Keith gripped the handle of Blue’s harness as he and Pike rushed into the cool daycare center, content to have some relief from the hot, summer sun. Taking off Blue’s harness, he hung it up in the office. Glancing around, Keith smiled as he directed Pike to the main area. Keith loved his job. He felt as if he had a purpose in life knowing that he was helping not only the parents, but also a group of very special children who sometimes just needed to know that they were loved. He wouldn’t give it up for the world, but there were also times where he hated it, times where he went home more exhausted than ever, times where Lance had to talk him out of quiting. This was one of those moments.
Children ran around the toy crowded room, weaving in and out of the herd of hurrying adults. As parents began to drop off the kids for Keith’s disabled class, Keith directed Pike to take Blue back to the separate classroom, reminding him to remove his shoes before he entered the pillow-padded room.. Keith turned slightly to his left in order to keep Pike in his line of sight just as a parent carried in a grumbling toddler. The dark skinned girl was patting at the woman’s shoulder as she grumbled and grunted. The woman who carried her looked exhausted and at her wits end. She approached Keith with fast, long strides. She huffed a piece of hair out of her face as she basically shoved a bag into his arm. Keith turned to face her fully with a tight lipped smile. The toddler tapped her shoulder at a faster pace. The woman groaned and turned back to the child.
“I can’t get you anything unless you tell me what you want.” The woman grunted out as she shifted the girl further up her hip.. Her statement only seemed to make the toddler more distressed, her grunting became louder as she started to shake her head and hands. The woman sighed heavily as she looked at Keith fully. She pulled her lip up as her well trimmed eyebrow met her hair line. “Here. This is Branda. I signed her up yesterday and the man said you could handle ‘special’ kids.” The woman passed the toddler over, with great care to not actually touch Keith. She looked him over again. “Are you sure you’re capable of taking care of children like her?” The woman asked with disbelief dripping from her voice. Keith struggled to keep up his smile as he took Branda into his embrace with delicate hands.
“Yes. I have a bachelor's in Special Education for mild to extreme disorders.”
With Branda now on his hip, he could see that she had small spots of discoloration around her eyes, hands, and across her arms and legs. Her fluffy, black hair, which was frizzy and standing straight up being brushed, had small patches of white. When Branda looked up at him, as the woman hummed at his statement. “Well, anyway, We’ve had her for about a week and she’s just about to drive me insane.” The woman waved her hand side to side. “I know she can speak, but all she does is cry. She never tells us what she wants, so have fun with that. We really are not fans of daycares, but I just don’t have the time to deal with her and I really need to get back to work. I have kids of my own to worry about as well.” The woman ran her hand through her hair as she turned to leave, waving goodbye over her shoulder. As she walked away, Keith heard her mumble to herself. “We should have told them to find her another foster family.” Keith’s heart stop and his eyes grew hot as he looked down at the poor little girl in his arms. Biting his tongue, he turned sharply and stomped to his room.
“Stupid foster parents,” he mumbled under his breath.
Branda tapped his shoulder along to the beat of his feet.
Taking their shoes off, Keith sat her down in the room. Kneeling on his knees, Keith smiled at the girl. “Would you like a snack?” He asked gently, his voice soft and caring. Branda met his gaze as she started to pat her hands on her legs.
“Snack, snack, snack, snack, snack.” She repeated over and over as the patting on her leg grew faster. Worry created heavy lines on Keith’s forehead as he picked her up and took her to a table. He sat her on one of the pillows before going to get her some of the puff cereal..
After he had given Branda something to eat and checking on the other kids, Keith slipped out of the room to find Coran. Going to the main daycare room, he slowly scanned the room before he caught a glimpse of orange hair bobbing above the bouncing children. Slipping through the crowd, he grabbed a hold of Coran and pulled him into the office.
“I need to ask you about the new girl in my class.” His voice was low because there were still parents wondering about.
“Oh, yes. I forgot to inform you. Sweet Branda is an orphan who was just placed in a foster home near here. She surely is a special little dear. She is the sweetest little thing despite the rough life she has already had. She is really smart, but she cannot speak very well, and therefore gets frustrated with herself. If I recall correctly, her condition is called hyperlexia.” Keith nodded as he looked back to the room. Sadness and anger flickered across his face as he remembered the foster mom and her poor treatment of Branda, disability or not. Coran reached out and placed a hand on Keith’s shoulder, startling him just a little. “It would seem that you have met the foster mother, correct?” Keith answered Coran with a flat, emotionless face. “Oh, yes! That despicable woman. If it wasn’t for the sweet toddler, I would of kicked her out the moment she opened her mouth.” Coran paused before sighing, meeting Keith’s eyes before continuing. “I am sorry if she brought up any painful memories.”
“It’s alright, Coran. Branda is worth it, I think.” Keith sighed as he turned back to his room. Coran patted his back and shot him a smile before returning to his section.
When Keith entered the room, Pike had corralled Blue into the small library section and was reading a small book while laying on her. Keith laughed softly before he noticed a little puff of black hair poking out from the other side of Blue. Curious, Keith padded over to them and looked over Blue. There laying on the opposite of side of Pike, was Branda. She had a book larger than Pike’s in her lap. Yet as Keith watched, he noticed that the girl was not just looking at the pictures. She was actually reading it! Her little brown eyes scanned over every word as her fingers trailed over the sentences.. Keith continued to watch her progress through the book until he felt a tug on his pants. Glancing down, he saw that Pike was looking up at him.
‘What is it?’ He signed.
‘Smart.’ Pike answered, pointed at Branda. Keith nodded as he ruffled Pike’s hair before going to the bookshelf and grabbing one of the many textbooks he filled the room with. Flipping through the pages, he finally found the section over hyperlexia.
After Coran dropped off the last child for Keith’s class, his day was filled with giving out snacks, picking up the mess from the snacks, breaking up little fights over toys, picking up toys, calming tantrums, leading basic school lessons, and laying down with the children for a quick nap. At the end of the day, Keith helped the children gather up all of their belongings and put their shoes back on. Herding them together, Keith lead them out to the main room in order to find their parents. With quick hugs, he said goodbye to the children for the day. Branda was one of the last kids to be picked up. She and Pike stood on each side of Keith’s legs, holding onto his pants. Pike had his other hand buried into Blue’s fur. Branda was tapping a simple pattern onto her other leg as she repeated words that she would hear from the other kids and parents. Minutes before closing, Branda’s foster mother came into the daycare with two other children trailing behind her. She walked up to Keith and took the diaper bag from him. She stretched her hand out and smiled at Branda.
“Come on, let’s go,” She said in a much happier voice than the one she spoke with in the morning. Branda looked up at Keith before stepping over to the woman. She grinned down at the girl. “Did you have a good day?”
“Good, good, good.” Branda nodded as grabbed onto the woman’s pants. One of the other children, a lanky, blonde boy sighed as he tilted his head back. The other little boy, just as blonde just as thin and lanky, whined.
“Mom! She’s doing it again.”
“Stop it.” She growled out as she tried to smile up at Keith. “Say goodbye, Branda.” She patted Branda’s head as she turned around. Branda whined herself as she waved both of her hands rapidly. Keith and Pike waved back to her as the mother hurried the children out of the daycare, scolding the boys about what is ‘right’ to be said in public. Keith gritted his teeth as he ran his fingers through Pike’s hair. Pike looked up at him.
‘Be right back,’ he signed as he walked into the office to get Blue’s harness.
~~~~~
Keith opened the door and released Blue and Pike into the house. They raced forward, almost knocking Lance over. Lance waved his hands at Pike to get his attention. He simply looked at the four year old and signed ‘no’. Pike nodded as he slowed down, still walking fast to his room. Keith sighed as he walked over to Lance, his head falling forward. Lance rubbed his back as he hummed.
“Long day?” His voice was soft and soothed Keith’s raw nerves. He met Lance’s eyes before leaning up to place a simple kiss on his lips.
“Yeah. Just another rude parent who doesn’t understand the child’s disability. To make it even better, the woman is only the child’s foster mother.” Keith stepped away to flop down onto the couch. Lance followed after him, placing Keith’s head on his lap.
“I’m sorry, babe. I know you didn’t have good experiences with foster parents, so that must had been extra hard for you to deal with.” Lance kissed Keith’s forehead as he started to run his fingers through his hair.
“I left all of that in the past. I’m just lucky that I finally found a good family.” Keith sighed as he sunk further into the soft couch and Lance’s soft touch. Lance hummed a soft tune as Keith felt his stress melt away. He was lucky to have finally found Shiro and his family. Most kids don’t get that chance, especially not ones with disabilities. Hell, even Pike wasn’t lucky enough to be born to two parents that loved him even with his disability. Yet, he was pretty lucky to have a dad as loving and understanding as Lance. Lance never let Pike’s deafness stop him from loving his son or trying to give him the best life possible. Keith just hoped that Branda would find at least one parent who loved her like Lance loved Pike.
Keith suddenly sat up, almost headbutting Lance in the process.
“What? What’s wrong?” He looked around before meeting Keith’s gaze.
“I want to have another baby.” Keith spoke fast and without thinking. Lance blinked at him with his mouth opening and closing. “Well, not any baby. One specific baby. Branda. She is so sweet, and smart, and cute. She has frizzy black hair and smooth, dark skin, which is speckled with spots of white. She gets along with Pike really well, and loves Blue. She’s just so great, Lance, and she deserves a better home than that devil woman can give her. I just want her to have the best life possible and we can give her that. I know it’s a lot to ask you to take on another kid with a disability, but she is-” Keith babbled on and on. Lance smiled as his brain finally caught up with what Keith was trying to say. Leaning forward, Lance cut Keith off with a long, soft kiss. Pulling away, he ran his hand across Keith’s cheek into his hair.
“Come on.” He nudged Keith’s head off of his lap.
“Where are we going?” Keith asked as he sat up. Sliding off of the couch, Lance picked Keith up, causing him to let out a rather high pitched screech,
“Let’s go make a baby, huh?” Lance winked. Keith gasped and went bright red.
“Lance!” He screamed as he started to kick his leg, Lance laughing as he twirled them around.
Next part of my “Homes Don’t Have to Be Perfect” Klance family AU.
From now on, I will be posting short one shot moments of the Klance Family’s life. They will be posted singularly on here, but will be posted as chapters to one story on my AO3.
I will also be accepting request for any moments you all would like to see from the Klance Family. Message me or comment your request and I will do the best that I can to write it out :)
“Unless you are following the dialogue with an action and not a dialogue tag.” He took a deep breath and sat back down after making the clarifying statement.
“And–” she waved a pen as though to underline her statement–“if you’re interrupting a sentence with an action, you need to type two hyphens to make an en-dash.”
Ok. I’m tired of the typical vampire, werewolf and fairy.I’m also tired of the occidental-centrism in mythology. Hence, this list.
I tried to included as many cultural variants as I could find and think of. (Unfortunately, I was restricted by language. Some Russian creatures looked very interesting but I don’t speak Russian…) Please, add creatures from your culture when reblogguing (if not already present). It took me a while to gather all those sites but I know it could be more expansive. I intend on periodically editing this list.
Of note: I did not include specific legendary creatures (Merlin, Pegasus, ect), gods/goddesses/deities and heroes.
Dragons
The Chinese Dragon
The Japanese Dragon
The Korean Dragon
The Vietnamese Dragon
The Greek Dragon
The Indian Dragon
The Polish Dragon
The Austrian Dragon
The British Dragon
The Ancient Dragon (Egypt, Babylon and Sumer)
The Spanish Basque Dragon
Of the Cockatrice (creature with the body of a dragon)
Alphabetical List of Dragons Across Myths (Great way to start)
Little creatures (without wings)
The Legend of the Leprechauns, The Leprechaun
Chanaque /Alux (the equivalent of leprechauns in Aztec/Mayan folklore)
Elves
Elves in Mythology and Fantasy
Elves in Germanic Mythology
Kabeiroi or Cabeiri (Dwarf-like minor gods in Greek mythology)
Norse Dwarves
The Myth of Loki and the Dwarves
Ten Types of Goblins
Goblins
Tengu: Japanese Goblins
Gnomes
More on Gnomes
Pooka: an Irish phantom
Creatures with wings (except dragons)
Fairies
All sorts of Cultural Fairies
Fairies in Old French Mythology
A Fairy List
Bendith Y Mamau (Welsh fairies)
Welsh Fairies
Peri (Persian fairies)
Yü Nü (Chinese fairies)
The Celtic Pixie
Angels in Judaism
Angels in Christianity
Hierarchy of Angels
Angels in Islam
Irish Sylph
Garuda (Bird-like creature in Hindu and Buddhist myths)
Bean Nighe (a Scottish fairy; the equivalent of a banshee in Celtic mythology)
Harpies
Spirited Creatures
Druids
Jinn (Genies in Arabic folklore)
Types of Djinns
Aisha Qandisha and Djinn in Moroccan Folklore
Oni (demons in Japanese folklore)
Nymphs
Spirits in Asturian Mythology
Valkyries
Lesovik
Boggarts: The British Poltergeist
Phantom black dogs (the Grim)
Demons in Babylonian and Assyrian Mythology (list)
Demons in the Americas (list)
European Demons (list)
Middle-East and Asia Demons (list)
Judeo-Christian Demons (list)
Nephilim, more on Nephilim
Mahaha (a demon in Inuit mythology)
Flying Head (a demon in Iroquois mythology)
Ghosts
Toyol (a dead baby ghost in Malay folklore)
Malay Ghosts
Yuki-onna (a ghost in Japanese folklore)
The Pontianak (a ghost in Malay mythology)
Funayurei (a ghost in Japanese folklore)
Zagaz (ghosts in Moroccan folklore)
Japanese Ghosts
Mexican Ghosts
Horse-like mythical creatures
Chinese Unicorns
Unicorns
The Kelpie (Could have also fitted in the sea creatures category)
The Centaur
The Female Centaur
Hippocamps (sea horses in Greek mythology)
Horse-like creatures (a list)
Karkadann, more on the Karkadann (a persian unicorn)
Ceffyl Dwfr (fairy-like water horse creatures in Cymric mythology)
Undead creatures
The Melanesian Vampire
The Ewe Myth : Vampires
The Germanic Alp
The Indonesian Vampire
Asanbosam and Sasabonsam (Vampires from West Africa)
The Aswang: The Filipino Vampire
Folklore Vampires Versus Literary Vampires
Callicantzaros: The Greek Vampire
Vampires in Malaysia
Loogaroo/Socouyant: The Haitian Vampire
Incubi and Sucubi Across Cultures
Varacolaci: The Romanian Vampire
Brahmaparusha: The Indian Vampire
Genesis of the Word “Vampire”
The Ghoul in Middle East Mythology
Slavic Vampires
Vampires A-Z
The Medical Truth Behind the Vampire Myths
Zombies in Haitian Culture
Shape-shifters and half-human creatures (except mermaids)
Satyrs (half-man, half-goat)
Sirens in Greek Mythology (half-woman and half-bird creatures)
The Original Werewolf in Greek Mythology
Werewolves Across Cultures
Werewolf Syndrome: A Medical Explanation to the Myth
Nagas Across Cultures
The Kumiho (half fox and half woman creatures)
The Sphinx
Criosphinx
Scorpion Men (warriors from Babylonian mythology)
Pooka: an Irish changelings
Domovoi (a shape-shifter in Russian folklore)
Aatxe (Basque mythology; red bull that can shift in a human)
Yech (Native American folklore)
Ijiraat (shapeshifters in Inuit mythology)
Sea creatures
Selkies (Norse mermaids)
Mermaids in many cultures
More about mermaids
Mermen
The Kraken (a sea monster)
Nuckelavee (a Scottish elf who mainly lives in the sea)
Lamiak (sea nymphs in Basque mythology)
Bunyip (sea monster in Aboriginal mythology)
Apkallu/abgal (Sumerian mermen)
An assemblage of myths and legends on water and water creatures
Slavic Water Creatures
The Encantado (water spirits in Ancient Amazon River mythology)
Zin (water spirit in Nigerian folklore)
Qallupilluk (sea creatures in Inuit mythology)
Monsters That Don’t Fit in Any Other Category
Aigamuxa, more details on Aigamuxa
Amphisabaena
Abere
Bonnacon
Myrmidons (ant warriors)
Troll, More on Trolls
Golems
Golems in Judaism
Giants: The Mystery and the Myth (50 min long documentary)
Inupasugjuk (giants in Inuit mythology)
Fomorians (an Irish divine race of giants)
The Minotaur
The Manticore, The Manticore and The Leucrouta
The Ogre
The Orthus (two-headed serpent-tailed dog)
The Windigo
The Windigo Psychosis
Rakshasa (humanoids in Hindu and Buddhist mythology)
Yakshas (warriors in Hindu mythology)
Taqriaqsuit (“Shadow people” in Inuit mythology)
References on Folklore and Mythology Across the Globe
Creatures of Irish Folklore
Folklore and Fairytales
An Overview of Persian Folklore
Filipino Folklore
Myths, Creatures and Folklore
Alaska Folklore
Spanish (Spain) Mythology
Mythical Archive
Mythology Dictionary
List of Medieval and Ancient Monsters
Native American Animals of Myth and Legends
Native American Myths
Bestiary of Ancient Greek Mythology
Mythology, Legend, Folklore and Ghosts
Angels and Demons
List of Sea Creatures
Yoruba Mythology
Ghosts Around the World, Ghosts From A to Z
Strange (Fantastic) Animals of Ancient Egypt
Egyptian Mythology
Creatures from West Africa
On the Legendary Creatures of Africa
Myths, Creatures and Folklore
References on writing a myth or mythical creatures
Writing a MYTHology in your novel?
How to Write a Myth
10 Steps to Creating Realistic Fantasy Creatures
Creating Fantasy Creatures or Alien Species
Legendary Creature Generator
Book Recommendations With Underrated Mythical Creatures
(I have stumbled upon web sites that believed some of these mythical creatures exist today… Especially dragons, in fact. I just had to share the love and scepticism.)
Idk if it’s stupid or what, but felt like contributing:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monaciello
the Munaciello, a little trickster spirit from my hometown, can be benevolent or malevolent. The article in English isn’t quite accurate on wikipedia, but here’s a link tomost Neapolitan legends from the city website http://www.comune.napoli.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php/L/EN/IDPagina/5654
OP, Thank you so much for putting this reference together. I’ve been working on an original novel that involves dragons from all over the world, and I’ve been having a hell of a time finding good information on non-European dragons.
All the other information is sure to be helpful for the future, as well, I am sure!
Now, don’t get him wrong. His boyfriend was the most beautiful man alive, with long, long limbs and caramel brown skin that hugged his muscles and bones tight. But, it wasn’t Lance’s general looks or anything else that made Keith dread seeing Lance without a shirt or pants.
It was the endless span of white scars that covered Lance’s otherwise flawless skin. It was the lines of pass wounds that reminded Keith of all the times he failed. Failed to be better than his enemies. Failed to be a good leader. Failed to protect the ones he loves the most. They told stories of the pain Lance went through. They were permanent reminders of how many times Lance put his life on the line in order to save Keith’s sorry ass. Therefore, Keith hated them...and he hated himself for causing them.
Back:
While Keith knew it wasn’t his fault, he still felt bad about the giant starburst that covered the majority of Lance’s back. Keith just wish he could have done more, could have been there to protect him.
Keith paused mid stride as he walked into the training deck. Lance was running through some basic combat levels with the robots. Lance moved with an unique grace, as if he was dancing around the hits thrown at him. Keith felt his face grow warm as his eyes drifted down to Lance’s slim waist and slightly there abs. It was not until Lance had finished the level and went to whip his face that Keith felt the air leave his lungs. The bottom of his shoulder blades to the top of his hips was covered by a slightly pink, raised scar. The center was solid and the thickest part with lines bursting out of it in multiple directions. Keith didn’t realized that he had moved until his fingers brushed over the mauled skin. Lance gasped before spinning around, fist raised as if to attack. Blue eyes soften when they landed on Keith, who still had his hand raised in front of him.
“Oh, did you need something Keith?” Lance’s voice was relaxed, almost sounding small compared to his normal, loud dialogue. Keith shook his head for a moment, before licking his lips.
“I didn’t know it scarred,” Keith breathed out as he looked away from Lance, running his hands up and down his thighs. Lance tilted his head for a moment before it hit him.
“Yeah. Coran went on a long rant about why it did that, but I lost track of what he was saying after the third Altean Tech term.” Lance linked his arms around his waist, as if to fold into himself, to protect himself from the outer world. “I try not to let the others see. It’s no big deal really.” He forced a smile as he moved to bump his arm against Keith’s. “I’m going to go shower. The deck’s yours.” Lance grabbed his shirt as he walked out, quickly covering the scar with the fabric.
As Lance walked away, Keith felt a fire build in his gut. He was angry, oh so angry. He was angry at the Galra for starting this war and attacking them. He was angry at Blue for bring them here, somewhere were Lance could get hurt. And mostly, he was angry at himself. He wasn’t there; he should have done something, anything (even though he knew it was impossible). He clenched his hands as he felt the need to protect Lance rise within him. While he wasn’t sure what brought it on, Keith swore that he would make sure Lance never got hurt again.
Chest:
As the team grew closer, Keith’s and Lance’s fighting slowed, but it never stopped. Most of the time, it showed up as petty little fights around that castle that never lasted long. Yet, it was the more serious ones that always occurred at the worst times and caused the most damage.
“Keith!” Lance yelled as he reached out, grabbing his arm to pull him back. “Shiro said not to go off on your own.” Lance’s eyes glared at him from behind his visor. Keith paused for a moment. Lance’s eyes are what stopped him. It wasn’t the anger or the pure determination. It was the way the blue tint of the visor made Lance’s blue eyes seem deeper. Keith shook his head quickly before trying to pull him arm out of Lance’s grip.
“I have to do this Lance. It’s not my fault if you can’t keep up,” Keith grumbled as he continued to shake his arm. Lance only tightened his grip.
“Oh yeah. It’s totally my fault,” Lance hissed as he shook Keith’s arm. “‘If only you weren’t paired up with useless Lance!’” Keith’s eyes widened for a moment before they narrowed.
“I didn’t say th-”
“You don’t have to. I know what you and everyone thinks!”
“Stop putting words in my mouth!” Keith hissed as he pushed Lance back. “I don’t know what I ever did for you to hate me, but you need to let it go!” Lance took a step back, finally letting Keith’s arm go. Yet, Keith had no intention to walk away now. He needed to get to the bottom of this. He reached out for Lance as once more only for Lance to freeze.
Everything happened at once. Lance yelled as he took multiple steps forward, pushing Keith’s shoulder down. Keith felt his knees smack the ground hard as Lance summoned his bayard. Two shots rang out as Lance lurched back, the air rushing from his lungs.. Lance leaned forward as the room grew silent. Keith dropped on to his butt as Lance put more weight on him. He looked up to yell at Lance once more, but the words got caught in his throat as Lance smiled weakly at him before shifting his weight, only to fall sideways. Keith hurriedly rushed to Lance’s side, flipping his over and into his lap. Lance’s breath came out in short puffs as he tried to laugh. A grimace crossed his face as Keith ranked his eyes over him. A spot on Lance’s chest plate smoked as the skin under it bled. Lance had been shot. Tears burned Keith’s eyes as he pulled Lance closer to him. With shaking hands, he reached for Lance’s helmet. He carefully removed it, quickly calling out for Shiro or Hunk through his own.
“Hey, Lance. Look at me.” His thumb traced circles on Lance’s cheek. “You’re going to be okay. Lance-” Keith shook Lance softly, causing Lance to wince. “Don’t you dare fall asleep on me!” Lance’s blurry eyes met Keith’s.
“You know-” Lance drew in a shaky breath, “I never hated you.” He hummed before hissing through his teeth. He let his eyes close as a small smile pulled at his lips. “I only hated that I could never be as good as you.” Lance let his head roll and hit Keith’s hip. “You were just too good.” He whispered as Keith cursed.
“Guys! Where are you at?!” Keith yelled into his comm, pulling Lance closer. “Shit.” He whispered as he moved Lance once again. “I’m so sorry, Lance, but this is going to hurt.” He shifted to get his feet under him as he placed one arm under Lance’s legs and the other behind his back. Grunting, he pushed himself up, pulling Lance to his chest. Lance let out a long hiss before slumping into Keith’s hold. As he began to run, Keith talked softly to Lance. “You better not die on me. You don’t get to say stuff like that and then die. Once you are out of the pod, we’re going to talk - whether we like it or not.”
~~~~
Lance had been in the pod for two days. Keith had been sitting in front of the pod for two days. Hunk would bring him food and blankets when he checked on Lance. Nobody tried to remove Keith from the room after he floored Shiro for trying to the first night after he brought Lance in.
“Keith,” Shiro sighed as he walked in once again. Keith looked up from his folded arms, but said nothing. Dried tears marked lines from the bags under his eyes to his chin. Shiro sat down next to him with his hands held up in surrender. “I’m not going to force you, but you shouldn’t stay here. You need to-”
“It’s my fault.” Keith’s voice was soft yet firm enough to stop Shiro’s.
“Keith, there’s nothing you could hav-”
“He got shot because I wasn’t paying attention.” Keith pushed his head further into his arms. “We were fighting because I kept running off. If I would have just listened we wouldn’t had been fighting, and he wouldn’t had to take a shot for me.” Shiro placed a gentle hand on Keith’s back.
“It will all be okay.”
When Lance finally fell from the cryo-pod, four days after the incident, Keith was there to catch him, even if he was a little unstable on his own feet. Lance gave him a brief smile as Keith helped him down to his room.
“God. I forget how hungry you get after being in one of those things.” Lance joked as he wormed his way out of the suit. Pulling his jeans on, he continued to joke around. “And cold, and tired. Why am I tried? I mean you are basically sleeping in there anyway.” He laughed until Keith’s voice cut him off.
“I’m sorry.” Lance froze at how small Keith sounded. Turning slowly, he walked over to Keith, who was leaning against the wall, folded in on himself. Lance reached for his arm.
“Dude, you couldn’t have known that a soldier was going to show up.” Lance dropped his voice as he tried to sooth Keith. Raising his eyes, Keith glared at the still pink scar that covered the upper corner of Lance’s right pec. Barely touching it, Keith’s fingers brushed over the raised skin as he went on.
“If I would have just listened, this would have never happened.” Keith raised his eyes to look at Lance, his palm falling flat over the scar. “You were always better than me, Lance. I just-” Keith sighed as tears were pulled to his eyes. His head fell forward and landed on Lance’s shoulder. “Don’t do it again. Please.”
Hair Line:
The lions dodged another blast from the ion cannon as Keith once against broke formation. Keith yelled another order over the comms as he rushed ahead. Pidge grumbled as they pushed to keep up.
“Shiro would never do this.”
“Well, I’m not Shiro! So, just do as I say!”
“Keith, Pidge didn’t mean it like that,” Lance tried to reason with him as he pushed the green lion aside to avoid a blast. “Guys, can we save the fighting for later? We kinda have our hands full right now.” Lance tilted to avoid a hit as he fired to take out one of the smaller ships.
“Oh, like you can talk Lance.” Keith turned Black around as he glared at Lance through the windshield instead of the video feed.
“Guys-” Hunk tried to add a voice a reason to it, but the yellow lion was sent skidding across the ground before he could say anything.
“Keith, you are being unreasonable right now. I know you don’t like leading, but at this point you are just putting everyone else in danger.” Lance flew over Black to take out another ship.
“At least I’m doing something! You all were the ones who wanted me to lead, so let me lead!” Keith charged the main ship once more, with the red lion not far behind. The ion cannon charged up once again. The cannon fired, but it wasn’t aimed at the black or red lion. It was aimed for the blue lion. Allura was currently trying to fight off a hoard of smaller fighter ships by herself. Lance cursed as he pushed Red into the path of the beam; it hitting him hard, sending Red spiralling to the ground. Red smacked the ground hard, banging Lance’s head into the control panel.
“Lance!” Many voices called for him. Groaning, Lance set up.
“I’m okay.” He reached up as he felt something wet drip down his face. “I think.” He leaned his head back as his vision swirled around. “Just hit my head a little hard.”
“Lance, return to the castle and go to the medical bay.” Coran’s voice joined the chaos that was occurring over the comms.
“I can’t. Red’s shut down.”
“Just sit still until this is over and Keith can retrieve you.” Allura grunted out as she took out a few more fighters.
“Not like I have much of a choice.” He sighed as his eyes slid close.
After the battle, Keith flew Black to pick up Red and take them back to the castle. Lance pulled his helmet off as he walked down the ramp. Looking up at Red, he apologized and promised to get Pidge and Hunk working on him as soon as possible. Lance wiped the blood from his eyes once more before stalking to the medical bay.
“The wound does not seem to be too bad. A few ticks in the pod will fix you right up.” Coran declared as he turned Lance’s face back and forth. The cut was only a few inches long right below Lance’s hair line. Lance shivered at the thought of being stuck in the cryo-pods once again.
“Since it’s not too bad, can you just bandage it up? I mean, we shouldn’t use the pods unless it absolutely necessary.” Coran looked at Lance for a moment before putting on a smile and gather the supplies to clean and bandage the wound.
Later, after dinner, Keith cornered Lance in one of the hallways. As he pushed Lance back against the wall, he let his fingers trace the bandage.
“Why didn’t you go into the pod? It would not have taken long to heal then.” Keith moved his gaze from the light red stain on the bandage to Lance’s blue eyes.
“You know how I feel about them after the whole haunted ship thing. Plus, I figured you would appreciate me being outside of one for as long as I can.” Lance tried to smile as Keith sighed.
“I didn’t mean it like that.” He took a step back. “I just don’t want you to be in any more pain than necessary. You have got to stop doing that, Lance.”
“Stop doing what?” Lance tried to play innocent as he pulled Keith down the hall to “their” room. Their room was a small observation deck in the back of the castle that no one else seemed to use. They had slowly stole enough pillows and blankets to make a little nest close enough to the window to watch everything, but far enough back to fight off the never ending cold of space. Lance settled himself into the pile before pulling Keith down with him.
“You have got to stop putting yourself into danger. Promise me that you will try to be more careful.”
“Keith, you know I can’t.”
“Please.” Keith let his head fall on to Lance’s shoulder. “I don’t know if it’s because I like you or if it’s my galra genetics or some other crap, but I just want to protect you. I want to keep you safe.” Keith moved to look into Lance’s eyes. “But you make that so hard to do with your need to save everyone else.” Lance laughed lightly at the pout that pulled at Keith’s lips.
Kissing the top of Keith’s head, Lance sighed softly. “I’ll try. That’s the best I can offer you right now.” Keith moved his arms to wrap Lance in a hug.
“That’ll be enough.”
Arms (and foot):
Keith wasn’t around when Lance received his smallest but most abundant scars. Keith had just returned from a Blade mission when Lance was leaving for his. He sat in a dark corner of his room with Lance pulled up on his comm device. Lance chattered on and on about how the planet he was sent to looked like a rainforest back on Earth. The only difference being that the trees were purple and the grass a bright pink. Alien animals scurried about as Red flew between the overlapping branches. Lance volunteered to go look for some kind of plant that was needed on the castle since he was the only one who “didn’t have a specialty”, which Keith protested was not true. As Lance flew deeper into the canopy, the connect to the comms got worse, making the middle of Lance’s sentences cut out and the image fuzzy.
“Lance, I can’t understand you. You’re cutting out.”
“I think it’s the tre-” Lance’s images blurred before focusing again. “I’ll call when I’m done-” Keith sighed as the image shifted to a black screen for a moment before Lance appeared again. He looked up at Keith for a moment with a bright smile. “I love you.” Then, the comms cut out immediately after he finished his sentence. Keith felt his heart stop as a deep blush colored his cheeks. Groaning, he buried his head into his arms. Of course Lance would say it for the first time without any prelude and without giving Keith a chance to respond. Sliding down on his bed, Keith placed the comm on his chest, waiting for Lance to finish his mission so they could talk.
Keith fell asleep by the time Lance had enough signal to call back. The beeping and buzzing of the comm woke him with a start. Quickly answering it, Keith’s brow furrowed out of concern as Lance busied himself with something in the back of Red, irritated spanish filling the silence.
“Lance?” Keith called out. Lance looked up at his voice before calling out for Keith to give him a minute. “Lance.” Keith tried again. “What’s wrong? Were you attacked? Was it the Galra?” Lance sighed as he turned around. He was stripped of his armor from the waist up, with the black suit tied around his hips. Anger little red dots cover the majority of his arms and shoulders.
“Nothing happened. It started to rain when I was outside. Coran just forgot to tell me that the rain here is slightly acidic.”
“Slightly acidic?” Keith’s voice pitched with worry as he watched Lance move to the pilot seat with one of the healing creams from the small first aid kit Coran installed in the lions.
“Yeah. It started to drizzle when I was outside, I didn’t think much of it until it started to burn through the suit.”
“Lance! That is not slightly acidic! That’s basically acid!” Keith felt his heart go into his throat as Lance hissed when he dabbed some of the cream on the spots on his arms.
“It’s fine. Red is standing up to it pretty well, so I’ll just wait out the storm and then get back to the mission.”
“No, you need to leave, Lance. It’s not safe there. What if you step in a puddle? Or it starts to rain again?” Keith ran a hand through his hair as Lance smiled up at him.
“I’ll be fine, Mullet. Now, since we have connection back, why don’t you tell me about your mission while I wait?” Lance’s voice was light and cheery despite the obvious pain he was in. Keith went to discuss the details of his mission when he remember what Lance said before he lost connection.
“You said you loved me?” Keith’s voice creaked as he felt his cheeks grow red again. Lance’s hands stopped moving for a moment before he continued to apply to cream.
“Yeah, I did.” Although Lance didn’t look scared or embarrassed, his voice was small.
“Did you, um, did you mean it?” Keith refused to look at the screen, knowing by now that his face was bright red. A moment of silence passed before Lance spoke again.
“Yeah, I did.” Unlike the last time Lance said that line, his voice wasn’t small. While it was still soft, it was empowered by the unfiltered love that turned it sweet. Keith quickly turned his head back to the screen to see Lance smiled at him, his cheeks dusted a soft pink.
“That’s, uh, that’s good cause I love you too.” Keith whispered as he buried his head into his arm. Lance laughed. He leaned over the control panel to look out the window.
“It looks like it stopped raining. I’m going to go finish this mission up real quick. By the time I get back, you better have plans to be heading back to the castle for a bit.” Lance winked as he blew a kiss to the comm before logging off. Keith smiled as he stood to go inform Kolivan that he would be taking a few days to go back to the castle for a quick briefing over the process of the coalition.
Lance called back later that night with a shy smile on his face.
“So, I may have stepped in a puddle.”
“Lance!”
Neck:
The mission was not supposed to go like this. They were just supposed to get in and get out. Getting captured was not part of the plan. Now, they were stuck in the Arena with no weapons against an opponent twice their size put together.
Keith growled as he was forced out of his armor and into the Arena. He turned to yell at them, but was stopped when Lance was shoved into him. Baring his teeth at the soldiers, Keith pushed Lance behind him as he rushed the door, only for it to be slammed shut in his face.
“Keith.” Lance whimpered from behind him. Turning fast on the balls of his feet, Keith grabbed Lance’s hand as his eyes followed Lance’s gaze to the other side of the Arena. The massive alien stood a few feet from them, his sword held lightly in his grip. As he looked at the two Paladins, his gaze softened for a moment.
“May the Holys forgive me for what I must do.” The alien spoke with a deep voice that turned Keith’s blood into ice. With a few large steps, the alien was right in front of them with his sword raised. Keith felt his heart break as the sword was swung down.
Lance’s grip tightened for a moment before he pulled hard enough to pop Keith’s shoulder. The sword, which was aimed for Keith’s head missed. Lance continued to pull Keith as they sprinted across the blood soaked ground. The alien looked up at the sky, saying a prayer to “the Holys”. He turned as they reach the other end of the Arena.
“Lance, We can’t just keep running around. We need to find a way to attack him.”
“Keith, I can’t.” Lance’s eyes burned into his. “I can’t take an innocent life.” Keith tightened his hold on Lance’s hand as he nodded.
“You won’t have to Lance.” Keith let go as he raced towards to alien. All he had to do was get the sword away from him. Ducking to avoid a hit, Keith kicked at his legs, trying to throw off the other’s balance. The two danced around each other until the sword nicked Keith’s face. The cut on his brow dipped blood into his eye. Jumping back, Keith cursed as he scrubbed at his face, trying to get his vision back. With blood in his eye, Keith couldn’t see the alien advancing towards him or Lance sprinting up to him.
“Keith!” Lance screamed as he grabbed his arm and pulled him back. Keith stumbled back as blood splattered the ground around them. All of the air was removed from the Arena as Lance fell back, a hand pressed firmly to a deep cut that ran across his collar bones. Keith crawled over to Lance quickly with tears flowing down his cheeks. “Heh, I told you that I couldn’t promise anything.” Lance tried to laugh but was stopped by the pain that flowed from the movement. Keith ran his hand down Lance’s cheek as his vision went red. He could barely register the dual pain that came from his fangs or ears growing or the sound of Lance weakly calling for him. Keith slowly walked over to the alien, breathes short and eyes hard. A growled built in his chest as his pace broke into a run.
The next thing Keith recognized was the hot blood cooling on his hands and the murmuring from the crowd.
“He’s galra?”
“-must be stupid to attack his mate-”
“Why didn’t you tell me-”
“Who’s idea was it to put a pair-”
“-can’t image how it would feel to watch your mate-”
A few snippets reached Keith’s ears, but they held no important as he dropped the sword. Turning back, Keith ran up to Lance, pulling him closer. A few soldiers came into the Arena reaching for them. A growl flowed from Keith as he shielded Lance from them. The soldiers took a step back as they looked at each other.
“Get up.” One address Keith. “If you want to keep him, get up now.” Keith growl grew lower as he braced Lance against his chest. Slowly, he pulled Lance to stand up with him. Lance let his head fall back on Keith’s shoulder as they walked toward the prison block. They were herded into one cell. Before the door closed, a medical pack was thrown in with them. “I’m not cruel enough to make one watch their mate suffer.” The soldier’s gruff voice huffed out before he slammed the door. Keith kept still for a moment, Lance pulled tightly to his side before he laid him down to retrieve the pack. Shifting through the supplies, he sat on his knees next to Lance. Pulling out a sanitizer, Keith began to clean the room, Lance hissing through the whole process.
“You have to stop doing this. I can’t take it.” Keith’s voice was soft as he started to tread the curved needle. He met Lance’s eyes as he traced his lips with his thumb.
“I can’t let you get hurt, Keith. It will kill me.” Lance spoke in a slow, soft voice as a tear fell.
“This is what will kill you, idiot.” Keith leaned down and placed a gently kiss on Lance’s lips before reading the needle. “This,” Keith gestured to the wound, “is going to hurt.” Lance nodded as he reached up for Keith’s shoulder, gripping it tightly. A scream tore itself from Lance’s lip as the needle pierced his skin, pulling the wound close. Keith tried to whisper reassurances to him as he finished the stitches as fast as he could. Placing a quick kiss to his forehead, Keith cleaned and bandaged the wound before pulling Lance into his lap. Lance’s hand busied themselves with petting Keith’s ears until the purple faded from his skin and he returned to his human form. Keith let Lance fall asleep after he was sure that color returned to his cheeks and made sure he wasn’t catching a fever. “I’ll get you out of here soon.” Keith placed one more kiss on Lance’s forehead before leaning back to doze off himself.
When the soldiers came to gather them, Keith’s ears appeared almost instantly as he shielded Lance from them. They forced the pair from their cell and back towards the Arena. As they neared the door, the soldiers pushed Keith through before grabbing Lance, pulling him down a different hall. Keith screamed at them as he pounded on the door. A loud voice broke the silence.
“Paladin. If you wish to acquire your mate back, then win the fight.” Keith followed the voice to the balcony viewing station. Next to a general, Lance stood with tears staining is cheeks. “Pick up the sword and fight and your mate will not be harmed.” Keith growled, but bent to pick up the sword that laid at his feet anyway. Another alien was forced into the Arena. Keith bared his teeth as the alien picked up their own weapon. Keith rushed them before they even got their baring. He had to end this fast and get Lance back. Keith dodged the first few attacked, but was thrown off as the ship lurched to one side. Keith felt the hot flash of the cut tear through his leg only for a second as Lance cried out for him. Keith felt the pain die away as he witnessed a soldier bring the back of his gun down on the back of Lance’s head. Keith went to step forward, but his leg gave out, Falling down, Keith hissed as the alien stepped forward, sword raised.
“I am sorry, Paladin.” The alien sung the sword and struck Keith’s leg once more. The pain blinded Keith as he screamed. Shouts and bangs could be heard from around the Arena, but Keith’s ears were ringing too loud for him to notice. The alien readied for the killing blow, but before he could swing the sword, a shot burned its way through his chest. Keith forced his eyes up to see Lance still in the balcony, holding the smoking gun. Soon, the Arena doors were forced open and Shiro rushed in.
“Keith!” He called as he rushed over to him. He looked up to Lance, who nodded and continued to fire the gun at anyone trying to stop their escape.
“Keith!” Lance called down. “I love you! So, don’t you dare die on me!” Keith smiled as his head rocked back and his eyes fell closed.
+ 1
The quiet buzz of the castle slowly brought Keith into consciousness. Groaning and mourning the loss of sleep, Keith rolled over and pulled Lance closer to him. Keith pulled his leg back under the blanket as he slotted it between Lance’s, A soft hiss fell from Lance’s parted lips as he tried to move away.
“Keith!” He whined when he was pulled back into the embrace. “Your leg is fucking cold.” Keith’s prosthetic leg, which went up to his hip, was made out of a durable, lightweight metal from Olkarion. Shiro was reluctant, but let Pidge dissect his arm, with great care, to get an idea on how to build Keith’s. Yet, no matter how awesome it was, the metal still got cold at night since Keith often slept with one leg outside of the protective shield of their blanket. Lance wiggled around for a moment before deciding that it was a losing battle. Sighing, he rolled over to look at Keith. Keith smiled softly before leaning in to kiss Lance.
“Good morning.” His voice was pitched with amusement. Lance pouted for a moment before settling back into the bed and the warmth Keith gave off.
“Morning.” He let his eyes fall close as Keith placed a soft kiss on the scar that ran along his hairline. Nimble fingers danced across ribs as Keith moved down to kiss the million of freckle like scars that decorated Lance’s shoulder and arms. A soft laugh broke from Lance’s lips as Keith blew a raspberry on the scar that resided on his upper right pec. Lance let his fingers grip Keith’s hip as he rolled them so that Keith was caging Lance in. Letting his finger trace the outline of the prosthetic, Lance leaned up to kiss Keith firmly on the lips, pulling him down to rest on top of him. Lance hummed as the comforting weight of Keith warmed his body even more. Keith moved down Lance’s torse, kissing each scar that wrote stories on his otherwise smooth skin. The ‘x’ on his lower ribs from a prison raid, the line that ran diagonal to his right hip bone from a failed assassination attempt, the claw mark on his left thigh from a pack of wild alien dogs. Every last one got a portion of Keith’s attention, which both calmed Lance and cause his blood to boil in his veins. Long fingers weaved into ebony locks as Lance let a sigh fall from his lips, his head falling back into the pillow. Keith settled half way down Lance’s body, his chin resting on the dip of Lance’s tone stomach.
“You’re so beautiful.” His voice barely broke the morning air as he placed another kiss on Lance’s heated skin. Lance hummed before guiding Keith back up to his lips.
Slowly breaking the kiss, Lance traced the scars on Keith’s forehead and chin. “I love you so much.” His lips brushed Keith’s as his voice rumbled out of his chest. Keith purred softly as he leaned back down on Lance, settling in for the morning. Here he could be content, until they were called for to protect the universe once again.
“So, you going to kiss the scar on my foot too?”
“Lance!”
For those who care, I have decided to divide my content into two blogs. This one, PB’s splintered world, will focus on my writing, art, and other random crap. My other one, Aim.N.Create Cosplay, will focus solely on my cosplay stuff. It will feature tutorials, updates, and photo shoots of my cosplay.
For those who are interested in that stuff, here’s the link to my cringe worth content: https://aim-n-create.tumblr.com/
Anyway! Continue on with your day, enjoy life, and slay the haters with your greatness!
If you guys are looking for some amazing books to read then you NEED to check out A.G Howard. She writes the most hauntingly beautiful stories that could maybe rival Tom Burton on level of creepiness/weirdness, which I love. Her series Splintered was the inspiration for this blog’s name.
If you want to see or learn more about her works, you can stalk her here on Tumblr at @aghowardwrites or on her Blogger at http://authoraghoward.blogspot.com
Baz lowered himself down to the level of the beast sitting in front of him. Leaning back on his socked feet, he met the black beady eyes that stared at the object in his hand.
“Alright you little mongrel, look at me. Where - is - my - shoe?” Baz held up the one remaining shoe to wave it at the dog. The little Jack Russell Terrier puppy, that Simon brought home two weeks ago, thumped his tail on the ground as his tongue lobbed out of the side of his mouth. Baz growled at the dog as he waved the shoe again. “Where did you hide it? Come on. I’m going to be late for work!” The puppy barked back at him before running back into the bedroom, probable to sneak under the blanket with Simon. Sighing, Baz dropped onto his butt and looked around. He grabbed his cell while grumbling to send a text to his boss, telling him that he would be late due to a less than desirable event at home.
Soft thuds and scurrying clicks sounded from behind Baz as Simon walked out of the bedroom, the puppy ever attached to his ankles. Simon still had a blanket wrapped around his form, and his messy curls somehow seemed even crazier. A soft, half-asleep smile pulled at his eyes as he walked over to Baz, dropping the missing black shoe into his lap.
“I assume that you’re missing this? Jackie dropped it on my face as a morning greeting.” Simon huffed a soft laugh as he bent down to scratch behind Jackie’s ear. The dog barked and jumped up at his hand, bouncing nonstop on his back legs.
“Thanks,” Baz grumbled out as he tugged the shoes on. He pushed himself off of the floor, grabbing his stuff as he walked to the door. Simon followed him to the door, grabbing his arm before he could leave.
“Have a good day,” He breathed out as he leaned forward to place a soft kiss on his lips. Baz hummed into the kiss. Pulling away, he brushed a stray curl out of Simon’s eyes before bidding him and ‘the terror’ goodbye.
~~~~
Simon and Baz were curled up on the sofa, a forgotten movie playing in the background. Simon was happily seated between Baz’s legs, his fingers idly playing with Baz’s as Baz left slow kisses along his neck. Humming, Simon tilted his head to grant Baz more skin to lavish as his hands moved to grip Baz’s thighs. Cold hands drifted up Simon’s shirt as he sank deeper into his lover’s embrace.
Suddenly, high-pitched whining cut through the air, breaking their silent moment. Sighing, Baz hid his face in Simon’s shoulder. The puppy continued to whimper until Simon leaned over and plucked him off of the floor. Baz made eye contact with the furry little cockblock and growled lowly at him.
“Little terror. You wait until we have our first alone time in months to decide you want to sit on the sofa.” Jackie bounded up Simon’s chest to lick at Baz’s face. Grumbling even more, Baz ducked his head behind Simon’s back, hoping to block the relentless attacks.
~~~~
Baz woke with a start, the screams still echoing in his ears. As his breath and heart tried to outrun the other, he could feel the flames of the nightmare licking at his skin. Slowly, he reached over to Simon’s side of the bed, only to feel the cold sheets. Simon probable could not sleep, so he went to his office to work so he would not wake up Baz. Moving his hand up to his face, Baz choked on a sob as he rolled onto his back. A soft whimper was the only warning he received before a warm weight settled on his chest. Startling up, Baz soon noticed that it was only Jackie curling up on him, trying to comfort him. He slowly set his hand on the puppy, petting his short fur. Soon his breathes matched the strokes of his hands and the steady pressure on his chest helped him drift back to sleep.
When Simon finally felt sleep clawing at his mind, he slowly walked into the bedroom, only to find Baz sleeping with Jackie still on his chest (Even if he denied it in the morning.)
When you are such a gay feminist that you are successful in getting a dirt-bag fuck boy to block you because you called him out for using women as “living flesh-lights”.
I would like to say that I miss you
but unlike you
I’ve formed a habit not to lie.
I am writing this to let you know
that I still love—
your dogs.
Unlike you, they are loyal
and understand what the word ‘no’ means.
I also wanted to tell you that you are always on my mind.
Haunting me,
like an unwanted ghost in a bad horror movie.
I hope you know that you made an impression on me,
That even years later
I am still asking myself why I dated you.
No one I date will ever measure up to you
for you are the biggest ass I have ever met.
Nor will anyone ever be just like you,
because now I know my own worth
and I refuse to let anyone treat me like that ever again.
I guess the only way to say this is—
I still hate you.
Oh,
one more thing:
I hope your friends see you as a real man now,
Cause a real man is definitely an unemployed drunk
who third-wheels on his married best friend’s dates.
So, I hope to see you around.
Correction.
I hope to never see you again.
~ Signed: The one you took for granted
Decided that i might as well post some of my poetry on here as well. This is a take on a traditional “love letter”, but rewritten to be a “hate letter” for an abusive ex. The italicize is the traditional “love letter” lines and the bold is the “hate letter” continuations of the “love letter” lines.
Pike never felt so much fear in his life then he did in this exact moment. Drawing in a deep breath, Pike clenched his fist as he silently walked into the kitchen. Now was the perfect time. Branda was out with some friends for the time being and his dads were sitting at the table, talking in low voices. He watched their mouths move in their silent duet as he gripped the door frame. His fingers shook as he reached up and knocked on the wood, announcing his entrance. Lance looked and before directing Keith to look over his shoulder. They both smiled at him as he entered the room.
‘Hey, how was school?’ Lance asked with his free and Pike let his gaze drift down to his dads’ intertwined fingers with a bittersweet smile. Part of him wanted what they had, while another part was focused on his current plan.
‘Good.’ He replied as he slid into a seat where they both could see him. Keith’s good eye drifted across the teen’s face before signing with a furrowed brow.
‘What’s wrong?’ Lance glanced over at his husband before looking back at Pike.
‘Nothing.’ Pike tried to shrug him off, knowing that he was failing. He was just as bad of a liar as his biological dad. Keith raised his scarred brow at him, letting him know that his answer would not do.
‘You seem worried.’ He pressed on. ‘Is something bothering you?’ Lance’s grip on Keith’s hand tightened, fear slowly speeding up his heart. It wouldn’t be the first time Pike had trouble at school since Pike was stubborn and demanded to go to a ‘regular’, public school. Pike raised his shoulders and looked away. Lance frowned as he reached across the table to grab his hand.
‘I have something to tell you.’ Pike signed slowly as he removed his hand from Lance’s. The two fathers looked at each other before nodding at him with serious faces. If this was anything that they thought it was about, they knew how hard this would be for him. Pike stood and shuffled his feet. He lifted his hands, set them on the table, and then lifted them again. He started to form signs before shaking his hands and setting them down again. Taking one last deep breath, he met their eyes and started to sign.
‘Dad, Pa’ He used the sign for ‘dad’ to refer to Lance and a shorten version of Keith’s name to call him ‘Pa’. ‘I-’ He paused. Another breath. ‘I want to learn how to talk.’ He stopped his signing to look at them. Keith nodded slightly as Lance looked as if he didn’t know which direction was up or down anymore. Pike licked his lips as he continued. ‘Well, not like ‘talk talk’, there’s just one phrase I really want to learn. It’s for something really important and I wanted to talk to you first.’ He looked down at his hands as he placed them in the table. For the first time in a long time, Pike hated the silence. Pike was startled out of his thoughts when he was pulled into a bone crushing hug. Lance held his boy tight as he tried to stop the tears. He stepped back so Pike could see him.
‘If that’s what you want, then we will support you. I just don’t want you to do something just because others say you have to or cause you feel like you don’t fit in unless you do.’ Pike nodded as he fitted himself back into his father’s embrace. As he pulled away, Lance signed ‘I love you’ before kissing his head. Keith stood up and did the same with slightly tear glazed eyes. Pike laughed his gurgle-laugh as he stepped back. He wiped away any tears as he headed to the door. He stopped before he exited, turning back to look at them.
‘One more thing,’ He signed as they looked back at him. ‘I am pansexual, but no big deal you know.’ He giggled again as he watched his Pa shake his head as Lance throw his back in laughter. Pike grinned as he scampered up the stairs, phone in hand.
-Step one complete.
He sent the message as he flopped onto his bed with a smile. Within seconds, he received a reply.
-Awesome! Part two activate!
Pike snickered to himself as he rolled over onto his stomach, phone clenched to his chest. Maybe if this whole thing worked out, he could start on another plan. One that involved a different love.
~~~
As weeks past, Pike grew more frustrated with himself. He understood that it would take a while and that it would be hard, but he didn’t think he would get stuck on a single letter sound. Mil laid on his bed, swinging their feet as they watched Pike pace his room. They slid off of the bed and onto their feet before walking over to him. Reaching up, they stopped Pike’s pacing and removed his hands from their position of tugging his hair.
‘Calm down.’ They signed as they pushed him on his bed. ‘Take a deep breath and try again.’
‘I’ve been trying!’ Pike emphasized his words with harsh movements. ‘I just can’t get it. I might as well give up.’ He huffed as he flopped onto the bed. Mil snorted as they reached for a pillow, driving it downwards onto Pike’s head. He shot up at the force of the hit, turning to see them with their hand sitting on their delicate hip. ‘How could you use my disability against me?’ Pike faked a hurt face as he watched their shoulders shake with amusement.
‘I see your dad to it to your pa all the time, and you find it funny.’ Mil replied as they sat down next to him, hugging the pillow. Mil had decided against a binder today, meaning they felt a little more feminine, but not meaning that they were still a little uncomfortable. Pike reached for the pillow with a smile and then stood in front of his small friend. He tightened his hands into fist as he moved to the mirror, determined to get this right.
~~~
Today was the day. Pike had perfected the line to the best of his abilities. He felt his palms sweat as he looked around the room. They all had gathered in Hunk’s restaurant to celebrate Lance’s birthday. Everyone chatted amongst themselves as light music played in the background. In less than five minutes, Pike was going to stand in the front of all of them and hopefully give his dad the best present ever. Feeling his phone buzz in his pocket, Pike removed it to see a text from Mil.
-Good luck! Pike smiled as his fingers slid over the screen.
-Thanks <3
-<3
A hand on his shoulder startled Pike away from the technology in his palm. Hunk smiled softly at his as he carelessly signed ‘sorry’. Pike smiled as he shook his head before meeting Hunk’s eyes.
‘Is it time?’ He asked with slight fear. Hunk nodded as he patted his back, pushing him forward.
‘Go break a leg kiddo,’ Pidge signed as he passed them. He giggled softly as he walked up the steps. The music stopped as the crowd turned towards him. Lance, Keith, and Branda were seated at the table right by the stage. Lance nudged Keith softly as he leaned over to explain something to him. As both of his parents’ gazes fell on him, Pike began to sign in big gestures, making sure everyone could see him.
‘Thank you all for coming tonight. While all the gifts have already been passed out, I have just one more.’ Pike turned to face Lance only. ‘Dad, I could never sign how grateful I am for you. You act as if it was no big deal, but you did the impossible. You put yourself aside in order to raise me the best that you could after the unimaginable happened. No matter what happened, or what you were going through, you made sure that I had the best life ever. And I could never thank you enough for that. Branda and I could never ask for a better Dad, or a better Pa.’ Pike paused to giggle slightly as Lance pushed Keith’s shoulder playfully. ‘While I could never sign anything great enough to show you how much you mean to me, I think there is another way I can.’ Pike took a deep breath as he saw Lance freeze up. Pike walked closer to the edge of the stage, where Pidge handed him a microphone. Lance gripped Keith’s arm as tears started to fall from his eyes. Pike licked his lips as he brought the mic closer to him. Clearing his throat, he locked eyes with Lance, all while sending a silent prayer that this went okay. “Dad,” Pike’s voice was rough and cracked from lack of use, but it still sounded wonderful. “I love you so much.” He spoke slowly and carefully, making sure to form the words like he was taught. He glanced down at Pidge, who gave him a thumbs up. He did good. As he looked back up, Lance was full on crying as he stumbled up the stair to Pike. Tackling him into a hug, Lance cried on his son’s shoulder as people in the audience clapped and cried. Keith stood slowly and made his way up the stage with Branda. Lance pulled away slightly to sign with clumsy hands.
‘You sounded beautiful. Thank you.’ He pulled him back into a hug as Pike gurgled with a body shaking laughter. Keith placed a hand on his back as he pulled the family into a hug.
‘I’m proud of you.’ Pike felt the tears leave his eyes as he laughed again.
~~~
After everything settled down and the Mcclain-Kogane family made it home, Pike removed his phone to see a message. Hunk had taken a video of it all and sent it to him. With a tearful smile, he thanked him before moving on to message someone else. Opening up Mil’s and his chat, he typed out a lengthy message, explaining every detail to his dear friend. Pike set his phone down, without looking for a message, knowing Mil was probably already asleep. Yet, after a few minutes, his phone’s light lit up the dark room.
-I knew you would do great :)
Part of my Klance Family AU that was established through my “Homes Don’t Have to be Perfect” fanfiction.
With Lance being a soldier, Keith learned many things throughout his life.
The first thing he learned was how strong love was. Keith knew from the moment that he met Lance that nothing could stop him from loving this man. So even after Lance informed him of his dangerous occupation, Keith held his hand and said that he would stand by Lance no matter what. Sometimes things got hard and they fought, but Keith always stayed. He could never bring himself to let Lance go. His love for the man had corrupted his soul and dug deep into his heart. It was a part of him. Therefore, when Lance stuttered through a proposal and made a fool of himself, Keith cried as he said yes. Therefore, he spent every minute of the next month rush planning a wedding. Therefore, he spent the last night of their honeymoon holding Lance close, not sleeping for he wanted to spend every last second with Lance before he left. Keith fiddled with his ring as he hugged Lance goodbye at the airport. With the promise of emails and calls, tired eyes watched the love of his life fly away to fight someone else’s war.
The second thing he learned was how fear could physically make someone sick. Keith knew what anxiety felt like, but when he was alone, it grew so much worse. He no longer had Lance to hold his hand or smooth down his hair. He was no longer afraid of crowds, instead he was afraid of losing his husband. Keith never knew how cold his blood could turn when the phone rang, or did not ring during their scheduled times. He never knew how fast his heart could fall into his stomach when there was a knock on his door. He never knew how hard his breath could leave his body when he saw someone in a suit at the dance studio. Yet, Keith found ways to avoid as much of this anxiety as he could. He got a special phone for military purposes only. He hung a mirror on the wall that faced the door so he could see who knocked before he answered. Finally, he told his job to send anyone looking for him into his personal studio, which he didn’t leave until the dance studio closed. When things would get really bad, he would drape Lance’s old coat over his slim shoulders and worry himself to sleep on Shiro’s couch, or not sleep at all.
The third thing he learned was how much it hurt to have the one person you were closest to be so far away. Whenever anything would go wrong, all he wanted as Lance. All he wanted was to have someone hold him, petting his hair down and removing the tear streaks from his cheeks. Like when Red ran away for a week or when he landed wrong and almost broke his ankle. There were plenty of times where Keith would fold in on himself and just cry, not knowing what else to do, and times were Lance’s phone calls were just him reassuring Keith that everything was going to be okay for 30 minutes. And when things were great, all he wanted was Lance. All he wanted was to rush home to tell Lance the good news, to have him spin him around in a hug and kiss him senseless as they both cheered. Like, when Keith got a huge dance role in an upcoming musical, or when he got word that they would be able to adopt when Lance returned. But this noise had to be delivered over poor reception phone calls, sometimes days after it happened, making Lance one of the last ones to know. Yet, what hurt Keith the most was knowing that there was stuff about Lance he would never be able to know and that there was stuff that he would never be able to help Lance with. No matter how hard he tried or how much he fought against the odds, there was just things he couldn’t do. He couldn’t do anything when weeks would pass without word from Lance. All he could do was watch the news and pray that he wouldn’t see Lance’s picture or hear his squad number. It didn’t matter how much he fussed, he couldn’t have been there for Lance when he was wounded and in the hospital thousands of miles away. Therefore, he would find someway to help here.
The fourth thing Keith learned was how much of an impact he could make. Since he was stuck here and his job as a dance instructor didn’t offer much to the military forces, he found other ways to help. Along with Shiro, he would visit the veterans and wounded warriors in the hospitals nearby. He would sit with them and listen to their stories. He would make mental list of books or hobbies they enjoy so he could bring them some next time he visited. He would sit in the waiting room with distraught families and offer them any form of comfort that he could. He would encourage and cheer on those whose family’s couldn’t be there. Outside of the hospital, he would work with other military families to gather or make supplies to be put into care packages that would be sent to the troops. With his job, he offered classes with military discounts and out on shows to honor the troops and raise money for veterans or military families in need. He never thought much about what he was doing. It was just something to help get his mind away from the fear and to feel as if he was being useful in someway. Yet, he didn’t hear the way the hospital bound would cheer his name when he arrived. He didn’t see the smiles that the care packages spread across the bases. He could never fathom how many lives he helped with the raised money, or how many people used his dance classes as a form to express their pent up emotions. He didn’t know how far his name would travel or how many committed it to memory in order to thank him later on. To him, what he was doing was small deeds, but to others it was as if he was performing miracles and changing the world.
The fifth thing Keith learned was how powerful pure joy could be. He spent every night of Lance’s deployment dreaming of the day Lance would return. He felt his heart slowly break with each day that Lance did not inform him of his return date. When he would bring it up, Lance would sigh before whispering “They haven’t told me yet. It keeps getting moved around.” Twelve months into the fourteen month deployment, Keith got up as if it was just another normal day. Unknown to him, Shiro had gotten up five hours before him to go sit at the airport to retrieve a very special ‘package’ for him. Keith slipped on his white crop top, red legging, and black flats before heading to the studio. He had five classes and his own rehearsal to do today. Halfway through his pop dance class, the door opened and Shiro poked his head him. He waved to Keith, who nodded at him through the mirrors before going back to showing the class the routine. Keith raised his arms over his head, crossing them at the wrist, before dropping down into a squat. As he did so, smooth hands grazed over his sides up to his hands before spinning him as they pulled him up. Keith forgot how to breath as he meet ocean blue eyes. Tears started to form as the music faded from his consciousness, tan hands drifting to cradle his face.
“Hey, babe.” Lance whispered softly as Keith bit into his lower lip. Choking on a sob, Keith launched himself at Lance, slinging his arms around the taller man’s neck. Tears stained Lance’s military jacket as Keith cried and babbled about how Lance should of told him that he was coming home. Lance tightened his arms around Keith’s waist. “They cut our tour short and I thought it would be a nice surprise to just show up here. If you want to be mad, make sure you save some anger for Shiro too, because he helped.” Keith glared at Shiro from over Lance’s shoulder, only to see the smirking man holding his phone, recording the moment. After the class ended, Lance grabbed Keith’s hand and started to pull him out of the studio.
“Wait! I still have another class and then rehearsal.” Keith pulled them to a stop. Lance leaned over and kissed the top of Keith’s head.
“I already took care of all of that. You are excused from rehearsal and a co-worker is filling in for you. Right now, I just want to go home, lock the doors, and spend every second of the day with my husband.” Lance smiled as Keith blushed. Pulling himself onto his toes with Lance’s shoulders, Keith kissed Lance softly, pouring all of his love into the kiss. Lance tore Keith’s hair from the ponytail he had it in and buried his fingers in the long, black locks. Keith pulled away licking his lips. Locking his fingers behind Lance’s neck, he whispered into his ear.
“Let’s go home.”
Out of all of the things he learned, Keith taught Lance probably the most important lesson about military life. Keith laid on the bed, tracing his fingers along Lance’s bare skin, making made-up constellations out of fading love bites and scars that littered Lance’s torso. Lance hummed contently as he ran his fingers through Keith’s hair. He sighed heavily as he rolled over and pulled Keith into a hug. Keith dug his fingers into Lance’s shoulders as he kissed the side of his neck. He nuzzled the other man softly before pushing him back a little. Worry pulled on Keith’s brow as he took in Lance’s tired, red eyes and dark bags. He pushed his lips out into a pout as he traced the bruising on tan skin.
“I wish you would talk to me.” He whispered sadly. Lance looked up at him, confused.
“I do talk to you.” Keith shook his head at him.
“Not that. I mean about you not sleeping and whatever is bothering you. I notice things, Lance. Especially when they are about you.” He scooted forward to hid his face in Lance’s collar. “You’re here, but it feels as if you are still away. I get that there are things that I will never understand, but I can try. Let me help, please.” His voice broke as Lance pulled him closer. He felt Lance sigh.
“Nightmares. I have nightmares sometimes about what happened over there. I didn’t want to worry you. I know you already have a lot on your plate with your work and trying to get everything ready for the adoption, and I didn’t want to add to it.” Keith hit him slightly as he sniffled.
“You always come first idiot. There’s nothing you can do to make me hate you or be scared of you. While you were gone, I did a lot of work with the military families here and also with the wounded warriors. I’ve seen things and heard stories. I may not be an expert, but I can help you. And if I can’t, we can find someone who can.” Lance laughed slightly as he petted Keith’s head.
“I know how much work you did. People talk over there. I heard stories about what you were doing through others, and I even had some people come up to me to have me tell you thank you. One thing about the military is word travels fast. You were like a hero to them, Keith. And I felt that if I came home broken, it would make me less than you, cause you were doing so much good here and I could barely keep myself sane over there.” Keith stopped him with a soft kiss.
“You were doing things that I could never dream of. You put your life on the line for people you don’t even know. All I was doing was giving up a bit of my free time. I wasn’t even doing it for them. I needed to do something to keep my mind off of the fact that you could end up hurt or worse. My anxiety was driving me crazy. I had to do something that made me feel like I was important. I just happened to help people along the way.” Lance chuckled softly as he kissed Keith. Pulling him closer, Lance set his chin on Keith’s head.
“I guess we are a bit more broken than we thought we were.” Keith nodded as he entangled their fingers.
“That may be true, but at least we are together.” As Keith dozed off, Lance felt his heart start to beat again, this time without such a great pain. While he learned many things from his time as a soldier, he was taught by a sleepy husband that no matter what happened, he was never alone.
They all knew this day would come. It was only a matter of time. Keith messed with his tie once more as a hand landed on his shoulder.
“Hey.” The voice was soft and comforting before it broke into a barking laugh. “You look more nervous than I do.” Shiro smirked as he ruffled Keith’s hair. Glaring at him, Keith flatten his hair back down.
“I’m not good with crowds, or people, or being in the spotlight.” He huffed as he glanced back at Shiro. Shiro stood tall in his tailored-to-fit black suit. He meet Keith’s gaze as he sighed.
“I know I’m asking a lot of you today, but I promise it’s a very small wedding and all you have to do is stand up there by my side.” He patted Keith’s back. “You don’t even have to speak. Just don’t trip down the aisle.” Shiro barked out another laugh as Keith threw his hairbrush at him.
“Come on.” He growled under his breath as he forced Shiro out of the dressing room. As the neared the door to enter the sanctuary, Shiro turned and pulled Keith into a hug.
“But really, thank you.” Shiro whispered. Keith sighed softly as he hugged Shiro back.
“It’s nothing. Now, let’s go get you hitched.” Keith smiled up at him. Keith pushed open the door for Shiro to walk through. They situated themselves up by the left side of the altar by the clergy, who greeted Shiro. Keith glanced to his right, seeing Lance talking to some relative of Shiro’s. Lance grinned when he caught sight of Keith, winking at him as he waved. He stifled a giggle and he waved back. As he turned to face Shiro again, music filled the air as the back doors opened. Keith heard Shiro take in a deep breath. The first person down the aisle was Pike who was tossing white, silk rose petals onto the carpet. Following alongside the now toddler was Black, who had the rings tied to his collar. Pike smiled up at Keith, who signed ‘come’ to him. Pike finished tossing the petals before running to Keith, who hauled him up into his arms. Pike waved over Keith’s shoulder to Lance, who had a soft smile on his face and a few tears in his eyes. Keith laughed to himself, shaking his head at how sentimental Lance could be. Next came Pidge, dressed in a suit that had a long flowing skirt instead of pants. They took their spot parallel to Keith as the music faded out and switched to a different track. As the first few notes filled the air, everyone stood and turned towards the back. Matt, dressed in a white suit that was similar in design to Shiro’s, slowly emerged from the doorway. Keith glanced at Shiro to see him with tears in his eyes and his mouth hanging open. Keith gave him a minute before whispering, “You’re drooling.” Shiro shot him a glare before stepping down to grab Matt’s hand. Shiro leaned forward and kissed Matt’s cheek before leading to the alter. They held hands as they turned to face the clergy.
“Dearly beloved…”
After the ceremony ended, everyone migrate to the nearby hotel for the reception. Chairs, tables, a buffet, a open bar, and even a dance floor were set up in a side room for the celebration. As people came forward to congratulate Shiro and Matt, Keith slipped away to find Lance. Pike still rested on his hip and was playing peacefully with his hair.
Suddenly, Pike started to slap Keith’s shoulder. Pike held his hand up and tapped his forehead with his thumb before pointing to Keith’s far left. Turning to see where Pike was pointing, Keith was met with the breathtaking imagine of Lance in his suit, leaning across the table to shakes hands with someone. Keith bit his lip and he bounced Pike up his hip before he started to make his way to his boyfriend. Pike tapped Keith’s shoulder as pointed down. Keith slowly lowered him to the ground, making sure he was stable before releasing him. Pike ran the last few feet to Lance, grabbing onto his leg. Lance let out a little squeak as he settled his hand on Pike’s head. Lance smiled down at him before turning back to the people he was previously talking to. Keith let a soft smile pull his lips upwards as he wrapped an arm around Lance’s waist. Lance kept talking but returned the action with a slight grin.
When the people bidded the couple goodbye, Lance turned to Keith and kissed him. Pike stuck his tongue out as he signed ‘gross’, a reaction Pidge had taught him. Lance gasped before picking Pike up and kissing his face. Pike let out his gurgle giggle as he struggled to get out of Lance’s grasp. When Lance finally stopped, Pike settled on his hip, sticking his thumb in his mouth. Making a face, Lance tried to stop him, but only ended with Pike making a fuss. He sighed before letting Pike continue. He didn’t want to cause a scene.
As night grew closer, a few people left, making the crowd more suitable for Keith. Until just recently, he and Lance had kept to their little table in the back, enjoying their downtime together. Yet, after a few drinks were passed their way, Lance had pulled Keith up and to the dance floor, leaving Pike with Pidge. Lance wrapped his lanky arms around Keith’s waist and leaned his head on his shoulder. Lance hummed along to the slow beat song as they swayed. Keith reached up and threaded his fingers into Lance’s hair. Humming in thought, he turned his head to let his lips touch Lance’s ear.
“We might have to get your hair cut soon before we both have mullets.” He chuckled softly as Lance pinched his side. He let his head fall onto Lance’s as he pulled him closer. They danced like that until almost everyone was gone. Pidge and Allura had stopped by at some point and time, saying that they were taking Pike up to their room for he had fallen asleep on Allura’s lap. With Lance still leaning on Keith, they bidded the newly married couple goodbye before heading up to their own room. Lance lazily kissed at Keith’s neck as Keith fumbled with the hotel room key. As they slipped into the room, Keith lowered Lance onto the bed, helping him remove his suit before stripping himself down to his own boxers. He slipped them both under the covers and turned off the bedside lamp. Lance slid up behind him, nuzzling his chin against Keith’s shoulder. Humming, he wrapped his arms around Keith’s waist, pulling him close.
“Maybe one day we can do that.” Lance whispered as he dosed off. Keith smiled as he threaded his fingers in between Lance’s,
“Maybe we will.” He whispered, falling asleep to Lance’s light snores.
Continuation from my “Homes Don’t Have to Be Perfect” fanfiction
Finally! I now have the pleasure to gift you guys with the cutest picture of baby Pike from my Homes Don't Have to Be Perfect fanfiction. Warning: cuteness has been know to cause squealing, unidentifiable noises,blushing, fainting, heart aches, cavities, and even death. Please consult fellow fandom members before approaching cuteness.
