College AU

Pale light filtered through the half-opened blinds, illuminating the small room that belonged to Pidge. It was well late into the afternoon, the harsh light of the sun slowly darkening into a dim glow, although still bright enough not to warrant switching a light on. Hunk, Shay, Lance, and Pidge were sprawled out in various stages of concentration on a small, foldable table between the bed and closet. With final exams drawing closer, they thought it would be a good idea to have a little study session, despite their varying courses, and help each other out.

Lance groaned, his head smacking down on his textbook.

Well, it was a good idea for about an hour until Lance decided he couldn't absorb any more information.

"Oh my God, Lance," Pidge groaned out, dragging a hand over her face. "Would you please shut up and just study?"

The said boy sniffled, lifting his head to rest his chin on the book. "Can't we take a break?" he asked, throwing the smaller girl a pleading look. "Come on, we've been studying for an hour already! My brain is about to explode."

"No," Pidge answered, "Our finals are just around the corner, Lance, and you're the one who needs the most studying out of all of us. Please, just focus."

Lance winced at her harsh tone, unable to say anything in reply because she was right. He wasn't exactly as smart as the other three, and he couldn't afford to fail these exams. Knowing this, he sniffled once more before moving to pick up his pencil from where he'd set it down, sulkingly going back to reading his material. Hunk gave him a comforting pat on the arm from across the table.

Nothing was said for the next few minutes until a loud growl resounded, its volume amplified by the silence of the room. Instinctively, three heads turned to face Hunk, whose face had gone red with embarrassment. His eyes flitted from person to person, sheepishly withdrawing his arms from his practice sheet to his sides. "What?" he croaked out, "I can't help if it I'm hungry!"

Pidge stared at him flatly for a few long seconds before dropping her head and sighing. "Fine, we'll take a break."

Beside her, Lance perked up, throwing his arms up in celebration. "Good job, big guy!" he exclaimed, raising a hand up to give his best friend a high five. Hunk, still slightly embarrassed, clapped his hand against his unsurely. Pidge narrowed her eyes at Lance, and if he felt her piercing gaze, he made no indication of it.

"I'm going to order some take out," Hunk announced, getting up to his feet. "Do you guys want anything in particular? McDonald's? Wendy's? Burger King?"

Shay, having been silent so far, raised a hand up. "I would like something from Wendy's, please!" she said with a an excited tone. Despite having lived in America for a few years already, she still held the same excitement over various aspects of their culture she had when she first arrived, as well as her rather odd way of speaking. The others had grown accustomed to this though, and it was a trait Hunk found awfully endearing.

"Wendy's it is then," Hunk replied, shooting his girlfriend a bright smile. "The usual?"

"Yes, please," Shay nodded.

"And you guys?" Hunk turned to the other two.

"Mmm… Frosty and fries," Pidge said without looking up, already scrolling through her phone.

"Surprise me," Lance called after, trusting his best friend's knowledge of the menu.

Hunk noted the orders down mentally, telling them he'd be back in a few minutes as he stepped out to call the delivery service. They chorused back in acknowledgement before falling into a comfortable silence.

Pidge exhaled deeply as she shuffled to lean against the bed, bending her knees and resting her wrists on them, phone in hand. Her thumb swiped at the screen slowly as she read through a Reddit thread. Seeing her brows draw together with as much concentration she had while studying, Lance smiled fondly and crawled closer to her. He slipped an arm behind her back and settled a hand around her waist, resting his head on hers. He skimmed through the words on her screen, not quite processing their meaning and just enjoying seeing the same thing his girlfriend was.

From the opposite side of the table, Shay looked up from her notes and watched them with a pleasant smile. She had always enjoyed seeing the two of them together. They weren't as blatant about their relationship as other couples were, but the affection they had for each other was clear as day, and they expressed it in their own unique way.

"I cannot help being curious," Shay began, tilting her head slightly as she peered at the couple, the smile still on her lips. "How did you two become a couple?"

The pair looked at her with matching expressions, an eyebrow raised and slightly surprised at the question. They turned to face each other, maintaining eye contact for a few seconds before bursting out laughing. Shay looked at them quizzically, wondering if she had said something funny.

"Oh man, it's actually pretty funny," Lance answered, clutching his stomach as he laughed.

"And pretty stupid. On his behalf, at least," Pidge added, wiping a tear from her eye. The boy called her out indignantly, and she only chortled, a soft sound that held so much love and fondness for her boyfriend. "I wouldn't change a thing about it, though."

They exchanged a soft glance and fond smile, shuffling closer to one another almost instinctively as Pidge started telling the story.

"So, during our senior year of high school, there was this really big party," she began, her eyes twinkling at the memory.


"Come on, Pidge!" Lance called, his voice coming out muffled through the window. "Let's go!"

"Okay, okay! Just give me a minute," Pidge replied loudly, clearly frustrated. She looked herself over in the mirror one more time, frowning at her appearance. Her long, brown hair cascaded over her shoulders in loose waves, and what little makeup she wore made her feel like a clown. Those were the least of her worries though, as she was more concerned with her- no, Matt's friend's clothes. The black high-waisted shorts she wore felt too tight as she studied the way it hugged her body, and the loose gray top felt way too short to be considered an actual shirt, stopping just above the top of her shorts. If she so much as raised an arm, the shirt would lift up and expose the light skin around her belly button. Still, it felt a lot less exposing than the other top Matt had borrowed for her, and she decided she would just have to keep from raising her arms.

She heard Lance call her name again, sounding more annoying and whiny this time around. Huffing, she pulled her shirt down at the front before and made her way downstairs. She swung the door open with force, crossing her arms as she frowned up at her best friend.

"About damn time!" Lance started, freezing as he took notice of her appearance. He blinked a few times and he opened and closed his mouth silently.

"I… Wow, you look…" he managed to stammer out after a few seconds.

"Like a prostitute," Pidge finished for him, scowling.

"No, you look damn amazing," Lance corrected, rolling his eyes. "Where'd you even get this outfit?"

"Matt heard about the party and decided to play dress up."

"Oh… Makes sense."

They stood there awkwardly, neither of them really sure of what to say until Pidge spoke up. "Do I really have to go like this?" she asked, looking up at the older boy with pleading eyes.

Lance weighed the options in his mind. One one hand, they were already late, Hunk was waiting for them at the party, and Pidge looked great in the outfit Matt had prepared; on the other, Pidge was clearly way out of her comfort zone in the borrowed clothes, and he wanted her to be comfortable. He sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Sorry, we don't have time to find you a better outfit," he replied, much to Pidge's dismay.

"I can just throw on a pair of jeans and a shirt! It'll only be a minute, I swear."

"Pidge, this is the biggest party of the year! You can't just wear your regular jeans and shirt."

"But- What are you doing?" she asked, watching Lance shrug off his jacket- his favourite jacket.

"You can wear my jacket," he held the article out to her, "If it makes you feel better."

The smaller girl opened her mouth to shoot back a response, but ultimately nothing came to mind. She grudgingly took the jacket and slipped it on, pouting. The jacket was several sizes larger than her, the sleeves extending a few inches past her fingertips and its body falling down mid-thigh. It was warm, granted Lance had been wearing it until only a few moments ago, and very, very soft. Pidge could hardly complain about feeling naked when the jacket practically covered most of her body and made her feel remarkably more comfortable, which annoyed her to some extent.

Lance smiled down at her, happy that her problem was somewhat solved. It helped that his jacket looked great on her, too, but that was something he would rather keep to himself.

"Now, let's get a move on!" he cheered, extending his arm to gesture towards his car. "Hunk's probably puking from nerves by now. We've kept the poor guy waiting for too long."

Pidge broke out of her sulk and snorted, starting towards the vehicle. Following after her, Lance helped her in before jogging over to the driver's seat and driving out of their street. He let Pidge connect her phone to the radio and select the songs. They fell into a rhythm of yelling lyrics back and forth, sometimes making their own parodies, until the venue came into view. The bright house filled with somewhat drunk teens was visible even from where Lance had parked, which was quite a distance from the house since the street near the house had already been robbed of parking spaces.

Pidge wrinkled her nose at the sight, crossing her arms over her chest after crawling out of the passenger's seat. The car chimed as Lance locked it, jogging over to Pidge's side. Seeing her stance, he snorted and ruffled her hair. "Come on, you grinch," he called, already bounding towards the party, "Can't leave Hunk waiting any longer!"

The smaller girl grumbled, patting her hair down as she started after Lance.

When they had first heard about the party, they were shocked to know that every senior was invited, whether they were one of the popular kids or not. Lance had been excited about it, constantly talking about it to both Pidge and Hunk, who hardly wanted to go. Not wanting to go alone, Lance had spent the week prior trying to persuade them to come.

Hunk had been the first to go down, after Lance had continually begged him to come in a rather pitiful manner. He felt bad about leaving Lance to go to the party alone, and conceded to the idea that it was their senior year so he might as well experience going to a party.

Pidge, on the other hand, had been a tough case. She didn't see the appeal of lingering in a crowded place, drinking bitter alcohol, and getting drunk. She much preferred staying at home and reading a good book. She was nearly immune to Lance's begging, and shot him down every single time. It had been harder to turn Hunk down, but she explained her case and he understood. It was only when her older brother, Matt, had caught wind of the party and urged her to go did she finally agree. He was worse than Lance, in a way, but she could never reject him. Besides, he had even offered to help her get ready for it, although the younger Holt sibling much regretted letting him dress her up now.

The people already at the party didn't so much as bat an eye when the two brunettes stepped through the front door, too busy downing beer and carrying their own conversations. Lance looked around with stars in his eyes, his focus flitting from the red cups in his classmates' hands, to the mush of bodies dancing to the too loud music, to the smiling faces of those already drunk, and to the not-so-modest couple making out against the walls. It was everything he'd imagined the party would be like and more.

He spotted a girl he knew from his history class, but found himself being pulled away before he could call out to her. He narrowed his eyes at Pidge, who had looped her arm around his and dragged him through the maze of bodies.

As if sensing what he was about to say, she spoke, "Hunk first, flirt later."

"Fine," he pouted, following as she looked around the house.

They found Hunk ten minutes later, talking to a girl who Lance recognized was from the volleyball team. Hunk seemed to be enjoying her company and vice versa, so they decided not to disturb them. Lance did, however, snap a picture of the two to tease Hunk with later, and texted him that they were at the party already.

"I'm surprised he isn't hunched over a toilet right now," Pidge commented, watching their Hunk with an impressed expression.

"The alcohol probably loosened him up a bit," Lance smirked, eyeing the red cup in Hunk's hand, "That, or the pretty girl talking to him."

Pidge snorted, her lips curving into a half grin. "Probably both. Sober Hunk would never be able to talk to a pretty girl without getting nervous."

Lance laughed, "You're totally right."

They lingered for a few more minutes until someone recognized Lance and brought them to the kitchen to get a drink. "Have as much as you want, dude," the guy, Kevin as Lance had called him, smiled lazily as he handed the Cuban a red cup. His movements were sluggish, which was only one of the many indications that he's already had a few drinks himself.

"One for your lady friend, too," he winked at Pidge as he handed her a cup.

Pidge took it in her hands awkwardly, mumbling out a thanks. She was unsure of what to do, especially when she had just followed Lance as he was being led around by Kevin. She settled for staring down at her empty cup while listening to the boys make small talk. She only looked up when slender fingers wrapped around her cup, a bit startled to see Lance smiling at her.

"Here, take this," he said, handing her a cup filled with a yellowish brown liquid. He took her empty cup out of her hands and turned to fill it up with more alcohol. Frowning, she held the cup up to her face and sniffed. It was definitely alcohol.

"Alright, now you're set!" Kevin slurred, throwing them a sloppy salute before sauntering off.

"Thanks, dude," Lance nodded in his direction.

Seeing Kevin disappear into the crowd, Pidge relaxed. She was more uncomfortable with the fact that he was drunk than the fact that she didn't know him, and was far more comfortable being alone with some as familiar as Lance.

"Do I really have to drink this?" she asked, frowning at her cup.

Lance answered by taking a swig from his own, grimacing slightly at its bitterness. He gave her a guilty smile. "What's a party without beer?" he shrugged.

Pidge rolled her eyes, setting her cup down on the counter. "Yeah, no. I'm gunna stay sober," she deadpanned, "Besides, who's gunna drive us all home if you and Hunk are drunk?"

Almost automatically, Lance raised a finger to retort, pausing to process her words. "Good point," he conceded.

Pidge looked at him smugly before they launched into a conversation about alcohol, the girl talking about why they shouldn't be drinking it. Lance, of course, dismissed her concerns and talked about why they should. Logically, Pidge made more sense, but it didn't really matter when Lance was her opponent. At some point, Pidge grabbed a can of soda from a cooler she saw someone open before, and followed Lance back out of the kitchen and into the living room. They lingered near the walls and watched the events around them as if it were a movie.

"Hey, look, a reason not to drink!" Pidge cheered, pointing at a jock who threw up in front of a girl he'd been trying to seduce.

"Clearly, he's had too much to drink," Lance retorted, sipping more of the bitter liquid.

Pidge shook her head in mirth, and this pattern continued on for who knows how long. It was hard to tell how much time had passed when everything around them was as loud and wild as when they'd arrived. Pidge refrained from checking her phone as well, since Matt had told her that she was supposed to mingle with real people, not technology. She only slid her phone out of her pocket when Lance wandered off to flirt with some girls and she'd grown tired of watching him. She was half annoyed that he had left her alone when he was the one who wanted her to come, but she figured this was to be expected.

Peering into the screen, vaguely noted that they had been there for nearly two hours. She shuffled closer to the wall as she opened up Reddit and continued reading the thread she'd started reading earlier that day. She tuned out the noise around her, and fell into the rhythm of scrolling down at a steady pace and mumbling a few of the more interesting replies out loud. Like this, it was almost easy to forget that she was at a party, wearing too tight and too short clothes and Lance's jacket, and alone at a corner.

On the other side of the room, Lance was talking to a girl from his English class after numerous failed attempts with other girls. His cheeks were flushed light pink, having downed a few cups of beer already, and his mind was buzzing from the alcohol. He leaned against the wall with an arm, holding his cup in the other as he put on a flirty smile.

"So, Nyma, what do you like to do in your free time?" he asked, his words slurring together slightly.

The blonde girl giggled, leaning against the wall lightly. "Why don't you tell me about yourself first, pretty boy," she shot back with a sly grin.

Lance blinked at the response, having never really gotten this far with flirting. His mind lingered on the words "pretty boy", and the blush on his cheeks darkened into a shade of red. "Myself?"

Nyma nodded, chuckling at his flustered state. "Yes, yourself."

"Myself," he echoed back, searching for a response. "I… Well, I- I'm Lance?"

At this, Nyma bursted out laughing, leaning forward as she clutched her stomach with her empty hand. Lance's face darkened, his blush spreading across his face as he realized how stupid his answer was. "I know you're Lance," she said, still shaking from her laughter.

"I-I mean I know you know I'm Lance," the boy stammered, attempting to redeem himself. "I just… It's just," he paused, thinking of a plausible excuse. "Automatic response?"

What he said wasn't any better, he realized as Nyma bent over in laughter all over again. Embarrassed, he sipped on his drink and looked around the room. It gave him some comfort to know that no one else was paying any attention to them and he was just in embarrassing himself in front of one, really pretty girl.

"S-Sorry," he found himself mumbling, "I don't really know how all this goes…"

"My, you are cute," Nyma chuckled, reaching up to pinch his cheek. "Is this your first party?"

He nodded.

"Ah, that explains it," the blonde nodded, giving him a warm smile. "Well, don't worry 'bout it."

"Thanks," Lance gave her a shy smile.

They eased into a light conversation as Nyma started telling him about what parties like these are usually like. She told him about the drunk stories of their peers, about the time someone stripped himself stark naked and belly flopped into the pool, and about the time the host of one party caught a couple making love in his parents' room and kicked them out while they were half-dressed. Lance laughed, forgetting his previous embarrassment, and told her stories about his own group of friends. He told her about the time they gave Hunk a panic attack making him think he slept for three years, and about the time they tricked Pidge into entering the boys' bathroom and she blended right in.

They talked until the blonde took notice of a crowd forming at the corner.

"What is it?" Lance asked when Nyma didn't finish her sentence. She raised a hand to point at the crowd, and he had to turn to see what she was distracted with.

"Is that normal?" he asked, pushing himself off the wall and standing beside the girl, a little dizzy from moving so suddenly.

"Yeah," she nodded. "Wanna check it out?" she asked, but was already approaching the crowd. With nothing else to do, Lance stumbled after her.

It was hard to see what was going on from where they stood at the back of the crowd, but it wasn't hard to hear what was going on.

"What's up with your get up, kid?" Lance recognized the voice as Rolo's, the star football player.

"Yeah, are you trying to pick up some guys for cash?" Beezer, the quarterback, chided.

It was ironic, Lance thought, when most of the people here dressed like that.

As if reading his mind, another voice answered back snarkily, "It's kind of funny how you're calling me out on that when at least eighty percent of the people here are showing way more skin."

Lance snorted, laughing quietly until he realized he knew that voice. Furrowing his brows, he focused on the voices and tried to put a name on the third voice.

"Who even invited this nerd?" Rolo asked, addressing the crowd around them.

"FYI, the invite was open to all seniors."

"This little girl's a senior?" Beezer questioned, "You look more like a freshman, sweet cheeks."

The other voiced scoffed. "Maybe you could have skipped a few years, too, if you spent more time studying and less time boning."

Pidge.

Pidge was being cornered by the jocks. Lance would have laughed if he hadn't realized this. His eyes widened as the situation sunk in, and he started pushing past the bodies. He nearly tripped more than a few times, the alcohol distorting his sense of balance, and by the time he managed to make it to the front, his head was pounding and his heart was hammering in his chest.

He saw Pidge on his left, crossing her arms and staring up at the two jocks defiantly. Relief washed over him when he saw that was was unharmed, but his heart nearly leaped out of his chest when he saw one of them lounge at. The crowd gasped around them, but the other figure moved quickly and held his best friend back.

"Calm down, dude," he heard Beezer say, and Lance processed that it was Rolo that had tried to attack Pidge. "She's probably only jealous because no one would like a nerd like her."

Lance felt his blood boil. He was wrong. Pidge was a nerd, yes, but she was smart- smart enough to skip two years of high school and win numerous math and science competition. She was also pretty. He thought Pidge was a boy when they first met, but even then he thought she was pretty. She was kind, although she hid it behind her fierce and sarcastic demeanor. She was funny, cracking her own fair share of jokes every now and then. Above all, she was the best girl he's ever met, and he sure as hell liked her.

Before he could think better of it, he stumbled into the scene and voiced his disagreement. "You're wrong!" he said loudly, "Pidge is very likeable."

From behind him, Pidge stared with wide eyes. She had opened her mouth to retort when Lance stepped in, his voice drowning hers out. "Lance, what the fuck?" she asked incredulously, but her comment went unnoticed as the dark skinned boy focused on the football players.

"Really? And who are you?" Rolo shot back, glaring. He'd calmed down enough for Beezer to let go of him, rolling his shoulders as he stood to his full height.

"The name's Lance," he shot back, smirking confidently. It was then that Pidge knew Lance was drunk. The confidence he exuded reeked greatly of alcohol, and if this were any other day, he would have cowered under the pressure.

"Okay, Lance," Rolo started, "If this kid's so likeable, why doesn't she have a boyfriend?"

"She does."

"Well where is he? I doubt a real boyfriend would let his girlfriend go to a party all alone."

Oh no, Pidge thought, already knowing where this argument was going.

"Right here!"

Pidge squeezed her eyes shut and grimaced at the words, tensing as the crowd went silent. She could feel the eyes on her bearing holes into her skin, and she wished she had stayed at home instead. If she hadn't given into Matt's pleading, she would have been watching a movie in her room, wrapped in warm blankets, away from this stupid party and away from this mess.

"Huh," Rolo breathed, and Pidge could almost see him shrugging with his almost natural cockiness. "Should've expected the loser and the nerd to hook up sooner or later."

She heard the squeak of shoes against the floor, and a second later, the people around her gasping. She'd only opened her eyes in time to see Lance fall to the side, a blonde girl with pigtails standing in front of him. Based on the way only one hand was lifted up, Pidge guessed she'd only blocked an attack from Lance, his drunken balance doing the rest.

"Oops," the blonde winced, as the brunet hit the ground. "Sorry, Lance. I think my boyfriend's had too much to drink. Better take him away now." She stepped closer to the football player, wrapping an arm around his waist to support him as he slumped against her, mumbling incoherently.

Lance lifted his head up from the floor. "That asshole is your boyfriend?!" he all but shrieked.

"Yep," she chuckled, rolling her eyes as if to say 'I know right?'. She adjusted Rolo's arm over her shoulder, hoisting him up before turning around to leave.

Sensing that the drama was over, the crowd made way for the couple and slowly dissipated. A few curious peers lingered, but Pidge paid them no mind and scuffled to where Lance was laying on the floor. She squat down and tapped on his head a few times.

"So, Mr. Boyfriend," Pidge said, her tone wry, "Are you planning to get up any time soon?"

Lance stiffened, hearing the irritation in her tone. He briefly wondered what he did wrong this time before recalling that he had proclaimed himself as her boyfriend less than two minutes ago. His face scrunched up into a grimace, mentally berating himself. He had acted in the spur of the moment (and perhaps in drunken stupor as well), and now he wished he hadn't.

He turned his head in Pidge's direction, opening one eye to peek up at her. She peered down at him with a tight smile, and oh shit she is mad.

He gulped.

As the party slowly returned to its previous cheer, many people would turn their heads to see a tall, dark skinned boy begging for forgiveness as a much smaller brunette dragged him out of the party by the back of his shirt.


"How sweet!" Shay clapped her hands, smiling jovially.

"You think that's sweet?" Hunk raised a brow at her, "They freaking ditched me that night!" He had stepped back into the room halfway through their story telling.

"Oh please, you were more than fine on your own, Hunk," Lance snorted. "I'd say you had the most fun out of the three of us."

"He's right though," Pidge agreed, snickering as Hunk made a face. Shay giggled beside him.

"Was it you or Lance who asked to become an official couple?" Shay asked, still curious about their relationship.

"Well, we basically pretended to be dating for the rest of our senior year," Pidge started, knitting her brows together as she tried to remember the details. It was hard to tell the difference between their fake-dating and real-dating when nothing really changed, aside from the occasional displays of affection. "I think it was during our graduation?" She looked at Lance for confirmation before continuing, "We agreed to fake-date until the last day of school, but then Lance told me he didn't want to 'break up'."

Beside her, Lance blushed, pouting at the smaller girl. "Hey, no!" he exclaimed, "I said I liked pretending to be your boyfriend, and asked if I could be your real boyfriend!"

"That was after I asked you to elaborate," Pidge pointed out.

Lance crossed his arms and turned away from her, pouting. Pidge laughed at this, shifting to rest her head against his back.

"Hey, to be honest I liked pretending to be your girlfriend too," she admitted, her own cheeks dusted with pink. She felt Lance draw a sharp breath, and half expected it when he twisted his body to envelop her in a hug. He rubbed his face against hers, cooing at how cute she was. She pushed his face away from hers, laughing as she struggled to free herself from his grasp.

"Stop!" she squealed, "We need to get back to studying!"

Hunk looked at them from across the table, unimpressed. "You just had to ask."


Author's Note

and here's the story of how they started dating! initally, my idea was that they decided to give it a shot because people kept telling them they suited each other, but i didn't know how to write that and it evolved into this!

hope you guys enjoyed this :)