Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

December 31st

“So, does it just, like, suck knowing that you have to work tomorrow?”

Keith huffed a laugh. “Saying that while I’m scooping poop is cruel. Talk about getting me when I’m down.”
Lance grinned as Keith tied the plastic bag shut, moving it away from Kosmo’s interested sniffs.

“I know,” Keith murmured to the puppy. “ That came out of you. I can hardly believe it myself.” 

Kosmo let out an excited yip and Keith snickered as he tossed the bag into the nearby trash can. 

It was fascinating watching Keith and Kosmo together. Keith had only had him for two days, but they were already thick as thieves. Keith was already an expert at stepping around Kosmo when the puppy got too wound up and stayed underfoot. It was adorable to watch them together, already learning each other’s routines in the morning. Lance already fought Kosmo for the pillow next to Keith’s (and lost). 

They were walking him at the local park close to Keith’s apartment complex and Lance’s chest felt light and giddy as Keith comfortably leaned against him. 

It felt a little unreal to think about where they were a month earlier. Distant but yearning across the aisles of a toy store. By Christmas night, they were dating. And Keith loved him.

Lance had been man enough to admit that he wasn’t there yet. He felt pretty damn close, watching Keith giggle as Kosmo chased a butterfly. But they were both practicing patience. 

“What are you up to tonight?” Keith asked, tearing Lance from his thoughts.

“Hm? Oh, well there’s a couple things going on downtown I was planning to check out.”

Keith nodded, watching him expectantly.

Lance’s mouth fell open. “No way. You want to come?”

Keith raised his eyebrows. “Of course I do.”

“Keith Kogane wants to celebrate a holiday?”

“Shut up,” Keith elbowed him. “New Years is hardly a holiday.”

“Someone call the Air Force, time to check if pigs are flying.”

“Wow, you are really funny.”

“I’m in shock,” Lance continued, wrapping his arm around Keith.

Keith rolled his eyes but sidled closer to Lance, guiding Kosmo to come closer with a gentle clicking from his tongue. 

“I want to kiss my boyfriend at midnight, sue me.”

A stupid grin curled on Lance’s lips. “You called me your boyfriend.”

“And?” Keith’s expression was almost accusatory, but a blush began to build in his cheeks.

“Nothing,” Lance said brightly. “I just didn’t think you’d be the one to take the plunge.”

“If we are being honest with ourselves,” Keith huffed, “we’ve been dating since December 1st.”

Lance snickered. “Fair enough.”

“So can I crash your plans?” Keith asked, peering up at Lance through his eyelashes. 

Lance grinned. “I would be honored.”

***

Judging by the looks on his friends’ face, Lance wasn’t the only one shocked by Keith’s appearance. Pidge bounced in their seat, letting what sounded like an excited howl leave their mouth, while Hunk and Slay waved them down eagerly. Down the bar, Lance could see Shiro and Adam chatting with Pidge’s older brother, Matt. 

“No way!” Hunk slapped Keith eagerly on the back, nearly sloshing some of his drink in the process. “Join the party!”

Keith grinned up at him, mouth twisting into something a little shy, and Lance felt his heart do a little squeeze.

Lance was a little surprised that Keith made it this far. The bar was loud and boisterous, longtime friends making new ones as they crammed into the warm lounge. Lance slinked his arm around Keith, tugging him out of the throng and happily herding him to the bar. 

“Worried I’ll get swept away?” Keith called over the booming music. 

“More like swept up .”

Keith offered a smirk in response before turning in Lance’s arms and waiting to wave down the bartender. As Keith leaned on the counter, piercings twinkling in the multicolored lights, jawline looking especially sharp, Lance had to thank every star in the universe that he was dating him. 

Lance nodded his head to the beat of the music, sliding his hands onto Keith’s waist with a flurry of giddiness. Keith didn’t react necessarily, but Lance saw his lips tilt up as he spoke to the bartender. 

Lance allowed himself one more cursory glance around them, hoping a little that James was lingering in their town for a little longer. Lance had a couple tricks up his sleeve to REALLY get him jealous. 

Lance felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Shiro beaming down at them.

“I can’t believe you got him out!” Shiro laughed. 

Lance mimed a hair flip as Keith shot a middle finger his brother's way. 

“I know, I deserve a reward.”

“I don’t know why everyone is acting like I’m a hermit,” Keith said, turning with drinks in both hands. 

“That’s because you are,” Shiro said.

Lance chuckled as Keith placed one of the drinks in Lance’s hand. Lance took a sip and nodded approvingly. 

“Good?” Keith asked.

“Good.”

Keith smiled up at him.

The night dissolved into a bit of a blur after that. They milled through the crowd, chatting and laughing with their friends, smiling and waving at customers, Lance grooving to the beat while Keith watched with an amused glint in his eyes. 

Adam coaxed them into two tequila shots, which settled into a comfortable warmth in Lance’s stomach as everyone crowded together to wait for the ball to drop. 

Keith leaned against Lance’s chest, wrapping his own hands around where Lance’s hands were clasped together at his waist. While Lance knew that Keith’s social battery was rapidly running out, judging by the quieter he had gotten, he was thrilled that he had made it this far.

The people around them began to shout down the sixty-second countdown. 

Lance leaned down to Keith’s ear. “Thanks for coming out.”

Keith grinned. “Of course. I had fun.”

“Ever with all the incredibly loud, incredibly drunk people?”

“I’m pretty sure our friend group makes up a majority of that.”

Thirty seconds left. 

“You’re right,” Lance sighed dramatically. “How ever will I make it up to you?”

Keith turned in Lance’s arms, a sly glint in his eyes. “I have a couple of ideas.” 

“Ten!” Everyone shouted around them. 

“Oh, really?”

“Nine!”

“Yup,” Keith wound his arms around Lance’s neck. “Make sure to traumatize my brother.”

“Eight!”

“Oh, so that’s the goal you are setting for me?”

“Seven!” 

“Mhm,” there was a devilish glint in Keith’s eye. 

“Six!”

“So,” Lance said lowly, ducking his head down as he slid his hands down to Keith’s waist. “Excited for a new year?”

“Five!”

“I think so,” Keith said, one of his hands sliding up into Lance’s hair.

“Four!”

“After all,” he slid his thumb down Lance’s cheek. “I think there’s a lot of potential for this year.”

“Three!”

“Happy New Year,” Lance murmured.

“Two!” 

“Happy New Year,” Keith whispered. 

“One!”

As the bar exploded with sound, Keith tugged Lance’s mouth to his. Their teeth clacked together from their smiles and Keith laughed into Lance’s mouth before tilting his head and kissing Lance properly.

A wave of heat slipped down Lance’s chest and arms, goosebumps following.

They broke apart, foreheads brushing, grinning. 

Behind them, Shiro and Adam were laughing and pointing at Keith. 

Hunk was bringing Shay up from an impressive dip. 

Pidge and Matt looked like they were daring each other to jump onto the counter in celebration. 

Lance looked around at his friends, at the fanfare of the new year. At Keith, who was grinning and a little tipsy and very preoccupied in pulling Lance into another kiss.

And Lance decided this was going to be a hell of a year. 

January 1st 

“I’m going to hate you tomorrow.”

“No way!” Lance laughed, wrapping his arms around Keith.

His lack of balance sent them both careening to the side.

“Oh my God, Lance!” Keith laughed, steering them right side as he attempted to shove his key into his apartment door.

“What?”

Keith finally got his key in and offered what would have been a convincing glare, if it weren’t for his loose smile and flushed cheeks.

“This is all your fault.”

Lance dramatically grasped as Keith clumsily unlocked his door. “You wanted to come out!” 

Keith snorted. “Come out. I did that like a decade ago.”

They collapsed into the apartment in a mess of giggles. 

“Fine, fine,” Keith gasped for air. “I blame the last, like, three drinks on you.”

“What, why?”

“Because you looked all cute and sexy while offering them to me,” Keith said matter-of-factly as he stumbled over to Kosmo’s kennel.

“Oh, well,” Lance shrugged happily. “That’s hardly my fault.”

Keith was distracted by Kosmo jumping around his legs, wagging his tail excitedly.

“Come on, Kosmo,” Keith said. “Bedtime!” 

“Dibs on the pillow next to you,” Lance said, voice slurring. “Kosmo got it last time.”

Keith offered him a sly smile as he walked into his bedroom. “Why don’t you show me what you are bringing to the table, and maybe I’ll let you win the pillow.”

“Oh, game on.” 

***

An alarm ripped through Lance’s skull.

He groaned, pressing his face into the pillow. Next to him, a warm elbow shoved into his ribs as Keith let out a whine of disbelief. Kosmo snuffled from where he was sleeping at their feet.

“It can’t be six,” Keith moaned. “I swear I just shut my eyes.”

“You pretty much did.”

Keith rolled on top of Lance, slapping for his phone. Lance grimaced as the covers were ripped off him as Keith bundled himself into a ball. 

“When did we get home?” 

“I think three?”

Keith swore under his breath. Lance felt vaguely like a jackhammer was going off between his ears. He peeled his eyes open to watch Keith slowly rise into a sitting position. Keith’s hair was a mess, still tangled in the remains of a braid. It looked like he still had glitter stuck to his skin, even after the shower Keith hastily stumbled into last night. 

Keith swung his legs off the bed, straightening and pressing the heels of his hands against his eyes. 

“Why are we open today?” Keith sighed. “Parents are going to hate us, children are going to be out to drive us insane.”

“You’re so brave,” Lance said sleepily. “You got this.”

Keith lowered his hands to the bed, blinking at the window. Then, slowly, he turned to Lance. 

“If you take my shift, I’ll give you the best head of your life.”

Silence.

Lance blinked, pretty sure he just dreamed that. “What?”

“You heard me,” there was a determined glint in Keith’s eye. 

Lance contemplated this. “Continue.”

Keith was grinning, twisting over to slink back to Lance. “If it’s the best of your life, you take my shift. If it’s not, I’ll go.”

“Bullshit, I’ll just feel bad and say it’s the best even if it’s not.”

“Well, it's definitely going to be the best, so.”

Keith settled cross-legged next to Lance, his expression awake and challenging. 

And Lance couldn’t say he wasn’t intrigued.

“Alright, fine,” Lance wound his hands behind his head with a sigh. “Do your worst. I’m not helping you at all, though.”

“Don’t worry,” Keith’s voice was low as he smirked, sliding his weight over Lance. “I’m very self-sufficient.”

***

Allura blinked at Lance as he trudged through the Castleship doors. His head wasn’t pounding as hard as it was when he first woke up, but Keith’s evil laugh as Lance left his apartment was still ringing in his ears. 

“Good morning,” she said curiously. “Happy New Year.”

“Is it?” The lights made it feel like his brain was melting.

“Where’s Keith?”

“Probably sleeping off a job well done,” Lance muttered as he clocked in.

“What?”
“What?” He repeated back innocently. 

Allura shook her head, electing to ignore his antics. She fastened her apron, smoothing it down and looking at him with an award-winning smile.

“What do you think, Lance? Ready to start a great year?”

Despite the hangover having its evil way with him, Lance couldn't resist a smile at that.

“Absolutely.”