Chapter Seven

"Lance." Keith says, looking at the Blue Paladin when they meet up outside the first distress signal location.

The Cuban boy only glances at him, before looking away, "The distress signal must of come from that city." He says, pointing at the city nestled in the valley beneath the hill they stand on.

Keith sighs and he moves to stand next to Lance, looking down at the city. There, several reptilian people gathered around something covered in a tarp, and they were clamouring on about... whatever was under the tarp.

Lance sighs, "Wanna head down?" He asks, looking at Keith, and Keith sighs. "Hey, can we talk first?" He asks, and, Lance shakes his head.

"No." He says, before sliding down the hill and towards the city. Keith looks after him, before doing his best to follow, "Lance, please."

"No." Lance says, and Keith sighs. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, or... offend you. I told my mom that you were an impressive pilot and that you have grown to be even better than me, and she... Well... A mom has to mom, I guess." He says.

They make it to the bottom of the hill, and Lance twirls around to glare at Keith. "Sure, that's what happened. Why were you even talking about me in the first place? What even prompted you, of all people, to think about little Lance?" He asks, angry. Keith begins to wonder if Lance's anger is stemmed off his insecurities being jabbed at with a needle, or, if he is lashing out due to the 'rivalry'.

Keith sighs as he rubs his neck. He had started talking about Lance after his mother started talking about relationships. Namely romantic relationships. She was talking about Keith's father, and Keith smiled when Krolia says that she would give everything to go back to him.

He distinctly remembers thinking the same about Lance, saying that he missed his teasing the most out of everything Voltron offered him. Krolia had asked why this 'Lance' fellow teased him, and... That started a rather lengthy discussion about Lance.

And that's how Keith realised he has a heavy crush on Lance. Like... an "I want to be with you til the day we die" type of crush. It's what drove him to return, what drove him to stay alive, what drove him to finish his mission.

Lance glares at Keith as he zones out, "Well? What is it?" He asks, angrily, and Keith blinks. "Huh?"

Lance glares at Keith more, his anger increasing at Keith's blatant ignorance. "Why the hell did you mention me, Keith? Why talk about me at all? What shit did you mention to your mother that made her think I hated you? Huh? What?" He asks, seething, and Keith blinks, before he shakes his head.

"No, no, no- Lance, I was talking about you in a good way. I... Can't really tell you what. I don't think I'm ready to devolge in what exactly I said, but... It was all good. She thought you were making fun of me to be mean, and,... I don't know. I'm... Just... Ugh... You have to just believe me, Lance. I didn't say anything bad about you." Keith says, and Lance feels his anger subside.

"You promise?" Lance says, and Keith nods, placing a hand on Lance's shoulder softly. "I swear, Lance. It was all good, I promise." He says, and Lance watches as a smile spans across Keith's face.

It... He... I... Just... Wow. That was all that came to Lance's mind at the sight of Keith's happy smile. He can't help the smirk come on his mouth, and Lance quirks up his brows. "What kind of good things?"

Keith groans and pulls away, "Lance. Don't." He says, before looking towards the covered item. "We should go investigate." He says, changing the topic.

Lance pouts, as Keith passes him by and heads towards the covered item. He sighs and turns, following behind the Red Paladin. Keith looks at the tallest reptilian person, who is speaking to other reptilian people. "Mustn't touch. Graxta has birthed lion."

Keith blinks as Lance raises a tentative brow, "Um... excuse us, Sir. We're Paladins of Voltron. What do you mean lion?" Lance says, and the reptilian person turns to look at them.

"Strangers!" It screeches, and Keith holds up both his hands. "We mean no harm. We got a distress signal from this location." He says, as the reptilian person keeps screeching.

Lance, who had gotten closer to the covered item while Keith was being screamed at by the reptilian creatures, freezes when he sees what's underneath the tarp. "Um... Keith..." he says slowly, looking to the Red Paladin.

Looking at Lance, Keith tries to ignore the screeching, "Yeah, Lance? What's up?"

Lance had wide eyes, and he, in one swift movement, pulls the tarp off. Exposing... An Indigo Lion. Laying on it's side, it's mouth still closed.

Keith stares at the lion, then looks at Lance, then back at the Lion. He hears Lance say, "Princess, are you sure there's only the five lions of Voltron?" He asks, and Allura's voice comes through.

"Yes. Why?" She asks, and Keith swallows. "Because we just found a sixth lion. A... purple lion."

Allura falls quiet, before she says, "Bring it to us." She says, and Keith looks at Lance, who was looking at him already.

Lance looks back to the lion laying on its side, before he says, "What if it's pilot is still inside?" He says, and Keith looks at him, "That's begging to question if this thing even has a pilot."

Lance stares at the lion, before slowly going up to the lion, and pressing a hand to the mouth. "Let us in, gorgeous? We want to help." Lance says, and the mouth almost instantly opens, prompting Lance to step back.

He steps back enough for the mouth to open, showing a sideways boy trying to make his way down the stairs shakily. He was in indigo armour, and had his helmet on. He takes one step onto the ground, before groaning and falling forward onto the ground. Keith and Lance both move to catch his arms, as the younger, smaller lad whispers something softly, before promptly passing out.

Keith looks at Lance with a confused gaze. "Did... did he just...?" He asks, and Lance nods, looking at the boy. "Emerge out of a purple lion in paladin armor and pass out on us? Yes?"

Keith shakes his head, "No, not that. Did he... Just call us... Dads?"