Walk's in with Starbucks and a new one shot. "Hi"
Lance had to be honest with himself; he was bored and depressed. He didn't like being bored, and being alone didn't feel right. Not while others could possibly feel the same and certainly feel worse than him.
Honestly, it was only pure luck that he stumbled on Hunk in the kitchen, flattening out some dough on the counter. It was a curious green color, which would have initially turned Lance off, but the way Hunk was being so careful, the color must have been intentional.
"Whatcha got there, Hunk?" Lance leaned against the doorframe, watching Hunk. Said boy jumped, turning around to face him. Hunk chuckled, hand rubbing the back of his neck nervously.
"So, I know you've been kind of homesick, so I decided to do an experiment and make some Space Tortillas. This is the second batch I'm making; the first ones are over there." He pointed to the counter next to him, where a stack rested, already cooked and ready to be eaten.
Something squirmed in Lance's chest, and he could feel his stomach drop slightly, memories surfacing. He grabbed one and tore off a small piece, eating it. It tasted almost the same; the shell was sweet and thicker than usual, and the color was off. But it made him think of home regardless.
He could hear his family; Mama singing to music on the radio, Papa dancing around the counter to her. His brothers and sisters watching them or singing too. He watches his nieces and nephews, hearing them giggle and play in the living room.
Then, a memory surfaced, old. Luis and Veronica, no more than middle school age, arguing in the kitchen one day. He couldn't remember how it had started, but they were angry; one second, Veronica was screaming her point, and the next, Luis was holding a shell. He could remember the smack against her cheek and the silence that followed it. Papa was at work, and Mama was with the younger kids, so no one but him could stop them if this got physical (or, well, more physical) But he didn't need to do anything because where Luis stood in shock, tortilla still in his hand, Veronica started giggling. Giggles turned to laughter and were soon joined by Luis, tortilla slipping from his fingers.
Lance stood in shock, watching his siblings laugh on the kitchen floor, before slowly making his way from the kitchen to the living room and soon back up to his bedroom, to hide from his insane siblings.
At the time, nothing about the encounter was funny to him, but standing in the Castelship, million on trillions of miles from his house and his siblings, he couldn't help but snicker at the memory.
An idea struck Lance at that moment, so childish and silly he couldn't NOT act on it. He grabbed the stack and some hydration packs from the fridge and called to Hunk as he left.
"Thanks, buddy. Meet me in the lounge in 10 doboshes!" The door closed behind him, cutting off Hunk's question.
Lance dropped off everything in the lounge; the shells and hydration packs from the kitchen, towels from the pool, and a whiteboard from Pidge's room (where she even got it was beyond him).
He found Coran and Allura while gathering his supplies and Pidge in her room. He had asked Allura to call Shiro and Keith to the lounge, but he wasn't banking on them showing up.
Lance was starting to feel giddy; he hoped everyone would show up. He hoped even more that they would indulge his stupid idea.
Hunk was the first to arrive, Pidge close behind. They asked questions, but Lance told them to wait for everyone. He didn't want to repeat himself a billion times, you know.
Coran was next, an easy smile on his mustached face. Allura showed up with Shiro, talking in easy banter.
Lance waited a minute, hoping Keith would come in late, with a sly look on his face, but 1 turned into 5, and he still didn't show. He sighed, ready to explain his idea to everyone, when the doors opened, and Keith rushed inside.
Lance smiled, happy to see him. "Took you long enough, Mullet! Thought I was gonna have to drag you here." Keith chuckled, sitting down on the couch beside Shiro.
"Yeah yeah. I got here, though. Besides, what's that thing you always say? You can't rush perfection?" Lance narrowed his eyes, turning around.
"Alright, everybody! Thank you for joining me." Pidge raised her eyebrow, looking over to Hunk, who shrugged.
"Okay, so what's this about? And why did you need my whiteboard?" Lance smiled.
"Thank you for asking that, Pidgeon." Lance walked around the back of the couch into the center. "Recently, we have had a lot of stress and need a little moral boost. So, I have come up with a solution." He picked up a tortilla.
"Every person will get a tortilla and a hydration pack. We will get paired off, take a big gulp of water, and take turns smacking each other with the shell. The first one to spit out their water loses, and the winner goes on to the next round. The last person to spit out their water is the grand champion." He looked at his teammates' faces, hoping they liked the idea. Shiro nodded his head after a moment, leaning back.
"Nice idea, Lance. This could be a great team bonding exercise too." He hit Keith on his shoulder, who shrugged. "Seem's kind of dumb, but I wouldn't miss an opportunity to beat you, McClain." Lance narrowed his eyes playfully, responding, "We'll see, Mullet." Pidge raised the knuckle of her finger to her lips.
"Wait, so there's seven of us; who's going to sit out?" Lance blanked for a minute. Who was going to sit out? "Uuuh-"
" I can sit out, my boy. I would rather keep up the score and spectate, anyway." Coran stood up, pulling a blue hairbrush out of.. somewhere. Lance chuckled, handing him the whiteboard on the couch. He then leaned to Coran's ear, whispering. After a second, he pulled back and nodded. Coran nodded back, twisting his mustache.
"Okay, everyone, pare off, set a couple towels under you, and grab your hydration packet. Don't drink any of it yet." They pared off. Hunk and Pidge, Allura and Lance, and Shiro and Keith. They all, save for Lance, took some water and set their towels under them. "When you're ready, come grab a tortilla, and get ready. Coran, when you think everyone is good to go, call it." Lance then took a tortilla.
Coran set up the board on a chair at the end of the couches. He cleared his throat and pulled the brush up to his lips.
"All right, ladies and gentlemen! The beginning of the championship has begun! Each round will be one pair, who will draw, and the winner will slap the loser with their flower disk. The first one to lose their water loses; the winner will go to the next round. We will start with Shiro and Keith; everyone else, take your seats."
Shiro knocked on Keith's shoulder, taking his gulp of water. Keith sighed, rolling his eyes. When both boys were ready, Coran readied his hairbrush. "On your mark, boys. May the best man win."
They began; Shiro placed his tortilla under his arm, shaking his metal fist. They drew, and Shiro won. He readied his shell, laughing slightly. He reared back and slapped Keith. Keith groaned in pain, the shell stinging his cheek. Shiro asked a muffled 'Are you okay?' still laughing. Keith nodded and readied his fist again. They drew again, Keith winning. Immediately he slapped Shiro, who spit his water out instantly; on Keith.
Keith groaned in disgust, wiping his face with his shirt. Coran jumped up from the couch.
"And we have a winner! Keith, who will be going on to the next round." Keith spits out his water onto the towel, glaring at Shiro, who is still laughing.
"You couldn't have turned your head away?" He then slapped Shiro with the tortilla again.
"All right, boys, settle down. Next up are Hunk and Pidge." Pidge jumped up, pulling at Hunk's arm. They got ready, and Coran announced them to begin. Pidge was already starting to laugh, yet she one. She readied her shell and slapped Hunk. They stood a moment before simultaneously spitting their water onto the floor.
"And in an unforeseen event, both Hunk and Pidge have lost. Neither of them will continue to the- uh, final round." Coran put a mark on the scoreboard, marking out both Hunk and Pidge, and canceling the second round. "Up next are Allura and Lance, the final pair of the first round."
Allura stood up and made her way to the towels. Lance got up and immediately took a gulp of his water. He looked over to Allura, who had gotten herself ready, and wiggled his brows jokingly. She rolled her eyes at him, signaling for him to come here.
They began, their first to being stalemates. Then, Lance got a win. He slapped Allura, who started laughing, but before they could go again, she reared back and slapped him hard. Lance slid backward and fell on his butt. Allura spits out her water, cracking up. Lance, who had gotten into a crouch on the ground, spit out his water on the soaked towel.
"And Lance is the winner of the final match of the first round! We will take a brief intermission to fix the towels and place bets on who will win." Lance stood up, rubbing his poor backside, and he needed a break.
It was the last round, Lance vs. Keith. Lance felt reasonably good about practicing his swing, and Keith sat with Shiro on the other couch.
Coran stood in front of the couches, next to Allura, who held the signs. He picked up the hairbrush and began to announce the final match.
"The last round has begun! On this side; the goofball, the sharpshooter, the blue paladin himself, Lance! And on this side; the brood, the samurai, the red paladin, Keith!"
Lance and Keith, cheeks full of water, walked to the center of the couches, tortilla shells in hand. "I want a clean match, boys. You know the rules; you know the risks. On three."
Lance shook his shoulders, hopping on his toes.
"One."
Keith glared at Lance, hands coming in front of him.
"Two."
Pidge offered popcorn to Hunk, who was biting his nails. This was it.
"Three!"
Instantly, Lance and Keith started. The first start on a stalemate, drawing a muffled groan from both and an 'ooh' from the onlookers. They go again, Keith winning the draw. He said a muffled 'yes' and grabbed the tortilla under his arm.
He swung back, slapping the tortilla across Lance's cheek.
Lance could feel himself starting to laugh, backing up and holding his mouth. Keith's shoulders were shaking slightly, but he stood still.
After a second, they started again, Lance winning the draw. He jumped, most of their audience laughing at Lance's excitement. Keith looked at him, huffing in laughter. Lance swung, tortilla breaking over Keith's cheek. Pidge started cackling, Hunk holding her up. Keith backed away, bent over at the waist.
Lance stood a moment, hoping he hadn't hurt him while swinging. After a moment, Keith's shoulders started shaking again. He was huffing through his nose, squeaks seeping out through his mouth.
Lance started laughing, watching Keith slowly break. Keith began folding in on himself when water started to dribble down his chin. Water sprayed out of his mouth, followed by his loud laughter. He lost.
"And with a shocking turn of events, it seems like Lance is our grand champion!" Coran yelled and wrote his name in the final spot. Lance, spitting out his water in shock, yelled. "Yes! I won!"
Shiro and Hunk clapped for him, and Pidge threw her popcorn, booing. "Damn it, Keith! You were supposed to be my golden goose!"
Keith, wiping water from his chin, coughed. "Sorry to disappoint you." He had a giant smile and would laugh every so often.
Lance plopped down on the ground next to him. He bit the little part of the broken tortilla that he didn't drop. He chuckled after a second.
"Is anyone else craving tacos?" Everyone in the room cracked up laughing. Safe to say, everyone was in a good mood.
So, I didn't plan on making this. Truly, I was trying to work on the next chapter of Texas, but I got the idea during work and had to act on it. SO, two days later I give you this thing. If you like this, check out my other works! See ya later!
Blue