Behind the Mask // Klance AU

3

Chapter Summary: Keith is a smart lil shit, Lance needs his ass saved again, and I scream at the fact that these two are so hopeless... enjoy my beans! 

Keith looked at Lance with a look in his eyes that could only be described as pure terror. Neither of them said anything before Keith swiped his bag from the table and the phones from Lance and ran off. Lance stood and followed him, but he lost him all too quickly. That was until he remembered the tracker that Pidge had just put on Keith's phone. The little red dot that represented Keith appeared to be tucked in an alley not far from the school. Lance ran, following the path to him until his little blue dot was right in front of Keith's. Looking up from his phone, Lance saw Keith sitting on an old fire escape. His back was pressed against the brick wall behind him and his face was buried in his knees, his bag cast aside. Lance was unsure if Keith was okay or not until he heard it. Faint, muffled sniffles coming from the smaller boy. 

"Keith!" Lance rushed over to him "Man, I... I'm so sorry, I just-" 

"I don't like people looking at my drawings," Keith said quietly, cutting off Lance's apology.

"What do you mean?" Lance asked softly. Keith pulled out the sleeker phone, pulling up the photo that Lance had seen. 

"I like to draw what I think the people that Spiderman takes pictures with look like. It's an old habit. I'm almost always watching the news, and when I saw the photo being taken on the news yesterday I started drawing," Keith explained. 

"Ah, that's- wait, weren't you helping your cousin?" Lance questioned. 

"Yeah. We pushed her car back to her house since she'd barely gotten around the corner and I fixed it there. She keeps the news on too. It's almost like a family trait," Keith said with a small chuckle. Peeking at the photo, Lance did realize it looked like a drawing and not a photo. A very well done drawing, but a drawing nonetheless. 

"Oh. Well, I'm still sorry I took your stuff."

"It's alright. I'm gonna head inside now though, I don't really feel like going back to school," Keith said, grabbing his bag. 

"Inside?" Lance questioned. 

"This is my apartment building," Keith explained, beginning to climb up the fire escape.

"That makes sense. Well, I'll see you later, I guess," Lance said. 

"Yeah," Keith said, before slipping into the window of his apartment. He dropped his bag and leaned on the wall. "That was close," He whispered to himself, peeking at the picture. Thank god he'd remembered to put the hand-drawn filter on it like he always did. He'd have to put a password on that phone. Once again, though, he didn't even have time to sit down before he heard a commotion outside. He went to the window to listen. 

"Woah, guys, I think you've got the wrong guy here..." that was Lance. He sounded worried. 

"Nah, you'll do. Now empty your pockets or pay the price!" An unknown voice said. Keith didn't hesitate to pull his hoodie off and his mask on, making sure his hair was completely tucked in this time. He silently jumped to the opposing rooftop, so if Lance saw him come down he wouldn't think it was Keith. He assessed the situation from above. Three guys, who Keith recognized as the school bullies, had Lance cornered. Keith wouldn't have been as concerned, but one of them pulled out a switchblade and Keith lost it. He jumped down smoothly, landing in between Lance and the three boys. 

"Hey, what's going on here? I don't know about you, but I don't recall switchblades being used in a traditional friendly greeting," Keith said. He liked how having the mask on made him feel. He sounded totally different, mostly because he was so much more confident. In an instant, the three boys scattered. Lance was still in shock, but he managed to calm down a little bit more. Keith turned around. 

"You alright?" Keith asked. 

"Y-yeah. I'm alright. Thanks for saving my ass. Again," He said with a chuckle. Keith didn't miss the faint blush on his cheeks. 

"No need to thank me. I'm just doing my job," Keith said, preparing to return to the rooftop. "Make sure you get home safe," He said, pushing off the ground. Just as his feet left the ground, a hand caught his wrist. 

"Wait!" Lance said, a desperate look on his face and hope in his eyes.

"Who are you? Behind the mask?" Lance asked. Keith smiled under his mask. Keith briefly squeezed Lance's wrist in kind response. 

"That's for me to know and for you to find out... someday," He said with a chuckle. 

"Oh. Alright. Well, I hope I find out soon." Lance let him go, looking slightly crestfallen. Keith was gone in a flash, but not without calling back something he would have been too embarrassed to ever say without a mask on. 

"See ya around, Pretty Boy!" Keith called. He heard the faint confused screech from the rooftop. But what he heard next had him slyly looking over the rooftop's edge.

"He... he called me Pretty Boy," Lance said, gently touching the hand he'd grabbed Keith with, fingers grazing over the spot where Keith's hand had just been. "God," Keith heard. "Could anyone be more hopelessly in love?" Lance said, sounding sad. Keith was frozen as Lance walked away. Keith quietly made his way back inside his apartment, pulling his mask off and burying his face in his hands. 

"Don't worry, Lance," Keith whispered to himself. "You aren't the only one who's hopelessly in love."

Next chapter is probably gonna be a bit longer, somewhat angsty, but I promise it'll also be really fluffy. I feel the need to make up for it after this chapter and chapter 2. See ya in the next chapter. Remember, comments are always appreciated, and votes too! Luv ya my beans! 

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