Space Dads

13

Lance and Keith landed on a lively little planet. Lance stepped off the ship first then Keith, tripping a little. Lance's arm shot out instinctively and protectively. Heat flew up to Keith's cheeks as he steadied himself with the help of Lance's steady hand.

"Do you need me to hold your hand?" Lance teased holding out his hand. Keith looked at him, then back at his open hand. He slipped his hand in Lance's, interest suddenly found in his shoes, cheeks growing a deep shade of crimson. "Yes." He mumbled an answer rubbing the tip of his foot on the ground awkwardly, red coating his forehead.

Something flipped in Lance's stomach. Churning and whirling wildly. Lance suddenly  became overwhelmed with the desire to kiss the boy next to him, but decided to push that semi-paralyzing sensation down.

Keith cleared his throat cutting the awkward silence. "What...what planet is this?" Keith asked trying to spark up a conversation. "I'm not sure what the name of this planet is. All I know is that it's pretty much just one big tourist attraction." "Really?" Keith asked head tilted to the side. "Yea. It's pretty much just carnivals, bars, parks, and hotels. Y'know stuff that attracts people—tourists." Keith nodded as Lance spoke.

"So where are we going first?" Keith asked. "Or is it an unplanned...date?" A light shade of pink glazed his cheeks as he said the last word. Lance watched Keith become flustered again, amused and tad bit pleased.

"It is, as you said, an unplanned date." Lance spoke. "Though I planned it that way."
Lance's statement earned a smile from Keith. He tightened his grip on the shorter boy's hand and began walking towards the sound of people talking. "Let us continue on!" Lance professed widening his strides. "We have not time to waste!" He continued gaining an assortment of giggles and snorts from the amused Keith.

They walked for a couple minutes. Keith looked at the windows of little shops as they passed. Little things sparked attention from Keith. Like clothes or shoes or little shiny things.

Especially the little shiny things.

Lance chuckled watching Keith observe the small bright items, eyes glistening. They continued to walk. In the window of some novelty type shop Keith spotted a necklace. Shiny. Red. And in the shape of a star. Keith immediately fell in love with it. Lance abruptly stopped walking. "You wanna go in?" He asked a slight grin began to appear. Keith nodded a little eyes still on the window of the small shop.

Lance walked up the three little uneven steps to the door. He twisted the doorknob and pushed, greeted by a chipper little "ding" as they walked in.

A man wearing bulky, square rimmed glasses scrambled to the counter. He had four eyes but only two were covered with the glasses. He was scrawny and his chin was coated in stubble. "C-customers!" He announced.
"W-w-welcome to my shop! W-where y-you'll find gewgaws and gimcracks o-o-of all types and g-genres!" The scrawny guy sputtered.

"I-if y'all are i-in n-n-need of any assistance t-then j-j-just come to m-me."
Keith flashed a bright smile.
"Thank you and we certainly will!" Keith told the stick-thin man-thing, who nodded with a slightly flushed face, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. He flashed an awkward smile before dropping his gaze to the floor.

Keith walked off Lance trailed behind closely. He pulled the sleeves of his red shirt over his hands as he walked through the cluttered little shop. They navigated through the slightly offbeat store.

Finally Keith found the section with the window display and the merchandise on the shelf behind it. He looked on the shelf for the shiny red star, like he saw in the window, but he couldn't find it. Keith frowned, turning around to walk off.

"Can't find the one you want?"
Lance asked teasing him a little bit.
"Want?"
Keith said crossing his arms and turning his head away from Lance in a sulk.

"Jewelry is for girls—and I'm not a girl."