Rivals ||Klance Voltron||

Practice Saturday

He was in his basketball clothes, sitting on a bench in the boys' changing room. His gaze patted the surface of his gloves, hands laid out in his lap, head down and hair engulfing his face.

With a lump in his throat, he felt his energy being drained, seeping from his body through the bench and into the swallowing ground.

Three days at this futile psychological solution of holding hands, and he's been even more on edge than usual. The ocean eyed boy and him never spoke a word during detention, ever. It seems like everytime they're on those chairs, Lance becomes strangely distant and Keith struggles not to tear his covered hand away.

He'd noticed, however, that their pulses would reach unacceptable rates the second they'd touch. It was predictable, though. They were forced into such an awkward solution. It might've even worked, since Keith found himself wishing they never got into that fight in the first place.

Occasionally, while passing Lance in the halls, or just before turning away from him in detention, he'd take a quick look at his face and physically feel his insides twist in unbearable guilt. The dark shade around his eye had started to subdue, turning to a faded purple. The small scratches here and there on his face and arms weren't as visible, but Keith knew they were there,  and he knew he caused them.

The door flew open and the dark haired boy jumped, almost comically, two feet in the air before looking back wide eyed. Lance stood there, hand covering his mouth to suppress a laugh as a group of guys entered behind him.

Clutching his thumping chest, Keith stared at Lance, watching him sauntering to one of the lockers from which he pulled a blue bag. Loud chatter erupted as teammates grouped up and discussed trivial matters- to Keith-  like girls and being grounded for a week for sneaking out.

Lance pulled his undershirt off his back, exposing tanned skin. Keith was wondering why anyone would be angry at their parents for grounding them; if anything, he would have thanked his for doing what they thought was best for him.

" Way to make it weird, Mullet." He heard the now dressed Lance remark. He didn't get it, though.

" Hmm?" Keith fixed his standing position.

- "You were staring while I was getting dressed, you know you were. "

-" What?! N-no. I wouldn't stare at you even if you were the last thing-"

-" It's okay, Mullet. I know I'm irresistible. You'd be stupid if you didn't." Lance chuckled. Most of the team had stopped talking and were listening to the not so quiet conversation with dread in their eyes. A lot of them were eager freshmen who really wanted to stop losing games due to arguments between the team members.

Keith crossed his arms, squeezing them harder with every passing second. His breathing accelerated and he gritted his teeth together.

However, seconds later, after his nails had dug into his own skin as a release, he exhaled slowly.

" McClain, I won't argue with you on this anymore. I want everyone outside in five!" He yells, stomping out to the basketball court with his head high and his shoulders broad.

" Yes, captain." Lance smirked, watching him leave. Something inside him was satisfied. He liked getting on Keith's nerves, especially at practice, but seeing him bite back his anger like that made the tan boy smile.

At least he's trying to be civil, he thought while heading to practice.

" I'm open! I'm here! I'm so open, stores hang me as an open sign!" Lance yelled standing under the basket. Keith dribbled the ball from the middle of the court and then stood in place when he was surrounded by the defenders.

His hair swayed with his head movements as he looked for the players Shiro chose to be on his team today.

" Mullet! I volunteer as tribute!" Lance was now jumping frantically, trying to get the captain's attention.

Keith, with defenders closing in on him, looked at Lance with eyes in slits to express how unimpressed he was. He threw the ball to the opposite side of the "tribute"; it was close to be caught by one of the guys but it ended up crossing the white line.

Shiro's whistle allowed everyone to relax and leave their positions, turning their attention to him.

" What. Was. That?!" The bulky guy rested a hand on his hip. " Keith, pass the ball. Lance! Don't embarrass yourself on the court, this isn't a one man show. And Matt ? You saw the ball coming but you stayed where it wasn't heading. We have a highly important game next Friday, guys."

" Sorry, Shiro. It seems as though my calculations were wrong..." Mathew Holt, Pidge's brother, let out a nervous chuckle as he rubbed the side of his neck.

" It's alright, buddy." Lance reassured from where he sat on the floor, arms resting in between his legs.

" Not alright," Keith snapped, "This isn't science. You see the ball, you take the ball. I've got no time for your stupid calculations."

" And you," he jabbed his index at the  freshmen defenders, " Not one of you went to block Lance. And a two year old could have taken the ball from me! I literally wanted you to take it at one point. Too much skill to ask from you; from basketball players to take the basket ball?!"

" Keith!" Shiro shouted, frustrated.
" This isn't how a team works."

Keith, flushed in the face from anger, pulls himself back and goes to sit on the floor next to Lance, feeling the infamous speech coming up. They now expected it every week since the coach would be absent for a while: he'd just recently got married and Shiro was determined to improve the team before his return.

" Woah, no comments about me this time?" Lance murmured from his side.

" Not this time." Keith said, not looking him in the eyes. He felt, however, Lance smiling.

" ... Because well, you already embarrassed yourself enough, loser." He continued, feeling proud of himself when Lance's smile vanished.

Apart from the whispered Stupid Mullet, everyone was silent. Shiro went on for fifteen minutes about the importance of trusting each other in a team and working toward one goal, then he had them practice for twice the usual time, until he was somewhat satisfied with their forced team spirit.

Author's note

Long Basketball Chapter for all them sporty ones out there!

Yeah hi I like Shiro as assistant coach. Daddy material.

Texting chapter coming up! Who do you think will text first?

* whispers into your ears:*  vote XD