(You Can) Drop Your Façade ; klance

friends

Keith had heard it a total of thirteen times since transfering to Altean Academy.

"Hush now, Lance." Allura joked, holding up a finger. Make that fourteen.

Keith was beyond confused. That phrase just felt so...out of place? What were they trying to do? Get Lance to be quiet? Well congratu-fucking-lations. You don't need to say anything because he's never fucking spoken in the first place!

Stupid, dumb phrase. What does it mean?

"Huh?" Pidge asked suddenly. Keith furrowed his eyebrows as Pidge stared at him.

"What?"

Pidge rose her eyebrows. "You asked something, yeah?" She insisted. Keith blinked. He must've spoken out loud.

"Uh, yeah. Um, what does it mean?" Keith asked awkwardly.

Everyone stared, confused. "What?" Hunk asked, wanting him to clarify. Keith's eyes flickered towards Lance (who was already staring) before answering.

"Y'know, it. What does it mean?" He explained poorly, not wanting to repeat the phrase.

Hunk rose an eyebrow. "You're gonna have to elaborate," he said. Keith groaned internally. But I don't want to.

"That fucking phrase. Hush Lance or whatever the fuck. What does it mean?" He questioned, losing his (significantly little amount of) patience.

"Oh! It's just an inside joke, you wouldn't get it." Allura answered, waving her hand for effect.

Yeah, I really don't.

"Yeah," Pidge spoke up. "We use it when Lance talks too much-"

The fuck?

"-or when he makes a shitty joke. Or y'know, says something inappropriate or irrelevant."

Again, the fuck?

"Okay so, why do you guys use it so much then?" Keith asks.

Pidge sends him a look. "Don't you have, like, five classes with Lance?"

Keith nods his head, confused. "Oh my god, I feel bad for you." Allura jokes. Keith sat there, still confused.

"Then you of all people should know. Lance can't shut the fuck up. Ever," Pidge continued.

Hunk nodded solemnly. "No offense, buddy. But it's a lot to handle sometimes," he says towards Lance.

Lance looked devastated.

And Keith is even more confused. "Well, um, Lance doesn't really speak much. He's kinda quiet," Keith admits, looking over to Lance. Lance is looking back at him, an unreadable expression taking over his features.

Oh how he wishes Lance was more of an open book.

Pidge snorts and Allura scoffs. "Yeah, okay, sure," She snickers.

"We'll believe it when we see it," Allura adds. Keith then glares at her. Well then you must be fucking blind.

Lance bumps into Keith's side as he begins to sway gently in his seat, his fingers drumming a random rhythm onto the table. Keith sighs.

Now, Keith has never really had friends before, (he's positive that Shiro, Adam, and those two bearable classmates from eighth grade don't count) but he's pretty fucking sure that friends didn't treat each other the way the others treat Lance.

Starting with the fact that they rarely ever acknowledge him unless it's to repeat that stupid phrase. Whenever Lance would do something that involved noise or when he'd hum (or even when he came so close to actually fucking speaking) someone would immediately cut him off by going "Hush Lance." And it was fucking irritating.

Like, what the fuck?

First of all, it was fucking rude. Imagine if every time you'd try to fucking speak (or tap your foot or snap your fingers or-) someone would just tell you to fuck off. (They didn't say fuck off, but they might as well) That's what everyday was like for Lance. (At Least, Keith assumed that's what it was like)

(No fucking wonder the guy doesn't speak. No one fucking lets him)

Second of all, it just doesn't make any fucking sense! What the fuck is wrong with Shiro's friends? (And Shiro himself because he's said it once too) What the fuck are they trying to accomplish? Sure, it's ironic, (because Lance doesn't speak) but it wasn't funny. (Because Lance doesn't fucking speak)

Are they really that...dense? Do they not know that their "loudmouth" of a friend could actually be mute and (most likely) not mentally stable?

Keith wondered if Lance had thought about these things before. As Lance stops swaying and drumming, Keith reaches into his backpack, pulling out a chocolate chip granola bar.

And other thing, Lance barely ate. Keith noticed this his third day sitting with him. Lance had gotten Pidge an extra lunch by using his account and then only taking a small juice box for himself. Keith gave him his granola bar that day.

The next day, Lance just didn't get lunch altogether. Keith got worried for his health and have him his granola bar again.

He started bringing two after that.

Keith poked Lance's side with the bar and offered a small smile. "Here's your daily dose," he joked. Lance smiled back, taking the bar. He teared open the wrapper and chucked half of it into his mouth.

Keith leaned his cheek onto his left hand, turning his body to face Lance. Lance had finished the bar and unconsciously began to pat his thighs to a nonexistent beat.

Keith faintly wondered if Lance was ever bothered by it. The whole "Hush Lance," thing that is. Did he take it as a joke? Did he just brush it off like it was nothing? Did he hurt? Was Keith overreacting? Did he-

Why don't you ask?

Keith froze. He scowled at himself. He couldn't just...ask.

And why not?

Keith glared down at his milk carton. What the fuck? That would be rude you fucking idiot. Keith huffed as he dealt with this argument between himself and his subconscious, making Lance turn towards him, confused.

Ask him.

Keith smiled wearily, taking a deep breath. "Um, well..." Keith started, eyes averting from Lance's face. "Does...does it-" He stopped mid-sentence, realizing what he was about to ask. What the fuck is wrong with you? You can't ask that.

But Lance was already listening, searching Keith's face curiously. Keith froze, his mind searching around for a rebound question.

His eyes landed on a cup of iced coffee, held by slender hands of a student one table over. Keith suddenly remembers the coffee shop down the street. Keith looked back at Lance.

"Uh, I mean, um, would you like to...get coffee with me later?"