Chapter Text
“You’ve sounded fucking awful since you don’t have Matt anymore.” Pidge griped, slamming themselves down into the seat of the recording booth with a grim expression on their face.
“While Keith’s vocals are stellar, we can’t rely on that alone. He doesn’t even like being the frontman, and has to because we don’t have Matt anymore.” Axca pointed out, her eyes calculating as she looked at her bandmates.
“So what are we supposed to do then? It’s not like someone with talent and a grasp for our kind of music is just going to pop out of thin air. And we’re still too small-time to really be able to advertise that we’re even looking for someone.” Keith scowled, voice raising a bit in his frustration.
“Don’t yell at them, Keith, it’s not their fault.” Shiro admonished. Adam, who had been watching the band drama from his own seat, gave a small smile.
“I might know someone.” He admitted, looking at them all with calculating eyes.
“Why didn’t you say so?” Pidge looked delighted.
“Adam knows people outside of us?” Keith blinked, as if the statement had caught him off guard, and then snickered at the affronted look on his brother-in-law’s face.
“Har-har, very funny, you asshole. He was my neighbor growing up - before I moved to live next to you guys after graduation. Youngest of… six, I think. Can’t remember. But I recently got back in touch with him when I saw he moved to the area, and he’s as amazing as I remember from high school.” Adam admitted, looking amused when they all looked at him expectantly. He had paused for too long, however, and none of them was really willing to let him have the dramatic effect he intended.
“Okay… so, like, how does that prove anything to us?” Axca prompted, crossing her arms over her chest and blowing her side-swept bangs from her face. Adam’s face was carefully blank.
“It doesn’t. But his own band just kind of poofed out of existence. They were a trio, and their bassist got married and is expecting, and their drummer finished his culinary degree and is in the process of getting his foot in the door at a decent restaurant. He doesn’t mind, but he has a passion for music, and I don’t think he wants to let it go. But he’s “not a solo kind of artist”, in his own words, and is looking for another band to fit into.” Adam looked at them all with a bit of trepidation on his face.
“Why are you looking at us like that?” Keith gruffed, eyes narrowing. He loved his brother-in-law, but Adam had a tendency to do things and tell no one until the last minute.
“He’ll be here in about ten minutes. Booked the studio for the slot after you guys because I promised I’d help him record some stuff as a sort of “audio portfolio” so he can join another band.” Adam glanced at his smartwatch, and then looked at them all like the metaphorical kid that got caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
“Dude?!” Pidge yelped, looking at him with a dropped jaw.
“To be fair, I hadn’t expected you all to come to the conclusion you need another member to even things out until a bit later. Especially knowing how Keith is.” Adam grimaced.
“What’s that supposed to mean?!” Keith gaped, scowling harder if that was possible. Adam winced as the others kind of nodded.
“Keith, you know I adore you. You’re like the little brother I never had. But you are… difficult, at times. Your aversion to change and stubborn outlook aren’t exactly easy to handle.” Adam gave him a guilty little smile.
“He’s not wrong.” Shiro agreed, looking more amused than anything.
“You’re ganging up on me?! Seriously?!” Keith growled.
“Um… is now a bad time?” A new voice caused a pause in the situation, all of them whipping around to see a tall, tan boy standing in the open hall door with wide mismatched eyes.
They were striking, an ocean blue and a gorgeous hazel-amber, accentuated by the glint of gold jewelry in his facial piercings. Snakebites and his brow, it looked to be.
His eyes were highlighted by a dark liner, and smudged almost artfully, a splash of blue on his lids.
His hair was a tawny brown color, with bits of a cobalt color dyed in a few places. Not quite highlights, but close. Long lashes, high cheekbones, and a strong jawline - this guy was attractive.
Unfortunately so, as Keith looked ready to keel over.
Well, he was scowling, but the people that knew him knew he was shell-shocked by the appearance of the other boy.
“Lance!” Adam was out of his seat and rushing over to the other giddily.
“Yo, Adam!” Lance beamed, eyes sparkling as he oriented himself to give and accept a hug from the other man.
As he turned just slightly, ear piercings, an undercut, and a large back tattoo of sprawling ocean waves were visible - his tank top doing little to hide any of the ink decorating his body in splashes of color that were vivid and beautiful.
“Remind me to inquire about his artist later.” Axca eyed the ink with an impressed little quirk of her brows.
“It’s been so long, man, I missed you! I know we caught up through texts and all, but it’s awesome to see you’re doing well.” Lance pulled away from Adam, beaming even brighter. Upon closer inspection, his skin was also dotted with faint freckles.
Keith made the tiniest noise in the back of his throat, but everyone in the room politely ignored it.
“Yes, and you! You look fantastic, and your ink is stunning.” Adam took a look at a few of the pieces decorating his arms, and his eyes scanned briefly some of the waves that were visible.
“All Ronnie, actually.” He looked pleased as punch when he spoke of his artist, so everyone could guess it was someone he knew.
“Veronica McClain became a tattoo artist?!” Adam’s eyes nearly bulged from his head.
“And Rachel is a fashion designer now. Marcos is a lawyer, and Louis is a stay at home dad for my niece and nephew. Sonya is at college abroad. I think she’s in France right now.” Lance nodded along, eyes alight with joy as he spoke of his loved ones.
“Oh, that’s awesome! I’m so happy everyone is doing well and finding their way.” Adam looked genuinely happy, and everyone knew if it kept going he was going to get weepy. He was always emotional about things like that.
“Yeah, man, same. Ronnie is the whole reason I’m here, actually. She’s opening a shop. Varadero Tattoo, over off Atlas Avenue.” Lance jerked a thumb behind him, a grin plastered in place.
“Wow. And you followed?” Adam blinked.
“Yeah. After high school, I decided not to go to college, and ended up working with the Lions of the Sea at their marine institute. Still do, actually. I study all manner of ocean life with my crew on my ship - the Blue Lion. I’m her captain, and in the organization, ship captains are called “Paladins” because we do our everything to study and observe without obstructing, but also to protect and nourish in any way we can.” The other stepped a little further into the room, the door finally closing behind him.
“Oh, I can’t say I’m surprised. You’ve always had a heart of gold, and a flair for the dramatics. Now, come on in. These are some friends and my husband who just finished their own session.” Adam gestured to them all.
“I get to meet your hubby already?! Cool beans!” Lance jaunted forward - a cocky walk that everyone watched Keith’s lips thin over. An innocent bystander might think he was angry.
Axca and Pidge made mental notes to tease him relentlessly about the fact he was all hot and bothered by a stranger at a later time.
“Hi, there, Lance. I’m Takashi Shirogane, but people tend to call me Shiro.” The large man stepped forward with a bright smile.
“Shoot, he’s even cuter in person! Lucky you, Adam, snagging a looker with good manners!” Lance grinned as Adam laughed and Shiro blushed.
Keith scowled for real this time, and his jealousy at the praise his elder brother was getting made Pidge have to turn their seat for a moment to compose themselves.
Shiro and Lance shook hands, the younger man not even hesitating to shake the prosthetic that was accidentally offered. Shiro still forgets sometimes.
“Sorry, I usually try not to -!” Shiro yanked it back, looking sheepish, and Lance waved it off.
“Don’t know why you’re apologizing, big guy. It’s an extension of you. It is your hand. Why apologize for using your hand for what it was meant for?” Lance gave him an understanding smile, and Shiro’s tense shoulders went slack.
“Thank you, that means a lot.” He offered.
“Although, that’s a hell of a module in that thing! Dynamic, with full movement and it looks neuro-induced? Older though, most likely prototype. You were part of Galra Tech’s experimentation pool for new and improved prosthetics a few years back, weren’t you?” Lance spoke with a fluent knowledge on the subject with a casual grace that made them all pause. Keith looked ready to seize where he stood.
“You… how do you know all that?” Shiro blinked, eyes wide as he glanced down at his purple-lined arm.
“Well, the purple, for one. Purple and gunmetal gray are the colors used to advertise Galra Tech while it was still big. Until their whole scandal and all. Besides that, my best friend’s special interest is engineering - any kind, but medical engineering has always fascinated him in particular.” Lance made finger guns at the man, and everyone watched Keith recoil.
“Did you just… finger gun him?” The blue-almost-purple eyes of the other were blinking rapidly.
“Yes, why?” Lance asked, raising a cool brow at him with an unimpressed look on his face.
“You’re such a dork, who even does that nowadays?!” Keith protested, emoting in a manner that wasn’t scowling for the first time the whole five and a half minute interaction.
Lance paused, jaw dropping for a moment before drawing himself up.
“Oh I KNOW the man sporting a mullet - which was never a great hairstyle, by the way, so please let it die - did not just call me old fashioned. You look like you walked off an eighties Rolling Stone mag!” Lance’s hands framed his hips as he shot Keith a glare.
Pidge lost it, cackling in their seat like the insane little maniac they are.
“M-m-m-mullet!” They wheezed, attempting to catch their breath.
“It is not a mullet!” Keith protested, a hand armored in a fingerless glove flying to the back of his head.
“Is so.” Lance crossed his arms, glaring at the other boy.
“Adam, get him to sing so this can be done with!” Keith whipped around to his brother-in-law, deciding to ignore Lance entirely. His scowl was back with a vengeance.
“Done with…? So what can be done with? Adam?” Lance looked in confusion at the other man.
“They’re looking for a lead singer. I told them you were looking for a band. No promises it would work, but I figured they could hear you and make that judgment for themselves.” Adam offered a small nervous smile on his face. Lance pursed his lips, eyes flicking to Keith with a bit of disdain.
“No thanks. I don’t want to have to work with mullet-boy over here.” Lance snarked, not even looking at Keith when he made an outraged noise.
“Not that we’d accept you anyway! I’m sure you’re not even that good.” Keith snapped, a snarl on his face. Lance paused, eyes glinting dangerously.
Keith hated himself for thinking it was hot.
“Oh, you did NOT just say that to me.” Lance glared, voice going low and slightly growly in his rage. He didn’t mind when his actions were being called to question, but his skills? That was a whole other story.
“Yeah, I did.” Keith’s forehead looked like a vein was about to burst, and the rest of them watched with bated breath as the two got into each other’s faces. Too entranced by this trainwreck of a first meeting to do anything to stop the inevitable crash.
“You’re on, mullet-man. I’m gonna knock your socks off, and you’ll have no choice but to beg me to join you.” Lance vowed, eyes intense in a way that secretly gave Keith butterflies. He didn’t show it.
“As if, fish fucker.” Keith snarled, and Lance’s face went deadly calm.
“You, in the chair. Name?” He asked, eyes turning to Pidge. They shifted uncomfortably under the intensity.
“Pidge. My name is Pidge.” They said, looking as though they were attempting not to seem nervous.
“I’ve got a drive with music already on it for me to sing with. Can you help me set it up?” He sidestepped Keith, not bothering with the squawk the other let off as Shiro boxed his ear.
“Sure.” Pidge turned to the computer in front of them, awkwardly tilting to help.
“Thanks, I appreciate it.” Lance gave them a little smile, and they tilted their head curiously.
“You haven’t used any nicknames for me?” They raised a brow.
“Had a feeling it wouldn’t be so welcome with you. Like the diamonds, by the way.” Lance gave a careless wave as he went into the recording booth with a soft whistling noise. Pidge blinked, placing a hand on the barely visible trio of diamonds tattooed behind their ear. Three flags that most people didn’t notice, much less make comments about.
He slips the headset on with little preamble, and looks at them all with a rakish grin.
“Prepare to be amazed.” He makes dramatic movements at them with his hands, and everyone watches Keith scowl and cross his arms further.
Lance gave the thumbs up and Pidge played the music, making sure it was on and everyone could hear it.
“Beat’s not bad.” Axca admitted, nodding along slightly. Keith scoffed with a roll of his eyes as Shiro agreed.
And then Lance opened his mouth. Keith groaned out loud.
This guy was really fucking good.