The Monster in the Sky. Klance AU

Chapter 45: Clear Day!

James didn't tell the others what time he was getting his results, in case he failed them and couldn't face them. He pushed the doors open to the hall, legs hardly holding himself up as they dragged him over to the table at the front of the room. It went without saying that he was still feeling the aftereffects of the drugs he had taken but, in the saddest way, he had almost become accustomed to the depression. Iverson was standing behind it with a pile of envelopes sitting in front of him. Once his eyes laid upon James, he smiled and began to sift through the pile in search of the letter G. "Ah, Griffin," He pulled out the envelope and handed it over. "Good luck."

James nodded as a thanks before heading back out of the room. He leant against the wall and took a long, deep breath before tearing the top. He had never been good at opening envelopes but, that time, he might as well have just torn it down the middle. He pulled out the paper with trembling hands, eyes grazing over his results.

His mouth dropped open as he mumbled, "Oh my God," over and over again until the words didn't feel like real words anymore. He clasped the hand that wasn't holding the paper over his mouth as tears formed in his eyes.

-

Barging into Keith's room without being invited in, James practically launched himself at the lump that was Keith underneath the cover. Keith jolted up with his hands in clenched fists, eyes glaring at the intruder as he prepared himself for a fight. "What the..." He trailed off as his gaze settled on James and not some violent murderer or burglar.

"I got my results!" James might as well have been screaming for help with how loud his voice had been. Tears were still trailing down his cheeks but the smile on his face gave him away and Keith didn't need to be wide awake to realise that. "I passed! I was only like... five marks off 100%."

"That's amazing! I knew you could do it!"

For a brief moment, the desire to kiss Keith rang through his mind but James tempted it away. "We have to celebrate."

"Soon, okay? It's like... 10am. I'm tired."

"Exactly! It's 10am! You should be awake!"

Keith just groaned before shoving James off of him and rolling over to get more rest. James pouted before leaving Keith to his beauty sleep.

-

"Where are we going?" James asked for the millionth time as Keith and Lance dragged him through the Garrison into private areas he had never been inside before. Keith shook his head and didn't respond. He only stopped once they were standing in front of the lions. "Are you taking me to space?!" James was practically squealing like a teenage girl at a One Direction concert, bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet and waving his arms around in an excited, impatient manner.

"It's a surprise so just shut up and see." James couldn't hide his grin as Keith dragged him up the steps of the red lion. Lance followed them from behind, making James thin his eyes.

"Why is Lance in the red one? I thought his was the blue one."

"It is but why would we take more than one lion when we can get all of us in one? It's called efficiency, James. Now go sit on the floor over there and don't touch anything."

"How can you tell me not to touch anything when I'm in something so awesome?" James wandered over to Keith's control panel, bending over to he could look at the buttons from close up. Compared to the small fighter ships James had previously flown, the lion was much more complicated; it was intriguing to someone so interested in piloting. "This is so advanced! How do you fly it? What buttons do you-"

"James, I love you and all but will you shut up, please?!" Lance snapped, eliciting a soft laugh from Lance who had squished beside Keith on the pilot's seat. "The lion mainly flies itself and we steer it. That's all you need to know."