"You're in my seat"

"Oh, sorry"

He makes no effort to move so Keith huffs and sits in his lap. Lance tenses but Keith leans his head back over the armrest.

"What are we talking about?"

"Smack talking you"

She flicks him across the head and he nods.

"As you should, as you should"

"Did you loose a fight or something yesterday?"

He frowned

"It's wasn't yesterday but sure"

"Your lip was busted up like that for a whole day and you didn't tell me?"

"Seems so"

He pushed himself up with his elbow and glares at nothing in particular. Lance finally moved his arms from where they awkwardly hovered in the air and wrapped them around Keith. He felt how he drew in a big breath and sighed. "You know.. That warning you told me about? The more violent, be careful one?"

"Yeah"

"It happened but it wasn't just like you predicted. He was violent, sure, but he really rubbed me the wrong way that day and yeah... Punched him, he punched me and there were his goons too. It was when I was going to get coffee with James, they found me pretty close to the cafe"

He heard her stunned silence and he shrugged

"I'll explain it more later. Go back to being busy"

She slowly stood up and ran her fingers through his hair once before walking away. His hair fell back down onto his forehead and he dropped his head onto Lance's shoulder.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm just trying to get the right words. And figure out what I should say first"

He sighed

"But short answer, no"

The grip around his sides tightened and he smiles into his shoulder but just as quickly, its gone.

"Okay, you remember Lotor?"

"Uh a little yeah"

"That story I just told Axca, that was Lotor"

"Oh"

"I ended a call with James, and Red was really defensive and this one guy came up and asked if that was my boyfriend."

He brought his legs up tighter

"I said I didn't have one, but only because I was feeling really off! You are my boyfriend, I know that I just-"

Lance squeezed him and he drew in a shaky breath.

"I know. I know.. Its okay, I get it"

He shuddered and took a few moments to breathe before he continued.

"Normally he's physical like punching and stuff."

He tightened and pressed his arms further into his stomach.

"But he was getting really up close kind of physical instead"

Lance whispered, hugging him closer

"I don't know what that means.."

Keith's whole body twitched and Lance felt his pulse quicken through his neck. He felt as he swallowed a couple times to try an ease the lump in his throat. He turned away and the words barely made it out.

"He tried to kiss me.. And touched my face and lingered on my shoulder"

He sighed in a way that deflated his body but he was still tense.

"I wasn't really cold"

He shifted away to flip his hood over his eyes and left one hand pulling it down.

"It's just.. So uncomfortable to be touched and I don't know if that feeling will go away."

"Sorry"

He loosened his arms and dropped them onto his legs. Keith clenched his eyes shut and bit down on his lip.

"Was that a problem..?"

He slowly shook his head and dropped back on to his shoulder. Red jumped into his lap and he chuckled. His hood slipped down to rest on his shoulders. Something cold pressed against his neck and he yelped, slamming a hand over it. He twisted to turn around and it was dropped in his lap.

"Here, water"

He scoffed and rolled his eyes

"So annoying.."

He opened the bottle and took a drink before pointing it a Axca.

"Go away"

She laughed and pranced out of his reach. He huffed and threw the bottle towards her, she yelped when it collided with her face.

"It is not fair that you still have such good aim when you can't see anything"

He stuck his tongue out and she scoffed.

"Go away, mean it"

He turned back around and sighed.

"Was there something else you wanted to say? That you don't want Axca to hear?"

He ran his fingers through Keith's hair subconsciously. He opened his mouth but nothing came out so he shrugged. Lance hummed.

"Does it bother you?"

"What?"

"When I tease you? Like with the piercing and stuff"

"Mm, no I don't think so"

"Okay, I am only joking but you can ask me to stop. It's just, teasing is, everyone around me does it and it's more like an inside joke than anything"

He gave a heavy sigh that rattled his core.

"This is so hard to say"

He sat up and wiggled his way out of Lance's embrace. He slid to the floor and wedged himself between his knees.

"You know me and James used to date right?"

He hummed his confirmation and twisted strands of hair between his fingers.

"We stopped less than a week after the accident, about a month or two before we started dating."

He paused to take a breath but silenced for a longer time, and Lance could see the cogs working in his head.

"Just to be clear, I do like you. And.. I like James too"

He could feel Lance's fingers slow, running small patterns through his hair.

"Both in a romantic way, I don't.. I shoved down my feelings when me and him were just friends but I don't think I stopped liking him. We were friends for years before we dated so we knew all the.. Issues and interests and stuff before. We grew up together. But with us.."

Lance could feel his sigh through his knees hugging his sides.

" I- I don't know.. We were friends for like a month, and we didn't really talk much so I don't know much about you, and probably all you know about me is I have anxiety. I mean. I don't even know what you look like, and I do with every other person that's important to me, but even if we were only friends it's still the same.."

The words died in his throat when he no longer registered the brush of fingers through his hair. His chest tightened and he tried to sink into Reds fur.

"Is this, a break up?"

He stilled

"What? No. No, I- I don't think so. Sorry if it seemed that way, but.. I'm just trynna"

He gestured to his head

"Explain things.."

He sighed and leaned his arm on the couch, forcing him to turn slightly.

"I like being with you, and I like dating you, but this all makes me feel like I'm 15 again. Where I would jump into relationships, enjoy them at the start and have a rocky ending because I didn't know anything. Being with James is familiar and probably easier too, because we didn't really have to talk about much because we both knew little signs and tells and knew how to adapt to them. I like both of you and if there was a situation where I would have to choose.. I don't know what I would do"

He frowns and shakes his head

"I'm sorry this is weird"

"I don't think it's weird"

"What?"

"Liking multiple people, it makes sense"

He scrunched up his nose and his mouth opened slightly as he thought. And hell, if Lance didn't think that is really fucking cute. He nudged him with his foot.

"People can like multiple people as family and friends, why couldn't people like multiple romantic interests."

"Huh"

He nods and turns to face the couch fully, crossing his arms and laying his chin on them.

"What do you think about it?"

"I just told you"

"No you told me in general, how do you fell about me liking James?"

He shrugged

"I don't know. I don't think I'm supposed to feel anything about it, it's your life"

He let his head drop to one side and he quirked his eyebrow.

"You're in it. We're dating, you're my boyfriend. You should have an opinion about it."

"I don't.. I."

Keith held up a finger

"I'm not accepting that answer, you're gonna have to think more"

He leans forward and holds his hand before it can slot back into place. Keith's mouth slacks in surprise but he's instantly interlocking their fingers and rubbing his thumb against his knuckle.

"I think.. I used to be jealous, of anyone who talked to you or seemed close to you back before we were friends, and just strangers in a coffee shop, when the only thing I knew about you was that you were hot."

Keith snorted and an amused look had settled on his face that Lance saw when he shot him a glare.

"Did you have a thing for me the entire time we were friends?"

He takes his silence for an answer and chuckles.

"I don't think I'm that jealous anymore, we're dating so it should mean something"

He hummed

"How would you feel about me kissing James?"

The moment it left his lips, he felt guilty.

The moment he felt Lance freeze, he couldn't hold back a small smile

"That's the opinion I was talking about"

He blinked a couple times and his voice refused to work so his mouth hung slightly open. Keith squeezed his hand and turned his head away.

"Sorry.. I didn't mean to say that. You don't have to answer"

Lance squeezed Keith's hand and his stayed tight.

"I.. Don't know"

"I don't know either.."

Lance sighed

"I know you're smart, and don't like being at the top, but even if you weren't, you pick up on things pretty easily. Things that go over most people's heads like subtle changes in people that you barely know and sometimes people you've never talked to."

He spluttered a laugh and Lance smiled and rubbed his hand.

"You're right, you probably don't know that much about me, and we probably rushed into this, but you're so much more than just a bundle of nerves."

His pressed his face slightly into the arm he was resting it on and smiled

"We should do something, like a get-to-know-you game"

__

His back pressed against the couch and his eyes were closed as he tried to think of something.

"What's the highest you've gotten in fluffy bunny?"

"What?"

He laughed

"That is so weird"

He gave a lopsided grin and shrugged

"I couldn't think of anything else"

"Um, about 25. Twenty-something. It's been a while"

Axca walked into the room and rested on the back of the couch.

"Ooh what are we doing?"

Keith scoffed and waved her away

"You're not"

"21 Questions"

He frowned

She hummed and launched herself over the back on the couch and landed on Keith's lap. He coughed and tried to shove her off but she held on.

"What the hell Axca!"

"You can't excuse me from playing if I'm in the middle of the game"

Lance burst out in laughter and he frowned.

"I mean, she's right"

"Fine"

"Who is the ginger?"

"Pidge"

"I've been friends with their brother for ages, so we hung out a lot"

"What languages do you speak?"

"Who?"

"Both"

Keith rolled his eyes

"You already know though. This is purely for his benefit"

"Doesn't mean I can't ask"

"English and Spanish"

"English and Latin"

"Latin?! Wha- Why?"

"I had to pick something in school, and it was all these wack ones. No one else picked Latin so I did so I wouldn't have to talk to people whenever they learned something"

"Are you any good?"

"Not now. I propably only know like a couple phrases and numbers if I try really hard. I can't remember if I was any good at it because this was years ago"

Axca quirked an eyebrow and smirked at Lance.

"Surely you can answer better than that"

"What?"

She leaned forward with a sparkle in her eye.

"He got crazy into it, would stay up late trying to pronounce everything correctly and he would go around like 'I LeArNt ThIs! I lEaRnT tHiS' and at dinner it's all he would talk about with a stupid grin on his face the whole time"

"I do not sound like that, and how would you know. You were like two."

"I was twelve"

"Same difference"

Lance pursed his lips trying to keep his laugh down but couldn't stop the grin. Axca grinned back at him.

"What's something you do to relax?"

He hummed

"Probably just being with my family. They're big on group cooking and food and music, just not as punk rock as yours."

"Oi"

"Well, to be fair. You've only heard Keith play, and he's big on giving his all when he's drumming"

He hid his smile in his palm

"I did notice the guitar case.. Somewhere in this house. Who plays?"

"Me and dad"

Keith glanced sideways and she rubbed a thumb over his temple.

"Me"

Keith frowned a little. Lance's mouth opened but Axca shook her head and mimed blocking Keith's ears.

"What's your favourite thing to draw?"

His face fell slack and he froze. Axca hung an arm over his shoulder.

"Bones, skulls mostly, birds, flowers. All sorts of things"

He pressed an elbow into her side

"I mainly just doodled. 'M not sure"

"Who is.. Your favourite Avatar the last air bender character?"

"The what now?"

"Um.. Gravity falls?"

He shrugged and looked to Axca for help. She scoffed.

"Dump him Keith"

"What?!"

Keith cracked a grin and the laugh came soon after. He shook his head, breathless.

"That's the next thing we need to do."

"Watch both series, which ones more important?"

"Avatar"

"It is longer"

"Doesn't matter, can you get the disc set?"

__

"I'm.. Gonna get popcorn"

He stood up and his fingers twitched, he curled them into fists and pressed them against his sides. Axca's eyes followed him out and she frowned.

He rounded the corner and let out a shaky breath. His palms pressed against his face.

"I'm sorry I talked about dad, and I shouldn't have answered for you with the drawings. I know you're sensitive about them."

His arms fell slack and he turned his head. His eyes were red with tears. She stepped forward and raised a hand to his face and rubbed his cheek.

"How are you feeling?"

He shrugged and mumbled

"I'm feeling a lot of things"

He pulled his head away and she dropped her hand.

"I am mad he left. I'm upset he didn't say goodbye. I'm upset he didn't take me with him. I'm worried I won't feel in control ever again. I'm happy, I'm confused, I.. Don't know what I'm supposed to do. And I find it easier to hide away from everything and can't even lift my feet a lot of days. Drawing was my release, a-and I know I'm probably still processing the whole thing but I can't do anything to help because it's useless for me to even hold a pencil."

He started pacing around the room.

"The only thing I'm even decent at is the drums but it bothers everyone. Things might as well turn to dust when I touch them because everything goes to shit anyway. I'm in everyone's way, and you all have to watch out for me and babysit me. Everything is my fault. Lotor is my fault. Dad was my fault. James breaking up with me was my fault. I'm supposed to be the oldest. I'm supposed to help out and have the most responsiblity, especially after dad left. But- I can't. I shouldn't have gotten into that car, I should've.. Paid attention, warned Shiro, something. I-"

She hugged him and squeezed tight

"You're putting way too much pressure on yourself. That wasn't your fault. Nothing is your fault. You didn't make dad leave. You couldn't have done anything about the crash. Lotor is a dick. You didn't cause that and you couldn't have done anything to stop it. You may be broken up with James, but you're still on good turns with him, and you're dating your awesome boyfriend, Lance. Okay? You didn't lose James, you gained Lance."

He buried his head into her shoulder and a sob escaped his mouth.