The next day, Lance sat with Allura in the main room, deciding it would be good to have a talk with her. "Allura, is there another reason we're here? Coran seems to be taking his time with repairs"

"You can't rush these things Lance" Allura giggled

"I know, but aren't hunk and pidge helping?" Lance asked "Wouldn't that take the work load off him, it's been a week"

"Do you not like it here Lance, I thought you and Keith were getting along better now" Allura asked

"We are… but I've been to the market so many times and there is nowhere else to explore nearby, and the spas here aren't any good" Lance huffed "And I think I'm annoying him with all this girly stuff"

"I doubt that very much, Lance" Allura smiled knowingly. Lance looked down to her lap debating how to bring it up. "Could it be that you've started to like Keith?" Allura asked. Lance's head jolted up and bit out a laugh.

"I think it's the other way around" Lance laughed, but Allura could tell there was no heart behind it "I mean look at me I'm gorgeous" Allura sighed. If anyone knew Lance they would know Immediately that her vanity was a defence mechanism. And Allura could tell by just how vain she was told you the level of effect something had on her. It was confirmed went the smile dropped from her face. "Who am I kidding" she sighed.

"Lance, have more confidence in yourself" Allura coaxed sadly. "Trust me, I know who likes who in this castle if they even like someone" Allura smiled. "You already have one admirer" she hinted.

Lance snorted in disbelief. "Stop trying to make me feel better Allura, I have no shot. I'm just… too plain" Lance leaned back.

Unknown to her that Keith was heading towards them looking for Lance, curious as to why she wasn't pleading with him to take her out when he heard their voices and hid out of sight of the two women. Listening in. He knew it was wrong but Lance was acting weird since yesterday. He wanted to know why and she wasn't telling him.

"That's not true Lance and you know it" Allura chided

"Yea sure it isn't" Lance drawled sarcastically "Tell that to every other guy I have ever dated. They either left me for someone else or had someone else on the side." Keith felt rage boil up in him at the revelation. "And the guys in this team are too honest to go behind my back. And to be honest being dumped because they like someone else is a lot harder because you can't bring yourself to hate them and I'd still see them around the place as friends with the very girl they liked"

"That must be hard, I will admit" Allura conceded "it doesn't make you plain in anyway, it just means you weren't compatible" The Altean woman assured. Keith was shocked. Is that what lance really thought of herself? Keith walked off then leaving the two to talk a bit longer to let his rage subside. Had her confidence in herself taken that much of a beating because of some low life guys?

Meanwhile, Allura placed a hand on Lance's knee in support. "I won't be compatible with anyone then. I thought that being part of Voltron would help me forget how everyone saw me. The easy girl who would go out with anyone if they just asked. Sure, I flirt here and there with people but it's pure teasing… at least until Keith. But I can't even bring myself to do that, it's my coping mechanism, but now it feels so wrong so I can't" Lance choked out

"Oh Lance" Allura pulled the girl into a hug.

"Now, I have never felt so scared in my life and I feel like I need Keith to deal with it" Lance whispered.

Suddenly Keith marched into the room and threw Lance's jacket at her. "Let's go"

"I don't want to" Lance protested weakly. Keith and Allura shared a knowing glance.

"You've been upset since we got back, Lance, some shopping or whatever might cheer you up." Keith huffed, his anger from the earlier conversation still below the surface. Allura nodded encouragingly

"Shiro and I will come meet you soon" Allura smiled. Lance stood and walked with Keith through the halls of the castle and Keith slipped his arm around her waist. He held tight when Lance tried pulling away. He looked down at her pleased to see the lion hair pin was firmly in place in her hair. When she looked up to meet his gaze he felt her relax a little.

"You're wearing it" he said knowing she knew what he was talking about.

"it keeps my fringe from my face" Lance muttered. They left the castle of lions in silence and headed through the market. Lance had settled into his hold, resting a hand on Keith's stomach and the other around his waist resting her head on his chest as they walked.

Keith spotted something in one of the empty stores and pulled Lance over. Looking over the table Lance noticed they were couple's necklaces. Tugging on Keith's jacket when his eyes met hers she shook her head. Keith just out right ignored it and reached for one that was in the shape of a heart. It looked like it was two spirit animals resting their foreheads together around half if a gem. One half was a silver wolf and the other was a gold tiger. The wolf's half of the gem looked like it had gold webbing over a sapphire and the tigers had silver over a ruby.

Before Lance even knew what was happening Keith had already paid for it and dragged her away. Once they were somewhere private, Lance hissed "Is this really necessary?"

Keith took the blue half of the couple's necklace and secured it around her neck and grasped Lance's wrists before she could reach to remove it knowing she would. "It's a present, to cheer you up" Keith released one hand and placed the other half of the necklace in her hand. "Who the other half goes to is up to you"

"Keith!" Lance protested. Part of her wished he had just kept the other half for himself. Keith pressed a kiss to her temple with a small smile.

"Whoever gets it will be a lucky man" He whispered before walking off clearly expecting Lance to follow as he shoved his hands in his pockets. Lance quickly reached and tugged his arm before reaching up and clasping the necklace in place and Keith watched wide eyed.

"you bought it you should at least have half. It can be a friend thing instead of a couple thing" Lance explained. Lance wrapped her arms around his and they set off, both smiling happily despite Keith's frustration over how dense Lance was.