Look at me, I'm a dirty liar. On several parts. Most recently, I said another day or two for this on tumblr, yet here it is. And in my last update, I said after I did some work on my book... yet here I am. So the reason for the quick post after the last one was because someone made me realize something very important about last chapter. Lance was not extra enough. I did not do him justice. So, I am hoping, I at least managed to capture him better with this update. I very well could have failed, but I think that I at least did a better job than last time.

Still not a super long chapter, but I don't expect them to get much longer for another chapter or two. When things pick up more between Keith and Lance. Also I wanted to get this chapter out before I lose myself to the Nintendo Switch that will be arriving for me in around twelve hours. Anyways, to the story!

Oh! As a reminder, Netflix's Voltron is the graphic novel that Keith is writing in the fic. So everything that has happened in the show is what everyone that reads it is experiencing. And this chapter does contain spoilers for the end of season 2 if any of you haven't watched yet. Just as a precaution.

Chapter 2

"Are you even listening?"

Not really. Keith continued to stare out the window, his forehead pressed up against the glass. At least it was Thace he was dealing with today and not Kolivan. The latter probably would be yelling at Keith until he was purple, but Thace actually tried to look at Keith as a person.

"Keith," Thace sighed, dropping the latest copy of Keith's work on his desk and leaned back in his chair, "we agreed that you could continue college, so long as you got your job done." His finger pointed directly to the center of Keith's latest edition of Voltron. "If you don't get this done on time, it's not just us that you'll be letting down. There are millions of people out there that read this. You created it, I figured you would enjoy immersing yourself in it."

Finally, Keith looked away from the sky and to his agent. Handler was a better term that Keith liked to use. "I do. It's just that I've been so distracted and tired lately." He scratched his head and adjusted his position in his chair. "Is it the art or the plot that they don't like this time?"

It had been a little over two years since Keith had his first issue of the Voltron graphic novel printed and put to shelves. And that he owed to his mother. Unfortunately. Or, rather, he owed her old friend Kolivan, who ran the publishing company that had accepted his work. And it was never a pleasant moment for either side when it came time for each edition.

At least not until Thace.

Thace was the first that Keith got along with. Over the summer, the publishers had wanted Keith to stay out of college and focus on his work, but it was Thace that Keith owed for letting him keep a normal life. If it wasn't for Thace, they probably would have been printing Keith's face on the back of his graphic novels and shipping him off to conventions by now.

As he flipped through the pages for the two of them to look at, Thace replied, "Well it's not the art. I feel like you would be able to tell yourself if you were slipping." He shook his head. "You need to come up with a new antagonist. Voltron defeated the Galra leader... at least for now." He looked to Keith for clarity, and Keith nodded his head. "So come up with something else. We need a new edition. The one that drops today is the one where the black paladin goes missing, and I think you and I both know that people are going to go hysterical when they read that."

"And?"

"And you need something to continue with." Thace let the novel drop on his desk. "Create a new villain, come up with something for the paladins to do. Are you going to kill the black paladin? Will they find him? Is there going to be a romance?" An eyebrow was raised at Keith, who had his brow furrowed. "Your fans have been asking about that one for a while."

After tapping his foot on the ground, Keith got impatient and stood up. "I just need some inspiration. I guess I'm in a slump. I'm amazed at myself for getting this far." His fingers dug into his hair with a groan. "It was just some silly doodles that I made back in high school."

"Yes, well," Thace began, "it was good enough that we took it. It was good enough that Shiro showed your father, who talked to your mother about it."

It was the first time they had talked since their divorce.

Thace spun back and forth in his chair, a pen tapping against his desk as he looked from Keith to his phone. "I'll tell you what. I'll get you an extension," he narrowed his gaze as Keith let out a cheer, "but only a month longer than normal." A finger was pointed sternly at Keith. "Don't let me down, Keith."

Keith gathered up his bag and mouthed a thanks to Thace as he exited the man's office. He startled the secretary as he let out a cheer upon shutting the door. And he could even see the exasperated look that was probably on Thace's face upon hearing Keith's outburst.

It was a good thing that Thace let him go when he did. One look at Keith's phone told him that he was gonna be late to get to Hunk's apartment if he had been in there much longer. As he got down to his car, Keith shoved his bag over into the passenger seat and set out to drive back towards the university.

With the help of low traffic, Keith got there five minutes early. He shoved his bag to the floor and reached for his backpack in the backseat. If he had more time, he would have taken the other bag back to his dorm already. Keith hated taking his work around other people, too nervous that they might get a look at his work and figure things out. The main reason Keith had not wanted to do this at first was because he just wanted to be a normal guy, not someone that people would fawn over at conventions.

And the amount of letters and emails Keith got definitely let him know that people were obsessed with his work.

Hunk opened the door for Keith and they stepped inside. "How are you doing today? Weekend going well?" the guy asked upon shutting the door.

There was some strange soothing music coming from the living room. Keith's brow furrowed and tried to focus on Hunk's face. "It's going." This was why it was hard for Keith to make friends. What could he really talk about? Talking about his life meant telling people what he did. And, aside from his interactions with Shiro, Allura, or Matt, Keith's life only really consisted of working on his graphic novel.

Perhaps instead of Hunk, Keith should have been focusing on where they were walking. Because, when he finally looked for the source of the music, Keith found a very tightly clothed ass basically in his face. There Lance was, bent over in a very uncomfortable looking position as he basically formed a triangle. Then he stood up, and one leg came up and Lance grabbed it behind his head, pulling it up even higher. Yet it was just very hard to look away from Lance's ass in yoga pants. Just yoga pants.

Looking up was probably a mistake, because then Keith's eyes had Lance's back seared into his retinas. Nice shoulders that led down to thin hips. And those legs in the yoga pants were basically a sin. Was it always this hot in the apartment?

"Your face is very red, Keith," Hunk decided to point out.

Lance dropped his leg and turned around. Why was Keith cursed to endure this? His torso was lean. There was something so very alluring to Keith about the dark skin of Lance's exposed body. Like it had been blessed in the light of the sun.

Stop staring, Keith mentally slapped himself. Too late. Lance already had a huge grin plastered across his face. "The first look is free, but I charge after that." As if to make things worse, Lance stretched his arms above his head, further showing off his chest muscles.

And then there was an arm around Keith's shoulders. Lance was so very close now, grinning within inches of Keith's face. Keith had his fists clenched. He was no longer sure if he was embarrassed or irritated. "Don't hold your breath," was all Keith's brain could come up with.

For some unholy reason, Lance decided to follow them into the kitchen, thankfully putting on a shirt. Not that it did anything to hide his perky behind. Keith sat down for only a moment before a leg and foot was placed directly in front of him. Lance decided it was time to do some stretches. Meanwhile, Hunk just sat there like he didn't see Lance at all. Perhaps he was used to it.

Wanting some space, Keith slammed his textbook down on Lance's leg. The boy drew back with a howl. Then he was on the kitchen floor like some wounded animal. Lance whimpered and cradled his leg, scowling at Keith all the while.

"Rude," was all that Lance said at first. Keith ignored him and went back to setting up for his and Hunk's work. Apparently, being ignored wasn't going to fly with Lance at all. Because Lance's foot was shoved back in Keith's face, where Keith blinked at it in surprise. "Kiss it and make it better."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Keith asked in disbelief. "We are trying to work here."

Huffing, Lance finally sat down on a chair and crossed his arms on the table, lip jutted out in a pout. This boy, Keith thought irritably to himself. And he was about to retort, when the front door opened and Pidge called out, "I'm home!"

Lance was up and to the door like a bullet out of a gun. The chair was still wobbling by the time that Keith even realized what had happened. "Did you get it?" Lance asked impatiently, around the corner and out of sight. Then came a whoop and Lance running off towards his room.

"Hey!" Pidge called after him. "Don't hog it too long, I want to know what happened too!"

Keith let his head fall back with a groan. Thank god that Lance was now distracted with something. As long as it kept him busy long enough for Keith and Hunk to get their work done. Pidge came into the kitchen and retrieved a snack, eyeing Hunk's laptop.

"How's the project going?"

Hunk finally looked up. "Making good progress. I think we'll end up finishing a little earlier than planned. Still towards the end of the semester, but looking good." He looked to Keith for his thoughts. "What do you think?"

"Um, yeah." Keith chewed on his lips as he waited for his laptop to finish booting up. "I will be a little busy over the next few weeks, but I'll make time to make sure this is getting done." His brow furrowed as a shriek came from Lance's room. "What is wrong with him?"

Pidge just laughed. "Well, I can make you a list. But if you mean just now, it's because the latest edition of our favorite graphic novel just hit the shelves today." Hunk's eyes shot open wide, like a stack of candy had just been dropped in front of him. "Yes, Hunk, you can get your turn. Just gotta get that work done. One of the last copies, too."

Inside his chest, Keith's heart was already starting to pound. Of course they all had to read his work. And then Hunk decided to ask, "Do you read Voltron, Keith?"

What could he even say to that? No? That was a total lie. Keith had to read it because he wrote it. "Um," Keith fumbled a bit, "yeah I've heard of it." Just keep it vague.

Then there was another ungodly shriek from Lance. Pidge let out a sigh. "Lance also happens to be one of the biggest nerd fans for this particular graphic novel. Which is understandable, the story and art are amazing." Pidge, thankfully, did not notice the flush that crept onto Keith's face at the compliment of his work. "We've all gone to a few conventions. Fans try to spread rumors that the creator will be there and sign some autographs, but alas."

Hunk arched a brow at Keith as he slid down in his chair. "You okay, man?"

"Me? Yeah." Keith was not okay. Then there was yet another shriek. If his shriek count was correct, Lance was probably to the part where paladins' plan was not going how they planned it. "But is Lance going to be okay?"

Smirking so very evilly, Pidge said, "Let's go take a look."

So the three of them moved from the kitchen and went down the hall. This sounded like a bad idea. He had been around unknowing fans before and listened as they talked about his work, but this felt different. Especially the part about going into Lance's room. Or just knowing these three in general. It was like an inside look into the people that funded Keith's life for their love of his story. But nothing really prepared him for what was inside Lance's room.

Lance's room was uniquely him. Perhaps not the best room to take a potential date to, but if they could not accept his interests then they didn't deserve him. At least that was what Hunk told him. Their dorm room last year looked pretty much like Lance's room did now. Voltron posters covered the wall beside his bed. There was even a stuffed blue lion on his bed, because that paladin and lion had always been his favorite.

Then there was the complete stack of the graphic novel that lined the shelf above his desk, which also included two that he had won in a contest that had been personally signed by the author. And his desk contained a figure of the Voltron itself. So he was a nerd, sue him. It was a good story.

And his room was his safe space. At least it was supposed to be. He was there on his bed, the blue lion tucked under his chin as Lance laid, splayed across his bed on his stomach, reading the latest issue of Voltron. There were some undignified noises that came out of his mouth every now and then. This author was a genius. How did they come up with such a good story, and keep it so interesting for this long?

As Lance was so caught up in his reading, the boy jumped up into the air when his door was thrown open. And the shriek that rang out totally wasn't his. Nope. Pidge, Hunk, and Keith stood in the doorway, two of them grinning at his reaction.

Then there was Keith, who looked perplexed as he studied every inch of Lance's room. Like he had any room to judge with that mullet of his. And then Keith had the audacity to give him a look and raise a questioning eyebrow. No words, just a look.

"So, Lance," Hunk began with a smirk, "it sounds like you're enjoying the story."

Lance sat up in bed with a humph and put his stuffed animal aside. "Yeah, well, if you don't let me finish, I will give you both spoilers."

Pidge let out a groan. "You wouldn't. It's the last before the break, don't ruin it for us." Pidge was eyeing the book on Lance's bed with great interest. And she was right, this was the last issue for at least two months. This time was used by the author, apparently, to contemplate the direction they wanted to take for the next year. And the last issue of the season was always one of the best. "I can only imagine what's going to happen."

"Probably a huge battle," Hunk said, bouncing a little. Lance knew his friend was just as anxious as Lance had been about getting this issue. The author never held back in the last two or three issues for each season. And Lance, like his friends, was eager to get back to reading. "They were getting everything ready for the battle last time. But you know something always goes wrong with things like that."

"Nope, don't want to hear it," Pidge said as she covered her ears. Lance and Hunk grinned at each other.

Lance began with, "Maybe one of the lions will take severe damage and they'll have to pull back."

"Maybe some of them will get captured," Hunk added.

"Or all of them."

"Nope!" Pidge shrieked.

Lance got up off the bed and grabbed the graphic novel. "Oh wow, look at this." He grinned widely as he flipped through the pages. "So much going on. Such battle, much intense."

Hunk grabbed Pidge by the shoulders with his own grin, while Keith remained so quiet. "Some big twist could be coming, like when we found out a few issues ago that the red paladin was part Galra. Talk about crazy."

"No!" Pidge cried again. "I mean, that was cool, but I don't need any more twists like that. My heart can't take it!"

Finally, Keith broke his silence by muttering the words, "Maybe one will just go missing." All three turned to stare at him. The guy was still analyzing Lance's room. His eyes were quizzically on the Voltron figure on Lance's desk. Rude, Lance thought to himself. As if he caught himself having said that out loud, Keith got a little red and said, "Um, you know, just a thought. Ignore me."

Studying Keith for a moment, Lance's eyes narrowed, he snorted and placed the latest issue down on his bed again. "Don't be stupid, Keith. You probably don't even know what Voltron is."

A dull look was shot in Lance's direction from Keith. At least he was dressed a little more normal today. A shame about the mullet, though. Maybe if Lance just cut it when he wasn't looking...

Then again, after that mishap with his own hair when he was little, his mother had never trusted him with real scissors for years. It was a little humiliating to explain to his high school friends why he had those dull scissors that kindergartners used. Not that he didn't rock them!

"Cat got your tongue?" Lance decided to press.

Keith just kept that irritated look on his face—pretty standard for the guy—and said, "Like the one on your bed?"

Pidge snorted and fell against the door with laughter. Hunk at least had the decency to hide his laughter. Keith was both irritating and somehow fun to bicker with. The guy seemed to have some thick skin, at least on the outside, and didn't really seem to take offense to the things Lance said. It was a shame, though, that the guy didn't seem to have looked at the bottom of the coffee cup that Lance had given him the other week.

It wasn't much longer before Hunk decreed that they should leave Lance alone, so that he could read and they could get back to work. And time just started to pass by at a fast rate as Lance got enthralled by the glorious work that was Voltron. And then he got to the last page.

Shutting the issue, Lance sat there for a long moment, just blinking. His mind felt dead, as did his soul. What. The. Fuck? Shutting his eyes for a moment, Lance flopped onto his back, dropped an arm over his eyes, and let out the most unearthly howl that he had ever mustered.

How? How was this possible? But more importantly: how did he know? How did Keith possibly guess that? This... how could this be the last book of the season? Why was the brilliant author so evil? What had Lance ever done to deserve this? This was clearly an attack on his person.

"Lance!" Hunk called out. "Trying to study!"

A groan so long that Lance had to catch his breath afterwards followed that comment. He rolled over and buried his face into his pillows. This was both a disaster and a brilliant plot point. The possibilities of what could follow were endless. He opened the book again, just to double check what he had read, and whimpered at the knowledge that it was correct. Why?

Prying himself from his deathbed, Lance left his bedroom. Keith and Hunk had moved into the living room, absentmindedly listening to the low volume of the TV, while Pidge was slouched in the chair next to the couch. She was the first that noticed Lance dragging himself into the room, arching a brow at him.

With a dead look on his face, Lance just raised a shaky finger and said, "You." Keith blinked up at him, arching a brow in confusion. "How?"

And that was all he said. All he could muster. This didn't seem possible. Out of all the possibilities for a season finale for the graphic novel, the black paladin going missing was nowhere in the spectrum of possibilities that Lance had considered. Yet it had happened.

Pidge and Hunk were now both staring at Keith. "What are you talking about?" asked Keith.

"'What are you talking about?'" Lance mimicked, moving his hand to imitate a mouth talking. "How did you possibly call that ending? Are you a fan?"

"Dude!" Pidge yelled out, shooting up in her chair. "I can't believe you just spoiled the ending for us!"

Lance scoffed as he stole a handful of popcorn from the bowl in Pidge's lap. "Me?" His free hand pointed an accusing finger towards Keith. "He's the one that said it first!"

Hank just waved it off. "Probably just a lucky guess."

Lance narrowed his eyes with a frown as Keith went back to work with Hunk. A very good lucky guess, if that was the case. Then, slowly, a grin that could rival the Cheshire Cat split across Lance's face. Was Keith a closet Voltron fan? Perhaps Lance needed to get to know Hunk's partner a little bit better after all. He needed to know the truth. Things needed to come into the light. Just call him Detective Lance McClain.

I may go back later and adjust some of the characters in the tag. But I hope you guys liked the update. I hope it was better. If it was still lacking, feel free to let me know. If this still hasn't improved, especially with Lance, I might just go back and work on this chapter and the last. Try to add more to those chapters and work on Lance himself. Next chapter may have more than one POV for each of the boys. Because I know that I want to focus more on Keith's own life in the next chapter. Which means a heavier focus on Shiro and Allura.

I may also rewatch Voltron before my next update. I think that'll help me a lot with Lance. Also, I know that I see a lot of variations on how authors write Pidge in their fics. I don't really have a preference, so I'll probably be swapping out when I do my next short story. I also have yet to decide if I want to actually name the paladins in Keith's graphic novel... since I can't exactly use their names. I may use their Japanese names from the original version. I will also be coming up with an alias that Keith uses to publish his work.

But, as I stayed up all night to get this finished and published and the sun is now up, I am going to get some sleep. I have such a long day tomorrow, and a lot of things that need doing before I can enjoy that Switch. I hope the chapter to everyone's liking and that it was better than last chapter. Feel free to shoot me a review, letting me know what you thought.