Chapter Four: Varadero Beach

On the following day after Lance's surgery. Tom decided to give him the all-clear for the day and then tomorrow he can go. It was a relief to the others, especially on Shiro and Keith. Although Keith wasn't the type to show off his emotions, right away. But never the less he was relieved that Lance was all right while Shiro still had a bone to pick on Lance since all the people were worried about him.

As is well was, Hunk, Pidge, Kiaion, and Stats, were worried about him too. But they were the only ones who didn't know that Lance's powers that might go out of control soon.

As far as Keith and Shiro were concerned, they weren't going to tell them...Yet, least not for a while. They wanted to wait until the right time was found.

As Shiro walked into the room where Lance rested, he saw he already packing up his belongings for the next journey that he has to take. Shiro's eyes narrowed before he approached him, the floorboards creaking from his footsteps, alerting Lance to his presence. Lance turned and Shiro stood just a few feet away from him, and the moment he saw that scowl, Lance's smile fell, too.

"What is it Shiro" Lance mused. "Is there something on your mind?"

"Well, there is, it's about the stunt you pulled" Shiro responded. "If you pull off again, I'll let you have it, and trust me, I can be a hell of a lot scarier than a whole horde of daemons."

"Of course, I learned my lesson!" Lance scoffed.

"I'm serious, Lance" Shiro barked, startling Lance a bit, and it took a lot to startle him. "If you do something like that again, I just don't know what to do with you, you made everyone worried!"

"I know and I'm sorry, everything in my family seems to be private including our powers!" Lance exclaimed as he raised. "But I swear, I learned my lesson. I won't go off on my without telling someone first, I promise, Shiro".

"Okay, I'm just grateful that you're still alive!" Shiro said before he turned and walked away. "Your family is waiting outside, Meet us out there when you've got everything."

Lance sighed and shook his head...and yet, he couldn't help smiling, just a little bit. When he met Shiro and Keith, he thought they could be something he can poke around with, you know steal money with, make a rival one and two However, as time went on and he started to get used to being around them, he saw just how much of a friend he was, especially after what happened the other night with all those daemons.

He knew that even though Keith wasn't one for sentiment, he still regarded Lance as a friend, and therefore, he earned his loyalty...not just him, but Hunk, Pidge, Kiaion, and Stats.

Keith...

He actually hadn't spoken to him since the other morning, after he was recuperating from using his ice strength.

As Lance finally packed up the last of his things, he heard another set of footfalls. Much harder ones who are similar to Shiro.

"...Are you going to lecture me, as well...Keith?" Lance asked as he turned to face him, who stood in the doorway with his arms crossed while Stats sat by his feet. Lance didn't know any better, the larval seemed to have a wary look in his own eyes are not too different from his friend

It seemed that he was distrustful of him, as well.

"First of all, Shiro did most of the lecture on what you committed by," Keith said.

"I understand," Lance replied as he was still packing his backpack.

"Another thing," Keith said as he cast his eyes to the floor. "I just wanted to say...I'm sorry...!"

"Sorry, sorry for what!" Lance said.

"For example, everything else that I didn't trust you!" answered Keith. "You didn't seem like the untrusted one!"

Lance realized. "In that case...there's nothing to forgive. I suppose I did act rather impulsively, didn't I?"

"Yeah, I suppose you're right about that, and in some cases, you did deserve it!" He looked to Lance with these...almost sincere eyes. " So this is where you grew up!"

Lance's eyes went wide before he looked down at his right palm, which was sealed shut. But he quickly changes the subject, "yeah, I have grown up here, in Varadero Beach is a kind community to get a quick drink and just hang out with! Without the constant attacks from wild Daemons!"

"Wow, it sounds like a Nice place" Keith replied. he looked at Lance with grudging admiration. It occurred to him that maybe the two of them weren't so different. After all, they both knew how to handle themselves. Was it possible they could actually become friends?

"Hey!" Hunk groused from outside the room. "Are we going to enjoy today or what?!"

"Don't worry, we were coming to an along with" Keith called before he turned to Lance before he gave him a warm smile. "Well...we better be going, Lance."

"Ok," Lance concurred as he soon followed him and Stats out. "By the way, Keith..."

"Yeah!"

"Who remembered that we would in the making of a great team!" Lance said.

Keith's eyes went wide and his cheeks turned a bit pink, but then he cleared her throat and turned her head up in an attempt to keep his composure.

"Well...I just thought it was about time I started to," he said before he glared at him, "but if you try any funny business, don't expect me to be nice, understand?"

"Whatever do you mean, swindling people like a thief!" asked Lance.

"Something like that!" Keith said before they soon joined up with Shiro, Hunk, Pidge, and Kiaion in Lance's family kitchen.

"So, are you planning to be off again?" Rita asked as she stood in front of him in the kitchen.

"I am, mom, we all are," Lance replied. "We came for what we came for!"

Rita only nodded her head. "Remember, Lance. Your father only sutured the wound as best he could, but you must not activate your powers until the wound has fully healed. You only have a month until you can use it again. Is that understood?"

"Don't worry mom, I'll be all right!" Lance nodded. "Thanks, again, Mom! Tell Rachel, Luis, Marco, and Lisa that I said Hi!"

"All right, let's hit it," Keith said before they all headed off down the road of the village where the community was repairing the buildings.

"So, where to, now?" Shiro asked. "We still don't know where Crystal shards!"

"Wherever there might be another Crystal shard," Keith replied. "This village will seem like a dead-end".

"But remember we can not leave!" Hunk said, reminding them.

"Yeah, right!" said Lance

As they walked through the village, they recognize the frothy, blue-green salt water crashes into the environment sun reflected the shoreline in tides, then gently rolls up to the increasingly rising tide line. The wave stops as it reaches the tide line and slowly rolls back into the swirling ocean water.

Along with the sand is the most gentle hue of gold, almost earthen and muted, the humble star of the scene. The beauty reminds smaller than the first place that Lance is still alive and well as he gaily walks down the shoreline of the Outer Banks.

The relaxing rhythm of continuous lapping waves is a symphony to own the creation of a fresh start.

In the water below, Lance and the others were strolling around the shore, staring at the ships and imagining all the entertainment the morning dawn.

For once, it wouldn't matter that that was it's gonna be a perfect day for the first time since the gang has been together. You know, act like normal people

Lance rounded a corner and suddenly -smack!-a snowball struck him in the face!

Caught by surprise, Lance lost his balance and stumbled to Keith.

"Hey!" Lance exclaimed in surprise, looking up at the persistence.

"so sorry, the person said. "Are you ok, Uncle Lance!"

Lance attempted to regain his composure, particularly it's was his own nephew, Sylvio, playing another snowball fight with his sister. "Hey, uh... No, I'm okay," he managed to say. Trying to remain calming as possible

"Are you sure?" Sylvio asked the last thing that he wanted to be in trouble.

"Yeah, I just wasn't looking where I was going," Lance said. he smiled. "But I'm great, actually"

"Oh, okay, are you gonna stay for dinner tonight!" Sylvio said.

"Don't worry I will be, me and my friends!" Lance said, smiled.

"Ok," Sylvio mumbled, then he turns towards his sister. "See you later!"

Lance smiled and confidently came to be his old self. "Come on!" he told his friends and led them to the gate, leading to outside the village.

Keith, grinding ear to ear, hold Shiro's hand as Lance lead them for the beautiful seaside, sunlight dappled ferns and trees, and birds chirped.

Before Keith and the others knew it, they were going through a path of tall trees and onto a suspension bridge high above a rushing stream.

"Tell me something about you've never heard of it, " Lance said.

"Um...my middle mane is...Akira or Yurak" Keith said.

"Yurak?" Shiro asked.

"Yeah", said Keith

"Akira", said Pidge

"That's the only last name that anyone could think up," said Keith "Being annoying to the next status!"

Both Hunk and Shiro laughed.

"Akira Keith or Yurak Keith", said Keith.

"Mine's Shirley," said Lance "Trust me, it's a lot terrible thing to say!"

"Shirley? How Girly", said Pidge. " Oh, that's almost worse".

"I mean, you know, it's better than Yurak, but it's still not good", said Lance they finished crossing the bridge.

Ben grinned at everybody. "Close your eyes", he said. Keith, Shiro, Pidge, and Hunk closed their eyes and allowed Lance to guide them down a forest path. He took their hands and pulled everyone gently this way and that, over logs and across puddles.

Finally, he stopped. "Is everybody prepared?" He asked them.

Everybody nodded.

"Open," he said.

Keith, Shiro, Pidge, and Hunk opened their eyes. Lance had brought them to a stream. It was all that and more: the gang looked upon a mysterious Stream that was the color of jade and salty blue. Everyone was amazed by the beauty and simplicity of it.

Lance smiled at them as he quickly skips a silvery pebble at the water and then rested a shady spot near the stream.

Stats lay beside Shiro's lap while Keith against a tree and took out his dagger and file it with a rock nearby.

Hunk, Pidge, and Kiaion sat down too, as Pidge carved a symbol into her one of her boomerang to help her remember this fine day, while Hunk also skips a pebble across the stream too.

"Is this your first time?" Asked Lance, turned to Shiro and Keith.

"Oh, I don't do this much at the Garrison. It's more like...Directing a group of strangers! Sometimes!" Said, Shiro.

Keith and the others giggled. "I meant is this your first time, spending time with nature". Said Keith with a smile.

"Is it bad?" He asked.

"A little bit, you never told me your time at this Garrison!" Lance said. "You know, I've done all the talking". He leaned close to him, along with Hunk, Pidge, and Kiaion. "Yeah, we really don't know that much about you," said Hunk.

"Well..." Shiro let out a sigh. "I'm Twenty-four, I'm an only child. And I've only ever lived in one place".

"Me too? We have so much in common already!" Hunk said. "But with me was the daemon explore village!"

"Another village filled with foxes daemons!" Pidge added.

"A tree with an arrow on my chese". Keith said.

"I can beat that, we on the exacts the same spot where I came from!" Lance said.

"No," said Shiro. He chuckled as put his hands on his hips. "I doubt that you are way different than mine!"

"Different, how come!" Lance said.

"Well, your is a small-time village, Mine is a big town!" Shiro said.

"Oh, I don't know that, what else is in your world!" Lance said.

"Well, in my world, They aren't any daemons!" Shiro replied.

"Really, you don't have daemons as companions!" Hunk said, Petting Kiaion.

"No, We have ordinary cats and dogs!" Shiro told him, "Not animals that that can talk or try not to kill you!"

"Wow, it sounds like your worlds better than ours!" Keith said, Sarcastically. His smile faded. "And now you're stuck here with now".

Shiro looked down.

"What?" Asked Keith. "I didn't mean to say something wrong?"

"What no, you didn't it just been a while since I think about home!" Shiro said.

"Well, it makes you feel better my place can be your home or anywhere you wanna take off!" Hunk said. "And you're not alone, we are magically traveling together. So we're not truly alone!" He stared intently into Shiro's eyes. His gaze seems to bore into his soul or anyone's gaze.

Shiro was afraid of what hunk might see in his eyes. So much, in fact, he heads down to the river's edge. Then unknowingly into the edge of the icy-cold water.

Lance looked at the water, "the salmon Look lovely tonight, they always come through here from the ocean!" Lance stood in the stream on his hind legs...then lunged forward to try to catch the fish swimming upstream.

"Yeah, they probably had no business coming to another world". Shiro said.

"Yeah, but they feel all areas as their home!" Lance said as he instantly lost his balance and fell into the cold water.

"Hey, are you okay!" Shiro said.

"I'm fine, I stumbled on a rock!" Lance said as the fish swam by.

Shiro laughed at him, so much in fact that he fell in the water after a fish crash into him, "Shiro!" Keith said, scanning the surface of the stream.

"I'm alright, Keith!" Shiro said. The water was smooth with Lance and Shiro on the salty spring, Keith smiled as he was gradually glad that Shiro was all right.

It wasn't long before Pidge, Hunk, and Kiaion join them in the water, Jumping in with Keith.

And soon Keith suddenly seemed to be enjoying himself. he couldn't feel the cold through his skin as he began to play with everyone, Splashing around and playing bear.

For the first time, they were together as Friends. Keith felt as if the wall that he had grown between him and the world was beginning to dissolve, just a bit.

Soon Keith was watching Shiro sit contentedly in the stream and soon Lance realized that the sun was setting and they needed to return home. The family would be having their evening meal in his home, and their presence was expected.

Lance and the others through the gates and past the rest of the village.

Inside the house, they had just entered the kitchen at the exact moment his mother and father started making dinner, With another family member.

At that moment, Rita noticed her son and his friends walk in.

"Oh, Lance!" he greeted. "You're home! You're just in...time...!" She trailed when she notices that Lance and the others were soaking wet from the stream.

"Oh, Lance, Were you playing by the stream again".

"Yeah! we did, sorry about that!" Lance said "And for every moment after," he added.

"No, no," Rita said. "It's fine, I'm just glad you, I'm glad you didn't have mud on the floor!"

"I know mom, I know how much you hate mud!" Lance joked.

"He ought to be arrested," Keith added in the background.

"Well anyway, We better gets dry before dinner," Lance said as he and the others headed upstairs.

"Well, I better start a bath!" Rita inquired.

"Ok!" Lance said. "Tell us where dinner is ready!"

After dry off, Rita began to start the bath before heading out for fix dinner, much to the delight of the group, they could finally take a hot bath Instead of bathing in a cold stream, Keith didn't seem to see the appeal of it, but he supposed that as long as Shiro was happy about it, then he should be, too.

Speaking of Keith, he was sitting outside on the porch of the house, staring up at the orange sky and pinkish-purple clouds as the sun started to dip behind the rooftops of the village.

"That was such a nice bath!"

Keith turned to see Shiro coming out of the bath, wearing a white T-shirt, and drying his hair off with a towel.

"It feels so good to have a nice, hot bath, for once," he said. "Almost feels like I'm at home. Maybe you should take a bath, too, Keith. You are starting to stink, just a little bit."

Keith scoffed. "I don't need a bath."

"Whatever you say," Shiro replied as he stands beside him, staring up at the sunset. "Man...look at that sunset. It's so pretty."

"Yeah," Keith muttered before he glanced at Shiro. If he didn't know any better, he looked as if his skin was glowing a bit, and he did smell rather nice. He did love every part of him.

Love...

"Hey, Shiro!"

"Yeah, Keith? What is it"

"Well, I with this wondering about..."

"About that power, I didn't know I had that much!"

"Well I don't know what it is but I think that's your true power!"

Keith's eyes went wide...but then he sighed in resignation as ever since Shiro made that comment about your potential, the half-daemon's mind was only feeling that in his mind. Ever since after the events of Alderaan.

He supposed it was inevitable.

"I guess, I do have potential!" asked Keith.

"Of course you too, you saying like you don't!" said Shiro.

Keith sighed as he scratched the back of his head, Is there more to him.

"But how do I know, how do I know too there!"

"Well...it's like this," Shiro said. "When I said 'your potential', I meant that...well...I know you in a way that feels like I am pretty much useless when it comes to fighting but your dagger is telling you that you have greatness within! And that's ok!"

"...Am I?" Keith asked, causing Shiro to nod his head. "I don't think I know!"

"...oh..." Keith muttered as he looked down at the ground. "What about you do you have greatness!"

Shiro's eyes went wide before he looked down at the ground, his heart melted a little, does he have the greatness too.

Just then, Pidge's footsteps are across the hallway and came closer to Shiro and Keith. "Hey, Lance said dinner is ready!"

Keith and Shiro arrive at the dinner table where Lance's mother greets them and immediately after the bath.

Wow, you look amazing!" Rita says.

"You look great as well!" Keith said.

"That's very thoughtful of you, Rita tells Keith. "Oh, Shiro, Keith and Pidge, You know my husband Tom, that's Rachel, my daughter, my son, Marco, other and oldest son, his wife Lisa, and their kids which you already know about. Silvio and Nadia".

They sit down to dinner and Lance's siblings immediately start telling stories about Lance again, much to his annoyance.

"... Or the time when we were kids and Veronica mixed dirt with water and told Lance it was chocolate milk". Said Marco

"Oh, yeah. I Still can't believe he fell for it." Tom said. "Still a nasty trick to play on your sibling!"

Shiro laughs "What did he do?"

"He told on her of course, I mean I was there when it happened!" Hunk told Shiro. "Then Tom made ice cream me and him and Veronica got none".

"Yeah, Lance was always the baby of the family, it only took you guys coming to dinner to graduate him to the adult table". Said Marco.

Afterward, after dinner, Rita approaches Shiro and Keith. "It's great to finally meet you, Shiro and Keith, be honest. We thought Lance was making you up".

"Really?" Shiro said.

"You know-how Lance is Secretary,  Sometimes quiet, not so many friends". Tom said. " from his letters, it sounds like you brought him out of his shell or show sides of him that we never know about it."

"Yeah. I guess we did!" Keith said. Then   Whispered, "Way too much!" 

"You're welcome," Shiro replied as he put an arm around Keith's shoulders...but as soon as he did, the Half-daemon furrowed his nose a bit. "Uh...Shiro?...I should probably take a bath, huh?" asked Keith, causing Shiro to chuckle a bit, awkwardly.

That being said, he turned to head inside so that he could partake in a bath, as well...but just as he was about to do so, he walked back to Shiro...and hug him, surprisingly, causing him to gasp silently as his cheeks both turned bright red. He turned to say something, but he had already gone inside...and all he could do was sigh as he placed his hands over his body where he had hugged him.

"Wow, you two are a nice couple!" Rita said, causing Shiro to blush. "No, no no no no we are not a couple!" He said.

"...Although it was kind of weird for him to do that..." Shiro thought.

In the hallway, Hunk hummed a bit to himself as he was about to enter the bathroom, but before he could, she saw that Inuyasha had already gotten to the door.

"Oh, Keith!" he said.

"Oh, hey, Hunk," Keith greeted. "Were you about to go in?"

"Oh, it's fine, I can wait," Hunk replied as he headed back to the room the group was staying in. "Let me know when you're done!"

Keith shrugged before he headed inside the bathroom. After a few minutes, there was silence...until the whole hall was shaken by the sound of Keith screaming.

"Lance, What the heck are you doing!"

"Well, I'm trying to take a bath!"

"On second thought...I can go a night without a bathing..." he muttered.