Keith walked into class and sighed. Another hour with Lance McClaim. He sat down in his assigned seat and dreaded the boy's arrival.

Lance sauntered into class caught up in a conversation with a few people. He smiled as he spoke and laughed up until the moment he sat down.

"Hello Keith, what geeky things have you been up to on this fine morning?" Lance rested his head in his hand as he spoke.

"Gee Lance, how kind of you to ask." Keith said sarcastically.

"I know." He crossed his legs and ran his fingers through his hair. "Keith, I have a very serious question for you."

"And what's that?" Keith asked distractedly not really caring.

"Will you be my friend?" Lance said.

Keith looked at him slightly confused. "Uh, sure? I guess?"

"Great!" Lance stood up. "Keith, now that we're friends, I've decided to make you my new project."

"I'm good, you don't have to do that." Keith opened his book and ignored the boy next to him.

"I know, that's what makes me so nice." He said pushing Keith's book down onto the table and shutting it.

"Whenever I see someone less fortunate than I, and let's face it, who isn't less fortunate than I? My tender heart tends to start to bleed. And when someone needs a makeover I simply have to take over."

Keith rolled his eyes and stood up from his seat to leave. He wasn't about to be roped into whatever fantasy Lance had made.

"I know," Lance stopped him, "I know, exactly what you need." Lance put his finger to Keith's lips who wasn't having it. Keith simply bit his finger and Lance pulled it back cutting him a glare. "And even in your case, the toughest case I've yet to face..."

Keith folded his arms ready to argue.

"Don't worry, I'm determined to succeed!" He held out his hand. "Follow my lead...!"

Keith sighed, why not? He didn't have much going on anyway. He took it.

"And yes, indeed, you... will... be... popular! Your gonna be popular!" Lance twirled Keith making him dizzy. "I'll teach you the proper poise when you talk to boys! Little ways to flirt and flounce!" Lance winked knowingly.

Keith turned to leave, he bit off more than he could chew. Lance knee he was gay and that was a recipe for disaster.

Lance grabbed his hand pulling him back effortlessly. "I'll show you what shoes to wear, how to fix your hair! Everything that really counts to be popular! I'll help you be popular!"

Keith sighed regretting going along with this already. He rolled his eyes but watched as Lance proudly did what Lance does best; be annoying.

"You'll hang with the right cohorts, be good at sports, and know the slang you've got to know! So let's start 'cause you've got an awfully long way to go!"

Lance pulled him along and Keith let him with a small smile even though he pretended he hated it. Obviously Lance thinks he needs to change, so why not?

"Don't be offended by my frank analysis, think of it as personality dialysis, now that I've chosen to become a pal, a sister and advisor, there's nobody wiser! Not when it comes to... popular!"

Lance smiled and pulled off his glasses happy with the results. "I know about popular. And with an assist from me,
to be who you'll be, instead of dreary who you were... well, are. there's nothing that can stop you, from becoming popu-ler... lar..."

Later, Lance pulled Keith into his room. Having been asked to come over, Keith couldn't refuse. Besides, Lance never would've taken no for an answer anyway.

Lance pulled out some clothes holding them up eyeing them carefully. By the time he was done there was a large pile of clothes in the floor and he held up a total of one shirt and two pairs of jeans. "None of this is really your style and my legs are too long for you to fit into any of my pants." Lance shoved the clothes into Keith's hands and pushed him to the bathroom.

Keith changed and walked out with a 'This is stupid' kind of look. He wore skinny jeans and a tighter fitting black shirt.

"It's perfect! Also we're totally cutting your hair." Lance shrieked pulling Keith into a tight hug which didn't last long as he was already dragging him off to the next task. "La la, la la! We're gonna make you popular!"

Keith smiled shaking his head. He couldn't believe this boy. But the confidence Lance had in fixing him made him feel more confident.

"Next! Is staying fit!" Lance pulled out a dumbbell handle and several attachments to adjust the weight. "You already seem to be in good shape. Your muscles are good proof of that but it couldn't hurt."

"Says the toothpick." Keith teased and Lance gave him a playful glare.

"Fine, show me how it's done." Lance said crossing his legs trying to sound flirtatious which of course Keith didn't pick up on.

Keith shrugged and and sat down starting with his right arm lifting it up to his shoulder and back down repeatedly. Lance was practically fawning over him at this point. He had a tight grip on Keiths shoulder as he watched him work. Keith looked at Lance complacently. "I think you got a little something on your chin there."

Lance panicked and wiped his chin only to find he wasn't drooling and Keith was just teasing. "Jerk." Lance scowled.

"Am I done yet?" Keith said after a bit.

"What? You can't be done yet! We have a lot of work to do!" Lance folded his arms.

"It's getting late and I still have homework." Keith leaned against Lances desk.

"I guess you're ready. Wait! One more thing!" Lance stood up quickly and took off coming back holding a pair of scissors, a comb, a spray bottle and a series of clips and ponytails. "Sit."

Keith complied sitting on the floor and Lance sat behind him combing his hair and dampening it slightly. Keith heard a few snips every once in a while and felt his hair being tampered with. He closed his eyes enjoying it and putting full trust in Lance that he wouldn't make him look stupid.

"Okay done!" Lance said after about 10 minutes. "It's my masterpiece!"

Keith got up and looked in the mirror. He still had his mullet but it was neater and pulled back into a pony tail. He had to admit, it did look good. "I thought you said my mullet had to go?" Keith smirked.

Lance pouted with pink dusted cheeks. "It kind of grew on me." Keith laughed and Lance reluctantly joined. Lance took one last long look at Keith fixing details. Slowly brushing his hair to the side Lance smiled. It seemed to be a tender moment and they were blushing. "Why, Keith, look at you. You're beautiful."

Keith but his cheek. "I gotta go." He said leaving a confused Lance behind.

"You're welcome." Lance said before he shut the door.

Keith exited Lances house contemplating how he felt. He felt on one hand nervous, nervous about how Lance was acting and his own feelings to him. And on the other hand sad. Sad that Lance only felt like this now because his appearance had changed. He couldn't like someone who only cares about looks.

Lance sat in his room staring up at the ceiling. What did he do? He texted Hunk, something that almost always made him feel better.

Lance: Hey

Hunk: what's wrong?

Lance: What? Nothing

Hunk: My best friend senses are tingling. They're telling me you're upset.

Lance: It's nothing rlly.
Lance: it's just, you know that guy Keith I'm giving a makeover?

Hunk: You like him don't you?

Lance: ...yes...
Lance: But we were having a moment and I said he was beautiful and he just said he had to go.

Hunk: hmm...
Hunk: That's a tough one.

Lance: No, I think he just doesn't like me like that.

Hunk: Lance?

Lance: Yeah?

Hunk: You love this boy don't you?

Lance: Yeah

Hunk: Do YoU wAnT tO hOlD hIm?

Lance: Yeah?

Hunk: PlEaSe HiM?

Lance: Yeah?

Hunk: Then you gotta gotta try a little tenderness!

Lance: I'm going to ignore the fact that you just quoted Shrek but I'm still taking the advice.

Hunk: Good, I'm glad I could help.

Lance rolled over in bed. Maybe he'll sleep on it. Hopefully some ideas come to him.

The next day Keith wore something very similar to the clothes Lance made him wear the previous day. He fixed his hair the same as yesterday and left for school.

When he showed up he got many looks from people he never even thought acknowledged him. Several people pulled him into conversations and he didn't even know them.

One girl clung to his arm making a joke that was actually pretty funny. Was this what it's like to be popular?

Lance walked into school and looked around the halls for his latest project. Then he saw him. Keith looked hot.

Lances jaw nearly dropped. Girls were talking to him including one who was stuck to his arm like glue clearly getting to enjoy his muscles as Lance had done the day before. Lance couldn't deny he was jealous. He crossed his arms and sat next to Hunk and Pidge not tearing his eyes from Keith.

"What's wrong lover boy?" Hunk asked sympathetically.

"People are talking to Keith, they don't even know him! They just like him cause he's ho-attractive." Lance complained.

"Isn't that what happens when you're popular though? You went through all that trouble so more people would." Hunk said with a smile.

"I just wanted him to look his best, I didn't want him to talk to other people." Lance pouted still staring at Keith.

Hunk smiled rolling his eyes. The boy was hopeless.

"I think I'm going to do something stupid." Lance looked and Hunk horrified standing up.

"Lance don't do it." Hunk warned.

"Hunk, I'm doing it!" He took off toward the group. Hunk facepalmed watching Lance to make sure he wasn't going to embarrass himself.

"Hey Keithy!" Lance joined.

"Keithy? I love it! Can I call you that?" A girl asked. Others joined asking if they could use the name too.

"Uh, I guess? You can call me whatever you want." Keith shrugged,

"Even hottie?" The girl on his arm suggested.

Lances head nearly exploded. It backfired so bad. Keith's face was red and he struggled to talk straight. Literally.

The bell rang saving the day. "See ya, hottie." They all dispersed. All except Lance and Keith.

"What was that?" Lance folded his arms pouting.

"What was what? Honestly I'm not too sure myself." Keith looked back at the girls down the hallway.

"I thought you were gay." Lance whisper yelled.

"Yeah but I don't think they know that." Keith said.

"Exactly, why didn't you tell them?!" Lance frowned stomping.

"Because I don't know how people will react. Why do you care?" Keith folded his arms with a small smile.

"I don't care! Why would I care?" Lance huffed turning around angrily.

"Okay? I'm going to class." Keith left.

Lance grumbled and pouted his entire way to class.

For the rest of the day Keith was caught up in one conversation after another. He couldn't escape them and he was growing tired of it.

Lance watched Keith as he was talking with a few boys. Some were jocks but others were just plain funny and attractive. Keith could easily be swept up by any of them. Panic set in.

"Hunk, I'm going in." Lance mumbled.

"Lance, are you sure you..." Hunk began worried.

Lance joined the conversation leaning against the lockers. "Hey bud, remember we have that thing we have to do. Over there." Lance grabbed Keith by the backpack and dragged him off.

"What was that for?" Keith huffed when Lance let him go.

"You can't be popular anymore." Lance said looking away.

"What? Why?" Keith looked at him confused.

"I like you the way you were before." Lance mumbled.

"You went through all that trouble to..."

"I know, I know! I just- you can't!" Lance grabbed him and pulled out the pony tail messing up his hair. Keith pulled away.

"What are you doing? You're acting weird." Keith ran a hand through his hair. Lance swallowed hard.

"I don't want you to be popular anymore." Lance repeated.

"I know, you said that. I want to know why." Keith was standing close.

Lance was quiet for a moment and he grabbed Keith's shirt in his hands resting his head on his chest. "This is why."

Keith didn't speak. Mostly out of shock and not wanting to ruin the moment. If he were to speak what would he say? He didn't need to speak. He wrapped his arms around Lance pulling him close.

"Can you not be popular now?" Lance asked.

"It was exhausting anyway." Keith smiled.

"Keith, I like you." Lance said very suddenly.

"I like you too."