(A prize for PTaurus on the shance amino for winning the AU face off! Based on their art)
[12:58] Kashi
Kitty?
With a groan, Lance rolled over on his bed, reaching to grab his phone off of his bedside table; he'd slept in - again - but with the pounding in his head after Rolo's party? He deserved it.
Casting a quick glance around the shared room, he noticed the other three members of the room were out; Keith was probably at the gym, Hunk had work, and he would guess that Shiro had a class, but he was never in anyway. Either way, Lance was alone.
He flopped back down on the bed with a sigh, holding the phone just above his head. Hunk would tell him off later, something about ruining his eyesight, but right now? Kashi had texted, and that was more important than any eyesight.
[12:58] Kashi:
I was thinking, we've been dating for a half a year
[12:58] Kashi:
Let's meet up. Today.
As if on cue, Lance's heart began to pound rapidly, to the point where the thumping in his ears drowned out the ticking of the dorm clock. Kashi wanted to meet? Today?
Well, firstly, Lance looked awful; he was too drunk to have done a face mask last night, so he was fairly sure he could fry an egg with the grease on his skin, and his reflection in the phone showed that his collage student eye-bags had bags of their own.
Secondly, was Lance ready for that? What if Kashi didn't like his voice, or his face, or his body? Or, god forbid, Kashi wasn't who he said he was.
It wasn't really worth thinking about.
[13:00] Kashi:
I'm sorry, don't worry if you don't want to
Well, he was going to have to face this whether he wanted to or not. He did, after all, love this man. From the bottom of his heart.
Breathe in, breathe out.
[13:01] Kitten:
No, it's okay, let's meet
[13:01] Kashi:
Awesome! Then I'll come pick you up, okay?
The response was instantaneous, and Lance could practically feel Kashi's excitement through the phone. And sure, he was excited too. But so, so scared.
[13:02] Kashi:
What school do you go to? I'll pick you up?
[13:03] Kitten:
Galaxy Garrison, you know it?
Hopefully Kashi wouldn't have to travel too far. The Garrison wasn't exactly in the most central location, being slap bang in the arse end of Arizona, but he always seemed to be in similar time zones and weather conditions, so he couldn't be too far.
[13:02] Kashi:
Oh really? That's easy, I go there as well! What dorm are you in?
Well, that changed everything.
Lance could have been walking past him everyday, could have sat next to him at lectures; maybe he was that wasted guy he helped back to dorm last week, or the cute one with the nice butt in the library most Thursdays.
He replied with a quick emoji of a shocked looking cat, snorting slightly as the absurdity of it all.
Okay, so maybe he was rather excited now.
[13:03] Kitten:
Dorm 3~
[13:03] Kashi:
What's the room number? I'll bring some food up for us ^-^
Oh man, Lance could absolutely murder a pizza right now.
[13:04] Kitten:
107
All Lance received, barely a minute later, was a string of dots; whenever Hunk did that, it usually meant a shocked silence.
Did Kashi not believe him?
Slowly, Lance sat up in his bed, frowning down at his phone whilst positioning himself against the pillows.
[13:05] Kitten:
What...?
[13:06] Kashi:
Your room has 4 people in it, right?
That must have been a lucky guess. Rooms at the Garrison were divided into twos, fours, or sixes, with more fours than any other. He probably - had to have - guessed that.
[13:07] Kitten:
How do you know?
[13:09] Kashi:
Once, your internet got cut - your oldest roommate nearly got into a fight with the dorm manager
Oh fuck.
That was an incident way back at the beginning of the semester; it had been a hard night, he and Keith had argued, Hunk went through Keith's diary, and Shiro got called a gross name by the dorm manager and nearly gave him a sharp right hook.
Obviously a lot of people heard; was it possible Kashi was, he didn't know, afraid of Shiro?
[13:10] Kitten:
Oh god, don't tell me
[13:11] Kashi:
What's your order in the room?
Oh fuck?
[13:11] Kitten:
The fourth....
If he was being honest, he wasn't quite sure why that matters-
This was really freaking him out now.
He threw his phone down on the bed, running his hands down his face. Why was this such a big deal? Couldn't Kashi just turn up and explain things already?
[13:15] Kashi;
.......Lance?
Oh fuck.
Oh Jesus fuck.
[13:16] Kitten:
I need a minute
[13:16] Kashi:
Uhm. I also need to think.
With an urgency he didn't realise he had, he threw the phone onto the opposite side of the bed, whilst shuffling away as if it was about to physically manifest and stab him. So Kashi was a roommate, great. But was he Hunk, Keith, or Shiro?
Hunk would be workable with, Lance thought, slightly hysterically; they were close anyway, it probably wouldn't be much of a change from best friends to boyfriend. But Hunk told him everything, so Lance would know by now if he had a secret online boyfriend.
The thought of dating Keith was kind of terrifying - he was simultaneously terrifying and so entertaining when wound up. But Kashi didn't act like Keith, didn't speak like Keith, and Keith was in an apprenticeship at a local martial arts dojo, Kashi definitely wasn't.
That left-
Oh no.
Only the guy he'd been crushing on since, like, the first night here, who had made him doubt his loyalty to Kashi literally every time he smiled. Really, he should have put two and two together; Shiro's first name was Takashi, after all. They were doing the same major - astrophysics - enjoyed the same type of alcohol - tequila slammers - and had the same obsession with the gym. Kashi was yet to mention any kind of military background, but Lance was willing to be it was there.
Oh great, now he wanted a reply.
[13:24] Lance:
How could this have happened?
[13:25] Shiro:
About that... I might not be able to get back into our room
[13:25] Lance:
Erm...
[13:26] Shiro:
Lance?
[13:26] Lance:
I have no face to see you anymore
That was only partially true. As much as he was mad and angry, and would have punched a wall by now if it weren't for the deposit on the room, he did want to see Shiro, and apologise sincerely and deeply for everything he'd ever said. Ever.
[13:28] Shiro:
Lance, don't overthink this
[13:28] Lance:
I'm Fine
[13:29] Shiro:
This is just so-
[13:29] Shiro:
I'll still buy that food. I'll be there in a minute
[13:29] Lance:
There's no need....
Okay, so maybe the part of him that wanted to be alone was growing bigger.
And Lance was growing more desperate. Shiro obviously wasn't going to love him anymore; he didn't expect him to, not since he know knew what Lance was like. He probably hated him, or at least looked down him like usual. This wouldn't change anything
[13:31] Shiro:
This is for both of us... we'll let it pass
[13:32] Lance:
Uhm, lets just not mention it. The past 6 months, just pretend they were a dream.
That was a good enough plan, right? At least for now.
[13:35] Shiro:
Shit Lance, that's not what I meant.
[13:35] Lance:
Then what did you mean?
[13:36] Lance:
We're roommates, it'll just be awkward.
[13:37] Shiro:
What I mean is that-
Let's just say we've been living as lovers
Sorry, what?
Had Lance actually died and gone to heaven?
Takashi Shirogane, the Garrison's sweetheart and the crush of literally every student that laid eyes on him, was basically suggesting they start dating?
This couldn't be real.
He replied with the shocked cat emoji again, too bewildered to form words.
[13:39] Shiro:
About that, Lance, on the night you moved in, you kissed me, I know.
He remembered that?
Even Lance didn't; the only reason he knew he did was an all-caps text from Hunk the next morning, and a grainy photo from Matt, and even then, he didn't think it had meant anything.
[13:40] Shiro:
But then, I thought I was straight.
[13:40] Lance:
Dude, I was so drunk that night.
[13:41] Shiro:
I don't care
Oh?
[13:42] Shiro:
Six months have passed since then, and I realised I've fallen for you
Oh.
Fuck.
[13:43] Lance:
You fell for me?
[13:44] Shiro:
...yeah...
Well, it was now or never. He wasn't ever going to get an opportunity like
this again.
[13:45] Lance:
Shiro?
[13:45] Shiro:
Hmm?
[13:46] Lance:
Actually, I really like you as well
He quickly followed it up with an emoji of a blushing cat covering its face; he felt it was very relatable.
[13:47] Shiro:
Which one? The online me, or the roommate me?
Oh come on.
[13:48] Lance:
Love YOU!!!!
[13:49] Shiro:
Uhm, so I'm on my way back immediately
[13:49] Lance:
What for?
[13:50] Shiro:
You guess
This was followed by a laughing emoji, and Lance suddenly felt the blood rush away from his head. This sneaky little shit, first scaring him skinless and then teasing him.
Not fair.
[13:51] Lance:
Shiro!!!!
[13:51] Shiro:
Ah, now what should you be calling me?
Well if that didn't tell Lance exactly what he wanted, nothing did.
But two could play at this game.
[13:52] Lance:
Kashi~ I miss you <3
[13:55] Shiro:
Good boy, wait for me
~
It was a little while before Lance heard the lock in the door click open; he'd had time to shower, thankfully, and time to brush his teeth so Shiro didn't get a face full of morning-after-drinking breath when he got here.
"Lance? Are you in?"
That was Shiro, definitely. His smooth voice was unmistakable.
That, and the incredibly strong smell of pizza.
"I'm here!" He called back, sitting up on his bed and grinning as Shiro grabbed his gaze. Had he never noticed how gorgeous his eyes were, how they sparkled in even the halogen light of the dorm room?
"I was worried that you had run off," Shiro replied, shutting the door behind him and moving to sit next to Lance, "but I'm so glad you didn't."
"What can I say? I'm not a man to turn down free pizza."
Shiro clicked his tongue, rolling his eyes exaggeratedly. "Of course."
What Lance didn't expect was for Shiro to suddenly wrap both hands around his waist, pulling him close to press a kiss where his jaw met his neck.
"Shiro-"
"Sorry," the other suddenly apologised, pulling away, and Lance turned his head to rest their foreheads together, "that was a bit hasty."
"If you'd let me finish," Lance butted in, cupping Shiro's face with one hand, "I was about to say that I'd dreamed about this since the beginning of the semester."
"Really?" Shiro asked, grin spreading across his face, "I would have to say the same, I can't help it."
Lance couldn't really do anything except kiss him, square on the lips.
"I love you so much."
Another kiss, and another, until Lance felt his eyes slip shut and his mouth open slightly-
"Why are you circling your hand around my head?"
"Because you're my world," he replied, jokingly spinning a hand around his head, "see, I'm orbiting you!"
All Shiro did was roll his eyes and laugh against his lips.