Hidden Messages [Klance AU]

18: Blue Waves

Moonlight shone through the trees onto Lance's tanned skin. He brushed past the leaves, stepping out from the wood onto the beach. The boy walked slowly, kicking his feet forward with his hands in his pockets. He faced the ground, a thin line of a smile on his face until he brought something out of his pocket.

In his hands was a small velvet box. Lance hadn't realized it was there; this was Keith's jacket that he had taken from the bedroom where he read all those books.

Curious, Lance opened the box. Nestled inside was a golden ring with a diamond in the center of two small sapphires the color of Lance's scales. The mer's lips parted.

"Why do you have this?" He wondered aloud. In mer culture it was typical to give a ring as a proposal for marriage— were humans the same way? If so, what was Keith doing with the ring?

Lance looked at it for one more moment, then shut the box tightly.

"None of my business," he whispered as he put the box back in the jackets pocket and zipped it closed.

The mer walked along the beach. Soon he realized where he was headed when he saw the light of a house nearby. There was only one house in this part of the beach.

Should I go in? Lance thought, We could talk things over. I could fix everything, and it could go back to the way it was.

The mer looked up toward the house. Who am I kidding, there's no way he wants to see me right now. Lance sighed, letting a droplet fall down his cheek. He sniffed, not wanting to cry anymore in one night. He brought a wrist up to his line of sight. The mer trailed a thumb over the blue veins that showed through. He sighed.

"Lance?"

Lance jumped. Did he just hear someone shout his name? It couldn't be, I'm just imagining it, he thought.

"Lance, is that you?" Now the mer was really freaked out. The voice did seem eerily familiar, though...

A man stepped out from Keith's patio. He wore a loose floral shirt that stood out from his dark skin. An orange bandana was tied around his head, locks of black hair falling over it. His forearms were strangely bare; rid of the golden scales that usually covered them.

"Am I dreaming?" Lance muttered. The man approached him, giving the mer a bear-hug after a moment.

"I missed you, buddy," Hunk beamed. Lance hugged back once he relaxed, smiling widely.

"I- I missed you too," Lance said once the two separated, "But what, what are you doing here?" 

"What? I can't visit my friend after he illegally left the ocean without even telling me?" Hunk hit Lance's shoulder lightly, not nearly enough for it to hurt at all. He was too happy a person to really be mad at Lance, though he was a bit hurt by his friend's disappearance.

Lance chuckled, "Well, I just didn't think you as the person to also illegally leave the ocean to go after his friend who left without telling him." Hunk smiled.

"You know I love you too much to let you go!"

Lance gasped dramatically. "Oh-ho, what's this? I feel... a strange sensation in my chest! Could it be?! Could I, too be feeling this love?!" The mer pretended to faint and Hunk caught him, swaying him like a dancer. Both boys began laughing, and Hunk dropped Lance onto the sand. He brushed a hand through his hair to get some sand to fall out.

Still chuckling, Lance looked up to the ocean. He paused when he noticed a shadow in the water. It grew larger, then became two shadows. The waves stopped. Hunk swallowed nervously.