The sound of stones skipping across the lake was all one could hear for a good distance as the lake's lone occupant stared out into the horizon. And for Lance McClain, that was fine by him.
In all honesty he wasn't sure how long he'd been outside, and he didn't really care. In many ways the past few days have felt like a cross between a blur and slow-motion. And he couldn't bring himself to understand why.
As such he wasn't sure whether to be sad or just flat out angry.
And given what happened between him and Allura a few days ago, Lance was feeling equal amounts of both feelings...
"So...what did you want to talk about?" Lance asked.
"...I don't know where to begin, exactly." Allura replied.
"What do you mean?"
"Lance...I'm just not sure about...this anymore."
At that moment Lance felt like the ground was about to swallow him whole.
"What brought this on?" Lance asked, his voice already beginning to rise.
"It's complicated." Allura answered.
"Then un-complicate it." Lance said. "Is it somebody else? Is it Keith?" He demanded, anger already surging through him.
Allura then looked at the Red Paladin incredulously. "Keith has absolutely nothing to do with this."
"The hell he doesn't." Lance retorted bitterly. "Typical. Whether it be back during the Garrison days or now he always, always has tried to get the one-up on me or take something from me, every single damn time!"
"Lance!" Allura yelled.
"What!"
"Are you paying attention to anything I'm saying?"
"Oh, I think I'm hearing the details pretty well." Lance replied with a tone that was both angry and sad, tears already forming in his eyes.
"No, you're not!" Allura said.
"Oh no?" Lance asked rhetorically, "Well, here's a news flash: you don't know Keith like I do. That guy has always preferred to stay by himself. The lone wolf. And yet he was the top in the class? Even when he became the leader of the team he quickly jumped ship the moment we thought Shiro came back. He may be a good pilot, but he's no leader. All he is is a coward!"
So caught up was the Red Paladin in his rant that he didn't even remotely see the fist coming at him.
Once Lance came to he then looked at Allura with a look of shock and almost anger, but once he saw the cold look on the Altean Princess's face he then felt the taste of fear.
"I don't know what your problem with Keith is, or why you are still acting the way you did back in the beginning when we all first met, but as I just said before, Keith has absolutely nothing to do with this. So unless you wish to continue to dismiss that fact out of hand and provoke me further, I suggest you let go of that fragile ego of yours for one quiznacking tick and start listening for once!"
Lance then gulped as he tried to will himself to calm down. While the anger faded pretty quickly, the fear didn't.
"This is something that has been hanging over me for several Phoebs now." Allura began. "And in the beginning, I thought it was okay. That I could move forward from Lotor's betrayal. But...things haven't changed."
Lance wanted to say something but for once stayed quiet.
"The truth is Lance...I don't feel any different than I did when we first arrived here. It all just feels...alien to me."
"Whoa, Allura-it doesn't have to be that way." Lance said.
"It's not that simple for me Lance." Allura said. "You and the others being here-this is something I know you all have been looking forward to. But for myself and Coran and possibly even Romelle-we are the strangers in a strange land."
"Allura, starting over isn't easy, but it is possible." Lance said. "I know Earth has it's rough spots, but it can be something special to you too."
Allura then sighed in frustration. "Lance, can you please try to listen?"
"I am!" Lance replied in exasperation but quickly shrank back once Allura gave him a glare.
"Lance, no matter how much you want to frame it, Earth is your home. It isn't mine."
Lance's eyes narrowed, then widened as the pieces started to come together in his mind. But as much as the Red Paladin was slowly realizing what that also might mean, he wasn't about to give up without a fight.
"Allura, you can't let what Sanda said or what that other lady had said weeks back affect you. Those were people who didn't get to know you the way we do. The way I do."
"And that right there is the problem." Allura said, already at her wit's end with Lance. "Neither they nor you really know me."
"Damn it Allura, what the hell do you want then?" Lance yelled.
Allura then remained silent as she looked away.
"Allura," Lance said as he tried to face the Princess. "What do you want?"
"I don't know!" Allura yelled out.
At that moment Lance just felt paralyzed. In many ways it felt like his life-namely the last few months-had all of a sudden turned into a fake play, with all the moments and dates he had with Allura-all nothing but a set, and the director had yelled "Cut!" some time back but Lance was still in character and wanted to stay in character.
Turning away from Allura as he was now beginning to reconcile what this conversation was leading up to and knowing there was nothing he could do to stop it, which in turn caused tears to spill out of his eyes. Trying desperately to get rid of the tears that wouldn't stop by rubbing his sleeves Lance steeled himself as he then turned to Allura, who had softened up a bit.
"I just want to know one thing though," Lance said. "Do you love me, or not?"
Allura turned her face as she tried to find an answer that was both honest but not hurtful, only to find that both was not possible. As she then turned back to Lance all she could do was sigh but no words came out. However, the silence was all the confirmation the Red Paladin needed.
Unwilling to hear anymore silence, and simply wanting to get away from this spot as quickly as possible Lance walked off, wiping his eyes furiously as he made his way toward his family who was waiting for him in the distance...
At that moment Lance just couldn't hold it in anymore and he broke down and cried.
How long he had been crying the Red Paladin didn't know, but after he finished and stared out into the horizon he saw that the sun was already beginning to set.
After a while he then heard footsteps approaching him.
"Not now Veronica." Lance said. "I just want to be alone."
"But you called me here." Said a voice.
Lance turned his head and saw Pidge standing there.
"Funny Pidge." Lance said as he tried to compose himself.
"Well, I could whip up a device to let me airbend you back to your house, but..."
"Honestly, I'd call you Melon Lord if you did that." Lance retorted.
"Well, that would be one heck of a compliment." Pidge said with a smile. "But seriously though, your sister and your parents asked me to come and find you. Veronica figured this was where you would be, so here I am."
"But wait, how were you able to get here?" Lance asked. "Last time I checked, your mom grounded you for the rest of your life."
"True." Pidge admitted. "But dad told mom that he had to give your sister a report on the Atlas so he convinced her to let me tag along. Veronica needing my help was a plus."
"Only a plus?" Lance asked, amused.
At that moment a small blush began to spread up Katie's neck. She wasn't sure why this had been happening for a while but she quickly tried to push it down.
Besides, The Green Paladin thought bitterly. I'm not Allura.
"All right, are you coming, or do I have to shock you and then drag you over?"
Lance then gave a small chuckle despite himself as he followed his teammate back to the van where Sam Holt was waiting.
"Well, hello! Fancy meeting you strangers!" Veronica said as she answered the door.
"Good to see you Veronica." Sam replied as he and Pidge entered with Lance in tow.
"By the way, we seem to have found this lost puppy and we were wondering if you could adopt him." Pidge quipped.
"Well, it may be tough, but I think we can figure something out." Veronica said with a laugh.
"Ah-hah, very funny, sis." Lance said as he greeted her, as well as his other siblings and parents.
"So, here's the report." Sam said as he handed the parcel to Veronica.
"Okay, great." Veronica nodded with approval. "So, do you guys want to stay over for dinner?"
"Wish we could, but Colleen is working on something for us to eat back home, so we do have to get a move on."
"That's okay." Mrs. McClain said. "Hopefully next time though."
"Here's hoping." Sam agreed as he looked at his daughter's face as she tried subtlety to see Lance heading over to the fridge and grabbing a bottle of TropiCola. Subtle as Katie was, Sam could tell a crush when he saw one, especially since he had that same look when it came to Colleen way back when.
After the Holts left it didn't take long for dinner to be set up so once the food was laid out the McClain family sat down and ate. While everyone was enjoying themselves, it didn't take much for Lance's parents and Veronica to sense the tension coming from their son. If the rest of the siblings sensed it, they didn't mention it at all.
"Okay, I'm good." Lance said after he finished his dinner and got up to wash his plate.
"Actually Lance, before you go we need to talk." Lance's father said as he gestured to the siblings who then nodded and headed up to their rooms, trying not to guess what the talk would be.
"Papa, no offense but I don't think-"
"Lance," Mrs. McClain said in a mother's disciplinary tone. "Sit down."
Lance huffed as he sat down. He didn't really feel like talking to anybody at the moment but he also knew he didn't have a choice in the matter. He only wished Veronica didn't have to be present for whatever his folks wanted to talk about.
"First off, we know that you've been heading down to the lake these past few days, to say nothing of you being down a lot of the time." Mrs. McClain said.
"I've just had a lot on my mind." Lance tried to clarify.
"Rather someone." Remarked Veronica, to which Lance gave his sister a stern look.
"The point is Lance, you've been very different lately. Why?" Said Lance's father.
Lance sighed as he didn't really want to get into this with his folks. It was bad enough that he was dealing with what could basically be the first break-up of his life, and he didn't really know how to deal with it, even now.
"It's Allura." Lance admitted.
"Trouble in paradise, huh mijo?" Mr. McClain said.
"It's just that...she doesn't feel happy, at all." Lance confessed.
"How so?" Mrs. McClain asked. "You didn't do anything stupid, did you?"
"God, no!" Lance said instantly. "Or at least...nothing too extreme."
Lance's parents and sister asked for clarification, and then the Red Paladin explained what happened some time back after he and Allura left a movie theater and then their argument a few days ago at the Garrison.
"I just don't get it." Lance finished. "We've been dating for a few months now, and I thought-hoped-that it was going somewhere. Now she's saying she doesn't know what she wants, or that she may not...care about me the way I thought..." He then took a moment before trying to fight off the tears that threatened to erupt from his eyes again. "I just don't understand what I've said or done wrong. I wasn't joking with Allura when I said that she could have a new home to start over, whether it be someplace else or Earth." He looked at his mom. "What am I doing wrong?"
Mrs. McClain then took a seat by her son. "Lance...what you're doing is not paying attention to what she's saying."
"But that's ridiculous, I do."
"Ay Dios mio, dame paciencia con este hijo mio." Mrs. McClain muttered in Spanish before speaking further.
"Tell me, has Allura ever once expressed real interest on Earth? And I don't mean in passing."
"We go out to a few places." Lance replied.
"That's not what I meant." Mrs. McClain said. "What I mean is, has she ever said that she wanted to stay on Earth after this entire thing is over?"
"Well...I..." Lance said with a sigh.
"She's never said anything along those lines, has she?" Veronica asked.
Lance then glared at his older sister but Veronica didn't flinch.
"You don't understand." Lance began.
"Actually Lance, I think you're the one who doesn't understand." Mrs. McClain said.
"What?" Lance asked, incredulous.
"You're practically making assumptions about someone that you only think you know but really don't. And you're so fixated on the fact that you're with her that you aren't realizing what it is you want from her."
"Mom!" Lance said, "I love her. She's the one I want to be with."
"Lance," Mrs. McCliain said. "Allura may be the girl you want, but is she the girl you need?"
"What are you talking about? Of course she's the one I need." Lance said.
"But do you really see yourself fitting into the kind of world Allura lives in?" The Red Paladin's mother asked. "I mean, do you see yourself being able to carry yourself in those kinds of galas and other functions that a Princess has to do? Or do you really think someone like Allura would be comfortable giving all that up and living out a regular life as a housewife?"
That question caught Lance by surprise, and as such he tried to come up with a reply that Allura could find a way, but as he thought more about it the more it just didn't seem feasible in his mind, let alone his heart.
"I'm sure we could...figure something out." Lance said.
"Are you sure?" Veronica asked. "Because given what you told us about what happened between Allura and Lotor..."
Lance then turned to his older sister as she continued.
"Well...are you sure you weren't just the rebound guy?"
Lance looked at his sibling with an incredulous look on his face, as if the very idea was unimaginable to him, and had it been any other person Lance would have probably gotten right in said person's face real quick, but he calmed himself as much as he could. As much as he refused to believe it, everything his family was saying, even Veronica...Lance couldn't stop his tears from threatening to spill out, and he was done fighting it.
Veronica then tried to comfort her brother, but held back.
"You don't know that, Veronica." Lance said weakly.
"No, but me and your papá do." Lance's mom said.
"Many years ago I went through something like what you did. And I almost missed out with your father simply because I was too caught up in the idea of being with another person."
"Idea?" Lance questioned.
"Yes." Mr. McClain added. "In a lot of ways, you're in love with the idea of being with Allura than with her."
At that moment Lance just wanted to go someplace else, curl up into a fetal position and weep.
"And I think you're so fixated on that idea that anything else that doesn't coincide with it bothers you. And instead of looking at the truth as it is you shut that part out, because otherwise your own dream becomes just an illusion and one that you don't want to lose. Unfortunately you also tune out what someone else is trying to tell you, and in this case, Allura."
"Lance, you can't just decide to make up her mind for her and if she doesn't agree then too bad. Relationships don't work that way." Finished Mr. McClain.
Lance said nothing.
"Lance, what you're looking for-what you want-you're not going to find it with Allura. She's not the Princess Zelda to your Link." Veronica said.
"Are we done here?" Lance said, already on the verge of crying and yelling.
"Just try to think about it. But make sure to get it out of your system first." Mrs. McClain said before nodding.
A while later Lance then went to his room and only once he was inside, with no one around he just laid down on his bed and started to cry, and he cried and cried until he could cry no more.
It must have been early in the morning, because Lance's alarm went off with Gloria Estefan's "Conga" playing.
Force of habit, I guess. Lance thought as he quickly stretched and then got himself a change of clothes before heading into the bathroom. After showering, washing up, and wearing new clothes, Lance headed into the kitchen for some breakfast only to find that it had been close to 11:00 AM.
"So, you're up. And looking a lot fresher." Chirped Veronica as she and Mrs. McClain stepped in from the porch.
"Very funny." Lance said as he reached for a banana and sat down.
"So what are you going to do today?" Mrs. McClain asked.
"I don't know." Lance said with a sigh. "I think I'm just going to relax today. Not do much."
"If you cook for lunch, don't overdo it like last time." Veronica said.
"Oh, come on! I didn't use that much seasoning!" Lance protested. "And I'll have you know Hunk did show me how to cook better."
"Okay, let's just drop it." Mrs. McClain said.
With that Lance then headed back to his room and pulled out one of his old game systems before plugging in and switching it on. While the games in it were quite vintage, there was nothing quite like the classics, and with "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time", it just didn't get any better than that.
In no time at all some of his younger cousins spotted him and came in to watch.
"Wow Lance, you still got it." Remarked one of the cousins.
"It's like getting back on a bike." Lance said good-naturedly.
"I still can't get past the Water Temple though."
"Well grasshopper, sit back and let a pro show you how it's done." Lance said confidently as he guided the character Link through that exact stage.
"How...?" Asked the cousin a while later.
"Time and skill." Lance answered. "Although more times than not it involves a lot of dying to get that skill but, it's worth it."
"Hey Lance, do you think Zelda liked Link too?" Asked another cousin.
"Every girl liked the guy. Heck, even Princess Nabooru had a thing for him." Lance said.
"Then why did Zelda send him back to being a kid?"
"Who knows? Maybe she thought she was doing the right thing." Lance said with a sigh.
"Do you think your Princess Zelda is out there Lance?" Asked the first cousin.
"...I thought there was, now...I don't know."
"What about that Allura girl?"
"She's not Lance's type."
"How do you know that?"
"I don't know. She's just not."
"Guys, c'mon. Drop it." Lance said in a clipped tone. "We're just here to enjoy playing some games, okay?"
"Sorry Lance." Said the cousins in stereo.
It took a while, but then the cousins left to go do their own thing, with Lance having switched titles over to Starfox 64. Then as he watched the end titles Lance slumped back in his chair.
"What am I doing?" Lance asked himself. "I really am a fool."
"You're only a fool if you give up boy."
Lance then shot up from his chair before he looked at the screen. It took a few seconds before he noticed that in the midst of his game-playing he had turned on his streaming account which had apparently blown up and he was getting comments of all kinds. One in particular named GreenKerberos.
Selecting it Lance then recognized the face of the penname.
"Pidge?" Lance asked as he switched the audio chat mode on.
"Hey Lance." Replied the Green Paladin as another window opened up revealing her face.
"What are you doing here?"
"Catching on up on some games like you from the looks of things." Pidge said. "It's either that or I stare up at the ceiling counting sheep."
"Sorry about that."
"Well, I got my brother and my dad back, so in a lot of ways it was worth it."
Lance nodded.
The two continued to talk some more, and then Lance turned off his game system as well as his streaming, and then headed outside to clear his head and do some jogging. Once was done he had lunch - by which point his folks had come back and they were able to join him.
After relaxing for a while Lance then looked outside for a bit longer before coming to a decision.
"Okay, where are you going?" Veronica asked as she saw her brother putting on his jacket.
"Going to see a friend."
"Don't tell me you're going to try the "take me back" bit with Allura."
"Veronica, this isn't about Allura. Not this." Lance said sincerely.
"Then you might want to give me more than 'seeing a friend'."
Lance sighed as he knew he wasn't going to get his sister off his back so he whispered in her ear.
"...Okay, 'nuff said. Though you might want to take your game system with you, just in case." Veronica said.
"Good idea."
Pidge groaned to herself as she passed the mop through the living room floor for the last time before putting it back in the bucket.
"Okay, I'm done."
"Really?" Colleen asked. "Both the living and family rooms?"
Pidge grumbled yet again.
"This is such quiznacking...!"
"Ah! Watch your language, young lady." Colleen reprimanded.
"How many times do I have to say 'I'm sorry'?"
"When I know you've genuinely learned your lesson. And so far you are no further along than you were just a minute ago."
"If I had told you, you would've tried to stop me." Pidge pointed out.
"Yes, I would have." Colleen admitted. "But I also would understand why and I might've tried to help you."
Pidge just sighed in frustration and headed over to the family room.
She was only halfway done when someone was knocking on the door.
Colleen then walked over to the door and smiled when she opened it and saw who it was.
"Hello Lance."
"Hi Mrs. Holt." Lance said. "I don't know if this is a bad time, but is Pidge around? I mean, I know she would be for obvious reasons but..." The Red Paladin then stopped himself for a moment.
"She's here." Colleen replied, partly curious.
"Hey Lance." Pidge said.
"Kaite-I mean Pidge." Lance said, stammering without knowing why.
"Did you finish the family room?"
"Just about."
"Well, get to."
"Actually, Mrs. Holt, I was wondering if I could help, as much as I could anyway."
Colleen looked between the two Paladins before coming to a decision.
"All right, but you are not taking up the full slack. Is that understood?"
Lance and Pidge nodded.
"Good."
"She's still mad at you, huh?" Lance said a while later.
"At this point you can have Hagar herself showing up and my mom still won't budge." Pidge answered. "Seriously, I wanted to find and rescue my brother and my dad, can't she understand that?"
"She does, but I think it's the fact that you didn't let her in on what you were planning."
"Don't tell me you're taking her side!" Pidge exclaimed.
"I'm not taking anyone's side here." Lance said. "I'm just saying try to see it from her end."
Pidge gave a huff but didn't say much more as she and Lance finished cleaning the room.
"Hey, at least she didn't literally tie you down to the house."
"Shh! Don't give her any ideas!" Pidge said.
"Well, I have to say, you two did a good job." Colleen said as she came over to see what the two had done. "Very good."
"Any other slave labor you want me to do?" Pidge asked.
"Well, you'll be happy to know that you're done for the day chore-wise, but don't get too excited." Colleen said. "I'll find something for you to do tomorrow."
"Goodie." Pidge grumbled.
So after a snack the two Paladins then went to Pidge's room to play some games along with the system Lance brought.
"So..." Pidge said as they took a break. "How are things?"
"...Not so good." Lance replied.
"You and Allura...?"
Lance sighed before answering.
"It's done."
At that moment Pidge wasn't sure what to think.
"It wasn't because of someone else. It just...it just wasn't working." Lance grudgingly admitted.
"I don't think making a new life on Earth was what Allura had in mind."
"Wait, how did you know?"
"It was a guess." Pidge said, equally surprised.
"So what do I do? Do I do anything?" Lance asked, exasperated.
"...I don't know Lance." Pidge said. "But if Allura's not happy, then I think it's best you respect her choice, whatever that is."
"...can we switch games?"
"You don't like Splatoon?"
"I do, but I got more of a mind to smash some opponents instead of splatting them."
"So I take it the Splat Chargers aren't cutting it for our sharpshooter?"
Lance then gave his fellow Paladin a look.
"Okay, Super Smash Bros. coming up." Pidge said as they switched.
As they played Pidge watched Lance as he selected his character, his face putting on a razor-sharp focus rarely seen on the Red Paladin.
And in spite of herself...Pidge couldn't help but blush before snapping herself back to reality.
Stop it Katie. He's looking for a Princess Zelda, not a Malon.
But despite this, part of Pidge couldn't help but hope for the future, a chance where maybe, just maybe...the impossible could happen for her once again, and this time on a more personal level.
"You're not blaming Keith for any of this, are you?" Pidge asked as she and Lance took another break to drink some water between battle rounds.
Lance was quiet for a moment before talking. "...not anymore. Even though part of me still wants to. But...just doing that is exhausting. Plus...I know it's not true. Any of it."
At first the Green Paladin didn't know what Lance meant but then it clicked.
"So that whole deal about you two being 'rivals' really was just a bunch of BS then, huh?"
Lance exhaled before throwing up his hands in resignation. "Yeah."
Pidge didn't say more, rather she let her friend rant.
"It's just...growing up with a large family is great, but it also makes you feel like you can't stand on your own at times. Then when you get to where you can do just that at a place like the Garrison but then your instructors start comparing you to somebody else again and again...it really makes you question what you can do. And you just focus on that golden boy. The fact that he seemed cold and didn't talk much only makes it easier to dislike him and see him as somebody to get past. But...as much as I try to make myself hate Keith and see him as a 'Mr. Steal your girl'...I can't do that anymore. Especially since none of that was true to begin with."
"Have you talked with Keith or Allura about this stuff?"
"I wouldn't know where to start." Lance said. "Plus, with Allura-I'm still working on that."
"Lance, I'm no expert, but-I think you should take them both aside and talk to them as soon as you can. Like it or not, everybody is gonna be looking to us."
"I know." Lance admitted.
"So are you two done kicking each other's butts?"
Pidge gave a grin while Lance gave a shrug with a sigh.
"Or I guess I can say, 'Are you done with kicking his butt?'"
"For now." Pidge said.
"Well, I was just about to go ahead an start dinner, especially since your father's back."
"Great!"
"Lance, what say you? Would you like to stay for dinner?" Colleen asked.
"Oh, I wouldn't want to impose..."
"You're not Lance. So please, I insist." Colleen said. "Besides I was planning on making some garlic knots too."
"Wait, garlic...knots?" Lance asked to which Colleen smiled.
"Yes." Colleen said as she then stole a quick glance at Pidge who looked like she was about to freak out.
"...Okay, I'm there." Lance said without hesitation.
Colleen smiled. "Actually, Sam and Matt needed help with something, can you go give him a hand? Besides, I need to borrow Pidge here for a moment." She then gestured for her daughter to follow her while Lance headed in the direction of where Samuel was.
"Mom, what are you-?" Pidge asked.
"Relax Katie." Colleen said. "You may be grounded for the moment, but I'm not heartless."
Pidge huffed as she tried to act more frustrated by what her mother was doing and inwardly trying to ignore that small voice in her heart that was happy Lance was staying...and failing miserably.
The rest of the evening went by without a hitch, with Lance being able to strike up a conversation with just about all the Holts. Some was Voltron-related, others were just general family stuff.
After dinner Lance and Pidge headed out to the porch to get some air, and in Lance's case play some holiday music.
"So..." Lance began. "What do you think of how things are coming along on the Atlas?"
"Knowing my dad and the Olkarians, the Atlas will be as good as new." Pidge replied.
"Yeah...still, I feel like we're sitting on our butts waiting more than we sho+uld."
"Given what we have to work with, there's not much else we can do."
"True." Lance said as he stared out into the stars, lost in thought.
After a while a salsa song from Lance's phone kicked up. At first it seemed like both tried not to pay attention to the tune, but they couldn't.
Well...no reason why not to relax as much as we can for the moment. Lance said as he took a step towards Pidge.
"Okay, I know this is going to sound weird, but...what would you say if I asked you to dance?"
Immediately Pidge felt like she couldn't be caught off-guard more than she was at that moment.
"You want to...dance with me?"
"I mean-not dance dance like with a ballad, I mean-dance to a song like this one." Lance gestured to the song playing.
"But I...don't even know how." Pidge protested.
"I don't either, just follow my lead, and let the song flow."
"Now you're the Mr. Miyagi of salsa dancing?"
"Just trust me on this." Lance insisted as he held out his hand to his fellow Paladin. At first Pidge wasn't sure what to make of this, but while her head was telling her not to do it, somewhere in her heart was gesturing for her to just go with it.
Sighing, Pidge then took Lance's hand, trying hard not to focus on the tingle that was spreading all over her arm as she touched him.
Pressing the button to make the song start over, Lance then had Pidge stand opposite him as they both began to dance. At first Pidge felt stiff, but then as she looked at Lance's brown eyes she then found herself letting go.
"So what's this group's name?" Pidge asked.
"El Gran Combo."
"'Grand Combo'?" Pidge repeated.
"I know it sounds weird in English, but that's what they were called."
"Well...they sound pretty good."
"Thanks." Lance beamed. "Y'know, you're catching on pretty quick."
And in spite of herself, the Green Paladin couldn't help but smile as she and Lance continued to dance, and her own smile was not in a way she usually would, but rather in a way that felt more...heartwarming.
And while she knew that she shouldn't, the Green Paladin couldn't help but dare to dream, and with it, hope.
It didn't make any sense to Pidge, but for once she didn't care. Following Lance's advice she lost herself in the moment, the music, and in spite of her own judgement...Lance.
And unbeknownst to the two Defenders of The Universe, Sam and Colleen were watching from the window, both with smiles on their faces.