassin and sharpshooter though, I had the lowest accuracy of the whole group xD (4.8%)