Cold of the Sea

Chapter Eleven: Surprise

"So... uh-uhm... Keith, can I... can I kiss you again? I mean, it doesn't have to be right now, but, uh, like, is it alright if I kiss you... sometimes?" Lance mumbled nervously, blush appearing on his tan cheeks.

"What?" Keith replied bluntly, raising an eyebrow to look at the merman with a blank stare.

"You-- you heard me." Lance pouted, crossing his arms over his bare chest.

"Yeah, I did, but... what?" Keith was confused by Lance's actions and words.

"You know what I said! Just give me an answer, please." Lance whined, wanting to die of embarrassment.

"Let me get this clear. You want to kiss me. Again." Keith narrowed his eyes in disbelief. Who would possibly want to kiss him?

"Yes. Very much yes." Lance groaned, covering his eyes with his hands.

"O-oh.." Keith looked away, as if thinking, but his mind was really at a standstill. He was befuddled by this revelation.

"So... your answer?" Lance prompted, peeking out from behind his fingers.

"I... uh... why would you want to kiss me?" Keith stalled, not knowing what else to say.

"Because I love you? I thought we'd already gone over this, hun." Lance dropped his hands, looking at Keith incredulously.

"W-well... your answer could have changed, I don't know?" Keith tried, cheeks flushing.

"Why would my answer change?" Lance looked on to the other dubiously.

"I don't know!" Keith exclaimed, not having experience in these situations and thus entirely confused by it.

"So are you going to answer me or are you gonna just keep stalling? I need to know so that I can stop asking this." Lance sighed, now wary of the situation.

"I-I... I guess it's.... fine? Just... just don't do it in front of people, I guess." Keith stuttered, hands shaking from his nerves.

"Yes! Thank you!" Lance grinned, unceremoniously throwing his lips onto Keith's in excitement.

Keith froze at the contact, not ready for it at all. Lance leaned back, not seeming to notice Keith's unresponsiveness and his face was alight with joy.

"A-Another rule.... warn m-me... when you're.. you're going to do.... that." Keith uttered after a long silence, arms moving to hug his legs to himself.

"Okay!" Lance yelled, obliviously happy enough to do anything.

"A.... alright... uhh-" Keith began to mumble, but then was cut off by the sound of his name being called from further down the hall, outside his room.

"Fuck.... Lance, get under the bed." Keith commanded, shoving Lance off the mattress, and attempting to force him under it.

"W-what? Why?" Lance questioned, involuntarily struggling against Keith.

"Shiro's coming, you need to hide. You're not supposed to be here." Keith bit out, voice hushed so that Shiro wouldn't hear.

"Oh, okay..." Lance deflated some, slightly baffled, but nonetheless slipped under the bed with ease.

"Keith! Are you okay? I thought I heard something from your room." Shiro called, opening Keith's door a fraction.