Keith doesn't know how long he's been walking, but the sun has gone down completely and the stars have begun to poke out between the clouds. He kicks a piece of drift wood into the surf in frustration, running a hand through his damp briny hair.

"Stupid!" he hisses at himself, "Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!"

He glares out over the starlit ocean, in other circumstances he would have seen it as beautiful. But all he could think of when looking at the sea was Lance's eyes. Lance's eyes.

Keith runs over the moment again and again in his head, his slip up becoming more and more frustrating. He faces the wind that blows over the waves.

"AAARGH!" he screams in frustration.

He stands there, alone, panting heavily. The cool night air does nothing for the shame that heats his face, for the anger burning hot in his veins. Anger at himself.

He screams again.

And again.

And again.

Until his throat burns too, like he's taken five shots of whiskey.

A tear slips down his face. He hadn't even noticed he was crying. He collapses on the sand, allowing the oncoming wave to soak his legs and back, genuinely not caring anymore.

He stares up at the stars, trying and failing to control his breathing. Instead he breaks into sobs that tear their way up his already sore throat. His tears becoming indistinguishable from the sea water. He curses the stars silently. Fate had stolen so much from him, and given him nothing in return.

There's no telling how long he lay there, but eventually, he runs out of tears and his breathing calms, but the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach remains. The hopelessness lingers like a bad taste on his tongue, and his throat feels like it's coated in ash.

Slowly, he rises, gathering his shoes and tying the flannel around his waist. In the distance, he can see the light of the pier, the shadows of people flitting back and forth in front of the string lanterns on the rails, causing them to appear as though they were flickering candles. He sighs and gathers himself, setting his eyes on the light of the pier, rather than the sea. He takes one step.

Then another.

Slowly, but surely, he makes his way back. Soon the roar of the waves is replaced with the drone of voices and Keith trecks up the incline to the main road, avoiding prying eyes as well as he can.

His feet ache from the rocks digging into his heels, but he doesn't put on his shoes. He needs a distraction, no matter how small. He soon reaches his car, still sitting untouched in front of the theater where he had left it earlier that evening.

It feels like decades have passed.

Tiredly, he opens the door and climbs in, slumping down with his forehead against the cool plastic of the wheel. He stays there for a moment, just breathing, and feeling...nothing. The emptiness almost hurts more than the anger or sadness or frustration. Its numbing and painful all at once and it makes him want to claw at his own chest to find the cavity and fill it with anything. Anything at all.

He leans back and starts the car, pulling out onto the main road. He isn't sure where he's going, but he knows he needs to go somewhere, anywhere at all. He just drives, passing lights and buildings. He focuses on the road, going wherever it takes him, as long as it's far away. Away from Lance. The ocean. Everything.

Just...

Away.

After an hour of silence he begins to hum, quietly and out of tune, his voice hoarse and throat aching. It soon turns into singing and Keith croaks out the words, avoiding looking at the passenger seat.

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine..." his eyes start to burn with unshed tears and he takes a calming breath.

"You make me happy," his voice cracks sadly and he continues, "when skies are grey."

"You'll never know dear," he glances at the passenger seat where lance once sat singing this very song, "How much I love you."

His eyes blur and he blinks back the tears.

"Pl- Please don't take my sunshine away." he stares up at the stars with glassy eyes, an unspoken plea passing between him and the universe.

"The other night dear, as I lay sleeping, I dreamt I held you in my arms. When I awoke dear, I was mistaken, and I hung my head..."

Keith trails off, biting back a new wave of sobs and pulling over. He leans back his chair and watches the stars out the windshield, hot tears streaking down his face. He stays there until exhaustion takes him and he finally falls asleep.

_______________________________________

Lance dumps the rest of the bucket in the water, watching Keith's fast retreating figure disappear into the darkness of the building. A few seconds later he hears the door slam.

"Shit Shit shit!" he murmurs, scrambling to get out of the pool.

He of all people should be supportive and understanding of Keith, he was bi, so he knew how it felt to be treated differently because of something he can't control, and in some cases, treated like a freak.

"Keith!" he calls, knowing it's too late, "Wait!"

Dripping wet, he takes off through the building and out the door.

"Keith!" he gasps into the empty parking lot, the other boy no where in sight.

"Keith!" he yells, not knowing which way he had gone.

He waits for a response.

And waits.

And waits.

And there's nothing but the roar of the waves. He sighs and turns to go back in. Mentally cursing himself for his reaction. Now Keith is gone to God knows where, and there's no way for Lance to explain himself. He walks through the door, quickly taking off his wet suit and drying off. He doesn't take the time to rinse off at one of the showers, he just checks on daisy one last time and begins walking out to the parking lot again.

He pulls out his phone, fingers shaking slightly as he navigates his contacts. There's only one personin his class he knows well enough to ask a favor at this hour.

He puts the phone up to his ear, waiting for the click.

"Hello?" crackles across the other line.

"Allura?" Lance asks, tentatively.

"Lance? Is something wrong?"

Lance pauses. He doesn't want to out Keith, but he needs Allura to come watch Daisy.

"No, everything is great!" He lies enthusiastically, "Its just, um, something came up and I've got to go, so I was wondering if you could watch Daisy for an hour or so?"

"Does this 'something' have to do with Keith?" Allura asks, the smirk in her voice audible.

Lance is taken aback for a moment, but takes the safe route and denies everything.

"Keith? What? No." he stammers, "It's, uh, it's a project Hunk needs help with, it's time sensitive, so he needs a helping hand."

"Hmm," Allura hums in thought, "Okay. I'll be there in about thirty minutes, go ahead and leave. Just put the keys under Buddha."

"Got it." Lance tucks the lanyard and keys underneath the ceramic Buddha statue that sits on the gravel filled flower bed in front of the building, "Thanks so much Allura, I owe you one."

"It's fine Lance, see you Monday."

"See you Monday."

Lance hangs up and slides behind the wheel of Hunks car. He had let him borrow it for his doctors appointment and shift with Daisy, but Lance is sure that he wouldn't mind him using it now, it is an extreme situation after all.

He backs out and pulls out onto the road, heading toward the pier and driving slow, hoping to see Keith along the way. He passes street lights and signs and hoards of people, but no Keith. He circles through everywhere Keith would have gone, again, and again, and again.

Suddenly he remembers that he and Allura had gone on a date to the movies, and since Keith's car wasn't parked by the pier, it might be at the theater. Lance turns around, heading back toward the shops.

Sure enough, as he pulls into the parking lot his headlights illuminate Keith's car, still parked out front. Lance parks behind it and decides to wait.

A minute passes.

And athother.

And another.

Lance groans in frustration, pulling out of the lot and deciding to circle around again to try and catch sight of his friend. He pulls into the road and drives slowly, scanning each face he passes, hoping to catch a glimpse of Keith's hair or face, anything to tell him apart from the crowds.

Finally, Lance comes full circle. He pulls back into the lot, but something is wrong.

This time, Keith's car is gone.

____________________________________

Allura drives down the road quickly, much quicker than she normally would, with the thought of Daisy left to her own devices pushing her to go a bit faster. That creature was mischief.

She passes the theater and smiles, Keith's car is gone, and, coincidentally Lance just had to go.

She chuckles quietly, believing she knows exactly what those two are up to. She shakes her head and continues driving. Oblivious to the reality which was really quite opposite.