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Shiro poked his head through the back door and promptly ruined Keith’s good mood. “He’s back again.”
Keith was squatting in front of the oven, contemplating sticking his head in it. But there was a pie baking, and it was an apple pie that Keith was planning on devouring the entirety of later on in the night, where Shiro wasn’t around to witness his shame.
When he was met with no response and a tense silence, Shiro coughed. “He’s asking for you.” From his peripheral, Keith could see him wringing his hands together in nervousness. It was a habit he had picked up from Keith, from being his friend for so many years.
“Tell him I died. Of a massive stroke. From being near him for too long.”
“He saw you through the kitchen window when he walked in, so I’m afraid that won’t work.” Shiro gave an apologetic smile.
Keith wondered how much damage could be done to his dignity if he just threw himself into the oven to avoid the inevitable. Probably not much, really; he didn’t have much of a dignity to begin with. “My life is in shambles,” Keith whispered to the still-baking pie. “My life is in shambles and the bane of my existence is in my restaurant.”
“Technically, it’s not your restaurant,” Shiro offered up.
“Shiro, for God’s sake, why can’t you let me enjoy my moment of peace without shattering it?” Keith snapped. “I know it’s not my restaurant.”
Shiro frowned, looking not unlike a kicked puppy. Keith hated how guilty he felt. “But then why did—”
“Shiro, it’s been a very long day. It’s not even eleven yet, and I’ve had three people yell at me because their order was wrong. Two children threw scrambled eggs at my face. I spilled cranberry juice on my favorite shirt.” He pointed to the stain as proof. “And now the person, who for some God-forsaken reason has made it his mission to torment me, is outside those doors.” He gestured to the kitchen doors with a flourish. “Waiting. Watching. Hoping for a chance to make my day even shittier.” Keith stood up from his squat and clapped his hands together like he was praying to all the gods for the self-restraint to not murder his best friend of five years. “Please. For the love of all things that are holy, let me live my life.”
Shiro looked wide-eyed at Keith, his mouth parted slightly. “I see. So, should I tell Lance you’re not in?”
“Don’t say his name, it only makes him stronger.”
“Lance is not Voldemort, Keith.” Shiro looked thoroughly unimpressed.
Keith inhaled, closing his eyes. “He might as well be.” Exhale. “In this kitchen, we refer to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named as ‘Trash’ or ‘Supreme Shit Lord’. Nothing else or anything in between.” Keith walked toward the kitchen doors, snatching a pen on the way out. “Check on my pie for me, will you? Make sure it’s not overcooked.” He threw back his head and glared at Shiro. “If my pie is overcooked even just a little bit, Shiro.” He drew a finger across his neck. “Your ass is grass, and I’m gonna mow it.”
Shiro gave a pleading look. “Please, leave me alone.”
Instead of responding, Keith blew him a kiss. “You are my star shine, and I appreciate you.”
“For goodness sakes Keith, do your freaking job.”
Keith nodded his head. “Right. Time to die.” He pushed through the kitchen doors and grimaced as he saw Lance’s face staring right at him. The moment Keith made his appearance, Lance’s face brightened and his features turned snake-like. He waved Keith over with an over-exaggerated arm. “Keith! Buddy!”
Keith grimaced and walked over to Lance, who was casually slumped in a booth, his arms resting against the top of the seat. His legs were up on the table, swinging to the beat of the song coming from the ancient jukebox in the corner of the room. He craned his neck up casually, grinning through his ugly knock-off Gucci sunglasses. “Like my shades?” He waggled his eyebrows.
“Wow,” Keith deadpanned. “I didn’t realize you could be any more of a tool than you already are. Yet, here you are. Wearing shades indoors. Amazing.”
Lance snorted and took them off with a wave. “You flatter me, babe,” he cooed.
“Don’t call me that,” Keith spat, glaring at him. “What do you want?”
Lance smirked, leaning his cheek to rest on his hand. “How ‘bout them digits?”
“I already gave you a number, Lance.”
Lance pouted, his features becoming more and more pitiful by the second. “No, you gave me the number to a takeout Thai place. Accidentally, I’m sure.”
“Oh, really. That’s so terrible,” Keith muttered sarcastically.
“You have no idea how much Thai food I ordered to sate my aching heart.” Lance gave a pleading look. “I ate so much Pad Thai that night, I forgot what happened the next morning. I had a Pad Thai hangover.”
I know, Keith thought bitterly, you came in the next morning acting really pissy. “That sounds just awful.” He glowered. “Shouldn’t you be at work instead of tormenting me?”
“Truly.” Lance took a napkin from the dispenser on the table. “I’ll take your real number now, thanks. And, no. Today’s a holiday, sweetheart,” he crooned.
Keith sighed and took out his notepad. “I’m assuming you want the same thing as usual?”
“The usual? Oh, you know me so well!” Lance batted his eyelashes. “Yes, please.”
“Coming right up,” Keith grumbled, huffing away angrily when Lance made a gross kissy face at him.
When he got back into the kitchen, he thrust the paper at Shiro, who didn’t even look at it. “The trash wants his usual. Like always,” he said darkly. He crouched down and peered into the oven. “How’s my pie?”
“It’s fine. Maybe ten more minutes, and it should be good.” Shiro went over to the coffee pot that housed their home brewed regular. “You know; you really don’t have to write down his order. All he gets is a regular black coffee. Nothing else.”
Keith huffed. “I don’t. I just write down angry words to vent out my anger without throttling him on the spot.”
“Really?” Shiro asked, surprised. He looked down at the paper he held and gasped. “Keith, these are terrible words!”
“They’re fun.”
“Terrible! Just for that, I’m making you take his coffee to him.” Shiro poured the coffee into one of the diner’s fancy mugs and handed it to Keith. “Be nice to him, please.” He gave Keith a disappointed frown. “You’re not supposed to be rude to the customers.”
Keith rolled his eyes. “That trash isn’t a customer, he’s a nuisance.”
Shiro gave him a very disappointed gaze that just screamed, ‘why are you like this’. Keith averted his gaze and scoffed. “Don’t give me that look.”
“What look?” Shiro feigned innocence, as if he didn’t know the power of his own disappointment.
“That look.” Keith waved in Shiro’s general direction. “The disappointed dad look. The one that makes me feel bad about all of my life’s decisions.” He sent a quick glare Shiro’s way. “It’s too powerful.”
Shiro smiled. “Why don’t you just take Lance his coffee?”
“I’d rather die.”
“Take the darn coffee, Keith.” Shiro said, his voice becoming more and more threatening.
“I think it’s funny how you are physically unable to curse. It’s adorable.” Keith smirked at Shiro’s blushing face. He waved his hand nonchalantly when Shiro opened his mouth to speak. “Yeah, yeah. I know. I’ll take it out.” He headed for the dining room but paused right before pushing open the doors. “Make sure—”
“I won’t burn the pie, Keith. Go.”
Keith sent a loving gaze Shiro’s way. “I love you, dad.”
Shiro looked tired. “Please don’t call me that.”
Keith laughed and pushed open the doors, his face contorting into a scowl when he saw Lance using the salt and pepper shakers as maracas. “Just what the hell are you doing,” he asked, exasperated. He set down the mug on the table and made a disgusted face when Lance picked it up and took a large gulp. “You are not human.”
Lance raised an inquisitive eyebrow. “How so?”
“No human could just drink straight up black coffee.”
Lance grinned, waggling his eyebrows. “This one can.”
Keith rolled his eyes. “Whatever.” He turned to walk away, when Lance yelped out, “Wait!” He turned around, his face monotonous.
Lance gave him a very serious look. “I just want you to know.” His eyes shone. “That you have a very nice butt.”
Keith gave a scandalized look and felt his face warm up considerably. “Shut up!” he screeched, when Lance started laughing. He stormed toward the kitchen and flung the doors open, nearly scaring Shiro half to death when he screamed into his hands.
“Uh… are you okay?” Shiro asked timidly.
“He’s going to kill me,” Keith bemoaned. “No, better yet, I’m going to kill him. And then I’m going to go to jail for the rest of my life and you’ll live a sad, pitiful life without me because I am your only friend.”
“I… I don’t—”
“He told me I have a nice butt,” Keith squeaked out, blushing even more as he heard his own words.
Shiro tried to hold back his smirk, he really did. But it showed through, anyway. “Well. That’s nice.” He coughed, trying to hold back his laughter. “I don’t see how that’s a justifiable reason for murder, but I can see why you’re embarrassed.”
“Shiro, please handle him for the rest of the day. Please. Please.” Keith sent a watery pout his way. “I can’t go back out there. I don’t trust myself not to throttle him.”
Shiro laughed heartily and clapped a hand on Keith’s shoulder. “You’ll be fine.”
The next hour was a blessedly quiet period. Business started picking up and soon Keith was running around from table to table, taking orders and refilling drinks. He didn’t even have time to think about the nuisance sitting at the far corner booth, where he usually resided whenever he came in. Lance was thankfully pretty courteous when it came to not bothering Keith during work when it was this hectic. It was only when the diner was relatively quiet that he made his annoying presence known.
Keith flited over to Lance’s booth and quickly gave him a refill on his coffee. Lance sent an appreciative smile and a wink Keith’s way, to which Keith responded with a blush and a roll of his eyes. He made his way over to another table, where a man was asking for a refill.
The lunch rush came and went, with Keith nearly having a nervous breakdown when a middle aged man made a fuss about his order and yelled at Keith for almost ten minutes. From the corner of his eye, Keith had seen Lance glaring at the spectacle, his hands balled into fists and grip on his mug iron-like. Shiro had to intervene toward the end of the man’s tirade so Keith could go into the kitchen and cry frustrated tears.
Once the initial panic was settled, Keith made his way back out to the dining room, his moves sluggish and tired. As he passed Lance’s table, he felt a hand grab his wrist. He looked over at Lance, who was giving him a worried look.
“Are you okay?” Lance’s touch sent a warm feeling through Keith’s arm.
Keith swallowed thickly and nodded, looking away from Lance’s gaze. “Yeah, I’m fine,” he muttered. “Just tired.” When Lance didn’t release his hand, Keith gave him a pointed look. “I have to work, Lance.”
Lance sighed and let go of Keith’s wrist. “Yeah. Yeah, okay.”
Keith nodded and continued on, putting on a smile for the next booth and asked them if they were ready to order.
Once the diner became less crowded, Keith slumped against the wall of the kitchen. “Fuck,” he muttered, leaning his head against his knees. “Is it almost time to leave?”
“Sorry, but no.” Shiro gave him a weary grimace. “We have to prepare for the dinner rush.”
“Fuck,” Keith groaned again. “The dinner rush is worse.”
“I know, buddy.” Shiro sighed. “If it makes you feel any better, he’s still out there.”
“How is that supposed to make me feel better?” Keith deadpanned.
Shiro laughed. “Despite you complaining about him all the time, I know you really secretly like him.”
Keith scoffed. “Ha. Yeah, right.”
Shiro had this twinkle in his eyes, and Keith wanted to hit him. “You can’t fool me, Keith. And you sure as heck can’t fool Lance. He knows you like him. That’s why he’s around all the time.”
“No. I think he’s around all the time to make my life miserable.” Keith frowned at the floor.
“You don’t mean that.”
“I know, and I hate it. I hate him.”
“Sure you do. Why don’t you see if he wants more coffee?” Shiro offered him a hand up.
“If he drinks anymore coffee, he’s not going to be able to sleep at all, tonight. He’s already had two cups.” He sent Shiro a glare when he gave him a knowing smile. “Shut up.”
“I haven’t said anything.”
“I know. But I can read your mind.”
“Okay, whatever, you weirdo.” Shiro shooed him away. “Go. Do your work.”
Keith sighed and grabbed at the coffee pot on the way out. “Two days until your off day, Keith,” he muttered under his breath. “Two days until you can sleep in and forget about your problems.” One of Keith’s said problems was currently using table condiments and napkins to build a castle of some kind.
“Just what the hell are you doing,” Keith asked, as he poured Lance more coffee. He knew he didn’t need to ask Lance if he wanted more, because Lance always drank at least three cups of coffee when he visited the diner.
Lance grinned. “I’m building a fortress. Do you like it?” He made a dramatic gesture. “I call it… Lancetopia. Tada.” Cue the jazz hands.
Keith made a very unimpressed face. “Wow. Amazing. You managed to make a mess of the table using every single thing on it.” Keith gave him a blank look. “You are a man among men. Truly.”
Lance smirked. “A man among men, huh? I like it.”
“It was sarcasm, smart one.”
“Oh, I know. Hey—” Lance bit his lip. He took Keith’s hand and pressed it to his chest.
Keith flushed and tried to pry his hand away. “What the fuck—”
“Keith.” Keith startled at the serious look Lance sent him. “I have something to say. And I need you to hear me out for, like, two seconds.”
Keith’s heart was racing wildly. “O-okay…” His cheeks felt absurdly warm.
“Keith… do you feel this?” Lance pressed Keith’s hand further into his shirt.
Do I feel your amazing chiseled abs? Yes. Yes, I do. Keith’s face was probably burning up, at this point.
“This…” Lance looked away and took a moment to breathe. “This, right here.” He looked up at Keith, meeting his eyes with a determined gaze. “This shirt is boyfriend material.”
It was silent for a few moments, Keith giving Lance a startled look, and Lance returning the look with a somber expression.
“You…” Keith murmured. “You… asshole!” He ripped his hand away and glared at Lance, who was laughing wildly.
“Oooh my God!” Lance hollered, cackling. “I can’t believe you fell for it!”
Keith immediately shrieked and practically flew to the kitchen.
“Wait! No, Keith!” Lance was still laughing. “I’m sorry, I—” More laughter.
Keith flung himself into the kitchen, immediately finding Shiro and glaring at him. Shiro looked scared. “I’m going to murder him,” Keith muttered darkly. “I’m going to murder him, and there will be no regrets.”
Dinner rush was hectic and tiring and Keith wanted nothing more than to flee home with the pie that was waiting for him in the fridge. He wanted to go home and curl up on the couch and watch bad alien documentaries on Netflix and eat the entire pie in one sitting with no Shiro there to judge him.
By the time dinner rush had started, Lance had already taken his leave, to the relief of Keith (and Shiro, who was tired of listening to Keith’s angry ranting). Of course, Lance did leave his mark in a note written on a napkin for Keith to see when he was cleaning up the table.
See you soon! ;)
-Lance
And underneath Lance’s name were at least ten badly drawn hearts, one of them containing the words ‘u have a nice butt’ in it. Keith had huffed fondly, blushing, and rolled his eyes. He ended up sticking the napkin in his apron pocket, much to the amusement of Shiro.
“You like him,” Shiro had cooed while cleaning up a nearby table.
“Shut up,” Keith muttered, flushing. (He wouldn’t admit to Shiro that he was right.)
Once the last customer had left and the diner was cleaned up and ready for the next day, Keith was ready to pass out in exhaustion. He slumped into a booth and groaned, his entire body aching. “Finally,” he mumbled to the table. “I can go home and do nothing.”
He heard Shiro’s laugh and rolled his head to the side, looking up at his friend. Shiro handed him a paper bag. “Here’s your pie.”
“Thanks,” Keith sighed. “At this point, I probably won’t even eat it tonight. I’m probably going to fall into bed as soon as I get home.”
“I feel you.” Shiro winced. “It was a pretty rough day.”
Keith nodded. “It’s amazing how stressful this job can get.”
Shiro shrugged. “Hey, it may be stressful, but it pays the bills.” He nodded his head toward the exit. “Come on, let’s go; I think someone’s waiting for you outside.”
Keith’s mouth twitched into a smile. “Of course he is.”
He and Shiro made their way outside, the cool chill of the air immediately hitting them. Keith wrapped his jacket tighter around his body. He looked around, his eyebrows furrowing as he searched for someone.
Suddenly, his eyes were covered by a pair of hands. Keith grinned as a pair of lips rested near his ear and a smooth voice whispered, “Hey babe, did you miss me?”
Keith turned around and smiled, letting himself get wrapped up in Lance’s embrace. He let Lance kiss his cheek before saying, “Who would miss someone like you? Especially when you were around for so long?”
Lance hummed, his eyes shining with mirth. “I wonder…” He leaned down and pressed his lips against Keith’s. Keith smiled into the kiss and wrapped his arms around Lance’s neck, pulling him closer against him. Lance’s lips were warm and soft and tasted faintly of black coffee and strawberries.
When they parted, Keith sent a loving gaze Lance’s way before realizing that Shiro was, in fact, standing there, watching them with a smile on his face. He coughed and blushed. “I will… I will see you tomorrow, Shiro…” he said, embarrassed.
Shiro merely smiled and gave a knowing grin. “Yeah, yeah. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He raised a hand goodbye. “See you later, Lance. You two have fun.”
Lance sent Shiro a crooked grin. “Oh, we will.” His smile was the opposite of innocent, and he laughed when Keith playfully slapped his arm.
“That’s more information than I needed to know,” Shiro muttered. He shook his head. “I’m leaving now. Bye.”
Keith pressed his face into Lance’s chest. “Why do you have to be like that?” he mumbled, embarrassed. “And why do you always have to flirt with me at work like we haven’t been together for three years now?”
Lance laughed, bringing his hand up to rest in Keith’s hair. “Oh, stop being so modest. You know you love it.”
Keith grumbled. “Yeah, I do…” he admitted. He looked up and smiled. “I love you.”
Lance hummed and traced his hand from Keith’s head, down to his cheek and cupped the side of his face. “I love me, too.” He wheezed when Keith punched his stomach. His eyes widened when Keith started walking away toward his and Lance’s apartment. “No—wait, babe. Keith! Don’t walk away! I love you too! You know I love you, baby!”
Keith blushed at the embarrassing pet name, but stopped and waited for Lance to catch up nonetheless. He felt Lance’s hand slip into his own and smiled when Lance squeezed it. “So, what’s on the agenda for tonight?” he asked.
“Well. I ordered pizza. One meat lovers for me, and one Hawaiian for you. God knows why you eat that blasphemous pizza, but I ordered it for you.” Lance hummed. “And I have Netflix up and running, so I was thinking we could watch some documentaries and make out some and then pass out.”
Keith hummed. “It’s like you know exactly what I want,” Keith sighed dreamily, pushing himself closer against Lance’s side. “I love you.”
Lance smiled. “And I love you too, even though you like Hawaiian pizza.”
Keith frowned. “Hawaiian pizza is good.”
Lance made a disgusted face. “I take it back. I don’t see how anyone could love you.”
Keith raised the paper bag in his other hand. “I made us pie.”
“Don’t mind what I said back then, I do love you.” Lance eyed the bag hungrily. “Is it apple?”
“Of course.”
Lance moaned. “God, you’re wonderful.” He unlinked their hands and wrapped his arm around Keith’s shoulders. “What did I ever do to deserve someone like you?”
Keith hummed and bit his lip, smiling. “You kept pestering me at work and wouldn’t stop pestering me.” He sent up a playful look. “You still pester me, but you’re more tolerable now.”
Lance laughed. “Hey, it worked, didn’t it?”
“Mm… yeah, it did…”
Keith thought about all those years ago, when Lance had first made his way into Keith’s life. From the first day they met, Lance had made it his personal mission to get under Keith’s skin and bother him while at work. At first, they hated each other. They insulted each other and tormented one another to no end, and Keith continuously wondered if maybe his and Lance’s relationship was doomed from the start.
Eventually, though, Keith got to know Lance. He learned that Lance was a teacher at a local elementary school, and that he often stayed behind late after work, just for his kids. The thought of Lance interacting with children and playing with them and helping them grow was enough to tug on Keith’s heartstrings. He also found out how caring and compassionate Lance could be. He learned all of Lance’s strengths and weaknesses and his likes and dislikes, and eventually, Keith couldn’t even imagine how anyone could hate him.
Keith thought about how slowly he fell in love with Lance, how Lance’s laughter made his heart jump from his chest and how his smile left him breathless. He thought about how oblivious he had been about his own feelings and how long-winded their dancing around each other had been. He thought about how Lance had confessed to him after work, during a night not unlike tonight, with the cold wind whispering in the air and the leaves of Autumn falling to the ground.
He thought about all the moments of their relationship leading up to this moment, with him and Lance walking together to their home—their home. He thought about all their ups and downs, all the tears and frustrated yelling and the stress of trying to balance a relationship and work. He thought about all the anger and the sorrow and the frustration that came with being in a relationship with Lance.
But he also thought about all the warmth. All the happiness and joy and the excited laughter and the feeling of loving someone so much that Keith’s heart was ready to burst. He thought about the way Lance looked like when he just woke up, bleary and groggy and his hair a mess. He thought about how Lance was always there for him, always a constant in his life. Keith thought about the way his heart fluttered happily when he wakes up to see Lance next to him, and the way he feels when he falls asleep next to the person he loves most in the world, his face pressed against Lance’s neck, their bodies intertwined.
He thought about the way Lance loved him in such a gentle, compassionate way, and Keith leaned his head against Lance’s shoulder, causing Lance to snake his arm around Keith’s waist.
Keith thought about his future, and how whenever he looks to see what his life may be like in 10 or 20 years, Lance is always there with him. Always a constant.
Keith looked up at Lance, smiling when Lance met his gaze. Lance smiled, and Keith felt himself fall in love with him all over again.
They held on close to one another tightly, and continued on.