Watching You, While You're Watching Us (Shklance)

Oh, It Could

"Hunk! Pidge!" Lance was jogging down the sidewalk towards them.

"There you are," Hunk sighed as Lance came in for a side hug.

"Yeah, sorry, I had to talk with a professor. Essay editing," Lance let out a sigh from deep in his soul in the way that only college essays could draw out.

"It's fine, we're about on time, and it usually takes the others a few more minutes to get there," Pidge explained while they started towards the university's library.

"Thanks again for inviting me to this study group, it sounds nice."

"Oh yeah, I'm sorry we didn't think of it earlier. Next time we gotta keep track of if our friend groups overlap," Hunk chuckled.

Lance and Hunk had been friends from childhood, but it wasn't until recently that they discovered that they both knew Pidge. Hunk had met them in a robotics course, and Lance had an unbearably boring class with them that he had tried to make better with his personality, but only Pidge seemed to take note of the breaks in the arduous atmosphere. They figured it wouldn't hurt to introduce themselves, plus Lance upon first meeting had offered to buy coffee. Pidge was sold. When they finally figured this overlap out, Hunk and Pidge thought it might be a good idea to bring Lance into their study group. It had a few other students and plenty of room for one more, especially with a personality like Lance's.

They entered through the heavy glass doors, signed in, and followed Pidge to where her brother (also a studious member of the study group) had texted that they had settled. As they rounded a row of shelves, they came upon two students sitting at a large studying table.

"Hey guys," Hunk greeted as him and the others grabbed seats.

"Hello Hunk, Pidge, and our new friend?" A tanned woman with silky white hair thrown into a messybn leveled a friendly gaze and soft smile to Lance.

"I'm Lance McClain, a third-year in marine biology. It's nice to meet you!" He settled into the seat between her and Hunk.

"Nice to meet you, I am Allura Altea, a fourth-year in environmental science. This is Katie's brother, Matthew. He'll be more conscious of us here soon. He's got big tests for both his majors coming up," Allaru gently explained.

"He double majored?" Lance glanced at the boy, whose head could barely be seen above a standing book, with pity.

"Yes, in physics and electrical engineering."

"You know, I'm surprised you didn't double Pidge, you already came here a year early," Hunk added.

"Yeah, but I've seen what double majors demand," she quickly pointed a thumb in her clearly exhausted brother's face, "...and I'm perfectly fine with an advanced degree in my field."

The others couldn't help but laugh softly at Pidge's explanation as they started to settle their various studying materials onto the table.

Lance noticed that there were two chairs left at the table, and wondered if anyone else was joining them. This group seemed really friendly already, and he was glad he had agreed to Hunk and Pidge's invitation to join.

Nearly ten minutes passed, and just as Lance was getting lost in a far too expensive textbook, another student rounded the corner towards them. Lance looked up as the new person started to exchange pleasantries with the group. He couldn't have been more lucky. He was so going to have to treat Hunk and Pidge to coffee. A good study group and a hot guy in said group? It couldn't get much better than that.

At least that's what Lance believed until another figure came into view not far behind the last. Oh, it could get better. So much better. Behind the first hot guy, was a second, older, just as hot guy.