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Keith was used to waking up at the crack of dawn. He was, however, not used to being roused at four thirty by screaming. He groggily opened his eyes to see a just as drowsy Pidge stumble past him with a bit of toilet paper. A spider, then. Well, he was already up, so why not make the most of it? Today was by far the most busy, it always was when the campers arrived.
He pushed himself up to his elbows and shook his thick black hair out of his eyes. “Regretting the haircut now, Mullet?” Lance asked teasingly from the other side of the cabin, back to his normal cocky self now that the spider had exited the premises.
Keith just glared and untangled his legs from his blanket before descending the ladder that led to his bunk.
The rest of the morning passed in a blur, until the much-awaited arrival of the bus and it’s subsequent horde of children. Caught up with his own group, Keith only saw flashes of the others until lunch, when they all ate together in the big pavilion. The campers completely inhaled Hunk’s food, probably made with a bit of help from his campers. That group did sign up for an emphasis on cooking, after all.
After lunch was finished and cleaned, the afternoon hike approached, a simple on to the summit of a small hill, but the trail was beautiful and lush and winding. Keith’s group had a specialty of physical activity, so they were the trailblazers, Pidge’s coders lurking in the back, though there was of course plenty of intermingling.
And somehow Keith ended up next to Lance. Stupidly, annoyingly perfect Lance. He pointedly ignored him, turning away so no one could see the faint blush he could feel dusting his face and ears as Lance shot him a lazy half-grin.
The rest of the walk passed essentially uneventful, with the chatter of the campers and the whisper of the light breeze providing the soundtrack to what Keith was sure was Lance and Allura’s love story.
Thankfully, once they reached the summit Lance busied himself with teaching the campers to weave flower crowns. Or not thankfully. Lance snuck up behind him, startling Keith. He smiled that infuriating half-grin and dropped a crown of blue and red wildflowers in Keith’s head.
”There. Both of our colors.” Keith was sure his face was red as the flowers atop his head.
”Thanks, I guess,” he responded with a shrug, glad his voice didn’t crack.
”Glad to be of service,” Lance said with a wink and a pair of finger guns, before heading over to Hunk, who was gathering greens and mushrooms.
The second half of the day continued in a similar fashion to the first, with occasional encounters with the other campers and plenty of hikes and games, until the bell rang to call them to dinner, as well as Hunk’s voice calling out “Camp Voltron, assemble!”
Keith sighed and shepherded his campers to the pavilion, where they melded with the others. But this time they wouldn’t be eating there. No no. It was time for the First Day Camp Voltron Most Excellent Campfire And Songs (copyright Lance McClain). Keith joined the other counselors at the head of the group, Hunk with a bag of food over one shoulder, and Lance, who was whispering with Allura, with a ukulele tucked under an arm.
Keith ignored the brief flare of jealousy that burned in his chest as they started heading out. He should be happy for them, getting together at last.
All his thoughts on the matter disappeared when he, lost in his own head, stumbled on an exposed tree root and Lance caught and steadied him. “Oh god, please don’t use one of your awful pickup lines on me,” Keith grumbled through his blush, pushing Lance away and regaining his feet.
”Wouldn’t dream of it, Mullet.”
Keith hung nearer to the back after that.
After what was less than ten minutes but somehow went both too quickly and too slowly, they arrived at their goal: a large clearing that they’d used as long as Keith had been there, logs dragged and arranged around a wide circle of stones with sticks arranged inside in a tent shape.
Allura gave the usual safety briefings, warning the campers not to get too close, not to wander out into the forest, not to fight, and to go to a counselor with any worries or questions.
Then Pidge take a lighter out of their pocket, and lit the fire, burning sheltered in its temporary wooden cage. “Let the games begin!” they crowed.
Hunk laid out s’more materials, the campers burst across the clearing, and a rowdy, enjoyable hour ensued, at the end of which Lance picked up his ukulele and gently started strumming. “This song is dedicated to someone who shall not be named at this time.”
As the campers all oooooed, Keith groaned inwardly. Couldn’t everyone see it was Allura? This conviction only strengthened as Lance began the song.
”Wise men say
Only fools, only fools rush in
But I, but I can’t help
Falling in love with you
Shall I stay?
Would it be a sin
If I can’t help
Falling in love with you”
Lance paused for breath, and a subtle, small smile crept onto his face. Keith felt his pulse begin to quicken.
“Like a river flows
Surely to the sea
Darling, so it goes
Some things are meant to be”
Lance paused once again, with only a single verse remaining of the short song. The entire camp leaned forward, enraptured by the sound of his honey-coated voice. Keith was glad for his long hair, as it hid the pink steadily growing at the tips of his ears.
”Take my hand
Take my whole life too
For I can’t help
Falling in love with you
Falling in love
With
You”
The whole camp burst into applause, the other counselors heard distinctly above everyone else. “Woo-hoo! Yeah Lance!” Keith sighed. Another nearly unmemorable first night. Or at least it would have been, if not for what happened as Allura and Hunk were shuffling the campers off to their beds.
Lance grabbed Keith’s hand and broke one of the rules they’d laid down for campers, although barely, and dragged him just into the woods. There, illuminated by fireflies and the last dying embers, he looked almost godly.
Lance whispered something, but Keith didn’t quite catch it. “What?” he asked.
Lance again smiled that beautiful, infuriating half-grin. “I said the song was for you.”
At that moment, Keith was sure is heart stopped. Or if not in that moment, then the one after, where he leaned forward, Lance leaned forward, and softly, oh so softly, their lips met.
Later that night, Keith licked his lips and savored the taste of chocolate and burnt sugar, of woodsmoke and grass. And he smiled.