Chapter Text
A memory.
A young man clenches his jaw and holds his bag in the front seat of his foster parent’s son’s car. Another school, another nightmare, he thinks. The bruise on his chin from the last fight at his last school isn’t even gone yet. And this school won’t be any different.
“Do I really have to?” he asks. “Can’t I just… homeschool or something? Please?”
“C’mon, Keith,” the driver says, voice trying to stay patient. “You can’t go through life isolating yourself forever.”
“I could try,” he huffs. “Shiro, can’t we just—”
“No,” Shiro shakes his head and checks his reflection in the rear view. He frowns and fusses with the shock of white hair that doesn’t belong with his young face. “Give people a chance. Who knows, maybe you’ll make a friend here.”
Keith doubts it.
“You promised me, Keith,” Shiro reminds him, and lays on a sympathetic gaze.
He did. He promised he’d at least try. Because if he tries, Shiro promised they could go dirt biking next week. Keith gives him an understanding nod and opens the door, throwing his foot out and standing before the entrance to the school. He closes the door behind him and Shiro drives off in a hurry, likely late to teach his own classes.
Keith sighs, joins the stream of students heading inside, and hears a laugh that changes the course of his life forever.
*****
Feels like Lance has been waiting for this trip his entire life. After the cluster fuck of high school and all the stress of college, he needs a break. His oldest friend Hunk, a big gentle giant of a man, suggested Canada, and his other friend Pidge, agreed. It was more affordable than Lance's suggestion of France, plus he'd still be able to use some of the French he learned in high school. Either way, Lance is ready to celebrate their graduation with a nice vacation before starting the next chapter of their lives.
No more classes. No more homework. And no more annoying classmates.
Or rather, one classmate in particular.
Anything to get away from Keith Kogane.
Keith came out of nowhere during Lance's Sophomore year in high school, and he's been raining on Lance's parade ever since. He was no one. Lance never would have noticed him if it weren't for all the waves he started making, many of them seemed specifically to upset Lance in particular.
Not only did Keith join the tennis club, but he scooped up the title of captain a year later. The same captain role that Lance had been trying to nab since he was a Freshman. As if that weren't enough, he started making the best grades in his class. The guy didn't even have the decency to look humble about it, constantly shooting Lance a defiant look, and in some rare instances, a smug smirk. He even won the best looking superlative award in their yearbook, ousting Lance by only four votes. By the time the graduated, Lance had become very familiar with that holier-than-thou glare.
That was the last time they spoke, and he wishes it had been the last time he'd seen Keith. Except the genius ended up with a full ride to the only college Lance applied to. They weren't in the same classes anymore, different areas of expertise, but Lance still saw him at tennis matches and around campus enough to be put in a foul mood for a week any time he did spot him. He hardly seemed to notice Lance, and when their eyes did meet, Keith would just frown and cast his eyes away with a huff, pretending he didn't see Lance at all. Lance never knew it was possible for a single person to mess with his life just by being in his periphery.
But that's finally over now.
Lance can finally put college and Keith behind him. He'll have his swell vacation, hang out with his friends, eat some delicious food, and flirt with some French-Canadian babes. And when he gets back, he'll have a job waiting for him, hopefully miles and miles away from Keith. Everything really is looking up.
“Baggage checked, boarding passes acquired,” Hunk hums. He nudges Pidge and she lowers her headphones. “Want me to grab us some snacks?”
“Uh,” she chews on her bottom lip and looks at the ceiling in thought. After adjusting her glasses, she nods and looks at him. “Gum. In case my ears start to pop.”
“Gotcha,” Hunk beams and looks at Lance. “Lance? Snacks?”
They're already at their gate, dozens of people passing them in both directions. It's crowded but there's something calming about it. No conversations stick out and nothing is too loud. It almost feels like a white noise machine, which means he's gonna nap easily while they wait for their flight.
“Lance?” Hunk repeats. “Food? Chips or anything?”
“Nah, I'm gonna go grab a coffee though,” Lance answers and points. “If you find a spot to sit before me, hold one for me.”
Lance jogs over to the coffee joint and gets into the long line. He fiddles around on his phone, scrolling through his Instagram as he waits. Lots of people are celebrating their graduation with a well-earned vacation it seems. More than a few of his classmates are in tropical locales taking selfies with their drinks. One is in a British pub, toasting with a pint of dark ale and a plate of chips.
“Now, I'm wishing I'd said yes to snacks,” he snorts.
He casts his glance toward the gate, spotting his friends as they find a seat for them. They wave to let him know where they are, and he waves back with a nod. Just as he's about to turn back to the line, his eyes catch on someone in a different row. Dark blue jeans, black tee shirt, and red jacket, nothing special that should really jump out at him, but the hair makes him stop and stare.
“No way,” Lance mumbles to himself. “It can't be...”
That man over there almost looks like him. He looks like Keith, but Lance can't be sure. He's got a ball cap on and a black face mask too, obscuring some of his features. But the shape of him, his body language, it's all too familiar in the worst way. The posture as he holds his phone and casually scrolls through, the tilt of his head and tap of his foot...
Could he really be here, once again, ruining Lance's vacation before it even started?
No, no, it can't be. He's just being paranoid. But there is a way to be sure.
Lance orders his drink and waits nearby. He keeps his eyes on the stranger, praying that it truly is just some stranger. When Lance’s name gets called at the counter, he ignores it the first time. It just means the barista is forced to say it significantly louder, which is what Lance wants.
“Tall mocha! McClain!” she shouts.
The man stiffens and then raises his head cautiously. He looks directly at Lance and he just knows.
“Fuck my life,” Lance groans as he turns to take his drink.
This is fine. There's always the chance that Keith's getting on a different plane. Except, Lance saw that he was in front of their gate for the Canada flight. Things aren't quite looking as up as he was hoping.
Without sparing a glance to Keith, Lance makes a beeline for his friends. He drops down into the seat next to Hunk and sighs into his coffee. It takes everything in him not to look at Keith.
“Hey, did you see? Our professor is here,” Hunk comments.
“Which one?” Lance asks, glad for the topic change.
“Shirogane,” Pidge answers and points. “He's right over there.”
Lance looks and feels his heart drop again. She's right. Their old statistics professor from the university is sitting in their section, right next to Keith. He's leaned over, talking with the younger man and showing him something in a book. Keith is listening to what he says, but he flicks his eyes up to Lance for a split second forcing Lance to look away with a huff.
“That guy, I swear,” Lance grumbles into his cup. “He's like my own personal curse.”
“Who?” Pidge frowns.
“Keith,” Hunk answers for him. “I didn't realize that was him. He's like… the only person Lance talks about that way.”
“Don't make it sound like I'm obsessed with the guy,” Lance insists with a frown. “He's the one obsessed with me!”
“I think it's just a coincidence that he's here, Lance,” Pidge says.
“It's not,” Hunk says with certainty. They both look at him in disbelief, waiting for an explanation that he gladly provides. “The Professor. I told him we were thinking about vacationing after graduation. He said he was going to Canada with his adopted brother. I thought it would be neat if we ran into him. I just... didn't realize that Keith was his brother until now.”
“Ah, so you knew we'd run into Shirogane. You just didn't know about this Keith guy?”
“Yeah.”
“Ugh, doomed from the start,” Lance sighs, disappointed.
“Hey, hey, don't say our vacation is doomed,” Hunk frowns at him and nudges with his shoulder. “Don't self fulfill a prophecy just because it's easier than making an effort to have fun.”
“Hunk's right,” Pidge says and crunches on a potato chip. “And with the greatest respect, maybe just grow the fuck up. The world doesn't revolve around you. And it doesn't revolve around some guy you hate. Move on. I want to have fun in Canada and I don't wanna hear you gripe about this guy, not even once. Get me?”
Lance hates that she's right, but fuck does that sting. He doesn't want to be the reason his friends don't have fun. It's their vacation too and they deserve to have a good time. So Lance grits his teeth, takes a deep cleansing breath, and exhales.
“Okay,” he tells them while putting his hands together in mock prayer. “I will... endeavor to move on. And you will not hear me bitch or moan about Keith for the entire trip.”
“Promise?”
“I swear on my life,” Lance promises and does the appropriate heart-crossing gesture. “The entire trip.”
“Good,” Pidge nods and smirks. She offers her fist.“Three Musketeers?”
He grins and Hunk beams with matching excitement. They slap their hands on top of hers and raise them into the air with a cheer.
“Les Trois Mousquetaires!”
They wait patiently for their plane to arrive, Hunk and Pidge playing a card game to pass the time. Lance watches or at least, tries his best to. He can't help but steal a glance toward Keith, wondering what he's up to. But each time Keith is decidedly not looking at him, or leaned back in his chair with his cap pulled further down, almost like he's taking a nap.
Lance can't decide whether he envies or hates the way Keith sits there, completely unbothered by their meeting again. He wishes he could be so disinterested, and yet, he hates that Keith is acting like Lance isn't there. The least he could do is look as annoyed as Lance feels.
Keith was like that in high school too. No matter what height Keith reached, or who he surpassed, there was no acknowledgment of those below him or their accomplishments, namely Lance. It was always--
Anyone can do it if they try hard enough.
Lance clenches his jaw and looks away. What was that supposed to mean? That if they can't do it, it just means they aren't trying? Bullshit! He was always trying and got him nowhere near the accolades it got Keith.
All attempts Lance made to get better than Keith were met with more effort from Keith to keep him from getting higher. If Lance made 90s, Keith made straight As. If Lance fund-raised a couple of hundred dollars for the school, Keith raised a thousand. If Lance was good at tennis, Keith was just leagues better. Yes, it invigorated a sense in Lance to work harder, but Keith was always another rank higher, always one step ahead.
And he never gave Lance the recognition he deserved.
One day, he's actually going to say something to Keith. He's going to tell him off for all the garbage he put him through in high school. Maybe he'll say something when they get on the plane. Just spit his venom right in the Ice King's face and walk away, content that he finally stood up for himself.
But then it would be just his luck that he'd get seated next to him for the whole flight. No. He'll wait until the flight is over. Then he'll give Keith a piece of his mind. He just has to figure out what to say.
“Now boarding flight 96C for Edmonton, Canada--”
While Lance would have loved to sit with his friends, they bought seats in economy while he splurged a little for a business class seat. It's mostly because he likes the extra room for his lanky legs. That and it's just quieter up front in general, and he's a light sleeper. His friends don't begrudge him for it, they just wave him off and tell him they look forward to seeing him on the ground.
He was a kid the last time he was on a plane. Lance's family was visiting relatives in Cuba before officially moving to the states together. It's hard to recall the exact age, but he remembers seeing a terrible (but unfortunately common for the time period) bowl cut and a large gap in his teeth in the reflection of the window seat. Pretty young then and full of excitement to see the world from thousands of feet in the sky.
No window seat this time. Instead, he got the aisle, and thank god he didn't decide to loose his choice words on Keith before take off. He's sitting right across the aisle with his brother in the window seat.
“Hey now, I thought that was you!” Professor Shirogane exclaims as Lance drops into his seat. “McClain, is that right? Mr. Garret said it was likely I'd see you on this flight. How are you doing?”
Lance screws on his most polite smile before turning to look that way. Keith's looking down at his phone making it hundreds of times easier to focus on Shirogane.
The professor is one of those people that's an enigma to look at. From a distance, one would think he was a tall but much older man. His gray hair and thick glasses lend themselves to that well. But on closer inspection, it's easy to see that he's far younger than first perceived. He has a sharp jaw and thick shoulders, but soft, kind eyes that seem to be in a permanent happy squint. In truth, he can't be much more than a decade older than Lance himself.
“Doing great,” Lance says, his smile feeling a little tight. “Just… ready for a well-earned vacation.”
“Graduating is certainly something to celebrate,” Shirogane agrees with a smile and a nod. He nudges Keith. “Isn't that right, Keith?”
“Mmm,” Keith answers noncommittally, eyes still glued to the screen.
“He doesn't sound all that enthused, but trust me, he's happy,” Shirogane tells Lance. “Magna Cum Laude too. I couldn't be more proud of him.”
At that, Keith has an actual reaction to anything being said around him. His cheeks gather some heat. Lance feels himself give in to the imp desire to embarrass him further.
“Wow,” Lance exaggerates his astonishment. “I'm surprised the Ice King didn't nab Summa Cum Laude, considering he was Valedictorian in high school.”
Keith clenches his jaw but says nothing.
“Oh, haha! The Ice King! I remember that,” Shirogane laughs. “Do you remember, Keith?”
“Yeah,” is all Keith says, simmering in his seat.
Some small petty part of Lance is glad to see he still hates that nickname.
“He probably would have been Summa if it weren't for me, actually,” Shirogane chuckles, scratching the back of his head with a contrite smile. “I'd drag him away from his studies occasionally. Life is more than grades. I wanted him to have more fun. Enjoy more things.”
Keith's a brat, but at least Shirogane seems like a good guy. He feels his animosity with Keith fading the more he looks at Keith's older brother.
“Sounds like you're a good big brother, Mr. Shirogane,” Lance says.
“He is.”
It's the first that Keith's reacted to anything in response to Lance. He's still not looking at him though. Keith just shifts in his seat to reach his bag and pulls out a book. A travel guide in French. He opens it up and brushes his bangs out of his face before directing his attention down into it, not willing to say much more.
Shirogane chuckles. “Sorry. He's not much of a talker,” he explains.
“I know,” Lance states and sits back in his seat comfortably. He pulls out his air-pods and presses one into his ear. “He skipped his Valedictorian speech in high school. The Salutatorian had to cover for his ass instead.”
Keith calmly breathes in and out through his nose, then casually flips a page.
“You'd know what that's like,” Keith states nonchalantly. “From all the times I had to carry your dead weight in Doubles.”
Lance feels a sudden rage burn in him. To insinuate that he was bad at tennis, that Lance wasn't more than capable of scoring when the heat was on is downright insulting. Lance was a good player, a great player. Good enough to get a partial scholarship for college. Sure, it wasn't the full ride that Keith got, but no one ever had to cover for his weaknesses or failures because he didn't have any!
Except Lance doesn't say any of that.
Pidge told him to let it go and he knows he should. The world is more than whatever grudge Keith has against him. It's more than the inadequacy that Keith makes him feel. So he's not going to let Keith bait him into saying something stupid. Not this time.
“Sorry you felt I was such a burden,” is all Lance says and puts the other air-pod in. “Lucky for you, I'm not your problem anymore.”
After that, he doesn't look at Keith. He doesn't look at Shirogane either, who has no doubt finally sensed an animosity between the two. If he tries to talk to Keith, to ask him what that was all about, Lance doesn't hear it. He just turns on his music, puts on his seat belt, and tries to go to sleep.
With any luck, the next time he wakes up, they'll be at their final destination.