'such a pity, a boy so pretty'

3. the tutor

Lance made jokes throughout the whole of the day, sometimes pissing Keith off, but mainly making his first day pretty good. Lance included him in a lot, and seemed quite happy to have Keith around, Keith couldn't remember having someone wanting him around before. It felt nice.

Lance was currently laughing his ass off, his tanned cheeks showing Lance's dimples, his eyes closed. Keith couldn't recall what Lance had said but he really did look gorgeous when he smiled like that. Keith shook his head, he's only just met the guy he shouldn't be thinking that.

"McClain!" Mr Alfor snapped. "What in my class do you find funny?" He asked him, Lance tried to catch his breathe, his laugh slowly being breathed away. Lance coughed and then set his face in a serious expression.

"Um nothing, sorry to interrupt." Lance chuckled.

"Another word out of you McClain, and you know what will happen, I've gone easy on you in the past." Lance shut up then, his face paled a little.

"Yes Sir." He said, Keith wondered what the teacher had meant by that, and why it scared Lance so much.

"You, Kogane is it? Why does the Catholic Church insist on sex after marriage?" The R.E teacher asked Keith. Keith stared at his notes, they hadn't covered this yet, or they had and Keith hadn't been here.

"I don't know Sir." Keith replied, his voice monotone. "I'm new."

"Hmm." The teacher looked as if he was sarcastically thinking. "McClain why does the Catholic Church insist in sex after marriage?" Alfor asked Lance.

"Um because it makes it more sacred, and consummates the sacrament of marriage, and so that they can bring up their children in a safe environment." Lance answered, sounding more like a question, as if it was a trick question.

"Correct for once." The teacher said sharply. "McClain you're going to tutor Kogane, and if he doesn't get at least a C in his end of year test, you won't be playing basketball for the rest of the year." Lance froze, his mouth hanging open, he looked at Keith, who swallowed guiltily, he'd never really been good at R.E.

"Yes Sir." Lance said his voice cracking a little. "Fuck." He said under his breathe.

The rest of the day seemed like a blur, Keith tagged along with Lance, though he seemed different since Alfor's class, why was he so worried about playing basketball anyway? Lance and Keith walked out of the school, accompanied by Lance's friends.

"I fucking hate him." Lance said in frustration. Keith looked at the floor. "Don't worry mullet it's not your fault, it's mine, I've been messing around in that class since I came here, he's been waiting for an opportunity to fuck with me." Lance reassured him.

"What happened?" Shiro asked, his arm around Allura, who was violently texting someone on her phone.

"I have to get at least a C on my end of year test, for R.E or Lance doesn't get to play basketball."

"Mr Alfor?" Hunk asked, Keith nodded.

"But why punish Lance if you don't get a C?" Pidge wondered.

"I'm supposed to 'tutor' him." Lance sighed. "So are you free today?" Lance turned to Keith.

"Yeah I guess."

"Good cause you're coming to my house. Bye everyone." Everyone split up and Keith went to go get his bike, while Lance walked over to a truck. "Put your bike in the back." He said and jumped in the car.

The ride was short, but not quiet, Lance had turned up the radio super loud and was trying to match its volume while Keith laughed along. They pulled up to a normal town house, on a street of identical houses, but somehow for Keith, this one seemed different.

Lance jumped out of the truck, grabbing Keith's bike and going round the side of the house. "Come on then!" He called and so Keith followed.

"I could be a serial killer or something, why did you invite me to your house? You know nothing about me." Keith asked as Lance rested Keith's bike next to the shed in his garden.

"You haven't killed me yet have you? And you seem alright, plus I need you to pass R.E" Lance told him and walked up the steps to his back door. "You coming?" Lance opened the door and dragged Keith in.

Noise. That was the first thing Keith registered, lots and lots of noise. The noise turned into incoherent talking, then people, everywhere. There was an elderly couple sat on the sofa, having a playful argument, a mother was starting to cook while two small children played around her feet as she fought them off. There was a girl with head phones in, though the music was so loud Keith could still hear it. A boy with a football bouncing it around the house as a man that Keith assumed was Lance's Dad was telling him off, in his hand a phone, someone was talking on the other end.

"I'm home!" Lance shouted, his arrival had gone unnoticed by everyone except the two youngest siblings. They ran up to Lance and hugged him. "Hey Diego, Grabriela." They let go and looked up at Keith.

"Who's this? Is that your boyfriend?" Lance rolled his eyes.

"No Gab why would I have a boyfriend? This is my friend Keith, say hello." Lance told her, blushing.

"Hi." Keith said and the girl seemed unimpressed and grabbed her brothers hand and walked off.

"Sorry about them." Lance shrugged. "Mama I'm going upstairs with Keith!" He shouted, dragging Keith up with him.

"Okay. Wait who's Keith?" His Mum asked, but Lance was already up the stairs. He pushed open the door and chucked his bag down.

Keith stared around the room, it was messy, but not too messy, just the odd T-Shirt was led on the floor and a couple of books scattered around. The bed was in the corner, a desk next to it, a pile of books where on Lance's desk, and Lance shuffled through them, sitting down at the desk. He whipped out a red book and then shuffled through his bag to find another book, the one he used in class.

"Why is it so important that you play basketball?" Keith asked Lance.

"Well um, my parents aren't that rich or anything so I was really hoping to get a scholarship through basketball, and if I can't play then no scholarship, and no scholarship means no college. Do you see my problem here?"

"So no pressure then." Keith shrugged, though he really didn't want to let Lance down. They studied for a few hours, and Lance caught Keith up with most of the lessons he'd missed.

"Urgh." Lance led back on his bed, Keith was sat at the desk. "You're a pretty good study partner, we make a good team." Lance said, closing his eyes. "Do you want to stay for dinner? I think we're having pasta." Keith nodded, why not. He sent a text to his dad that he would be home late.

They walked down the stairs passing a few rooms, their doors decorated different to each sibling. Lance strolled into the main room, the whole family were gathered doing their own thing. It felt really, homely.

end of chapter three