swim with me? [klance au]

Knots

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Lance wanted his birthday to be lowkey. He didn't want a surprise, a big party, any of that. He wanted Hunk, Allura, and all the tenants of the Holt household, a cake, and a good movie. Some warmth and friendship he could surround himself with.

Of course, Keith was happy to oblige and planned almost everything, but there was one aspect of the party that he hadn't figured out yet. Lance's gift. He didn't want to be too forward- they hadn't been dating for that long anyway, but he did want it to be meaningful, something Lance could cherish.

The shops of their Californian harbor city were perfect, though, holding treasures that Keith just had to find. First, he thought about getting Lance something like a book, so he could curl up and read and have some quiet time to himself, but then Keith decided that was too solitary (he didn't even know if Lance took reading lessons under the sea- he didn't want to embarrass him if he couldn't read).

He thought then of getting him something simple- a few shells, some nail polish, maybe some pearl earrings? Lance would probably like some jewelry, but Keith figured that the earrings might fall out underwater, where the current was strong, and Lance had enough shells and nail polish as it was.

As he walked along the pier, strolling casually with his hands in his pockets, Keith looked out to sea. What would happen once Lance left? Would things just go back to normal? What even was normal now? Now that Keith knew that mermaids were real and there was a mermaid war going on and his best friend was dating the leader of a mermaidian village? It was all too much, but it wasn't like he could turn back.

And yet, he couldn't help but think about it. Would Lance forget about him, just like that? Keith knew he'd never be able to forget Lance, but was he just another human in the long run? Sure, Lance deserved better, but at the same time, Keith couldn't stand the thought of Lance with someone else, mermaid or not.

Keith turned to enter a small shop called "Knick Knots", painted blue. Petite and bright, the little store looked to hold clothing, jewelry, soaps and lotions, totes and bags, and blankets. Soft lo-fi music played through hidden speakers and the sea breeze that floated through the store gave everything an air of soft elegance.

Keith meandered through the store thoughtfully, looking over the products. Nothing really caught his eye until he noticed something at the checkout counter. A large jar of braided ropes. Upon closer inspection, Keith recognized it as a jar of bracelets, the white, braided, rope ones. The clerk, a young woman in a yellow sundress who sat on a stool behind the register, noticed Keith's interest.

"Ah, sailor's bracelets. Those have an interesting past, boyo." Keith looked up at her, nodding. Her hair was up in a turban, but a few dark curls of hair escaped by her ears. "Sailors used to make them to show their knot-tying skills, show-offs. Thought the ropes gave them good fortune and luck. Then, when they came home, they gave them to their sweethearts so that they'd have something to remember them by when they went back to sea. Pretty sweet, if you ask me," the clerk said, fingers straying to her own bracelet.

"Something to remember them by, huh?" Keith murmured, reaching into the jar to pull a pair of bracelets out.

...

Lance was mesmerized by balloons, as was Allura and Hunk. "But how do they float?" Allura demanded, making Shiro burst out laughing.

The spacious kitchen in the beach house was filled with friends and the smell of marbled cake. Hunk had oven mitts on, working with Shiro to make a cake. He'd gotten so excited when Shiro had asked him to help, Lance thought he'd cry from happiness. It was Hunk's dream, after all, to open up a restaurant- whether on land or under the sea, he didn't care.