Chapter Text
Rivalry has always been the third partner in Lance and Keith’s relationship. Since they’ve met there was always an underlying sense of competition, from who could get the highest on the swings (Keith) to the most popcorn sales in their Boy Scout troop (Lance, but that’s only because of Keith’s inability to not frown in front of people). And because of it, their bickering and arguing came as easy to them as breathing.
It wasn’t until Keith blurted out how insufferable he was being after a particular argument that it finally clicked that Lance wanted to kiss him. After a few weeks of pining on his end (and years on Keith’s side), Pidge finally yelled at them to take their sexual tension and either make out or kill each other. Everything became pretty simple after that.
At least, it would have been but that competitive streak never left the boys. And when an opening occurred at Keith’s school for a new English teacher, Lance was the first to apply thanks to Keith’s insider information. Having both of them under the same building had been a worry on Principle Alfor, but he decided to trust them even after being a witness at their wedding where they competed on who could drink the most champagne without throwing up. Thankfully his daughter and Shiro made sure to have it watered down before they even had their first glass.
Yet even then, their rivalry followed them well into their joint jobs, especially after they moved into the classrooms across the hall from one another. Keith, having worked there for 3 years already, had gained the reputation as the reserved and serious teacher that was not to be messed with. A smile from him was rare and his motorcycle did not help dampen the allure. The enigma that became Mr. Kogane was mighty in his hall.
Yet it all changed when Lance began teaching during Keith’s 4th year. Lance was always one to be social and he went out of his way to make sure to have an “open door policy” with his students to offer a safe space, which many did take advantage of.
By the end of the first week of school, Lance had about 5 kids who he would eat with him during lunch (“you’re way more fun than the library!”). While they were in the middle of talking about the latest drama in regards to the Sammy, Maggie and Amy triangle, Keith walked in and very condescending asked Lance if he knew how to read while pointing at the lunch he was eating, which was labeled Keith Kogane’s property, DO NOT TOUCH . The students were ready to see Mr. McClain profusely apologize to the scary looking Mr. Kogane, but all he did was shrug and said “you snooze, you lose.” After giving him a glare that would put down a horse, Mr. Kogane just left the classroom and walked back to his.
The kids looked at Mr. McClain like he was crazy for not backing down, but he just turned back to them and told them to proceed with the story of Sammy trying to get Maggie’s attention while Amy was in cheerleading practice.
The 5 students would’ve kept that incident under wraps if it weren’t for two things: one, they were high schoolers and gossip was just inevitable and two, if they hadn’t made it the first of many incidents in which the two men butted heads.
Their relationship became infamous in a short period of time. The snide remarks to one another and the passive aggressive actions were picked up by their students and their hall went from being empty to the most crowded by the end of September. The introverted Mr. Kogane went from being the reserved teacher to witty and “wound up,” according to Mr. McClain.
Yet their competitiveness didn’t shine until after the exams on their first unit on The Great Gatsby ended and scores were posted. Lance loudly boasted how their school got a shoutout for the highest scores across the district. Yet Keith made sure to point out that his class was the one with the highest grades overall. From there, it was inevitable from both the teachers and students that a game was afoot.
And so their respective classrooms, dubbed the Red and Blue teams, went head to head and attempted to beat each other after every test, much to the annoyance of the rest of the faculty who had to deal with the students taking sides between each other outside of the English teachers' classrooms.
“As much as you love your foreplay, try to keep your rivalry outside of my classroom. If I have to hear another primary color argument I’m going to scream!” Pidge told the men during their off period. With them sat Hunk, Matt and Allura. Shiro would have joined if he hadn’t chosen to get his first period off in order to save himself whenever he came in late.
“Oh please it can’t be th- oh it is?” Lance stopped himself as he saw everyone around him, besides Keith, shake their heads yes. “Huh, didn’t think it would go that far. We should have realized that the only people more competitive than Keith and me were high school Keith and me. Now there’s hundreds of them out there.”
“Some of the students that have taken sides you don’t even teach! I’m in the middle of sophomore chemistry and I hear ‘Red is totally kicking blue’s ass this unit. The poetry displayed outside their classroom were so much better than the other ones.’” Matt said as he shoved his burrito down his throat in the same way a boa would eat their prey.
“I highly doubt students read what we post outside our cla- oh they do?” Lance once again stopped himself as he saw everyone, this time including Keith, shake their head yes.
“What do you think they do to pass the time when they ‘go to the bathroom’?” Pidge said, putting air quotes around the bathroom comments. Lance hummed, unable to formulate a proper response to this new discovery.
“I mean, it’s not our fault. We’re just teaching while sprinkling a little competition into it. No big deal.” Keith truly believed the student body’s reaction of their hands, but once again the table disagreed with the McClain-Kogane pair.
“I wouldn’t say it’s your fault. You’re both married yet you still bicker in the same way when you first met. And then letting the students believe you hate each other doesn’t help.” Before either could protest Allura’s claim, Hunk spoke out in agreement.
“I actually had a student ask if I didn’t like Keith as if it was a war by proxy. The students know Lance and I are friends so they assumed I’d be on his side as if I don’t know how dramatic he can be. Sorry buddy.” Hunk put his hand on Lance’s shoulder, but he just shrugged and gave a look of understanding.
“Well, what exactly do you want us to do about it?”
“Glad you asked. Matt, if you will.” Pidge indicated towards her brother who pulled up laminated pages detailing a plan entitled Reset Our Very Excitable Rangers (or R.O.V.E.R, the acronym Pidge would use for just about everything in her life after her and Matt’s childhood pet).
“Why Rangers?” Lance asked, as if that was the only confusing part of the acronym.
“Lance, you’ve been working here for two months now and your husband has worked here for 3 years. You still don’t know that our school’s mascot is a Ranger?” Hunk deflated, always wanting to defend Lance but not being able to find a proper defense for him.
“I thought we were the Paladins! Now that’s a memorable mascot. Very unique.”
“Idiot, that was my old school. Thank you for paying attention to my job 5 years ago. ” Lance smiled sheepishly at Keith but planted a kiss to his cheek, making sure any animosity that could’ve been there deflated away.
“Matt, why are the rest of the pages not my plan!?” Matt looked down at his sister innocently, but didn’t deny anything with the particular smile on his face.
“Well, I know you wanted this to stop now but hear me out. We have a winter trip coming up to visit NASA down in Houston and I think we can use that to our advantage.” It was Lance's turn to look amused as he gestured to Matt to go on, much to Pidge’s disapproval. “I don’t want to spoil our good friends’ fun, so the least we can do is have them reveal themselves while on a walking tour of space, their favorite thing.”
That fact was true. They actually started bonding more over their shared love of the universe and their dream of going out there one day, this having been revealed to each other during a drunken hangout. Although it was a naive dream (that Lance refused to acknowledge out of embarrassment from throwing up right after revealing it), they still joked about it and it was one of the soft spots they had for one another.
“Alright Matt, suppose we go along with your plan. What do you wish to accomplish?” Matt simply shrugged as if the answer was obvious.
“For one, to annoy Pidge. It’s my side huddle next to teaching. As for another, it’s still fun to watch the kids wait in anticipation for your next moves against each other.” Matt gave it a thought before adding, “also, the trip is after Valentine’s Day so all that foot traffic will still remain on your side. I’d like to not witness children making out, thank you.” Lance gave Keith a look.
“What do you say, babe?” Lance was always down for a good mess around, but didn’t want to do it against Keith’s wishes. He knew revealing their relationship would shatter the mysterious aura around him.
“I’ve had my fun these past few years. I’m ready to put a picture of you and Cosmo on my desk.” Lance gave a small ‘awwe’ that occurred at the same instance as Pidge’s ‘ewww.’
“Let’s get to pranking some teenagers!”