Skin Deep /Klance/

Chapter One

"N-no- Dad! Dad I'm fine!" Lance argued over the phone, walking around the park. "Lance your gunna get hurt! Your skin is to sensitive to be outside!" Shiro yelled at his adopted son, who had just informed him he was taking a walk around the park downtown.

Lance had just recently moved out, even though he was almost twenty one. (His birthday was next week.) It had taken a lot of convincing and a shit ton of promises to do exactly as Shiro had written down on his daily schedule in taking care of himself. Lance didn't mind of cores, he had always been like this, his skin had always been covered in blisters and tears and he'd grown used to it. It had become as common to him being as extra careful with his skin as possible as to someone having to brush there teeth every morning.

"Lance please.... Just get home and get back into a cool room. Your gunna hurt yourself." Shiro begged, his voice gone soft and pleading. Lance almost broke, almost said okay and turned back walking his sorry self back to his cool, safe apartment. Almost.

"Dad." He started, taking in a deep breath. "I know your scared for me.. But this is the world and sooner or later I'm going to have to be apart of it." He knew that it was going to be hard for his dad to hear, he knew he was going to get hurt but it was just something he was going to have to do.

Shiro sat quiet on the line for a while, letting Lance's words sink in. Lance was about to assume he had hung up until Shiro let out a deep sigh. "Even when you where little you always knew what was best for yourself...." He sighed again, closing his eyes and running his hand down his face. "Alright.. Just be careful and try not to stay in direct sunlight that long."

Lance smiled, relived at his father's reaction. "I will, love you dad. Call you when I get home." He said smiling. "Love you too son, be careful." They finished up their goodbyes and Lance slid his phone back into his loose hoodie pocket along with his hands taking a deep breath before continuing on his way.

     It was a nice day, the green on the trees where starting to form and a warm breeze flowed throughout the small park. Lance smiled, ignoring the slight pain that was all over his body.

     He took another deep breath, setting his hood down and quickly slipping his gloved hands back into his hoodie pockets walking along the little sidewalk.

Nearing the poor skinned boy was another young man distracted with a book as he walked, moving his long uncontrollable hair out of his eyes every few seconds, muttering curses every time another lock of thick black hair fell into his vision.

As basic love stories go, by this time the two boys would bump into one another and look into each other's eyes and fall instantly in love. With all the fire works and sappy Disney princess movie animation where there eyes twinkle and everything is just amazing. Sadly I'm not that kind of writer and that's not what kind of story this is.

In the shorter boys distraction with his book and current hair situation he bumped shoulders with the taller man who also wasn't paying much attention to where he was headed. The brief contact, while to Keith was nothing more than a minor inconvenience felt like a burning hell to Lance, making him cry out at the contact as his skin began to instantly redden and tear.

Keith looked back eyes blown wide in worry and confusion. "Shit man! I'm so-" He was cut short as Lance lifted his hoodie sleeve to show torn and horribly blistered skin all the way in to the latest addition to his deformed skin. "What the fuck? Holy shit, did I do that?" He asked shock, confusion and concern all wrapped up in his tone as he reached out to Lance who quickly pulled away.

"Y-yeah... happens all the time..." He hissed as he pulled his sleeve back down over the severely red tear on his upper arm.

"...Happens all the time? What the hell? Are you like the living dead or something? Your skin just tore." Keith empathized believing Lance didn't comprehend what the hell Keith had just witnessed. I mean, all he did was bump into the guy, shit like that happens all the time, but bumping into someone and their skin tearing off like that. Now, that doesn't happen all the time.

Lance chuckled at the shorter man in front of him, looking as if he was trying to figure out what the meaning of life was holding his head searing off just past Lance, who chuckled one last time before reliving the man's confusion. "Calm down their shorty, it actually does happen all the time. I was born with a really rare skin disorder called Epidermolysis Bullosa," He began to explain, the other male looking up at him, giving his full attention as he spoke. "It's a rare skin condition, it makes the skin basically just want to kill it's self every second of the day." He chuckled a bit before continuing, "Only about a hand full of people in America have been diagnosed, let alone some someone has ever met anyone with it so..." Lance held out his gloved hand to the stranger. "The name's Lance Mc'Clain, butterfly child."

Keith was hesitant taking the strange man's hand, worrying about hurting him again but, being Keith he took his hand and shook in gently and briefly pulling his hand away after the interaction was over. "Keith Kogan... Nice to meet you and uh... butterfly child?" He asked, confusion coming back to his face.

"Yeah, it's a nickname kids like me are given, our skin is about as sensitive as a butterfly's wing, hints the name 'butterfly child.'" Lance explained, slipping his hands back into his pockets.

Keith nodded, knitting his eyebrows together in the process understanding, face relaxing has he comprehended all the information he was just feed.

Lance snickered, "Well, I need to go but if you ever want anymore information about it here's my number." He smiled, pulling out his phone and showing Keith his number, who quickly typed it in to his own phone.

"Thanks... I'll be sure to call as soon as I get everything sorted out in my own life." Keith said, putting his phone up and holding his book at his side. Lance nodded and smiled, putting his hood back on trying to block out the sunlight. "Well, see you around mullet." Lance smiled, beginning the walk back to his apartment.

Keith watched the boy walk away till he was completely out of sight. He again pulled out his phone, going to his knew contact and typing in a few edits before slipping it back into his pockets and also beginning his journey home, with the contact "Butterfly Boy" typed nicely and saved into his phone.

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Hello readers!! I am one of the non-binary pals and the main writer of this story. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and stick with me as the story unfolds. Epidermolysis Bullosa is a really serious unknown condition and while writing this fanfic I also hope to raise awareness about the condition and everyone it affects.

Thank you again for taking the wonderful time out of your day to read my horrible writing and I will most likely be posting this on my personal account too at Mental_Nightmare. Heh, have a lovely night from all the pals here at NonbinaryPals!!

See ya soon!!