Lance has always been someone who tries to see the good in the bad. So today was no exception. It had started off with him waking up to a wonderful sunrise and not that annoying alarm clock. However, that meant he was running just a tad behind...give or take an hour or three. He had missed his first class, Mrs. Cortez probably needed a break from all his joking around anyway. After rushing out of his apartment to get to Mr. Hudson's class 30 minutes late he realized he forgot his backpack. But it gave him the perfect opportunity to ask the cute girl who sat next to him for some paper and a pen. Although she didn't look too impressed. Likely due to the fact the shirt he was wearing was on backward and inside out. Which he had to admit was an amazing feat.
He managed to get to the rest of his classes and back to his apartment without too much of a problem. Not having much time before work he had opened the fridge to find a single string cheese, some definitely old take out, and some questionable milk.
With a heavy sigh, he closed the fridge. He had wanted to go grocery shopping today anyway so that worked out and he could just grab something on his way to work.
Of course, his favorite pizza place, Randy's, was closed today. BUT it's not the healthiest so maybe that was the universe telling him to take better care of his body. It's not like he had it three times last week or anything.
He would just grab something at work. He enjoyed his job, it paid the bills and he got to talk to people so that's always a plus. It was a little hole in the wall diner called the Lions Den, that had quite a lot of interesting characters.
His boss, Allura, was at the front checking someone out when he walked in. She had dark skin, blue eyes, and silver hair. She was gorgeous and also had a sexy British accent. He never understood why a 28-year-old, drop dead gorgeous women would keep working here when she definitely could have a killer modeling career. She smiled at him as he passed and went back to taking care of customers.
Allura's Uncle, Coran, was behind the counter topping off coffees to two regular. He had bright orange hair and probably the most amazing mustache he had ever seen. Coran smiled and nodded to Lance as he walked passed.
A few of the regulars welcomed him as he made his way back to the kitchen. He had been working here a little over a year now and he could honestly say that this was his home, away from home.
He walked into the kitchen to see Hunk flipping some burgers at the grill.
"Hunk my man! Think you could make me one of your famous off menu sandwiches before my shift starts?" He said leaning on the counter with a smile.
Hunk beamed looking over at him as he flipped another burger, "Of course! I've been working on this new sauce recipe and I need someone to try it! I have to warn you though it is kinda spicy."
"Dude, I'm Cuban, I can handle spicy." He said in an overly confident tone as he crossed his arms making Hunk chuckle a little.
"Okay, you can't say I didn't warn you."
When Hunk said it was "kinda" spicy it was the biggest understatement in the world. After 3 bites of the Atomic Bomb sandwich, Lance couldn't feel his face and he broke out in a cold sweat.
"Hunk you said it would be "kinda" spicy, not melt your face off and bring you to the gates of Hell spicy." He said as he chugged his third glass of milk. God now his stomach was a mess.
"Sorry man, I don't know what I did differently this time...I don't remember it being that spicy when I made it at home." He said eying the small bowl of sauce he had made.
"Or maybe Lance overestimated his spicy tolerance.", Allura chimed in from the pickup window with a smile plastered on her face in amusement.
Lance shot her a playful glare, "If that's what you think then ya'll try it!"
Hunk and Allura looked at the bowl of sauce, then each other. Hunk silently opened the trash can and dumped the sauce in.
"Oopsie", Hunk said with a grin. Lance shook his head with a smile as Allura and Hunk laughed.
He didn't get off work till about 11 pm and more than ready to go home. His stomach and mouth still burned from his run-in with Hunks death sauce earlier. He decided it wasn't worth it to go grocery shopping tonight and opted to take a bowl of Hunks homemade chicken soup for dinner.
He said goodnight to everyone and headed towards his apartment. As he walked out of the diner he noted how nice it felt outside and about halfway home it started to drizzle. Lance loved the rain and he was used to the strange looks he would get walking in the rain with a smile on his face. Well, at least today ended on a good note, he thought to himself.
About a block from his apartment the rain had picked up a little more. He just had to cross the street and then it was a hot shower, warm chicken soup, and bed for him. The exciting life of a broke college student. As the light changed and the walk signal lite up he stepped off the curb into the crosswalk not seeing a car in sight. A quarter of the way across a sound caught his attention and suddenly there were headlights and then nothing.
His world was dark and strangely numb but he could still make out a conversation between two people very close to him.
"Holy shit, I think you killed him." The person sounded like they were right next to his face but he couldn't seem to open his eyes. They sounded young.
...killed who?
" I didn't! I wasn't going that fast….was I?... He's still breathing, right?" The second voice, a man, sounded equally as close and worried.
Were they... talking about him?
Suddenly he could feel small hands feeling around his chest and neck.
The same young voice from earlier said, "Umm, I don't think so…."
Wait...he wasn't breathing?! Was he dead?!
Something hard hits him across the face, although it doesn't hurt as much as Lance thinks it should. He lets out a groan and attempts to say words but he has a feeling they didn't make any sense considering no one responses to his question.
What the fuck was that?!
"KEITH! That isn't how you do CPR!"
Did this Keith guy just hit him?!
"I know that! I was hoping he would wake up… you know like in the movies…"
There is an exasperated sigh, "Dude, what movies are you watching! Plus you kinda hit him with a car…. A car that you currently don't have a license to drive I would like to add."
He was hit by a WHAT?!
"I know! Oh god, Shiro is gonna kill me…"
"Yeah, I think Shiro is the least of your worries since there's kinda a dying guy in front of us...I say we get in the car and pretend this never happened."
Um nope no no I don't think so! You can't hit someone with your car then leave them to die!
"Pidge, are you serious?! We can't leave him like this!"
Oh, thank god one of them cares. That...that Pidge is heartless!
"Oh ok, so you want to call the cops have them arrest you and spend the next 10 or more years in jail for vehicular manslaughter!"
There was a pause and then the sound of keys being moved around.
Oh god! They were gonna leave him there to die! I know your names, you bitches! I will so haunt your asses!
The numbness Lance had been feeling before began to slowly fade away and the throbbing on the right side of his body starting to become more apparent. Lance managed another groan and tried to move but all he really managed was to shift his leg a bit.
"Take the car and get out of here." Lance felt a gentle hand on his head which he assumed was Keiths.
Okay, that's better...maybe this Keith guy isn't so bad.
"... what are you gonna do?"
"I'll stay here and call for an ambulance and say I found him laying the road? That's the best I've got okay...Now go before someone drives by!"
There is another sigh and then the sound of footsteps walking away, a car door shutting and a car speeding away. He can hear the guy, Keith, on the phone and he manages to open his eyes a little. It's blurry at first but soon he is able to make out a pale figure with dark hair and eyes knelt next to him. Lance manages to move his left hand on top of Keith's. The other turns to stare at him looking concerned.
"H-hey...help is on the way", He says, reassuringly giving Lance's hand a squeeze.
Lance smiles a little, " Your...secret is safe…..Thanks, for...not leaving me".
Lance knows the guys face must look shocked but somewhere through his little speech he must have closed his eyes since everything had gone dark again. He felt like he was slowly sinking into the ground but there was still that reassuring grip on his hand.
His last thought before slipping into total unconsciousness was that at least it was a hot guy that had hit him with a car.