The moment the door closes, Keith is in crisis mode. He had not planned for this! He was going to finish school, work hard, be successful, and retire as a hermit in the woods. No 'Lances' involved.

But, he is kind of charming—in a 'you're an idiot' kind of way. And he does have a nice smile. He's handsome too of course. Keith sits on his bed and holds his stuffed hippo level to his face. "What do you think?"

The large plush eyes just stare back wide and expecting. "I know. I know. I promised myself I would live out a hermit life. But you saw him!"

It stares back in silence.

"Okay. I'm on board. But one red flag and I'm gone. Deal?" Keith shakes the stuffed animal's paw. "So what do I do now?"

Keith's phone dings and he makes a dive across his bed to grab it. He deflates seeing it's only a text from Shiro asking if he wants to join Adam and him for dinner next week. He sighs and flops back on the bed.

It's not until Keith is ready for bed and laying next to his new hippo that his phone dings. And this time, it isn't Shiro.

'My roommate just spent an hour trying to prove to me that lizard people exist.'

Keith laughed aloud and tapped at his screen quickly. 'And the verdict?'

'The verdict is that my roommate is crazy.'

Keith thought out another response, 'Or you're a lizard person and you're trying to throw us off your trail'

'Where's the evidence? You can't prove anything >:('

The conversation soared from there, texts going back and forth well late into the night. Until finally, 'would you like to go to the arcade with me this Friday?' Keith asks.

It wasn't entirely out of the blue, as they were talking about games, even then, Keith was spazzing at how quickly he produced the question. He didn't even stop to really contemplate it first.

'Absolutely'

Keith melted into his sheets in relief. And then an idea popped into his head. 'And no granny wheels, this time I drive.'

'If you say so, but Berniece will grow on you. It's bound to happen.'

Keith's head falls back on his pillow and he lets out laugh. 'If that's what helps you sleep. And speaking of sleep, it's getting kinda late.'

'Oh yeah, you should probably go to bed. Lizard people don't actually sleep so :p'

Keith barked out a laugh and shook his head. 'Right well have fun nesting or whatever lizard people do, goodnight Lance.'

Lance read over the text a few times. Goodnight Lance. It gave him butterflies. He closed his eyes and tried to picture Keith actually saying it in his low husky voice, like he is laying next to him. 'Goodnight Keithy'

"Pidge, this bet is too easy." Lance brags leaning back in his chair and putting his hands behind his head. "You got $100 ready?"

"Ha. Ha. Real funny. He dumped you, didn't he?" Pidge smirked.

"What? No! We're going out again tomorrow." Lance grins to himself.

Pidge blinks at Lance. No way he cracked the most stubborn single in Altea University. "Don't lie to me Lance! I'll fuck you up." She points at the taller boy angrily.

Lance smacks her finger away. "I'm not! Keith and I went out last night and we're going out on Friday."

Keith walks by their table with his tray of food and his earbuds in. He doesn't spare a glance in their direction as he passes and Lance hops up.

"Keith! Keith wait up!" Lance chases after him.

Keith doesn't hear and sets his tray down. But when he looks up and sees Lance dashing after him, he smiles. Tugging out his earbuds he greets Lance with an equally cheesy grin and Pidge's jaw almost drops to the floor.

Lance reaches out and grabs one of Keith's hands. "You should come sit with my friends and I."

"Pidge and... Hunk right?" Keith looks over Lance's shoulder at the gaping Pidge.

"Yeah, you know them?" Lance beams.

"Pidge. I know about Hunk just from her talking about him." Keith rubs the back of his head predicting Lance's next question.

"Did she talk about me? Did you know about me before I came up to you?!" Lance is spilling over with energy and it has Keith chuckling.

"Well, I didn't realize your were the Lance she was talking about until a little later after connecting the dots. But sure, yeah. You're Loverboy Lance. The guy who makes a hobby out of going on terrible dates." Keith coughs.

"Excuse me! Rude! And I broke that streak." Lance winks.

Keith rolls his eyes but smiles anyway. "Alright, I'll sit with you."

Lance happily pulls Keith along weaving through passing students. And then Keith's tray is sitting next to three others and Lance is practically bouncing in his seat. "Hi gremlin." Keith greets.

"Oh so I invite you to lunch with us and it's all excuses. But when Lance does it, it's all dopey smiles and batting eyelashes and 'sure, I'd love to join you'!" She mocks.

Keith shrugs. "I was out of excuses?" He turns to Hunk. "Hi, Hunk right?"

"Yup! Want a cookie? I baked them this morning." He opens a plastic container of picture perfect cookies. Keith takes one and thanks him.

"I don't believe my eyes." Pidge squints at the two. "Just a few days ago you were turning every guy down who even opened their mouth in your general direction. I've watched handfuls of men shoot their shot and get shut down so fast it makes them dizzy. What the fuck?!" Pidge squeaks.

Keith shrugs.

"Woah woah woah. Back up a minute. What I'm hearing is... Keith turns down every guy on campus... but he agreed to go on a date with me?" Lance raises an eyebrow.

"Good going Keith." Pidge says sarcastically. "You boosted his ego."

Keith gives a lame shrug. "Look at him, what was I supposed to do?"

"Break his heart! Turn him down! Beat Lover Boy Lance's heart to a pulp!!" She clenches her fist and raves to Keith.

"Pidge," Lance takes his spoon and scoops up some mashed potatoes, "I'm not afraid to fling this at you. Consider this a warning." He gives a devious grin.

"Fine! I'm still not buying it though." Pidge squints at them.

Keith's phone starts ringing and he excuses himself to answer it. It's Shiro, and Keith figures it's about the dinner plans he totally forgot to answer.

"Pidge, shush, he's gonna get suspicious about our bet." Lance glares at her.

"Really? Cause what I think is that you told him and he's playing along so you can split the money." Pidge accuses.

"No! I'm playing fair. Unlike you who purposefully chose Keith because you thought he'd turn me down instantly." Lance fires back.

"Whatever! Just get the three dates over with and break up with him quick and painless. I wouldn't have chose Keith if I thought it would actually work. I don't want him to be heartbroken over your stupid ass." She grumbles.

"Break up with him? Right... uh... yeah," Lance coughs and rubs the back of his neck.

"The whole point of the bet is to prove you're a ladies man, er, peoples man. That your a heartbreaker who can get anyone." Pidge frowns at him. "Unless, you really like Keith?" Her frown upturns into a sly, devious smile.

"No! Of course not!" Lance shrieks. "I'm taking the bet seriously. I intend to win."

Her smile falls. "Okay then, fine. But don't toy with him, he's a really good guy." She says dejectedly.

"Hey, what'd I miss?" Keith returns shoving his phone back in his pocket.

"Just Lance being an idiot."

Keith pulls his motorcycle up to the entrance of Lance's dorm and shoots him a text. And when Lance walks out, he nearly drops his phone along with his jaw. "Keith?!?"

"The one and only." He revs the bike.

"Since when did you own a motorcycle?!" Lance jogs up to Keith and passes him up for checking out the bike.

Keith offers him a helmet. "I only have one so you can just use mine." He watches as Lance fits it over his head. "Maybe I'll get you one of your own." Keith clips and adjusts the strap for him and when he looks up, Lance is practically glowing.

"I'd like that." Lance looks up at Keith with the biggest grin he could muster. He waits for Keith to give him some kind of affection, be it a kiss or hand holding or something! But Keith instead opts for smacking the top of Lance's helmet and throwing a leg over his motorcycle.

"You coming?" Keith smirks.

And Lance is hopping on the bike and wrapping his arms around Keith tightly. "Uh, I've never actually been on a motorcycle before. So uh, maybe just take it easy or—Ah!!!" Keith takes off before he can finish and he's tightening his grip and shoving his face in Keith's back. But after a few minutes of riding, he realizes it's not so scary. He can feel Keith laughing at him and he slowly raises his head. And it's amazing. The wind is whipping through his hair as the scenery is rushing by. He can smell the pine trees and he can smell Keith, and it's a little chilly—all the more reason to hold Keith closer, grab onto his red hoodie and never let go.

It's no time at all before they're slowing and Keith is parking them in front of the arcade. Keith turns off the bike but Lance remains clutching onto him like a lifeline. "Lance, we're here," Keith rolls his eyes, yet he's enjoying every second of it.

Lance reluctantly lets go of Keith, and the boy is turning around to help him get the helmet off. Keith chuckles when the helmet has been discarded, and moves to fix Lance's hair back into the shape it was. Lance can only watch him as he does so.

"There," Keith pulls his hands away and Lance leans forward and kisses him. Keith seems to do this thing, and Lance isn't sure if he's even conscious of it, but he always leans into Lance's space, gets real close, makes him think Keith's going to do something. But then Keith always pulls away, or carries on, and it leaves Lance aching for something from him. He does it enough until finally Lance snaps and when Keith moves close again, he doesn't pass up the opportunity, pulling Keith into a sweet kiss.

It's warm and soft and Keith's hand cups around the back of his neck, letting his thumb run across his jawline, and the contact is heaven for Lance. Lance grew up in a crowded home where affection was dished out regularly. Lance thrives on physical contact and it reassures him. It's why he's so touchy with people like Hunk. But the kiss leaves him floating, and his fingers are tingling, and his legs feel like jello, and his heart is racing, and his nerves are misfiring because... wow. And then when they part, Lance is looking at him for a sign, anything, something that gives Keith away. Something to let Lance know that yeah, he felt it too. And the look in Keith's eyes gives him away immediately. Because he's looking at Lance like he's something to be admired. Like Lance is some precious gem he found in a dank cave where he expected to find nothing. And it makes Lance feel special. And he can't help but wonder if he's been doing the dating thing wrong this whole time! Because man, kissing was never like that. Or maybe it's just because it's Keith. And Lance likes that answer best.

"C'mon Loverboy," Keith plants a kiss on his forehead and pulls him along. And Lance tries to ignore the fact that his forehead is now tingly and his stomach is doing gymnastics.

"O-okay." Is all he can bring himself to say.

"You've never played Dance Dance Revolution?!" Lance is appalled. Who hasn't played Dance Dance Revolution?! Keith.

"I'm not much of a dancer." Keith shrugs.

"Awww Keith." Lance gives him a pitiful look. "Dance Dance Revolution is not about dancing."

"Huh?" Keith tilts his head.

"It's a about hitting the right pads at the right time by any means necessary." Lance drags him onto the platform and puts in some tokens. He chooses 'two player' and Keith isn't even surprised when Lance selects the song 'Bad Girls'—hard mode because he isn't a bitch.

3... 2... 1... DANCE!

Lance starts off like a pro while Keith is trying to figure it out, but it starts off slow enough for him to get down a rhythm.

And then... it's speeding up.

"Oh my god, I can't keep up!" Keith says grabbing the bars behind him.

"It's too fast!" Lance agrees, getting several X's in a row. Their feet are moving in blurs as they try to keep up. Lance's long legs somehow get tangled and he's falling into Keith and then they're clinging to each other as they desperately try to hit the marks in time. They're holding each other laughing and giggling like school girls and, when the song finally ends, they're collapsing.

They look up at the scores and yes, they in fact did terrible, but surprisingly Keith beat Lance. Mostly because Lance was laughing to hard to move his feet toward the end. The machine spits out a single ticket and Keith triumphantly takes it. "No way!" Lance is sputtering.

But Keith loses his cockiness when he loses at the motorcycle racing game. He was in first most of the game while Lance was stuck in second, but right at the last moment, Lance bumps Keith's bike off the road and finishes in first. "You totally cheated!" Keith is flabbergasted.

"I didn't cheat! That's part of the game!" Lance erupts into laughter.

Keith has never been a touchy or affectionate person. Blame it on his childhood, but it's never been much of anything he desired. Then again, maybe that's because he's never had it, never knew what it was like. But now, all he wanted to do was touch Lance, be close to him, he craves the warm feeling rolling off Lance. Keith wants to be glued to his side, to hold his hand, to kiss him, to hug him, all at their leisure. This was nice. Maybe the dating thing wasn't something so bad after all. Or maybe it's because it's Lance.

Lance pulls Keith by the hand to an old fashioned game where the screen is behind the glass. Street fighter. There are a few buttons and a joystick and Lance is quick to press start. It's a fighting game and Lance is sifting through the characters picky as ever. "Which one should I choose?"

"Kage, he looks cool," Keith points at the red-eyed muscly character. Lance picks the character and the fight ensues. And Lance is terrible. "Uppercut! Uppercut! Lance! Use your combo! He's open!"

Lance looses quickly. "This stupid game is totally broken." Keith rolls his eyes and inserts a token. He chooses Kage and the game begins, and he's killing it. "Woah, you're actually good at this!"

In just moments, the first round is over and the second is starting. Keith pulls Lance forward and grabs his hands. He guides Lance through which buttons to press, his hand over Lance's on the joystick. And he can't help but loose interest in the game in exchange for watching Lance.

"Take that! Can't handle Klance can you?!" Lance smack talks.

It takes Keith a moment Klance is their names combined and he smiles. He admires the faces Lance is making as he hones in on the game. The glow of the game makes his skin bright and smooth, and his eyes go crystal blue like two little gems. Keith presses a kiss to Lances temple and Lance short circuits and looses the game. But he doesn't pay any mind to the screen as he's spinning around to deliver a proper kiss. "Thank you." Keith is saying suddenly.

"Huh?" Lance smiles, "For what?"

"For chasing me down and convincing me to give you my number." Keith leans forward and kisses him again. "For liking me."

And Lance is melting. But then it's filled with a guilty pit as he recalls Pidge and his conversation before. Break up with Keith? Does he even have it in him? He tries to push that horrible thought aside and focuses on the tall, handsome, hunk (not Hunk) of a man in front of him. "Don't mention it. You make it sound much harder than it was."

"Lance, I really like you." Keith admits.

"Keith..." Lance is touched. Who gave this guy the right to be this perfect. "I really like you too."

At that, Keith is smiling like he was told he just won a million dollars and an all expenses paid trip to Hawaii. And it's so endearing that Lance feels himself blushing like an idiot. But then Keith is dragging him to the ball drop game.

"What are you...?"

"C'mon, I'm feeling lucky." He tosses in the last of his tokens (Lance already used all his). Keith takes his time, is really careful as he watches the jackpot circle around. And then finally he grabs Lance's hand and they press the button together.

JACKPOT!!!

A siren goes off indicating they won and the machine starts spitting out tickets with no intentions of stopping. The boys are whooping and hollering and dancing around their tickets.

Keith slams the tickets on the counter. "The dinosaur please."

Lance is practically rolling on the ground with laughter. And the employee climbs up and grabs the massive dinosaur stuffed animal. She hands it to Keith who presents it to Lance. "Oh my god how are we even going to get this thing back."

Keith's face drops.

"Don't worry, I think I have an idea." Lance smirks.

Keith files onto the bike, the dinosaur goes in the middle, and Lance plops himself on the back and reaches around grabbing Keith and holding him tight. Somehow it works and Lance buries his face in the stuffed dinosaur as he watches the scenery fly by. Keith parks the bike in front of Lance's dorm and he walks Lance up (who was parading his dinosaur around triumphantly). "Yeah, see this? Bet you wish you had a hot boyfriend to win you a giant dinosaur!" He marches through the hallway.

"Boyfriend?" Keith repeats.

Lance freezes in his tracks and lets out a nervous laugh. "Did I say boyfriend? Huh, that's weird must've just slipped out—"

Keith drapes an arm around his waist. "I don't mind." They get to Lance's room and he unlocks the door and pulls Keith inside shutting it after them.

"Wow, my roommate's not here for once." Lance rubs the back of his neck as a blush creeps up.

Keith smiles and gently pulls Lance in for a kiss. The kind that makes fireworks burst and operas sing in the background. The kiss lasts several minutes and when Lance is pulling away, he mutters, "I don't want you to go yet."

"I don't want to go yet." Keith admits.

And that's how the two wind up cuddling in Lance's bed watching Danny Phantom on his laptop. They use the dinosaur as a backrest and Keith has an arm around Lance.

One more date. Lance gets one more date.

He has to make it special.