Show off!! - a Klance Dance AU fanfiction

C7: Keith

C7
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"WHEN I STEPPED OUT into the bright sunlight from the darkness of the movie house, I had only two things on my mind: Paul Newman and a ride home." (S.E. Hinton The Outisiders)

...

When I was a little boy I'd sit on my Ma's lap and she'd hand me my box of crayons and ask me to color with her. She'd put on a movie and we'd sit on the couch in the hot humid weather of Texas coloring in my transformers coloring book. We'd sit down in front of the T.V. as we'd color; but we didn't have cable so we always watched the same movie a couple times a day. She'd then get up and cook French toast but I always refused to eat it since we werent French. She'd make me a pancake instead.
I was six.
She'd coo and tickle me awake in the mornings, and when she got home from work we celebrated by cooking dinner together. I was a very responsible boy. I walked home from the bus stop by myself and I hung my own coat on the coat rack and I even washed some of the dishes by hand. Pops wasn't home. Rarely he'd come home and sit on the sofa and drink a pop I hadn't had drank before. Ma always yelled at him. He had grease stains on his white t-shirt and his greasy hair that was long and slicked back. His eyes were always red too.
I was eight when Ma read me "the Outsiders". She used to tuck me in at night and read the book and I'd roll my eyes because it was just a boring old book, but after a couple nights I begged for her to read it. I liked Two-Bit, he and I had the same name. But most of all I liked Ponyboy, but I didn't know why.
I still don't know why.
But Ma would read that book to me every night, and everynight I begged her for one more chapter but her favorite thing to say was; "Books are made to savour baby," she'd smile a toothy grin to me, "books are the most valuable thing on earth, richer than gold and tougher than diamonds."
I miss her alot.
I was nine and three-quarters when I was sent to my foster home in Michigan, I lived with my uncle and cousin. I lost my southern accent very quick once my cousin made fun of it. Life was not fun. He didn't read me "the Outsiders" even though I begged him to every night. I never finished the last chapter. He'd smack me and make me cry. I didn't know where my Ma was and I had no idea why I was living with my Uncle all of a sudden. He made me call him dad. When I refused, he told me he'd hurt me bad; worse than I'd ever been beat. My cousin didn't make me feel better at all, he'd call me names and call me queer. I didn't know what that meant.
My Uncle loved him, way more than he loved me; if he loved me at all that is.
I started going back to school when I was eleven. I don't know why I had to wait such a long time to go though. The people I talked to with my Uncle at the school said the word 'trauma' a lot. I actually knew what that meant. Trauma means aftermath of something terrible. What I didn't understand is how they knew Ma and Pops, they brought them up a lot too.
When I started going to school I didn't make many friends. I was a good student and I did my work like I was supposed to, and then I'd go home and clean and get the belt for not doing it right. He would continue to beat and grope me and torture me until two years ago.
That was when I met Takashi Shirogane. He was apparently my cousin, making us family. After he heard of my being with my Uncle he came to visit our home for a week. In that week I fell in love with Shiro. I adored him, I'd follow him everywhere, and he'd take me everywhere. He convinced my Uncle to take me to my first movie in the movie theatre. I still remember the movie we watched; it was pretty terrible. I think it was called Peter Johnson or something like that.
It was the day before he was supposed to leave when we were walking home from the park from going running and he hoisted me over his shoulder. I watched his face turn pale. I watched his pupils shrink. As I struggled to understand what was happening I saw him staring at the small, yet noticeable fresh gashes and bruises on my abdomen. He set me down. He asked if he could see the rest of my stomach. I felt my head begin to feel light. My palms begin to become sweaty. I hadn't shown anyone the marks, the bruises, the scars. But as I took off my shirt to show Takashi Shirogane my history, I could've sworn I saw his eyes water, and a single tear roll down his cheek and drop off his jaw.
When I turned around he gasped my name in pain because the many welts and black and blue hues with semi-healed gashes and small new cuts lined my shoulder blades. He ran his fingers across each and every mark. He pulled me into a tight hug. I forgot what that felt like for a long time. He played with the ends of my hair.
"I'm going to help, don't worry it's over. It's over."
I don't know why I cried and sobbed when he soothed me but I had a feeling it was because I felt someone truly loved me, the first in a long long time.
It was May of this year when we finally put my Uncle under custody. My cousin was raped as well I'd learned, though it was just me who got the beating. Shiro said I was a brave man for showing him my history, and I was a hero for saving my cousin and I; I didn't feel much like one though. My cousin got placed in a foster home. We still write to each other once and awhile, and he does seem happy with his new home. He has a girlfriend, and two foster brothers who take care of him. He has a Ma and Pops too who are planning to adopt him.
Takashi Shirogane started fostering me on June seventeenth. At this time there wasn't any point in going to school as it was so close to ending so I stayed home. Once in a while I'd go to the gym to work out. Or practice dance moves Shiro had taught me because he worked at a studio a couple streets down. He frequently would teach me dance, and I only just got better and better. He taught me how to waltz, some hip-hop, all sorts of things. Most of all; he taught me ballet. Everyday I would stretch and read books about positions and stance and I would dance my heart out to the steps Shiro taught me. I had become a real show off is what Shiro would say.
Meanwhile, I couldn't sleep in my own bed. The first night I slept in the house I was shaking before I even sat down on the bed. I just kept thinking about how my Uncle looked at me through the door crack just barely ajar. Or the many times he'd slap me so hard I flew against the headboard. Or the many many times he bent me over his knee and belted me so hard I couldn't lay down.
I slept with Shiro that night.
Every night after that I slept on the couch because even when living with Ma I never had a nice bed, it was weird to sleep on something so soft. It made me uncomfortable. Soon enough though I began sleeping in my own bed. Once I started to sleep in it for a few nights it wasn't as bad.
I remember one night when Shiro and I were going over dance steps I asked him when Ma was coming to get me. I asked him if she wanted me. His face turned sour and his eyes watered. I didn't know why, if anything I should be the one upset. I love Shiro but my Ma is my Ma and I want her to be with me more than I want anything. He told me she wasn't coming to get me, ever. I asked him why she didn't want me. At this point he had silent tears running down his face and he pulled me into a hug. He kept saying things like; "I know it's hard to deal with it but you have to grasp the fact she's gone", "She not here with us anymore", "Keith you can't pretend she's still here". I didn't understand any of it.
I met Lotor when waiting in the car for Shiro's practice to end. This was in July. We started dating in August. I'm not allowed to tell anyone except Shiro that we're together. Lotor is dating me in secret, I don't like it but he treats me nice. He isn't out to anyone, I'm more of his mistress; his tramp. He "dates" girls but loves me. He convinced me that when senior year started he'd come out.
Yet he's dating a woman named Axca and I'm still his secret.
Again, I don't mind it.
It's only when he blows me off or he says he hates me that he yells and throws a tantrum because he could have any girl in our school yet he chooses to follow his heart and love me. As if it were a privilege that I was his side bitch.
But as I said, I don't mind it.
By September, I was dancing close to Shiro's level. His encouragement only made me work even harder. He offered me to train at his studio and I accepted. I wouldn't start until early November.
I met Lance that night I rode Shiro's motorcycle into town to shake off the fight I had with Lotor about god knows what.
I remember seeing a tall man with tanned brown skin and freckles looking up from his phone. It seemed like time stopped in its tracks to tell me to do everything I could to love him unconditionally. I was about to stop when I realized that I had a boyfriend. Granted or not I was his only lover, I had someone. Which was a plus considering everyone I grew close with went away. I sped up and heard a sickly sweet voice shout after me.
I hung onto the voice all night. I couldn't sleep. He was in my head as if I knew him all my life. As if we had a future. I couldn't get over those freckles. The confused look that made him so innocent. He had my whole heart in his hands and I didn't even know him. It made me angry. He made me angry.
Little did I know I'd be seeing him a lot. He trains with Shiro as well, with his short friend Pidge. They were close those two, I wouldn't be surprised if they were dating. But it didn't seem like it. I guess looking back I was absentmindedly flirting with Lance. It's not like I meant to. It was like whatever I said I said it to try and impress him. But he hates me. He makes it painfully obvious and it hurts so much but I can only play along because after all I do have a boyfriend and he is straight so I wouldn't have even the slightest chance.
Lotor caught on very fast. This was the first time he put his hands on me in anger. He shoved me against the wall and started screaming. He then began crying and all I could do was soothe him and hold him because even though he was popular and he was attractive he would lose all that the second he came out. And he knew that. His father is a priest and he's a devout Christian and if anyone including his father knew he was gay and had a boyfriend he'd be kicked out on the curb.
Lotor loves me. I know he does, and I have feelings for him as well. I know the girls he dates aren't truly his girlfriends, they aren't his lovers. I could only assume that since I'm the only one that truly was his lover. That must've been what ticked him off. He knows I know that his girlfriends aren't true, but he doesn't know Lance, he doesn't know if Lance is true. He doesn't know if Lance would be my lover. And that scares him.
We made up begrudgingly, his sour smile kissing me telling me that I'm his and he's mine. That I am his boyfriend and he is mine. He says I can talk to Lance but the moment he makes moves on me he'll beat the shit out of him on my command.
I was too scared to say no.
The night of the dance off he saw me dancing with Lance. I don't know why I did it. I don't know why in the world I did it. I felt guilty after it. His surprised stare, unable to say anything because if he said something then everyone would know. He texted me later that night while Shiro and Pidge fell asleep, Lance intently watching the movie. He called me all sorts of names, saying I was unfaithful and disgusting.
He called me a little queer.
Out of my anger that I brought upon myself I selfishly took Lance upstairs to truly find out if it was worth it. If all the damage I did was worth the wreck. I kissed him but it didn't feel right. I mean, he's a fantastic kisser but I did it out of anger and guilt.
And here I am laying in bed with Lance sleeping in my arms. It's three in the morning and I should wake him up to bring him downstairs so we don't get caught but watching him softly snore and every minute or so flinch and grab hold of me tighter made my heart long for more. I watched the freckles dusted on his face dance in the moonlight and felt my heart ache. I wanted much more than a messy angry makeout. I wanted to wake up every morning to see Lance's eyelashes flutter open and say he loves me. I wanted to kiss him truthfully and lovingly. But I had to remember that I was still Lotor's, and he was mine.
So this night will do. It's a night. It's the best night I've ever had. But it's the only night I'll have with Lance. I place a kiss on his nose and doze off.

a/n>  whoohoo!!! we're almost to 10k views and im so so so excited. thank you guys so much for the endless support even through the hiatus. more chapters coming soon.
p.s. sorry these two chapters are shorter than the rest, these were more of one subject chapters if you know what i mean. there wasn't much to cover to explain it better. expect way longer chapters not the future.
xoxo, zay🌟