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“Is that her?” Lance pointed at a group of freshmen girls sitting at a table across the courtyard.
“What? No, and stop pointing she’ll see you!” Keith hissed, looking up from his physics text book to glare at his friend.
“Well then point her out to me! Come on you’ve been crushing on this girl for like, a month.
“Its the forth day of class Lance, I only met her three days ago.”
“Someone has to know your name before you’ve met them, otherwise its just stalking.”
“I am not a stalker!”
“Whatever you say buddy, now come point her out to me!” Keith closed his book with an exasperated sigh and leaned over to see past Lance.
“She’s right there.” He gestured vaguely in the direction of the far corner of the courtyard. “She’s the one with the black hair.
“Keith, there are…one two three…seven, seven girls over there with black hair. You need to narrow it down.”
“She’s the one with the red undershirt. Sitting next to the girl with the dark brown hair and the blue tank top.
“Oooh, the one with the oh my god boots!”
“The what?”
“You know, boot that when you see someone ware them its just, Ay dios mio!” Lance fanned himself with his hand as he spoke.
“Yeah, sure.”
“Oh wait, I know the girls she’s with!”
“Wait you what?”
“Yeah, thats Korra. I met here in that weightlifting class last semester. Well maybe met isn’t the right word, I spotted for her while she was lifting. She’s scary strong for someone her size.” Lance appeared to be deep in thought for a moment before he looked at Keith and waggled his eyebrows “Just my kind of girl!”
“Wait what? Lance what are you doing? Lance get back here!” Keith stage whispered after Lance as he got up and headed toward the two women, ignoring the angry hissing behind him.
“Hey, Korra right?” Lance said as smoothly as he could, slipping down into a seat next to the surprised looking woman.
“Yes?” She asked, the word drawn out in cautious suspicion.
“I’m Lance, we had a weightlifting class together last semester.”
“Oh yeah, I thought you looked familiar.”
“Nice to meet you Lance, my names Asami” the other woman offered Lance a hand and he shook it enthusiastically.
“Is there something I can help you with?” Korra said, clear in her voice that she was just being polite in asking. Ever the optimist, Lance pressed on.
“Actually there is, at least I hope there is.” He leaned in a bit closer, turned slightly in his chair, and pointed at Keith. “You see that cutie over there? Dark hair, red Jacket?”
“The one who just flipped us off?” Asami asked, clearly suppressing a laugh. It took some effort but Lance managed to keep the smile on his face.
“Yes that would be him, and don’t worry I’m confident that gesture was meant just for me. Anyway, so I’ve been trying to get him to get out and have some fun for, well for what seems like forever but he’s super shy and nervous. Would the two of you possibly be interested in going with us to The Castle this Friday? Kind of a double date thing?”
“Oh, uh, I’m not sure if-” Korra started, clearly surprised by his request.
“I think it sounds like fun. Its been ages since we actually went out and did anything.” Asami said. Korra turned to look at her for a moment before turning back to Lance.
“Alright then Lance, sounds like you got yourself a double date.” Lace grinned broadly, genuinely shocked his ploy had worked. Keith was gonna owe him big time!
“Awesome! You want us to pick you up?”
“We’ll meet you guys there, say seven?” Asami answered the question which had been directed at them both.
“Cool, cool, I’ll make the reservations then. We’ll both see you two on Friday.”
“Oh, one question!” Asami called as Lance turned to leave.
“Hmm?”
“Whats the cuties name?”
“Oh! His name’s Keith. Keith Kogane.”
“Alright, we’ll see you and Keith Friday at seven.” Asami smiled as she waved to Keith from across the courtyard. Lance saw him cock his head as he approached.
“What was that!” Keith hissed as soon as Lance regained his seat.
“We’ve got a double date at the Castle Friday at seven. Your welcome.” Keith’s dumbfounded expression was so perfect Lance actually tried to whip out his phone and take a picture before he recovered.
“Wait really?”
“Yes really?”
“How the hell did you pull that off?”
“Cause I’ve got game buddy, its that simple. Oh, and she thinks you’re cute.”
“Maybe I’ll have to stop mocking your ‘game’ then - wait she does? Really?”
“Yeah, lucky for you she obviously had poor taste.” Keith punched Lance in the arm, but it was worth it. Leaning back he sighed “Honestly, sometimes it hurts being this good.”
“Yeah well, lets see if you can follow it up on Friday huh?”
“Keith, buddy, my man, this was the hard part. From here on out it’ll be smooth sailing.” Keith grunted in reply, but Lance noticed that he was smiling for most the rest of the day.

************************************************************************************************

“So how do I look?” Keith asked when he arrived at the door to Lance’s dorm room, pulling self consciously at the collar of his shirt.
“You look good dude!” Lance said honestly, admiring the way Keith had made his hair look somehow less mullety without actually changing it at all. He hadn’t seen Keith this dressed up since the 10th grade.
“Really?” Keith clearly did not believe that he looked good.
“Yeah dude, I’d totally bang you if I were into that.”
“Gee thanks. Might mean more if your standards were higher than ‘two legs and a pulse.’”
“Wow, rude. Is that any way to talk to the guy who got you a hot date for the evening?”
“I think I’ll wait to thank you and see how the night plays out first.”
“Hey, I can’t be held responsible if you fuck it up for yourself.”
“Now who’s being rude?”
“You started it. Besides, all you have to do is stick close to me and let my coolness carry your awkwardness.”
“You’re such an ass sometimes, you know that?”
“Yeah but its why you love me.”
“Pht, yeah whatever. Lets get going or we’ll be late meeting the girls.”
The Castle was the premier dining location for everyone at New Republic University, located just off its campus it was only a ten minute walk from the dorms. The old building was actually an old church, and it looked it with its weird pointed roof and new stained glass windows. They two of them arrived at 6:47 and went in to get their table. Lance was glad he’d called ahead and gotten a reservation as the place was absolutely packed with college students. Some were obviously there on a date like he and Keith, others were clearly just out with friends celebrating the end of another week of classes.
“What can I do for you two handsome young men?” Asked the owner of the place, Allura, as they walked in. She was tall with long hair dyed a platinum silver with a bit of face paint, prosthetic ear tips, and a flowing gown that completed her costume as princess of the castle.
“We’ve got a reservation under McClain.”
“Lets see, McClain, McClain, ah, here we are reservation for four.” She led them to a table against the far wall, next to one of the large stained glass windows. “Can I get you two anything to start off with?”
“Uh, just some water would be great.” Keith said, his mouth suddenly quite dry.
“Sure thing, I’ll send some over. Coran will be over to take your order once the rest of your party arrives.”
“Thank you.” Lance said as she hurried away back toward the entrance of the restaurant.
The wait for the others wasn’t a long one, but it was long enough for their waters to be brought over and for lance to completely shred his straw wrapped into tiny little pieces. Keith elbowed him when he saw Korra and Asami entering the building, both dressed quite nicely in evening dresses, Asami’s a bright red and Korra’s a light blue. Lance quickly swept the straw wrapper bits into his hand and hid them in his pocket as the two women arrived at the table.
“Sorry were a little late, I forget how busy this place can get sometimes.” Asami said as they arrived.
“Don’t let her fool you, we would have been here ten minutes ago if she hadn’t insisted on finding the perfect pair of shoes to match her dress.” Korra teased as they sat down next to once another, across from Lance and Keith “Totally worth it though.” She said to Asami who grinned and looked away.
Not knowing exactly how to respond to whatever that had been Lance smiled and said “Not a problem at all ladies.”
“Good evening, what can I get you young people tonight?” Asked the server Coran, a tall man with red hair and a fabulous mustache to match and makeup and ears just like Allura’s.
“Oh, um, we had a chance to look at the menu, but I think they’ll need a minute.” Lance said, gesturing to the girls.
“Actually, we’re good.” Asami said and proceeded to order the steak and potato dinner special. Lance laughed in his head at Keith having to pay for the most expensive item on the menu.
“I’ll have the mystery dinner.” Korra said, drawing shocked looks from Lance and Keith and exasperation from Asami. The Castle had great food, but everyone knew to steer far away from the mystery dinner which was usually some bizarre creation of Coran’s as he tried out new recipes.
“Why are you getting that?” She asked, then sighed when Korra replied.
“Cause I’m not a little bitch, thats why.” Sensing a challenge Lance ordered the same thing, earning him a thoughtful look from Korra.
“I’ll just have the four cheese lasagna.” Keith said as he handed his menu to Coran.
“Ah, so he does speak!” Korra said as Coran walked away.
“Don’t mind her, Lance told us that you’re a bit shy.”
“Oh, did he now?” Keith turned to glare at Lance.
“Sure did! You know me, always watching out for you.” Lance put an arm around Keith’s shoulder’s and shook him playfully.
“Asami gave that up a long time ago.” Korra said with a smirk.
“I haven’t given it up. I just learned to pick my battles.” Asami smiled at Korra. “I’ll always watch out for you.”
Lance was about to say something when Korra leaned over and kissed Asami on the cheek, then on the chin, and then the neck which finally caused her to lean away and push Korra by the shoulder. “Were in public!” She said, but her voice was happy with laughter. Korra laughed as she pulled back and reached over to twin her fingers between Asami’s. Lance stared with a smile still frozen on his face, trying to process what he had just witnessed. He was beginning to have a sinking feeling in his stomach, one which was heightened a moment later when Asami spoke. “Its nice to go out with another couple, a lot of single people I know get weirded out by any kind of PDA.”
“Yeah…” Lance said automatically, his head nodding without his consent. He was replaying the conversation he had with the girls and paired that with what they’d just said. Shit. Shit shit shit shit shit! They thought he and Keith were a couple, he and Keith, he and KEITH, a couple! Lance couldn’t think of anything more ridiculous! His brain tried to work through what to do, or look at Keith for help, or at least do something other than sit their grinning like a moron. It failed dismally. Luckily for Lance, Coran arrived at that moment and placed a bowl a dinner rolls in the center of the table.
“Thank god I’m starving!” Korra reached forward to grab a roll and flinched, leaning back and reaching behind her. “Shit, I think something came undone on your fancy dress.” She looked at Asami pleadingly.
“Excuse us for a minute.” Asami said as she stood and helped Korra stand and led her off toward the bathroom. Lance had never in his life been so thankful for cheaply made clothing than at that moment. As soon as the girls were out of sight Keith turned to Lance.
“What. The. FUCK?!” He hissed!
“I don’t know!”
“They think were a couple!”
“I know!”
“How did this happen?!”
“I don’t know!”
“You said you got us dates! You said you got me a date with Asami!”
“I know!”
“Stop saying that!”
“I can’t, I don’t know what else to say!”
“Say something useful!”
“I can’t!”
“Well what are we going to do?”
“I don’t know!”
“I swear to God Lance! How did you manage to try hooking us up with two lesbians?”
“I didn’t know - last semester Korra told me I reminded her of her ex-boyfriend! I thought she was straight!”
“Well clearly she not! And now they both think were gay! We have to get out of here.”
“Well we can’t just leave. We already ordered, plus what kind of assholes would we be if we just vanished before they came back?”
“So we tell them this was a misunderstanding when they get back and go from there.”
“No we can’t do that!”
“What? Why not!?”
“Because Keith, think how awkward that would be?”
“So what do we do then huh? Pretend you and me are a couple?”
“I can’t be that hard.”
“I think I’d rather die.”
“Wow dude, harsh. I don’t think I’m that bad…”
“Oh my god we are not having this conversation!”
“Fine. We’ll fake it for the rest of the dinner, and then never speak of this night again?”
“Fine.” Keith grudgingly agreed just as Korra and Asami reappeared from the bathroom and walked back over.
“Sorry about that, apparently I don’t know how this new dress works.” She said with a mock grimace.
“Its fine, those things are a giant pain in the ass if you ask me.”
“You have some first hand experience?” Korra asked.
“Wha me? Oh no no no. I have two older sisters and two younger sisters. I’ve help put on more than my fair share of dresses in my life.”
“Really? That must have been quite the adventure growing up with that many siblings.”
Lance shrugged “Sometimes, other times it was awful, you know how siblings are.”
“Not really actually, I never had any growing up.”
“Me neither.” Korra added. “What about you?” She asked Keith who was sitting low in his chair with his arms crossed.
“Oh, uh, I was raised in an group home, so no siblings but I did live with other kids.” Keith said flatly, his tone a bit sharp.
“Oh.” Korra clearly didn’t know what to say to that and was clearly a bit offended at his tone.
“Hey,” Asami looked at Keith with an understanding smile. “You don’t have to be nervous here. I know people say it a lot, but genuinely, nobody here cares. Besides, even if somebody did Allura wouldn’t stand for it, she’s super cool like that. Unless your an asshole like I said, then she’d kick your ass.”
“Yeah man, relax,” Lance said and, trying to sell this whole couple thing, reached over and grabbed Keith’s hand, lacing his fingers through Keith’s. “Try to have some fun alright?” He asked genuinely. Keith softened a bit and sighed, sitting up in his chair and removing his other arm from where it still lay over his chest.
“You two are adorable. How long have you been together?” Keith and Lance both went red at her comment and pointedly refused to look at one another. Finally after a moment of embarrassed silence Lance answered her.
“We’ve actually known each other since we were like twelve.” They had in fact been best friends since they were twelve with Keith coming over to Lance’s so often that it had sometimes felt like he had two brothers instead of just his one biological one. He gave an ironic chuckle as he suddenly remembered one time in junior year in High School his oldest sister actually asked if he and Keith were dating. The idea was just as ridiculous then; Lance had never thought about Keith in that way, and that hadn’t changed in the past three years.
“Thats so sweet! Childhood friends turned lovers. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to say it like that.” Asami said when she saw both Lance and Keith stiffen at her words.
“She a bit of a hopeless romantic.” Korra said, affection so clear in her voice that Lance felt a little pang of jealousy. Not for Korra specifically, but just for someone to speak to him like that. Without really thinking about it he squeezed the hand he was still holding and to after a second Keith squeezed back. Lance felt his chest do a little flip at the gesture, which surprised him, but he was distracted from his thoughts then as their food arrived.
It turned out that the ‘mystery meal’ was some form of thick green goop which Lance and Korra both deemed inedible. Shaking her head Asami pushed her plate over and shared her meal with Korra and after a couple minutes of shooting sad glanced at his plate Keith pushed his lasagna over to share with a very grateful Lance. As they ate they talked about school and Lance discovered that Asami was in her last year of the schools engineering program and Korra was finishing up a communications major with hopes to one day be a peace negotiator. Both girls were very impressed with Keith’s place in the aerospace program and nodded understandingly when Lance said he was still finishing his Gen. Eds. while figuring out exactly what he wanted to do since his mother had threatened to disown him if he followed his first dream of flying in the Air Force. Keith and Asami also discovered that they actually had three classes in common this semester but only one in the same session and talked for a bit about a recent lesson while Lance and Korra discussed their favorite video games. As the meal drew to a close Lance found Keith leaning against him much like Korra was doing with Asami, their fingers still intertwined, a fact that he hadn’t realized until that moment.
When the checks came Asami grabbed them both and handed them, along with a credit card, to Coran. “My treat.” She said, waving away any protest from Lance or Keith.
“Its the least I can do, after all you guys came up with the idea and I had a really good time tonight.”
“It was a lot of fun.” Korra agreed. “We should do it again sometimes. Maybe we can have you over to our house?”
Lance agreed that the night had been a very good one, if not what he’d expected, and he found himself agreeing without really thinking, then corrected himself. “If you want to that is, uh, hun?” he said to Keith who Lance could tell was exorcising considerable restraint not to comment on Lance calling him ‘hun’.
“Sure.” Keith finally said, actually sounding genuine about it.
“Great! Here,” Asami handed Lance her phone “put your number in here and I’ll call you later to set it up.”
“Oh, uh, okay.” It took Lance a moment to enter his number into the phone, which was much newer than his own.
“Great, I’ll call you soon then.” Coran returned with her card and they all stood to leave. The four of them made their way out of the restaurant, waving goodbye to Allura as they did so, and out to the parking lot. Lance wrapped an arm around Keith’s shoulder and Keith leaned into him while they waved to Korra and Asami who got into a bright white Jeep and drove away.
They were gone for several long moments before either Lance or Keith seemed to realize it and they hastily stepped away from one another.
“See? That wasn’t so bad.”
“At least its over now.” Keith said, not looking at Lance.
“I don’t know about that,” Lance said pointedly “remember we agreed to see them again.” Keith gave a noncommittal grunt and Lance nodded in agreement. It looked like he’d get plenty more practice pretending to have feelings for Keith.