Roommates (Klance College AU)

31

"So what's this surprise of yours?" Keith asked Lance as the two walked down the street together. "Or did you just say that to intrigue me?"

"What? Oh, there's a surprise alright," Lance said. "Just be patient."

Keith rolled his eyes, following alongside Lance.

Lance led them down several bustling streets, the neon lights of the city reflecting in his eyes with an excitement Keith couldn't help but find contagious. They passed by familiar storefronts and the occasional street performer, yet Keith couldn't guess where they were headed. The anticipation was building, and every so often, Lance would shoot him a look, a smirk playing on his lips, as if he were enjoying Keith's impatience.

"We're almost there," Lance said.

Finally, they turned a corner, and Lance stopped, gesturing grandly towards a building ahead. "Ta-da!" he exclaimed. The building was vibrant, with an eclectic mix of colours and neon lights that spelled out "Galaxy Bowl" in an arc over the entrance. Music pulsed from within, blending with the sounds of laughter and the unmistakable crash of bowling pins.

Keith raised his eyebrow, not expecting this. "A bowling alley?"

Lance's cheeks tinted a shade pinker under the neon lights, his usual bravado faltering for a moment. "I thought it'd be fun, you know? A little competition never hurt anyone." He glanced at Keith, trying to gauge his reaction, hoping beyond hope that his surprise wouldn't fall flat.

"I've never been bowling before," Keith said.

Lance smirked. "Then surely I'll be winning."

As they walked through the bowling alley and up to the counter to rent their shoes, Keith looked around at all the bowling lanes filled with groups of people, not a single lane free. Keith wondered where they would even go.

"Alright, thank you," Lance said to the person at the counter, cutting Keith out of his thoughts. "We have to wait another half hour," he told Keith, leading them away from the counter.

Lance led them around a corner and through a hallway. Keith furrowed his eyebrows in confusion as they walked down the dimly lit hallway. Lance's steps were purposeful, and Keith couldn't help but feel a sense of intrigue building within him.

They made their way through the narrow hallway, and into a large room. It was brightly lit, with vibrant neon signs adorning the walls, each one pointing to different arcade games that filled the room. From classic pinball machines to the latest virtual reality setups, the arcade was a bustling hub of activity and excitement. The sound of electronic beeps, the cheerful music from the games, and the laughter of players created a lively atmosphere.

Keith's eyes widened in surprise as he took in the scene before him. "An arcade?" he asked, turning to Lance with a look of disbelief. "I thought this was just a bowling alley."

Lance chuckled sheepishly. "I figured we could kill some time here," he said. "Plus, I thought this might bring out the competitive streak in you."

Keith couldn't help the smile that broke out on his face. The arcade was unexpected, but it was a good surprise. "You thought this all through, huh?" he said, looking around at the games.

"Of course," Lance said, trying to regain his usual confidence. "I knew you'd like it."

They walked up to the counter, buying two hundred tokens each. With tokens in hand and stuffed in pockets, they made their way through the maze of games. The vibrant lights of the arcade games reflected in their eyes, igniting a spark of youthful excitement. Lance led the way to a two-player racing game, gesturing grandly. "Let's start with this. Prepare to eat my dust," he teased, a playful glint in his eyes.

Keith accepted the challenge with a determined nod, slipping into the seat beside Lance. They both looked at the slots for the tokens, seeing they needed eight to play. They both quickly inserted tokens into the game, the screen lighting up, displaying an array of sleek racing cars. Keith chose a sleek, futuristic model, while Lance opted for a classic muscle car. The countdown began, and as the word "Go!" flashed on the screen, they both slammed their foot on the pedal and drove off, their cars speeding down the digital track. The sounds of engines roaring and tires screeching filled the air as they navigated through sharp turns and narrow escapes.

The race was close, with Lance and Keith exchanging leads multiple times. In the end, Keith managed to pull off a daring maneuver, crossing the finish line a fraction of a second before Lance. Keith looked over, a triumphant smile spreading across his face. "Looks like I'm a natural," he said, teasingly.

Lance laughed, shaking his head in disbelief. "Alright, alright, you got me this time. But the night is still young." He stood, scanning the arcade for their next challenge.

Lance's eyes landed on a skeeball machine tucked away in a quieter corner of the arcade. "Next challenge," he declared, pointing towards it. "Let's see who can score higher."

Keith followed him, feeling the friendly competition heating up between them.

"May the best man win," Lance said, with a competitive yet friendly tone.

They each took turns rolling the balls up the ramp, aiming for the highest scoring holes. The mechanical clinking of the balls hitting the targets filled the air, accompanied by the occasional cheer or groan depending on the outcome of each roll. Keith found himself getting into the rhythm of the game, his previous apprehension about the evening melting away with each roll.

After several rounds, it was clear that Lance had the upper hand in skeeball. He seemed to have a knack for hitting the high-scoring targets with ease. Keith, however, was not far behind, making a few impressive shots himself.

With Lance declared the victor of the skeeball challenge, they moved on to explore more of what the arcade had to offer. They found themselves standing in front of a dual basketball shooting game. "This has to be the tiebreaker," Keith suggested, eager to even the score.

Lance nodded in agreement. "You're on," he said, feeding tokens into the machine.

They picked up the basketballs and began shooting, the electronic scoreboard keeping track of each successful basket. The rapid succession of balls flying through the air and the digital cheers from the game added to the intensity of the challenge. Keith focused, finding a rhythm, and began sinking more shots. Lance, competitive as ever, matched his pace, making it a close competition.

As the timer counted down the final seconds, they both made one last shot, the buzzer sounding as the scoreboard showed the final scores. Keith had won by a slim margin, earning a laugh and a congratulatory slap on the back from Lance.

Breathless and laughing, they leaned against the machine. "That was intense," Lance admitted, grinning widely.

"Yeah, it was," Keith agreed, sharing the smile.

Lance checked the time on his phone. "Alright, shall we go bowl?" Lance asked. "We can come back here to use up our tokens after."

Keith nodded, still riding the high of their friendly competitions. "Yeah, let's go."

They made their way back to the bowling alley, where a lane had just opened up for them. The transition from the pulsing, electronic energy of the arcade to the rhythmic, calming ambiance of the bowling alley was immediate. The familiar sound of bowling balls rolling down lanes and crashing into pins greeted them, a soundtrack to their continued afternoon of fun.