klancemas with cal

Day 31 - Midnight Kiss

Times Square was packed. Of course, it was: it was 11:57 on New Year's Eve and a giant crowd of people rippled like the ocean, shouting and laughing and drinking and having a good time. Lance was with his best friend, Allura, visiting her for the weekend in her tiny city apartment. 

Luckily, they'd gotten a good spot in the crowd, close to the Ball and some newscasters, pop music blaring over the speakers that lined the sidewalks.

Everywhere Lance looked, there were lights, streamers, glitter. He was covered in glitter too, blue on his cheeks, collarbone, shoulders and hands and hair, wearing a fluffy coat and Adidas joggers. He was a little cold, but the warmth of the crowd kept him toasty. 

Another minute passed and the crowd went crazy. Lance could hear some people already beginning the countdown from 120. He was tired, he'd admit- he and Allura had arrived in the early afternoon to grab a spot, and he felt like he'd been on his feet all day (he pretty much had) but the spirit of the people around him kept him alert. 

Allura turned towards him, her eyes sparkling with mischevious happiness. "We have to find kisses!" Lance knew what she was talking about- Allura was fond of the Midnight Kiss tradition and she wanted to make sure that Lance had his. She'd already found her kiss: a young man around their age with shaggy brown hair. He said his name was Matt. 

But Lance still needed someone too. He was bi, so it really didn't matter to him who he kissed, as long as they were willing and close to his age, but he'd had his eyes on one particular mullet a few feet ahead of him in the crowd for a few minutes.

While he wasn't exactly fond of the hairstyle, he'd been sneaking glimpses of the young man's face throughout the countdown and he'd realized that he was actually quite handsome. A sharp jaw and dark eyes, a small smile as he talked to a taller man beside him, who was probably a few years older. 

The young man was gazing up at the Ball with it's flashing lights and bright display with a look of awe and Lance wondered if it was his first time in Times Square for the celebration as well. 

Lance would have asked the man earlier, but he was afraid that his friend, the taller man with a shock of white hair, had already taken the spot and Lance certainly didn't want the embarrassment of that rejection. 

Another minute passed and applause broke out as people began counting down from 60, more and more joining in by the second. Allura nudged Lance in the side and raised her eyebrows, looking between him and the boy in front of them.

"Ask him!" she urged Lance happily, "You only have a minute left!" 

Lance felt a bit of anxiety set in. "What if the tall dude's his date?"

Allura rolled her eyes, "It's just a kiss, babe. Live it up!" she fell against Matt's chest with a fit of giggles and Lance rolled his eyes. It seemed like she'd certainly had enough to drink. 

Steeling himself, Lance stepped forward, nudging his way through the crowd to the two young men. As he inched closer, he picked up a bit of their conversation. 

"I'm not really into that whole kissing thing. What if they give me herpes?" Mullet asked Tall Dude. 

Tall Dude shrugged. "It's a risk you take, Keith. I don't do it because of Adam, but you're not the one with a husband. I say go for it."

Lance felt a sigh of relief leave his lungs. So Tall Dude was married. And Mullet was "Keith".

Keith looked around aimlessly and turned back to Tall Dude. "Shiro, no one's gonna want to kiss me."

30, 29, 28

Lance was now directly behind them and he bit his lip, trying to muster the courage to ask Keith.

27, 26, 25

He reached up and tapped Keith on the shoulder, trying his best to look inviting and warm and not someone with herpes. 

24, 23, 22

Keith turned and he was even more gorgeous this close up. Lance's eyes widened and he searched for words. He saw a wispy trail of condensation leave Keith's mouth as he exhaled. 

21, 20, 19

"Do you already have someone waiting for a kiss?" Lance blurted and it wasn't at all what he'd rehearsed.

18, 17, 16

Keith's cheeks turned pink, but maybe it was just the flashing lights around them coloring his face. "Uh." He blinked a few times, trying to understand what this stranger meant.

15, 14, 13

Lance winced. He braced himself for the rejection, but a look passed over Keith's face, curious and kind. "No, no one's asked me yet."

12, 11, 10

Lance felt his own cheeks heat up at Keith's sly, pretty smile. "Would you be opposed to me?" 

9, 8, 7

Keith shook his head, laughing a little. "Not at all. I'm Keith." He held out his hand. 

6, 5, 4

"The name's Lance." He clasped his hand against Keith's and smiled, not quite shaking, more of holding the clasp between them. 

3, 2, 1

"Here goes nothing," Lance murmured and leaned down. Keith met him halfway as the crowd went wild. Lance couldn't hear himself think, but he knew that Keith probably had the softest lips in the world. 

Keith stepped forward and let himself mold to Lance's frame, his hands running through the soft, short hairs at the nape of Lance's neck. He felt Lance's hands slide up to his jaw, thumbs on his cheeks and Keith lost himself in bliss. He'd never been kissed like this before. He never wanted to stop.

Maybe seconds, maybe minutes, maybe hours later, they finally broke apart. Keith looked up at Lance with a dreamy, dazed expression. Lance smiled tenderly and kissed Keith's forehead, just to hold him close again. 

"Happy New Year," he said softly.