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Keith’s day was off to a bad start. He was so tired from yesterday’s massive fight that he’d only managed to squeeze in half an hour of training before breakfast-- which definitely seemed gooier than yesterday. Now as he left the training room for the second time today, there was only one thing that could further ruin his mood.
“Hey Keith, look what we found!” Lance’s exclamation cut off the conversation that Pidge and Shiro had been having behind him. Hunk looked ready to intervene as Lance shoved the twisted glass bottle towards Keith, who took it with a frown.
“…is this alien wine?” There was a pause of disapproval before every word, followed by a quick glance at Shiro.
As the corners of Lance’s mouth went up, so did his eyebrows, “Judging by the taste, I’d say it’s alien vodka.”
“You drink,” Keith wasn’t asking a question, but he was sure enough surprised. Lance was like an ink blot that Keith kept finding different pictures in.
“Well,” Lance took back the bottle and began caressing, “we can’t let this treasure go to waste! I think we can all see what needs to be done. We have bottles that need to be emptied and a team that needs to be bonded. Let’s play a drinking game.”
“That’s a terrible idea!” Hunk said before anyone else could, “Lance vs. Keith at beer pong? You’ll probably blow up the whole ship.”
“I’m not playing,” Keith folded his arms.
“Oh, another win for Lance?” though it hadn’t seemed humanly possible, Lance’s smile grew, “Guess I’ll add drinking games to the list of things I’m better at.”
Pidge leaned towards Hunk but spoke loud enough for the galaxy to hear, “The sad part is, I genuinely believe he has a list.”
“At least Shiro’s gonna play,” Lance’s gaze never left Keith’s.
This time Keith couldn’t hide his surprise. “You approve of this?”
Shiro feet were planted, but his shoulders raised sheepishly, “It’s some good natured fun. We could all use some after that last battle.” Sentences like this made Keith remember that Shiro was 20 year old.
“But,” Shiro continued, “no one should be getting inebriated drunk during this game. That’s not healthy.” Sentences like this made Keith remember that Shiro was the closest thing to a father figure on this ship.
“The lightweight’s not even going to play,” Lance said, partially insulting, partially challenging.
Keith just narrowed his eyes, “You weigh less than me.”
Lance turned around to face the rest of the group, “Anyway, I was thinking we could play some classic Never Have I Ever.”
Hunk stepped forward, “That game only works with honesty. What if someone- and by someone, I mean you- lies?”
Pidge snapped their fingers together. “Wait, I got it.”
The interrogation room was one that Keith had never been into, and he could see why. There was a metal desk with a single lamp and two uncomfortable looking chairs on either side. The walls were stark white, and the ground as cold and hard as the door. Another special feature, one that apparently Pidge had been tinkering with, was a metal box of apple-watch looking bracelets that sensed your pulse and flashed bright, firetruck red if you lied.
“Why does this room even exist?” Hunk mumbled, strapping the bracelet on his right wrist.
“Why do we even exist?” Lance shot back, completely missing Keith’s short laugh. “Let’s play!”
Lance, Pidge, Shiro, Hunk, and Keith, sat in a circle on the floor, looking varying degrees of comfortable (going from Lance- completely- to Keith- not at all). Each had a bottle of alien wine (“It’s totally vodka” “Shut up, Lance”) in front of them, ready to take a drink if they Have done what someone else Has Never Ever.
“Okay, I’ll start,” announced Pidge in a burst of confidence. “Never Have I Ever wet the bed.”
Nobody reached for their bottle. A moment passed, when suddenly the room was washed in flashes of red coming from Lance’s wrist.
Pidge cackled and Lance rolled his eyes.
“I knew you would lie!” Hunk pointed a finger.
“Maybe this game can be fun,” Keith grinned.
“Shut up,” as soon as Lance took a sip the red light stopped, and Keith could see that the red on his cheeks hadn’t been a reflection. “I was, like, a child! Everyone used to do it.”
“Maybe in our cribs-“ Shiro muttered, earning a wave of laughter from the whole group.
“Shut up!” Lance said, more fervently. “It’s my turn. Never Have I Ever tied my hair up.”
“No targeting,” Pidge said, taking a drink, with Hunk and Keith joining her.
“I believe it’s called winning,” Lance explained, satisfied. Keith rolled his eyes.
“I’ll try,” said Hunk. “Never Have I Ever gotten an D or lower on a test.”
Lance took a drink, “Okay, that’s targeting.”
Shiro straightened up, “Never Have I Ever done drugs.”
Pidge glanced around the circle as nobody drank and no lights came on,“Congrats, Dad,” they said, “now you know we’re all clean.”
And then it was Keith’s turn, “Never Have I Ever snuck out of Garrison.”
As Pidge, Hunk and Lance drank from their bottles, Lance couldn’t help but comment, “Oh no, you were shown the door.” Before they could start their inevitable drunken brawl, Pidge spoke up.
“Never Have I Ever kissed a girl.” Pidge said, smirking.
There was a brief pause, before Lance started almost chugging his bottle. Hunk shook his head fondly before forcing Lance to set the bottle down. Shiro took a sip, which no one noted.
“That’s right,” Lance said, proudly, “I’ve kissed girls. Plural. People want to kiss me!”
“Never Have I Ever wanted to kiss Lance,” Pidge said, flatly.
There was a moment as Lance continued to celebrate himself, before everything completely changed. Everyone froze in dead silence as the room lit up with red light, coming from Keith’s wrist. Keith wasn’t sure if his heart stopped completely, or if it was beating at a speed too fast for him to hear. Either way he jumped up, and threw the bracelet off like it was on fire.
“Never Have I Ever liked this stupid game,” He said before bolting.
For a brief moment, everyone continue to sit in stunned silence. And then-
Shiro said slowly, “Did Keith just-?”
Hunk quickly exclaimed, “But that means-!”
Pidge roared with ferocity, “I knew it!”
Only Lance, usually the chatter box, kept his mouth closed. While the rest of the team continued their conversation in excitement/shock, Lance stood and walked out of the room, bracelet still on.
As Keith ran through the halls, he wasn’t sure if he should throw himself in the training room, or the nearest sun. Finally, he decided to just go to his room and lock himself in there for 10,000 years, or until he died of embarrassment, which seemed more and more likely.
“Keith!” Lance was already standing outside of his room, because of course he was, that was literally the only thing that could make Keith’s day worse.
“I-“ Keith didn’t know what to say, but that certainly didn’t stop his traitorous mouth, “I didn’t mean it. I mean, it’s- it’s only normal! It’s- we’re in space, there’s only 6 people, so I- gay thoughts can happen. But no homo. I mean, I meant it no homo! Just because I think you’re- or I think about you- it can still be no homo!”
“Keith,” Lance said again, this time with a smile on his stupid face. Keith glanced towards the nearest window and thought about throwing himself out of it. Lance raised the wrist that had one of the stupid lie detector bracelets, and said, “Never Have I Ever wanted to kiss you.”
The last thing Keith saw before closing his eyes, was a flashing red light. And then, they were kissing, right there. And kissing, and kissing, and kissing.
They pulled apart, foreheads together, both with smiles a mile long.
“Just so we’re clear. I meant that no hetero,” Lance said, looking into his eyes.
Keith was about to tell him to shut up, but decided kissing him again would still get the point across.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.
“Wait,” Pidge scrunched their face after reading the label on the bottles of alien vodka. “This doesn’t have any alcohol in it.”
“I know,” Shiro said, “It’s like alien orange juice.”
Pidge put the bottle down, “Dad strikes again.”
Hunk shrugged, “I don’t think anyone’s complaining.”