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Allura leaned in, brows pinched close in concentration as she finished fixing Lance’s eyeliner. The dorm room was a mess of clothing, makeup, and ditched costumes, her normally tidy desk covered in a thin film of glitter and setting powder. She sat back with a smile and capped her liquid eyeliner.
“All done!”
Lance cautiously opened his eyes before turning to face the mirror and marveling at his friend’s skill - he looked perfect. Shimmering skin and rosy cheeks,
dramatic eyeshadow in shades of blue and purple to match the big flakes of glitter around his cheekbones. He beamed.
“Allura, thank you! It’s beautiful!”
“Any time.” She nodded, standing and smoothing her dress. Her hair was already done up in a dramatic thick braid, her white hair as much of an accessory as her shoes or her lipstick. “I think Hunk is on his way to pick us up. Do you need help putting on your shoes?”
Lance rolled his eyes and stood, brushing fallen glitter off of his sparkly shorts.
“No I can do it.” he snatched up the borrowed pumps and started cramming his feet into them, ignoring the way Allura smirked when he teetered in them. “Who’s the guy you know at this party again?”
“Keith. He’s that guy from Taekwondo?”
Lance nodded, only half listening as he moved over to the window to try and take a selfie while there was a still a little daylight. He expertly tilted his jaw and pursed his lips, snapping a few dozen and then tucking his phone in his halter top. He’d browse through them later and find the best one to post, but right now it was time to party.
Delta Delta Delta already looked dangerously partied out by the time the trio arrived, several people looking sick in the front yard and a garland of crushed cans caught in the hedges beneath the frat house front window. Allura didn’t bat an eye at the freshmen who was supposed to be monitoring who could go in, confidently leading Lance and Hunk in through the front door and through a thick crowd of half-assed zombies and girls dressed as cats..
“Drinks?” Allura yelled over the thump of Ariana Grande, her Elsa costume shimmering under the low lights tacked up in the entryway. Lance nodded and reached out to grab her hand, not wanting to get lost among the confusion. There had to be hundreds of people crammed into the maze of first floor rooms, everyone wearing too much make-up and laughing too loudly. Lance followed half of them on instagram and knew that they’d come from Lotor’s pregame party that he hadn’t scored an invite to. He could feel Hunk following them close behind, their designated driver and the one with the authority to drag them home when he felt they’d gotten into plenty of trouble.
At last they found the keg and gratefully accepted the shitty beer being tapped by a freshman in an official Delta Delta Delta polo. It tasted vaguely like piss and vaguely like apples. Lance downed it in two swallows and handed his cup over for a second round.
“This way!” Allura’s hand was tight on Lance’s arm, insistent in dragging him away from the booze and towards the den.
Tucked away near the staircase and leaning against a coffee table they had a great view of the dancefloor.
It was time for the main item on both of their agendas: boy watching.
“He’s kinda cute.” Allura pointed, gesturing towards a man with broad shoulders and long dark hair.
Lance shook his head and wrinkled his nose. “I couldn’t deal with his hair…” He took a sip of his beer, being careful not to spill on his bright pink top. “The blonde over there has a good smile and I think he’s looking your way.”
Hunk shook his head. “He’s gay, I hooked up with him orientation week,” he informed Allura apologetically. She groaned and rubbed her forehead.
“Hunk, can you leave some of the cute ones for the rest of us?”
Hunk shrugged, looking a tad smug, his spiderman costume tight across his chest. He was one of the sweetest guys Lance had ever met and he was incredibly strong and handsome to boot; out of the three of them he was the only one who could consistently find a date. Lance tried not to be bitter about it.
“Ooh 9 o’clock, in the rugby t-shirt,”
“I’m not dating someone who doesn’t wear a costume to a Halloween party.”
“That could be his costume!” Allura insisted. “He might not be a rugby player.”
“If it is a costume, it’s lame.” Lance shook his head. “Do you like redheads? I think I might see a batman up your alley.”
“Lance, I still think you and Keith should get coffee sometime.” Allura stopped looking around at the frat boy buffet and fixed her friend with a look. “You two might get along.”
“Ew no, mullets are a turn off. Let Hunk have him.”
“What, so I get the mullet?”
“He’s all yours.”
Lance laughed and squeezed Hunk’s arm, leaving him to take the brunt of Allura’s match-making tendencies. He made a quick excuse about wanting to see if there were jello shots before darting into the crowd. Normally he’d be all over judging the guys at the party for date-ability (kill a guy for indulging in being shallow every now and again) but he wasn’t drunk enough. His standards were still too high.
The floor was already sticky with spilled alcohol and a few crushed M&Ms - the whole house smelled like sweat. It was exciting and nerve-wracking all at once.
The music booming through the house changed, Beyonce, and Lance paused on his quest for more alcohol to grin and dance along, standing near a group of girls in matching bunny outfits.
It was halfway through the second chorus when he felt hands on his hips, someone pulling him back against a chest. He glanced up for just a second, seeing someone masculine with dark eyes, and decided that for the moment he could go for a little dance floor groping.
He pulled out his best moves, swaying his hips and rolling his stomach, shoulders popping to the beat.
And then shit broke loose.
“What the fuCK MAN!” Suddenly Lance was sent teetering backwards, stumbling in his unfamiliar shoes and slamming into one of the girls dancing nearby.
The guy he’d been dancing with was coming straight at him again, but this time he didn’t look like he was interested in second base.
“Who let a fucking
fairy
into the party!” he roared, grabbing at Lance’s shirt, wrenching the fabric up into one fist. Cold primal fear shot through Lance’s stomach and he slapped at the guy’s hands, trying to pull away. “What are you doing dressed like a chick? Pretending to be some kind of lady-whore?”
“‘Get off me!” Lance yelled, hitting his bicep with the flat of his palm and preparing to bring his knee up if the guy got any closer. The music was so loud Lance wasn’t even sure he could hear him.
“Or what, princess? You’ll run home to your little fag f-”
Lance was sent reeling backwards for a second time, flinching as he heard the sharp crack of skin on skin, bone hitting bone. But to his surprise, he didn’t feel anything. When he opened his eyes again the homophobic douchebag that had been attacking him was out cold on the floor, blood streaming from his nose.
And a god stood above him.
At least six feet tall, a wall of solid muscle, dark hair, and light eyes. A jaw that could cut glass. He was wearing a cheap knight costume, thin padded chest plate and shoulder guards and an undershirt printed with a chainmail pattern. He was literally, a knight in shining armor.
The man was gorgeous. And Lance was still sober.
“Is this your friend?” he growled, turning towards a guy staring in shock at the downed partier. “I want him and all you asshats out of here. Now.”
Two guys rushed forward, propping up the bleary attacker and rushing him out of the room.
Lance swallowed shakily, ankle sore from almost falling. His chest burned, it had been too long since he’d taken a breath.
“Are you alright?”
He blinked.
“What?”
The adonis was facing him now, eyes as warm as hot chocolate, his lips pursed in concern.
“You’re shaking. Are you alright?”
Lance dimly realized that he was trembling, and he glanced down at his shirt, stretched out in the front from the way he’d been manhandled. Distantly he realized his phone must have fallen to the floor.
“I’m….fine.”
“Do you have friends here? Is there someone I can call?”
“No- Really- I’m fine. You don’t have to go through the trouble, I just-” Lance felt his eyes starting to water and he clenched his jaw to fight off the wave of emotion-the overwhelming urge to cry. “I’m good.”
“Let’s get you some water.” The man gently reached out towards him and then hesitated, clearly unsure if it was crossing a line.
Lance nodded at him, and then there was a warm hand on his shoulder, carefully steering him through the streams of people towards the back of the house. Suddenly they were stepping sideways into a small doorway and a light flicked on. A bathroom. With the door half open the noise from the party was muted and he felt like he could breathe again.
A paper cup with cartoon characters on it was gently set into his hands, already full of cold sink water.
Lance didn’t bother drinking it, still shaky and worried about spilling on himself. The stranger’s right hand was bright red, and there was already obvious bruising around some of the knuckles. “Your hand-“
“I’m alright,” he said gently. “I’ll put some ice on it and it’ll be back to normal in a couple of days. You just take care of yourself…” The Good Samaritan paused again.
“Lance.”
“You just take care of yourself, Lance. I’m Shiro.”
“Thanks for having my back out there.” Lance said, rolling the name around on his tongue. “I...I thought that shit only happened in high school.”
Shiro’s face grew dark. “There are awful people everywhere unfortunately. Have they given you trouble before?”
“No, I didn’t recognize them.” Despite himself, Lance took a small sip of the water, knowing Shiro was right. He needed to calm himself. “I think he was just mad because...I was dancing and he thought I was a girl so he danced with me. But then I wasn’t a girl so...” Lance felt his throat tighten and he dropped his head.
“Dipshit,” Shiro murmured softly, rolling his eyes. “I’m sorry about that. Is there someone who can come pick you up or…?”
“No, no. I’m good. I’m fine.”
“I can walk you home?”
“Shiro, really. I don’t want to leave the party.” Lance looked up again, watery eyes trying to fix Shiro with a playful look. “I just got here.”
Shiro nodded, looking unconvinced but not pressing any further. Lance took another deep breath, ignoring the way his chin wobbled with suppressed tears.
“I’ll get you some ice.”
“You don’t need to-“
Before Shiro could stop him, Lance darted out the door, pushing back towards the kitchen and finding a theoretically clean dish towel. He filled it with ice from a cooler of chasers and then reversed his path. The task let him clear his head, heart rate slowly coming down as he reminded himself that he was safe. The threat was gone. He hadn’t been hurt.
When he stepped back in the bathroom he felt much more like himself.
“Here ya go!” He offered the cold bundle towards Shiro’s hand, seeing it had already been scrubbed clean.
“You didn’t have to do that.”
“You didn’t have to save me,” Lance countered. “I’m just repaying the favor.”
“Anyone would have done what I did.” He shook his head. “It was just the decent thing to do.”
“Still.” Lance pressed.
Shiro accepted the ice and pressed it to his bruised knuckles, biting off a wince. If he’d hit the guy’s jaw more directly he could have broken his hand. He was lucky.
“Are you...are you in Delta Delta Delta?” Lance asked, leaning against the doorframe.
“Uh, yeah.” A lovely rose color dusted his cheeks. “I’m the president.”
“Oh!” Lance’s eyebrows shot up. “Sorry I...that’s cool. You just. Don’t seem the type.”
“Not all frat guys are gross you know,” he said, keeping his voice gentle as he rearranged the ice. “We try to serve our community. Keep the guys in line. It’s a family.”
“Yeah.” Lance’s cheeks burned in mortification. “Of course, no, I didn’t mean to imply...” He shook his head. “Sorry.”
“It’s fine. You’re right, they can be problematic. But we try to set a good example. We have a zero tolerance policy for hazing. We attend alcohol and social justice training. We even have the highest population of LGBT frat brothers in any chapter of Delta Delta Delta.”
Lance’s pulse jumped.
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah.”
Their eyes met and Lance hoped he still looked good. He couldn’t see the mirror from his angle in the doorway.
Shiro cleared his throat and lifted up the ice. His hand was red from the cold but looked only a little scraped and bruised.
“Do you want to dance?” Lance blurted out.
Shiro blushed again and a few rooms away a loud chorus of yells went up, probably celebrating the end of a game of beer pong.
“Ah, sure.” He poured the ice into the sink to melt and then nervously extended his uninjured hand.
Halfway to the dance floor Lance froze, stopping to grab at his own chest.
“Fuck. My phone. It was in my top, it must have fallen when that guy...shit!”
“I’ll help you find it,” Shiro said quickly. “When did you last have it?”
“While I was dancing. I had put it in my crop top.”
Shiro accepted that with a nod and then they both hurried towards the den again, awkwardly squeezing through crowds of dancers, snooping around their feet and trying to talk over the music.
“What’s the case look like?” Shiro asked, leaning in close.
Lance smiled.
“It’s blue with sparkles and a rainbow?”
Shiro bit his lip, trying not to laugh.
Finally Lance spotted something shining near a floorboard and he leaned down, scooping it up with a relieved sigh. One corner of the case was cracked but it looked like it had just been kicked aside.
He stood up quickly to tell Shiro, but as he went vertical he felt a warm chest against his shoulder blades, his ass brushing against his new friend. He glanced over.
“I found it,” he said quietly.
“Great.” Shiro nodded and quickly took a step backwards. Lance followed, pressing his back to Shiro’s front once again as he tucked his phone into the pocket of his mermaid scale shorts.
“Lance?”
“You agreed to dance.” He pointed out, slowly swaying his hips, trying to gauge whether Shiro was uncomfortable or just shy.
A massive hand landed on his hip, fingers skidding over his bare waist, and Lance smiled to himself. He could work with shy. He rolled his hips again and then started really grooving to the beat, amused by Shiro’s awkward attempt to keep up. Taking pity on him, Lance turned, settling his hands on broad shoulders and just swaying side to side.
“Is there a specific knight you’re supposed to be?” he asked, looking again at his cute jumpsuit costume. He wondered idly if his chest was that pillowy looking all the time or if it was just the foam meant to give the faux armor more structure.
Shiro’s hands tightened on his waist and he mouth quirked up in a half smile.
“Yours, apparently.”
Lance threw his head back and laughed, moving a step closer and nodding. “Mine? I like that. I could use a bodyguard. I do a lot of dumb shit.”
Shiro seemed pleased that his flirtatious comment had gone over well and he smiled dorkily.
“Really? Like what?”
“Like accidentally making fun of fraternities in front of a frat bro?”
“Right.” Shiro surprised Lance by sending him in a little spin.
“And not getting his number right away?” Lance continued, wiggling his eyebrows.
It was Shiro’s turn to laugh and he nodded agreeably, quick fingers stealing his phone out of his ass pocket with a wink as he stopped in the middle of the dance floor to add his contact. Lance took his phone back with a wide grin and sent Shiro a text.
“Want to go get me a drink?” he asked, batting his eyelashes.
Shiro nodded and touched his arm gently before pulling away and disappearing in the mass of dancing bodies.
Behind him he heard a long slow clap. When he turned around he saw Allura with a look of disbelief on her face and Hunk slow clapping with an impressed nod. He flushed.
“Damn McClain,” Hunk whistled. “He’s hot.”
“That’s Shiro!” Allura said, shaking her head. “Lance, oh my god, I’ve seen his picture all over the studio!”
“You know him?”
“He’s a black belt. He stopped training last year though because of his class load. But he still comes around every now and then for demonstrations.”
“You know him and you didn’t introduce us!” Lance fake punched Allura’s arm. “Allura, he’s the hottest guy I’ve ever seen in real life.”
“He is delicious,” she agreed. “And you just got his number.”
Lance grinned and wiggled his phone.
“Hell yeah I did. I might even get him to come home with me.”
“Ten bucks says he’s too much of a gentleman.” Hunk shook his head. “He doesn’t look like the hook-up type.”
“Yeah, but bud, consider: I’m really hot and also really slutty.”
“I didn’t say you weren’t!”
Allura frowned, eyes still focused on Lance’s hand.
“What happened to your phone case?”
“Oh.” Lance’s stomach turned. “I dropped it. No big deal.”
“He’s coming back,” Hunk grinned. “Be safe, bro.”
Lance poked his tongue out at his friend and shooed the two onlookers away.
As promised, Shiro returned with two vodka cranberries and before long Lance was tipsy enough to have forgotten the assault entirely and be wrapped around Shiro. Shiro was a better dancer after two more drinks, and followed every movement Lance made, hands trailing over his waist, his hips, and the tops of his thighs. Their conversation came easily and Lance felt nothing but Shiro’s eyes and hands on him.
“Let’s go out back,” Lance said, tired of having to shout over the music. He also definitely wouldn’t mind having a little more privacy with such a beautiful guy.
Shiro nodded and slid his arm around Lance’s shoulders, ushering them to the back porch where a half dozen people were huddled in the chilly night air taking shots and giggling. Lance took Shiro’s hand and urged him to keep going, down the porch steps and around the side of the house, the porch rail above them casting striped shadows over their faces.
“You alright?” Shiro asked, a sheen of sweat on his brow. They’d danced for a long time and Lance was a little out of breath as well.
“Yeah. Just getting tired. And it’s hard to talk in there.” Lance nodded.
Shiro accepted his answer, not mentioning the secluded place Lance had picked, only lacing their fingers together and drawing Lance a little closer.
“Yeah.”
“Mhmm.”
They both stood quietly, Lance’s heart thrumming as soft grey eyes didn’t leave his own.
“What did you want to talk about?”
Lance shrugged.
“I don’t know….what are you majoring in?”
“Orbital mechanics.”
“Holy shit,” Lance said softly. “That’s insane.”
“It’s hard.” Shiro agreed. “What are you majoring in?”
“Astronomy.”
“Hey,” Shiro smiled, “we’re both studying space.”
“Yeah.”
Lance reached out and played with the fabric around Shiro’s waist, tracing the circles of fake printed-on chain mail.
“You do make a really good knight.”
“You make a lovely mermaid,” Shiro responded in kind.
Lance snorted.
“You have no idea.”
Shiro quirked an eyebrow in confusion and his eyes sparkled a little as he took in Lance’s mischievous expression. And then Lance was leaning forward, glad that his heels made it easy to kiss the tall man before him.
The kiss was soft and sweet, their lips parted and their breath coming a little fast. Lance’s hands reached up to smooth down Shiro’s chest, squeezing a little at his firm pecs before letting his palms press into stomach. He could feel the man’s muscles jump under his fingers and he sighed as Shiro’s hand on his waist slid around to play at the small of his back, teasing along the top of his shorts.
“You’re drunk,” Shiro said quietly, pulling back and tracing one cheekbone with his thumb. “Why don’t we get dinner tomorrow. Continue this when we’re both in a better state to make decisions.”
“No,” Lance whined, kissing the corner of Shiro’s mouth. “It’s just a kiss, what can it hurt? I like you. I’m not even that drunk.”
“Still,” Shiro gasped as teeth dragged along his jaw, his hands involuntarily tightening around Lance’s waist and cheek. “Lance.”
“Shiro.”
Their eyes met again and it was only another moment before Shiro had given up on being polite, stealing another kiss with an exasperated sigh, reeling the glittery boy forward so that they were almost fully encased in each other. Lance’s arms twined around his neck, reeling him in, wanting to pull him under and keep him there forever.
Warmth curled through him, alcohol and arousal and affection all bubbling up as they kissed. And Shiro was really good at kissing. Their teeth crashed together for a moment and they both laughed, Shiro using it as an opportunity to lean in and press warm teasing kisses along Lance’s throat.
Lance groaned, tilting his head back as he felt breath across his sensitive skin. And then wetness.
But not the wetness of lips or tongue.
Something far worse.
Shiro pulled back, spluttering and cursing, his hair wet and his expression furious.
Lance could only feel cold, the air suddenly kicked from his lungs.
One of the guys that had pulled his friend out of the party for attacking Lance was grinning down at them, empty beer cup in hand as Shiro spat out the cheap shit, lunging towards the railing.
“Son of a--!”
“Should keep your bitch on a shorter leash next time.” And with that, the asshole dropped his beer over the railing, clipping Shiro’s shoulder and then disappearing out of sight.
Shiro cursed again and started to climb up after him but Lance called out.
“Shiro!”
Lance was panicking.
Lance was transforming.
Fuck fuck
fuck.
He felt the painful stretch of the skin around his neck and his fingers, the way his ears hurt and prickled with a sensation that was familiar but very much unwanted. Not right now. Not right here. Not in front of the cutest guy he’d met all semester.
His knees gave out and he hit the grass.
“Lance!”
Shiro rushed to his side as soon as the boy called his name, surprised to see him on the ground and gasping as if he’d been sucker-punched in the ribs. But instead of seeing the cute boy having a panic attack, he saw green webbing and blue scales. Long tan legs were slowly becoming an enormous sparkling tail, bright blue and shimmering in the slats of light coming down from the porch.
“What the-”
Lance cringed, turning away, trying to hide himself.
“Oh god, oh god.” Shiro sounded like he was about to throw up. “Water!”
Lance felt arms around his waist and then suddenly he was off the ground, slung over Shiro’s shoulder as the knight started running across the grass of the unkempt lawn.
“Shiro?”
“It’s okay, we live right behind a stream!”
Lance tried to wriggle out of his grasp, confused and still a little out of it after the unexpected transformation.
“Hold on!” Shiro sounded desperate as he charged forward, screeching to a halt, and then heaving Lance up into the air.
Lance twisted, mouth opening with a yell that never left his lips as he crashed into cold water. He spluttered for a moment, but easily regained his senses, swimming to the surface, eyeliner and some of his glitter running down his cheeks.
“Shiro!”
His unexpected date was kneeling nervously at the bank, watching Lance with eyes the size of dinner plates.
“Are you alright?”
“I’m fine,” Lance coughed, shaking water off of his head like a dog. “What was that!”
“You--you’re a mermaid! You’re a fish, you need-” Shiro waved his arms around. “Why am I the one being questioned here, you just-”
Lance cautiously swam closer, the reality of what had just happening sending panic and fear into his gut. He had hidden his secret for so long, and now someone knew. Someone who could tell the entire school and get him investigated and expelled and locked up somewhere.
“I know,” he said, shame-faced., “I’m sorry, I lied, I-”
“You’re a mermaid,.” Shiro said, shaking his head. “How...what…?”
“Yeah uh, I am. Mermaids exist. I transform if I get wet so I guess the beer did it…” he cleared his throat. “Look, I’m really sorry, I’ll go and we can pretend nothing ever happened, just please don’t tell anyone, okay? I don’t know what people would do to me or my family if-if they knew-” Suddenly it was hard to control his emotions and he ducked his head.
“No, no, Lance it’s okay, I would never.” Shiro said reaching out to reassure him.
Lance cautiously brought his own hand out of the water, webbed fingers touching warm human ones.
“I’m just surprised. And amazed. And confused. And a little drunk,” Shiro said sheepishly.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah...it’s cool. Your tail is pretty.”
Lance blushed, glad that Shiro couldn’t probably see too much, the moon was dim and the only other light came from a hanging streetlight a dozen yards away.
“You think so?”
“Yeah.”
“It’s not weird?”
“I mean it’s definitely weird,” Shiro clarified with a smile., “But it’s Halloween. It’s magic. And oh my god, you dressed as a mermaid for Halloween.”
“Cliche?”
Shiro let out a deep laugh and wrinkled his nose.
“Completely.”
“Says the guy dressed as a knight who’s done nothing but defend my honor all evening,” Lance teased back.
“Tis my duty.,” Shiro squeezed his cold hands.
“Next time though, I mean, not that there will probably be a next time for this,” Lance gestured towards his body., “I have lungs. I don’t need to be in water.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I have gills but I don’t
have
to use them. And this stream is cold. So...your heart was in the right place but...maybe don’t throw people into rivers in October?” He smiled.
Shiro groaned and rubbed at his face with his free hand. “Yeah, that does sound pretty bad. Do you want help getting out?”
“You...you want to stick around?”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
Lance pursed his lips, studying Shiro’s face though it was half in shadow. “I’m half fish. And also the reason someone dumped beer on you.”
“You’re worth it. And I mean, you’re not a fish all the time. And even if you were...you’re a cute fish.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
Before Shiro could say anything further, Lance swam closer again, rising out the water enough to wrap an arm around Shiro’s shoulders and kiss him again. His lips were so warm compared to the freezing water, his hands strong against the scales at his wrists.
“It usually takes an hour or so before I transform back.”
“I have an hour.” Shiro said easily, pushing Lance’s wet hair back from his face.
Lance grinned and suddenly the cold didn’t bother him at all.