Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Everybody has a guilty pleasure and if they don’t, they’re lying. What's yours? Lance loves to ask it, in the loose moments when people start sharing because their guard is down. He learned early that his best friend, Hunk, has a secret stash of instant ramen, despite all of the lectures he was forced to endure about how “home cooked meals were medicine to the soul, Lance. Lay off the take out!”

It’s how he learned that Pidge, who came into the picture not too long after Hunk, has an addiction to raunchy reality TV. “ It’s the one thing I kept from girlhood,” they shrugged it off as Lance had gawked. As for him, he was a liar. “I’m a slut for a good party,” he’d spill naturally, and this was true. But it was not his guilty pleasure.  

LA was such a different place than Cuba, sometimes it was hard to believe he belonged to either. It hit harder when he was drunk, like right now. The music was thumping, mingling closely with the percussive beat of his heart. He’d found a pretty girl around here earlier but she had disappeared into the crowd and left Lance on his own. He didn’t really care, not when a waitress was floating with more shots of tequila, and the dance floor was so hot he felt that buzz of a true party. The collective turns into one, living, breathing entity, and you either fall into it, or you let it run you over. His hands were up so he wasn’t really alone, that’s what he told himself, as the bass shook in his bones and hundreds of bodies jumped along with him. LA was something new. 

The moment died as the DJ made his first hiccup of the night and played some lame line dancing song Lance did not know the choreo to. He stumbled over towards the kitchen only to find the host of the party standing and smiling, with Hunk, Pidge, and holy shit. Takashi Shirogane. 

“Buddy!” Hunk calls out to him warm as ever, probably a few drinks in himself, “come here!!”

It was like every drop of alcohol Lance had ingested had evaporated out of him and left him dreadfully sober. His heart, no longer rhythmic with the music, fell down to his feet. This was the Inspacewithshiro. The first youtuber to ever record in space and document the existence of alien life. What the hell was he doing at a content creator party???

“Allura, you’ve graced me with your presence once more,” He found himself grabbing her hand to kiss it lightly, succumbing to the only muscle memory available. She laughs and swats him away playfully, “Now, now, Lance. You’re still not smooth enough.” She gives that sly, knowing smile, it was all banter of course. Teasing the distant past where Lance had genuinely, and embarrassingly pursued the beauty guru and failed miserably. They were good friends now, even collabed a few times on their respective channels.

“You fall for this ass one day, Princess.” He winks, and pulls her in for a hug. He would usually take comfort in the grounding nature of her presence, and the near celestial scent of her hair, but then she was moving and Shiro. THE Shiro!! Was in front of him with a pleasant smile.

“You must be LoverboyLance,” he said, holding out his hand. The real one. Well. The one that was not a prosthetic. It takes everything in the boy not to die on the spot. Both from embarrassment but also from sheer excitement. Distantly behind him he could hear Hunk and Pidge snickering to themselves. A phone was probably recording all of this and he had half the mind to buck up and make something worth posting about later but, then again, it was Shiro . 

“Holy shit.” was the best he could come up with. Thankfully, the older, devastatingly handsome man just laughed, taking Lance’s hand in his and giving him a friendly handshake. 

“Shiro gets this treatment quite often” Allura notes, very knowingly, from the side. So much so, Lance- still hand in hand with his idol- whips around to face her. Just as he suspected, Hunk had his Iphone out and Pidge, damn them , had Canon focused on him. “You KNOW him?” He exclaims breathlessly, and Allura actually laughs. 

“Remember a few months ago when I told you I met this guy during my visit back home to London?” She tilted her head, looking elegant despite the red solo cup in her hand, “Well. Shiro was on a trip for vacation and we,” She looked up at the man with a glint in her eyes. 

“We’re dating,” Shiro says, more bubbly than Lance had ever heard him before. And Lance has watched all of Shiro's content. 

“HOLY SHIT!” He exclaims again, Pidge starts cackling and Hunk doubles over. 

“Oh man, Lance,” he says in between fits of laughter, “we knew you’d be shocked but,” the wheezing gets to Hunk before he can continue. Lance turns back to the man, “I am so sorry.” He grabs hold of his own face in utter shock.

“You are like. The reason I started making videos as a kid and I have been watching you since I was little and I’ve always thought you were so cool and I just- holy shit! You’re Takashi Shirogane! And you’re dating one of my best friends! What the fuck?” He holds his hands out, stopping Shiro from speaking, “I'M NOT MAD! I sound mad. Really I’m just shocked, I mean. You’re like my Idol, I look up to you. I can’t even believe that you- wow . I’m Lance. take out the Loverboy, that's from wehn I made the account in middle school. It’s McClain, actually, Lance McClain, I- can I get your autograph?  A picture? I’m so sorry, I think I’m still drunk I-” 

“Lance, oh my god.” Pidge interrupts. Allura and Hunk have all but collapsed on top of eachother from laughter, and Shiro looked…amused, “Shiro is coming to Vidcon with us. He’s a part of the group now, stop being such a kiss ass.”

“HOLY FUCK!” 

Still, Shiro was not his guilty pleasure. 

Lance had never really been a good sleeper. His Mama tells him all the time that he came out of the womb wide eyed and hungry. He supposed this was true. As a kid, when all his siblings went to sleep, he’d stay up and be illuminated by his screen, exploring the vastness of the web and finding creators who turned into his favorites. In hindsight, having unrestricted access to the internet at such a young age had probably done some detrimental damage to his development, but then again, he was funny and familiar with the platform he made a living off of, so really how bad could it be? 

The habit never died down really, even as the owner of a channel with  4.02 Million subscribers, his love for finding new creators (and his difficulty sleeping) grew daily. It’s how he found Shiro, of course, who hadn’t? But he’d found smaller creators too. 

The apartment was quiet as always, Hunk was an early sleeper. Lance was tired of staring at the wall, so he lit a candle and tugged a blanket over to his desk and gaming chair. It was late enough to finally indulge in what he’d wanted all night, after getting over the initial Shiro shock, of course. 

He scrolls through his private subscription list until he finds the channel he was looking for. He had stumbled upon it half asleep one night a few years ago, since then, there had only been three more uploads to join the six that make up the channel. The treat? Each video was around an hour to two hours long, something Lance would never do. The account was simply named “Keith” with a stunning photo of sand dunes as the banner and what might be a dog (or was it a wolf?) as the profile picture. While the account itself had about 2K subscribers, Lance had seen the creator’s videos reach up to half a million views. This was impressive of course, considering:

- Keith (lance assumed this was his name) never showed his face. Just his hands, on occasion 

- There were no ads, tags, or collabs with other channels 

- every video was simply named after the duration of time it depicts

- the editing was close to nonexistent 

Curling up into his blanket, Lance is pleased to see the little blue dot by the photo of the dog. A new video! May 14, 2025 - June 12, 2025 is settled on the dashboard along the other dates, the thumbnail shows another beautiful view of what appeared to be some beach in the distance. Lance smiled, his show was on.

The video opens just as abrupt as always, the guy records on what has to be some vintage cam recorder. He never really starts with an intro, but instead throws the viewer right into the middle of his life. “I’m in middle of nowhere Texas right now,” Keith says from behind the camera. And this is why Lance can never share his guilty pleasure. Because he knows that it will be skewed immediately. 

Was this mystery guy’s voice really, really , hot? Maybe! Was Lance only a fan of the channel for that reason? No! And so what if his heart fluttered while watching the man show his makeshift garden, and stick his fingers in the dirt to “feel if these guys are thirsty” (okay, and maybe he was.) But no, that was not the only reason he was a loyal subscriber, notification bell and all. 

Keith was like… a gem of the internet. Lance wasn’t sure why or how he’d ended up on Youtube in the first place, but he certainly won’t complain. It was just. For all of Lance's manufactured storylines and crafted challenges, Keith simply existed with a camera. He documented close to nothing, and yet Lance couldn’t look away. These videos, he knew them like the back of his hand. On late nights in Cuba, when his heart ached from loneliness and all he had was his siblings and a screen– “ Keith” and December 4, 2017 - February 15, 2018 were there for him. He was entranced with the amateur cinematography of it all. How Keith managed to capture his life in a way that wasn’t quite clumsy but it certainly wasn’t poised. It was rough, a little blurry at times, but altogether beautiful. Lance loved especially, when Keith would wander to a waterfall, or some quiet place in the desert. He could hear the man settle behind the camera, speaking in the video like he was on a call. He was awkward, there was no Youtuber voice, or sparkle. Just a man, the desert, the rustling of a blanket and the gravely hum to his voice as he explained, “these sand dunes stretch out for miles,” Lance finds himself dozing to the rounded vowels of Keith’s western accent, “you can’t begin t’see the half of it. They go on rollin,” 

Every so often, Keith would get a bit more talkative than usual and just go. Lance, half asleep in his chair listened with a slight smile as the man spoke about the best and worst dunes he’d seen, the treasured knife he’d lost to a thick tree trunk, the cold water in his little shack and how it made him want to poke into LA. Wait. Lance cracked an eye open, it was still the same view. Pale blue sky, no clouds, yellow sand carved by dramatic shadows. But Lance listened more intently, noting the hesitance in Keith’s voice. 

“I uh. I’m not good at this whole video making thing but, you guys? Folks? Seem to like it, and. I did get one of those things, the invites. To the convention, I thought, why not go see a bit of city life. Gets me out of this dust bowl, yeah? Tell me what y'all think. I’ll read the comments when I post this. S’there anyone who wants to meet me?” 

And maybe it was because it was near 3am and his heart was unguarded. Maybe it was because he felt he knew Keith on a personal level. Or maybe it was because he had gotten greedy, after meeting one idol and decided he deserved another favorite. But Lance scrolls down, types up a message and hits send before promptly slumping over on his desk, succumbing to exhaustion. 

June 14, 2025   3:04 am

Loverboylance (✓) : holy shit dude please come to la i want to see you like. now.

He doesn’t wake up to any of the notifications on his phone. Only stirring when Hunk bursts in, holding his own device up, “DUDE! Who the hell is Keith and why are you guys trending on twitter?”

Chapter Text

“Wait wait, this one is good,” Pidge clears their throat from their perch on the kitchen counter, phone in hand, reading aloud what has to be the thousandth twitter post this morning. “From @lovergirllacy:,” they snort, glancing at the poor Cuban, “‘lance caught being horny on main for some desert cowboy at 3am is both imperative and detrimental to the bi community. happy fucking pride ig.’ Jesus Lance! this might be my favorite controversy of yours yet.”

Lance pouts at his stack of pancakes, “are you done?” he pokes at the syrupy breakfast plate, stabbing little holes in it to keep from launching himself at his devil incarnate of a friend. At least Hunk had the decency to try bribery. After the initial assault of questions and cooing over this mystery man Lance “so desperately” wanted to see, Hunk hummed his way to the kitchen and nodded for his roommate to meet him there. 

Lance wanted to die. He wanted to crawl into a hole and never come back out because what was he thinking! He gave up on poking at his pancakes and settled for thunking his head on the table. This was horrible, everyone knew about his gem now. He’d seen it: the speculations and bursts of conversations. 

Who is Keith? (a thread) 1 of 9

And the multitudes of:

@whenisayvol

STOPPPP WHO IS KEITH AND WHY IS LANCE BEGGING TO SEE HIM IMASDFGHJKL

 

@whatthequiznak

Guys. We need to respect Lance's privacy as a human being…is what i would say if he didn't already chronically overshare. Collab coming soon gorgeous??

 

@takashishirogooner

okay. so ur telling me lance met THE takashi shirogane last night…but he's trending because of his public thirst for some guy??? goodBYE-

And even worse, there was nothing but radio silence on the other end. Not even so much as a like! So really, this was double embarrassing as Lance’s comment stood simultaneously spotlighted by the media and ignored by that stupid, stupid cowboy. 

Hunk settled in the chair in front of Lance while he lamented, “Dude. You’ve experienced much worse attention,” He provided thoughtfully, rubbing the arm Lance so wonderfully splayed across the table, taking up half the space. He only groaned in response, turning into himself. Hunk was right, of course, he always was. This was a drop in the water compared to the ocean of Lance’s digital footprint. There was the Allura incident, of course. The sex-shop paparazzi photos some fans had taken and posted, and the time he almost got canceled for “queer-bating." No, this certainly was not the worst thing he’d been through, but it still sucked. 

“It’s more funny than anything, really,” Pidge hopped down from their perch to sit at the table, knocking Lance’s hand aside, “you should be fine. It’s very on brand.” 

Lance groaned even louder, “on brand,” he whined, “maybe I didn’t want this to be marketed.” He huffs, standing to his feet. “I’ll be in my room. Nobody follow me,” He didn’t care if he was being dramatic. That was on brand too. 

How embarrassing, he thought as he fell back onto his bed, burying his face in the pillows. Just as the tendrils of sleep began to take him under, his phone buzzes:

New reply 

Keith has replied to your comment! Click here to read

“GUYS I LIED COME HERE OH FUCK”

Keith could not stop staring at his computer screen. 

8 thousand people subscribed to his channel. Overnight. Just how in the world did this happen? And his email, which he left open to see the comments from his regulars, had been blowing up with a surplus of news since seven in the morning. 8 thousand new subscribers and over a million views on his most recent video! He wasn’t even one for checking the statistics, it was just. He promised that he’d read the comments but now…

@lovergirllacy

please you have to come to vidcon now, lance demands it

 

@hippiedippie

wait no way my two favorite yts know each other. keith you have to go!!

 

@alteandreamz

Thank you to Lance for introducing us to the sexiest man on the internet. Who knew he had taste? 

Keith furrowed his brow, shifting in the rickety chair he regrets buying second-hand. It barely did anything to cushion his ass, let alone support his posture. Usually he would be out exploring, maybe with his bike. But today, he was just trying to figure out who the hell this Lance guy was, and what he had to do with the sudden influx of noise in Keith’s inbox. 

He scrolls until he finds the culprit, sure enough it was a channel by the name of ‘LoverboyLance’ that left a comment grossing a few hundred replies.

“Come to LA?” Keith murmured to himself as his eyes scanned the message, he clicked the user and was met with an impressive layout. Keith was not one for making an aesthetic home page, the more candid the better. This Lance on the other hand, he had some sort of system going. A blue banner was mingled with a multi media collage of group photos, stars, swirls, and the channel title strung together with ransom note letters. Below was a photo of who Keith could only assume was Lance, shirtless and smiling wide with his thumb up towards the camera. Behind him, a blue ocean meets the pale blue sky.

He was… pretty. 

Keith clicks on the top video available titled “We got kicked out of target (again)” and is met with Lance once more. Pretty and loud. Still, there was something addictive in the cadence of his voice and his personality. Keith couldn’t look away. 

He spent hours binging this stranger’s, Lance’s, account and finds himself pleased to have a connection to him. 4.2 million subscribers was more than Keith would ever dream of . Still, he could see how this man had them. He had videos dating back to 2019 and what looked to be a consistent upload schedule. The content was engaging, if not a bit silly, and Keith found himself smiling at his screen watching anything the man did. Especially the video where his trio of friends cooked and the tiny one’s mouth was covered with tape, the big one wore a blindfold, and Lance had on huge headphones. 

Before he knew it, hours had gone by and Keith was the least productive he had been in ages. Now though, the confusion was replaced by the shock of nerves and a morsel of excitement. This was big. LoverboyLance was not your average viewer, so just what the hell was he doing on Keith’s channel?

Keith finds the comment again.

June 14, 2025   3:04 am

@Loverboylance (✓) : holy shit dude please come to la i want to see you like. now.

 

He wants to see me?

Keith presses his lips into a thin line, leaning into his keyboard. He types a response, reads it back, then deletes it. 

It was going to be a long morning.

June 15, 2025    11:19 am

@Loverboylance: Do you always invite strangers to LA? 

Edit: See you there. 

“Lance, please stop screaming,” Allura frowns, laying her head on Shiro’s shoulder. Under normal circumstances, Lance would be internally freaking out over the fact that his Idol and the most beautiful woman in the world were cozied up on his couch. But there were much, much bigger things to lose it over. 

“Allura, be serious! He replied!” He shoved his phone in her face for emphasis, waving it around way too fast for anything to be read. Shiro laughed heartily, “Can I get some context on why you called this emergency meeting?” It was the first one he's ever attended.

Pidge, from their spot on the living room floor, snorts, “get in line Grandpa, we never know. Earlier he told us not to speak to him.” Hunk emerged with cups of lemonade for everyone, “this is true. What’s going on here buddy?”

Lance finds himself standing in front of the group like he was giving a presentation, he nods back at Hunk dutifully. “I’m sure you are all wondering why I’ve called you here today,” he rattles off, sobering up from his previous frenzy. “This is a very pivotal moment in my career, as well as my personal life, and depending on how it is dealt with will be the pique or death of both.” 

“Okay. So, you have actually lost it,” Pidge whistles low. Swatting at Hunk who shushes them. 

“Would you just tell us who this Keith even is?” Allura sported the vein that protrudes from her forehead whenever she’s pissed off, “Really Lance, we just want to understand.”

Solemnly, Lance nods, using the TV remote to pull up his beloved channel for his friends to see. “I’m about to change your life.” 

The room was. Entranced? Not that Lance was surprised, he had phenomenal taste of course. But even Pidge, known for berating literally any and everything, had this glint in their eye watching Keith explore some abandoned cave. 

Shiro, who looked amazing on Lance’s couch by the way, was surprisingly interested as well. He watched along with Allura, donning a little smile. 

“Okay. I think I get it now,” Hunk smiles at Lance, who had decided to sit in front of the screen with his knees to his chest, craning his neck up to rewatch a video he practically had memorized. “How did you even find this guy?”

“He came to me like a dream, Hunk.”

Lance fell backwards to splay his limbs out, staring up at the hands tracing initials carved into rocks, “It was way back in like, 2016. I watch him at like, any inconvenience.” 

“Well as creepy as that is...I like him!” Pidge purses their lips in surprise at Lance, “He’s got that cryptic ghost hunter vibe about him. I didn’t know that was your type, sparkles.” Lance rolled his eyes, holding a special finger up in their general direction. 

He looks to Allura, “C’mon, you’re perfect with this stuff. What the hell do I do?” Allura’s brows furrow thoughtfully, “Well, It seems as though your invitation, while very unprofessional, worked. So I guess it’s time to start preparing to see him at Vidcon!” She smiles and claps her hands together, “I have another project to support, I suppose!”

“OH god you’re right! I have to see him” Lance covers his face, rolling around on the ground.

“You told him you wanted to?” Shiro supplies unhelpfully, Hunk and Pidge just snicker in the corner as always. 

“Well yeah but what if like! What if he’s weird. What if he thinks I’m weird?? He probably already does, do you guys think he’s stalked my channel by now? Does he even know how the internet works?” Deciding the floor was no longer supportive, Lance takes to pacing. Keith still speaks softly on the TV behind him. “What do I even wear! And the fans, they’re going to be everywhere! What do you think they’re saying about us right now! And what do I wear? OH GOD GUYS! Meeting adjourned, I have work to do. I’ll be in my room.” He runs off abruptly for the second time that day, leaving everyone but Shiro amused and slightly annoyed.

“He does know Vidcon is in Anaheim this year, right,” Pidge snorts, breaking the static Lance left behind. 

@cowsonsaturn

lance getting a reply from that vision of a man WHEN IS IT MY TURN??

 

@bluebabyblue

“Edit: See you there.” K so when's the wedding.

             @lalalance

            @bluebabyblue RIGHT?? WHERE DOES THIS TWINK FIND PPL T-T

 

@treesneedhugstoo

Keith finally getting the recognition he deserves is soooo <33

 

@VidconOfficial 

We are officially 10 DAYS out from our 16th annual convention and things are heating up! Don’t miss the chance to see @LoverboyLance and @Keith meet for the first time! Link to purchase tickets can be found in our bio.

#Vidcon #10days

Chapter Text

Keith’s house was a mess. 

“Sorry Kosmo,” he frowned at all the clothing and bags he had strewn across his floor. Kosmo was whining. The dog was used to the near pristine conditions of his owners house and could sense Keith’s unease. He hadn’t been this nervous in ages . It was somewhat annoying, actually. Keith had been through much scarier things than heading to visit the West coast. He’d been lost in forests, run away from foster homes, and had a few near death experiences. But this ? Meeting people who watch his content, was supposed to be nothing. Then again, he reminded himself, he was going to be meeting the ones who watch Lance’s content too! Hell, he was probably going to meet Lance . God. He needed some air.

Kosmo perked his ears up as Keith sat down to pull his boots on. Summer in Texas was hell, especially in the west where water was rare and the arid heat seemed to cut. Still, he held firmly to the things he loved, even if it meant dumping piles of sand out after a long day. 

Nowadays, Keith chased what felt familiar. It’s why he chose to live out here, isolated but for the small town  about 10 minutes from his shack or so. He liked the quiet, he liked being alone, it felt right. He had gotten used to being lonely long ago. Now, Keith had his dog and the garden he struggled to maintain. He’d started his channel on a whim when the urge to share his life became overwhelming and dug into his heart. He liked it, the anonymity of it. There was no one to let down. Nothing to focus on him, but now…

The sun was beginning to set, casting a golden hue on the dunes sloping past his house. Kosmo followed him outside, running out freely as Keith settled on his porch. He was nervous. Maybe not even—Keith was scared. Of being new, of being studied. He’d walked himself right up to the point of reinvention, but now he had to face it. He wasn’t perfectly charismatic like Lance, or warm and comforting like. His phone buzzed, snapping him out of his thoughts. 

Shiro

Hey Keith, It’s been awhile. I just wanted to tell you I’m so proud of how far you’ve come. I didn’t know you had a platform. Let me know if you need any help preparing for Vidcon. I hope to see you there.

 

No, Keith was nothing like Shiro. He ran when roots grew too strong. He snapped at those who found routes to his heart. Kosmo, tired from running around, settled by his legs and tilted his head up at Keith curiously. 

“It’s my brother,” he explained, finding the sweet spot behind Kosmo’s ear, “you know how he is, boy.” Kosmo leaned into the scratches with a panting smile and nudged the phone in Keith’s hand. The man chuckles, “No, I'm not sure what I'm gonna say. Any ideas?”

The sun was dipping lower into the horizon, making everything look like it was tinged in fire. Keith’s favorite time of day, not including blue hour. He takes a photo of it, posting it to his Instagram with no caption. That was his other digital escape. One he was thankful the prying fans hadn’t found yet, as he had only mentioned it briefly in the middle of one of his first videos. 

He wasn’t sure what to say to Shiro. Every time he typed, it felt stupid.

Hey. Thanks.

Delete.

I’m sorry for disappearing on you. 

Delete.

Why do you always think I need help?

Delete.

We should meet up somewhere. 

Do you still hate coffee?

Delete.

Nothing sounded right, So Keith just went back to what he knew. The fiery sky had cooled to a purple twilight and the stars were freshly exposed, looking like they buzzed in the sky. Kosmo was sleeping. Keith was going to California. He’d promised and that was not something he took lightly. But, he could not ignore how the stakes felt much higher than they had originally, when he was splayed out in the warm sand and aching for a connection.

It was real now. And it seemed to be chasing him. His phone buzzed from its spot on the wooden porch again. Kosmo roused at the sound and Keith murmured an apology as he checked what it was.

@sirlancealotthe3rd liked your post

[keith.k] Lance Silvela McClain ;)

um hello, it’s Lance. I just wanted to…

The DM was cut off by the stupid notification banner, Keith felt his hands shaking a bit as he opened the message.

um, hello, it’s Lance (this is my alt acc. didn’t wanna overwhelm you!!)I just wanted to reach out to you and apologize? I’m so sorry if this is weird. I hope my comment on your channel didn’t cause you any harm or make you uncomfortable or anything, I can tell my viewers to calm down… they’ve been all over you. um. so yeah! pls just let me know if i can do anything for you?? im a big fan so yeah. sorry

Keith found himself smiling at his phone, the sunset was over but there was a giddy warmth inside of him. Lance was sweet..and kinda bad at apologizing. It was charming? That seemed to be a running theme for the man. Keith smirked, typing out a response.

Hi. It’s Keith. How do you even know about this account?

There were bubbles almost immediately. Lance’s response was instantaneous.

oh god i didn’t think you’d see this so fast. 

you mentioned it in your earlier stuff!! i’m not stalking you i promise

i’ve been subscribed since 2019

Since 2019? Keith furrowed his brows, scooping up his legs to rest his chin on his knees. That was the year he started this whole content thing, how in the world- His phone buzzed again.

Is that weird? this feels weird i’m so sorry

Keith couldn’t stop smiling. Lance, the one who was loud and had no problem goofing off in public spaces with a camera . Was apologizing to him for.. apologizing? He hadn’t used his main account for fear of being ‘overwhelming’. It was sorta sweet. 

No, It’s not weird. 

Keith’s thumbs hover over the screen, hesitating.

How about you make it up to me by showing me around? 

He winces and shoots up from his spot, spooking Kosmo. He lets them both back inside, setting his phone on the table by the door. That was enough screen time for today.. The damage had been done. Besides, dinner needed to be made and he had a trip to pack for. The phone buzzes again and Keith’s resolve fades almost immediately. 

ohh i’m so down :)

you’re gonna love it here trust 

 

see you soon??

Keith couldn’t help it.

Goodluck. I’ve been told I’m pretty stubborn.

 

See you soon.

Okay, seriously. That was enough. 

“Alright, what do we think about this?”

Lance enters Hunk’s room, twirling around in the 7th pair of jeans he’s shown off tonight, looking over his shoulder as if to admire his own ass. 

Hunk nods slowly, “I think they are just as denim-y as the other ones you’ve shown me.” He stifles a laugh as Lance groans.

“So you think I should wear sweats then?” Lance grips at his scalp, pacing the length of Hunk’s room. It smelled like vanilla and was beautifully lit by an array of lamps and warm lights. Lance liked to be in here more than his own room at times, it gave him a break from his own anxious clutter. 

“I think you should wear whatever makes you comfortable, Lance. Now what is this really about?” He pats the open spot on the bed. Lance releases the tension from his hands and flops on the mattress, swaddling himself in blankets. He mumbles so softly into the fabric, Hunk has to “hm?” to get Lance to say it again.

“What if this all goes wrong, Hunk? What if I say something dumb at a panel, or nobody even shows up for me? What if they realize that I don’t know what I'm doing?”

Hunk sighs, offering over the bowl of chips he’d been snacking from, Lance haphazardly takes one. He crunches solemnly as his best friend clicks his tongue softly. “Dude, c‘mon. I know you, and better yet? You know yourself. So be that Lance. Don’t worry so hard. I promise it will all fall into place.”

Lance snorts, “I can’t believe the guy who threw up before any presentation in middle school is telling me not to worry. Who are you and what did you do with Hunk?” He shoots an accusatory finger at the man.

Hunk simply shows off his dimples, “Well, now I know I’ll always have my people to back me up. And so will you, McClain.”

“Ugh! you’re so sappy!” Lance moves from his cocoon and tackles Hunk in a hug, “and right again, unfortunately.”

“Always am,” His roommate replies with pride. 

“Okay but wait- there’s something else,” the two were settled in front of each other like two school girls at a slumber party. Lance supposed that’s what it was, it was why he liked living with Hunk so much. This was his best friend, living with him was the perfect balance between the lingering threads of childhood and the consuming nature of adult life. 

“Oh?” Hunk relocated his bowl of chips, “Is this about that Keith guy? Do tell .”

“I might’ve kindve sortve.. DM’ed him last night?”

Hunks eyes lit up, “No way. Dude! What did he say? What did you say?!” Stupidly enough, Lance found himself blushing. He knew Hunk could see it, it was near impossible to hide it. He scrambles to pull up the thread, wordlessly offering his phone up for judgment. Hunk grabs the headband he keeps on the nightstand to get his hair off his forehead, all while his eyes scan the phone. He laughs, “Oh god, you weren’t casual at all .”

Lance throws himself back down on the bed, “Don’t remind me,” He groans, curling into himself.

“No, no. This is good. He handled it well…just a bit bluntly.”

Lance knew Keith would be, of course. He was surprised to have gotten a response at all honestly, the words hadn’t really mattered at the time. He just started thinking about how overwhelmed he was the first time his channel boomed, and Keith seemed like a borderline hermit and next thing Lance knew he was typing a paragraph and hitting send. 

Hunk giggled. “Wait, you guys are cute. I like this.”

Lance pokes his head up, “You don’t think I was weird?”

“Oh no, you definitely were. Good news is I think he likes it. He just followed you, by the way.”

“What!” Lance snatches the phone back in time to see the second notification come in. Sure enough Keith followed his main and alt. He smiled at his screen long enough for Hunk to scoff and poke at him.

“Alright, loverboy, I know you’ve got more clothes to show me. Hurry up, some of us like getting a good night's sleep.”

“Oh please, you know you love watching me show off for you.”

Lance cackled as he scurried off back to his room and to the 16 potential outfits he'd picked out. He was determined now more than ever to find the perfect ones. 

Chapter Text

“Takashi, If I am boring you surely It would be better to just tell me than to keep checking your phone, no?” Allura held that stern look in her eye Shiro had hoped was only reserved for Lance. She never looked angry but instead harnessed her power in such a way that made Shiro wilt, even if he was bigger than her. 

“No, no. You’re not-” He sighs as his date’s gaze sharpens, there was no lying to this woman. She was too perceptive, “It’s…Keith.” He offers up defeatedly. Allura flinches back, tilting her head quizzically, “That youtuber Lance fancies? What on earth could be bothering you about-”

“He’s my brother.” Shiro finishes simply, adjusting the rolls of silverware so that they lay perfectly in line with one another. “Well, not actually. He’s like my brother. We– my family adopted him but he uh.. emancipated himself.” 

Allura’s glossy lips drew into a little ‘o’ as she could not hide her surprise. It was the night before they left for Vidcon and Shiro had planned this date night weeks in advance. He picked her up with the same gentlemanly flair as always, ditching the usual athleisure for a nice penguin suit (just how she liked him) and chauffeured her off to dinner at a nice restaurant downtown. Only issue was that he wasn't acting like himself. He was..distant. Spacey. Allura didn’t like it one bit.

“Your. Brother?” She repeated blankly, thinking briefly of Lance. The shock that would cause him. Then she found herself back with the tension Shiro held visibly, “Emancipated? Or,” She hesitated, “Estranged?”

Shiro did not talk about his family often. Allura had taken him to meet the only family she had left, Coran, then Pidge, Hunk, and Lance. But Shiro never– It was a subject he got quiet over. “We just don’t talk anymore,” he’d say with his Youtuber smile, practiced and poised . Allura knew it was a ruse, she had a knack for seeing past a persona. Still, she never pushed, simply observed and took note, ready for her time to be a part of that world. 

“No not– estranged ,” She does not fail to notice how Shiro seems to choke on the word. “We just. Well. I talk and he does not answer me. Things picked up with my career after he..left. And we just, we used to be close. He’s coming to California and I just. I don’t know what to do?” He gives that smile, the one that was tinged with self depreciation and small pleas for help. That was something Allura could work with. 

“Do you know why? What made him le-”

It was like Shiro hated acknowledging the absence of his brother, even in the past. “My parents weren’t the nicest. To...either of us, really, but especially to him. He had this habit of running, whenever something came down too hard or they tried to soothe him? Round him out? He’d just go. For days on end. They got tired of the foster thing and said some pretty nasty stuff to him. When he graduated high school he handed me his diploma and showed me his documents, told me he was going and wouldn’t clarify where. I don’t think he knew.  I tried to find him but I- he was gone and I…I regret it all the time.” 

Allura set down the glass of wine she was nursing and settled her hand over Shiro’s, “You were both young, Shiro. It’s not your fault.”

Shiro looked away, sighing incredulously. “I know, I know . You’re right, I just. I didn’t know he’d started a channel. I didn’t know he was in Texas, I didn’t know a thing, Allura, I-”

“But you tried to, did you not?” She massaged his knuckles, keeping them from clenching too tight and hurting him. “You never turned away from him, never hid?”

“No-I. I couldn’t. But sometimes I wonder if I was running too. With space and my platforms, I mean. I changed too, didn’t I? Did he see me and think I had forgotten?”

Allura’s lips flatten in thought, “I think anyone who has known you, Takashi, is aware you love too hard to forget a thing. And furthermore,” she straightened up as if preparing for a debate, “we all run. It is a part of life. You said you were close once, right?” Shiro nods in agreement, “Have you considered that, perhaps, Keith will come to you on his own time? It takes time to make sense of ourselves, Shiro. Him longer than others.” 

Shiro scoffs, flipping his palm up to capture Allura’s hand in his, “I hate when you’re right.”

She shrugs cockily, “Always am.” But she sobers rather quickly, “Text him once more. Tell him you’ll make time for him if he decides to use it. Then,” there was that stern look again, “Let go for a little while, Takashi. Let me take care of the loving for a bit, hm?” 

Shiro couldn’t deny this woman. She had this undeniable allure about her and that's probably why she had her name. “Fine,” he fake pouts, picking up his phone to send a quick text. “You’re too good to me.” He smiles sweetly, kissing her hand. 

Allura just winks, her eyeshadow glints prettily in the light,  “I think you deserve some good in your life, Mr. Shirogane.”

Pidge and hunk claiming the window seats in Allura’s mom van a month in advance had to be some form of foul play Lance hadn’t known he should call. Not only was his heart beating literally out of his chest, but now he was squished between his friends sorry asses too! Shiro and Allura chirped like the morning birds they are in the front seats, the real bow on top of this whole ordeal was when mother hen herself turned around and cooed for a picture. Lance knew it would find its way to Allura’s socials, they always did. When he wasn’t fake flirting with her it wasn’t hard to miss her maternal side, that was near impossible to dodge actually.

Everyone was piled in her car, under the will of  Shiro’s driving, at nearly 7 in the morning to try and beat the traffic. Sure, Anaheim was an easy 30 minutes from LA. But then again, nothing about commuting is easy in LA. Driving back and forth was such a horrible idea that everyone decided it would be better if they all just booked hotel rooms. Pidge, once again, got the best luck of the draw as they had no one to pair up with (outright refused to sleep on a pull-out sofa) and ended up with a room of their own. The energy in the vehicle only grew more electric the closer to the hotel they got. 

Next thing he knew, Lance was being shook awake by Hunk’s rustling to remove his seatbelt. Outside stood a Hilton, towering pretty as always. Lance smiled, oversharing on the internet had its perks. The sleepiness was wearing off and quickly being replaced with that familiar bundle of nerves he always harbored. 

They got their keys and settled on the same floor and hall in ways that felt too convenient to have been done without some phone calls. By the way Shiro and Allura were looking as they wheeled suitcases to their suite, Lance knew they’d done some bargaining. He could barely focus on the amenities and the beautiful view of the pool (as Hunk so enthusiastically pointed out) because his lungs were shallow with weak air. Still, Lance was an influencer. He had a following for a reason, and while he was here, he had to prove that. Besides, there was a party tonight for all the content creators invited, there was little time to get ready and a lot to do. 

Lance opened his suitcase and started making himself at home.

Keith wasn’t quite sure if he liked planes or not. After his first ever landing was bumpy enough to turn his knuckles white from gripping the arm rests, he had half the mind to cancel his flight back home and just find a train. He traveled a lot, sure. But most of it had been from foot or from behind a vehicle, air was a new mode and Keith was feeing like he should avoid it. 

The airport wasn’t much better. So many people. Like, an unreal amount of people. Even Kosmo, who was usually content in any space, seemed a bit more jumpy. Texas was slow, baked in the sun and about as lazy as a western drawl sounds. California was fast paced, bright, and everything Keith saw felt like a request. He wasn’t used to the big billboards, half naked women showing off lip products and palms sprouting from concrete. The buzzing of thousands of people coming and going was overwhelming. 

Keith had known silence, but he’d forgotten what loud was like. The kind that grew so big he could feel it in his bones. He located his and Kosmo’s things at baggage claim and found a quiet place to sit near transportation. He was used to doing it alone, but this was too foreign to him. He wanted to laugh, it only took a 3 hour flight to get a huge bout of culture shock. It didn’t feel funny though. It felt like he was lonely , not just alone. 

Kosmo sat up, guarded, as Keith settled on a bench and pulled out his phone. His fingers drawn immediately to the pinned contact, he hits call and holds his breath. It rings once, twice…

“Keith?” Shiro sounded breathless and Keith couldn’t really blame him. Hearing his brother’s voice in this way, without the perfect syllables for content, it felt like hearing a ghost.

“I’m. We’re at the airport. Can you-” Keith hated how hard it was to ask for this. The abrasive ache in his voice. It all felt like he was a child and here was Shiro, saving him. Again .

“I’ll be there as soon as I can.” There's murmuring in the background of the call and what sounded like a woman’s voice before Shiro cut back in, determined and steady. “What gate are you near?” 

Keith felt that familiar tightness in his throat and a strong surge of regret. He shouldn’t have come here. He knew better than this. What was he thinking?  “I-I don't. I’m not sure? I-”

“Okay. It’s okay Keith, I’ll find you. Stay put.” 

“Okay.” Was all Keith could manage. He stayed on the phone and breathed in deep through his nose and out through his mouth, just like Shiro once taught him. 

--

He couldn’t bring himself to speak. Whether it was from embarrassment, pride, or shame? Keith wasn’t sure. All he knew was he hated California and it’s traffic for trapping him in this car and it’s stupid, glittery, accessories.

Shiro seemed…antsy. Keith had pulled himself together enough to put on a good stoic look for the man by the time he arrived. “This is Kosmo,” he’d said simply, and began hauling his stuff toward the general direction Shiro had come from. 

“I looked for you.” Shiro said to the windshield and the line of cars he was positioned behind. His hands grip the wheel tight, turning his knuckles white. Keith flexes his own hands instinctively. 

“I know,” he said to the window. If he focused enough he could hear Kosmo breathing behind him. The pup had finally fallen asleep, spread across the backseat. “I wasn’t tryin’ to be found.”

His brother was never one for standing off, he always conceded first. “Why, Keith? I called so many times and you just-” He looked older. Not in a bad way, just more mature. Keith could tell life kept moving even when he was away from Shiro’s. The crows feet, the white hair that lit up in the sun, he was happy like Keith had hoped. 

“C’mon Shiro, y’know I wasn’t cut out for that family. It was two years. We’re barely even brothers.” The words felt sharp in his own mouth, but It was the mantra he told himself when he turned 18 and decided to not look back. He needed out of any system, familial or not. He needed to run. To be alone. 

“I embraced you as my brother Keith, I still do.” The line was barely moving and Keith was starting to feel that stinging feeling again. He hated it, especially when there was no where else to turn. “Your channel? It’s beautiful. I always knew you had an eye for art.”

Keith laughed bitterly, “What do you want from me, Shiro?” 

The man turns, eyebrow raised and daring. “You really want to know?” 

Keith nods, slightly annoyed.

“I want my brother back in my life.” Shiro confesses, firm and tinged in an emotion Keith couldn’t place. “I want to try this again, at least. I won’t– I’m not gonna trap you. You’re a grown man, I know we aren’t kids anymore but. I want to know about you. To hear from you.”

“Your father told me I was a hopeless case.” Keith replied dryly, staring out at the sky. It seemed bluer here than in Texas, more sapphire.

“I don’t speak to my parents anymore, Keith. None of my family.”

This caught his attention, “You- what?

“You were there for some of it. They had big expectations for me and I wanted to do my own thing. I broke away and they turned away from me…I just never went back. I was hoping you’d see me and think-”

“I really don’t keep up with current events. Not ‘til recently.” Not ‘til Lance, hung unsaid in the air.

“We don’t have to be like how we once were, Keith. I don’t even think we could right now, there's a lot to catch up on. But please . You are the only family I have left.” 

Keith sighed, “Don’t say it like that.” 

“It’s true.”

“Fine,” He slumped in the passenger chair, feeling closer to 16 than 26. “Let’s try again.”

Shiro smiles his winning smile, “I was hoping you’d say that. Allura is getting you a room at the hotel we’re at– and no. You can’t decline.”

“Don’t make me regret this Shiro.” 

The older man laughs, inching closer to Anaheim, “You won’t, I promise.”

“Alright.” Keith let the pout settle for a moment before tracing a familiar path of connection,  “Now, tell me more about this Allura .”

Everybody has a guilty pleasure and it was highly probable that Lance’s was somewhere in this room tonight. Hidden between the jumping bodies and distorted by the flashing lights. Red and blue mingling across the floor, illuminating the crowd.

Pidge was out here with him and so was Hunk. Allura was glowing in her tight pink mini dress, the marks she’d painted on her face glowing from the black lights. He was happy. He should be happy and breathless like every party made him feel. Rounded and warm from shots of tequila and thumping along to the bass, it was routine. Usually, he fell into it like breathing. But tonight his lungs were tight and his heart beat out of sync with the music.  Really, It all felt more like a fever dream than anything. 

He caught Allura mid spin, half flinching from the tipsy laugh she leaned into him with.

“Going outside.” Was all he could manage before he was bee-lining for a way out.

The night hit him abrasively, sometimes he hated the neon signs and billboards out here. It got to be too much at times like these. He was on the rooftop of the content creator party, couples mingled here and there but otherwise, it was quiet. He went over to the edge of the balcony, looking down at the crossing people and vehicles. Between the height of the building and his drunkenness, they sort of reminded him of ants. It kind of made him want to cry. 

He stood there until his feet hurt. Until the buzz was gone and the comedown crept in, slow and heavy. He turned to head back inside, deciding to spend the rest of this dreaded night with room service in a starchy robe. He reached for the door just as someone on the other side pushes it open. Lance stumbles back, almost falling on his ass. 

“Sorry,” The man on the other side murmured softly, slipping past with his head down.

It sent a sharp spark down Lance’s spine. He knew that voice. The timbre, the grit. He’d listened to it over and over again. Carried it through years of lonely nights, and sullen days. He’d fallen asleep to it.

And now he couldn’t stop himself from scrambling to turn towards it’s source. There, a mop of long, black , hair was silhouetted against the lights. Lance felt his heart squeezed because he looked so simple, so grounded, compared to the bright hues of the party. But it was him. Keith. Lance knew it was him. 

He followed his heart, just as Mama taught him to do.

Lance turned– and ran away.