Disclaimer: Characters belong to Dreamworks and Netflix.

This is my work for the tumblr Big Bang Hey There, Sharpshooter. I was lucky to work with beta Ariel who you may find as shippingenthusiast at tumblr and Gaaledrid as artist, tumblr being gaaledridswan.

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So, you see, the thing about Lance was that he wasn't stupid. He may be easily distracted and a bit too enthusiastic but never stupid. And even if sometimes it took him a bit to understand some things, it usually wasn't his fault.

So, he didn't feel exactly guilty about not noticing this before. Okay, maybe he had been especially slow this time, and maybe it was kinda important and maybe taking months to finally start thinking about it wasn't his best mark yet and… Okay, maybe it was a bit of his fault but-

In his defense, he must say there had always been other things in his mind. However, he must have been mulling it over for a while in his head because he was having a peaceful evening like any other and then, suddenly, something clicked in his head. And now that he saw he wanted to kick himself for not noticing earlier.

"You were upset because I was going on a date with someone." Lance stated rather than asked, once the piece finished slotting together and the picture became clear.

"What?" Keith's voice sounded really confused, which wasn't strange since they were literally in the middle of their dinner, sitting on the couch like the sensible people they were.

"How did I never see it before!?" Lance stood up, throwing his arms up in the air, his dish fortunately resting on the table already.

"I don't know what you are talking about." And now Keith's voice was defensive, so it probably meant he knew exactly what he was talking about. And yet...

"But, why were you?"

"I-"

"You weren't before. Were you? Oh my god, you so were!" To be honest, he was talking more to himself now, so he wasn't really listening to anything Keith could say.

"Lance!"

"It does all make sense now! "

"Are you done already or-"

"But why!? It had nothing to do with you! I've never left any of you because of dating. You shouldn't be upset, unless…" Lance finally stopped talking, a very interesting idea occurring to him for the first time ever.

It made him pause and turn around to look at his friend. Keith looked weirdly "scared" as if he was a wild beast caught in the middle of sneaking around.

"Why, Keith?" His friend did not answer though, and they stayed there, face to face and unmoving until something changed on Keith's face. Something small but that wasn't unnoticed with the amount of attention Lance put on him at the moment. He even managed to predict the next five seconds before they happened.

"Oh, no, you are not-" but it was already too late because Keith had fled the couch and was already opening the door to his room by the time Lance tried to catch him. The door slammed behind his back and Lance found himself looking at the white paint. "I can't believe this."

With a huff, he made his way toward the closed room and knocked three times before trying to convince his friend to get out.

"Keith, we are having a conversation here! Rude!" There was no answer so he knocked again, and again with pretty much the same result. The light was turned off, as it did when Keith went to sleep, but he could still hear his footsteps getting closer and away from the door.

"Keith I can hear you!" the tapping sound stopped and Lance felt like screaming. So he did. "Keith! I saw you hide in your room! I know you are there!"

No answer came back and Lance kicked the door, frustrated. Not that strong because they were cheap and fragile, but still enough to make a point. Then he sat on the floor, back against the door, decided to wait whatever time was needed for Keith to get out and answer his question. Meanwhile, he took out his phone and messaged Hunk.

Keith is hiding what do i do

what? why is he hiding?

I asked why was he upset about my date

like 3 months ago?

Oh wow

this is happening

what's happening!?

?

Can't help gtg bbl

Don't leave me!

After the ultimate betrayal, Lance took a picture of the closed door and sent it to Pidge.

Please tell keith to get out

I'm not talking to him

I didn't say you were?

?

Pidge?

is he talking to you?

No

Pidge!

He looked at his contacts and of course Keith was on. Since he wasn't answering the door Lance tried sending him a message.

Get out

There was no answer but the message appeared seen. It made him furious.

dont ignore me

what are you talking with pidge

keiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiith

Surely enough, he still got no answer but the seen sign so he huffed and blocked the phone. Fine. Shitty friends he had. Lance rested his head against the door, waiting for the buzzing that would let him know they were still worth. It didn't come, however, so he was left there trying to solve this puzzle in front of his eyes.

So, it was obvious Keith had been upset at his date but the question was, why? There were a few possibilities but not many of them would have made Keith hid in his room. Particularly because he liked to solve problems by charging into them instead of hiding and running.

Lance wasn't even half as self centered as he liked to play it, but as he saw things there was only one possible answer that would make Keith upset and would also chase him into his room like this. However, that particular possibility… It wasn't something Lance would have even entertained thinking. Like, ever. He had never thought about Keith like that . It was probably a mistake. And yet…

Lance got frustrated and knocked at the door again, before unlocking his phone to send a string of messages to Keith.

Came here

or

I will

do

something

The messages were left on read again, and Lance was three seconds away from throwing the phone away. Fine. He wanted to play it like that. He wasn't going to out stubborn him. Lance was going to make him leave his room and actually talk, whatever the cost.

Now, what was the most annoying thing he could do to Keith? He surely complained about a lot of things but he wasn't usually serious so… Ah, of course, that would do.

Smirking to himself, Lance got up, kicked the door for good measure and strode into the kitchen, only to come back with all their left napkins. He sat again, his back to the door, and then proceeded to write the most cheesy thing he could think of.

Where were you hiding all my life?

There. Perfect. He slid the note under the door and it took some time but then he heard a muffled sound that could have been a scream. He smiled to himself before taking another napkin.

If you were a steak you would be well done.

This time the muffled sound came faster, but the door kept closed and his messages left on read. Lance growled but steeled his resolve. He could do this all night. He was a master at this.

Hello, I'm a thief, and I'm here to steal your heart.

Are you a cat because I'm feline a connection between us.

If nothing lasts forever, will you be my nothing?

Napkin after napkin they slipped under the door, and Lance just felt a little bit guilty for wasting their supplies this way. Whatever, if it worked it would be a fair inversion.

He was just done sliding the last one, Are you a beaver? Cause daaaaaaaaam! , and thinking for a new one when his phone beeped.

K: Stop

Are you finally going to come out?

There was no answer but the door opened and Lance to scramble to get up in time and avoid hitting his head on the ground. Keith left the room and ignored him to go sit on the couch again. This time he put his feet over it too and dragged his knees closer to his body. Lance was a bit lost about what was he supposed to do now, until his phone beeped again with a single message from Pidge.

Behave.

That was all. Punctuation included. Lance sighed and made his way to the couch too. Keith didn't do or say anything when he sat at his side and the air around them became awkward as it had been since years ago. It took some time but Lance finally manage to say the words that were burning inside him.

"Since when?" He mumbled, not sure of what exactly was he asking but wanting to start with something easy, like time.

"Not sure. A long time?" Keith's voice was barely a whisper against his legs but Lance heard it anyway. He could have never missed it.

"Uh…" Lance muttered, very articulate.

"You don't need to pity me." Keith sighed, rubbing his left eye with his hand. It seemed more like a nervous thing than anything else.

"You think I would do that for pity?" It wasn't something Lance expected Keith to say and he still didn't want to assume anything. Not until he had an actual confirmation of what he had been thinking since Keith ran away.

"I don't know," his friend said with a shrug, as if he really didn't care. "You don't owe me anything."

"So. Am I right?" Lance didn't feel like voicing it out loud but when Keith only shrugged again, he had no option but to actually ask. "Keith. Do you like me?"

There was a long, long silence that lasted maybe hours or just a minute before Keith before sighed very deep and nodded.

"Yeah."

Now it was time for Lance to be stunned into silence. No one moved after the confession but Lance's head was going ten miles per hour. He wondered how had he never even thought about this, how much it must have sucked for Keith and what did it exactly mean for himself. How was he supposed to feel about this? Shouldn't it be at least a bit weird instead of just… okay? At the end, he managed to collect himself enough to ask something else.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He was looking at Keith this time so he saw him tilting his head to one side, maybe pensive.

"You don't like me." He wasn't even upset about it. It was so obvious how much he was used to the situation already. "And it was okay to be your friend."

"How do you know?" Lance blurted, his heart suddenly beating very fast.

"What?" For the first time, Keith lifted his head and looked at him, his brow furrowed in confusion.

" That I don't like you." And honestly, what was Lance saying? He couldn't hear his own thoughts over the beating of his blood on his ears.

"Do you?" Keith asked, his right eyebrow arched in that smuggly way Lance used to hate so much when they were younger.

"I-" The answer wasn't yes. However, and weirdly enough, it wasn't 'no' either. "I don't know"

Keith laughed softly, like he did sometimes when he wasn't being his normal broody self.

"You don't. No need to worry, I understand."

Lance shook his head and before he noticed his mouth was running faster than his thoughts.

"I don't know. I think I maybe do. Or I could. I don't know. You have always been there for me, so I didn't really think about it." Keith looked surprised and Lance was it too, especially because he didn't find it in himself to deny any of the things he had just said. "But now, you like me, and it's like… the world has shifted."

That actually made Keith laugh out loud but there was something fond in his eyes when he teased him.

"Pftttt, you are sappy."

"When am I not?" Lance replied, also laughing.

Silence came back but it wasn't uncomfortable as before. Lance had leaned against the couch's back, thinking, while Keith was humming something under his breath. It was a nice sound even if it was soft.

So Lance thought about a lot of things. About Keith, about everything they did together on a daily basis,about their bickering and fights, about watching movies until early in the morning and laughing together until the neighbours knocked on the walls. He thought about the silent afternoons when they were busy with their homework and projects and still managed to share the same space. He thought about setting a plate to wait on the microwave before leaving in the afternoon and finding wrapped sandwiches at night.

He thought about holding Keith's hand, kissing and hugging him, and realized it felt more natural than any other thing had ever felt. Maybe he had been missing more than just one thing.

"So, would you give me a chance?" Lance blurted again, avoiding all over thinking that could stop him.

"What?" Keith was startled from his calm, clearly not expecting the question.

"You know. To date you." Lance head tilted over the couch's back, facing Keith with a lazy calm that had fallen over him after some realizations.

"Lance, you don't have to." Keith, instead, was frowning. It made him afraid he had done a mistake or that he was asking too much, at least until his friend kept talking. "I don't need your pity."

"It's not pity!" He took Keith's hands on his own and managed to disentangle him from the human ball he had become. His eyes looked bigger from this point, and had they always been this purple? "I would like to try. Please. I know I don't deserve you after all this time and all you've done for me but. Please. Give me a chance."

In any other situation, Lance would have laughed. Keith's eyes were big and wide, his mouth was open in a small circle and he could almost see the thoughts chasing in his mind one after another. After a moment, he tried to say something but no sound came from his mouth which closed and opened again a few times. A funny sight indeed.

"Are you serious?" He finally asked. His voice was small, frail and dubious, like he didn't really believe what he had just heard.

"I am." Lance smiled, squeezing his hands.

"You really don't have to-"

"I know"

"Oh." Keith bit his lip and didn't say anything else, and Lance tried to give him time but he had never been good at patience.

"So, what do you say?"

"Uh. Eh. Okay?"

"Is that a question?" Lance huffed, grinning.

"Okay." Keith said, with a tiny smile of his own

"Yes!" Lance all but tackled Keith into the couch "You won't regret it! I'll make it up for you, I promise!"

"Ugh, stop, let me go!" Keith laughed but he was still trying to push Lance away

"Aw, Keith, don't be mean, let your boyfriend hug you!"

"Boyfriend?" His voice was funny and it made Lance doubt himself for the first time

"Uh, I mean, I guess? If it is okay, uh-"

"It's okay, you idiot." Keith silenced him by kissing his cheek, before pushing him away. Lance felt his face combusting and couldn't stop himself from giggling. "What's so funny?"

"This. I just. I can't believe this is happening."

"Yeah, tell me about it." It sounded a bit melancholic, even if he was still smiling, so Lance all but draped himself over Keith. Then he pecked him once and again in between giggles.

It was Keith's time to blush. He didn't even notice when Lance took a selfie of them both.

*attached file*

P: *screaming*

H: Congrats

K: I told him to stop taking pictures.

Shut up, this one is cute.