Keith POV

"Did I just feel a shiver go up your spine?"

I turned and regarded the Cuban with a hard look. With a grin, Lance removed his hand from my under the back of my shirt and continued ahead of me towards the Lions.

All this touching had to stop; it was really grating on my nerves. What was apparently a barrel of laughs for him was a motherlode of awkwardness in me. I hated being touched, especially without good reason. Least of all by Mr Hands Go Everywhere who knew exactly where not to go.

"You're going to want to stop manhandling me every time we pass each other, Lance." My voice echoed back to me in the vastness of the hangar. It was sharp, venomous. "I don't understand why you feel the need to do it. It's annoying."

Lance stopped and leaned against the wall, his face a picture of amusement. I could feel a warm blush creep across my face.

"Keith, seriously?" The mixture of frustration and confusion must have tipped him off. Annoyingly, he chuckled at me. "Have you not looked in the mirror recently?" My eyes scanned his face carefully. What was he playing at now-?

Suddenly it was as if all the confidence had been drained out of him, his whole demeanour deflating. He took a step back and looked away, a hand scratching the back of his head in what looked like an attempt to remain nonchalant. The trouble with living with anyone for a long period of time is that you quickly learn their quirks and mood shifts. Lance was by no means a man of mystery here. He was embarrassed and or worried.

"Okay. Why do I need to look in a mirror?" I couldn't keep the frustration out of my voice.

After stalling for a moment, slowly, he walked over to me. "Keith, I'm not sure how to sugar coat this or make it less of a statement," he responded with a sigh. His eyes connected with mine as he bit down on his lip. I don't know why but it made me pause. "I... You're hot. Like 'wow' hot."

"…What?"

"Look, I've been thinking about this a lot and, well, I don't want to keep going without telling you that how I feel. You're an amazing person and I like you. More than friends."

It was as if my brain had stuttered, all thoughts suddenly halted and waiting for emergency reboot. That… that was not what I expected.

"You- This better not be some practical joke, Lance. I'm not in the mood."

A smile carved itself over his face and I could feel the confidence start to radiate from him. Honestly, he was up and down like a rollercoaster!

"I can prove it." I stared at him hard. He took a step forwards, a hand reaching out to me. My heart thundered as I took a step back out of range. "Keith." There was a level of command in his voice and I couldn't help but stop and listen. I didn't know what was happening, what was up with Lance – not really – and I sure as hell didn't want to know why my mind was going haywire at the thought of us. Together. For the love of space… what the hell was going on?!

The feeling of his hand clasping my wrist froze my tumbling thoughts mid flow.

"Trust me, okay?" he said with a smile.

I let him lead me into the small room off to the side of the main hangar space. Pidge and Hunk often used this room to study and fix more intricate objects, a quiet room away from any potential madness. I don't know why I didn't break away and storm off to the safety of the Black Lion, but it felt important to be here with Lance. As much as I didn't like it, I trusted my gut. Even if it was nervously twisting into knots.

The door clicked behind us and we stood there silently, regarding one another carefully.

Cautiously, he stepped closer, on hand touching the side of my face lightly… the other wrapping round me. I stared up at him my heart and mind going a million miles a minute. He leant forwards and I felt, for the briefest second, his lips brushing mine.

"Lance!" I shouted, jumping back and out of his arms. What the HELL was I thinking?!

He took a step towards me and grabbed my hand roughly, stopping me from bolting.

"Do you like me?"

"No." I stopped. "I don't know!"

"Then let me have a chance. Let me love you."

Wait, what? Love? Was Lance in love with me? I looked around the room quickly in case I hadn't clocked a sneaky camera or Pidge hiding ready to announce that I'd been royally punk'd… but we were truly alone. My eyes settled back on his. He couldn't love me. Nobody would ever…

He clasped my face and sighed. "If you don't like what's happening just tell me to stop." The deep blue hues of his eyes shimmered in the pale yellow glow of the office lighting. I'd never stared at anyone or anything so intently in my life. Waiting for him to speak was like waiting for lightening to strike. "I have a feeling you want this as much as I do."

With that, he closed the gap between us. It started as small individual kisses. Eventually they morphed into something deeper, with more feeling, as I let myself melt into the moment. I gasped as I felt his tongue slide against mine, the sensation alien but setting my heart alight. We paused, catching our breath, and I could see him watching me for warning signs.

I didn't know what to do – really, I didn't. But in that second everything felt okay. I was in the place I needed to be. I was safe with Lance. I liked it.

"Do you want to continue?"

"This… is okay."

Lance gingerly put his hand to the small of my back, pulling me to him. Heart in my throat, I decided to take the initiative and brought my face to his for another round of tongue twister. Our shapes melted and we moved in near perfect tandem, my hands buried in his hair, his fingers hooked in the belt loops at my back, holding me closer. I buried my face at his shoulder to stifle a hungry gasp as his fingers crawled past my belt line and dipped into me. Slowly, he placed his right hand to the front of my trousers, fingers moving lightly as if tracing a pattern. I could feel the crimson envelop my face as a million new sensations flowed through me. I'd never done this before, never been so close to anyone, and here I was… with Lance.

My back arched as his mischievous fingers delved deeper, a groan escaping my lips. I could feel myself shake slightly against him and I knew I wanted more.

Without thinking I picked him up. Electricity pulsed through my veins as his legs instinctively wrapped around me. Every part of him was against me.

"Against the wall," he breathed.

I obliged, pushing us back, but gently.

His hands ran up my back, fingers lightly clawing my skin. I gasped as he found my collarbone, sucking hard at my skin. Grabbing his hips I held us together, grinding him against the wall. Lance let out a low moan sending chills through both of us. Before I could stop or say anything, he pulled closer to me, nails at my skin. He whispered hungrily: "More," and brought his mouth hard on mine.

"Lance," I breathed, head resting against the wall just at his ear. "I don't know what I'm doing-"

Not missing a second, he climbed down and turned us round as if dancing. He pushed me to the wall and extended my hands up above my head, his other hand crawling up under my shirt and feeling every ridge and scar over my chest. Then, tugging me close, he grasped behind and my right leg wrapped round him to hold us together in perfect place. A second of pain pulsed at my shoulder as he sunk his teeth into my skin as I trembled against him.

I didn't know if I wanted to go fast or slow, but the mixtures of movements was driving me insane.

Lance pulled his hands down my body, slowly, teasingly, finding their destination at my zipper. Once there, he moved himself down, tugging at my trousers. There was no time for embarrassment at the reveal. He was there – all of me suddenly taken into his mouth.

"Fuck… Lance-"

A shudder like an aftershock rattled through me. I bit down to stop the growing moan in my throat escaping, but failed miserably as his movements quickened and I eventually came.

I stood hunched, gasping. One hand against the wall to steady me, the other still gripping at his hair.

That… that was amazing...

From the serious glint in his eyes, this wasn't over yet.