Okay, so sorry, but I've fallen into the musical theater and voltron fandom basically at the same time, so this is the product of that :D Hope you enjoy it, kinda just something I thought of and completely destroyed, but that's okay bc I can fix it another day if I need to. tah dah!
Lance loves people. Like, all people, so being too busy with life to hangout at the local coffee shop with the tourists or with his friends was getting pretty old. After getting accepted to The Garrison, Lance felt kind of overwhelmed by all the piloting practice, chemistry classes, and astrology clubs. But when he saw a flyer on the common board in the food court, he couldn't resist. The R.O.S.E. Club huh? Maybe just one more thing won't hurt. He thought as he signed his name.
Bzzz bzzz bzzz
Lance looked down at his phone, seeing his group chat exploding.
MidgetPidget (1:32): YOYOYO BOIS GUESS WHO JUST PASSED HER PHYSICS MIDTERM
MidgetPidget (1:32): IF YOU GUESSED YOUR FAV GENIUS IN THE GROUP- THE BEST THIGN THAT EVER HAPPENED TO YALL, YOU'RE RIGHT
MidgetPidget (1:33): (me)
SpaceDaddy (1:33): Congrats, Pidge, I know you gave it your all.
Lancelot (1:33): Yay, now u can help me with my Calc 2 midterm ;)
EmoCheeto (1:34): Damn, I didn't pass that one, gg Pidge
EmoCheeto (1:34): Why would she help your sorry ass?
EmoCheeto (1:34): You sleep in class, and expect to pass
Lancelot (1:34): UMMM Maybe she'll help me bc she's a kind soul *cough* unlike SOMEONe *COUGH COUGH*
MidgetPidget (1:35): Thank you Keith, Lance shut tf up I'll tell you the chapters the test has bc I already took it
Hunkalicious (1:35): Anyone in the dining hall? Thinking of grabbing lunch, I'll pay for ya pidge, congrats on the test. That shiz was hard .
MidgetPidget (1:35): I'll be right there hell yes
Lancelot (1:35): I'm already down here, I'll be at the table
EmoCheeto (1:36): Eh, I'll catch up later
SpaceDaddy (1:37): ^I'm grading papers :D Yay TA responsibilities
Lance glanced back up at the flyer, a smile growing as his idea took form.
Lancelot (1:39): Yo, anyone wanna join rose club w/ me?
MidgetPidget (1:39): Are you signing up rn?
Lancelot (1:39): Ye
Hunkalicious (1:40): Sign me up plz, I've been meaning to
MidgetPidget (1:40): Yeah same here, it seems chill
He grabbed the pen again, this time writing his friends' names, but definitely not Keith's. He would probably put emo song lyrics on the roses and make people worse than they were before. Lance chuckled at the thought.
...
So this is The R.O.S.E. Project? Lance thought looking around at the tables of people, flowers, and construction paper. His eyes land on Pidge at a table with a few seats open.
"Hey," Pidge greeted as he sat in front of her.
"Hey, so like, are we just writing nice things to people?"
"Yeah, but you can't put pick up lines,"
"Is that a rule?"He asked incredulously.
"No, but in general you shouldn't hit on people who you're trying to help, Lance. Especially you, with your Reddit pickup lines."
"Hey, I resent that!" Lance was saved a response when Hunk sat down with a few plastic roses and grabbed some paper.
"Yo, so like should I just put general compliments?"
Pidge replied, "I think you should make it general, but something that someone would really need to hear, ya know?" She looked at Lance, "are you going to actually write something? Where's your rose?"
Lance rubbed his neck awkwardly, "Yeah, about that, I kinda didn't bring one," he looked at Hunk hopefully.
"Okay fine, but only this one time, buddy, I can't afford to buy roses for both of us," Hunk sighed. Hunk was the absolute best friend in the entire world.
You're incredible
"This sounds dumb, I can't think of anything general, yet not," Lance frustratingly ran his fingers through his hair.
"I dunno, I'm just gonna go with "You will be found," ya know? Can't go wrong with DEH,"
"Damnit! That's a really good one,"
"It's not a competition.." Hunk interjected, unsure, "is it? Because if so then I have "You are needed""
Pidge rolled her eyes, "no, it's not a competition,"
"But if two people get one and they're friends, like, they're gonna compare with each other and the one who gets the shitty one will be even more depressed!" Lance was kinda freaking out.
Pidge put her hand out in a 'calm down' gesture, "Dude, if you can't think of something just take it home and look up inspiring quotes, then give it to someone tomorrow,"
"I can do that?"
Pidge rolled her eyes. Again. "Lance, this isn't a class, it's a club, a free-reign club that provides tape and paper. A club that won't hate you for being dumb."
"Pidge, should we be worried that he's actually trying to care about human beings and not trying to get in their pants?"
"Hmmmm, maybe not yet, maybe once he actually becomes self-aware?"
"You guys are horrible friends," Lance groaned, standing up, "but yeah that is a good idea, looking it up. I'll catch you guys later,"
After the rest of the day's classes, and homework, Lance collapses onto his dorm room bed, sighing and checking his phone.
MidgetPidget (4:30): Yo, did you get a quote yet?
Lancelot (4:34): Nah, haven't looked yet, just finished hw
Another sigh escaped him as he picked up his bag to take out the rose, and some paper. After an hour of scouring the internet for original quotes, he almost wanted to cry.
Humanity is ending. There are no good quotes for random people that you don't know. Maybe I should just pretend I'm talking to my friend who's having a bad day. But, Pidge usually locks herself in her room and talks to Matt, and Hunk usually just needs a few hugs and to laugh at my terrible cooking.
Lance sits up straighter and grabs his phone:
Lancelot (7:20): Yo what's your favorite quote?
EmoCheeto (7:21): Tf, why?
Lancelot (7:21): I need help with the Rose Project and I need an original idea, please?
EmoCheeto(7:21): …
EmoCheeto(7:21): It's embarrassing
Lancelot(7:22): Is it emo? BC if so, probs shouldn't use it for this
EmoCheeto(7:22): "Life doesn't discriminate between the sinner and the saints"
Lancelot(7:22): Wait where's that from? Kinda like it, don't understand it tho
EmoCheeto(7:22): It's from Hamilton, you uncultured swine
EmoCheeto(7:23): it's showing Burr's life basically, he's saying "something bigger must be on the horizon," and I really like that idea
Lancelot(7:23): Aw, you are human.
EmoCheeto(7:23): FU
Lancelot(7:24): but yeah that is a really good quote, do you mind if I use it for the rose thing?
EmoCheeto(7:24): It's not like I own the quote
Lance wrote it down immediately and looked at the rose, the dark red of the fabric petals and the black stem, pretty emo-chic. Emo.. is Keith actually emo?
Lancelot(7:24): Oi, are you emo?
EmoCheeto(7:26): I'm just gonna ignore you now, go make someone happy with the quote you idiot
Well, maybe Lance wasn't the best person to get to know Keith better after all. Now who do I give this to?
…
After classes the next day, Lance was looking around for potential people who need uplifting quotes. He saw a few, but he didn't think they would appreciate it in the way this quote was meant to be appreciated, so after a while, he gave up and headed home. Until he saw a boy with a black hoodie, jeans, sneakers, and head down.
"Keith?" Lance called out, but received no answer. Shrugging, he kept on the path to his dorm, definitely not looking over his shoulder to see if Keith's head ever lifted. It didn't.
Once in front of his door, he thought of something. An amazing idea. Well, obviously, it's mine. He spun on his heel and took off towards the nearest store that sells fake roses.
…
Lancelot (6:28): Hey, do you have maybe like a source for your favorite quotes?
EmoCheeto(6:28): Explain?
Lancelot(6:28): Like, I know you like Hamilton now, but like what other things do you like?
EmoCheeto(6:28): Why?
Lancelot(6:29): I wanna see if I can find better quotes than you can. Obviously I can, but I wanna find the quotes for these roses.
EmoCheeto(6:29): No.
Lancelot(6:29): WAIT WHY? CMON MAN
EmoCheeto(6:30): I don't remember all my favorite quotes, they just come to me. I'm not forcing myself in order to help you out.
Lancelot(6:30): Really?
EmoCheeto(6:30): Yes.
I guess this is gonna take longer than just one night of looking through various music, Lance thought.
Lancelot(6:31): alright. Fine, do you have a favorite quote today?
EmoCheeto(6:31): "Like an arrow from Orion/ Keep on straight and keep on tryin'"
Lancelot(6:31): Is this how it's gonna be every day?
EmoCheeto(6:31): It wouldn't be if you just found some of your own quotes.
Pidge came running up to Lance after his Calc 2 Midterm, "did you pass? Do you think you did? How was it?"
Lance chuckled, "yeah I think I passed, at least a C, thanks to you!" He messed up her hair, Pidge squawking about 'I just brushed it yesterday!' Until Keith came up to them.
"I take it you passed?" Lance just stood there, letting go of Pidge, with a blank stare, "Your midterm was today right?" Keith asked.
"Oh, yeah I- I passed, or at least I'm pretty sure I did.."
"Yeah that's good, don't wanna pay for a class just to fail it," Keith followed up lamely. Awkward? Yes. Tension? Yes. WTF. Pidge's mind was going a million miles an hour, why did Keith just come up to us? He never does that.
"Your birthday's coming up soon right?" Pidge asked Keith, trying to relieve some tension.
"Yeah, the twenty-third." Pidge looked at Lance to see his face go red before he said,
"Happy almost birthday, 21, right? Congrats, I'm- uh- gonna- go," and with that, he all but ran away.
"The hell is wrong with him?" Pidge asked under her breath.
"No clue," Keith said before huffing and walking in the opposite direction.
…
The group met up in Shiro's class that he TA's in, the astrology room, to celebrate Keith's birthday and the end of their early tests.
"So, since the teacher trusts me in here alone, no drinking alright? Sorry Keith, the first day you can drink and you still can't" he patted Keith's back.
"That's fine with me, I don't see the appeal"
"UM EXCUSE ME?" Lance, of course. "I can't wait to drink, and I would leave cake for booze any day,"
"Ahem," Hunk 'cleared' his throat, to remind him that the chef was in the room, "I worked hard on that cake, Lance, if you ever do decide to do that, I will personally eat all of it and puke it back up just so you can eat it."
Lance had a brief look of disgust before saying, "you're gonna mamma-bird feed it to me? That's gross man"
"Y'all are disgusting," Pidge added.
"Okay, yeah I think that's enough of you two, let's celebrate!" Shiro, ever the voice of reason said.
After everyone was stuffed with cake and chips, Shiro directed everyone to the gifts. Keith had gotten a book of the Galra planet system from Pidge, a packet of sticky hands from Lance (very underwhelmingly), a skateboard from Shiro, and the cake was considered Hunk's gift.
The party was over, everyone was saying their goodbyes when Lance muttered to Keith asking if he'd come with him to his dorm for a second, and that he'd forgotten part of the gift.
"Really? I don't think I need another bag of slappy hands or whatever-"
"Sticky Hands! And those things rule-excuse you," Lance defended them, "And no it's not another bag, just come with me please?"
After a moment of hesitation, Keith relented. They walked together in a tense silence that makes Lance half regret this. Finally, once they get to his room, Lance turned around and said, "Okay so you have to close your eyes now," earning a skeptical look, he rolled his eyes, "dude, I'm not gonna do anything except lead you in and give you your present," and immediately they both cringed and turned red.
"Alright, as long as you never say anything like that again," Keith said, closing his eyes.
He heard the door open and his hand captured by Lance's, his feet were moved three steps until his hand was released for what felt like eternity, almost at the end of his rope and about to open his eyes when he hears breathing again near him. Lance's hand moved Keith's palm upward and set a glass something, kinda heavy.
"Okay, you can open your eyes now," he heard Lance whisper. And so he did.
A glass vase filled with a bouquet of fabric roses and notes wrapped around the stems. Every single one.
"Oh," was all Keith could muster. He looked up at Lance as Lance turned a very dark shade of red.
"I know it's pretty lame, sorry, I think another box of Sticky Hands would've been better, but ya know, I thought maybe you don't feel great all the time, and I- ya know, I wanted to help you out by giving y-you these. You can take one out every time you're sad or anything other than happy and-and feel better? They're all your favorite quotes, and I thought it might be a good gift but now looking at your face you disagree I'm so sorry." He hung his head and refused to look at Keith.
Keith was silent for a while before he put down the vase and immediately wrapped his arms around Lance's waist, bringing him into a hug.
Keith was hugging him.
Keith was hugging Lance.
HELLO? wAKE UP LANCE'S BRAIN?
Finally, Lance wrapped his own arms around Keith's shoulders and sighed, "I guess th-this means you l-like it?"
"I love it. Thank you."
I'm really bad at romance stuff, but I hope this will suffice!