Hearts don't break around here

Chapter 5: lemon tart

11th Grade

"You sure you don't want to come along?" Lance asks, straightening his bowtie in the mirror before turning to Keith, who is sitting cross legged on his bed with a physics textbook in his lap. "Could be really fun!"

Keith snorts. "Prom seems more like your thing than mine, I think." He says blatantly. "And I wouldn't wanna third wheel with you and Erica. I don't even have a date."

"Aw, come on. You wouldn't be third wheeling."

Keith raises an eyebrow at him.

"You wouldn't be third wheeling that much." Lance corrects, smirking. "Anyway, how do I look?" He holds out his arms in presentation. Keith studies him, looking unamused.

"You'd look great if you didn't gel your hair back like that." He says.

Lance frowns. "What's wrong with my hair?"

"It's not..." Keith waves a hand like he's searching for the word. "... Fluffy enough. It's stuck to your head." He points to Lance's head. "It makes your ears look bigger."

"What?" Lance says, feeling panicked. "Well what do I do?"

Keith sighs, dropping his textbook to the side and walking over to where Lance is standing. "Just, like..." He reaches up and digs his fingers into Lance's hair, messing it up. "Fluff it up a bit."

Lance raises an eyebrow at his reflection in the mirror. Keith steps back, studying the disheveled mess on Lance's head. "There, like that."

"But now it just look like it usually does." Lance says, confused. He's come to learn that Keith has weird taste in things, but usually makes the right call when it comes down to it.

"Exactly." Keith says flatly. "And it usually looks good."

Lance hums. "Whatever you say." And wow, his ears do look more proportional now. "Okay, cool. So I'm gonna pick up Erica in about twenty minutes. And then we'll probably get dinner..." Lance mumbles to himself, listing his plans off with his fingers. "Apparently after-prom ends at like 2 or 3AM so, are you staying over? Or will you be at your place when I get back?"

Keith hums in consideration, looking down at the textbook. "I don't know. I haven't decided yet."

"Okay, well, text me if you stay so I know to expect you."

"Cool, sounds good." Keith looks like he wants to say something else, but he doesn't. Lance sends him a questioning look.

"What is it?"

Keith opens his mouth and closes it again. Then he shrugs. "Just. You know. Have fun."

Lance grins. "You know I will."

xxx

Erica is Lance's current girlfriend and they've been together longer than Lance has been with anyone else. Jess, in eighth grade, only lasted three months. Skylar, at the beginning of tenth grade, kissed him twice and then decided she...wasn't interested. Felicity in tenth only lasted two months before she...wasn't interested anymore, either. But now, he and Erica are spending their six month anniversary at junior prom, and he is so fucking excited.

Erica has big brown eyes and freckles on the bridge of her nose. She smells like roses and her skin is always soft. Her laugh makes his heart flutter and she always wears the cutest jean shorts with an orange flower embroidered onto the right pocket. They hang out often. They do homework together, and talk about anime and watch movies. They make out. Sometimes they go even further than that. Lance blushes just thinking about it. She's so pretty. He loves her. He knows he does. This has got to be what love feels like. What else could it possibly be? But he hasn't said it yet. He's waiting for the best moment, and he feels like tonight is going to be the night.