"Happy birthday!" Rora had rung Lance, at about 3 in the morning, on the 28th of July.

"Rora! Thank you so much!" Lance smiled, as he tucked into a whole chocolate cake.

"Is that your breakfast?"

"Yeah, it's my birthday. I can do what I want."

Rora laughed. "Nice. Well, I sent you something. Hopefully it should arrive soon."

"Thanks, Rora! Tell Axca I say hi. Miss you!"

"Miss you too." she smiled. "Love you! See you!"

"Love you too! Bye!"

Kassy and Shiro entered at that point, with masses of balloons. "Hey! We're taking you bowling." Kassy said.

"You are?! Oh, my God, I love bowling! I always used to go for my birthday with my family, it was like, my treat." Lance smiled.

"I know. Veronica told me." Kassy smiled, putting the balloons down, and hugging him. "Happy birthday, Lance."

Keith came down. "Oh, great, the party's starting."

"Get your bowling shoes on, Keith! We're going bowling!" Lance said.

Shiro smiled. "I'll go get the Palavan ready. You gather everyone up."

They nodded, and went to wake everyone up and force them to get ready for bowling. Then, they waited in the Palavan.

"Who do you thinks gonna win?" Kassy asked, strapping Ulaz in.

"Uh, me." Lance said.

"I'm gonna say Hunk." Keith said. "I mean, he annihilated us at volleyball, I think he'll be good at this."

"I don't know, Shiro's quite sporty." Kassy replied.

"Oh, not really. I used to work out a lot but that's not the same as being sporty. Especially cos I haven't been to the gym in about 6 months."

"Okay, but can we agree that Romelle won't win?" Lance asked.

They paused before nodding.

Everyone joined them in the Palavan, and Shiro drove them to the bowling place. They got in for free, because they saved the universe.

"So, what is bowling?" Coran asked.

"Well, there's pins. And you have to knock all them down with a ball." Lance said.

"Wait! This is on Altea. It's Flargle!"

"Oh, I always wanted to play Flargle!" Romelle said.

"Well, Lance is going first, as it's his birthday." Shiro said. "Go on, Lance."

Everyone cheered for him as he selected a ball, did some precise mathematics, and threw it. The ball rolled, before falling in the gutter, missing the pins completely.

"That was just a practice round!" Lance said. "That doesn't count!"

"It's okay, honey." Keith patted his shoulder. "Romelle's going next. You won't be the only one."

Romelle stood up. "Right! Let's do this!"

She grabbed a ball, and threw it - it crashed over the pins, knocking each one down in a strike. Lance watched, mouth open.

"Yes! I got a Flargle!"

"Romelle got a Flargle! Well done, Romelle!" Coran said.

"Beginner's luck." Lance mumbled.

The rest of the group took their turns - Hunk getting a spare; Coran also being quite supple for an older gent; even Ulaz knocking some down with Shiro's help.

Then, it was Lance's turn again. He got up, more determined than before to prove himself.

He picked up the ball, and threw it, just for it to slip into the gutter again.

He sat down with a sigh, watching as Romelle got another strike.

"Yes! Flargle!" she high-fived Coran.

"I can't do it!" he mumbled, as Keith sat next to him.

"Hey, it's okay. Nobody cares."

"But... I don't know. I always came last as a kid. I kinda hoped you were all too nerdy and weak so I'd finally not come last. Even Ulaz is beating me and he's, like, a foetus!"

Keith patted his arm. "It's okay. You're overthinking it. Just relax and it'll come."

On Keith's go, he made sure his ball fell in the gutter.

"Better luck next time, Keith." Coran said. Keith shrugged.

On Lance's next turn, he chilled out - and managed to get some pins.

Keith smiled at him as everyone clapped.

"Thanks, baby." he whispered.

The game finished a while later, with Romelle winning as she got a strike literally every round. Hunk was second, then Shiro, Coran fourth, Kassy fifth, then Pidge, Shay seventh, and Allura eighth. Keith had made sure he would come last, leaving Lance in ninth, Ulaz in tenth, and him in eleventh.

"Damn, Keith, you really suck at bowling." Pidge said.

Keith shrugged and smiled. "I guess so."

"Alright, there's reservations at the restaurant for 7. Let's head home, get showered, and get ready." Shiro said, getting everyone in the Palavan, and driving home.

Keith and Lance walked into their house. "Hey, Keith?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for losing for me." he hugged him. "I love you."

"I love you too." he smiled, kissing him. "Happy birthday."

"Thanks, man." Lance replied, patting him on the back. "You wanna go eat the rest of that cake?"

"Sure."