Work Text:
He sits next to the window, splayed across the couch, book in his lap. His dark hair is tied up to keep it off his neck, and his warm, red sweater keeps him cozy in the cool apartment. The lamp next to him is the only source of light in the otherwise dark living room, and the steaming mug in his hands keeps him warm. He’s humming absentmindedly under his breath again.
Logically, Keith knows his boyfriend didn’t intend to get the newest catchy pop song stuck in is head. Keith’s petty side, however, insists that of course Lance intended for this outcome -- why else would he have been singing it nonstop for the past three weeks? Usually when Keith caught himself humming it, he’d pinch Lance in an act of sweet, sweet vengeance. Then Lance would squeak and try to yank his lanky limbs away from Keith, who would then pursue him, and the next thing he’d know, they’d be tangled on the floor, breathless with laughter.
Tonight, though, Keith sits in an empty apartment. The usual smell of some delicious meal is missing, there’s no music drifting through the air, no murmuring in frustration over a textbook. There’s no real warmth. The apartment feels at once too large and too small, like a habitat in a zoo. Except now Keith is the caged lion, pacing in frustration for memories of open spaces and freedom.
Keith, however, is longing for ocean eyes and lanky limbs and the most obnoxious laugh in all of history. He wants his stupid, adorable, dorky, amazing boyfriend. He wants the gentle pushing as they try to settle on the couch together, uncomfortable because Lance’s legs are too long and Keith likes to take up more space than he ever really needs. (Of course, they almost always wind up with Keith curled up on Lance’s chest, but the scuffle is half the fun.)
Keith can’t have any of those, though, because his dumb boyfriend had to pick up an extra shift at his dumb job because they have dumb bills, and Keith can’t help but find the whole thing dumb. It’s Valentine’s Day -- they should be together! Sure, Keith isn’t really all for romance, but he’d take any, literally any, excuse to be with his boyfriend. Valentine’s Day is the perfect excuse to be all over Lance, to drop any pretense he likes to hold about being gruff or apathetic. (Christmas, Thanksgiving, and New Years are good, too, but they were ages away!)
Keith finally sits his still full mug of tea on the counter before making his way back to his discarded book. He ignores it, though, in favor of staring at the wall sullenly. Stupid boyfriends, stupid jobs, stupid holidays…
A sound at the front door catches his attention, and his eyes jump to the clock on the wall. It reads 7:06, about two hours before Lance was supposed to be back. Keith suspiciously rises, and warily approaches the door. If I get killed on Valentine’s Day because my boyfriend was working, I’ll…
Before he can finish his thought, the door opens and there he is, that lanky boy, beaming and holding a bag of food like a trophy.
“Babe!” Lance says, surging forward. “I got food!”
Surprised to find himself with an armful of food, Keith stumbles back. He peers into the bag, giving Lance time to edge further into the apartment. The bag is full of Chinese food, from their favorite place down the block, and Keith hungrily eyes the eggrolls.
“Upbup bup!” Lance snaps his fingers to get Keith’s attention. “You can’t have all the eggrolls, Keith! Not again!”
“Oh, I’m sorry, I thought this was my Valentine’s Day present?” Keith asks with mock innocene. “You know, since my doting boyfriend isn’t here yet? Maybe you’re seen him -- tall, loud, chooses work over his dearly beloved?”
“Very funny, babe,” Lance says. “I know, it’s late, but I’m still earlier than expected!”
Keith moves to the coffee table to set the food down, since Lance is grabbing the plates. Correction: should be grabbing the plates. Lance is standing there, leaning innocently against the counter, hands behind his back and humming loudly. Suspicious.
Keith narrows his eyes and slowly approaches Lance. “Lance, what do you have behind your back?”
“Nothing!” Lance doesn’t move beyond avoiding Keith’s eye, raising the suspicious level from a two to a six.
“Lance,” Keith warns, “I thought we said we’d celebrate over the weekend. So what is behind your back?”
Hesitant, Lance shuffles his feet and opens his mouth, probably to ramble to buy time, but they both freeze when a soft noise fills the room.Keith stiffens. Is that..?
“Okay, so, don’t be mad, but I had to get you something beyond food because, come on, it’s Valentine’s Day, and I saw the perfect thing and it’s adorable and I just -- okay, well, look!” Lance cuts himself off and Keith splutters in shock at the sudden ball of fluff shoved in his face.
It’s a tiny, orange kitten with a white heart shape on its chest, and tiny black paws and gorgeous blue eyes. Keith falls in love the second it baps his nose and mews at him gently.
“There’s a heart on her chest?” Keith whispers in wonder, completely awestruck by the little creature.
“Well, yeah.” Lance says. “I know you stole my heart, so I found a second one to give to you.” Lance blushes when he calls Keith’s hair a ‘stupid mullet’, he avoids eye contact when he stammers compliments, he nearly cries when Keith tells him ‘I love you’ at night, but this? This he says with an earnest expression, eyes fixed on Keith’s, and now it’s Keith flushing and burying his face in kitten fur out of embarrassed delight.
“Well? Do you wanna keep her?” Lance asks, moving closer to wrap both the kitten and Keith up in his arms. Keith completely melts.
“As if I could ever say no,” he grumbles, leaning into his boyfriend’s warm chest.
As Lance cheers, scoops the kitten up and dances around, Keith smiles and watches. He thinks of the hours he spends working from home, the emptiness and coolness of the apartment without Lance. Now he’ll have a little kitten raising hell all over, hopefully just as distracting and obnoxious as the man holding her and laughing.
Later, as little Laika sleeps on the blanket they lay out on the coffee table, Keith leans into Lance while they eat now-cold chinese food and enjoy each other’s company. They talk about toys and treats for Laika, the upcoming ‘family’ dinner next Tuesday, Lance’s day at work, Keith’s stop at the grocery store, and their annoying neighbors. They talk about all of the little things, all of the big things. They end up tangled together on the floor, lost in each other’s eyes and warmth. Eventually, they’re simply exchanging kisses, without words. It’s soft and quiet, and everything Keith ever wanted.
Until he’s forced to pinch Lance because he caught himself humming that damn song again.