It's OK

by DeetsViBre

Lance is not OK. He needs to reach out to his teammates for help, but hes afraid. Rewriting yourself cost something, a deep pain with every edit. When Keith walks in on Hunk and Lance talking late into the night, things begin to change. Space is dangerous. (written during season 3, canon divergent after that) COMPLETE!

3. Dead Space

Part 3- Dead Space

The cone of light from Lance's phone fell off abruptly, and left an endless expanse of darkness beyond. The walls, floors, and ceiling, were indistinguishable from the shadows, but still echoed his and Keith's footfalls, as they carefully walked down the hallway. Their steps were the only sound. The constant hum of the ship's systems was absent, and it sent a chill down Lance's back. He tried to move quietly, the creepy atmosphere was making him uneasy. Lance didn't exactly believe in ghosts, but he used to doubt the existence of aliens… He wasn't willing to take a chance.

His eyes strained to see. There was no light, not even from under a door, or dim glow from an electronic, only his phone, pathetically fighting against the dark. For the first time in a long time, or maybe since getting in Blue, Lance felt the vacuum of space pressing on his mind. 9

Keith held Lance's arm, his own phone was pointed at the floor so they could see their feet. "I thought the desert was dark, but this…" He muttered.

"Yeah," Lance agreed. He tried to focus on anything but Keith's hand on his arm. Apparently, once Keith decided to grace you with his physical affections, it's all or nothing, like everything else he did.

They turned a corner, and stopped when the darkness was cut by the light pouring from Pidge's lab. Lance took a full breath, only now aware that he had been breathing shallow.

"Is that it?" Keith whispered. Barely a breath, but loud in the oppressive silence.

"Yeah," Lance replied quietly. He began to move forward, his leg jerked, and the rubber of his sneaker squeaked on the smooth floor. The sound echoed through the motionless castle ship, still as death.

"SHIT! FUCK! SHIT SHIT SHIT!" Pidge's voice cracked through the air, and like a whip, it snapped against Lance's heart. He would later deny the high screech he may or maynot have unleashed. Keith jumped away from Lance, and Lance would have been hurt by the action if he hadn't done the same. They didn't look at each other, and sprinted towards the light.

The room was dimly illuminated by monitors and gadgets, but less than half as many, compared to what Lance had seen earlier. Pidge was perched in the middle of their tech nest frantically typing, and pulling down periscope like headsets to look though. Each line they typed, or view they peered into, only made them more panicked.

"Oh NO. NONONONO, SHIT TITS!" Pidge wailed.

For every moment that Pidge scrambled around, Lance felt a tide panic rising, but it was tempered down by the onset of adrenaline. The tips of his fingers tingled and he became ultra aware of his surroundings, while at the same time distant from it. Lance's crisis mode kicked into full gear.

"Pidge, what's going on?" Lance asked. He didn't yell, but his tone expressed the underlying 'how fucked are we?'

Keith jumped next to him, startled. He had been rooted to the spot, watching Pidge's hysteria like a slow train wreck.

"How is this even POSSIBLE!?" Pidge fumed, ignoring Lance. At this point they weren't type anything coherent, only slamming their hands on the keyboard in frustration, the edge of tears in their voice.

"How is what possible?!" Keith barked, but his words didn't even make a dent in Pidge's awareness.

Pidge let their head fall onto their work table with a thump. "We are SO screwed!" They lamented, and lifted their head to drop it on the table again, "Screwed!"

"SCREWED!" They banged their head harder to match their volume. "SCREWED!" Bang! They punctuated with their forehead again.

Pidge was starting to scare Lance, he had never seen them so panicked before. He ripped away the last shreds of his posturing cover, and pushed aside his self deprecation to allow himself to take control of the situation. His team needed him.

"PIDGE!"

Lance's voice was commanding. It was the tone he used to get his younger siblings to stop in their tracks, and it was the same one his mother used on all her children. Pidge froze mid head bang, and slowly looked over their shoulder with wide eyes.

Lance approached, grabbed Pidge by the shoulders, and turned them around. His thoughts were cool and collected, "You need to focus," he brought his face level with theirs, "tell me what's going on."

Pidge took a long calming breath, but their voice still shook when they spoke. "All the quintessence in the Castle is gone."

Cold, and constricting dread leaked through Lance's chest, but he viciously clamped down on it. He had to be in control, Pidge was barely keeping it together. This was worse than when they were stranded on that garbage heap, at least back then they had their lion for power. And Keith -Lance glanced at him- looked lost without something to punch or stab, this was out of the red paladin's wheelhouse. But Lance could adjust, he could flow around a situation like water, and make it his own, for the sake of the others. As it stood, he was the only one not losing his shit.

"This is bad," he muttered.

Pidge needed direction, that's all they ever needed to keep it together. Lance would give them direction. He let go of their shoulders, and backed up a step to collect his thoughts.

The glow of the few remaining screens caught Lance's eye. "What's powering these?" He gestured around with wide sweeping motions.

"Hunk, and me have been experimenting with conversion generators, to turn quintessence into electricity. Everything still running, is on the back up batteries we made." Pidge pointed to a wall of machines, supposedly the generators and batteries.

Lance looked down at his phone with dawning realization. He quickly turned off the flashlight. "Turn it all off, Pidge!" He demanded.

Pidge hesitated for a tick, then slapped their own face, "Shit, you're right!" They rushed to a large failsafe switch, and pulled it. Everything powered down. Pidge looked at Lance through the dim light of Keith's phone, "good thinking, we need to conserve power."

Keith walked up to Lance's right, bringing the only source of light closer, "Now what?" He asked, and looked directly at Lance. Pidge also looked to him, no longer panicked, but a little lost with such limited power.

What goes around, comes around. All those years pretending he wanted to be the center of attention, and now he was. Two of the most talented people he knew were -surprisingly- looking to him, to help lead them in a life or death situation. He should've listened to his mother, 'don't stir the pot, keep your head down,' she always said.

Lance held firm under the pressure, adrenaline still pumping through him. His chest felt full, and his heart was beating too fast, but his skin tingled with anticipation. "Now, we have to get to the others," he declared, with as much certainty as he could muster.

"There will be a handful of closed, and unpowered doors between us, and the control room." Pidge was back on track, they put their hand out to Keith expectantly, and he slowly handed his phone over. They snatched it, and started to run around the room collecting equipment, leaving Lance and Keith in relative darkness. "I will need to get a few things together so we can open the doors," They explained.

What followed was a full twenty minutes of Pidge running back and forth, only stopping to add a new part to their… power thingy.

The first fifteen minutes were spent in silence, and then a soft sigh drew Lance's attention. It was a slow, heavy breath through the nose, a sign that Keith was thinking about something difficult. Lance watched him fiddle with the headband in his hair, a thoughtful look on his face. Then Keith spoke over the sound of Pidge collecting their things, "We will also need to make a list."

"A list of? Lance asked, as he observed Keith through the swaying light of Pidge scampering around.

Keith's hand dropped from his hair, "A list of what will kill us," he elaborated, bluntly.

Lance made a soft, "Oh..." as the seriousness of the situation solidified. "Yeah, we should probably prioritize what will do us in the fastest, so we can find a solution," he agreed, surprising himself with how easily he fell back on logic during this emergency.

"The cold," Keith replied, always the realist. He seemed to have collected himself, survival was one of his strong suits, and he fell into his comfort zone.

Pidge popped up between them, a pack of gadgets on their back, and goggles pulled up on their head. "Keith's right, the cold is priority one after we get to the others. Without quintessence we can't heat the ship."

They walk into the hall together, guided by Keith's phone flashlight.

"What about air?" Lance asked, one brow lifted. Breathing was important last time he checked.

Pidge shrugged, "Airs not an immediate problem, as long as I can open doors. This ship is huge, and there are only seven of us," they pointed out.

Lance nodded, grasping the determination he felt, and holding it tight. "OK, so we open doors, get to the others, and figure out how to not freeze to death, in that order."

Pidge jumped to the head of their group to lead the way, their focus sharp, now that there was a plan. "Sounds good..." they agreed in a tone that left an unspoken 'but' hanging in the air, and it didn't take long for Pidge to voice their concerns.

"But… Gravity will become an issue soon." They shrugged as if it was obvious.

Gravity? Lance lifted his feet extra high for a few steps as they made their way down the hall. "It seems fine to me?" He said, unsure.

"For now." Pidge looked over their shoulder, unwilling to slow down while they explained. "Many parts of the Castle are capable of becoming zero gravity environments, there is a network that goes through the walls of the ship that allows quintessence to disrupt the artificial gravity of a room. But powering down the gravity generator itself is a separate issue altogether."

Lance thought back to the day the Castle tried to kill them, that explained why opening the door fixed the gravity situation for Hunk and Pidge back then. Now that he thought about it, not having power meant there shouldn't be any gravity, right?

"So, how is there still gravity right now? Shouldn't we be all floaty and stuff?" Lance made a wavy gesture with his hands.

Keith snorted, but didn't interrupt. Lance gave him a shifty look.

Pidge sighed, as if they were very put upon. "It's complicated to say the least, but I will try and simplify it the best I can. The gravity generator is a bunch of moving parts, like a gyroscope, that are perfectly fit together, smooth as can be, and floating in a zero gravity vacuum chamber. The parts are given motion by quintessence, but after they start moving, it takes very little to keep them going. Since there's no air, or gravity, and almost no friction, it takes a long time for the generator to stop, unless it's forced. It's actually pretty cool, it is slowed down by the gravity and atmosphere of planets we land on, so it's a smooth transition and almost…"

Lance tuned out Pidge and imagined spinning a perfectly balanced wheel of a flipped bike, and how long it would take for it to stop if he didn't touch it.

Keith spoke up for the first time in a while, his voice startled Lance. "So, the generator just takes a long time to wind down, and we are slowly going to become weightless?"

Pidge turned their head to look forward again, "Essentially, yeah."

"Why couldn't you just say that?" Lance grumbled.

Pidge shrugged, the line of their back conveyed that their casual attitude was forced. "Because you would ask a million questions, I was just being pragmatic."

Lance opened his mouth to disagree, but never got the words out. Pidge didn't even need to turn around to derail his argument. "And don't say you wouldn't, because we both know that's a lie." Pidge's tone wasn't harsh, they sounded almost appreciative of his curious nature. They continued to banter, trying to keep the atmosphere light, even under the crushing pressure of their predicament.

"How do you know so much about how the gravity works?"

"What do you think I do with my spare time, in a ship full of advanced tech?"

"Build lairs?"

"touché."

Keith lingered just behind Lance, barely on the edge of his peripheral, shining his phone light on the two in front of him. Lance was tempted to look back at him and say something, but he honestly didn't know what he would say. His mind still lingered on their comfortable position right before the blackout, but he couldn't bring that up in front of Pidge. He shouldn't torture himself by thinking about it, there was no chance Keith saw him like that.

Warm fingers lightly looped around Lance's pinky and ring finger. He still didn't look back, but he curled his two fingers around Keith's. The small contact allowed Keith's warm presence to smooth down Lance's rough edges. A comforting hum picked up in the back of his mind, similar to Blue, but distinctly Rojo.

Pidge was looking forward, keeping their eye on the prize, and never looked back to catch the small comfort.

Ooo

They reached the first closed door.

Pidge immediately went for the control panel with a slew of tools, and in a matter of moments they had the panel open, exposing the Altean tech. Silence reigned, while Pidge worked, sitting on the floor hunched over a bunch of wires and darkened crystals. The only sound came from their tools, it echoed through the dim light.

Worry stalked through the darkness, and prepared to pounce on Lance with every clank of a metal, or tink of crystal. His skin felt hot and tight, like there were needles pressed lightly against him, threatening to puncture. His anxiety built, and he braced himself for the impact, but it was stalled when a hand ran up his back. The touch didn't push the needles deep, and Lance didn't recoil. Instead, he felt clam.

Lance glanced at Keith, but he was focused on Pidge's work, almost as if he was unaware of the contact he offered, like an unconscious reaction.

"FUCK ALTEAN TECH!" Pidge roared, and slammed their tools on the floor. Keith pulled back from Lance, and his hand fell away just as Pidge turned around.

They huffed, and pushed up their glasses, trying to calm down. "I can get the door powered with my batteries, but…"

Lance and Keith both leaned closer.

"But?" Lance asked.

Pidge let their head fall back against the wall, "But, I think the power outage set off a lock down. It didn't have time to finish, so open doors remained open, but closed doors locked before losing power."

"Well, fuck…" Keith cursed. "So, do we just wait here for Coran or Allura to find us?" He slid to the floor in front of Pidge.

Lance joined them on the floor, "They can't get to us," he sighed, strangely calm in the face of certain doom, or maybe it was the impending doom that calmed him, in a 'nothing to lose' sotra way.

Keith shot Lance an irritated scowl, "They might figure out an alternative power source like Pidge did," he snapped back. Lance glared at him, and opened his mouth to retort.

"UUUUHHHH," Pidge let out a frustrated sound, and threw a wrench like tool across the hall. Keith and Lance jumped in surprise, but whatever bickering match they were about to partake in, was derailed. Lance knew better than to start a fight with Pidge so on edge, you don't hit a beehive with a baseball bat.

Pidge ran their hands through their hair, pulling at the ends. "They won't find an alternative source unless they somehow learn about, and have access to electricity. Without Hunk, who is probably trapped in the engine room, they won't have a chance." They growled, successfully killing all hope. They hid their face in their knees, and whined, sounding close to tears, "I kept putting off programing an override for the Altean DNA locks, FUCK ME!"

A beat of silence passed, while they all realized they were likely going to die. At least, that's what happened for Lance, and judging by the other's faces, they were on the same page. Death was far enough away that they could disassociate, and not close enough to panic… yet. A blanket of denial muffled Lance's fear, and he idly wondered if he would regret not confessing to Keith. They sat in the dim light of Keiths phone, and the still powered door, listening to the quiet buzz of electricity. The sound was reminiscent of earth, Lance had never noticed that quintessence didn't make noise.

Keith broke the silence, "This... is a fucked up way to die," he surmised.

"Considering our life… you know, in space, fighting aliens, wouldn't any way we die be fucked up?" Pidge retorted, without lifting their head.

Keith chuckled, without humor. "I meant in the context of our life, this is particularly fucked up. We should be killed in battle, or by space monsters, not trapped in a hallway of our own ship."

"Point taken," Pidge conceded, they looked up with red rimmed eyes, and rested their chin on their knees. "I always assumed I would be killed by one of my own experiments, even on earth before all this. Like I would make the first true AI, and it would murder me."

Keith snorted, "before all this, I thought I was going to die in that damn shack."

Pidge squinted at Keith, "did you really build that shack, and live in a desert, because you were following a strange feeling and a conspiracy theory?"

"Umm, yeah? Why else would I do that?" Keith sounded genuinely confused.

Pidge lifted their head, and put up one finger. "My first reaction is, serial killer, but after spending time with you, it seems unlikely."

Keith sighed, as if this wasn't the first time he had been pegged as the serial killer type. "What's your second reaction, then?" he asked.

Pidge put up a second finger, "Second, I would assume the shack was a space for you to nail chicks in private." They shrugged as if that was no big deal.

Keith's laugh was so loud and immediate, it shocked Lance, and Pidge jumped where they sat, startled. "No, absolutely not," he stressed. "Is that what you would build a shack for?" Keith was still laughing lightly as he spoke.

Pidge's eyes widened slightly, as if they had come to a realization, but all they did was respond with a sassy answer, "I would build a desert shack to nail robots, and by nail, I mean build.".

Lance felt like he was missing something important, it shouldn't be a surprise that Keith had no game. Honestly, he thought Pidge was more observant than that. He stayed quiet, still not ready to joke about their approaching demise, but also appreciating their conversation as it floated around him. He distantly noted that he was right, Keith and Pidge got along well.

They continued to poke at each other with increasingly snarky remarks.

"Your mullet was another reason I thought, serial killer."

"It's not a fucking mullet!"

"It's just an observation."

"But it's literally not a mullet. Mullets are business in front, party in back. But mines long in the front too!"

"So, what? You're just party all over?"

Numb, that's how Lance felt. He was almost too numb to put a name to it. He didn't even come out of his own head to back up Pidge about Keith's Mullet. The only thing that could rouse him now, was a potential escape plan or... the very next thing that came out of Pidge's mouth.

"So, what were you two doing in this part of the ship?" Pidge asked, casually curious.

It was a fair question, almost no one went this deep into the castle, but a thread of fear went through Lance. It was strange that he still wanted to guard his secrets, even now, but he knew he would die on this hill if need be. Possibly literally.

"Why does it matter?" Keith asked, before Lance could say anything.

Pidge shrugged, "I'm curious, and we are probably going to freeze to death."

Lance could feel the air cooling, and knew they were right. He glanced at Keith, who looked back at him. Even in the face of death they weren't ready to share. The red hum in Lance's mind felt faintly like understanding, the same way Blue communicated, or was he just imagining it?

"Nothing, we were doing nothing," Lance answered.

Pidge glared at him, "We are going to die, why won't you just tell me?"

"Why do you care so much?" Keith jumped in defensively, which only made them seem more suspicious.

Pidge leaned forward, and scrutinized them. "Because most of the doors back here are locked, I had to have Coran open mine. I just want to know what you two could possibly be up to, in a labyrinth of hallways full of locked doors."

"We made a bet!" Lance lied, his voice convincingly high and stressed. The hum in his mind shifted, and he knew that Keith had caught onto his ploy.

Keith slapped Lance's arm, "Don't tell them!" He yelled, immediately in sync with the lie. Holy shit! Were they reading each other's minds, or emotions? Lance wanted to drop all pretense, grab Keith by the shoulders, shake him and scream 'IS THIS NOT FREAKING YOU OUT?!'. But he didn't, now wasn't the time. He smoothed over any reaction, and continued their lie.

Lance pushed Keith, "It's really embarrassing for Keith, he made me promise not to say."

"Me!? It's embarrassing for you!" Keith pushed Lance back. They fell into a bickering match that was also a slap fight.

"JUST TELL ME!" Pidge yelled as they threw their arms up.

Lance slapped Keith one last time before they stopped. He had to think fast. Pidge wasn't going to let this drop in the face of certain death, and Lance really didn't want to explain everything between Keith and himself, as his final living act. He looked around for something, anything, that could distract from this subject. The only thing in the hall with them was the still glowing, dismantled door panel.

"Let me take a look at the door," Lance demanded in a poor attempt to divert the topic. He crawled across the floor, scooting past Pidge. He reached out for the hand sensor that was connected to the wall by glowing blue wires.

Pidge made a sound between a sigh and a growl, "I told you, its loc-"

The door whooshed open.

Everyone looked as surprised as Lance felt, his hand was still on the illuminated blue panel that kept the door open.

Pidge quickly unhooked the battery to conserve power, and the door stayed open. "I swear it was locked." They whispered.

"Guess not?" Lance tried to sound casual, but he was really starting to freak out. There was only so much weird shit you could handle at once, and he had already suppressed one freak out in the last ten minutes.

Keith got up and went through the door, taking the light with him. "It doesn't matter why it opened, our chance of survival just went up from zero, to not zero."

Lance brushed off his whirling thoughts the best he could, now wasn't the time. He needed to stay calm, and keep his head above the waves of his own emotions. He followed the retreating light with Pidge close behind.

"How did you do that?" Pidge asked, they were as serious as Lance had ever seen them.

"I don't know?" He answered honestly, but sounded unsure.

Pidge looked at Lance suspiciously as they walked. He felt nauseous having a friend look at him like that, but he pushed down the need to vomit, and tried to ignore the rising sensation of panic. His anxiety whispered that they won't believe him, they will think he's a liar.

Finally, Pidge's face softened, "You really don't know, do you?" they concluded.

Lance nodded, his chest loosened. Relief washed through him.

Keith fell into step with them on Lance's right. He leveled Lance with a significant look, and reassurance hummed through his head, it let him know Keith believed him too. It was also a stark reminder of the other thing Lance was trying not to panic about.

"Have you ever opened a locked door in the castle before?" Keith Inquired.

It was a simple question, an obvious one to ask in this situation, but it legitimately blew Lance's mind. Because it brought something to his attention, that he had never thought of before. Everyone in the castle has talked about locked doors, locked mirrors, locked functionality, but…

"I've... never encountered a locked door?" His answer was a question to himself. Was he remembering correctly?

Keith and Pidge both stopped walking. It took Lance a few steps to realize he was alone. He turned to face his friends. He couldn't deal with this now. There was a crisis, and they needed to figure that out first.

Lance felt himself gearing back up into survival mode. "I don't know what's going on. But this means we're not trapped, so let's get to the others, and figure it out later," he pleaded.

"Lance is right," Keith agreed. Their eyes met, and Lance felt the fiery hum always in his mind get stronger, and it felt even more in sync.

"Let's do this." Pidge lifted their tools, and began to move on to the next locked door.

Just below the hum that Lance knew was Keith, a second hum started up. It was much weaker, but familiar, he knew it was Pidge, although it didn't convey any emotions. Just like during training, they were truly focused on the same goal, it was a fight to survive.

Ooo

At the next door, Pidge triple checked that it was locked after they powered it up. Then they stepped back, and gestured for Lance to try and open it. He almost refused to try, but the looming threat of death was more persuasive than his potential identity crisis.

"Go ahead," Pidge offered, and watched with an eagle eye.

Even Keith is paying close attention, as Lance slowly placed his hand on the panel.

The moment was suspended in time, and nothing happened. Then, because life hated Lance, the door opened. It glided smoothly on its track, mocking him.

Lance opened three more locked doors on their way to the control room. He didn't want to think about the implications of his ability to open the doors. He was tired, his adrenaline was fading, and he was done with near death experiences. Lance felt like he was a moment away from unraveling. His chest burned, his head was spinning, and he was cold. His arms were crossed as if to hold himself together while they walked the final stretch of hall, to the control room.

Pidge stopped in front of the final door. "It's locked," they confirmed after a few minutes of tinkering. When they finished powering it up, Lance approached and touched the panel. The double doors opened, and Lance came chest to face with a kneeling Allura.

She blinked, and then looked up at him, her mouth was open in surprise, that morphed into teary relief.

"Lance!" She yelled, as she launched herself from her knees, and crashed into Lance's chest, wrapping her arms around his neck in a hug. "I thought we were trapped! How did you get the doors powered?" She half yelled into his neck where her face was pressed, then pulled back to look at him expectantly. She was obviously still worked up, he suspected she had wound herself into a frenzy while trying to get out of the control room.

Lance looked over Allura's shoulder, and saw Shiro was standing by the Balmera crystal, glaring at him… his galra arm hung limp at his side.

"We're here too, you know…" Pidge said dispassionately, and leaned around Lance to peer into the room.

"Oh! Pidge! Good, maybe you can help me figure out what's wrong with the ship!" Allura wasted no time, she grabbed Pidge's arm and pulled them across the room to the crystal.

"Good to see you too, Allura," Keith mumbled sarcastically, and moved to stand next to Lance in the doorway.

"Keith!' Shiro called, and jogged over. He clasped his only working hand on Keith's shoulder and smiled. "Glad to see you're OK."

Silence fell, and there was a tense moment when Shiro looked at Lance. Then he smiled, it was tight and strained. "You too, Lance," he managed to say.

Before the interaction could become any more awkward, a distressed yell from Allura drew Shiro away, and he hurried to the control panel where the Princess stood with Pidge. The three of them looked upset and were talking in panicked tones.

A light, warm touch on Lance's shoulder pulled his attention away from the scene unfolding across the room. He looked down to find Keith leaning towards him, just enough for their shoulders to meet, and Keith was looking up at him. An unspeakable amount of emotions swept through Lance, and he wanted to wrap his arms around the shoulders next to his. He wanted the comfort, and needed the contact, now that they were out of immediate danger. For the first time in a while, he wanted to talk to someone about how he was feeling. But now wasn't the time, so Lance pressed down on his roaring emotions, only vaguely concerned about the consequences of doing so.

Keith smirked at Lance, and nudged his shoulder. "It sounds like Pidge just told them about the quintessence," he whispered.

Lance nodded, "yeah."

They watched quietly for a few minutes as Pidge powered up small pieces of equipment with their battery pack, and started to scan the crystal.

"You know," Keith began without taking his eyes off the diagnostic process. Lance pulled his eyes away to look at him. "Shiro really is going to kill you, if you don't tell him what's going on with you and Allura."

Lance chuckled, although it was a little flat. "Did you see the look he gave me when she hugged me?"

Keith snorted, "yeah, I thought he was going to punch you in the face."

Lance cracked a smile, the light conversation calming his turbulent mind. "Well if he did punch me, then he would have to explain that it was because he has a big crush on the Princess. So, my job would be done."

Keith looked at Lance and sighed, shaking his head. "You would see that as a win, wouldn't you? You really are too nice."

Keith smirked around the backhanded compliment, and Lance felt like the floor had fallen away. He tripped over his own response, leaving his mouth open without a sound. Was he ever going to get used to Keith complimenting him? fortunately his fumbling brain was rescued from having to answer when Pidge yelled across the room.

"Hey, Idiots! Come here," they called, and waved their arm, beckoning.

Keith immediately leaned away from Lance so they were no longer touching. "I guess that's us," he muttered, as he wandered away. Lance followed close behind. He glanced at Shiro to gage the leader's mood, and noticed his expression was tight, similar to how he had glared at Lance earlier. Except he wasn't looking at Lance. The others had turned to Pidge's equipment readings, but Shiro was looking at Keith. What's that all about? Lance didn't have time to ponder as Pidge started explaining more details about the crystal's condition.

"I was hoping I could fix this problem now, but I can't. Although, things aren't as bad as I first assumed-"

"You mean, when you panicked in your Lair," Lance interrupted. His self control was in tatters from all the stress, but the comment got a light laugh out of Keith, while Shiro and Allura echoed the word 'lair' in confusion.

Pidge glared at him, "Yes, when I had a perfectly normal reaction to all the Castle's quintessence being gone." They took a deep breath and started again, "The crystal isn't drained. Actually, it's as powerful as ever, but all of its quintessence is being suppressed. It can't spread any farther than the very center of the crystal." They pointed to the glowing center of the rock. "Which means the Lions will be down as well, with their quintessence suppressed. It's also why Shiro is a bit… limp," They concluded.

"So, how do we get it out?" Shiro asked, holding his Glara arm self consciously, and ignoring Keith and Lance's snickering.

Allura answered in a resigned tone, "We can't."

A stunned silence followed, and although the 'why' already hung in the air, Keith still voiced it a moment later, with a defiant glare, "Why not?" He crossed his arms as if preparing for a conflict. Lance knew that if a solid punch could fix their power outage, Keith would be the first to volunteer.

Allura crossed her arms to mirror Keith, but she didn't look as if she was trying to be standoffish, it was more like she was trying to comfort herself. "For the same reason the Galra have left Yeppeuda alone all this time, it seems to be located in the center of quite a large section of dead space that wasn't here ten thousand years ago," she answered quietly.

Lance shivered, was he scared, or was it just the cold settling into the ship? "Dead space? That sounds… ominous," he stuttered. Someone had to fill in the Hunk sized hole of nervous fear, and state the obvious.

Allura nodded sagely, "Yes, and I'm afraid it's a bit more than ominous, but Coran can explain it better than I can." She looked around, searchingly, "Where is Coran?"

"We were hoping he was in the control room with you," Pidge explained.

Allura looked from Pidge, to Keith, and then to Lance, befuddled. "What do you mean here with me? The lockdown… he had to be with you, how else would you have gotten the doors open?" She insisted.

Pidge and Keith turned to Lance, Allura's eyes were drawn to him by their movement. She stared at him, bewildered, but expecting an explanation.

The walls around Lance's heart tried to close, tight and crushing, but the strain of the day's events had left them brittle, and they crumbled under the pressure of Allura's questioning gaze.

"I opened them," Lance admitted. He had an idea of what his ability to command Altean tech meant, but he knew it wasn't something he could hide, or more accurately should hide, despite what his instincts were screaming at him.

"You? But…" Allura began to protest, mouth open, the obvious reasons seemed to be on the tip of her tongue. She looked at Keith, then slowly over to Pidge. When neither of them jumped in to deny Lance's statement, she closed her mouth, and stared at Lance with an unreadable expression.

"We were just as surprised as you, Princess. But Lance really did open the doors," Pidge confirmed.

Hope and sorrow wared in Allura's eyes. She approached Lance slowly, as if he was a flickering candle, susceptible to the smallest disturbance. "But this means…" Her voice cracked, and she let her word tumble away.

The weight of her tear filled eyes, hopeful face, and quivering mouth, was too much for Lance. He had never had someone look at him with so much… everything. At that moment he was everything to her, everything she had lost. Lance took an unconscious step back, and met something warm. A hand landed on his arm, steadying him.

Keith's voice came from over his shoulder, "we don't have time for this, we need to figure out what to do next. Hunk and Coran have limited time!" He barked, breaking the moment. His hand slid away, the tips of his fingers lingering down Lance's arm for a second longer than necessary. Keith went to stand next to Shiro, which was the position he would normally take in a group setting.

The word 'resigned' described Shiro's face when Lance admitted he opened the doors, and when attention was drawn to Keith, he became tense, almost angry. It only lasted a moment, and then it was gone.

"Keiths, right," Pidge declared, as they stepped forward into the middle of the group. "We should reorganize our priorities now that we've made it to the control room, and confirmed that we can't fix the crystal."

Shiro took command, and moved to Pidge's side. He began a patented pep talk, "I don't want to panic you guys, but we are in a tough spot right now. We have to work together…"

Lance brought his hand to his chin, as he began to organize their current resources, location, and information. He formed and reformed a plan of action based on what he knew, and what would give them all the best chance. His mind fell easily back into a crisis driven mode. He was so distracted by his own thoughts, he didn't notice Shiro had trailed off, until Keith spoke up.

"What have you got, Lance?" He questioned, the confidence in his voice was reflected in the fierce hum of their connection.

Lance blinked, only now realizing that Shiro had stopped talking, because no one but Allura had been paying any attention to him. Both Pidge and Keith were looking to Lance, while Lance had been staring off into the middle distance, calculating.

"Me?" Lance squeaked, pointing at himself.

"Yeah, you. I can tell by your face that you have an idea, and we don't have time for pep talks and group planning. No offence Shiro." Keith was straightforward, and hard hitting. He was also right. Hunk and Coran were trapped somewhere in the castle, with questionable amounts of air and heat. He pushed the thought away, if he lingered on it, he would shut down.

Lance smirked, Keith's faith in him bolstered his confidence. He didn't have the luxury or the capacity to worry, so he took the lead, because Keith believed in him, and because he had to for the team.

"Pidge, do you have enough batteries, and equipment in your lair for another door powering rig?" Lance asked.

Pidge nodded.

"Go, make it, and bring it here, as fast as you can," Lance commanded.

Pidge didn't respond, they just took off at a run, back the way they came from the lair. They knew that their part was going to be the biggest time sink.

Lance turned to Allura, "make a list of the most likely places Coran would go, order them from closest, to farthest from here. Then find the fastest route to the engine room, and start trying to open the doors."

Allura didn't question him either, she turned and grabbed the rig on the floor.

"Keith and…" Lance called, then hesitated. He side eyed Shiro, a strange sensation clenched in his gut, but he pushed forward, "Shiro. We will need as many of Pidge's batteries as you can carry."

Keith took the order and ran, following Pidge's footsteps. Shiro's eyes raked over Lance from head to toe, judging him. He looked like he was considering something. After the agonizing seconds passed, Shiro looked at Allura and nodded, then he turned to follow Keith.

Lance let out the breath he was holding, but he stayed perfectly still until Shiro was completely out of sight around the corner. He put a hand to his chest, and sagged in relief. He shook off the weird feeling that he got when everyone, including Allura, followed his orders. Now he just had to deal with the agony of waiting, it gnawed on Lance's frayed nerves.

"Lance," Allura called through the faint blue light provided by Pidge's equipment.

A whole new sensation of unease blanketed Lance, but he ignored it, right now, they had to remain focused until Pidge finished the second rig. Unfortunately nothing could speed that up. Every tick was one moment closer to possible disaster for Hunk and Coran, but thinking about it wouldn't help.

Allura was on the floor by a far door, a bunch of hidden drawers were open all around her, overflowing with hard copies of floor plans, and system information. Lance approached, and dropped to his knees in the bubble of blue light, across from the Princess. A sea of maps lay between them.

Allura began to speak over the buzz of Pages battery pack, she didn't look up from figuring out how to power the door. "I have marked on the map all the places Coran is likely to be, and numbered them based on distance, and how likely he is to be there." She placed her hand on the door behind her, "And this door is the start of the route to the engine room."

Lance leaned over the maps on his hands and knees. Various rooms were neatly labeled, and the quickest path was outlined to each of them. "Good, good…" He acknowledged, also not looking up, in an attempt to avoid awkward conversation.

The lack of eye contact didn't deter Allura, it might have been what helped her push forward. She spoke with a deliberate cadence that made Lance's hand clench the map in his hand. "I know, that now is not the time, but if you are part Altean, I would like-"

"Princess," Lance interrupted, with his head still bowed, and no idea what he was going to say. But he knew that he couldn't listen to what Allura was going to ask. "If…" The word leaked out, with the certainty that no one should have to ask for what she wanted, family, home, any small part of what she lost. Lance found his voice, "If I am part Altean, I won't reject it, even though I was raised on Earth, I promise. We can talk about it, when this is all over." He meant it, he realized as he said it.

A small hitched breath, almost a hiccup, echoed. Lance heard Allura shift, and knew that she was looking at him now, but he couldn't return the gesture. He didn't want to see her glassy eyes, or the small hopeful smile he imagined she wore. He didn't want her to thank him. The burn of pity, and anger, that ran through the channels of his body, would scorch him if she did. They weren't feelings that would help Allura, and she didn't need to see them on his face. He heard her begin to remove the door panel, and listened to her work.

It helped calm Lance down, knowing that they were making progress towards Hunks location…

"Allura?" Lance murmured.

She acknowledged him without looking away from her task.

"Are you OK with trying to get to Hunk first?" The question hovered in the dim light. Lance worried that he was playing favorites, making Corran wait. He wanted her to understand his reasoning.

When she did finally speak, her words tapped on the glass of Lance's mind, and surprised him. "No, you made the right call. All the places Coran is likely to be are closer to us than the engine room, which is at the bottom of the castle. The father you are from the control room -the center of the ship-, the faster it will become cold." She took a shaking breath, the stress of the situation was taking its toll. "Pidge could open these doors faster than me, and if you had asked her to do this, and not make a second rig, she would have listened. But you sacrificed precious time to give Coran a fighting chance, thank you."

He couldn't justify putting all their resources towards rescuing Hunk, when Coran was an unknown factor, even if he was likely to be in a better position. He came up with the best plan he could to give them both a more equal chance. She understood, Lance should have known she would, that was probably why she let him take the lead. Lance allowed his mind to tumble around with that thought, confirming all was right in his universe.

"You truly are coming into your role as the Blue paladin, Lance," Allura's voice quivered, She sounded almost proud.

"My what?" Lance looked up. The shift in topic was so sudden, it smacked the awkwardness away. He sat back on his heels.

Allura looked up from the mess of wires she had been separating, she looked more composed than he expected. "You know, the Blue paladin's role as a part of Voltron," she elaborated, as if reminding him of something he should have known.

Lance replied with a blank stare, that mirrored how he felt. It was like his brain couldn't concoct an appropriate emotion. He had a role, like the others? He had assumed that he became the Blue paladin due to a fluke, because Blue was the friendliest of the lions.

Allura sat up straight, and casually -probably unwittingly- dropped a reality shattering bomb. "Remember, the first day when I told you about the paladins traits? The Blue Paladin is like water, they have many states, they strive for balance, and are best suited for second in command," she recited.

"WHAT?!" Lance screamed, and threw himself to his feet, stumbling a couple steps away to the very edge of their light. He stood stock still in the shadows, arms limp as his sides, as his entire being was bowled over by pure, unadulterated, all encompassing, shock. Somehow, he was more surprised by this, then the newly revealed possibility that he was part alien. Being an alien took no effort, or talent on his part. He had more trouble accepting that he was succeeding at something, that he possessed any of the traits that were just listed.

Allura was used to Lance's dramatics, and simply craned her neck to look at him from the floor. "It's a metaphor, because water can be solid or-"

"I get that, what was all that other stuff!?" Lance demanded.

"Well," Allure looked off to the side, and touched her index finger to her chin. "The yellow paladin is the left leg. They represent compassion, stability, and caution, they're the team's foundation. But the right leg is what gives us the balance to stand, and catches us before we fall. The blue paladin is the most flexible of all, able to adapt to situations and people, it makes them a natural diplomat, a team supporter, and a leader second only to the head," She recalled.

"What…" Lance breathed, brearley spoken.

This was like when he was a kid, and he had jumped into the ocean from really high up, significantly higher than ever before. It was fun, up until he was under water. With every stroke, he expected to break the surface, but he didn't. He was much deeper than he had thought, and was afraid he wouldn't make out. Only now, it was an ocean of expectations.

"You interrupted me that day…" Allura slowly got to her feet as realization dawned on her, "And I forgot to tell you later, didn't I?" She confessed, and was thoughtful for a tick, before whispering, "I remember that I told Shiro about it…" She looked at the ground, sparing Lance her pity.

"Yeah, but Shiro picked Keith as second..." Lance wasn't really mad about that, he understood that he wasn't leader material. The fact that Shiro knew the Blue paladin was meant to be co-leader and overlooked him anyway, only made him sad, but it was an accepting sadness.

"I know." Allura looked at him, and her frown deepened when she saw Lance's resigned face. "When he told me, I didn't understand, but this explains why you didn't step up earlier," She huffed, and crossed her arms. With only the slight shift of her posture she became the embodiment of righteous anger, and Lance got the feeling that this was an old argument coming to the surface. "Later, I assumed he picked Keith because they were close before Voltron, and maybe because he had expectations of Keith, he wanted him to be the type to lead." She put her hands on her hips, "I told him it was a bad idea, That he couldn't make a paladin go against their nature, but he didn't listen!" She finished, sounding pleasantly vindicated.

Lance remembered the night on the observation deck, when Keith had unloaded his feelings about his time as leader. How insecure and stressed he had been, because he was bad at it, and how relieved he looked to admit it.

"Keith didn't want to be leader," Lance confirmed, cementing Allura's vindication.

She lifted her chin, and smiled smugly. "I'm not surprised, Red paladins have been notoriously bad leaders," She explained, and she would know best. Allura had known previous paladins, and was connected to all the lions. But she wasn't infallible.

Lance was proof that sometimes Allura was wrong. He wasn't a leader, or balanced. He was a fuck up, it was a truth that settled into a well worn spot in his chest, and simmered. He was coming apart against the pressure of his useless insecurities, and all the awful events of the day. He wanted to laugh, or joke, and shrug this conversation off, but his shoulders were weighed down by too many worries, and he didn't have the strength to carry this one anymore.

"That doesn't mean I'm a good leader! Blue is the friendliest lion, maybe I was just convenient!" Lance yelled. He didn't mean to, but underneath, this was him pleading to be proven wrong. He didn't try to backpedal, or hide his welling tears. He had learned that sometimes you had to reach out, Hunk and Keith had helped him, so clenched his fists at his side, and waited.

Allura stomped her foot, "Don't you talk about yourself like that!" She snapped.

Lance jerked back, startled, causing a tear to tumble over his lashes. She glared at him, and he could only stare back, wide eyed.

Her demeanor didn't soften, and she took another menacing step towards him, farther into the darkness. "The Blue lion is just as adaptable as her paladin, which is why it's the friendlies." She came closer, her angry gaze fixed on Lance, "BUT, she only thrives with a pilot just as flexible and friendly," she firmly settled both her hands on his shoulders. She shed her anger, and in its place was an earnest smile, "She only thrives with the pilot meant for her, and that's you Lance," she insisted.

"But…" The word was weak, and held the last of Lance's doubts.

Allura's grip tightened, "No, buts. Blue has not been this content with a pilot since her first. Trust me." She offered.

Her honest words mended one of the many broken things deep in Lance, and more tears came. He didn't try to save face, it was too late. He simply nodded, and accepted her truth as his own. It slotted itself into the spot reserved for less flattering opinions of his worth, and some of the awful burning subsided.

Allura went back to the door, and began to work again. "Now that, that's settled, back to work. We've wasted too much time."

Lance wiped his face, and went to sit next to her. He felt useless without something to do, but only a moment later the door panel lit up blue. Allura grabbed Lance's wrist, using her considerably greater strength, she yanked his hand over, and pressed it to the panel.

When the door swished open, she beamed at him, and even with all the terrible shit going down, he couldn't help but smile back.

Footsteps echoed from the hallway, disrupting the emotionally charged atmosphere. Lance looked over his shoulder. A soft orange light approached, overpowering the little blue world of the control room.

Shiro and Keith walked through the door, carrying dozens of Pidge's battery cells. For the first time, Lance was disappointed to see Keith. Time was short, and they needed Pidge's rig.

Lance looked at Shiro, and recognized that everything he thought about their leader was uprooted. The blatant favoritism that Lance had overlooked was unavoidable now, and it made Shiro very human. It was humbling, and ultimately for the best.

Keith piled his batteries by the control panel, and made a beeline for Lance. The unexpected approach pulled his attention.

"Keith, what's- Whoa!" Lance yelped, when Keith walked past and grabbed his arm, dragging him along. With a purposeful stride and serious eyes, Keith hauled Lance to the dark side of the room, where they were completely hidden by shadows. He stopped, and turned on his heel so fast that Lance almost ran into him.

"Ace, are you, OK?" Keith hissed quietly, he was like a sharp edge, with no where to aim.

Cold fear, slid down Lance's back. He recognized that Keith wasn't upset with him, but damn, was he scary. "I'm fine, but you're scaring me," he assured, smiling. He tried smoothing the corners of his own jagged emotions, to calm Keith, the way Hunk could calm Lance.

Keith deflated. He looked at the floor, and then back up with kinder eyes. He reached out and ran his knuckles down Lance's cheek. "Sorry, It just… I felt," Keith murmured, confused and worried.

"Rojo," Lance grabbed Keith's hand before it retreated, and held it tight to preserve the joy the touch ignited. "You felt my emotions, right?" he asked, desperately craving the affection and support Keith could provide. He glanced at the lit section of the room, and spied Shiro watching, his eyes squinted as if trying to see what they were doing. Lance dropped Keith's hand.

Keith followed Lance's line of sight, and nodded. "Yeah, it's happening for you, too?" He asked, slipping into his detached attitude.

Lance wanted to pull him close, but knew that this was just Keith's way of coping. "Yeah, since the hallway we were trapped in," He confirmed.

"Right, we will have to talk about this later," Keith tipped his head towards Shrio, indicating the need for privacy when they have that conversation. Then he walked away, aloof and business like. Shiro watched him return with an overtly disappointed expression, which Keith ignored.

Lance stayed in the dark corner, watching his team in the light. Keith had never been that protective before. He had looked fierce, ready to strike down whatever had upset Lance. And Lance was sure that when he said they would talk about 'this' later, Keith didn't just mean their new emotional connection, but also what had upset him. How did the connection even work? Lance tried to send a feeling to Keith, and tracked him closely. No reaction, it didn't seem like they had much control over it, he sighed.

Alone in the shadows, Lance unfurled his emotional defences. He touched his cheek where Keith had caressed him, and watched as he stacked batteries with Shiro. He was beautiful, and well blended… unlike Lance. The acidic burn of ugly jealousy… didn't come. He couldn't remember the last time he had admired Keith purely based on aesthetics. Lately he was always noting how relaxed, or happy Keith looked, and was simply content to be a part of the reason why. Keith didn't care about his own looks, and was not nearly as well put together on the inside, which Lance found reassuring, and oddly endearing. Keith was a hot, beautiful, mess, and Lance loved him…

"Fuck."

He loved Keith. When had his crush bloomed into love? Lance had always believed that you couldn't love someone unless you loved yourself, apparently he was wrong, but he highly doubted this love was of the healthy variety. His emotions weren't stable, not while he was such a mess. If he let this slip, Keith would reject him, and Lance didn't think he would survive that right now.

He wanted to cry. The weight on his shoulders was crushing him, a feather more and he was done. He was going to dissolve in his frustration and grief, as the weight dragged him deeper into his anxiety. This couldn't happen now, his seams couldn't burst during a crisis, he had to bite down on his panic.

He needed help, more than Allura, and something Keith couldn't give. He needed Hunk. But Hunk and Coran were trapped, and they needed the team, and the team needed Lance. The panic drained in the presence of necessity. Lance was afraid, but he needed to be strong.

Hunk needed him.

Maybe he could fill the Blue Paladin's role after all, be what the team needed. Lance felt lighter than ever before, as if he could jump and touch the stars… no, wait. Lance bounced on his toes, he was literally lighter.

"We are running OUT OF TIME!" Pidge's shout rang from the hallway. They bounded through the door, aided by the diminishing gravity, with a newly built rig on their back. They looked frantic, and their fingers were covered in small cuts and burns from rushing to finish their work.

Lance ran into the light. It was time to get the rest of their team. Without checking with Shiro, or even giving him the chance to speak, Lance began throwing orders.

"We are going to split up," he commanded.

"I don't think-" Shiro began to object.

"No, you don't," Lance bit out. Shiro recoiled, and Lance leveled him with a chilling glare, before he turned back to the others. "We split up, Pidge with me and Keith, Shiro with-"

"Lance, I really-"

They didn't have time for power plays, or politics. Shiro delaying them enraged Lance, it coiled tight inside him, real anger. He wheeled around, and the words ripped from his mouth like a snake strike, with the same tone he used on Pidge in their lair.

"We don't have time for this Shiro! You dropped the ball, and I have a plan!" He reined in his temper, "I'm in charge right now, and I'm going to go and save my best friend." He was decisive, and hard.

Without missing a beat, Lance shifted gears. "Pidge, and Keith are with me, we are getting Hunk. Allura, take Shiro, the map, and the second rig. Bring Coran back," he ordered, firmly.

Lance didn't wait to see if Shiro listened, he trusted Allura to take charge of her side of the mission. He quickly made his way to the door the Princess recently opened. He could feel Keith's determination pulse in his mind. Pidge's quieter, but confident buzz, sprang up, and harmonized with them. Their only focus was saving Hunk.

The first door felt like it was an eternity away. When it finally came into sight around a corner, Pidge broke into a sprint. They didn't bother properly dismantling the panel, and prided it from the wall with a long almost screwdriver. Their movements were becoming frantic, tremors plagued their hands, and they dropped one of the crystals three times.

"Pidge, slow down," The words hurt coming out. Lance didn't want Pidge to slow down at all, but he could see them making more mistakes.

"I can't," they snapped, and didn't stall their pace. Another crystal slipped from their shaking fingers.

"Pidge!" Keith barked, aggressively. Lance grabbed his shoulder, and Keith closed his mouth. He was scared too, but taking it out on them wouldn't help.

Pidge swiped the crystal off the floor, with tears just behind their eyes. "If something happens to Hunk, it's my fault. I sent him to the engine room," they croaked.

Lance was at their side in an instant, arm around their shoulders. "Everything will be fine. You got this Pidge, you're the best. You know it."

Pidge nodded, jaw clenched against their emotions. "Yeah, I got this, I'm awesome." They repeated the mantra, 'I'm awesome, I'm awesome, I'm awesome,' under their breath. Their hands steadied, eyes sharpened, and the door lit up in minutes.

Lance slammed his hand on the panel, and they were all running again.

After many doors, panting and exhausted, they arrived at the final one. Directly below the common hanger, was the engine room. Lance's legs trembled, goosebumps rippled over his skin from the chill, and his nose was beginning to run. He was scared, and wished Blue was awake, so he could hear her comforting purr.

Metal screamed, when Pidge pried the panel off the wall. They began to work, shaking, but not from fear. Their fingertips were red from the cold, and their teeth chattered.

Lance banged on the door, "HUNK?!" He screamed, but only silence returned. He pressed his hand to the metal. "No," He denied, even when his skin began to hurt. It was frigid. "Pidge, hurry," Lance gasped.

"I'm trying!" Pidge growled, their voice rough from the dry air.

"HURRY!" Lance pleaded, as the cold burned his hand, all the way to the hollow forming in his heart.

Keith closed in behind him, concerned. "Lance?" He questioned, closer than he would normally dare when someone else could see. Lance turned his face away to hide the tears already welling in his eyes. He looked down at the door panel on the floor, and waited for it to glow blue.

He wasn't cold anymore, he was hot, too hot. His feet were on fire, covered in burning sand. The mist rose around him, humid and suffocating. The sun poured down through where there was once ceiling, and Lance looked out onto the ocean. It was shrouded by sheets of rain. He was soaked, already drowning. The water filled his empty heart, carved out by the painful cries of his mother. Not even the rain could dampen the awful sound that echoed from the house on the shore behind him. He wanted to fall from the clouds, burst on the burning sand, and be mist. To be nothing.

"Got it!" Pidge announced, and Lance was back in the freezing hallway.

He threw himself at the scanner, and slapped his palm down. At the same time he was already turning his body to launch himself through the doorway. The gravity was barely that of the moon. Lance glided into the dark room, with a stream of fading light at his back. His long shadow stretched over a lump on the floor, it was curled next to some type of engine cylinder, and wrapped in a strange red material.

He ran over to it, "HUNK!" He floated to his knees besides the bundle, and pulled back the blanket. "Buddy!"

Hunk was still. Lance touched his cheek, and the skin was cool. Pain rained down on Lance. It rose up from his chest, and came out as a strangled sound. He was underwater, he couldn't breath. It was happening all over again, and Lance was losing his grip. He was breaking, ready to fall apart. The rapid footsteps of the others were muffled.

"Is he breathing?!" Keith's voice parted the sea, and Lance gasped a breath.

Anchored by Keith, Lance separated himself from his panic. "I don't know?! He's cold!" He supplied.

Keith pressed his ear to Hunks chest, and listened. Lance saw a small lift, and drop of his shoulders, and then his eyes slid closed. "He has a heartbeat," Keith announced, his voice cracked, emotional, but restrained.

Lance's head whipped around to Pidge when they spoke up. "We have to get him to the control room where it's warmer!" They directed.

Lance didn't have time to register his immense relief, they weren't done yet. His breakdown would have to wait, as long as Hunk had a chance. In the low gravity it wasn't hard to pick him up, the strange cloth slid to the floor. They ran as fast as possible with their awkward burden.

Coran was the first to see them when they burst through the door. Lance felt a flash of joy at the sight of the man, but couldn't fully appreciate it, with Hunks' cooling body on his shoulders.

"We need to get Hunk warm, NOW!" He hollered, grabbing Allura and Shiro's attention.

Coran ran to the hidden drawers where the maps were stored, closely followed by Allura. He threw open another secret cubby, and pulled out two more strange red blankets, he handed one to Allura. He laid one on the floor off to the side, "Put Hunk on this," he directed.

Lance, Keith, and Pidge complied quickly. Allura spread the second blanket over Hunk. The material was shiney, and flowed like liquid, but had the texture of fleece. "These blankets absorb heat, and only release it into living beings. From the warmer object or person to the colder person, for maximum efficiency. We will have to take shifts to warm him up," Coran explained.

Lance jumped forward to take the first shift, "I'll go fir-"

"No, Lance. You rest, I'll take the first shift," Shiro commanded, the full weight of his leadership behind his voice.

Lance drifted to his knees, and fell back on his butt, exhausted. "Oh good, I'm so done leading, now." He slid into the back seat of the situation, and was grateful that someone else was going to take the wheel.

Shiro looked at him with something between begrudging respect, and hurt, "you did good," he admitted, and turned away. "do I just have to be on the blanket?" He asked.

"Yes, it just needs contact," Allura confirmed.

Keith stepped up to where Lance sat. "We found him with one of those blankets, he was laying next to part of the engine."

Coran slid up to the group, finger poised in the air, ready to explain. "Ah, that would be because our Hunk maximized his survival chance by using his brain," He pointed to his own head theatrically. "These blankets are in most rooms of the castle, for emergencies. Hunk must have found one, and curled up by the warmest part of the engine to conserve heat," he concluded.

Pidge pushed up their glasses and joined the conversation. "Did Hunk know how the blankets worked?" They questioned.

"Probably not," Allura answered from next to Shiro. "Whether he knew or not, it was his best option. He was simply fortunate that these blankets function as they do, and made efficient use of the engine's residual heat."

Lance felt himself tuning in and out. He acknowledged Coran, smiled when they hugged, and then he drifted away. A typhoon of emotions was raging under his skin, but he was too tired to process them. Now that they had a tick of peace, Lance was ascending past panic to the point of shutting down. His body felt light in the low gravity, he wanted to close his eyes and float. He could only vaguely register what the team was talking about.

"I might have enough batteries to power the engine for ten seconds, we may be able to boost ourselves out of this dead space. I'm just not sure if I can retrofit the engine in time."

"What about our heat situation, Pidge. it's getting cold."

"We only have enough power for one or the other, Shiro. Take a chance on the engine, or heat the control room. I know I can convert the control panel to use my batteries, but that's just stalling the inevitable."

"Well, we can't just sit here and do nothing!"

"We know, Keith. Maybe if we had more information on how dead space works. Coran?"

"Dead Space is a unique type of energy that only exerts pressure on pure quintessence. For our crystal it is the equivalent of being under an ocean's worth of pressure. The Princess is mostly likely unable to access her abilities at the moment, as well."

"If it's a type of energy, can we dampen it somehow?"

"That's a good thought, Keith. But even if Hunk were awake to help, we don't have time to build a dampener, and possibly not enough power to run it."

"So we have to decide how much of a risk we are willing to take."

Lance wasn't sure how long he sat in a state of half awareness. It must have been a while, because it was Shiro's supportive hand on his shoulder that brought him back.

"Come on buddy, it's your turn. Lay down with Hunk, you can rest and help him at the same time," He offered. His face was truly friendly for the first time since yesterday.

Lance complied, almost robotically. With Shiro's help, he spread out on the blanket next to his best friend, and was asleep in a tick.

The next thing Lance heard was Allura's voice. "I'm closing the main doors, Pidge is almost ready to power up the control room console," she announced, and the sound of the doors sliding shut followed.

Lance kept his eyes closed, and listened. He deduced that he had slept long enough for the team to decide that powering the engine with the batteries was too risky, and Pidge was almost ready to power up the control room heater. Which meant that they had no escape plan. Soon they would be in zero gravity, waiting for a miracle. They would only have heat for as long as the batteries lasted, and air until the castle ship ran out.

Something tightened around Lance's waist, it pulled him back against a large, warm surface. It was Hunk, the gravity was so low he hadn't noticed the arms weight. Lance grabbed the hand that was near his stomach, and squeezed. Hunk was warm, breathing, and for the first time a yellow hum glided through Lance's mind. He was alive.

Lance crashed, he fell from the precipice of his worry and angst. He had been so certain that Hunk was dead when he felt the cold door, and then touched his cool skin. Even when Keith heard a heartbeat, he had been prepared for Hunk to not pull through.

Lance was shaking. All the grief, and relief, he wouldn't allow himself to feel, broke through the dam he'd been building since the blackout first began. His chest was full, it hurt, and over flowed. He silently cried. He had made decisions that could have cost Hunk his life, and it almost had. He wasn't sure if he could live with that, not again.

Hunk pulled Lance in tighter, and murmured into his hair, "I'm OK, buddy."

"You almost died," Lance hissed low, so he couldn't be heard by the others over the ambient sound of Pidge working.

"But, I didn't. Here I am, talking, breathing, and being weirdly mind melded with you," Hunk pointed out quietly. His easy tone rolled over Lance's concerns, "Why are we mind melded?" he inquired, casually.

Lance shrugged, "No idea." He didn't admit how comforting it was, to be able to feel Hunk's life force. The life that was almost lost while he was in charge. Lance held Hunk's arm closer, and whispered his confession. "I made decisions that could have gotten you killed." He wanted to be candid. Hunk should know that it was Lance's fault he almost died.

Hunk's slow breath in, conveyed his exasperation. "That's just a backwards way of saying you saved me, Lance."

"But-" Lance tried to argue, but Hunk covered his mouth.

"No. I know where this is coming from. It's not the same, Lance." Hunk was firm, but still whispered.

He had hit home. The vague reference was the closest anyone had come to confronting Lance about his trauma, in years. His mind recoiled from it. He didn't want to come apart in a flood of self hate. He could already feel its acid nipping at his heels.

Lance pulled the hand from his mouth, "I don't know what you're-" He stubbornly tried to deny, angry that Hunk would bring it up.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about," Hunk retorted as loud as he dared.

Lance knew, but even grazing the topic burned, and left welts on his mind. Hunk was right, he was comparing the situations, letting the mistakes of five years ago eat away at him. Lance had let his guilt, and fear, whisk him into the past while he was outside the engine room, he's lucky he didn't break down. The absence of Blue in his mind was glaring, especially with both Hunk, and Keith, bordering her empty place. Lance wanted his companion. He wanted to at least feel the pull of his Lion from a distance, but there was nothing.

Keith's warm hum welled up, it felt worried, but was also commiserating. Keith missed Red, he could feel Lance breaking down, while missing Blue, and tried to fill the empty space. It was comforting, and unnerving. Lance didn't want Keith to be saddled with his baggage just because of their bond. The idea of pushing this onto Keith, or any of the team, brought about a new type of fear and self loathing, along with the understanding that he couldn't continue broken like this. It all swelled from him, and left his mouth as words.

"It's been five years…"

Hunk stilled, he even held his breath. Lance was sure he was shocked, he probably didn't expect to get any sort of response. Lance had never willingly talked about it before, ever.

"Do you think I'll ever get over it?" It was a deep fear. Something Lance had thought about almost every day. Now it was bigger, the bond he was forming with Keith, and possibly the team, made his issues dangerous for more than himself.

"No… at least, not until you accept that it wasn't your fault. Lance you-"

The sound of shuffling feet killed the conversation, and sadly snuffed out Hunk's hum. Their moment of perfect sync was broken, but Lance was a little relieved he didn't have to talk. He saw Shiro practically dragging Keith to a nearby corner, away from the others.

Whispered voices skittered across the cold floor, just barely understandable. Hunk and Lance pretended to be asleep, with a mutual understanding that they didn't want to be disturbed… and maybe wanted to eavesdrop. Lance cracked an eye open enough to see Keith's back, and Shrios' concerned face. He strained to hear what they were saying, but only caught bits and pieces.

Shiro didn't look happy, and even from behind, Lance could tell Keith was on edge. The set of his shoulders spoke of how uncomfortable he felt, and the line of his back came off defensive.

"I know what you're doing… I thought you were past… not acceptable." Shiro's hiss was sharp, and he tried to cross his arms. It would have been funny if the tone wasn't so serious.

"What are you-" Keith tried to question, his head tilted to one side. Lance could imagine the cute and confused look on his face.

"I know you," Shiro whispered darkly. The words seemed to impact Keith, who took a small step back.

"What are you even…not anymore… Garrison." Keith sounded small, and Lance hated it. What were they talking about?

Shiro gestured to Keith's headband, and uttered something so quietly Lance couldn't hear any of it, but his face was stone cold. Keith took a half step forward as if he was going to interrupt, but Shiro's voice rose at the end of his argument, overshadowing him, "...He's not one of your marks!"

Keith shifted, and his entire body folded in. Lance was familiar with the closed stance, but he had never seen it directed at Shiro. Keith was defensive and he didn't bother whispering. "Takashi, this is diff-"

Shiro cut him off, using his height to bear down on Keith. "Just don't interfere," he ordered, coldly. Then he lowered his volume again, "the Alteans deserve… Allura…" Lance was frustrated, why couldn't Shiro make it easier to eavesdrop?

Whatever he said caused Keith to unfurl, the tilt of his body became aggressive, and he still didn't bother to whisper. "Takashi, They're not-" He began to argue, but Shiro wasn't letting him get a word in.

"Don't argue, Keith! Just let it go!" He barked, and then stormed off before Keith could respond.

Lance was sure the others had heard Shiro yell, but they didn't comment. Keith stood still, with his fists clenched at his side. His shoulders moved with his irate breathing, and Lance could feel his fury through their bond. But underneath the fire was a small ember of hurt, that burned through the layers of protection Keith had around his emotions. Lance could tell that Shiro had jabbed an open wound and hurt Keith in a way only he could.

"What was that about?" Hunk mumbled.

"No idea…" Lance breathed back, but he really wanted to know.

"I've never heard anyone call Shiro by his given name before," Hunk pondered.

Lance almost pointed out that it wasn't surprising. Keith had known Shiro since they were kids, they were practically brothers. But Hunk didn't know that, Lance remembered. "Me either," he agreed as if it was odd.

A shadow fell over them, and Lance looked up. Allura was gliding down and landed next to him with a soft click of her boots. Lance wondered what would happen once the gravity was completely gone. He let the more immediate concerns drown out any of his other worries and fears. His conversation with Hunk floated away.

"Oh, good. You're both awake," Allura noted, with a soft smile directed at Hunk.

Lance sat up, and felt Hunk do the same. "How long was I out?"

Allura knelt down and held out two strange looking cans. They were silver, and wide, with a long nozzle and a button on the top. "Only about a varga," she answered.

Hunk took his can and turned it over a few times, Lance felt him sigh, silently. He looked resigned. "This is for when the gravity is gone?" he asked, but it sounded like he already knew the answer. Everyone's armor was locked in a case or in their lion, and not worth the resources it would take to get them.

"Yes," Allura looked at her own can, and frowned. "Pidge is about to power this room up and heat it, but that's all we can do for now. When the gravity stops, use these air cans to move around."

Lance understood. They still didn't have any escape plan, they were just trying to buy time. "Is that all?" He still hoped she would smile and tell him they had a way out.

Allura didn't smile, she just looked up from her can and answered. "Coran and I are going to the kitchens before it gets too cold out there. We need provisions. I wanted to let you know that you will be responsible for opening the doors for air with Pidge, until we get back."

Lance nodded and his heart sank. They were stuck. Now that there was no pressing emergency, it felt real. They were just going to stay put and try to think of something.

Hunk leaned over Lance to interject, "I could go, if you or Coran need to stay."

"No!" Lance and Allura retorted at the same time.

"You rest, Hunk. I have the maps, and Coran knows the kitchen," she added, and patted his shoulder.

Allura glided away, her feet hardly needed to touch the floor. Hunk sighed, loudly this time, and he slowly 'flopped' back on the blanket. Lance looked down at him and he looked back with furrowed brows. Lance knew that face. It was the 'Hunk is putting something together' face.

"Why did Allura leave you to open doors?" He questioned, his tone shifted as he figured it out. "The doors are lock… and you… can open them?" He sounded like he didn't believe his own conclusion.

Lance felt his face get hot, he rubbed the back of his neck, "Uuuh… yeah?" he mumbled. There was a swift moment of worry, like a camera shutter. Hunk wouldn't care, right?

"So... you're Altean?" Hunk's careful inflection didn't indicate how he felt, but the rounded sides of his personality were flat, and pressed into Lance uncomfortably.

Lance shrugged, he still wasn't sure how he felt it about himself. "At least in part… don't know how much," He admitted, and watched Hunks face closely.

"Enough for the Castle to recognize it," Hunk stressed.

Lance looked at his lap, he felt like he was being blamed. It was silly, but he felt guilty. "Yup…" He quipped softly.

"Lance," Hunk's emphasis on his name, drew Lance's eyes up. The name had always been a weapon from Hunks mouth, it could protect him, or destroy him. "How long did you know?" He asked.

"Not long!" Lance jumped to reassure, once he realized what Hunk was upset about. "I literally just found out during the blackout," He elaborated.

Hunk brightened, and then looked to the side, ashamed. "Sorry…" He uttered, knowing Lance would understand, and he did. The matter was glossed over, and Hunk perked back up. "So, both you and Keith, huh? Maybe we're all part alien?" He proposed, eyeing everyone skeptically. He narrowed his gaze on Pidge, "It would make a lot of sense for some of us."

Lance loved Hunk, he truly had a way of making a big thing seem small. He was the master of both acknowledging, and making light of a heavy topic.

"You think Pidge is part alien?" Lance replied doubtfully, following Hunk's line of sight.

Hunk shrugged, his casual vibe putting Lance more at ease. "They are way too smart for a fourteen year old… or fifteen now?" He pondered.

Lance scoffed, and he felt the beginnings of a fun debate. He reveled in the distraction. "Oh, really? Then what kind of alien are they?" He smirked.

A new voice joined. "Olkari, obviously," Keith sassed, as he floated down on Lance's right, in a motion that would have been a heavy plop in normal gravity. He turned to Hunk, "Glad you're OK." He clasped Hunk's shoulder in a very rare display of physical contact, and it clearly expressed how worried Keith had been.

Hunk seemed to understand the significance of the touch, and didn't draw attention to it, "Thanks, man."

The moment passed, and Keith pulled his hand back.

Oh, boy. Lance had been so caught up with Hunk, he didn't feel Keith coming. Now he was here, very close, and Lance didn't know how to act. He had only just realized his crush was more than a crush, and he didn't know how to handle it. He wanted to act normal, but the emotion he now knew was love, burned so much hotter than before. It's name gave it power, and it grew into a wildfire. Could Keith feel it? Lance mentally pulled at the red hum, he couldn't feel Keith's emotions right now, which was a good sign. It didn't seem to happen all the time, it was mostly just an awareness of the others presence. He side eyed Keith covertly, he seemed to be acting normal. Lance took a calming breath, everything was fine.

"Nice headband," Hunk pointed at the blue knit in Keith's hair.

Lance wanted to die. Pride met crushing embarrassment, at the mention of his present to Keith. How was he going to function if he couldn't even stay calm through a conversation involving Keith?

"Thanks, I like it," Keith answered, but he wasn't looking at Hunk or Lance. He was glaring, defiantly across the control room at Shiro, who was looking back with a stern expression.

Lance glanced at Hunk, and they locked eyes in shared confusion.

"Heat is on!" Pidge hollered, and broke the tense moment. They bounded over to the blanket to join the group, leaving Shiro alone across the room.

Lance felt the air warm, and smiled at Pidge. "Nice work," the praise slid out naturally.

Pidge smirked, satisfied. But it turned to a frown as they faced Hunk. Pidge hugged him without warning, practically climbing onto his shoulders. Hunk took it in stride, and they had a short, whispered conversation. Lance looked down at his lap when Pidge pulled back and dried their face. As if nothing happened, they sat on Lance's left, closing the circle, "What are you guys talking about?" They peered around the group.

"What kinda alien you would be... you know, if you were like Keith…" Hunk replied, then peeked at Lance for confirmation, which he received, "or Lance," He finished.

"Olkari, obviously," Pidge answered without hesitation. "And Hunk would be Balmeran," they asserted.

Hunk puffed up with pride, and no one protested. "What about Shiro?" He tossed out casually.

"Arusian," Keith snorted, and laughed.

Lance muffled his chuckle with his hand, and Hunk put his fist in his mouth. Pidge didn't bother hiding their amusement, and laughed along with Keith. Shiro didn't comment, or even look at Keith from across the room. He had his arms crossed -his human one holding his galra one- closed off from the team.

Hunk pulled his fist from his mouth, "Maybe Bloodsplotion?! Remember them Lance?" He didn't wait for a response, and called out, "Can you make your blood explode, Shiro?"

"No, and I would be one of those warrior guys we helped relocate when their planet was blown up," Shiro answered, as if he had thought about this before. He relaxed marginally, and let go of his limp arm. "We should be planning a way out of this dead space, not talking about what alien we are," he sounded tired, and closed the distance between them.

"We need to rest, and eat," Keith was kurt, and didn't look at Shiro.

Shiro didn't acknowledge him either, and shifted his focus to Hunk, "It's good to see you up." He smiled, and transformed into the old Shrio, before he was captured a second time. reassuring, and positive. But the smile was only a cover, threadbare, and frayed.

"I'm glad to be up!" Hunk announced. He raised his arms in a mock flex, overcompensating with false confidence. He slowly lowered his arms when he got no response.

The empty exchange left the atmosphere heavy, and sad. Lance wanted to make a joke, even at his own expense, if only to lighten the mood, but knew any humor he attempted would be just as empty.

Beautiful, innocent, Hunk, on the other hand, refused to let the silence win. "Allura and Coran have been gone a while," He commented.

"I'm sure they're fine," Lance waved his hand lazily, as he tried his best to come off unconcerned and not uncomfortable. He was very uncomfortable, but didn't want to leave his buddy hanging.

Shiro leveled Lance with a glare, his face was tight, "Shouldn't you be more worried about the Princess?" He sounded indignant, and even a little self-righteous. He was so far from the Shrio that Lance knew, it made him want to cringe away. But he grabbed onto his new found confidence -what little of it there was- and stood his ground. Everyone in the room stayed mercifully silent.

Lance pulled his beaten, but still whole, facade to the front. He had cultivated it all his life to hide behind, now he would use it to brace himself. "No?" He both answered and questioned Shiro, with a flippant smile. "Allura's a strong, independent lady, she can handle herself," Lance articulated his reasoning with an apparent abundance of confidence.

Shiro looked torn between agreeing with Lance, and arguing with him. He sighed, it was silent, but ended with resigned shoulders, and a shamed filled face.

Lance had wanted to have this conversation in private, but with the current circumstances, it didn't seem like it could wait. He wasn't sure when he would get another chance without Allura in the room. Lance took a good look at Shiro's tired eyes, and worn down stance, and regretted ever thinking it was a good idea to trick him. Lance had to own up to his mistake, and not cower behind a lie. He had people that believe he was better than that now, and he wanted to live up to their expectations, but also give Shiro a break. Lance could relate to being at the end of your rope, and Shiro looked like he was dangling by his fingertips.

"Shiro, listen I-"

"Lance-"

They both pulled up short when their words clashed.

Shiro took a slow breath, and Lance chuckled nervously before trying again.

"I need to tell you-"

"I need to apologize!" Shiro blurted.

Lance tried to interrupt, determined to admit his fault. But Shiro spoke over him, with an earnest tone that caught the breath of Lance's words in his chest.

"I was being petty, and bitter," he admitted. "I have to accept that I can't make people do what I want. I can only act on the truth, accordingly. My own actions, and my treatment of others is all I control…" Shiro trailed off for a moment, aware that he was rambling, "What I'm trying to say, is I haven't been fair to you, I'm sorry."

Lance had lived with an acute awareness of how useless he truly was for a long time. He sweat the knowledge through his skin, and it had invaded every pore of his body. Now, he had pushed that feeling onto Shiro, a man he admired, and looked up too, and Shiro was apologizing to him. Ironically echoing words that Lance had been told years ago, when he was struggling with his own impact on the people around him.

Ooo

Lance was grounded… very grounded. He wiped at his angry tears, and stared down at his space themed bread spread. His mamá was just as angry about the suspension as he had predicted. Lance refusing to tell her why he had punched Anton in the face, didn't help his case. Maritza spent the entire conversation making a 'tell her' face at him, but the thought of his mamá being mad at him for it… he just couldn't.

"Manito, look what I brought!" Maritza cracked Lance's bedroom door open, and peeked through. She held up a bottle of bright orange nail polish. It was his favorite. She slipped into the room, and climbed onto the bed, without waiting for his response. She threw her arms around Lance in a crushing hug, letting her full weight fall on him, as he toppled over.

"Ritza! You're crushing me, get off!" Lance complained, as he tried to hold onto his bitter mood. He was failing. The only good part of getting in trouble was when his sister came to check on him, she never failed to make him feel loved.

"But, I love you, my beautiful baby brother!" She announced dramatically, and squeezed him tighter.

"I love you too, now get off!" Lance gasped, and struggled against her. She was still stronger than him, and taller, so his efforts were futile.

Maritza smirked, "Only if you cheer up," She demanded.

Lance went limp, and he resigned himself to his fate, death by sister hug. He ran his finger along saturn's rings, the old comforter was pilled and faded. "I can't, Anton hates me, mamás mad at me, and I'm…" He let the rest hang, he knew she understood.

Maritza had mercy, and stopped squeezing. She sagged on top of him, "your day was crap, let me paint your nails."

The offer did help lift Lance's spirits, just a bit. He smiled, "Yeah, OK."

Maritza sat up, and shook the nail polish while Lance got into position. He held out his right hand. When his sister started on the first finger he already felt more relaxed, and reveled in be pampered.

Without looking up from her work, Maritza started prodding for information. "Lance, I understand why you hit Anton, but I don't get, is why hitting him was your go to response?"

Lance should have expected the question. He plucked at the pilled bedspread with his left hand, trying to collect his thoughts. "I was frustrated, I guess…" He confessed.

Maritza dipped the brush in the bottle, "So, it wasn't because he was mean to you?"

Lance shook his head. Anton hadn't been mean at all, he had been trying to be supportive, which only made Lance feel worse about what he had done.

"Good, now I don't have to give him a beat down," Maritza huffed, and squinted at Lance's pinky nail. "Why did you hit him, if he wasn't mean?" She asked.

Lance blushed, all the way to the tips of his ears. Only for Maritza would he talk about these things. He only felt this safe with her. "It was when I told him I liked him… he… doesn't feel the same. He still wanted to be friends, but I was mad and told him I didn't… we got in a fight." Lance stumbled through the story, ashamed.

"Do you really not want to be friends with him anymore?" Maritza always seemed to know the right questions to ask.

Regret joined the shame, and tears welled up in Lance's eyes, "No…"

Maritza beckoned for Lance's left hand, "Lance, we can't make people do what we want. We can only tell them how we feel, and what we know. In the same vein, we can only act on what others are willing to give us. We have to be careful with what we do and say." She dipped the brush in the polish, and Lance watched his bright sister dim, "Sometimes, you give the wrong person too much. Other times people lie to you, but you can only make choices with the information you have." Maritza smiled, bitterly. It was the first time her smile didn't match her face. She shook the strange mood off, and smiled more like herself.

Lance never forgot his sister's face when she gave him that advice, and her words impacted the rest of his life.

Ooo

Lance looked up at Shiro, even more determined to explain himself. "You don't understand-"

Shiro was apparently determined as well, and cut Lance off again. "But I do! You're funny, and nice, there's no reason she wouldn't see that, and with you being Altean too… It just makes sense. She would want to continue the race-"

"SHIRO!" Lance bellowed. He was red faced from the implication that Allura would want to breed more Alteans with him. The snickering of his so called friends was not helping. He was absolutely done with being interrupted.

Shiro was wide eyed, and actually took a step back. Lance would have laughed if he wasn't so ramped up and irritated. He got to his feet, faced Shrio, and spoke purposefully, searching for the right words.

"While I'm… flattered, that you… approve of me. Allura and I are not together." Lance didn't waver, and a long moment dragged by.

Shiro blinked, and then tried to argue. "But, you two… she looked so happy, and-"

Lance interrupted, he still needed to apologize, and he could feel himself losing his nerve. "I know how it looked, but it's true. Allura and me, we came to an understanding as friends… and I might have let you think we were together... becauseyoulikeherandIwantedyoutoadmitit…Sorry."

The silence was thick. Hunk and Pidge's snickering stopped abruptly. Shiro had every right to be mad, to yell, or throw a fit, but he was still as stone. It was the only indication that he understood Lance's rushed confession, because he wasn't even looking at Lance. His sight was set on Keith, with a stricken expression. Shiro looked sick, and even more ashamed than he did before confronting Lance. Keith was staring back with no emotion, cold eyes, and a grim line of a mouth.

Shiro slowly slid his gaze from Keith, to Lance, and stared at him for a tick longer than was comfortable. Then, with the presence of a man on the edge of a cliff, he spoke. "It's OK, we… all make mistakes," He said softly, and his eyes trailed back to Keith, pleading.

The swoosh of a door, and a burst of frigid air, announced Allura and Corans' return. Shiro turned to greet them as if nothing had happened, and helped them unload bags of frosted over food goo.

Lance wanted to yell 'that's it?!' to Shiro's retreating back. He deserved punishment for what he had done, for the distress he caused, but he got off with nothing. A large hand landed lightly on Lance's shoulder, "We all kept it from him, Lance. It's not just your fault," Hunk assured him. Pidge and Keith spoke up in agreement, and it helped dull the sharp edge of guilt in Lance's heart. He joined the team for a silent meal.

What was left of Lance's guilt couldn't distract him from the obvious fall out between Keith and Shiro. It was now apparent that the mess he made with Allura was somehow related, but how? It seemed like Shiro might have been worried that Keith was going to interfere with Allura's supposed relationship… The thought rolled around in Lance's head unpleasantly, there was only one conclusion that made sense… Keith was interested in Allura, and Shiro knew… Lance's reaction was visceral. Ugly jealousy rolled in his stomach, and his mouth filled with its acrid taste.

Keith and Allura together felt wrong, but it wasn't so far-fetched. There was the time they ran away together, and it was a better explanation for Keith's mood swing that morning when Allura wore the sweater. But it didn't explain everything, and Lance could hold his heart together with that fact. What Shiro meant by 'mark', or what he had said that upset Keith so much, was still a mystery.

Falling without motion, it was so sudden, Lance was unable to orient himself. He flailed and twisted, on the spot, until he calmed his mind's instincts. The gravity was completely gone. Lance hung motionless, and watched as his team found their center. Then he reached into his jacket and pulled out his air can.

"This is it…" Keith announced, no one responded. He said it to make sure it was real, and Lance would have if he hadn't.

Lance tried out the compressed air, and found it much easier to control his momentum than expected. Everyone else was adjusting as well. Coran was surprisingly good at this, and Lance suspected he had practice in zero gravity before.

"Paladins," Allura called for their attention. She attempted, and failed, to look dignified, floating without any sort of perch. She put on a brave face and laid out the facts, "We have food, heat and air, until Pidge's batteries run out. We should use this time to try and plan an escape. Let's not lose hope."

Lance wanted to take her words to heart, but hope was far away, floating outside his reach. He could pretend that things would be OK when his feet were on the ground. Now, hope felt as useful as his panicked twisting had been.

Pidge and Hunk propelled themselves to the control room main panel, and Pidge began to explain the set up. Allura, Shiro, and Coran grouped up, and a whispered conversation of unlikely plans was struck up.

Lance hung limp, and useless. He fought against the burning fear that threatened his lungs, he felt more like he was under a sea of anxiety than ever before, floating as he was. He was tempted to give in, and let the dark corners of his mind take hold. He could so easily regress to the days of staring in the mirror and cold tiled floors. His body would dissolve in his hate and pity, and when it was over, he wouldn't feel anything.

The hiss of an air can caught Lance's ear, and he turned just as Keith careened into him. They collided with a hearty smack, and Lance yelped. Tangled together, Keith and Lance flew by Pidge and Hunk, and impacted the far wall, bouncing off with a bang.

"WHAT THE HELL, KEITH?!" Lance screamed, outraged, and gripped Keith's red jacket to keep them from being torn apart by the momentum.

Keith's back was to the room, and he smirked so only Lance could see. "Sorry, I guess I'm not very good at using these cans," He explained, not sounding the least bit apologetic. His smirk softened, and he pulled Lance close under the pretence of preparing to propel himself away, their faces only inches apart. Lance's entire body lit up, and fire danced over his skin, burning away his darkness. It felt so good having Keith close, and no amount of impending doom could ruin it. For one crazy second Lance was going to kiss him, but Keith moved, and was cheek to cheek with Lance instead.

"Stay strong, Ace," Keith whispered, and then pushed away, flying back across the room. Lance was thrown in the opposite direction and hit the wall again, but he was too surprised, and happy to care. He felt Keith's hum, strong and supportive.

"Lance, we could use you in this conversation, my boy!" Coran called out. Allura and Shiro looked to him expectantly. Lance grabbed his can from his coat pocket and joined them with renewed spirit.

Ooo

It wasn't giving up, if no one said it out loud. The flow of ideas, and suggestions trickled to a stop hours ago. Everyone floated around in silence, each of them racking their brains for some sort of idea. It wasn't the end, until someone broke. Regret is the most relevant emotion for the dying, it would be regret that signaled the end. Lance wasn't sure how much time they had left on the batteries, but from Pidge's expression, it probably wasn't much. He glanced around the room quickly. Keith was clear on the other side, not looking at Shiro or Lance. Shiro had his eyes closed, most likely still trying to plan an escape. Everyone else was dotted around the room, staring at the walls, floor and ceiling. Lance turned back to his own wall.

The previous air of disassociation was beginning to shift. The distance from their likely deaths was closing, and Lance was starting to feel it in his chest. Tight, suffocating fear, clawed its way out of his heart, and pressed at his throat, he swallowed it. He was more afraid of his friends dying than himself, and the feeling dominated any other that might have tried to take hold. He didn't want to see the light in their eyes fade, as his own life ended... Lance tried to ignore it, but it was difficult, surrounded on all sides by the image of the endless vacuum of space. He pondered how the walls of the room could show the outside, and came up blank. Then he wondered how much power it was wasting, he was sure Pidge would have turned it off if they could.

The stars were tiny specks, dust on a black surface. Lance wanted to run his hand across it and wipe them away. Only one star stood out bright, it was probably Yeppeuda. Lance snorted, it was almost funny how close they are to salvation, only to die reaching out, and falling just short. A legitimate laugh tried to surface, born from hysteria, and a dark coping mechanism deep in the human psyche.

Then it happened, the end was signaled. The hiss of an air can drew everyone's attention. Shiro glided across the room to Allura. He came to a gentile stop by her side and tucked his air can into his belt. She looked up at him with wondering eyes, and he looked back with solid certainty.

Confused, Allura began to question him, "Shiro? Do you have a pl-"

Shiro cut her off. He cupped her face with his hand, softly, and kissed her.

There were no hoots or hollers from the team, only understanding. Allura cried, her eyes slid closed and pushed her resigned tears down her cheeks. She kissed Shiro back.

Regret, nobody wanted to die with it.

Lance heard a hiss of air only a moment before a small body collided with his. Pidge's thin arms wrapped around his middle, and they pressed their face into his chest.

Words poured from their mouth, half strangled by tears. "I always thought of you like -sob- a brother, and I was so happy to see you- you- accept yourself. It helped me -sob- feel better about- who- who I… am."

Lance's heart stuttered. He was crying before he knew why. He hugged Pidge back, and pressed his face into their hair. He felt a small fracture in who he was, mend back together. "I feel the same, Pidge."

The dam was broken. Thoughts and feelings began pouring. Hunk flew across the room, and engulfed Lance and Pidge together, sobbing. Shiro turned to Keith, imploringly. Coran embraced Allura. Everyone swapped and hugged.

"You are a wonderful paladin, and friend, Lance, never doubt that ."

"BRO! I love you so much!"

"Meeting you, was one of the few good things I got to experience after waking up, thank you, my boy."

"You should be proud of yourself, Lance."

Eventually Lance was alone, a lull between teammates hugging, loving, and confessing. Across the room, Keith was also alone. Their eyes met, and Keith tipped his head, questioning. It was Lance's greatest weakness, and he couldn't hold out. He was in tatters, and every frayed end of his heart was reaching for Keith.

Now was the time.

They moved in unison, kicking off the wall to glide towards each other. Their finders tips were inches apart, straining.

An abrupt, ear splitting, metallic screech, rent through the air. The Castle jerked violently, and Lance's fingers slid by Keith's, as they crashed into each other, forced together by the momentum.

"What is THAT!" Pidge shouted over the sound of metal on metal, and they pointed off to the side of the control room.

Lance tried to twist around, still tangled with Keith and hurtling through the air. With a thump, they hit the wall and bounced back. When they floated to a halt, Lance could see what Pidge was yelling about. To the starboard side of the ship, was something large, brown, and covered in something white. The object -a parody of a spaceship- was mechanical, and about one third the size of the Castle. Under the white substance, were a plethora of small moving parts, all ticking, and shifting together. Between the moving parts was something like vents, a lot of vents. Lance was hesitant to say it was shaped like an airship, but that was the closest description he could think of. From each side of the ship, large heavy chains extended towards the Castle, and attached someplace out of sight. That must have been what caused the loud metallic sound.

The airship's outer parts began to move faster, and white gas was spewed from a majority of the vents covering the outside. The gas sparkled in the limited light, and Lance realized that it was steam, being flash frozen in the cold of space. The foreign craft began to move, and the chains connecting the two ships were pulled taut… They were being towed.

The sudden, and loud sound of everyone talking at once rippled through the room. Pidge and Hunk were the contenders for fastest and loudest of all. Lance and Keith stayed silent, watching the new ship's parts whirl as it pulled them along, the din of conversation passing over them.

"We're saved!"

"Do you think they're from Yeppeuda?!"

"How can life survive in dead space?"

"Earth does just fine without quintessence for power!"

"Is that a STEAMPUNK spaceship?!"

"They must have adapted when the dead space formed around their planet."

"STEAMPUNK SPACESHIP!... oh no, what if their PIRATES!?"

Everything was plunged into absolute darkness, and the view of the ship was lost as the screens went down. The conversation stalled.

"The batteries gave out," Pidge observed, and that was everyone's cue to start talking again.

Lance threw in a comment from time to time, but mostly kept to himself. He was having trouble comprehending that they were saved. Hopefully not being towed into enemy territory, but they honestly couldn't do anything but wait. He wanted to cry, and scream, his emotions were warring for dominance, tangled up with so many questions, worries, but also relief.

Fiery red, slid through the back of Lance's mind, a moment before actual heat slid up his chest. A hand moved slowly from his bellybutton to his collarbone, and then gripped his shirt. Lance was pulled flush against another body, and he had no doubt about who it was. He had been desperate for physical comfort, and knew Keith felt the same. The intention thrummed in his head, and Lance felt bold, with a new lease on life.

Ecstatic, pleasure arched over Lance's skin, he cracked, and peeled under its heat. Willingly, Lance unraveled. He came apart in a fit of euphoric insanity, because they were going to live. The fabric of his self control was sodden with his uncontrollable joy, heavy and cumbersome, he let it slide away.

Lance wanted to be closer, he hooked his legs around Keith's, and wrapped his arms around Keith's chest, holding them together as they drifted through the dark. Keith's breath hitched, and Lance almost apologized, he was prepared to backpedal, but then Keith moaned.

"Ace," Small, almost silent, grazed Lance's skin, and shimmied down his spine. He felt a hand cup his cheek and warm breath ghost across his lips. All the reasons that held Lance back shattered, except one.

It slipped from his mouth, a hushed murmur, "I thought you were str-"

Keith was kissing him. Lighting struck where their lips met, and Lance pressed back. His thoughts scattered, and he dimly registered when Keith broke the kiss briefly to mutter a single phrase.

"You thought wrong."

Ooo