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cateyeswrites · 4 months

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The feeling of Falling, a feeling I thought was set in stone.

(Ambiguous partner for Lance) One late night Hunk and Lance chat

Ao3

It’s late when Lance answers Hunk's video call, he still has a mountain of students' assignments to finish grading but he could always get them done at home or in the morning if he came to school early enough. Sometimes it felt surreal to Lance that he had his life, that he had, speaking with his friends and former paladins didn't make it feel any more real.

He had been talking to Hunk about intergalactic laws that made it hard for him and Shay to adopt different alien kids that weren't Balmera when the conversation shifted to him.

"And how is teaching going?" Hunk asked, "Are you still enjoying it?"

He shrugs a small laugh slipping out, "Let's just say I kind of understand why Iverson was the dick he was to me" he chuckles sadly as that nagging feeling in his chest appears.

"Lance," Hunk says his name softly, eyes no longer shining with happiness. “ We have talked about it, what he did, the way he treated you, that is not how you treat a kid.” Hunk said, “Or am I wrong? Do you ever try to speak to your students like that? Do you make them feel small and insecure?”

Lance shrinks into himself, he knows that he would never speak to a kid the way Iverson did to him- the unnecessary cruelty that man inflicted on Lance, the way he made him feel so sad and lonely not only that but for many years Lance truly thought he had been a useless asset, a seventh wheel, some spare thing that the rest of the team had to deal with him and God was it hard to deal with those feelings but more than anything it had been so much worse to confront his teammates about the way they had made him feel, specially Pidge.

Pidge and he had been close at the beginning, they were part of the garrison trio with Hunk, they had been friends for a while back then but then after the revelation that she was a girl and Shiro disappearing, she did a 180 and had almost made it her mission to make Lance feel like an idiot and now as an adult he could understand that she was going through her own hell and dealing with her own demons, losing both her brother and father, looking through them in space but it most definitely didn't allow her to speak to him in a way it made him want to never speak again or how every time they interacted he wanted to hide.

He wishes he could have talked to Allura about it too, even in the short time they were together they never really talked about intimate things like his feelings and his experience in space or… the time he died. He didn't regret, saving Allura but till this day sometimes he wakes up in the middle of the night frightened, surrounded by darkness and the feeling of falling.

“No,” he whispered and shook his head, “Of course not.” he sighed and wrapped his arms around himself.

Hunk gives him a small smile, “Have I ever told you how grateful I am for your sister?” he says as he picks up a picture on his desk.

“Huh?” he reacts confused, “Rachel?” he asks, he knew Hunk had asked for Rachel’s help once or twice for diplomatic reasons when dealing with other planets' governments.

Hunk snorts, “ NO, Veronica,” he says putting down the photo, at the new angle Lance could see it was a picture of his family and Hunk at his engagement party.

“Oh? No, I don't think we have ever talked about it.”

“When Allura died, no one knew how to help you or truly even really speak to you.” Hunk admits with some regret but there is also some acceptance like he had enough time to make peace with it. “What we went through, being kids fighting in a war changed us, and maybe not for the better but it did nonetheless.” He states, “But the way Allura and space change you Lance, it frightened me.”

Lance froze not knowing how to react to this admission.

“I had known you for so long but after coming back to earth you had shut yourself and now that years have gone through I can admit that maybe I could have done better on my end but I was also a kid.” he admits with a small smile, “ I had this fear that you were ready to give up and that Allura dying was the last straw, that you would lose everything that made lance, my best friend.” Hunk whispers and there is a sniffle and he can see Hunk whip some tears away. “ No one knew how to talk you through your grief and then you started speaking about the farm and Alluras life and message and what Allura wanted and what you wanted for her memory”

Lance can't do more than just stare at his hands hearing about this.

“ I rarely heard about you,” Hunk says and Lance nods feeling the tears build up in his eyes. “ About what you wanted to do”

“But one day on one of our group calls, you talked about Veronica and how she had told you about becoming a pilot teacher and all the help that was needed at the garrison and I saw it for a moment I saw the spark of the boy who found the Blue lion,” Hunk stops and takes a breath. “ Then you got the job and Lance…” He pauses again, “ It was like you were back.”

Lance remembers he remembers very well how Veronica was the only one who didn't tip-toe around him and his emotions. How she one day burst into his room and ripped his sheets away from him and yelled at him, crying, feeling scared because even tho he wasn't dead she felt like she had lost her brother. That day he got up and spent the whole day at the garrison helping out, by accident meeting the new cadets. It had been love at first sight. He laughs thinking about Allura and his supposed love for her, yeah not even his spouse could rival his love for his job and the kids.

Lance tries to say something but it gets stuck in his throat and gives Hunk a teary smile, hunk gives him one back, and they stay in silence for a bit when he feels his phone vibrate and there is a new message

1 new text message

Hey I know is a late night at the school but the kids are asking for you.

1 new text message

And I miss you

1 new text message

And they are asking for your cooking.

He snorts and wipes his eyes with his sleeve.

The sound catches hunks attention, “ Everything okay?” he asks but he has a huge smile on his face having a suspicion of who was texting him.

“Yeah yeah dude,” he answers with a bright smile and a more cheerful tone.

“ Your other job?” Hunk jokes, amusement, and endearment in his tone.

“Well you know what they say,” he shrugged, “ Being a dad is a full-time job even when you already have a full-time job,” he says packing some stuff in his bag, to him seems like he had done enough work for today and honestly the only thing he wanted was going home and be with his family.

His kids and his spouse.

Hunk laughs and observes Lance getting ready to leave, he smiles proudly at his best friend.

“You know Hunk,” he says looking at his best friend leaving on the desk, “I'm also grateful for my sister,” he says. “If it wasn't for her who knows where I would be,”

Hunk decides to avoid thinking of that, “ I don't know buddy but you are here, you are happy and that is the most important thing.”

“ Yeah, you are right,” he says, “ I'll see you, buddy, I expect you to come over soon, I miss you,” he says honestly.

“I will try my best to be home soon,” he replies, “ Love you, buddy,”

“ Love ya, buddy,” he answers and hangs up the call.

After he presses the button, he stays there thinking, where would he be if Veronica hadn't dragged his ass out of his grief? Would he be happy? Would he be alone? No partner and no kids? Would he have a purpose or a career?

He shakes his head and smiles even when some tears make it out and go down his cheeks. ‘

He is happy, very happy. He has proved everyone who doubted him wrong.

He is very successful as a teacher and earth's best snipper, he is the favorite teacher and sometimes the favorite parent.

He is no seventh wheel, he was voltrons blue paladin.

He breathes in calming his urge to cry and looks down at his phone with a picture of his kids.

And if he feels a very cool sensation surround him almost as if blue was there again with him, hugging him. That's just a bonus to how good he feels after his conversation with Hunk.

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burritello3000 · 14 days

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Klance Launch Date

Basically Launch Date, but with Klance instead of Allurance :))))))))

Lance sat at a cafeteria table, absentmindedly stirring his coffee. He didn’t normally drink coffee at this time of day, but he found it helped to calm his nerves.

Hunk sat down across from him, a smile on his face. “Launching tomorrow. The big day.” Lance zoned out as his best friend continued. “Oh, it seems like it was forever ago when we piled into the Blue Lion and blasted out into space. Man, we had no idea what we were getting into!”

“Yeah,” Lance agreed, still not really listening.

“But now it’s different,” Hunk said. “We’ve seen it all. We’re rugged veterans now, going back into battle one last time.”

Lance hummed. “Yup.”

“Guess that makes us heroes or something? … Like the type of heroes that would have their own TV show!” The yellow paladin chuckled, clasping his hands together. “Did you watch it, Lance? Ah, it’s so cool! It’s so cool. They got you spot-on, but Coran is like…” Hunk made a face. “He’s all super serious and stuff.

“And Allura is a little… I don’t know, she’s different. Keith is friendly!” Hunk laughed like that was the funniest thing he’d ever heard. Keith’s name caught Lance’s attention. “He’s happy all the time. I mean, they got it so wrong.”

Lance frowned. Keith could be friendly with people he liked! There just… wasn’t a lot of people that he really liked.

Before he could interrupt, Hunk kept talking. “Plus, I think they’re hinting at some romance between him and Allura.”

Lance jumped out of his seat, slamming his hands on the table. “What?! Keith and Allura? No! It should be Keith and Lance!” He sat down, realizing what he’d just said. He lowered his voice. “Uh, I mean it should be Lance and Allura. Saying it should be Keith and Lance would imply that I have a crush on him. Which I don’t… And besides, Keith is gay! Like, everyone knows that.”

His friend raised an eyebrow. “Uh huh, sure. Anyways, a love triangle?” He pointed a finger gun at Lance. “I like where you’re taking this.”

The blue paladin sighed. “No, no. It’s not about that…”

“Wait, that’s right. You said you were going to invite Keith to dinner at your house.” Hunk’s voice started to grow louder. “Oh, you asked him, didn’t you? Ah, and he said no. Oh. Oh, man. And here I am, rubbing your face in it. Sorry, buddy—”

Lance cut him off. “Keep your voice down! He didn’t say no. I… Well, I haven’t asked him yet. And I’m scared to…”

“You chickened out?”

“I didn’t chicken out!” Lance growled, putting his face in his hands. “I just… My family doesn’t know I’m bisexual. I know they’ll support me,” he added. “But I’ve got a good thing going with Keith right now! We’re finally friends, and I don’t want to ruin that if he doesn’t like me back. Maybe this just isn’t the right time…”

Hunk frowned. “No, Lance. What? It’s the only time. After tomorrow, we’re back in space fighting the Galra. There is no other time, literally. And I can’t believe how oblivious you are!” His voice softened. “Keith has clearly had a crush on you since, like, forever. Also, you two already bicker like an old married couple, so you’re already one step there! You’re asking him today, and that is final, young man.”

Lance thought about it. Maybe Keith did like him, and he’d just pushed him away with his stupid made up rivalry. “… Thanks, man,” he said, standing up. I’ll ask him after the meeting today!”

As Lance walked away, he suddenly realized something. Wait… do we really fight like an old married couple?

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

Keith strood through the hallway, going through his mental checklist. Alright. I’ve packed my stuff. Maybe I should take Kosmo for a walk? Yeah, he would like that. I should also spend some time with Black tonight. I think Kosmo needs a bath. Would Black like a wash, too? Do the Lions even need cleaning? I’ll ask her lat—

“Hey, uh, Keith?”

He stopped, Lance’s voice cutting through his thoughts. Keith smiled. “Hey, Lance. What’s up?”

Lance ran up to him, panting. He stopped, leaning over and trying to catch his breath. “Dude, why do you walk so fast?”

“I don’t walk fast. Maybe you’re just slow.”

The blue paladin glared at him, spluttering. “I-I’m not slow, Mullet! I like to stroll. You on the other hand…” Lance ran a hand down his face. “Oh god, we do argue like an old married couple.”

Keith's eyes widened. Had he heard that right? “What?”

“Nothing!” the Cuban boy yelped, straightening his posture. “Anyways, I was just, uh, checking in. So, how are… things?”

“Um.” Lance looked sweaty and nervous. Why is he acting so weird? “Yeah, things are fine. Are you okay?”

“Oh, yeah, I’m good,” Lance said. He put his hands behind his back. “Just, are you busy tonight?”

Keith bit his lip. “Well, I was thinking about giving Kosmo a walk and a bath. Why?”

“O-Oh, um,” the blue paladin stammered. “If you’re busy, it’s nothing.”

Lance looked so downcast. Keith’s heart felt like it was being squeezed. He didn’t like seeing a frown on his friend’s face. “But, Kosmo can wait,” Keith said, trying to salvage the situation. “What did you have in mind?”

Lance clasped his hands together. “Um, actually, I was wondering…” Keith’s pulse quickened. A little part of his mind whispered ‘Is Lance going to ask me out on a date?’ Woah, where did that come from? The blue paladin continued. “If, maybe, if you want to, you could have dinner with me tonight?”

A weird feeling warmed his heart, and he found himself blushing. “A-And my family,” Lance said. “Dinner with me and my family? My mom’s cooking for our last night together. I-I just thought you could join us.”

Keith pretended to think for a moment. “Will there be the famous garlic knots I have heard so much about?”

Lance nodded, looking sad again. “Yeah. I’ll ask her to make them, she usually does.”

“Lance!” Keith grabbed his hand. “I was just joking. Of course I’ll come.” He suddenly hesitated. “You’re… asking me out on a date, right?”

The blue paladin blushed, looking down at their intertwined hands. “Yes, I am. I really like you, Keith.”

He let go of Lance’s hand, suddenly feeling self-conscious. “I really like you too, Lance. Sorry I was such a jerk when we first met. I’m not good with people.” He was already nervous about meeting Lance’s big family. “And I can take Kosmo, too. You’re an uncle, right? There should be kids?”

Lance gave him a big smile. “Yeah, Silvio and Nadia would love Kosmo!”

There was a few seconds of awkward silence as they stared at each other. Keith started to chew on his lip again. How do boyfriends-who-aren’t-officially-boyfriends-because-they-haven’t gone-on-a-date-yet act around each other?

Lance also looked unsure. Thankfully, Hunk saved them. He came up and put a hand on Lance’s shoulder, slowly pulling him away. “Okay, Loverboy Lance. Now walk away before he changes his mind.”

Keith tried not to snicker at the nickname. He watched them go, a dreamy smile spreading unknowingly across his face. I can’t believe I finally have a date with Lance! He had actually had a crush on him at the Garrison long ago, but Lance had always thought there was a rivalry between them, so they never got close.

“Ohoho,” someone purred behind him, startling him out of his thoughts. “Finally! I thought for sure he would never ask you.”

The red paladin whipped around. He was met by a sneaky smile and glittering brown eyes. He tried not to sigh. “Hello, Rizavi.”

The girl took a step back. “Call me Nadia. Oh, I’ve been waiting for one of you to ask the other out. I literally cannot believe how oblivious you both are.”

Keith frowned. “What? Me and Lance? How did you know?”

“It’s hard not to notice with all the romantic tension between you two.”

“W-What?” he spluttered. “We don’t have any romantic tension! What are you talking about?”

“Um, yes you do.” She gestured at him. “There’s tons of it. Well, not right now, since he asked you out to dinner.”

“Were you listening to our whole conversation?” Keith hissed.

Nadia flipped her hair over her shoulder. “Yeah, pretty much. And I saw your face. You seem like a guy that’s pretty socially challenged. Which means you’ll probably need help choosing what to wear!”

“What’s wrong with my usual outfit?” Keith asked, feeling slightly embarrassed. He had been planning to wear what he usually wore instead of his uniform or armor.

She scoffed. “Everything. You need something more fancy, and I’m your gal. We could go shopping!”

“No,” he said. “I can handle this myself.”

“No you can’t.” She wagged a finger at him. “I’m going to help you, but we need more input. I was thinking we can grab Allura?” Nadia’s eyes suddenly sparkled with concern. “She’s been spending all her time in the Med Bay lately. It’d be good for her to get out.”

Keith crossed his arms. “… Fine. But only if Allura agrees.”

Nadia rubbed her hands together, an evil look on her face. “We need more opinions… and I know just the people to bring along.”

Keith was starting to regret his decision.

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

Nadia’s first target was Allura. They headed to her usual place, the Med Bay. Allura and Romelle were looking through the window, watching the unconscious Altean. They were whispering to each other softly.

“Hey!” Nadia called, jogging up to the pair. “Allura! Romelle!” Keith followed her quickly.

The two Alteans looked up. “Rizavi,” Allura said. “Hello. What is it?”

“Keith has a date with Lance!” Nadia squealed. “And we were thinking that you could help us pick out his outfit!”

Allura simply frowned. “That sounds wonderful, but I can’t. I’m sorry, but we must keep an eye on Luca.” Her gaze strayed back to the window. “She could wake up any day now.”

“Pleeeaaaase, Allura.” Nadia’s eyes were wide and pleading. “It would be good for you to get out, and we could really use your help. Right, Keith?”

She grabbed his arm, pulling him forward. He shot a glare at the obnoxious girl. “Yes, Allura, I could use your help. Because apparently I have no fashion sense.”

“Hmm,” Allura hummed, looking unsure. “I should really stay here…”

Romelle put a hand on her friend's shoulder. “Allura, I know you’re worried about Luca, but we’re worried about you. It’ll be good to get away for a night and clear your head.” They stared at each other for a few seconds, a soft look on both their faces.

Is that how me and Lance look when talking about each other? Keith wondered.

“Okay, lovebirds,” Nadia interrupted, crossing her arms. “Don’t worry, Romelle can come too.”

Allura raised an eyebrow. “Love… birds? Wait…” Her cheeks darkened. “What! W-We don’t— We’re not. Ugh, fine. Maybe taking a break is a good idea.”

Nadia clapped her hands. “Perfect! I’ll get Ina too, but right now, I know just the person to ask!”

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

Pidge was next. He followed Nadia, as she entered the ship’s greenhouse, Allura and Romelle right behind him. “Hey, Pidge. Do you have a sec?”

She looked up from her tablet, putting it down. “Sure. What’s up?”

Beezer was suddenly looking very interesting right now. Keith busied his attention on the little robot. Nadia smiled. “Well, Keith has—”

Romelle butted in, her voice shrill with excitement. “A date… with pointy chin!”

“Wait.” Pidge’s eyes widened in surprise. “A date? With Lance?” Beezer squealed, an exclamation mark on his screen. “Weird. Well, I’m glad you guys worked it out.”

“It’s not weird,” he muttered in protest.

Nadia ignored him, clasping her hands together with excitement. “And we were thinking, you could help us choose Keith’s outfit!”

Colleen laughed from a few rows over, her eyes still on her screen. “Katie? Fashion? That’s a good one.”

Pidge glared at her mom, then hugged her tablet to her chest. “Well, I heard the mall has reopened. I’ve been wanting to check it out,” her golden-brown eyes flicked towards Colleen, “but I’m grounded.”

“Grounded?” Romelle asked, sounding confused. “I wasn’t aware humans could float.”

Keith sighed. “No, Romelle, we can’t float. It just means that Pidge isn’t allowed to go anywhere without her mom’s supervision. It’s a punishment.”

“What are you grounded for?” Allura questioned, her eyebrows furrowed.

Colleen spoke up, not even looking up from her tablet. “She’s grounded because apparently my daughter thinks that running away from home and gallivanting off into space without her mother’s permission is an acceptable activity for a fifteen year old.”

There was a moment of silence as the green paladin hunched her shoulders. She then turned around and started yelling at her mom. “Well, apparently, finding my brother and saving my father from an intergalactic space tyrant doesn’t get me a pass!”

Colleen’s eyes glimmered as she replied. “Not on your life, young lady.”

Beezer beeped, panicked, and ran out of the room. Keith was tempted to do the same. The air literally crackled with tension as the two stared each other down. He winced. He could see where Pidge got her ruthlessness from.

Romelle hid behind Allura as Nadia tried to calm the situation. “Please, Mrs. Holt, we could really use her help.”

“We will not let her leave the ground once,” Romelle added.

Pidge’s mother studied them, one eyebrow raised. After a moment of silence, she closed her eyes. “All right.” She glanced at her daughter. “But only because I know how much Katie hates shopping for clothing.”

Pidge let out a low growl as Keith pulled on her arm to lead her out of the room. “Thank you, Colleen. And humans don’t float,” he grumbled to Romelle as she passed him.

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

There were a lot of people at the mall. More than Keith had expected. The entire mall was actually bigger than he had thought it was going to be. To be honest, Keith had never really been to an actual mall before. There were too many people, and he’d basically been living alone in a shack for a good chunk of his life, so there was no need to go to one.

There were aliens and humans alike shopping everywhere. They had grabbed Ina, and everyone had changed into their normal clothes before heading out.

Nadia put her hands on her hips, turning to the five of them. “Okay. ‘Operation Find Keith a Date Outfit’ is go! We’re going to take it one store at a time until we come out of this place successful.” She pointed out to the mall. “Let the hunt begin!”

Keith smirked as they started to make their way around. An operation, huh? We’re going to need a battle strategy…

He smashed a fist against the inside of his palm, cracking his fingers. “All right, team. We need a plan. Leifsdotter, Rizavi, Pidge, you three take the north side. Me, Allura, and Romelle will cover the south. Then, if yo—”

“Oh, Keith,” Nadia sighed, looking over her shoulder at him with a tsk. “Sweet, naive, beautiful, Keith. Haven’t you ever been shopping before? We can’t split up.”

His face turned red. “I’ve been clothes shopping! I’ve just… only done it by myself.”

“Suuure,” Pidge drawled from next to him. “Anyways, Rizavi is right. We need your opinion on everything, so we can’t split up.”

Keith's shoulders slumped. I hate shopping. Allura and Romelle led the pack, whispering quietly to each other. Ina and Nadia walked in front of him and Pidge. They were talking loudly. Mostly Nadia.

As they walked past a stall, Pidge suddenly stopped, rushing back to the stall and crouching down. “Killbot Phantasm 26: Revengifiance! This is out?” Her voice was shrill with excitement.

Nadia joined her, her mouth gaping open with shock. “Oh my gosh! It came out just a few days before the Galra invaded. No one was ever able to reach the end!”

Keith rolled his eyes. “That’s right,” the stall owner said, his voice soft. “I have one of the few undamaged units left.”

“WE’LL TAKE IT!” Pidge and Nadia yelled, leaning in close.

The poor seller gave them a nervous look, glancing back and forth. “Okay. Great to meet such passionate KBP fans. What have you got to trade?”

There were a few beats of silence. “Trade?” Pidge said, her voice small. She looked at Rizavi, then looked back at them.

Keith groaned and facepalmed as Ina showed them her empty pockets. Did we really forget to bring money? Or something to trade? Now how will we get something for me to wear for our date? That actually upset him more than he had expected.

“I-I, uh…,” Pidge stammered. “I don’t… really have anything.”

He really wanted to punch the easygoing smile off of the shopkeeper’s face. “I’m sorry, but no trade, no game.”

His friend groaned in defeat, lowering her head. Keith took a step forward. Maybe he could negotiate. Maybe trade his jacket or belt?

Before he could get closer to them, Nadia stood up, gesturing to Pidge. “Well, that’s some way to treat a Paladin of Voltron.”

The stall owner’s eyes widened. “Wait, what? You mean, like, from the show?”

“Show? Well, kind of,” Pidge said. “It was based off me.” She glanced back at Keith. “And him.”

“My kid loves that show!” the man said, leaning back. “The game is yours if I could just get an autograph for my daughter.”

Pidge shot up, a strange smile on her face. “Sure thing!” she exclaimed in a higher, squeakier voice. “Anything for the kids!”

She pulled out a pencil from nowhere and drew a mini version of her face on a paper the man handed her. She gave the paper to him. “Come on, Keith! Autograph time!”

Keith reluctantly took the pencil and wrote his name in big, blocky letters. She snatched the paper and gave it back to the man, in exchange for the video game.

As Pidge turned around, she flashed him a sneaky smile, an evil glint in her eyes. They proceeded to go around, trading stuff for his and Pidge’s autographs. Soon, the green paladin had traded enough clothes to dress up as her character in the show. She had even tried to get Keith to wear a costume too, but he had loudly disagreed.

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

Lance took a deep breath. This was fine, everything was fine. He wouldn’t get mad at him for asking Keith out.

He entered the bridge, clearing his throat. “Uh, Shiro?”

The captain of the Atlas paused, looking up from his screen. “Yes, Lance?”

“Could I, uh, talk to you?”

“Sure. In private, or…”

“Y-Yeah. In private, thanks.”

Shiro nodded, stepping down from his captain spot and coming up to Lance. The blue paladin led him down the hall and to his room, nervously fidgeting.

“Alright, Lance,” Shiro said as the door slid shut behind him. “What do you need?”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “Um, it’s about Keith.” He kept going before Shiro could interrupt. “I know that Krolia is his actual mother but you’re like a father or big brother to him.”

“Lan—”

“And please don’t get mad at me, but I asked him out on a date and I just wanted you to know about it.”

“Lance—”

“I also wanted advice about what to do because you know him better than I do an—”

“Lance!” Shiro yelled, cutting him off. “Lance, calm down. I’m not mad.”

He wet his lips nervously. “… You aren’t?”

“No.” Shiro smiled. “Quite the opposite. I’m glad you guys worked it out. I was hoping you would before we left.”

“Oh,” Lance murmured. Are we really that obvious? “Okay, cool. Cool. So, can you give me any advice? Like what does he like? I invited him to dinner with my family, but now I’m not sure.” He started rambling. “We could probably do something after. Like take a walk, maybe? No, that’s not good enough. Who am I kidding! Nothing I could come up with is good enough for Keith Kogane! He deserves the best, and I don’t—”

“Lance!” Shiro put a steady hand on his shoulder, grounding him. “If Keith is going out with you, it’s because he likes you.”

Lance sighed. “I know, but—”

“No,” Shiro stopped him. “No, buts. Keith likes you for you. So the best advice I can give is to be yourself.” His gaze suddenly darkened. “Just… be patient with Keith. He’s been hurt before, and isn’t used to being loved. And if you hurt him, I’ll have some choice words for you.”

Lance held up his hands. “Okay, okay, should have expected the shovel talk. Don’t worry, I won’t hurt him.” He poured all his emotion into those few words. “And I won’t let anyone hurt him ever again.”

Shiro smiled again, ruffling his hair. “Good. Everything will be fine. Now go get ready, Loverboy Lance.”

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

The group was walking around some more, laden with bags full of junk that they had bought. Rizavi suddenly stopped them in front of a store. “Oh, I’ve got a good feeling about this place. Keith, leave this to me. Ladies, divide and conquer!”

Pidge sat in the corner, reading a comic book, while Allura and Romelle looked at the shiny jewelry. He followed Nadia as she started browsing, looking through the men’s clothes. “You’re the last person I would trust to pick an outfit,” Keith grumbled.

She flipped her hair over her shoulder. “You’ll just have to deal with it sweetheart.”

He ignored her, turning around to a rack of assorted clothing. They spent a few minutes searching. He picked up a cool black jacket with crimson highlights. It probably wasn’t fancy enough.

Ina and Nadia ran up to him, mischievous looks on their faces. The black-haired girl started pushing him towards the dressing rooms. “Keith! Try on these outfits!”

As soon as he looked at the outfits they had chosen, he knew they were all wrong, but he decided to humor them. Nadia had picked out a yellow and white sporty outfit for him. “Ta da!” she yelled, showing it off. Ina, Allura, Romelle, and Pidge all gave it a dubious look. Keith silently agreed with them.

Ina had picked out a really baggy light red and white suit, with short white pants. That one got the same reaction as before.

Romelle’s choice was almost indescribable, and not in a good way. It was super colorful and looked like she had grabbed random things and thrown them together. His patience was starting to wear thin.

Same reaction. Allura smiled and gave her an encouraging thumbs up. “Good try, Romelle!” Pidge facepalmed.

The green paladin’s outfit was the same thing Keith’s character wears in the new show. He had refused to even try it.

He hoped Allura’s outfit was better. She had always seemed the most fashionable out of all of them. It was the best out of all the others so far. She had chosen a white dress shirt with a red tie and black slacks.

As he stepped out, Nadia’s eyes sparkled. “Wow, Allura! That looks amazing! It really suits you, Keith.”

He shrugged. “Yeah, it looks good. Thanks, Allura, but… something feels off. One second.”

Keith got to work, going through the aisles and grabbing items that he had seen earlier. He went back into the dressing room. He came out again, enjoying the looks on everyone’s faces.

Nadia sighed happily, putting her hands on her hips. “I think we’ve done it.”

“More like I did it,” Keith corrected. “And Allura. Thanks again.”

The princess smiled. “My pleasure. Shall we go?”

They went up to the counter and set the clothes down. The four-armed alien turned around giving them a pleasant smile. “Why, hello there. Is this everything?” Keith frowned. Something felt off about this guy. He didn’t trust him.

“Yep,” Rizavi said. “Mission complete!”

The alien held up a calculator in one hand, and looked through the clothes with another. “Let’s see, what have we got?” He cracked his knuckles and went to work punching numbers in. “Two decorative tarps with casing, one foot container and its mirror match, and a pair of damaged leg coverings. That’ll be… one phoeb of servitude from your small friend there.”

Nadia’s eyes grew to the size of golfballs. “What? A year?”

“A month,” Pidge said, glancing back at her. “I got this.” She spun around, ruffling up her hair to look like her character, and turned back to the counter, putting on her nasally voice. “How about you give us all this and I give you an autograph from a world-famous Paladin of Voltron.” Her eyes sparkled convincingly.

The alien had a confused, and slightly disgusted, look on his face, an eyebrow raised. “No! Price just went up to three phoebs.”

Pidge took a step back as Allura spoke up. “I could give you a royal decree of service from the Crown Princess of Alte—” She suddenly stopped, and looked at the ground with a sigh. “Oh, right, I, um…”

Romelle gave her concerned look, then clasped her hands together. “I can make you a deca-phoebs’ worth of blomfruit pies! I just need blomfruits. You wouldn’t happen to sell any, would you?”

“Shipping will cost you ten phoebs of servitude alone!” the alien yelled, leaning forward.

Keith scowled at the alien behind the counter, putting a hand on Allura’s shoulder. “Maybe this was a bad idea. I don’t need the clothes. Let’s just go.” If he was being honest, he really wanted the clothes. They looked good and made him feel good, but he wasn’t going to put up with this shopkeeper any longer.

He turned around and started to walk away, everyone following him. The four-armed alien suddenly gasped. “Wait!” he called, reaching out towards them. “I’ll give you a friendly deal. You can have all this… for Killbot Phantasm 26: Revengifiance.” Pidge’s eyes widened with surprise.

“No deal!” Nadia growled, narrowing her eyes. “What could you possibly need it for?”

“I’ve been looking to get my claws on that game for deca-phoebs.” A slightly dreamy expression appeared on his face. “I’m a huge KBP fan.”

He noticed the thoughtful way Pidge was looking at the game. As Rizavi vehemently denied his offer, Keith put an arm around his friend’s shoulder. “It’s okay, Pidge. I don't need them. This guy is shady anyways.” He pushed down his reluctance at giving up the clothes.

She shook her head, holding it out to the alien. “It’s fine. You can have it. We don’t have any time to play it anyway.”

As she turned around, Keith, who was usually not one for physical touch, bent down and hugged her. “Thank you,” he whispered in her ear.

He let her go, and Pidge gave him a happy smile and a thumbs up. “Anytime. Now, let’s get you ready!”

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

Keith hesitantly rang the doorbell, trying to smooth down his hair for the tenth time. Even after Rizavi tried tackling it with a hairbrush and gel, it still stuck up defiantly. It was fine though, Keith liked it this way.

Komso brushed against him reassuringly. He ruffled the wolf’s mane affectionately, and straightened as the front door swung open.

Standing on the other side was a woman. Keith could immediately tell this was Lance’s mother. They both had the same bright smile and chocolate-brown hair.

“Come in, come in, my dear!” she said. Even though he was bad at reading people, Keith detected a slight strain in her voice. She looked over her shoulder, swinging the door open wider. “Oh, you look wonderful! Doesn’t he look wonderful, Lance?”

Lance, who had been walking down the stairs, paused, his mouth gaping. “Wow!” he breathed, his eyes sparkling. “You look amazing.”

Keith glanced away, blushing. He nervously ran a hand through his hair, messing it up again. Rizavi would be so mad right now.

He brushed a piece of Kosmo’s fur off his sweater. He had picked out a loose red sweater to put on over the white dress shirt Allura had found, with ripped black jeans and black combat boots to complete the look.

“Thanks,” Keith said, meeting Lance’s eyes. The Cuban boy was wearing a tight white sweater with gray arms that looked adorable on him. “You look good, too.”

Lance smirked, making his way down the stairs and stopping in front of him. “Wow, a rare compliment by the amazing Keith Kogane. Who would have thought it was possible?”

“Remind me why I like you again?” Keith asked teasingly, crossing his arms.

Kosmo chuffed in greeting, bounding up to Lance. The blue paladin kneeled on the ground, allowing the wolf to jump up and lick his face. “Hey, buddy!” He laughed as Kosmo licked his cheek again, his tail wagging. God, who given this boy the right to look so damn cute. Lance looked up. “Maybe it’s because of my charming personality and dashing looks?”

“No, it’s because Kosmo likes you. Otherwise, you’d be kicked off the team.”

Lance’s face darkened, but it was so quick that maybe he had imagined it. “Yeah, yeah, I know.” He stood up, putting a hand on the woman’s shoulder. “Anyways, Keith, this is my mom and Pop-pop.” He went through everyone, pointing at each person as he named them. “You know Veronica. That’s Rachel, my brother Marco, my other brother Luis, his wife Lisa, and their kids, Silvio and Nadia.”

The two kids weren’t even looking at him, their eyes were fixed on Kosmo. “Puppy!” the little girl shrieked.

Luis put a hand on Nadia’s shoulder, a nervous look on his face. “I knew you were bringing your pet, but… is it safe?”

Keith tried not to frown, instead forcing a smile. “Yes,” he said through gritted teeth. “Kosmo may be a space wolf, but he is well trained.” Kosmo gave him a look like ‘Seriously?’ At least he hoped he was.

“Don’t worry, guys,” Lance said, reaching down and patting the wolf’s head. “Kosmo is pretty chill.”

Luis let go of Nadia’s shoulder, and with that, the young girl ran up to Kosmo, throwing her arms around him. “Good puppy!”

The wolf sat patiently, his tail thumping on the ground as Nadia ran her fingers through his fur. Silvio slowly approached them, holding out his hand. Kosmo stood up, Nadia still practically hanging on him, and sniffed the boy’s hand. The space wolf licked his hand, making him giggle.

Rachel was giving him a suspicious look, but didn’t say anything. Now that Keith thought about it, everyone looked slightly uncomfortable. Is it because I’m a boy? he wondered. Did Lance’s family not know that he is bi? As the children started to play with Kosmo, Lance grabbed his hand. “Come on, Keith! Let’s go set the table.”

He allowed Lance to lead him to the dining room, a light blush dusting across his cheeks. They set the table, talking and laughing. His heart fluttered everytime Lance brushed against him.

They joined everyone in the living room after setting the table as Lance’s mother and Pop-pop went to the kitchen to finish dinner. The tension that Keith had noticed disappeared throughout the evening.

The kids had fun playing with Kosmo, who was preening under all the attention, and all of Lance’s family was really nice. Even Rachel eventually warmed up to him.

At one point, Nadia had run up to him and Lance, a curious expression on her face. “Uncle Lance, you’re a boy, and Keith is a boy, but you’re in love, right?”

They exchanged an awkward glance. “Yeah, kiddo,” Lance eventually said, ruffling her hair. “Why?”

She had a thoughtful look on her face. “So, is it okay if a girl likes a girl?”

“Of course.” Lance smiled. “Anyone can like anyone they want to.”

“Okay!” Nadia said, her face lighting up. “Thanks, Uncle Lance!”

Keith’s heart felt warm as he watched her run off.

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

When dinner was ready, they sat at the table, Lance pulling out Keith’s chair for him and sitting next to him. A headache that had started to plague him was chased away by the sensation of Lance holding his hand under the table.

The food was really good, especially the garlic knots. Even Kosmo had gotten bits of food slipped under the table from Silvio and Nadia. Eventually, Lance’s family started to tell embarrassing stories about his childhood.

“Or the time when we were kids,” Marco was saying, twiddling with his fork. “And Veronica mixed dirt with water and told Lance it was chocolate milk.” Keith chuckled along with everyone else, enjoying the annoyed look on his boyfriend’s face. Woah, when had he started thinking of Lance as his boyfriend?

“Oh, yeah!” Veronica exclaimed. “I still can’t believe he fell for it.”

Keith shook his head. “Oh God, I’m dating an idiot. What did he do?” The strange tension from before suddenly flooded the room again. Why did I say that?!

Lance blushed at his words as his sister continued. “He told on me, of course. Then Pop-pop gave him ice cream and I got none.”

“Yeah, Lance was always the baby of the family,” Marco said, a gleam in his eyes. “It only took you coming to dinner to graduate him to the adult table.”

Keith could feel Rachel’s eyes glaring daggers into his back. He put a smirk on his face. “That’s not surprising.”

Lance squawked in protest. “What?! What’s that supposed to mean, babe?”

He couldn’t help but blush at the nickname. That meant Lance wanted to be boyfriends, too. They would talk about it later.

Keith put his head on his boyfriend’s shoulder. “You know exactly what I mean, Lance.”

After he sat up straight again, there was a beat of awkward silence. Then, Lance’s mother spoke up.

Her next words were kind, but for some reason, it made Keith’s mental hackles raise. “Lance never brings girls, or boys, home. You must really mean something to him.”

Girls, or boys…

“That’s strange.” Keith had meant the words to be teasing, but they came out sharper than intended. “Lance gave off the impression of being really popular with women.”

There was an even longer moment of silence, only the kids still obliviously talking.

Then Veronica rose, clearing her throat. She held up a glass of water. “A toast… to family. Though we may be apart after tomorrow, we’ll always remain close at heart. Family is forever.” She glanced at him, her eyes raking over the table. “And to Keith, the newest member of our family.”

Everyone held up their glasses. “To family!”

He put down his glass, staring into the water. Family… Keith had never really had a permanent family before. His father had died when he was young, and his mother had left. He now knew why Krolia had to leave, but it still didn’t change the past. Then Shiro had become his father figure. Then he had also left, presumed dead on the Kerberos mission.

Then the paladins had come, and he had felt like part of a family again. Pidge had felt like a little sister. Hunk the big brother he had never had. Coran had turned into the weird, crazy uncle. Allura had become almost like a mother, and now their sister. Lance… Lance didn’t really have a family title in Keith’s eyes. Now he knew it was because he had a crush on the blue paladin.

Even with Krolia back, Keith still felt like he was missing something. Maybe it had come from visiting his father’s grave when they came back to earth? Or maybe it was seeing Lance, Hunk, and Pidge with their families… Another reminder that he would never fit in.

Keith stayed quiet the rest of the evening. After it was over, he thanked Lance’s mother for the wonderful dinner, and said a quick goodbye to Lance. Then, the moment he was out of sight, had Kosmo teleport him back to the Garrison.

After getting back, he made his way to the lions, Kosmo following him. He sat on Black’s head, stroking the wolf’s fur. Since it was summer, the sun was going down later, allowing Keith to catch the last of its rays as it dipped below the horizon.

The wolf suddenly teleported out from under his fingers, a rush of cold air greeting his hand. He sighed. Even Kosmo doesn’t want to hang out with me right now…

A few seconds later, Kosmo appeared. He had a passenger. The wolf gave him a pointed look before disappearing again.

Lance sat there, blinking in confusion. “Wha— Oh, hey, Keith.”

“Hey, Lance,” he muttered, avoiding eye contact.

“Sooo,” Lance said. “You’re watching the sunset?”

“Yeah…”

There was a few seconds of silence, before they both spoke at the same time.

“I’m sorry for ruining your dinner!”

“I’m sorry for being a bad boyfriend!”

Keith was the first to speak. “What? You’re not a bad boyfriend! Why would you even think that, Lance?”

The blue paladin scowled. “Oh, I don’t know, maybe because I forced you into having dinner with my family? And what about you? You didn’t ruin anything, Keith!”

“Yes, I did,” he bit out. “My very presence ruined it! It’s obvious that your family doesn’t want us dating. They probably want a future daughter-in-law. Not a son.”

He didn't look at Lance. “… What?” The boy’s voice was confused. “Keith… it’s not you. My family loves you. Everyone wouldn’t shut up about it afterwards.” He finally turned to look. Lance’s eyes were soft. “It was my fault. I only told them I was bi and that I had invited my boyfriend to dinner only after I had asked you. They aren’t against us, they just still need to get used to me dating a boy.” He grabbed his hands. “Keith, you didn’t do anything wrong. You are fucking amazing. It was my fault. It’s always my fault…”

Keith squeezed his hands in return, concern for his boyfriend washing over him. “What do you mean, Lance?”

“You know what I mean.” His voice was surprisingly bitter. “I can never get things right. I’d be amazed if you even considered going on another date with me. I just keep messing up. I’m not a good paladin, I’m not a good friend, and I’m definitely not a good boyfriend.”

It hurt Keith to hear the usually bright, funny boy talk about himself that way. He grabbed his shoulders. “Lance, that’s not true.”

He shook him off. “It’s true and you know it. Nobody needs me, I’m expendable. And I don’t want to—”

“Lance!” Keith grabbed his shoulders again, leaning in so close that their lips were almost brushing against each other. “Shut the fuck up.” Then, he kissed him.

Lance immediately buried his fingers in Keith’s hair, letting out a little gasp as their lips met. Keith’s hands trailed down to the blue paladin’s hips. One hand rested on his thigh, while the other wrapped around his waist.

They pulled away after a few seconds, resting their foreheads together. “You’re not expendable, Lance,” Keith breathed, reaching up to cup his face in his hands. “You’re amazing. You're loving. You’re kind. You’re sweet. You’re funny. You’re important, to your family, and to me.

“I swear, Lance. We’re going to end this war, and we’ll do it with the Lance that’s the Paladin of the Red Lion. The Lance that’s always got my back. And the Lance who knows exactly who he is and what he’s got to offer.”

Lance played with his hair. “How am I supposed to one-up that speech? And who knew you were such a sap, Mullet? Speaking of which, your hair is really soft.” Keith snorted with laughter as he continued. “Keith… I know this is our first date, but I love you.”

“I love you too, Lance.” Raw emotion filled his voice. “With all my fucking heart.”

Lance pulled him into another kiss as the sun sank below the horizon.

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