Work Text:
Lance McClain loved Christmas.
He had grown up in a large family that went all out with their celebrations every year, decorating a beautiful tree, baking cookies, singing along to Christmas music for the entire month of December. It stuck with him even now as a college student in a new place, and he was determined to make his own Christmas traditions.
For that reason, he and his two best friends, Hunk and Pidge, were currently walking around a mall, looking for the spot that the mall Santa would be taking pictures.
“Don’t you think the old dude playing Santa is gonna be a little weirded out when three college kids walk up?” Pidge suggested, looking ahead at Lance who swung his head back to squint his eyes directly at them.
“Christmas is for everyone, Pidge. Let me live.”
Lance continued forward, his friends trailing slightly behind. They passed through crowds of holiday shoppers, stressed out parents trying to find the last second high demand toys for their kids. Others looked content, carrying bags of their recent holiday purchases.
“There it is!” Lance exclaimed, pointing towards what seemed to be the Christmas photo op area in the center of the mall. A line of parents and their kids wrapped around one section, while another led to a counter selling photo frames and magnets of the Santa pictures being taken. Oversized glittery ornaments and candy canes the size of Lance himself lined the area, and a large Christmas tree sat toward the center of the circle. In front of that was a red plush chair where the Santa sat where the photos were being taken.
Lance rushed forward into the back of the line, earning some questionable looks from some concerned parents ahead of him. Hunk smiled awkwardly from behind his friend, hoping the group didn’t come off as totally strange.
“Alright guys,” Lance turned towards his friends, looking completely serious as he continued, “we have to make this the cutest Santa picture ever. This is gonna go on my wall. Hunk, you look cute always. Pidge, try not to look like a gremlin.”
Pidge used their middle finger to adjust their glasses and flip Lance off at the same time.
They had slowly worked their way towards the front of the line, reaching the divider between the rest of the people and the photo op area when Lance saw him. Black hair curled from underneath the pointed green and red elf hat the boy was wearing, along with a matching exaggerated button up shirt and baggy green pants with red and white striped socks to match. And he looked utterly unamused by the entire ordeal.
“Next?”
Lance snapped out of the daze he was in and realized elf boy was talking to him, and that there was no longer a family in front of them. Pidge and Hunk were looking at him with similar confused expressions.
“Uh, sorry!” He managed to finally say after coming back to himself. “The hat is cute. Got a little distracted.” Smooth save, Lance.
“Right,” The other boy responded, seeming more caught off guard than anything else. “What's your name? We need it so you can retrieve your photos at the booth.”
“Lance. Lance McClain. What’s yours?”
Pidge slumped their shoulders from behind, well aware of the way this was headed.
Lance watched as the other boy squinted his eyes, watching Lance before muttering a quiet “Keith” and turning on his heels towards the Santa. Lance looked over his shoulder and winked at his friends.
“Alright, head over there and I’ll take your picture.”
Keith directed the group towards the large chair before backing up and grabbing the camera off of a small kiosk. Lance, Pidge, and Hunk all took a second to pose, deciding eventually to do a squad pose in front of the Santa despite the man's confused and tired looks. Lance squatted down with his hands in a praying position, while Pidge took the opposite side of the chair doing a similar pose and Hunk stood behind him with crossed arms. Once Keith had signaled that the photo was taken, they stood and followed him over to the counter that sold trinkets and prints of the picture.
“We kinda look like a bad boyband,” Lance said, as the picture popped up on the monitor in front of them. “It’s perfect.”
His friends seemed to nod in agreement.
“So, Keith, I think we’ll take three of the regular size prints, please.”
“You got it.” Keith looked up from the screen, briefly making eye contact with Lance who was now leaning his upper body against the counter. Lance could have sworn his heart leapt straight into his throat.
“Anything else, or is that it for today?”
“What about your number?”
Lance was met with a skeptical stare again, though this time he swore Keith’s cheeks had gone pink. Lance wasn’t going to admit it, but he was pretty sure his own were at least three shades brighter. Just then, the photos printed, and Keith looked away to put them into envelopes for the group.
Lance had almost lost hope in getting the cute workers number, until he noticed him writing on the back of one of the photos before sliding them across the counter.
“Merry Christmas.” Was all Keith said, before giving a small smirk directed at Lance and quickly returning to his station. Another group of small children were yelling and running towards the Santa, and Keith looked unamused again.
“Looks like a no, dude.” Pidge said, placing a jokingly comforting hand on Lance’s shoulder, as they gathered the photos off the counter, heading off toward the exit of the mall.
Lance grabbed the one he had noticed Keith pay extra attention to and quickly took it out before flipping it over, and sure enough:
I get off at six tonight. Text me, if you want.
-Keith
(800)xxx-xxxx
“Or not.” Pidge looked over Lance’s arm at the small note.
Lance smiled, returning the photo to the envelope and smiling at his friends.
“I love Christmas.”