Surprise Kiss – Shiro x Lance

A/N: I don't ship it, but it's one of my boyfriend's favorites. This is a surprise chapter to cheer him up.

AU in which Lance's family didn't survive the Galra invasion. You've been warned.

Words: 1,261

They'd done it. The paladins of Voltron had found a way home – back to Earth. As they piloted their lions, each of the humans discussed their respective first orders of business upon returning.

Everyone was excited for their family reunions, of course. Keith didn't participate in that particular conversation – the only family he had was his mother, who was traveling in his company. Shiro hoped that nothing bad had become of Adam. Pidge squealed about finally seeing her mother and being reunited with her father and brother again. Lance and Hunk swapped stories about their siblings and wacky past adventures, though the Cuban had his friend beat, as his family outnumbered Hunk's.

"I look forward to meeting all of your families," Allura informed them as they touched down on Earth's surface. None of them were prepared for the horror that awaited them.

Their beloved planet, their home, had been reduced to rubble. Entire towns were deserted. Had they not attended the Galaxy Garrison, none of them would have even recognized the land.

When they made their way to the Garrison, Shiro demanded to know what had happened. He then relayed what he'd learned to hid crew – the Galra had attacked, and there had been a devastating number of casualties. The paladins were heartbroken to hear the damage that the Galra had caused, and they all grew even more eager to ensure the safety of their families.

Hunk's loved ones were missing, but Sam had promised him that they'd find them. All of Pidge's family had, thankfully, been working and waiting at the Garrison. Keith lingered to the side with Krolia, Kolivan, and Cosmo, watching the heartfelt reunions.

When Shiro inquired about Adam, he had been hesitantly led to the former officer's grave.

Lance's hopeful gaze danced around the hundreds of bodies that filled the Garrison's halls. Everyone seemed to be accounted for – so where was the McClain clan? He had quite a large number of relatives. They were rather hard to miss, even in a crowd this vast. They were loud and excitable, and his niece and nephew should have come barreling in with shrieks of "Tio Lance!" by now.

So… where were they?

Lance distanced himself from the reunion parties, searching for Voltron's former leader. "Shiro… where's my family? Have you heard anything?"

The white-haired pilot frowned. "Lance… I'm so sorry. I thought Sam had already told you-"

"Told me what?" the red paladin cut him off, thin brows furrowing as his midnight blue eyes narrowed into a glare. "What do you know, Shiro?"

The scarred man sighed, hanging his head. "The MFE's were sent on a supply run," he began softly, reluctantly. "They were supposed to get in and out without the Galra catching on but… something went wrong. They got separated by a rock slide, and Veronica…" Shiro sighed deeply. "Veronica didn't make it back."

Lance's chest tightened. Tears welled behind his eyes, but he refused to give them the satisfaction of falling.

"What about the rest of them?" he demanded, his voice strained and quiet and he struggled to keep his composure. "My brothers? Rachel? My parents? My niece and nephew? Where are they?!"

Shiro winced. "The Galra…"

Sam, who'd overheard the latter piece of the conversation, padded soberly up to the brunet. "When the Galra invaded, many civilian lives were lost. I'm deeply sorry, Lance, but your family was on their way here, and they got caught in the crossfire when we tried to fight back."

"So… my family…"

"They're gone, Lance."

The brunet was trembling. His slender hands were clenched into tight fists, and his chest ached. His heart felt like an iron hand had wrapped around it, squeezing until it shattered. He could no longer stave off the tears – they pushed past his lids and flowed freely down his cheeks. He pushed past the officers in front of him, sprinting down different hallways until he was as far away from everyone as he could possibly be.

That evening, while the other paladins tended to their families and reunited with their old classmates, Shiro went searching for Lance. He hadn't seen the red paladin since he'd discovered the fate of his loved ones. Lance hadn't been present for dinner or any of the officer meetings, and though Shiro knew the brunet needed his space, he was growing worried.

After searching the entire premises, the former leader ventured up to the roof of the building. A soft sigh escaped his lips at the sight that met him – Lance was seated by the ledge, knees drawn up to his chest, his arms secured tightly around them. The stillness of his form suggested that he'd ceased crying. That was a positive, at least.

Shiro quietly crept up until he was beside the red paladin. Without a word, he crouched down, sitting beside his teammate. Lance was quiet and stiff, but Shiro knew that his presence had been sensed.

"How are you holding up?" the scarred man inquired softly.

The man beside him sniffled. "My entire family is gone," he murmured, his voice raw and cracked. "I was so excited…"

Shiro exhaled a sigh. "Lance… I'm so sorry. I get it. I came home to a gravestone instead of my fiancé. I completely understand how you're feeling."

The brunet lifted his head, turning his tear-stained face to gaze up at his idol. "What do I do now?" he wondered aloud, breathless and nearly inaudible.

Shiro's brows furrowed in sympathy, and he extended his arm to wrap around Lance's shoulders. He tugged the Cuban into his side, and the brunet melted against his chest.

"I know it's not the same," the former leader murmured, pressing his lips to Lance's temple, "but we're you're family. The paladins, the Alteans, the Blades. We're all here for you."

"I know," the brunet sighed softly with a nod. "I know I have all of you. I just…" His eyes grew watery, and he but his lip before continuing. "I was so excited to come home, Shiro. I was so excited to see my sisters, and my brothers, my parents, everyone."

Shiro's arm fell from Lance's shoulders, and the latter glanced up at him in confusion. He studied the older paladin's face, gasping softly when a warm hand came to gently grasp his chin. Before he could question Shiro's motives, the older man had leaned in, his chapped lips pressing against Lance's damp ones. Every coherent thought fled the brunet's brain as he closed his eyes, losing himself in his teammate's touch.

Shiro pulled back, slowly opening his eyes and gazing at the dazed expression decorating the Cuban's features. His eyes widened and he leaned back, fear and concern etching onto his own face.

"Lance, I- I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have- I didn't think-"

Rolling his eyes, Lance leaned forward with a hand on Shiro's chest. His lips took the other's hostage, molding together sweetly as they had done only seconds ago. The scarred man lowered his hand, securing his arm around Lance's waist.

The red paladin pulled away, his tongue poking out to wipe the saliva from his lips. He stared up at his former leader, eyes sparkling in the setting sun.

Shiro smiled softly, leaning forward to rest his forehead on Lance's. "Come talk to me if you ever need consoling," he murmured softly. "We can talk, cuddle, kiss… Whatever you need to feel better. Okay?"

The brunet nodded. "Okay." He ducked his head, burrowing it into the older man's chest. They stayed there until Lance fell asleep, nuzzled in Shiro's embrace.