Archive of Our Own

1. 

Lance was not entirely sure how he got himself into this situation. 

Well, alright, he had some sense of how he got into this disaster. He didn’t accidentally fall on his phone or sneeze and somehow blindly swipe right. 

He very consciously agreed to this blind date. 

Lance had been looking forward to it all week, hyped to get back on the dating wagon after his relationship with Nyma had crashed and burned the end of last year. He had put on his Hunk-approved jeans that made his ass look great and the light blue shirt that made his eyes pop. 

Hunk had even excused himself and went to stay with Shay for the night. That is how well Lance planned for this date to go. He had it all figured out. 

But as to how he ended up on the opposite side of the table from a man that was arguably the most dislikable human being on the planet, that remained a mystery.

His date in question wrinkled his nose at his plate as it was lowered in front of him and Lance resisted a shudder. 

Sure, Jack was cute, with curly brown hair, hazel eyes and a jawline that looked just as sharp as it did in his profile picture. The warm lightening of the red lamp hanging over their heads looked favorably upon him. But his pictures on the dating app did not have the derisive lift of his nose, the smug curve of his lips as he mansplained the entire solar system to Lance. 

Lance was very aware of the positioning of the planets, he was an aerospace engineer major for fuck’s sake. 

Jack was in the space program too, a connection that they shared that Lance was sure would be a helpful conversation starter. Instead, he listened to Jack drawl about the distance between Earth and the Sun and poke at his kung pao chicken as if it offended him. 

When in reality, it was Lance who was offended. 

“I mean,” Jack’s voice was turning more irritating and nasally by the second, “Aeronautical Science is clearly the better major.”

Lance forced a smile and checked for the nearest exit. 

His eyes swept through the dark wood booths and red tables of Lotus Ginger (Lance’s favorite restaurant near campus and Jack still had the audacity to sniff at his meal) only to find the very last person he wanted to see. 

Lance just barely stifled his groan and sank into the booth, returning back to Jack’s monologue as he avoided the violet eyes that had looked his way.

Because when did Keith Kogane become a bus boy at Lotus?

This was Lance’s safe space, away from stressful exams and impossible homework, away from where a certain mullet-wearing know-it-all loved to ruin every curve ever in their shared classes. And it had been intruded on two fronts, first by an annoying date and then by the very person that Lance needed an escape from. 

Keith likely had no idea who he was, other than as the guy who definitely asked too many questions and talked way too much in class. He sat in the front of their massive lecture hall, while Keith lounged in the back. 

Lance considered making a break for it and hiding in the bathroom for possibly the rest of his life. 

He knew the assistant manager and was positive Shiro would slip him dumplings under the door. 

But because God chooses his most absurd moments for his silliest clowns, Lance was trapped, frozen as Keith sauntered by him and Jack with his stupid tub full of dishes. 

“I mean,” oh Lance was going to strangle Jack if he began one more sentence like that, “sure, you guys design and build the aircrafts, but I fly them, you know?”

And that got Keith’s attention, two eyebrows raising as he walked past them, dishes clinking in the tub as his eyes moved from Jack to Lance. 

Resigned, Lance sucked down half his drink, chewing on the straw as Keith held his gaze behind Jack as he droned on and on about the superiority of his major. Violet-gray eyes flicked to the back of Jack’s head and Lance swore he saw that smug bastard smiling as he moved to clean the booth right behind them.

Lance felt his neck go hot as he shoveled peking duck in his mouth, mortified that the smartest guy in his major that had never even spoken to him before was watching this Category 5 disaster go down. 

It was only when Jack stood up that Lance pulled himself out of his misery enough to realize he had paused his soliloquy to go to the bathroom. Once his date had shuffled away, Lance let out a groan and buried his face in his hands. 

He heard snickering and looked up through his fingers to see Keith wiping down the table, fully grinning at the scratched wood. 

“Great catch you got there.”

Lance pushed back the shock that Keith Kogane was actually talking to him and managed a scowl. 

“Strangely enough, he didn’t mention being an absolute ass in his profile.”

He got a chuckle from that and couldn’t help a pleased warmth from rising in his chest. Dropping his chin in his hand, he watched as Keith finished bussing the table. 

Keith was still wearing those stupid fingerless leather gloves that all the girls fawned over, but traded in his typical black sweatpants and hoodie for an equally black pair of jeans and matching T-shirt.

He looked unfairly attractive, as usual. 

Lance blinked, pushing that intrusive thought away and instead focusing on another. 

“Keith,” he leaned forward, clasping his hands together. “You gotta help me, my man.”

Keith snorted. “And what I am supposed to do?”

“Close the store, set the kitchen on the fire, I don’t know!”

Keith arched an eyebrow. “I’m actually planning to keep this job for a while.”

“You need to get me out of here,” Lance pleaded. “If I hear him talk about how cool his major is for another second, I’m gouging my eyes out with this straw, Oedipus style.”

Keith looked faintly impressed at his Greek mythology reference and Lance hoped it would bring him in some points.

“C’mon, man.”

Keith stared at him for a long moment before rolling his eyes. “Fine.”

Just as Lance was about to suggest shaking on it, perhaps a blood vow, anything, Jack returned. 

He tilted his head, looking between the two of them. “You two know each other?”

Lance opened his mouth, prepared for the acting performance of his life, but Keith beat him to it. 

“Yeah,” Keith said simply, lifting the tub and balancing it on his hip. “We share some classes.”

Jack nodded, opening his mouth to no doubt spew more nonsense, but Keith was too quick.

“We were actually talking about this exam we have tomorrow,” his eyes fell to Lance. “It’s definitely gonna kick Lance’s ass.”

Keith looked way too proud of himself. Lance swallowed his own pride and nodded, trying to look as stressed as possible. 

“A measly aeronautical engineering major such as myself is doomed,” he sighed dramatically. 

Keith scratched at his nose, hiding a growing smile. 

“As much fun as this has been,” Lance was already fumbling for his wallet like his life depended on it, “I should get home and start cramming.”

“For sure,” the look that Jack sent him was just a smidge too pitying and Keith looked like he was going to burst out laughing right there. “Do your thing, man.”

Lance slapped down enough cash for both of them and the tip (and boy did his wallet weep from it), and jumped to his feet. 

“This was fun, man!” He was already walking backwards, already heading to his preselected exit. “See you around!”

With that, he made his grand escape, leaving a confused Jack with a grinning Keith. 

It was only when he was far enough to breathe that he realized Keith Kogane knew his name. 

2. 

Once Lance had hunkered low and licked his wounds for a couple weeks, he was back on it. 

Back on the dating app because hey, love is worth a couple swings and misses. 

Keith even had begun acknowledging him as he passed Lance’s seat in the lecture hall. Originally, he was sporting that smug grin he had at Lotus Ginger, but now it softened into a friendly nod. 

Lance was doing good in his classes, had gotten a B on an exam (he would have certainly aced it if it wasn’t for Keith’s near perfect score but beggars can’t be choosers) and was overall moderately succeeding at life. 

Doing well enough to agree to simple coffee date. 

He was careful this time, chatted long enough with Izzy through the app to guarantee that she wasn’t the worst. 

And she wasn’t, just—

Just super interested in the guy sitting across from them rather than the guy she was on a date on. 

Lance felt a headache coming on as he watched Izzy’s blonde curls practically float around her as she threw back her head and laughed at the joke the guy made. 

The guy was handsome, sure, but he must have had a hard on for crushing Lance’s dreams. 

Lance tapped the corner of his latte rather glumly, deciding to people-watch around the busy cafe as his date laughed at another corny joke. 

Picking at the hem of his hoodie, he looked around and smiled at a couple that was having a much more successful date than he was and then— no fucking way. 

Lance squinted and looked closer and— oh, yup, that motherfucker was laughing. 

Keith Kogane was standing in line to order at the counter completely, a hundred percent, zoned in on Lance’s failing date. 

Keith’s phone laid forgotten in his hand, having stopped in his mindless scrolling to watch Lance make an utter fool of himself once more. He was watching as Izzy giggled with this mysterious man, an entertained smile on his face. 

He was dressed in the familiar Lotus get-up and oh, what wouldn’t Lance do to join him. 

Keith’s eyes met Lance’s and he sucked his lips into his mouth, looking innocently away and scanning the menu. 

Lance glowered at him, hoping his eyes were burning the back of Keith’s neck as he politely ordered at the counter. 

Then inspiration struck and he grabbed his late. 

“I’m gonna grab a refill,” he said. 

Izzy nodded his way, but barely noticed as he stood up and walked over to where Keith was stirring a packet of sugar into his iced tea. 

“Hey Lance.”

“Shut the fuck up.”

Keith grinned at his drink. 

“Fool me once,” Keith hummed, “shame on you. Fool me twice—.”

He trailed off there, settling into a smirk that looked too good on his stupid face. 

“Hilarious,” Lance said dryly. “Now the question is, how are you going to get me out of this?”

Keith tilted his head. “So, this is now a regular thing? You becoming quite a damsel in distress, Lance.”

Lance ignored the shiver that raced down his spine at Keith saying his name. 

“You did great last time,” Lance pressed on. “You deserve an Oscar for that performance.”

Keith raised his eyebrows. “You really want an excuse?”

“Absolutely.”

“And you don’t care what it is?”

“Too desperate to care.”

“Fine.”

With that, he took two determined steps towards him and Lance blinked because suddenly, Keith Kogane was suddenly all up in his business. 

He could count the dark eyelashes bordering those strange purple eyes right as Keith twisted, feigned a stumble, and somehow made it that Lance’s elbow dug directly into his stomach. Lance blinked once more, registering that his elbow had collided with a full set of abs. 

Then Keith spilled his entire iced black tea down Lance’s T-shirt. 

Keith’s grin was snakelike. “Oops.”

Lance was too stunned to speak.

The cold drink slipped down his shirt and chilled him to the fucking bone. He was immediately shivering, hissing as the ice cold tore through him. 

The barista behind the counter looked over before nodding towards the napkins. Everyone else acted similarly, too preoccupied with getting their caffeine fix. 

Keith bit back his smile. “You should probably go and get that washed out. Like, right now.”

Lance slowly met Keith’s eyes again. “Thanks.”

Keith laughed and the sound was like fucking bells. 

3. 

The day after the tea incident, Lance arrived at their shared class early, iced black tea shaking in his hands. 

He didn’t know why he was freaking out. Objectively, it was hilarious. If anything, it was a thank you. 

Lance told himself to get a grip, sat at his desk, and got to work. 

By the time Keith walked in, the cup was sat on the corner of Lance’s desk with a sugar packet placed neatly on top. 

Keith slowed and Lance innocently opened a new tab for notes on his laptop as Keith leaned over and read the sticky note he had placed on top. 

Since the other one met an unfortunate actually really fortunate end on my chest. Lucky tea. 

Keith snickered and lifted up the drink with a growing grin. He put the sugar packet between his teeth and winked at Lance as he tore it open. 

Lance’s hands went clammy. 

“Excuse me.”

Lance’s hands began fully sweating as Keith stepped in front of him and then slid into the chair next to him. 

He plopped down, still chuckling as he stirred the sugar into the tea. 

Lance stared at his laptop with wide eyes, well aware of the whispering happening behind them and the disappointed hums as the hottest guy in their class lounged in the seat next to him. 

Keith seemed oblivious, sipping his tea as he flipped open his notebook to a fresh page. 

“I need to help you get out of dates more often,” Keith mused as he crunched on an ice cube. 

Lance couldn’t agree more. 

***

Lance and Keith exchange numbers to plan a time to study for their next exam. 

Yeah, it’s whatever. 

Lance spams Keith with any meme he can find. Keith threatens to block him, though Lance quickly finds that’s an empty threat. 

***

Over the next few weeks, Keith and Lance become, friends?

Lance notes this very tentatively, considering that he’s walking a bit of a tightrope now. 

Why? Well because Lance is now extremely aware of how attractive Keith is. 

Sure, he’s always known he’s a good-looking dude, absolutely excelling in that whole broody, quiet bad boy thing. But Lance is not ashamed to admit that he completely had Keith pegged as a bit of an ass, mostly because he’s so damn smart and a notorious curve destroyer. 

But come to find, Keith is actually kind of nice?

Not in a like doting, Hunk-esqe way, but more of a quiet, encouraging energy that is steadying for someone like Lance that constantly loves to make situations much more dramatic than they are. 

Keith will gently point out Lance’s mistakes in assignments in a way that doesn’t make Lance feel too much of an idiot, unlike most of the tutors Lance encountered when he trudges to the library as a last-ditch to understand the latest formula. 

With Keith studying at his side, Lance actually got an A on the last exam, even with a measly two-point curve (nice 98 Keith, kindly suck a dick). 

So, Lance and Keith are friends. 

That’s it. 

And Lance is quietly allowed to admire Keith’s smile, don’t @ him. 

***

So Lance is a little hesitant when Hunk sets him up on his next date. 

Hunk swears up and down that he thinks this guy is perfect for him and, hey, Lance owes it to his best bro to give it a try. 

But Lance quickly found out that Hunk definitely had never grabbed a coffee with Nick. 

Considering this guy is a menace when it comes to the service industry. 

Lance has watched Nick treat their waitress with all the attitude you would a cockroach and loudly proclaim his seafood pasta was disgusting. 

The waitress, a sweet girl probably not much older than them, had nervously asked if he wanted the manager. 

And Nick had said yes. 

There are only so many nervous smiles and mouthed I’m sorries Lance could give the restaurant staff in this predicament. 

As Lance picked at his now free chicken, thoroughly mortified, he slipped his phone out under the table. 

u gotta help me man. 

Keith took too long to respond. 

is that my damsel I hear calling? 

Lance filed the flutter in his chest away as residual embarrassment and typed as quickly as he could. 

u need to call me with an emergency 

like right now

this dude is about to call the health department on this restaurant because his lobster was too salty 

Lance’s ears were burning with Keith’s laugh miles and miles away. 

is there another tea in it for me? 

there’s my firstborn in it for you 

Lance clicked his phone shut and set it on the table, trying to not stare at it too hard. 

Nick was still frowning, picking at his food. He made another face and started waving the waitress over. 

Lance’s stare increased tenfold. 

Keith, call me, call me, call me call me call me callmecallmecallme— 

His phone lit up, the vibrating the sound of angels’ wings. 

He sent Nick an attempt of an apologetic smile, plucked up his phone and answered with a calm and collected “hello?”

“I have an emergency,” his knight in shining armor drawled. 

“Oh no,” another apologetic smile Nick’s way, a mouthed I’m sorry, Lance was killing this. “What’s up?”

“You see, my friend is an idiot and has lost his spine.”

“That’s terrible!” Lance gasped. 

“Yeah, he can’t find it anywhere and therefore is unable to simply leave a date.” 

“That’s absolutely devastating.”

“It sure is,” Keith was definitely fighting another laugh.

The waitress came over, nervously wringing her hands, but Nick was too busy looking at Lance curiously to say anything to her. God, Lance was excelling this on many fronts. 

“Well, do you need me to come over?” 

“I think you need me more than I need you.”

If that wasn’t the fucking truth. 

“Hold on, I’m on a date right now,” a perfect sheepish grin sent Nick’s way, who was now hanging onto every word. “Give me a second.”

“You enjoy that second.”

Lance lowered his phone from his ear. 

“My friend just fell down a flight of stairs.”

He hoped Nick couldn’t hear Keith’s snort from the phone, or at least mistook it for a sob. 

“He drank too much of the Kool-Aid,” Lance put his phone on speaker. “Say ow, Keith.”

“Ow.”

The waitress had clearly caught on and was fighting a grin that no doubt rivaled Keith’s wherever he was. Lance took his phone off his speaker and pressed it back to his ear. 

“Don’t worry, Keith, I’m on my way,” Lance gasped. “You somehow lost your pants?”

Keith sighed. “Payback’s a bitch, I see.”

Oh, Lance needed to wipe the beginnings of the smirk of his face if he was going to get out of this. 

Nick’s brow was furrowed, his “disgusting” dish forgotten. 

Lance turned to the waitress.

“Check, please!” He chirped. 

He tipped her a hundred percent. 

***

“I could kiss you on the fucking mouth right now,” Lance laughed as he left the restaurant. 

Keith hummed into his phone. “You need to find better dates.”

“Well, how am I gonna find someone worth dating if I don’t weed through the shitty ones first?”

Keith cleared his throat. “No idea.”

There was something strange in Keith’s voice and Lance frowned. 

“Thanks, man,” he said softly. “I owe you one.”

“You actually owe me three now.”

4. 

Lance was enjoying his time doodling on Keith’s notes and deftly evading Keith’s swatting fingers, when a shadow overtook them. 

“Lance?”

Lance looked up and promptly dropped his pen. 

James Griffin, second hottest guy in their class and second curve breaker, was smiling down at him. 

And God, he was cute this close. 

“Hey James,” Lance attempted a flirty grin. “Funny seeing you here.”

He didn’t need to look over to see that Keith rolled his eyes. 

“Same to you,” Lance’s grin widened as James played his game. 

James opened his mouth to speak before he was interrupted by a loud, slurping sound. Lance turned to see Keith watching this interaction with bored eyes, sucking rather obnoxiously through his straw into his empty tea. 

James’ eyes slid to where Keith was slouched. He smiled. 

“Keith.”

“Griffin,” Keith said shortly as he tipped an ice cube into his mouth. “Don’t you sit in the back?” 

Lance sent Keith a tiny kick but Keith ignored him, continuing to glare up at James. 

“Anyways,” James turned back to Lance and was rewarded to one of his best smiles. “Lance, I was wondering if you ever wanted to get a coffee sometime?”

Keith scoffed. 

“Sure!”

Keith’s cup froze halfway to his lips as he looked at Lance in shock. But Lance was too busy grabbing his pen and reaching for James’ hand. Quickly, with violet eyes boring into him, Lance wrote his number on his palm. 

“Call me,” Lance winked. 

James chuckled, stepping back to the lecture hall stairs. “Count on it.”

Lance felt a pleasant blush rise up his cheeks, grinning as he returned his attention to his laptop. 

“Are you serious?”

His smile dropped and he turned to Keith, who still was regarding him as if he had grown a third head. 

“What?"

Keith scowled. “He’s a dick, Lance.”

“Come on.”

“Seriously, he cheats on every exam,” Keith grumbled, sinking into his seat. “You don’t sit in the back with him.”

“You don’t either!”

Keith straightened, turning to look Lance straight in the eye. 

“You’re right,” he held Lance’s gaze. “I don’t anymore.”

Lance looked cluelessly at Keith and watched as a myriad of emotions flickered across Keith’s face, settling on frustration. 

“Fine,” Keith snapped. “But don’t come to me trying to get out of it.”

“I won’t!”

“Good.”

“Great!”

Lance turned to the front as the professor entered, fuming.

He was going to kill this date, no matter what Keith thought. 

***

Lance did in fact not kill this date. 

But it wasn’t his fault! 

Technically, it wasn’t James’ fault either. 

Lance had spent all day prepping himself, performed the skin care routine of his life and  rejecting four different outfits until deciding on the same thing he wore with Jack (hopefully to restore some better vibes in his favorite date outfit). 

He was ready to sit through this entire date, come hell or high water, except—

Except— 

Except he hadn’t anticipated seconds after they sat down, tucked into a cozy booth in the same cafe where he was done so wrong by Izzy, for James to immediately whip the rug out from under him. 

“I’ve been trying to figure out a way to get you alone to ask you,” James said, with a nervous smile. “What’s Keith’s deal?”

Lance tilted his head in confusion. 

“Like,” James laughed nervously, “is he single?”

Lance choked on his coffee. 

… 

… 

He commends James for his bravery and silently wonders if there is anyone in their class that doesn’t have a thing for Keith (yes, he is counting himself in that, he’s self aware). 

So the date kinda crashed and burned. Fully spontaneously combusted. 

And Keith can never know. 

***

“How’d the date go?”

Lance went rigid, not daring to look over at Keith as he flipped through his notebook. 

“You didn’t text me,” Keith said, eyes on his notebook. “So I guess it went well.”

Keith was fidgety but Lance was so much worse, his leg jiggling so fast it was about to fly away. God, he could not look at Keith’s absurdly handsome face and admit that he has yet again fucked up a date. 

He wants to look somewhat appealing, thank you very much. 

So instead— 

“It did!”

God, Lance, why?

Keith looked over to him, expression unclear. “Really?”

“Yup!” Lance was lying through his fucking teeth. “We, uh, have a second date, actually.”

Lance, why.

Keith frowned slightly. “Really?"

“Mhmm. This weekend.”

Keith hummed, pulling out a pen. “What are you guys doing?”

Lance blanks, scrambling for something that would be a picturesque second date, a perfectly fun time that will show that Lance actually can bag James Griffin. 

“Rollerskating,” Lance needed to shut up. 

Keith frowned harder. “You don’t like rollerskating.”

“Sure I do.” Lance needed to shut up right now. 

Keith raised an eyebrow. “You literally performed a monologue to me about it last week when you saw someone post a video of them skating. You think it looks stupid and the rinks are gross.”

Lance gaped at him, wondering how the hell he remembered that. 

Keith shifted, turning away. 

“Well,” Keith said quietly. “Have fun.” 

5. 

So, it’s been made clear that Lance is a lying whore. 

A lying whore that now needs to pull a rollerskating date out of nowhere. 

Something he wouldn’t have to do if he had given a much easier excuse, like possibly a coffee date, considering he had been on two the past three months. 

But, no. Rollerskating had been the first thing he had thought of and here he was. 

He’s trying to think of a way out of this mess other than just coming clean or lying more as the alleged date creeps closer and closer. 

Until it’s the weekend of the fantasy date and, out of nowhere, his car dies. 

Brenda goes kaput and Lance could cry from relief. Sure, his wallet has seen dark times this semester and it will be a bitch to pay for, but now he has an excuse. 

A perfect excuse, if Lance dares. 

He’s still grinning as he takes the picture of Brenda’s demise and shoots it over to Keith after tacking on a frowny face. 

He’s still grinning as Keith is typing.

And then— 

I can drive you there 

Fuck. 

***

Lance slicks his tongue over his teeth, wondering if he should fake an illness. 

His stomach is so twisted in knots he could definitely projectile vomit in Keith’s car right now if he tried hard enough. 

Speaking of Keith’s car, the driver of Keith’s car will not stop looking over at him. 

“Are you okay?”

“Fine!” Lance said too quickly. “Nervous, I guess.”

Keith nodded, tapping long fingers gently against the steering wheel. 

He dressed in black jeans and a black shirt, obviously heading in for a shift at Lotus Ginger but decided to drive Lance right before and— God, Lance is a shitty person. 

Lance closes his eyes and leaned back, listening to the soft sounds of whatever rock channel Keith’s ancient car is stuck on. 

He’s not sure what he’s more upset about, this whole tangle he has found himself in or the fact that he is in Keith’s car for the first time and can’t fully enjoy it. 

If he wasn’t in the middle of being The Worst Friend Ever, he would have so much material to tease Keith with. 

For starters, Keith drives a Honda. An old, busted, silver Civic that has an AUX cord that works half the time and seats so frayed that Lance is worried some of the fabric will tear if he moves too much. 

It’s hilariously unfit for Keith and so rundown, but obviously so loved. 

Empty tea cups are tossed in the backseat along with Keith’s gym bag (which Lance regards with little surprise), and he has his high school graduation tassel hanging from his mirror. 

It smells like black tea and the spice of Keith’s cologne and lavender from the air freshener lodged in the air vent and is so full of Keith that Lance can barely take it. 

Lance opened his eyes and looked up at the ceiling. His eyes catch a sliver of yellow peeking out from Keith’s tucked visor and spots a familiar stroke of a purple pen. 

His sticky note. From the tea. 

Keith had kept it. 

Lance was going to puke. 

The car shifts to a stop and Lance jumps as Keith shifts into park. Keith gives Lance another long, searching look. 

“You need to calm down,” he said. “It’s going to be fine.”

“Oh, yeah, definitely.”

Lance couldn’t move his gaze from the skating rink, the outside obnoxiously bright with all its neon lights and blaring sighs. He resisted a grimace. 

He hated rollerskating. 

Keith sighed, rubbing his forehead. 

“Lance, I shouldn’t have been such a dick when James asked you out,” he said softly. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine, man.”

Lance is a shitty, shitty person. 

“No, I—,” Keith stared off into the parking lot. “I was being selfish and a bad friend, so I’m sorry.”

Lance was mindlessly nodding, descending into hell, when he paused. 

“Wait,” he turned to Keith. “Selfish?”

Violet eyes widened. 

“Uh,” Lance could have sworn that Keith was blushing in the dark. “Um.”

Lance’s phone chimed and he fumbled for it, shielding the screen from Keith. 

you here? 

“Is that James?” Keith asked. 

Lance nodded. 

In actuality, it was Steve, the guy who had survived Lance’s frantic swiping the night before and was down to roller-skate. 

Look, Lance’s pride had quite the fall from grace, but he had enough to not want to twiddle his thumbs in a skating rink alone. 

“Well,” Lance looked up to see Keith smile softly. “Have fun.” 

***

Dare he say it, Lance actually did have fun. 

Steve was decent in both looks and rollerskating, which suited Lance just fine. 

He was tall, lean, with black hair and bright eyes and a smile that caused Lance’s stomach knots to lessen. 

The knots grew looser and looser through the night, as Steve held his hand and pulled him along the rink and Lance maybe thought that this was all a happy accident. 

Until the rink closed and Lance and Steve were some of the last patrons leaving. 

Until Lance realized he had, without thinking, failed the one cardinal rule of blind dates. 

Bring your own car. 

He only realized this as they walked out, shoulders brushing as Steve circled his keys around his fingers. 

Steve turned to him and his smile suddenly wasn’t loosening knots anymore. 

“Sorry about your car,” he said, voice low. “That sucks.”

Lance managed a smile. “Sure does.”

He had never whipped out the Uber app out on his phone so fast. 

Until fingers crossed over the screen and Steve plucked his phone from his hand. 

“Hold on,” Steve laughed. “Why don’t I take you home?”

Lance watched Steve’s hand wrap around his phone and click it off and his stomach full of roller rink pizza and beer lurched. 

“Or,” Steve drew out the word, grinning. “We go back to my place?”

Lance swallowed, his throat dry. 

“Uh,” he shrugged sheepishly. “I got a big paper to work on, so—.”

“On Saturday night?” Steve pressed. 

He came closer to Lance, his smile turning into something Lance really didn’t like. 

“Come on,” he murmured, herding Lance back until he was brushing the stone wall. “You mean to tell me you wanted me to come on a last-minute roller-skate date and that’s all?”

Lance laughed but it sounded strained even to him. 

“Believe it or not, man, that’s exactly what I wanted.”

Steve’s smile faltered. “Well, what if that’s not what I want?”

Lance’s blood ran cold. 

“Mind giving me back my phone?”

Steve was fully frowning now and Lance’s hands curled into fists. His mind slipped with panic to the last two-hundred times he rejected Hunk’s invites to the gym. 

He was a scrawny noodle compared to Steve, the man now hulking over him. 

“Lance,” he said. “Let me take you home.”

Lance’s mouth felt full of sawdust. “As in my apartment or yours?”

Steve laughed. “I’m not picky where.”

Lance cleared his throat and tried to will his hands to stop shaking. 

“Look,” he mentally cursed when his voice trembled. “You’re a cool guy and I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong idea, but I’m not interested—.”

“Lance?”

Steve whirled around and Lance peered over his shoulder and could have cried from relief. 

Keith was leaning against his car, arms crossed and brow furrowed. Still in his Lotus uniform, his hair pulled into a messy ponytail at the nape of his neck. 

There were clear lines of sweat on his collarbones and the grime of bussing tables on his clothes, but Keith looked every bit the knight in shining armor Lance jokingly called him. 

Keith craned his neck and eyes widened. 

“That is you,” he tilted his head. “Where’s James?”

Just like that, Lance’s relief hardened like a rock in his stomach. 

“Who are you?” Steve demanded. 

Keith’s curious eyes flitted to him and heated. 

“I was gonna ask you the same thing,” he looked at Lance again. "What’s going on?”

“Why are you even asking—.”

“I wasn’t asking you,” Keith snapped at Steve, pushing off his car and marching towards them. “Lance.”

Lance tried to smile. “It’s a bit of a long story.”

“Good thing we have the ride home,” Keith said stiffly as he marched towards them. 

Lance ducked from around Steve and took two of the biggest steps he could towards Keith, until a hand wrapped around his arm. 

“Hold on—.”

Lance barely had time to process that Steve had grabbed him, until he was freed and Steve was stumbling back, clutching a bleeding nose. Keith had appeared from nowhere and was pushing Lance back towards the empty parking lot. 

“What the fuck?” Steve shouted. 

“Touch him again and I’ll give you a mouth to match,” Keith snarled. 

“You broke my nose!” 

Keith rolled his eyes. “It’ll be bruised for a couple days, let it serve as a reminder to not be such an ass.” 

Keith’s eyes were alit with barely controlled rage as he took Lance’s waist and herded him to the car. 

“Keith,” Lance gasped out. “What the hell are you doing?”

“Apparently, saving you from yet another shitty situation!” Keith ground out as he yanked open Lance’s door and shoved him inside.  

Lance winced at the slam of the door and barely had time to breathe evenly before Keith was inside and the car was on and they were speeding out of the parking lot. 

“What are you doing here?”

“I got off work early,” Keith bit out. “I just planned to drop by, in case you were waiting for an Uber or something.”

Lance thought he may cry. 

Keith’s knuckles were white against the steering wheel, though his right fingers were beginning to bloom an ugly purple. His jaw was tight, teeth clenched as his car roared underneath their feet. 

Lance stared at the tassel swinging on the mirror before his eyes found the peek of the sticky note once more. His eyes burned. 

“Lance,” Keith said finally. “Explain.”

“I—,” Lance wiped a hand down his face. “I lied.”

“I got that.”

“James wasn’t interested,” he continued miserably. “But I couldn’t bring myself to admit it.”

Keith was silent, still glaring, still gritting his teeth.

“So I pulled this date out of nowhere and I just fell into this fucking lie and was too embarrassed to admit it when you offered to drive me,” Lance let out a long breath. “So I found someone who was interested to go out last minute and met them here. And, well, I guess you know the rest.”

The car was deadly quiet, only the hum of the road underneath the tires giving Lance company as he waited for Keith to respond. 

The silence stretched on minute after minute until they pulled into Lance’s apartment complex. Keith put the car in park and they sat there, in more silence. 

Keith pinched the bridge of his nose with fingers of swelling knuckles. 

“So I just punched your date.”

“Yes,” Lance said meekly. “He did deserve it though.”

“Well, I know that,” Keith shot a glare Lance’s way. “Why didn’t you just tell me?”

“I don’t know!” Lance threw up his hands in the air. “To you, I’m just this idiot that can get a proper date and I just wanted to show you that I’m not as hopeless with dating as I seem! I just wanted to prove that I could actually get a decent person interested in me.”

Keith stared at Lance incredulously and Lance felt defense bubbling up his throat. 

“I mean,” Lance waved at Keith’s face. “Look at you, half our lecture is in love with you. Meanwhile, you have saved me from every date I have landed this semester because I am such a romantic fuck up.”

Keith’s lips parted. 

“So this was some stupid way to prove to me that, what? Someone will want to date you?”

“Yes!” Lance fired back. “I’ve never had to save you from a date or anything.”

“That’s because I don’t go on any!”

“And Lord knows why,” Lance muttered bitterly. 

Keith’s eyes flashed. “Are you being serious right now?”

“What— yes!”

Keith gaped at him, eyes wide and disbelieving. He finally huffed, leaning back in his seat and running a hand through his hair. 

“I don’t know, Lance,” he said tiredly. “Take a guess why I haven’t gone on a date since I met you.”

Lance blinked. Keith glared at Lance’s apartment building, but the light from the street revealed a steady blush crawling up Keith’s neck to his cheeks. 

Lance’s jaw dropped. 

“Wait,” he shook his head in disbelief. “Hold on.”

Keith’s jaw tightened even more. 

“You,” Lance was floundering for air right now, “you like me?” 

Keith’s eyes slowly closed. 

Lance was trying to figure out which way was up. 

“Ever since you gave your introduction the first day of class,” Keith said quietly. “And followed it with a knock-knock joke.”

Lance thought he would die from shock. 

“Keith,” he said slowly. “That was months ago.”

“Yeah.”

“Before we ever even talked.”

“Yeah.”

Lance could feel his heartbeat in his mouth. He swallowed, trying to compose himself, trying to think. 

“Keith, I—.”

“Just,” Keith cut him off with weak wave of his hand. “Go home, Lance.”

Lance’s throat grew tight as he watched Keith rub at his eyes, the dark circles prominent under the violent-gray. 

“I’m tired,” Keith’s voice was thick with something, and Lance would do anything to figure out what it was. “Lance, please, just go.”

Lance looked at Keith for a moment more, before slowly reaching for the door. He got out, head spinning. 

Before he shut the door, he leaned into the car once more. 

“Keith?”

Keith sighed and looked at him with such a pained gaze that Lance felt a bit of his heart shatter. 

“Thanks,” Lance croaked.

Keith didn’t respond, merely nodding stiffly and waiting patiently for Lance to shut the door behind him.

+1 

Lance was still not entirely sure how he got himself into this situation. 

In his whole twenty-one years of residing on planet Earth, he had never had such a major fuck up in his life. 

He hid in his bed for the rest of the weekend, alternating between being mortified and flabbergasted because Keith Kogane fucking liked him and probably very much didn’t anymore. 

It took any remaining morsels of courage that he could scoop up to get his ass in his seat Monday morning, black tea in hand and staring at the door. 

Keith didn’t show up. 

Lance suffered all of Tuesday, scrolling through his mess of apologetic texts to Keith that received no response other than Keith’s read receipts. 

Brutal. 

But well deserved. 

Lance wasn’t exactly sure how he would react if the guy he liked not only used him to get out of several dates but also fully lied to his face, but it would be with a lot less grace than Keith. 

By the time Wednesday had passed with radio silence from Keith, Lance was growing desperate. 

Desperate enough for a stupid plan to form. 

Stupid enough to possibly work. 

***

Lance walked into Lotus Ginger with the jeans best for his ass and the light blue shirt that made his eyes pop. 

If this went poorly, he already gave Hunk strict instructions to get a fire going in their apartment and he would strip down right in the doorway and burn them to ash. 

His hands were sweating as he looked around for a mop of black hair. Chewing on the inside of his lip, he ventured further into the restaurant and caught Shiro’s eye. 

Shiro watched him for a long moment, gaze disapproving. 

Lance squirmed before forcing himself to walk up to the assistant manager. Shiro was well-known for being a decent, kind-hearted man, but Lance had never been as terrified of his tree trunk arms more than now. 

Shiro leaned forward. 

“You did a number on him, Lance,” he said quietly. 

“I know,” Lance said softly. “I’m an ass, a stupid ass, the very most idiotic ass.”

He swallowed, forcing himself to keep Shiro’s gaze. 

“Is he here?” Lance asked. “I know he works Wednesdays.”

Shiro hummed thoughtfully, tapping his fingers on his crossed arms. Finally, he dropped his arms and stepped towards the kitchen. 

“Keith!” He yelled over the din. “Table 32!” 

Lance’s stomach dropped and he was definitely sweating through his shirt, but he steeled himself right as Keith rounded the corner. 

“I just cleaned—,” he trailed off, eyes widening when he saw Lance. 

Lance took one look at Keith and felt his courage renewed. 

Just taking in his tangled mop of a messy bun, stained black uniform and silly fingerless gloves that Lance was beginning to admit were just the teeniest bit sexy caused him to straighten, knowing full well what he was willing to fight for. 

Or grovel for. 

“Hey,” he said, offering a weak smile. 

Keith scoffed and it would have looked intimidating if not for how tightly he was gripping the dish tub. 

“What do you want?” Keith asked, voice like venom. “Here for another date?”

Shiro nodded to himself and rather quickly made his exit. 

“Actually, I am,” Lance shifted. “I’m hoping I came in time for his lunch break.”

Keith’s brow furrowed before realization dawned. His hands tightened even more around the tub and Lance winced when he spotted the angry red knuckles on his right hand. 

Keith chewed his bottom lip, obviously weighing his options. 

“Are you serious?"

“Yes,” Lance exhaled. “Yes, man, I—.”

“Don’t call me man if we are about to go on a date.”

Keith looked just as startled as Lance at his own barb. Lance let out a giddy laugh. 

“I’ll call you whatever you want.”

Two red spots bloomed on Keith’s cheeks and Lance decided it was his favorite thing he had even seen. 

“I, um,” it was strange seeing Keith nervous, shuffling his feet and looking at Shiro. “I have like twenty until my break.”

Violet-gray eyes returned to Lance. “Will you wait?”

Lance smiled. “You waited long enough for me, I can do twenty minutes.”

Keith’s blush deepened and he nodded, a shy smile growing on his lips. 

“Okay,” he said quietly. “Cool.”

Lance was still smiling like an idiot as he turned and found an empty booth. He watched as Keith busied himself with clearing more tables, still blushing furiously. 

Shiro came up behind Keith and whispered something in his ear, Keith’s face turning even redder as he swatted at his boss. Chuckling, Shiro strutted away, pausing to wink at Lance. 

Lance grinned, giddy as he tapped nervously on the table. 

It felt like an eternity until Keith returned to him, black apron gone and keys in his hand. 

“Okay,” Keith was out of breath, still smiling that shy smile. “Ready?”

“Born ready.”

Keith rolled his eyes, grinning as Lance jumped to his feet and followed Keith out the door. 

“Where’s Leanne?” Lance frowned, searching for the familiar car. 

Keith arched an eyebrow. “Leanne?”

“Yeah, I named your car,” Lance grinned as Keith shook his head with a tiny smile. 

“I don’t really drive Leanne much.” 

Lance’s breath stopped as Keith took his hand, the leather glove smooth against his sweaty palm and led him to the back of the restaurant. 

“Instead,” Keith’s grin grew wilder. “I drive her.”

Lance’s jaw dropped when they stopped in front of a sleek black motorcycle. Keith chuckled as he popped open the back hatch and pulled out a simple red helmet. 

“So there is a reason for those gloves you wear.”

Keith rolled his eyes again as he lifted the helmet. 

“What do you say?” Keith was inches from him, eyes bright. “Want to take a ride?” 

“Yes.”

Keith snorted at his eager response and placed the helmet on Lance’s head. 

“Don’t you need this?”

Keith shrugged. “You do more than me. Although, you do have a hard head.”

Lance squawked as Keith tapped loudly on the side of the helmet. 

“Maybe I’ll stop and buy you one.”

“I want it in pink.”

Keith laughed, loud and free, as he buckled the helmet under Lance’s chin. His fingers stilled on Lance’s jaw, fingertips cool against his skin. 

Violet eyes flitted to Lance before Keith tugged the strap and brought Lance’s lips to his. 

Keith tasted of mint and dumplings and Lance immediately took Keith’s face in his hands, deepening the kiss. Keith came even closer, his body warm and sturdy against Lance’s. 

Lance’s mind went blank, just thinking more, more, more. 

Keith wound his arms around Lance’s neck, tilting his head to kiss Lance even deeper and—yeah— this was Lance’s new favorite thing ever. 

Lance had just opened Keith’s mouth with his own and began to rather thoroughly explore until Keith broke away with a chuckle. 

“I work here, Lance.”

“Really?” Lance mumbled, kissing Keith again. “In this alleyway?”

“I know like ten different coworkers that could be out here any second for their smoke break,” Keith whispered against Lance’s lips. 

“Good, let them watch and be jealous.”

Keith snorted, pushing Lance away by the helmet. Lance let himself be pushed back, grinning widely. 

“Come on,” Keith kicked a leg over the motorcycle and Lance made sure to take in every second of Keith straddling the bike. “I’m starving.”

The motorcycle revved to life under Keith’s hand, a throaty roar that had Lance’s blood leaping in excitement. 

He got on behind Keith and wrapping his arms around him, smelling Chinese food and soap and spice. Lance smiled into Keith’s shoulder, his grip tightening. 

He leaned towards Keith’s ear. 

“Is it weird I’m jealous of a bike?”

Lance’s grin widened as he felt Keith’s laugh rumble from his chest. 

“Alright,” Keith revved the motorcycle once more, the sound deafening yet delightful in Lance’s ears. “Hold on!”

Of course, Lance thought as Keith tore forward, expertly manning the bike under them as they sliced through the cool air, I have no plans on letting go.