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#the mcclains and their half galra partner
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Veronica: And, um Abuelita, this is my girlfriend, Axca.
Axca: *waving shyly* Greetings.
Abuelita: Oh well, your kids sure like going gay for those purple aliens.
Mrs. McClain: MOTHER!
Lance and Veronica: ABUELITA!
Keith and Axca: She is right, tho-
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The Mullet (Part 3 - Final)
Pidge did not like the look Hunk gave her when she walked onto the bridge. That sort of wide-eyed, anxious, hand-caught-in-the-cookie-jar expression that could only mean one thing.
She glared at Lance.
Seriously? He couldn’t keep his mouth shut about one little comment about Keith’s hair? He had to immediately go blab to Hunk? She was never talking to him about anything personal again. Not ever.
“You’re a dead man, McClain!” she called over to him.
Lance looked back at her, startled. “What did I do?!”
Pidge didn’t answer. She didn’t think she could talk to him without yelling. Nor did she want anyone else to get involved and Shiro already looked like he was a few ticks from stepping in to settle things.
Coran clapped his hands together. “Now, now, paladins! There’s no need to fight each other. Save all of that for the Galra and the fight ahead!” He paused, apparently just realizing that it wasn’t Keith arguing with Lance for once, but Pidge. 
It was at that moment that Keith arrived, quietly entering the room and coming to a stop next to Pidge, completely oblivious to what was happening. His arrival triggered the start of the meeting.
Allura and Shiro tag-teamed the explanation of their plans for the next week. Barring any unforeseen attacks, they would have a few peaceful days of travel, which meant extra time for training, coming up with new battle strategies, and practicing what Lance had taken to calling “team attacks”.
Pidge half payed attention, too busy thinking of ways to get her revenge on Lance for spilling her secret crush to Hunk. (Okay, maybe it wasn’t a secret, per say, but she didn’t want everyone to know that she thought Keith was exceptionally good looking!) At the top of her list was sneaking some kind of dye into his lotions so that he’d have to spend a few days with his skin an unusual color. It seemed like a fitting punishment - temporary but embarrassing.
All too soon, Allura and Shiro were done talking and dismissed them from the bridge so they could get back to their own strategizing with Coran. Pidge turned to Keith to ask when they were expected on the training deck, as she had completely missed that part, only to find him avoiding her gaze and instead staring off at an empty corner.
“You, uh, look nice today?”
Pidge raised an eyebrow at the out-of-place compliment. “Thanks?”
A muffled squeak from the direction of Hunk and Lance drew her attention and she turned her eyes to them, not in the least surprised to find them staring back. Lance was grinning as he watched the two of them, while Hunk looked noticeably worried about something.
Which was weird, because why would Hunk be worried when he was usually right there along with Lance, ready to tease her.
Unless...
Pidge whipped her head back to Keith, who was scowling at the pair across the room.
“Kei-”
“Forget it,” he snapped, his cheeks turning red as he made an abrupt turn for the door.
Pidge watched him go, frozen in uncertainty. Her mind raced through different scenarios before settling on what she’d want someone to do for her. She gave Lance a cold look.
“We’re going to talk about this later,” she warned him, before turning and quickly following after Keith.
It didn’t take her long to find him, sitting by himself in one of the many rooms in the Castle of Lions. She quietly sat down next to him, giving him time to move or talk first if he wanted.
“I’m sorry about Lance,” she said after a few minutes. “I didn’t think... How much did you hear, before I make myself look stupid?”
“You could never make yourself look stupid,” Keith replied.
“You’d be surprised.”
Keith glanced over at her. “I feel like I’m the one who’s going to look like an idiot. I just... Lance and Hunk were talking in the kitchen about my hair, so I stopped to listen, and then I heard your name and something about my hair being attractive? I didn’t stick around long after that. It felt wrong.”
“Is that all you heard?” Pidge asked.
“Yeah, but it made me think about a few things. Like us. Our... relationship, I guess?” Keith sounded confused, like he still wasn’t sure what was going on or what he was trying to say. “I never told you how glad I am that you changed your mind about leaving.”
To anyone else, it may have sounded like a non sequitur, but Pidge understood just fine. That moment - their first and only disagreement - could have ripped apart everything, but instead served to make their bond even stronger. It built up the foundation of their partnership.
Pidge didn’t need to hear the words; she saw his relief in his expression and in what he didn’t say.
There were a lot of things he didn’t need to say. Pidge figured out early on that the way to read Keith was through his actions and in how he fought to protect and hold the team together.
But Keith wasn’t the same way. There was a sort of disconnect, where he would broadcast his own feelings through his actions, but required words from others to understand how they felt. How many misunderstandings had their been because of that? Was that why he sounded so unsure of where they stood?
“I’m glad I stayed too,” she said, voicing it aloud for the first time. “Listen, about what you heard from Lance...”
“No, it’s okay. I get it,” Keith interrupted while she was picking her next few words. “He was just blowing things out of proportion like he always does. I shouldn’t have taken it seriously.”
“It was true. I do find you attractive.”
Not for one second did Pidge consider taking the easy out. She let her statement hang between them, hoping it wouldn’t hurt their friendship, but she wouldn’t take it back.
Even if Keith’s silence did hurt.
Pidge stared down at her lap. “You don’t have to force yourself to give compliments, you know? This doesn’t have to change anything. You’re my friend, my partner, and that’s the most important thing. And I’ll talk to Lance about all of this, so don’t worry about that. Actually, I have some pretty good revenge in mind, since he went and blabbed to Hunk where anyone could have heard him. You’ll love it. Or at least you’ll be amused by it, I think. Though, uh, it may not be so great with all of the diplomatic stuff we’re doing lately, so Allura won’t be happy, but I think I’m going to do it anyway. Oh, and that means Shiro will have to act disappointed in me, which means I have to deal with that Look, you know the one, and-”
She abruptly stopped when Keith placed his hand over hers and gently squeezed it.
“I like you too, Pidge. You’re important to me, in ways I don’t know how to explain. It goes beyond our bond as paladins. I didn’t know what to think when I heard Lance talking, and I should have taken more time to figure it out, but... but maybe this is better. Maybe we’re meant to figure it out together,” Keith said.
Together.
Pidge lifted her eyes to meet Keith’s as a smile bloomed across her face. “Together,” she agreed softly. And then, a bit more mischievous, said: “Do you want to help me prank Lance first?”
Keith laughed and agreed.
And to think, Lance was the reason for the shift in their relationship. Who would have thought that one of his rants about Keith’s mullet would have led to that?
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readingraccoon · 6 years
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The Mcclain's and their alein, half-galra, same sex partners
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icarus-imagines · 5 years
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Lance McClain X Reader
Hello! Can I have an Lance (From Voltron) X Reader please?
I am terribly sorry if this is sad and evokes some dark themes. If anybody wishes for a happy ending just send in a request for a Part 2 and I will be sure to give the Readers something happier and much fluffier. A bittersweet ending I will thoroughly enjoy writing.
I was more than merely influenced for writing such a depressing story due to listening to Sam Smith on repeat. Beautiful and lovely, but quite sad. It was a result I felt happy with though and hope everybody enjoys it.
-Mod Icarus ଘ(੭ºัᴗºั)━☆゚
Word Count: 2,413
Category: Voltron
~Blue Boy~
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Something was wrong.
As of current you were, in most people's words, safe. Located in a secure position away from the middle of the battle commencing it may be by pure luck nobody had yet to spot you. Not too far away though you could hear the loud battle cries of both your treasured teammates and the relentless Galra.
Body leaning against a cement wall your hand clutched your shoulder that was covered with armor similar to what the traditional paladins of the lions wore. Once a shiny and gleaming (F/c) suit, it was now morphed into something dirty and marred. Clinks and dents were spotted here and there. A bit of blood was on the leg, half of it dry and crusted, but the most sickening thing about that fact was that the blood was not yours.
Trained by the Altean palace princess Allura ruled over you were able to grow stronger in a shorter amount of time than expected. You never thought you would have been able to become a professional with wielding a sword. But here you were a few or so months later a (F/c) sword tightly held in your grasp as you took down foreign aliens.
Rising a sluggish hand to your shoulder you grabbed it tightly with a shaky inhale. It ached with every sharp movement you made and for a second you wondered if it had become dislocated in the heat of war. You pleaded desperately for it not to be true. A dislocated shoulder during something like this would be horribly bad luck. Hopefully, everything would end so you could recover back in the safe confines of the palace.
Sidestepping it took only a few seconds to become one with the battle. Seemingly dragging on you felt as if you were going to cry. Your shoulder was sending hot white flashed to appear across your vision when you swung at just the right yet wrong angle. Even so, you pushed onwards, determined to get this over with and finally be worry-free again.
Just when everything looked as if it was beginning to dissipate a pang of hurt sliced through your heart. But the thing about it was that you were alone, without an opposing battle partner. Everything was perfectly fine from what you could tell.
Allura and Coran were faring well.
Shiro and Keith were finishing off the last few remaining stragglers who dared fight more.
Hunk and Pidge were tending to the wounded of this alien planet's natives.
And last but not least Lance was-
Lance.
Where was Lance!?
Fear almost made bile rise from the depths of your stomach to sting in the deep backside of your throat, but you swallowed it up quickly. Adrenaline was immediately born with your deep thoughts. Sneaking their way into your bloodstream your legs caught up with your much more frightened mind. Moving of their own accord you dragged forward with no true destination. All you knew is you had to find Lance no matter what. Even if he was safe. Laughing at his own jokes while flirting with some beautiful alien species from this planet you could not warrant the chance of him being lost.
What if he was captured. Kidnapped and taken away from you? Was it possible he was slain? Struck down by an enemies sharp weapon?
No.
Lance was stronger than that.
He was much stronger than he ever gave credit for. The wielder of a paladin bayard belonging to the blue lion that transformed into an energy assault rifle, you were sure he could hold his own in a fight. You had witnessed it many times before so why out of all those times would he suddenly be taken down? Every scenario that filtered through your mind could not create one where Lance had been taken down. It just seemed too bizarre. Too impossible.
Yes, he had been tossed around his fair share of times but so had everybody else. Near death experiences were an end result everybody knew was more than possible, yet you did not think this way. Your background was unique, just like theirs. Death could be an option but the hardships in your lied denied you to ever think of such a thing.
Death is not an option.
Lance is not dead.
With those thoughts on your mind, you frantically ran to every place you last saw lance. Through the dense alien jungles, you carried on with quick footsteps. Once you had even tripped, yet even when your knee had been hit wrong and sent a shocked pain to the area you stood up with only a muffled groan from the inside of your mouth. The pain you were experiencing would have to wait to be felt. For all, you felt right now was fear, anticipation, and a tug of fright.
It was not until you came upon a body leaning against a tree did tears begin to fill the top brim of your waterline in your eye.
Lance.
He is alive.
"Lance, you goofball," you managed to huff out when you lowered yourself down onto your knees, ignoring the dull pain, to get closer to him. "Where have you been? I have been so worried. I..."
(E/c) eyes scanned his body, breath becoming rigid and anxious in barely a few seconds. His once slick blue paladin armor was splattered with blood. From where you view him it looked as if he was in the red lion's paladin armor instead of the blue lions.
His head was hanging too low for comfort, ends of his hair drenched in blood, a crimson human fluid. It was also dripping from his nose and mouth, curving over his slim lips and chin. More camouflaged over his black covered hands. It was hard to tell what you were truly looking at. With so much blood you couldn't tell if it was coming from his own body or if it was just a tough opponent who had not stopped until they bled out when fighting.
Your voice was shaky as a hand slipped up to cup his cheek, raising his head to look at you, the helmet already taken off and left on the grassy floor of the forest. The pain in your shoulder was persistent but your worry was far greater than any of it. Unfortunately, his eyelids were closed you came to discover when you had risen him up. Head heavy in the palm of your hand you realized you are holding the world in your hand
He is your whole world.
"Lance, please... please tell me this is not your blood. This can't possibly be yours, can it?" You asked fruitlessly. The head in your hands gave no sign of any movement to any of your talking. "Lance..."
After a few more calls of his name and small shakes on his shoulder, Lance finally cracked open his eyes like there were hundred-pound weights dragging them down. Still heavily placed in your hands he blinked open his eyes. Black eyelashes fluttered open slowly, the iris inside blown but progressively shrinking from the radiating suns strong light.
"Y/n..." His voice makes your heart quiver in its bony cage of ribs. It sounds so broken and hoarse It must be hard for him to speak but he tries to do so anyway. "Glad...I am glad...to see you..."
You shush him softly as more blood dribbles out of his mouth from his actions. "Don't speak, you need to conserve your energy."
Your voice may be soft and ever so gentle, but inside an earthquake is splitting open. In the earth of it, all your fears and worries are conjoining and rising out. Questions such as 'How could I let this happen?' and 'It's my fault.'
Taking off your helmet carefully, both your hands begin to move to the back of his head, fingers curling into the locks of short, dark brown hair you adored so much. You lean close, so close that when you hug him you swear you can hear everything around you. His head rests in your chest, nestled there like a safe haven. You can hear his soft, almost labored breathing as he tries to fill his lungs the best he can. Taking in as much oxygen before he dispels it in a shaky exhale of breath. His skin is hot, beating hotly with a pulse that misses a few counts here and there.
He smells of blood, The sickly metallic flavor of it clings to your taste buds even when your mouth is clamped shut. Wetness springs from your tear ducts and rolls down your cheeks as the thoughts inside your head overflow.
He shouldn't smell of blood. He shouldn't be bleeding out. He shouldn't be fighting for every breath he takes. He shouldn't be fighting the need to succumb to death's embrace.
Heshouldn'tHeshouldn'tHeshouldn'tHeshouldn'tHe'shouldn'tHeshou-
"Thank you...for...for staying here with me," he manages to mumble out, his breath warm against the open skin of your neck. "To think....I...I never got to tell you..."
You separate from him, his head still in your hands as it leans back a bit so he can look up at you with no trouble or moving on his part.
"Tell me?" You ask confused, a tear dripping down your cheek. "Tell me what?"
His smile targets towards you feel like sunshine on your (S/c) flesh. A bright shining aura of radiating heat. But his expression is overall a vision of pure solemn. Dark blue eyes, like the deep oceans of Earth, spring up like a sparkling geyser with water. Tears of his own fall down his face in perfect lines. He looked beautiful right there. Crying. It may have been thought of as a cruel thought, but he was an angel. An angel was crying in front of you. Emotions bubbling up and exploding like water erosion shapeshifting the Earth's soil to create something new and more extraordinary than before.
"I love you."
His hand comes up to let his tanned fingertips touch your cheekbone. With a slow thumb, he brushes away a stray tear in his way. His movements up to now have all been slow. A sluggish style similar to that of an Earth animal called a sloth. But suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, they are sharp.
Surging forward faster than you are able to react to he closes the gap between your faces. Warm lips meet yours in a feverish sense of hurry and apparent urgency. It is delectably warm, that flesh against your own in a waltzing dance. If his lips were food you were sure he would be something akin to blueberries.
His other unoccupied arm wraps around your body to grasp tightly at a shoulder. It stays there secure and unyielding in its position. You feel safe. Safer than you have ever been in your entire life. You want to stay here. Stay this way forever, even if it may seem like an impossible thing.
This blue boy was full of love and affection beyond measure underneath the surface.
In a slow-motion like state of deliriousness, Lance parts away from you far too soon for your liking. Before you can protest he look up at you and for a second he smiles. Lips quivering in the effort to rise in the process before his eyes closed shut and lock away his oceanic orbs of crystal light. Heartbreaking into a million pieces you only stay stock still as his weight leans forward and slumps against your chest.
The arm that had once held you safe in this warm engulfing hug let's go without notice. It slumps down, laying perfectly still with its palm up in the green grasses of the jungle floor. You can hear your heart pounding just like the slam that seemed to come when the arm had fallen. Blood is pulsing in your ears, a headache forming quickly from the noise. The bang and ricochet in your skull, all your bones simultaneously panging with hurt from the foreign impacts.
His body is still. So strangely still like a statue against your own that you almost forget to breathe, to function correctly. He is heavy, heavier than anybody had ever been when leaning leisurely against you. It is like the body, in its one way, is telling you of its burden. That life has left the inside of the body it once filled.
This is death.
"Lance, come on your heavy," you laugh bitterly, the sound rough on your tongue when you try to deny the fact he may actually not be with you anymore. "Lance, if you are sleeping you have to...You have to wake up."
Your hands take hold of him so he can lean into them as you move away to peer at his face. He looks to be in a deep peaceful but you know better.
"Lance...please! You can't leave me! Not right when I know how you feel! Not when I-" Your sobs elevate as you spring forward to nuzzle into his neck in an effort to keep him here with you. His once warm skin is quickly growing a deadly cold, but you care not to think of it at the moment.
"Not when I feel the same way..."
The blue boy with oceans for eyes and seas for blood in his veins is gone.
The blue boy with his flirtation and jokester ways is gone.
The blue boy who you had discovered shared your feelings is gone.
"I love you, Lance. I love you so much. So much Lance. I love you so much."
I love you...my blue boy...
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metalotaku-da · 6 years
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part 2 kinkance week 2 winners and losers
“Enemy combatants subdued and secured Pidgey give us the score!” Lance cheered excitedly after double checking the restraints on the two Galra soldiers now loaded into the secure back of the transport. And double checking their seatbelts with Hunk.
 “You really want to do that now?” Pidge sighed in exasperation.
 “Yes.” The response expected, but the source shocking several as all parties turned to look at Ryan Kinkade as he stood just a few feet away. In his casual arms crossed at the chest and emotionless facade to those who don't know him well. “Please.”
 Nadia gave her teammate a knowing smirk that he pointedly ignored. “Yeah let's just hear it so we can have to drive back to decide on payouts.” James added.
 “Alright.” Pidge said with a sigh and shoving her glasses up the bridge of her nose. “So overall, most hits is team Voltron. 21 to 19.” Lance jumped up with a fist thrust to the air and a loud cheer. Hunk giving him a high five after his hand came back down. Keith gave a smug smirk to James. But kept silent. “So we get to pick the co-group activity. And we already decided on your team has to join us for Monsters and Mana on Friday at noon till midnight.”
 “What when did we decide that?” Keith asked whipping around to face his own team with a look of betrayal. Keith saying with his raised hands and bunched shoulders he wanted something else. Probably more intense and grueling.
 “Pidge and I decided when you started and..” he pointed his thumb at Lance who looked absolutely giddy at the idea.
 “That's perfect you guys! Coran and Romelle are going to love teaching more people to play!” Lance exclaimed dancing in place.
 “See Lance agrees. Three to one. It's decided.” Pidge said clearly amused at undermining Keith.
 “Nice control of your team their Kogane.” James snarked. Drawing Keith's attention to him once more.
 “We aren't a dictatorship.” Keith responded cool.
 “What about individual performances?” James quick shifts too.
 “On that front for best maneuver, Keith won. That stunt with the building as ramp and drop off was insane.” Nadia.
 “What?!” James turns on his teammates. “Are you kidding me?!”
 “Eat it James.” Keith crows. “I'm the better pilot here. Just admit it.”
 “The window for error on his maneuver was .16 meters at his speed of 90 kilometers per hour at commission of stunt. And he performed it perfectly while also lining up his partners shot.” Ina chimes in with facts. Facts James cannot refute. He just grumbles at her.
 “And I think I'll take your suggestion to take the drive to figure out what you are going to do for me.” Keith taunts. Standing tall with a proud smirk arms crossed loosely in triumph.
 “Whatever. This time you won. But I'll get you next time.” James growled out.
 “So, what about little old Ryan and I huh?” Lance asked cheerily. “Who won?” He aimed his invisible rifle while speaking he next question. “Was it my shot as we made the drop? Perfect bullseye that one.” Lance turned his 100-watt smile on Hunk till he saw his friends sheepish head rub and strained smile. His arms falling with his grin.
 “Sorry buddy…” Hunk said with a reassuring clasp of his friend’s arm.
 “Yeah sorry Lance. We voted for Kinkade. With that double hit. When his shot knocked the sentries gun to shoot the other one and then he hit that sentry again to destroy it.” Pidge said with a shrug as she watched Lance's shoulders drop with his chin. She turned her eyes on Nadia the light reflecting off her glasses ominously. The group had actually been tied. But Nadia had begged the paladins to give the win to Ryan. Pidge made sure Nadia knew that she owed them one for Lance's now lower mood.
 “Oh right. That was a really good shot.” He said quietly before lifting his head and strolling forward to Ryan. A foot away he stuck out his hand to the taller man. “Good job Ryan. That was an impressive feet. Nice win.” Ryan easily took Lance's hand for a shake giving the paladin a barely there smile with just the twitch of the corners of his mouth.
 “You did great out there too.” Ryan consoled the paladin.
 Lance rubbed the back of his head. “Guess I gotta wait on what you'd have me do for your win.” he gave a half smile to the taller boy.
 “actually, I know what I want.” Ryan said clearly. “Griffin permission to return on the hover bike?” He asked his commander looking at him with nothing but his serious gaze.
 James took the key card and tossed it to Ryan. All of the boys staring at Ryan in confusion at the request. “Sure… guess I'll ride with the girls…”
 Ryan gave a short nod in thanks, before returning his gaze to a confused Lance looking between the two MFE pilots. “Ride back with me.” Ryan stated enjoying but not addressing the rising blush on the red paladin. Or his look of panic at first. “Please.”
 “He can't say no. It's a bet.” James said exasperated at his team mate for going easy on McClain.
 “Seriously?” Lance finally got out. “That's what you want for your win?”
 “Yes.” Ryan answered easily. The two focus on each other causing them to ignore Keith's silent seething. Pidge looking over the top of her glasses at Nadia unamused at the fact the girl had asked the favor to play match maker. Before turning to Hunk and jerking her head at Keith after making eye contact. Hunk moving into Keith's space to ask to ride back with him. Since his original passenger now had a new ride.
 “Uh, ok. Sure. That's. That's fine. Great even. Or cool. It's cool. I think.” Lance licked his lips to get some moisture back before clearing his throat. “I guess we should be going then. Lead the way big guy.” And Ryan did. Turning towards James hover bike Lance on his heels. Pausing only to send Hunk and Pidge one more panicked look before running to catch up and climb on behind him on the bike. Keith's eyes were locked on his teammates back the whole time. Even as Ryan rocked the hover bike just enough as he turned for Lance's hands to shoot up and grab the MFE pilot’s waist. The others don't hear what Ryan says but when he's facing forward again, Lance slides closer to get a better hold. Legs framing Kinkade’s thighs.
 “Alright. Now that that's over. Kinkade, McClain take point and scout ahead. No more than 5-mile lead. “Kogane you and Garrett take up the rear escort. And I guess the ladies and I take the middle in the transport. I'll…”
 “Driving!” Nadia. “Shot gun!” Pidge shouted in unison.
 James seethed for a few minutes before collecting himself and grumbling as he climbed into the back seat with Ina. “Let's just get back.”
 Hunk allowed Keith to squeeze tightly at his biceps and take a minute to collect himself also. “Hey man let's head back. We can have a Voltron dinner. Just Voltron tonight as a little celebration. For a job well done today.” Hunk patted him on the shoulder till he turned and followed his friend to the hover to take them back. Choosing not to answer Hunk.
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alteanjubileus · 6 years
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shooters shoot
18+ | james/keith canon compliant | multichaptered | on ao3
They’re driving back to the Garrison base during sunset when Leifsdottir, excellent wingwoman that she is, leans toward Griffin and mutters, “The red paladin has been fooling you all week.”
Half tuned-out, Griffin raises his head from his seat and looks over at her. His helmet is cradled in his lap, and he’s enjoying the cool breeze blowing through his hair after a grueling 12-hour mission. However, as soon as the words red paladin came out from her mouth, Griffin’s brain lit up with activity. “What?”
“The Garrison equipment. He can use it just fine.”
,..There’s a hint of amusement in Lefisdottir’s eyes, despite how sweaty and exhausted they all are. It’s been three months since the Galra have been defeated on earth, and the threat of invading spaceships has dwindled to nothing. The Garrison brass has finally relented and are now allowing the MFEs and Paladins to go on ground clean-up missions. It’s a nice change of pace despite how long these kinds of missions could take.
Ordinarily, Griffin’s team knew not to bring up Keith Kogane outside of their usual booth in the back of the Garrison Bar. However, this time Griffin is grateful for the insight, and he allows his thoughts to drift.
 The paladins are slightly unfamiliar with the Garrison’s weaponry, or at least Griffin had assumed as such. Being off-planet for so long would do that to you. Keith was getting especially frustrated with the trigger of his laser; James had taken out an incoming drone before crowding close to Keith behind some rubble. “Leifsdottir, McClain, cover us!” Griffin yelled, before yanking the gun from Keith’s hands. “What are you doing?”
 Keith made that adorably frustrated face, and Griffin is endeared, even as they’re being shot at. “The trigger keeps sticking.”
 “It doesn’t stick—you’re just firing wrong. Watch, and do what I do.”
 To his surprise, Keith had kept quiet the entire time Griffin showed him the proper way to hold the gun for an easier shot. When he passed it back, Keith followed his instructions to the letter, and ends up taking out three sentinels with only two blasts.
 “’Atta boy.” Griffin said absently, flashing a grin as he pulled his own gun from its holster. He thought he heard Keith make a soft, breathless sort of noise; but before he can check on him, Rizavi is pulling up in the ATV, and the four of them pile in hastily.
…That was… what, 8 hours ago? Griffin had nearly forgotten. The memory comes back, along with similar ones from earlier this week… of Keith getting frustrated about one thing or another and Griffin moving in close and helpfully correcting him.
Honestly? Griffin had thought he was the one taking advantage, using these opportunities to scent at Keith’s hair or brush up against his waist, wondering if Keith was gonna make a move like he did the first time… Huh.
At any rate, this is extremely useful information. Griffin knows that Leifsdottir wouldn’t have said anything if she weren’t at least 98% sure. “Thanks, Leif.”
“Welcome.” She goes back to staring curiously at the ongoing terrain.
Griffin sighs, tipping his head back against the headrest. If Keith just wanted a hook up, why not just corner him after a mission and kiss him? It had worked well enough when they were cadets. Is Keith shy? Griffin scoffs at the thought. What is it then? Does he get off on pretending to be incompetent? Griffin’s eyebrows furrow as he immediately starts to analyze the information he’s been given. No… he’s more than capable when he’s with Commander Iverson and the others. Is it just around me? Does he like to act helpless around m—oh.
 OH.
Griffin thinks he has it figured out, at least partially. A dirty sort of warmth spreads from his chest downwards. He had played around with this sort of thing, before; mostly with locals back home who were extremely impressed by his status in the Garrison. He shifts around in his seat, thinking about nights like that, of leisurely ordering his partner to strip, to crawl or bend or position themselves to his liking, to service him until his control is at his limit…
…Is Keith into that sort of thing, too? Does he like being ordered around? Does he like it when Griffin orders him around? Fuck. Griffin thinks, already half hard in his uniform. His imagination is on the verge of going wild with thoughts of the dark-haired boy in the ATV just up ahead.
That is, until they hit a rocky patch of road, startling Griffin from his thoughts. Rizavi shoots and apology over her shoulder. She’ll never know that he’s grateful for the interruption; Griffin didn’t know how he’d explain a boner after a mission as arduous as that one.
Griffin has calmed down considerably by the time they return to the Garrison. He exits the vehicle and nods at his teammates before hustling back to his quarters. He takes a long, steaming shower, then moves through a couple dozen stretches before exiting his room with just enough time to catch the end of dinner.
Half an hour later, he is just leaving the dining facility when he bumps into the subject of his attraction. Having clearly opted for a nap upon their return from the mission, Keith looks sleepy and ruffled in a way that does not help redirect Griffin’s thoughts from earlier.
“Oh- sorry.” Keith says on the backend of a yawn, and Griffin stares, because even a half-awake apology is enough to get his heart racing.
You know what?  He thinks. Fuck it.
Curfew is in less than 10 minutes, but for once Griffin doesn’t care. Without thinking, he snatches Keith’s wrist and swiftly drags him around the corner, away from the other soldiers hanging around the dining hall entryway.
“Griffin?” Keith is well on his way to full consciousness, if his attitude is anything to go by. “Dude, what’re you doing, I wanted some fruit before they—"
“Kogane.” Griffin gently crowds Keith against the wall, releasing his grip around Keith’s wrist. Something in Griffin’s voice makes Keith actually listen, for once. The paladin crosses his arms, fixing his former rival with a look of soft irritation.
“Yes?”
A smirk pulls at Griffin’s lips. “I learned something about you, today.”
“Like what?” Keith’s eyes narrow in catlike suspicion. Griffin is struck, again, by how goddamn cute he is.
“Think I’ll keep it to myself, for now.” Leif wouldn’t have said anything if she wasn’t 98% sure. Griffin reminds himself, summoning up the stones to test his theory.
Keith rolls his eyes and makes to move off of the wall. “You dragged me over here just to be annoying? God, you’re such a—”
“Stop talking.” Griffin murmurs, bracing his forearm against the wall next to Keith’s head and leaning in close.
He almost bursts in his pants when Keith obeys without a single additional word. No snide comments, no bold defiance, nothing. Instead his pretty violet eyes widen, and his mouth slowly closes as the faintest blush appears on his cheeks.
 Shit.
Griffin realizes two things at once: 1) That Leifsdottir was right, and 2) that he hadn’t thought this far ahead. Hadn’t expected how good it would feel to see his former rival/hookup go so casually compliant on Griffin’s order. This is nothing like the sloppy, awkward makeouts they shared as young cadets; they’re both grown now. And even though he hadn’t expected Keith to be quite so… easy, Griffin was never one to back down.
Still, he allows himself a bit of indulgence, as long as Keith’s giving. Griffin noses along the tempting line of Keith’s neck, then upwards to nuzzle at the curve of his ear. He hasn’t been this close in years, and Keith smells really good.
“You want my advice?” Griffin’s breath ghosts across the curve of Keith’s jawline. “On how to shoot your shot?”
He feels rather than sees Keith’s nod.
“If you want something from me…” Slowly, Griffin pulls back to look at the paladin. Keith should know how deadly serious he is. “…you need to ask me for it. Understand?”
Eyes shiny with anticipation, Keith licks his lips and says, “Yes, sir.”
Griffin’s blood sings at the unexpected title. It takes everything he has not to kiss the man in front of him, not to ravage Keith’s mouth until he’s squirming against Griffin, needing him in a way that Griffin used to fantasize about. He’s a soldier, and one of the best; but it’s been a long time since his self-control has been tested like this.
In the end, he manages to pull away, though just barely. Keith, while still starry-eyed, has the nerve to look a bit smug. It only makes Griffin hotter, for some reason. If that’s Keith’s game, he’ll gladly play it.
“It’s good to have you back, Kogane.” Griffin murmurs. He gives Keith one last, lingering look before sticking his hands in his pockets and turning back towards the dorms.
He’s just about to turn the corner when he pauses, glancing back at Keith with a smug expression of his own. “Oh, and… the kitchen’s already closed.”
 “Motherfu—”
Griffin hums all the way back to his dorm.
50 notes · View notes
henqiguai · 7 years
Text
klance fic rec
enjoy!
❤ = favorite
❤ ❤ ❤ = god-tier
COMPLETED
All In by cheshireree (7k, T)
As far as Lance's teenage heart was concerned, apparently everything started and ended with him cradled in Keith's arms. Or something equally as embarrassing that Lance didn't really want to think about.
or, 5 times Keith carries Lance and 1 time Lance carries Keith.
all we have to do by aknightley (19k, T)
Keith gets hurt during a mission, and Lance is not sure how to handle that.
Lance wakes up on the floor outside of the medical bay, jerking wildly, body a mess of aches and twinges.
As If by surveycorpsjean (6k, M)
The five times Lance was his impulse control, and the one time he wasn't.
Ascension by Gigapoodle (11k, Not Rated)
Four times where Lance feels insecure, and one time where Keith has had enough.
Bright Ideas by ceiland (19k, G)
After a mission meant to be routine goes awry, Keith and the Red Lion crash-land on an ice planet in the rim of an obscure solar system. Except—Lance, in the course of risking his life to save Keith's, winds up stranded on the surface with him. Comms down and Lions out of order, together, they've got to avoid extraterrestrial weather conditions, Galra patrols, and the tension that happens when you're on a time limit to confess your feelings. 
Cut to the Feeling by usernicole (15k, T)
“Let’s do it again,” Keith says breathlessly. “Here and on every planet we come across. Let’s get married on every planet we can.” “Are you joking?” Lance asks, incredulous. “You really want to get married to me on every planet we land on?” “Yes,” Keith says, voice high pitched and shaky with residual adrenaline. “Yes. Every planet. If it feels like this every time, let’s get married ten, twenty, a hundred times.”
“Let’s break records. I want the universe to see us and be jealous.”
Or: Five times Keith and Lance get married, and one time they don't.
Rest of the fics under the cut!
electromagnetic by seabear (25k, T)
Lance spends a lot of time wondering about his place in the universe. And his place with Keith. Oh, also there’s a heist and some fake dating.
Entangled by Purpleneutrino (101k, M)
When Keith found himself mentally linked to Lance of all people, he never thought that it would end in anything but irritation and misery on both sides. He certainly never imagined that it would be a useful asset in team Voltron's fight against the Galra Empire. Now if he can just keep his feelings in check, they might actually have a chance at defeating Zarkon.
Needless to say, when he'd wished for a 'bonding moment' with Lance, this wasn't exactly what he'd had in mind.
(Eventual romance and mature content for later chapters).
excelsior by warmth (4k, Not Rated)  ❤
“Onward and upward,” Lance says. “to greater glory.”
A Fish and a Bird by Methoxyethane (13k, T)
Lance has a boyfriend. Lance does not realize he has a boyfriend. Keith, understandably, does not react well.
got got got it bad by kairiolette (10k, T)
"He leans in to hook his arm around Keith’s shoulders in full. It’s right in Keith ear, when he speaks. “I have a crush on someone new, like, every week.”
“No—it's not someone.” Keith brings his head up, and it feels as heavy on his neck as if it were his center of gravity, and he meets Lance’s eyes with his own. Keith doesn’t mean to communicate something through their silence, he just kind of gets caught up in staring at Lance’s face, which tends to happen lately. Sharp features, cheekbones and chin. Impossible eyes and a loud mouth as expressive as his eyebrows. But Lance seems to come to some understanding on his own. He sits back in a rare, rare moment of speechlessness, that mouth of his slightly pursed and twitching in its search for words in what can only be, though Keith doesn’t know much about body language, immense confusion on the brink of realization."
Or: Keith acknowledges his feelings for Lance and promptly goes through the five stages of grief.
Homesick at Space Camp by Kobot (74k, T)
Lance realizes he's been an asshole to Keith, and on a diplomatic mission to a key planet for the Voltron alliance he... overcompensates.
i want your heaven and your oceans too by mothpoem (11k, T)  ❤
“Not—not that you’d be my rebound! I mean, you’d be helping me take my mind off of this guy, but to be a rebound, I’d have to have dated him first, I think, and he doesn’t even know I like him, so. You wouldn’t be a rebound. At worst, we become badass partners-in-crime with a grudging respect for each other, at best, we’re soulmates for life and this is fate trying to help us find happiness. So. Um.” Lance swallows and looks up at the Blade of Marmora soldier through his lashes. “What say you?”
They look down at their hands for a moment, fingers twisting together in deep thought. Then they’re pulling their gloves off, revealing pale, half-bruised knuckles of the human variation, and their mask is dissolving, giving way to big blue-purple eyes and an achingly familiar jet-black cowlick. “Who,” says Keith Kogane, in that low-pitched rumble that makes Lance’s stomach roil in the good way—holy fuck—“is this guy you’re trying to get over?”
I’d Tap That by VulpesVulpes713 (37k, T)
Keith has never really been good with words. He says what he means, and more often than not, what he doesn't mean, leading to several uncomfortable situations. One of said occasions happens on a planet during a mission, where Keith's attempt at complimenting the blue paladin is entirely misinterpreted, but Keith isn't able to properly apologize before the mission goes south, resulting in Lance being subjected to the 'gifts' the locals possess. So now Keith is at an impasse, with his communication skills severely lacking in the comforting department, and his growing feelings towards Lance making everything so much more difficult than it needs to be. If only there were a way to talk to the blue paladin without using words...
.. ..-. / --- -. .-.. -.-- / .... . / .... .- -.. / -.- -. --- .-- -. / .-.. .- -. -.-. . / -.- -. . .-- / -- --- .-. ... . / -.-. --- -.. . / ... --- --- -. . .-. .-.-.-
i’ll be waiting right here by queenfrog (20k, G)
Keith sighs and runs a hand through his already tousled hair. “I mean, we’ll just take the rings off and that’ll be it. No big deal.”
“No big deal?” Lance squawks, sounding slightly hysterical now. “No big deal?” He stands up quickly and waves his ring finger in front of Keith’s face. “Keith, we said vows. I’m pretty sure that’s the very definition of a big deal.”
Keith and Lance get married. Accidentally.
if we all die young then we won’t get hurt by nikkiRA (8k, G)
“We need him,” Keith says, as much to Matt as to Lance.
“And we need you, too, idiot! Keith, fucking listen to me, you are going to shut up and stop wasting your strength by talking useless nonsense and wait for me and Hunk to get there, all right, because I am not going to let you die, it is not happening, you do not get to kiss me and then die!”
Silence. He hears Pidge say, tentatively, “Excuse me?”
Ignorance is Bliss by YouAreInAComaWakeUp (172k, T)
As it turns out, learning that your house is haunted makes the ghosts a lot more aggressive. Who knew?
Ah, well. At least one of them is hot. And he's the less-evil one, too, so that's always a plus.
in stasis by ilgaksu (26k, T)
The story starts like this: with a story where you think you know the end, until it turns out you don’t, until it turns out you didn’t have a clue.
In which for three months of Lance McClain's life, he lives as an AI, waiting for his prosthetics to come online. It goes about as well as expected.
it’s all in my head by aknightley (7k, T)
"Uh," Pidge said, "Lance? Buddy? What's the deal?"
"That's Lance?" Hunk shouted, somehow still ramming ships away from the castle; Keith felt like bubbles were bursting in his head, effervescent pops of giddy fear mixed with conviction. Lance, he thought, Lance feels like this."Thank God, I thought I was going crazy for a second."
Keith Kogane and the Hufflepuff Enigma by arifail (30k, T)
The highlights of Keith's sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Featuring Quidditch, dick jokes, denial, and an inordinate amount of Lance Sanchez-McClain.
(Hunk and Pidge are there too.)
A Kiss is a Kiss (But it’s never like this) by GibbousLunation (25k, T)  ❤❤❤
“How does this keep happening to us, every time.” Lance grumbled.
“You’d think they’d stop sending us on away missions,” he agreed. Honestly, between the poisonous plants of their last planet, and Lance’s tendency to always end up on the business end of every blaster or pointy ended stick, Allura was just being inefficient at this point.
Or, five times Keith kissed Lance but the situation was less than ideal, and one time Lance finally kissed him back.
ladies and gentlemen we are rocking in space by mayerwien (2k, T)
LANCE do u like the taste of spam, van kieu because thats what ull get 1 glorious terabyte of def-not-garrison-approved viewing matl every hour on d hour
KEITH And now you’re blackmailing me. Wonderful. Look, I’ll tell you, alright? Not because your threat scares me, but because I’d like to cut this conversation as short as humanly possible.
LANCE glad ur being so cooperative ;) ;)
--
Lance gets a new flight simulation partner. Lance makes a bunch of mixtapes. Lance falls in love?
Galaxy Garrison + texting au. For the Klance Zine!
let me melt under the heat of your sun by akaeijis, esbis (24k, T)  ❤❤❤
He begins to seek Keith out in a crowd without meaning to. Eyes occasionally following him like they were magnetized, looking for the familiar waves that barely brush the high uniform collars. He looks for dark hair and dark eyes, crossed arms and a silent frown, stark against the sea of enthusiastic, starry-eyed cadets.
He feels drawn to him.
(Or, Lance falls in love with Keith during the time they spent together at the Garrison.)
((note: this is my favorite fic in this fandom it’s so beautifully written oh my gdo))
A Light in the Dark by usernicole (19k, T)  ❤❤❤
Far away from his friends at the castle, Keith's only way of communicating with them is a battered old phone. This is maybe going to be harder than he thought.
A long-distance, friends-to-lovers fic, set during season four.
Love and Other Questions by squirenonny (113k, T)
One week after news of the Kerberos disaster broke, Pidge receives a new Mark--proof that Matt is still alive. She breaks into the Garrison to find him, only to find herself caught up in the fight for the fate of the universe.
Keith keeps his arms covered so he doesn't have to watch Shiro's scars compounding on his skin--but doing so means cutting off contact with his romantic soulmate, who greets him each morning with a new (and terrible) pickup line.
Shiro and Matt thought they were the luckiest people alive when they found out they were going to Kerberos together. But Shiro hasn't seen Matt's untidy scrawl on his arm in almost a year, and he has no idea if his soulmate is even still alive.
[Canonverse Soulmate AU with romantic and platonic soulmates (and some gray areas in between)]
the meaning of donuts by Katranga (14k, T)
The next few days were filled with Lance informing everyone, multiple times, of their “new” friendship. “We’re friends now, did you hear? Keith and I are friends.” Over and over, big smile, loud voice. Looking between Keith and whoever he was telling like he expected a round of applause. Or confetti. Or a parade. What he usually got was somebody making a crack about bonding moments, which prompted a tight, put-upon sigh on Keith’s end. And Lance would look at him fondly, and Keith would have to bite his cheek to distract himself from how much he wanted Lance to lean over and kiss him. --
Keith realizes he may, potentially, possibly have some feelings for a certain blue paladin and he is Not Thrilled about it.
A Memory Like a Snapshot by MemeKonVLD (10k, T)
Pidge is still close —closer than is entirely comfortable if he has to be honest— giving him an evaluating glance. Lance doesn’t really know where to look, other than up her nose— but that grows old pretty fast. So he looks at himself in the reflection of her glasses. And squints.
He touches his own face for the first time since waking up— and feels the roughness of his chin.
“I have stubble,” he says, and the words are as alarmed as they can be even though they still sound slightly slurred, slightly off.
Pidge blinks a couple of times at him, and finally retracts into a more comfortable distance.
“Well, yeah,” she says. “You are like, what? 22? 23 in a couple of months?”
“I’m feeling— I’m feeling a little queasy,” he says then, with bright spots of color dancing in front of his eyes as he thinks 22.
Suddenly, a bucket gets shoved against his face. He takes hold of it with clammy fingers and he leans on his side so he can... use it. Thoroughly.
“I’m having Garrison flashbacks,” he hears Pidge say.
(Or: Lance is stung by an alien bug, loses his memories temporarily and makes assumptions about his and Keith's relationship. Also, Pidge cheats at Uno.)
My Youth is Yours by MilkTeaMiku (29k, G)
An unforseen blast in the middle of a battle de-ages Lance into a child for a week.
Keith does not understand babies.
No Greater Gift by usernicole (20k, T)  ❤
Keith gets a cat, learns the True Meaning of Family, and falls in love. In that order.
Of Escorts and Espionage by hisboywriter (95k, Not Rated)  ❤
Lance preened. Escort? That sounded kind of sexy and badass. “Why, of course, Princess,” he said, standing up to offer his hand at Allura. “I would escort you to the most Galra-infested reaches of the galaxy if you asked.”
Allura’s arm rose but the hand she placed in Lance’s palm was not hers.
It was Keith’s. ~
AKA I just really wanted klance blossoming through an adventure
open your arms to me by aknightley (17k, T)  ❤
Lance quickly finds Keith’s communication signal and hits call.
A few seconds later, he realizes what he’s just done, panics, and immediately slams the 'end call' button.
“Shit!” he hisses through his teeth, throwing the tablet on the bed and recoiling away from it like it’s a poisonous snake rather than innocent alien technology. Its screen goes blank again, wiped clean the way he wishes his impulsive action could be. “What am I doing?”
Premonition by CamelotQueen (22k, T)
It starts with a strange message from Lance, then goes downhill from there.
Keith finds himself trapped between two realities: one where Lance is alive, and one where he is not.
Purple Sky by AmbitiousSkyChild (72k, Not Rated)
Fondly, Keith shook his head. “So,” Keith started, laughter dying down as he leaned over Lance. “Cuba together?”
And Lance beamed – outright beamed – up at him as he pulled him down against his chest. “You bet your sweet ass, Cuba together.”
Keith, rash as he could often be, understood that his responsibility as a paladin of Voltron was to the universe. So, he understood that despite what they felt, he and Lance couldn't be anything other than paladins, at least until the war was over.
After nine years of rivalry, turned pining, turned something just shy of lovers, the war is over. The paladins are headed to Earth, Lance isn't wasting any time, and Keith, as much as he loves a challenge, just tries to keep up.
Run into the Bright Lights by peanutbutterapple (36k, T)
Keith was pretty sure his heart was going to explode out of his chest and if he didn’t do something about it, things were going to get bloodier than they already were.
Keith accidentally tells Lance his feelings on April Fool's Day, and Lance really knows how to take a joke.
‘Shiro and Keith’s Kickass Fighting Techniques’ by Lance MClain by skystiel (11k, T)
'And, really, it’s a pretty brilliant idea. Until Shiro’s Kickass Fighting Techniques quickly becomes Shiro and Keith’s Kickass Fighting Techniques.
That’s when things start going downhill.
Because soon enough, the bulleted list consists of more than just fighting techniques.'
or: Lance starts with one role model and ends up with two, a myriad of confusing emotions, and a notebook filled with condemning evidence which Hunk must never see
so what are you waiting for by saltylances (6k, T)
Lance swallows. He tries to refocus his attention on the slight prickling of his wound instead of the proximity of Keith’s face.
“Y’know. The suit. It doesn’t look like you ever get out of it. What do you wear to bed when you’re at the base, anyway? Some purple Marmorian jammies with little blades printed on them?”
Keith pulls a face. “What does my outfit when I go to bed there have to do with anything?”
“Holy quiznak!” Lance barks out a laugh. “You totally go to sleep in the suit, don’t you?”
“What? No – I – Lance, shut up!”
so why don’t we fall by aknightley (8k, E)
Five times Lance used a pet name for Keith, and one time Keith used one for Lance.
Keith has no basis for having a relationship with someone, so he's trying to follow Lance's lead.
something slow, something good by hiuythn (9k, T)
They fall together in increments, like the shifting of glaciers, of mountains strong and true. They fall in together, and it's inevitable.
--- Keith lands half on him and half on Red, laughing unrestrainedly. There’s fruit stains all over his mouth and chin and more on his hands and shirt, and Lance can feel the stickiness catch on his hair where Keith’s buried his fingers into.
the stars are bound to change by angstinspace (50k, T)  ❤
Both paladins turned to their new, small alien companion. She lifted her head to look at each of them in turn, her eyes round. Keith laid a gentle hand on her shoulder.
“How about you, Zola?” he said. “Are you ready to go?”
She didn’t answer right away. Then she hesitantly asked, “Where are we going?”
As he made eye contact with Lance over her head, Keith could have sworn he felt something electric in the air: a simultaneous resurgence of determination.
“We’re going to take you home.”
Keith and Lance rescue a little alien girl from a hostage situation and bring her home ... and learn a few things about themselves and each other along the way.
Sweet Quiznak by CheckeredCloth (6k, T)
"You're really into him," Hunk mutters, and wow, Lance's face is on fire. Hunk is killing him.
"Look, read into how you like, Freud, just make sure that if I die Keith knows I totally would've mowed his ass like grass. That way, I can laugh hysterically at his emotionally-constipated expression from the afterlife."
Or: Lance is badly injured and has a few skeletons in his closet. Or maybe just the one.
time out of mind by aknightley (27k, T)
Keith and Lance wake up married. In the future.
He lays there a moment, processing the faint throbbing in his head, a strange bitter taste like lemons in his mouth. When he opens his eyes, the room spins wildly into a kaleidoscope of colors, so he closes them again, breathing in and out until he feels less like he might throw up. He suddenly registers a warm weight over his waist, and lifts his head to see a brown arm thrown over him. It looks startlingly familiar, but different, bigger than he remembers, more toned.
Keith turns all the way around and comes face to face with Lance sleepily blinking his own eyes open.
Today, anew by MemeKonVLD (5k, M)
“Lance.”
Lance’s eyebrows furrow in concern for a second before his whole face goes gentle and open.
“Hey buddy, everything okay?”
Keith nods. Then shakes his head, then opens his mouth to let out a noisy sob before he’s hugging the air out of Lance, grip vise tight.
Lance hugs him back. That’s one of the great things about him— he doesn’t— he doesn’t need explanations for things like this. He doesn’t make Keith jump through hoops, the way other people might— he’s just— he just knows what Keith needs in times like this. No façades, no posturing.
(Or: the one where Keith is trapped in a time loop. A time loop from hell.)
you anchor me back down by aknightley (5k, T)
Five missing moments, and a moment that hasn't happened yet.
"Okay," Lance says doubtfully, "Just wanted to check. This has been..." He pauses, looking deeply at Keith for a moment. Keith stares back, trying to fit this boy into his memory, trying to figure out why the curve of his mouth is so familiar, why his voice leaves something itching at the back of Keith's throat. "A really weird day," Lance finishes finally, and looks away from Keith at the moon.
WIP
Antidote by salineshots (53k (8/?), E)
Based very loosely off of @eyugho's lovebug AU, which I love more than anything?? Thanks to them for starting this wonderful AU!
Keith's bitten by a lovebug, but this one doesn't make him all cuddly. Instead, every moment he spends away from Lance is physically painful for him, and every moment he spends touching him is really, really nice. That's frustrating enough already without Keith having to hide his massive crush.
Lance just wants to help, but he knows that Keith doesn't like to be touched. Also hiding a massive crush, because these two are horrible at communication.
I Was Born a Lion by spectralPHOBIA (15/?, G)
After Keith discovers he is part Galra and Red lion rejects him, there's only one way he can make himself useful: to join Galra and try to wreck them from the inside, while figuring out a relationship with a guy who turns out to be his biological father.
A comic about one stubborn man’s self-discovery, the challenges of spying, everyone in team Voltron being BAMF, and the universe that needs saving, as usual.
((note: this is a (brilliant and beautiful) comic! it’s tagged as klance, but as of now, it’s keith-centric))
in your shoes by lydiamartin (42k (10/?), T)
Hollywood did not prepare him for waking up in the body of a complete stranger.
Keith tried not to stare at this person’s junk in the full-body mirror. He did not know them, and no matter what Pidge might say, just because he’s Texan it doesn’t mean he was raised in a fucking barn like a savage. He would not act like a savage.
(Or, the one where Keith and Lance live in different cities but swap bodies – and angry love notes – multiple times a week.)
Live. Die. Repeat. by greenteafiend (42k (5/?), M)
On the day of the arrival Keith is forced to watch as a mysterious monster slaughters first Shiro, and then his classmates from the Garrison, one by one. It kills him too, but not before he manages to wound it grievously.
And then he wakes up back in bed that morning, alive and unharmed.
aka Keith is stuck in a time-loop and every time he dies, the day resets.
Moonset Deep by MilkTeaMiku (72k (29/?), T)
All his life he’d been told to make sure he was never seen – it was what all the children were taught from the moment they were born. Never let a human see you, never fall in love with a human, and most importantly, never kiss one.
For Lance, humans were a mystery. He'd lived beneath the surface of the ocean with his shoal his entire life, and had intended to remain there. He knew the danger humans posed to his kind, and what would happen if he came close to one. That's why, when he found one drowning, his first instinct was to save him.
He'd never been good at following the rules anyway.
red skies by angstinspace (18k (2/?), T)
Lance clambered up the sliding pile of garbage––scraps of metal and glass that cut into his palms and crunched underneath his boots.
A strange, inescapable feeling pulsed in his chest. Maybe he was imagining it, but he could have sworn his talisman was burning hot against his skin beneath his shirt, tugging him forward with a magnetic force.
Lance doesn't know where he comes from––only that he was found in a forest on a distant planet when he was an infant, with no sign of his origin except a blue talisman around his neck. Nowadays he's content to travel the universe with his best friend Hunk, scavenging and selling goods. But that all changes when a girl named Pidge hitches a ride with them, and in the same day the trio finds a crashed ship carrying nothing but a boy with no memory of who he is ... and a red talisman that matches Lance's.
The Shattering of Altea by YouAreInAComaWakeUp (100k (22/?), T)
Altea is a world of dragons, magic, and, until recently, war.
It's also entirely fictional.
When Lance put on his VR headset, he fully expected everything he experienced from that point on to be false.
But his feelings for the kill-stealing jerk in red armor couldn't be more real.
57 notes · View notes
tsuckishima-kun · 8 years
Text
"Don't you dare walk away" prompt
Klance Story ✨MY WORK !!✨ inspired by @an-exotic-writer 's 5 word prompts.
He was walking through the castle when he heard his long-term boyfriend. A smile appeared on the quirky, brown-haired boy’s tan appearance. The tan boy walked to his lover’s door and was going to knock when he overheard him speaking to someone. He listened to the hurtful words that left his other half’s lips
“I love you. I love you more than words could describe. I don’t know-”
The tan boy couldn’t listen anymore and yelled, “how could you do this to me ?!” before running off to hide somewhere he knew no one would find him. He could help but wonder who else was in there with him that he loved me than him.
On the other side of the door was a boy with a very light complexion, but with a very dark mullet. He sat on his bed in disbelief next to his little, glasses friend. “I can’t believe this. He thinks I’m cheating on him. What am I going to do?”
“It’s going to be okay. All you have to do is explain. He’ll understand I know it.” The with the glasses tried to comfort him but he was very unsure of the situation.
The raven haired male reached for the teddy bear that his other half had given to him as a 6 month anniversary gift. “he thinks i’m cheating… but I thought he knew how much he meant to me.”
Stricken with sadness, he let the silent tears fall as he couldn’t believe that his long-term boyfriend of 3.5 years, thought he was cheating.
The blue paladin was running through the castle as fast as his legs would take him to his lion. The only thing on his mind was that he wanted to be alone. As he got to his lion, he climbed in allowing the tears to dip down his tan complexion. His thoughts were running wild. All his insecurities, his fears, his greatest demons were set free.
“I told you he would find someone better. You were never good enough for him. You don’t deserve him. He’s too good for you. There’s someone better for him.”
Lance couldn’t take it anymore. His thoughts were too loud for him. He pulled out a small blade he kept hidden so no one would find it. He sat and stared at it. “I never thought i’d use this again,” he whispered. Lance shut his eyes and let the cold metal press on his skin, letting the blood drop down and it made one mark after another. When Lance met Keith, he felt an instant connection. Although at the beginning they had a love/hate relationship, it grew to a close friendship. They told each other their darkest secrets, and Lance’s was self harm. Since than, Keith has helped Lance whenever her felt the urge. Today, Lance broke a 4 year clean streak, and he kept going. It was one cut after another. Ever cut he made hurt more than the other, not because of creating the cut, but because Lance was so hurt that Keith loved somebody else. It broke his heart.
Keith was lying in his bed with his head resting on his pillow. He felt weak, like his body was sinking. He wanted to run after his lover, but every breath he took, his body felt heavier.
What have I done, he thought.
The red paladin had always had a fear of abandonment ever since he was a little boy. He was always on his own and never relied on anyone else but himself. When he met the rest of the paladins, he slowly let his guard down, but with Lance, he could tell him everything. He felt comfortable and safe around him. Lance knew all of his darkest secrets, even about his dreadful past and him being part Galra. Lance had accepted him for all that he was and all of his mistakes and flaws.
His thoughts were jumping around in his head.
“I told you he would leave. No one ever stays. He gave up just like everyone else. You should have pushed him away when you had the chance.”
Lance’s words kept replaying in his head “How could you do this to me ?!” He felts the hurt and sorrow in his voice. Keith knew that he needed to get his ass out of bed, and go find his lover and explain what happened and he knew exactly where to find him.
Keith made his way to the blue lion and it was surprisingly easy for him to get inside without the lion snapping. He walked in and saw Lance just sitting and crying on the flower. Keith’s heartbroke. He couldn’t believe what had happened.
What have I done? Keith thought. He let down his partner, his best friend, his world.
Keith approached Lance making sure not to make quick movements so he wouldn’t snap. He failed and Lance shot up his head and as soon as he laid eyes on Keith, hurt and anger filled his eyes. Lance stood up, still with blood dripping from his arms.
“You hurt me. You told me you would be there for me. You LIED to me!” Lance’s words struck him like a blade to the heart. He saw the hurt and pain that he had caused Lance
“Lance…” was all the escaped his lips.
Before Keith could say anything else, he was being shoved out the door. “Get out. I don’t wanna see you anymore.”
Keith quickly pulled him back and started to explain, “Lance I know you’re angry, but I can explain really.”
Lance ignored him and was shooting hurtful words, “i knew you liked Allura from the beginning. You always have.”
“Lance, no! It wasn’t Allura! I was talking to Pidge!” Keith realized what he had said, “No wait it’s not like that. I ca-”
Tears started flooding into Lance’s eyes, “So you pick my best friend over me? That’s how you really feel?”
At this point Lance had stopped yelling but now got quiet and soft. Tears were falling down his face like a waterfall. He just couldn’t stand to look at Keith anymore I have to go out. I can’t look at him right now. Lance thought.
He turned around and started running out when Keith took a hold of his hand and spoke desperately, “Lance, please,” Lance turned around and saw the sadness in Keith’s eyes as he continued to talk, “please don’t walk away from me.” Keith pulled him closer as trying to look him in the eyes but the insecure boy looked away as his lover continued. “You have stayed by my side for so long. Whether we were fighting, or we were playing video games, and even fighting Galra, you’ve always been there by my side no questions asked. I know we had a rocky start to our relationship but if I’m being honest, I was only an ass because I was trying to hide my feelings from you. I knew from the start that you were going to be a big part of my life and that I’d have a connection with you, and that scared me because I’ve never had to rely on someone else. Something about made it easy for me to do so. And words can’t describe how grateful I am for you to be in my life.”
Lance was full of tears, “then why were you telling Pidge that you loved them and that they were the best thing in your life?”
Keith took a deep breath in and spoke softly, “because i was practicing.” Lance gave him a confusing look as Keith took his hands and got on one knee and pulled out a ring. “I was practicing because I wanted to find the right words to say ask you a very important question. Lance Charles McClain, will you marry me and allow me to spend the rest of my life with you? It would be an honor.”
Keith opened the box revealing an elegant gold band with slight diamond detailing. Lance was crying into his hands and lunged to hug Keith, “I’m so sorry I ever doubted you. Yes I would marry you. I love you so much. We’re going to be together forever.”
Keith relaxed himself into Lance’s warm embrace. After their 5 minute hug, Keith put the ring in Lance’s finger and kissed his cheek, “come on babe, let’s get you cleaned up and so you can show that ring off to everyone.”
And with that the two insecure individual boys became a strong, confident duo. And lived happily among the stars. (get it bc they’re in space)
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acrownofblueroses · 8 years
Text
Klance Fic Recs- AU Settings Pt II
FANTASY
Mermaids/Sirens Watercast (WIP) by fishwrites Shiro has been a Galra prisoner for over a year; with his flight feathers clipped and unable to fly. Desperate to escape, he jumps overboard while being transported to the capitol on a Galran ship. Lance is a merman who saves him from drowning. Keith thinks Shiro is about to become mermaid dinner. Hunk just wants Lance to stop going to the surface all the time, dammit!
(AU where Avians (winged folk), Galra, humans and merfolk cohabit earth. Shiro and Keith are avian soldiers, Lance is the youngest son of a Queen, Hunk is also a merman and Pidge is still looking for her family.)
Pass Like the Weather by crxzy “What’s it like?” “What’s what like?” “You know, being a mermaid and all.” “It’s very wet.”
AKA- that vaguely sad, slightly angsty, mainly just cute and kinda strange mermaid AU that nobody asked for but me.
Moonset Deep (WIP) by MilkTeaMiku All his life he’d been told to make sure he was never seen – it was what all the children were taught from the moment they were born. Never let a human see you, never fall in love with a human, and most importantly, never kiss one.
For Lance, humans were a mystery. He'd lived beneath the surface of the ocean with his shoal his entire life, and had intended to remain there. He knew the danger humans posed to his kind, and what would happen if he came close to one. That's why, when he found one drowning, his first instinct was to save him.
He'd never been good at following the rules anyway.
To Resist the Siren’s Call (WIP) by leolovesnico Ever since the death of his mother, Lance McClain can't bring himself to love the sea as his father does- who knows what could lurk beneath the surface? With the threat of a war looming over his head, Lance needs to face his face in order to save their country from the Galra. (Fantasy au, mermaid au, voltron secret santa gift 2016)
the sea pronounces something by legendarydesvender “You’re the best we have.”
“Shiro was the best and we all know what happened to him.”
“That’s the thing, Kogane — we don’t know what happened to him, or the Holts, or anyone else who went in there and never returned. There is a good chance you won’t make it back either. But if you don’t give a damn about that, the mission details are in here.”
Keith shrugs. “Well, I’ve got nothing left to lose.”
***
AU where Keith is a sailor and Lance is the siren trying to drown him.
See You Tomorrow by Craptastic He stands frozen as a creature of magnificent beauty swims up to him with a smirk on his lips. The dwindling sunlight catches the creature's iridescent tail causing the colors to alter between shades of blue and green. The creature is a thing of fairy tales with half a body of a human and the other of a fish. The beauty that lays before him was from fairy tales, nothing in reality could be as beautiful.
It has to be a dream.
breathless by zxrysky "You shouldn't go out to the sea at night," their grandmother says. She's in a rocking chair, old and creaky, her withered body settled with a shawl around her shoulders, wrinkled fingers gripping the edges of the arm rest. "Don't risk it."
"Risk what?" Shiro asks, eyes wide. He's fourteen, just a young boy, on the cusp of maturity, arms wrapped around his younger brother as they sit before their grandmother.
His grandmother pauses for a while. "There is danger in the sea."
Going Under by sun_stricken Lance takes a dangerous spill in the ocean and is saved by none other than a mermaid with weird hair.
Or: a mermaid keith au, with not even gratuitous amounts of surfing sorry my bad
Seafoam Castles (WIP) by milkdromedas Lance has what one may be able to call a near-death, close-encounter experience with a mer...person.
No, really.
Elemental Powers (a la Avatar Last Airbender ish) Foundations by needchocolatenow When Keith met Lance, it was over a briny sea.
Soulmates I Will Follow by jamwrites Keith and Lance are bound by their soulmate tattoos, bound to meet again and again with each new new life. When lives hang in the balance, that bond will be sorely tested.
An explosion of golden pleasure and joy and love for Keith rushed through Lance’s body like a tidal wave, every bit as strong as when the flower had first bloomed. His legs suddenly were gooey; it was everything he could do not to crumple to the floor.
“Okay, okay,” Lance said, panting a little. “Sorry.”
But he was smiling while he said it, because now he wanted nothing more than to be close to Keith, and he could tell Keith wanted the same.
You don’t have to say “I love you”, to say I love you by haarucchii soul mate noun noun: soulmate a person ideally suited to another as a close friend or romantic partner.-In which Lance's soulmate, isn't really his.
A Shove Towards Love by General_Button A simple rescue mission turns into chaos when the species on the planet Novaria take an interest in the lives of two of its paladins.
In It To Win It by Lucy_Claire One of two things was happening right now, either Lance was having a heart attack on of the biggest day of his life, or he had just laid eyes on his Soulmate. _______
Competitive swimmer Lance McClain feels his Timer counting down right when he’s about to jump in the water and finish up his race. He’s faced with two choices in this moment: Continue the race and miss meeting his Soulmate at their fateful time or abandon his life’s work for someone he never met.Lance makes his choice and has to suffer the consequence of never getting back what he missed out on. Or does he?
Love and Other Questions (WIP) by squirenonny One week after news of the Kerberos disaster broke, Pidge receives a new Mark--proof that Matt is still alive. She breaks into the Garrison to find him, only to find herself caught up in the fight for the fate of the universe.Keith keeps his arms covered so he doesn't have to watch Shiro's scars compounding on his skin--but doing so means cutting off contact with his romantic soulmate, who greets him each morning with a new (and terrible) pickup line.
Shiro and Matt thought they were the luckiest people alive when they found out they were going to Kerberos together. But Shiro hasn't seen Matt's untidy scrawl on his arm in almost a year, and he has no idea if his soulmate is even still alive.
[Canonverse Soulmate AU with romantic and platonic soulmates (and some gray areas in between)]
daytime star by draconicwyvern Keith's neighbor across the balcony is annoying. And not just annoying — Lance is get-on-your-nerves, make-you-want-to-punch-a-wall annoying. So when Lance announces he's moving to Colorado, Keith finally feels as if the world is back to being just him and the night stars.
But things don't go as planned: the paper airplanes, the scent of coffee at 1:00 a.m., the words inscribed on Keith's neck, and the slow curl of a blue flame echoing in his chest. And maybe, just maybe —
— stars do exist in the day.
in between suns by drowninships Lance thinks he would always remember Keith like this; he would always remember the glow of his eyes, the fall of his hair, and the rhythm of his laugh, the callouses of his hands.
When he sleeps, it's all he sees. In his dreams, he would never forget.It's just that — every time he wakes, he doesn't remember a thing.
--
What do you do when you meet your soulmate in your dreams but can't remember anything when you wake up? What happens when you meet them and suddenly, the dreams stop?
(Soulmate AU!!!!!)
Fragmented by darkgaaraluver In a world of soulmates, Lance drew the short straw. The indelible marks forever marked him inferior to his soulmate, and the people around him, what made it even worse were the first words that pass Keith's lips...
The Marks We Make (WIP) by wittyy_name Lance McClain constantly dreams of the day he’ll finally meet his mysterious soulmate. They don’t say much, if anything at all, but they leave him with gorgeous paintings temporarily tattooing his skin. It’s not exactly the situation he hoped for, but when he feels the connection between them, he can’t bring himself to resent them. As much as he wishes his soulmate would just talk to him, he’s resigned himself to being patient. In the meantime, he has a loving family and good friends to help him get by.
Keith Kogane dreads the day he’ll finally meet his obnoxious soulmate. He’s just an art student who’s struggling to find his place in the world. There’s so much he hasn’t been able to control in his life, and the thought of having a soulmate, just another thing in his life which he also has no control over yet can’t do anything about, is a little terrifying. So he ignores the words that occasionally appear on his skin. He has other things to focus on: like being a new student at a big university where his childhood friend and step-brother go.
Witches Forget Me Not (WIP) by TheHomestuckWhovian There Keith was, surrounded by all his friends, a picture of total contentment. At least, he would be, if something weren't missing.
Keith agrees to test a spell for his brother's best friend and discovers a vaguely familiar boy who no one can remember. What follows is a series of magical shenanigans that will either be tragic or entertaining as hell.
The Quilted Lion (WIP) by geewillikers Keith is stuck in New York City barely making ends meet so he and Pidge can live in a decent part of the city close to her university. They scrape by on the illegal winnings Keith makes in street boxing matches, but his manager, Shiro, decides that it's time Keith gets a side job. He's whisked into The Quilted Lion café owned by the woman Shiro's been fawning over for over a year, only to find that he has more to worry about than his lack of magic and cooking skills-
-There's a waiter at The Quilted Lion who is entirely Keith's cup of tea.
Magic Me Some Love by KaSaPe When Shiro's arm gets cut off while he is trying to protect Keith, Keith doesn't see any way to save his life but to break into the Galra's castle and steal some of their magical medicine. But nothing goes as planned and when he exits the castle empty handed he is cursed to look like a Galra until he accepts his halfbreed status. He is convinced that he has condemned Shiro to death - and then he learns of a magician that might be able to help just in time.
Meanwhile Lance didn't expect a Galra to turn up at his door, demanding him to save his half dead (human?!) friend. And he certainly didn't expect to fall in love with him either.
throw fairy dust at me by zxrysky "Are you going to do the telepathic thing?" Lance asks, standing up and dusting stray hairs off his shirt. "Where you get into my mind which, cough, is my private space?"Blue opens an eye. "Yes."
Okay, Lance isn't going to argue with that. If he were a lazy cat, he'd probably do the same. But for now, he's going to go check out some clubs, make some friends, maybe hang out with some cute girls, and Lance is a Man with A Plan.He's going to enjoy himself.
-=-
Lance is enrolled into Altean Castle. It's filled with magic.
throwing shadows by ilgaksu “Dude,” Lance says, “It’s not my fault he does this!”
“Dude,” Hunk says, and leaves it at that.
What a Cat-Astrophy by annoyedraccoon In an unlucky turn of events, Keith gets cursed and transformed into a cat. To make his life even more miserable, one college kid finds him and decides to adopt him. And worst of all, that kid was Lance.
We’ll Stir the Stars (WIP) by Latios Lance is somewhat of a talent in a family full of sea witches; His usual days consist of practicing his element, flirting with mermaids, and helping his mother brew potions for the local myths around the island. Finding an injured and stubborn dragon named Keith isn't part of that routine, but definitely changes it—and sends him traveling across the sea to recover the dragon's one and only family who was captured by hunters.
Lance only hopes they won't bite each other's heads' off before they even get there.
Dragons He Who Fights Monsters by magisterpavus In a world where monstrous dragons terrorize humanity daily, the Garrison trains valiant Knights to slay the evil beasts and defend Earth. But when Knight cadet Lance Espinosa is kidnapped by a strange red dragon who kills its own kind, certain truths are revealed...and so are the true monsters.
Incubi Sure sounded good at the time by GemmaRose Keith believes in a lot of things, cryptids and aliens and conspiracy theories among them. What he does not believe in, however, are ghosts and curses and demons. Those are as fake as fairy tales. Except for the part where they're really, really not.
Crossposted from the Voltron kink meme.
Vampires one more off key anthem (let your teeth sink in) by maryams Keith sucks at being a vampire and Lance is going to hell. Nothing strange here.
or, supernatural boyfriends go shopping and are confounded by The Gayness™.
Ghosts The Quiet (WIP) by MilkTeaMiku Does he not realise he's dead?
Keith can see ghosts. As a part of his Garrison training, he's sent to a hospital to do one year of medical clerkship - it's there that he meets a charmingly irritating ghost who definitely needs to learn what boundaries are.
your favorite ghosts and planets by xShieru In hindsight, an asthma attack in the middle of the day wasn’t such a terrible way to give up the ghost.
Except this isn't how he imagined afterlife.
An AU about being dead.
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2towels · 8 years
Text
Hope Will Have to Do [V:LD, Chapter 3]
A Voltron: Legendary Defender fic. This is probably gonna be really fucking long. Have mercy on me.
Theme: Vigilante AU
Pairings (Don’t get your hopes up they’re not too heavy yet): Keith/Lance, Pidge/Robots (otp), Shiro/Allura, Hunk/Shay
Rating: T-ish (Swearing, detailed depictions of violence)
Words Total: 15012
Last Chapter: Here
Next Chapter: Soon
Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Day Setting, Alternate Universe - Heroes, the vigilante AU everyone wanted, Strap in it’s gonna get gay, hwhtd, grocery store AU
Chapter Summary:   The beginnings of a team: Hunk breathes life and fear into everything, Keith lies, Pidge Confronts, Allura is Confronted, Coran is proud of his Space Nephew, and Lance puts his best leg forward while Shay cleans up.
Alternate Title: I did in fact update my AO3 over a week ago before remembering it needed to be posted here, too. //salutes
Read on AO3
Altean Markets was a pure source of mystery for everyone who worked there--even their most trusted employees, it seemed, were always surprised at new quirks in the old 'castle'. Allura took good care of the store her father had built, with the support of her closest family, Coran, and the both of them took even greater care to protect its secrets.
Allura never minded divulging the story to those who asked. However, she was careful to make sure it was all they were getting out of her. Everyone could know Alfor Altea had left his spot as the Chief of Arus Police suddenly to pursue his homely dream. Everyone could know he used to have a business partner, and they could pull little else out of Allura. The rest, she knew, was a sacred and dangerous secret.
Coran had approached her the second the newspaper had arrived in the morning, weeks ago. It announced a Blue Paladin, a masked hero of sorts, engaging in resistance against the Galra. Coran seemed proud, as if he knew something she didn't (a notion that was always uncomfortable), but Allura could only find herself to be irritated, at first.
The effort was noble and foolish, especially alone, and Allura almost had the thought of him being a good distraction, but there was no way he could know what he was getting into (he? he looked like a he, but sometimes Allura remembered better than to assume). If he uncovered anything or made any grounds, it would be useful to immediately have his assistance. If anything, she could scare him into giving up and going back to safety while he still could.
That was a few weeks ago, now, and Allura hadn't taken very long narrowing down the population of Arus to suspected Paladins. She had been the top of her class, studying Law Enforcement and Private Investigation--and not for nothing--and Coran interjected new thoughts and angles when her tired eyes swam too much with all the information she had to sort through.
The hospital had reported nothing to the inquiring newspaper, thought Allura had safely decided that it was for lack of information rather than concealing his identity. That alone left the question of whether the Blue Paladin was crafty enough to keep himself unharmed or if he was knowledgeable enough to care for his own wounds. There was a lingering hope of the former, not wanting him to be too battered by the time she'd found him and offered her alliance, but she could not be so naive as to think he could keep himself safe for long on his own. By the blurry photos some had managed, she could also safely assume his masquerade was not a very good one. Eye witnesses described him as wearing face paint and safety goggles, and those alone on his head.
Coran and her both decided it was fair to say they were close to something around the same time Katie Holt barged into her office. She was a small, thin girl, and Coran seemed nothing but mutely surprised, but Allura knew immediately to be suspicious.
"I know you're looking for the Blue Paladin." Was the first thing she said, no introduction necessary to get to her point. "I also know you have information on Kerberos and the disappearances."
They all tensed, then. From Allura's position at her office desk, she could see Coran's hands flex behind his back.
The small girl's stare was just as hard as Allura's own, and she felt something akin to familiarity at the fierceness of it. There were bags under her eyes and her frown was steady, no sense of tearing up or crying in her features. Allura recognized her so well, despite not knowing her quite yet, and she couldn't even begin to deny that determination that mirrored her own so well.
"Yes." Allura spoke carefully, not offering much quite else so fast, "What can we do for you?"
The girl took a half step towards the desk, Coran's eyes narrowed.
"My name is Katie Holt." The words were like a breath of relief and surprise to both adults. "I'm going out into the field." And there the breath was gone.
Allura found herself twitching. "Excuse me?" Was all she asked.
"My family, Takashi Shirogane included, is still alive. The police closed the case before it even began. I know you have information and I know you're the holder of the LIONs-"
Coran stepped in front of the desk as Allura stood, "You are not to be pursuing the LIONs, nor are they of any concern to you."
Katie looked affronted, bristling and clenching her fists. "I don't want them!" She replied hotly, "I want my father ! And they were his invention, too!"
Hard stares turned into glares. "You will not be receiving them, no matter your father's contribution."
"I don't want them. I want the information." For such a small girl, her words were all venom. "I have my father's notes, and what I've hacked in the police database, but I need to know what you can tell me before I go out into the field."
Coran glanced over his shoulder at Allura a moment before speaking. "Now what training do you have to be setting off at night?" His voice was careful, a little softer and calming to the other two.
"I took self defense and beginning firearms training," Noting Coran's lack of impress, she continued, "I'm going to aid the Blue Paladin, not go out alone."
"Has the Blue Paladin asked this of you? What makes you sure you'll be of any use to him?" Allura interjected.
A snort came from Pidge. "He won't refuse help. Right now, he's just doing street control, but if I'm there we can have an objective. Actually do some damage. With a plan ."
"How do you know he's not already doing internal attacks beyond his street endeavors?" Coran asked carefully, sharing another look with Allura.
Katie was silent, staring at them both for a hard minute or so. "Lance McClain is the Blue Paladin. He doesn't know I know, or that I know him, but we used to scrimmage on the same squadron in Garrison training."
That was a lot of information at once. "Lance?" Allura nearly cried out, though not of disbelief, before continuing, "Garrison training? How old are you?" This small girl didn't look anywhere near old enough to be in the police training the Garrison put up.
Her defenses were back up immediately, and Coran had left the room abruptly, his footsteps being heard down the long hallway that led into the grocery store from her office. "I attended as a cadet for two months after they went missing." Her reply was hot, and it was obvious she was trying to keep her calm. "He was our assistant trainer before he left before graduation. I'm seventeen." Something irked Katie deeply about being the one dishing all the information, but she knew she had to give to be offered anything.
The silence as Allura walked around her desk was near deafening. While Katie's defenses were all raised, there was the softest smidge of nerves in her stiff shoulders.
"Lance probably wouldn't like that you've given his identity." Allura said delicately.
"Fair point." The small shoulders loosened a fraction, "But he won't know we know, because nobody's going to tell him." Instead of objectivity, Katie seemed to be challenging Allura to object.
The older woman had no such response, however. She knew personally what Lance's life was filled with from a friendship of sorts that lasted so long and stories to top it off. He had so much family he loved, and so many people he was close to. Both Katie and Allura could deeply understand the want to protect that.
"Of course." Allura finally replied, turning to a busy looking wall and fishing her fingers into a hidden slit of a door handle. "This way, then."
The next day, Lance asked Allura if she'd heard anything of the 'dashing rogue' of the Blue Paladin, and she almost couldn't keep herself from giggling at his crestfallen look when she replied, "Bit of a fool, if you ask me."
Two days later, the newspaper posted a grainy image and evidenceless article of the new "Green Paladin." Allura could make out the gadgets on the waist of the baggy clothes, along with the hard-to-discern tuft of hair poking from the edges of the cap she was wearing. The newspaper said 'he'. Katie knew what they were doing.
"Keith." Lance seethed, making a sharp gesture towards the floor of the giant freezer, "What. Is this."
The young man being questioned let out a suffering breath and checked his phone. His phone ended over five minutes ago, but the lanky freezer boy often insisted on this interrogation. "It's a bucket of lemon filling." When the sharp gesturing hands changed directions, he adjusted his statement, "That's a bucket of cherry filling."
A muffled groan met his ears, and Lance gestured to a sign on the wall, one that Keith pointedly ignored very often. In all honesty, with Lance picking this fight for the first time in a few weeks, Keith was surprised. He signed, his breath coming out in puffs, and asked, "What does that sign say, Keith?"
"Dairy." He replied coolly, glancing to the designated area for bakery items, next to the seafood. It was full, and Keith had silently wondered for weeks now if Coran was overstocking or if their bakery sales were drastically changed. Then again, Keith was busier than ever with orders and product quantity adjustments, so it couldn't be so bad.
"Are lemon and cherry filling dairy products?" Really, Lance didn't quite have the authority to reprimand Keith like he seemed to be edging, but he did fully have the right to be irritated at the disorganization in his own department.
"Not really." Ten minutes since his shift ended. "Dairy has the most room. It's nearly empty."
If Lance's eyes were going to pop out of his skull, Keith was sure they was close. "That's because we get our shipment tonight."
A beat of silence passed, and Keith watched with furrowed brows as Lance signed, more tired than irritated this time. "So move them." Keith grunted, shoving his hands in his pockets. The freezer was not a place for extended exposure, and Keith secretly wondered how Lance could spend every day in here for hours at a time. He could barely stand ten minutes. "Just put them where there's room and no shipments for the next few days."
"Few days ?" Lance finally sputtered, glancing around the giant frozen room.
"Pies aren't on sale until next week. I have no idea why Coran bought them early." A small shiver ran as his skin pricked in goosebumps. Fuck, it was too cold for this.
He was surprised when Lance gave no further objections, just turning with a frown to lift the five gallon buckets. Keith watched carefully as his shoulder seemed to jerk slightly as he lifted (correctly, at least), and his face rolled over his shoulder to hide his grimace until he calmed again.
The buckets ended up next to boxes of frozen fruit. Lance seemed surprised himself when Keith was still there when he turned to return to organizing. Keith, even, was a little surprised at himself, and pursed his lips into a scowl. "RICE your shoulder or something. You can't work and lift back here injured." Before Lance could reply with something that would definitely be an objection or jab, Keith turned and left.
Twenty minutes after he was supposed to have left from his shift, he was halfway to the exit when Katie stopped him.
She had been grating on Keith's nerves for a week or two now, having just started working at Altea as a cashier, and Keith knew she was being investigative, but couldn't figure out precisely what she was up to. Part of him thought she knew about his casual Galra raids, or the warehouse he'd set on fire last week, or anything involving his own careful investigation, but, knowing Katie, she would've said something to him the second she'd confirmed it.
In all honesty, he would have loved to have Katie at his side for the electronics and information he'd been collecting lately--he didn't understand much of it himself, but he'd have to be stupid to not think there was use for the stuff, so it was slowly being collected and left in boxes around his place--but what he was doing was blatantly reckless, even to himself. He knew that if he did find Shiro, the man would be disappointed, grateful, and proud of him all at the same time. To face the Galra alone was just dumb and dangerous. Knowing that, and knowing the fire that coursed through Katie at the mere mention of the Kerberos Disappearances, Keith refused to recruit her for the sake of her safety and avoiding blatant reprimanding from Shiro when he was found.
But it was obvious, at least to Keith, that Katie was up to something of her own, and that had him constantly wary.
"Mom wants to know if you wanna come around for dinner tonight." Was all Katie said, however.
Since Kerberos, Colleen Holt had invited Keith over for dinner every week without fail. Keith had only accepted three times, but the Holts were not phased. Colleen, through her son's being best friends with Shiro, knew Keith far too well for his liking, and though she never said anything specifically, she knew Keith was not the best at caring for himself since Shiro's disappearance had consumed him.
"What time?" Keith said, exasperation tinging his words as he brushed flour off of his pants.
"Seven, after I get off work. Don't fall asleep."
It was a toss up for how likely it was for Keith to sleep. He worked early and worked harder late. Ignoring the comment, he asked, "Do you want me to take you home? Who's picking you up?"
"I'm walking." When Keith said he'd be there to pick her up, she seemed completely unsurprised, but stopped him one more time before he left. "Did you hear about that giant warehouse fire a few nights ago?" God damn it.
"I don't watch the news, Katie."
"It was in the newspaper." Keith shrugged as she continued, "Seems dumb to me to just burn the whole place down, Galra or not."
Before Keith could pretend he wasn't getting defensive, she was gone. Much more irritated than before, he started towards the exit again, and huffed aloud when Hunk backed into his way.
"Dude."
"Oh. Sorry, Keith." He was pulling a cart of noodles in different sizes and types. There were a lot of bow ties. When Hunk saw his gaze, he shrugged. "Soup kitchen night, gotta get this stuff together so it's ready for Allura to take over before the crowd."
Keith watched with a small fascination as, from across the racks of produce, Shay (Shy? Sharon? Keith didn't really remember her name) called to Hunk, holding up two bags of potatoes, and Hunk seemed to completely lose all calmness. His dark skin turned a furious red as she beamed at him, and he swallowed before calling "Brown!" back.
ShayShySharon nodded, put the potatoes in her left hand into her cart, and grabbed two more bags to join it.
"Dude." Keith said again when he seemed lost a second.
"Right! See ya, Keith!" Hunk hurried aside and finally let the baker free.
With a wave as he exited the aisle and consecutively the store, Keith called, "Later, big guy," and finally made it to the parking lot. Hoping the night would continue without incident, Keith got onto his motorcycle and left Altean Markets in a blur.
That night, after not falling asleep and having a Holt sponsored dinner of pork chops and steamed vegetables, Keith rode the streets in pursuit of a grunt who had tried to tag his bike. it was petty revenge against a petty crime attempt, but he was particularly riled up at his lack of answers, and would take any sort of action in the Galra he could.
His U-turn sent him almost parallel to the ground when he heard an airhorn sound a block and half behind him. Obnoxious, if not suspicious, and probably used as a squad signal, it he didn't think it was so dumb and indiscreet.
When he came to the scene of a lanky boy clad in all blue in the middle of a street brawl, he wasn't sure what else he was wondering for. There were three Galra 'soldiers' around him like sharks, but he seemed capable, if nothing else, under that pressure.
"Pidge, don't follow, they're big." He said into the receiver of the walkie talkie in his hand.
"How many?" A staticy reply came, and the blue boy jumped over one of the grunts as the sequence of brawling broke out again from it's momentary pause.
The boy's eyes met Keith's through both his obnoxious hardware glasses and Keith's own motorcycle helmet visor, but he was distracted again immediately as someone flicked out a knife.
"I'd get out of here, buddy!" He called over his shoulder as he shot his stun gun towards the smallest of the three.
The notion that this thin boy was going to independently take the three of them down almost made Keith laugh, but he prioritized and joined the fray once he'd hopped off of his bike.
Despite having the peaceful life of a grocery store baker, Keith was no stranger to fights. When he flicked out his own pocket knife, the blue boy's frantic, "Friend or foe, just give me a heads up!" surprised him, not just for it's attentative suddenness, but because it was such a stupid thing to ask. Fights were all about instinct.
Keith combatted the biggest grunt without giving a proper answer, deciding instead to leave some sort of ambiguity to what exactly was going on before he knew too much about the other. When he slapped the knife from a grunt's hand, he noted how the blue boy had lunged forward to grab it and tuck it away in a scramble.
"Do not kill him!" he ordered when Keith's own blade sliced over someone's forearm. Exasperated, yet strangely compelled to follow along, Keith threw a hard and well aimed punch to the grunt at his side and pocketed his own knife again.
The fight, overall, barely lasted more than ten minutes, but there was no hesitation in either boys to speed to Keith's motorcycle when they were finished.
Keith felt the other boy hop on behind him and barely gave him a moment before tearing down the street.
Lance, unbeknownst to him, wrapped his slim arms in a vice grip around Keith, of all people, while letting out a started screech at the suddenness of their speed.
"There was three. I'm good, don't go near that street tonight, Pidge." he said into the speaker as the crazy motorcycle boy in front of him ran a very red light and the following stop sign a block later.
"Blue, are you okay? I can barely hear you. What's going on?" The Green Paladin crackled through the speakers.
A startled laugh left him as they took a sharp turn and he held on tighter again. Keith could feel, over the collar of his jacket, the boy's warm breath fanning across his neck and sweeping towards his shoulder. His body, a hard line against Keith's own behind him, jumped every time his motorcycle gave a kick.
After fifteen minutes of continuous riding, almost to Balmera, the next city over, Keith slowed and came to a stop on the side of the road.
Lance seemed purely out of breath, whooping a few times between deep inhales and shaking a little as he got up. It was a new, safer kind of adrenaline to him, and his heart was hammering. When he saw the smirk the motorcycle man was giving him, his heart hammered faster.
"H-hey. Thanks, man." He managed, his eyes blown clearly wide past his safety glasses.
The helmet nodded. "Where am I taking you? You have a partner?"
Lance blinked and pulled out his walkie talkie again. "Pidge. That's what I call the Green Paladin, sorry. They're probably rooftopping. Can you get me to the square?"
"Sure. Green Paladin?" Keith leaned back into his bike handles.
"You know, the other one that helps the Blue Paladin?" Lance, much slower, joined him again.
"Blue Paladin?" Keith followed up absentmindedly, wondering if they based themselves somewhere near the square or if the blue boy was just taking a precautionary measure.
"The-Me? You know, the Blue Paladin ?" He emphasized, "Enemy to the Galra? Dashing rogue of the night? I'm in the newspaper, like, every other morning!" Lance, though much more hesitant and wary of the motorcycle man now that he seemed to not know him, put his arms to the other's waist and huffed.
"Well, congratulations." Was all he said as they zoomed off.
Lance wasn’t surprised at all when Hunk joined them for patrolling one night. It's more how and when that got him hung up. He always figured his friend would join, despite his fears, sooner rather than later, but with the strange and fleeting presence of the "Red Paladin" in the newspaper (they have no images and only seem to be speculating off of witness testaments as to his deeds--Lance isn't even sure it's the same guy as motorcycle man, or if he would know he was Red if it was), Lance had assumed they'd see him more than the chances of catching Hunk out with them.
Like most of the best entrances to the Blue and Green Paladin's lives, he appears in the midst of a fight, slamming someone into a wall without any of the gentility he was known to specialize in. It was so surprising and unexpected, to see a looming and violent presence like the one Hunk was giving off then, that Lance nearly stunned him on pure reflex. He was clad in all yellows (hideous, surprising shades of yellow), wearing a shirt too tight and face paint in smudged, random patterns. His own pair of safety goggles encased his eyes, a bright orange headband kept his bangs from his face, and work gloves without fingers and thick cuffs encased his hands (to cover friendship bracelets, Lance sympathized fondly). Lance's personal favorite part of the ensemble (besides the work boots made so well for stomping and hulking) had to be the disgusting, mustard yellow coat he wore over himself. Not only was the shade atrocious, but the sleeves were too short, while the rest of it was too big. It was as good of a disguise as any, and Lance recognized his very successful attempt at making himself look huge .
This Hunk wasn't the same Hunk who made cranberry oatmeal cookies for movie night. No, this one was angry Hunk. Shove your face into the ground Hunk. A dangerous kind of Hunk.
Another slam to the wall broke Lance out of his proud thoughts, and they worked with a fluid grace and trust in one another that any galra grunt could only dream of replicating.
When Pidge came to the alley sensing the end of the fight, their Kubotan was raised warily. Lance figured, even with the shutter shades masking their gaze, it was safe to guess who they were staring at.
"This is my friend." And that's all it took to ease the teenager, their shoulders loosening immediately as they went straight to digging through pockets. The Blue Paladin couldn't help the roll of pride that traveled through him knowing he was so trusted by his teammate.
"Are we doing that now? Bringing friends?" Pidge's tone was a little sarcastic, but harbored no more suspicion towards the two nor any unkindness particularly.
Hunk snorted. "I came here on my own, thank you. What are we looking for?" he went to his knees to the grunt Pidge hadn't checked yet.
With a glance over their shoulder for good measure, they listed, "Cell phones, keys, electronics of any kind, really, flash drives , wallets."
"I try to get their guns and any weapons if I can." The Blue Paladin interjected.
"They'll just get more, Blue." The younger sighed. To Hunk, it seemed like a tired conversation.
"Not the point, Pidgeon."
The very next day, everyone knew about the hulking and vicious Yellow Paladin through the Arusian Times .
The three Paladins fell into a comfortable routine. Nightly, Hunk and Lance would patrol, dividing streets evenly when they weren’t next to one another. Pidge joined them at least once every few nights (more often on weekends, Lance found himself noting with amusement), and always showed up after a rough fight, but they either had their own investigative agenda, which was likely, or they were generally prone to avoiding the team when it wasn’t necessary to be around one another.
Despite this, Hunk and Pidge got along even better than Lance did with them. They found out extremely early on that they’re both massive nerds, sparked by Hunk’s initial adjustment suggestions to the security of their private radio frequency. Pidge’s lips had a small curve whenever they talked tech, and Hunk lost all Yellow-esque intimidation tactics in favor of looking like an absolute teddy bear while they talked about projects. He had two more years of school for his engineering courses, and while they’re wary of him divulging certain information about their personal lives, it was refreshing and happy to hear the young man gush.
Pidge was, past being a massive nerd, actually an absolute genius. They were also super humble about that fact, as well, offering only an “I know” a little blandly while their furious fingers clacked away at their laptop through the praise. They’ve taken to hacking into video feeds of local security cameras (Hunk built the scanner, Pidge did the hacking) lately, whenever their nights allowed it. When their nights didn’t, Hunk and Lance had no objections leaving Pidge to hack by themselves, so long as they promised to use the security alarm adjusted onto each of their radios. Lance had initially protested the notion, glaring at the pink ‘Find Me Mommy!’ alarm like he had history with it, but couldn’t refuse the logic and both of his teammates berating his reluctance. He was the leader, after all, and a good leader listened to the insults his teammates hurled at him when he made dumb decisions.
To be fair, however, it was more like dumb decisions always found him . Not the other way around. Times like those made him wish for…something. A specific goal, or for him to listen to any of Pidge’s critical snorts when he claimed his leadership skills were without match, or for Hunk or even the Motorcycle Man/Maybe Red Paladin to appear.
He was good at recognizing time crunches and had plenty of situational awareness to know his environment and things that were going on almost instantly, so it’s not like he didn’t know things were stupid things to do before he even did. It was his natural need to solve problems as quickly as possible and help people the second they needed it that brought out the dumbest plans.
People who weren’t already inside of their houses after dark were either already inevitably going to be in a situation or were gang members. Lance had, honestly, no idea why they even bothered with the subtlety of night anymore. Their numbers in the daytime were less obvious, but everyone knew they were there. Still, they prowled at night time, picking off wanderers and innocents, and the Blue Paladin wouldn’t stand for it.
He’d been getting better at remembering Hunk was around, and reveled in the fact that he could page his teammate reliably and get an immediate ETA from his best friend, but some things couldn’t wait.
The man screaming Lance had been frantically following the sound of was silenced as soon as he’d rounded the corner and caught the glint of silver under the flickering street light. He sounded off his air horn reflexively, both to signal Hunk and to draw attention, and immediately shot to the side as the gang member threw the now bloody knife towards him in an instant.
It skid down the street behind Lance, well aimed if he hadn’t had good reflexes, and the previously screaming young man fell to the ground in a heap as the grunt turned to Lance fully, reaching into his pockets. The man was the first priority, bloody and needing assistance, so he didn’t hesitate despite the brandished gun to send two consecutive jolts of his stun gun into the grunt.
He charged, halting sporadically at the voltage and obviously trembling, but the gun was still aimed at Lance when the second wave ended and the grunt was on his knees.
Lance was not particularly interested in staring death in the face or questioning his own mortality. He used noise and electricity instead of bullets, he stole knives and guns to throw away or drop off at the station whenever he could, and he implored Pidge and Hunk to do the same. A life was a heavy thing to be responsible for, and none of them could probably bear the burden.
Staring down the eye of a gun, Lance remembered the weight and feel of it in his own hand. His days at the Garrison left him trained as a legendary marksman—something he’d been proud of until the targets became people and dread had changed Lance’s perspective of being a police officer one-hundred-eighty degrees from an honorable responsibility to a corrupted and unforgivable weight—but, even knowing his skill, he still hadn’t picked up a gun since he’d dropped out.
The Galra in front of him didn’t seem to have any dread to keep his actions at bay, however, and through gritted teeth he told Lance to fuck off as a shot rang through their ears.
It was…sloppy, actually. It tore across the side of Lance’s thigh, cutting through jeans and some skin, but had done so little damage in comparison to what he’d been expecting that he’d almost laughed. The grunt fell in his own heap, fist still clenched tightly around his gun, and Hunk was at Lance’s side before he realized he was frozen.
“Lance-Oh-.” He didn’t even try for pseudonyms at as his gaze was frantic, strong hands grasping at the thinner boy’s shoulders. “He shot you, dude! You just got shot!” He looked sick, “Pidge I need you here now ! North main! Do we have first aid kids? Why don’t we-Oh god it’s bleeding-You were shot !”
“Yellow.” Lance coughed and cleared his throat, shaking out of his daze finally and pushing to step a few paces towards the man. “I’ll be fine, that guy needs to get to a hospital, though.” He ordered, stumbling with Hunk at his side to the side of the road.
Not long after, Pidge was jogging towards them, and Lance noted the motion specifically because, even in the face of danger, they never seemed particularly rushed at Lance’s orders or instructions. That was, of course, unless it involved unconscious Galra ‘soldiers’.
When they took Hunk’s place next to Lance and the victim, Hunk sprinted to a nearby trashcan and promptly threw up.
“We need an ambulance—why don’t we have a car already?” Lance groaned, fishing through one of his canvas pockets for his phone while Pidge checked vitals and pressed the man’s shirt (now removed gently and balled up) to the gash on the side of his neck. He was alive, but losing a lot of blood.
“You need an ambulance, too, dude.” Hunk said shakily, trying to get Lance to keep his leg still.
As he punched in the emergency number, Lance sighed through his nose, it dissolving into a hiss as Hunk tied his long bandanna around the bloody gash. “Fu-I can’t go to a hospital , Yellow! Hello? I’m at North Main across from Ryder’s weaponry. This is the Blue Paladin.”
“Fuck.” Pidge breathed towards Hunk at the realization, rubbing her wrist against her nose as she glanced towards Lance’s wound and kept her other hand steady on the victim’s own gash. Their limited first aid knowledge couldn’t stitch him, nor any other wounds they would inevitably sustain at this point, and their Blue Paladin wasn’t walking that off exactly, despite looking like he wanted to.
Hunk’s eyes were wide, staring at Lance’s leg wound for a long moment while he chatted on the phone with the operator. After a moment, he flicked his gaze up to meet his best friend’s own. “I-Shay?” he asked, uncertain.
Lance, mid-sentence with the operator on the phone, cut himself off to screech a happy “Yes!” towards Hunk, which Pidge had to catch themselves to keep from mirroring with their own enthusiasm. “Sorry, no, everything’s okay. I’ve taken a minor injury, so I won’t be here when the ambulance arrives, but P-The Green Paladin will be here until then. No questions. Yes, there’s a Galra ‘soldier’, unconscious but still armed.”
They didn’t like to be around when the police or any officials arrived—they’d been getting good at dropping gang members off at the police station or hacking the scanner frequency to drop off locations through the line, but being in direct association with the police was generally asking to be arrested. They had no choice, now, though. They would never blatantly leave a victim in need, and they had no way of taking him to a hospital themselves.
Hunk’s shaky fingers worked at his small phone, grimacing at the tired voice that answered the line on the second ring. “Hello?”
“S-Shay. Hey. I-We need a favor.” It was two-thirty in the morning, and Hunk was stammering in her presence for a completely different reason than their norm. She had work, as did Hunk himself, in less than five hours.
Shay was a good person, though, and a very kind friend of both Hunk’s and Lance’s. Her sleepy voice was immediately laced with concern at Hunk’s tone. “How can I assist you? Is everything alright?”
An hour later, Lance was being stitched up by Shay in a back room of Altea Markets they hadn’t even known existed. Pidge had insisted they meet there and, to everyone’s surprise, Allura was there with the doors open to receive them. As soon as they were inside, Coran greeted them and led the way, and Allura disappeared into her office.
Shay, unpredictably, was very calm at the whole of the situation. The young woman was almost through going to medical school (it was a slow process to attend while living in Balmera and working full time in Arus), so they knew she would be fine handling the actual wound, but her being so understanding and not questioning anything had caught both Paladins present off guard. Save for the already awkward fact that Lance was laying on an old meat packaging table (they’d sanitized it and laid down wax paper for extra measures at Shay’s insistence) pants-less with a bullet gash on his left thigh, both him and Hunk (who was methodically busying himself with handing Shay anything she asked for immediately and leaving the room and gag and wash his hands every ten minutes) were in their paladin ‘uniforms’, but Shay, besides the initial gaze over them, wasn’t fazed.
She was stitching the first few beginning knots into his skin when Hunk broke the thought on both of their minds. “We’re—The Paladins.” He explained haltingly to the lack of question.
Shay hummed and nodded, her lips turning into a kind smile while Hunk fidgeted. “I believed it was safe to assume. Is this the first time you’ve gotten hurt?”
“You bet it is! Woo! I’m, like, two months into this already! And only one bullet!” Lance perked up with an open laugh, obviously proud of himself. Hunk had to lay his hand on the smaller boy’s waist as a reminder to keep still.
While Lance’s enthusiasm was amusing, their doctor was not so impressed. “How did you plan on taking care of this if Hunk hadn’t called me? Surely you weren’t going to the hospital?” She was halfway through the wound now, working with careful and strong hands, and the only real sign of her fear for them was in her pensive frown.
“I…didn’t really have that one figured out.” He admitted, a little less enthused.
“It’s a good thing Hunk thought quickly, then.” All three of them turned to Coran as he spoke from the doorway, and Lance flinched as he began spinning his moustache thoughtfully.
It was no secret that Coran was close to Lance and Hunk (though the latter of which he couldn’t help but harbor a small grudge towards due to his usurped kitchen position). Coran was known throughout the close-knit store as the one they could trust the most with long talks and hard questions, and could reliably receive long-winded, musing answers from in return.
“Coran-“ Lance started, groaning a little as he couldn’t move much but his head and shoulders without the risk of interrupting Shay’s work.
“No need to say anything, my boy. I had you figured out weeks ago! I’m glad you’ve made it so far.” The old man’s eyes were sparkling with so much pride Lance couldn’t help but reflect it.
Hunk smiled warmly at their dramatic wet eyes, knowing all was well between them.
“Do not praise him for endangering himself blindly and getting himself into this mess.” And then it was not well. Allura wandered into the room with her arms crossed firmly over her chest. A few steps behind her was Pidge, tapping hurriedly at their phone.
“Ew. Blue, put pants on.” Was all they said as they glanced up, grimacing a little.
“I-Can we all not be in here? This is unsanitary. Right, Shay?” Lance whined, feeling decent enough for Pidge’s eyes alone to throw a hand over his crotch in his briefs. “Everyone but Allura and the doctor should leave.” There was a moment where he wiggled his eyebrows and allowed his eyes to meet his boss’s, but it was ceased immediately at her unwavering disapproval.
“They are fine at their distance.” Shay gave no aid or acknowledgement to his flirtatious attempts. Lance groaned, but Allura continued.
“This is an event that should not repeat itself. You all need more training, and you need to work together as a team .”
“We are a team!” Hunk hurried to say, though he didn’t deny their training. Pidge was…Pidge, and he was an engineering student. Lance, it seemed, was the only one with actual training to be doing what they were up to.
“Then you should certainly start acting like one, shouldn’t you?” The room went quiet, and Lance could feel Shay on her last few stitches. “You’re not doing bad work, but until you have better combative skills, you should stay with investigating, like the Green Paladin has been.”
The remaining paladins eyes met, and a silent conversation happened through eyebrow raises alone.
“What are you looking for, Pidge?” Hunk was the one who finally voiced it.
They didn’t hesitate before pocketing their phone and pulling a notebook from their giant backpack. “Well, I’m glad you’ve asked, Yellow.” It took them a few blind page flips to find the right page, but they eventually flipped the book around to show an intricately detailed diagram of scribbles. It was color coded, but confusing and hard to read. “This is a mixture of all the radio chatter I’ve picked up, all referring to a thing called ‘Voltron’, which has to do with research I inherited.”
“Inherited after Kerberos?” Lance found himself voicing, and Pidge folded a little.
“Yes.” Was all they replied, colder than they had been.
Another silent conversation ensued between Hunk and Lance, but it was Lance’s turn to speak their minds.
“Okay, so what are we looking for?” He grunted as Shay tied off the last stitch and began dressing the wound.
Pidge, realizing they hadn’t answered the initial question, looked to Allura, who still stood regally and stiff by the door.
“It’s a device we call a LION. I’ll tell you more if you’re any closer to finding it, but it’s the beginning of officially bringing down the Galra ‘empire’.” She explained diplomatically, adjusting her weight and opening her folded arms to ensure sincerity came across to the others in the room.
“Bringing down the whole ‘empire’?” Hunk asked quietly, uncertain. Shay, from across the meat table, rested her hand on top of his in the middle of her wound dressing to reassure him.
Lance sighed silently, his fingers ghosting towards what would inevitably be his new scar and eyes finding those of all his friends. “This is sketchy.” He announced, “Allura, beautiful, I trust you.”
“If you weren’t on that table…” She muttered in reply before making a formal statement. “It’s settled, then. We have three Paladins, a medic—thank you, Shay, we’ll talk details after you’re finished—and Coran will train you all.”
Hunk and Pidge choked at the notion, but the old man looked proud of himself from the edge of the room.
“You will also need to enlist the Red Paladin—“
“Motorcycle Man!” Allura ignored Lance’s outburst fluidly.
“Eventually. He’s doing good work solo, but his pattern is erratic and he’s too destructive. There’s no subtlety at all. Regardless, we need him on your side. Is that clear, everyone?”
The fact that they had all gained a commander seemed to settle into the paladins, then, and they all shared a look with one another before nodding.
Allura nodded back, and exited the room then with Shay to follow her. Coran took the opportunity to jump into explanations about their training, and they all knew that the next two weeks or so, while Lance’s stitches closed, they’d be working their bones off trying to come up to par with the sorts of dangers they faced.
Keith, from the seat of his motorcycle, circled the police block-off three times before deciding to get a closer look quietly. From his position on the street, motorcycle helmet still on, he could see a bloody knife still on the ground, a puddle of blood by the building two down from the start of the blockade, and the trail of blood leading from the center of the road to the side of the puddle. He knew not to stick around when someone started whispering behind him, and thought deeply on what he knew about the supposed “Blue Paladin” and his teammates as he rode home. He had heard the name, of course, but if it was these types of activities he was getting himself into so regularly, Keith thought he might have to learn it a little better.
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