#some poor pigeon just trying to get some stale chips got caught up in it

[robindaydream]

You're Outnumbered

artfight attack of Tuesday and Grace for @werewolfapocalypse

[venomade]

Ruse

This is a secret santa gift for @takasshishirhoegane over at the @allurancexchange! I apologize for being late - this fic kind of got out of hand, but I really hope you like this confession AU and Lance realizing just how much he adores our beloved princess!

Pairing: Allura/Lance

Summary: Allura's complete joy at meeting Matt sent Lance down a spiral he had been unwilling to explore. Feelings and wants he had suppressed because he had been afraid, too weak to realize the extent of his affection. [Allura/Lance - High School AU]

Read on AO3 HERE

"You know, Allura," Lance propped his elbows onto his desk and leaned towards Allura. He rested his chin on top of his intertwined fingers, relaxing his face until he felt every line vanish. Finally, his lips drew into a lazy smile, and he hoped his tone coaxed a casual, dreamy atmosphere between him and the girl across the aisle. "Have I ever told you your hair is the perfect length to cosplay Princess Leia?" 

"Yes, Lance - you have," Allura replied, her eyes still glued to the study guide in front of her. "And if you remember what Ms. Haggar said at the start of class, we've turned our desks towards one another to prepare for the test this Friday. Not to setup your next disastrous pickup line." 

"Okay, okay - but hear me out!" Lance lowered his head and wagged his hands in defeat. The atmosphere wasn't salvageable, but maybe he could redeem himself through a hearty chuckle. Or a broad smile. Or hell, even a glance in his direction with the explicit purpose to roll her eyes. He'd take anything at this point. The last three years had taught him to cherish every small victory. 

He cleared his throat and, despite Allura's gaze pointedly on her assignment, Lance winked and drawled. "Are you Princess Leia? Because this Han doesn't want to fly Solo tonight." 

Allura's eyes stopped skimming the study guide, and her grip on the yellow pencil nested between her fingers tightened. Lance held his breath, afraid he might have overstepped their established, yet unspoken boundaries. Allura didn't mind his emphatic (her words, definitely not his) flirting, so long as he held back when Allura had important matters to attend to. This test was worth thirty percent of their grade, and Allura already had a hard enough time studying in-between varsity volleyball and her part-time job at the smoothie joint down the street. Not that Lance was worried she'd fail - AP chemistry was part of her intellectual domain. Still, maybe she was on edge: the volleyball team did lose to their rivals from the city over, and her father had another month to go on his business trip. 

Maybe you should try being her friend, Hunk had told him. I'm sure she'd appreciate it more. 

But I am her friend! Lance had retorted, even as guilt shot down his spine. I'm not really flirting with her - it's just for fun! She's cute, I'm cute - and anyway, it's a healthy distraction. It totally lifts her moods most days. I can tell; I look at her face a lot. 

Lance could tell by the way Hunk's chin jutted out and his eyes narrowed that he didn't believe him, but his best friend had shrugged a moment later, and continued to walk to their English class. Whatever you say, Lance. 

After a few more stagnant moments passed, Allura lifted her head and caught Lance's stare, eyes vacant and mouth closed. Lance braced himself for the inevitable scolding that could possibly lead to a further scolding from their abrasive teacher, but it never came. Instead, Allura deadpanned. "That was one of your more impressive ones, Lance. To compare yourself to Han Solo is quite a feat."

"O-Oh? You think so?" Lance asked, hopeful. He cupped his chin and grinned, ready to continue the conversation, "Well, I have a bunch more. If you play along as Leia, we can -"

"I hope you plan to find a fascist empire to overthrow soon. Oh, and of course - you'll have to find a Jedi to create an unnecessary, melodramatic love triangle," Allura interrupted, turning her gaze back to her study guide. "I'm afraid it's the only way we can date now."

Lance's face fell, an unintelligible "huh" escaping from his mouth as the pair to the right of them snickered at Allura's comeback. Lance whipped his head around and shot both of them a glare, though he knew that wouldn't stop these particular cretins. They were his best friends, after all. "Yeah, yeah - laugh it up. Shouldn't you be studying, pigeon brains?" 

"Wow, real original," the girl beside Allura rolled her eyes and adjusted her glasses before continuing. "Gotta hand it to Allura: she got you good."

"And Pidge and I are studying, Lance," Hunk frowned. "It's not our fault if you're right next to us, talking Allura's ear off with all the pickup lines you found from the -"

"Okay, okay. You can definitely stop talking now," Lance growled, elbowing Hunk's bicep. He ignored his best friend's yelp and glanced at Allura, completely engulfed by her studies. Time to admit defeat and save the rest of his material for another day. "And fine, you all can have your way. I'll shut my trap and focus on...whatever chemical equilibrium is."

"Blessed be this day," Pidge sighed, smirking as Lance sucked in a breath. He resisted the urge to fire back, and instead bent down to unzip his backpack and attempt to find his crumpled study guide. As he reached into his front pocket, he heard Allura cough and shuffle her papers. From the corner of his eye, he noticed Allura cover the bottom-half of her face with her left hand. That wasn't unusual for her - often, during tests or finals, she'd cover her mouth to quiet her thoughtful mumbles. Lance might have thought the same now, and yet...

Her eyes were crinkled, amusement flickering across their vibrant blues. Allura was smiling.

And doing a poor job of hiding it, Lance thought, doing his best to suppress a smile of his own. He'd done it: Allura was a little less stressed, and he had a little bit of fun. It was perfect. He wouldn't want their relationship any other way. 

"Or so you think," Hunk said as he and Lance waited in the nacho line together. Lunch had to be Lance's favorite period of the day. He could spend time with all his friends without having to listen to a teacher prattle on about something he didn't care about. Well, except English. Most of the books they read were a little stale, but they were ripe with prime romantic material to lavish onto Allura when her stare was distant and her body slumped against her chair. 

But, that was besides the point. While he loved lunch, he did not love Hunk bringing up this topic, quite possibly for the seventh time that month. "Yeah, yeah. Heard the whole spill, big man. You ever gonna stop nagging me about this?"

Hunk smirked, "Maybe. If you ever decide to admit you actually like Allura."

"I do like Allura!" Lance exclaimed and pivoted until he was front of Hunk, fists at his sides and lips pursed. "What's not to like? She's smart, funny, kind, generous - and pretty." 

"Okay then," Hunk acknowledged, nodding. "Then why don't you ask her out on a date? You've been her friend since we met as freshmen. The worst she could do is say no - I doubt it would harm your relationship."

"Ugh, Hunk - you don't get it," Lance sighed, crossing his arms against his chest. "I do like Allura, but it's not serious. I mean, this is high school. You're supposed to flirt with pretty girls, but there's no point to being tied down when there's so much of the world left to see. I gotta be available to ride the waves wherever they take me."

"Oh my god, where'd you learn that from? 90s' high school romcoms?" Hunk asked, incredulous. "Lance, I know you being completely clueless at times is a huge part of your charm, but take it from the guy who's known you since you were, like, five: you got it bad, man."

"And you know what? Your opinion is completely valid," Lance replied. He chuckled as Hunk groaned, slapping his palm against his forehead. It appeared that this particular round was over, and Lance turned back in time to grab a tray of chips. 

Once the pair made it out of the line, they found their way to their usual table on the outskirts of the quad. Pidge and Allura were already waiting - Pidge had decided to stand in the short baked potato line while Allura had packed her lunch, a brown paper bag filled to the brim with fruit, granola, and nutrition bars. Allura had volleyball practice after school, and needed all the extra energy her lithe form required. 

"Of course you two had to get nachos today," Pidge said as they approached. Her fingers drummed against the table and her foot tapped the grass beneath them, her nose crinkling in some form of exasperation. 

"We always get nachos on Wednesday," Lance said, taking the seat next to Allura. "Is something on your mind, shorty?" 

While Pidge would have usually fussed about another one of Lance's flippant pet names, the whole of her face was filled with a bright, wide smile instead. She looked to her three friends and threw a fist into the air. "My brother's coming back from his research trip in Sweden today!"

At the news, her friends burst into excited shouts, Hunk the first of them to say something coherent, "That's great, Pidge! It'll be nice to finally meet him after all the cool stories you've told us."

"Yeah, should be fun to learn why he skipped three grades and you only skipped two," Lance teased as his grin remained earnest. While it felt like Pidge had been a part of their little cohort since the start of high school, she had only recently moved into their school district last April. She'd been a straggly fourteen-year-old sophomore surrounded by teenagers two years her senior and four times as hormonal, using her lunch hour to read video game magazines in the library. It was a subtle stroke of luck that partnered her with Hunk for their final presentation in Spanish, and he used the opportunity to invite her to their weekly outings to their favorite cafe. For all his wisecracks, Lance respected Pidge's intellect and sarcasm, as well as her hunger for challenging RPGs. He especially admired her unabashed love for her brother. Coming from a large family himself, he appreciated her stories of sibling misadventures far more than he let on. 

"You're lucky I'm on the other side of the table," Pidge pointed a finger in his direction, but the threat was empty. The girl was on cloud nine; she wasn't drifting back into reality any time soon. 

"Yes, Pidge - I'm truly happy for you," Allura finally said, her smile polite and friendly. Pidge's smile grew wider, but Lance darted his eyes towards Allura, noticing the way she glanced at the bracelets around her wrists. They had been presents from her father before his trip - ten carat gold with pink and blue diamonds encrusted into their bands. Her smile faded, and she looked towards her food as Hunk and Pidge excitedly chatted on the other side of the table, lost in conversation about Matt's arrival. Lance frowned, and wondered if Allura was in the mood for a few flirtatious compliments. Maybe something about her hair? No, he'd already done that this morning. 

Oh, her eyes - that's always a crowd-pleaser! Lance thought as he smoothed out his hair and prepared himself. He had to make sure he looked suave enough to garner a reaction from Allura. Maybe her face would soften, her eyes appreciative and shoulders relaxed. That was one of his favorite reactions by far. 

So lost in his preparation, Lance didn't notice a tall young man approaching the table. It wasn't until Allura looked up and paused, lips parted and face curious, that Lance caught sight of the stranger. Chestnut blonde hair grew passed his shoulders, and his hazel eyes sparkled, matched by a smile so wide it was probably bordering on painful. Lance was about to ask why the man was creeping on his friends with an enthusiasm that could rival a ringmaster when said man raised a finger to his lips and used his other hand to point at Pidge. Lance crooked his brows, confused, when Allura's face brightened and she beamed, her face completely void of any wistful quality. Another second, and then - 

"Oh my god!" Lance gasped, immediately clasping his hands to his mouth as Pidge and Hunk halted their conversation, their stares curious.

"What is it, Lance?" Hunk asked. "You forget about the water polo's bake sale after school? I told you I have you covered - baked up a mean batch of snickerdoodles last night!"

"Yeah, quit spazzing out over there. The dramatic overexertion of your face tissue may produce premature wrinkles," Pidge added, turning to Allura. "There's gotta be some kind of study on that, right Allura?"

"Actually, it has nothing to do with how many times one smiles or scowls," the man interjected, his form just a few feet away from the table. Pidge whipped around, her eyes wide and her face frozen. "But rather, it's all about the skin's diminishing elasticity. So, the older you get, the more likely a smile will affect the grooves on your face and create a wrinkle."

Pidge screeched, her voice uncharacteristically high, empty of its usual sardonic tone. "Matt! Oh my gosh, Matt! You're here, you're really here!"

The younger girl lifted herself off the table and threw her body into her brother, her small frame easily engulfed by his tall, lithe form. Matt wrapped his arms around his sister and laughed along with her, sheer delight visible in his face and loose posture. When Pidge pulled away, Lance was surprised from the tears that streaked her cheeks. He knew she loved her brother, but it wasn't until now that he understood the weight of her affection. She chuckled once more, and wiped the tears from underneath her glasses. "I missed you so much, Matt. I thought you wouldn't be home until dinner."

"Well, dad pulled a few strings, and my layover was reduced from twelve hours to two," Matt grinned down at his sister, his eyes rimmed with unshed tears. "And I missed you too, Pi - or, I mean! Katie - of course I mean Katie! Don't want to embarrass you in front of your super cool friends."

"Oh?" Pidge looked back to the table, as if she'd forgotten her three companions were witnesses to their reunion. "Oh! It's fine, Matt. I go by Pidge with my friends here! Let me introduce you."

Pidge cleared her throat and stepped away from her brother, masking her excitement with faux poise. She bowed to the table and lifted her arms towards her brother, as if presenting a suitor to a prospective bride, "Gentlemen. Fair lady. This is Matthew Holt, eldest son of the prestigious Holt family. He's a senior at Garrison University, and has recently come back from his nine month research trip in Sweden studying astrophysics." 

"Wow, impressive!" Hunk exclaimed, laying on the charisma a little too thick for Lance's liking. As if they hadn't heard about this trip and Matt's specialty a hundred times in the past summer alone. "It's really nice to meet you, Matt. The name's -"

"No, no! Let me do it!" Pidge jumped in front of Hunk and shook her head, causing their friend to jump back at her sudden interjection. Pidge looked back to Matt and gestured to Hunk, clasping her fingers onto his mustard yellow shirt. "This is Hunk, the first friend I made here! He likes astrophysics like we do, and he's a mechanical genius! He's also a really great chef, and bakes the best triple chocolate chip cookies this side of the Pacific Ocean."

"Ahh, Pidge - I'm blushing, I'm actually blushing," Hunk pressed his hands to his face in an attempt to hide the red in his cheeks, but it was to no avail. The table laughed as Hunk batted Pidge away from him and she moved over to Lance's side of the table. 

"Hey, it's true," Pidge shrugged. She glanced at Lance before plastering a smirk to her face, a mischievous glint wafting over her eyes. "This is Lance. He's on the varsity water polo team, and generally spends his time goofing off and trying to woo any teenage girl that will look in his general direction." 

"Well, at least you got my name right," Lance huffed, knowing Pidge would take this opportunity to take a stab at his ego. Regardless, he offered Matt a cheerful smile and waved. "It's great to meet ya, Matt! I also, you know, have hobbies outside of lazing around the couch, but your sister always seems to forget what those are. Sad, really - I guess she just doesn't know me that well."

Before Pidge could retort and rip Lance's hands away from wiping mock tears from his face, Matt burst into a genuine laugh and crossed his arms, at ease with his sister's group of friends. "I'm sure you do. My sister just loves to tease, it's part of her charm! It's really nice to meet both of you. Pidge is so lucky to have you. And..."

Matt turned his body towards the last member of their group, his eyes widening as he took in her rich, dark brown skin and long, luscious white hair. Wonder danced across his stare, mouth open and breath stilled. Lance scoffed, unperturbed by Matt's immediate infatuation. Dozens of boys felt that way about Allura - why wouldn't they, she was gorgeous! But Allura never accepted any of their invitations to fancy restaurants or late night movie showings. Not only did she not have the time with her schedule, but she also wasn't interested. When Allura declined their dates, her back stood straight and her smile never reached the corners of her eyes. She mustered enough grace to let each and every potential suitor down with kind lies. It had happened before and it was about to happen - 

"Wow, you must be Allura, right?" Matt asked as he walked up to her, extending his hand. "Pidge has mentioned you before. Says you really know your way around the periodic table." 

"Oh, has she?" Allura replied, the lilt in her voice growing softer, bashful. She took his hand and shook it, her grip appearing firm. "Well, chemistry is one of my passions. We actually have a test this Friday, and I feel dreadfully unprepared."

"I'm sure you'll do fine - you all will," Matt smiled. "But you know, Pidge didn't mention just how pretty you were. Your hair especially - it's so full and wavy! What do you do to it to make it look so soft and shiny?"

Okay, now Matt had gone too far. Lance was sure of it. Allura was going to revert to her standard-issue politeness, thank Matt for his compliment, and then turn the conversation to the rest of the group. He'd seen this scene play out too many times it felt like he was watching a movie. 

But then Allura giggled - giggled as if Matt had said something truly worth giggling about (hair! he was talking about her hair!) She ducked her head into her shoulder, tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear. Her smile was shy but earnest, and Lance felt his chest chill despite the warm sunlight. "Thank you, Matt. I appreciate your compliments. And I guess I was just born lucky - all I use is shampoo and conditioner three times a week."

"That's amazing - wish my hair was that strong!" Matt chuckled, and gasped as he caught sight of Allura's bracelets. "Those bracelets - they're exquisite! Are the diamonds real?"

"Oh yes, they are! Thank you for noticing," Allura stared at her wrists, the smile soon fading from her face. While Lance didn't want to rely on Allura's pain to sour the conversation, he relished in the way Matt paused at her shifted mood and lifted his hand in front of his chest, unsure how to continue. "My father gave them to me, for my birthday last year."

"That's...wonderful," Matt looked to his sister for guidance, and Lance frowned as Pidge encouraged him. She and Hunk were to the side, motioning him to continue. Did - were Pidge and Hunk okay with this? Did they want Allura to like Matt? "He must really love you, with a gift like that."

"I don't doubt it," Allura folded her hands into her lap, the bracelets clacking together. "He's been away for sometime however, and I miss him terribly. It's why I'm so happy that you're here with Pidge. I know what it means to miss your family." 

Matt's lips drew in a soft smile, and he radiated so much warmth Lance begrudgingly admitted it could rival the sun. "Well, I know that when you see your father again, you're going to hold him just as tightly as Pidge held me. There's no greater feeling than reuniting with loved ones. I promise."

"Your words have been so kind, Matt. Pidge is so lucky to have a sister like you," Allura thanked the man in front of her, her eyes shining. Not with tears, but with newly-acquired admiration. For a man she had just met. 

For someone who could sweep her off her feet. 

"Oh man, Matt - there's so much more I can tell you about Allura!" Pidge ran up to the pair and looped an arm through Matt's, ecstatic that her brother was getting along with her friends famously. Didn't Pidge see what was happening? Matt was making moves on Allura! That was his - 

I do like Allura! But it's not serious. 

His words from earlier poured into his thoughts, and regret washed over his shoulders. His throat grew tight and hot as Pidge prattled on about Allura's record spikes and her volunteer work at the pet shelter. He watched Matt continue to pile compliments onto Allura, and the girl beside him continued to drink them all in. As if she had never heard Lance utter similar words, as if everything he had done had never and would never be enough. 

"You did this to yourself, you know," Hunk said, his voice laced with an unspoken 'I told you so' that further irritated Lance. 

Lance ignored his friend as he placed the snickerdoodle cookies on top of the table. Their bake sale was at the cafe across from the school, students crammed into every booth and table.  A few of his teammates were off to the side, talking about a party their captain was setting up for the weekend, but Lance was in no mood to join in any possible gossip. As their scorekeeper, Hunk participated in team activities, and while Lance enjoyed having his best friend around most of the time, having him around after school on this particular day prevented him from sulking in a corner and sipping cocoa. 

"I don't know what you're talking about," Lance finally said, his eyes cast down and glued to the brownies his teammate, Daniel had brought. 

"Ugh, do not do this to me right now, Lance," Hunk groaned, pushing the whole of his body into Lance's vision. He scowled, his stare skirting towards hostile. "You're only going to have yourself to blame if you keep this up."

"Yeah, what am I keeping up?" Lance turned his attention to his friend, shoving his balled fists into his jacket pockets. 

"This whole ruse that you're just playing with Allura," Hunk said, exasperated. He pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath, apparently gathering his thoughts. "Look, Lance, as your best friend: just think about it. What Allura means to you. I'm just, you know, a little sick of seeing you dance around your feelings."

"Well, as your best friend, you should trust me to tell you the truth," Lance shot back, winding his arms closer to his form, watching as students walked by their baked goods with plastic cups and tacky smiles. "And I've already told you: it's just for fun. None of it is real."

It took a few moments for Hunk to respond. Lance noticed him glance down the street, where Allura's part-time job was located. "And...if Allura started dating someone - like, someone she likes, someone she thinks it's cute and cool - you would be alright with that?"

"Yeah," was Lance's direct reply. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Hunk dropped the conversation after that, focusing his energy on the prospective buyers. And, for the next week or so, he didn't pester Lance about his feelings. 

He didn't have to. 

Allura's complete joy at meeting Matt sent Lance down a spiral he had been unwilling to explore. Feelings and wants he had suppressed because he had been afraid, too weak to realize the extent of his affection. It had all been a ruse, and Hunk knew it. Hell, maybe Allura knew it, too. His harmless flirting was just a way to prevent him from rejection, from being like all the other boys Allura had declined. He had thought he was better than them: Allura let him compliment her eyes, call her all sorts of cutesy pet names as they studied or went window shopping. In Lance's teenage mind, that had to count for something. There was no harm to any of it - Allura would crack a smile now and then, but nothing else ever came from his advances. And if there was no harm, there was no risk. And if there was no risk, there was no reward. 

Now, there was a boy - an older, more sophisticated, more traveled boy - that had made his attraction instantaneously known and his words count. No flimsy, childish declarations of love, no quasi-inappropriate pickup lines. He had helped Allura, sympathized with her situation and talked to her. When was the last time Lance had talked to Allura without a flirtatious comment settling at the back of his throat, waiting for the right opportunity? It had been a while - maybe since her father had left. 

"And that was almost five months ago," Lance whispered to himself, body underneath his bedsheets and gaze locked onto the ceiling. Maybe there was no coming back from this - if he told Allura how he felt - how he really felt now, would she listen? Would she reject him in favor of Matt? Or would she reject him for himself alone: someone too loud, too flippant, and too closed-off to his true feelings to pursue a romance with? 

He had never taken his relationship with Allura seriously; and in turn, she hadn't either. He knew when she was about to cry, knew when she was in a mood for a chocolate milkshake, and knew when her mouth was about to spill out delightful, genuine laughter. But he had never acted on his impulses to console her or relish in her joy. Instead, he had shielded himself from her feelings, and used pretty, vacant words to distract himself from the painful, lovelorn stirs in his heart. 

Lance was in deep, and he wasn't sure if he could ever recover from the damage. 

----

It had been over a week since Lance had spoken more than five words to Allura. And frankly, it was starting to grate at her. 

"I know I didn't do anything wrong, so it must have been something he did," Allura theorized, her arms crossed and eyes absently glancing over the cookie selection in the cafeteria's main food line. "He did something and he's trying to find a way to fix it before I find out what it is."

"I'm pretty sure if he did do something, you would have found out by now, princess," Pidge replied as she stacked her tray with potato wedges. "Lance is terrible at covering his tracks."

Allura hummed in agreement. Before she continued the conversation, she snagged a double chocolate chip cookie from the top basket, deciding she could indulge herself. "Maybe you're right. Still, that leaves me completely befuddled - Lance hasn't complimented me since last Wednesday, and the last thing he asked me was if I had a pencil in our Trigonometry class."

Pidge snorted, quickly putting a hand between herself and Allura once she noticed her sour expression. "I'm not laughing at your dilemma, I promise. Just - befuddled, Allura? Really?"

"What?" Allura quirked a brow. "It's a fine word."

"Okay, okay. Fair, I guess," Pidge shrugged. "But back to you and Lancey Lance - maybe, I don't know, talk to him?"

"Isn't how this whole conversation started? Because I thought I made it abundantly clear that he's not talking to me," Allura countered. 

"No, no - what I'm saying is actually talk to him. I know Lance is the instigator of most of your conversations, but maybe something's up, and he doesn't know how to communicate it to you. I mean, that's what friends do, right? Talk to each other when there's a problem?"

"Well, we are friends," Allura admitted. Still, their friendship had felt one-sided in the last few months. Allura had grown comfortable with their unspoken arrangement: Lance would flirt, and depending on the timing and the quality of whatever lines Lance slipped to her, Allura would reciprocate. She knew Lance cared about her, that he respected her time and appreciated her friendship. And yet, she felt as if there was something missing between them. Something that had kept Allura from enjoying Lance's compliments wholeheartedly. "But he's usually the one that starts our conversations."

"Okay then," Pidge said as she made her way to the cashier. "Maybe it's your turn." 

Maybe it is, Allura reflected. Perhaps this was a conversation long overdue. Something that should have been discussed when her father had left the country, and Lance had stared at her like the whole world could be found within her chest. 

She caught Lance outside of his class after sixth period, her heart stammering as she called out to him and his head shifted to meet her gaze. His eyes had widened and he clenched his backpack straps, but he strutted towards Allura nonetheless. Allura motioned for him to follow her, and they walked in silence, the tension thick between them. Allura tucked her hair behind her ears, nervous and excited all at once. Had tension ever wedged itself between them before? Their relationship was nonchalant, sweet, harmless. Was this tension supposed to make Allura's heart feel like it was about to burst? Was this tension, this thick wave of anticipation, supposed to shudder her shoulders and dry her throat? 

I guess...I'm about to find out. 

Allura finally paused near the gates of the tennis courts. Tennis practice didn't start up until winter, so the courts were essentially empty during the fall semester. It was the perfect place to have this conversation with Lance. Well, as perfect as it could get. They were still on the high school grounds, and she was sure the cross country team would be out to start their laps around the soccer fields soon. A mutual friend of theirs would be leading said team, and she would hate for any sort of argument to be overheard.

Lance stopped a few feet behind her, his posture straight but his body appeared defeated, tired. Had he been sleeping, eating right? Allura did her best to put her anxieties about their relationship aside, and began the conversation as Pidge had suggested, "Lance...you've been distant recently, and...and I was just wondering if everything's okay. Did something happen with your family? Or water polo?"

Or with me?  Allura thought, her last question unasked. She was too afraid of the feelings that such a question could charge, feelings Allura was too ill-prepared to handle. 

"No," was Lance's short reply. Before Allura could press him further however, he elaborated, stare unwilling or unable to meet hers. "Everything's fine at my house and, you know, water polo's water polo. Bunch of attractive assholes with egos like Adonis." 

Allura chuckled, unable to help herself. Lance was funny - she would always adore that about him. "I see. That's good to know. I'm glad everything's okay. But..."

She trailed, and clasped her hands together, squeezing her fingers. Her bracelets clacked, and she bit her lip, remembering the last time she had felt vulnerable around Lance. When her perspective of him had shifted, and she had done everything to keep her feelings at bay. Lance wasn't supposed to make her breathless, wasn't supposed to warm her chest and set her soul alight. But he did, and she had refused to deal with her feelings in turn. Lance was a flirt - and he was her friend. It was a disastrous combination, but Allura couldn't avoid the situation any longer. Lance deserved to know the truth. 

"Then...did I do something wrong, Lance?" Allura asked, her voice almost a whisper. It pained her to admit, to think she had harmed her friend in some way. Perhaps she hadn't been paying attention - perhaps he had found someone else to tease him back, who he liked more. The thought chilled her veins, but it could not be helped. If Lance didn't want her - if he had never wanted her and it had all been a game - she would accept it. She had to. 

Lance tore his gaze from the ground, his eyes wide and mouth open. As if he were horrified by Allura's words.By the very notion. "No - no, Allura! Of course not - you didn't do anything wrong! You never do anything wrong. I - this is all on me, I promise. You didn't do anything." 

Relieved, Allura took a step forward, her hands close enough to grab onto Lance's wrist. She hesitated still, this untested territory scaring her, causing her to doubt her intentions. "Okay, that's good. Yet, that doesn't explain why...well, something's going on then, right? Between us? You don't talk to me in class, you don't flirt with me at lunch. Something must have happened."

Lance fidgeted under Allura's stare, her eyes never leaving his face. It was hardly a burden, however: Lance was quite pleasing to look at. "Something...something did happen Allura. And I've spent the last week trying to think of what to do, and I've kind of been ignoring you in the process because I'm not sure how I should to talk to you or what to say without sounding..."

He tapered off and frowned. Allura could notice the bags underneath his eyes from this distance, along with his chapped lips and unshaven chin. Stars, what could be bothering him this much that he'd forget to shave? Emboldened (and a tad impatient), Allura grasped the ends of his fingers, her thumb grazing the back of his cool hand. "Sounding what, Lance?"

Lance drew in a breath. "Fake." 

"Fake? Why would that be?" Allura encouraged him to continue, pleased that he had yet to pull his hand away. 

"Because nothing I do is real with you, Allura," Lance admitted, his words stilling her breath and her heart slamming into the back of her throat. "Or at least, it wasn't supposed to be. I've always flirted with you just because I could, because you let me. But it wasn't supposed to mean anything."

"It wasn't...supposed to..." Allura's words trailed, her stomach squirming. If it wasn't supposed to mean anything, did that mean...

Sudden resolved filled Lance's face, and he took Allura's other free hand into his. He intertwined their fingers together, and while his eyes lacked a smile, they radiated heat, reminding Allura of warm ocean waves. "I like you, Allura, and I don't want to play pretend anymore." 

His words encapsulated Allura, filling her with a giddiness she had yet to experience before. Her chest was light, her knees wobbled. Her heart stopped. Was this how her body responded to declarations of affection? It was pleasant: she could get used to it. 

But before she could reciprocate his affections, before she could admit that she wad done playing pretend, Lance turned his head away, their hands still bound together. "I mean, that is - if you want to! If you like someone else, like Matt or that idiot runner, then it's totally -"

"Wait, Matt?" Allura interrupted, perplexed. "What does Matt have to do with any of this?"

Lance blinked and met Allura's skeptical stare, tilting his head to match her confusion. "I thought...weren't you - okay, how would you say it - taken by him last week? And didn't you two exchange numbers?"

"Yes, we did. But that doesn't mean I like him," Allura replied, frustration bobbing up and down her throat. Her romantic moment was absolutely ruined, and it was all thanks to Pidge's older brother. "He was nice and admittedly cute, but I've liked you for months. My affection won't be swayed so easily."

"Months?" Lance's voice cracked and he lifted their hands up to their chests, leaning his body closer to Allura's. "You've liked me for months and didn't say anything?"

"I'm sure you've liked me longer than that, and I didn't see you doing anything about it," Allura challenged. This was fun, this back-and-forth that flushed her skin and warmed that pit of her stomach. Now, they felt like partners, neither one hiding behind a stack of books or a debonair smile. Perhaps she should air out her feelings more often, instead of relying on Lance to pick up on her moods.  

"Yeah, but - you know me!" Lance exclaimed, as if that explained everything. "I hide my feelings to protect myself from rejection - I'm insecure! You could have just -"

It was quick, but Allura pressed her lips onto Lance's cheek, and savored the way Lance's voice evaporated under her touch, his breath caught in his chest. She giggled as his cheeks flushed, and she squeezed her fingers against his. If any doubts had lingered, they assuredly had just vanished. "That's in the past, darling. You can make it up to me by planning our first date."

Lance's lips drew into a slow smile, his body melting at the new endearment. "Darling...man, I could really get used to the sound of that." 

And before Allura could respond (and possibly entice him with another kiss), they both heard someone shout from the other side of the field, thick black hair bobbing against their lean shoulders. "You guys finally got together? Congratulations!"

"Ha, ha - keep running, Keith! It's the only thing you're good at!" Lance shot back. He released his hold on one of Allura's hand and led her towards the high school's back exit, body at ease. "Let's get out of here, Allura."

"Of course," Allura nodded, more giggles sprouting from her lips. "My Han isn't flying solo tonight!" 

---

"Keith just called," Pidge said as she snuggled into the sofa, bare feet perched atop the lacquered coffee table. "Operation Two Peas in a Pod was a success!"

"Dude, it worked?" Hunk's ears perked, "I can't believe it. Your brother was so chill about all of this, too. They're finally going to date!" 

"Yep - I'm so glad Matt came back a few months early. Could you imagine what winter break would have been like?"

"Ugh," Hunk gagged. "You're lucky. You didn't have to see any of it."

Pidge chuckled. "That bad, huh?"

"Oh, my fair lady: they're dating now. You haven't heard bad yet."