To be as scary smart as he is in battle, Keith is a complete dumbass at times. But I never thought he would. . . hang on, let me back up and start from the beginning
The war was finally over. Zarkon was dead, Lotor hurting and on the run. Sven was hospitalized on Pollux, Romelle glued to his side; the rest of us were getting the hero treatment on Earth. And Allura laid a kiss on Keith that curled MY toes. I would've bet anything on her in his bed that night, ending the reign of the oldest virgin in the Space Explorers. But then the Lions went tits up on us, and it wasn't Keith's bed Allura came to that night. It was mine. Oh, not what you're thinking . . . not that I wouldn't, quite happily, but. .. .she was Keith's girl then, and he was my brother. I've done a lot of things I'm not proud of, but I'd never, ever steal my brother's girl.
After Wade confiscated the Lions, we all went to our quarters early, stunned and exhausted. Keith, in full "I am Commander of the Voltron Force" mode, decreed that we would all meet over breakfast to plan strategy to exonerate the Lions and get Black back. I should have known better; if I hadn't been so tired and shocked, I would have known better. Keith never would have let the Lions go so easily, especially not Black. But I was too numb to think; all I could do was go to bed and huddle beneath the blankets, hoping to wake up and find it had all been a horrible-ass nightmare.
I sleep light anyway, but that night I slept lighter than usual. You have to understand. . . weird as it sounds, I've always heard Red in the back of my mind; not really talking, just. . .there. And now he was silent. I never knew silence could hurt, but that silence did. It's why I was awake when my door opened. "L-Lance? Are you awake?" Allura's voice, almost unrecognizable from tears. Gods damnit, someone was going to pay for making her cry. I just didn't know who.
"Of course I am, sweetheart." Turning on the light shows me a very vulnerable girl, crying and sniffling in a most unprincess-like manner. "Come here, what's wrong?"
In two seconds she's curled into my shoulder soaking my t-shirt, and I'm just holding her and waiting for the storm to pass. That's been my job for ages; used to be Sven's, his room was closest to hers, and he was the first of us to know of her nightmares. The first time, he ran into her room with that sword of his, ready to defend her from whatever evil was attacking. . . completely forgetting that he was only in his boxers. But he got past the embarrassment, listened to her, and for the rest of his time with us, he was her big brother. A job he charged me with as he lay waiting for the medevac to Ebb, his bloodsoaked hand gripping mine. A job I've done with no reservations, even though my feelings for Allura are the furthest thing possible from brotherly.
A sniffle pulls me back to the present, and I look to see Allura calming a bit. "H-he's gone, Lance. Just . . . gone!"
Well, color me confused; way she and Sven always talked, thought Blue was female. "Shh. . . we'll get them back, I promise. I know it hurts."
She pulls away, giving me the famous "McClain, you're an idiot" look. "I do miss Blue, but that's not what I meant . . . Lance, KEITH is gone." She wipes her eyes on my shirt, fighting off more tears. "I . . . I was going to go to him tonight. . . we admitted this morning before the ceremony that we love each other, and . . .I was going to give myself to him." She looks away, blushing furiously. Hell, I'm pretty red myself. NOT what I was ready to hear. "When I knocked on his door, there was no answer, so I went in. Lance, he's gone! No note, no goodbye, like he was never there!"
She breaks down again, and I hold her close, rocking her and whispering some kind of bullshit while my mind goes to lightspeed. Kogane's so by the book he knows the reg that dictates how your underwear should be folded. No way he would go rogue. . . would he? I shake my head and push the thoughts aside. First things first, McClain. Crying princess, remember? "I'm sorry, sweetheart. Look. . .stay with me tonight. We can figure things out in the morning, but I don't want you alone."
It takes some convincing, as it always does; Allura's had that "A princess' reputation must be without reproach" nonsense drilled into her head since she was a fetus. I finally persuade that no one on the embassy staff is going to bother us, and that on Earth, nobody cares who is in what bed. Ten minutes later, she's curled up under my blankets, head buried in my chest, having cried herself to sleep. It was a lot longer before I could calm myself down enough to join her, hoping the morning would bring more answers.
We're finishing breakfast the next morning when the embassy butler brings me two notes. One from Wade, "requesting" a meeting with the Force for 1300 hours, the other. . .the other from Keith. "Son of a BITCH! Kogane, you bastard. . ." A polite cough reminds me I'm not alone, and I look up at my remaining teammates. Fuck, how the hell do I tell Allura this, and damn Keith Kogane for making me have to. "Guys. . . Keith's gone. He suspects Wade's dirty, and he's going after proof. Gonna try to find Black in the process; he wants to see me tonight."
"Is that all, Lance? Did. . did he say anything about me?" Damn. . . Allura's got that look, and that begging tone in her voice. I'm going to kill Keith. Hunk and Pidge know the signs; they quickly make excuses and vanish from the table. I move to the chair next to Allura's and take her hand.
"No, sweetheart, he didn't," I sigh. "I'll ask him when I see him, but the note is all about going after Black and Wade. I'm sorry."
"It's all right." Her voice is so quiet I have to strain to hear her. "He. . . he's got a lot on his mind; I understand. He really doesn't have time for a silly little girl. Please excuse me." Just like that, she's gone from the table; before I can go after her, a Garrison officer comes looking for Keith, for what's supposed to be a strategy master class at the Academy. I really don't want to do it, but. . . we've got to put a good face on this for as long as we can. Damn you Keith.
That night, I make my way down to the spaceport district, to the dive bar Keith asked to meet at. Dive bar is too kind a description; I don't even get in the door before my combat reflexes are screaming and my hand's on my pistol. A word to the bartender, with the code Keith said to give, and he directs me to a table by the back door where a figure huddles over what passes for beer in this place.
"What the hell are you doing, Akira?" I ask quietly as I sit down. It's Keith's middle name;I'm probably the only person on the planet that knows it, and it won't attract the attention Keith Kogane would.
"What I have to do." Keith glances up at me, then back down at his drink. "It's my duty, Lance. Please understand."
Bastard. He's shut down, gone into that cold, oh-so-professional mode of his. "Understand what? That you've bailed on the team, left us to face Wade? That was loads of fun this afternoon, by the way, took us forever to convince him that we had no fucking clue what you were pulling. Hunk and Pidge, if you give a damn at all, have been demoted and put to work in maintenance; Wade's promoting me to Commander so he can put me in the display case he meant for your ass: Head Flight Instructor. And what are you planning?"
He winces, both at my tone and what I say. "That's. . .that's not so bad, Lance. I. . .I've got a lead on where Black was taken; I'm leaving in an hour. Tell the team. . ."
"I'm not telling them a damned THING. And what about Allura?" He's got me pissed now; he's all in his "only I can save the universe" mode, and doesn't care about the rest of us.
He blinks. "A-Allura? She'll forget me, find a prince to marry like Nanny wants. We never would have worked anyway; I'm just a pilot, and she. . .she just had a crush, was just worshipping a hero. It'll pass."
"You miserable son of a bitch." His eyes go wide at the cold venom in my voice; for two cents I'd punch his lights out. "All about you, isn't it? You're the lone hero, weight of the universe on your noble shoulders, and to hell with the men who have fought and bled beside you for three years. To hell with the woman who loves you. Yeah, Allura loves you; it's not some damned kiddie crush that had her crying her eyes out to me last night. But what do you care?"
Pain flickers in his eyes for a minute, then his mask is back in place. "She doesn't know what love is, Lance. It's better this way. For all of us."
"Of course it is. The Great God Kogane has decreed it so." I get to my feet, disgusted with him. "Don't worry; I'll take care of the team, and Allura, like I always do when you're being stupid. And, like always, we'll be there to pick up the pieces when shit blows up in your face. Goodbye, Keith. Contact us when you can, if you want to bother." I head for the door, but turn back after two steps and slam a right cross into my so-called brother's jaw. "Fuck you. She deserves better." And with that I leave Keith sitting stunned and head back to the embassy, to try and console a brokenhearted princess and to see what can be made of the mess Keith's idiocy has put us in.