It's always the 'simple missions' that almost kill you. Allura had been eager to start forming alliances against Zarkon and since Achelois was a small moon rather than a planet, it seemed like a good place to start. There were no galra guarding it and it seemed to only be inhabited by the native people, so Shiro dropped Lance and Keith off to make friends, while the rest of the team flew to the planet the moon was orbiting.
Lance had complained about not being allowed to take Blue or his paladin suit but Shiro didn't want them to look like threats so it was just Keith and Lance in their clothes from earth. Keith of course, had an arsenal of weapons hidden on him, but was being made to give them up in order to talk to the moons leader.
Lance tried to reassure the guard keeping them out of the leaders sacred hall.
"We're paladins of Voltron, we just want to talk."
"Then you won't mind relinquishing your weapons to do so."
Lance frowned but agreed, remembering Shiro's instruction to cooperate and play nice, but Keith wasn't happy. In his experience, anyone forcing you to give up your weapons was setting a trap, and he did not want to give his up.
But Lance, ever trusting, agreed to the terms and handed over his bayard. Keith stayed back, glaring at anyone that tried to get too close to him, until they'd finished patting Lance down for hidden weapons.
He knew Shiro may be mad at him later, but screw it, he wasn't taking any chances. These people were shifty.
Lance was still smiling at the silver skinned guard but grunted in surprise as Keith bumped into him. The red paladin had feigned a stumble and shoved one of his knives into the waistband of Lances jeans. Lance had already been searched and this was the only way to keep weapons with them.
Lance felt it and gave a look to Keith, raising his eyebrows a little, clearly asking why the hell Keith's hand had been on his ass and why there was a knife jammed into his pants.
Keith patted him on the shoulder with a light smile.
"Sorry man, I tripped." His tone was nonchalant but his eyes were telling Lance to trust him and stay alert. Lance sighed but nodded minutely.
The aliens didn't notice, preoccupied with pulling weapons from Keith's form, making him angrier for each blade they took away. Once they were all gone, the two were lead inside, and trapped.
The doors slammed shut and they were surrounded by warriors, spear heads aimed an inch from their throats.
Keith growled out an "I told you we shouldn't trust them" while Lance rolled his eyes.
The moons leader, Cyta, stood, silencing the room as she addressed the paladin's.
"You have made a grave mistake, coming here."
Keith mumbled, grumpily. "That's what I said."
But Lance looked offended. "We're here to help! To save the universe from Zarkon!"
Cyta shook her head. "Zarkon is too powerful and our moon has only been left alone because we pledge our allegiance to him, and send him our resources when asked, without a fight. We want peace for our people and at this moment, you are the only danger to us."
Guards shoved the paladins to the ground before they could do anything else, and though they fought, they were quickly subdued. Keith landed a few good punches before being pressed to the ground along with Lance.
Lance grunted from the dirt as his hands were tied behind his back, watching as Keith struggled as well.
He looked desperately to his team mate.
"We have to call for back up."
Keith let out a pained grunt as one guard pulled his arm particularly hard as he secured them. He looked to Lance, his cheek pressed to the ground.
"We don't have our helmets, how the hell are we gonna call them?"
Lance groaned as they were pulled to their feet, high pitched sarcastic tone tinged with sadness.
"Don't worry about the moon planet, Lance. It's small, they'll be easy to win over. Don't take your lions or armour, you won't want to scare the moon people. Yeah, well the moon people are scaring me right now Princess."
Keith ignored Lances terrible impression of Allura as he tried to reason with the moon's queen.
"Don't be stupid about this. We are saving the entire galaxy from Zarkon and all you have to do is give us information and promise to be on our side when we take him on. This is the best option for your people!"
Cyta's face was cold.
"No. It isn't." She turned to her guards.
"Throw them into the goddess's waters. She will take them and Zarkon will never know they were here."
She turned back to the two paladins. "I am not on Zarkon's side, but he cannot come here and so he cannot find you. You must die, and for this I am sorry."
Keith bucked and pulled against the guards holding him as Lance dug his heels into the dirt, desperately trying to stay and convince the queen.
"No! Please don't do this!"
Lance's mind was racing with options as they were dragged to a cliff overlooking a sea of silver water. He was a good swimmer, he knew he would have a chance but it would be better if his hands weren't tied. They could at least kick their way to the top and maybe he could cut their ties with the knife and find the shore.
But his thoughts were disrupted as he looked to Keith, because the red paladin was freaking out.
He turned to Lance as he fought away from the edge, a guard punching him in the stomach to drag him another inch forward. He was fighting with everything he had and Lance could see the panic on his face. His eyes were wild and his chest heaved.
"Lance, I can't swim! Do something!"
Lance knew that Keith meant the knife. It was still in the waistband of his jeans, hidden under his jacket, but there were too many guards and to bring it out now would do no good. He would have to wait and hope they survived the fall.
Keith was terrified. He never learnt to swim, he'd grown up in the desert, and now he was going to drown on an alien planet. He looked to Lance, those blue eyes sombre and filled with apologies. Oh, fuck no. He couldn't breathe. He was going to die.
Lance pulled at his restraints, trying to loosen them as much as he could, before looking at his team mate.
They were standing so close and both breathing so heavily with fear that Keith could feel Lance's warm breath on his lips. He watched that mouth as Lance spoke, voice quiet and sincere.
"Do you trust me?" Keith looked back up at those blue eyes as they begged him to listen. But the rushing water below filled his ears as panic filled his chest and he shook his head, a quiet sob forcing itself from his throat.
"Please, I can't swim Lance. Do something. The kn-"
Lance interrupted, insistent and unwavering. Keith just hoped that meant he had a plan.
"Do you trust me?"
His breath shook and his voice came as a whisper. "Yes."
Lance's eyes flickered down to Keith's lips and he knew it was probably a bad idea but he could think of nothing else but the need to be close to the red paladin. He pressed forward and pressed his lips to Keith's. Keith's lips gasped open in surprise but quickly kissed Lance back.
Neither of them knew how the other felt about them but in that moment, it didn't matter. They might not make it out alive and Lance just wanted his last moments to taste like Keith.
Keith felt Lance's mouth press to his and suddenly his whole world was quiet. The only thing that existed in that moment was their lips, the soft bite of Lance's teeth, and the breath shared between them. He was weightless. And then they fell.
(AN: yeeah sorry for the cliff hanger loool also fun fact the moon their on is called Achelois which is the greek moon goddess and the people on this moon I made up have very dark skin but with a silver highlight, like when you get highlighter (the makeup not the pens) and you can see it when light hits certain angels yeah they look like that and they're hella fine)
