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"Keep your voice down-"
"What do you mean you've kept it to yourself, this isn't something you just-" Pidge's enraged voice was not even remotely quiet to Lance, who was currently standing on the other side of the door. He stepped outside confused, fixing the neckline of his tux
"Guys?" Lance asked, looking between Keith and Pidge, who had stepped away for a moment to chat. "What's going on? Did something happen?" he asked unknowingly, running a hand through his hair at the aspect of something going wrong on the day he had been planning for nearly a year now.
"Its... um," Keith tried really hard to focus. He was in a tight spot here, and now he’d pulled Pidge into this 4 months long lie. He didn’t know want to do and he needed to focus on that before it was too late but god. Lance looked so good. His hair was curled and soft, his makeup was light and professionally done, his suit matched the color of his lion before they had retired. He looked drop dead gorgeous. "Lance, you look... stunning."
"Oh," Lance blushed, smiling at his friend. "Thanks, I was scared it was too much. Or not enough, who knows?" He laughed a little bit, but neither joined him. He immediately frowned and Keith realized he had forgotten to laugh, too caught up in Lance’s looks and not the severity of the situation. Lance pouted, "alright guys, c'mon. What's wrong? You always laugh at my jokes."
"I never laugh at your jokes," Pidge said, momentarily distracted. "I can never tell when you're making a joke and when you're being completely serious, and that’s scary Lance. And sad. Really fucking sad."
Lance smirked at the jab, taking his chances at making the tension in the air disappear. "Oh please, you know I'm hilarious," Lance carried on, trying to look past the weird atmosphere. "Hey, Pidge. Can you do me a favor? I need to talk to Keith alone."
Pidge nodded immediately and without asking questions she turned away, giving Keith a dirty glare and whispering something Lance couldn't here. Once she left the room, Lance turned to Keith and smiled uneasily.
"So, today is the big day. I never thought it would happen," Lance admitted. Shiro had popped the question almost a year and a half ago, right after the war had ended and their second anniversary was coming up.
"Shiro wouldn't let you go, he loves you too much for that," Keith murmured, looking down at Lance's left hand. Or perhaps, more specifically, the ring on it. A fancy, alien one. Lance had always found it alarming, but Shiro loved it, so he wore it and never once even thought about voicing his thoughts on the purple monstrosity.
I don't think he loves me anymore. "Hey, Keith. I just... wanted to let you know that, y'know," Lance said, clearing his throat. "I don't know. I just, you remember when-"
Keith cut him off before he could speak of it. "It wasn't- it wasn't something to remember, ok?" Keith said sternly. "I didn't know Shiro liked you back then, it's irrelevant now."
"Right," Lance said, pulling away from Keith, realizing they were standing too close. "And I'm just supposed to pretend I don't see the way you look at me? He doesn't love me-"
Keith immediately stood, stock still like a deer caught in headlights, and protested on behalf of his brother. "Yes he does!" Keith shouted. He quieted when he noticed Lance flinched. "Yes, he does," he reiterated eloquently, bowing his head in apology.
"You can't tell him Keith, you can't!" Shiro shouted, bringing them into a room where they wouldn't be heard over the thumping music in the background. No one was aware enough to notice they had gone missing, and the party was to big for anyone to care.
He still had lip stick kiss stains on his neck.
"So I'm just supposed to keep it from him? Shiro, he's in love with you!" Keith shouted, tears in his eyes. He wished he’d never opened that door, wished he’d never seen that girl- and Shiro- and he’d- oh god, how was Lance going to react? He would be heartbroken, and Keith would be the bearer of bad news. Lance would never forgive Shiro for this, the wedding would be called off.
The wedding, the one thing Lance actually looked forward to, gone in a split second because Shiro wanted to play buddy buddy with a girl at a party.
"He's in love with the idea of being married. Sure, maybe he likes me, but he doesn't love me. I knew from the beginning," Shiro muttered hatefully, eyebrows drawn forward and together, mumbling to himself in his drunken state.
"That's irrelevant right now, Shiro. I can't keep this from him. I see him everyday, I spar with him, we’re friends, I- I-"
"I love him," Shiro said in a mocking voice, supposedly imitating Keith. "Yeah, we all know, Keith. Do you think that telling him about this will have him come running to you? Do you think he will ever feel the same about someone who constantly berated and put him down for the first part of their friendship?" Shiro asked aggressively, taking a step forward.
"That's- that's not what it's about-" Keith said desperately, pushing Shiro away.
"And even if you did go and tell him, who do you think he'll believe more? His fiancé, or the person that damn near emotionally scarred him?" Shiro asked heatedly, pushing a hand against Keith's chest in retaliation. Keith stood, mouth agape, and Shiro scoffed. "Yeah, that's what I thought. And then what? He hates you, forgets you? What would you do without your precious friendship to hold onto?"
Keith sputtered, "I- I-"
"Thought so," Shiro stepped back and smiled, turning into the nice guy once again. "So, this never happened. It will never happen again. As far as you know, we were at a party and I got black out drunk. You say a thing and I'll convince him to kick you out of our lives once and for all."
Shiro walked back towards the door, wiping the lipstick off his neck once he caught it in the reflection. "Have a good night, Keith. Don't do anything stupid."
"Keith? Keith! Come on, it's my wedding day and you won't listen to me even now?" Lance was complaining when Keith came to, blinking as he looked around. He had been swallowed by guilt. But, Shiro treated Lance nice and Lance didn't seem to have a problem with how Shiro acted. So, maybe he really was doing the right thing?
He did seem really excited about today, after all.
"Sorry," Keith said, huffing out a small laugh. "I was just thinking."
"Always thinking about this and about that. I was the one planning a wedding for 11 months, you shouldn't be busier than me. Besides, today is the big day..." Lance hesitated, looking at Keith expectantly. When seconds passed without Keith saying a thing, Lance sighed and continued on. "I'm sure Shiro's suit looks perfect. He wanted me to wear a dress but I looked horrendous in all the ones that were within the price range so a suit couldn't hurt, right? I suppose blue was a little generic of a choice, but still-"
"Lance," Keith said softly, cutting off the boy's anxious ranting. He caught eye contact and smiled for the first time in what felt like months. "Shiro-" Keith hesitated. This or that. Right or wrong. Shiro or Lance. Keith’s anxiety spiked, his heart pounding his his chest suddenly. "He'll love it."
Keith walked out of the room before Lance could get a word in edgewise.