Chapter Text
Lance hadn't really intended for anyone to care for his little stress relief. He had done it since he was young and growing up it still felt pretty good. What stress relief you ask? Well you see, with superb airplane folding skills like his, he would use a code he had used since he was a child and write his insecurities and his feelings onto a paper. Then he would fold it and find the highest place he could go and just, let it go. Sure it wasn’t the most environmentally friendly thing to do but it helped him both physically and mentally let go.
Even at his new job in a small office building he did this. His job was small and plenty monotonous. Papers, and filing, and emails, and talks. Really it wasn’t his thing but he really needed the money right now. It would have to do. When it got too bad he would write out his feelings, write out his pain. Letting it go out of his office window. Watching it fly off and into the park below.
Lance takes a deep breath of that outside air and lets it out. It smelt of sun and excitement to him. The sounds of kids playing and… was that a guitar he could hear? It was almost relaxing to hear. Yet he knew better than to just stand there in a daze. Hunk, however, found him just before he could back away from the window.
“Hey i got the-”
He pauses to look to Lance with a raised brow and a curious look.
“Sending out more of your air planes?”
Lance rolls his eyes.
“Of course not!”
His lie seemed too obvious, Hunk’s laugh proving that so.
“Whatever you say man. Say since you’re already littering how about going out with Pidge and I later?”
Lance thinks about it before making a little shrug.
“Sure.”
He tries to make a nonchalant shrug, a grin brightening up his face.
“No water balloons this time. We got in trouble for leaving that war zone behind.” Hunk teases him with a nudge.
“See you after work!” With a wave Hunk was gone
Once alone, Lance was once again left to his thoughts. Dwelling on them though seemed like a poor idea. Working was a better option.
So work he did. Unaware that a guitar-bearing stranger had not only been hit by his little stress relief, but is holding it tightly in his grip and rearing to find who this person is. It was about to become a interesting week, unbeknownst to Lance.
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Keith had gotten into yet another fight with his brother, he hadn’t meant for it to come to that. Shiro pushed it a little too much and he snapped, he would take back those words if he could... but for now? Maybe he’d sleep in the park that night. He couldn’t stand the thought of going back home just yet.
He carefully takes the guitar from his back and sets in on the bench. Unzipping with slightly shaky hands as his emotions got the best of him. Why not complete his edgy look with his guitar? Though no wonderwall no matter who asked.
Deep breath (in 4, out 6) and he begins to play. It’s a soft tune, almost playful.
For the next minute and a half he lets his mind relax into the music. Letting his fingers move with their muscle memory as he plays out the song. Letting it flow as much as one sitting legs crossed can. Before his song could end, however, something hit his head with a sting. This scares Keith enough that he nearly drops his guitar.
A deep scowl appears on his face as he scans for the attacker only to spot a small paper plane. He reaches over and picks it up, he turns it about curiously, to see if there was any sign of who could have done this evil crime, to find writing on it. Opening only makes his scowl become worse. Some kind of doodles it looked like? But they were in a pattern.. almost like a code.
Keith lets out an angry huff of air before shoving the offending paper in his pocket. He’d have plenty of time to dissect that code later. For now he carefully repositions his guitar in his arms and get back to his playing. He had time after all.
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When the day ends and Lance is met with his two good friends, Pidge and Hunk, who were pumped as much as he was to get out of there.
“So Lance, what is it you write on those paper planes of yours?” the inquire almost teasingly. The soft grin on their face was almost knowing if Lance didn’t know better.
Lance makes a little shrug.
“Oh you know. Just doodles.” He tries to be as mysterious as possible. Really he didn’t want to burden his friends with what those airplanes said as most were.. troubling to say the least.
Their time in the park is calm, peaceful, relaxing, any and all words for that term. The three walked and talked. Though the talking was more teasing and mindless chatter as they all avoided thoughts of work and school. Eventually it ended in Pidge demanding something sweet before the day's end and all agreed upon Icecream.
Upon getting his sweet mint deliciousness they set out to wander the park with the setting sun behind them. The warmth on Lance’s back and friendly chatter beside him helped him relax a little.
His moment of cold ice cream, warm back, and friendly chatter, however is interrupted by that guitar playing from earlier.
“Hey! You guys hear that?” Lance gives Hunk a start by suddenly nudging his side. Drawing both their attention as they quiet and listen.
“Oh huh. It blends so peacefully in I almost didn’t notice.” Hunk absently comments as he licks his ice cream.
Both his friends are startled by Lance suddenly getting up and heading to the sound. The two follow after him not far behind.
“what are you doing Lance-” Pidge is quickly shushed by Lance’s hand.
The soft playful melody drawing him by the ear to the sound. It could totally be a cute girl playing that, it sounded so adorable!
It takes only a minute or two of walking to find the source. His feet skid to a stop when he arrives, and it’s a guy with a mullet of all things! His criticism, for now, is halted though when he sees the stranger's face. His eyes are closed and his face relaxed with a ghost of a smile on his lips. Lance couldn’t lie this man was attractive, so attractive he can make a Mullet of all things look pretty good. This song also had a familiar tone...
Lance doesn’t have much time to think of much else as he realizes the man had stopped playing and was scowling at him. The hint of a smile now replaced with a small frown.
“-help you?”
Oh god how long had the guy been speaking? Or better yet, how long had Lance been staring?
The Mullet man raises a brow as no answer comes out of Lance’s mouth. Pidge and Hunk however come to the rescue.
“Hey, sorry. We just heard your playing and were curious.” They make a small shrug.
Lance takes this moment regather himself. “Also it’s weird to here something so cute to find a man with a Mullet of all things.”
Now the guitarists gaze was back on Lance and with a furrowed brow. He doesn’t look to have taken that kindly at all.
“it’s not a mullet..” They roll their eyes.
Lance makes a scoff and leans a bit towards him. “It is completely and totally a mullet.”
There is a moment of quiet before an amused twitch of the guitarists lips catch his attention.
“High and mighty for one who’s dribbling Ice cream all over himself.”
Lance snaps his head down to find he had indeed spilled ice cream all over one of his favorite shirts. Cue the whining.
“Nooooooo! Look what your mullet did!” he whines out and reaches into his pocket for a napkin to quickly wipe it clean.
The guitarist rolls his eyes at Lance’s dramatics. Looking to his friends. “Sorry to disturb you then. I’m heading off now…” Keith proceeds to pack up his guitar.
Lance looking up, a little surprised is wuick to stop him for a second.
“Wait! Uh… what was that song you were playing?”
The mulleted guitarist pauses to look back for a moment. Another hint of a grin on his face.
“Maybe you’ll figure it out one day when you’re not dribbling more on yourself.” With that final note the man walks away. Leaving Lance to sqwak in horror at his shirt.
Lance now vowed to get back at that stranger with the best possible plan he could have. Finding out that song. Spite really is a pretty great motivator.