Our Strange Differences

10- Screw You Blue

Lance woke to the gentle pelting of raindrops on the window. His eyes fluttered open, and the first thing he wondered was: what the hell was that repetitive, aggravating noise? Then he remembered. Oh yeah, Earth has this strange occurrence known as rain. When water vapor clouds form high in the air, and cry down upon the landscape... or something like that. Lance still didn't quite understand it. Back on Altea they had normal weather such as boiling hot rock showers. Lance didn't see in any way how water could do good for an ecosystem, but most of Earth's functions didn't logically hold reason. Perhaps that's what made it so utterly intriguing.

But more importantly, what was Lance doing here? Last thing he had remembered, he was laying outdoors, his limbs sprawled out in the grass beside Keith. They had fallen asleep together, which wasn't hard for Lance to accomplish at all. Not only was he used to sleeping outdoors, but that night he felt awfully sick. Happy, yes, as Keith finally kissed him, yet his eyelids felt heavy. Perhaps Lance attracted some sort of odd Earth infection, but it was no bother any longer. He felt much better now, stretching his arms above his head and legs under the heavy covers.

But where in the world was Keith? Lance assumed he somehow carried them both back to the cabin while he was still knocked out, but how and why? Lance looked around the dark, bare bedroom with nothing more than a queen sized bed to rest upon, and an empty, wooden dresser. Because of the rain, he couldn't tell if it was day or night. It looked pretty dark outside the windows, but that could've just been due to the abundance of gray clouds hovering above, acting as a shield from the sun's rays. And though there was a clock propped on top of the the dresser, the uninformed Altean Prince didn't know how to read Earth time, so he was basically alone on that front.

With one last yawn, Lance fell from the covers, and trudged across the creaky wooden flooring. He opened the door, and yelled out for Keith as he headed toward the kitchen for some breakfast (or whichever meal was appropriate for such a time). "Keith! You want me to make you food? We still got marshmallows, if you want!"

Lance opened the drawer, and pulled out the leftover bag of marshmallows which Shiro had provided after seeing Lance's overwhelming love for the treat. He poured them all into a bowl as he awaited a response. None came.

"Keith!" He tried again. "If you don't answer, I'll be forced to eat all these by myself." He shuffled to the fridge, and got out a carton of orange juice. Lance then proceeded to pour some of the ironically orange colored juice into the bowl amongst the marshmallows.

Still, no response came.

"Hmm... alright then, Keith." Lance placed a spoon in the bowl, and opened the fridge for two frozen waffles. "Your loss, but if you're lucky, you might get a chance to share this waffle-peanut butter-avocado-sandwich." He threw down one of the frozen waffles onto the counter, and smeared some peanut butter on it with his finger. He then took an avocado, peeled it, and smashed it on top of his creation. Placing the last waffle down, he took his two breakfasts, and steadily maneuver to the dining table.

Without bothering to use a plate, he took his waffle sandwich, and dipped it into his marshmallow stew. Lance took a bite, and mumbled in satisfaction. "Ah... The nectar of the angels."

When Lance was finished with his meal, he looked around the room to see if Keith had returned without him knowing... He hadn't. Lance was starting to get worried now.

But this was no time to get flustered! He needed to uncover Keith's hiding spot, and fast. This was a cruel prank if it was that. Keith should've known by now that Lance would grow anxious if he disappeared without any notice. Especially after last night... Oh, quiznak. A terrible thought ingrained itself in Lance's mind. Perhaps... Keith was still upset? Maybe Keith had told a bluff and didn't like Lance at all. Was it possible he had pushed Keith's boundaries? Lance didn't want to imagine the horrible possibilities. He wanted Keith to like him, not be embarrassed or angered around him. He didn't even need to have the same sort of romantic feelings that Lance held for Keith. He would be content with just staying friends, so long as Lance got to stay near him often. So long as Keith didn't run away.