#I’m torn. I never wanted it to happen and yet some of these Allura comes back fics are the most heartwarming vld fics out there | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

actress4him · 4 years ago

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Whumptober 2020 - Day 31

This is it! The very last post of Whumptober, and the long-awaited sequel to Day 8! If you're brand new to this whump party and haven't read it yet, you'll want to go back and do so before diving into this monstrosity. And when I say monstrosity I mean, it's looooooong. I wanted to do it justice and give you guys the ending you deserve, which...I'm hoping I pulled off. I'm not used to posting stuff so soon after writing it, without re-reading and editing over a period of time! Anyway, it wasn't one that I could easily just say, oh and they rescued him and put him in a pod and they lived happily ever after, because there was a whole bunch of emotional stuff everyone had to deal with, too. Thus the length, and the postponing of this post so I could actually finish it.

That said, this is actually more angst than it is whump, but hopefully there's enough whump to satisfy and hopefully it's a satisfying way to end the month. Enjoy!

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Day 31 (No. 29 and Alt. 7) - Reluctant Bedrest/Found Family

Fandom: Voltron: Legendary Defender

Warnings: fantastic racism, self-hatred, death mention, blood, referenced animal attack, fever, infection, hallucinations, needles, panic attacks, suicide ideation

It had been nearly a week since they abandoned Keith. Discarded him, like garbage. Dropped him off on some deserted planet like some people back on Earth used to drop off animals that they didn’t want to have to take care of.

Shiro had always hated those people. Now he was one of them.

Except worse, because this wasn’t a puppy they had dumped on the side of the road, this was a hu-...okay, well only partly a human being, but a person, nonetheless. The person that he had seen as the little brother he never had for the past several years that he had known him. The person that he had sworn, even if only internally, to look after, always.

And sure, it wasn’t like it was his idea, but he had still let it happen. Yeah, if he had tried to fight it, Allura probably would have locked him in his room and done it without him. But he should have fought anyway. He should have let them drag him away like they had Keith that day they found out he was part Galra. Maybe they would have thrown him in a cell, too. Maybe then he’d actually be able to look at himself in the mirror now.

They wouldn’t have, though. He was human. He was trustworthy.

So trustworthy that he had turned his back on his brother, all for the sake of Voltron and the universe.

That was the lie he had been telling himself, the one thing that had kept him from jumping in his Lion and going after Keith for days. The universe needed Voltron. Therefore, the universe needed him. He was the leader of Voltron, he couldn’t just abandon the rest of the team and disobey the Princess’ orders for the sake of one man. Being a defender of the universe meant having to make sacrifices and hard choices.

And maybe all of that was actually true, but it was only half the story. Keith needed him. As the leader of Voltron, he should be setting an example for the rest of the team to follow, and should be able to make decisions for the good of every team member without being threatened and overruled by the Princess. Being a decent person who could live with his own choices meant not going against his own promises and ideals.

He knew all of that. But both sides seemed true, and which side seemed more important changed by the second.

To top it all off, the team had practically fallen apart since leaving Borulmyte. Not only were they down a Paladin, unable to form Voltron, but hardly anyone was speaking to each other unless forced. Allura was sulking because her father’s Lion wouldn’t accept her. Hunk, who had never seemed all that happy with the idea of kicking Keith out, seemed depressed. Pidge had pretty much locked herself in her room, he assumed furiously searching for any sign of her family. Lance was, as always, hard to get a read on, but he was noticeably quiet and stoic whenever he happened to appear. Coran had barely spoken a word the whole week.

And Shiro? He couldn’t stand to be around any of them. They were the ones who had done this to Keith. Sure, a couple had made weak arguments on his behalf at the beginning, but in the end they had all caved to Allura’s wishes and turned on him. He blamed them just as much as he blamed himself for sitting here in the comfort of the Castle while Keith...who even knew? At the very least he was alone and probably scared, even though he’d never admit that. At the worst, he could be struggling to survive, dying at that very moment, and none of them would ever know.

Whichever it was, he didn’t deserve it.

Coran had called a meeting on the bridge for something he said was urgent. It was probably another distress call, though the last one - the only mission they had attempted that week - had gone so terribly that Shiro wasn’t sure if they should even bother trying again. Running a smooth, successful mission is awfully difficult when no one wants to speak to each other, much less work in sync.

Usually he was the first one to arrive for meetings like this. Well, except for maybe Keith, but that wasn’t a thought he wanted to dwell on right then. This time, when he finally dragged himself to the bridge, the others were all already there, though none of them looked happy about it. Unlike in the past, when he always tried to keep up everyone’s morale by being focused and enthusiastic himself, no matter how he actually felt, now he didn’t bother. Crossing his arms, he let his face rest in exactly the scowl he was feeling.

“What is this about, Coran?”

“Yes, I would like to know as well.” Allura’s brow was furrowed, clearly not happy at being left out of the loop.

The orange-haired adviser wrung his hands, staring down at the floor. “Well, it’s...this is difficult to say. But…” Drawing in a deep breath that puffed out his chest, he finally looked up, catching each of their gazes. “I’ve been keeping something from you. It’s about Number F-...Keith. It’s about Keith.”

Keith’s name had practically become forbidden, so of course it automatically caught everyone’s attention. Shiro unfolded his arms and stepped forward. “What about Keith?” he demanded.

Coran’s eyes darted back to the floor. “He gave us messages to pass on to each of you. Before we left Borulmyte.”

“Coran!” Allura hissed.

“No, Princess.” The response took everyone in the room by surprise, including Allura if the expression on her face was any indication. None of them had ever heard Coran speak that way to her, especially not to tell her no. He took another breath and seemed to steel himself. “You know that I have always served the royal family willingly, and that I see you like a daughter. I would follow you anywhere. However...you are still young. A great burden has been placed on your shoulders, and you have done extraordinarily well with it. But sometimes you make mistakes, and this, my dear...this has been a grave mistake.”

She narrowed her eyes. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying that we never should have left the boy behind. Galra or not, he has never proven himself anything but the most loyal of paladins, and yet we have punished him for a crime he did not commit.”

Shiro was torn between feeling relief that someone besides him was saying it, and anger that it hadn’t been said sooner. “Why didn’t you speak up when I was trying to convince them all of this same thing days ago?”

Coran flashed him a guilty expression. “Because I was too much of a coward. I didn’t want to speak against my Princess, even though I knew what she was doing was wrong.” Squaring his shoulders, he looked around at the other paladins again. “But regardless of what anyone else thinks or decides, I can do this. I can fulfill the boys’ last request before he was left behind.”

Something in Shiro’s gut twisted at that statement, and he could see some shuffling of feet and shifting of positions around him that pointed to the others feeling the same way. No one liked to be reminded of what they had done.

“Fine,” Allura finally spat. “Do what you must to clear your conscience.” She crossed her arms and leaned back against the console with a huff.

“First to Number Two...Hunk.” Coran gave the Yellow Paladin a gentle smile. “He wanted you to know that he would miss your cooking, especially the brownies you made for him.”

That was all it took for Hunk to start crying, though he said nothing in reply.

“Lance, he said to tell you that he never hated you, that you annoyed him sometimes but were a good friend, too.”

If Shiro hadn’t been intently watching, he might have missed the way Lance’s eyes widened before he ducked his head and scuffed his sneaker into the floor.

“Pidge, your message was that he really, really hopes you find your family. And that he kept meaning to tell you he thinks you’re doing great with your bayard.”

Her eyebrows pulled in tight at the first part, but at the second she blinked as if surprised and looked away.

“And besides his message to the Red Lion that he would miss her, and to us, thanking us for the opportunity to fly her…” He turned to stare at Allura for that, and she couldn’t hold his gaze, either… “That leaves you, Shiro.”

The other messages had already left him ripped open, so he wasn’t really sure how he was supposed to handle one meant just for him.

Coran lips pursed into a sad smile. “‘Just tell him I love him.’”

He felt as if all the walls came crashing down on him all at once. He loved him. Of course he did, he knew he did, they had always treated each other like brothers. But he had never said it. And now he had, and it was after Shiro had allowed him to be kicked out of the place they had all come to see as a home.

Spinning on his heel, he marched toward the door without a word.

“Shiro, wait, where are you going?”

If it had been any of the others, he might have just ignored them. But it was Hunk, so he at least threw the answer over his shoulder. “I’m going to get Keith.”

“Shiro -!”

“No!” This time he whirled around, sending all of his fury in a glare toward Allura. “I’m done letting you tell me how I should treat my little brother! I am going to get Keith, not the Galra, but our friend, the Red Paladin, the strongest and bravest and most loyal person I know, and no one is going to stop me! If you don’t want us back here, fine. I don’t care. Find yourself new Red and Black Paladins. But I won’t leave him down there a second longer.”

It was unclear whether Allura even knew what to say to that, but before she had the chance Hunk piped up again. “I’m coming with you! Erm, if...that’s okay.”

Shiro spared him a small smile. “Of course it is.”

No one said anything as they left the room. Hunk jogged a little to catch up to Shiro’s long, quick strides before matching his pace.

“I was a coward, too, like Coran said. Which, you know, isn’t really anything new, just...me being a coward isn’t usually at the expense of one of my friends. I was scared, to start with. Of him being, you know. Galra. But that’s stupid, really. Galra Keith is still Keith.”

“Yeah. He is.” He just hoped he was still Keith, still whole and well and not irrevocably changed, when they got to him. “I was just as much of a coward as anyone else, or more. I let the duty I felt to Voltron and the universe get in the way of the way I actually wanted to act. I should have gone after him right away.”

Hunk hummed in understanding. “Well, at least you actually stood up for him.”

They stopped off in their rooms to change into armor, then headed for Black and Yellow’s hangars. The long way, since they didn’t want to risk going back to the bridge and running into everyone else. Shiro had debated whether or not he should take Black, or just a pod, but decided that even if Allura wouldn’t let them stay, returning Black would give everyone a good chance to see Keith again and really make sure they wouldn’t change their minds.

“Since we don’t have a wormhole, it’s gonna take us a while to get there,” he told Hunk over the comms once they were situated in their Lions and starting to take off.

“I don’t mind. Just...how are we gonna find him once we’re there? I mean, he could have traveled a ways from where we...you know, left him.”

“I can track his quintessence.” The new voice took him by surprise, but not nearly as much as spinning around to find Green and Blue hovering over the Castle. “But I’ll have to be pretty close to him first. So we’ll still have to fly around for a while to try to catch a signal, then we’ll be able to narrow it down to a smaller area.”

Shiro was too shocked by their appearance to come up with a reasonable response, so he just ended up echoing, “We?”

Lance’s solemn face popped up on a video screen in front of him, followed by another with Pidge’s. “Yeah, we,” he said, mouth set in a firm line. “We’ve been stupid, and we wanna fix it. If...if we can.”

Clenching his jaw, Shiro sighed. “That’ll be up to Keith, I suppose. What kind of shape he’s in, and...whether he’ll forgive us.”

“We don’t really deserve it,” Pidge mumbled.

“No, we don’t. But let’s go ask for it anyway.”

They talked a little as they flew. It was quiet, and a bit awkward, but it was more than they had talked all week. Lance admitted that he had been having doubts ever since they left, memories of time spent with Keith haunting his thoughts. The message had just sealed the deal.

Pidge shrugged when asked about her change of heart, and quietly conceded that she didn’t think she had ever really believed he was a bad guy. She was just hurting, and he had been the perfect target to take it out on. Her desperation to find her family had blinded her.

They were several hours into a trip that Hunk calculated would take a few days when a wormhole appeared in front of them, seemingly out of nowhere. Every Lion pulled up short, exclamations of surprise echoing across the comms.

Shiro jerked his Lion around to find the Castle looming behind them. His immediate thought was that Coran had somehow taken over and caught up with them, but Coran couldn’t make wormholes.

“...Allura?”

Her voice over the comms was more tentative than he thought he had ever heard it. “I have not yet decided to trust him. But I...I have seen how passionate all of you are about this, and I am...willing to reconsider my original stance.”

It wasn’t what he wanted to hear, but it was more than he had expected. He’d take it.

“Alright guys. Let’s go bring our boy home.”

The sight of the planet Borulmyte made Shiro’s stomach turn a flip. This was it. This was the place where Keith had been living for the past week. He couldn’t even imagine what it had been like for him. Allura and Pidge had done extensive research on multiple planets before deciding that this was the best one, and they had had plenty of “reassuring” things to say about it. He had always wondered, though, what they weren’t saying. Or what their research hadn’t turned up. There was no way that they could have known everything there was to know about a planet just from reading about it. “Livable conditions” didn’t mean enjoyable conditions.

“Coran and I will stay here with the Castle. Keep us updated.”

Shiro gave a nod. “Pidge, how close do you need to be to pick up Keith’s quintessence?”

“Within a few miles.”

“Alright. We’ll start at the drop off point. I’m gonna guess he would have headed east, into the forest, to find shelter.” That was the one reassurance he had about the whole situation, knowing that Keith was trained in survival skills. “We’ll head there first, and take it mile by mile.”

It took them the rest of the day. Only a fraction of that time had passed when Shiro started to run every possible horrible scenario through his mind of why they weren’t finding it, even though he knew that they probably just hadn’t hit the right spot yet.

“There!” Pidge shouted. “I’ve got it!”

Relief flooded Shiro down to his toes. “Alright. Mark this location. We’ll have to go land in the desert and fly back in the Green Lion. She’s the only one small enough to fit in that little clearing over there.

The little clearing, as it turned out, was around a creek that seemed to be clear and safe. His relief grew just a little more. If Keith had managed to end up this close to a water source, then maybe he was doing okay.

“Okay, Pidge. Lead the way.”

Hiking through the woods took almost another full day. A day in which the sun never actually rose. He hadn’t paid attention to start with, when they were still flying, because constant darkness outside had become the new norm, but now that they were on solid ground it was painfully obvious that they had yet to see light this entire time. And the temperature gauge on his helmet display was much lower than he wanted it to be. Livable? Yes. Comfortable without armor? No. He wanted to interrogate Allura and Pidge on whether they knew about this when they had chosen to send Keith to this planet, but it wasn’t the time. He had to focus on finding Keith, nothing else.

After hours and hours of walking by only the flashlights built into their helmets, during which time no one, not even Lance, dared to complain, there was finally a spike on Pidge’s quintessence tracker.

“Over here!” she shouted, taking off at a sprint through the underbrush.

The others followed, swatting branches and bushes out of their way. Any second, Shiro expected to run into Keith. Maybe sitting in whatever hideout he had found, or out hunting for food in the never-ending darkness, his eyebrows flying up in surprise when he saw them all rushing in.

Instead, when he stumbled to a halt beside Pidge, she was staring at the ground, and there was no Keith in sight.

“Pidge? What is it?”

Lifting a shaky finger, she pointed. Even before he looked, Shiro could feel his chest tightening with anxiety. And for good reason, too. The stain that was illuminated on the dirt and leaves was dried, at least a couple of days old, but it was undeniably blood. It was also concerningly large, and with the quintessence tracker crackling louder than they had heard it so far, there was no getting around the fact that it belonged to Keith.

Hunk immediately began babbling his worries, but Shiro’s heart was pounding too loudly in his ears for him to comprehend what he was actually saying. For a long moment he just stared at the bloodstain. It wasn’t until Lance stepped in closer to speak that he was broken out of his trance.

“Shiro? Do you think he’s…”

“No.” Yes. He didn’t know. It was a lot of blood. But he wouldn’t allow himself to believe that Keith was anything but okay until he saw him with his own eyes. “Pidge, is there a trail?”

She tore her eyes away to look at the screen, pacing back and forth a bit before nodding wordlessly and taking off through the bush. If her steps were a bit quicker now, no one blamed her. They just picked up their pace, too, solemn and silent other than Lance quietly updating Allura and Coran on what they had found.

Every once in a while, a small patch of dark red on a leaf or tree trunk would catch Shiro’s eye. He tried to take it as a good sign. If Keith had been able to pick himself up from whatever had happened and trek through the woods, then maybe he wasn’t too bad off. At the time. Two or more days later? It was impossible to say.

The walk from there only took a few minutes, but it felt like an eternity. Finally, finally, he spotted a small cave over the top of Pidge’s head, just as the tracker grew in volume and Pidge broke into a run.

“Keith? Keith!”

He was right on her heels, barreling through the opening, terrified of what he would find. And what he did see was almost exactly what he had feared - Keith, his skin far too pale under their flashlights, lying completely still on the ground next to the cold, charred remains of a campfire. There were rough slashes in his t-shirt, through which bloody scabs could be seen, and his right leg was almost entirely wrapped in large blue leaves tied off with what looked like dried grass. It didn’t take much guesswork to figure out that the sporadic dark stains on the leaves were blood.

“Keith.” Shiro was by his side without really knowing how he got there, sliding down onto his knees next to the unmoving figure. “No, no, no, no, Keith, come on, don’t do this to me.” He carded his hand through the messy black hair. “Keith, please.”

Pale lips parted, and a groan spilled out. Shiro nearly fell over with relief. Somewhere behind him, Lance was exclaiming his own relief in Spanish, while Hunk hovered just over his shoulder. Keith’s forehead, which he now noticed was coated in a sheen of sweat, furrowed, and he turned his head slightly to face Shiro before squinting his eyes open.

“Go ‘way,” he rasped, taking all of them by surprise. “‘re not real.”

“Yeah, yeah we are, buddy.” He stroked his hair again, then yanked off his glove so he could lay his flesh hand against his cheek, trying not to wince at the heat that met his touch. A fever. Whatever that wound was on his leg, it had probably gotten infected. No wonder he didn’t think they were real. “Doesn’t this feel real?”

Keith seemed to consider this, his brain probably having to work twice as hard as usual to process anything. Finally there was what seemed to be acceptance in those glazed eyes, but instead of seeming happy or confused or surprised or any of the emotions that they might have expected, he simply let his head roll back to the side and closed his eyes. “Come to...finish me off?”

“What? Keith, no, why would you think that?” Hunk exclaimed, dropping down right next to Shiro. “We came to take you home.”

“We’ve, uh...we were really terrible to you. It was really, really wrong,” Lance joined in.

Pidge shuffled her feet awkwardly. “Yeah. We, um. We want you to come back.”

“Even Allura is willing to reconsider, but whatever she decides, we're getting you out of here.” Shiro took one of Keith’s hands in his own and squeezed. “I never should have let her dictate how you were treated to start with.”

Silence fell for a moment. Keith cut his eyes up toward Shiro, not moving his head. “Knew you weren’t real.”

Pidge gave an exasperated grunt. “Keith -”

“Don’t worry about it right now.” Sliding his glove back on, Shiro straightened and got ready to pick Keith up bridal style. “He’s burning up with an infection. We’ll have to talk to him later, once he can actually comprehend what’s going on. For now let’s just get him back to the Castle and into a pod.”

Shiro scooped Keith up gently into his arms, causing him to cry out when his leg was jostled. “I’m sorry, bud,” he whispered. “You’re gonna be okay.” He didn’t at all like how light he felt, nor how gaunt his face looked. It had only been a week, but it didn’t seem like he had eaten much in that time.

Now that they knew where they were going, the walk back to the Green Lion went by quickly. Pidge flew them back to their own Lions, with Hunk and Lance towing Black to the Castle so that Shiro could stay in Green’s cargo hold with Keith. He didn’t want to let him go, couldn’t even keep his eyes off of him. He was too afraid that if he looked away, he would be gone, would succumb to his infection or perhaps just vanish into thin air. In the better lighting of the Lion, Keith looked all the more pale and feverish, his breaths coming shallow as he mumbled unintelligible words and occasionally whimpered with pain.

“What kind of injuries are we dealing with here, Number One?”

Shiro barely remembered arriving at the Castle and exiting the Green Lion, but there he was, standing next to Coran and a stretcher. Tenderly, he settled Keith down onto the padded surface. “Not sure. Maybe an animal attack of some kind? I haven’t been able to get a look at his wounds yet. He’s got a fever for sure, though, so they’re probably infected.”

Coran’s face turned grim. “That’s unfortunate. We won’t be able to put him into cryosleep until his temperature is back to normal.”

Gritting his teeth, Shiro found Keith’s hand and held it as they walked toward the infirmary. Poor kid just couldn’t catch a break. He didn’t deserve any of this. And now it sounded like when he was back to himself, they were going to have to go back through a whole three years’ worth of self-esteem boosting...maybe even more. He let out a long sigh. It seemed like he had just finally convinced Keith that he was worth loving, that he was important, that not everyone in his life was going to abandon him.

Then he sat back and let everyone in his life abandon him.

Coran sucked in a loud breath through his teeth as he peeled back the crude leaf bandages. “Yes, this is most certainly infected. And I would say that your animal attack hypothesis is correct. These look mostly like tooth marks. Quite deep.”

It looked mostly like a mangled, bloody mess to Shiro. His stomach turned, not just from the smell of the infection, and he was glad that Hunk wasn’t there at the moment. “What do we need to do?”

“Well, I’ll need to clean these. You might want to hold him down for that part.”

Keith bucked and writhed under Shiro’s hands as Coran poured antiseptic over his leg, screaming in agony. Shiro was pretty sure his heart was permanently residing in his throat now. He whispered reassurances, hardly knowing what he was saying, well aware that Keith probably couldn’t hear or comprehend any of it.

After a thorough cleaning, Coran wrapped the leg in clean bandages and pulled a thin sheet up over his waist. Shiro sank into the bedside chair, relieved beyond words that the worst part was over. They spoke very little as they went about the rest of the work that needed to be done, Coran handing Shiro the antiseptic and a clean cloth so that he could work on the claw marks across Keith’s chest, then focusing himself on preparing an IV bag of antibiotics and nutrients. Shiro gently smoothed adhesive bandages over the cuts when he was done. When he looked up, Coran was sliding the IV into place in the back of Keith’s hand.

“That should do it for now. I’m going to get a cool, wet cloth to help bring his fever down, but he should recover just fine.”

It was only then that Shiro finally allowed himself to dissolve into tears, like he had been wanting to ever since finding Keith in that cave. Burying his face in his hands, he let the tears soak his cheeks and the sobs wrack his body, uncaring for once that someone was there to see him fall apart.

A sturdy hand landed on his back, rubbing soothing circles. “There, there, lad. I know it’s been a rough few quintants, but it’ll be alright.”

“Will it?” Shiro scrubbed at his face with his flesh hand. “You should have seen him, Coran. I don’t know if he’ll ever be able to trust any of us again.”

The adviser heaved a sigh. “I don’t know, either. I’m not sure if I would be able to trust us, if the roles were reversed. But perhaps, with time, we’ll be able to prove to him that we do, indeed, care for him.”

Once Shiro had cried himself out, Coran convinced him to go change out of his armor and possibly get something to eat. He was surprised to find all three of the other paladins sprawled out on the floor just outside the infirmary, remnants of snacks scattered around them and expectant looks on their faces.

“Well? Is he...okay?” Pidge asked tentatively.

Shiro sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “Physically, it seems so. He’s stable for now, at least, and Coran thinks he’ll be fine. We just have to make sure his fever doesn’t get too high.”

They all nodded slowly, seeming lost in thought. He imagined they were all thinking about the “other than physically” part that he had failed to comment on.

Hunk cleared his throat. “Is he awake?”

He shook his head. “He’s been in and out, but he’s resting pretty peacefully for now.”

“We didn’t want to, you know, be in the way,” Lance supplied. “But you can let us know when it’s okay for us to see him. Or we can take turns watching out for him.”

“Alright. I’ll let you know.” Right now he couldn’t imagine leaving his side, not for longer than he was doing right now. As he started down the hall again toward his quarters, he met another unexpected presence - Allura, lurking just around the corner from where the paladins sat, looking abnormally anxious. He stopped abruptly, not sure he was ready to see her again yet.

“I heard your update,” she stated after a moment of awkward silence. When Shiro said nothing in return, she pursed her lips. “I suppose we have some more discussions ahead of us now.”

“No. We don’t.” Allura’s eyebrows flew up in surprise, but he didn’t give her time to respond. “There’s nothing to discuss. Either you accept Keith back as the Red Paladin...and treat him just as well as the other paladins, or he and I leave. Whether or not the others stay is up to them.”

Allura’s brow furrowed, and she dropped her gaze to the floor with nothing else to say. Pushing past her, Shiro continued to his room, hurrying through changing so he could be back with Keith.

.o.0.O.0.o.

They would tell Keith later that he had been out of it for around two days before the fever broke. All he knew was that he woke up in the infirmary of the Castle with no memory of how he had gotten there, and assumed he must have been hallucinating again. He was actually a bit surprised that the wounds from that death beast hadn’t killed him yet...or maybe they had. Maybe this was some sort of purgatory or something, though the infirmary seemed like a strange choice.

It made a bit more sense when he turned his head to the right and saw Coran sitting there studying him. Seemed maybe he was going to have to face people he had failed in life before he could move on to whatever came next.

“Are you with us this time, my boy?”

Wrinkling his eyebrows at the strange question, Keith licked his dry lips with an equally dry tongue and tried to come up with something to say, but all that came out was a raspy, “What?”

Immediately Coran went into action, producing a hydration pack from somewhere nearby and holding the straw up to Keith’s lips. The cool liquid hit his throat like a slice of heaven, and he gulped greedily.

“Not too fast, now. Don’t want you making yourself sick.”

Keith nearly whined when the straw was pulled away, but he could already feel the liquid sloshing around inside of him, so it was probably for the best. Clearing his throat, he decided he could try talking again. “What am I doing here?”

“You were in pretty bad shape when the others found you. Something had torn your leg all up, and it had gotten infected. We couldn’t put you in a cryopod until your fever went down, which it seems it now has.”

His eyes darted around the cavernous white room. “So...this is real?”

The corner of Coran’s mouth tilted up. “Yes. It’s real.”

He had kinda suspected after the water. But that left one major question…“Why?”

Before Coran could respond, the door slid open, and Keith turned his head to see Shiro enter the room. The sight of his surrogate brother had him torn between happiness and a strange sense of dread, leaving him to clench the sheets in his fists and wait for some kind of reaction to come. Half of him expected it to be disgust, or anger, or maybe just an apathetic announcement of what his new punishment for existing was to be.

Instead, Shiro’s face lit up with a happy, almost hopeful expression. “Keith?”

“Wait, is Keith awake?” another voice called from the hallway behind him. Lance’s head poked through the doorway, making Keith’s stomach clench, before he turned and yelled back down the hall. “Hey guys, Keith’s awake!”

All at once the infirmary was filled with almost all the people who hated him, all crowding around his bed and staring down at him with faces he couldn’t read. They were going to hurt him. He knew they would, why else would they have brought him back here? Obviously they had changed their minds and decided they had been too lenient. What were they going to do to him? How much pain would he be in now?

He couldn’t breathe. Suddenly it felt like that beast was sitting on top of him again, crushing his chest, and he struggled to draw in air through an open mouth while tears stung his eyes. His hands shook where they were still gripping the sheets. People were talking, but it sounded as if his ears were stuffed full of cotton and he couldn’t make out any of the words.

He almost didn’t notice when the crowd above him dispersed, but it did help his breaths start to come a little easier. Only there was still Shiro, and he still didn’t know where Shiro stood on any of this. The Black Paladin sat down next to the bed and tried to grasp his hand. Keith yanked it away.

“Don’t...don’t.”

“Okay. I won’t touch you. Do you know where you are?”

Of course he knew, that was the whole problem. “Yes.”

“Okay. You’re safe now, Keith.”

Safe. Yeah, right. There was no such thing as safe, not anymore. He had thought the Castle was safe, that these people were safe, but he had been wrong. “Why?”

Shiro looked at him in mild confusion before choosing what to say. “We made a mistake, leaving you there. We -”

Keith rolled away, tucking his hands up next to his chest, cringing at the pain that still radiated through his leg. He didn’t want to hear it explained, how they wanted to punish him further. Yet at the same time, he needed to know what was coming.

“Keith…”

“Now?”

It had been a long time since Shiro had needed to interpret his one word sentences, but luckily it seemed he was still good at it. “Now you keep resting and getting better until we can put you in a pod for your leg.”

“Why?”

That one seemed to give him pause. “So...you’ll be well.”

Were they really going to prolong the torture like this? Make him get well before they did away with him? He curled up tighter. “Just...kill. Now.”

“Kill? Keith -”

“Please.”

The chair scraped across the floor, and Keith flinched. Footsteps came around the bed. He tensed, waiting for the blow. The air in front of his face stirred, and Shiro’s voice came from very close.

“Keith, can you look at me, please?” When he didn’t comply, Shiro put a hand on his fists and pulled them down so that they were face to face. “No one is going to kill you. No one is going to hurt you. You’re back on the Castle because we were wrong. They were wrong about you being untrustworthy, and I was wrong about my duty to Voltron being more important than my duty to you. I’m so, so sorry that I let them kick you out, and that I didn’t come after you sooner. You will always be more important to me than the rest of the universe. You’re my brother. I love you.”

Tears welled up in Keith’s eyes despite his reluctance to believe any of it. Tugging his hands out from under Shiro’s, he covered his face again, unable to respond.

Shiro let out a long, quiet sigh. “The others want to apologize, too, at some point. But for now you should try to get some more rest. You’re still recovering from the infection.”

He didn’t want to sleep. He didn’t trust that he wouldn’t be messed with while he was asleep. But his body decided for him that it was ready, drifting off without his permission.

.o.0.O.0.o.

Keith hadn’t really improved by the next couple of days. He slept some, he ate some, and his color and temperature seemed to be returning to normal. But he regarded everyone who came into the room with the wary stare of a cornered wild animal, and he still wasn’t speaking more than one or two words at a time, if that. Just as Shiro had feared, he had reverted back to the year that they had met, except worse.

He tried to spend as much time in the infirmary with him as he could, hoping that the company would eventually coax him into relaxing. The other paladins still hadn’t gotten their chance to talk to him. Everyone, including Shiro, was afraid their presence would trigger another panic attack. He had already nearly gone into one when Hunk had delivered his breakfast that morning, and had been extra jumpy around Coran, too.

Shiro was eating his own breakfast, trying not to focus too much on the fact that Keith’s was just sitting there untouched, when he heard a telltale sniffle. Keith was sitting up, propped on some pillows against the wall, but his head was turned away from Shiro, as was pretty common. Even so, he could see the shimmer of a tear as it streaked down his face. Setting aside his bowl, he rounded the bed and settled down on the edge, expecting the flinch that followed but still hating it.

“Talk to me, Keith.”

He didn’t expect a response at all, and especially not a long one. But Keith angrily dashed the tears away, forever hating himself for ever crying, and spoke in a hoarse whisper. “Why didn’t you just leave me there?”

Shiro’s eyes widened. “What? Why?”

“I was almost dead. It would have all been over. You should have just left me there.”

Heart aching, he scooted in closer, though Keith leaned even further back away from him. “Keith, no. We don’t want you dead. We want you here, alive and well, with us. If you died, I...I thought you were dead, when I first saw you. And it was like...it was like my heart was being ripped out of my chest. I don’t know if I could survive it.”

Keith’s face, passive up until then, creased with a look of emotional pain that Shiro could hardly stand. “But why should I live? I’m...I’m Galra, Shiro. I’m one of them. But not even really Galra, just some cross-breed freak of nature. I never should have existed. Maybe that’s why my mother walked out on me, she knew I was a freak and she couldn’t stand to -”

“Stop it. Keith, stop.” He grabbed his shoulder and shook it, not caring at the moment whether it startled him. “Don’t talk about yourself like that. You are not defined by who your parents or grandparents or anyone else were. You are you. You are Keith Kogane, Red Paladin of Voltron, best pilot at the Galaxy Garrison. You’re a survivor. You’re a fighter. Not because you have Galra blood, but because the universe has thrown every hard thing that it could think of at you and you’re still standing strong.”

“I’m not standing strong, don’t you see me?” Keith met his eyes finally, a tiny bit of his old spark of anger visible. “I’m pathetic. Maybe I was the Red Paladin, maybe I was a survivor and a fighter, but right now I don’t think I can be any of those things. I don’t want to fight anymore, Shiro. I’m tired of surviving. I just want…” He broke down into tears again, covering his face with his hands.

Moving over closer, Shiro wrapped his arms around his brother and pulled him in tight. “You want what?”

Keith’s shoulders shuddered beneath him. “I don’t want to be here. I don’t trust any of them. I can’t trust any of them.”

“I know.”

For a long time, they sat together like that, Keith’s face buried in Shiro’s chest while he cried out all his tears. Shiro ran his fingers through his hair, trying desperately to come with anything he could say to comfort him.

“Do you think you could listen to them, if they come and talk to you? Just one at a time, not everyone at once. I know they’re really anxious to speak to you, and I think it might do you some good, too.” Or at least he hoped.

It took him a minute to answer. “I don’t know.”

“Okay. Well, it doesn’t have to be now. But I’d like you to consider it.”

Keith just nodded.

.o.0.O.0.o.

He had been in bed for days. The infection was all but gone, there was no longer any danger in putting him in a pod, and doing so had been brought up a couple of times. But Shiro and Coran must have noticed how he shrank into himself every time it was mentioned, because they dropped the subject and just continued to let him stay there.

He didn’t want to go in a pod. Being forced unconscious for who knew how many hours or days was just too vulnerable, and he already felt that way far too much, anyway. After all, he was stuck in bed in the middle of a ship full of people who hated him. He was pretty confident that Shiro would try his best to protect him, and Coran might, too. The Altean had taken the time to sit down and apologize to him for his role in the whole mess, and based on the way he had been treating him Keith was fairly sure he could be trusted.

But that left four others, all who had weapons, one of whom had some kind of weird magic and was literally connected to the Castle. He didn’t feel safe, and he hated it. There hadn’t been many places in his life that he had been able to truly let down his guard and feel safe. A foster home or two, though later on he had become so jaded that even the good ones didn’t feel like they would last. The Garrison to some extent, at least as long as Shiro was there.

And the Castle. Yeah, there was always the chance of an attack, and there had been the couple of times that someone had snuck on board without them knowing. But in all of those situations he had known that there were people around who had his back, people that he could count on. It was the most at home he had felt since Shiro had left for Kerberos.

Now it was those very same people that he was afraid of, as stupid and weak as that made him. The thought was almost laughable. Him? Afraid of Lance, Hunk, and Pidge? But he couldn’t get the hatred he had seen in some of their eyes out of his head. Couldn’t forget the venom in their voices. Couldn’t erase all the times he had watched them, hallucinations or not, show up in that cave with insults on their lips and weapons in their hands, ready to make him pay for the crime of being part Galra.

He didn’t want to talk to them. But he knew that Shiro really wanted him to, and that meant he would have to do it sooner or later. Maybe if he went ahead and got it over with, they’d leave him alone more, and then when his leg was healed enough that he could actually walk it’d be easier to leave. He hadn’t figured out where he was going - definitely not back to Borulmyte - or how he’d get there, but leaving was the best option for everybody.

“Will you...stay? If I let them…”

Once again, Shiro knew exactly what he was talking about, despite the question being out of the blue. “Of course. I’ll be right here with you the whole time.”

Sinking back into the pillows, Keith hugged himself. “Okay.”

Shiro smiled softly. “Okay. I’ll send them a message and let them know you’re ready.”

Hunk was the first to come in. He burst into tears pretty much as soon as he walked through the door and saw Keith, and cried so much the whole time that his many, many apologies could barely be understood. It made Keith uncomfortable, if he was honest. He had never known how to deal with tears, his own or anyone else’s. But Hunk was so obviously genuine and straightforward, and he had always had a hard time believing that there was any part of such a loving person that could have held such malice.

“I get it.” It took everything in him to force multiple words out, but he knew he had to this time. “It’s hard to...stand up. When...everyone else...disagrees. It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not okay, it’s so not okay!” Hunk blubbered. “I don’t know if it would have done any good for me to say anything or not, but I still should have done it.”

Keith nodded. “Okay. You’re right. It wasn’t okay. But…” He took a deep breath. “I forgive you.”

The way Hunk’s face lit up was totally worth the difficulty of saying the words. “Really, man? Thank you. Like, really, thank you, you don’t know how happy that makes me. I know we’ve never been, like, the best of friends, but I’ve always really wanted to get to know you better, I mean if you’d be okay with that, it’s totally up to you, but maybe sometime when you’re feeling better we can like, hang out? Also I know you haven’t been eating much right now but I am definitely making you brownies when you feel up to eating them. Like, a ton of brownies. All the brownies I can possibly make. Hey, maybe you could help me make the brownies! Cooking is such a good way to bond, I can’t believe I haven’t thought of it before! What do you think, does that sound okay? Or I mean, if you really don’t want to hang out with me at all, I totally understand that, too, I just -”

“Hunk.” Keith’s lips twitched upward slightly as the breathless Yellow Paladin finally screeched to a halt. “Yeah. Sounds good.”

Hunk beamed. “Great! Okay, I’m gonna like, go, and let somebody else come in here, ‘cause, yeah. Feel better, Keith!”

When the room was empty again, Shiro leaned over and squeezed his hand. “How do you feel?”

“Good.” He was surprised to find it was actually pretty true. A small burden had been lifted from his chest.

“Good. You ready for Lance or Pidge?”

Keith’s heart started beating double time again. “Lance.” Even though he had been more active in the process of his condemnation, Pidge’s response had hurt the worst.

The boy that came into the infirmary wasn’t the Lance that Keith knew. He couldn’t seem to keep his eyes off the floor, or his hands, or anything but Keith and Shiro, and when he spoke his voice was so soft it was barely audible.

“I don’t know why I did it.” He picked at a loose thread on his jeans. “I just get...so emotional, so caught up in the moment sometimes...I’m really just as much of a hothead as you are.”

If his demeanor and apology hadn’t caught Keith’s attention, that statement did. Lance, admitting he was as bad as Keith at something? “Thought that was because...I’m Galra.”

Lance’s face pinched. “Yeah. I said some pretty stupid things. I mean…” He shrugged. “Who knows, maybe it is because you’re Galra. But still, it’s...you’re just you. And that’s okay. Maybe we don’t always get along, but I don’t really think you’re evil. I mean, I guess I kinda thought you could be. It was stupid, though. I’m an idiot, that’s what I’m getting at. There’s no real explanation, just...I’m sorry, like I said.”

Part of Keith wanted to accept that. Part of him didn’t think he could. “I...thanks. For apologizing. I think...maybe I can forgive you...soon? Maybe not yet. But, yeah. Soon.”

Lance nodded. “That’s fair. I didn’t really expect you to, like, at all, so…” He finally flicked his eyes up to meet Keith’s. “I think you and I could use to work on some things, anyway. Like, you know, not acting like we hate each other. Because I don’t. Hate you, that is. And I’m...pretty sure based on what Coran said that you don’t hate me, either.”

“No. I don’t. And yeah, that...that sounds good.”

“Okay. Good.” A brief smile flashed over his face, then he nodded again and excused himself.

“You still doing okay?”

Keith pressed his lips together. “Think so. I’m nervous, though. About Pidge.”

Shiro smiled sympathetically. “I know. Just give her a chance, ‘kay?”

Pidge shuffled into the room in a very similar fashion to Lance, eyes on the floor. She perched on the very edge of the chair that each paladin had occupied, kicking her feet back and forth since they didn’t quite touch the floor. In a low voice, she said her apology and explained that she had let her hurt over her family get the best of her, but insisted that it didn’t excuse her blaming him.

It took a moment longer than the others for him to find his words. “I remember what it was like...missing somebody. Believing that they were still out there, but not knowing for sure. I mean, it wasn’t my actual family...unless you count my mom, which...at least I knew she chose to leave. So, she’s...probably fine.” Just didn’t want him. “But Shiro is the closest thing I’ve had to family since...since my Pops. And it’s hard. I mean, I kinda went ballistic, broke into a commanding officer’s office, punched a bunch of other officers, and got kicked out of the Garrison.”

“You what?” Shiro broke in, sitting forward, then realized his interruption and sat back, waving a hand. “Never mind. Sorry. We’ll talk later.”

Pidge snickered a little, and Keith took that as encouragement to continue. “But, yeah. I know how hard it is, and I would never, never wish that on someone else.”

Her head popped up, eyes wide and wet behind her glasses. “I know you wouldn’t. I know...I know you didn’t have anything to do with it, I never should have said something like that. You...you’re right, you understand probably more than anyone else, and I…” She trailed off, ducking her head as tears spilled down her cheeks.

Once again, there was someone crying in front of him, and he didn’t know what to do. But he was pretty sure what any of the other paladins would have offered in this situation, so… “Do you, um...need a...hug?”

The next thing he knew he had an armful of Pidge, curled up on the bed next to him and leaving tears and snot all over his shirt. He patted her back awkwardly. “You’ll find them. I know you will.”

“Why are you comforting me? I’m supposed to be in here helping you to feel better, this is not how this is supposed to work!”

Keith frowned. “Um...sorry?”

Pidge glared at him, not at all intimidating with her sopping wet face. “No, don’t apologize, that’s my job, too!”

“Sorry!”

She punched him in the ribs. “You’re a good hugger. Why are you such a good hugger.”

Keith was just getting more confused the longer this conversation went on. “I...don’t know? It certainly isn’t from practice.”

Tilting her head back, she narrowed her eyes at him as if she could see into his mind. “Do you not like hugs?”

“No, I...do.”

“Then I’m gonna hug you. Every day. From now on.”

“Aw, can I get Keith hugs every day, too?”

Keith startled a little bit when he realized that Hunk and Lance had returned to the room, but forced himself to relax. This was okay. They weren’t going to hurt him. They had all been very open with him, and even though it was going to take some time, he thought he could learn to trust them again.

“I...guess?”

“Yay!” Hunk settled onto the end of the bed, and Lance took the now empty chair, folding his long legs up into it. Shiro scooted forward again to be in Keith’s line of vision.

“How are you feeling now? Think maybe you can keep surviving a little longer?”

He felt Pidge tense in his arms, and Hunk’s face froze while Lance’s went carefully blank. Keith swallowed. “Yeah. I think...maybe I’m ready for that pod now. So I can finally get out of this bed and...I don’t know, kinda figure this out all over again.”

Shiro ruffled his hair fondly. “I’m glad. We’ll all be there with you for every step, okay?”

There was one more question, though. “What about Allura?”

Shiro’s face darkened slightly. “I’ve already told her she can either treat you the same as everyone else, or we’re leaving.”

“Nah, we won’t leave,” Pidge piped up. “There’s more of us than there are of her now. We’ll just stage a mutiny.”

Keith laughed awkwardly. “Somehow I don’t think that’ll be necessary.”

“I don’t think so, either, because I think she’ll come around,” Lance said. “But the point is, Mullet...we’re gonna support you.”

“You’re part of the Space Family now, dude!” Hunk cheered.

“Exactly,” Shiro smiled. “And Space Family has to stick together.”

The others kept chattering quietly, someone throwing in something about “ohana” in a weird voice, which triggered a whole conversation about some movie that he didn’t care about keeping up with. Closing his eyes, Keith let his body truly relax for the first time since before going to the Blade.

And he felt safe.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Thanks so much to everyone who joined me this month!!! This was my first ever Tumblr writing challenge, and it was a blast. You guys are what made it so much fun, with all the comments and likes and reblogs! Thank you!

If you want more Keith whump from me sometime in the future, you can follow me on here, on FFN, or follow the series "In which I whump Keith" on AO3...and if you haven't read Abyss yet (my first Keith whump fic!), you should check it out!

Happy Halloween and Happy Whumping!

31 notes · View notes

hystericalcherries · 4 years ago

Text

aeon (6/6)

Pairing: Keith/Lance Words: 10.5k Rating: M Warnings: mild violence Tags: Post-Season/Series 07, quantum abyss, Flashbacks, Flashforwards, Prophetic Visions, Visions in dreams, Mind Control, Dimension Travel, Boys Being Boys, Falling In Love, Mutual Pining, Gay Keith (Voltron), Bisexual Lance (Voltron) when the going gets tough... the tough write fix-it fics, Allura (Voltron) Lives, because fuck you jds and lm

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Summary:

Keith does not leave the quantum abyss untouched.

“Home can be anything, you know,” Lance says in lieu of a conversation starter.

Slivers of moonlight filter through the blinds above their heads, casting lines of truth across the sheets. Lance tilts his head forward and a band slides over his eyes, catching the ocean in them and drawing Keith into their rolling tides. And as distracted as he is, he doesn't put up a fight when a hand clasps his own, reeling them heartward.

“Home is just something you can come back to.” His knuckles brush against the soft fabric of a nightshirt, the v-neckline falling loose to reveal a sharp collarbone, and Keith feels his breath hitching. “Something that keeps you grounded.”

READ IT ON AO3

The day of the Alliance Feast comes and Keith finds himself sulking in a corner as he watches an alien chat Lance up.

Allura had stuffed them all in Altean formal wear, color-coded and high-collared, capes draped tastefully across their shoulders. The material of the suits are surprisingly breathable despite all its excess, stretching and bunching up in just the right places to cut them all into impressive figures. The princess had been very particular in how she wanted them all to look and had forced herself into more than one fitting room back at the Garrison; Shiro’s hair is slicked back, Hunk’s headband folded into the pocket of his jacket, Keith’s loose ponytail tied with a red ribbon, Lance’s waist adorned by a silver chain and Pidge’s glasses exchanged for a sleeker pair. If the star-eyed looks they’ve been receiving ever since they landed on New Altea is anything to go by then she must have succeeded.

Lance, Keith must admit, looks particularly dashing. His suit makes his shoulders look broader and it’s a problem. More so because it’s obvious that the red paladin isn’t the only one to take notice, more than one individual coming forward to introduce themselves to the friendliest member of Voltron.

Keith glares.

The alien doesn't take the hint and keeps talking, going so far as to place one of their four hands on the blue paladin’s upper arm when they laugh. Lance looks pleased.

“You should go talk to him.”

A crick forms in his neck when he jerks to attention at Allura’s voice. She fills up the once empty space next to him, having somehow snuck up on him, wearing low heels and a pale pink dress; she looks the epitome of aristocratic, with jewels dripping across her collarbone and dangling from her ears. His heart jumps at her words when they finally register, unable to help the quick glance he sends to the tables. “No,” he says immediately, turning away when he catches the unilu delegate peering at him from over the blue paladin’s shoulder. “He looks fine where he is. I don’t want to butt in.”

The princess frowns, obviously displeased at his reluctance. She crosses her arms and juts out a hip in a move that’s far too Keith-ish in nature for his liking. “You know, Lance loves to dance and—”

“Awesome,” Keith grouses.

Allura glares. “—and I’m sure he would say yes to one if someone asked.”

There’s no denying that the blue paladin has had no shortage of dance partners; ever since the band had started playing the boy had been on and off the dancefloor, spinning past him with someone new every few minutes. Some bitterness sneaks into his tone when he says, “I’ve noticed.”

“Now that’s not fair. You’ve had all evening to make your move. Don’t be upset that others are doing what you can’t.”

The words sting and Keith isn’t quick enough to hide it.

Allura’s expressions soften and he bristles a bit, less at the thought of being the recipient of someone’s pity and more knowing that he’s actively doing everything to deserve it. “Keith,” she says, and it’s soft and encouraging. “You are one of the most courageous people I know and you’ve faced things far more imposing than this.” She ducks her head to look him in the face. “It’s just Lance.”

“I know,” he says eventually, making a visible effort to relax. He sighs. “I know. It’s just… I don’t want to mess it up.”

“There’s nothing to mess up,” she assures, touching his arm. “Lance is a fellow paladin and, more importantly, your friend. You’ve been through much together and nothing could break the bond you have because of it.” She pauses, carefully manicured hands digging into his sleeve. “And if he’s the one from those visions of yours then talking to him would be the first step towards the rest of your life.”

He really regrets telling her about the flashes.

“It’s him, isn’t it.” It’s more of a fact than a question and Keith can’t even conjure up the energy to deny it.

Lance laughs again.

At his silence, Allura gasps. “I knew it! Oh! How romantic! It’s just like those books Hunk recommended to me, but better because—well, this is real, isn’t it?” Her hands clap together excitedly. “To think, the history you share is just a precursor of what is to come. It must be destiny!”

“Allura,” he warns.

“If he is from the visions, then you mustn’t just talk to him. You have to dance with Lance too! Keith, you absolutely must!”

“I don’t think that’s the best idea.”

“And why not?”

“Because, well, we’re not… it’s complicated. Plus, I don’t really dance.”

Allura tuts at him, booping him on the nose as she takes on a tone of one talking to an ignorant toddler. “Not with that attitude, you don’t. Come on. It will be fun.”

“And what if I don’t wanna have fun?”

The princess purses her lips and she tugs at his sleeve impatiently. He resists when she makes a move to drag him away from his corner, twisting away from her with a scowl. Knowing of her strength and how it outmatches his by miles, he karate chops her other hand when it reaches out for him. She gasps, offended at his defiance, and then redoubles her efforts.

“Why must you be so difficult?” she growls, circlet slipping over one pointed ear as she shoves herself in his space. Her elbow digs uncomfortably in his gut as her other hand fumbles for the wrist of his hand. “I’m only trying to help.”

“Allura, I swear—”

“Well, don’t you two look cozy.”

The two freeze and it’s almost comical, getting caught like this—the red paladin and the altean princess, important figures in their own right, mid-scuffle and cursing at each other—yet Keith doesn’t laugh. Doesn’t laugh because while they had been arguing, a figure had snuck up on them. A figure with very broad shoulders.

Allura recovers first. “Lance!”

The boy belonging to the name smiles. “Mind if I cut in?”

“Of course!” Allura gushes, letting go of Keith and all but pushing him at the blue paladin regardless of the fact that he hadn’t specified who he wanted to dance with. She takes a moment to fix her appearance, smoothing down hair and adjusting her dress, looking haughty. “I’ve gotta find Coran and make sure he’s not overdoing it on the nunvill, so you boys enjoy yourselves.”

And with that, she leaves. Leaves Keith in the middle of a party with his bonafide first and only crush.

He looks up and meets Lance’s eyes. It’s been months since he came back from the abyss and the half inch he had over the other boy is gone now, making them eye level. He knows neither of them are done growing and their heights will continue to change but Keith finds that he likes it this way for now.

“So,” Lance starts, biting his lip. “Dance?”

A quick look across the hall and his stomach flutters nervously. “I’ve never really…”

But Lance is already moving right along, grabbing his hand and tugging him in the direction of the dancefloor. Dazed, Keith lets it happen, focus torn between their clasped hands and the back of the other’s head. The crowd parts easily for them, curious looks and whispers following at their heels only to be hastily hidden when he glances away from the pinking ears of his partner. Lance must be determined to ignore their audience, expertly spinning Keith around to face him and guiding their bodies in a starting position.

The music is already in full swing and Lance takes a step to match that of the other dancers, gently tugging Keith along in a strange mix of a waltz and shuffle, confident where he is stiff.

After maybe a half a minute where they steadily avoided each other’s eye, Keith speaks up. “Is this something we do now? Dance.”

Blue eyes flicker past his face and he doesn't have to imagine the silent conversation that's happening over his shoulder. Lightning quick he looks behind him, but, much to his chagrin, Hunk has already schooled his expression from where he sits at one of the many tables and is staring back at him with all too innocent eyes.

Lance clears his throat and Keith turns back to a nervous smile. “Yeah, I thought we could try it out… See how you—er, we feel about it.”

There must have been something in the drink he had earlier of his because Keith can feel himself melting.

“It’s nice,” he says, watching as the other boy’s smile turns into something more lighthearted. “I’m not very good but, yeah, it’s… it’s nice.”

Eyes twinkle in the warm light. “I think it’s nice too.”

There’s a bit of a hitch in the music and Keith spies a few of the musicians being switched out, exchanging string instruments for ones that look like a cross between trumpets and accordions. It must be getting later in the evening because some of the dancers leave, replaced by a much younger crowd. He spots a few familiar faces, both humans—Atlas technicians, old classmates, Garrison faculty—and aliens—bounty hunters, altean colonists, royal dignitaries—all unabashedly shedding their professional appearance in exchange for a good time. The energy pulses upwards, pushing them closer together and causing the weird rumbling in Keith’s chest to give way to butterflies, transparent wings brushing along the inside of his ribs in a way that has his heart thumping madly.

When the song increases in tempo Keith accidentally steps on Lance’s foot. He cringes. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine,” Lance assures. ”Just lighten your steps and pretend it’s a training session. Move with me, not against me.”

Keith tries the step again and nearly trips over his own feet when he miscalculates how many times his partner would step back, causing a table of girls nearby to twitter with amusement at the sight of him. Lance doesn’t mock him for his clumsiness, just adjusts his hand so it presses a bit lower on his back; Keith feels the touch like a brand, barely catching onto the way his palm shifts in accordance to the next step.

It gives Keith something to focus on and, eventually, he falls in line with the steps.

“See? You’re a natural.”

Keith snorts and Lance grins, proud. “Not really—not like you anyway. How did you get to be so good?”

“I'm Cuban,” he says as a means of explanation, swinging his hips leisurely with the beat a drummer starts playing, obviously enjoying himself. It’s… distracting. Especially when the song changes to something with more bass and he lines their bodies together, starting up a heavy sway that Keith falls into after the initial jerk of surprise. Then there’s a thigh fitting between his legs and Lance is letting go of one hip to guide his gloved hand to the small of his back, casual as can be as the boy rolls back into the touch.

“This is, um.” Keith takes in a shaky breath. “I’ve never done this before.”

“Yeah, I don’t think there are many opportunities for this out in the desert. You really missed out—the Garrison dances always ended up this way. Didn’t matter how many chaperones they assigned.” Lance’s voice is level with his ear, their cheeks brushing as they move to the music, causing goosebumps when he feels the contradictory smooth-roughness of the other’s freshly shaved skin. “But we’ll count this as making up for all the ones you missed. Better late than never, right?”

Breathing is difficult but Keith manages it, if only just. “Right.”

Lance makes a noncommittal hum, pressing closer to let a couple trip pass them. Keith watches them go from his view over Lance’s shoulder, only slightly scandalized when the shorter alien unabashedly slips a hand over their date’s backside. It causes his hand to twitch, the pad of his thumb finding the indent of his partner’s lower back through his suit. With a startling clarity, Keith realizes how far his hand has fallen and tenses, waiting for Lance to notice and take offense.

But nothing happens. No one comments on how close the two paladins have gotten, probably because they aren’t the only ones to do so. The dancefloor is a mesh of bodies, all moving to whatever dance they know and hiding them from the view of the spectators sitting at the tables. He’s not pushed away in disgust, nor is he laughed at. Instead, Lance drapes his free arm over Keith’s shoulder, smoothing down the baby hairs at the back of his neck.

It gives Keith the courage to glance over; he spies half-lidded eyes and a warm flush under golden skin. Enticed by the fluttery feeling low in his gut, he settles his remaining arm over the other’s bicep, just above the edge of his elbow-length gloves. A slow inhale, followed by an even slower exhale, and the pulse under his fingers jumps.

He’s never been held like this before, as if he was the beginning of an addictive end.

The song—the fifth they had danced to and Keith deliriously wonders where the time had gone—starts to come to a climax, and Lance stirs. He looks at the band, then the other dancers and then Keith. There’s something in his eyes and it’s like taking a deep breath before diving under, adrenaline-inducing, willing to be pulled wherever the current takes him. The moment builds like a cresting wave—higher and higher, curling with seafoam and impending desire—until Keith is sure that they're going to crash together, that he’s going to lean in closer and kiss him. Involuntarily, he slips his eyes closed.

“And now, the big finish!”

His eyes fly back open. "What—"

But Lance is already twisting them around and throwing himself backwards. And Keith has no choice but to hastily lean with him, biceps flexing as he tightens his grip around Lance’s waist and hastily puts pressure between his shoulder blades. The top of his head barely misses cracking against the floor. Still, Lance cackles like it’s great fun.

“I can’t believe that worked,” Lance says too loudly when they’re back to standing normally, clapping with the rest of the crowd as the band announces their fifteen minute break. The moment officially over. “I usually drop my partners when I try to dip them.”

“That was embarrassing.”

“Eh, you liked it.”

A little called out, Keith hunches his shoulders and scowls. “I did not.”

But Lance goes on like he didn’t say anything, giving him a million-watt smile. “We did pretty well, all things considered. Probably cause we make such a good team.”

And how is Keith supposed to keep things together when he goes and says things like that? All sincere and butterfly-inducing. “Yeah,” he tells the boy, feeling brave and scared and more than himself, making it so that the back of their hands brush. “We really are.”

After that the party winds down.

The crowds thin and people start saying their goodbyes, respectful salutes paving way for hearty handshakes and more than one inebriated embrace. There seems to be a line forming in front of Allura, everyone wanting a final word with the princess before the night is officially over; Keith merely gives a wave as he and Lance pass her by towards where Hunk and Pidge dally around the buffet table, thinking nothing of the quick smile she gives in return before looking at the diplomat talking to her, knowing that he’ll see her tomorrow at their usual movie night.

Hunk is polishing off his plate of what looks to be pigs in a blanket while Pidge shoves leftover hors d'oeuvres into her shoulder pack. “I’ve got to get this recipe,” the former is saying when the pair come within hearing distance, looking up at the sound of their footsteps and doing a triple take before not-so-subtlety nudging his smaller companion with his elbow. With both gazes trained on them, Hunk gives a too-innocent smile. “Looks like you guys had fun. How was the dancefloor?”

“Crowded,” Keith replies at the same time Lance says, “Cozy.”

The yellow paladin’s eyes flicker between them. “Okay, yeah. Well, we were gonna head out soon… Are, um, you guys gonna…”

“It is getting pretty late,” Lance agrees, leaning forward to steal the last bit of the food from Hunk’s plate before slipping around Keith and draping an arm across his shoulders. He pops the finger food into his mouth and makes a show of chewing loudly when Keith frowns. “You’re going back to the Atlas, right?” he asks him, oblivious or uncaring of the two pairs of eyes that dissect the entire interaction. “Do you think I could hitch a ride with you? I’m staying with Veronica tonight and I think she already left.”

“Sure.”

“Cool.” Lance leans away far enough that he nearly topples the two of them over and Keith has to lightly brace his hand on the other’s waist to better balance them. “See you later, paladudes.”

They four exchange fist bumps and then the red and blue paladin are angling themselves towards the exit, Keith trying not to combust when their arms stay wrapped around each other. More than one eye sticks to them and even more bodies put themselves in front of them to give a deferential goodbye; Lance takes it in stride, giving a sincere wave here and an over-the-top wink there, and it more than makes up for Keith’s own stilted replies. He only blunders once and that’s when Shiro catches his eye over the brim of a champagne glass, smile smug and unbearable.

Finally, they make it to the building’s transport dock where the Black Lion sits docilely.

The forcefield dissipates before Keith even asks and there’s a low rumble in greeting when the pair walk up the ramp, which Lance reciprocates with a light pat to one of the wall panels before following Keith to the cockpit. Then it’s just a means of setting a course to the Atlas and watching the stars pass them by as the mechanical lion does the rest.

The Atlas is empty save for the night shift, all of whom pause in their work up in the control room to watch the Black Lion land and the two paladins that exit it make their way across the room. It is almost eerie how their footsteps sound like a military march in comparison to absolute quiet that reigns once the cabin pressurizer comes online but Keith doesn’t give himself any time to consider it, not when he has a preferable distraction walking alongside him. Lance fills in the silence easily, looking princely as he charms Keith with anecdotes of parties past, laughing alongside him as he recalls the time he had won the Winter Formal crown and the resulting awkward dance that had followed, set to an early century song that he attempts (and fails) to beatbox. It makes the trip up to the floor with their quarters all the more enjoyable and when it’s over, Keith wishes it wasn’t.

Lance flashes a smile at him. “Night, Samurai.”

He sighs in return. “Night, Sharpshooter.”

Then the boy is turning around, disappearing down the hallway with only one look over his shoulder. And Keith, not wanting to look more foolish than he already has by getting caught staring at the spot his crush had occupied, quickly unlocks his door and slips inside.

His mother is in the kitchen, slicing up something that looks like a blue tomato, and looks up when he lingers in the doorway. “You’re back,” she says neutrally, transferring the food to a serving platter and pointedly ignoring the cosmic wolf that watches her every move, drool starting to collect at the base of his largest molar. “How was the party?”

He shrugs. “It was alright.”

“Just alright?”

He shuffles away and into the living room, collapsing onto the couch. His neck cranes back, giving him a perfect view of the ceiling tiles. There’s a scorch mark in the top-right corner from when Kosmo had mistaken one of Krolia’s blasters for a chew toy. He squints at it, thinking, and his mind instantly snags onto the phantom brush of thighs and the strum of an alien guitar. Mouth dry and more than a little embarrassed, he squeezes his eyes shut.

The couch dips slightly and then a clawed hand is stroking his hair, pushing his bangs out of his face and behind his ear. The gesture quells the loud noise in his chest and he lets his head dip to the side, heated cheek squished against the cool felt of the couch.

“It was maybe more than alright,” he finally answers. For some reason, it’s this admission that had him blushing and curling his toes in secondhand gratification. “I had fun, more fun than I thought I would have anyway.”

“I’m glad to hear it.”

She doesn’t ask, but he knows she wants to know. Better yet, he wants to tell her.

“Everyone was there.”

She hums and continues to comb through his hair.

“Shiro, Pidge and Hunk and Allura. Lance too.” A pause where he clears his throat, far from casual. “We danced.”

“That sounds nice.”

“Yeah, it was—nice.”

They sit in silence for a bit and his mind lingers on the dance he had shared that evening. He plays it on loop, going over every detail until he could sketch it out on paper, framed and made all the more real. Eventually Krolia stops her grooming in favor of offering him a slice of the strange fruit; he takes it and plops it into his mouth without question, surprised at the sweet taste.

“It’s weird, feeling this way,” he says absently, grounded but with his head in the clouds. “Weird that this is where I am. That life’s like this now.”

“The universe works in mysterious ways,” she tells him with a hum and he would scoff at such a cliche saying if it weren’t for the way his mother says it so genuinely. “Sometimes, it takes a lifetime and a half to find your place in it. I’m glad you’ve found yours.”

The flashes start coming faster and—

—Lance’s warm hand in his as they walk through a line of stalls selling alien wares. Merchants offering gossamer scarfs the same shade as the rising sun and jewelry that shines like they’ve been plucked straight from the night sky. Gaggles of children running through the streets, laughing as they dodge through the crowds. An ornate dagger purchased and gifted—

—fingers gently rubbing a sticky substance over the stretch of his cheek while a voice drones on about the benefits of skincare—

—his shoulder leaned against a doorway as he watches Lance address a class full of recruits, eyes twinkling when they catch sight of him hidden in the shadows. The loud trill of a bell and the shuffle of children eager for lunch, tempered by the arms wrapped around his neck and the kiss bestowed on his cheek—

—the shudder that goes through him as they rock into each other, skin sweaty and breathes loud. Hands gripping his thighs and his teeth nipping at an exposed neck, leaving marks so the world would know who they belonged to, now and to the end. Words whispered in the dark just as stars burst across his vision—

—eyes connecting over a crowd, secretive and happy—

—Keith fumbling with the black box in his pocket as he paces their room, repeating the words he wants to say to the man that he loves, nervous and excited and everything that comes after—

—he never wants them to stop.

They are hanging out in Keith’s room three days after the ball, sitting on the floor and leaning against his bed as they enjoy each other’s presence. Between them, Kosmo rolls onto his back, expecting belly rubs now that they’re no longer distracted by the show they had been watching, ending credits rolling after twenty-three minutes of terrible storytelling and bad animation. Lance is talking with the assumption that Keith will listen, going on loudly about how his character in the show is the main protagonist while delivering pats to the space wolf.

And Keith is… distracted.

Distracted in a sense that he can’t focus—or rather, he can’t stop focusing. On the energetic hand gestures and the expressive emotions that flit across Lance’s face as he speaks, pausing intermittently in order to coo at Kosmo and ask his opinion on things, always answered with a happy pant and an excited tail wag that has the blue paladin nodding sagely before continuing. He focuses on the way he feels now, in this moment, content like he’s never felt before.

A wet tongue licks a stripe up Lance’s cheek and he rears back, half disgusted, half charmed, and Keith can’t keep quiet any longer. Just blurts out, “We should do something this weekend.”

His friend blinks owlishly. “What?”

There’s fire coursing through his veins, invigorating him. It gives him courage to continue, to make so that the flashes are no longer flashes but memories. “I said we should do something this weekend. Do something together.”

“Yeah, okay.”

The casualness of the answers makes him think that the boy doesn’t quite understand the request. Assumes what he’s asking is for something they’ve always done. They hang out all the time, yes, but this is different. He wants this to be different.

“No, I mean we should go out this weekend.” Keith sends him a certain look, waiting for Lance to catch on.

He doesn’t catch on. “Huh?”

Dark eyes roll toward the ceiling and Keith shakes his head, and there’s that something again and oh, it’s fondness—it’s a look of fondness quirking his lips.

“What I’m saying is…” He takes a quick moment to shift on his hip so that their knees are almost touching and, after a moment of consideration, Keith slides his hand down and over until the tips of their pinkies bump into each other. “We should go out this weekend, like go on a ride out to town. Whatever you want, really.”

Lance’s blinks once, twice, three times, and—there. Comprehension floods and it takes only half a second before a high pitched noise scratches out of the boy’s throat. His eyes are wide, comically so, and he stares at Keith, mouth parting in an eclipse of a red moon. Then, just as Keith is committing the image to memory, he snaps his mouth shut and visibly shakes himself. “O-okay, I see. You mean like a scouting mission, right? For any lingering drones out in the desert. Well, yeah, um, as long as it’s okay with Shiro—”

“No,” he quickly cuts off, partially frustrated at the gap in communication and partially embarrassed that they would need clearance for what he has in mind. “I meant—a ride together—as in, you and me. No mission. Just us… together.”

The boy swallows loudly and Keith tracks the moment involuntarily.

"Oh.”

A lapse follows, not uncomfortable, but full. Keith buzzes in the aftertaste of his impromptu proposition and holy hell, he just asked Lance out. They’ve still yet to talk about the ball and how they had danced all night, and, despite the looks they receive from their teammates, neither of them have been brave enough to breach the silent agreement of keeping whatever feelings they had to themselves. However, now everything threatens to burst. His heart finally catches up to his words, beating in overdrive as he waits for an answer. But Lance seems not to care for the nervousness pulsing in his veins or the butterflies fluttering in the base of his stomach because he keeps up the uncharacteristic silence. It remains that way for a solid thirty seconds, until, finally, Keith can't take it anymore.

He clears his throat. “So, is that a yes?”

Lance jerks to attention, looking caught. “I, uh, what?”

“Do you want to go?”

Something incredible happens then. It’s wild and previously unthinkable, but Lance blushes.

He blinks and his vision doubles, half of it going auburn in a wash of caribbean light. He is by the waterfront, the sound of crashing waves dissolving into background noise when compared to the breathy laugh that washes over his face. Darkened cheeks lift in a smile that crinkles eyes and Keith goes a bit red himself at the image. The flash indulges him in a scene of utter bliss; velvety sand and supple lips, parting against his own.

Without thought he leans in, chasing the moment not yet passed. It causes present Lance’s eyes to go wide and it’s nothing like the cool burn of his half lidded gaze on the beach, salt drying on his lashes and sun-born freckles prickling his cheeks.

“I—ah, um. I—I’ll go.”

“Yeah?”

Lance looks away and then back. His voice is the quietest he’s ever heard. Almost shy. “Yeah.”

And it really is that easy.

The days go by slow after that, drawling in an agonizing pace. Second by second, minute by minute, hour by hour. Nearly stagnant, Keith hangs under time’s dispassionate influence, watching the clock and willing it to move. It’s a blessing when it finally hits five o’clock on the following Saturday. He stops the pacing he had been doing for the past hour and checks his reflection for the sixth time in as many minutes, tucking and untucking his shirt and running a hand in his hair in an futile attempt to tame it. When the results only further his agitation he gives up, collecting his nerves to the best of his ability making his way out the door with the intention of a quiet getaway.

Which makes him startle when he runs into Romelle outside his door, hand raised and poised to knock. “Keith! I've been sent to retrieve you!” He sees her gaze flicker down to take in his outfit—his cleanest pair of jeans, a corded necklace with a hanging Marmora pendant, and a leather jacket so new that its tag is stuffed in his back pocket—and he stops himself from turning back around and locking himself in his closet till the end of time. “Dinner is almost ready and Coran has made the most spectacular—”

“Actually,” he interrupts, unable to maintain eye contact, “I’ve got other plans.”

Romelle opens her mouth, but Keith, knowing the girl’s knack for rambling, is already speeding through the hallway.

Unfortunately for him, the living room is not as empty as he had previously thought. The yellow and green paladin are sitting on the couch, surrounded by a hurricane of blankets and pillows, the leftovers of a raid on Shiro’s candy stache sprawled across the coffee table.

“Aw, Keith, you look nice. What’s the occasion?”

Pidge looks up and over her screen, lips curling in a sly grin that instantly puts Keith on edge. “Yeah, Keith, where are you going?”

“Nowhere,” he says immediately. Then, “Out.”

“Out with Lance I bet. Isn’t your date today?”

Hunk gasps. “You guys are going on a date?”

“How did you…?” He spots his phone on the couch next to her and huffs angrily, stomping over and snatching it back. He quickly unlocks it, frowning when his last conversation with Lance immediately pops up, the other boy having sent a barrage of emojis in affirmation that their outing was still on. “Stop looking through my stuff and for the last time, we aren’t—it’s not a date. We’re just going for a ride, maybe check out the town market. It’s whatever.”

“I don’t know, that sounds a lot like a date to me. Hunk, any thoughts?”

Hunk has just one. “It’s totally a date.”

Heat flushes his cheeks. “Don’t you have your own quarters? Why are you even here?”

Pidge leans back, priggish smirk still in tact. “Matt and N-1 are having their rebel friends over and I didn’t want to third-wheel it, so Shiro said I could crash here for the night.”

Keith internally curses Shiro and his mother hen tendencies. Outwardly, he searches for the key card he’s pretty sure he left on the table the night before. His hair falls into his face as he ducks to check under the furniture and he brushes it back behind his ear, thinking maybe it would be more manageable in a ponytail.

“Look at him.” Pidge snickers. “What a schmuck.”

Hunk shushes her with a light pat of the arm. “I think it’s sweet. It means he cares. And don’t you worry Keith, I’m sure Lance will appreciate the effort you put into today. It’s also perfectly normal to be nervous for your first date— ”

“I’m not nervous and it’s not a date.”

Their response is lost when he goes to the office in the next room and searches there. But it’s all for naught because Shiro is a veritable mess when it comes to anything other than flying because there are papers scattered everywhere and it would take hours to file through even half of it.

When he comes back out, Allura has joined them. She perks up at the sight of him, but he ignores her in favor of checking in between the cushions of the armchair. However, Allura is not deterred. “Keith, Pidge and Hunk have just informed me of your date with Lance. If I may, I have some suggestions—”

“I don’t need any suggestions. I just need to leave or I’ll be late.” Pidge squawks indignantly when Keith shoves her to check her side of the couch.

“Yes, you’re right! Punctuality is very important for these types of things. Early duflax gets the wyvin, as Coran always says.” It seems pointless to mention that not once has he ever heard Coran say that. “But if I could impart some advice before you go. Now, I don’t know much about Earthen mating rituals, but Pidge tells me that courting is a common practice here— ”

“I’m not listening.”

“—gifts are imperative for a successful—”

“Can’t hear you.”

“—when you present, do so when tensions are high—”

“Allura, please, stop.”

“—and then, finally, you must lay claim—”

“I’m leaving,” Keith announces loudly, trying and failing to drown out the giggles that come from Hunk and Pidge’s side of the couch. Forget the keycard. It’s not worth this pain. “Bye. I hope you all have a terrible day.”

They are unfazed by his words, grinning like madmen as they wave. He stalks out of the room, shoulders hunched all the way to his ears as he desperately tries to block out the kissy noises Pidge is making. He can’t believe there was a time he was worried that they would be out of his life; he must have been having an existential crisis or something because this is a new level of embarrassing.

He’s so consumed in his thoughts that he nearly barrels into Shiro on his way out. It’s only the steady grip of his automated arms that Keith doesn’t crack his head against the doorframe and give himself a concussion.

“Whoa there. You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m just…”

“Looking for this?”

There, dangling from Shiro’s prosthetic fingers, is a familiar key card.

Keith lets out a deep breath, a whisper of relief cooling down the anxious fire within him by a few degrees. He sends his oldest friend a strained smile and takes them. “Yeah, thanks. Where did you find them?”

“Under the couch with one of my shoes, the holoscreen remote, Hunk’s headband, and Allura’s earrings. It seems like Kosmo’s starting a life of crime.”

He lets out a chuckle, unraveling just a little less. “I should probably put a stop to that.”

Shiro nods, patting his back in that sorta awkward, manly sort of way. It’s encouraging and he steps past the other man with a deep breath. Feeling more like himself, he secures the key card to his belt loop and turns to head down the corridor, promising himself that he’ll only start running when there’s no one to catch him doing it.

“Oh, Keith?”

Keith whips around, nerves already reinflating. “Yeah?”

Shiro fails to keep his smile in check. “Have fun on your date.”

And before he can even begin to retaliate, the door is sliding shut and he’s left there, standing in an empty hallway, red to his tips.

Lance looks nice. Really nice. Really, really, really nice. It’s actually a little distracting how nice he looks.

They had met up at the east end of the loading docks and Keith had fought to keep his cool when he had spotted the tall form of his fellow paladin casually leaning against a security rail. His white v-neck and ripped jeans contrasted with the industrial setting, his denim jacket faded and adorned with a couple of pins, sleeves rolled up to showcase the collection of beaded bracelets wrapped around his left wrist. But what had truly pulled it all together was the smile he had sent Keith upon noticing him.

“Hey,” he says.

“Hi,” Lance returns. “You clean up good, Mullet.”

The compliment flusters him a little and he nearly walks straight into a support beam, only just managing to avoid it with a side-step that brings him close enough to brush shoulders with Lance. “Thanks. You, uh, you too.”

Unsure of what to say next, he ducks his head and leads them to the area the coordinator had assigned him when he had called in the favor. Section A-26 is large and the usual aircraft that docks there is nowhere to be seen; instead, there his hoverbike sits, scavenged from the Blue Lion’s cave and restored to its previous glory. He hoists himself up into the seat with practiced ease and looks down at Lance expectantly.

Pink tints the other boy’s cheeks, but there’s this mischievous smile on his face as he asks, “Why do you get to drive?”

“Because I’m the one that knows where we’re going.”

“Wow, you actually have a plan. Um, okay, then where are we going? Or is that top secret?” He bounces where he stands, looking for all the word: giddish.

“It wasn’t until you asked.”

Lance looks pleased at the response and climbs up behind Keith.

The hoverbike dips a little at the uneven dispersion of weight and he offers his hand as a brace, blushing faintly when it’s taken. But thankfully, Lance doesn’t see, focused as he is on swinging a leg over the seat and scooting close enough to Keith that his chest brushes sparingly at his back. Then hands are wrapping around his middle, loose, and it’s embarrassing how responsive Keith’s body is to the touch, rolling in one long shiver that’s unmistakable. If Lance notices he doesn’t comment on it.

“Ready to roll,” he says, breath ghosting over the shell of his ear.

Keith puts on the goggles hidden in the front compartment and passes the extra pair he brought to his back seat passenger. Then it’s a matter of twisting the throttle and feeling the engine come to life beneath them, four hundred pounds of metal under his control. And it’s like it was just yesterday he was speeding across the desert with Shiro, tasting freedom for the first time, his hands gripping the handles like they were always meant to; the circumstance has changed but the feeling hasn’t and Keith, with the luxury knowing that he’s got time on his side, grins and drives.

“Woah!” Lance exclaims when Keith tears out of the loading docks, erupting into laughter when they take a sharp turn at the gates of the Garrison compound and startle the men stationed there.

Then it’s just the open desert road, flat and red-tinged. The torrid heat follows at their backs, rolling alongside tumbleweeds and whistling in the wind that buffets the nose of the hoverbike. Dust swirls under the speeder's anti-gravity fenders, curling over the shadowy silhouettes of cacti that they fly past. It brings the beds of the distance buttes into startling focus, massive against the clear sky and infinite horizon.

It takes twenty minutes to get to their destination.

Keith parks at the outskirts of the town nearest to the Galaxy Garrison, waiting for Lance to dismount before following. Their shoulders brush a bit as they stand side by side, Keith eyeing Lance as he eyes their surroundings curiously. The town market is already in full swing, tents set up and people bustling about, buying and selling wares; already, more than one individual behind a stand is calling out to them, offering a discount if they buy in bulk.

“I thought we could walk around a bit?” he says, hoping that the idea isn't too lame. “And after—well, there’s an arcade in the plaza a few streets down and they’ve got pizza.”

His fears are unfounded because Lance just grins. "Pizza not made out of green goo? Count me in."

Things go smoothly after that. The anxiety bubbling in Keith’s chest eases and it allows him the strength to grab Lance’s sleeve and tug him in the direction of a tent hosting a repository of wind chimes. From tent to tent, they go; browsing at board games from planets even they haven’t been to, giggling over misspelled words on shirts, daring each other to try gross-looking foods and petting every dog they see.

And it’s… fun. Keith is having fun.

Lance is great. He’s nice and funny and smart and actually seems to enjoy hanging out with Keith. He nods along when Keith speaks, insanely attentive, and offers his own input with great enthusiasm. They bicker too, playful jabs volleyed back and forth, easy and natural like it never was in the beginning but is now. And although Keith has never thought himself to be an overly funny guy, he finds that pulling a laugh out of his fellow paladin isn’t all that hard and even sort of a reward on all on its own.

It’s like they fit, slotting together like puzzle pieces—or flashes.

“Hey, Keith?” Lance’s hand finds Keith’s elbow. He had discarded his jacket just before they started eating, which is doing nothing to help the hot flush rushing to the apple of his cheeks. The corded muscles of forearms on display is near impossible to ignore and Keith’s eyes follow the dips and curves of his arm, the hard muscle leading up to his shoulder, the soft line of his neck, the defined jawline. “Your fries are getting cold.”

It’s the touch that has him pulling out of the confines of his thoughts, physically shaking his head and straightening his shoulders, not wanting to appear anything less than invested.

Naturally, the world seems to think Keith can’t have a single nice thing without a price because it’s just a few minutes into their meal that his phone starts to blow up with messages. A quick glance shows that most are from his mother, with a few from Shiro sprinkled in intermittently. All of the messages are ones of encouragement, some having been sent while they were driving and others steadily ignored when the two had browsed the stalls of the market.

Eventually all the small pings get to be enough that Keith has to silence his phone.

“You’re really popular today,” Lance notes, slathering an alarming amount of ranch onto his pizza. It’s only when he drowns the unsuspecting slice that he catches Keith’s surprised and guilty look that he elaborates, “Dude, your phone has been lighting up all day. I’d be blind not to notice.”

“Sorry.”

“It’s cool.”

Still, Keith feels the need to explain. “It’s Shiro and my mom. They’re… checking up on me.”

That gets a light laugh out of Lance. He brings out his own phone, showing Keith the mass of notifications on his lock screen. “I get that. I’ve gotten at least five texts asking if you’re secretly an axe murderer. I hope three years in space is enough time to confidently say that I wasn’t lying when I told them you weren’t. Would really put a damper on the day.”

“I don’t even own an axe.”

Lance’s grin grows and when he puts away his phone to continue eating, he doesn’t reclaim the few inches of space he had given away in order for Keith to see the screen. Their elbows knock a few times, but Keith doesn’t mind.

They leave the plaza in a good mood, making their way back to the hoverbike while they talk about nothing and everything. They only stop when they mount the vehicle and when Lance doesn’t ask Keith where they’re going he decides that he doesn’t want the day to be over quite yet, so he revs the throttle and heads toward the direction he knows his shack is. He eventually leads them to a hill that he and his father used to frequent when he was younger, an escape from the world long before the stars were something to shoot for.

It’s an easy hike up the hill and when they settle by the edge, their pinkies are touching.

“You can’t do that,” he says on their fourth game of tic-tac-toe when Lance brushes the dirt and erases his wobbly X, shifting it over a spot so that it blocks Keith’s next move. “That’s cheating.”

“No, Keithy boy, that’s what I call winning.”

“This isn’t a competition.”

“Isn’t it?” Que pursed lips and a sly side-eye. “If it’s not, then why did you dress up for today, huh? Trying to one up me in style too?”

“This is what I usually wear.”

“Pah-lease. Like I don’t know Shiro’s handiwork when I see it. Dude’s got an eye for colors and he did you a solid keeping with the red. Bet he put up such a fuss when you kept the fingerless gloves—they scream embarrassing scene phase that never really went away.” Lance laughs when he doesn’t immediately counter the accusation and it must fuel him because he continues. “I bet you were upset when you couldn’t find any eyeliner for our date—”

As if struck by lightning, Keith straightens.

“—probably used it all up making yourself look like an edgy, space raccoon going to some street race—”

Our date, Lance had said. He had called this a date. They were on a date right now. Officially. The two of them, together.

“—being emo. But, I mean, whatever works, you know? Sometimes you just gotta paint your nails black and—mmph!”

Keith’s kiss lands on his upper lip, hard and dry.

It’s quick, over and done within a matter of seconds. Lips tingling and heart hammering, Keith pulls back, soul leaving his suddenly flushed body when he realizes he can still feel the other’s breath on his face. He must remain in his catatonic state for longer than he realizes because then Lance’s giving him this particular frown and saying, “What was that?”

With nothing else to do, he shrugs helplessly. “It was a kiss.”

“I know what a kiss is.” Eyes search his. “Why did you kiss me? ”

“I wanted to,” he says simply. “Was that not okay?”

“No, that wasn’t… No, it was cool.”

“Cool,” Keith repeats.

Lance scratches the back of his neck. “Yeah. I liked it.”

“Me too,” he adds, looking down. A good portion of their game has been accidentally wiped away and he redraws it, purposefully putting all the X’s and O’s in their respective spots before Lance had decided to remake the rules. He nudges the other boy’s foot with his own, biting back a smile when they’re hooked together. “We can, um, stay here? If you want?”

“I’d like that.”

They stay long enough to watch the sun dip under the horizon.

As dates go, it’s the best he’s ever had.

Later, when he’s home and high off the promise of a second date, he walks into the kitchen to find his friends congregated despite the late hour.

“So,” Allura starts as soon as he walks in, boots loud on the linoleum floor, trying to appear casual as she leans against the counter and just failing. It doesn’t help that the space mice are nearly tripping over her hair as they peer at Keith from over her shoulder, adding four tiny pairs of eyes to the many already scrutinizing his every move. “You’re back awfully late.”

Romelle is no better, inspecting her nails even as her ears twitch in his direction. “Yes, how did it go?”

There’s a plate of cookies on the island counter, comically shaped like the lions and dressed in an assortment of colors. He picks up the only red one on top and bites into it, humming at its surprising sweetness. Knowing his audience still expects an answer, he attempts an aloof shrug and nails it. “It was fine.”

There’s a pause and Keith can tell something is coming. He doesn’t know what exactly, but the warning signs are all there, flashing neon when Allura steeples her fingers and gives him a look.

“And the other… thing?”

“What other thing?”

“Why your kiss with Lance, of course.”

He nearly drops the sweet in his hand and immediately goes to look through the kitchen pass-through, spotting the rumpled state of the pillows and blankets by the living room window looking out to the barrack’s hallway. That and the smudge of chocolate on the window sill, coupled with the candy wrappers sticking out of Pidge’s hoodie pouch, can only mean one thing. “Were you watching?”

“No,” Romelle and Hunk immediately deny just as Allura and Pidge say, “Yes.”

Keith fumbles for a plausible reaction. His friends had undoubtedly seen the goodbye kiss that had been exchanged between him and Lance when the latter had insisted on walking him home; it had been a memorable kiss and Keith had maybe lost himself to it for longer than he’s willing to admit, but that’s something else entirely. A little helplessly, he searches the room for a means of end for this absolute embarrassment. He finds none. “That’s—I can’t believe—uncool!”

“Lance texted me almost immediately after,” Hunk offers, as if that makes up for his eavesdropping and then denial of said eavesdropping. “He hasn’t stopped talking about how you sprung one on him. You don’t really beat around the bush, do you?”

Shiro, the traitor, nods. He ignores Keith’s death glare and takes a sip of his tea, eyes crinkling with mirth over the rim of his mug. “Keith has always been very straightforward in what he wants. A real go-getter.”

It’s at that time that Coran makes an appearance, dressed in an obnoxiously orange pajama set with a matching hat, but any hope Keith has of the older man causing a distraction and, by default, a new topic change dissipates when he asks, “Oh, are we talking about Keith and Lance’s kiss? Congratulations Keith, I hear it had quite the impact.”

Pidge looks like she’s barely holding back a laugh. “Yeah, way to go in for the kill, Keith.”

“Can we stop talking about this?” He doesn’t wait for an answer. “Stop talking. Just stop talking. I don’t want to hear another word.”

Thankfully, they listen and grow quiet. It doesn’t stop the looks that are thrown his direction, especially with Allura nearly vibrating in her slippers in the effort to capture his gaze, but it’s easy to scowl and turn away. He snatches the drink Shiro holds, ignoring the other’s surprised whine, and takes a sip, ready to head to bed and purge this conversation from his mind, never to be brought up again—

“Did you use tongue?”

Keith chokes.

Hunk merely hums. “Yeah, didn’t look like it.”

Keith thought he knew what love was.

It had been an easy thing, once upon a time. It had been his dad’s hugs after a long day, the blade left to him from a mother he didn’t know, a pat on the back following a perfect maneuver from a brother he found. It was as simple as looking up at the sky and letting himself get lost, for space was everything he had ever wanted, vast and exciting and impossible. Constant and safe and easy, a look to the heavens that held every dream.

But this is new.

New in that he is utterly blindsighted and unprepared for when it happens. A change in heart, from wistful ache to hopeful relief, sudden in the wake of new love. Stitched together through time and soft words, it beats again. Thump-thump, thump-thump, thump-thump, it goes, drumming loudly against his chest, swelling at touches that burn like supernovas, thump-thump, thump-thump, thump-thump.

Even more goosebump-inducing than the fire in his chest is the response it gets. Because, startling enough, the feeling is reciprocated.

No words have been said but the thought is there. It comes through in the accidental brushes that turn to lingering caresses. It’s the stretch of an arm thrown over wide shoulders, heads dipped closer as casual words are exchanged. It’s the lack of space as they sit, thighs pressed firmly together and feet idly kicking. It’s the pluck of pink petals out of dark hair, absent-minded, curling in the breeze. It’s the hand pressed against a lower back, feather-light as it guides them closer and onward.

Everything is the same, but different.

Following the date, they are still Lance and Keith, still stubborn and opinionated and more than willing to call each other out, but now—now, they’re more. Keith can talk strategy for restoration while their hands are clasped under the table; can steal a kiss during a spar and, while the other is distracted, sweep his legs right out from underneath him and ensure his victory; can argue the integrity of putting pineapple on pizza for three hours while cuddled under Lance’s arm; and can even sneak the boy into his room when Shiro and his mom are out on call, leaving the door closed and the lights off. He’s allowed to do these things—encouraged, even, if Lance's pleased as punch looks are anything to go by��to look, to touch, to hold. It’s a recently discovered niche in which they fall into, each eager to explore, and once they find their line, Lance makes a point of tiptoeing it. And Keith—well, Keith can't find it in himself to complain.

(“Like this,” the Lance of his flashes murmurs to him one night as he gets ready for bed—only for the words to be spoken again three days later as they curl into each other on the beat-up couch in his shack. “I like it like this.”)

Life shapes into something remarkable in the days of after. It becomes a certainty that the flashes had promised and Keith sometimes can’t believe it, that he gets this. Gets this and more. Because not that long ago, he had nothing—he was nothing—scraping by, sneering at everything he couldn’t have just to hide how it hurt to be denied the love he so desperately craved. But that’s the past and though it shapes him, it is not him. He is here, today, and soon, tomorrow too.

Tomorrow and every day that comes after.

In a menagerie of light, meteor showers and space whales, Keith dreams.

Even so long apart, the abyss is a physical thing inside him. It curls inside in the space behind his heart while he sleeps, coveting each heartbeat like a dragon to a horde; time does not exist in this plane and each heart beat, a remembrance to what he has lived through and what he will live through, is too enticing to pass up. It croons out a soft lullaby, asking for one last look.

Keith gives it.

It’s the sand between his toes and lips meeting his own, sun-warm and pliant to the lazy breeze. It’s the hot puff of breath at his neck while frantic hands explore. It’s the ring on his finger and the sip of champagne, glasses clinking in a toast made. It’s the weight of a child on his chest, calm and innocent, snoring lightly as a small hand fists his shirt. It’s the dip of a mattress every night, for the rest of his nights.

Keith wakes up and knows that’s the last flash he’ll ever have.

On the first day of the rest of his life Lance challenges Keith to a race.

It’s not the first time one of them has issued such a dare and it surely won’t be a last, but Keith still treats it like it’s the most important thing he’s ever done. He squares his shoulder and steps up to the plate, toe to toe, staring Lance in the eye as he accepts. It’s like old times, even with the newness between them, rearing up in the deliberate way Lance tilts his head, chin jutting out in that stubborn fashion of his, the crook of his eyebrow and the curl of his lips dangerous in ways Keith is only just getting used to.

Nevertheless, the day finds them back at the loading docks, convincing the Atlas crew to let them borrow another speeder. When Keith has signed the proper paperwork he turns to find Lance already seated on one of the hoverbikes. The red one.

Keith squints and Lance grins, but lets it go with a soft huff. He walks over to the gray bike and hoists himself with little effort, straddling the sleek seat and making himself familiar with the controls.

“Ready?” he asks once he's done.

“Born ready,” is Lance’s answer.

And, well, Keith can't let a challenge like that stand.

Without further ado, he revs the engine and shoots down the catwalk. He hears the beginning of a surprised squawk before the wind is boxing his ears, tugging at his hair, chasing away everything until it is just him and the road.

Flying is in his blood. It’s been a part of him since as long as he can remember. It was there when he sat atop his father’s shoulders, arms spread wide and leaning back as far as he dared, staring up, up, up. Fondly, he recalls the way big hands had grasped his tiny ankles and the voice, deep and honest, quoting, Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.

He had been too young to understand the words then, but he thinks he understands them now.

Though the most air he gets this time around is a particularly steep ledge over a slim ravine a quarter of a mile east from Galaxy Garrison property, it still feels the same. Like he’s taking a deep breath for the first time, lungs expanding until he is weightless, free. Free to be who he is, even if that is a boy quick to anger and slow to love.

And Keith likes who he is now. Likes who he can be—with Krolia, with Shiro and the team, with Lance.

In the end, Keith wins the race.

It’s a close call and his heart races at the thought of it. Because Lance is grinning that absurd grin, eyes crinkling with the force of it, and his hair is a mess, windblown and highlighted gold by the sun. The white shirt that clings to him is twisted and Lance makes a halfhearted effort to fix it as he quiets his hoverbike’s engine and starts talking in compensation, mouth moving a mile a minute.

“I almost had you at that last bend,” he is saying, leaning back in his seat so that his torso is one sleek slant. “I shouldn't have hesitated on the acceleration—I guess I’m just not an adrenaline junkie like you, but hey, now that I know the angle, it’ll be different. So I say we go around again. Two out of three wins. Loser has to help Coran clean the—Keith? Hello? Are you even listening to me?”

It’s not a flash, but it feels like one.

“Keith?” Shoulders rise as Lance angles his head to catch his gaze, honest concern coloring those beautiful eyes. They aren’t that close, hovebikes parked perpendicular to one another, but he swears he can see the universe reflecting in dark navy. Planets colliding and forming, spinning in orbit around a dilated pupil. “Hey, man, what’s wr— ”

“Date me.”

The words are out of his mouth before he has time to really think about them and what they mean.

Lance splutters. “What?”

But now that the idea has been introduced. Keith can't deny its appeal; to keep what they have, in all its stubborn sincerity and wild attraction, going for as long as they live. Perhaps even further than that. “Date me,” he says again, with more conviction. A pause. “Please. Please date me.”

A moment, then—

“You just have to beat me at everything, don't you?” Lance starts, loud enough to be considered yelling, but having none of the thunderous anger usually associated with the volume. “Can't even give me this one thing, can you? Well, the joke’s on you—cause it was going to be great! I had everything planned out and it was going to be the most romantic thing ever! Would've blown this disaster out of the water, I'm telling you!” He stands and, uncaring of the wobble it gives under his weight, marches purposefully across the wing of his bike until they’re parallel to one another. One of his hands waves madly about, flying across the entire range of their surroundings before gesturing to Keith himself. “Candles and rose petals everywhere! Hunk was gonna cook something nice and we would've danced and—and you were gonna swoon! Straight into my arms! There would've been kissing and everything! The whole shebang!”

Keith furrows his eyebrows, lost. “What?”

But Lance blows past his confusion and slumps to the side in an expulsion of energy, mumbling, “God, you're such a jerk.”

Hands move to grip the front of his shirt, the only warning before the entire weight of his maybe-boyfriend is forced upon him. Keith feels the wisp of eyelashes fluttering against the column of his neck as Lance smooshes his nose into the junction there, mumbling words and noises he can't hope to translate. He returns the clumsy embrace automatically, winding his arms around the other’s waist and resting his cheek on a soft, brown crown of hair.

“So… yes?”

Lance laughs a watery laugh, deliriously happy, and leans back to stare him straight in the eye, a whirlwind of blue caught in a crystal ball of stars. The grip on his shirt loosens, fingers trailing up his chest until they tease the nape of his neck. “Of course it's a yes, you absolute loser.”

Keith frowns even as his heart sings, melody erupting into fireworks so loud he might go deaf. “See, it's stuff like that last part that really mix me up.”

“Oh my gosh, just shut up and kiss me.”

So he does.

Time, like most things in Keith’s life, is something he keeps close.

#klance #voltron #vld #laith #keith x lance #keith kogane #lance mcclain #voltron legendary defender #aeon #fanfiction #writing #chomp chomp goes the raptor

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dammitadolfnomorecake · 4 years ago

Text

Once Bitten, Twice Stupid prt 131

131

Keith was quiet as he entered Lance’s room. He and Lance had been separated again, this time for the duration of his checkup with Coran. He’d been uselessly knocked out by Sendak, when his boyfriend needed him. Lance losing control of his ego, no one able to get close to either of them until Lance had cried himself into sleep. He’d heard about it from James, Shiro having been diverted by Coran . Honestly he didn’t care what had happened when Lance did what he needed to survive, only that Lance was finally back with him physically.

Mentally was something else they were working on. When Keith had seen all the wires, tubes, bandages, and machines strapped to his vampire boyfriend, he’d thought he’d lost him forever. He didn’t understand why he’d only been allowed to observe him through thick glass in what was a whole other part of the infirmary. He’d all but laughed off the idea of lance hurting any of them. Not until Lance had started getting agitated in his sleep. He wanted to rush to his side and promise him the nightmare was over. Instead room a wreck in a matter of moments, Lance screaming as he curled up on the bed, his fingers in his hair, desperate for comfort. Yeah. Keith ignored the fear that seeing Lance so violent had caused. His boyfriend calming when he wrapped his arms around him, asleep against him within minutes. His wings remaining until the following afternoon when Lance’s beautiful blue eyes finally opened for him.

Coran filled him on what he’d seen when Lance was brought it as he tried to convince Keith he needed to be checked over again instead of holding Lance’s hand. His boyfriend refused to let him go. Both of them wrapped in his thick black wings as he clutched at Keith so tightly Coran had to manipulate Lance’s quintessence to get him to let go in order to administer medical aid. Lance had completely lost control of himself. He’d killed Sendak. He’d tried to go anyone who got close to them, lapping at Keith’s bleeding head wound as an animal would lick a wound of it’s own. They’d feared Keith would be turned, Lance drenched in Sendak’s blood after all and out control... he was lucky not to have been... James had said Lance had pretty much cleared the scene of enemy combatants, mauling the vampire that had... that nearly cost Krolia her life. The werewolf actually sounded impressed... until Keith punched him for thinking this was some kind of triumphant act for Lance. It wasn’t. Lance would need a long time to heal from the pain of this and while it might be a huge brag in the Blade’s, it was pretty much the opposite for his gentle and loving idiot crumpet.

Climbing into bed beside his boyfriend, Lance hadn’t said much since waking. The instant Keith’s was settled, his boyfriend was curling into him, head resting on Keith’s chest as he clutched his shirt. That happened every time Keith had to leave. Lance would panic, Keith finding himself also anxious and panicked over leaving. Lance couldn’t seem to rest properly if Keith wasn’t beside him. Seeing it was after 10pm Mami was sleeping, she’d come by again the following morning. Lance managed only a few words with him and her, even less with Coran. Their twins were alright, once Lance had learned that he’d cried himself to sleep against Keith, who was equally teary and expecting the worst. Lance needed a lot of care to get him where he was, but he wasn’t so far gone that there was no hope. With Lance unable to explain, they’d gotten no answers initially until Curtis woke up. Lotor had been detained, kept safe and sound inside Sendak’s car by the partition and child safety locks. Unsure if Lotor really was innocent, he’d been locked away after receiving some kind of treatment for shit Keith couldn’t care less about. Allura had been spending a lot of time with him. Pidge and Hunk had come to see Lance, Lance hugging both of them as he’d cried, but it’d been before Lance was managing words again. They’d taken Blue back to Garrison, promising to get the house ready for when he came home. Keith could see through their brave smiles that they had no idea how to help their friend. Once things were less fresh, Lance would open up again. He’d found those words to tell Keith that much, and how much he’d just wanted to come back home to him.

Kissing Lance’s hair. Keith wished he hadn’t seen photos of Lance taken as evidence when he’d been brought in. He’d been cleaned up by the time Keith woke up later that same day

“Coran said he’s going to bring down something to eat soon. Do you want to try sitting up for me?”

Lance sniffled. He’d been good about eating. Coran had kept him hooked up to a Blood drip for the first 3 days, Lance had torn it out every time he seemed to sense Keith further than a couple of metres away from him. Now he was coherent, he was doing what he was told. Keith missed the spark in Lance’s eyes, yet respected that trauma didn’t magic itself away. Lance needed plenty of rest and to organise his thoughts. When he started over thinking, he’d tug on Keith’s shirt so adorably that Keith wanted to lock him away from the world forever.

Sitting up beside him enough for Keith to use the bed remote to sit them up properly, Lance nuzzled into his shirt

“I’m sorry”

God. Lance was breaking his heart. He knew his boyfriend blamed himself too much for what happened

“Babe...”

“I’m so fucking sorry I fucked up”

He’d heard that too many times

“You didn’t. Do you want to do anything? Maybe go for a walk?”

Lance nodded, Keith surprised. Lance hadn’t been doing much but trying to fight the demons in his head

“They kept us underground...”

Oh. It was a lightbulb moment. VOLTRON was pretty much all underground. His boyfriend lived for fresh air and freedom. He hadn’t been above ground since he’d come back...

“Okay. We’ll take a blanket though. It’ll be cold”

Lance nodded. Keith supposed Coran wouldn’t be too happy about Lance being out in the cold November air, but Keith just wanted to do something to ease what Lance was going through. It was painful to watch his boyfriend’s morning sickness. Painful to watch him throwing up so hard his body trembled.

Still. Keith wouldn’t turn away. He and Lance had made their twins together and they were still alive by some absolute miracle. As often as he could he’d hold Lance through it. His boyfriend relaxing as Keith would rub his tense belly, when he was allowed to touch him. Lance wanted him close but sometimes an unexpected move or moving to fast would make him flinch and whimper away. Guilt would cloud Lance’s handsome face. He hated it. He had no remorse for death of Sendak, other than that he hadn’t been the one to deliver the final blow.

Lance was weakened, though his blood levels were good, and his body had physically healed back to “tip top shape”. Keith had been through the same thing with the death of Adam. The emotional drainage that didn’t care if you were doing “everything you were supposed to be doing”. Wrapping a blanket around his shoulders, then helping him into his sneakers, Keith looped his arm around his boyfriend and held him tight. Coran would wonder what had happened. Lance was supposed to eat again, but he needed this more right now. Heading out, Lance leaned into him, head against his shoulder with his eyes closed. Bright lights had been a problem when Lance woke. His senses overloaded from being fed properly for the first time in too long. Kissing Lance’s hair, his boyfriend hummed. One of the happiest sounds he’d heard in the past few days. He should have realised all of this sooner. Maybe even taken Lance back to the apartment to heal instead of being here?

Heading out, Keith didn’t want to go too far from VOLTRON. They wound up sitting on a bus bench the next block up. Lance sighing as they settled down and Keith wrapped the blanket around the pair of them. For a November night, it was amazingly clear. A sideways glance at Lance told him his boyfriend was staring up at the stars

“Babe?”

“Thank you”

Now he was confused. Thank you for bringing him out on a cold night and risking being scolded by everyone for sneaking out?

“For what?”

Lance gave him a sad smile, voice trembling

“Existing... If I didn’t have you to come home to, I don’t think... I know I’m overreacting and it wasn’t that horrible until the last day... but... I was so fucking mad and scared...”

Keith took Lance’s hand in his, interlacing their fingers together... Emotions were flooding through him. So much he’d held in. So much he’d held in since Lance came back. He loved this man so much that it didn’t feel possible he’d only known since April

“I couldn’t find you. Nothing was working out. We had no leads... I wanted to find you but I kept letting you down...”

“I prayed I’d see you again. I make up my mind a hundred times that I was going to get out and get back to you... I just wanted... I just wanted to come home to you”

Lance shook as he started to cry, Keith using his free hand to pull his boyfriend close, tears rolling down his own face

“I was scared that they’d take you were I’d never find you again... that you’d die... and... and I’d...”

“I was so scared... I just want to be with you but I did something so bad... when he hurt you nothing else mattered and I lost it... I can still feel his blood running on me... I keep seeing his face...”

Their words overlapped. Lance letting out a screaming sob, Keith forced to let go of his hand in order to hold him even tighter to him as his boyfriend finally let his walls drop

“I hate him! I hate that he took me! I didn’t hurt him! I didn’t do anything to him! But he wanted to cut me up and kill our twins! I hate him! I hate that I killed him!”

Keith nuzzled into Lance’s neck. He should have done more. Thought more. Instead he’d been reckless

“I hate him too. If I hadn’t been so useless...”

“You weren’t... I... I was only fighting because... because I thought someone might be hurt seeing they’d crashed into Sendak’s car... and then... then it was you and I didn’t even know if it was real... but I don’t know if I could have... could have fought him without you... even for Curtis”

Keith heard the details of Lance trying to stop the truck. How Curtis thought he’d finally lost it as he’d kicked through the wood of the container they’d been forced into. The chains had been no joke. Coran said they were enchanted against magical interference. Apparently they were useless against a very determined Lance and that made him prouder than words. He’d had to leave for some of Curtis’s statement. Especially when things started getting graphic. Shiro called him back in to listen to the end of it.

“Babe, it was a horrible situation. You... I know you’re struggling so hard to be okay with doing what you did, but the fact you kept yourself alive and sane is a miracle. You waited. You took your moment at the absolute best time you could. I would have tried to do the same”

This was the most Lance had spoken since before he’d been taken. Keith wondered if part of him was still subconsciously scared to talk underground for fear of either punishment or being overheard. Lance shook his head at him

“You would have been better... you would have been stronger. I tried... I tried to come up with a way to get out... but I was too stupid... I didn’t help... You would have made... made the difference but I... I’m so glad it wasn’t you there”

Kissing Lance’s neck, Keith tried to sound slightly clever and funny

“We both know we’re useless idiots that would have traded places with each other in an instant”

It worked well enough for Lance to snort loudly and wetly. He’d take the win

“I wish we weren’t quite so useless. I still can’t believe Krolia rammed Sendak’s car”

“Don’t remind me. She was talking on the phone. Driving dangerously. Speeding... I kept thinking of all the ways you’d disapprove. I told her I didn’t like her plan but she didn’t listen”

“She is your mum... it runs in the family”

“Maybe. I think I got my lead foot from her”

“And your social awkwardness”

“Pfft. No. I blame our friends for that”

Lance chuckled dryly, pulling away from him to wiped his face on the outside of the blanket. His boyfriend had needed this so badly. His expression adorable, despite the fact it really shouldn’t have been, as he wiped his snotty face in the blanket with clear annoyance

“What comes next?”

“What do you mean?”

“I killed Sendak. Zarkon’s lap dog. He’s not going to be happy and he’s probably going to kill Lotor for betraying him...”

“You’re worried about Lotor?”

The little voice of jealous kidnapped his mouth, sounding far too accusing

“Yes and no... He... he traded himself and his generals for Matt, Shiro, and Sam... and he... he tried to protect me by contradicting the things Curtis was forced to say. Curtis can only speak the truth as he knows... So... Lotor... tried to bring me under protection... but he... he never hurt me... and... I like his generals... Acxa doesn’t say much, but Zethrid... she’s got the same kind of humour as Matt... I just... I feel like I’ve brought a doom hammer down on all of us. Honerva was already trying to move into this territory and now she has a reason to really go after us”

Yeah. That was true... There was going to be some kind of major fall out, plans already being made in the background

“I... actually have a bit of a confession. I’ve been keeping mum away from you so you couldn’t ask... because I... I haven’t wanted to know either... I wasn’t a very good man when you were gone... I was rude and abrasive and angry... and... honestly I can’t cope with all that right now. I know it’s being idealistic and simple, but everything I have, I want to be focused on you. I didn’t even think about what being underground would feel like”

Lance nodded at him, for some reason his lips were up at the edges kind of like he was trying to smile

“I know you’re worried. I know you would have been completely horrific... but I also know that all our friends would have understood... I know it’s stupid to be scared of being underground at VOLTRON, but I miss real sunlight and air. The house was so gross... and there was... it was like there was no air...”

There was certainly enough air out here. The cold nipped at Keith’s ears and nose

“Does this feel better?”

That smile crept up, soft, kind of wobbly, but there and just for him. Lance feeling so much closer than he had when they’d been curled up in bed together recovering

“So much better. I don’t know how tell anyone else what I’m feeling. I’m sick of being... being so tired and wondering what they really think of me... and if they’re laughing at me behind my back for being so stupid. Or seeing the pity in their eyes... it’s all so messed up...”

The pressure of feeling you’d let everyone down sucked. He felt that way... but Lance... Lance had been so fucking strong. He was trying to come back to them, he just needed time

“Babe, no one pities you. And if you think they do, I’ll start dick punching”

God. The smile he gave him. Keith’s heart was all funny at the warmth at it and the sparkle in Lance’s still damn eyes

“My big bad hunter...”

“I think you mean “your anger loaf””

Lance snorted, his boyfriend moving to rest back against him with his hand in his

“Both? Can we stay for a little while?”

The question was soft as if he feared being yelled at for asking, Keith’s tone soft and reassuring

“Yeah. We’re not that far from VOLTRON. If they really want to find us they’ve got Matt”

“Did you just reduce Matt down to sniffer dog?”

Keith shook his head, before letting his head rest against Lance’s

“Nah. Matt wishes he was that skilled”

“Mmm... he has skills in his own way...”

Keith huffed. Jealous Keith wanted more of Lance’s attention

“What about me? Do I have skills?”

“Oh, babe. You’ve got no idea”

“Do you want to tell me?”

“Do you want me to tell you?”

“I mean, if you’re offering out free praise...”

Lance laughed softly at him, but the kind of laugh that was filled with love

“You, Keith Kogane, are the biggest reckless idiot I know... and I love that... mostly. You’re kind and your handsome. You’re smart, even though you don’t let yourself believe it. You’re funny. You could do absolutely anything if you put your mind to it. You’re cute, and warm, and soft, and your dick game is on point...”

Keith shoulder bumped Lance lightly

“That’s what it all comes down to, isn’t? My amazing sexual prowess?”

“Oh, yeah. Totally. I mean, I couldn’t possibly we with you because I adore you above everything else? That’d be all homo and no bromo”

“I think I’m okay with that... I’m happy to be all homo up in your bromo”

That didn’t even make sense. He was definitely out of touch with today’s generation... though not nearly as badly as Lance was

“Babe, that was terrible. But seriously... I missed everyone. I wanted Mami, I wanted Curtis to get help. I wanted to see Blue and Kosmo... but... I couldn’t stop thinking about you. How much it must be hurting you. How much I hated them for hurting you. I don’t know how to come back from killing someone and I’m really fucking scared that Coran’s going to turn around say the twins aren’t fine, or there’s something wrong because I got Sendak’s blood in my mouth... but... if I’m not with you, then I’m no good. I can’t sleep without you. I get scared when our friends come. Mami sneezed yesterday and I nearly bolted clear to the other side of the room. It makes no sense... they didn’t... get really violent until they wanted to move us...”

VOLTRON wasn’t good for Lance’s mental health. He needed his space and his stuff and to be above ground. There was so much Keith still didn’t know about how his beloved boyfriend had been treated, that he didn’t think Lance would be up for telling them while everyone was still in fussing mode. Even now, his boyfriend had to be pushing himself to tell him

“Babe, serious question. Would you feel safer being at the apartment or being at VOLTRON”

Lance tensed, the hold on Keith’s hand a little painful

“We can’t go home... in case they find you...”

“I’m not asking that. I’m asking if you’d feel better being home with me and Kosmo for a couple of days”

“Coran...”

“I’m not asking him. I’m asking you”

“But...”

“Babe. You’re not going to be in trouble for telling me the honest truth about what you want. The apartment isn’t so far that we can’t walk to VOLTRON, and sleep there at night...”

Lance took a deep breath, before slowly releasing it, repeating the action twice before calming himself himself back down

“I want to feel the sun... and... I want to see Kosmo and Blue... and I don’t want to be underground anymore... I don’t want to...”

“Okay. I think my keys are in my locker, or Coran’s got them somewhere. If you’re up for it, we can pick them up now and head there tonight?”

“What about Mami?”

“She can come too?”

Lance shook his head, breathing hitching. Keith didn’t think he’d ever be used to a breathing vampire that didn’t really need to breath as much as he did... and that sounded wrong

“No... that’s... I’m...”

“Okay. We can go tomorrow? Or tomorrow night? Or in the morning? Whenever you’re ready”

“You’re being too kind”

“Nah. Secretly I want to spend as much time with you away from everyone as I can. I want to keep you with me, where no one can take you and hurt you”

Keith made it sound like a joke, despite that being how he felt. Visitors and friends were nice and all, but he and Lance needed each other in a way they didn’t understand

“Don’t say it like that... it’s too tempting. Everyone expects me to be there...”

“Fuck everyone and their expectations. We’re doing what’s right for both us and our twins”

Lance flinched, Keith kicking himself, quick to reassure Lance

“I’m not mad at you, babe. I’m not. I just want you to be able to have what you feel you want and need”

“Can we stay here a bit longer then have a shower when we go back? I want to shower... and cut my hair a bit...”

The lose curls in Lance’s hair were cute. All of Lance was cute. He was so damn smitten

“Sure. Mami gave me some of her soap”

“I know... Coran thinks I need help in the bathroom so I’m still not allowed a real shower”

That wasn’t strictly true. Coran feared Lance would lose control in the bathroom and hurt himself, even if he didn’t intend to. Keith kind of had the same fear, but knew Lance also needed independence after having it taken away

“I promise we’ll take a proper shower. As long as you want. Unlimited hair washes and cuddles”

“Can I have belly rubs?”

There was finally the smallest of tiny solid bumps that was barely noticeable but definitely there and Keith loved it

“Babe, I don’t know... I mean, if I rub your belly any more I might have to get jealous”

Lance shoulder bumped him back

“You’ve got nothing to be jealous of. As long as I have you, that’s everything I need. These little ones, are going to be so damn loved, but you’ll always be my soul”

#once bitten twice stupid #oncebittentwicestupid #ashratherose

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milkacchan · 5 years ago

Text

Omegas

Request for anon: I’ve had this idea in mind for who knows how long, I hope you’re interested: Headcanons for Alpha!AlluraxOmega!Half-Altean!F!Reader?Instead of humans having dynamics, the Alteans are the ones with it. Due to being half-human, it prolonged the reader’s first heat; and was triggered when the two started to become intimate that they found out that not only was the reader was Altean, but was an omega. It takes a while for the reader to get used to the changes with the help of Allura and Coran.

I want this girl to slam me against a wall please

Some Nsfw

At the very end I kinda added in some Klance x Allura x reader bc I'm a slut and I couldnt helo myself in sorry.

•You and Allura had been friends since they boarded the castle and Allura fell into Lance's arms. There was something about you. She was drawn to you, she loved being around you and she felt as if you understood everything.

•She knew there was something different about you, you weren't like your teammates. You understood things they didn't, altean things. Space things. Like that one time you 'guessed' what something meant in Altean. Or when you took over for her explaining a cycle Altea used to under go.

•But everything really started to click into place when you underwent your first heat.

•"Al-" you breathed. "Allura-" you turned to look at her, but she was already sitting up, her eyes fixed on you. "Everythings hot." You whimpered.

•"(Y/N).." she whispered. You smelled divine, like her favorite flowers and that human food, vanilla.

• "It hurts-" the words leave your mouth in broken cries as another wave of heat and pain hits you.

•"(Y/N), darling, do you trust me?" She leaned down, her hand hovering over your waist. She wouldn't touch 't dare. She'd occasionally held your hand but that was before- before you entered your heat. Before rules and limits became so crucial.

•"Ye-Yes. Please make it stop." You cry, taking ahold of her forearm

"I can't make it stop, however I can help it feel less intense." She whispered, gently kissing your neck.

• It had been weird getting used to it because your body had officially changed. You had a long talk with Coran about it.

• You hadn't told the team, you didn't plan too. But Keith caught on, he could smell it and he obviously brought it to Shiro. Allura was the one that explained it to them, seeing as you didnt know much about it. About you.

• It wasn't until your third heat, when Allura actually kissed you did your markings appear. They were lavender and they clearly proved you to be an altean.

• There goes your heat secret too. The rest of your friends had finally caught on. Surprisingly, Lance understood before Pidge and Hunk. Although the duo caught on rather quick, Lance understood what was going on immediately.

• Allura is an Alpha. You are an omega. Which means you could get pregnant. Coran understood that. Shiro understood that.

• Coran provided pills and medicines to help prevent while Shiro brought it to Alluras attention. It didnt go well for him.

• While it may have been a friendly warning chat to Shiro, to Allura, someone was trying to take you away. Stop her from helping and she wasn't pleased. Her Alpha instincts kicked in and she chewed him out, yelling and cursing that he wasn't going to touch you. He wasn't going to take you away.

• Shiro left it alone after that.

• You and Keith got closer?

• Keith had many of the same instincts that you had. Alteans weren't the only ABO race there was. Keith was an Alpha and as of then you'd been accepted into an little pack, that pack being Allura, Coran, You, and Keith.

• Keith was protective. The only one he didnt seem to snap at was Lance (aside from Allura of course). Lance had taken on a particularly motherly role, you thought it was funny.

• "Lance I can do this myself literally nothing has changed."

"Okay bitch but maybe I want to pu the hair mask in hair for you shut up."

"Lance I can get the cups."

"You're short you might die."

"I've never been a fan of veggies."

"Eat. Ur fucKiNG veggies istg"

• Allura doesnt seem to mind. She knew the two had been close since before everything and she found it endearing that even after the whole alien reveal, he was willing to stay so close. But not too close.

• Keith doesn't mind either totally unrelated to the fact that he's mad in love with Lonce.

• Did someone say Altean Lance???

• Surprise bitch. Half alien club unite.

• Overall the team is very supportive. They help when they can and love you unconditionally.

• Especially Allura. Allura is in love and it's so obvious. The things she'd do for you. You had her wrapped around your finger and Allura wouldn't have it any other way. She'd drop anything for you in a heartbeat.

• You get injured during battle once, Allura is livid. She was stuck in the castle but when you arrive, all bloody and torn, she's terrified. Shiro tries to put a hand on you, to move a piece of cloth to see how bad it is. She snarls at him, baring her teeth and telling him to move back. Keith pulls him back. "She's feral, let Y/N be. She'll come out just fine."

• Doesnt sit well with Shiro. He cares about you too, he's the team leader, seeing you laying on the table, then in the healing pod made his stomach turn.

• Allura apologizes later. Shiro understands.

• Seriously Allura is the best girlfriend ever??? First of all she has soft hair and let's you play with it which is nice, don't get me wrong, but she'll also play with your hair. And when she plays with you hair it's like the heavens have been opened. It's so nice. Her fingers threading through your soft locks, humming softly as you close your eyes. She has a hair kink fuck off.

• When the two of you shower together, she'll make sure you're comfortable because she adores the scent you produce when you're in total bliss. Her shower has a bench thingy and she has to make sure you're sitting because when you get as relaxed as she makes you when she washes your hair or massages your shoulders, your knees get weak.

• Lance and Keith can smell when y'all fuck.

• Lance and keith can smell when she's relaxed you from across the fucking castle.

• Allura tasks Lance specifically to help when she's not around because he's also an omega let me have this okay.

• Meaning Lance helps you during heats too, when Allura isn't there which is rare but has happened because of diplomatic reasons.

• And you help him through his when Keith isn't there.

• Apparently, while it's considered some what unconventional, it was practiced on Altea more often than not, especially with royalty.

• Keith and Allura find it kind of hot??

• May or may not end up in a weird foursome with two omegas going at in as the main show.

• maybe something more happens THATS up to you. I'm sorry I couldnt help myself.

• Allura is the sweetest alpha though. She Pampers the shit out of you for literally no reason.

"Thank you, (Y/N)."

"For what."

"Idk yet."

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poorrichardslegacy · 5 years ago

Text

Kacxa Week 2019 Day 10: During Battle

Acxa gets help from an unexpected source during a battle on a forested planet. This takes place shortly after Keith and Acxa's second meeting, at Throk's base in the Ulippia system.

_________________

She watches as the Blue Lion comes in for a landing next to her fighter. Part of her still can't believe she reached out to Princess Allura for help. Then, she turns and looks at the battered and torn form of the Black Paladin and thinks to herself that she made the right decision.

For his sake.

______________

It was supposed to be a routine mission, yet it was anything but routine. Lately every mission Lotor gave her, since being sent into the Weblum, turned out that way.

She was supposed to do a quick run into the forests of Ephesian IV, extract 50 pounds of Semnesium, and head home. Simple, right?

Not quite.

Lotor neglected to tell her about the Dire Wolves. The ones that stand over seven feet tall at the shoulders. The ones with the 12-inch fangs. The ones with very nasty tempers. The ones that attacked her not even 5 minutes after she landed.

She fought them off and made it to shelter on higher ground but was cut off from her fighter. She had enough food and water to last two days, but she doubted the wolves would let her live that long. From her shelter she transmitted a distress signal in the clear, hoping someone, anyone, would pick it up. Starting a fire that seemed to keep the wolves at bay, she sat in her shelter alone, shivering against the nighttime chill.

Morning dawned, and she saw the wolves regrouping at the base of the hill for a new attack. Certain that she'd seen her last sunrise, Acxa prepared for the inevitable. And hoped against hope that someone heard her transmission and would come to her aid at the last minute.

It turned out someone did.

As the wolves charged up the slope toward her shelter, the ground between them and Acxa suddenly erupted in a series of fiery explosions. Turning to see where the shots came from, she saw the Black Lion of Voltron landing at the top of the hill above her position. Standing in the jaws of the Black Lion was the Black Paladin.

Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped when she realized who it was. He jetpacked to her position as the wolves regrouped at the base of the hill yet again.

"I heard your transmission. I'm here to help."

"But...why?"

"No time to explain now. Name is Keith. Look...we worked well together in the Weblum. Think we can do it again?"

Turning and seeing the wolves charging back up the hill, she puts on her warrior's face. "Name is Acxa. Let's find out, Paladin!"

In unison, the pair charged at the oncoming wolfpack, now greatly reduced in numbers thanks to Keith's initial attack. Doing exactly what the wolves didn't expect, they succeeded in breaking up their attack formation.

"ACXA! BACK-TO-BACK! THEY'LL TRY TO SEPARATE US. WE CAN'T LET THAT HAPPEN!"

As the wolves charged, Acxa shot at them in a rapid-fire fashion while Keith used his Marmoran blade and hacked at the ones that made it close to them. One wolf raked Acxa across her leg, hobbling her badly. But she refused to give in to the pain, for if she did they would both die. Keeping up her fire while Keith continued his defense with his sword, the remaining wolves slowly backed away and withdrew.

Out of the smoke and haze of the battlefield, the Alpha wolf emerged. Larger than the others in the pack, Alpha slowly approached their position...and headed straight for Acxa. Her blaster fire took out many of his pack, and Alpha isn't happy about that.

Keith knew she was in no condition to take Alpha on herself. He stepped in front of Acxa, looked the giant wolf straight in the eye, and challenged him. "If you want to get to her, you have to take me out first."

The wolf pined its ears back, bared its fangs, and growled loudly at Keith. To Acxa's surprise, Keith growled back at the wolf and...wait...were those fangs he bared? Then she remembered. He's a half breed, just like her.

He charged at the wolf, hacking at the front paw of the giant beast. Howling in pain, the wolf swatted him with its uninjured paw, slamming Keith to the ground. The force of the impact bounced him down the rocky slope, the wolf in hot pursuit. Acxa lost sight of them as they vanished in the mist at the bottom of the hill. She heard Keith cry out in pain, followed soon after by a loud painful whimper from the wolf.

________________

She found him at the foot of the hill, lying face down. The Alpha wolf gored him badly, and his breathing was labored. Making him as comfortable as she could, she retrieved her medical kit from her fighter and tended to his wounds. She succeeded in stopping the bleeding, but her fear was that he may have lost too much blood. He needed to be extracted and placed in a healing pod.

Knowing if she called for help from Lotor's forces that they would torture and eventually kill him, she did the unthinkable.

She contacted the enemy.

Keith regained consciousness as her transmission to the Castle of Lions ended. He tried to get up, but his wounds didn't allow him. She gently cradled his head in her lap and gave him some water, which seemed to settle him down. As she stroked his hair in a comforting manner, he looked at her with a soft smile, and thanked her for coming to his aid.

"Keith...you saved my life...again. Of course I was going to help you. But, I don't understand...why did you come to help me? You had to know who sent that distress call. The last two times we met I tried to kill you."

"I knew it was you. I came because it was the right thing to do. Acxa...I know from the short time we spent together in the Weblum that you are a good person at heart. You follow a code of ethics, the same code I follow. I know that because if you didn't I'd be dead right now."

He smiles at her again and jokingly says, "Although I'm still mad at you for pulling that blaster on me when you took the Scaultrite."

Unable to help herself, she smiled back at him, still stroking his hair. "Yeah, that's not one of my finer moments. I really regret doing that. Is it too late to apologize?"

"You apologized when you came for me after that wolf beat me up. And I'm grateful. Acxa, I believe all life is precious, and I think you believe that too. Your actions prove that. In my experience with you, you've never taken an innocent life, and I know you've had the chances to do it."

She paused to reflect for a moment. "Wow. What are you doing to me, Paladin? I'm supposed to hate you. But I don't...you've given me a lot to think about."

"Good."

After uttering that word, Keith passed out. Checking to make sure he's still breathing, Acxa thought to herself that slipping into unconsciousness was a good thing for him. The pain from his wounds had to be terrible. She made a pillow and gently laid his head on it. Brushing a lock of hair out of his face she cupped his cheek.

"Rest, my Paladin."

________________

As agreed to when she called for help from the Castle of Lions, Allura makes the journey to Ephesian IV solo in the Blue Lion. Approaching the makeshift shelter Acxa created, and seeing the dead wolves lying about, Allura gets a sense for the magnitude of the fight that too place.

"He's over here, Princess. He's in bad shape. He fought the Alpha male and his wounds are severe. I stopped the bleeding and tended to them as best I could, but..." She chokes up just enough for Allura to pick up on it. "...I'm no healer."

Placing her hand on Acxa's shoulder, Allura tries to comfort her. "I am, Acxa. Thank you for calling to us for help. I'll get him stable enough so that we can get him back to the Castle and into one of the healing pods."

After getting Keith stabilized, Allura and Acxa carefully transport him to the Blue Lion. Allura is struck by the care and concern Acxa takes with him. At the very least there is a warrior's bond of respect between Acxa and Keith. Allura suspects something else may be there as well.

"Acxa, I have one question for you. After the fight with the wolves, nothing was stopping you from just leaving him here. You saved him instead. Why?"

"Other than the fact that he's saved my life three times now? It was the right thing to do. He's a special person, Allura, with so much to offer the universe. He deserves a chance to live. To find happiness. To find...someday...his life partner."

The way she says it is telling to Allura. That bond of respect between two warriors is definitely there, but this battle-hardened General also has an obvious soft spot for the Black Paladin

"I...I have to go ow. Before Lotor gets suspicious about why I was gone for so long."

"I understand, Acxa...When Keith wakes up...is there anything you want me to tell him?"

Acxa turns to look at Keith one final time. "Tell him...I hope we meet again. Not as enemies, but as..." She chokes up for a second or two before she can finish her thought. "...but as...not enemies."

"I will."

#kacxa week 2019 #kacxa fic #kacxa #keith/acxa #vld keith #vld acxa #vld allura

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justheretobreakthings · 5 years ago

Text

Seen Much Better Days - Chapter 6

(Previous Chapter)

Word Count: 3,864 (Total Word Count: 13,027) Read on AO3

Story Summary:

Allura rescuing Keith from the hands of a slave trader was the first step, but the paladins still have a way to go to feel like they’ve truly brought Keith home.

(Sequel to Torn and Frayed)

Chapter/fic content warnings for past slavery and rape.

“Are you sure you want to do this?”

Keith looked up at Allura from where he was seated at the other end of the couch, huddled into the corner with his legs drawn up beside him on the cushion. His face was still drawn and pale, the way it had been since they’d recovered him, bags and shadows prominent beneath his eyes. But those same tired eyes were stony and certain when he nodded.

“Yeah,” he said. “I’m sure. It’ll be… good… to get it over with. And - and everyone knowing will help, right?”

Allura nodded back, offering him an encouraging smile, but she couldn’t maintain it as she turned to her tablet to send the notification out to summon the other paladins into the lounge for a ‘team meeting’.

Despite Keith’s ostensible confidence, she was nervous. Sure, she had been the one to broach the subject yesterday after the incident on the training deck, to mention to him how much the team needed him to open up to them, how he had no need to be keeping secrets from the other paladins.

“We all want to be there for you,” she had told him as they sat in the med bay, Coran having already left to wash up after fixing Keith’s torn stitches. “But I fear we don’t really know how. It’s a difficult line, between your privacy and our… needing to know. What you went through, what we can do to help you move past it. What we should and shouldn’t do, what sort of memories and feelings you’re dealing with. I know it’s difficult, I understand that it’s unpleasant. You don’t need to rush yourself or go farther than you feel safe doing. But once you are ready, once you feel you can open up to us, well, we’ll be ready for you.”

Keith had nodded and mumbled his thanks, and he must have been mulling over her words since then, because mere dobashes ago he had approached her with that determination on his face and asked her to call the team together. Said he wanted to get it over with, that he didn’t think he’d ever truly be ready, so why not do it now.

Why not tell the others what had happened.

Allura shut off her tablet and settled back into her couch cushion, eyes darting nervously toward Keith. Her stomach was in knots, and she was feeling jittery; she had to resist the urge to start bouncing her leg up and down the way Lance often did when he was feeling restless. Keith had said he was ready to tell them, yes, but he had always been one to downplay his own nerves and hurts and feelings. Just yesterday, after all, he had called himself ‘fine’ while wounds were openly bleeding across his back. Was he really ready to let the floodgates open and lay out what had happened to him?

And on that note, was the team ready to hear it? Was she?

It was too late to reconsider now, she realized with a sigh as the others started entering the lounge and filling the remaining couches and ottomans, muttering greetings and shooting Allura and Keith curious glances.

Once the last of the paladins had arrived - Lance, hair damp and grumbling about his shower being interrupted for anything short of a direct attack on the castle by an entire fleet of Galra - Allura cleared her throat to call everyone to attention.

“Right, er, thank you all for coming so promptly,” she tentatively began. She certainly wasn’t the type to get flustered opening a meeting, but none of her diplomatic training covered had to handle one on a topic like this. “I know we were supposed to have a free afternoon, but this is a matter of some importance. You see, er, Keith - Keith has something that he would like to - to discuss. As a team.”

“What is it, Keith?” Shiro asked without hesitation. He was perched in an armchair adjacent the couch, sitting forward and focused intently on Keith.

Keith took a deep breath, glanced once more toward Allura as if for assurance, and said, “I want to tell you all what happened to me while I was gone.”

The silence that met the declaration was deafening. Any ease that had been in the paladins’ postures and expressions vanished in an instant, replaced by a grim earnestness. A knowledge that they were about to get their curiosity sated after so long, and they were probably going to dislike the answers.

They weren’t ready, Allura knew. But they probably never would be. So it would be pointless to wait.

“A few phoebs ago, I was sent out by Kolivan on a supplies interception mission from the Marmora base in the Kibrov galaxy,” he started without further preamble. “We had gotten intel on a freight line that was going to be delivering weapons and ammunition to a Galra outpost on Zeanope. I went in with three other Blade operatives. We were supposed to incapacitate the crew and commandeer the vehicle to Ounrorth, one of the planets in the same quadrant that had been trying to mount a resistance against Empire occupation in the surrounding solar system, and bring any information we could find regarding the trade route. The whole mission was expected to take three quintants at the most.”

He had laid this all out methodically, almost robotically, like he was citing a mission briefing. Everything routine, impersonal. Now, though, a frown started tugging at his mouth and wrinkling his brow, and he slowed as he continued. “Our intel was right about the weapons and ammo, but we - we hadn’t expected the delivery line to be carrying any other sort of cargo besides that. We didn’t know that they had - that there were - ” He swallowed. “Apparently Zeanope was knee-deep in the slave trade…”

None of the paladins made a sound as he paused to collect himself, closing his eyes and taking calming breaths through his nose. “I was the one who came across them in the cargo hold. About twenty in all, all in cages. Like animals. I couldn’t tell you the species - don’t think any of them were from any of the planets we’ve been to yet - but they were definitely sapient. And scared.

“I wasn’t supposed to be down in the cargo hold long; I was only supposed to get rid of any Galra crew who were down there and then get up to the cockpit to reroute the ship, so I - I - I figured, we could let them out once we got control of the ship, bring them back to the Blade base with us so the Coalition could help them get back home. So I let the other Blades know the situation on the comms, then I tried to focus on just taking down the crew for the time being, but, well, I went in there being okay with some inventory being damaged, but it’s a different ball game when some of that inventory is… alive.

“And one of the guards knew that. I chased him down and he led me back over toward those cages and - and he pulled a blaster. Normally not a problem for me when I’ve got the Blade armor, that thing’s durable as hell, but he didn’t - he didn’t point it at me. He pointed it into one of the cages. Told me to drop my knife, come forward with my hands behind my head, or he’ll shoot.”

He took a deep, shaking breath. “The, uh, the Blade… they’ve got a policy, about hostages. No hostage negotiations, no exceptions. So I - I followed protocol. I didn’t attack.

“He wasn’t bluffing, turns out. He took the shot. Right in that slave’s head, like it was nothing.”

Another pause, and this time it was to scrub at his eyes. “He - he moved down to the next cage, aimed the gun again. Told me that with the deal he’d arranged with the buyer they were delivering to, he could stand to lose half of them and still turn a profit, so, no skin off his nose if I wanted him to keep killing them off instead of surrendering.” On his lap his hands twitched, fingers curling shakily into fists. “And I know - I know it’s against Blade policy, but I - I couldn’t - I couldn’t just let him - ”

His voice cracked, his words faltering. Allura took the risk of edging closer to him on the couch and setting a hand gently on his knee, and although his leg stiffened at the touch, Keith didn’t try to push it off or pull away. He just went back to closing his eyes and taking several more of those trembling breaths before continuing. “I gave in. Put down my weapon, walked out, hands behind my head. Wound up taken captive, of course. Saw that coming a mile away.

“He took me back up to the bridge, and - and apparently, the, uh, the rest of the Blades - they hadn’t been faring well either. Probably at least partly my fault, since I didn’t finish up in the cargo hold and come back up like I was supposed to. Tralus had been taken down in the cockpit; they brought him out to the bridge too. Utiek and Threl had managed to escape the ship, but apparently the crew had managed to shoot one of them before they could reach the Blade ship. The one who joined the rest on the bridge said one had gotten away, and she’d managed to shoot the other one down. Fatally. Suppose whichever one got away is the one who told Kolivan what had happened, right?”

Allura nodded. Kolivan had mentioned the name of the Blade operative who had brought the news of where Keith had gotten taken down and what was on the ship, she was pretty sure, but she couldn’t remember what it was. That wasn’t exactly the part she had been focused on.

“Anyway,” Keith continued. “Just me and Tralus left at that point. They handcuffed us and roughed us up a bit, asked some questions - the usual, like, what were we trying to do, who we’re working with. We didn’t say anything and - and up until that point it wasn’t - it wasn’t too bad. But, um, once they decided we didn’t have anything to say that was worth their time, one of them - one of them asked what they should do with us now.

“Apparently taking prisoners wasn’t really their thing, so they’re planning to just kill us, but the one who had brought me up said - he said that they were down one… slave. The word he used was ‘unit’, actually, but - but that’s what he meant. They were down one unit, and had a spare cage now, and this could be a way to replenish their stock.

“So one of them - the captain, I suppose - he goes up to Tralus and gets the Blade mask off of him and starts examining his face. Pulling at the skin, opening his mouth and looking at his teeth, poking back to check the gag reflex. Then he comes over and does the same to me. And once he’s done he just steps back and says - he says - ” Keith swallowed and dropped his eyes to his lap. “He said, ‘The small one’s prettier.’ And next thing I know, the guard that was holding Tralus slit his throat, and like four guards grabbed hold of me and dragged me off the bridge.

“I tried to fight them off, I did, but - but there were a lot more of them than me, and one of them got a good hit into my head at one point. Didn’t knock me out, but came pretty close, so I wasn’t - I wasn’t really in fighting shape. They, um, stripped off my armor, and - and then the undersuit, cuffed my hands and feet again, and brought me back down to the cargo hold and forced me into the cage. Same one that the slave that’d been killed earlier was in.” He let out a little choked sob that he turned into a weak cough. “They didn’t bother cleaning out the cage, or even removing the corpse. I was just… stuck with it.”

Allura finally tore her eyes away from Keith at this point long enough to drift her gaze over the other paladins, to see how they were taking it so far. Everyone was wide-eyed, fixated completely on Keith. Shiro was shaking slightly - the way his hands had formed tight fists at his sides suggested it was out of rage - and Hunk had his hands over his mouth, like he was trying to keep from throwing up.

Part of her wanted to cut Keith off and tell him that was enough for now, so the rest of the team wouldn’t have to hear any more. Because she knew full well that the story was going to get worse.

“Not entirely sure how long I was in that cage,” Keith continued. “Long enough that I was thirsty as hell by the time it was finally unlocked - they hadn’t given us any water or food or anything the whole time, not until right there at the end, before they dragged us off the ship to transfer over to the ones who’d - who’d bought the slaves.

“Ended up being taken to a depot on Zeanope, not half a mile from the Galra outpost where they took the weapons, so, no wonder they were making two stops. The person the crew met with to make the trade was a dealer representing some tycoon from Badunusia. Far as I could gather, slave markets awfully huge there; people on the wealthiest end of things tend to own hundreds of them. Apparently most of the slaves on the same shipment I was in were brought in as labor for a mining operation he owned on Zeanope. Mining was his primary business.”

He gulped again and shifted in his seat, his right hand uncurling so he could tap his fingers nervously against his leg. “But he - he had a couple of side businesses as well. And the one I was taken to - it was - it’s - ” Instinctively Allura gave his knee a reassuring squeeze. “He owned this fleet of, um… they called them ‘pleasure barges’.”

A sharp intake of breath sounded from a nearby armchair, and Allura turned to see Coran stiffen in his chair, his face turned practically gray. She wondered briefly if he had ever encountered one of these barges in the past on his various adventures with her father, and thus knew how bad they were. The paladins didn’t react as strongly as him to the words, but still looked suitably sickened. Whether they knew exactly what went on in such ships or not, they all at least had enough sense to figure out that the ‘pleasure’ mentioned in their title was not at all pleasurable for Keith.

Keith shuddered briefly before continuing. “Apparently the point of these ships is that they have a - a bunch of, um, people - slaves - available to - to do whatever - to let the clients have - ”

“You don’t need to say it,” Shiro quietly spoke up. His voice was rough, gravelly. Right on the verge of breaking.

With a little grunt, Keith shook his head. “Might as well say it. People would pay to do as they pleased with the slaves there, and usually that meant… that meant… rape.” He pursed his lips, sniffed, let out a shuddering breath, sniffed again. “Sometimes it was other stuff, but usually… yeah. Although, I, um - I didn’t have to do as much as some of the others on the ship.

“See, the - the slaves on the - on the barge… they’re, uh, they’re sort of, uh, molded, I guess, for that type of, um… basically, they go for ones that are more, uh, docile. Better at taking orders. Apparently the slave who’d been killed in that cargo hold, the one I’d replaced, was more that type. But I wasn’t.” And for a second, a hint of his proud stubbornness, of his old defiance, gleamed in his eye. “I fought it, hard as I could. It didn’t, um… didn’t always work… if someone liked the, uh, ‘feistiness’ enough, and really wanted me, they had… restraints… and drugs… enough to hold me down long enough for the client to be - to be satisfied…”

He cleared his throat. “They still weren’t thrilled with me, though. So when this one Guluvian, Kadrek, offered to buy me off of them, they took the offer. And this guy… he - he was harsher about the - about how he’d - ” Allura could feel him shivering beneath her hand. “The barge didn’t have time to spare, just threw the slaves straight into what they needed them for. But Kadrek, he was more, uh, thorough. Insisted on making sure any that he had in stock were properly broken before putting them up for sale.

“And it was… it was bad. The barge had kinda limited themselves on punishments, because they - they needed to make sure I was still healthy enough to do my job and stayed, um, ‘aesthetically pleasing’, so they couldn’t mess me up too bad. Kadrek didn’t have any limits. You don’t do what he tells you to, he makes sure you hurt for it, and he keeps it up until he gets what wants out of you.

“And at first, I - I still tried. I tried to keep fighting back, but - but he didn’t - he wouldn’t - ” Another choked sob. “I couldn’t keep it up. Not when the only to be allowed to eat and sleep and to get the beatings and the whippings to stop was to… was to give up. To let him win.”

Allura wasn’t sure when the tears had started flowing across Keith’s face. It could have been the whole time he was talking for all she knew. The only certainty was that now, they were flowing fast and hard, too strong for Keith to wipe away fully as he scrubbed at his face. “I hadn’t been able to escape or anything,” he said. “And I didn’t think - I didn’t think it was… worth it. To keep trying to fight it. To keep hurting. It was easier to just take it, do what he said until he’d leave me alone and then just - just not think. Just let it happen. I, uh, I guess he was right,” he added, his voice cracking at the last word. “About how he proved I wasn’t ‘untameable’. That he broke me. I had no idea you guys were looking for me, so, I mean, I didn’t know there was going to be a way out of all of it. If I had, I might’ve… I dunno, held out longer. Maybe. I, um, don’t know for sure. It was - it was a lot.

“So, um, there you go.” He cleared his throat again and straightened his posture, scrubbing his arm across his face one more time before concluding, “That’s where I was when Allura found me, and then, I’ve, um, been back here ever since. So - so that’s it. That’s what happened.”

Every face in the lounge was suitably horrified as he finished speaking, every eye suitably damp. Keith moved his gaze from face to face, looking uncertain, as if scared of their reaction.

Lance was the first to break the silence. “Holy fuck,” he whispered. His voice was rough too, as if he’d just swallowed sand. “Holy fuck. Holy fucking shit, Keith.”

“I think I’m gonna be sick,” Hunk murmured.

Keith shrank down into his spot on the couch. “I’m sorry,” he said softly. “I tried to - ”

“What the fuck do you mean you’re sorry?!” Pidge demanded. She had removed her glasses at some point, no doubt so as to keep them dry, and they shook in her hand as she spoke. “They should be sorry, the ones who - shit, I’m going to kill them, I swear to fuck - ”

Lance continued his stream of expletives, switching to some language Allura didn’t recognize, but he quieted as Coran put a hand on his shoulder and turned to Keith. “Number four,” he said, seeming quite composed considering how deathly pale he had gone. “Thank you for telling us. For trusting us with everything. I, er… wish that we could make it so that it never happened at all, but, well - for now, we can only support you after the fact.”

“And we can do that!” Hunk insisted, his vigorous nodding sending tear droplets flying. “Anything you need to feel better, man! Hell, if you want us to make you a full feast and a spa day every day for the rest of your life or - or if you need to just talk all night - ”

“Or if you want us to track down everyone involved in this and break every goddamn bone in their bodies…” Pidge said, and by the look on her face there wasn’t a force powerful enough in the universe to stop her from doing just that if Keith gave her the go-ahead.

Keith, though, shook his head. “I don’t - I don’t need that. Not now. I just need - I - I, um…” He sniffed. “I… don’t know what it is that I need.”

Slowly, Shiro stood from his seat and approached Keith, the expression on his face foggy, unreadable. He cautiously lowered himself down in front of Keith, so they were eye to eye. “Keith?” he said softly. “It’s okay if you don’t know what you need from us right now. We don’t know either. We’ll try to help you figure it out, and if you do, you tell us, and we’ll give it to you. But for now… I think… I think I need this just as much as you…”

He leaned toward Keith his arms open. “If you want me to stop, I’ll stop,” he said. “I’ll understand. Just say the word…” He reached him, and his metallic arm gently wrapped around Keith’s back. At first Keith stiffened, but as Shiro’s human hand came up, carefully combing into the ends of Keith’s hair, he collapsed, sinking into it, letting his face drop onto his brother’s shoulder.

Allura sat uncertainly beside them, wondering whether she should move away, if she was intruding on a moment that was supposed to be just for them. A moment later, though, the decision was made for her, as Hunk suddenly appeared next to her on the couch, and she was being squished up against Keith as Hunk joined the hug.

Lance and Coran’s arms appeared next, wrapping around the group, and Pidge practically dove on top of the pile of them to squeeze into the hug. None of them said a word; the only sound was Keith’s dry sobs and Shiro’s gentle, mollifying shushes as he rubbed Keith’s back.

It didn’t solve anything. It didn’t undo any of what had happened, didn’t make anything that Keith had just told them any less awful, the inevitable road to recovery any smoother.

But Shiro was right. For just that moment, this was what Keith needed.

What they all needed.

#vld fic #voltron fic #keith #vld keith #rape tw #my writing #fic: seen much better days

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aono-art · 6 years ago

Text

“Oh Love.”

This is was gonna be short Cheating Fic: Angst, PidgexLance, LancexAllura

@lavenderlady1999 helped me create this pain bomb.

Part 1/? Word Count: 2152

Part 2 Part 3

Based on this song

Pidge doesn’t even remember what they were fighting about. It seemed like every week it was a new thing, but she knew she had gone too far this time. She really said awful things. In the beginning it was amazing, they were a match made in heaven, Pidge never thought she could experience that sort of happiness. Pidge was confident in many things, but she never thought she was pretty or worth dating-- until Lance confessed his feelings. Lance, he was gorgeous, and no one made her laugh as much as he did. They were best friends.

So what happened? They grew distant, they fought more. It was over dumb, little things, but being how prideful they both were, neither could admit they were wrong. It always ended the same way, silence-- until they needed to talk. About bills, about groceries, about dumb things. That’s all it was anymore, dumb things. And it was a dumb thing that caused her to say the dumbest thing of all.

Even she couldn’t believe it came out of her mouth, she’s always been a hot head, and she always said things she didn’t mean in the heat of the moment. Lance knew this, but it was too far. Lance couldn’t hide the tears breaking past his furrowed brows and clenched teeth. It used to be that Pidge was the safe one for him to cry in front of, but now anytime he wants to cry it’s almost like admitting defeat. He didn’t want to be weak in front of her anymore, it made him more angry. She stared at him in defiance, waiting for him to say something, her gaze wicked and intense. Lance gritted his teeth.

“I can’t believe you Pidge.” He grabbed his jacket and left, slamming the front door behind him. Pidge was left there in the small apartment, fists clenched, she huffed and screamed into a pillow. She yelled a few curse words and kicked some furniture, before standing still. She had her eyes trained on the carpet, one of his dorky socks was partially hidden under the couch. It had cute cartoon cows on them, Pidge had gotten them for him on his birthday last year, they were his favorite pair. And without realizing it, she began to cry. She shouldn’t have said what she did.

Lance had texted Allura on his way over, he had just raised his fist to knock on her door when it opened, pulling him in.

“Oh Lance, I’m so sorry.” She hugged him, he buried his face into her hair and inhaled.

“I missed you Allura.” She pulled back to look at his eyes and he kissed her.

“Lance--” He wrapped his arms around her waist and deepened the kiss, Allura couldn’t help but leaned into him.

“Lance... I know Pidge is my friend, but everyday I regret not being with you. I see the way she makes you feel and I... I want to be with you. Ugh, I feel horrible--” Allura couldn’t finish her thought before Lance was kissing her again. He began pushing her into the bed and she let him, sighing happily into his mouth. “I’m so sorry she said that Lance, it’s not true.”

“I know babe, you’re the only one who cares about me.” He tangled his fingers in her hair.

“Lance we’ve been doing this for far too long--” She said in between kisses.

“You’re right, I’m gonna make it official, I’m breaking up with Pidge.” Lance sat up a bit, with a determined look in his face.

“Wait, Lance, I know you’re in pain--”

“No Allura, I want to be with you. I am so sick of sneaking around behind Pidge’s back, behind everyone’s back. I was supposed to be with you, and you weren’t ready. Pidge was just a shoulder to cry on.” Lance’s eyes went cold, and Allura looked at him with concern.

“Lance, can you really just throw away three years of commitment?” She whispered, trying to be gentle.

“I don’t love her, they were three years of playing pretend.”

Pidge decided enough was enough. Lance hadn’t come home for a few hours now, and it gave her lots of time to think. I should apologize, and make dinner-- his favorite, and maybe those fried plantains his grandma gave me the recipe for... Pidge knew things couldn’t keep going like this, she was going to make it up to him and they would talk it out. She was no longer going to put work before him, not that she was the only one at fault, but that was something of a sore spot in their relationship and she wanted him to know she was serious about fixing things. With a flame of determination she put her long hair up in a ponytail, and began setting up, cooking, and cleaning stuff off the couch and coffee table. She even added a candle, thinking he would appreciate the “romantic atmosphere,” most likely he would make fun of her but that was what she was going for. Finally, everything was ready. She had the different dishes laid out on the coffee table, and the fried plantains in the middle, next to the candle that smelled like pine needles. It was a bit of an odd mixture of smells, but anything to make him smile again.

She sat there for another thirty minutes. This was stupid, I don’t even know when he’ll be back... Sadness crept over her, she missed him. She missed the way he made her laugh, the way his eyes lit up when she came home from work. She hadn’t seen that in a few months and it was getting to her. When had it gotten away from her? She heard the front door knob jiggle, and for a brief moment Pidge was flustered, she didn’t know whether to sit or stand. As the door opened she decided on standing, her hands clasping together in nervousness.

“H-hey.” Pidge greeted the man at the door. Lance looked at her with eyes wide.

“What’s this?” He looked at the girl, whose blush had crept up to her ears and her hands turning white. His eyes scanned the coffee table filled with his favorite foods. Pidge began to get more worried as his expression went from surprised to pensive.

“Uhm, well, I just... I just wanted to tell you how sorry I am for these past few months-- and I’m especially sorry for what I said to you earlier, I was mad and I didn’t mean it. I... I know I’m not the easiest person to get along with, I don’t know how to fit in, and you get the brunt end of that. I want to get better, I want to make this work, you’re such a special person to me Lance---”

“I can’t see a future with you Pidge.” The words stopped her dead in her tracks, her heart squeezing, she thought it had stopped completely.

“What?” Pidge’s ears burned, pressure building, had she breathed yet? She forgot how.

“A few months ago Allura admitted she liked me back. I’ve been seeing her since... I’m finally able to be happy with her. So...”

“S-So what?”

“Can you just tell me it’s over?” Lance’s gaze couldn’t meet hers. He stared at the ground, away from her general direction.

“Let me get this straight, you’ve been cheating on me with Allura for months now?!” Anger coursed through her, hot like molten iron in her veins. So why was she crying?

“Yeah, I didn’t mean to hurt you...”

“So what? You need my permission or something?! A ‘go ahead Lance, I’ll be alright,’ for your guilty conscious?!” Her voice was cracking, losing itself. She couldn’t even see him anymore, his figure blurred in and out of her vision, the tears were getting in the way.

“Pidge, I--”

“You apparently don’t need my permission for anything.”

“Pidge please--”

“Shut up Lance! I... I can’t even think right now! You, you cheated on me? For MONTHS?! With-- with Allura--”

“Yeah I did, I messed up...what can I do? I’m in love with her. I’ve been in love with her.”

“Was anything between us real?!” She hissed, her arms crossed, she was decreasing in size quickly as her body balled up in itself. Her expression screamed anger, but her body showed pain.

“Your words hurt, they cut like glass and honestly? Your whole personality is the same. How I ever fell in love with someone who’s heart is so prickly-- I don’t know. Allura is soft, and caring, you’re cold and sharp.”

“I.. I know that, that’s why I wanted to... It’s stupid. This whole thing is stupid--” Pidge was mumbling now, rambling.

“Dije que lo sentía, Lo siento por lo que hice--” He was almost whispering now.

“No sé como olvidar.” She spat back at him in perfect Spanish, she had been with him for so many years, she learned Spanish so she could speak to his Grandmother. Pidge’s eyes fixed on him, ice in her amber stare.

“I didn’t want to hurt you, but you never not wanted to hurt me. Goodbye Pidge.” His eyes went to the ground, and he walked out for the second time that day.

Pidge launched herself into work, it was all she knew to do. Her coping skills still weren’t the best after years of working herself through things. She couldn’t concentrate though, and when she ignored her brother’s texts, he began pounding on her door. She quietly sobbed as Matt called out for her on the other side of the door. She would fix this, she can fix anything. She knew deep down that Lance cheated, and there’s no excuses for cheaters but... she couldn’t help but blame herself. It was wrong, she knew that, she knew that... So why do you keep blaming yourself?

“I feel sick.” Pidge said to herself for the tenth time that day. It had been two weeks since Lance walked out. He had left his favorite jacket behind and, she knew eventually he’d be back to collect his things. That was when she would strike, she would win him back. Why? He made his decision--- She quickly chased the thought away. Because he was worth it, she loved him. Right? She was torn, but set her mind to it anyway.

Just like she predicted, he had come back a day or so later to collect his things. The atmosphere was thick, and tears immediately began pricking Pidge’s eyes. She fought them. Before Lance could go to the room to grab his clothes, Pidge stopped him.

“Lance, I’m so sorry. I’m so so sorry, for everything, I was wrong. You’re the most important person to me, I... I don’t know where I would be without you. You’re my best friend and I know we fight a lot, but we can fix it. I want to fix it, because you mean everything to me.” Pidge couldn’t stop her voice from wavering, quivering. Tears bubbled up in her eyes, she smiled and looked up at Lance-- but when her gaze met his, it was cold.

“Pidge, why haven’t you realized it yet?” She stared at him, wide eyed and in shock. “I never loved you Pidge. I was heartbroken over Allura and you were there. I only needed your shoulder, and things got out of hand.” His voice was tough.

“I-- Lance I’m sorry, I don’t know what I’m doing. I don’t know how to fit in-- I never have and you were my puzzle piece, I feel like I belong--”

“For fucks sake Pidge! Get it in your head! It’s done! I’m finally with Allura now, the way things should have always been.” He barked. Pidge shrunk back, and it stunned both of them. Neither one of them were prepared for how fragile Pidge had become. She began crying again, Lance rubbed the back of his neck, not able to look at the girl.

I thought we were gonna grow old together.

“C-Can... can I have a hug before you go?” Pidge sobbed pathetically. Why had that come out? Where did it come from? Had she really missed him that much?

“I don’t really want to hold you right now.” Lance bit back sharply. Pidge stood there, unsure of what to do or say. She felt like hyperventilating, her entire world was crashing around her, and she wasn’t sure how to put it back together. For once nothing was in her control. He gathered his things, Pidge standing in the living room crying silently the whole time. Why was she the only one in pain? Did he really not care? It wasn’t fair that she was the only one crying-- it wasn’t fair that she was crying at all.

All of Lance’s word rung in Pidge’s ears, burning them long after he had left her there. She was alone.

Hey! Thanks for reading, and we’re sorry. Let us know if you want a Part 2!

EDIT: Part 2 available now!

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himecchi · 6 years ago

Text

I’m glad you’re here, Lance.

Summary: Focuses primarily on Keith and Lance (mostly platonic, but a little bit on the romantic side during some parts), with some serious Shiro moments at the beginning and some fluff at the end. Takes place between the season 6 finale and goes into episode 1 of season 7. Keith is absolutely exhausted after fighting Shiro and saving the universe, and isn’t feeling too hot because of it. This was supposed to be a drabble but it turned into 4k+ words. Also, please note, I haven’t had time to proofread this yet, but I’ll come back tomorrow and fix any grammar/spelling errors then (edit: I just went through and fixed a few things, hopefully it’s all good now). Anyways, I hope you enjoy! :)

He was so happy to have Shiro back. That was all he wanted and, seeing Shiro regain consciousness, Keith felt so relieved. What Keith didn’t realize, however, is that he’d been running on empty since their battle. The only thing sustaining him had been adrenaline and, now that everything had calmed down and Shiro was safe, exhaustion and pain hit him like a truck. The brutal beating he’d taken earlier caught up to him and his entire body ached - his face, where Shiro had punched him, his cheek, where he’d been burned, his back which had been slammed against metal scaffolding… everything just hurt. As if his battle with Shiro hadn’t already taken a heavy toll on him, the fight with Lotor had really taken every last ounce of energy out of him - Keith really was running on empty. He had no strength left in his aching body. He wanted nothing more than to rest, but at the same time, he was still so worried about Shiro. “I can’t rest now,” he thought, “Shiro needs me.” Even so, he found it difficult to ignore the heaviness of his eyelids as they threatened to close at any moment. “Maybe… I can rest for… just a… moment…” Keith’s thoughts trailed off as he felt himself slipping away into dreamland, but before he’d had a chance to close his eyes for more than two seconds, he was jolted awake again by Allura’s voice, “Oh no,” she said, concern heavy in her voice, “Shiro?! Shiro?!” Registering Allura’s urgent tone, Keith immediately snapped back into consciousness. “What is it?!” Keith demanded, “What’s wrong with him?” he asked, eyes wide with worry. “I… I don’t know…” Allura cried, “This body… it appears to be rejecting Shiro’s consciousness.” “Rejecting… Shiro’s consciousness…?” Keith repeated the words in his head as he stood there in complete shock trying to process the situation. “What… what do you mean?” Keith asked, a hollow look glazing over his eyes. “What do you mean ‘rejecting his consciousness’?! What does that mean?!” Keith yelled out, expression changing to anger.

By now, Pidge, Hunk, Lance, Kroila, Romelle, and Coran had surrounded Shiro, Keith, and Allura as they took in the situation. “What do we do, Allura? How do we fix it?! You can fix it, right? Please!” Keith was starting to panic, and he couldn’t contain the desperation in his voice as he spoke. “Hey, man,” Lance placed a hand on Keith’s shoulder, “Calm down, okay? We’ll figure this out, but you need to calm down.” After several moments, the tension in Keith’s body began to relax and he took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment to compose himself. “You’re right. S-sorry about that.” Keith mumbled. “Don’t worry about it, man,” Lance reassured him, then turned to face Allura, “What do we need to do?” Allura paused for a moment, thinking, then spoke, “The cryopod. Put him in the cryopod then move him into the black lion. We can run more tests from there.” Without any hesitation, the team got to work, carefully easing Shiro back into the cryopod and gently moving him into the black lion as Allura had asked. Meanwhile, Keith was still trying to process everything. He’d just fought Shiro - thought he might have to kill Shiro, only to find out that Shiro had been dead since their fight with Zarkon. Now, he’d just gotten Shiro back, only to find out that he might lose him all over again… it was too much. Keith couldn’t keep up. It was all happening too fast. Keith began walking towards the black lion in a daze, still struggling to process everything happening around him.

As Keith entered the black lion, the world just seemed like a chaotic blur. He saw flashes of blue light flickering across Shiro’s pale face as Allura gave out orders, but it all felt fuzzy to him, as if everything were happening in slow motion. Still, his mind was struggling to keep up. Then, as if on cue, a comforting hand on his shoulder suddenly brought him out of his haze as he registered Lance’s voice, “Hey, you okay?” “What?” Keith answered, startled, “Y-yeah. Fine….. How’s Shiro?” He turned to look at Allura, “Is he going to be okay?” The pain in Keith’s voice was palpable and Allura couldn’t bring herself to meet his gaze. She averted her eyes, looking down at the floor and responded quietly, “I… I don’t know. Only time will tell.” “What?” Keith asked breathily, eyes widening in shock, “N-no… no. He’s okay. He’s going to be okay. He has to be okay!” Keith exclaimed in a combination of fear and desperation as he ran towards Shiro’s pod. “Shiro, you have to fight, okay? Fight! Please,” Keith cried out, hands pressed up against the glass. “I’m not giving up on you!” Keith yelled. He then heard Lance’s voice beside him, “I’m sorry, Keith. I know this must be hard for you.” Suddenly, it was all too much. Everything. All of it. It was just way too much, and Keith couldn’t take it anymore. “Hard?!” He snapped at Lance, “How could you possibly know? How could you possibly understand what this feels like? Have you ever lost a loved one? Been abandoned? How could you possibly know?!” Keith yelled, voice beginning to crack. “Hey now, there’s no need to-” Allura began to speak, but Lance cut her off with a shushing gesture. Lance then pulled Keith into a comforting embrace. “You’re right,” Lance soothed, “I don’t know. I’m sorry. I just want to help.” After several moments, Keith spoke in a soft voice, “S-sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you like that.” “It’s okay. Don’t worry about it,” Lance replied deepening the hug as he noticed Keith beginning to shake. “Try to calm down, Keith. I know you’re going through a lot right now, but getting yourself all worked up will do you more harm than good,” Lance spoke gently to Keith, “Come on, try to breathe. Just take some deep breaths.” Keith did as he was told, inhaling sharply and exhaling slow. Eventually, after several deep breaths, his breathing evened out. “There you go,” Lance soothed, “That’s better.” Once Lance was certain Keith was calm, he finally broke the hug. Keith turned back towards Shiro, eyebrows furrowing with concern. “Please, Shiro,” Keith whispered, “Fight.” Seeing how torn up Keith was, Lance placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, letting him know that he wasn’t alone. Though Keith didn’t say anything, he was grateful for the comforting contact.

Moment after moment passed by, and nothing changed. Shiro wasn’t getting any better, and Keith could feel the panic beginning to rise once more. He swallowed it down, forcing it out of his system. “Stay calm,” he told himself. “You have to… stay… calm…” Suddenly, Keith’s surroundings looked strangely blurry, and before he could register what was happening, he felt himself falling over. Luckily, due to his quick reflexes, he managed to catch himself, steadying his footing before he actually fell to the ground. “Whoa! Hey,” Lance cried out as he rushed to Keith’s side, “Are you okay? What happened?” “S’nothing,” Keith slurred, “Just felt a little dizzy. That’s all.” “Hey, man,” Lance said, concerned, “You’re lookin’ pretty pale. Maybe you should rest for a bit. We’ll let you know if anything changes with Shir-” “No!” Keith cut him off, “I can’t leave him! He never gave up on me, so I won’t ever give up on him. I’m staying right here until he wakes up.” Lance’s only response was an uncertain look of worry. “I’m fine, okay? Don’t worry about me,” Keith tried to reassure him. “Well… okay,” Lance responded, “If you say so…” He could see the exhaustion in Keith’s features - dark circles punctuating his eyes, droopy eyelids, and a general look of weariness, but he couldn’t bring himself to go against Keith’s wishes. He was genuinely worried about him, but he could also see just how important it was for Keith to stay by Shiro’s side, so he let it slide.

Ticks turned into doboshes, then doboshes into vargas, and Shiro still hadn’t woken up. It was agonizing. Then, without warning, the cryopod suddenly lit up, displaying several different images and stats. “Wh-what’s happening?” Keith asked, concerned. Allura squeezed her eyes shut, a sad look spreading across her face, “I’m afraid… the clone body really is rejecting Shiro’s consciousness.” Keith’s eyes widened, “No,” he breathed out. “Shiro, please!” Keith cried out, slamming his fist against the cryopod, “Fight! You can’t do this to me again!” several ticks passed by as Keith silently pleaded with the universe not to take Shiro away from him. Then, suddenly, the images on the cryopod changed color and the pod opened up. “Shiro,” Keith cried out, disbelief punctuating his voice. “Keith,” Shiro spoke softly, “I was dreaming… Keith, you saved me.” A warm smile spreading across his face, Keith leaned forwards to embrace Shiro, “We saved each other,” he whispered. “Get some rest now, okay?” Keith said, smiling down at Shiro. “Yeah, thanks.” Shiro replied, drifting back to sleep with a peaceful expression.

Now that Shiro was in the clear and all the worry and anxiety and adrenaline had once again faded, Keith realized how awful he actually felt. He’d really pushed himself way past his limit. His head pounded, his body ached, his legs felt shaky, ready to collapse at any moment. Not wanting to cause any alarm, he excused himself, walking through the sliding doors into the corridor. Despite his attempts at being subtle however, the shakiness in Keith’s voice did not go unnoticed by Lance, who got up to follow him.

As soon as Lance was through the sliding doors, he noticed Keith’s unsteady form pressed up against the side of the wall as he trembled violently, barely able to stay upright. “Keith!” Lance called out as he ran towards him, hooking Keith’s arm around his shoulders in order to steady him. “Hey, man. Talk to me! Are you okay?!” Dazed violet orbs gazed up at Lance, and it was clear that Keith was pretty out of it. “L-Lance?” Keith questioned, “..... I think… m’gonna… pass out….” he slurred as his head lobbed to the side and his body went limp in Lance’s arms. “Keith?! Keith?! Hey!” Lance cried out. “Dammit,” he thought, “Not good.” Slowly, he eased Keith down to the floor, cradling his shoulders with one arm and pressing his other hand against Keith’s sweaty forehead. A fever. Definitely not good. “Don’t worry, Keith. I’m gonna take care of you,” Lance whispered, a deeper concern spreading across his face at the sound of Keith’s ragged breathing. Gently, he scooped Keith up in his arms, cradling his head against his chest, and began walking towards Keith’s room.

Carefully, Lance placed Keith down in bed, then removed his paladin armor. After that, he grabbed a cool washcloth, placing it gently across Keith’s burning forehead. “You’re gonna be okay, buddy. Don’t worry. Ol’ Lance will take care of ya,” he says, running a hand through Keith’s sweaty hair. “Dammit,” Lance thought, “Why does he always push himself so hard? Doesn’t he realize that he’s important too?”

After several moments, Keith’s eyes flutter open and dart around the room as he takes in his surroundings. “L-Lance?... Where are we? … What… happened?” Keith asks, struggling to sit up. “Whoa, whoa, whoa! Keith! Take it easy, man!” Lance reprimands as he gently eases Keith back down to his bed. “Don’t push yourself too hard, okay? You passed out. Got a real bad fever too.” “Wh… what…?” Keith asks, confused. “You need to rest, okay?” Lance says. “But… Shiro….” Keith pants. “Is fine,” Lance assures him, “You, on the other hand…” he trails off. “Look, I know you’re still worried, but right now you’re running on empty, okay? Give yourself a break. You’re always so busy worrying about everyone else… how about you worry about yourself for a change?” Lance says, giving Keith a slight smile. Keith looks up at him, a mixture of shock and confusion spreading across his face. He looks as if he’s contemplating everything Lance has just said to him. Damn. He really does feel awful. Maybe it would be better to rest for a bit. After all, he can barely keep his eyes open. “Well… I guess… maybe you’re right,” Keith grumbles, looking away. A confused expression flickers across Lance’s face. Did Keith just… agree with him? “Uh… y-yeah,” Lance clears his throat, “Yeah. Of course I am. Now get back to sleep, mullet,” he says in a playfully boastful tone, briefly looking in the other direction. When his eyes fall back on Keith, he’s already sound asleep.

Several hours pass and Lance doesn’t leave Keith’s side. He stays with him, changing out the cool washcloth on his forehead every so often and brushing his sweat-soaked bangs away from his face. Keith’s breathing is still ragged, but he seems to be sleeping peacefully for the most part, so Lance feels mostly relieved… that is until Keith suddenly jerks awake, sitting bolt upright, gasping for air. Lance is so startled he nearly falls out of his chair, but quickly regains composure and is immediately at Keith’s side. “Keith, hey. What’s wrong? Are you okay?” Keith’s eyes are rapidly darting around the room, searching for something - for someone. “Sh-Shiro… where’s…?” he pants. “He’s delirious,” Lance notes, eyebrows furrowing together. “Keith, Shiro is okay, remember? He’s fine. He’s just resting.” Lance reassures him, grabbing his hand and rubbing soothing circles into it with his thumb. “Shiro… is… fine…?” Keith says, as if struggling to process what those words mean. “Yes, he is. He’s fine. I promise. Try to calm down now, okay? Take some deep breaths.” Lance begins taking some deep breaths, hoping to encourage Keith to do the same. Eventually, Keith follows suit and, between the deep breaths and Lance’s comforting motions against his hand, Keith begins to calm down and regain his senses.

With the adrenaline gone, Keith’s body suddenly feels unbearably heavy, and he slumps sideways against Lance’s chest. Lance catches him and holds him up, now rubbing his shoulder for comfort. “Lance… I… Sorry about that… just now…” Keith stutters. “Nothing to apologize for, buddy,” Lance reassures him, “How are you feeling?” “Sleepy,” Keith answers honestly. “Alright, get some more rest then.” Lance soothes. “Oh, but first, drink some water, okay? I’m sure you’re probably pretty dehydrated,” Lance says encouragingly. “Here,” Lance reaches down for a water pouch he’d brought earlier. Continuing to support Keith, he opens the pouch and brings it to Keith’s mouth. Keith takes a few sips, savoring the way the cool water slides down his dry throat, soothing his aching body. Within a few minutes, Keith manages to drink the whole thing. “You want some more?” Lance asks him. Keith pauses for a moment, thinking. “No, I’m good. Just... wanna... rest… now...” Keith slurs, eyes already beginning to flutter shut. “Okay, buddy,” Lance smiles, “You do that,” he says as he eases him back into bed. Lance gently tucks Keith in, brushing his bangs aside, and replacing the cool washcloth on his forehead. Lance then strokes Keith’s cheek reassuringly to let him know he’s there. Keith mumbles a bit in response, then leans into the touch, “Feels nice,” he slurs. Lance’s smile deepens and he continues to let Keith rest his cheek against his cool hand.

Keith slept soundly for the rest of the day, waking up around dinner time to find Lance still at his side. “Hey sleepyhead,” Lance greeted, smiling down at him, “How ya feeling?” Although he felt a little better, Keith’s body still felt heavy, drained, weak. He noticed the drowsiness still present in his eyelids and the feverishness of his skin. “Little better,” he replied, forcing a smile. Lance saw right through him. “Come on, Keith! Don’t lie to me. You still look awful,” Lance scolded. Keith groaned, draping a hand across his eyes, “Okay, okay. Sorry. Not so loud,” Keith whined, “You’re right. Still feel pretty weak,” he admitted. Lance gave him a sympathetic look. “You wanna try eating something maybe? Might give you a little strength back,” Lance encouraged, “I’m sure Hunk would be happy to make you something.” At Lance’s words, a light bulb went off in Keith’s brain: he hadn’t even realized how hungry he was. The past few days had been so stressful that he’d completely forgotten to eat. Concern, fear, and adrenaline had all but consumed him and, by the time everything had calmed down, he’d been so physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted that food was the furthest thing from his mind... but now that Lance mentioned it, Keith was starving. “Y-Yeah… actually, that’d be great,” he smiled slightly. At this, Lance’s face seemed to light up. “O-Okay!” he stuttered, almost as if he hadn’t been expecting Keith to take him up on the offer, “I-I’ll go tell Hunk to make you something then! Hang tight!” he called as he darted out of Keith’s room and into the hallway. Keith smiled to himself, thankful to have Lance here to take care of him, then let his eyes rest while he waited for the food.

Suddenly, a slender hand was gently shaking him awake. “Keith, hey buddy. Wake up. Food’s ready,” Lance called out to him softly. Keith’s eyes fluttered open as his foggy mind began to adjust to being awake again. “Hey,” Lance smiled, “Can you sit up?” he asked. “Y-Yeah…” Keith stammered, unsure if he actually could. His body honestly just felt completely drained. Slowly, Keith brought his arms back to stabilize himself as he moved to sit up. As he began to push his body forwards, Lance noticed Keith arms shaking considerably and moved forwards to catch him just as Keith’s right arm gave out. “Ease, mullet. You can ask for help, you know? Don’t push yourself too hard.” Lance said reassuringly. Keith looked away for a moment, then paused and looked back at Lance, “Thanks,” he said with a slightly awkward look on his face. “You think you’re up to eating with the others?” Lance asked, “They’re all worried about you.” “Mmm,” Keith hummed, closing his eyes for a moment, “Yeah, that sounds nice.” “Alright,” Lance smiled, “Hold onto me, okay?” “Mhhmmm,” Keith mumbled as Lance helped Keith onto his back and brought him out into the paladins’ common area.

“Hey, Keith’s here,” Pidge said, smiling. “Oh my,” Allura chimed in, “He doesn’t look like he’s doing too well, though.” “Don’t worry!” Hunk encouraged, “He’ll be fine once he gets some of this space lasagna I made for him.” Hunk paused for a moment, “At least I think this is lasagna… we didn’t exactly have lasagna noodles so I kinda just used these circle-y noodle things… yeah, I don’t know... but hey, it still tastes awesome!” he said, giving his signature wide smile. “I’m sure it’s great, Hunk,” Keith said softly, still exhausted and not having enough energy to speak at his usual volume. Keith then smiled to himself as he closed his eyes. Listening to his fellow paladins - his friends - as they spoke around him was somehow soothing. “Wow,” Hunk said, eyes narrowing, “Sick Keith is oddly very kind…” “He’s always kind,” Shiro chuckled, “He just doesn’t know how to show it.” Shiro. That was Shiro’s voice. Keith hadn’t even registered that Shiro was among the other paladins in the room. Keith had assumed he’d still be resting. At the sound of Shiro’s warm, familiar voice, Keith felt himself instantly perk up. “Sh-Shiro?” he asked from Lance’s back. “Hey, Keith,” Shiro smiled affectionately, “How you doing?” It was all too much. A strong mixture of happiness and relief washed over Keith in that moment and he felt tears slipping past his eyes. He buried his face into Lance’s back and, in response, Lance glanced over his shoulder and gave a soft chuckle. “See?” Lance whispered to Keith, “Shiro’s really alright. You saved him, Keith. You did it.” Keith gave a silent nod of thanks as the tears continued to soak into the back of Lance’s shirt. Lance shifted slightly to hide Keith from view and, thankfully for Keith, no one else seemed to notice his tears.

After a few moments, Keith lifted his head again, letting Lance know that he was okay now - and just in time, as Coran called out, “I don’t mean to be rude, but are you two going to join us or is standing in that formation some type of Earth tradition I’m unfamiliar with?” “Nothing like that,” Lance chuckled out, “We’re coming.” Carefully, Shiro helped Lance ease Keith onto the couch. He sat between Lance and Shiro, leaning against Shiro’s arm. It was warm and comforting - Shiro’s presence. He’d been so scared - so unbearably afraid - that he would lose him, so leaning against his arm was soothing. It reassured him that Shiro was actually here. Keith could feel him. He was real and, as long as he continued to rest his head on Shiro’s arm, he could be sure that Shiro wasn’t going anywhere. Shiro’s warm, familiar presence to his right and Lance’s comforting presence to his left, Keith felt completely at ease.

Several moments passed and Shiro suddenly became aware of a quivering against his arm. It was Keith. “Keith?” Shiro questioned softly, “Are you cold?” Keith mumbled incoherently, then gave a small nod. Shiro looked as if he was about to stand up, then Lance chimed in, “I’ll go get a blanket,” he offered, “Don’t move him,” he told Shiro with a smile, “He look comfortable.” “Sure,” Shiro smiled back, “Thanks.”

A few minutes later, Lance returned with a large, fluffy blanket in hand. He gently draped it around Keith’s shoulders. Keith, who’d had his eyes closed, opened them slightly as the comforting warmth made contact with his shivering body. “Thanks,” he said, smiling up at Lance. “Anything for you, bud,” Lance replied. Keith gave a small, happy sounding noise, then closed his eyes again.

A few more minutes went by, and finally, the lasagna was ready. Shiro and Lance helped Keith sit upright, and Keith managed to steady himself enough to eat on his own. Thankfully, Hunk had been considerate enough to cut Keith’s piece up into smaller bites so he wouldn’t have to worry about using a fork and knife. Keith managed to eat the entire thing, and he was grateful to find that a bit of his strength had returned to him. In spite of this however, he was in massive sleep debt and his entire being was still extremely exhausted, so he let himself lean back up against Shiro and closed his eyes as the lively, bustling common space slowly turned to a dull roar, and then to silence.

“He really is tired, huh?” Pidge stated, quizzically. “Of course he is,” Shiro replied softly, “After all, he saved me, then had to go save an entire universe right after that… not to mention he stayed by my side the entire time until I woke up. He’s barely gotten any rest at all,” Shiro hummed, running a hand through Keith’s hair. “You did well, buddy,” Lance said, patting Keith’s sleeping form on the shoulder. In response, Keith breathed in deeply, then let out a contented sigh. Shiro suddenly made a face, “He still feels a bit feverish, though. Should we take him back to his room?” Seeing how at ease Keith looked tucked against Shiro’s chest, Lance realized how important Shiro’s presence was for Keith, especially right now after everything he’d been through. “Nah,” Lance replied, “He looks happy. Let’s just let him sleep. I’ll go get a fresh washcloth for him. That should be enough to help with the fever.” With that, Lance jogged off.

All the clean washcloths appeared to be dirty, and it took Lance a few doboshes to find a usable one. Eventually he made his way back to the commonspace, but by the time he got back, it appeared all the other paladins had turned in for the night. It was just him, Shiro, and Keith. Lance walked over to where Shiro and Keith sat on the couch - Keith’s sleeping form curled up against Shiro’s warmth, head resting in his lap - and placed the washcloth gently on Keith’s forehead, careful not to wake him. Shiro appeared to be sleeping too, so Lance turned to leave, but stopped in his tracks at the sound of Shiro’s voice. “Hey, why don’t you stay for a bit?” he whispered. “Oh… uhhh… guess I didn’t want to, you know… ruin the moment?” Lance said awkwardly. “Nonsense,” Shiro smiled, gesturing towards the couch. Lance paused for a moment, unsure what to do, but eventually made his way over to the couch, sitting down quite a distance away, then awkwardly scooting closer to the two. Shiro gave Lance a reassuring smile, then let his eyes close as he fell back asleep. “Somehow… this feels awkward,” Lance thought to himself as he slid down to the floor. His head was now even with Keith’s head, which was still resting in Shiro’s lap. He moved in closer to adjust the washcloth on Keith’s forehead in order to prevent it from falling off. “There we go,” he whispered. He looked around the dark, empty room and began to fiddle with his thumbs. “Maybe I really should leave,” he thought. Just as he was about to stand up, he heard Keith stir. “L-Lance?” Keith mumbled sleepily. “Oh… hey, bud. How’re you doing? Feel a little better?” Lance asked softly. “Hmmm? Yeah, a little,” Keith said in a tired daze, “I didn’t realize you were here,” he mused. “Oh… uh… yeah, sorry. I’ll get go-” Lance began, but Keith’s sleepy voice cut him off, “M’glad you’re here, Lance,” Keith slurred with a small content smile on his face as his tired hand reached out to grab Lance’s. “Thanks,” Keith murmured, “For everything.” Lance’s eyes widened with a mixture of shock and joy. “Anything for you, mullet,” Lance replied, gently touching his head affectionately to Keith’s, “Feel better.” Keith had already fallen asleep, but managed to respond with a contented sigh. After a few more ticks had passed, Lance fell asleep too, right by Keith’s side.

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ladytelos · 7 years ago

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Too Different ( Lotor x Reader) ***spoilers***

I don’t know how well I did in the angst department lol. I tried to make the reaction as real as possible but I’ve never experienced it so I tried lol. Sorry if this is trash. I suck at dialog so its kinda sparse, yip yip.

I used the F-word once, idk if there are any sensitive babies out here but just fyi xD

A dreaded feeling of nausea and anxiety laced your stomach with an upsetting tenacity. No matter how many times you wished the feeling away it would go nowhere. You would’ve liked to been able to say that you had no idea why this was happening but you had a very clear idea.

It was the same feeling that started every time you heard Lotor was once again alone with the Altean princess.

Things had been so different for the two of you since the tide had turned and Lotor sided with voltron. You hadn’t been very confident in what his motivations were for this turn in loyalties but even so, you followed him.You grasped for the love of your life with both hands tightly wound.

But, despite this, recently it felt like you had been losing him.

You had known Lotor a ways before anything revolving Voltron became a valid concern. You would spend days researching topics on the many cultures that had been found in the galaxy. Your thirst for knowledge often unquenchable.

Lotor had found you one of those days, reading on a race he thought no one of the generations had even heard of. You found yourself a book on Altean culture hidden deep inside of the libraries of the main fleet where you were stationed. Out of curiosity Lotor began a conversation with you on the reasons you had decided to read such an old thing. The two of you found that you both had an incredible reserve of curiosity towards other cultures unlike your own. That it started in the fact that both of you had diluted Galran blood.

It wouldn’t be long until you found yourself planted on Lotor’s fleet, having long conversations with during your free time about a vast array of topics.

The passion in your heart would soon gravitate the prince’s own towards you. When you were found to be his lover, very few were surprised by the fact. You were never found too far from him and if anyone dared harm you they would face the most severe of punishment.

There was not a time happiness found you more. You truly believed that your heart would lay safe in his hands for the rest of eternity. Now you weren’t so sure.

Lotor and Allura began to grow uncomfortably close, spending hours upon hours alone in an Altean research center. Even if they weren’t alone, they might as well have been. Sharing whispered conversation with each other that only resulted in the feeling of glass being shoved into your heart.

Everytime you laid your eyes on Allura it only suficied to make your stomach even more weak. Your unquelled mind would run rampant with useless imaginings.

Of how much better she was than you, of how perfectly fit she and Lotor were. You and Lotor had alway seemed like two cloths of mismatched patterns forcibly sewn together, like an oxymoron. It had never accomplished in bothering you until these moments. She was a beautiful Altean princess, with a strong will and friendly attitude. How could anyone ever match Lotor more?

Yet you never mentioned a word of this to Lotor, as not to seem foolish. You trusted that he would never do anything to harm you.

That feeling in your stomach only grew as time went on, especially when his time with you got shorter and Allura’s longer.

Conversations recently were short and skin deep at best. At times you swore there was a tone of irritation in his voice that made your heart squeeze. Too many times were you supposed to be doing something together and were blown off, only to learn he was spending his time with Allura.

The two of them had been spending almost every waking moment on the comet ships together. Forcing yourself to be okay with it felt like a hot coal forced down your throat, but it was important to Lotor so you endured. His happiness meant more to you than some jealousy, and you knew Allura was the only one who could help.

‘That’s all he needs her for, and once its done everything will be fine’ Everyday you tried to convince yourself of this, and every day it felt less and less true.

When they finally finished the ships you felt relief for a brief period of time. Surely all of this doubt was coming to an end and your love with Lotor could once again be reassured. You didn’t know how wrong you were. Lotor and you had very little conversations these days but one bit of information had found its way to you. He and Allura were to venture into the quintessence field as he had wanted for so long. Despite the distance built between you, happiness flooded your veins when you heard.

You had wished them both well on their way, attempting to push down the feeling bubbling in your chest at the thought of them alone out there. You gave a quick kiss to Lotor’s cheek, telling him to come back home safe. The send off had felt odd, almost artificial. He had responded with a curt nod and an ‘of course’, as self assured as ever.

You decided against waiting around with the others in the main hub, the empty space allowed to much time to think. So you left to find yourself a distraction. You found yourself a little while later in the library of the Castle ship. Selecting a book that seemed interesting enough to hold your attention in the way you needed it to.

However, you found yourself having to reread too many pages. Your thoughts drifting off to the prince again. Subconsciously you knew the only remedy to them was the prince’s return.

When a few hours had passed by, finally there was a notification of a landing in the main hatch. Relief flooded your veins, you shot up placing the book down where it once had been and raced out the door. Running down the corridors as quickly as your feet could, you couldn’t wait to see your love. Even more so you wanted to take him to spend time with you, as reassurance after he was alone with Allura so long. Those bay doors were the only thing holding you back from him, and they couldn’t have opened fast enough.

Your feet screeched to a halt, your body processing what was in front of you faster than your mind could.

Allura and Lotor were standing there, kissing.

Your mouth fell open, and then would shut again, as if gasping for air. It was silent though, with words still processing in your brain. When the two parted the last thing they had been expecting was to see you standing there.

Lotor’s face looked shocked, but yet somehow, you saw not guilt in those eyes of his. Tears welled up faster than you could will them away.

Lotor took a step toward you, and at the same instance you took one step back. “(Y/n) I can explain-.” He started, holding a hand out. You shook your head and just kept stepping back.

“This isn’t what it looks to be, truly.” He kept stepping closer, your eyes kept on his form. Allura’s voice quipped from behind him.

“I swear (y/n) we weren’t thinking, this has never happened before.” Her eyes were pleading but in that moment all you could do is look at her and scoff. Quickly you turned as fast as you could, the need to run over taking you but a hand grasped on too quickly.

You stared with a fury into his eyes, “Don’t you fucking touch me. Don’t you dare touch me, ‘ it isn’t what it looks like?’ I’m not blind.” You yelled at him, the only thing swelling in your chest at the moment. His eyes looked wide, not believing the words that dropped so heavily from your mouth.

You couldn’t help the small, bitter giggle that left your mouth. “It’s not like its a surprise, I’ve been expecting it, I just hoped I was worth more to you, wasn’t I the fool.” You wrenched your arm away from him and turned to leave again.

“(Y/n) please I-.” “Save your breath, you’ll need it to kiss that princess of yours.” And with that you walked straight out the door. You stopped just outside, letting everything sink in further.

Your hand flew up to your mouth again as you let out a cruel sob. Part of you wasn’t surprised, but you had hoped fate would be kinder. Fate held no loyalty to you, that much was clear. Tears blurred your vision as you walked your way to your bedroom. Everything you had put into him every hope, every kind thought, what was it all for? You thought you had meant more to him than this.

A numbness overtook your veins as you collapsed onto the blankets of the bed. The warmth being the only comfort you could believe in right now. Thinking of Lotor only made you want to scream, tear something apart, and destroy it. Just like he did you. Whatever this feeling was it was different than the usual nausea, something worse.

You turned onto your back and stared at the white ceiling just above you as your nose kept running. Trying to collect whatever ability to breath you had, your mind thought back to the last couple of weeks. Of how stupid you felt for trusting him, in believing that if you loved him than he must love you too. And most of all you felt stupid for thinking someone like you and him ever belonged together. With sarcastic laugh you thought about how ironic this was.

Altean culture brought you together, and now its torn you apart.

#voltron #voltron season 6 spoiler #lotor x reader #prince lotor #vld lotor #voltron x reader #voltron imagines #Allura #voltron allura #voltron season 6

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panda-noosh · 6 years ago

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All This Time {Allura x Reader}

Words: 8k

Summary: Lotor had betrayed team Voltron, and Allura was utterly distraught. You know why. She loved him, as much as it pained you to admit that. You're willing to put your feelings for the princess aside to help her through this difficult time, but will your kind words be enough?

Genre: angst

Notes: masterlist – if Allura isn't happy in the next season, I'm planning an event {{also yes, Allura is bisexual in this fic because yes please}}.

---

You had heard the news and immediately thought of Allura.

It hurt. It hurt so damn much to imagine the pain she must have been in, the betrayal she must have felt upon hearing the news for the first time; you had been away on a mission, hadn't been with her to help her through the shock. According to Hunk, who later walked you through exactly what had happened with Lotor, Allura had lost her temper and punched the emperor in the face – you would have been proud of her if it wasn't for the fact that her violence had stemmed from her sadness.

Try as you might to avoid thinking about such a thing, it was obvious that Allura had feelings for Lotor. From the moment the two of them had started working together, her feelings only became clearer and clearer, and you were forced to shove yours down into the deep dark depths of your heart – there was no way in hell you could confess whenever it was clear she had eyes for somebody else.

But then Lotor had betrayed you all, and it wasn't a feeling of happiness that soared through you. It wasn't a feeling of relief, that maybe you would now have a chance – it was a feeling of absolute horror because, at the end of the day, you were still a part of team Voltron. You had still trusted Lotor, just like the others had, and you had still been played.

It was Allura and Coran who were most affected by it, though. Hearing what Lotor had put the few remaining people of their kind through must have torn them apart, though the Alteans did a fine job of hiding it.

You stormed through the hallways of the ship, Hunk struggling to keep up with you with the speed in which you were walking. Your hands were clenched into fists at your sides, fresh sweat still evident on your face from the confines you had just escaped – you had only just gotten back from your assigned mission, and your clothes still reeked of the gold dust that the planet you had been on was made from.

“Where is she?” you demanded, not even sparing a glance in Hunk's direction.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” asked Hunk. “She's not exactly in the best of moods, and you clearly aren't either. Maybe it's best if we just-”

“Hunk!” you snapped, not entirely meaning to. “Where is she?”

Hunk whimpered before pointing dead ahead to the medical room. Your heart fell, your steps faltering as you came to realise that perhaps Allura had been physically injured during your time away as well.

Hunk seemed to notice the faltering in your movements. His hand snapped out and he gripped your arm, forcing you to whirl around and look at him. Your eyes were wide, cheeks flushed with panic.

He shook his head slowly. “She's okay. She's not injured. She just went in there for some peace and quiet.”

You heaved a sigh of relief, feeling as if a thousand tons of pressure had been taken off of you. You gave Hunk a kind smile, a sort of apology for the tone you had taken with him earlier, before you were prying your arm out of his grip, whirling around and heading directly for the door of the medical room.

You didn't care if Allura wanted alone time. You had seen her in this state multiple times before – she claimed she wanted to be alone, that she needed time to think, and then she would shut herself in for weeks on end until the problem was forgotten by everyone else and she was able to suffer without the added pressures of other people worrying about her.

You wouldn't let that happen. Not this time.

And so, with all the strength and the little confidence you could muster up in the short space of time it took for you to wade towards the door, you turned the handle and shoved it open.

The room wasn't lit up by anything; the curtains were closed, the windows were closed, the lights were off. The only light you were able to see was coming from the lava lamp perched on the side of the desk, and that barely illuminated the room at all.

Slowly, the door closed behind you.

Allura jumped up at the noise, giving away her hiding place with the sudden jerk of her shoulders. She was curled up on a chair in the corner, her head buried beneath her arm in which a blanket was draped over. She barely peeked her head out from beneath the blanket before she was huddling back underneath it.

“I told you all to leave me alone for a little while. I have work to be getting to,” she snarled, and you had never heard her voice sound so weak. The usually confident, oh-so-precious Allura had disappeared, replaced with one that radiated nothing but pure depression.

To say it shattered your heart would have been the understatement of the entire century. The fact that she was feeling this way at all; the fact that you couldn't do anything about it; the fact that it had been Lotor that had caused it – she had felt so deeply for him that his betrayal had buried her into a corner.

You stepped forward slowly, suddenly debating whether this was the best idea or not; nobody else was helping her out. They had all believed her when she told them she was coming into the medical room to do work.

You weren't that foolish, though. You knew Allura better than anyone.

“Allura,” you croaked out. “Allura, please talk to me. I heard about what happened.”

“Join the party,” Allura scoffed harshly. “You and the entire galaxy have heard what happened with Lotor and I. People must think I'm a fool for trusting somebody like him. Somebody with his blood.”

She shivered at the last two words, tugged the blanket closer to her body as if doing so would protect her from the harsh realisations of what had been going on these past few days. You nibbled on your bottom lip, watching her closely, unsure of what to say or do in response.

“You weren't stupid,” you finally managed. “We all fell for it. He was very convincing.”

“He was conniving,” Allura hissed. “And to think – to think I was fully prepared to give him a place on this ship! To think that I was fully prepared to have him integrate with the people I love most – goodness, if anything would have happened to any of you at his hands-”

“It wouldn't have been your fault, because we all fell for it,” you interrupted. “Every single one of us thought he was the real deal, Allura.”

Allura grunted. “You were all at least a little hesitant. I threw myself at him, let my feelings get in the way.”

You closed your eyes. You knew this topic would be brought up eventually, but you found yourself suddenly not wanting to stray into that territory of conversation; you weren't sure you would be able to. Hearing her talk about how strongly she had felt for Lotor, how she had fallen for him over you – it wasn't something you wanted to hear at the moment.

“You need to get out of this dark room,” you said. You turned on your heel and marched towards the back window, throwing open the curtains. Allura groaned, pulling the blanket over her head in protestation. You raised a brow in her direction, to which she merely scowled at in response. “This isn't you, Allura. You've got a ship to run, people to please, planets to save, in case you forgot the main reason we're all here anyway.”

“Haven't I done enough?” she barked. “Can you not just give me this one moment to rest whenever I feel like I need it?”

“We'd all love a bit of a rest, but not all of us have that luxury.” You marched over to her, snatching the blanket away from her. “Now get up and stop moping around. There are other problems to be sorted that don't involve your love life.”

You weren't sure where that had come from – hearing her talk about Lotor and her relationship had sparked some source of anger inside of you, and the words were falling from your mouth before you could stop them.

Allura glared up at you. She didn't have a look of disgust, didn't even look shocked at the words you had just thrown at her. You folded your arms over your chest and glared right back at her, letting her know that you were serious; as harsh as you had been, you were telling the truth. This was no time for Allura to suddenly curl up and go missing.

“You're useless,” said Allura suddenly, and for a moment, you thought you had heard her wrong.

Your eyes widened, mouth dropping open as the princess shot upright and stood before you – she was smaller than you only by a few centimetres, and yet she still managed to look threatening in this lighting, with this emotion radiating off of her very being.

You staggered back a little bit, her words eating away at you without the need of context. Hearing such acidic words spew from her mouth was heartbreaking – it didn't matter why she had said them.

“You want me to do everything,” she continued. “I just want a moment to myself, and you can't even give me that – this ship will go to hell if I so much as take a moment to grieve. Do you wanna know what Lotor and I did, Y/N? We kissed! Me and him – we kissed – and I felt something for him. I haven't kissed anyone in centuries. Finding out that the first person I was willing to give myself to was plotting against me the entire time – it hurts. It hurts very badly, and you can't even give me a moment to try and process it.”

You had no words. You were simply gaping at her, mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.

Allura scoffed and shook her head, throwing her soft white hair over her shoulder as she span on her heel to face the door. You were half tempted to reach towards her and drag her back, beg for her forgiveness because you hadn't seen things like that, from her perspective.

But the only words that came from you were, “You and Lotor kissed?” Allura shook her head in mild disbelief, looking down at the ground. You heard her breathing pick up, could hear the anger radiating from her very soul – you felt stupid, standing behind her with her blanket draped over your arms, a direct reminder of yourself losing your temper only moments before.

“Why don't we go and sort out the rest of the tasks we have,” she said instead of answering your question. She didn't look behind her to make sure you were following – she merely strolled out of the medical room, bunching her hair up in exhaustion, ready to take on the world.

Just like she always was.

---

The last person you wanted to speak to was Hunk at this moment in time.

Sure, Hunk gave good advice. He knew how to settle a person down whenever they needed it, knew the exact right thing to say during times of crisis, but you didn't want to be comforted right now – not whenever you fully believed you deserved the self-hatred that was currently eating away at your insides.

It was hard to describe; you had seen it all, been through it all, dealt with it all, and yet never before had you felt such a strong desire to just sit. Do nothing. Melt away into the air and hope nobody ever came looking for you. The things you had said to Allura in your jealousy-induced rage continued to replay in the back of your mind, a reminder that perhaps your feelings weren't as deeply hidden as you had originally thought they were.

Hunk had been the first to catch on to this, of course. He had a habit of taking one glance in your direction and immediately knowing what it was you were feeling.

So now he sat in front of you, watching as you swung your legs over the arm of the lounge chair, a blanket tucked up to your chin, similar to the position Allura had taken only a few hours prior whenever the two of you had silently agreed to never speak to one another again.

“What about a – a nice game of Guess Who?” Hunk asked, rattling off the seventh board game in the past hour.

You closed your eyes, tilted your head back and groaned. “I don't want to play board games, Hunk. I just want to be left alone.”

Hunk shuffled forward in his seat, doing the complete opposite of what you had asked him to do. “I have the Simpsons Monopoly upstairs. We can-”

“Hunk.”

Hunk sighed, hollowing out his cheeks and running a large hand through his hair. The strands immediately flopped back onto his bandanna. “You're blowing this whole thing way out of proportion. You know that, right?”

“What are you talking about?”

“The argument you and Allura had – neither of you meant the things you said. That much is obvious by the way you've suddenly fallen into a dark spiral in the past few hours.”

You winced, pulling your knees closer to your chest; Hunk had been just outside the door when the argument was taking place, and he had heard it all – but he hadn't seen it. He hadn't seen the pure anger, the pure rage that sparked through Allura's eyes when she had approached you, spitting those harsh words in your direction as if they had been building up for months.

“And we all know Allura cares about you. There's no way in hell she meant what she said, either,” continued Hunk. “We should just stop wasting time, realise life is too short for petty arguments, and you two should make up and be happy again. It'll spare us all pain in the long run.” You wanted so desperately to believe him. You wanted to believe that Allura still cared for you, that perhaps her words were driven purely by her anger and her heartbreak, but it all came back to the look she had given you. It all came back to the fierce look in her eyes, the way she spat the words out so casually.

You couldn't bring yourself to get past them.

Hunk sighed, clearly noticing your hesitation in believing him. He placed a hand on your foot, which was balancing over the arm of the chair. “How about I invite you on the mission I'm going on today to help get your mind off things?”

You looked up, raised a brow. “You have a mission today?”

He shrugged. “I mean, I didn't, but I'm sure I can organise something. Maybe we can go back to Balmera and visit Shay for a little while, see what's going on with them.”

You didn't really feel like moving, but you didn't want to say no, either. Hunk was only trying to help, and you would be a fool to not at least try and take his advice in stride.

So you nodded, causing Hunk to burst out into a large grin. He jumped up from the sofa, tossed a pair of shoes onto your stomach, told you to be ready in ten minutes before he was marching out of the lounge, leaving you to slowly regret your decision more and more.

----

Balmera was as beautiful as you had once remembered it.

It felt like months since you and the Paladins had first visited this place, filled with rocks and pretty sculptures. Back then, it had been under attack by Galra forces and you were too busy shooting lazors into enemy ships to really notice the pretty landscape, but now that you were walking upon the soil, you took time to appreciate it properly.

The people there greeted you and Hunk enthusiastically. Some of them even came up to you and kissed your knuckles as if you were some kind of walking saviour – they were mainly elderly people, the ones who remembered you and Hunk well from a few years back.

Hunk was right – though the situation with Allura hadn't been completely wiped from your brain, you were definitely not as angry and upset as you had once been – you felt as if you were taking a small holiday, being led around the planet of Balmera by Shay, who was walking hand-in-hand with Hunk.

The sight could have very easily upset you – seeing a couple walking so carelessly around, nothing but each other in their minds. But it didn't. Seeing Hunk happy was making you feel even better, and you could barely wipe the small smile from your face.

You lagged behind them, wanting to give them their privacy. It had been a long time since Hunk had seen Shay, and you knew he would be grateful for the space you were giving them.

Your space from Hunk and Shay meant you were basically left to roam the planet on your own. After a few hours, you tapped Hunk on the shoulder, told him you were going to go and explore on your own for a bit, and he was too awestruck by Shay to argue.

You slipped away, making your way through a rough rock field that was packed full of children and parents – it seemed like they enjoyed playing in these little orchards of stone, picking up rocks and hauling them at one another, a strange game of Tag you had never seen played before. Whenever the kids got thwacked with the rocks, they barely even flinched away from them. Some of them even laughed, jeering “Is that all you've got?” in the direction of the person who had thrown the stone in the first place.

You smiled as you walked through them, kids weaving in and out around you, dodging you swiftly. The sounds of their laughter was such a contrast to the horror filled yells and the terrified whimpers you had heard from this very place only a few years prior – you remembered holding one of the children in your arms, cradling them as they cried because Zarkon and his men had killed one of their parents.

It was impossible to concentrate on your own issues whenever you were walking through a miracle that you had helped form – it gave you a feeling of pride that swelled in your chest, made you smile that little bit brighter.

But the smile soon faded. Of course it did, because nothing good could possibly stay around for too long whenever it was team Voltron involved.

It was the high-pitched scream which startled you back to reality. You immediately reached into the band of your jeans, tugging your Bayard out from beneath your shirt and whirling around to pinpoint the source of the noise – you spotted them almost instantly and started running as fast as your feet would carry you.

The entire orchard had gone silent, kids freezing in their place as you ran past them at full pelt. They were craning their necks, trying to see what was going on; parents were wrapping their arms around their childrens middle, dragging them away from the scene, forcing them to look away from a horror you couldn't see yet.

You broke the edge of the orchard, and the Galra ship came into full view.

It wasn't just any Galra ship, much to your dismay. This wasn't simply a stray fleet of Galra, perhaps a few looking for a little tough fighting to get them through the day – this was more than that. The ship was massive, bellowing smoke out of the back of it, the guns on the front very clearly ready to shoot if anybody tried protesting their appearance.

Lotor was already wading down the steps towards you by the time you had frozen in front of his ship.

The anger that coursed through you was indescribable – Lotor knew full well that the people of Balmera were nothing short of terrified of anything that looked even similar to a Galra cruiser. He knew full well the terrors his father had put them through, and he had once told you that he regretted his father ever doing such a thing – yet now he was landing on their very soil, not even taking into consideration the fear the sight of him would provoke from them.

“Miss L/N, please!” an old woman wailed from the left. You looked over at her, heart dropping; she was curled up against a stack of boulders, hugging her grandchild tight to her chest, covering the sobbing little girls ears. “Do something!”

“Oh, she will,” Lotor said smoothly. You swallowed thickly, forced your eyes back to him. He was grinning; any trace of the Lotor you had come to trust had slipped away, replaced with the menace currently striding towards you. “She will definitely be doing something. How about we have a little chat, Y/N. I believe me and you have a lot to catch up on.”

“You're gonna turn around now and get back on that ship,” you growled. “Or else I will not hesitate to rip you to shreds.”

“Oh, a threat! That's no way to treat an old acquaintance, now is it?” Lotor chuckled, stopping right in front of you. He tucked his hands into his pockets, whistled casually whilst glancing around at the area around him. He caught sight of the sobbing people, caught sight of the people he had left utterly terrified just by being here; he didn't seem to care at all. “This is a lovely little planet. I'm very happy my father didn't tear it apart when he had the chance.”

“I'm serious, Lotor,” you growled, lowering your voice so the kids wouldn't be able to hear your threats. “Turn around and we can avoid the violence. We don't need to be uncivil with each other just because you betrayed us – we can learn to ignore one another.”

Lotor's eyes sparkled. “I'm afraid it doesn't quite work like that, my dear. In case you forgot, my people are currently in battle with your people – battles don't just come to an end because we're ignoring one another.”

“What do you want then?” you seethed. Your Bayard was heating up in your hand, a sure sign that you should just use it – stop him before he got too cocky. Stop him before he himself got the upper hand.

“I don't want much,” he drawled casually. “I just want to talk to you. You were the only one of the Paladins who wasn't present whenever the news came out about my past – my fairly controversial past, I must admit. I wanted to come and make sure you knew we had no bad feelings.”

“You hurt Allura,” you spat out before you could stop yourself. Upon further inspecting the words you had just spoken, you quickly corrected yourself. “You hurt all of us.”

“We all make mistakes,” he said. “The only way we can truly get past them is by giving out our hearts in forgiveness. Wouldn't you say so?”

You eyed him. He was up to something. You hadn't known the man very long, had trusted him for less time than that, but there was something in his voice now that told you he didn't come here for hugs and kisses. He was here for a completely different reason – one you would need to find out and stop as soon as possible.

He continued before you could reply to his previous comments. “If it's Allura and I that is bothering you, I want you to know that I didn't intend to hurt her – I surprised myself by truly enjoying her company. She was – sweet. Soft. Supple.”

“Don't talk about her like she's your fucking property,” you barked. A child wailed a little louder in the background and you forced your breathing to a calm and steady level before continuing, lowering your voice to a dangerous growl. “Get out of here now, Lotor. I'm giving you one last chance.”

Lotor smirked. “Then I'm afraid you're just gonna have to cut me down in front of all of these people.”

You didn't move. The air grew tense. You could barely breathe.

Lotor shrugged. “If you don't want to start, I will.”

And that was that. The band had snapped, and he was barrelling towards you at full speed. He had reached behind his back and unsheathed his sword before you could even comprehend what it was he had said. It all happened in a blur, and you had only the finest of seconds to step out of the way of his blow.

You just barely managed to do so, though his sword somehow clipped the side of your arm, slicing a gash in your armour. You yelled out, stumbling backwards. The people of Balmera were yelling now, some of them calling for help, but there was no help making its way towards you. You were on your own, your Bayard seeming utterly pointless in comparison to the massive, glowing Galra blade in Lotor's hands.

He approached you, continually swinging said sword, barely giving you a chance to retaliate. He wasn't here to prove his strengths – he was here to kill you, and that was that. He wasn't going to give you a fighting chance. He was just going to slice you down, like he had said he would, and then he was going to leave as if nothing had happened.

You managed to swing your Bayard, despite the screaming pain in your arm. Lotor laughed, leaning back just enough that the swipe didn't even hit him. You could feel blood pooling beneath the protective gear beneath your armour, could feel the gash opening and sizzling – Lotor had somehow managed to do something to his blade that made it burn whenever it made contact with skin. You wouldn't last long with an injury like that, that was only opening further and further with each passing second.

“I was hoping you would go back to Allura and tell her she's always welcome at my castle if she wants a place to stay,” Lotor said as he approached you slowly. You continued to step back, placing your arm out and shoving the few elderly people behind you. “She could warm my bed for me quite nicely.”

“Go to hell,” you spat.

Lotor raised a brow, slowing his attacks down a little bit. “That's strange. You seem to be getting worked up every time I bring up Allura. Is there something you're not telling me, little Y/N?”

“Shut up!” you bellowed, before throwing yourself forward. The elderly people you had been protecting gasped at the sudden, cat-like move.

You landed directly in front of Lotor and threw out your arm. Your Bayard cut through the armour on his chest, and Lotor dropped his facade long enough to cry out in pain. The Bayard didn't cut deep enough, though – it was simply a blade. There was no special features to it, nothing that could give you the upper hand.

Lotor swung his sword again, and this time, the blade made contact with your shoulder – only a few inches above where your heart was beating.

You gasped, staggered back as the pain flared within your entire body. It started from the wound, flared out until even your legs were aching. They gave out beneath you, forced you to the rocky ground with a dull 'clunk' as your useless armour smashed against it.

Lotor spoke through gritted teeth. “You're an idiot, do you know that? Angry at me, wanting me dead purely because the girl you've got a little crush on fell in love with me before she even batted an eyelash in your direction. And why would she? You're not even a Paladin! You're nothing special! If your blood were to spill upon these rocks today, Voltron would not waver a single, god damn bit. Just one less mouth to feed, isn't it?”

Oh, how you wanted to reach out and wrap your hands around his throat. You wanted to watch the life drain from him – you didn't want to stab him, didn't want his death to be quick. You wanted him to suffer for everything he had put you and Voltron through, for the lies he had fed to you all for months, knowing full well what he had done in his past.

“Whenever I head back to the castle ship and inform Allura that you've died from a stab wound that a stray thug has given to you, I'll be there to comfort her,” Lotor continued, stepping over you now. “I'll be there to hold her, and soothe her, and tell her just how much effort I put in trying to stop you from dying. I'll be able to do everything you want to do to her.” He grinned, raised his sword over his head. You knew this was it. You couldn't move. The flames were taking over your entire body, leaving you utterly paralysed on the rocks – you had been a fool to think you could have won. Your Bayard was pointless against a superior Galra blade, and you didn't have your ship – this was Lotor's battle the entire time. You were merely a pawn within the game.

You breathed deeply, looked right into Lotor's eyes. And it was then that you saw the streak of yellow zooming past you in the sky, glittering amongst the stars. Your heart pulled, a love and appreciation being felt so deeply for Hunk right now.

You looked back at Lotor, smiled and said, “You might wanna watch out.” And then, using up every fibre of your strength, you rolled to the side – just as Hunk's lazors blasted down directly onto Lotor's ship, tearing it apart with one simple shot.

Lotor cried out, spinning on his heel to witness the damage that had been made. You didn't continue to look at him – you had to get away before he realised what was happening, before he realised that Hunk had found you, had immediately gotten into the yellow lion in his attempts to save you.

Gripping your shoulder, you used the rocks beside you to help you up. It hurt like nothing you had ever felt before, but laying down on those rocks and letting him kill you had to be the last resort. You couldn't let him do that, not after you had gotten away from him once before already.

You spotted Shay amongst the crowd of people. She was glancing at you nervously whilst bundling a pile of civilians into her arms, ready to get them to safety. You made a step towards her, ready to help her gather them up and get them as far away from the raging battle as possible, but Shay was a hero in her own right. She made a desperate gesture, telling you to go, to leave this job to her.

And you didn't argue.

Your brain was fogged up, your body screaming at you to get back on your knees and relax, but there was no time for that. You darted through the rocks as quick as you possibly could with the injuries you had sustained. The battle continued on behind you. Hunk was dealing with it. Hunk and Shay were saving lives, but you needed to stay out of this one. You needed to get yourself to safety. You needed to find Allura. You needed to tell her that you loved her before this god damn slice in your arm got any worse. You needed to. . . You needed to do so much . . . You needed to fix your vision, because it was getting blurry and everything was suddenly a scrambled mess in your head.

Wait, why were you falling? Being on the floor wasn't going to get you to the ship. You needed to stand up. Why couldn't you stand up?

It was going dark. You liked night time. It was better than the day time. At night, the stars looked even prettier. And perhaps that was why you let it engulf you without much more of an argument.

---

You opened your eyes.

The room you were in immediately blinded you – there was definitely a light in your face right now. Why was there a light in your face right now?

You winced up at it, gingerly reaching out and slapping said light away from your eyes. A gasp emitted from the side of you, and immediately the lamp that was once shining down in your vision was turned off, allowing you to see the circle of faces around you.

They were all there – every single one of them. Shiro, Coran, Pidge, Hunk, Keith, Lance – even Allura and the mice, who were all looking worried – as worried as mice could look.

“Oh god, she's awake!” Coran exclaimed. “She's awake, she's awake! Everyone step away and give her space!”

Nobody did. Coran ended up stepping on Lance's toe as he tried to step away from your bed, only for Lance to shove him forward.

“Check if she's alright,” Lance hissed.

“Oh, right, yes,” said Coran, before he was grabbing the covers and rolling them back to get a better view of the gashes that had been sliced into your arm and shoulder – they didn't look much better, though the bleeding had stopped. There was a bandage dressing the one on your shoulder, soaked entirely in drying blood that made you wince at first glance.

Coran noticed your expression. “Yeah. It was a pretty deep wound when you got here, my dear. If you had waited a few more minutes, I'm not entirely sure I could have saved you.”

“Coran,” Shiro hissed out of the corner of his mouth. “Do you really think that's the kind of thing she wants to hear at the moment?”

“It's fine,” you grunted. “I know it was bad. I was stupid thinking I could fight him on my own.”

“Thank god Hunk got there,” said Pidge. “He said you were doing a very good job of holding him off, but there's really nothing a Bayard can do against a Galra blade as strong as his – it's a miracle he didn't stab you from the moment he walked down the steps.”

“The idiot wanted to have a chat first,” you mumbled, eyes instinctively shooting up to look at Allura. She had not said a word. She was sitting back in a chair on the far side of the room, one leg draped over the other, her fingers messing idly with her lips as she gazed into nothingness; she didn't even seem to be paying attention to the conversation in the slightest. She was trapped in her own little world.

“We'll redress the wounds before you go back to sleep for the night,” said Coran. “You'll be out of commission for a little while, but I can't see the damage getting any worse if you just take it easy for a few days. Do you understand that, Y/N? No walking around in the middle of the night, and no random missions with Hunk!”

You grinned sheepishly. “Yeah. I understand.”

Coran nodded firmly, wiping his hands on a towel he had taken from the bed side table; you couldn't help but notice that the towel, too, was dressed in blood.

“Alright. We'll leave you to get some more rest, change your shirt if you want to.”

You looked down, only then realising that the shirt you were wearing was ripped in multiple places from where Lotor's sword had swiped through it, and there was blood staining the entire thing. You winced at the sight of it, merely nodded before Coran and the others were turning and exiting the medical room, leaving you to look over the damage on your own.

You stood up and headed towards the mirror. You still felt a little light headed, but much better and much stronger than you had whenever you had originally collapsed.

You toyed with the gashes in your arm and frowned to yourself – how would they ever heal properly? Your skin would forever be wrinkled and cracked, scarred and always at risk of reopening; the skin had folded over itself, meaning one sudden jerk of your arm and your shoulder would be ripping apart all over again.

You hollowed out your cheeks, chose to ignore that for now. You could inspect the real long term damage once the short term damage had healed over. Until then, there was no point in worrying too much.

With a sharp pain to accompany your movements, you slowly started trying to peel the shirt off your back. It was harder than you had originally thought, your arms screaming at you in protest as you tried to raise them – it truly wasn't going to happen, but the blood was beginning to fill your senses, overwhelm you in that way that being drenched in your own blood only could.

You bit down on your lip, tried to lift from the bottom again, but the material clung to you, and your arms weren't getting much higher than-

A pair of hands softly laid themselves over yours, startling you. You yelped, attempting to spin around, but there was no point in doing so. The hands held you in place by the hips. You looked up in the mirror, your heart thundering whenever you saw Allura behind you.

She wasn't making eye contact with you in the mirror. She was looking down at where her hands were placed over yours, as if expecting you to do something in return.

The panic clawed at you, and you quickly let your hands drop to your sides, slipping them out from beneath hers.

She leaned in. “Lift your arms up as far as you can. I'll help.”

There were no words you could possibly have said, nothing you could have possibly done – you were in a trance, completely enthralled by this moment. Biting down on your lower lip in your attempts to fight off the blush rising on your face, you slowly raised your arms. They stayed curled at the elbows, you unable to straighten them due to the red hot pain you were feeling at the slightest of movements.

“Is that as much as you can do?” Allura asked. You nodded, too nervous to speak. “That's okay.”

And slowly, she manoeuvred the fabric over your bent elbows and slipped the t-shirt off over your head.

You were left standing in your undergarments in front of her, but she made no sign of disapproval. She instead started to fold your t-shirt, placing it neatly on the end of the bed as you awkwardly folded your arms over your chest, trying your hardest to hide yourself from her view.

She didn't look at you when she spoke, and her voice was barely above a mumble at this point. Her voice almost sounded strained, as if she was battling against her own wits. “Hunk told me what Lotor and you were talking about before – before things went bad. He told me how Lotor teased you.”

You weren't entirely sure what she was talking about. What had happened between you and Lotor had become nothing but an abrupt blur in the back of your mind, though you faintly remembered Allura being brought into the heated conversation on multiple occasions.

Could that have been what Hunk had reported? Had you perhaps said something stupid and he had overheard?

You pursed your lips. “I don't really remember what happened.” Allura stiffened at that, her shoulders dropping in what you could only see as disappointment. You suddenly wanted to take back what you had just said, but you knew there was no point; you hadn't been lying. You truly didn't remember much, didn't want to remember much. Shay and Hunk had got out safe, and none of the team was injured – that was all that mattered. Lotor could be left in the past until he decided to show up again.

“I can jog your memory if that's what you want,” said Allura, voice barely above a whisper now. “He told me what he said. I – I can tell you, if you want.”

“Was it really that important?”

“It was to me. To hear it, I mean.”

You raised a brow, arms still folded over your bare chest though you were much less worried about covering up now. “I – I guess I'm curious.” Allura nodded, fiddling with the tag of your shirt as she spoke.

She told you everything.

The first few words were enough to jog your memory of what had happened. As soon as she started explaining it, your face flushed bright red in embarrassment and you had the sudden urge to tell her to stop, to tell her to forget everything Hunk had told her.

She recalled the moment Lotor had figured it all out, and she recalled it with such a sense of perfection that you were nearly convinced she had been there beside you to witness the whole thing. The moment Lotor looked into your eyes, the moment he realised that you only ever truly got hostile whenever the topic of Allura was brought up – she recalled that.

“Hunk said you got protective, that you got this look in your eye that made him think you were willing to kill,” whispered Allura. She looked up at you through the tops of her eyelids. “I didn't know you felt that way, Y/N. I really didn't.”

You swallowed thickly, staring at her despite feeling the need to turn away and never look back. “Of course you didn't. I didn't make it obvious. You were in love with Lotor, and I have enough respect for you to be able to know my place. I wanted you to be happy, and if that was with Lotor-”

“It wasn't with Lotor,” she ground out, as if the words physically pained her to admit. “I could never have been truly, fully happy with somebody who I was taught to hate my entire life. I took a liking to him, I will admit, but there was always a boundary between us.”

“You would have learned to overcome that. You always find a way to accept people – even the worst kind of people.”

Allura stepped forward then, dropping the blood stained shirt she had been folding. “That may be true in some cases, but even I have my limits.” She swallowed. You saw her necklace bob against her throat. “Whenever Hunk dragged you back into the ship and you were unconscious, I've never known a pain quite like it.”

Your breath hitched in your throat. The room suddenly seemed too dark. What was she saying?

If she noticed your sudden look of panic, she didn't bring it up. “We had argued before you left. I didn't want the words I spoke to be the last thing you remembered me by – which was why I made Coran and myself work tirelessly to bring you back. You would have died, Y/N. A single break for Coran and I would have seen you bleeding out immediately – but I refused to stop. I refused, and it was for the most selfish of reasons, but it was my reason, and it brought you back in the end.”

She stepped forward again. Your entire body stiffened when she gently laid her hands on your bare arms, her fingertips causing goosebumps to sprout along your flesh. You didn't fight against her, didn't move away as she slowly turned you so you were facing the mirror again, facing your own reflection.

Allura was behind you, her hands travelling up and down your arms as she stared down her own reflection, the image of the two of you standing together in the mirror. Your cheeks were flaming red, arms still neatly folded over your chest.

“Do you want to know my reasoning, Y/N? Do you want to know the oh-so-selfish reason I refused to stop working?” she whispered. Her breath grazed your skin. Your legs felt weak beneath you.

“Okay,” you croaked out.

Allura leaned forward, lips just barely grazing your ear lobe as she spoke. “I needed you to know how I felt. How you make me feel. How you've made me feel from the very moment I stumbled out of that cryopod and into your arms.”

Nothing could have prepared you for the warm feeling of her lips suddenly pressing against your bare shoulder.

You inhaled sharply, shoulders jolting up at the sensation. It warmed your body and sent you into a shock all at the same time, a mixed emotion of pleasure and confusion all rolled into one. You watched her in the mirror; her eyes were open still, gazing back at your reflection and there was a tiny hint of amusement flashing in her irises that brought the hue back to your cheeks in a matter of seconds.

She peppered her lips along your shoulder blade, leaving goosebumps in her wake as she did so. “Tell me to stop, Y/N. Tell me to stop and we never have to talk about this ever again. We'll go back to being best friends. Just tell me to stop.”

Your eyes fluttered closed. Words were lodged in your throat, but you weren't sure what they were. So you shoved them down, ignored them as best as you could and just let the warm sensation of the womans lips on your skin overwhelm you. It overwhelmed you to the point where your head was tilting back and landing on Allura's shoulder.

She pressed her lips to your neck then, smirking against the skin. The serious, stern Allura that had walked into the room had now disappeared, leaving behind somebody who truly did not care about getting caught. Her hands were winding themselves around your bare waist, tugging you impossibly closer into her chest.

Until you could no longer take it. It was unfair that she was the one who got to kiss your skin whilst you were left mewling in her grip.

You span around as fast as your injuries would let you and slammed your lips to hers before your brain could tell you to do otherwise. You didn't care. Your brain was a muddled mess of thoughts at the moment anyway, and you no longer cared whether or not people would walk in and see the both of you in such a state.

You, topless, kissing Allura with a ferocity that nobody had ever seen from you; but this was years worth of tension, years worth of loving a woman who you were fairly certain would never even look at you in a romantic way.

“We wasted-” You tried to speak, hated the empty feeling of pulling away from her lips and ended up silencing yourself by pressing your lips together again.

Allura laughed, winding her hands around your shoulders. It was the hiss that emitted from your throat at the contact she had made with your injury that had her pulling away, that cocky smirk she once wore replaced by a worried grimace.

“You're still injured,” she pointed out.

You leaned forward, trying to press your lips to hers again, but she pressed her fingertips against them instead, pushing you back lightly.

You narrowed your eyes, panting. “What?”

“We have to get your injury re-dressed,” she said, and then she was turning away from you, and you were certain you had never felt so light-headed in your entire life.

“Allura,” you groaned out, voice close enough to a whine that it made Allura laugh. She was walking towards the medicine cabinet in the far corner, not turning back to look at you. “Allura, come on. You can't just-”

“Your health comes first.” She had gone back to her usual, formal self. “Now, sit down and start taking the bandages off. It'll hurt less if you do it.”

You grunted but did as you were told, sitting on the edge of the mattress and beginning to pull the sticky, blood-soaked bandages away from your skin. There was a slight sting, but you managed to find a decent enough pace that had them slipping off with barely any pain to them.

Allura approached you with fresh bandages and antiseptic cream in her hands. She nudged your knees apart, stood between them. Instinctively, still coming down from the high of the kiss you two had just shared, you placed your hands on her hips, causing her to chuckle at the action that screamed desperation.

She applied the antiseptic cream and re-bandaged the wounds. Even after she had done the job, she stayed hovering over you, her hands finding perch on your shoulders as she gazed down at you lovingly.

Lovingly. As if you were the only person in the world; that was how you had always wanted her to look at you, how you had always looked at her whenever you thought she wasn't paying attention.

“I didn't mean anything I said back in the medical room a few days ago,” she said finally. “I don't think you're useless. I was just upset. I felt foolish for falling for Lotor's tricks whenever I – I should have known-”

“Hey, hey, hey,” you cut her off, tugging her closer to you. She sighed and leaned forward, pressing her forehead against your own. “Less of that now, okay? Lotor will be dealt with – as I said before, nobody blames you for falling for it. We all did.”

Allura closed her eyes. “I want – I want you to comfort me. I need you to comfort me.”

“That's all I've ever wanted to do,” you whispered, before you kissed her again

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raikabunbun · 7 years ago

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My thoughts regarding Allurance and Lance's character development in s6

Okay since season 6 sent us all to purgatory and we still have hope that season 7 will bring us back to the world of the living, I wanted to share some thoughts of mine regarding Lance's character development in this season and the growing relationship of Lance and Allura:

I'm not only thinking this because I'm a Klance shipper, but I really started thinking about Lance as a character and how his development didn't matter at all. All the things that have built up in season 5 (for example his sword or him almost finding out about Shiro and Shiro's spirit) regarding character development are being ignored. Especially the thing with Kuron! They could have addressed it way earlier, making him help discovering the truth, but instead they made him feel disappointed in himself for not being able to. It makes him feel useless and even more like an unimportant member of Team Voltron than before. Since in s6 we didn't get to see Lance fight without his lion, it could be that we'll still see him in action with his new sword somewhere in the future. But still it's a major step back from where he was before, mostly because him getting the sword and Allura and him having a nice talk about it, maybe even making them become closer friends, gave him confidence. Allura told him that the sword proves that he has "greatness within" and this makes him feel special. Now this new confidence is slowly but majorly being torn apart, due to the frustration of Lotor and Allura's "thing for each other" in between. I don't want to call it a total heartbreak, since I think Lance doesn't really love Allura that way but rather has a crush on her, which is not quite the same if you ask me, but that's another topic that I don't want to focus on right now.

Now to the growing relationship between Lance and Allura:

I'm not saying that the ship wouldn't make any sense, by what we've been seeing it actually does, but it's just not right. This sounds harsh and mean, but think about it: Allura chose Lotor, someone who was giving her compliments and who would flatter her like there was no tomorrow. She chose him, but not Lance who did the same. He flirts with her, flatters her and all, but she never takes him seriously. She even took Matt's compliments more serious and he can be a goofball too. She knew Lance for so much longer yet she still chose Lotor. If her and Lance would become a couple it would be a questionable love. Allura is weak at the moment due to Lotor's betrayal. She could subconsciously fall for anyone giving her some sweet words, telling her that everything will be fine. She is way too vulnerable at the moment to enter a new relationship.

And Lance? He's blinded by his crush on Allura. His "heart was broken" as well and going out with the girl who caused this frustration, even if she didn't mean to, would very likely end in an unhealthy relationship. Let's not forget that Allura was not interested in Lance. In truth she does not love him the way she may think she does now (if she thinks that that is).

I think that maybe if it should come that Allura confesses to Lance, saying that she now knows a side of him she didn't know before and things like that, it would be the best for Lance to reject her in a polite way. It would be great development regarding his character, since his arc seems to focus on romance and making him reject his hopes of a relationship with a girl he admires very much would mean he has come to accept not only the best for both of them but also himself and his feelings.

All in all I don't want to sound like a desperate Klance shipper, trying to defend my ship at all costs, but regarding all that has happened until now, it just seems wrong to think about Lance and Allura as a happy couple. It also feels a little too predictable and unhealthy. I'd like to refer to their relationship as a developing friendship. Their bond is getting very strong and they seem to trust each other a lot, they could become very good friends and that friendship would be a great benefit for future missions regarding the fight against Haggar and the Galra.

I can't wait for season 7 and the hopeful saving of our souls. Have a wonderful day full of respect and love everyone♥

#Voltron #voltron season 6 spoilers #allurance #klance #vld #vld lance #vld allura #voltron season 6 #voltron season six #voltron legendary defender

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dammitadolfnomorecake · 4 years ago

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Once Bitten, Twice Stupid prt.61

Coming back to VOLTRON was a little disappointing after the night before. Lance felt like he was walking on air right up to being greeted by Coran and Allura. Allura with a waiting blood bag, Coran with a knowing smile. Lance had had Keith drop him off, they’d showered the night before, and again in the morning before they left, but Lance figured Keith could use some time to check on Kosmo and get changed

“Well, come on my boy, you must tell us everything”

And that was that. Heading to Coran’s office, Lance let Allura have the chair as he sat on the edge of the examination bed, before twisting the top off the bag of blood

“So? Did you two have fun? What did you do?”

Coran nodded at Allura’s questioning. Both of them too obsessed with his love life

“He took me on a ride on his bike and went to the hotel. We kind of talked about things and stuff”

Allura groaned

“But did you enjoy the date?”

“Yeah. Talking was nice”

Lance wasn’t about to say that after dinner had been had and digested they’d had sex again, the laid tangled up in each other as Keith explained more about the murders and Lotor. Lance was shocked to hear Lotor’s name again. It must have been a good 2 decades since Allura mentioned him.

Burying her face in her hands, Coran wrapped his arm around Allura

“My boy. You must understand, we wanted this night to go well for you both”

“It did. I mean... the room was amazing. The food was good. The company was good, but I want to keep somethings to myself”

Sucking deeply on the blood pack, Lance didn’t want to talk about being intimate with Keith. That was something special and between them

“You two were intimate?”

Lance blushed at Coran asking. Did Keith sucking his dick count? Because fooling around was one thing. Sex was something else, especially with Keith

“Is that important?”

“Only in the terms of data. Did you experience any heat like symptoms?”

“The usual scent and stuff happened”

“And you remained clear minded?”

“In the way you’re asking... is it bad?”

“No, my boy! This is excellent. Now, Allura and I have had a little chat. We know you living with us is sadly temporary and currently unavoidable. With your permission, we would like you to help us”

Lance felt a little betrayed

“You set us up on a date so you’d make me feel obligated to say yes”

“Not at all, my boy. Both Allura and I are firm supporters of you and Keith. As the kids these days say “we ship it”. No. We were thinking it was quite unfair the time apart you spend due to your schedules. Our current investigation is failing to divulge leads as fast as fast as we would like and were wondering you’d possibly help us. This means being in contact with other vampires. We wish to perform a couple of tests on scents to ensure you won’t go into heat”

Lance crossed his arms. He wouldn’t be against it, but didn’t they have Lotor now?

“What can I do, that Lotor can’t?”

Allura finally raised her head

“Both Shiro and Keith have taken issues with Lotor. Lotor’s status ensures that he is noticed wherever he goes. We have tried to talk to him about it, but I’m afraid his ego is only fed by being half fae. I feel that we may have more chance is we run two operations, Shiro, Keith and Lotor in one location, the two of us in another”

Oh. So they needed a plain and boring vampire. Way to make a man feel special...

“What about my scent?”

“If we can capture a sample of your scent, we can analyse it and figure out a means to temporarily deaden or shift it. Keith and Shiro will both be sitting this one out with the pair of you, due to Keith’s natural scent. It’ll be you and Allura, for one night. The fact that the murder pattern is changing means something has changed with our killer. None of what I’ve told you obligates you to help”

No, but loved Coran. He’d repay the man for the warming family feeling he’d gifted upon him so easily. Waving his free hand, replied

“It’s fine. I’ll do it. But Keith won’t be happy”

“Ah yes... I do not want to complicate things between you two. Perhaps have a little think and a talk with him?”

Keith was coming back as it was... now they just had something else to talk about

“Yeah... I’m gonna head back to my room now”

And get cleaned up before Keith got there

“Long night?”

Coran sounded so pleased, like the question was going to make Lance crack and spill how nice it had been down to every detail. Throwing them a wink, Lance slid off the examination bed, thankful that blood would soon take away the lingering pain in his hips

“I’ll leave that to your imagination”

Heading down to his room, Lance was now torn between the feeling of happiness every time he thought of Keith, and his boyfriend being angry about him putting himself in danger. If he was out with Allura he should be safe... but Keith had been deeply traumatised by him being hurt. He didn’t want to put Keith through that again... but he honestly had hit his limit of feeling useless. He still hadn’t heard from Pidge and Hunk. The two never far from his thoughts for very long... Maybe he should try reaching out again? But if he was going out and there were bad guys he didn’t want to lead them home. His poor house was probably traumatised for life putting up with two werewolves... Maybe it was time to bite the bullet and just go home? If Pidge wanted to burn his house down, she would have by now. Rieva ensured him she was keeping Matt in line, but things had gotten damaged when the full moon came. It was funny. He thought he could some kind of silent protector for Garrison when Matt and Rieva first came. Like keep the big bad wolves under control. He couldn’t even keep his post for a night... He missed Matt and Rieva. He missed people... People who understood and didn’t judge... He missed Pidge and Hunk, even though he knew seeing them would probably lead to a boat load of judgment in his direction. It hurt his heart to think that maybe the pair didn’t think he cared about them because he hadn’t reached out again.

Flopping down on his bed, Blue let out a “roow” as she came flying up to jump on his stomach. His princess settling herself down to knead at his chest as she flicked her tail. She missed her house. She missed prowling around at night, and running around the house like a lunatic. If Allura and Coran wanted his help, he’d give it, but this wasn’t fair on Blue. He seriously needed to get his act together. When Keith came he’d message Pidge... after he’d asked Keith if he thought it was time for Lance to return to Garrison. He was supposed to be the adult. He was supposed to be the cooler more mature one. Ever since Keith came into his life, it’d been one thing after another... but that was okay. It was okay because he had Hunk and Pidge. It was okay because things changed and evolved with Keith. Keith’s life turned upside down because of him, but he functioned. He did what he had to do. He took pride in his job, even letting Lotor parade him around as a fake pet...

Scratching Blue between the ears, Lance drained the rest of the blood bag. Last night felt more like a dream. Him and Keith... the warmth of his boyfriend against his cold body. Laying in bed, trading secret whispers. Keith opening up to him about Lotor and work in general. He was tired of all the negative feelings in his head. He knew Pidge and Hunk wouldn’t understand or want him around. But having that cord between them cut so suddenly... Maybe he could reach out to Hunk first. Arrange a meeting. Him, Hunk, Curtis and Keith. Keith because this concerned him too. Curtis because he missed him. Curtis had his own work to do. The time they’d seen each other drastically cut. He really missed his house, but he missed those days when they were all together. He hadn’t appreciated Curtis leaving sex stuff for him and Keith, but that was Curtis being Curtis. He liked that about him. He cared. Lance knew he cared, but he didn’t know if Curtis knew he cared about him

“Blue, what do you think? Is it time we go home again?”

Blue bunted into Lance’s hand, purring loudly as she did. The glare in her eyes telling him she didn’t care. She hadn’t had her wet food and that Lance’s actions disgusted her

“Okay. Up we get. I’ll get you your food, but then you’ve got to let me sort our life out. We’re better than this, princess”

Keith had finished cleaning up Kosmo’s mess as his personal phone chimed. Shiro was still sleeping, so his return to there apartment was kind of a let down. The hunter had hoped his brother would be awake to ask him how his date went with Lance. Normally he wasn’t a “gusher”, yet he’d had such a good time with his boyfriend that he wanted to tell Shiro. He wanted his brother to ruffle his hair and tease him... but no. He’d come home to find Kosmo had chewed up a shoe, and left a trail of pee from the bathroom to the now dead shoe. Two more chimes went off, Keith having to ignore them as he took the mop and bucket to the laundry. Kosmo had a grass mat for doing his business on, but his fur son seemed to pee every time he found something exciting.

Returning from the laundry, his phone chimed again. Knowing the messages had to be from Lance, Keith scooped Kosmo up before retrieving his phone from the kitchen bench. Opening up chat, he found three new messages in group chat, and four in his personal chat with Lance. Nerves washed over him. Thumb hovering before clicking on his personal chat with Lance. Too chicken to check group chat in case it was Hunk, Shay, or Pidge saying their friendship was over.

Though he’d parted with Lance a little over an hour ago, it’d taken that long to clean up the pieces of shoes, dispose of the evidence, then mop the floor, his boyfriend hadn’t gone back to his room to rest. No. Apparently Lance had gone back to his room and started thinking. Keith didn’t have a problem with Lance thinking, what he had a problem with was “We need to talk”, “That sounds bad”, “it’s not bad”, “I don’t want to break up LOL, but we need to talk”. Most people dreaded the “we need to talk” message. Keith could imagine Lance had written a great long message, before deleting it and sending that instead, then realising how it sounded. He just didn’t know what they suddenly needed to talk about.

Gathering up his courage, he checked the group chat. “I’ll be in Garrison next week”, “I know I’ve been giving you space, but I miss you guys”, “If you’d rather I left you alone, let me know”. So Lance going back to Garrison was what they needed to talk about? Why couldn’t Lance just say it like that? Did he think Keith was going to be mad? That he wasn’t going to support him for trying to reconnect with his best friends? How could Lance think that after the night they’d spent together? He’d support him. Hell, Garrison was probably safer than Platt right now. Lance had taken the news of the vampire deaths rather well, considering. Was that why Lance was moving back home? Because he didn’t trust Keith to keep him safe? Groaning at himself in annoyance, Keith opened up his contacts list, calling Lance, only for his call to not connect. His boyfriend wasn’t elevating his worry. Who messaged someone, then turned their stupid phone off? Lance, that’s who. His boyfriend was an idiot.

Now unable to call Lance back, Keith forced himself up off the sofa and to his room. Setting Kosmo on the bed, he changed his clothes, put on his sneakers, grabbed Kosmo’s lead and sighed heavily at the thought of walking to work. He should have just gone in with Lance. Then his boyfriend wouldn’t be overthinking things and making him overthink things thanks to his thinking. Clipping Kosmo’s lead to his harness, the puppy tried to lick him to death, wagging his whole body with excitement as Keith tried to put the harness on. Slowly Kosmo seemed to be learning that harness meant an outside trip to the closest patch of grass for pees. Very slowly. Kosmo was a special kind of “smart stupid”, with Keith suspecting he was the one being trained instead of his puppy.

The walk to work was slowly, Kosmo wanted to sniff and pee on everything he could. Every stranger had the possibility of being a friend, which worried Keith enough to wonder if he should get a muzzle in case someone tried to feed Kosmo something bad as a joke. He’d never known that grapes could kill a dog. The fruit now banned from the apartment, and a list posted on their fridge so he and Shiro didn’t accidentally poison his precious pup. Shiro might grumble about Kosmo’s “accidents” and how he wasn’t responsible for Keith’s dog, but he’d caught the pair of them snuggled up sleeping on the sofa, Kosmo’s nose against Shiro’s cheeks. He now had photographic proof that he wasn’t afraid to hold over Shiro’s head the next time he complained.

Reaching the bookshop, Keith scooped Kosmo up so his son couldn’t cause chaos inside the car. He’d barely opened the door before he heard a voice that made him jump

“I don’t think they let you bring dogs in there”

What the hell was Narti doing here? It was the middle of the day. Turning towards her, he found Narti and Axca both bundle up in thick jackets, long pants, and sunglasses

“Oh? Um. Thanks for letting me know. He’s my... um... companion. I’ve brought him here before”

Leaning forward Narti sniffed at him

“You smell really good. If this place allows pets, maybe we should bring ours next time?”

Narti shouldn’t know it was him. He and Shiro kept their faces covered... so why did this impromptu meeting not feel so impromptu? He felt like a Narti was showing up deliberately to fuck with him. She was annoying like that. All Keith really knew about her was that she really liked blood and making everyone uncomfortable like it was a game. Lotor had no patience for you, yet let her get away with it all the fucking time. Keith didn’t have the patience for it

Narti reached towards Kosmo, hand stopping just short

“It’s a shame when something happens to a pet because their blind to their master’s true nature. Sometimes the closer you are, the less you see. let’s go. I don’t feel like being here anymore”

Turning away, Keith felt his eyes meet Acxa’s as she turned. Axca was still very quiet and level when they spoke, Keith felt that she was hiding something big from them. If only he could talk to her alone. Not that he was great at talking, but he was sure she had something she needed to say. Hugging Kosmo tighter, Keith stepped into the bookshop wishing he’d never bumped into those two with his face uncovered. His puppy wasn’t something he appreciated having threatened. Kosmo was his precious boy and best boy. Narti could die in a ditch for all he cared. Now he was going to have to tell Coran... and hopefully not be benched from work because of it.

#once bitten twice stupid #oncebittentwicestupid

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rei-catlang · 6 years ago

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Kidge One Shot: Once this is all over

After the fall of Sendak, the paladins sought to regain strength and rest for the time being. As much as they disliked the idea of leaving too soon, they knew they had to leave earth before a new threat came to their beloved planet. Out of everyone though, Keith may have been the least pained by this, after all, there was nothing and no one tying him to his home planet. But it was diferent for the rest. Hunk and Lance would very much miss their families; and even if Matt would acompany Pidge, her parents would stay behind. Keith didn't want to leave aside his friends' feelings, but if they wanted to protect their families, the faster they left to find this new menace, the faster they could return as well.

Return.

The word left him circling for a moment. Would he return once it was all over? Would he stay with the Blades? With his mother? Or could he go back with his new found family with the Paladins? Keith's heart was torn between the two, not being able to chose one or the other, but knowing he had to. Taking a long sigh, he noticed someone approching him. His eyes rolled as he saw the young man that walked up to him.

"Hey mullet head."

"Hey Lance." Keith greeted his friend, returning the faint smile he had been gifted.

"What are you doing out here?" Lance asked. It wasn't odd for Keith to be out alone, he was known as the lone wolf after all, but lately it seemed like he was finally leaving part of that behind. These days it was rarer to see the Paladin by himself.

"Nothing really, just thinking."

"Shouldn't you leave the thinking to Pidge?" They both laughed, remembering a talk they had had before some time ago.

"I'm being serious here." Keith said as he gently punched the boy's shoulder as he got closer. "Truth is I don't know what will happen once all this is over."

"What do you mean you don't know? What happens is we finish up whoever is doing those horrible things to the Alteans and we come back home!- Oh." Lance brought himself to realization.

Keith nodded, knowing Lance now knew exactly what he meant.

"Geez buddy, sorry."

"That doesn't help much."

"Well, maybe by then you'll know what to do!" Lance said enthusiastically. "In all honestly Keith, we don't even know if we'll need Voltron when all this is over."

"That's true... But I need to make up my mind either way." Keith said, looking down at the grass at his feet. Lance looked at him with a concerned expression before breaking into a smile, throwing his arm over Keith's shoulder. "Hey!"

"You should totally stay with us." Lance said.

"What?" The boy in red asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Look, I didn't want to say anything because I hoped you would notice it yourself, but you're just too dense!"

"Lance, I have no quiznaking idea what you're talking about."

"Ok, ok. So hear me out. You don't know what to do because you just can't decide between us and your mom right?"

"...Technically, yes?" Keith said, taking a step back as Lance's arm moved away from him.

"Alright, now think. Out of all the Paladins, who would you miss the most?"

There was a long silence where neither said anything. Lance knew his friend had the answer right from the start, but he may not have wanted to say anything.

"Not you for sure." Keith grinned.

"Rude." Lance pouted. "But I know your answer." He grinned back, wider even.

"You do?"

"They're smart! Brave! And they can kick your quiznak." Lance turned to look at Keith's expression, who slowly grew redder. "It's so obvious Keith. Everyone knows you secretly absolutely adore each other!"

"... Secretly absolutely?"

"Ok, absolutely adore each other, you guys are just terrible at keeping it a secret."

Each other.

The words were slow to register in Keith's head. Adore each other. Had he heard correctly? Absolutely adore each other.

"Stop playing with me Lance." Keith finally said with spite, considering that Lance could just be after a good laugh. The name had never been said, for all Keith knew, Lance could be spouting things at random.

"I'm not Keith. I know what's going on with you because I'm in the same boat. You like Pidge and I like Allura." Keith was wide-eyed at what he was hearing.

Ok so Lance wasn't just spouting things.

"You're being awfully honest." Keith said with a voice that was much more serious than he intended.

"I just want to help." He said with a smile. "I'm sure I have far more experience when it comes to love than you do."

"I don't see that helping you though." Lance ignored the comment and continued.

"You have a chance, a good one, you just need to take it. Hunk and I are willing to help you two get closer."

"You got Hunk involved in this?"

"He got himself involved. Keith seriously, we all just want you and Pidge to be happy." Lance made a pause, looking into the sky, as if expecting to see stars in broad daylight. "If you could... Talk with her. If you two became more than teammates, more than friends, I think that could help you decide what you want to do once all this is over."

Silence claimed the air about them. While Lance closed his eyes to feel the breeze run past him, Keith was taking his time, thinking of those last words. Maybe it would help.

To come back with his friends, to come back with her by his side. His mom would understand, heck, she would be happy for him; he had after all, talked to her about how Pidge was special for him in a way he couldn't explain. Krolia had given him a knowing smile back then, but refused to tell him what his feelings meant. "You'll know in due time." She had said.

If something between him and Pidge came to be, he wouldn't think twice about where he wanted to be. He needed his place to be beside her, there was nothing more to even consider, to ponder on, it was clear what he had to do.

"Got any plans?" Keith finally said, a faint blush on his cheeks. Never had he been so embarrassed before.

Lance looked at him in confusion before beaming with a wide smile, bringing his fists up to his chest in excitement.

"Ooooh this is going to be so much fun!" He threw his arm over Keith's shoulders once more, pulling him along.

"I'm having second thoughts now."

"Don't you worry your little head. Dr. Love and his assitant have you covered!"

"Please tell me you're the assitant." But Keith's comment was ignored yet again as Lance went on.

Having a hard time following what Lance was saying, his mind trailed off into a dream he didn't know he could dream. Before Lance reached him earlier, he couldn't even name what he felt for Pidge, and now all he could think about was her. Her honey eyes, her breathtaking smile, her undying loyalty and friendship, how he had unknowingly sought to stand next to her. Many things made sense now. It made sense to say that he loved Katie Holt.

Now more than ever, he wanted to come back, or follow her into the depths of the universe if she asked him to. Now more than ever, he knew what he would do once this was all over.

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starryeyed-char · 7 years ago

Text

Countdown

BACK WITH ANOTHER ONE-SHOT!!! I told you guys I’d have some canonverse klangst, so here it is! Longer than my usual one-shots, and while I don’t want to give a vague summary... there’s a bomb involved. So. Yeah, that’s a thing.

This one is actually inspired by this absolutely gorgeous, angsty art/mini-comic by @littlecofiegirl who is an amazing artist that you should definitely check out!!

I saw this comic on my dash and I loved it so much that I was immediately inclined to write for it? Anyway, here it is! I hope you enjoy!

The plan had been going flawlessly.

Key word being had.

Shiro and Lance were both searching opposite sides of the base for their captured teammate, and Pidge and Hunk were too occupied giving Shiro directions through the maze-like corridors that they neglected to warn Lance of the approaching Galra heat signature.

A cat blocked his path in the hall, staring at him with large, yellow eyes. It didn't move to attack, but it also didn't run away.

“Um... guys?” Lance tried over the coms, lowering his gun just a bit. He wasn't about to shoot a cat, but he still wanted to be on guard.

He didn't hear the Galra behind him until her hand was on his shoulder.

That was mistake number one.

Lance whirled around to see a face missing eyes, that one general of Lotor's with the tail. He didn't know her name.

He tried to scramble back, but then her hand glowed with a strange light, and his vision darkened.

Lance came back to his senses to the voices of his friends shouting in his ears.

“I'm fine,” he said immediately, before taking stock to see if it was actually true.

“Thank goodness,” Hunk whispered. He sounded like he'd been crying, and Lance felt guilt stab at him.

“Lance, what happened?” Pidge demanded. “You just... you didn't respond! It's been almost twenty minutes!”

“Twenty...?” Lance looked around. The lady who'd attacked him and her cat were both nowhere in sight. How had he been out for twenty minutes? “I'm... not sure what happened, actually. There was this cat, and then a Galra lady snuck up on me—”

“Narti?” Pidge interrupted, sounding even more concerned. “No eyes, and a tail? What'd she do? Are you okay? Are you injured?”

“I said, I'm fine,” Lance gave himself a quick once over. No damaged armor, no pain from injuries. All good, then. “I don't know what she did, but I'm not injured.”

Two.

Lance could practically hear the uneasiness over the com. “Well, that's good... but...” Hunk trailed off, clearly unsure how to respond.

“But she wouldn't have done that to you for no reason,” Pidge finished for him. “We'll... we'll scan you in a pod when you get back to be safe, but for now keep going. We're pretty sure he's on your side of the ship. Shiro hasn't found anything in the cell blocks over there; all empty. He's heading back to us with Allura in Blue now, so you can hopefully stay under the radar in the east wing.”

Lance felt a knot settle in the pit of his stomach. “But... Allura said that we know he's here, right? The scans she took with the castle picked up his signature?”

“His armor is here,” Pidge corrected. “But the tracker isn't specific enough to pick up the exact location. Remember, he could be somewhere else. Tracking his bayard didn't help, as they'd sent it to another base altogether.”

“Right,” Lance said, trying to crush his hope. They might not find him. Still, he didn't think he'd be able to take it if this wound up being another dead end.

Keith had been captured by the Galra three days ago.

Three days.

And, okay, maybe it wasn't that much in the grand scope of things, but it felt like years to Lance. The longest anyone on their team had been captured before was Allura, when they'd rescued her the day after she was taken. Lance had been locked up for just over twelve hours once, so he knew firsthand that the Galra were... efficient when it came to managing their time while keeping high security prisoners.

But two days?

What if they didn't even find Keith alive?

Lance tried to put that out of his head as soon as he thought it. They wouldn't kill a paladin of Voltron, not without getting the lion first. Black was safe in the castle with Hunk, Pidge, their lions, and Coran. Red was hiding outside the base, ready to fly the both of them to safety. Allura had already retrieved Shiro with Blue.

So, as long as all the lions were accounted for, Keith should be safe.

Well, not safe. But breathing. Lance hoped.

His thoughts were interrupted by a soft beeping noise, barely audible. It was continuous, but so quiet Lance hadn't noticed it until then. The sound repeated itself once every second... no, tick. Slower than seconds.

“Hey, Pidge, where's that beeping coming from? I don't need it throwing off my focus, this is kind of an important mission.”

“Beeping?” He heard Pidge typing something in her computer. “You haven't set off any alarms, so I wouldn't worry about it. Do you want me to try to shut it off? Probably just some system on the fritz from our tech, nothing that'll alert them.”

“That's fine, don't risk hacking in again. I'll just ignore it.”

Three.

Entering into the cell block, Lance was immediately confronted by sentries, armed with an array of weapons.

“Great,” Lance muttered under his breath. “Well, that's just perfect, isn't it?”

“What was that?” Pidge asked, reminding him that his two teammates could still hear everything he said.

“Uh... nothing, just a few sentries. Nothing I can't handle.” As he said this, he used his jetpack and pushed off the ground, launching himself to the nearest ledge and activating his bayard along the way. “Think that means he's here?”

“There were virtually no guards on Shiro's side, so they must be there for something,” Pidge mused. “Wish I could shut them off through the system, but it seems like they all function independently. Check all the cells once you take care of those robots. Can you handle them yourself, or do you need Allura to get Shiro to you?”

“Nah, I got this,” Lance said, aiming his rifle. “These guys aren't very good shots, and I'm already at a vantage point. It'll just take me a minute to take all of them out.”

He wasted no time in mowing the sentries down with his rifle. Lance always went for precise shots to the head, which allowed him to take down a guard with every shot, if not two.

As the guards noticed his location, several began firing his way, and it was getting harder and harder to dodge around every laser. The guns they used were much faster than what he was used to, and with the limited power of his jet pack, the ledge he waited on wasn't high enough to be out of range of even the smallest blaster. It also didn't give him a lot of elbow room.

“Pidge,” Lance spoke up, dodging yet another shot flying his way. “Since when do these guys have different kinds of firearms?”

A moment of silence on the other end. “That's new,” she finally said.

“Are you okay?” Hunk asked, voice carrying his worry. “Did they hit you?”

“I'm fine,” Lance assured him, with an eye roll. “Do you guys seriously have that little faith in me? I've quiznaked half these guys already, but—”

Pidge snorted. “Lance, I'm learning the Altean language, and I strongly suggest you look into the actual meaning of that word.”

“Still,” Lance continued, as if she hadn't spoken. “I can't use my shield and bayard at the same time, and I'm way outnumbered over here. It's just going to take a little time. But I've got it," he promised. To prove his point, he raised his voice to a shout. “TEN DOWN, TEN TO GO!”

He lined up another shot with his rifle, but then he heard something.

“L-Lance?”

He'd know that voice anywhere.

Lance immediately looked up from his scope, searching for where it had come from. He was here, he was alive, close enough that he could hear his voice. It was almost too good to be true. “Keith? Is that—?!”

His question descended into a yelp as a sharp pain coursed through him. His side felt like it'd been lit on fire, and looking down he could already see the blood seeping from the torn edges of armor.

The wound wasn't very deep, just a graze from a laser that had seared right through the black flight suit under his armor. Nothing life threatening, but just bad enough that he'd probably need to get in a pod once everything was said and done.

Stupid blood loss.

Lance mentally cursed himself for not being more careful. Hearing Keith's voice had shocked him out of his focus, sure, but he couldn't afford to be reckless. Not when saving him was what hung in the balance.

“Lance?” Pidge spoke up over the coms, sounding preoccupied. He could still hear a faint typing. “What was that? You okay?”

“I heard Keith,” Lance replied, completely brushing off her question. This tactic worked like a charm, as the overjoyed reactions of his teammates completely put the question of Lance's wellbeing out of their minds. “I'm going to get him out of here.”

Lance set about destroying the rest of the sentries, but now that he knew Keith was at least well enough to speak it was as if he'd been kicked into overdrive. He couldn't even feel the pain from his side. Sure, that could be chalked up to adrenaline, but if it meant rescuing Keith? Lance was prepared to ignore an injury ten times that size.

Well, with an injury ten times that size he'd probably bleed out but... still.

Soon enough, the sentries were all taken care of, and Lance wasted no time in getting back onto the ground. “KEITH?! KEITH, WHERE ARE YOU, I'M HERE!”

“Lance? That's... that is you, right?”

Lance's heart lifted and sank at the same time. Keith sounded like he was trying not to get his hopes up.

“Yes, yes, it's me, it's Lance, we came to save you,” Lance promised, starting towards where he could hear his voice. “Keep talking, I need to know which one's your cell.” He picked up the arm of a fallen robot off the ground.

“I was...” A short, shaky laugh. “I was starting to think you guys weren't coming. That you'd just... abandoned me.”

Lance's eyes stung. “We'd never abandon you, Keith. We're a team, remember? A good team.” He pressed the arm to the keypad beside the cell door he'd heard Keith behind, and it slid open. “Sorry we took so long.”

Keith blinked up at him owlishly, mouth slightly agape. He was absolutely covered in bruises, but there was nothing potentially fatal or permanent.

Well, of course not. They wanted to keep him alive, after all. But he'd most likely been tortured, and probably not given any food or water.

Lance shoved down his anger. Keith was alive, and he had to get him out. That's what mattered right now.

“You're... you're really here,” Keith whispered, still in disbelief.

“Well, of course I am,” Lance said, forcing a grin. “I know how impatient you get. Can't keep our fearless leader waiting for long now, can I? Um, can... can you stand?”

Keith pushed himself up, using the wall for support, but the second he tried to take a step he practically collapsed into Lance's arms. He grimaced. “S-sorry...”

“Hey, it's fine,” Lance assured him. He quickly scooped Keith up into his arms, bridal style. “I owe you a bonding moment, anyway.”

If Lance didn't know any better, he'd say Keith was blushing.

Suddenly, Keith's breath hitched, and Lance tensed.

“What is it? What's wrong?”

“You're bleeding,” Keith said, staring down at Lance's side.

“Just a graze, I'll be fine,” Lance waved him off with a smile. “Jeez, two feet out of a Galra prison cell and you're already worrying about me.”

“Someone has to,” Keith muttered under his breath.

Lance snorted. “Fair enough. Here, take this,” he handed Keith his already activated bayard. “I know you're a terrible shot, but I can't fight if I'm carrying you, and I don't want to be defenseless, even if I'm pretty sure I took down all the sentries already.”

“I'm not that bad of a shot,” Keith grumbled, but he took the blaster. He looked around at all the fallen robots. “Are these the only ones they had stationed out here?”

“Only?!”

“It just... it feels too easy...” Keith murmured, but shook his head as if to clear it. “Anyway... where are the others?”

“Waiting for us at the castle. Just gotta get to Red and I can fly us back.” Lance started back through the base, Keith in his arms, walking quickly but quietly so as not to attract attention. “Pidge, could you guide me back? I've got him.”

This statement was met with cheers from both Hunk and Pidge, who immediately switched channels to give Allura, Shiro, and Coran the news. All the while, Lance continued down the dimly lit corridors of the ship.

“What's the beeping sound?” Keith asked abruptly. “It's driving me crazy.”

Lance had almost forgotten it was there. He shrugged. “Pidge said no alarms were triggered, so I wouldn't worry about it. Besides, we're almost to Red.” As if on cue, turning the next corner presented them with that familiar red glow Lance had come to love so much. It reminded him of someone. “Ah, we were just talking about you, gorgeous!”

Keith rolled his eyes, but the Red Lion seemed to purr in response.

Once inside, Lance carefully deposited Keith on the floor before jumping into the pilot's chair and starting up the controls. He took off his helmet, dropping it onto the ground beside him. “You know, Keith, you're pretty heavy for such a short guy, even after being nearly starved for two days.”

Keith glared at the back of Lance's head. “It's called muscle, Lance. Maybe you should get some.”

Lance laughed at the unexpected zinger. “Woah, who's the one who just carried you all the way here? I have plenty of muscle, thank you very much.”

“You just said that it was hard to do that!”

“I never said anything of the kind.”

Keith groaned, but Lance didn't seem to hear him as Red quite literally roared to life.

“And what is that noise?” Keith wondered again. “I thought you said it was in the base, but it's gotten louder in here!”

“I dunno, ask Pidge! Maybe it's her doing!” Lance looked over his shoulder and narrowed his eyes at Keith. “Have you always been this cranky, or did I just forget in the past three days?”

“Maybe I'm cranky because I've... been...” Keith trailed off, eyes going wide as they snagged on Lance's neck. “Lance. What's that?”

“What's what?” He glanced down, surprised to find that there was a... something around his neck. It had apparently been hidden by his helmet while he wore it, but now when he looked down it was in clear view. A strange, metal box with wires attached that he now could feel wrapped around his neck. It had a timer on it.

And it was counting down.

“Is that...” Keith swallowed, still completely frozen. “That better not be what I think it is.”

“No, no, there's no way,” Lance said immediately. “This is impossible, there's no way it could've even gotten... oh no.”

“Oh no?! What the fuck do you mean, 'oh no', Lance?! How could you forget that someone put a... how that ended up on your neck!?”

“I didn't forget, I— it must've been Narti! I ran into her but... but I didn't think that she'd done anything. I couldn't even see the stupid bomb until now!” That's when it finally hit him. He stumbled backwards into the' control panel, sinking onto the floor. “Oh, god. Oh my god, there's... Keith, there's a bomb... get it off!” He instinctively reached up to touch it, but Keith shot forward and grabbed his arm.

“Don't touch it, dumbass! What if it goes off?!”

Lance stared down at the bomb, then back up at him. His eyes welled up with tears. “I'm going to die,” he whispered. “Aren't I?”

Keith's jaw clenched. “No,” he said firmly. “Absolutely not. Not on my watch.”

Lance was unable to stop the sob as it tore up his throat. “Keith—”

“No!” Keith insisted, pressing the button on the projection communicator. The one they were only supposed to use for emergencies. “Pidge, Hunk, come in. There's... there's a bomb.”

“WHAT?!” they shouted at the same time.

“There's a bomb on Lance, I'm sending a scan now. You've got to tell me how to defuse it.” Keith scanned the device with his armor, pressing the holographic screen to send it their way. He then snatched Red's toolbox from the ground and dragged it over to Lance. There wasn't an extensive amount of room in Red's small cockpit, so Keith settled for sitting on Lance's legs, not thinking twice before straddling his hips.

Lance laughed, though it sounded forced. And somewhat hysterical. “What, not even going to buy me dinner first?”

“I'll buy you dinner once we get out of this,” Keith said., without thinking.“That's a promise. Pidge, how we doing?”

“This design is amazing!” she was saying. “The bomb is so small, but the blast radius is insane! It might be powerful enough to take Red out of commission, at least for a decent amount of time if not entirely!”

Lance's face drained of color. “...What?”

“Pidge, this isn't the time to be admiring explosives,” Hunk reminded her with a nervous laugh. “We have to save Lance, right? We... we have to.”

“If it goes off... it'll kill both of us, won't it?” Lance's voice was so soft, it was a wonder any of them could hear it.

Pidge hesitated. “...Yes.”

Lance squeezed his eyes shut, letting out a slow breath. When he opened his eyes again, they were set with determination. “Okay. Keith, you know what we have to do then, right?”

Keith wasn't looking at him. “No. Whatever you're suggesting, I don't want to hear it.”

“Keith, we don't have time to argue—”

“Then don't argue with me!” Keith looked back toward the projection, already holding a pair of pliers ready. “Which wire do I cut?!”

“Hang on, hang on, I'm still analyzing!”

“Keith, just toss me out into space! We can't risk losing two pilots, and a lion!” Lance pointed out. “Please! You know I'm right!”

“Shut up, Lance! Pidge, Hunk, we have no time!” Keith was beginning to panic, and their two teammates were still looking over the scans frantically.

“Keith, please! I... we just got you back, I can't let you die, too!” Lance didn't bother to try and stop the tears now. “Not ever, and especially not like this! Not when I could stop it! The team needs you!”

“We're not going to die!” Keith was nearly shouting now, looking impossibly angry and terrified all at once. “And... and even if we do, you're worth it!”

“...What?”

“You're worth two pilots and a lion!” Keith told him. “The team needs you, too!”

“I... Keith—!”

“Yellow, Keith! Yellow!” Hunk suddenly cried.

“Cut the yellow!” Pidge added, face pressed right against the screen.

Keith reached for the yellow wire with no hesitation, quickly cutting it in two. He and Lance both stared down at the bomb in horror as the beep droned on for the span of a few seconds before finally going silent.

The numbers on the timer didn't change.

There were four ticks left.

And before Keith could register anything else, Lance was hugging him, burying his head in Keith's shoulder. “We made it,” he whispered into his ear. Red was already flying them back to the castle.

Keith wasn't sure what made him do it. He pecked Lance on the cheek, mostly just to further assure himself that he was still here. That they both were.

Lance pulled back from the hug, blue eyes surprised yet... also somehow knowing. He lifted his hands to either side of Keith's face, smiling at him softly before pressing their lips together.

Pidge couldn't help it. She screamed.

“Ah. Finally,” Hunk said on the other end.

They didn't care. They were alive, and after something like that, Lance thought there was cause for celebration.

Keith couldn't agree more, if the enthusiasm with which he returned the kisses were any indication.

“Uh. Guys? Guys!” Pidge tried to get their attention, to no avail. “Hello?! We're kind of all waiting for you at the castle, we were all really worried so... Keith? Lance? Um...”

“Let them have a moment,” Hunk told her.

Pidge scoffed. “Some bonding moment this is.” With that said, she turned the projection off.

3K notes · View notes

kokotaro · 7 years ago

Note

Paladins and allura with a goth/punk s/o, maybe the S/O doesn't smile often and they listen to heavy music, refer to themselves as "tough as nails" and wears a lot of black but every now and then they show off a more "soft" punk side but only to them.

hey i’m alive and i’m sorry i took fuckin three thousand years to post but school has been REALLY hectic but i’m on a two week break so here ya go :]] enjoy!

Keith:

> Keith wouldn’t be necessarily all that surprised to see a softer and sweeter side to his significant other but he’d feel very special to be the only person to see this side of them as well. He cherishes it because he feels as if there aren’t too many people in his life he can share such tender moments with.

> Family and relationships definitely means a lot to him however it’s hard for him to come to terms with not only his feelings but opening up to someone else as well. He has the tendency to leave before others can abandon him thus forming a dynamic he finds hard to break from. He doesn’t really portray his feelings into words that well (he’s working on it) but! he does his best to incorporate gentle touches and maybe even a few kisses when he’s feeling especially affectionate. Only in private, of course.

> He would want to match all the fuckin way I swear.

> He’d ask for music recommendations because he doesn’t necessarily have a preference for music but he’d likes to know what his partner likes and he wants to know their favorite songs so they can be his favorite songs too. And since they can’t really go on proper dates, he stacks blankets on blankets so they can cuddle while listening to their favorite playlist. The moments are normally short lived but relaxing for both of them.

> Keith isn’t one to smile much on a normal basis, yet that doesn’t stop him from trying to get his significant other smile all the damn time either. Even if it’s hard for him to crack a smile around a crowd he can manage one or two when they’re alone together. It usually resorts to him tickling them or telling really embarrassing stories about his life as a kid. He gets them to tell him their embarrassing stories too because why the hell not.

> They would most definitely be the most intimidating couple out of the group and the only one who bugs them about literally anything is Lance (he gets barked at by Keith but it never goes too far. It’s more playful than anything else).

Lance:

> Let’s face it, Lance would brag about how cool his significant other is 24/7 for multiple reasons. One, he finds them to have an almost gracious-meets-grunge fashion sense that he’s head over heels for. Two, despite saying they’re the toughest he loves how they have so many different layers of a personality than just being a brute. Three, they love him with all of his insecurities (not something he’ll say all the time but if he’s really into it’ll come up). Four, Blue is their favorite lion is that not a sign??? He could come up with a million reasons to brag about them even if it’s embarrassing and earns him a punch, it’s worth it.

> He wouldn’t tell anyone about the soft side that only he gets to see because he likes feeling like there’s some aspect of him being able to protect them. He likes being able to be the person they can come to if they need to rant or confide in since he himself hardly has anyone. He likes being that person, being the special trustworthy person that his significant other can come to when they need it the most.

> He’d always be asking if they want to do spa days together! He thinks it’s fun and kinda silly to paint their nails, make/use face masks, brush each others hair, and perhaps even do each others makeup (he always argues that makeup doesn’t have gender to his s/o to convince them to let him do it).

> Sometimes they talk about family, sometimes they talk about different places they’ve been. They like to take free nights to themselves to talk about anything bothering them, exciting missions, dumb gossip, and so on. Rarely the mice will come in and join them because Lance will give them little blocks of cheese.

> Video game dates and grooming Kaltenecker dates are most definitely included because of him.

> He knows not to push certain buttons with his partner, letting them always come to him first because they’ve had arguments where he pushed them too far. Of course he learns from then on but it’s hard to watch them go through something on their own. He realizes he does just the same and they’ll have to talk it out together whenever they need to. He lets them be all tough in front of the others but when they’re alone he’ll tease them mercilessly (nicely, of course) to watch them get grumpily flustered since he finds it too damn cute.

Shiro:

> The leader would honestly act as normally as he would around the others because he knows how to keep himself composed when they need it the most. However, like Keith, he’ll show most of his affection through his actions. An arm wrapped around the shoulders or waist, resting his head against theirs, hugs from behind, hand holding, hair petting, and mostly everything else. Most of the time he doesn’t even realize he’s doing it but around them is when he is most relaxed and comfortable so it just kinda happens.

> Heavy music isn’t usually his favorite but he doesn’t complain when they want to show him a song or tell him about one of their favorite bands for the millionth time in a row. He loves the way their eyes light up when they get excited about their music and he’d hate to be the reason that they stop talking about something they love.

> Shiro would always smile at them when they are around other people and alone together, knowing that most of the time they won’t usually smile back. But when they do it’s usually when they’re alone and he’ll literally feel so happy he just throws his arms around them. Maybe attack them with kisses if the moment calls for it.

> He hates seeing them upset (as would any s/o duh) so he’ll make sure they’re doing well when they’re laying together in bed or training together too. He’d bring them something he tried to cook himself even if it never really works out but they feel comforted by the fact that he put effort into making them happy.

> Cheek/forehead kisses all the time there is no doubt about it.

> He would feel a little too giddy to see their soft side because he already he sees the tough person he admires already and knowing that everyone can present themselves differently for everyone else just as he does makes him feel calmed and reassured. He reminds them that they are a very special person to him and they shouldn’t be afraid to show every little part of them to him. He tells them that as often as he can and finds it heartwarming to see them open up to him more and more.

Hunk:

> Hunk would be a bit anxious to be dating someone that’s honestly the complete opposite of himself because what if he said something to offend them? What if he accidentally spilled cookie batter on their favorite leather jacket? What if he didn’t like the music they liked? He wasn’t sure of his actions when they were first together because he was afraid of messing up something he probably couldn’t ever find again while being stuck in space for who knows how long. Eventually he spilled everything about his anxious thoughts and they reassured him everything would be already.

> When he sees their softer and more genuine side he feels much more comforted that he isn’t doing entirely too much for them because he wouldn’t want to overwhelm them at all. And the day he found out he literally made cookies just specially for them. There wasn’t a particular reason besides him wanting to see their cute little self happy.

> He’ll still feel a bit of worry when they’re alone because he just doesn’t want to hurt them or anything but he doesn’t bring it up as often after they talked about it together. He loves being around them as much as possible so he’ll make sure they can spend as much time together whenever they have a bit of free time to spare! He knows they need their space and he’ll give them their space, of course, but he’ll try his best to make sure they are always doing alright too.

> Hunk will take them out to fly in his lion whenever they both feel like they need to get out of the confines of the castle. It’s an enjoyable and peaceful moment for just them.

> You best believe there are baking dates involved. Always.

> He would feel much more protective when he thinks about the possibility of losing them to the galra or having them get lost or, and anyone forbid, having them die when they all get in deep trouble on a mission. He ends up training much more than usual which doesn’t go unnoticed by Shiro and he helps Hunk as much as he can. He appreciates it and lowkey brags about his new muscles to his s/o (mostly by surprising them and lifting them up with absolutely no effort whatsoever).

Pidge:

> Pidge wouldn’t know really what to do at first because her main focus was never necessarily to have a relationship and to find love. She had her computers, she had her tech, and overall she had her friends she could see as another family (and of course Matt too) so having her first partner isn’t something she finds herself getting used to anytime soon with as adaptable as she is.

> As awkward as she is, she’ll feel more at ease being able to see the much softer side to her significant other because the toughness honestly puts her on edge because if she says something wrong then that’s it, she’ll literally be dead. Well not literally but she was worried she’d be torn a new one entirely. Much like Hunk she watches what she says as much as she possibly can until she’s sure she can be her snarky self around them.

> She’d find it hard to tear herself away from her electronics at first, always having quite a bad habit of skipping sleep for coding or working on a hacking skill or two. But over time she comes to learn to put her work down for a while to spend time with someone she cares about the most. She isn’t always the best with coming up with date ideas but she tries! They usually end up playing video games together or watching cheesy movies.

> How does she affection????? She’s unsure. She’s kinda like a cat, one moment she’ll be really cuddly then the next she’ll shove herself off and hide under the blankets.

> Pidge purposely starts wearing shoe lifts (no one knows how she got them) to be a few inches taller so she can rest her head on her partners shoulder and maybe tickle their neck like the gremlin she is.

> Ultimately, it would take her the longest to become accustomed to being in a relationship out of anyone in the castle whether be it someone has already been in one before or they’ve at least already had their first crush. She gets teased a lot by Lance and Hunk, making her too embarrassed to even retaliate most of them time and she’ll end up being a completely different person when she’s around her significant other too! Everyone finds it cute no matter how pouty she gets over it.

Allura:

> Like Pidge, Allura would feel pretty awkward when first getting into a relationship because all she’s known as a princess is that her parents would arrange a marriage for her. They were much more nice when it came to that and she was going to eventually find someone that everyone could mutually agree on, and that’s all she would have understood about relationships. She finds Earth customs strange but being with a person she cares so deeply and lovingly makes her happier all around, despite their somewhat brutish personality.

> They actually don’t get along at first and don’t even understand why they are together but after a while, they begin to open up to her to which she can ultimately sympathize with. They both apologize for whatever actions and whatever arguments and continue their lives. She’ll find that her s/o is much more cuddly when they feel a bit toned down and she takes advantage of that by letting everyone sleep the entire day, if they’re lucky enough.

> Coran treats her significant other as he would treat Allura and she finds it to be equally flustering as much as it is pestering her. He’s kind of like the uncle that does his damn hardest to pull up the worst stories of your life to your partner. Actually, that’s exactly what he does.

> Eventually, they hear a story that just makes them burst out laughing in front of everyone and the princess can’t even object because she likes the sound of their laughter too much.

> Gossiping with the mice is their favorite pass time.They do it quietly in her chambers.

> Allura can’t really get into the fashion or music they listen to but she hates admitting it because she doesn’t want them to feel discouraged of who they are, rather, she wants them to embrace it as happily as they possibly can! One time they’re dragged back to the mall by Lance and Allura ends up pretty in pink while her s/o is in their usual black, punk look. However, they find matching black and pink chokers with hearts and small studs. Allura gets to keep the black one while they keep the pink one for themselves. Lance literally squeals as he takes their picture which she hangs up later on.

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