Lance shot Keith a baffled look as he turned to leave for the training deck. Furrowing his eyebrows deep in thought he stared at Keith, visualizing every instance in which he wasn't bickering with the paladin. After assessing the mental slideshow Lance concluded that Keith rarely - if at all - smiled. Sure he would smirk, sneer or roll his eyes in a fashion that hid a smile, but the facial expression scarcely surfaced.
Balling his hand in a fist, Lance pumped his arm in the air with a newfound goal in mind.
He's gonna smile so wide his mullet will pop off.
"What exactly are you planning Lance?" Pidge asked catching his attention.
"You wanna make a bet?" Lance responded with a question of his own.
"You're on."
Keith stretched his sore limbs as he walked towards his room in need of a shower. Rolling his neck from side to side, he hardly had time to notice as Lance skidded to a stop in front of him.
"Knock knock!" The blue paladin exclaimed in an ear-deafening shout.
"Uh, who's there?" Keith asked uneasily. For all he knew, the hyperactive sharpshooter could be leading him towards a prank.
"McClain."
"McClain who?"
"Lance! McClaiming hearts across the galaxies since 1998.
Lance expected an instantaneous laugh to follow his astounding joke, but only silence occupied the vast room. Confused, he gazed at Keith to see that the paladin's features looked more blank than his fifth grade water cycle essay. The swordsman hadn't even cracked a grin.
"Didn't you get it?" Lance asked bemused.
"I think you're confusing jokes with pick-up lines Lance."
The blue paladin blushed at the response. The more he thought about the joke he used, the more he realized the implications it had. Given his reputation, Lance feared that Keith figured he'd been flirting, but Keith may have also perceived his joke as the usual nonsense that leaves his mouth.
"A-am not." Lance stuttered. "I think you're the one confused Mullet." With that Lance hastily scurried off, without so much as a glance back at the suspicious paladin.
"Phase two is a go." Lance spoke to Pidge through his intergalactic, space phone.
"Copy that."
"Target's approaching."
"Good luck soldier." Pidge replied, ending the call.
As Keith spotted Lance in the direction he'd been headed towards, he'd almost been able to turn around when he heard a shout.
"Hey Keith! Can I take a picture of you to put in my contacts?" Lance asked waving the intergalactic, space phone he'd been talking to Pidge on.
"Did you want my number too?" Keith asked raising an eyebrow.
Lance paused as he processed this question. Like earlier that morning, he found himself in the same situation once again. Mentally panicking, he scrambled to come up with an excuse.
"S-shiro already gave me your number in case the intercoms in our helmets die." Lance lied. The paladins didn't actually need the devices, given they already used alternate forms of communication, but they were a comforting reminder of Earth that they held onto.
"If that's the case, I guess I'll let you take a picture. But if you photoshop my mullet I will hurt you." Keith threatened.
Lance cheered under his breath and quickly prepared his phone. Adjusting the position, he aimed the camera at Keith and asked him to smile, but Keith wouldn't.
"Can't you smile just a little?" Lance repeated.
Keith glared at him. "Can't you just take the damn picture?"
"Do you even know how to smile?" Lance countered. "It only takes twenty six muscles to smile you know."
"Then I'll only use twenty five to knock you on your ass." Keith yelled growing impatient.
"Fine!" Lance exclaimed and snapped a picture of Keith. "Happy now?"
"Let me see." Keith demanded, walking towards Lance.
Lance huffed and shoved the phone in Keith's face. His facial expressions seemed to change the longer he stared at the screen.
"Can I have it back now?" Lance went to snatch the phone back but froze as he saw a small, genuine grin spread across Keith's features.
He chuckled and showed the screen to Lance. "So, do you always wear red boxer briefs before bed?"
Lance blushed. "Hey! Give me that.
Before doing so Keith snapped another picture of him as well as Lance.
"Tell me how your bet with Pidge goes. I think I should earn half of the winnings considering I was the deciding factor."
"H-How did you know about that?"
"You and I both know you aren't very good at keeping secrets, or keeping your voice down for that matter." Keith answered, his genuine smile now taking form as a cocky smirk. Suddenly Keith leaned dangerously close to Lance and kissed his lips chastely.
"Have fun trying to keep that a secret."
At this point, Lance had already turned fifty shades of blood red Keith and was having trouble closing his gaping jaw.
"Oh come on Lance, you know it only takes twenty six muscles to smile." Keith finished, leaving the scene victorious and beaming.