The familiar static crackle and hum in Lance's helmet mean he's once more connected to the comm feed with the other paladins, and a crooked smile comes to his face. He's going home. His hands still shake a little on Blue's controls, but he's steady enough to punch the controls for the rendezvous point and feels her jump readily to his direction.

"Atta girl," he murmurs, feeling the rumble all around him in the cockpit.

"Lance, that was amazing!" Pidge's voice startles him, "The planet's defenses are already back online."

"All in a day's work for yours truly," he chuffs, sticking out his chest to emphasize the bravado. He hopes his disappointment isn't evident; he doesn't want Pidge to know that theirs wasn't the first voice he wanted to hear. "Let the princess know I'll be back in her orbit soon enough, not to worry."

"I'm sure she wasn't worried," Pidge groans. A pause. "She's opening the wormhole now, you're clear to jump."

"Roger that. Let's go home, buddy." Lance pushes his entire self into the full throttle, Blue responding in kind and racing for the familiar wash of white light they both know means safety and rest.

The whole mission had to be done in silence, only the mechanical sounds of his lion for company. Comforting though those were, being cut off from the rest of the paladins and even the Castle of Lions didn't sit well with Lance. A necessary evil, when the planet is so small that one full-scale battle could could destroy it. Their first attempt had only shown them that the Galra were fiercely scanning the airwaves for chatter such as theirs. At the first sign of attack, all hell had broken loose. They needed one lion, fast enough to target the installations, but big enough to take a beating for the time it would take to do it. With Green's cloaking or Red's speed, everyone pretty much expected Pidge or Keith to go in.

"Maybe you guys should send Lance in instead," Hunk had helpfully offered. "Back when we got my lion, he could take a lot of damage from the fighters and still fire back. He could probably take out the installations and draw the fire off the planet."

"It's going to take some tricky flying to get in and get out without causing much collateral damage." Shiro always kept a straight face on the bridge, in front of the princess. Lance still feels the difference when Shiro's eyes are on him, and they were, focused. "Are you up to it, Lance?"

"Pssshh, up to it? I was made for a mission like this." Butterflies in his stomach.

"Just keep your head, okay?" Keith had chided him, with that edge in his voice that used to make Lance want to punch him. Now he knows it's covering up things he'd rather no one else hear. "That whole planet is on the line. If you don't think you can handle it, now's the time to say so."I'm worried about you .

"I can handle anything you can and better , mullet," Lance had shot back. "Shiro, I'm gonna do this." Give me a chance .

The silence had been the worst, Lance doesn't know how to handle quiet, he's not quiet, his being is never quiet. Even sleeping requires music or sound, something other than white noise silence. The whole purpose of their training up to this point had been to bond, get used to the other voices essentially in his head during battle. With them all chattering and strategizing over the helmet comm feeds, it's pretty much like having them in his head. At times, he's wondered if it's crazy to think he doesn't need the armor or the tech to sense them, and he doesn't mention it to anyone. Still, their voices mean they're alive, he's alive, so it's unnerving to break atmosphere with absolutely nothing but Blue and his own nerves roaring in his ears. He bites his tongue to keep from talking to himself or his lion, as if that will give him away. He tries to fill the anxious space with a loop of Shiro describing the plan and Keith constantly challenging him not to mess it up. It's all he's got, and he does it. He does it.

Blue goes right to her hangar, the final few minutes of their flight practically on autopilot. In fact, when they've settled into her space and she sits back on her mechanical haunches, Lance has to expend effort to uncurl his fingers from her controls. He stretches out his hands, shakes them, they've tried to fall asleep and tingle with the sudden movements. He sags back into his seat, head back and arms dropping to his sides. Only now does he let all the buttoned down nerves and pinpricks of fright take him. He pants in his chair as if he's been running, even he hadn't realized just how much he'd been focusing on succeeding. It was too important to mess up, too vital for him to let anything distract him. Now that he's back, he's safe , he lets it overtake him like a wave. He did it, he saved a planet. Cargo pilot, B-minus-C-plus average Lance McClain saved a whole planet . It's exhilarating, it's humbling, it's goddamn terrifying.

"Lance."

Shiro's voice, so gentle, thrums against Lance's skull, bringing him back out of his own head. He licks his lips, but he doesn't answer at first. He can't trust his voice.

"It's okay. Come on out."

As if Blue is listening to his leader and not Lance, she shifts, lowering her head to open her hatch and let him go. I'm not ready yet . But he unclasps his harness and gets up on shaky sea legs to get back on solid ground, taking each step with precise focus. His knees are weak.

"There you are."

Before Lance has to worry about what to say or how to stay on his feet, Shiro's arms are around him. Once more, he's flying, his hands braced on Shiro's shoulders as he's hoisted up with a jubilant laugh. God, he'd put up with the silence of a hundred solo missions to come back to the sound of the black paladin's joy.

"Look at you," Shiro praises, and Lance swears he's weightless. "You did it, I knew you could. That was outstanding"

The helmet comes off with a careless clatter against the floor. He slowly drifts down, his armor somewhat bulky in Shiro's embrace, but he still feels like he fits perfectly, molding himself like he always does. He has but a moment to focus on all the warmth and pride in his expression before Shiro is kissing him. An insistent press of his mouth which never fails to turn Lance pliant and craving in a matter of moments. He twists his fingers in Shiro's shirt and kisses back as if he can taste the praise on his tongue. He's not so lost to the moment he can't feel a second pair of hands on his hips, just beneath the belt, firm fingertips digging in through the resilient material of his bodysuit. The material is rough on his skin with the added pressure, but he doesn't care, it's rather appropriate.

Keith slots himself up right behind Lance, his breath on the back of his neck. "Some cargo pilot," he huffs in the gruff tone Lance has come to adore. "You're goddamn fighter class, and you always have been."

Lance sucks in a huge gulp of air, feeling like he's going to burst. Still, he turns as best he can in their combined embrace so he can press his forehead to Keith's. His eyes are narrowed in challenge, his grin is fierce. He's never been so happy to be himself, to be Lance , to be theirs . "Damn right, and don't you forget it. It's you an' me out here."

"Lance and Keith," Shiro says with a chuckle.

"Neck and neck," the two respond in unison, the joke practically an endearment to them all now. And they take their turn to kiss.

Keith's kisses are always so much more aggressive, as if something will happen if he doesn't go in quick and fast, try to steal Lance's breath in the shortest amount of time possible. Shiro has tried to temper both of their eager hearts and desires, only to little success. Keith will always kiss Lance like a flame, hissing across Lance's senses and filling his being with the heady steam of need. They break apart, but not before Lance sneaks in a bite to his lower lip.

"So, is it time to celebrate how awesome I am?" he asks, the words hopeful rather than full of his ego.

Shiro reads right through it, and lifts him up, armor and all, effortless. Lance feels so safe, wraps his arms around the black paladin's neck.

Keith jabs him in the ribs, but he's smiling. "Welcome home."