The book store was empty, as it always was during this time of day. 

Shelves lined the walls, a few shorter ones made rows down the middle. The shop was small, cozy with its tiny sitting area of two arm chairs and a coffee table. In the back was a small counter with a cash register and chalkboard filled with names of pastries and drinks. The glass case built into the counter showing the menu items. 

Warm caramel colored walls matched well with the dark wood of the shelves and counter.

Behind the cash register was a tall guy with light brown hair and dark blue eyes. His skin almost matched the walls, but was just a shade or two darker. He was lanky and skinny, though what he did have was muscled. In the uniform he wore, a brown apron, white shirt, and blue-jeans, he matched the shop well. 

He spaced out, thinking about different things while watching people through the glass door and windows. 

That was one of his favorite pass-times, people-watching. 

He noticed funny things, weird things, sad things, all of them. 

When two people stopped in front of the window and started making faces he scowled. They came inside the small shop, the ringing bell above the door echoing. 

"Hey there, Lance! Your shift almost up?" The taller one spoke up, his voice was deep but kind and energetic. His dark hair was cut short, shorter than the guy behind the counter, and tied back with a yellow bandana. He was big, broad shouldered and tall. So he took up a lot of room in the tiny store. He wore a yellow shirt with a green vest that contrasted against his darker skin tone. 

"Yeah! I want you to test some things for me." The smaller of the pair spoke up, not taking her eyes off of her phone. Her tiny fingers typed away, so fast they almost blurred. Her round glasses almost started to fall off her sharp nose, but the big guy pushed them up. "Thanks." She murmured, still not looking up. Her green sweater and cargo shorts would have looks weird on anyone else, but with the tiny scientist they looked cute. Her pale face was drawn in focus. 

The boy behind the counter sighed, tired. "Yeah almost, but you know that just means I have to go across town to the shelter." He blinked. "And Pidge," He glared playfully while raising an eyebrow. "what 'things' am I testing? The last 'test' you ran on me, my tongue was purple for a week!" 

The girl waved her hand, shaking her head, the dirty blonde mess bouncing. "No. It was purple for six days, not seven." She stated matter-of-factly, then a grin took up her face. "And trust me the results of this test won't be so noticeable." 

"Run it on Hunk!" Lance protested, motioning to his bestfriend since high school. "He'll eat anything." 

Hunk patted his belly with a small smile, as if he was thinking of eating something right then. 

"Can't, he's already testing something for me." Pidge pushed her glasses back up and smirked. Hunk paled and started asking what he was testing, not aware of ever saying she could run a test on him. 

Lance chuckled, grinning as he started to wrap up his shift. The replacement, Shiro, walked in just as Lance took off his apron. 

Shiro was tall, about half an inch taller than even Hunk, and had black hair expect one spot in the front where it was dyed white. He had a thin scar over his nose, and was extremely ripped. But somehow he just came off friendly and kind. 

"Hey there guys." Shiro said, stretching. He reached behind the counter and took one of the aprons, his white shirt already on. "What's up?" 

"Pidge apparently is doing a test on Hunk, but he doesn't know what it is." Lance filled in the older guy. He only had a few years on the others, but they all had deemed him the dad of the group. Lance even went as far as to get Shiro a shirt saying 'Number One Dad', and somehow it had become one of Shiro's favorites to wear. "What's up with you?" He ducked behind the door to the back room of the shop to change his shirt. 

"First, sorry Hunk, I know what that feels like-" 

"One time! I ran a test on you one time, Dad." Pidge piped up, frowning. "And the only thing that changed permanently is now your sweat tastes like lemon candy." 

"Yeah, thanks for that." Shiro frowned, then grinned and ruffled Pidge's hair. "Anyways, I'm happy to say my brother has moved to town." 

"The guy who does odd jobs?" Hunk asked. 

"The very one." Shiro nodded as he slipped behind the counter and Lance emerged from the back. "I guess I could bring him in tomorrow, if you want to meet him." He threw a look in Lance's direction, who was too distracted by grabbing his jacket to notice. 

"Sure." Pidge shrugged, not missing the look Shiro gave Lance. "Well, we've got to go. If I'm timing this right, I need to get Hunk to some water in exactly three minutes and forty-three seconds." She was watching her wrist watch, Hunk started panicking and ran out of the store. Pidge followed him out. 

Lance parted with a wave and started down the sidewalk. His green jacket had a white hood, his new shirt was pale blue but had a darker collar. His sneakers carried him to the subway, then up the steps out on the other side, and towards a shelter. 

This was one of the three shelters he volunteered at, this one was for rescue animals. He had found it when he had stumbled upon a stray cat and looked for the closest no-kill shelter. 

He also went to one for the homeless, and one for women and children.

So as he opened the door to go inside, he was welcomed with meowing and barking and chirping. It was a long day, and he went about it with as much heart as he did anything. 

"Lance," A woman said, smiling down at where Lance was playing with the puppies. "your shift is over, go home and rest." Her hair was dyed a pale blue, and the mass of it was held up in a pony tail. Her blue eyes sparkled as Lance pouted and over-dramatically sighed. "You know I can't have you here over your time limit, it's a legal thing. And I know for a fact that you do a ton of other stuff, so just go home and get some sleep." Her rich brown skin was soft as she helped Lance stand up. 

He brushed off his pants and shirt. "Fine, Allura." He rolled his eyes as he stepped over the gate for the puppies with his long legs. "You should get some sleep too." He would usually take the opportunity to say some cheesy pickup line, but the woman did look a bit tired. 

"Will do Lance." Her accent was lightly British, and she smiled as she walked away. "Say hi to Shiro for me." 

Lance grinned. "You sure you don't want to do more? I'm perfectly fine with kissing his handsome face for you." He winked as Allura scowled over her shoulder at him. He had stopped flirting with Allura shortly after meeting her. Seeing the way she and Shiro danced around each other was almost gross sometimes. Pidge had a running tally of how many times Shiro would just end up a stuttering mess and have to leave. 

"Lance, shut up." Allura rolled her eyes. 

"I'm just saying, Pidge ran some experiments on him, now his sweat tastes like lemon candy." Allura chucked a tissue box off the counter at him as he ran through the door. He chuckled to himself, shoving his hands into his pockets then head down the sidewalk. 

He hummed to himself, pulling out his phone to check some things. A flower shop caught his attention out of the corner of his eye, so he looked through the windows. 

He didn't know anything about flowers, but he did like the look of them. He wasn't some macho guy that couldn't admit when something was pretty. 

The door to the store opened, and Lance looked up on instinct. 

And blinked. 

Okay, so he found something a lot prettier than the flowers. 

Black hair, just long enough to fall down his neck, was pulled back into a ponytail. His pale skin contrasted with strands falling in front of his face. He was lean, but muscled, if the abs shown off by a red crop top was anything to go by. Black skinny jeans and combat boots with a bit of a heel showed off his legs. 

Lance blinked again. 

The guy was holding  a thing of flowers, red ones that Lance had no clue the name of. 

The guy walked down the sidewalk, disappearing into the crowd. 

"Okay . . . " Lance muttered to himself. I really hope I get to see that guy again. He thought, rubbing at the back of his neck. He snapped out of it and started down the stairs to the subway. 

Maybe he did need to sleep? Yeah, he just had been on his feet too much that day.