Lifted // Klance

Chapter three

Lance's POV

The boy I just met was holding onto his chest and screaming in pain. At first, I didn't think he was serious, but it started sounding like a really bad problem. I quickly paddled back to the house and lifted him from the boat and into my arms. He was crying?

"What the hell just happened!" My mom runs outside and rips Keith away from my arms. He was breathing only a little. His eyes shut with fear.

"Mom, I didn't know-"

"You harmed him?? You just met this kid, Lance!" My mom yells at me. She raises a hand in the air and I shut my eyes. I open them again to realize that she refuses to spank me this time.

My Mom sighs and brings Keith back inside and laid him on the sofa. His aunt pats his cheek several times until his eyes flutter open. I stand there and rub my arm in shame. This was my fault wasn't it? I didn't know Keith well enough to know he was afraid of riding a boat.

"Is he okay?" I asked in concern. Jess, I believe was her name turns to face me and smiles weakly with a nod. I sigh in relief.

They made Keith sleep on the sofa for awhile until he was stable enough to go back on the boat. To be honest, I don't want to take him across the lake anymore. What just happened now was frightening. It was like... the boy was about to pass away because of me.

Jess gestures at me to go speak with her alone in the dining room. For a second, I thought I was in big trouble, but she smiled, meaning it was okay. I took a seat and watched Keith sleep from the living room. Jess sat across from me, kind of blocking my view.

"Lance... you know this isn't your fault right?" She says, giving me a sympathetic hand to my shoulder. I shrugged. It is my fault. Because of me, he went on the boat and passed out. "Yes..." I admitted.

"Oh dear... Lance, listen. You've only known Keith for an hour, so you wouldn't know this. I don't blame you" she sighs. "Keith is born with a weak heart. When he's afraid of something, his heart will... respond more harshly than others. He gets a lot of heart attacks and he... what's the word? Passes out. There isn't a hospital around, so we can't get him surgery for a stronger heart. So it's best if he stays away from possibly dangerous things or anything that can trigger a heart failure."

When I heard that, I immediately became upset. Keith was a sweet guy. He was so bright. He wanted to fly. How was he going to fly if he has a heart disease.

"It's upsetting to say, and I don't want to think about it, but when he was younger and lived in Texas with his deceased parents, his doctors said he wasn't going to live a long life. They predicted somewhere around the next few months, he'd see the light of heaven" Jess was looking away, holding back tears. She appeared very stressed out.

My eyes gazed to Keith, who was sleeping peacefully. My lips curved downward and my heart broke a little. That poor sweet boy... he doesn't know that, does he? He wants to be a pilot in the future. But he has a weak heart and he wouldn't live as long as he wanted to. This made me feel deep sorrow. But then I remembered something he said:

'Being happy is a good thing. Besides, you can't live being sad all the time. Life is short after all. It's best that as individuals, we should live life to the fullest' ~ Keith Kogane.

He was right.

My new goal is to spend as much time and fun with him as possible. He deserves happiness. Especially for a person who lived most of his life without friends. I want to show him new experiences. As long as they weren't dangerous.

"This is why we wanted him to have a friend. Before he dies, take care of him for us. We want to see him smile with somebody" Jess said.

I nod and watched Keith wake up from his really short nap. He was cute when he sleeps. And when he wake up. Keith was like a bunny waking up from winter hibernation. It was irresistibly adorable.

I stood up from my seat and walked over to the messy haired boy. I ran my fingers through it to fix it and he smiles softly. So cute.

"You alright now, buddy?" I ask.

He nodded cheerfully. "I still want to go to your farm though."

I took a second to think. "We can take your horse around the lake, is that good?"

"Doesn't that take a lot longer?" keith groans.

"It's better than risking another heart attack on the boat. I'd rather you be safe" I explain.

When we walked back outside, Keith got on Randolph. He let out his hand to help me up behind him. I started to worry.

What if Keith gets a heart attack on the horse and falls over?

But no... that can't happen. If this was Keith's horse, it meant he was able to ride him with no problem right? He was okay. I need to stop worrying.

"Giddy up buddy" Keith told Randolph and we started to ride around the lake. Keith looked confident and happy. That made me feel a whole lot better.

Keith didn't let his heart disease stop him from fun and new experiences. He was really living life the way everyone else did. That was what made him special. And a part of why I like him so much.

The lake was shimmering under the sun's light to my left. It was so beautiful... what could have been so scary about it? Maybe because Keith thought it was deep? It really wasn't. It was quite shallow anyway. Oh at least that's what I think. Since i'm a swimmer, I wouldn't have any fear I did break the boat.

I thought of a scenario if Keith really did fall into the water. It was ugly to think about, but I thought of myself as his life saver.

I would... swim under him... sweep him up to the surface for air. He would hold onto my chest like any cliche romance story. 'Oh Lance, you're so strong' he'd say.

I closed my eyes and thought some more. What if... he didn't wake? I'd rest his wet pale body on the shore and give him CPR and...

FUCK Lance, you're fucked up. I need to stop thinking about it before I get a boner.

How could I be fantasizing about Keith when he was literally right in front if me? Damn awkward...

My arms were wrapped around his waist and I could smell his unique scent from his hair and the fabric of his flannel. Unlike me, he smelled nice. Kind of like a girl for some reason. I always smelled like sweat and dirt.

I stared at the back of his neck, where his hair laid. I couldn't help myself. Without his consent, i digged my face into his cute mullet and rested my soft lips against his hair.

Keith tensed up a bit but didn't question it. Not until I accidentally kissed it.

"Ah! What the hell are you doing!" Keith jerked his head and his horse neighed.

"Oh whoops, sorry sorry sorry" i say over and over again. Fuck Lance, seriously?

"Do I smell that nice?" He scoffed.

"Yeah..." I admitted, blushing a little. Damn... I was really going to fall in love with this boy, wasn't I? All the years i've lived in this small town, i've never met anyone so beautiful.

Keith's scoff quickly turned into a blush and he was fast to turn around. 'He's sooo hiding it...' i thought to myself and laughed a little. 'That little mullet haired boy ain't slick...'

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Fucking Randolph man omfg