An Ode to Fanfiction

"Hey, he's pretty cute"

"Wha- Hunk"

"Whaaat. Hey I’m just saying he's cute. He's cute."

Three young men stand in a flower shop, the two behind a counter engaging in a war of whispers while the third, who walked in wearing a cropped red racer jacket skulks around smelling the flowers.

Hunk— a man who puts the bear in bear-hug by size alone— looks slyly between his flustered friend, Lance, and the customer with smirk. "Okay."

"No! No 'okay'!" Lance whispered back, catching onto what Hunk was doing. "We're in a flower shop! It's a terrible place to find a date!" He strained. Constantly looking back and forth between his co-worker and very attractive customer to make sure their not-so-subtle conversation wasn't overheard.

"Ohh come on," Hunk drawls, voice a little louder than Lance would've like, "he doesn't look the least bit sombre... and I doubt he has a girlfriend, he's taking too long."

Lance gives a long look to the customer, actually giving Hunk's words some thought. That was enough for him. A mischievous smirk grew on his face. Hunk removed himself from the counter, half through the door to the back room before alerting Lance to the fact that he'd moved at all.

"I'm gonna go check on the flowers, leaving you all alone with the cute guy. I believe in you- you'vegotthis- 'k bye" Lance turns his head, just catching the last hair on Hunk's head before he vanishes behind the door. Leaving Lance to stare blankly at the door, mouth agape as he processes what Hunk just said.

"Huuunk" Lance snaps out of it. "What! Megan won't mind."

"That's not the-"

"Uh, hello?" Lance now alerted to the customer in front of him who was waiting for his response.

"Are you busy right now? Because I can-" "nope!" Lance interjected, shooting up straight. Over energized and definitely more than a little flustered, as shock tends to do. "Welcome to Green Thumb, how can I help you!"

"I was just looking for some tulips? Like a nice pink or beige." He asks displaying his own social awkwardness.

"Yeah tulips are great! I'll take you to them." Lance An immediate flip was switched from a flustered individual to a confident employee.

Lance guided Keith to the right section holding himself well as he moved showing casual confidence "we have the standard, red, white, pink, and yellow. Some of the un-bloomed pinks might match what you're looking for. Is there an occasion or certain vibe you're after?"

"Something welcoming but not too contrasting" Keith said letting Lance take the lead

"I would definitely go for these ones then," he gestured, kneeling to inspect.

"They'll last for about a week if you keep them well, and they'll continue to grow a bit more, maybe even blooming a bit. Is this what you're going for?"

"Yeah, that's perfect."

"Great!" He rose, grabbing the pot, "I'll prepare them for you and bring them to the counter." Lance stop in his tracks, fiddling with the flower pot in hand. "I-" past Keith he sees hunk giving him an encouraging thumbs up behind the door.

His heart beat starts getting faster and so does his breathing. Swallowing his nerves, "would you be interested in going out tonight? Like for a date—" he stumbled, focusing on, really anything behind Keith's shoulders before looking him in his eyes. "I'm available after 6 when i get off... just so..you know.." confidence draining away, eyes wide and concious of how loud his heartbeat was getting he focuses on his breath.

Standing there holding the pot while waiting for an answer that feels like its been coming for too long he backs out. "I'll just.. ring this you up for you then."

He ducks his head as he walks past Keith to the counter.

"Heey," Keith slowly walks up as Lance scans and packages. Avoiding his gaze, "the answer was going to be yes. I was just surprised, that's all" Keith says, rubbing his neck sheepishly. Lance looks up, shoulders relaxing.

"Ahh. Sorry I guess I got a little in my head there."

He waved it off, "Arrghh, its alright. It happens to the best of us"

"Anyway," he continues, "I'd love to go on a date with you tonight heheh, if you'd have me."

Tulips wrapped and receipt written up.

"Soo, did you want to meet up here at 6..? I'll see you then." Keith says, waving out the door. A wide smile comes to Lance's face as his hand comes up to clutch at his heart.

Hunk bursts through the door, enveloping Lance in a hug "I-" You-" "Did it!"

"I did it I really did it!" He beams with bright eyes and the wide smile of a kid who just got tackled by his new puppy. Hunk squeezes tighter shaking Lance around.

"I'm so proud of you buddy! And you're seeing him again tonight-" putting Lance back on the ground, raising a fist in triumph- "HAH, take that anxiety!" Hunk puts his hands on his hips. "And social awkwardness- Not today!"

"Hahah, yeah. Yeah!" Lance turns around, pulling at the clothes behind his apron. "Does my shirt look okay? I mean-"

"Lance," Hunk holds his arms, turning him around and levels his face with Lance's. With direct— but enthusiastic— eye contact. "You look good— casual— oh well smart casual like without a jacket or the collar."

He lets go. "But anyway! He’s out and about as well, he won't have any time to change clothes either."

"But what if he goes to his ho-"

"Uh uh uh uh," enunciating every syllable with a finger waggle.

"You can't change what he does-" Lance's face falls- "aand," he picks up, " he already agreed to go out with you, knowing that we closed at 6, and probably that you wouldn't be changing then."

Lance looks at the ground as he processes Hunk's words, nodding. Small circles growing into bigger, stronger movements, face scrunching as his eyebrows draw inward. "Yeah? ...yeah!"

"You'll rock this date, man." Hunk brings in a side hug, playfully punching his shoulder.

The sun is setting, charming viewers with its dazzling display of pink as Lance and Keith meet in Green Thumb's parking lot.

Lance is wearing jeans, and a clean white shirt with blue sleeves. Keith, as Lance had hoped, was wearing the same thing as when they'd met. A fitting, black long-sleeved shirt, cropped red racer jacket, and black jeans.

"Do you have any plans on what you wanna do?"

"Well I was looking that up earlier but-" Lance pulls his phone out and scrolls down–just take a look."

'Go skydiving! You want a date with a sense of adventure!

"Rock-climbing is a sure way to weed out the weak ones!"

"There’s no better way to get to know your date by a game of truth or dare in a life or death situation, join Calamari Court!"

"I think that last one is just an ad for Calamari Court-" he grabs the phone- "and this.... blog's biased ppbhahahahahah." He wipes a tear from the corner of his eye. "I think someone hurt whoever wrote this." Keith continues chuckling as Lance scrolls to the bottom of the page. "Madie B."

"Riiight, well I think someone hurt Madie B." Keith repeated.

"Well despite that being probably one of the best ice breakers I've ever had... Do you wanna just ride around?" Keith asked.

Driving around town at dusk was something that Lance didn't do all that often. He'd watch the sunset sometimes, find the nearest beach and get his feet wet.

He didn't know what made this moment more mystical; feeling the wind brush by his skin so fast, it felt like he was under waves in the ocean. Or how present he was while holding onto Keith's waist, hooking his arms around in a tight hug.

As they drove by store fronts they were bathed in oranges, blues, and pinks. The colours only getting more vivid as the sun rapidly set.

Corners, and streets, and houses. The atmosphere was calm.

Lance would tap on Keith's shoulder to direct him.

The drive takes them to commerce lane; a long stretch of road like a pier

From the top of a hill, to sea level.

Bright and diverse with shops of every trade and foods of many ethnicities coming together in what could be a high functioning market if you squint.

"H EY, DU YOU WAN TU" Keith yells, trying to break his voice past the ragged wind and helmet. Lance's voice cracks as he tries to match his volume "HuUH?"

Giving up, Keith veers off the road, parks and removes his helmet. "I said," Keith started, stalling the bike as Lance removes his arms from Keith, bringing his hands to the seat space between them. Trying to balance himself without the aid of a footrest for the coming conversation.

It was going well until Keith turned around. "Do you want to get something to eat? I know a good place a little down." Balance shaken, rhythm thrown off, he almost falls before righting himself.

"Uh yeah, sure. I could eat."

"Nice."

Keith puts his helmet back on, starting the bike again.

"What no. No. I'm not eating that— that's sacrilege" Lance says, protecting himself from the affront of cuisine in front of him.

A churro sundae. Instead of using spoons Keith dipped sugar covered sticks into the ice cream before eating them both. "It's like soup and bread!" He protested.

"It's assault to my culture that's what it is."

"Whaat." Mock offended, "it's taking two things that are great on their own and making them greater together! That's beautiful."

Lance rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "Okay fine. I'm trying it then, but if it sucks you have to eat my weird food; rice with ketchup on it." He said smugly, as if it was a thing to be proud of.

"Now that's an assault against my culture." Keith laughs. Lance takes a churro, dips it into Keith's ice cream and takes a bite.

He chews for a moment, processing its tastes and textures he was experiencing in that moment. Flashes of confusion, enjoyment, and pain cross his face. "What! No, why." He takes another bite. "It's good isn't it?—" "why is it so good??" Keith laughs.

"Do wanna go back and get anothe—"

"Woah. look at that guy!" Lance whispers, interrupting Keith. Pointing toward a man with tattoos spilling out of his tank top. Ears lined with piercings.

"That’s so cool, I've always wanted piercings." He admits, continuing to look at the man as he walks past them, avoiding eye contact as he gets closer before resuming after he passes. "Well why don't you get some?"

"I don't know, I'm a guy, and— people would—like assume stuff about me. I don't want to deal with their judgements." He says, shooting his hands up defensively.

"Okay," Keith says, softly, but with determination. He grabs Lance's ice cream who gives it up with shock but confusion. And stores them in his bike. He offers Lance's his helmet. "I've got a friend with a piercing gun. I doubt any stores will be open this time of night."

The statement leaving Lance dumbfounded "wha-"

He shakes the helmet at Lance, reaching his arm out further, "Well? Is this something you want to do or not?"

Sparks go off in Lance's brain, creating trees of thought. Doubt, anxiety and fear runs through his mind creating scenarios playing out in his mind in a split second. He takes a moment, thinking.

Going through his mind addressing each scenario. No, that would happen. I wouldn't be that afraid of that if it did happen— 'but what if—' creeps into his mind. No.

'Thank you. Anxiety, for worrying about me. But I'm not in any danger. I'm going to do this. And it's going to be awesome....' He thought, mustering up the courage to go through with one of his longest wishes.

Keith's right. He did say that he'd always wanted piercings— and he had.

"Yeah. L-let's do this." Lance says firmly and grabs the helmet. Deciding to not give credence to that little voice. He hugs Keith's torso again. "Lets go."

They Arrive at a high rise building, a pretty nice one too.

Keith jogs up to the door and repeatedly presses a button. "Heey! Open up. I know you're not asleep, you gremlin." Keith continues pressing the button until he's cut off by the door-gate opening seconds later.

He holds it down again giving an annoyingly cheery "thank you."

When they arrive the apartment door Keith motioned to opens up perfectly on time. As a small, disgruntled, short-haired red head appears.

"What do you want, Keith"

"Katie!" He greets, throwing his hands up in celebration as they walk over.

"This is my—" he pauses, looking at lance asking for an answer "—friend, Lance." His cadence and speed falls. But he picks it right back up, "and anywaaay we'd like to use your piercing gun. Can you hook a boy up?"

He leans on her door, propping his head up with his fist trying his best at being charming.

Katie looks towards Lance, "it looks like you’re already hooked up, but yeah sure," she waves, leading them inside, "come on in."

Keith smiles and flicks his head, beckoning Lance inside.

They step over piles of parts, and clothes, and paper. Keith moves all too fluidly throughout this landmine of tripping hazards. Like it's a practiced dance.

She opens a few draws before waltz-ing her way to a neatly laid out pile and picks up the piercing gun from the mound. "Here," she says, holding it out as she navigates her way towards them, focusing on the path to them.

"I have some starter earrings in my room if you need them"

"That'd be great thanks." Lance pipes up behind Keith from the spot he's found on the sofa.

There’s one place in Katie's apartment that’s debris-free and that’s the small sectioned of area in her living room and that's her carpet and her couch.

"Woah!" Lance marvels at her consoles, "you have a Funtendo NEX too? I have one at my place!"

"Oh? No way?" She asks casually, stepping over piles, earrings in hand, as she emerges from her room, continuing to picking things up from piles along the way.

"Are you any good?" She asks, making her way to another debris-free zone; the kitchen and starts washing the earrings.

"Well I've got past all the levels expect the final boss, that guy's too hard to defeat on your own"

"Ha! Tell me about it." she yells back over running water. "You need a player two to beat her." She dries the earrings with a kitchen towel and grabs a plate from her fridge. Freshly prepared, she walks the divided channel of kitchen-to-couch with snack in hand.

"I've even roped him into playing but he's so bad at it." She gestures to Keith.

"Hahaha I don't doubt it. Even big ViewTubers have a hard time against her. Maybe we should team up," he jokes. "Hey, yeah!" Katie beams as she rids herself of everything onto the table. "Wait, wait wait-what, really?"

Shocked by the suddenness of the invite. "Yeah." She sit downs.

"Sorry, the place is so messy right now, it's not always like this– I'm working on a project." Lance absentmindedly nods, taking an overview of the place. "What do you do?"

Keith leans against the windowsill enjoying their interaction. "I'm an engineer."

"Okay," Katie starts, putting on gloves. "So what I do is I put a mark where you want the earrings to go, and then it just feels like a little prick. Is that alright with you?"

Lance sits up, "u-uh uhh uhhh, y-yeah."

Keith chuckles, leaving his post at the wall, "don't worry, she's done this plenty of times before, enough to rival that guy we saw today."

"Rival o-or supply?" Lance retorted, trembling slightly.

Keith deeply exhaled a breathy chuckle. "Do you need a minute?" Katie asked. "N-no, no. No.. No." Lance. "It's just a little sudden that's all."

"One minute we're on a date then the next I'm getting my EARS PIERCED."

"Hey, this is still our date." Keith jokes. Katie looks between them and smirks. "Seems like you've worked it put of your system, then?"

Lance swallows and takes a breath in. "Yeah, you can start."

Katie takes bite of her snack, uncaps the marker and does her best to draw two evenly spaced dots on the center of his ears.

"How’s that look?" She asks, mouth freshly full with another bite as she picks up a mirror, showing her handiwork to Lance. He turns his head, checking himself out in the mirror. "How does that look?" He turns to Keith.

"Looks even to me" he shrugs, waiting on Lance's for the next move.

"Do it."

'Psshklunk'

'Psshklunk'

"Very nice!" Katie gives him a childish thumbs up as she sticks her tongue out. "Good work, if-I-do-say-so-myself." She says as she packs up. Lance holds the mirror inspecting himself.

"haah... wow." Fears rising and equally quelling like an ocean getting closer and closer to the shore before ebbing and building up again. "You look good." Keith smiles, siting on the couches arm.

He gives a glance out the window. "Do you wanna go up to the roof?" He asks, "its a pretty good view up there, and it'd be a prettty good way to cap this date off"

"Ha–" Lance paused, every answer that came to his mind felt like one he'd already repeated so many times that night. He paused, looking for one that felt right.

"Lead the way."

Keith takes the leftover plate of Katie's snack. "I'm taking this." She answers by sticking her tongue out at him as he leaves.

The moment Lance opened the door, he saw stars. And the ocean, and city. Keith was right.

Even with so many lights on he could still see so many stars. It was a miraculous view.

Keith motioned him over to a ledge, sitting down on the raise. Lance followed suite, but opting for behind the raise.

"Katie's so cool." Lance admitted. Keith bursts into laughter, leaning back. "I know right! Katie's such a cool person."

He fiddles with the plate of food.

"Y'know, you're a little different when you're with her," Lance says, as an open query.

"Ha, yeaaah," Keith sheepishly admits, "I guess its because she's already opened the key to my heart— arggh—" He cuts, "I mean that- I'm pretty comfortable around her. First dates always make me awkward. I never know what to do in them."

"Hahah!" Lance heartily laughs, "I get so awkward about what to say in them!" He smiles. The first anxeity free smile of the night. "It can be pretty easy for me to get caught up in my head." He admits with a shrug, staring at the concrete between them. "I've been working through it though- my friend's been helping me too."

"Oh? Which friend?"

"Oh- you, uh, you probably saw him at the flower shop? I don't know, he disappeared after a while." Lance clenches his teeth shaking his hands in lieu of quotation marks, "one of his 'little things to help me.'"

"I mean I know I asked him to but-" he cuts himself off, raising his shoulders and scrunching his nose.

"Well I'm glad he did." Keith makes a move, putting his hand close to Lance's in a question to hold it.

Lance looks form the hand to Keith and smiles, placing his hand on top of Keith's and interlocking the fingers.

They just stay there in wordless silence. Sometimes adding pressure to the handhold as a way to say; I'm still here. I'm still thinking for you, and I'm present in sharing this moment with you.

Keith was the first to break the silence. "Tonight was.. nice." He Looked over at Lance who's face was held a soft smile as he looked at the stars above. If their colour could carry. His face would be awash in blue and speckled with purple, and gold, and pink, and white.

Fluorescent lights do a good job at colour mimicry, but their help wasn't necessary for Keith to see the light on Lance's face.

"I'm really glad I took that risk." Lance says, giving Keith's hand a squeeze.

"Yeah...." Keith smiles, and stargazes once more "I am too."

Keith opens his mouth to ask a question but just before he could get it out Lance turns to him; giving him his full attention, and scaring the question away from Keith momentarily.

Keith untangles his hand from Lance's, brings it under the same arm and intertwines them more evenly. Palm to palm.

He turns his head upward, showcasing a wide smile of glee. He makes instinctual movements to hide his faces which he gives in to before pulling out of hiding again

After he calms down and the question has gathered enough courage to resurface he faces Lance, blushing. Looking at the ground in an attempt to hide his face but only able to do it half as well as he'd like. The rooftop wind makes it to do the two things he wants to do at once. "Would you like to go out again sometime?"

Lance caught off guard perks up.

"Y-yeah!"

Lance doesn't hide his wide smile and flushed cheeks, open for Keith to see him.

"I'd love too..." He gives his palm a squeeze.