Chapter Text
Keith sat down at the table next to Adam.
Shiro set a plate of food down in front of his brother and said, “You should think about it.”
Keith, who hadn’t been listening, asked, “What?”
Shiro sighed and said, “Running in the next event to find your mate.”
Keith said, “I don’t need a mate.”
Shiro said, “Sometimes it’s not about need. Don’t you want a mate?”
Keith, setting down his fork, said, “Not really. And not everyone has to do a run to find their mate, Shiro. Just because you found Adam that way and are happy doesn’t mean it will work for everyone.”
Adam said, “He doesn’t have to decide now. The next run isn’t for months.”
Shiro scowled at Adam and then asked, “How do you propose to find your mate if you don’t run? Wait to meet them in real life?”
Keith, after taking a bite of bacon, said, “Matt did.”
Adam replied, “And that worked out so well.”
Keith wisely decided to remain silent on that score.
Shiro asked, “Coming to the party tonight?”
Keith said, “Well. . .”
Shiro, looking pointedly at Keith, said, “You are coming to the party tonight, right?”
Keith sighed and said, “Okay, okay. I’ll be there.”
Shiro said, “Good.”
Keith got up from the table and said, “I’ve got class. See you tonight.”
On the other side of campus. . .
Lance sat down at a table with his friends.
He said, “I think I want to participate in a run.”
Hunk, looking up from his homework, asked, “Why?”
Lance replied, “Because I want to find my mate.”
Hunk, setting down his pen, said, “I meant why now? Why not wait until we are out of college?”
Lance said, “I want to find them. Being alone sucks, besides what if I miss them because I waited?”
Pidge, pushing up her glasses, said, “Well, you don’t have to decide today. The next event is not for months.”
Lance sighed and said, “True.”
Hunk asked, “You still coming to Shiro’s party with us?”
Lance said, “Of course, I wouldn’t miss this opportunity to meet the elusive Keith. I still can’t believe I haven’t met him.”
Pidge said, “Well, it’s not like we all hang out and he is in a different program than you.”
Hunk nodded.
Lance, rolling his eyes, said, “But still. You both talk about him all the time. I need to meet this potential friend of my friends.”
Hunk said, “Well, come tonight and I will introduce you.”
Lance nodded and said, “I will be there. Who knows, maybe I’ll meet my mate tonight.”
Pidge sighed and said, “Lance, do you know how low the odds are of that?”
Lance said, “No. And I don’t want you to tell me either. Besides, you can ask Matt what he thinks about those odds.”
Pidge blanched but said nothing else about it. Hunk just shook his head.
Lance picked up his backpack and said, “I’ve got class. I’ll see you two tonight.”
Pidge said as Lance walked away, “He didn’t have to bring up Matt.”
Hunk said, “No, he didn’t, but you didn’t have to derail his daydream with statistics either.”
Pidge said, “Touché.”
That Evening . . .
Shiro and Adam’s house was full of their friends from college. Keith surveyed the party from the corner of the room that he was standing in. He sipped the drink in his hand.
I don’t know how Shiro talked me into coming to this. I don’t know anyone, and I hate parties. I wonder if Pidge and Hunk are coming. They said they were and bringing another friend, Lance was it?
Just then he noticed Pidge and Hunk entering the living room.
Oh good. At least now I know someone here.
Then he noticed the boy that came in with Pidge and Hunk.
Who the fuck. . . is that Lance? It has to be, Pidge and Hunk said they were bringing him. But no one ever said he was hot.
He watched as the tall, caramel-skinned boy entered their living room. Hunk quickly spotted Keith and maneuvered Lance over to his corner to introduce them.
Lance asked, “Where are we going?”
Hunk replied, “I said I would introduce you to Shiro’s brother, Keith. I still think you two will get along.”
Lance, looking around, said, “Is he here?”
Hunk, inclining his head, replied, “Yes. Over there in the corner.”
Lance said, “Hell, Hunk. You didn’t say he was hot.”
Hunk smiled as he steered Lance towards Keith’s corner.
He said, “I did say I thought you two would get along.”
Lance gave no reply as they walked up to the man in question.
Hunk said, “Hi, Keith. This is my friend, Lance. He goes to school with us.”
Keith said, “Hi.”
Lance replied, “Hi, How ya doing, man?”
Lance reached out a hand and Keith reluctantly shook it.
Keith said, “Okay, I guess.”
Lance thought Not super friendly, is he? He’s cute though. Too bad he is probably a beta or alpha.
They stood there for a moment looking at each other. Keith had opened his mouth to say something awkward when someone bumped into Lance, throwing him off balance. Keith heard Lance say, “Hey, man. Watch it.” before he suddenly had a lapful of hot alpha. Blue eyes met violet ones. Keith blushed and unwittingly took a deep breath of Lance’s scent. Keith squirmed under the alpha as he felt the urge to run.
What the Hell? What’s wrong with me. . .? Alpha, must run. . . no, this is not happening. . . must run. . . I am not. . . run.
Hunk helped pull Lance to his feet.
Lance reached a hand out to Keith and said, “Sorry man, this is not how I wanted this meeting to go.”
Keith let Lance help him up, blushing at the contact.
Lance asked, “Are you okay?”
Keith squeaked out, “Yes.”
Then he turned around and ran out of the living room and through the front door.
Lance said, “What the. . .?”
I didn’t think I made that bad of an impression. No one has ever run away from me before.
A bit of Keith’s scent made it to Lance’s nose.
He’s an omega. Keith’s an omega!! That means. . .Oh Hell.
Lance hurriedly sprinted out the door behind Keith, hopeful that he could still catch his mate.
Hunk was left standing in the living room.
Pidge, walking up to Hunk, asked, “What happened?”
Hunk replied, “I am not sure, but I think Keith and Lance are mates?”
Pidge exclaimed, “What?!”
Hunk said, “I don’t know man, I think I need a drink.”
***
Keith looked behind him as he exited the house, and noticed the absence of the alpha behind him.
Maybe he doesn’t want me. We don’t know each other after all. I don’t need an alpha. I wouldn’t let him catch me even if he was behind me. . . I’m a bad omega. No one wants me. Why isn’t he chasing me? I don’t need. . .
Keith turned back forward and began to run faster. All of a sudden he felt long arms go around his body.
He was forcefully picked up as someone said, “Gotcha.”
Keith sputtered, “How?”
Lance answered, “Track team. You couldn’t outrun me, baby.”
Keith said, “I thought. . .”
Lance said, “You thought what? I didn’t want you? I’d never not want my mate. You just surprised me is all.”
Keith said, “Oh.”
They stood there on the darkened street a moment before Lance said, “Don’t you think we should go back to Shiro’s or wherever it is you live?”
Keith said, “What?”
Lance said, “Well if you go into heat, you don’t want to do that here. And traditionally the alpha goes to wherever the omega’s nest is. I figure you have a space where you normally nest.”
Keith said, “How do you. . .?”
Lance replied, “Siblings who don’t mind oversharing.”
Keith laughed and said, “I guess there is no getting out of this.”
Lance said, “Hey, I am not that bad.”
Keith said, “I’m sure. I just. . .”
Lance sighed sadly, “Didn’t want to be mated yet.”
Keith nodded.
Lance said, “If you go into heat, we won’t have a choice. I am sure you know Matt and what happened to him.”
Keith nodded. Keith started walking back towards his and Shiro’s house.
Shiro will be ecstatic. Holy Shit. I might have found my soulmate at a freaking party. What are the odds?
Lance said, “So if you go into heat, I have your consent to bond you?”
Keith nodded.
Lance asked, “How about. . . other things.”
Keith asked, “Other things?”
Lance sighed and said, “You are going to make this as hard as possible on me, aren’t you? Sex, Keith, do you want to have sex with me?”
Keith blushed and squeaked, “Yes?”
As long as I have to be bonded, I might as well enjoy it.
Lance leaned in and whispered into Keith’s ear, “Do you want me to knot you?”
Keith shivered and nodded.
Lance said, “Words, Keith, I need to hear the words.”
Keith turned towards Lance and grabbed the front of his shirt, trying to ground himself, and said, “Yes. Yes. Please fuck me and knot me.”
Keith sagged against the alpha, his body already transitioning into his heat. Lance picked up the omega.
Shit, he is already getting warm. He’s already going into heat.
Lance began to run back to Shiro’s house. By the time they got back inside, Keith was already squirming in Lance’s hold.
Lance ran right into Shiro as he entered the house.
Shiro asked, “What happened?” as he reached to take the omega from Lance.
Lance growled and twisted away from Shiro. The alphas stood there a moment, staring at each other until Keith’s whining brought them back to the problem at hand.
Lance said, “Sorry, he’s in heat and we are. . .”
Shiro said, “But he is not due for . . . oh. You are mates.”
Lance nodded and asked, “His room?”
Shiro said, “This way.” and showed Lance to a room that was down the hall off the living room. Shiro said, “He has two sets of locks on the door he uses for his heats. I would suggest you employ both of them after you get inside.”
Lance nodded.
Shiro continued, “We’ll get you some supplies and put them outside the door.”
Lance rasped out, “Thank you.”
Shiro said, “Just take good care of my little brother, okay.”
Lance replied, “I will.”
Lance walked into Keith’s minimalist bedroom. It only had the necessary furnishings, a bed, nightstand, and desk. He hadn’t decorated it at all. It startled Lance as most omegas tended to make their safe spot homier.
Everyone is different, I suppose.
He laid Keith on the bed. Keith immediately got up and started forming a nest on the bed. Lance looked around for extra bedding and found some in a cabinet beneath the bed. He put it on the bed where Keith could easily get to it. Keith lost no time in incorporating the bedding into his nest. In about half an hour, he had what he considered a presentable nest. He crawled into the nest and beckoned Lance to enter. Lance carefully entered the nest. He approached the omega and softly kissed him.