#i have 1 hour 18 minutes to turn in a weeks worth of coursework

[bizlybebo]

your reaction to my blog should ALWAYS be 'wtf is wrong with you op' btw

[bleucheesy]

Reunion

Shklance Gym AU (Modern AU) Drabble 20 Obligatory tags: @puppybek, @starchildkeith, and @francowitch Parts 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 Link to Master Post - Also available on AO3.

Technically contains S5 spoilers?

For once, Lance was glad Thursdays were his heavy days. He had his part time job in the morning, coursework all day, and then two classes to lead in the evening.

Now, normally, he dreaded those long hours because it meant less time with his boyfriends, whom he loved dearly.

However, as of late…

Keith was driving him insane!

It’s not like it was completely his fault. After all, it wasn’t every day you got to meet your birth mother for the first time since you were in diapers. But the way Keith was running around, trying to tidy up and clean and make the place look suitable for her visit, well, it was getting on Lance’s nerves.

He loved Keith. Shiro, too. They were so good to Lance and they meant the world to him. But if Keith pulled out every one of their dishes again and demanded they all be washed – for a third time – Lance was going to stick him in a wormhole.

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He did take into account the fact that she was supposed to show up some time this week – no specific date or time – which was definitely exacerbating the situation. Lance was pretty sure he was using that word right.

So, getting out of the apartment for a solid sixteen hours or so sounded really good.

Of course, after being away from him all day and having one Zumba class-worth of endorphins running through his system, Lance realized that he couldn’t blame Keith. Lance had grown up with his family. He couldn’t imagine what it was like to not know your mother. And that made him feel a little guilty for ditching him. And leaving poor Shiro to fend for himself.

So, Lance decided that, as soon as his last class was over, he’d quickly shower and head straight home. Well, maybe not straight home. He should probably pick something up on the way. He doubted that Keith had eaten anything all day – unless Shiro had forced him.

He was lost in thought when Lance nearly ran into a tall woman walking past the welcome desk. “Excuse me,” he said and then blinked when he looked up at her. She was beautiful! He put on his coolest smile and leaned an elbow on the counter. “You new around here?” he asked, voice dipping a little lower.

Before anyone jumped to conclusions, Lance would never, ever cheat on his boyfriends. But part of his job as an instructor at the gym was to get more clients to sign on. And one way to do that was by advertising what they had to offer.

“Only just arrived tonight,” she replied. “My hotel is down the street and I thought I’d give this place a look.”

Ah. They sometimes got salary men and women in town on business or for a conference. Still, he could sell her a few classes while she was in the area.

“You look like someone who enjoys dancing, am I right?” he asked, running a hand through his still slightly damp bangs. “Ever taken a stab at Zumba?”

She quirked a brow and crossed her arms over her chest. “Can’t say that I have.”

“Oh!” Lance’s eyes lit up. “Then you’ve got to try my class. I’ve actually got one starting in about fifteen minutes,” he paused, gesturing toward the room down the hall. “If you’re interested.”

“Tempting,” she chuckled. “But I’m afraid I’m finished for the evening.”

It was then that Lance noticed the longer strands of hair under her short cut sticking to the nape of her neck. What an unusual hairstyle.

She cocked her head to the side and the motion looked so familiar that Lance was momentarily dazed. “And I’ve got somewhere to be.”

“Well,” Lance let the rejection roll off him like water off a duck’s back. “Maybe next time?” He reached for his pocket, but remembered he was wearing leggings. “I don’t have any cards on me, but I’m sure you’ll remember this face, right?”

She snorted and then smirked and Lance couldn’t help but feel a weird sense of déjà vu. “I’m sure I will, um…?”

“Lance,” he finished for her, holding out his hand.

She took it and gave it a curt shake. “Lia,” she replied. “Well, it was a pleasure to meet you, Lance.” And again, something about her seemed so familiar…

“Believe me.” He flashed another toothy grin and then winked. “The pleasure’s all mine.”

She laughed again and shook her head as she left. But Lance was used to that kind of response. Especially from slightly older women. They were flattered by his business-flirting – the official name, by the way – and they always came back for his class.

Heck, he’d recruited at least two-thirds of the female gym members over the age of thirty.

It was a gift, really.

But he didn’t have time to congratulate himself. He had a class to teach.

 After he was finished and saw the last of his regulars out the door, Lance jogged over to the showers. He’d definitely spent enough time out of the apartment and, in an attempt at a peaceful offering – goodness knows what pains Shiro had suffered today. Keith, too – Lance continued with his original plan of picking up some takeout on the way.

Nothing soothed the savage beast like greasy lo mein and potstickers.

But just as he stepped out of the restaurant, the bell over the door jingling and the delicious aroma of their dinner filling his nostrils, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He’d almost forgotten that he’d left it on vibrate.

There were three messages from Shiro. He quickly swiped to unlock his phone and read them.

Looks like Keith’s mom is in town.

She’s heading over around eight.

She’s here.

Lance checked the time. It was just a little after eight. He hated that he wasn’t there for Keith to support him. But he wasn’t too far away. He could make it to the apartment in ten minutes, if he ran.

And so, seven and a half minutes later – a new personal record – Lance was wiping the sweat from his brow and attempting to get his breathing under control as he stood outside their apartment door, the Chinese food still in hand.

Once he felt he was presentable enough – first impressions were everything, after all – he took out his keys and unlocked the door.

He wasn’t sure what he was expecting when he walked inside. Maybe Keith and his mom sharing an emotional moment, hugging and crying for their lost time together. Or maybe Shiro holding Keith back as he shouted at her for leaving him all those years ago.

No, wait. That was definitely too dramatic. And Keith was a gentleman – when it mattered – and had been nervously and anxiously awaiting meeting his mom. He wouldn’t explode on her.

Right?

So, when Lance entered the living room and saw Keith and Shiro on the couch, the latter with his hand on the small of Keith’s back for emotional support, he was relieved. Though he did note the way Shiro had to put his other hand on Keith’s knee to keep it from bouncing so fast and high that it surely would have hit him in the face.

Then Lance looked over to where Keith’s mother sat, across from them in the recliner, and he froze.

Wow. She looked really familiar. Those dark eyes and hair in an unusual style. Everything about her rang a bell, but he couldn’t quite place where he knew her from.

As if sensing his gaze, she turned to face him, furrowing her brow and then blinking in surprise before smiling. “It’s nice to see you again, Lance.”

He dropped the takeout bag, his eyes going wide.

Both his boyfriends whipped their heads toward him. Shiro looked surprised, but Keith’s expression was impossible to read. And Lance knew he had to clear things up and fast. Keith was jealous under normal circumstances. But keyed up, literally-just-met-his-mother Keith might actually kill him.

“Lance, how do you-”

“Babe, wait.” He held his hands up in defense. “I can explain!”

Hmm...going for a workout to get rid of some of those reunion jitters, huh? Now, who does that sound like?