Roommates (Klance College AU)

53

"Oh that fucking– I even had a talk with him about that and he–"

"What?" Lance said, cutting his older sister Veronica off. He stood in a quiet hall of his dormitory building, holding his cellphone up to his ear. "You talked to Keith about me?"

"I'm sorry, Lance, I just didn't want to see you get hurt and... well, I guess we can't change what happened now," she said through the line.

"It's not his fault though, V," Lance said. "I... started seeing someone and, well, I was kinda also keeping it from him... then found out they were, like, friends, or whatever..." Lance trailed off. "I don't know why he's so upset exactly, because I kept it from him? I was just scared to tell him but he shouldn't be upset. Like he said, it doesn't matter to him."

"I know that you know very well why he's upset," Veronica stated.

Lance sighed. "Do I though?"

Veronica sighed. "He's interested in you, Lance."

Lance couldn't help but laugh. "Right."

"Why else would he react so strongly to you dating someone else? It's classic jealousy."

"But he literally told me to get out of his face," Lance countered, feeling the sting of the memory.

"People say a lot of things when they're hurt or scared," Veronica explained. "You, of all people, should know that."

Lance paused, processing her words. Could Keith really have feelings for him? It seemed absurd, yet part of him felt a flicker of hope at the possibility. "So what am I supposed to do now? He doesn't even want to see me."

"Give it some time," she advised. "Let him cool off a bit. And maybe try talking to him again, but more openly this time. No games, no hiding feelings."

Lance sighed, leaning against the cool wall of the hallway. "I don't know if I can, V. It's just too awkward now, and what if you're wrong? I'll just end up looking like an idiot."

"You won't know unless you try, Lance," Veronica gently pushed. "And either way, you need to clear the air. If there's something more between you two, it's better to find out sooner rather than later."

"Yeah, maybe," Lance admitted, though the thought made his stomach twist with anxiety. "Thanks, V. I'll think about it."

"Just remember, whatever happens, you've got this," Veronica said encouragingly.

"Thanks. I love you, V."

"Love you too. And call me if you need anything, okay?"

"I will." Lance ended the call and pocketed his phone, his mind racing with new possibilities. Maybe Veronica was right. Maybe Keith's harshness was a mask for something deeper. But whether that was true love or just complicated friendship, Lance realized that not knowing would be worse than any potential embarrassment from confronting the issue.

Taking a deep breath, Lance pushed off the wall and started down the hallway toward his room. He had some thinking to do, and a plan to form if he was going to face Keith again. The uncertainty of the whole situation weighed heavily on him, but Veronica's words had ignited a small spark of hope within him. It was enough to fuel his resolve, at least for the moment.

As he walked, he mulled over everything that had happened between him and Keith. Their friendship had always been a bit rocky, full of intense moments and passionate disagreements, but also deep, undeniable camaraderie. The idea that there could be underlying romantic feelings hadn't occurred to him until Veronica pointed it out, yet it made a strange sort of sense when he thought about their history.

He awkwardly came back to find Keith sleeping, or at least he looked as if he was sleeping. Lance slowly slid into his bed across the room, trying not to make a sound. His heart was thudding loudly in his chest, echoing the nerves that seemed to vibrate through his whole body. He lay there in the darkness, staring up at the ceiling, thoughts whirling.

As he lay there in the silent room, the soft, steady breathing of Keith only a few feet away seemed to magnify in the quiet. Lance's mind replayed their last interaction, the hurt in Keith's eyes, the harsh words he said. The possibility that those emotions might stem from a place of unspoken affection added layers of complexity to his feelings.

Lance rolled onto his side, facing the wall, squeezing his eyes shut in an attempt to sleep. But sleep wouldn't come; instead, there was only the twisting in his gut, the churn of possibility and fear. He thought about what Veronica said about being open; about confronting the situation head-on without games. The idea terrified him, but it also brought a sense of urgency.

As the night deepened and the room remained cloaked in darkness, Lance's thoughts began to settle. If Keith did have feelings for him, wasn't it better to know? And if he didn't, they needed to address the rift that had formed in their friendship anyway. Either way, communication was key. Lance decided to put his thoughts to sleep, focus on rest, and approach Keith after a few days. With that decision made, Lance gradually felt the tension in his muscles ease. Breathing deeply, he let himself drift into a fitful sleep, the weight of uncertainty still heavy on his mind but tempered by a glimmer of determination.