#babypike

[splinteredworld]

Homes Don’t Have to Be Perfect Chapter 9

Keith spent the whole day before their date smiling. Coran grinned and twirled his mustache when Keith arrived at work. Keith huffed him off as he hide in his assigned room. When Lance came, he grinned at Keith and handed over Pike. Keith felt a bright blush form on his cheeks as Lance winked at him.

“I’ll see you tonight.” Keith felt his mouth fall open as Lance strutted away. Pike looked up at Keith and tapped his face. Looking down, he groaned softly as he began to walk to the next room.

“You’re dad is something else.” He whispered as he sat Pike down.

Leaning against the wall, Keith let his shoulders fall. For some reason, the kids seemed to be extra hyper today. With his eyes closed, Keith began to think about his date tonight. Two years ago, he would never even let the thought of dating Lance pass his mind, but now, it filled his every thought, both awake and asleep. Keith felt the tension leave his body as he pictured the previously mentioned man. In his mind, he could see Lance’s clear blue eyes, his light coffee toned skin, and his bright smile that reached up to meet his eyes and was the cause of the small laugh lines that had formed on his cheeks. As Keith traced the endless amount of freckles on Lance’s face, a loud kerfuffle drew his attention back to the present. He opened his eyes to see Darrell, a four year old who had a slight form of autism, yelling at Pike. Keith jumped to his feet and quickly rushed over to them.

“What’s wrong, Darrell?” He asked softly. Darrell looked up at him and huffed.

“I wanna play with the trucks too.” He crossed his little arms and turned back to Pike. “But he won’t share.” Keith redirected Darrell’s attention back to him.

“He would like to share, but you have to ask him in a special way, Darrell.” He sat down and pulled Darrell into his lap. “You see Pike is deaf. That mean’s his ears don’t work. He can’t hear anything.” He picked up Darrell’s hands and started to move them. “He uses a special language called Sign Language to talk to people. Sign Language is said with hands instead of words.” He tapped Pike gently on the cheek. “Here, we will sign ‘share’ so Pike knows you want to play with him.” With Keith’s help, Darrell signed ‘share’ by placing one open hand perpendicular to their bodies and then moving their other open hand back and forth over the pointer finger, as if dividing something into two piles.. It took a moment for Pike to recognize the sign, but when he did, he held out on the trucks. Darrell smiled as he slid off of Keith’s lap and started to play with Pike.

Coran knocked on the door and stepped in, nodding out to the office.

“Phone for you.” Keith furrowed his eyebrows as he nodded and left the room. Picking up the phone, Keith held it to his ear a moment before speaking.

“Hello?”

“Keith!” Lance’s loud voice echoed over the line. Keith held the phone away from his ear for a moment before he finally answered.

“What is it Lance?” Keith turned to seat on the desk after looking to make sure Coran wouldn’t see.

“Allura had this idea, but I didn’t think you would like it. I told her so, but she’s scary. So, now I’m calling ‘cause she is still glaring at me.”

“What’s the idea, Lance?” He interrupted as he placed his head in his hands.

“She wants to do a family type photo shoot.”

“Okay. And that has something to do with me because?”

“A family as in you, Pike, and me.” Keith felt the blush from earlier return as he gasped slightly. “It’s completely fine if you don’t want to. I fully understand if we are overstepping-” “I’ll do it.” Keith mumbled as he started to fiddle with his hair,

“What?” Lance squeaked out,

“I said I’ll do it. I’m sure I owe Allura for one thing or another. We can do it before our date tonight maybe?” Keith offered. Lance muttered softly on the other side of the line. For a moment, Keith thought he was arguing with someone. The next voice he heard was Allura’s.

“Lance will come to pick you and Pike up at 5. See you then!” Keith giggled as he heard Lance’s faint groan of embarrassment in the background right before the line went dead. Keith hung up the phone and tried to rub some of the blush out of his cheeks. Huffing, he stood to his feet quickly, deciding it was the perfect time for the kids to take a nap. Coran wiggled his eyebrows at Keith again when he returned.

“Who was on the phone, my young one?” He asked as he bounced one of the toddlers on his knee.

“Allura wants me to model.” Keith said bluntly as he started to arrange the sleeping mats. Coran sighed dramatically as he placed the toddler down.

“Aw. I was hoping for a fruitful story about the blossoming young love.” He meet Keith’s eyes with a huge grin as he closed the door. Keith whined as he turned to turn on the radio for the lullabies. Switching off the lights, Keith began his rounds to get everyone comfy and ready for naptime. As Keith settled down onto his designated spot, Pike crawled over and laid himself on Keith’s chest. A few of the other kids filled on some of the empty spots around Keith before falling asleep. He blew air out of his nose. It started as a sound of being completely done, but ended with a soft laugh. Keith loved his job.

Lance arrived exactly on time. Keith smirked as he thought that Allura must of threaten him to make sure he wouldn’t be late. Keith already had Pike’s bag ready and was waiting at the door when Lance exited his car. Stumbling over his long legs, Lance pulled Keith and Pike into a hug.

“Let’s get going or Allura is going to have all of our asses.” Lance proved Keith’s theory right as he rushed them to the car. Keith slid into the passenger’s seat and Lance buckled Pike up. Lance filled the car with his voice as he drove. Halfway through the ride, Pike took off his shoes and threw them into the front. Keith yelped as a shoe flew past his face. “Oh, sorry about that. Bad habit I’ve been trying to break. I think he does it to get someone’s attention since he’s still facing the back.” Lance informed him as Pike gurgled in the back. Keith pushed himself up and leaned over to look into Pike’s car seat. “Keith! That’s dangerous.” Lance started to hit Keith’s hip. Keith waved him off as he looked at Pike, who grinned at him before signing for a drink.

“He’s thirsty.” Keith said as he plopped back into his seat. Reaching down, he grabbed Pike’s cup from the diaper bag and handed to him. Pike clapped his hands on the clap before he started to drink it. Keith grinned at Lance, “Problem solved.” Lance laughed as he shook his head and pulled into the parking lot of Altea.

As they entered the photo op room, they were greeted with the image of Shiro and Matt in tuxedos. Matt held a bundle of dark purple and silver flowers. They both had shinning gold rings on their hands. Matt smiled up at Shiro as Shiro bent down to swing him up into his arms. Matt giggled as his arms encircled Shiro’s neck. He continued to smile as he pulled himself up to kiss Shiro sweetly on the lips. Allura applauded them as she entered the scene.

“We got some wonderful shoots. Thank you two so much.” She hugged them both before moving on to Lance and Keith. “And thank you for showing up on such a short notice. I was not aware that the magazine was going to let me put in two photo advertisements, but I am so overjoyed that they are. Now, if you would just go and change, that would be wonderful.” She showed them to the changing rooms that had their designated outfits. As Keith passed the two men, Matt looked up at Shiro with a wicked grin. Shiro went to tell him no, but Matt bet him to it.

“Hey, Keith! Think fast!” Matt yelled as he tossed the flowers in Keith’s direction. Startled, Keith flinched before catching the flowers. Looking at Matt with confusion, he held the flowers in one hand with the other on his hip. “Don’t you know the tradition? The person who catches the flowers is next-” Matt was interrupted as Keith threw the flowers back at Matt’s face. Keith stomped into the changing room with a red face as Matt laughed quite satisfied with his joke.

Keith and Lance changed into their outfits and Pike fought to not be forced into more clothes. Keith came out in deep wine red leggings with a black oversized sweater that had small golden flowers on it. Thankfully, he was allowed to keep his biker boots on. Lance came out wearing mint green skinny jeans, a white and mint crop jacket, and a black shirt under it. He also had on simple white high top sneakers. Pike, who was dressed in a flowy, black tank top, which read “I love my Daddies” in rainbow letters, black leggings, and little rainbow sneakers. They were then seated at the makeup area, where light makeup, a black choker, and a white and gold flower crown were forced onto Keith. Lance got a subtle smokey eye with a sharp wing. The only extra work done to Pike was his hair being styled into a mini faux mohawk.

Lance looked over to Keith and, for what seemed like the millionth time since he moved back, he left the air in his lungs leave. Keith looked beautiful. The white and gold flowers in his black hair looked like the night sky with stars. The leggings clung to Keith’s legs like a second skin and outlined how muscular his legs really were. The deep red and black made his pale skin glow in the lights from the camera. Keith felt his cheeks turn red as he noticed Lance’s stare. Keith averted his eyes to try and focus on minimising the redness of his cheeks. Keith had to hand it to Allura; she does a wonderful job at finding colors that make Lance glow, and with the sharp cat eyes, Lance looked fierce.

Allura clapped and bounced on the balls of her feet when she saw them.

“Okay, lovelies. Over to the gray screen. Now, face each other and have Pike on your outside hip.” Allura directed to into position. “Just do whatever and we will try to get some good shots in.” She stepped behind all of the equipment and let the ‘family’ be. Lance grinned at Keith as he bent his knees.

“Now we’re the same height.” Keith huffed a piece of hair out of his face as he turned away from Lance. Lance placed Pike on the floor between the two of them and held his hand,. Getting the idea, Keith grabbed his other hand. “On three.” Lance smiled over at Keith. “One.”

“Two.” Keith grinned back.

“Three!” They both laughed as the pulled Pike up and swung him a little. Pike gurgled out a higher pitch laugh at the sudden movement. They did this a few times before Lance’s shoulder started to ache. Bending down, Keith picked up Pike and turned back to Lance. Leaning forward, Lance placed his forehead onto Keith’s.  They locked eyes for a moment and everything froze. Slowly, Keith let his eyes drift close as he felt his heart fall into a peaceful pace. Pike, not noticing the moment, reached out and placed his hand on Lance’s cheek, redirecting the cuban’s attention away from the beauty in front of him. Lance smiled as he leaned over and kissed Pike softly on the head. Keith opened his eyes as he moved. A soft smile fell upon his lips at the gentle gesture of love.

After a few more shots, Allura waved them off to go change. Pike, who was done with clothes for the day, refused to changed and Lance was too tired to fight him. Lance was discussing the edits that needed to be made to the photos from the day when Keith come out. Pike was toddling around before he ran to Keith. Allura smiled at them as the joined the two talking.

“Thank you once again, Keith. You made this so much easier.” She patted his shoulder. He nodded as she looked down at her watch. “Oh, dear. I’m going to be late. I’m suppose to meet Pidge in half an hour and I still have to change.” Allura rushed over to her purse. “Bye, boys.” She called back as she waved from the door. They waved back as her slim figure slipped through the door and down the stairs. Lance looked over at Keith with one eyebrow cocked up.

“When did that happen?” Keith hummed before he started to walk.

“About a month before you came back. They didn’t make a big deal about it so we never did. It just was and we left it at that. Now, come on. We have our own date to get to.” Keith smirked over his shoulder as he exited the room. Lance opened and closed his mouth a few times before wetting his lips and sprinting after them.

“Wait up, Keith!” Lance raced after them and skipped down the stairs. He grabbed Keith’s hand with a soft smile as he opened the door. “Let’s go on our date now.” He pulled Keith slightly. “We’ll take Pike with us and go eat dinner. Then we can go back to my place and watch a movie or something.” Keith smiled back as he placed Pike into the car seat.

“Let’s do it.”

The trio ended up at the small diner that they encountered each other for the first time after Lance moved back. Lance and Keith sat across from each other in a booth with Pike at the end of the table in a highchair. Pike was currently patting away at the table as Keith and Lance filled the air with small talk. An older lady walked up and looked at Pike. She smiled and waved at the baby before turning to the adults.

“He is such a pretty baby. You two are so lucky.” She smiled as she patted Pike’s head and walked away.  Keith felt his face go red as Lance’s jaw fell open. Pike furrowed his brows inwards at the unwanted touch. As his lower lip start to poke out, the waiter came by and dropped off the food. Lance forced his eyes to meet Keith’s. A moment of silence fell over them before they both started to laugh. Lance gripped his sides as he leaned his head against the table. When he looked up, his heart skipped a beat at the sight of a flustered, winded Keith. Keith had a gentle smile that pulled up the corner of his eyes, and when he laughed he leaned his head forward a tad, making his bangs cover his sparkling eyes. At that moment, Lance vowed to always make Keith smile like that until the day he died.

After they ate, they retrieved Red from Lion’s Palace, and then headed back to Lance’s place. Laying pillows and the sofa cushions on the floor, Lance popped in a Disney movie. Keith laid down with Pike on his chest and Lance by his side, Pike stuck his thumb in his mouth and grabbed a handful of Keith’s hair. Keith kept one hand on his back and let Lance play with the fingers of the other hand, Pike fell asleep halfway through the movie. Leaning over, Lance turned to TV off. As he sat back down, his eyes met Keith’s. Keith had that soft smile on his face again. Losing all forms of self-control, Lance leaned down and disturbed that smile with a kiss. Keith made a soft sound of surprise before he responded to the kiss. While it only lasted a matter of second, Lance felt as if his whole life had lead up to this moment. The air warmed a little as a sense of peace washed over him, even though his heart rate had doubled. Pulling back, he opened his eyes again to see that the soft smile remained.

“God.” Lance breathed out. Keith giggled slightly as he reached his free hand up. Pulling Lance down, he reconnected their lips. The peaceful feeling remained but fire replaced Lance’s blood as Keith’s chapped lips moved against his. Pike made a soft noise in his sleep, startling Lance. Backing up once more, Lance smiled. “I guess I should get him to bed,” He said as he ran his hands through Pike’s hair. Keith nodded and let Lance take Pike from his chest. He watched Lance gracefully stand up and walk out of the room. Time seemed to restart once Lance was out of sight. Keith sighed heavenly as he let his head fall back onto the pillows. He closed his eyes as his smile widened. He waited years to do that and he never imagined it would feel so good. Yet. it wasn’t like the way books described it. There was no fireworks or grand explosion. Instead it was as if someone turned on a tap and let the emotions flow through him. In his opinion, the gentle flow was better than some big bang. It was the peace he had been missing all of his life.

Once Lance returned, they stayed on the floor, kissing and cuddling until it got late. With one final kiss, Lance saw Keith to the door and watched his drive away. Sighing, Lance leaned against the door for a moment as his eyes watched the taillights of red disappear. With a gentle smile still on his face, Lance pushed himself off of the doorframe and went to bed. Running his fingers over his lips, Lance started to fall into a dream of kisses and glove covered hands.

Yet, like always, when it was good, it never lasted. About an hour after he went to bed, Lance was forced from his dreams by a ringing phone. Cursing as he rolled over, he pulled the phone to his ear without looking at the caller ID.

“Yes?” He grumbled out with a sleep heavy voice.

“Lance?” Shiro’s voice sounded unsteady and broken over the line. “It’s Keith.”

Next: Chapter 10

It all started with:  Chapter 1

[crazy4daizies]

I remember this day very clearly. My fishing buddy had been razzing me about The cold temperatures that were headed our way, & me, trying to be all brave, said, "I don't care if it's minus 40 tomorrow, let's go." . The next morning he informs me it's minus 43; was I going to honour my statement? . Heck yes! So away we went. . PS In a group with 3 guys, I caught the only fish. This little pike had a lot of life left in him. Back he went! #catchandrelease . ✌ #Throwback . #girlsfishtoo #icefishing #wintersports #funbutfreezing #babypike #pike #northernpike #lakehuron #northernontario #memoriesofthattime #noregrets #liveitup #fishing #outdoorfun #MelissaDawnHiller💕 #CreatingMyOwnDestiny #PerfexionInMotion☯ https://www.instagram.com/p/Bs3Rbcal5OR/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=s25lvp1vaj6j

[splinteredworld]

Finally! I now have the pleasure to gift you guys with the cutest picture of baby Pike from my Homes Don't Have to Be Perfect fanfiction. Warning: cuteness has been know to cause squealing, unidentifiable noises,blushing, fainting, heart aches, cavities, and even death. Please consult fellow fandom members before approaching cuteness.

[splinteredworld]

Homes Don’t Have to Be Perfect Chapter 8

Lance’s voice cracked and faded with the wind. Nyma swayed her hips as she walked over to him.

“Hello, dear.” Her grin sent shivers down Lance’s spin. She shifted her gaze to Pike, who looked at her in confusion. She lowered slightly and wiggled her finger tips in a wave. “Hello, baby.” Lance turned his body away from her more as Pike hid his face. Seeing his movement, she straightened up and the grin fell from her face. “Well, if that’s how it’s going to be.” She huffed. Lance stood up and placed Pike on his hip. She took a step towards them with her hand out stretched. Lance stumbled back with Pike angled away from her. She pulled her upper lip up at him. Keith took large, fast steps to stand in front of Lance, blocking her from him entirely.

“What do you want?” His voice was low and rough. Nyma looked him up and down before spitting her words at him.

“This matter doesn’t concern you.” Keith growled at her as his shoulders raised in anger. “Why don’t you run along and-”

“Keith.” Lance interrupted with a hand on Keith’s shoulder. Keith grabbed his hand him and lowered it. “Why don’t you take Pike and go play in the water some? He seemed to enjoy that.” Keith glanced at Pike, who seemed more scared than anything, before meeting Lance’s pleading eyes. Lance’s sad eyes matched the ocean that lightly splashed behind him. Not being able to say no, Keith released Lance’s hand with a sigh and lightly took Pike into his arms. Pike buried his hands into Keith’s hair as he hid his face in Keith’s neck. Keith scoffed at Nyma before walking away.

Glancing back at the group, Lance met Shiro’s gaze. Shiro nodded his head. He wrapped his arm around Matt’s shoulder and grabbed Allura’s arm before leading the group away. Lance turned back to Nyma with his arms crossed over his chest. He raised his shoulders as he spoke in a low voice.

“What do you want?” She brushed off his question by glaring at Keith, who held Pike’s hand as he kicked at the water.

“Why does he get to take away my baby when I came so far to see him?” Lance followed his line of sight before snarling at her.

“He has more right to Pike than you do. You left. You left him. Keith has taken care of Pike more than you ever did.” Lance lowered his shoulders as he glared at her.

“I made a mistake. He is still mine.” She said taking a step towards him. Lance stood his ground as she closed in on him.

“You obviously forgot why you left. You talked to Pike when you walked up.” Lance watched as her face fell. He knew she didn’t forget. She was just trying to play nice to get whatever she wanted from him. “You can’t even say his name, can you? Do you hate him that much?” Her face turned red with anger at his low spoken words.

“Anyone would have left if their child was like him.” She crossed her arms and popped her hip out.

“No one would. I didn’t.” Lance placed his hand on his chest. “They didn’t.” Lance gestured to his group of friends that watched from a distance. “Keith definitely didn't.” Lance pointed back to Keith, who caught Pike in a hug as the babe ran up to him. Nyma huffed at Lance’s words. “Yes, the news was surprising, but it didn’t change anything about Pike. He was still a baby who needed his mother, and you left him. You left us.” Lance knew his voice was slowly raising, but he couldn’t bring himself to care.

“He’s broken Lance.” Nyma whispered as if it was some dark secret.

“He’s deaf, not broken!” Lance yelled as he felt his face turn red. Nyma stepped back at his words. He had never raised his voice to her like that before. She quickly shook of the shock by flipping her long, blonde hair over her shoulder. She huffed as she looked behind him.

“I don’t care what you say. I’m back now and he’s mine.”

“I won’t let you anywhere near him.” He growled low. She gasped as she strutted back up at him.

“You cannot stop me from having my own child. I will take it to court and force them to take him from you. You alone could never raise a child right. You are useless!” She poked his chest with each word. Lance felt tears form in his eyes as she glared up at him.

“I’m better than you will ever be.” His voice broke as it dropped below a whisper. Nyma gasped, which turned into a loud hiss. She raised her arm to strike him. Gritting his teeth, Lance closed his eyes to prepare for the sharp slap. It wouldn’t be the first time their arguments ended like this. He knew what to expect.

Yet, the slap never came. He slowly opened his eyes when he heard Nyma growl again. Shiro had her arm gripped tight in his human hand. She tried to pull away, but he was stronger than her. Pushing her back, he finally released his grip, causing her to stumble a bit. Shiro placed himself in the middle of the two as Allura rushed up and pulled Lance back.

“Good afternoon.” Shiro’s voice was hard and unforgiving as he forced a fake smile on his face. “I am Takashi Shirogane. Not only do I have a law degree, but I am also a veteran Navy Seal.” Lance noticed Nyma’s face starting to pale. “If you are serious about taking Lance to court, I can guarantee that you are wasting your time. It will not matter what lawyer or what court you get. We will win.” His fake smile faded as his eyes turned dark. “If you don’t want to go to court but still bother us, I will not only forcefully remove you from this town, but this country. I know people who could transport you to places that no one will ever find you again.” Shiro turned and grabbed Lance’s arm. “Now, if you would please leave us to enjoy our day.” Nyma stood shell-shocked for a moment before she recovered.

“You can’t threaten me!” She yelled as she stomped her foot.

“Oh, dear. He didn’t threaten you. If you want someone to threaten you, I can do so much worse.” Allura said as she cracked her knuckles. Nyma eyes widened for a moment before she decided that the battle was lost. She puffed her chest up and turned on the ball of her foot. As she neared the parking lot of the beach, Nyma turned back and locked eyes with Lance. She grinned evilly as she spoke again.

“No wonder the child was broken with a father like you!” She called out and watched as Lance’s eyes grew in size and as tears started to fall. Allura growled as she stepped forward. Nyma yelped and rushed off. As soon as Nyma was out of sight, Lance fell to his knees. His breathing was fast as his heart pounded in his ears. Keith ran over with Pike bouncing on his hip. He fell to his knees and pulled Lance to him. Lance gripped onto Keith’s back as he started to sob. Pike looked up from his place between them. He didn’t understand what was going on. Reaching up, Pike patted Lance’s cheek before laying his head on Lance’s lap. Keith shushed him as he ran his hands through his hair. Keith cursed Nyma for knowing what she had done. Shiro placed his hand on Keith’s shoulder.

“Why don’t you take Lance’s home? We will load up Red in Hunk’s truck and drop her off later.” Keith nodded as he helped Lance to his feet. Lance stumbled forward before draping himself across Keith’s left shoulder. Allura picked up Pike.

“I can keep him for the night.” She cooed softly. Lance shook his head at her words, whimpering.

“We got it. Thanks, though.” Keith smiled softly as Allura helped arrange Pike in Keith’s arms. As they walked to Lance’s car, Pidge, Matt, and Hunk came scurrying up to Shiro and Allura.

“Where have you been?” Shiro looked at the group of suspicious looking young adult.

“First off, it was their idea.” Hunk ratted as he held his hand out. Shiro opened his hand as Hunk dropped a couple of wires and other small parts into his hands. He looked at the parts with a raised eyebrow before turning to Pidge.

“Why are you looking at me?” They huffed with puffed out cheeks. “Fine. I maybe found out which car was hers, and I maybe got Matt and Hunk to help me rewire it a bit.” Shiro raised both eyebrows at them. “She deserved it though!” Pidge yelled as Matt nodded along side them.

“Don’t worry. We made sure no one saw and that there was no evidence left behind.” Matt grinned up at his newly declared fiance. Shiro shook his head with soft laughter.

When Keith arrived at Lance’s house, Lance had recovered enough to carry Pike in. The sun had started to set, casting a lovely glow across the scene. Lance held Pike close to his chest as he hummed a sad song to him. Pike yawned as they entered the house. Lance walked straight into Pike’s room without turning on any lights. Keith followed closely behind. Lance hummed a few more lines before placing Pike in the crib. Brushing the short strands of dark brown hair back, Lance kissed his forehead and whispered, “You are not broken.” Lance leaned up and signed “I love you” as Pike drifted off to sleep. Turning on the nightlight and baby monitor, Lance placed his hand on Keith’s back and directed him out of the room. Lance walked into the kitchen and dug around in the fridge for a bit before producing two beers. He handed it on to Keith.

“I shouldn’t. I have to drive home tonight.” He tried to wave Lance’s offer off.

“Just stay here. I don’t want to drink alone, and God, do I need a drink.” Keith nodded slightly as he gripped the bottle. Lance gave him a soft smile as they crossed over to the sofa. Keith sipped the bitter beverage as he looked at Lance. Lance’s eyes seemed to be lost in the past. The once vibrant blues now seemed to be dual and almost lifeless. Keith sighed as he leaned his arms onto his knees.

“She’s a downright bitch.” His voice was soft, as if not to break Lance. “She was totally wrong, you know.” He looked over at Lance. Lance nodded slowly, but made no other sign to show that he was listening. Keith reached out and tugged at Lance’s ear. “Hey. Listen to me. She had no right to come here. She had no right to screw up the life that you are working so hard to make. You are doing so well. When my mother died, my dad fell apart. He quit trying. He left me. You didn’t do that. You stuck with it, even when it got hard. Pike could never asked for a better dad.” Keith spoke with a firm voice as he stared into Lance’s eyes. Light slowly came back in them along with a few tears. He sniffed as he nodded. Keith smiled softly as he brushed his thumbs under Lance’s eyes. “You are doing wonderfully. You are not useless. You are kind, smart, funny, hard working, and so much more. Don’t let her win.” His voice dropped lower as he knocked his forehead against Lance’s. Lance let out a small laugh.

“You think I’m funny?” Keith closed his eyes half way.

“Always have.” Lance felt his cheeks burn as he buried his head into Keith’s neck. Keith hissed at the contact. Lance pulled back and ran his fingers over Keith’s neck. The skin was hot to the touch and slightly red.

“You got sunburned.” Lance giggled. “Maybe I should have listened to Pidge.” He laughed as he stood up. “Wait here. I have aloe somewhere.” Lance walked off leaving Keith to himself. Keith sighed heavily as he fell back onto the sofa. Stupid sunburn just had to ruin the moment. Keith placed his arm over his eyes as he waited for Lance to return.

Soft thuds and movement could be heard across the house before thundering footsteps sounded off of the walls. For the first time since Keith meet Pike, he was glad that the kid was deaf. If not, he would never get any sleep with Lance around. Keith laughed at the thought as Lance called out. “Found it!” He slid to a stop in front of the sofa with the bottle in hand and a triumphant smile on his face. He sat on his heels and opened to bottle. Keith glanced at him from under his arm. Lance poured some of the Aloe out of the bottle and rubbed it lightly on his hands. He glanced up at Keith before he started to work the Aloe onto his arms and chest. Keith hissed at first before humming at the cool feeling of the gel. Lance smiled softly as he finished working the Aloe onto Keith’s sunburn. “Alright, mullet. Flip over.” Lance tapped Keith’s shoulder lightly, trying very hard not hurt him. Keith sighed as he rolled onto his stomach, the air cooling his back. He moved his arms up to act as a pillow for his head. Lance watched the muscles in Keith’s back shift as he moved. Gulping, he averted his eyes and he rubbed more Aloe onto his hands. Keith moaned softly as Lance started to work on the angry skin. Lance glanced up with a soft curse as Keith voiced his contentment. As he finished, Keith met his eyes with a soft grin. He reached up and tapped Lance’s cheek,

“Did you get a sunburn too?” He giggled as Lance fell back. Lance shook his head with a laugh. He removed himself from the floor and sat down with Keith’s feet in his lap. Leaning over, he grabbed his beer and took a sip.

“Thanks Keith.” His voice was soft and full of an emotion that Keith couldn’t pin down.

“For what?” He asked, turning back over to lay on his back.

“For everything. For taking care of Pike. For helping me.” Lance sighed as he took another drink. “You shouldn’t even be here after what I did to you.” Guilt weighed heavy in Lance’s gut ever since he found out the truth. The light scars on Keith’s arms filled his nightmares. Keith sat up and reached out.

“Don’t think like that. I’m here on my own accord. I want to be here.” He sighed as he dropped his head to rest on Lance’s shoulder. “Lance, two years ago I saw you as my best friend. Or so I thought. Now, I think you were more. Maybe you were right to run away, but even now, even after all the shit that we have been through, you are still my everything.” Lance stared at him for a moment before lacing his fingers with Keith’s.

“How about a date, then, mullet?”

Next: Chapter 9

In the Beginning:  Chapter 1

[splinteredworld]

Homes Don’t Have to Be Perfect Chapter 7

Keith arrived at Lance’s house quicker than the street laws should permit. Before Keith could even knock on the door, Lance had thrown it open. Lance, who carried a crying Pike on his hip, looked as if Hell has slapped him across the face. His hair was everywhere, his eyes were wide and red, his lip bled a little from his teeth worrying it, and his hands shook as he tried to readjust his grip on Pike.

“Oh, thank God you are here.” Lance sounded off as he grabbed Keith’s arm and pulled him inside. “I don’t know what to do. Pike’s never been sick like this before. I just can’t-” Keith grabbed Lance’s shoulders to stop his worrying.

“First, it will be okay. It sounds like Pike just has a cold. Normally kids get sick quite a bit. They put things in their mouths and don’t really get the concept of washing their hands yet. It was bound to happen sometime. Second, you need to calm down. Pacing and worrying isn’t going to help either of you.” He rubbed Lance’s arms as Lance tried to take a few deep breathes. Pike continued to cry from his hip. Keith gently took him from Lance and felt his forehead. “The fever doesn’t seem to be too bad. We can try a lukewarm bath first. If that doesn’t help, I brought some medicine that is suppose to lower fevers.” He glanced at Lance. “Why don’t you let me give Pike his bath and you try to get some sleep? You look like you’ve been ran over more than once.” Lance looked up at him, his teeth biting into his lower lip. He shook his head slowly before leading Keith to the bathroom.

“No. Pike’s my kid. I should take care of him. That’s what I’m suppose to do.” Keith brought his eyebrows together with a heavy sigh.

“People normally don’t do it alone. So, let me fill in the empty spot. At least for tonight.” Sitting on the edge of the tub, Keith put Pike on his lap as he ran the water. Once the water was a few inches high, he stripped Pike down and placed him in the water. Cupping one hand, he began to pour water over Pike slowly. Lance sat down on the toilet lid and watched.  Why couldn’t he do this? He was suppose to be Pike’s dad, his hero. Yet, he couldn’t even remain calm when Pike got sick. What type of father was he? Lance let his eye fall to his feet as Keith continued to pour water over Pike, who’s crying had slowed down to little whimpers.

Once Keith deemed Pike’s fever to be lowered, he removed Pike and wrapped him in a towel. Lance meet his eyes with a forced smile.

“Let’s go get him dressed huh?” Lance attempted to level his voice, but Keith knew better. He knew Lance had enough self doubt for the entirety of the world. While Keith may be able to ace detecting when Lance was doubting himself, he failed at the part of talking to Lance about it. Keith handed Pike over to Lance and went to the kitchen. He grabbed a can of chicken soup and heated it up a bit. Pouring just the broth into a sippy cup. Keith walked back to Pike’s room where Lance held Pike to his chest, humming. Keith smiled softly at the scene as he entered. Pike had calmed down enough that he was no longer crying as much. He would only whimper when his coughs shook his little body. Keith settled into a crouch as he handed Pike the cup.

“The warm broth will help sooth his throat. I’m hoping that he will be able to keep it down now that he isn’t crying so hard. Some kids tend to throw up when they cry really hard. With the added stress to his body, it’s no wonder Pike would be like that.” Keith said softly as Lance continued to hum.

“Thank you.” Lance whispered with a broken voice. Keith only nodded as he watched the two. As Pike started to fall back to sleep, Keith gave Pike some saline solution to help with his clogged nose while Lance propped Pike’s mattress up with a few pillows. Lance stood by Pike’s crib until Pike was fully asleep.

Keith was back in the living room when Lance drug himself away from Pike to fall onto the sofa. Groaning, he pulled a pillow towards his body as he curled in on himself. With all of the chaos over, Keith finally realised that Lance was only in a pair of boxer. Turning to hide his quickly reddening cheeks, Keith walked back to the kitchen to warm up the rest of the soup. Bring out two bowls, he nudged Lance to sit up.

“Come on, you doofus. Eat something so you don’t get sick too.” Lance nodded numbly as Keith passed him the bowl. They sat in silence as they ate. When Lance had finished, he placed his bowl down and let his head fall into his hands.

“Maybe I shouldn’t have kept Pike.” He whispered softly more to himself than to anyone else. Keith choked on his soup. Quickly placing his bowl to the side, he moved to sit on his knees in front of Lance. He forced Lance’s head out of his hands so he could look into his blue eyes.

“Don’t you ever say that. Pike is so lucky to have you.” Keith said softly but forcefully. Lance ripped his face from Keith’s grip as he backed away.

“It’s true. Pike could have such a better place than here. A place where he has both parents. Maybe even parents who know what the fuck they are doing.” Lance pulled at his hair. “I mean I couldn’t even get his fever down properly. Instead I started to freak out and then you came along and did it like it was nothing. I’m so stupid!” Keith grabbed Lance’s wrist to remove his hands from his hair. Tears pooled in Lance’s eyes as Keith smoothed down his hair.

“I only knew what to do because I took classes on it. It’s normal for first time parents to be stressed about these things.” Keith sighed as he got back on the sofa. “It might have been easier if you weren’t alone. But, trust me. Pike is so lucky to have you. Lance, you are not normal and that is what makes you so great. Normal parents would of stopped talking and singing to their kid when they found out they were deaf. But, instead, you went on with it. Pike will thank you for that in the future. He will thirst for that piece of normalice when he is older.” Keith kept running his fingers through Lance’s hair. He slowly readjusted them so that Lance’s head was resting on his chest. Keith even out his breaths to help Lance slow his own. “You are so gentle with him. The fact that you put his needs first speaks wonders. I wish my dad or my foster parents would of understood my anxiety or my confusion about feelings as much as you understand Pike’s social fears. I’ve watched you avoid crowds or put just a little bit more distance between yourself and the people you talk to just so you know that Pike is comfortable.” Keith sighed as he hugged Lance closer to him. “You do so much for him. Trust me. I’ve seen so many parents rushing in to drop of their kids without even offering them a goodbye. I can’t even begin to tell you how many don’t remember to feed their kids breakfast. Yet, everyday you either bring Pike in dressed and feed or with some kind of food. You don’t just drop him off. You spend every last moment you can with him, and even then you kiss him goodbye and wave until you are back at your car. You may not be the most perfect parent in the world, but Pike has the best dad in the universe.” Lance sniffed as he calmed down. Keith’s words hung in his chest. Yet, they weren’t heavy like his anxiety. They were light and they pulled his heart up to hang with them. Lance nuzzled his cheek against Keith’s sturdy chest, feeling a burn from their close proximity.

“And people say you’re cold hearted.” Lance whispered with a soft giggle as sleep pulled him down. Keith continued to brush his fingers through Lance’s hair even after he fell asleep. Even if Keith thought about the what-ifs and the could be’s and dreamed of a life where Pike did have two parents, he would never tell anyone. That was for him only.

Pike recovered from his cold in a record breaking four days. Just to be safe, Lance kept him at home for another three. With the news of Pike’s recovery, Matt proclaimed that everyone should go to the beach since the weather was nice and warm for once. This would be Pike’s first time to the beach. As Lance rubbed sunscreen onto Pike, Keith and Allura laid out blankets and towels under huge beach umbrellas. Shiro and Hunk, being the tallest of the group, worked to untangle and hang up a volleyball net. Matt and Pidge chased each other around the sand, taking turns throwing the ball in a weird game of dodgeball. If it wasn’t for the fussing baby in his lap, Lance would almost believe that he was a teenager again.

After Pidge teasing Lance that he should apply sunscreen to Keith too, since everyone knew Keith would refuse to apply it himself, Lance walked the shallow end of the water while holding Pike’s hands. Lance would lift Pike up a few inches before dropping him down so his feet would touch the water. Pike squealed as the cool water lapped at his toes. Lance grinned as he watched him enjoy the place Lance felt the most at home. Lance let Pike run in and out of the water for a few minutes before they returned to the shade. He sat down next to Keith and let Pike rest between his legs. Pike grabbed handfuls of the sand and would let the grains run down between his little fingers. Lance caught Pike’s attention before pointing to the scene in front of them. Lance then held his hands before them both and preceded to make wave like motions with his open palms. Pike tried to copy the motion after Lance repeated it a few times. Keith watched from the side with a soft smile on his face. By this time, Pidge had ran off to try and find wildlife close to shore while Allura worked on her flawless tan, leaving the teams for volleyball uneven. Lance watched with sad eyes as Matt tried to reason with Hunk why he should play with Shiro instead of sitting out.

“I can watch him while you go play.” Keith broke the silence by leaning over to talk to Lance. Lance felt his cheeks go red from the heat rolling off of Keith’s pale skin. He flicked his eyes down to Pike before moving them to Keith. “Go on. Save Hunk from Matt’s unending chatter.” Keith leaned over more and grabbed Pike, setting him on his lap. Lance nodded and ran off before anyone could notice his red face. With the teams now even, the game could start.

Pidge soon returned with no wildlife, but they did find ice cream. By this time, Keith had flipped onto his stomach to read his book. Pike climbed onto his back and started to pat red marks onto Keith’s shoulder blades. Allura pushed up her sunglasses and moved over so Pidge could sit down. Either not caring if Keith got sticky or doing it purpose, Pidge and Allura started to feed Pike small spoonfuls of ice cream, resulting in sticky hands leaving trails of ice cream over Keith’s back.

Lance glanced over to the lines of towels to see a beautiful sight. Keith was laid out on his stomach with his head on his arms. The sun gleamed off of Keith’s smooth, pale skin and black hair. Lance felt the air catch in his lungs as he let his eyes run down strong form of Keith’s muscles. The air that was caught in Lance’s lungs came out in a rush when he noticed Pike sleeping on Keith’s back. The contrast between the skin tones was breathtaking but the closeness of the hair color was heartwarming, It reminded Lance that Pike was his and also Keith’s. Yet, Lance was knocked out of his daydream as the ball whooshed by his face.

“Lance!” Hunk called out as Matt cheered. “That was their winning point.” He pouted as Lance shook his head.

“Sorry buddy. I blanked for a moment. The beach, you know?” Lance rubbed the back of his neck as Matt skipped over.

“I’m so glad you found ‘scenery’ distracting. That’s the first time in a long time that I won a sporting event.” Matt laughed as he slapped Lance’s back.

“I wasn’t distracted! I just got dazed from the heat!” Lance yelled over Matt’s giggles.

“You got hot in one way or another.” Shiro whispered as he neared them. Lance gacked as Matt hollered with laughter. The raise in noise level startled Keith awake, whose movement woke up Pike. Pike yawned before he started to looked around. With his bottom lip sticking out, Pike brought the thumb of his open hand to his forehead, tapping it repeatedly. Pike lightly slapped Keith’s back before repeated the motion. Catching the sign from the corner of his eye, Lance made his way back over to the other half of the group and picked up Pike. Pike nozzled into the crook of Lance’s neck before popping his thumb into his mouth. Satisfied, Pike began to doze off again. With everyone seated on the towels, Pidge took Matt to get ice cream for the whole group. As Matt left, Shiro leaned over to his bag and began to dig around in it. Pocketing something, Shiro settled under one of the umbrellas and began to work on removing sand from his prosthetic. Matt and Pidge returned bumping shoulders. They distributed the ice cream cups as they sat in the empty spots. Hunk pulled out his phone, most people assuming he was texting Shay who couldn’t get off of work today. Yet, unknown to all but Shiro and him, he had other reasons to be handling the device. As people chatted, Lance moved to rest against Keith a little bit more. Shifting Pike around, Lance allowed his head to fall down onto Keith’s shoulder. A little bit of time passed and Lance started to fall asleep with the cool ocean breeze on his face. The sound of Shiro clearing his throat caused him to jerk back awake.

Shiro shuffled around until he was seated in front of Matt. With a small smile, he leaned in to lightly kiss Matt. Matt leaned into him as Shiro rubbed his cheeks.

“We have been through so much stuff. More stuff than any 25 year olds should be forced to. Yet, you were always there for me, Matt. I could never be more thankful to have you by my side than now. It was the happiest days of my life when you said you would be my boyfriend and when you moved in with me. You have became so much more than my boyfriend though. You have become my family, my rock, and my sanity. You are my everything Matt.” Tears rolled down Matt's face as Shiro moved to get onto one knee and pulled out a small box. Opening the box, Shiro presented Matt with a simple gold ring that had a diamond embedded in the center. Matt brought his hands to his face as more tears fell. “Therefore, I would like to know if you would make me an even more happier man by saying that you will marry me.” Shiro smiled grew as Matt nodded rapidly before whispering a quiet ‘yes’. Shiro slipped the ring onto Matt’s hand as the group beside them cheered. Lance whipped at his face as he whooped and hollard. Keith smiled softly at his adopted brother as he clapped. Once Shiro and Matt separated, Pidge tackled Matt into a hug as they both laughed with tears on their cheeks. Allura got up to hug Shiro as Hunk clicked off the video recorder on his phone. Lance continued to smile as he moved Pike to his lap. Out of the corner of his eye, Lance glanced at Keith. A soft look covered his face as he stood to slap Shiro on the back. Lance watched the happy moment play out in front of him.

As everything calmed down, it seemed as if a storm had moved in with the change in emotion. Lance watched as everyone went from happy to freezing in place. Hunk placed a hand on Pidge’s shoulder, to stop them from moving, as color drained from Matt’s face. Shiro’s expression became guarded when his gaze moved to looked behind Lance. Keith felt his body go cold with anger and fear as his bones and joints went rigid. Allura looked like a demon from hell with the fire in her eyes, her long white hair seemed to frizz up and stand on ends with the amount of fury coming from her. Lance gulped before he turned to see what broke the happy mood. Lance felt the color drain from the world as his eyes landed on the person who stood just a few feet behind him. Tightening his hold on Pike, Lance turned that part of his body away as a cruel grin formed on her face.

“Hello, Lance” Her voice felt like venom being injected in Lance’s veins. Ice replaced Lance’s blood as fire clawed at his skin. Lance licked his dry lips as his ear rang from her voice and the tense atmosphere. 

Why? Why now?

Why-

“Nyma.”  

Next Chapter: Chapter 8

Read from the beginning: Chapter 1

[splinteredworld]

Homes Don’t Have to Be Perfect Chapter 6

As days turned into weeks and weeks into a month, both Pike and Lance grew closer to the people of Lance’s hometown. Pike grew to enjoy Hunk’s hugs and food. Pidge and Pike came to a mutual understanding that keeping some distance would be best. Both Pike and Lance looked forward to going to the daycare each day, even to the point that Pike cried the first day that Lance had the day off. After about the second week of Pike just pointing at Keith, Lance decided it was time to give Keith his own sign name. Yet, it was harder than he originally thought. Lance’s first idea was to use it to make a jab at Keith’s hairstyle, but he quickly changed his mind. While Lance wouldn’t admit the real reason why, he wanted Keith’s to mean something for he was helping Pike when Lance could not. Lance spent hours thinking instead of sleeping before he decided to give up for now. He was sure it would come to him at the right time.

During Saturday morning, Lance was sitting with Pike in the living room when his phone buzzed from the coffee table. Clicking it open, Lance stopped.

-Hey. This is Keith. I got your phone number from Coran. I wanted to know if you wanted to go get coffee today.

- Not as a date! Just to talk and catch up, you know?

Lance smiled softly at the words while looking at Pike. Pike paid him little attention as he chased a ball around the room. Lance quickly typed out his reply.

-Sure. Let me see if Hunk can watch Pike.

His phone buzzed with Keith’s reply within seconds, meaning Keith was waiting. Lance didn’t know why, but it made his smile bigger.

- I dont mind if you bring him.

- I figured. Just if we are going to talk, it might be easier without a hyper baby interrupting.

Keith took a moment to reply, but the short ��okay” still made Lance’s heart skip a beat. Lance exited out of Keith’s messages and pulled up Hunk’s phone number. Typing out a quick message, Lance left his phone by the sofa as he went to put Pike in real clothes. Pike wiggles and fussed as Lance tried to put him into his day clothes, leaving Lance to put him in a one piece short outfit in the hope of it staying on. Deciding to make Hunk’s and his life easier, Lance grabbed Pike’s sandals and took them with him. Grabbing the diaper bag, he followed Pike back into the living room, where his phone blinked with a new message. Lance felt his heart join his stomach as he read Hunk’s reply.

-Sorry buddy. Something happened at the restaurant. Had to go in today.

-It’s okay!

Lance sadly told Keith the news before plopping face down onto the sofa. Pike patted his arms. Turning his head, he asked Pike for the ball by making a ball shape with his finger tips and then moving his finger tips away from each other and then back together. Pike stood for a moment as he thought about the sign. Suddenly, his eyes lit up as he race off recklessly to retrieve the toy. By the time Pike had got back, Lance’s phone buzzed again. Scooting off of the sofa, he faced Pike with his legs stretched out, waiting for Pike to copy his position. Looking down at his phone, Lance’s heart returned to its place in his chest.

- I know Pike isnt good with people but Shiro and Matt offered to watch him?

Lance smiled as he replied of comforment to Keith and as a ball hit his leg. He saw Pike slapping the ground, so Lance picked up the ball and motioned to it. Pike tried to copy the sign from earlier, but he couldn’t quite get his fingertips to connect right. Lance nodded as he rolled the ball back to him. Keith soon sent directions to Shiro’s house along with a time to meet. Lance played with Pike for a few more minutes before he loaded them into the car to head to Shiro’s.

When Lance arrived, both of Pike’s shoes and the ball from earlier had hit him in the head. Lance pulled his car to a stop in an empty space next to Pidge’s car. Confused why Pidge would be here, he grabbed Pike and Pike’s stuff before going to the house number that Keith had sent him. Knocking, Lance shifted Pike up his hip as he heard uneven footsteps hurry to the door.

“Lance!” Matt exclaimed as he pulled the door open. He bounced up and down on his feet and motioned for Lance to come in.

“Matt, calm down. You don’t want to frighten the baby.” Shiro called out as Matt lead them into the living room. Shiro and Keith were sitting on the sofa as Pidge laid upside down in the armchair. Smiling, Lance sat the diaper bag down next to the coffee table.

“Hey.” Lance smiled as Shiro pushed himself up. Shiro immediately pulled Lance into a small hug, being careful of the babe resting on Lance’s hip.

“It’s good to see you again.” He smiled as he stepped back. Matt popped up on the other side of Lance to lean towards Pike.

“This must be Pike. Hi!” Matt wiggled his fingers at the baby who was trying to chew on the rubber ball. Pike stopped moving, with the ball halfway out of his mouth, and stared at Matt. Lance froze wondering how Pike was going to take it. He has slowly gotten better at meeting new people, but he was still cautious. Shiro slowly joined Matt and looked at Pike.

“He does look just like you.” He smiled as he reached out his prosthetic hand towards Pike. Pike leaned back slightly before reaching out to take Shiro’s finger. He looked at it curiously before deciding that it would be better to chew on then the ball. Pike took a glance around the room before chucking the ball across the room. By some funny miracle, the ball smacked Pidge in the head, causing them to startle and slid off of the arm chair. The thud that they created woke up Black, who was sleeping on the other side of the arm chair. Black barked as he walked over to check on Pidge. At the sight of the dog, Pike released Shiro’s finger to gurgle and pat his leg before tuning to pat Lance’s face. Whipping the baby spit off of his cheek, Lance let Pike down. Pike stumbled across the room before belly flopping onto Black’s stomach. Lance gasped as Matt chuckled.

“It’s fine. Black is really calm and won’t mind one bit.” Shiro reassured him as he redirected him towards the sofa. Lance sat down next to Keith.

“So, what you doing here Pidge? Hear that Pike was coming over and just couldn’t stay away?” Lance laughed.

“While I do love the little spawn, no. Matt and I started a company that makes and sells fully functioning robotic prosthetic limbs. I need to discuss some new designs with him.” Pidge motioned to Shiro’s arm and Matt’s leg. Lance nodded.

“So that’s what you been up to. What about you, Shiro? Doing anything fun?” Shiro shook his head with a small laugh.

“Not really. I just do some of the legal stuff for these two nutheads.” Matt hit Shiro’s arm as Pidge cried out.

“Hey! You were the one that chose to date and move in with one of the said ‘nuthead’. Not my fault he drug you into the business too.” Matt snickered as he laced his arms around Shiro’s neck.

“You know you love working with us.” Shiro smiled as he leaned down to kiss Matt.

“You Holts and your uncanning way to always be right.” He breathed out softly. Pidge made gagging sounds as Keith stood and pulled Lance up with him.

“We’re leaving.” Keith called out as Lance waved by to Pike.

“Don’t kill my kid please!” Lance yelled from the door before closing it. Keith waited for him at the bottom of the steps.

“Whose ride are we taking?” He asked as they walked out to the cars. Lance looked from Keith out to the line of automobiles. In between the many styles of cars rested a striking bright red motorcycle.

“You still have Red?” Lance asked as he walked over to it.

“Would never dream of getting rid of her. You want to take Red?” Keith asked as he reached for the helmets.

“I haven't rode a motorcycle since I left here. Of course I want to.” Lance took the helmet from Keith and strapped it on. Keith straddle the seat and scooted forward so Lance could fit. Lance felt his mouth go dry as he sat behind Keith and gently wrapped his arms around him.

“Hold on.” Keith told him as he kicked the bike off and started down the road. Lance tightened his grip on Keith and leaned his head back. He loved the feeling of the wind blowing across his face and the heat that flowed off of Keith on his arms. Even though they moved at a unbelievable, and definitely not lawful, speed, Lance felt safe.

Keith slowed down as they reached a coffee shop the was only a few blocks from the beach. Lance smiled as Keith parked the bike and took their helmets. Lance followed Keith to the shop and walked in as Keith held open the door. The cafe was small and homey. It was full of mix-match furniture. Sofas, loveseats, and arm chairs framed coffee tables that were covered in books and magazines.. A few kitchen tables were filled with chairs along the wall. One or two bar stools sat at the counter right after the glass pastry cabinet and register. The beige walls were covered in framed art work and in drawings and words that people had marked on the walls themselves.

Keith lead the way to the register. He ordered himself a black coffee before turning to Lance.

“I would like a red chai tea with one sugar and a little creamer please.” Lance smiled at the young worker as Keith paid. “I could of covered my half.” He grumbled as Keith lead them to one of the sofas. Lance sunk into the soft fabric as Keith offered him a small smile.

“Let me treat you for once.” Lance nodded as his brain forgot how to make words. He had forgotten how beautiful Keith can look with a smile. They chatted about nothing in particular until their names were called out for their drinks. Lance insisted that he retrieve them since Keith paid. Once Lance was seated back down, Keith turned towards him with a serious face.

“I guess we should get to the real reason I invited you here.” Lance nodded as he sat his cup down.

“Where should we start?” He asked as Keith let his bangs fall down in front of his eyes.

“Could you go first? I mean, I’m not really good with the whole talking and feeling stuff.” Keith’s voice and posture made him seem small. Lance nodded as he looked down.

“Well, I guess I can start with the reason why I left.” Lance swallowed thickly as Keith froze. “Um, so, I know I couldn’t of picked a worse time to leave town, but I just had to. It took me forever to just come to accept myself for who I was and having a bunch of negative feedback from the town’s people wasn’t doing me any good. I just needed to get away and try to understand who I was without people trying to force old fashion ideas on me. Ny-She offered me a way out, and, I mean at that time, I loved her. Or at least I thought I did. We moved around for a bit and then one day she was pregnant. I was so scared, but also happy? We finally settled down half way across the nation and that was where Pike was born. Everything was okay, I guess. Well, we started to fight more, but I wanted to believe that the fighting was just from the lack of sleep. Then we found out Pike was deaf. She changed after that. She became distant from him. She wouldn’t even try to talk to him or even hold him anymore. She was never home anymore and when she was, she looked at him with such hatred in her eyes. This went on for months. I finally lost it when she called him broken one night. We had a huge fight and the next day she was gone. Within 24 hours I found myself a single parent who could barely cover the bills by himself, much less take care of a baby.” Lance traced the rim of his cup with his fingertips. “ The only person I really kept in contact with was Allura and Coran, mainly just because they traveled around a lot. I called Allura about a week after She left, asking if she could find me a better job somewhere. She was more than willing to help. I soon found myself back here with a new house, a new job, a one year old, and a ton of messed up feeling. Allura must have known that I was so screwed up when she got me a job here. I mean, she could have picked any of the 20 branches that she has nationwide, but instead she picked the original. I’m thankful she did though. I get to be close to family and friends again. I get to see you again.” Lance meet Keith’s eyes. Lance looked back down at his cup as he brought it to his lips. “Pike also seems to like it better here. It’s less busy than the city and there is more space for him to run and play. This is the first place that Pike has opened up to so many people. He wouldn’t even look people in the face before we moved here. Now, I sometimes catch him waving to strangers in the street.” Lance smiled softly.

Keith’s brows pulled together in the center as he listened to Lance’s story. He now understood what Pidge meant and felt bad for the way he acted. His face softened a bit as he watched Lance’s small smile that came when he talked about Pike. Keith licked his lips as he picked up his cup.

“She is a bitch. She doesn’t deserve you or Pike, Lance.” He said softly, causing Lance to give a wet laugh. They sat in silence for awhile and finished their drinks. Lance watched Keith return the cups. “Come on. Let’s go to the beach. We can finish talking there.” Keith reached his hand out. Lance smiled softly as he took Keith’s hand. When Keith stepped away, Lance laced his fingers with Keiths.

“Fuck society.” Lance whispered as Keith shot him a worried look. Keith grinned at the comment as they walked down the sidewalk to the beach. Lance took off his shoes and pranced in the shallow end of the water as Keith lead them towards a small rock cove. They sat on the large stones and dipped their feet into the water. Lance hummed as he turned to look at Keith.

“Well, I guess it’s mine turn now.” Keith breathed out. “I guess I can start with what happened when you left.” Keith paused and took a deep breath. He held it for a moment before breathing out again. “It really hurt me when you left. You were one of the first people that I told that I was gay. I thought for a long time that my sexuality made you hate me. I regretted telling you for so long because I thought that caused me to lose you. I should had chose my words better cause I know just how messed up it was to tell your guy friend that you care about them and trust them in the same moment that you tell them that you are also gay. At that time, I didn’t think about that. I just wanted you to know how much you meant to me. I also wanted you to know the real me. I was so tired of hiding it from people. It caused me a lot of confusion and heartache.” Keith paused after that. He slowly removed his jacket and pulled up his sleeves to the t shirt that he was wearing. “After you left without as much as a goodbye, I went off of the deep end. I quit taking my medicine and lost my job at the auto-shop. I quit college, again. Anxiety and depression took over. About two years ago, I decided that it wasn’t worth it anymore.” Keith looked up at Lance for a moment before hiding behind his hair. He moved his arms to show Lance. Lance took in a deep breath as he noticed the long scars that followed the length of Keith’s pale arms. “I tried to commit suicide by downing every pill I had in the house and then taking a blade to my arms. It would have worked if I wrote Shiro a letter instead of calling him. Shiro found me right after I passed out. The doctors said if he was even 30 minutes later, I would be dead. After that, I was put on different medicine, which Shiro regulated, and put into single and group counseling. Shiro and Matt cleaned out one of their rooms to be my bedroom and Coran offered me a job on the condition that I finished school and my treatment.” Keith pulled his sleeves back down. “I got a degree in special needs teaching and help started the special needs program at Lion’s Palace. About six months ago, I finally got my own house again.” Keith looked out to the ocean. “I have good days and bad days, but I’m fighting now. I’m not going to give up again. I hurt to many people doing that before.” Lance slowly took Keith’s head and pulled it to rest on his shoulder. He started humming again, but said nothing. Keith sighed. He understood what Lance was trying to tell him. It was all going to be okay.

They left after about an hour, for the water turned too cold to even sit by. They picked up Pike from Shiro and Matt, who looked tired as hell. Lance laughed as he heard Matt groan out that he could “wait forever to have kids” as he face-planted the sofa. They then took Pike to the nearby park so he could burn off some steam. Lance and Keith sat in comfortable silence as Pike played with his ball in the sandpit. Lance started to doze off on Keith’s shoulder when it started to rain out of nowhere. Laughing, Lance grabbed Pike as they walked back to Shiro’s house. Placing Pike into the car, he turned and gave Keith a hug.

“See you soon?” He asked with hopefully. Keith gave him a small nod as he waved goodbye from his bike. Pike fell asleep by the time they got home, so Lance just changed him into one of his night onesies and placed him in his crib. Lance fell on his bed with butterflies in his stomach and a smile on his lips.

Sadly this happy feeling only lasted until 2 in the morning when Pike woke Lance up by screaming. Lance shot out of bed and smacked his shoulder on the door frame of Pike’s room. Lance hissed in pain as he picked Pike up.

“What wrong buddy?” He asked as Pike cried into his shoulder. Lance readjusted Pike so his head was on his neck. As Lance felt Pike’s skin, fear pulled his stomach to his feet. He was burning up. Lance quickly removed Pike’s night clothes and took him to the tub to run some cool water. “It’s okay. It’s okay.” Lance repeated for mostly himself.

Around 3:30, Lance called Keith. Keith sluggishly answered the phone.

“Hello?” Keith’s voice was heavy from sleep.

“Keith!” The tone of Lance’s voice made Keith sit up in bed. “Pike woke up about an hour ago screaming. He had a really high fever. I tried to cool him down with a cold bath, but it didn’t work. He then start to cough and throw up. I can’t even keep water down him.” Keith moved to the edge of his bed in search for his shoes. He could hear Pike’s cries in the background of the phone call. Lance’s voice suddenly dropped. “Keith,” His voice broke. “I’m scared.” Keith grabbed his wallet and keys as he ran out of the door,

“It’s going to be okay. I’m on my way now.”

Next Chapter: Chapter 7

Once upon a time: Chapter 1

[splinteredworld]

Homes Don’t Have To Be Perfect Chapter 3

As Lance put Pike down in his crib, he forced a smile on his face as he rubbed Pike’s forehead, soothing him. Pike’s eyelids began to flutter as Lance smooth down his curly hair. Smiling softer, Lance slowly backed away until his legs hit the rocking chair. Letting gravity take over, he dropped into the chair with a heavy sigh. Lance stared at Pike a moment longer before dropping his head into his hands. As if the past few months hadn’t been hard enough, Keith strolled right back into his life looking just as badass and good looking as the day he left. Keith’s words continued to bounce around and smack Lance’s brain as his eyes burned. He should had never done what he had. There were so many other options, so many other choices, but he took the easy way out. Well, what seemed to be the easy way back then. Pike began slapping the railing of his crib and making whimpering noises. Lance slowly sat up. PIke saw this movement and clapped his hands together before opening his arms up. Lance smiled sadly. While he was sorry for what he did, he could never regret his decision, for it was that decision that gave him Pike. Slowly, Lance slide out of the chair and picked Pike back up. Pike gurgled as he nudged his head against Lance’s chest. Sitting back down, Lance began to hum a slow lullaby, knowing that Pike would feel the deep vibrations of his voice. A tiny smile pulled at Pike’s sleeping face as he settled into the warmth of Lance. Yeah, Lance thought, his past lead to sadness and hardships, but if he had the chance to do it again, he would do it exactly the same if he only got to hold Pike like this once more.

After about two songs, Pike was asleep enough for Lance to lower him back into his crib. “You make life worth the while,” Lance mumbled, leaning over to softly kiss Pike’s forehead. Lance turned on the baby monitor and the night light. Exiting the room, Lance flipped the lights off and closed the door until only a sliver of light flowed through the crack. Sliding his feet along the hardwood floor, he made his way to his bedroom. Without turning on the light, he pulled his shirt and jeans off before falling into face down on his bed. His body was heavy with sleep, but his mind was active with the events of the day and of the past. Sighing deep into his pillow, Lance leaned over and turned on his side of the baby monitor before pulling the covers over his body. He forced his eyes closed to stop the tears from falling. He couldn’t cry. If he started crying now, he would never stop. Slowing his breath, Lance slowly drifted to sleep.

Lance jolted awake as the sound of crying filled his ears. Stumbling from bed, Lance shuffled down the hall to Pike’s room. Pike was still laying in bed, crying so hard that his face turned red. Lance shushed him as he picked him up and placed him level with his heart. Lance bounced Pike up and down softly as he started to hum. His sleep filled voice was deeper than normal, causing more vibrations to reach Pike. Slowly but surely, Pike slowed his crying and started to suck on his thumb. Lance continued to hum as he placed Pike on the changing table. “Need a change buddy?” Lance asked, signing the words that he knew. Lance continued to talk to Pike as he changed his dipper. Even though Pike could not hear him, he found it comforting to talk. Nyma had scoffed at him everytime he talked to Pike after they found out that he was deaf. She just didn’t get it. She didn’t see the way Pike would watch his lips move. She didn’t see how Pike found the simple, rhythmic movement soothing. She didn’t care.

Buttoning up Pike’s onesie, he picked Pike back up and started to walk the room. Signing softly, Lance felt his body grow tired again as Pike dosed on his shoulder. When he was sure Pike wouldn’t start crying again, he laid Pike in the crib and exited the room. Lance ran his hands up and down his face as he shuffled back to his bed. Falling onto the mattress, he was asleep before he could really pull the covers over him.

The next time Lance woke up, it was to his blaring alarm. It was times like these that he was grateful Pike couldn’t hear the loud noise. Lance wanted to hate himself for thinking that, but sometimes the quiet morning is one of the few things that get him through the day. It was rare for a single parent to get some time to themselves, and Lance was going to bask in the loneliness every second that he could.

Lance grabbed the baby monitor from his nightstand as he walked to his bathroom. Placing it on the sink, Lance began to get ready for his day. Leaning closer to the mirror, Lance huffed as he ran his fingers over his skin. He knew he shouldn’t skip his skin routine like he has been, but sleep just sounds so much better than beautiful skin lately. Some would say that this was a sign of Lance maturing or becoming less concerned with outer beauty, but Lance is sure it’s just sleep deprivation. Groaning, he pulled off his underwear as he turned the hot water to the shower on. Standing under the burning stream, he felt the tension leave his shoulders. The water pelted his back and plastered his hair to his neck and face. Lance grabbed his shampoo and started to massage the liquid into his scalp. Humming softly, Lance let the water remove the suds from his hair. As he reached for the conditioner, the baby monitor filled the bathroom with Pike’s cry. Lance shut off the water and grabbed a towel from the shelf. Quickly drying off, he pulled on a pair of sweatpants and threw the towel over his damp hair. Lance walked back down the hall to Pike’s room.

As he entered the room, Pike’s eyes narrowed in on the moments. Pike slowed his crying down to whimpers as he stood in the crib. Lance walked over to him and signed ‘Eat’ by closing his fingers to his thumb and bringing it to his lips. Pike waved his arm up and down with a closed fist, as if to sign yes. Lance praised him by placing his outstretched hand on his chin and moved it out in an arc before picking Pike up and kissing the top of his head. Settling Pike on his hip, Lance began to walk towards the kitchen. Lance sat him down in the highcare and placed some of the baby cereal down on the tray. He grinned as Pike started to place the small, star-shaped bites into his mouth while Lance drug in the fridge for a plain yogurt. He grabbed one and a silicon covered spoon before pulling a chair in front of Pike. Getting a small dollop of the yogurt on the spoon, Lance held it up to Pike, who ate it with haste. They worked through the cup of yogurt as the sun filled the kitchen.

After wiping Pike clean, Lance placed him in the living room with some toys so Lance could eat. Turning on the coffee maker, Lance grabbed himself a muffin and a cup of yogurt. He ate them while the coffee brewed. Filling up a cup, Lance joined Pike in the living room. Pike was attempting to place the shaped blocks into the cutouts. Smiling as he sat on the sofa, Lance basked in the quiet of the moment before his phone went off. Lance removed the phone from its charger on the side table and looked at the caller ID.

“Hey ‘Lura!” Lance greeted his early morning caller with a smile. Pike, who seemed to finish with the shapes, picked up his blue lion stuffed animal before waddling over to Lance.

“Good morning Lance.” Allura’s voice filled the still air as Pike tapped Lance’s knee. Bending over, Lance pulled Pike into his lap before settling back onto the sofa.

“Did you need something?” Lance asked as he let Pike rest against his chest. Pike pulled the lion toy closer to him as his thumb made its way into his mouth.

“I was just calling to see if you would like to come over. I would like to talk about your job and also see the little one.” She replied, her smile making its way across even on the phone. Lance shuffled the phone to his other ear as he grabbed Pike’s attention.

“That sounds fine. When do you want us over?” He said as he pointed to the stuff animal. Pike followed his finger before redirecting his attention to Lance. Lance pointed at the lion again before running his claw shaped hand over his head, as if he was brushing a mane back.

“Whenever you are available.” She replied. Lance repeated the action before pointing back to the blue lion. He was slowly trying to teach Pike some more words so that the confusion on which toy he wanted would lessen.

“Okay, we will seen you soon then.” Lance smiled as Pike attempted to repeat the action Lance had showed him.

“Goodbye,” Allura’s voice sung right before she ended the call. Lance set the phone down. Grabbing Pike’s arm gently, Lance moved his arm back above his head, helping Pike do the sign. He let Pike sit on his lap a little bit longer before standing up and placing him on his hip. They moved back to the baby’s room and Lance sat Pike on the changing table as he pulled out some clothes for the day. Lance pulled out a little gray shirt that said ‘Stud’ followed by a picture of a muffin and a pair of jeans. Removing Pike’s pajamas, he changed Pike’s diaper and then started the fight to get him dressed. Lance had to remove the lion toy, which now was acting as Pike’s binkie, from each hand and his mouth in order to pull the shirt over his head and arms. Pike began to fuss until he was given the toy back. Putting the pants on was a little easier, yet still a struggle for Pike liked to kick his legs. When Pike started to do his gurgle laugh, Lance knew he was doing it on purpose. Lance finished the outfit with putting socks and a tiny pair of sneakers on Pike’s feet.

Lance took Pike into his room so he could grab a shirt. Placing Pike on the floor, Lance let him wander a bit as he dug a shirt out of his drawers. Grabbing Pike, his keys, his wallet, and the diaper bag, they finally left the house about half an hour after Allura’s call. After about five minutes of fighting to get Pike in his carseat, Lance pulled out of the drive and headed to Allura’s house.

By the time they got there, Allura was waiting outside for them. Her long, white hair was pulled back into a braided bun and her delicate frame was covered in a flowing sundress. She greeted them at the car.

“Nice to see you, Lance,” She smiled as he stepped out. He smiled at her and opened the back door to get Pike. Hanging his head, Lance sighed.

“His socks and shoes didn’t even make it the full trip.” He signed again, tapping his first two fingers to his thumb as he put the socks and shoes back one. Unbuckling him, Lance pulled Pike up and out of the car. As soon as Pike saw Allura, he formed the ‘A’ in sign language and pulled it across his face, signing her given sign name. Giggling his laugh, he reached out for her. Allura was one of the few people he contacted before he moved back to his hometown. She had a smaller branch of her company out in the town he was previously living in. She was one of the first to meet Pike and form a bond with him. When she learned of what Nyma did, not only was she prepared to offer him a job, she was also prepared to offer her services as a lawyer if it was ever needed. Lance passed Pike to her as he grabbed the diaper bag. Together they walked back into her house. Allura placed Pike down as she closed the door. Pike took off across the living room to reach the toys Allura kept for him. Pulling out a ball, he began to roll it around. Settling down in the arm chairs, Lance and Allura began to talk.

“How has the move been?” She asked as she grabbed her warm tea from the table. Lance slid down into the chair more.

“Tiring and crazy. Pike seems to be adjusting the new house well, but the new people seems a lot to handle for him at times.” Allura nodded as she let her eyes fall onto the playing baby.

“To get to the point,” She began as she set her tea back down, “the job we previously discussed was for the position of promotion designer for the company. Yet, as of recently, one of our male models quit. Therefore, if you are willing, I will pay up the salary of both if you are willing to do each part time.” She folded her hands under her chin. Allura had switched into business mode faster than Lance could blink. While the higher pay would be beneficial, Lance was counting on the fact that he may be able to work mostly from home.

“While that sounds amazing Allura, I can’t just leave Pike some place. He barely got comfortable with Hunk, much less anyone else.” Lance sighed heavily as he focused in on his son.

“I think I can help with that. Coran opened a daycare center here shortly after you left. He is trained to handle from infants to young children, including those with special needs. Pike knows him a little and is okay enough to spend the time you are modeling at the daycare. I’ve already talked to Coran about maybe setting it up for Pike to attend and he said he has a staff member that works very well with picky or scared infant.” Lance nodded slowly. She really had planned this all out.

“Okay. I guess I’ll call Coran up and see when I can stop by and look at the place. If it all works out, I will gladly take you up on your offer.”

“Excellent!” Allura cheered. As soon as she stopped her exclamation, Pike was at her knees tapping them. She looked down and held her palms facing up. He brought his pointer finger to his nose and wiggled it back and forth. Allura smiled as she picked him up. “ Sometimes I believe he seems to be more fond of the mice than me.”

Lance stood and followed her into a smaller room where she kept four little mice in a cage. She placed Pike down and watched as he stumbled his way to the cage. His little eyes filled with wonder as he stared at the bundles of fluff that roamed the cage. He gasped at them before turning to look at his dad and then turned back to the mice. Pike looked back at Allura with his hands cupped. Allura opened the cage slowly and removed the fatter, more gentle mouse from the cage. Lance knelt next to Pike as he gasped in wonder again. Pike reached out and accidentally pushed his hand down on the mouse to hard, making it squeak slightly. Lance patted Pike’s hand down before bring his outstretched hand to his chin and flicking it outwards. He then gently took Pike’s hand and showed him how to stroke the mouse gently. Pike continued to stroke the mouse as his mouth formed an ‘O’ shape at the soft texture of the fur. A soft look filled Allura’s eyes as she watched Lance interact with Pike.

They did not leave Allura’s place until after dinner. While Allura fed Pike lunch, Lance called Coran and was able to set up an appointment to visit that afternoon after closing. Lance sound a bit of relief as Pike fell asleep on the drive to the daycare center. It was around 6 p.m when Lance parked his car outside of “Lion’s Palace”, a small house that was converted into a soft looking daycare. The outside walls were painted white and gold and the tiles of the roof were a striking black. Lance sat in the car for a bit, thinking Pike was still asleep. He continued to watch as the last of the parents left, enjoying the peaceful moment. That was until a small sneaker connected with the back of his head. Lance whipped around just in time to see the other sneaker land in the floorboard of the back seat. Grumbling, Lance picked up the shoes before climbing out of the care. He once again signed ‘No’ as he placed the shoes back on Pike’s feet. With Pike snuggled into his collarbone, Lance entered Lion’s Palace and looked around. The inside walls were covered in murals of fields of flowers and gentle clouds in the sky, forest with tall trees and little animals, and even a fantasy land where a grand castle stood on top of a hill. Lance turned in circles as he looked at the colorful, plush rugs, low set tables and chairs, cribs, playpens, and the large variety of toys that covered the room.

“Lance my boy!” A loud voice boomed as a red haired man raced towards Lance. Lance smiled as the man pulled him into a tight hug and patted Pike’s hair down.

“Hello Coran.” Lance laughed as Pike released Lance’s shoulder to form two ‘C’ looking shapes that he moved down his face. Coran laughed, as he always does, at his sign name, which was originally a joke aimed at Coran’s bright orange mustache. “Quite the place you got here.” Lance nodded at the room behind Coran. Coran nodded as he hustled Lance out of the doorway.

“Yes, Alfor and I always dreamed of running a daycare center. We were in the process of building this place when he passed. After that, work slowly down and stalled for a few years since it was hard for Allura and I to even think about it.” Coran ran a hand over his face quickly. “But, I finally got it up and running. I wanted to complete our dream.” He smiled sadly back at Lance. “Moving on!” Coran cheered as he directed Lance towards one of the tables. They lowered themselves into the few normal sized chairs. “I fully understand the circumstance that are surrounding Pike and I can reassure you that he will receive the best care here, even if I have to provide it personally.” Coran, much like Allura, was able to switch into a serious persona at the flip of a switch.

“I don’t doubt you, Coran. It’s just Pike hasn’t been taking to anyone really well as of lately and I’m just scared of how he will react to the other kids and the other staff.” Lance frowned as he smoothed down Pike’s curls. Pike glanced over Lance’s shoulder as something caught his eye.

“Yes, but let me just say that I have some great staff members and we even have special rooms set up for children like Pike. One of my staff members is especially talented in helping those with special needs or those who do not take well to others. It really is surprising considering he is-” Coran went to go rant, but Pike drew their attention towards him. Pike started to giggle and kick his legs before twisting and patting Lance’s face. Not fully understanding what got him so excited, Lance sat him down and watched as Pike shot across the room to a person. Pike stopped at a pair of biker boots and gripped onto the black skinny jeans. Lance’s eyes trailed up the legs of the person until the meet his face. Gasping in shock, Lance watched as the person he least expected bent down and greeted Pike with a small wave and smile.

“Ah. There you are!” Coran’s voice sounded, causing the person to look up. Lance was still frozen in his seat as those violet eyes meet his. All of the oxygen left Lance’s body as well as the room. Coran stood to his feet. “We were just talking about you, Keith.”

Next Chapter: Chapter 4

Restart: Chapter 1