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It's Just Pretend

Hi everyone :)

I'm going to be real with y'all, I am trying so hard to stay invested in this story but I don't particularly like how I've written it. I'm going to finish it, I don't feel like I've given y'all the best story and I'm sorry. But, I hope even despite its flaws it can be enjoyable

Chapter 9: Just Confess

AO3!

Chapter 8

First Chapter!

Word Count: 1,730

---

“And a bowl for you,” Hunk passed Lance a bowl as he took a seat on the chair next to the couch. Shay immediately sat on his lap, resting her head on his shoulder.

“Thanks, buddy,” Lance grabbed a couple of pieces of popcorn from the bowl, holding it out for Keith to take a handful. He mumbled a small thanks in return and everyone fell silent. Their eye on the screen.

Lance had his arm on the back of the couch, basically having his arm around Keith. Who sat next to him, his arms crossed over his own chest. Keeping a distance between him and Lance. No one could really say what they were watching. Some random comedy horror movie. It was entertaining, funnier than scary.

Shay has become more tucked into Hunk as the movie droned on. Her chuckles softly as Hunk gently traces shapes into her back with his fingers. Lance had sunk down into the couch a bit more. Keith ever so slightly leaning into Lance’s side. His head found a home on Lance’s shoulder.

The flash of a light.

“Awe you two almost look like a couple!” Pidge turned their phone around, holding it up for the boys to see.

Lance smiled, “awe we are cute. Keith look at us!”

Keith scowled slightly at the photo, swatting Lance’s hand away when he reached over and gently pinched his cheek.

“Awe you look cute. Don’t be so moody.”

“I’m not as photogenic as you.” Keith averted his gaze from the group. Silently plotting how to get that photo from Pidge.

Lance laughed, that stupid laugh. The laugh that made Keith’s cheeks heat up. The laugh that Keith would do anything to keep hearing no matter what. The laugh that Keith didn’t- no, couldn’t lose. God, he couldn’t lose Lance.

“You’re attractive mullet. You’re just not used to seeing yourself.” Lance ruffled Keith’s hair, a small smile on his face.

Keith didn’t know what to say and scooched himself away from Lance, forcing himself to look at the TV. His heart beating out of his chest.

—

“Want some more?” Hunk held an almost empty bottle of wine towards Lance, a drunk smile on his face.

“I shouldn’t but…” Lance trailed off.

“But what?” Hunk pried in a playful manner.

Lance laughed, “But fuck it! We’re on vacation!” He held his glass closer to his best friend and watched the red liquid fill the cup.

Hunk put the nearly empty bottle down between the two of them and they fell into a silence.

“Isn’t she beautiful?” Lance mumbled, his head titled toward the sky.

“The moon?” Hunk mumbled back.

Lance hummed, “hasn’t aged a day.”

Hunk chuckled, “Still your first love?” He bumped his shoulder into Lances in a playful manner.

“Haha, very funny. I should have never told you that.” Lance took a swig of his wine, Hunk doing the same.

“Speaking of love,” Hunk lowered his voice to a whisper, keeping his voice between the two of them. Despite the closed window separating them from the outside and inside of the house. “How are you in that department.”

Lance’s heart jumped from his chest into his throat and he did his best to swallow it down. “Oh you know,” he forced his eyes up. Looking at the stars twinkling above. “Pretty dry…but hey it won’t be like that forever.” He released a laugh, hoping Hunk didn’t hear the wetness behind it.

“Lance?” Hunk whispered, his voice holding a knowing tone.

Lance quickly downed his drink, hastily pointing to a set of stars, “That’s Orion's belt!” He belted out, cutting off anything Hunk was about to say. Missing the frown that fell on his best friend's face.

“Yeah, I see it buddy.”

The rest of the night passed in a blur and both of them climbed back into the house from the roof as the sun came up. Lance stumbled into his room as quietly as he could, freezing as soon as he saw Keith’s sleeping body. He found himself just standing there, watching. In hindsight, it was a creepy thing to do but he was drunk so he wasn’t thinking clearly.

Lance finally stepped forward and crawled into bed next to his friend. Keith almost immediately pressed his face into Lance’s chest.

Lance could only focus on his heart, pounding in his ears. He gently pushed a couple of strands of hair behind Keith’s ear, suddenly becoming overwhelmed with the desire to kiss him.

Keith looked so peaceful, gentle, and safe. Lance had grown to truly love him.

He loved him.

Lance closed his eyes and wrapped his arms tighter around Keith; holding him.

Feelings aside, he knew he had to start pulling back so Keith could find someone he actually liked. And Lance could move on.

—

“And a vanilla cone for you.” The gentleman with bright red hair and a middle lip piercing held out a napkin-wrapped cone toward Keith.

“Thanks,” Keith stepped off to the side, letting Lance wait for his cone next. Pidge and Matt were nowhere to be found. Hunk and Shay were sitting on a bench if too the right, sharing a banna spit with each other. Shiro and Adam were having a debate on whether ice cream cones or milkshakes were better. A constant debate that Keith didn’t understand because they were both ice cream.

He tried to focus on his own cone, ignoring the jealousy that turned in his gut. He wanted to be in love. He wanted to share a dessert with someone and have a dumb debate that didn’t lead to an argument. He wanted something real.

But he knew he wanted Lance like that.

He had been thinking more about it since his talk with Shiro on the hike. He liked Lance, that wasn’t a secret. He would even dare to say that they were very compatible in almost every department. He knew he didn’t want to ruin their friendship and he was terrified of telling Lance that he liked him. But what was the worst that could happen? Lance rejects him and they keep living their life? It might make the fake breakup easier to process and apply to real life. He couldn't lose Lance but he also couldn't drag himself through this fake love forever.

He frowned slightly, repeating what Shiro said in his mind. “You’re right, but I can see it in his face. He likes you, Keith. More than I think you realize. Hell, maybe even he realizes.”

Shiro was usually right about things like that. He clocked that Adam liked him long before Adam even figured out that he was gay. He had almost a 6th sense when it came to feelings. So, maybe he should trust Shiro in this regard?

He fought back a sigh, silently coming to the conclusion that when the 11th month of their fake relationship and lease hit, he would say something. He would finally confess. Even if he was scared, he was going to do it.

Lance’s flustered laugh made its way through the air, breaking Keith from his internal monologue.

His eyes snapped to his friend, his heart skipping a beat as soon as he registered what he was seeing.

Lance was rubbing the back of his neck, a soft smile on his face, his head ever so slightly tilted to the left.

Keith held his breath, unknowingly until his lungs ached. He stood there, unmoving. Not even registering the ice cream dripping onto his fingers. Just watching. Watching Lance and this, he shifted his eyes, mystery man talk.

Maybe he could have heard what they were saying if he forced himself to focus. Or if he had been born with the ability to regulate his emotions like so many of his peers could do easily. Okay, he knew you weren’t born with that skill but the instructions to obtain it were unclear to him.

Currently, Keith was imploding on the inside, which seemed dramatic but that stance said more to Keith than anything. That stance Lance was holding was his-

“Keith?” Shiro placed his hand on his shoulder, effectively forcing Keith to take a breath. Nearly choking on the action in the process. Shiro quickly moved Keith to a bench, making the action seem normal, and calculated.

Adam pressed some napkins into Keith’s hand and took a seat next to Keith.

“What’s going on buddy?” Shiro dropped his voice, keeping the conversation between the three of them.

Keith swallowed around nothing, focusing on keeping himself calm and collected. “That stance.” He tried to nod his head toward Lance, unsure of how clear he made the action.

“What? Lance wanted to leave the conversation?” Adam questioned.

Keith shook his head, “No, I know that stance. That’s his…” he chewed on his lower lip briefly, “someone flirting with him' stance.”

Shiro and Adam both made noises of acknowledgment.

“Doesn’t mean he’s flirting back right? He’s a good-looking guy with attention issues,” Shiro joked. Trying to lighten the mood.

Kieth wanted to agree, he was going to agree. Until the mystery man handed Lance his phone, which Lance too with a wide smile. His fingers flew across the screen. He gave the phone back with a wide grin and made his way towards Hunk, a small jump in his step. Seeming to be unaware of Keith and his obvious emotional turmoil.

“Were you going to confess?” Adam took a swing of his milkshake and Kieth could feel Shiro’s eye-roll without looking at him.

“Way to be subtle, Adam,” Shiro whispered harshly.

“What? He’s a direct kid, it’s better to be direct. Right, Keith?” Adam shot back.

“Uh yeah.”

“Yeah to Adam’s question or yeah you were going to confess.

Keith hesitated, “both.”

“It’s not too late,” Adam said. “Flirting doesn’t mean you lose your chance.”

“He gave him his number,” Keith said back. His brain trying to convince him to simply run away and never speak to Lance ever again. He didn't want to deal with these emotions.

Adam shrugged, “maybe they bonded over something. Plus, Shiro has gotten plenty of numbers from people, it doesn’t mean anything.”

Shiro hummed in agreement, “Sometimes it just is an ego boost.”

“Okay,” Keith took a shaky breath, “I’ll still tell him. I just need time.”

“You have time, just take it day by day.”

“I’ll try.”

---

Unsure when the next update will be, won't be as long of a break as before. I work 7 days a week so I only have so much energy to write

Thank you for reading and the support <33333

#its just pretend #klance #fake engagement #posted to ao3 #chapter 9 #kangst #pining #pining lance #pining keith #vld #voltron legendary defender #lance vld #keith vld #thank you #<333333

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