Chapter Text
Saturdays are the worst. The deli is busier than during the week, and Lance can’t seem to catch a free moment! Aaaand the front has run out of potato salad, again.
“Trust me, Saturdays get worse in July.” Hunk tells Lance when they take refuge in the walk-in. Lance, getting more potato salad; Hunk, getting more… chicken? No.. he’s totally just hiding in the fridge.
Later that night, after the counters have closed, Lance goes over to the sink to help Hunk with the dishes. “So, what department does Keith work in?”
“Ah, stuck on Keith, hm?” Hunk says, offering a smile. Lance elbows him, laughing, and splashes hot water onto his arm. “Hey, I’ve done enough dishes that I’m basically immune to that,”
“Well, I haven’t met him yet, so yeah, I’m stuck on him. Is he really like Pidge said?” Lance asks. Then, doing his best Pidge impression: “‘A total gay loner that never got past his emo phase’ or is Pidge just teasing him? What does he look like? What department is he in?”
“Well, he’s a cashier. Uh, he’s short. Shorter than you, anyway. Black hair, kind of long. Pidge is right about him never getting over his emo phase--he usually wears black, and has these hilarious fingerless gloves he insists on wearing all the time. As far as being a loner goes, he’s pretty much got Shiro and Pidge, and that’s it. Both Allura and I join them for game night, but I don’t think he’s completely accepted us yet,” Hunk shakes his head and chuckles with that, “but he’s coming around.”
---
Finally, finally, Lance is available for game night. He’s got Tuesday off and kept his schedule clear so he could go. Tired and nearly melting into his couch, Lance pulls out his phone and shoots Hunk a quick text, asking for the address. Even after two months of texting about work shifts, it feels weird to just casually text Hunk. They’re friends, but this is crossing a line past coworker friends into actual friends. Lance counts to 20, and then stands up to get ready.
---
Lance walks up the pathway through the lawn to Hunk’s house, and knocks on the door. He’s technically early, and hopes it’s okay. Pidge greets him at the door and casually leads him through the front room into the dining room where chips and salsa are set out, and shouts “Hey Lance is here”.
“Lance!” Hunk shouts back from the kitchen, “Hope you haven’t eaten dinner yet, because I have some tortillas made. We’re going to have burritos!”
“Oh, I didn’t know we were having food, too. I just assumed some snacks. Where are Keith and Shiro and Allura?”
“Running late, as usual” Pidge says as she takes a seat and munches on some chips. “I heard you haven’t met Keith, yet. Are you nervous?” She asks with a smile on her lips and a fire in her eyes that screams mischievous.
“Why would Lance be nervous?” Shiro says, appearing behind Pidge, followed by Allura and a boy Lance assumes must be Keith. Suddenly, the room is way too small for the 6 of them, and Lance can’t breathe. Hunk’s description did not do Keith justice at all.
“You’re Keith??” Lance says, in disbelief. He thinks he hears Pidge giggling in the background, but he can't really tell what's going on because this is Keith. This Keith is the same black haired boy he's been half heartedly flirting with for a month.
“Hi, Lance.” Keith replies, with a smile. The very same smile he uses on all the customers at Lions. “I didn't know you'd be here.”
“Don’t use your customer voice on me!”
“Wait, you guys know each other already?” Hunk asks, gesturing between the two of them. Pidge is full on laughing now.
“I didn't know he was Keith!” Lance shouts, pointing at Keith, and spinning around to look at Hunk. Lowering his voice, he whispers to Hunk, “You never told me he was this guy!”
“What do you mean?” Hunk asks, reaffirming his gesture with a shrug. “He’s Keith..?”
“Please excuse us,” Lance says, turning to face a very puzzled Shiro and Allura. “We need to have a conversation.” Lance drags Hunk away from the stove into the front room.
“Please tell me what is going on, Lance.”
“Okay, you know my ‘one true love, going to replace Shiro in my heart, cashier-boy to die for’, that I’ve been flirting with for a month?”
“Yes…” Hunk says, eyebrows furrowing. Then a lightbulb goes off in his head. “OH. Oh man, he’s Keith? Keith is your nameless prince charming?”
“YES. Oh my gosh, what am I going to do, Hunk?” Lance starts, always one for the dramatics, “I have to go. I have to leave right now! I’ll have to cut my hair and wear a disguise and change stores, and oh my gosh Hunk, I can never talk to him again.”
“What?? Why?” Hunk now has Lance in his arms, from Lance’s dramatic fake fainting. “Can’t you just continue the way you have? Now I get to spectate, since I know it’s Keith.” Hunk says with a smirk, and Lance pulls out of his arms, with an offended look on his face.
“I can’t, because it was never about wooing him! It was just for fun! But now he’s gonna actually know me, and he’s so attractive, and I want to woo him now, and I doubt he’ll even like me.” Lance says, throwing his arms up in the air, pacing the living room.
“Hey so I’ve been sent in on a reconnaissance mission to recover our friends by Shiro and Allura..” Pidge says, entering the room. “Keith says he’s indifferent, but I’m pretty sure he wants to get on with game night so he can kick butt at Speed.”
Lance looks pleadingly at Hunk, and sighs heavily when he gets a shrug in response.
“Fiiiine, let’s go.” Lance says, and they all head into the kitchen together.
---
“Alright, 5 card hands, draw a card after you play one, obviously. Play your cards in either descending or ascending order from the middle two cards here, and first to get rid of all your cards wins.” Pidge is explaining the rules, and even though Lance has never played Speed before, the rules are simple, and he’s a quick learner.
He watches everyone play against Keith, and lose.
“Quiznak, Keith. You’re too good!” Allura says, resigned to her impending loss.
“Quiznak..?” Lance repeats slowly, glancing around.
“Uh, yeah. I picked it up from Coran,” Allura explains, chuckling. “He says it means 'dang it', but I think we all know how we really use it.”
“We all say it now and again, but it’s really Coran’s thing,” Shiro says, and everyone hums or nods in agreement.
The losers start games of their own, and Lance is determined to win when it’s his turn against the King of Speed. Lance plays last against Keith, so he can watch them play a few games before he plays for the first time.
“Victory, again.” Keith says, in a practiced deadpan.
“Aw, man.. I was so close that time, too!” Hunk is keeling over like a kicked puppy, and with sad eyes, turns to Lance. “Avenge me, Lance!”
“You ready, Keith?” Lance says, smirking as he slides into the chair across from him after Hunk moves over to join the others at the loser games.
“You think you understand the rules? I know it’s simple, but can your small brain handle it?” Keith teases, smirking back at Lance. And oh no, that’s not fair. Keith’s smirk is still lethal, even after a month of flirting.
“Bring it, mullet.”
---
Keith is shocked. Lance can tell by his expression - he’s actually emoting on his face. Everyone else is shocked, too. They all abandoned their games when Keith started screeching about Lance cheating, and how could he be winning? Keith is the best at Speed.
“So, I’ve dethroned the king, eh?” Lance chuckles, standing from the chair, but before he can get out from the table, Keith is standing too, shouting for Lance to sit back down, demanding a rematch, because beginner’s luck, obviously.
“What, you want best two out of three?” Lance knows he’s milking this victory, but the game is actually pretty easy, and is confident he could effortlessly win again.
“Y-Yes! I’m sure I’ll beat you easily if we go again. I was just shocked you understood the concept of the game!” Keith’s words are confident, but he's sputtering, and Lance can tell he’s not sure he'll win.
“Sure, sure, Keith.” Lance nods, smiling because Keith is flustered, by him! In the month he’s flirted, Keith has always been cool as a cucumber. No, more like a zucchini, because Keith is anything but typical. “Pidge, why don’t you shuffle, so Keith can’t accuse me of cheating?”
“I wouldn’t accuse you of cheating!” Keith retorts, rising to the playful squabble.
“You just did!” Lance says, arms thrown in the air.
“Less talk, more cards.” Pidge says, dealing the stock and hands. “Win again, Lance. Keith has always been an insufferable ruler in the game of Speed.”
“Ready?” Lance starts, leveling Keith a smirk.
“Set?” Keith counters, getting ready to pull his hand.
“GO!” Pidge shouts over the top of them.
---
Ten, nine, ten, jack, queen, king, ace, Lance wasn’t reading the cards. He knew exactly what was out there, and what was in his hand. He simply played the cards. Eight, seven, six, seven, six, five, four, Lance can easily keep track of both stacks in the middle, as well as his own hand, pulling from his thinning deck.
“SPEED!” Lance shouts, slamming his hands on the table. The room erupts in applause and cheers. Keith throws his cards in the air, and puts his head in his hands in defeat.
---
Hours later, after burritos, Uno, Scattergories, ice cream, and Pictionary, it's finally time to go home.
“Thanks for letting me crash your game night, guys! I had a good time.” Lance says, standing from his spot in the living room, where his team won Pictionary.
“Thanks for coming, it was definitely more fun with even teams.” Hunk says, standing to walk everyone toward the door.
“Oh yes! You should definitely come again, Lance!” Allura says brightly, passing Lance on the way out the door.
“Thanks for dethroning the king!” Pidge says from where she’s still sprawled on the couch, grinning at Keith. Lance smiles at Keith, too, but he’s looking at the ground, not meeting Lance’s eyes.
“Well, I’ll see ya ‘round?” Lance says, bumping Keith's shoulder with own.
Keith looks up at him with a shy smile, “I hope so.”