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Lance doesn’t know how it happened. One minute Keith is walking back to his seat after his biology presentation, then the next he’s storming out of the class with basically everyone laughing at him. And Lance would be lying if he said he understood what was funny, it’s not like Keith had accidentally said orgasm instead of organism, or had an insane voice crack. If anything Keiths presentation was perfect. All his information was backed up with sources and was obviously worked hard on.
So Lance doesn’t understand why Keith ran out, and he definitely doesn’t understand why Pidge and Hunk are glaring at him.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
Pidge rolls their eyes. “Oh I don’t know, maybe because you just embarrassed Keith in front of everyone. What the hell is wrong with you!” This only confused Lance more. Embarrassed Keith? Lance didn’t even do anything!
“I didn’t even do anything!” Now it was Hunks turn to verbally abuse him. “Dude, you literally tripped him in front of everyone. Keith face planted on the floor and you didn’t even try to help him!”
This was news to Lance. He doesn’t have any memory of tripping Keith or Keith falling. He looks around his desk and notices that his left leg is hanging off into the walkway. Shit.
“I was daydreaming I didn’t even notice!” Curse Lance and his lanky legs. He swears they have a mind of their own sometimes.
Pidge crosses their arms and angrily says “you better find a way to make this up to him Lance. You humiliated him bad.”
Lance leans back in his seat, trying to think of ways to make it up to his favourite mullet wearer. He would go to the ends of the earth if it meant making Keith happy again. He would walk a thousand miles just to get to him and make sure he’s safe. Lances eyes widen before throwing himself over his desk to get Pidges attention again.
“Hey Pidge, I need a favour.”
———
The cafeteria was packed with students. But Lance only cared about one specific table, and once he spots it he signals to Pidge. Lances nerves were spiking and he can feel the sweat on his hands rubbing off of the microphone.
Once he reaches the table full of his friends, he doesn’t take his usual seat next to Hunk and instead climbs onto the table and taps the microphone.
“Uh, oh wow there’s a lot of people here, um hey everyone! Not many of you know me but in the next like four minutes I have a feeling you will. I’m Lance McClain and uh- I’m about to do … probably the dumbest thing I’ve ever thought of, but I’m doing it for someone who is really really special to me. And I hurt him a lot. So this is kind of my apology?”
He takes a quick glance at Keith who’s staring up at him, eyes full of confusion. His nose is turning purple from his fall and he has a small plaster above his eyebrow. He’s about to ask Lance what he’s doing but gets cut off by Pidge snapping open their CD case.
“I really like this guy and the only way I can make it up to him for what I did is, Well … basically sacrificing my dignity.”
Lance clears his throat and turns to Pidge, and they throw him a thumbs up before placing the disc into their laptop and having the music start blasting through the cafeteria speakers. Lance owes them so much for hacking into the schools Bluetooth system.
His grip on the microphone tightens before he starts. The instrumental start of the song makes many students perk up and start giggling, knowing what’s about to happen.
“Making my way downtown. Walking fast, faces pass and I’m homebound.” The starting line already causes a roar of laughter. Lance can feel his face turning red but reminds himself that the public humiliation is for Keith. His voice sounds soft throughout the cafeteria, almost like he was a little kid getting caught doing something they shouldn’t.
He then puts his hand on his forehead, almost like a salute, and continues to sing. “Staring blankly ahead just making my way, making a way through the crowd.” He slowly moves his head from side to side as if he’s searching for something. He can hear Pidge laughing at him but spares it no mind. Instead he turns to look at Keith, and he is beyond petrified. His eyes are widened and his mouth is hanging open.
Lance decides to now point at Keith for the next lyrics. Hoping he will understand the reasoning for his social suicide.
“And I need you”
He starts doing fast shoulder moves to the best of the music.
“And I miss you”
He grabs his heart and looks at the table.
“And now I wonder…”
Keith’s horrified expression slowly turns into amusement from Lances theatrics. And it was enough of a confidence boost for him to continue.
He points to the roof “if I could fall into the sky”
Then he points at his wrist, pretending he has a watch “do you think time would pass me by?”
Lances confidence got too high, and he began to climb down from the table and walk towards a pilar while singing
“Cause you know I’d walk a thousand miles if I could just see you” he turns around to look at Keith “tonight.”
Once he reaches the pilar he slams his back on it and throws his arm over his eyes.
“It’s always times like these when I think of you” he points at Keith.
“And wonder if you ever think of me …” and the points at himself. He slowly slides down the pilar until he’s doing a wall squat.
“Cause everything’s so wrong and I don’t belong living in your precious memory!” Lances singing is getting louder now, and instead of everyone laughing at him they start cheering for his performance, inflating his ego even more.
He turns to a random student and starts sharing the microphone with them.
“Cause I need you! And I miss you …. And now I wondderrrr” the duet was cut short as Lance continued his journey around the cafeteria. He plucks a random guys pair of sunglasses off his head and puts them on. During his stride he fails to see Keith laughing at his stupidity and recording his performance.
He stops in the middle of the cafeteria and pops his arm into the sky.
“If I could fall, into the sky” he lowers his arm while twinkling his fingers in front of his face and doing the stanky legg.
“Do you think time would pass me by? Ooohhhh!” Lances voice cracks slightly on the last note but he’s able to play it off as a vocal flip.
“Cause you know I’d walk a thousand miles if I could just see youuu tonight.” He dramatically turns and jumps on top of the cabinets under the windows. He presses against the glass acting as though his arms are pinned and sinks down again.
“And I, I don’t wanna let you know I, I drown in your memory! I, I don’t wanna let this go I, I don’t…”
From his sitting position he moves to lay flat on the cabinets and stare at the ceiling. He knows he’s going to regret embarrassing himself in front of so many people but seeing Keith smile because of something he’s done makes it all worth it in the end.
“Making my way downtown. Walking fast, faces pass and I’m homebound…” he lifts his knees up and starts pushing his body across the cabinets.
“Staring blankly ahead, just making my way. Making my way through the crowd!” He suddenly kicks up his legs forcing his body to be standing again. He turns to look at Keith once more and starts directly singing to him.
“And I still need you..” Lance playfully shrugs his shoulders.
“And I still miss you…” Keith starts shaking his head but still has a toothy smile on his face.
Lance places a finger on his bottom lip. “And now I wonder.” He jumps off the cabinets and slowly walks towards Keith.
“If I could fall into the sky. Do you think time would pass us by? Cause you know I’d walk a thousand miles if I could just see you…”
Keith stands up from his seat and watches Lance hand the sunglasses back to the original owner. Lance starts singing with more urgency and he keeps eye contact with Keith.
“Ohh if I could fall, into the sky! Do you think time would pass me by? Cause you know I’d walk a thousand miles.” Lance holds his fist over his heart as he sings.
“If I could just see you…” he finally stands in front of Keith and reaches for his hand. He intertwines their fingers and presses Keith close to his front.
“If I could just hold you, tonight.” Keith lightly laughs as Lance tosses the microphone behind him and grabs his face. Lance pulls Keith into a kiss as the last note played. They’re both smiling into the kiss and exchange soft giggles.
“That was the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen you do.” Was the first thing Keith said to Lance since he accidentally tripped him. Lance soaks in Keith’s voice and vows to himself to never upset Keith again, because only god knows be wouldn’t survive never hearing that voice again.
“I guess you do dumb things when you’re in love?” Lance got pulled into another kiss and melts into it.