Allura had approached them earlier the day before. She had five glasses and a fancy bottle with an odd pink liquid in it. She set it on the table with a confident smile.
"Alright Paladins! Everyone take a glass! We're trying something new today!" Her cheerful speech immediately put the group on edge.
Lance frowns. "I swear Allura is this is another one of your crazy energy drinks I will dump that entire bottle out." Allura immediately grabs said bottle, pulling it closer to protect it.
"No! Goodness no! I learned my lesson after the last time! This," she shakes the bottle in front of them," is an Altean truth serum. I want each of you to have a small glass. It's mixed with water to dull the effects slightly but other than that, it should work like normal."
Pidge gave her a skeptical look. "Do you know for sure that it's not poisonous to humans? I don't want to die because of an attempt to bond." Their voice teetered between sarcastic and serious, also with a hint of concern.
"It's perfectly safe Pidge. Alright! Each of you are to drink a glass with the truth serum. It should last you for the rest of today if I'm correct, but only drink the amount I give you! Anymore and it might kill you. Now! Everyone tell me their weight and I'll distribute the amount your body can handle." Her smile is almost unbearable and the paladins all groan in unison.
Once Allura had poured them all their respected amounts they all sat around a large circular table, holding their glass in their hands. Keith look ready to throw his glass across the room while Hunk sniffed the liquid curiously, his nose scrunching up instantly. "Smells like children's grape cough medicine.." He groans, his face morphing to resemble Keith's. Shiro takes a deep breath.
"This is what the Princess wants, so no complaining... Down the hatch." Shiro slams it and instantly wants to barf. "URGH.. Tastes like children's cough medicine too..." Hesitantly the rest of them downed their drinks, each insulting it with their own statements.
"Holy quiznak, that was terrible! Why would you make us drink that Princess?!" Lance barely got out the rest of his sentence seeing as the princess had disappeared from her spot. Her voice suddenly buzzed through the coms.
"Alright paladins! We will now wait for it to take effect and then your bonding exercise is to honestly compliment each other, no lies to push you apart!"
Shiro sat, glancing at the others while waiting for the serum to take effect. Hunk suddenly burped extremely loud. "Tastes like baby barf… Hey Lance your fly is down." Lance instantly reddens and quickly zips his pants back up. "Hunk! Was that necessary?" Hunk looks at Lance with a surprised expression.
"I didn't mean to say that out loud. Sorry buddy." Lance waves him off with a frustrated sigh. "It's fine hunk. Alright Shiro, who's gonna start with the complimenting?"
Shiro scratches his chin and looks to Pidge. "Okay I'll go first. Pidge, your programming system really makes your strengths shine. It's outstanding." Pidge flushes and clears their throat. "Thank you Shiro, I think your new training exercise is amazing with how it focuses on our formations on foot. It was a great idea." Shiro smiles at them and Hunk clears his throat.
"Keith, I love how you use your instincts to pilot the Red Lion so well. I think we could all learn a little from you." Keith stutters and thanks Hunk.
"Uh, Hunk your cooking is probably the best thing about being up here. Also, I would never admit this without influence but if I had to hug anyone of the ship for a whole day it'd probably be you." Hunk smiles and pats Keith on the shoulder.
Lance lets his large grin falter for a moment while the others go on complimenting each other. Nothing was being said to him. "Uh. Hunk you're the best friend a guy could ask for! I don't know what I'd do with you here. Honestly, you and Pidge are the only ones that keep me sane. You both make me think of Earth. Shiro, you're such an excellent leader, absolutely perfect for the Black Lion. And Keith! I couldn't imagine anyone better than you to train with, your a great fighter."
The others turn to him and he feels like they forgot he was there.
Keith clears his throat. "Thanks Lance. Um.. You're not as annoying as you used to be when you were always flirting with Allura and other aliens." The others nod in agreement and there's a sharp pain in his heart as they all return to talking each other up, completely forgetting he was there.
After a few hours, they were all tired and grumpy. The truth serum would go away and by the time they woke up everything would be normal. When the other paladins had already gone to their quarters, Lance snuck down to see Blue, sadly admitting he wasn't wanted there.
"Blue the only 'nice' things any of them said to me had to do with how I stopped being annoying or started bothering them less. They forgot I was even there!" Worry washed over him and Blue sent a picture of them smiling together into Lance's head.
"I know.. I'm being ridiculous.. But it still hurts." He began to cry silently, his heart aching to be home more than ever. Eventually, he fell asleep in Blue's cockpit, having tired himself out.
The next morning, Pidge and Shiro approached Allura.
"Princess, I think the serum is still in our systems. Pidge and I were walking to the dining hall and I blurted out that they smelled bad and could use some deodorant. I literally wasn't going to bother them with it since it's early." Allura's brow furrows together and she scratches her head.
"Yes.. I guess it might take longer for you humans to get the serum through your systems. I'll call the other paladins to the common room again. We can't let you go on any missions till it's all gone."
Once everyone had made it in Allura smiled and told them to sit tight till the effects were fully lifted. They sat in silence for a minute or two then Pidge sat forward. "Hey. While we're still like this we should ask each other questions. Like truth or dare with out dares?" The others all agreed and began asking classic questions like 'Where are you from?' 'What's your middle name?' 'Had your first kiss?' 'Been in a relationship?'. Pidge looked at Lance, who had been abnormally quiet.
"Hey Lance, if you had to kiss one of us, who would you pick?" Lance scoffed as if it was obvious.
"I would kiss Keith, of course!" He reddened instantly, mirroring Keith's expression.
"And would you kiss him back Keith?"
Keith rolled his eyes. "Duh. How could I not?" Hunk started fanning Lance when he looked like a tomato. Pidge smirked and catcalled the two of them. Then Shiro stood and picked up Lance, tossing him into the chair next to Keith.
"You two are sitting together now." He winks at Pidge and sits in Lance's old chair.
As the questions continued, getting deeper and deeper.
"If we had the option to stay and save the universe but never return to earth or return to earth and wait for the Galra to come with your family, which would you guys choose?" Everyone looked at Hunk in surprise.
Lance cleared his throat. "Is save the universe of course. I'd rather never see my family but let them live then die with them because we lost. I love my family but I have to protect them." The others nodded.
Pidge spoke up next. "Hey Lance, if you had to get rid of one paladin who would it be?"
Instantly he replied. "Me."
Shock displayed on the others faces. Keith stuttered.
"W-What? Why would you say yourself?"
Without missing a beat he answered.
"Im replaceable. I hardly contribute and I can't do anything right. I'm just the temporary Blue paladin till we find someone better."
Shiro stood, slamming his human hand on the table. "That's not true Lance! How could you say that?" Keith reaches for Lance's hands and pull away when Lance flinched away.
"Lance you're not replaceable! You're the Blue Paladin! Blue chose you! You're our support!" Keith exclaims loudly. Lance opens his mouth to tell Keith not to lie but suddenly remembers he can't. None of them can and they're all saying these wonderful things about him
Hunk looks at Lance with a concerned look and Pidge squeaked that he was like family.
Shiro then paused. "Don't tell me you've always felt like this?" Lance mentally curses the truth serum as he nods. "I only started getting worse when we went to Beta Traz. I couldn't even do that mission right. I'm just a fifth wheel. And if you count Coran and Allura I'm the seventh. I don't have any special skills or anything." While he spoke the others began protesting. By the time he had finished they had all surrounded him.
"Lance how could you say that! We need you as much as we need you! You're the one who keeps us together with your kindness and brotherly aura! Your an important of Voltron. Our amazing Sharpshooter!" Keith continued ranting on about him.
"You give us cover, you keep the peace between us, you work just as hard to be strong. We would be lost without you."
Lance had long since been crying. The first to hug him was Pidge, grabbing him around the waist and hugging him tightly. Hunk and Keith followed and finally Shiro slid in next to Pidge, covering them while he looked at Lance.
"We wouldn't have come so far without you. You know that right? Your like glue, you hold us together and when you need to be refreshed, we simply just get more of you so we can stay together even better than before."
As they all continue crying and comforting each other, they end up on the floor. Shiro made them all move to the couches and soon after they were all cuddle up on the couches together. Pidge had tucked themself into Hunk's side and both of them were out cold. Lance and Keith were sitting close, facing each other as they talked, deep in conversation. Every now and then one of them would flush. Their hands ended up sliding together as they talked. Shiro smiled from his spot on the other side of Hunk. He nudged Hunk awake and had him carry Pidge to bed. Then he came to a stop in front of Keith and Lance. "You two heading to bed yet? It's been a long day." Keith looks at Shiro, then to Lance.
Lance smiles at both of them. "I'm gonna go up to the observation deck. Keith I was hoping you would join me. Would you like to come too, Shiro?" Their leader smiles and shakes his head, heading for the door. "You two go ahead. I'm tired."
Keith and Lance had been stargazing when Keith looked at lance. His caramel skin was so beautiful, even with the small battle scars that were littered on the surface. His blue eyes carried so much passion and kindness. Lance noticed Keith staring.
"Like what you see?" He arched a brow.
Blushing, Keith put his hand on Lance's cheek and pulled him closer.
"Yes. Yes I do." Their lips met and it was like fireworks exploded. It was a short kiss but when they pulled away Keith went straight back in, slotting their lips together and letting his tongue slip into Lance's mouth. Lance whined weakly and literally fell forward and into Keith's chest, gripping his shirt tightly.
Unbeknownst to them, Shiro was smiling in the entry way. They were good for eachother. When Keith pushed Lance down and continued to ravage him, Shiro decided to take his leave.
When the Princess wanted us to bond I don't really think she expected it to work so well…