WEP owns everything except the voices in my head. I'll try to be gentle and not break any of their toys when I play with them.
The five members of the Voltron Force are in high spirits after handing the forces of Doom yet another defeat. Since they had managed to avoid any injuries or damage to Voltron, the Lion ships, or the surrounding buildings, the group feels at ease and engages in playful banter. "Well, not everyone can be the ladies' man that Lance is…" Allura giggles as she continues the conversation that the team had started on their return to the castle.
Keith, Hunk, and Pidge stop in their tracks, hysterical laughter overcoming them. The three men gasp for breath as tears stream uncontrollably down their cheeks. Pidge sinks to the floor, no longer able to stand. Hunk leans his forearm against the nearest wall before resting his head against it, shaking with mirth.
"And you… believe that... Princess?" Keith looks at Allura with his eyebrows raised. "He says… he falls… for girls… but what he… fails… to mention… is that they… rarely return… the favor," Keith manages to get out between guffaws and gasps for air. His arms cross over his midsection as he holds his sides, then doubles over from the intensity of his laughter. He reaches up to wipe the tears from his face only to have them immediately replaced with fresh ones.
"Yeah, very funny, Mr. Pine-For-Someone-Forever-But-Won't-Do-Anything-About-It!" The words are spoken softly, yet forcefully. Lance turns to face his captain, pinning him with an icy stare from his hazel eyes, his own arms crossed before him.
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean, Lance?" Laughter forgotten, Keith turns his attention back to his second, his words a low growl. His dark eyes seek out and lock with those of the Red Lion pilot.
"You know exactly what it means, Keith. I didn't stutter. At least Hunk, Pidge, and I put ourselves out there and take risks. It may not always work out, but at least we're not always holding everything in and telling ourselves that we don't deserve what we want." Lance's arms sweep through the air and his tone indicates that this is an old disagreement rejoined once more.
Allura looks back and forth between the captain and his wingman, confused about this argument that seems to have escalated out of nowhere. She knows that they have their adversarial moments, but this feels different. It's as if Lance is dredging up deeper, more personal wounds as he lashes out at Keith.
Pidge and Hunk glance at each other nervously, neither one of them liking the direction this is taking. Having been through battles between Keith and Lance before, they recognize the danger signs flashing between the teammates as tensions escalate. Wordlessly communicating to each other, they get ready to intervene.
Keith is deathly silent, his dark eyes glinting angrily. He scowls at Lance, his lips drawn into a tight line. The muscles in his jaw jump and twitch erratically while his fists clench and unclench convulsively at his sides. Chest heaving as his breathing intensifies, his fury is barely controlled.
"Go on, Keith, tell me I'm wrong." Lance stands his ground, facing down his commander and best friend, his own fists forming behind him as he leans in menacingly. When Keith doesn't react at all, Lance lowers his voice dangerously before continuing, "Seriously, Keith. Think about it. What's really stopping you?" His glower bores into the raven haired man who stands shaking with rage before him.
Hunk and Pidge quickly exchange a glance as a low, primal growl emanates from the vicinity of their commander. At an unspoken signal between the two of them, they spring into action. Hunk leaps in front of Keith and puts his hands on the smaller man's shoulders, gently but firmly pushing him backwards a few steps. Recognizing just how tightly coiled the muscles beneath his hands have become, Hunk realizes the urgency of the situation. He needs to get Keith out of the room before the commander finally loses the tenuous control he is obviously struggling to maintain. "C'mon man, don't let him get to you, Keith. He's just tryin' to push your buttons. Let it go…" He speaks as soothingly as possible while gently shoving his target backwards through the door.
Pidge turns to Lance, a disapproving look on his face. He turns his visage up to the taller man before asking "What'd ya go and do that for? You had to know how badly that was going to wind him up, Lance. You know how sensitive he is about his feelings for…" Realizing that the princess has been in the room for this entire confrontation, Pidge lets his sentence trail off.
Lance looks down at Pidge as if seeing him for the first time. He shakes his head, seemingly clearing it from a trance before speaking. "I dunno, Pidge. He's just been so damn tetchy lately and it's getting on my nerves. Besides it's about time he finally gets it in the open. She needs to kn-Ow!" He reaches down and absently starts rubbing his arm where Pidge just struck him.
"Ix-nay, Lance. We're not alone…" Pidge tries to say quietly out of the corner of his mouth. He glances at the princess hoping that Lance will follow the path of his eyes and drop the subject.
"She who? And what should she know?" Pidge and Lance look at each other with pained expressions at the sound of Allura's soft voice.
Lance runs his hand through his feathered brown hair before looking at Allura. "Uh… nothing… I don't think Keith would appreciate it if we told his secrets…"
"I'm pretty sure he's already more than a bit angry with you, Lance. What was that all about anyway?"
"You might want to ask Keith about that, Princess." Pidge looks up at her apologetically. "I really think it's best coming from him."
"Well since I don't think he's in any shape to speak right now, other than in grunts and growls, I'm asking you two."
"Look, I'm already in enough trouble for opening my big mouth. Not that he and I weren't going to have this confrontation anyway, but it should have been in private. I've already said way more than I should have, so I'm gonna be smart and not make it any worse for myself right now. I know I push his buttons a lot, and have for years, but I can't remember ever seeing him that livid before. When I figure out where to hide until he cools down, I'll contact you to have my mail forwarded." Lance sighs heavily, shakes his head, and warily eyes the door that Keith and Hunk exited through.
"Pidge… Please?" Her eyes plead with the short, bespectacled man before her.
Pidge shakes his head as he looks up at Allura's desperate face. "Sorry, Princess. I'd love to tell you, but I am not risking Keith redirecting that anger from Lance onto me. I may be fast, but he'd catch up to me sooner or later, and I don't think he'd be very forgiving. Heck, I'm kinda scared for Hunk right now. I don't think Keith is seeing anything but red at the moment."