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[emblazes]

 
ᴄᴀʟʟ × ᴠᴏɪᴄᴇᴍᴀɪʟ × ᴛᴇxᴛ

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[emblazes]

[How graceful...]

That's good.

[Truly.]

I wasn't sure if you'd like the necklace.

[competing]

[ lance gives him a genuinely baffled look. ]

Are you kidding? [ his free hand flies up, curling around the sharktooth tucked beneath the collar of his shirt. ] I love it!

[ ah. that's so brazen... he blushes, awkwardly laughing it off. ]

I mean, you know... it was really thoughtful. I probably started liking you there... or — whenever. Who knows.

[ NOW HE'S EMBARRASSED ]

[emblazes]

[He kinda...chuckles...along with Lance. It's a quiet bout of -- it's a chuckle, okay.]

Yeah? That's what it took?

[He is embarrassed, isn't he. On the other hand, when did he start liking Lance? It had to have been before any of this...

But he can't really pinpoint the exact place where rivalry became something a little deeper.]

It suits you. [Is what he'll go with...] Something like that doesn't look good on just anyone.

[Corny ass 90s trinket. He wears it well.]

[competing]

[ he nudges keith with an elbow; if he had put any actual force into it, it could be considered a body check, but as it is it's more like a cut it out man you're making me blush kind of gesture... frick you...

truthfully, lance can't pinpoint a time his feelings changed. sometimes he tries, and finds himself going so far back that it's actually kind of scary to think about, and so he just. doesn't. most times. ]

Yeah, what can I say... I make it work.

[ yes, let's just focus on inflating his ego here. that's nice and safe. ]

[emblazes]

[Can't give an inch...Lance'll go a mile. He stops walking all at once, waits for Lance to do the same, or clothesline himself between their interlocked fingers. They're close to home now, probably, he just doesn't wanna head in so fast.

This must be why/how dates were invented.]

Hey, I...wanna talk to you for a tick.

[They've been talking the whole time.]

[competing]

[ omg what happened what did he do ]

Yeah?

[ he's actually a step or two ahead, having stopped belatedly, so he turns slowly, facing keith. there's a small hint of wariness in his tone. the mood got so serious so suddenly.... ]

What's up?

[emblazes]

When we first got here, I...

[Was super pissed, which isn't the point.]

I didn't know what to expect. It felt like nothing we did mattered -- before this. I still don't really get it, why we're here, why some of us got left in stasis.

[Lance already heard his conspiracies about this place, which isn't the direction he's trying to head into right now anyway.]

I guess, what I'm getting at is that...being with you feels normal. [Romantically, nonromantically.] Thanks for taking a chance on me.

[emblazes]

[Ah yes, that small pebble just on the ground is super interesting.]

[competing]

[ he expected something terrible. what he got instead is... something so far into the opposite of that that he's not even sure he heard right, at first. it actually takes him a couple of minutes to even decide how to respond, let alone remember that he probably should.

he's not really sure where this is coming from, but he recognizes, at least, that it's important. he resists the urge to make a joke of it, as is his way when things get particularly serious. ]

Hey...

[ reaches instead to cup the side of keith's cheek, gently coaxing him to look up and meet his eyes. ]

You're always gonna have me, okay? Whatever happens, no matter what.

[ if they break up... if the world ends again... it's useless to deny it now, the friendship they'd had before this. despite all his posturing — which he recognizes now as just that — he and keith... lance and keith, neck and neck. it took them a while but they got there, a good team, a good partnership. even now that they are traipsing into that something more territory, they'd always had that foundation. solid, unwavering. and they always will. he absolutely believes it. ]

Besides... if anyone was the long shot here, it's me. [ he smiles sheepishly. ] I haven't exactly had the best track record with you.

[emblazes]

[He looks back up, heart racing -- he's not usually this open with anyone, not usually sentimental. Inviting people in, relying on them from the day to day...it's a risk. Trusting what they say? A similar gamble. When it comes from Lance...

Maybe it's because of their long-standing rivalry, because Lance was there before he fully realized. That shoddy track record? It's important. It's comforting. He shakes his head in response, lets go of his hand and steps forward for a hug.

He's kinda gotten better at those since visiting Arus. Or maybe it's because the target's Lance?]

...Okay.

[There's a hefty rise and fall at his chest.]

I don't know what I'd do [WITHOUT !! YOU!!] if you weren't around.

[competing]

[ his arms are already opening, ready for keith to step into the circle of them. they envelope him readily, his hold both firm but tender. dimly, he is aware this is sort of a Big Deal, but he is also aware he doesn't quite understand just how big a deal it is... it's something he hopes to remedy, eventually. soon. there's so much more he wants to know, now that he's stopped standing in his own way. ]

Get a lot more training done, probably. [ now he's got jokes, because it's fine, keith is in his arms and they both know it's where he should be. ]

[emblazes]

[There's something extra comforting in having this conversation while being completely surrounded by Lance. Wearing his dumb jacket, hugging him and being hugged in turn...it's important.]

You can't train with a dummy.

[✓ Lesson of the day.]

...We can go inside now.

[He's done being weird, Personally.]

[competing]

[ thanks for the permission, keith... but rather than loosen his arms, lance simply squeezes a little tighter, letting his cheek rest against the side of keith's head. is he getting taller?? oh man, wouldn't that be something..! ]

You sure? I'm feeling pretty cozy right now...

[ he turns his head slightly, bumping his temple with a nose. ]

What if we stay here all night? Let everybody in the neighborhood see and get jealous.

1/2

[emblazes]

[No, It Wouldn't Be.

He doesn't exchange a similar hold until Lance expresses the level of cozy he feels. Which is 'pretty'. He'll give a squeeze with that, turn his head to try and face Lance more fully...

And then light up red from head to toe.]

N-no?! Nobody's watching us..

[Though he can't confirm this -- not really eager to turn out of their embrace.]

[emblazes]

I mean...I wouldn't mind it.

[Sigh.]

But it's just gonna get colder out here.

[competing]

[ oh... shy keith... how cute.

how



fun. ]

[competing]

That just means there's more opportunity to warm you up.

[ and he'll continue to smother keith in a great big bear hug, shifting them from side to side. after a moment, he perks up, glancing at something past keith's shoulder. ]

—oh! It's that old lady across the street! She's whispering something into her phone and watching us! [ he leans down, brushing his lips against the other's ear. ] You think she's telling all her friends about her cute canoodling neighbors?

[emblazes]

You're the one without a jacket!

[The swaying is pacifying in some weird way...his brain must be subconsciously remembering the one time he was rocked as a child. He'll go ahead and tuck his face into the crook of Lance's neck for the time being. Until he feels like he's not sweating anymore. A counterproductive move, but a safe one.

Which is foiled straightaway.]

What?! [He's not. Gonna look. That's too much to handle.] We're probably pissing her off!

[Two boys, two girls, a boy and a girl, don't most people think PDAs are tacky? Nevermind that they're Cute As Fuck.]

Let's just go inside.

[Without making a move one way or another. Maybe he's dead. Motorskills on autopilot for the last few minutes of his life.]

[competing]

[ he isn't laughing, but you can probably hear it in his voice. ]

Should we smooch first?

[ he starts to lean forward slightly, making as if to dip keith. his brows waggle. seductively. ]

Really give her something to talk about?

[emblazes]

Why would we do that?!

[He's so very scandalized. It's like Lance is proposing something totally sinister. Gay, sinister, perverted, OOT sexual.

And now he's being...dipped?! Doubly so, as he's pointedly avoiding Lance's mouth. He could just as easily escape the embrace, and karate chop him, but he's like a deer in headlights. The headlights are the old lady neighbor.]

That's private!

[He's gonna fall.]

[competing]

[ hasn't he fallen already? ;D ]

Hmm. You're right. I like keeping you all to myself.

[ but that doesn't necessarily mean keith is off the hook yet. get ready for a SUPER SCANDALOUS, overly sexual

peck on the nose.

and then he's pitching back again, helping keith straighten back up. he keeps an arm slung around his shoulders though, just in case the other boy has any grand designs to flee. ]

[emblazes]

[Donate to my patreon to find out.]

Then-?!

[Oh no; he's wincing, being Very Extra about not wanting to do anything risqué in front of old Edith; she's gonna have a heart attack, she's gonna--

whatever! Could have been worse, sure, but that was still, unmistakably, a nooge of affection.

Once they're both standing straight, he's glaring up at Lance, even if it was a cute thing to do.]

...Is she still watching?

[Quietly.]

[competing]

[ slowly, lance glances over his shoulder to peek. his cheek's pressed up against keith's ear, but it also brings his mouth pretty close, so when he responds he just has to whisper. ]

She's reading the paper... Hard to tell if there are eye holes in it, though.

1/2

[emblazes]

[GOOSE

BUMPS?]

[emblazes]

Lance...

[After another moment of recoup. He's whispering just the same, level with his ear.]

She was never looking, was she?