#red bayard

[torveiglyart]

Red Paladin Lance!

It always kinda bothered me that they never switched armor colours. I understand why not in season 3-4 because switching the armor then would feel like accepting that Shiro is gone. They were convinced that the 'Changing of the Guard' was a temporary solution. But why didn't Lance and Allura swap when Shiro was back and Keith left?

Keith leaving was a conscious choice. They had one paladin too many, as Lance stated, and Keith felt he was the one who could, and should, leave. He had the Blade of Marmora to go to, whereas the other paladins would have nowhere to go.

The paladins knew generally where he was, and that he wasn't dead. So why not change armor?

Allura wore the pink as a symbol of mourning. But Shiro's back, so unless she really likes pink like her mother, she has no reason to continue wearing it. Lance has not flown, or talked to, Blue in a long while, and never does again until the season 8 conclusion. He's Red's paladin now.

It makes all the sense in the world for them to switch armor in the seasons after Keith's departure. So why didn't they? I think it's because of which paladin they are. Let me explain:

Keith is the red paladin. The Red Lion looks for someone 'hot-headed and stubborn', someone who relies more on instinct than skill. The traits of a red paladin are fiery, straightforwardness, impulsive, passionate, and self-certain. Keith tones it down a bit when leading the team in black and once he returns from the BoM, but he still has these characteristics.

Lance is the blue paladin. The Blue Lion looks for someone flexible, supportive, and creative. While we don't get to hear Allura's explanation of the Blue Lion, we can see why Blue picked Lance. He's a quick thinker, goes with the flow, and most of all, flexible. He makes what's given work, especially when it came to needing a red paladin. Not, by choice, necessarily, but he rolls with it.

Allura is not a chosen paladin. She does not have qualities that fit a specific lion quite as well as the rest do, but rather a mix. This is why she works as Blue's pilot. She has the flexibility required by Blue. So while she works as a blue paladin, she is technically not a better fit than Lance for Blue, but Lance is a much better fit in Red than Allura due to Keith in Black.

All this to say, it still annoys me they didn't change colours, but oh well.

[lgbtqreads]

New Releases: September 17, 2024

Middle Grade Wishbone by Justine Pucella Winans Ollie Di Costa wishes things could be different. He wishes the bullies at school would leave him alone. He wishes his parents would stop fighting. He wishes his sister Mia didn’t have to worry about things like paying for college. But most of all, he wishes he wasn’t so angry about all of this. When he and Mia find a two-tailed cat they name…

[happywebdesign]

That Thing

[star-child-wonders]

WIP

Weekend was boring and wanted to spice up the school board with klance

[stickyhugz]

Red Bayard

[shatterinseconds]

Keith is beautiful. So fucking beautiful.

The twin suns of the planet become the perfect backdrop, outlining him in shimmering gold. A concerning amount of dried blood paints the side of his face, crusted and flaking. His bottom lip is busted, his nose probably broken, his armor just as dented and bruised. Despite it all, maybe even because of it all, he’s stunning. 

Enough for Lance to stop and stare as he picks himself off the ground after a Galra soldier punted him against the rocky cliff face. His teeth still rattle from the impact; his entire body is a scream of agony, but he manages to stand.

Keith flicks the blood off his bayard before it detransitions from its sword state. He steps over the body of the Galra soldier to stand directly in front of Lance. He pats Lance’s cheek, amused by Lance’s obviousness as a twitch of a smirk presses a dimple into the corner of his mouth.

“I didn’t think you hit your head that hard.”

“Shut up.” Lance grins, reaching out to hold Keith close. His free hand, gun still activated by his side, tangles with Keith’s wild hair curling near his jaw. With his helmet lost ages ago, his hair is a wild, sweaty mess, bangs plastered to his forehead. Lance gently brushes a thumb over a newly formed bruise, and Keith’s eyelids flutter at the touch.

They’ve been at war for years. Maybe Lance has gotten too desensitized to things and maybe that’s not a good thing—but that’s something he and his future therapist can discuss whenever—if ever—they return to Earth. But present Lance doesn’t have to worry about why he finds a battle-worn Keith stupidly hot; he accepts it. Because he can. Because they’re dating now. So openly admiring the Red Paladin of Voltron? Fully on the table as suitable options during any time of the day.

“Sue me for thinking my boyfriend’s attractive,” Lance mutters, breathy as if they just kissed but really he’s just tired from the battle, tired from the war. Every day weighs heavily on him but that weight is always easier to bear with two or six.

Keith cups his face with both hands. “I’m glad you survived,” he says instead of ‘I love you.’ 

Because they made some sort of deal with themselves, that since they started dating in the middle of an active war, they promised no ‘I love yous’ to each other, no concrete declarations of long lasting affection, nothing emotionally compromising. In reality, it means the same thing. They both know it does, but they continue to use the placeholder anyways as if the facade makes the situation less personal, less likely to destabilize them if anything were to happen to the other during battle.

Lance leans forward until his forehead rests against Keith’s. “I’m glad you survived too.”

One day he’ll say ‘I love you’ to Keith. One day he’ll say it on the shores of Varadero Beach with his family’s house only a few miles away. One day it will happen. Not if. 

But until then, he wraps his arm around Keith’s waist as they hobble back to the rendezvous spot. He nuzzles his nose into the soft part of Keith’s cheek, ignoring the sweat, dirt, and blood, and smiles as Keith’s hair tickles his nose. Until then, he will whisper those words into Keith’s skin and dream about their future. 

[bluemantics]

If Keith and Lance were going to fall together at any moment, it would’ve been when Keith was the black paladin.

Keith had successfully kept his walls up until then; battles left him mostly unfazed, team bonding barely nicked his armor, and even Hunk’s cooking wasn’t able to pry him open. 

Then, Shiro vanished, and everything changed. Keith suddenly was tasked with leading the team intended to save the universe. 

All his previous failings and outbursts piled up in his mind at once, nausea rolling through his body constantly. How was he supposed to do this? He was a dropout with anger and authority issues, a wild warrior without aim. Keith wasn’t meant to be anything more than a tamed beast. Even worse, if he wasgoing to step up eventually, to become something greater, he was supposed to do it with Shiro. Instead, a gaping hole had been left behind at the helm. Keith was too young. Too inexperienced. And worst of all, he was entirely alone. 

For the first time in a long time, he was vulnerable, and his aching edges were exposed to anyone brave enough to look. 

The team noticed when he started to crack, exposing his pain and his fear. 

Hunk tried to help, in his own unique way. He noticed the pale hue of the black paladin’s skin and resolved to feed him, maybe help him talk over food. However, that hardly worked, since Keith stopped eating regularly with the team. 

Even Pidge tried to relate through their unique bond. She teased him about the old stories they used to muse over together, but anecdotes about their brothers were still raw for Keith, and he lashed out. That caused Pidge to retreat quickly, her concealed hurt only worsening Keith’s guilt.  

Allura spoke to him in soothing tones that only riled him up more. It was the worst with her, even though she tried her best. Somehow, her gentle tone only reminded him of the wild thing he was. When he would respond in anger, she wasn’t afraid to rise to meet him, and instances where the whole team witnessed them clash only embarrassed him. 

But then there was Lance. That was always how it had gone since their journey started. Lance, appearing to help carry Keith’s brother. Lance, badgering him into a fight. Lance, constantly standing just to his right, prepared to offer unwanted commentary. And now he was the red paladin. 

For the first few days after the lion switch, Lance merely observed how Keith interacted with everyone silently. It made him uncomfortable. He was restless under Lance’s piercing gaze, his eyes that tracked his every choice, his normally discerning tongue that for once chose to still. 

The moment that caused Keith to snap occurred during training. He’d been staying up late every night, working extra with the bots to get better with the new black bayard. Logically, it was just as perfectly balanced as his old sword. Keith just wasn’t able to shake the feeling that the weight of it wasn’t suited to his hand.

So, he trained with it. Again and again. 

Which meant that team training during the daytime… well, it suffered. He was exhausted. Coran, watching over them, admonished Keith for it, but he could barely hear the royal advisor over the sound of his blood rushing past his ears and the clanging of his teammates moving their bayards and the bright lights shining into his pupils and the bruises settling painfully under his ribs and the pressure of his new black armor against his sternum and, worst of all, Lance’s unrelenting stare. 

He snapped back into himself, realizing the team was awaiting his reaction. Their eyes looked round and worried. Keith narrowed in on one person who was standing just at his elbow. 

“Why do you keep looking at me like that?” he hissed.

There was a pause after his words. Lance’s expression remained careful, his hand coming up to rest on Keith’s shoulder, forcing a breath out of his lungs. The lights seemed to dim. 

“Let’s take a break,” Lance suggested to everyone. Marvelously, they nodded, Hunk exchanging murmurs with Allura as they both put down their weapons and began to walk toward the door. Pidge scampered up the stairs to Coran. Keith looked at Lance in bewilderment after noticing they were alone.

Lance just grinned, and it released something in Keith that had been knotted up.

“So, Samurai, I think we need to talk.” 

Lance quietly spoke to him about the team’s unease. That they all wanted to help him, but he’d regressed back to a place that was painful to see. Lance spoke of a small desert shack, a place that could be a shelter, but could also be confining in its limitations. A place to hide from the watchful stars. A place of anger, regret, and desperation.

Grief. 

Lance’s words carved out an image of a loner fulfilling his own self-destructive prophecy. It made Keith bristle. Then, however, he reminded him of other images, scenes from the recent past he’d rejected in his mourning. 

Helping Hunk perfect a recipe late at night, even if he didn’t know much about cooking besides canned beans and rice. 

Sorting Pidge’s small pieces of machinery as she ranted about a planet they’d visited. 

Allura laughing when he made a dry comment about a foreign diplomat, and then immediately failing to cover it up when said official turned around, making Keith smile as well. 

Lifting Lance off a bloody battlefield, the harsh sounds raging in the background as he carried him into Red and saved his life.

“You’re not alone.” Lance’s hands stretched out, beseeching. 

“Why did you wait so long to talk to me?” Keith breathed, as if he knew, deep down, that this talk was going to come the entire time. “Why were you so quiet?”

And Lance’s face fell. Keith regretted asking near instantly. 

“Well, you’re not the only one trying to fill in for a strong presence. I had to get used to some things, too, y’know? Convince myself that I can be right for this job.” He points between himself and the black paladin. 

It’s ridiculous. Keith wants to open his mouth, to assure Lance that he’s not just excelling, that he’s perf—

“You need to start showing up to team dinners. Stop working yourself to death at night— that was fine when you were number two, but now you gotta lead us in training,” Lance started to list off as he put a finger up for each point. “Talk to Pidge about Shiro, since she misses him too, not just you. Reassure Allura that you’re happy to lead alongside her. Just… chill the F out, dude.” Keith blinks, owlish in the face of a literal itemized list of things to fix. 

So, he tries to chill the F out. 

It isn’t easy. He still feels inadequate, out of place in every room he steps into, especially when his friends all look to him for answers. Keith often trembles with the weight of the universe. Thank god for Lance, always standing just to his right. Slowly, they open the door of that desert shack together, and he learns how to share his burden. He learns a lot of things. 

Like how Lance is deceptively smart when it comes to strategizing. Or that Lance’s empathy is a weapon, able to prevent a battle with a few well-placed words. He especially enjoys learning that Lance has curly hair, he thinks Keith is funny when no one else does, and he has a fondness for young kids due to his family. 

Lance is his right-hand man and co-leader in every sense of both terms. Their call-and-response has never been better. Oftentimes, before thinking about what Shiro might do, Keith begins to consider what Lance might do. 

And isn’t that frightening? 

They fell together after the lion switch in ways no one could have predicted. Keith feels a wild thing settle in his chest at the thought, his eyes turned toward the stars that watch him in return. 

He stays standing among the sand. He ignores the urge to retreat to shelter. Keith embraces the sky and its promise of warm, fresh rainfall. 

[vxmpyrate]

2024 Julance Week One Prompt: Broadsword

—

prompt list by @callmelyc

since his broadsword only appeared once he got the red bayard, i decided i wanted to try drawing him in the red paladin armor instead of his blue armor

cuz yea im mad they didnt swap their colors when they swapped lions i will forever be petty HE LOOKS SO NICE WITH THE RED !!

also here’s a closeup of his face cuz pretty

…and here’s the prompt list

[badsongpetey]

My retake on that scene in s7 when Lance and Veronica are almost killed. There’s NO WAY Lance would just give up like he did, and there’s no way that as the paladin who’d unlocked 3 Bayard forms already, he wouldn’t be able to magic up a bigger gun when he needed it. Red would be so proud of her paladin.

[torveiglyart]

May I offer a Lance McClain in these trying times?

[atla-what-is-this-site]

Voltron Bloopers

*Keith is standing holding half of his bayard in front of a sentry* *off camera*: Keith what happened?

Keith, sadly: it broke

————————

Shiro: y’all

*cut* Shiro: y’all

*cut* Shiro: Yoll?

*cut* Shiro: you’ll

*cut* Shiro: y’all- fuck, PALADINS!!

————————

*scene being filmed between Allura and Coran* Coran: ya know, your father put this handy dandy hologram into the ship so you could talk- *shiro screams off set* Allura: what the fuck was that?

Keith, appearing just on set, using two pieces of armor to trap a spider: where’s the back exit again?

————————

*Allura glaring at Keith* Keith, with his most innocent eyed expression: princess

Allura, looking away: shit i can’t do this

————————

Lance, angrily: I’ll stick you in a-

Keith: *laughing*

Lance, also laughing: stop you’re contagious!

—————————

Shiro, looking at Keith’s conspiracy board: what is

Shiro, elbowing Lance in the face: THIS- shit Lance you ok?

—————————

Pidge: I programmed this robot to- what did I program it to do again?

————————

*During “the journey”* *Shiro is strapped to the table* *Kosmo runs in and leaps up onto Shiro’s chest* Shiro: aww who’s a good boy? *pulls arm out of restraint to pet him*

Handler, rushing to drag the dog away: dammit Kosmo not again

————————

Hunk: so Pidge, what’s your favorite food?

Hunk: *opens cabinet*

Matt, working on his newest coding project in the cabinet: oh hey guys

Pidge, perfect deadpan: I guess you could say he was in the closet.

Director: get out of the closet, Matt

Matt: I’m bi

Director: NOT LIKE THAT

Hunk: Matt get off the set

————————

Coran: you ever heard of a Red tailed fishmonger?

Pidge: oh yea my brother’s one

Coran: a giant sentient mammal?

Pidge: a furry who likes fish

————————

*lance gets into the Blue Lion* *barbie girl starts playing* Lance: 🎶oh I’m a Paladin in a giant lioon🎶

————————

[autisticlancemcclain]

Keith walks into his room after a deliciously vigorous training season, wiping his sweaty face with a towel, and immediately notices something is off.

He freezes, towel clamped to the back of his neck, and carefully scans his room from corner to corner. His lock was still intact when he walked in, so unlikely break-in. His bed is still exactly as messy as it was when he left it. His dresser drawer is still left cracked slightly open, as he always leaves it, because it’s harder to put a drawer back to the same level of open it was before than to close it (he’s caught Hunk snooping through his shit many a time with this method. Thanks, Pa’s paranoia).

His gaze lands finally on a nondescript black book on his nightstand, and his eyebrows shoot up. He finished his book this morning and returned it to the library on his way to the training room.

He did not leave that black book there.

Wary, a thousand anxieties running through his brain, Keith approaches his nightstand bayard-first, sword extended and sharp. He pauses before he comes in contact, taking time to analyse it, attempt to puzzle out any kind of traps or discrepancies before they jump out at him. He can’t see any — the book is on the newer side, with a roughened black hardcover, gold detailing on the spine but no title or author. The paper looks thick and it’s strangely uncut, raggedy.

Hesitantly, Keith pokes it.

Nothing happens.

Less suspicious, now, he prods at it with his hands, and when that does nothing, he picks it up. It’s heavier than he expected. He cracks open the cover to reveal a red paper lining. Stuck to the inside of the cover is a baby blue post-it note, crookedly place, with only a neatly drawn heart in glitter gel pen. Keith can’t help the smile, even as his eyebrows furrow in confusion.

“What even…”

Pinching the first page from the bottom corner so as to not accidentally rip any paper, he slowly turns it over.

He gasps, fumbling with the book as he nearly drops it.

“How did it…”

He recognises the first page — it’s his. Or he made it, anyway. Scrawled in every white space of the nearly parchment-esque alien paper is his own doodling, from a boring meeting several weeks back. He recognises the slightly mean drawing of the Capnir leader and his snooty expression in the left corner, and the ninety games of tic-tac-toe he played with Lance on the bottom half of the page (Lance insisted he won because he is a nasty cheater. Keith didn’t even know it was possible to cheat at tic-tac-toe, but it is. It’s crazy).

Gobsmacked, Keith begins to flip through the rest of the pages, eyes getting wider and nose getting closer to the book with every corner he turns. These are his doodles and drawings — hundreds of them, loose papers from meetings and scrawled diagrams from mission plans and notes to other paladins and dorky little drawings he made for his friends or because of his own boredom. There are grocery lists covered in drawings of engine parts and knives and strange alien vegetables, hand-to-hand manoeuvre diagrams, several drawings of Shiro as Captain America, of Pidge and Hunk covered in soot except for the line around their eyes from their goggles, of Allura with the mice in her hair, Coran in the wackiest outfit he’s ever seen, Shiro with his eye twitching from Slav, Matt making goo eyes at Allura. Some of Kolivan, even, with over-exaggerated eyebrows and a frown that touches his neck.

And dozens, maybe even hundreds, of drawings of Lance. Smirking at Keith from across the kitchen table before he instigates a Pidge-Hunk argument, crowing in victory after making a shot, serious and focused mid battle, face drooping and sad and fixed on a glowing blue Earth projection with his chin hooked over his knees. Drawings that itched at Keith’s fingers every hour of every day, that he barely tried to resist; snapshots of Lance that plagued his mind ‘til he finally found time to grab a pencil.

Drawings that he had, apparently, left scattered all over the castle without thinking.

He cradles his flaming face in his free hand, heart pounding in his ears. He’s sure — he knows he threw half of these out. Some of them he left lying around, sure, and others he left out deliberately for his friends to find, but — Keith knows he threw out the full-page and coloured portrait of Lance, bright and beautiful in a dozen shades of earth, smiling softly at Keith in the low-light of the common room well after midnight. He can see the creases and smudges from where he’d crumpled it, embarrassed, and where someone had fished it out of the trash and carefully straightened it back out, brushing dust out of the crevices.

“Oh my God.”

Hunk would never have been able to keep the secret with how long it would have taken to bind this book — by hand, by the looks of it. Allura couldn’t either. Both Pidge and Shiro would have been gleeful in mocking Keith about the clear affection in every pencil stroke. Coran would have probably stuck it proudly on the fridge — he did that, once, Keith remembers, with a sketch he’d done of the whole team during a movie night. It’s still there; it’s been so long that Keith doesn’t notice it anymore.

There’s only one person who would pick up the discarded slips of paper and slide them in his pocket — only one person who’s that kind of sentimental. One person who prints every photograph he takes of every planet they’ve ever been on, who pins up every drawing gifted to him by young children no matter how objectively horrible, who tears off notes written in the margins of battle plans and keeps them in a jar on his dresser. Only one person who has a scrapbook with a dried blade of grass from Arus and piece of sea glass from the mermaid planet and a napkin stained with food goo from their food fight all those years ago. Hell, there’s only one person on this castle with enough skill with a needle and thread to bind a whole ass book.

Keith drops his bayard to the floor with a clatter, book clenched in his fist, and sprints out of his room. He flies down the hallway, ignoring the startled shout from Pidge as she jumps out of his way and the wide-eyed stare from Allura. He almost runs straight into his brother, spinning to the right at the last minute and rushing past him without bothering to entertain his questions. He runs all the way to the MedBay, where he knows Lance is taking inventory for Coran, and nearly crashes right into the pods because he’s too pumped up to slow down properly.

“Whoa there, cowboy, cool it before you give yourself a concussion. Christ.”

Lance places a cool hand on his shoulder, concerned, bin of counted bandages left abandoned behind him. Almost immediately his face coils in disgust.

“Aw, gross, you’re sweaty.”

But he doesn’t move his hand.

Keith stares.

How did he — how did he miss it, before?

“Keith?” Lance asks again, alarm clouding his face. “You okay, buddy?”

His fingers curve absentmindedly along the junction of Keith’s neck, and he leans in closer, and he smells so fucking good and he always does and Keith is lightheaded from more than just his cross-castle sprint.

“You’re in love with me,” he blurts, and he didn’t mean to say it like that but there’s no doubt in his words.

Lance startles, yanking his hand back in shock. Keith darts out to stop it, fingers wrapped around his wrist, keeping him from going far. Lance’s breath hitches.

“…What?”

“You’re in love with me,” Keith repeats, steadier this time. He waits a moment, then says, much more urgently: “The book.”

Mortification rings off Lance in waves.

“Oh,” he croaks. His pulse is so loud and so fast that Keith can feel it in his wrist. “I didn’t think it was — oh.”

There’s a strange quality to his voice, besides the embarrassment of getting caught, and then it clicks — he’s afraid. Of rejection, of disgust, of Keith. Keith isn’t sure. But he hates that it’s there.

Faster than he can talk himself out of, he cups Lance’s face with his free hand, relishing in the sharp intake of breath, and leans in and kisses him. There’s a moment of rigid shock on Lance’s part and it could spell trouble but Keith holds steady. He keeps his hold loose and the pressure soft and soon Lance — melts, into him, there’s no other word for it; he sinks in close and sighs and the hand Keith has gripped goes slack. His lips are soft, and his hair tickles Keith’s forehead, and Keith can still feel his jackrabbit heartbeat, and he still smells like that intoxicating mix of flowers and — sunshine, somehow, straight from the brightest days in Earth. Keith’s hands have never been steadier.

“You collected my doodles,” he says, staying close when Lance pulls gently away. He can see the deeper browns in Lance’s irises, the places where the gold gives way to near-black. They look like the flecks of the precious metal Keith would see at the bottom of the river mud in the mountains of Arizona.

“They were worth keeping,” Lance says quietly. He holds Keith’s gaze. The tips of his fingers trace Keith’s temples; they’re rough with old guitar callouses.

“You think everything is worth keeping.”

“Only the things that — bleed.”

Keith thinks that they’re both right. Lance can’t leave anything behind because he aches for the soul he finds in it. He finds the worth in everything. He found the worth in Keith.

He found enough to make Keith stay.

Keith grips the book in his right hand, left still cupped around Lance’s cheek. The difference in textures is startling, grounding.

“No one has ever done something like that for me before,” Keith admits. There’s a lump in his throat but Keith thinks it’s manageable, thinks he can talk through it. Thinks he might hold the strength for it.

Lance waits patiently.

“I want to —” Keith stops. He opens the book. The drawn Lance smiles up at him, beautiful. He looks up and Lance smiles over at him, breathtaking. “I —”

He doesn’t know how to say it. It’s there, bubbling in his chest, spilling out of him; obvious. But he doesn’t know the words for it. He’s not sure anyone’s taught him before.

“Okay,” Lance says. He tugs his wrist out of Keith’s grip then laces their hands together, squeezing. His smile only widens and he — sparkles, almost. Keith’s throat goes dry.

“Okay?”

“Yes.”

“Oh.”

“Oh,” Lance repeats, teasing. He leans in again. “I’m going to kiss you again, now.”

“Please,” Keith begs, and he does.

———

based on this post

[iloveboysinred]

Miracle [Keith Kogane]

18+ angst|Keith Kogane x reader

synopsis; During a battle with the Galra you and Keith are cornered, you give up your life to save Keith, and leave him a gift to remember you by.

cw; fem reader, angst, character death, sad Keith, mentions of blood, violence, strangulation, stabbing, heavy grief, survivors guilt.

this will probably be the last angst request I'll write given that I'm not the best at it and i hate putting out work I'm not proud of ;/. Hope you enjoy anon!

masterlist - ask

Adrenaline pulsed through your veins as you ran down the dark halls of a Galra ship. It was an endless labyrinth of walls and turns, the darkness suffocating. You'd swear you were running in circles; every time you thought you'd found another way, you were just met with another band of sentries, shooting at you, chasing you, hunting you down. You tried to keep up with Keith, his hand wrapped tightly around your wrist, but your legs were starting to get tired, and your mind was foggy and confused. You didn't know how much longer you could endure. "Lance? Pidge? C'mon guys, where are you?" you heard Keith shout, trying to reconnect his damaged helmet to the others, but to no avail.

Your mind flashed back to Earth for a second. To when you and Keith were garrison trainees. You were close, seeing through his cold exterior and becoming friends quite quickly. From then on, you have always been there for each other. Supporting each other in training and comforting each other through the good and the bad. So of course, when he had come to you for support after he caught wind of Shiro's re-appearance, you had gone with him. Never expecting to be where you are now, fighting a galactic war and constantly putting your lives at risk.

"Fuck!" Your heart dropped to your stomach when you stopped, staring up at the wall in front of you. It was a dead end. You glanced behind you; they were gaining. Keith pulled you behind him, activating his bayard. You stared in fear when the sentries parted, a large Galra soldier advancing towards you. "It appears the universe has granted me a gift," he sneered, stopping a few feet away from you and Keith. His ugly yellow teeth peeked out from under his lip in a menacing snarl, his glowing yellow eyes pinning you with unsettling malice. You felt Keith tense, his grip on your wrist falling, raising his bayard defensively. "Lord Zarkon will be pleased when I bring him the heads of the red lion's paladin and his co-pilot." He got into his own defensive stance. He was big, standing about 5 feet above you; his body was strong and muscular. His teeth shone in the dim lighting, sharp as blades. "This will be fun. I think I'll take you first, Paladin. Your death will be just the beginning of the end for Voltron. How will your pathetic band of earthlings form Voltron if they're one paladin short? It'll make it all the easier to take you out one by one." You narrowed your eyes, reaching into the band of your boot and gripping the concealed dagger you'd made sure to bring, just in case the situation got dire.

"Cmoooon Keith. Let me drive!" You whined, leaning over Keith's back, trying to reach for the controls of his cruiser. "No way, y/n. Knowing you, you'll drive us into a cliff. "Oh,  come on! You doubt my skills that much??" Keith gave you a blank look, shrugging you off. You grumbled, sitting down and wrapping your arms around his waist. He smirked, revving the engine and taking off. You flew through the desert, sand spraying in your wake. The air whipped your hair at the speed you were going exhilarating. You grinned, blood roaring in your ears. "Oh shit!" you cheered every time Keith dodged an obstacle. You gripped his waist tightly, pressing your chest against his back. 

"Keith? Keith!" You heard Lance's voice ring through his helmet, the connection glitching. "Lance! Where are you guys!? We're kind of in a situation here. The Galra have me and you cornered." "Don't worry, we know where you are. We're coming to get you in just a tick." The connection cut off once more, the radio chatter blocking out anything else being said. The Galra soldier ran towards you, swinging a large blade right towards you and Keith.

"Y/n.. I have something important to tell you." You and Keith sat in front of his house; the night sky was clear, and the moon was shining down on you. "yeah?" You looked up at him from your bowl of noodles, your cheeks full to the brim. Keith's eyes softened in adoration. "Well, I've been picking up a lot of chatter on my radar. A space vessel is approaching Earth, and I think it might be Shiro." Your eyes widened, and you swallowed your mouth full, leaning toward him intently. "Really? that's great! But... what do you think you should do?"" "Well, I was hoping we'd find the landing sight and go see for ourselves." Keith blushed at your close proximity, looking away from you, bashful of your eagerness. "Oh my gosh, we totally should! When do you think it'll land?" "My guess is that in two days, will you come with me?" You gaped at him in disbelief. "Of course I will! Are you kidding?" Keith smiled at you. You leaned forward, pressing a warm kiss on his cheek. "We're in this together, okay?" "Okay."

You flinched as Keith's body hit the floor, quickly blocking the Galra's attack with his bayard. He had him pinned to the ground, his face a few meters away from his. "I have to admit, you do put on a good fight. I wouldn't expect anything less from a Paladin of Voltron," he snarled, bearing his teeth in a sneer. His tail slapped the bayard from Keith's hands, the weapon clattering as it hit the ground a few feet away. The sentries aimed their weapons at you, stopping you as you tried to run towards them. You stood there, helpless, as you watched Keith struggle. Then, the ground shook as the wall behind you suddenly rumbled, the blue lion appearing from a newly made gap. "Cmon guys, we don't have much time. Galra fighter jets are coming quick!" Your eyes locked on Keith, and your heart raced as the blade inched closer and closer to his throat. Grabbing the dagger, you ran at the soldier, narrowly dodging a sentry blade. Using as much weight as you could to knock him off Keith, trying to give him time to escape. You slashed as much as you could, drawing blood from any skin you reached. "y/n!" Keith shouted, running to try and come to your aid, but a sentry slashed at him, causing him to fall back, holding his side where he had been hit. "K-Keith! Go! Get out of here!" you screamed, trying to hold the Galra soldier down as best you could. "No! Not without you!" he grunted, trying to stand up. You felt your body hit the ground as the soldier flipped you off of him. The air escaping your lungs from the impact. You couldn't catch your breath; the soldier was holding you down by the neck. All you could hear between Keith's shouts and the footsteps of more sentries crowding you was the fast beating of your heart. "KEITH! WE HAVE TO GO!" Lance's voice rang in your ears, but you couldn't move; your neck was starting to ache. You kicked and scratched at the galra, but the lack of oxygen was starting to weaken you. Mustering as much strength as possible, you clumsily gripped the dagger, driving it into the soldier's side, but it did little to penetrate the armor covering his body. "Even if I can't bring him the corpse of your little boyfriend, Lord Zarkon would be just as pleased knowing it's one paladin down. Ever closer to wiping out all of Voltron," the soldier purred, putting more weight down on your neck.

"You know I love you," you murmured, pressing your lips to his in a sweet kiss. Keith turned his head, pressing his lips harder, holding you close to him. You threaded your fingers through his hair, smiling as you pulled away. "I love you more," he whispered, gazing into your eyes with so much emotion that it made your heart flutter. "Pfft, big softy." He glared at you, pulling you to his chest and laying back on his bed with you.

"y/n! We can't leave her, Lance! we can't-" "Keith. We don't have time. You'll bleed out; we have to go!" You felt your vision begin to blur, and the grip on your neck felt heavier. You glanced over the Galra soldier, watching as Lance hauled Keith into the blue lion's mouth, shooting at any sentry he could. "Lance, let me go! Let me fucking go!" Keith shouted, struggling against his hold. But he was weakening; the blood streaming out of his wound was making him dizzy, and his movements were uncertain. As his vision became more and more unclear, his panic increased. Where were you? what's happening? The last glimpse he got of you was your unmoving body and the sentries crowding around you. His eyes teared as he struggled against Lance weakly, his fists clenching when Lance pulled him into a hug, constricting his arms. His vision blurred both from his tears and the blood loss. Sobs racked his body as the blue lion's mouth closed, flying out and away from the ship.

You glanced blankly at the ceiling, refusing to look the soldier in the eye as your life slowly faded. "I love you, Keith; don't worry, I'll see you again," you thought, your body going still when your breathing ceased, your heart's beating coming to a stop.

Keith might as well have been dead himself. At least that's how he felt. His heart was hollow, his mind swirling with thoughts of you and how you had passed—to save him. He couldn't even hurt anymore; he didn't feel anything most of the time. Most days where he was stuck in his head about you, he would feel pure, unbridled rage, lashing out in training sequences, pushing himself harder than he ever did before. On nights where he suffered your absence the most, he felt cold grief grip his heart so strongly that he struggled to breathe, becoming inconsolable. Tears fell heavily from his eyes when he cried. He would scream, gripping his chest through his shirt. Shiro would rush in, enveloping Keith in his arms, and he would thrash around in his hold, slightly settling down when he started to tire. Shiro comforted him, assuring him it was going to be okay. Keith couldn't hear him, zoning out and staring blankly at the ceiling with glistening eyes. Going on missions felt like torture. His attacks were uncoordinated, and the team had to make up for his lack of focus. The arguments that ensued between him and Lance almost broke into full-blown fights, Keith's heart only building more and more resentment for everyone in the castle.

Months later, here he stood, watching as Allura pressed a final kiss to Lance's lips, tears falling from their eyes, trying to savor whatever they could before they ran out of time. "Keith, look," Shiro whispered, placing his hand on Keith's shoulder. He paused for a second, the bitterness of the situation making it hard to care about what Shiro was saying. But he glanced up anyway, tears rising along his waterline. The Paladins of old—Allura's father and Zarkon's family—stand right in front of them. He felt his heart squeeze as you appeared from behind the crowd, smiling sweetly at him. You looked so beautiful. A sight for sore eyes to Keith. He ran towards you, his eyes shining with so much love and so much pain. You welcomed him into your embrace. Holding him close as he hugged you, burying his nose in your hair. You quickly pulled him into a kiss, savoring the feel of his lips one last time. "I miss you so much, Keith," you whispered, cupping his face in your hands. Keith felt his heart stop, drinking in every feature of your face, knowing he wouldn't see it for a while. "I miss you every day of my life. I love you, Y/N. So much," you smiled, pulling away from him and keeping his arms in your hold. "I love you more." "I wish you could come back to me. I should've been there with you. I'm so sorry." you shushed him. "We'll be together again. Hopefully not any time soon though!" Keith chuckled, the weight of his grief making his voice shaky. "But I've got to go, Keith. I have a gift for you. Please, heal, and forgive. I'll always have you in my heart." Keith's chest ached as you pulled away from him, taking your warmth and scent with you. "I love you." You smiled at him sweetly, Allura following you. Slowly,  you disappeared again, dissipating into the air and leaving everyone feeling bittersweet.

Keith was taken aback when he felt something shift in his arms, looking down to see a moving bundle of cloth. He heard muffled babbling, making him hurriedly unravel the bundle in shock. A pretty baby girl stared up at him; somehow she looked like you, having his dark hair and nose but your eyes, lips, and eyebrows. He gaped down at the baby, holding it close to his chest. "What ?? Where did that baby come from??" Pidge asked, coming up to peer down at the child. "Y/N left her; she's the gift." Keith whispered, his eyes crinkling in a bright smile, pressing a kiss to the baby's forehead. "She's mine. The baby's mine," he whispered, rocking the baby in his arms. The little girl glanced up at him with wide eyes, soft babbling and cooing coming from her as she happily laid in her father's arms. "How is that even possible?" Hunk whispered, glancing down at the baby, adoration in his heart. "It's a miracle." Lance whispered, standing next to Keith. Keith glanced at him for a second, mixed emotions coursing through him. He felt resentment and hatred for the man. Grief still swelling in his chest, but your words echoed in his mind: "Heal, forgive," and he gave Lance a ghost of a smile. "Yeah, she is."

The story of both you and Allura's sacrifices became sensational, with old allies of Voltron helping construct statues of you and the Altean princess standing side by side. Every once a year, the team would unite and visit the statue, sharing updates on each other's lives and recounting old missions. At every meeting, Keith would bring his daughter, making sure she was present for every story the team would share about you. "Y/N and Allura should be here. But it's because of them that we can all continue to keep peace in the universe. I can't imagine anyone braver than them." Coran sighed, glancing up at the statues with bittersweet love in his gaze. Everyone solemnly agreed, toasting to both you and Allura's legacy. Keith glanced down at his daughter, snuggled up next to him in her own chair, staring up at the statues with shining eyes and wonder. He smiled, knowing that as long as he had his miracle, he had something to live for, and some piece of you was still with him here on earth.

[cateyeswrites]

LANGST TIME PART 2 BECAUSE I AM DRUNK AND NETFLIX DENIED ME VOLTRON

part 1

at one point Lance at one point during training is unable to turn his bayard back to a gun from the blade form.

he has a panic attack because he feels like he is losing more of himself than he already did

Lance is unable to look at Allura after that of shame of being scared/ anxious/ mad that he has such a legacy on his shoulders. Alfor's

One day Lance wakes up and goes to have food. he enters and leaves and realizes no one in the kitchen acknowledges he was there.

Lance one time did not speak to another person for over 10 days

there are days when red would shut down and not listen to Lance if the castle or the paladins are not in immediate danger.

Lance forgets what his grandma looks like after he uses the group exercise machine. He puts it on and realizes the picture of his grandmother comes up blurry.

Lance secretly never gives up in piloting the black lion and at times still tries when he knows no one is watching.

[sukoshininja]

Echos

Keith disappeared months ago.

At first, they had assumed that Keith had impulsively gone on a mission alone, or was just taking some time away, forgetting to leave a note. Nobody wanted to believe that he chose to leave. Or worse: something happened that prevented him from returning. But as days turned into weeks, it was getting harder to keep up hope.

Lance was convinced he was fine, despite the evidence building against him. If something had happened to Keith, he would know. He couldn't articulate how he would know, but was just certain he would. But that certainty was beginning to run thin.

It started with Red.

With Keith missing and them unable to form Voltron, they were forced to make some moves. They began talks about interviewing someone else to take up the mantle of the Red Paladin. And that's when Lance first felt a pull towards Red. Like she was reaching out to him. Lance forged a new bond with Red and Allura took his place with Blue. Things were far from smooth sailing, but at least they had the power of Voltron back.

Lance was shocked how different Red felt. Blue was easygoing and encouraging. But Red was feisty, goading, almost critical. Something about her unsettled him. Like she observed every movement he made with the quiet indignation of a backseat driver with duct tape slapped to their mouth. Always watching. Always judging.

Sometimes, he would feel her calling out to him in the middle of the night, her urgency awaking him from sleep at times. But when he would go to the hanger, she would put up a wall as soon as she saw him.

He talked to the rest of his team about it. He had assumed that everybody had a bond similar to the one he had shared with Blue. But Red was so different in his mind, like the wrong puzzle piece forced into place by sheer pressure. Maybe all the Lion's bonds were unique to their pilots. But it nobody could quite understand, saying of course it was different. It was a whole different Lion, they were sentient creatures. Looking back he should have known they couldn't get it, seeing as he was the only one to have had a bond with two Lions.

Still, he did his best to bond with her, even if he didn't really like to.

And then, when he felt like he was finally getting used to the strained, almost antagonistic connection, even weirder things started happening.

Voltron assembled and clearing out a blockade, a warship sent out a druid-powered blast that could end them for good and Lance...hesitated. From his distrust in the bond or his own fear, he didn't know. But it didn't matter because a pair of hands closed over his on the controls, guiding his movements. He and Pidge managed to form a heavy-duty shield with the help of their bayards, saving their skins. And like that the contact was gone, like it was never there. Like it never happened.

What was that, girl? Lance asked through his bond.

Red did not reply. Not that he expected her to.

But for some reason, in that moment it made him bitter. Things had not been so difficult with Blue. Are you done monitoring me from the shadows? Are you finally ready to tell me what you want from me? Look, I'm sorry I'm not Keith. And I'm not exactly happy about this situation either. Please believe me that we are doing everything we can to look for the smug bastard and get back to how it should be.

Red growled audibly, the meaning clear in his mind.

If you love they guy so much and think his bond was so much better, why don't you find him? Use your lion magic to hunt him down and bring him back.

He felt a wave of anger and hurt before Red withdrew from his mind.

*   *   *

Red rarely opened up to him after that, despite all the time Lance spent with her in the hanger, trying to make this work. But it seemed like the harder he pushed, the more she shied away. He missed how easy it had been with Blue. As natural as breathing.

But as quiet as Red was, she mentored him more and more with her ghostly guidance. Hands on his. His head turning of its own accord. A solid presence at his back. At times he swore he saw a flash of red armor. Like the remnants of the ghost of King Alfor echoed within the cockpit.

Maybe this was just how Red operated. Less talking, more doing. No wonder she and Keith had hit it off so well. They were on the same wavelength.

Maybe he had been approaching this all wrong. Maybe instead of trying to force a connection, he should just focus on getting used to her presence. He started spending his spare time around her, scrolling though his phone, or studying Altean. Just existing with her.

His efforts began to pay off when one day he was lazily lying across her muzzle, on his stomach, propped up on his elbows, feet kicking in the air as he mindlessly flipped through a comic book. He heard it, clear as day, as if spoken right next to him.

"You call this a bonding moment?"

Lance snapped the book closed and looked around wildly. There was no way he imagined that, the way it jolted him out of his thoughts.

"Keith?" He asked. Because it had been his unmistakable mellow voice that he had heard at his ear.

He rose to his feet and placed his hand between Red's vacant, lightless eyes. Then it hit him.

"You're still bonded to him," Lance realized. "That's why you won't let me in."

Red had multiple bonds? That shouldn't be possible, but it sure explained a lot. And if that was true, then—

"You've known where he was this whole time."

*   *   *

He didn't know how to tell the others. That this whole time Red knew where Keith was. Not like they'd believe him either, since for some inexplicable reason Red was refusing to divulge his whereabouts. He didn't understand why she had to be so difficult. Their whole team was off kilter, the common denominator being Lance's shaky bond. Even Allura and Blue seemed to take to each other like a fish to water. Everything would flow so much better once Keith was back. Didn't she want the same thing?

Maybe he was hiding from them. On purpose, and Red was helping him. But for what reason, Lance could not comprehend. Other than Keith was obviously her favorite.

Now that Lance knew Keith was still connected to Red, he began to find more and more traces of him in the weeks that followed. That constant condescending gaze he felt when piloting Red? Turns out it was the mullet all along. The phantom grasp that corrected him at the controls? That was Keith reaching across space and time to coach his mistakes. In fact, every beef he had with Red turned out to just be Keith pushing back against him.

Sometimes when he slipped up at the controls Lance swore he heard an all too familiar snigger over his shoulder. Asshole.

When they were out on a particularly dicey mission that required them to use their individual strengths to avoid heavy fire, Lance had no option but to dodge, weaving this way and that in the hairiest dogfight of his life. He was doing his best, gritted teeth and brow furrowed in concentration, but he was still getting the hang of Red's speed and response to the lightest of touches. It wouldn't be long before he made a mistake and--

Keith leaned over him and grabbed the controls. And they were zooming with the precision of a threaded needle.

When they had found some cover, Lance muted his comm from the others.

"What the hell man?"

Keith was there. But he wasn't. His eyes saw an empty cockpit. But in his mind Keith was just as present as if he was standing over him. He could feel his body heat. And was that 3-in-1 shampoo tickling his nose?

Keith didn't respond, eyes tracking the enemy ships and waiting for a chance to pounce.

"I know you can hear me, I hear you all the time. What are you playing at? Where the hell are you?"

"Right here."

It sure sounded like he was right there.

Lance brought his hand up to his opposite shoulder before swiping down. Like a samurai sword his hand cut through Keith with no resistance.

Keith stiffened and gazed down at him with a stinky side eye.

Lance held up his hands. "Just trying to figure out how this works."

"How do you think I feel?" Keith snarled. "Stop screwing around and let me do my fucking job!"

"You'd do your job a hell of a lot better if you were actually here!" Lance snapped back.

Keith ignored him.

Lance was livid. Squinting he poured all his energy into his bond with Red, and subsequently her connection with Keith. He reached out. If he just focused hard enough...

He tugged on a lock of Keith's hair.

He felt the strands between his fingers. But then Keith hissed and Lance's focus wavered, and he was left grasping nothing but air.

"주을래?¹"

"No. I want t—"

"Then let me focus on saving your ass."

Lance grumpily obliged, sitting back with a pout.

Wait. How did he know what Keith was saying? It was like the meaning was instantly clear in his mind. Did their connection to Red also bridge language barriers?

He had more questions, but when the imminent danger passed, Keith faded from sight. Whatever. He had a mission to finish anyway. But the prickly feeling on the back of Lance's neck told him that Keith was still there, watching.

¹ do you wanna die?

*   *   *

Lance was having an easier time with Red's bond. Now that he understood that Keith was running interference (intentionally or not), he could feel where his connection with Red ended and was able to focus on just her energy. She was actually quite affectionate, but still ferociously protective whenever he tried to probe her for Keith's whereabouts.

Keith never showed himself except for extreme danger, in which cases he got them out of whatever scrape and promptly vaporized again. However, as Lance was getting better at the controls and his trust in Red was deepening, Keith's assistance was needed less and less.

That didn't stop Lance from asking the empty cockpit why. He knew Keith could hear him.

"¡Coma mierda y muera!²" he shouted one day in a fit of frustration.

"It's a bit late for that," a bitter voice answered.

Lance whirled around. Keith was leaning against the door, arms crossed, the corners of his mouth set at an odd angle.

"It's never too late to curse your guts, you fucking deserter," Lance accused.

"Funny, I don't recall enlisting."

"Just tell me where the hell you are!"

"I told you. I'm right here."

Lance never swore so much in his life.

"It's not like I can do anything about it," Keith admitted sourly, studying his boots, when Lance stopped just long enough to gasp for air. 

"What do you mean by that?"

"You haven't figured it out yet?"

"Figured what out? That you're an asshole? Sorry but I knew that the instant I laid eyes on that stupid mullet."

Keith snorted, "Sure."

Lance never wanted to hit somebody more. He tried, but he wasn't focused enough and his hand passed through the unaffected paladin. "Just you wait. Once I get Red on my side, I'm hunting you down and dragging your sorry ass back."

Keith actually smirked. "Looking forward to it."

² eat shit and die

*   *   *

It was several days later when Lance dropped his toothbrush in the sink as he swung his elbow around at the figure he saw lurking behind him in the mirror.

Keith raised an unimpressed eyebrow as Lance failed to make contact.

Oh great. Lance had assumed his moody shadow was confined to the cockpit. "How are you here? I thought you were tied to Red?"

Keith shrugged. "I'm connected to Red. Red's connected to you."

"So you can just...drop in whenever?"

Lance didn't care for this new development. He wondered if it was the first time Keith had followed him out of the hanger, or if it was just the first time he could see him.

"Looks that way," Keith glanced around the bathroom before his eyes locked on a small vial on the sink. He reached out a finger to knock it over. He passed right through it. Lance snickered as Keith's features scrunched up in frustration.

Keith rolled his eyes, arms folding back into place on his chest. "You haven't told anyone."

A statement, not a question.

Lance picked up his toothbrush and finished brushing his teeth, foam forming in the corners of his mouth ask he tried to put his reasoning into words. He spit. "Would they be able to see you?"

"Doubt it."

He figured as much. But it was still a blow to hear his suspicion confirmed.

"They already think I'm crazy, having such a rough go of it with Red and all." A thought occurred to him as he looked down at his hands. "Oh, actually. Maybe I am."

"You're not."

"That's exactly what a hallucination would say!" Lance argued.

"Who are you yelling at?" Hunk knocked on the door.

"Nobody!"

It was true enough. He looked back in the mirror and Keith was gone.

*   *   *

Keith popped up more and more, and it took Lance by surprise every time. Usually, when he was alone, and was free to interact. But every now and again he would catch a glimpse of him in the doorway, looking on wistfully as everyone was gathered hanging out in the rec room. Either way, he never stuck around for long.

Once, over a particularly rowdy game of charades, Lance caught Keith's eye and patted the empty seat next to him. It was chaotic enough that nobody would notice if Lance was a little distracted.

Keith shook his head once, melting into the shadows.

Lance huffed and volunteered to grab more snacks from the kitchen.

"What is your problem?" he hissed at the figure in the hall.

"What isn't?"

Fair point. Whatever. He stalked to the kitchen and snagged the snacks, gathering them under one arm, leaving the other free. On his way back to the rec room, intention clear in his mind, he grabbed Keith's wrist and yanked him along before he had a chance to react.

It wasn't until Lance was halfway across the room that he started to put up a fight. But Lance had the momentum and was running with it. He succeeded in dragging Keith to the den of couches, but Keith would not sit. He just stood there, his hands balled into fists. But he did not run away or disappear.

"I miss everybody," he admitted after the games were wrapping up. It was the longest Lance had seen him stay.

"Then come back," Lance whispered without moving his lips.

"I can't." The abject longing on his face was low-key kinda pitiful. Lance was starting to believe Keith's insistence that he would come back if he could. But if Keith was unable to return on his own, then why wouldn't he tell Lance how to get to him?

He'd asked the mullet plenty of times, but every time Keith would get a far away look in his eye and clamp up. Then Lance wouldn't hear a whisper from him for a week. He learned to stop asking.

*   *   *

Lance was in bed when he shot up.

Wait a second. The two of them, they were connected to Red. And Keith was always finding him. So what was stopping him from doing the same and finding Keith?

The answer was simple. He never tried.

Lance sat cross-legged on his bed, elbows out and palms flat on his knees as he closed his eyes and concentrated. Reaching out for that tether that bound Keith to Red, following it until he—

"What are you doing?" Keith's voice was sharp.

Lance opened his eyes to find Keith sitting across from him on the bed.

Well, that didn't work. How did Keith manage to sneak up on him all the time? Most of the time he didn't even know he was there until he caught a flash of red from the corner of his eye. But all he managed to do was summon him, apparently.

"Looking for you."

"I keep telling you, I'm right here."

"¡Cállate!³ It's like you don't want to be found!"

The expression on Keith's face told him he was right.

"Why? You won't even explain yourself, and you run away whenever I ask, so how am I supposed to understand?"

"누가 너한테 이해하라고 했어?** I'm not coming back. Get over yourself and accept it!"

Lance threw his pillow at him. It passed right through. 

³ shut up ⁴ who told you to understand?

*   *   *

"You summoned?" Keith asked, cuttingly. 

Lance was bent over a stall, looking at earrings. He held up a pair in each hand. "Yeah! Quick, which do you think are better, the blue or the pink?"

"Excuse me?"

"Which are better?"

"Neither suit you."

"No mames!⁵ For Allura you ass!"

Keith leveled him with a long look, his hardened expression complicated. 

"Lilac," he said finally, pointing to the delicate pair with stones cut in a way that made it look like they were dripping flowers. 

"Thanks," Lanced thanked the empty air. 

⁵ stop screwing around

*   *   *

Lance took a deep breath. He much preferred diplomacy when the other party was already inclined to their side. It was a little different when a planet was tolerating their presence at best. Allura, thankfully, would be doing most of the talking, and she looked stunning as she always did. He smiled when the light caught her earrings. She was wearing the ones Keith and picked out for her.

Allura caught him looking and she offered him an encouraging smile. Being the Red Paladin, Lance had a speech he was supposed to deliver after Shiro. Normally, he thrived on the attention. But with the vibes being what they were, he was really nervous. This was an extremely formal affair and that just wasn't Lance's style. He was sure he would mess it up, make a stupid joke, get flustered and stumble on his words, or otherwise just make the team look bad.

Keith would have aced this. He should have been the one giving it anyway, instead of his hasty fill-in.

"Breathe, Lance."

He barked a laugh, causing Shiro to look over in concern. He played it off as a cough. "Choaked on air," he waved off before whispering, "Easy for you to say."

Keith placed a hand on his shoulder. "할 수 있어.⁶"

⁶ you can do it

*   *   *

As Keith's presence continued to haunt him, Lance found that he began to mind it less and less. He found himself scanning the room, to see if Keith had come out. He didn't appear every day, and there seemed to be no limit to the amount of time he spent with him. Lance wondered what he could be doing that would leave him free to pop in so much. 

Sometimes the lack of privacy was annoying. Like now when he was curled up in bed, sobbing from his despair.

He had saved a family today. And they looked so happy to be alive, to still have each other. It stung a part of his heart that he tried so desperately to ignore. He had kept it together all day, but collapsed under the weight was soon as he was alone. 

Or as alone as he could be. 

"Is there no escaping you?"

"There's nowhere you can go that I can't reach," Keith's voice begrudgingly confirmed.

"How about I just die?"

"I'll be waiting."

*   *   *

Lance knew what he wanted. He just didn't know if he could.

He reached out slowly. He wanted to give Keith fair warning to react. To say no.

But Keith's eyes steadily held his as Lance gently cupped his cheek. He was warm, like he always was. And when Keith closed his eyes and all but melted into his touch, Lance's heart leapt.

He leaned in.

If Keith didn't want this, he could always go incorporeal.

Warm lips met his own, soft and sweet. Lance smiled, eyes closing. Like this, surrounded by the smell, feel, and taste of him, Lance was starting to believe that Keith was telling the truth that he was there. 

Keith bit his lower lip, startling him and making lose focus. Suddenly he was grasping nothing and the warmth dissipated.

He whined in frustration, opening his eyes. At least Keith was still there, flushed and smiling.

"Looks like we need more practice," Keith laughed.

*   *   *

Years passed, and as Lance slowly started to carry it in small lines on his face, Keith remained the same, Unchanging.

To be honest, Lance had known the truth for a while. He just didn't like to think about it. Or what it meant.

That Keith would never return. That he would never be found.

Because there was nothing to find.

This existence, everlasting and unchanging, kept alive only because Red could not let go. Lance wondered if the same thing would happen to him when it was his turn,

"Whatcha thinking about?" Keith asked from beside him on the bed as his callused fingertips drew lazy circles on Lance's bare chest.

"Mmm, things," Lance murmured.

"What kind of things?"

"Sad things."

"Sad things?" Keith lifted his head to press a kiss to his shoulder. "Like what?"

"Mmm..." he hummed, eyes misty. At first he didn't want to believe it. But eventually he had accepted the truth. But a small part of him was still afraid that Keith would disappear from his side if he voiced it. 

"Did it hurt?"

Keith stilled.

"No," he answered after a long silence.

"Were you scared?"

"Yes."

Lance didn't need to know the details. Keith had died alone and frightened enough that Red had somehow melded his consciousness to her own. He would never be scared or alone again.

"I'm sorry," He whispered as he rolled over and hugged him close, focusing on the feeling of his shaky breaths beneath his hands.

Keith's body may not exist anymore, but Keith was alive, there was no doubt in his mind. And he would continue to love him, whatever that may look like, however the years may change him, until the death where they truly part.

my whumptober masterlist

[alluraaaa]

question for all voltron likers because i’m curious

bonus question for the tags: what would ur bayard be