"Hey lance, can you drive me to my apartment?" Keith asked as he put on real clothes and lance was in his boxers and a hoodie, sprawled on his bed on his phone.

"Forget something?" He raised his head curiously.

"I wanna try finding krolia," Keith sighed pursing his lips and lance immediately sat up.

"You do?" He asked surprised.

"Yea, I think I wanna give her a shot," Keith gulped and lance offered a smile.

"Alright, when you wanna go?" Lance asked smirking proudly.

"Soon?"

——

Lance and Keith walked in the halls of the apartment with their hands together and Keith unlocked his door to his apartment and saw it was picked up and clean from his 'temper tantrum' that day but also saw the picture frames replaced and glass cleaned up.

"Did you clean it up?" Keith asked but he already knew the answer.

"No, good start for her at least," lance smiled nodding as keith grabbed the picture frame of him and his father.

"Lets just see if she comes back," Keith gulped as he put the picture back and looked lance gently.

"She'll come back," lance grinned. "She is your mom, I'm going to guess she doesn't give up that easy,"

Keith blushed smirked and sat on the couch with a soft groan.

"Fuck I'm nervous," Keith whined.

"It's normal," lance sat next to him.

"What if she does leave when I fuck up and doesn't like when I skip, or smoke, or when I stay at your house?" Keith rambled a little.

"It'll be okay keith," lance brushed his hair from his face and Keith rested his forehead against lances shoulder.

"Your right," Keith mumbled and went on his phone but lance saw his home screen.

"Hey what the fuck was that?" Lance reached over confused and Keith smirked.

"Nothing," he hummed.  Lance grabbed the phone and opened the home screen.

"When was this?!" He cried out seeing it was the picture of him drooling in his sleep.

"That's something I know and you'll never find out," Keith snatched his phone back.

"Delete it! I don't drool," Lance whined.

"Oh you so drool, and snore and talk, especially mermaids lately?" Keith raised an eye brow at the last one and lance burned red.

"I don't dream about mermaids..."

"Something about how you don't need pants... your a mermaid?" Keith smirked and lance turned deep red wide eyes.

"Well I mean you don't..." he mumbled and Keith laughed at him.

They suddenly heard a knock at the door.

Keith paled.

"Come on, you should answer, if you want I can leave," lance grabbed his hand gently and Keith gulped.

"Maybe just stay in your car?" Keith asked softly.

"Course, text me when your in the clear," lance kissed his forehead and Keith smiled softly and stood up to answer the door.

He opened the door and saw krolia just leaving with disappointment on her face.

"Krolia?" He gulped as he called out her name. She looked back at him surprised.

"Oh your back," she smiled a little nervous.

"Just got back," he nodded.

They were silent for a while as lance snuck out behind Keith and backed away slowly as he passed krolia, he walked backwards as he looked at keith, giving him a big thumbs up with a wink walking away.

"Wanna come in? I was going to make some tea," Keith let out a small breath.

"I think that sounds great," krolia swallowed a lump in her throat as she walked back.

——

"So that boyfriend of yours, he seems really great," krolia smiled gently as keith handed her a warm mug of tea and he sat across from her.

"He is," Keith nodded. "His family is really great too, they're lucky they still have him,"

"Still?" Krolia pursed her lips confused.

"I-uh... lance almost died when he was ten," Keith held the mug tightly.

"I'm sorry to hear that, it's the good souls that seem to go first," krolia bit her lip gently nodding.

"Why did you leave..? And please, no bullshit," Keith sighed setting his tea down before he even drank it.

"I was scared,"

Keith looked up at her confused but saw the guilt in her eyes.

"I wasn't legally allowed in America, I was a immigrant from Korea, your father found me when my motorcycle crash in the desert," krolia told him slowly looking down at the mug full of hot tea as she remembered that day.

"I hid in his home for months and we fell in love, we weren't suppose too, but I couldn't go to a hospital and he knew enough first aid since he was a firefighter," she explained and Keith felt a smile tug at his lips. Not suppose to fall in love, sounded familiar.

"Soon I became pregnant with you,"

"Your father and I wanted to get married, we loved each other but it would also be a green card marriage, but when I had you, um I was found by immigration, so as soon as I could I joined the army to prove my worth to the United States, but five years later I was sent to Afghanistan, Iraq, I fought for our family as I missed our family," she had tears in her eyes as she set the mug down finally and wiped under her eyes quickly.

"But I was still deported back to Korea, I've been working to try getting back but by the time I did, Tex... I heard what happened and I couldn't do anything, I'm so sorry keith," krolia whispered and Keith pursed his lips and nodded.

"I forgive you," Keith nodded and she looked at him surprised.

"You... y-you do?" She breathed shocked.

"Yea... because you came back, no one comes back, and I want to know my mom," Keith smiled gently as he sipped his tea a little and krolia laughed in disbelief brushing her bangs out of her face and sniffled a little.

"I would like to know my son, finally, I promise keith... I am never going to leave you again," krolia nodded and Keith closed his eyes nodding.

"So... how did you meet your boyfriend..?" Krolia cut through the silence.

"Well..."