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!

5. Mark

Smut Warning

Warning: there is a very short part that I would label sexual assault.

Because I have no confidence in my ability to convey what I want, I will explain here. This chapter jumps between the present and past every other scene. The first scene takes place three months after the end of the Part 4. Every scene in the present takes place on the same day, with each scene in between being in the past but getting closer to the present.

I'm not super happy with this part, but I wanted to get it out as soon as I could. So, please excuse any lack luster writing or errors.

Part 5- Mark

Lance was an explorer. He wanted to discover, to walk until there was no road left. His mama called it wanderlust. So, he left the familiar behind, and broke the rules. The air had a different quality when you crossed a new boundary, it smelled like excitement, and of someplace uninhabited. The empty beach was quiet, and the silence settled between Lance's ears. It was serene, blanketing the adrenaline coursing through him from climbing the fence. He had always wanted to come to the beach at night, and when he was fourteen years old, he did.

The wind had swept away all the footprints in the sand. Leaving it as it should be, smooth, with the illusion of abandonment. Lance walked to the water's edge, and kept going. It was up to his knees, brisk and refreshing, glittering under the stars. But Lance wanted to go farther. He left the arcade, and risked punishment to be here. His mama would never let him go in the ocean when it was dark, but Maritza would understand. She always did.

Warm arms, cut through the cold water, and wrapped around Lance's middle. A chin dropped onto his shoulder, and a smooth voice whispered in his ear.

"Hey, Ace."

Lance smiled. His meditation was ruined, and the observation deck came into focus around him, but he welcomed the interruption when it was Keith who pulled him back. He unfolded his cramped legs and stretched them out on the cool floor. The white crescent couch was behind him, and Keith had wedged himself between it and Lance's back. The massive windows, that had once been a portal between the stark white room, and endless vacuum of space. Now displayed a sea of rust and swirling smoke. It was a clear divide between two worlds.

The weight increased, as Keith draped himself across Lance's back. That was Keith's new hobby, draping himself across his boyfriend every moment they were alone.

"Hey, to you too," Lance whispered back. The quivering bond reached out for his partner.

Keith kissed Lance's neck, and murmured warm words into his skin. "Come to any huge revelations?" Meditation was the only thing that isolated their bond and separated their thoughts. It obviously set Keith on edge, but he never complained.

The cold ocean still lapped at Lance's mind, butting up against the red hum of Keith's curiosity. If he lied, Keith would know. He probably already felt the unease mixed with light freedom lingering from the memory, so Lance swerved around the question with one of his own. "We're all made of the same cosmic dust?" it was flattery, and a plea to let the topic drop.

Keith understood, and didn't push, he never did. "Who could have said those wise words?" He played along.

Lance smirked, and leaned back against the weight pushing against him. "I have no clue, but they probably didn't have a mullet," he replied coyly, and laughed when he felt Keith's frown against his neck, contrasting the glow of amusement in his mind.

This was a perfect moment. Cushioned by sweet endearment, and warmed by a spark of attraction. Lance wanted to roll up in it, but also stretch out over this comfortable juncture, and let himself be cradled. Because it conformed to him, and filled all his jagged edges. A second kiss on his neck turned the spark into a flame. Keith's hands smoothed down his chest, and glided over the edge of his jeans.

Lance's inhale was sharp, and he used it to push out a warning he desperately didn't want to give. "We can't, anyone could walk in here."

The red satin that had been dancing along Lance's senses, sagged, along with Keith, who physically slid to the side, off of Lance and onto the floor. He rolled onto his back and glared with very little conviction. "Let them see, the looks on their faces would make my year." He pouted, in that way only he could pull off.

Lance huffed, allowing his shoulders to bounce with a sharp motion. "You're the one that said Shiro could never know, but I don't see what the big deal is," he pointed out. His hand dipped to the floor, and snapped up his hair clip. In a fluid motion he swept his growing bangs back and secured them. The ends were so long they were beginning to curl up, fighting the clip.

The slow rise, and even slower fall of Keith's chest, was the only indication of his sigh. Silent, and edged with a thin band of pain. "It's better that he only thinks I have a one sided crush," he insisted, referring to the conversation Lance had overheard in dead space. When Lance had come clean about eavesdropping, Keith hadn't been mad, but the topic was made taboo.

They were far too closely bonded to hold back their emotions, but that didn't mean they had to explain them. Whenever the idea of telling the team came up, Keith would shut down, overwhelmed with a strange fear. It made Lance's anxiety bubble up, and it oozed out of the dark corner that only Keith could shed light on. But Lance never pushed, because he wanted to give Keith the same respectful privacy that he received when Keith turned a blind eye on the doubt and worry that leaked down the bond.

Lance shook himself free of the heavy conversation. He hated it when they skirted around the shadows of their relationship. He bowed down and pressed a quick kiss to Keith's lips, and just as Lance had planned, his boyfriend smiled up at him. The bond became alight with the tingly joy kissing always ignited, and his body relaxed in the echo of that joy.

Lance reached out and plucked at Keith's blue headband, "There's my perky yep-nari," he cooed, overly sweet with sarcasm.

Keith groaned, and rolled onto his side, curling into Lance's leg. "Don't remind me… I have to go to work soon," He complained, muffled into Lance's pants.

Three months had gone by in a blink, and the team had settled in with some bumps along the way. Every member was assigned a job by Dam-Saeg, based on what she decided would be best. Some of them accepted their place easily, while others -namely Keith- didn't. Although Lance couldn't blame him, his job was essentially the antithesis of Keith in every way. But being a yep-nari brought in a lot of money, and they needed money.

Lance ran his hand through Keith's hair. "Try not to glare so much. Saeg doesn't like it when she gets complaints from business owners, especially now that you're working in Yeppeo one." He paused and tugged lightly at the dark locks. "And it will give you wrinkles," he teased.

Keith curled up tighter. "I hate this," it was a whine more than fully formed words.

The hand in Keith's hair pulled up and came down with a pat on his head, and Lance sighed. "I know, but when you think about it, you're saving the day. You're the real breadwinner, you're bringing the bacon home! It's like I have a sugar daddy!"

Lance knew the last comment would pull Keith from his self pity with a burst of irritation, and he wasn't disappointed. The spark of annoyance zipped along the bond, a small electric zap of warning. Keith lifted his head from Lance's leg and glared.

Lance poked the furrow between Keith's brows. "Wrinkles," he warned. A winning smile spread over Lance's face when Keith's eyes narrowed to slits.

"You are such an ass-"

The insult cut was short by Lance, who licked his own thumb and rubbed it over the bridge of Keith's nose, without any warning. "tienes algo ahí," he informed, as if that made it any less gross. But, the faint dot of… something, on the normally pale, smooth skin bothered him.

Keith reared back, "stop!"

Lance jumped forward, straddling him, and trapped one of his arms with his leg. He licked his right thumb and tried again. Keith grabbed Lance's wrist worth his free hand, but Lance quickly licked the other thumb.

Keith turned his face away to the right, "Stop, that's gross!"

"No puedo entenderte!" Lance sing-songed, blindly and awkwardly rubbing at Keith's nose with his left hand.

"¡basta... de hacer... eso!" Keith struggled, the words were stilted and awkward, but they succeeded in making Lance stop, and his heart leap. A wave of affection swept through him. Keith's efforts to Learn spanish never failed to make him happy, and sometimes amused. Lance chuckled as Keith relaxed under the influence of warm and fuzzy second hand feelings.

"Did I say it wrong?" Keith asked quietly.

Lance smiled down at him, "It wasn't the worst… but 'basta' can be said alone to tell someone to 'stop it'. I think you were going for 'Deja de hacer eso'. Don't worry, you're getting better." He really was. The speed that Keith picked the language up was impressive. And although he still spoke Spanish slowly and made mistakes, he understood Lance more often than not.

Lance stood up and offered his boyfriend a hand. "Come on, you have work, and I promised Pidge I would help them in the engine room."

Keith took the hand, and used the momentum to pull himself up and forward, ending his movement with a quick kiss on Lance's lips. "Do you have a raid tonight?" the question was innocent, but edged with worry.

Lance squeezed Keith's hand, "Nope, I will be safe and sound with the Pigeon tonight," he reassured. With his free hand he tried to reach up and rub the speck on Keith's nose again.

Keith grabbed the incoming hand with lightning reflexes, "Don't," he warned. It really wasn't fair when they could sometimes feel each other's intentions.

Lance pouted. The mark was probably only noticeable when you got as close as he did to Keith's face, but it bothered him...

"I got to go, or I'll be late." Keith slowly turned to leave. Lance watched him go, the bond shuttered with dislike, and hesitation. But Lance knew he couldn't comfort his boyfriend, or he might end up skipping work.

Sometimes, it was hard to remember what it was like when they were first stranded on this odd planet. The air had felt different in their lungs, and hung heavy with metal and dirt. It had been a huge departure from the filtered air of the ship. Much like how the air of adventure had felt when he was a kid, when he had breathed deep the idea of freedom. A false freedom that had betrayed him.

On the second day on Yeppeuda, they had learned their place in this world, and the reasons why. Suddenly their reality was much smaller, the universe had been focused down to a single planet, with different priorities. A pin prick in the whole of their adventure.

oOoOo

The second day on Yeppeuda started... unexpectedly. With a bang, the front door slammed against the wall, followed by the entrance of a large man, a small child, and Dam-Saeg. Despite the imposing figure of the light blue man, and the distracting beauty of the child, Saeg drew the attention of every occupant. She was authoritarian power, and pride, wrapped up in a small pink old lady, topped with a bun, and supported by a cane. She demanded respect with her posture alone.

She took a step forward, separating herself from her companions. She positioned herself as both their superior, and as the bridge between the new and old groups. "Goodmorning," Saeg greeted. She was obviously in a chipper mood. "I have your assignments today," she announced, sounding as close to giddy as her raspy old voice could muster.

The room remained silent, and Saeg's joyous news was met with a thick layer of overwhelming tension. She eyed them, and began to pace slowly in between the groups. Lance felt as if her gaze lingered on him, but dismissed it as his imagination, until red needles pricked his mind. Keith was irritated, and possessive. He noticed the lingering eyes as well, even through the lenses of Saeg's goggles. Crimson words whispered from the red folds of their bond, "predator."

Saeg began to speak, a professor to her students. "You all have potential." She made another pass, and jabbed her cane in Shiro's direction. "Even you," she said, as if it should be a shocking revelation. Lance bit back a laugh at their leader's expense, his face was priceless, and Keith's vindictive satisfaction wasn't helping.

Saeg placed her cane on the floor with purpose. "And, I think you will be interested in the positions I am willing to supply, as they will aid your escape." She was pacing again. "It will benefit us both, if we cooperate for however long you will be here." Her voice was worn velvet, and it served to make her words more enticing. She chuckled low at the surprised faces across the room.

"Did you think me a monster who would trap you here?" She asked, rhetorically. She knew they thought as much, because she was smart. Lance was beginning to realize how many levels of social manipulation that they had been trapped in since meeting Saeg. She had always been in control.

Saeg stopped in the middle of the space between the two groups. "I am aware that you newcomers will be trying to leave this planet, and I am willing to help. In my own way," she offered. And that's when Lance knew, Saeg wasn't a monster, not in the traditional sense. No, she was a businesswoman.

"What will it cost us?" Pidge questioned, they had figured it out as well, and was fearless -or bull headed- enough to ask. Lance wasn't all that surprised, Pigeon had always been good at reading people. Surprisingly insightful and wary for a sixteen year old.

Saeg sighed, long and silent. "I'm glad to know not all of you are idiots," She confessed, shooting a suffering look at her three original tenants. All of her previous pretense was dropped. Gone was the intimidating stance, educational demeanor, and the soothing velvet of a slick car salesman. In its place was a slightly grumpy old woman who wanted to get off her feet, or so it seemed. Because although she had undergone a metamorphosis of personality, it was never completely departed from her previous domineering presence.

Saeg made her way to the small seating area with the coffee table, and took the only armchair. She settled into the threadbare, ratty cushion with a grateful groan, put her cane between her legs and rested her hands folded on top. She beckoned everyone to gather before her. Without question, everyone grouped, but no one sat. "I am going to lay an offer on the table," Saeg began, gruff and tired. "Because I know, just from looking at you seven, that you will stop at nothing to get off this wretched rock, and trying to rope you all into a permanent stay will end up losing me more than you're all worth. I can already tell that you're all trouble. But I want us both to benefit from your stay here," She laid her thoughts out bluntly.

Saeg's explanation hung unfinished in a moment of silence meant for questions or comments that were not forthcoming. Everyone waited for her to lay out the offer, and so she did. "I will set each of you up with a job, something that will be beneficial for me, based on your... skill sets. In return, You will pay me a percentage of your income, the rest of which you can do with as you please." She waved a dismissive hand to indicate how little she cared about their plans for the money.

Pidge stepped forward, again 'brave' enough to speak up defiantly. "Anything we want?" they asked.

Saeg smirked, seemingly amused. "Anything," she confirmed.

Pidge shifted side to side on their feet, the only sign of their nerves. "Even if we use the money to buy parts and retrofit our ship's engine to use electricity?" they proposed, warily.

"As long as I am paid my dues while you are here, then I see no reason you can't do that." the response was carefully worded, but it did not refuse the suggestion.

Pidge nodded once, then their eyes fell briefly on Shiro, before trailing over to Lance. "I think we should take this deal," They asserted, still staring directly at the blue paladin.

Everyone was looking at Lance with varying degrees of anticipation or irritation, but no one's gaze was as intense as Fen's. The pink man was staring at Lance with unwavering eyes, as if his fate was in Lance's hands… which it pretty much was. What would happen to Fen, Ja, and Luse if he refused to take the deal? He was their unwilling master after all. He still couldn't figure out how the leadership role had been shifted onto his shoulders, he didn't like it, but he was going to hold it up the best he could.

A red pin pricked the back of Lance's mind, it was sharp with tense fear, Keith's fear. He remembered that Lance owned these people, and realized the stakes as well.

"We'll take the deal," Lance managed to keep his voice steady. He felt Keith relax, and the needle melted into a soft ribbon. Fen looked away, shoulders slumped in relief.

Saeg lifted her cane and lightly tapped the floor. "Excellent!" She exclaimed, and then pointed her cane at Hunk. "You, Hunk right?" Her kaydence was casual, as if striking this deal made them all friends suddenly. The levels this women worked on were boggling to Lance.

Hunk jumped and pointed to himself, "Me? Yeah, I'm Hunk!" He sputtered nervously under Saeg's sudo friendly smile, he twisted his hands in anticipation. Lance's hands twitched. He wanted to grab Hunk's fingers and wrap him in a hug.

Still friendly, as if she were dealing with a timid animal, Saeg doled out Hunk's assignment. "There is an underground technology ring that runs through almost every Yeppeo on this planet. It is a free market, based on merit, and what you have to offer. I haven't had any real big names under my employment for a long time, you will work with my current team to carve us out some new territory." She explained softly and waited for Hunk to nod before continuing. "The market is called the Gi-Shu, and it has its own rules, separate from the laws of the surface. It is a subtle, ever changing beast below our cities, that will devour the weak and feed off the naive." Saeg nailed Hunk with a serious look, driving home her point. "I have assigned you a mentor, but she's only active in the evening, so you will standby until she arrives," she informed, softening her gaze minutely.

Hunk saluted awkwardly, "Ye-yes, ma'am," he stuttered.

Saeg turned on Pidge, "Little doro-ni, what is your name?" She sounded genuinely curious.

Pidge crossed their arms defensively, "Pidge," they declared, and then let their mouth run away. "And what the hell does doro-ni mean? For that matter, what does dan-iro mean!? Yesterday you called Lance and Hunk dan-iro, and then later called Hunk doro-ni!" They blurted out, frustrated by the strange rules of the new terms.

Saeg chuckled, "you will be joining Hunk, and I won't repeat the warnings. I think you will do just fine in the Gi-Shu, with that spirit of yours," she commented, completely ignoring Pidge's questions.

Pidge fumed. Lance wasn't sure he had ever seen them so mad, but Saeg seemed to get under their skin. Fortunately they kept quiet, not willing to risk their employment, and possibly the only chance they had to get off the planet. The potential new tech probably didn't hurt either.

Saeg looked between Pidge and Hunk, "I have high hopes for you two. The Gi-Shu is hard to survive in, and there are three important factors. Supplies, which I have in abundance, due to the scrap yard, but what I have been missing, is talent, and well rounded Zoku." She didn't wait for a response, and pointed at Lance. "That's where you come in, you are a long ranged fighter, correct?"

"Yeah," Lance croaked, off guard, and Keith's hard edged hum poking him relentlessly didn't help.

"Good," Saeg smiled. "That is what the Zoku have been missing. With you, the team is complete. You will be training with Kal." She gestured to the huge light blue man. Kal stood taller when Saeg acknowledged him, and Lance thought he might have seen a small tremor go through the imposing bulk of his tattooed muscles.

"Uuuhhh, ok. But what does a Zoku do?" Lance ventured to ask. The pure absurdity of this entire situation made it feel surreal, which dampened his anxiety. Besides, Pidge yelled at Saeg and got away without so much as a reprimand.

Saeg looked as if she wasn't going to answer for a moment, too bothered to comply, but with a small sigh she explained. "The Zoku are for all intents and purposes, the face of their Gi-shu. They work on the surface, to procure supplies their Gi-Shu will need, and to protect them and their territory from raiders. Everything they do and say reflects on their Gi-Shu, so it is important that they have a strong bond." She paused with a considering look, and then added "It is an honorable position in the lower Yeppeo, and even among the upper Yeppeo, although it is not spoken of there, much like the entirety of the Gi-Shu."

Hunk perked up, and all his timid behavior melted away into excitement. "So the Zoku are like our avatars… but also pirates!?" he exclaimed.

Everyone from team Voltron groaned, except Lance, who laughed. Leave it to Hunk to break the heavy mood. Lance felt the humor of the situation wiggled into Keith, lifting his spirits as well.

"Avatar?" Saeg repeated, glossing over the pirate bit. "That is an apt comparison. Especially since the Gi-Shu tend to turn everything into a competition, including the appearance of the Zoku. The Zoku and the Gi-Shu come up with increasingly unique… decorations, always trying to outdo their competition. They also have their own… aesthetic." She said the word aesthetic dubiously, as if it was possibly the wrong term. It was obvious she had differing opinions on what constituted beauty.

The feel of Saeg's tone worried Lance. He tried to covertly eye Kal, and for the first time looked past his blue skin, and the copious blades holstered all over his body. What he noticed was piercings and tattoos, a lot of both… oh. Was Lance going to have to get some? that many of them? Before his thoughts could slip down a slope of panic, Saeg moved onto Shiro and Coran, who were both relegated to the scrap yard. Coran, due to his age, would be taking on a managing position, Saeg having every confidence in his abilities. But Shiro… well, he would do what he could with his one arm… those were Saeg's words.

Lance was starting to feel a little bad for Shiro, he was having a rough time, and Dam-Saeg wasn't helping. But Keith was reveling in it. Lance almost felt dirty experiencing the pure vindictive joy Keith derived from the abuse Shiro received, and it only served to make Lance more curious about why he was so mad at Shiro.

Keith and Allura came to attention when Saeg took a breath to speak, knowing one of them was next, and it ended up being both of them. Saeg gestured for them to come forward, and reluctantly they both took a step. Saeg looked them over, and nodded. "Both of you will be training with the young yep-nari I have brought with me today."

Allura looked at the child skeptically, obviously confused about what she would be learning from them. Keith on the other hand, refused. "I think I would prefer to go with Lance and Kal, I would be more useful fighting," he asserted boldly, like he always did.

Saeg snorted, loud and amused. "That will be unnecessary, yep-nari do not need to fight, or even think for that matter." Her body language became stiff, and her words harsh.

A hot spike rammed into Lance's mind, Keith's anger burned, and it whipped through Lance so quickly he was left shivering in the aftershock of his own icy irritation. He was prepared to step forward, his anxiety numbed by his indignation, but Keith was one step ahead.

"My name is Keith, and-"

The piercing sound of Saeg's cane on the metal floor abruptly cut off Keith's argument. "Your name is inconsequential, and you will be a yep-nari, or I will rescind my offer, and you and your friends will be left to fend for yourselves." She reached up and pulled her goggles to sit on her hairline, leveling Keith with a nasty glare. "You have no idea how difficult it would be to survive without help, and if you make an enemy of me, no one in all of the Yeppeo will accept you, for fear of offending me." Her voice didn't waver, and her eyes kept their hard gaze focused on Keith, boring a hole through him.

Lance believed her. She could make their survival, let alone their escape, impossible. He looked at Ja-Berk, Fen and Luse, all of them were pale in the face of Saeg's anger, but it was Kal that really drove home the severity of her threat. He was huge, powerful, and probably adept with his knives, he could kill that little old lady with a flick of his thumb. But there he was, scared. His body was tight, and he was unsuccessfully hiding the tremors in his hands that were fisted at his side.

The taut line of red let Lance know that Keith understood as well. The look in her eyes alone had convinced him that she spoke the truth.

"Keith…" Allura whispered his name as a quiet plea, and rested a gentle hand on his shoulder. They all wanted to get off this planet as soon as possible, and with as few complications as possible.

Keith allowed the contact, and took a calming breath. "Fine," He spat. His rage was still sizzling through the bond, but it was no longer out of control.

Saeg waved the small blue child over, and they obediently came to the side of the armchair. A gnarled pink hand rested in the dark hair. "This young yep-nari is Kal's daughter, and is accomplished in her field. She will be teaching you what you must know to be yep-nari over the next few days."

Keith nodded once, stiff and angry.

Allura smiled down at the adorable girl, "hello," she greeted warmly.

The girl look back, blank, and said nothing. Allura pulled away, visibly unsettled. Lance didn't blame her, the kid looked like an empty doll.

Saeg cleared her throat and jabbed at Allura with her cane. "Since this is ultimately a temporary arrangement, we will have to find a noninvasive solution for those." She jabbed with her cane again, this time at Allura's chest.

Allura crossed her arms over her breasts, her back curving away from the cane rudely pointing at them. "Why must there be a solution for them?" she asked, briskly.

Sage put her cane back on the floor, and folded both her hands over its handle. Her posture and expression returned to that of a friendly old lady. "The highest echelons of society on Yeppeuda have very refined tastes, in their wisdom, they decided long ago that beauty rests in the middle. That all things are better, sleek, simplified, contrasting and androgynous." Saeg lectured, her tone reverent as she spoke of the beauty coveted by the upper class.

Allura touched her chin in thought, and then closed her eyes. Lance watched as she shapeshifted, and it was just as amazing as every other time he has seen it. This time she only flattened her chest, and slightly narrowed her hips. "Like this?" She asked the wide eyed Saeg for approval.

A conversation about Allura's abilities was struck up, but Lance tuned it out in favor of remembering the advertisements he had seen outside. All the the models were, androgynous, clean cut, smooth skinned, with contrasting skin and hair, and jewel eyes set into their pretty faces.

"Can all of you change like that?"

"No, only Coran and myself. You see we are Altean and they..."

Lance looked Keith up and down, his pale skin, dark hair and purple eyes fit the bill. Plus, his build was lean, with a narrow and somewhat feminine waist… Yup, he was a beaut, and he was all Lance's. The fire that Keith always managed to light in him sparked to life, warming his cool waters to a pleasant temperature.

The line of Keith's back shifted, and he glanced over his shoulder at Lance. A question like a clear ring of a bell, shivered down the bond, 'really?'

Lance shrugged, he couldn't help it if his boyfriend was hot… and he appreciated it at inappropriate moments. After what Keith had done last night it was hard not to- NOPE. STOP that thought right there, Lance clamped down on it. Keith shook his head, and turned back to the group before someone noticed their wordless interaction.

"So, what exactly does a yep-nari do?"

That question grabbed Lance's attention, and yanked it forcefully onto Allura and Saeg. Keith was also listening carefully, even with his arms crossed and his standoffish posture, much of his usual buzzing had left Lance's mind in order to focus.

Saeg made a vague gesture with her cane, and the child moved to stand in front of the chair. "Why don't we show you?" Saeg suggested. She reached for a "decorative" chunk of rusty metal on the rickety end table, and handed it to the little girl.

The child looked at the object, dispassionately. Then, she smiled.

A chill wiggled its way up from the base of Lance's spine. Another shiver, mirrored in Keith, came from the back of his neck and slid down.

The powder blue girl held out the item, showing it to her audience. Her smile widened, and pushed at her eyes. She was all tiny giggles, and a sunny face, as she skipped around, twirling with the metal chuck in her hands. Her dark hair brushed her pale blue skin, and her little feet glided across the floor.

Every movement of the child shook something in Lance. The dew of his panic and anxiety had gathered someplace high up in him. Each happy laugh, and every faux smile loosened a drop, that landed on his heart. Maybe if he hadn't seen her empty eyes before this performance, he wouldn't have been so unsettled by her fake joy. But he had seen it, they all had. So they knew this happy girl was a lie. A beautiful lie, in a pretty little package. It poked at something deep in Lance, just like when he had first met Saeg.

"That's enough," Saeg commanded.

The girl stopped on a dime. Her face went slack, and her voice silent. She returned to stand on the left side of the chair, completely still.

"As you can see," Saeg began, dismissively waving her hand at Kal, who leapt to attention. "Yep-nari, are something pretty to look at. Some are hired to advertise a product, others to simply wander a high class party. But there is always work for a yep-nari." She concluded.

Kal scooped the child up in his arms, with gentle hands. "Come, Ki-Ao," He muttered, and took her to stand by the wall with him, out of the way.

Saeg ignored the father and daughter, keeping her eyes on Keith as she explained more. "That child has been raised since birth to be yep-nari. Her movements, smile, and personality were carefully cultivated. She does not strive for individuality, and maintains a quiet beauty. She was blessed with skin, hair and eyes that give her a fighting chance in this world, one day she will earn enough to leave Yeppeo five, for something better... Kal understood, and gifted her to me at birth, for a better life." She spoke slowly, as if this information was for Keith's benefit. So he understood that it was the right thing.

But Keith did not agree. He was perfectly still under the old woman's stare, filled to the brim with fury. It was liquid fire, pressing at every inch of his skin, and leaking into Lance. But Keith kept it together, he pulled on Lance's cold, calm anger to dampen his impulses, and for the first time, continuously used the bond to anchor himself.

Shiro was watching Keith closely, prepared to pounce. He probably expected Keith to punch Saeg, which would have happened if it wasn't for Lance. Saeg must have seen the fast approaching cliff's edge in Keith's expression, because she wrapped up the meeting quickly, and left everyone with their mentors.

oOoOo

Exactly three months after that second morning, Lance sat in the engine room of the castle, contemplating a very important issue. He had been agonizing over it for the last two days, two entire days of nonstop pros and cons lists… it was hell!

"Piiiiiiiiiiidge," Lance whined. He stretched out across the empty work table he was sitting on, and stared up at the criss crossing mesh of copper wires that lined the ceiling of the once pristine engine room.

Pidge was tinkering with a small bronze circuit board looking… thing. Lance had no idea what it did, but it sparked every once in a while as they poked at it.

"What…" Pidge sighed the answer out with a lazy exhale, and lifted the magnifying goggles they wore with one hand, while placing the delicate circuit down.

Lance rolled to his side looking out over the sea of modified engine parts strewn across the floor. "Should I get another piercing next, or another tattoo?" He asked, completely serious. He poked his ear for emphasis. It had the lobe pierced twice, and one in the cartilage, his left ear only had the two lobe piercings.

Pidge whined this time, low and frustrated. "I don't know, Lance… piercing I guess?" They gestured vaguely at Lance's shoulder, "your tattoo is kinda big anyway," Pidge justified their answer, and then pulled down their goggles and went back to work. It was a clear dismissal.

"You might be right," Lance rubbed his shoulder and sighed dramatically. With the low hanging grey tank top he was wearing, the tattoo was almost completely visible. It started at his shoulder blade, and curved over his shoulder, from the junction of his neck to the ball of his joint. From there it sloped down and covered his entire right pectoral. It was in the pattern of circuitry mixed with altean characters that spelled out "Blue Lion", and hidden in the pattern closest to his heart, and almost always covered by his clothes, was Keith's name, also in Altean. But not even Keith knew it was there.

Lance let out another, louder, more dramatic whine, making it obvious he still hadn't decided. When he got no response he began to roll back and forth on the table, occasionally sighing, breathy and pathetic. He was feeling particularly restless, and he did enjoy bothering his team mates, especially since he knew they cared about him no matter how annoying he could be. If almost dying in space did anything good, it solidified his confidence in his friends.

"LANCE!" Pidge snapped, "I thought you came here to help, not whine!" They berated him.

Lance gasped, and clutched his heart. "I thought you would care about how your Zoku looked!" He complained in an over the top voice.

The door slid open and revealed Hunk, just as Pidge chucked the closest tool they could reach at Lance, who fell off the table with a hardy thunk as he tried to dodge. Hunk looked between Lance, who was laughing his ass off, and Pidge, who was practically steaming, and cleared his throat. "Lance, buddy. I need an extra pair of hands to fix a line in sector three, do you mind?" He asked, almost convincing enough to fool Lance, but he knew Hunk came to ask Pidge originally.

Allowing the situation to defuse, Lance climbed to his feet and smiled. "Sure, buddy," he agreed and followed Hunk. But before he was out of earshot he verbally jabbed Pidge one more time "I'm happy to HELP!" He emphasized "help" just as the door closed behind them.

The clank of something hitting the metal doors reverberated in the hall. Lance chuckled, and heard the faint sound of Pidge's laughter.

"You shouldn't antagonize them," Hunk cautioned. Unaware of the unspoken sibling jabs that Lance and Pidge were required by sibling law to make at each other.

Lance waved him off, "Pidge loves me!" He assured. Ever since dead space and Pidge's goodby confession they were closer than ever.

Hunk threw his arm over Lance's shoulder, and began to lead him to sector three. "I'm just glad to see you being more like yourself," He admitted. His soft edged personality comforting Lance like nothing else could.

"Things have been OK, despite our current situation. The meditation has been helping." Lance looped his arm behind Hunk's back, "But what about you? My offer for you to join me when in Saeg's lessons is still open," he offered, not for the first time.

Hunk shrugged, and his face scrunched up with anxiety. "I don't think meditation is my thing," he muttered. Saeg made him nervous, and Lance hoped some time with them together would help, but Hunk always refused Lance's offers.

They walked in silence down the next three hallways, in an unnatural silence, that rubbed against the grain of their easy relationship. Lance wanted to crack the stiff atmosphere, but couldn't think of a good excuse to speak.

The Castle's white walls were dotted with brown, bronze, and silver boxes. Some with dials, like a rotary phone, and others looked as if they were patched together from scrap, which they probably were. Each box connected to something that required power, like a door, or a com. Multiple wires looped into each panel through hastily drilled holes, and even more wires ran out of each box, up the walls and across the ceiling like coppery streams. Only rudimentary functions could be restored using electricity, no fancy holo displays, but it was better than nothing. Lance liked the new electricity back ups, it reminded him of a steampunk like spaceship, and it would be worth it once the engines were up and running.

Hunk had insisted that the kitchen be hooked up, and the amount of power it took created an immense amount of wires and relay boxes. Now the kitchen was more bronze than white, But Hunk didn't care, and had been experimenting with the food of Yeppeuda ever since. Lance's favorite part of the modifications was the ability to close doors again, and in his case, lock them. It meant that Keith moved back into the castle, and the effort it took for Lance to sneak into his room was lowered significantly.

"Here we are!" Hunk announced a little too loud, and lifted his arm off Lance. He dropped his work bag on the floor and pulled out a huge macgyvered welding gun. "Hold this," He handed it to Lance without looking, and Lance almost fell over as it was dropped into his arms.

Hunk reached up and pulled some of the wires free of their bundle. An obvious orange corrosion speckled one of the lines. He inspected it closely, too closely, if Lance could see the problem from here. He was avoiding eye contact, a classic Hunk defence mechanism.

"Hunk, Buddy, are you OK?" Lance asked. Being upfront was the best policy with Hunk. Words left unsaid would become a new poison in their friendship, and in Lance. Being kept in the dark seeded doubt in a person.

A low hum was the response, a compromise between omission and lying. Hunk didn't look away from his work.

Lance sighed, and put down the huge gun as carefully as he could. "I can tell something is wrong. You know you can talk to me about anything," he urged gently.

Hunk's tight shoulders slumped, and his arms dropped from above his head to his sides. "I'm just worried," he admitted, without looking at Lance.

"Worried?" Lance placed his hand up on Hunks shoulder.

Rounded gold, cool to the touch, rolled across Lance's senses. Smooth like a well worn worry stone, it brushed against his mind. Hunk looked over his shoulder, and the bond solidified. "I'm worried about you. That you're just repressing and not getting better… like last time, in the bathroom," he confessed quietly.

Lance felt his nervous energy vibrate through the Hunk's metallic presence. He was afraid of angering Lance, and Lance really wanted to be mad. He wanted to lash out at his friend for doubting him, but he couldn't. Because through their momentary bond, he could feel the deep place of caring and concern in his friend. Hunk just wanted him to be happy, and that alone made Lance love him. The waters of his own energy lapped against the band of gold, warm and soothing.

Hunk relaxed, and turned around to face Lance. "I want the meditation to work, but I'm here if you need me, OK?" It was an honest offer, and as pure as Hunk himself. He would help his friends, but never coddle them.

How did Lance bag such a good friend? He definitely couldn't be mad at Hunk, he only wanted Lance to know he wasn't alone. With a smile, Lance reassured Hunk. "I think the meditation is working. It allows me to organize my thoughts without being overwhelmed. But I never doubted that you will be there for me, buddy. And I'm here for you too."

Hunk lurched forward and scooped Lance up in a bear hug. Their friendship welled up between them, Happy and tingling. Lance stumbled and laughed when Hunk let him go.

"This bond thing is weird when it happens, how long do you think it will last this time?" Hunk chuckled as he asked, just as giddy with bubbly feelings as Lance was. Amplified by the echo between their minds.

Lance straightened up, still giggling. "Who knows?" He shrugged. They went back to work, chatting endlessly about nothing. Hunk began pulling down the damaged wires, clipping them.

"I caught Shiro and Allura making out, again!"

"No way, are they trying to scar us for life?"

"I'm glad they're happy and everything, but learn how to lock a door! Allura can do that!"

Lance was acting flippant about it, but it did feel weird to have someone who wasn't Keith in his head. But Hunk's bond was still on the surface, while Keith's was rooted deep in Lance. So deep, that he settled under the waves of Lance's thoughts seamlessly when they weren't actively paying attention to each other. But the sudden flood of positive emotions caused the red silk to stir, and Keith curiously floated to the surface. He slid questioningly along the currents of Lance's mind until he met Hunk's cool golden presence. Lance didn't think much about it, since he was used to Keith always being there.

The chatter stopped, and Hunk's dropped his wire cutters. The sound of them hitting the metal floor was startling, and Lance jumped back with a shout.

"Hunk!" He yelped, holding his hand over his heart that tried to jump from his body, and heaving a breath.

Hunk locked eyes with Lance, ignoring his outrage, and pointed at him.. "That wasn't you!" He practically shouted.

"What wasn't me?!" Lance was yelling now. He was confused and a little scared. Keith's satin presence tightened comfortingly, shifting around his mind without regard to Hunk's new connection.

"THAT!" Hunk screamed as soon as Keith stirred again from the depths of Lance's thoughts.

The reason Hunk was freaking out came down on Lance suddenly, with the force of hail stones. He scrambled to find an explanation, the watery panic heated rapidly, causing the red hum to strengthen in concern. But before he could even utter a word, Hunk began to calm down. His hiked up shoulders loosened, and the ring of anxiety that vibrated through the bond faded away.

"That's… Keith?" He asked. It was less of a question, and more of a request for confirmation.

"Uhhhh… Yeah?" Lance supplied hesitantly. And then quickly tacked on a poorly constructed rambling excuse. "We were training earlier and bonded and it hasn't faded! Remember when we explained that we have been training? Back on the ship? You know, after we landed here and-"

"No," Hunk interrupted, hard, and serious. "This isn't like our bond. It feels like he's a part of you, but somehow separate?" He tried to put the sensation into words, but it was hard. Lance understood, he had been trying to verbalize it since he bonded with Keith.

Lance tried to fill in the blanks with more lies, it was habit. "Well, you see… Keith and I… we have been training together for a while and sometimes the bond lingers-'"

Hunk closed the distance between them and leaned into Lance's personal space. His curved edges became abrasive, while his eyes began to fill with hurt. "Don't, lie to me," it wasn't a request. He put his hands on Lance's shoulders and looked him dead in the eye. "How long?" He didn't move, and Lance could see him searching for the truth.

"Since before we got stuck in dead space." Admitting it hurt, and at the same time it was a relief. Lance cleared his mind the best he could, focusing on the moment in order to hold back his panic. He wanted to spill the rest of his story, about how much he loved Keith, and their relationship. But it wasn't his story alone.

Hunk reeled back, and Lance followed. He grabbed onto Hunk's upper arm and held him still, forcing him to listen. "It happened because we trained together so much! I wasn't lying about that. But unlike with the rest of the team, our bond didn't fade, it just kept growing, it's still growing, and we sorta just got used to it!" He was half yelling, trying to force the explanation out before Hunk stormed off.

It seemed to work. Hunk took a deep breath, and grabbed onto Lance's forearms in return. "Why didn't you tell anyone?" The words were edged with the caring and worry that Hunk was woven from, and it made Lance squirm. A tactless joke was trying to claw its way out of him, something to lighten the mood, but he smashed it down.

DON'T, DON'T, DON'T, he screamed at his desire to spew meaningless nonsense, while also trying to construct a lie. He had to lie to his friend again. Because he couldn't possibly explain that he and Keith hid their bond because they were stupid. Both of them were trying to hide their ridiculous crushes on each other, from each other, unknowingly… it was really stupid. Plus, Keith didn't want Shiro to know, and Lance didn't want to take the risk… but this was Hunk. Hunk would keep the secret for them, right?

Lance struggled. He felt his anxiety growing, and now he could feel Keith's worry as it swooped in and around his rising tide of emotion, like flustering red birds. Lance didn't have a good excuse, and Keith's twittering concern made it hard to think. The cold waters of panic crested, obscuring his mind, and Keith's little birds. It gripped Lance's lungs, and squeezed out the only answer he had.

"I don't know…" It wasn't a real answer, and it was a lie. Lance regretted it as soon as it slipped past his lips.

Hunk starred, as comprehension dawned. He was hurt by the answer, or the lack of answer… the lie. Lance saw it in his eyes, and then he felt it. The smooth, warm metal of Hunks consciousness slid away, and when the last bit of Hunk fled the bond, Lance's chest caved. He held it together, and swallowed a whine that tried to push its way out of his lungs.

There was a long, awkward moment of silence, while Lance watched Hunk do what he did best, be a good friend. His face smoothed over, and he accepted that Lance was keeping something from him. Even without a bond, he could tell what Hunk was thinking.

"You would tell me if you could," Hunk observed.

The endless stream of meaningless excuses Lance had stored up faltered before reaching his mouth. His breath hitched. Of course Hunk understood, but it didn't lessen the sting of being dishonest with his best friend. Lance didn't hide the tears that welled up and spilled over when he answered.

"It's not just my secret, and I'm not blaming Keith, but he has his reasons," Lance apologized and confessed, and he knew he could trust Hunk to keep the bond to himself.

Hunk's hug was sudden, and cut through the fog of watery eyes. Lance relaxed into the warm embrace, and allowed himself to let go. The stress of hiding the bond, and his relationship from the team was heavy. Now, at least Hunk knew about part of it, and it eased the smallest bit of tension. His panic drained, and the bond with Keith loosened slighting. Although Keith wouldn't completely relax until he saw Lance that evening.

"You should get a piercing, not another tattoo," Hunk advised, completely changing the subject while still holding Lance tight.

A small bright bubble formed in Lance, and he laughed into Hunks chest. "The labret one?" he proposed.

Hunk squeezed and lifted Lance off his feet, "Yeah, it will look cool."

Lance's feet dangled, and Hunk kept him there for a long moment. After a while Lance tried to wriggle his way down, but was held fast by the large arms around his waist. After a few seconds of squirming he tried to reason, "You know you have to let me down som-"

"I'm here when you need me," Hunk blurted.

Lance went still, and silent.

"I know, you know that. But I had to say it. I've noticed you and Keith getting closer, and I'm glad you're both friends now, but…" Hunk's words tapered off into uncertainty.

Lance squeezed back the best he could, still being held off the floor. "Buddy, as soon as I have permission, I will tell you everything."

Hunk nodded against Lance's shoulder. "Best friends?" He asked.

Sometimes Lance forgot that Hunk could be insecure, because he was always so kind, and lovable. It was hard to imagine anyone not liking him. But Lance imagined if he were in Hunks shoes, and knew there was a secret he wasn't being told, he would be even more upset.

Lance put his face in Hunk shoulder. "Yeah, best friends," he confirmed.

oOoOo

Combat training with Kal, That's what Lance did for the entire second day on Yeppeuda. Long after sunset, when Hunk and Pidge were away with their mentor, Lance dragged himself back into the shack. It was dark, only a single light was on, and Lance could have taken the isolated moment to get his first real look at the small space, but he didn't. What was there to see? Rust upon rust, poorly covered by an old rug, layered with broken furniture. He was tired, and would have wandered blindly to a bed, but a single, bright and naked bulb drew his eye. The halo of light surrounded Allura's silver hair, and bloomed out from her frizzy bun. She sat alone on the couch, facing away from the front door.

Lance debated sneaking past her to the spare room he used last night, but he couldn't deny his curiosity. Plus the door to the spare room was open, and Keith was nowhere to be seen,

"Princess?" His voice was loud in the still room.

Allura startled, a tiny jump of her shoulders. She looked over the back of the couch, and when she saw Lance, she smiled softly. "I was hoping to catch you," she admitted.

"Me?" Lance questioned, suddenly nervous. He felt like a child caught sneaking into the house by a parent sitting in the dark waiting for them.

But Allura continued to smile, and no sturn words followed. She held up a brush, offering it towards Lance. "Yes, I was hoping we could talk…and maybe you could fix my hair?" Her voice wavered, more unsure than Lance had ever seen her, but also hopeful. The moment was carefully balanced, and delicate.

Right, he promised Allura a talk. Lance held back a sigh, he couldn't back out now, even if he just wanted to sleep and maybe shower. Hopefully he could do both before Keith also cornered him for a talk that Lance knew was coming. He got a good look at Allura's bun, it was the same one he had done for her before dead space, and it wasn't holding up well. With only a second's hesitation he caved, and was walking the short distance to the couch, taking the brush from the Princesses small hand.

Allura slid gracefully to the floor, and allowed Lance to sit behind her on the couch. The vibe between them was only slightly awkward, and over all still reminded Lance of his sisters. He focused on the reminiscent feeling, and settled into the comforting embrace of their new friendship.

It was difficult to undo the bun and braid, the loose hair had tangled around the outside. Lance carefully worked the knots apart before attempting to take the hair tie out, and waited for the Princess to speak. She filled the room with endless conversation, all of it avoiding what they both know she wanted to say.

"Pidge made the most wonderful discovery today. While working on the Castle's control panel they found the mice hidden inside, safe and sound."

"That's great!"

"Yes it is, I was worried they'd perished. But it turns out that I am unable to communicate with them without the Castle as a medium, as I am not directly linked to the mice."

"Well, I'm glad they're OK."

"Pidge also managed to open everyone's bedroom door, while waiting for their mentor during the day. Shiro insisted that we all stay in the castle tonight."

"I'm sure Keith was... overjoyed."

"He did seem a bit irritable."

The conversation tapered off as Allura's bun fell, and the braid unraveled, Lance slowly brushed the waterfall of silky hair in silence. He ignored the small spike of jealousy that punctured his heart, his own hair was only just past his ears, and a ratty brown at that. But the feeling was smoothed over when he remembered the pink clip keeping his fringe back.

"Will…" The whispered word rippled with uncertainty, but Allura pushed on. "Will you really allow Coran and I to teach you about Altea?"

It was an unnecessary question, but Lance understood Allura's fear of losing something she might not have had at all. She wanted confirmation, and Lance was happy to give it. "Yes, I want to know."

Allura's shoulders fell, and the line of her back relaxed. "I am glad you feel that way. To have another Altean, even if you're not from Altea… it helps." She explained, her voice tight, and her meaning clear.

Lance made a sound of understanding, unsure of what to say. It was uncommon for the Princess to admit to the pain that must still be very fresh. He began to put Allura's hair into a halo braid, circling her head. The silence stretched until he was tying off the end of the braid and tucking it into the crown.

Allura took a long breath, and turned to look Lance in the eyes. She was searching for something, or working up the courage to say something, Lance wasn't sure. But the rising tension pressed into his chest, and he was blurting out nonsense before he could think. "You know, all five of my siblings have the same blue eyes as me. Which is strange for humans. Statistically, it's very unlikely since my mama has brown eyes and human genetics… well I don't think I can explain it very well. But if Alteans have blue eyes commonly it might explain why-"

"Lance," Allura interrupted, serious, with a level gaze.

Lance pressed his lips together, holding in his nervous babbling. But his chest felt tight, and heavy with cold, watery anxiety.

Allura broke eye contact, it was for just a moment, a small flicker to her left. "As an Altean, there is something I discovered recently that I think you deserve to know." She began to confess, looking to the left again, and didn't look back. "When we were fighting Zarkon, I battled Haggar and… I didn't think it was possible for her… but she…"

Allura was agitated, and Lance placed a hand on her shoulder. She looked back at him, up from the floor. It made her seem young, she was young, sometimes it was hard to remember her age. She took a deep breath, and unloaded the burden on her heart.

"Haggar is Altean."

Lance didn't expect that, he was honestly shocked. Allura looked down at her lap and twisted her hands, and continued to explain. "I suspect that the other mages the Galra use are also Altean, which would partially explain how one lived to make it to earth." She looked back up at Lance, and he nodded for her to continue. "The worst part is that I recognized Haggar, I knew her… or who she used to be."

It was as if a dam had broken, and Allura couldn't stop. The reason Lance would find her in the kitchen early in the morning, unkempt, without sleep, unfolded from her. "Her name was Honerva. She was an Altean scientist, and became Zarkons wife. But while researching the properties of the metal used to make Voltron, she unleashed something unknown." Allura took a quivering breath, the edge of tears topped her lashes, as she admitted her greatest fear. "I think that power she found… I think it's what's been keeping her and Zarkon alive. And I think it's what gives them so much strength. An Altean is responsible for the Glara empire's triumph. I… I just…"

The tears rolled down, and she choked on her words. A vise gripped Lance's heart, and it was smothered by her pain. He slid his arm around her shoulder and pulled her in for a hug. Leaning down, he curled around her and she pressed her face into his abdomen.

Shaking, racked with guilt, she stammered. "I- I thought- Honerva must have died- I thought- Zarkon was the one that- that- used the power- twisted it- but- but- I couldn't figure out- how… how he did it. But now… An Altean could..."

She took a large breath, and hugged Lance tighter, desperate for forgiveness. He tried to come up with the words to help, to stem her emotional rampage, that eerily reminded him of himself. "It's not your fault Allura. Just because Haggar made the wrong choice-"

Allura ripped herself away, her eyes sharp and her words barbed. "That's not it! Don't you see Lance?! After everything I said and did, how I treated the Blade, and- Keith… I'm a hypocrite!" She hollard, tearing up her voice. Lance reached for her again, but she sprang to her feet and yelled. "Do you know how many mages the Galra have?! How many Alteans buckled, and defected, or were captured and broken. They gave in, they turned on their people… they're just like the Empire..." her words dissipated in a heaving cry, and she clenched her fist tight at her sides. She was an angry and wounded animal.

Lance wanted to walk over and grab her shaking fists, but was afraid of touching her. She was overfilled, and could burst. He put his hands up, silently pleading for her to stay calm. "Listen, Allura. People are just people. There's good and bad in all of us." He tried to reason.

"But these were my people…" The argument was weak, and covered in doubt. Allura looked at her feet, avoiding eye contact.

Lance finally stood up. He wasn't sure if he was doing the right thing, and his entire body shivered with anxious energy. If this was one of his siblings, he would be frank with them, as gently as he could. So, he took both Allura's hands in his, and ignored the tight line of her body, ready to flee or attack.

"I understand that you wanted to believe that all the Alteans died honorably. That they were somehow unflawed. But if I have learned anything as a human- part human, growing up on Earth, it's that we're all flawed, it's what makes us people. We're all made of the same cosmic dust, right?" Lance hoped she understood, he wanted to be truthful and comforting. Her people weren't perfect, but she's also not alone. Finding out the truth must have broken her illusion, the one she used to comfort herself in lieu of true mourning. She hasn't had time to really accept what happened to Altea.

Allura moved quickly, throwing her arms around Lance, and burying her face in his neck. She took a deep breath, and didn't cry, but simply stood. Lance hugged her back, hoping he was curved and soothing like Hunk, or hard and supportive like Keith, or maybe something of his own, but still reassuring.

"When we go back to Earth, I'll introduce you to my siblings, and you can tell them all about Altea too." Lance offered.

Allura held him tighter. "I would like that," she murmured.

Lance rested his chin on top of the Princess's head. This felt easy, and familiar all of a sudden. Hugs and reassuring words, the motions of consoling a family member is something he has given and received many times. And right now, it filled a small portion of the void he sometimes felt.

Not that long ago Allura would never trust him like this, and for good reason. But now, she would never take his advances seriously. Lance smirked, "If we continue to hug, I'm going to say something inappropriate," he teased.

"Lance!" Allura yelped, outraged. She pulled back and smacked his arm, but she was smiling despite her watery eyes. She laughed, and it filled Lance with a sensation of accomplishment, the knowledge that he didn't just drain people, but also gave back.

"What?! I had to, It's me!" Lance exclaimed jokingly around his own chuckle.

Yeppeuda might not have been an ideal place to be stranded, but maybe it was what they all needed. Time away, time to process, separated from the war, but without the guilt of choosing to leave the fray.

oOoOo

Lance was bleeding, a lot, and Keith was angry.

Scarlet, the same color as Lance's blood, was prickly with concern and irritation, and it prodded Lance's mind mercilessly, while Keith railed on him verbally. "I thought you said you didn't have a raid tonight." His hands jerked as he cleaned up the large cut on Lance's arm. Keith's breaths were rough, and he didn't make any effort to be gentler, despite his boyfriend's wincing.

Lance looked down at the metal table he sat on, letting his shame radiate down the bond. The table was white, like everything else in the half powered up medbay of the Castle. The dark half contained all the medical equipment and products that didn't work without ambient quintessence, which was most of them. He sighed through his nose, and let a solemn blue apology float to Keith, 'sorry.'

Keith gripped Lance's arm just below his wound, pulling his attention. Their eyes met. The stabbing irritation dissipated, and then reformed. It grew into a crimson monster of worry and fear, and dug its claws into Lance. His heart rate spiked, and sweat broke out on his brow. He was beginning to panic, but it wasn't his own.

Lance covered the hand on his arm with his own. "Keith, stop freaking out," he said, firm but sympathetic.

With a yank, Keith freed his hand and continued cleaning the cut. "What am I supposed to do then? I get back from my shift at work, and then you stumble in bleeding, how am I supposed to feel?" He asked. He didn't yell, but his words were forceful, and a little desperate.

Guilt joined the shame swirling in Lance's chest, and expanded until it hurt. He didn't have an answer, and pressed his lips together as he watched Keith finish bandaging his arm. Slowly, the fear in Keith eased into a forlorn feeling that Lance couldn't place. He tried to hold back the snippets of adrenalin blurred memories that trailed behind every raid Lance fought in. Today was no exception, even if it was unintentional.

The "parlor" was a wreck. Yeppeo Four's Zuko had crashed through the front window, heavy iron in their hands and through their bodies. Guns fired, and metal clashed. Lance threw himself to the floor, drew a sword and a pistol, and leapt back to his feet.

There wasn't any thought involved, only action. The first Zuko four that came at him was brutally gunned down, and it wasn't by Lance. Kal's battle scream rang out, and he charged past in a bloody rage. Unfazed, Lance joined the fray. The next enemy met his gun, then his sword. He crossed blades with skill that would make Keith proud.

He gave little thought to the people that fell at his feet, dead or alive. This was his territory, and he didn't have time to worry about anyone but his own people if he wanted to survive. Yeppeuda had been hard on all of them, but Lance took the brunt of it. He bent himself, wrapping around a life and values that weren't his own, but he did it for the team, for Keith, and he would do it again. Lance would rather have the blood of strangers on his hands, than ever feel the slick guilt of a loved one's death run over his fingers… again.

When the dust settled, all the invaders were gone, except the few that lay still on the floor. Lance didn't look at them, and didn't try to place their faces in the fight. He might have been their executioner, but he didn't want to know. In all likelihood it was Kal that did the deed, Lance still didn't automatically go for the killing shot after all his time as a Paladin. But Lance still watched as Kal went to each prone body, and stabbed it through the heart, just in case. He still helped Kal strip them of their gear, for it to be absorbed into the ambiguous identity of Yeppeo Five.

Keith's hands fell away from the white linen dressing, and pressed flat to the table on either side of Lance's legs. His head hung low, and he pressed the top into Lance's chest. Keith's back curved as he hunched like someone lost, and his hands lifted from the table to wrap round Lance's waist. "This is so messed up," he whispered in a cracking voice.

Lance placed a hand on Keith's head, weaving his fingers into the dark hair, but didn't speak. He could feel more words coming. They whispered at the edge of his awareness as Keith composed them.

"I should be fighting alongside you. Not standing around… looking... pretty." Keith finished the sentence like an insult, and pulled himself closer to Lance. He moved his head into the crook of Lance's neck and fitted himself between Lance's legs. "I could be watching your back, like I'm meant to do. Instead I'm paid for rich people to look at- fuck this," he spat.

Lance wrapped both arms around Keith, and allowed the bond to skew in his direction, providing warm watery comfort. "I wasn't supposed to raid, I went out for something else, and got caught up in it." He felt like he needed to explain, even if he wasn't really suspected of lying.

Keith pulled back enough to look Lance in the face. "Did you go out for this?" He poked the silver stud that was just below Lance's bottom lip.

With a hiss, Lance pulled away from the abuse to his new piercing. "Yeah, and that hurt," he complained.

"I like it," Keith admitted, and leaned forward. He kissed the new piercing in apology, slow and lingering.

Lance hummed quietly. With a small movement, he carefully slid their lips together. They kissed, soft, but hungry. Keith shifted back, hovering only a breath from kissing again. "Sorry, I don't mean for you to feel like I blame you.. I just-" His words were stemmed by Lance's mouth. This kiss was feather light, and loving.

"I know," Lance assured against Keith's lips.

They held each other, breathing the same air, thinking the same thoughts. Their emotions flowed freely between them, with no shadows. They understood the other completely in that instant, but Lance had to break it, and bring some of the darkness back. "I'm surprised you didn't ask about what happened with Hunk." He segwayed, awkwardly.

Keith leaned back, a more comfortable distance to talk, but stayed between his boyfriends legs, and in the circle of his arms. "Yeah, I was going to, and then you know." He nodded to the bandage. "I felt Hunk in the bond, but it was muted? Did you two connect?" Keith asked with a false casualness.

"Yeah we did, for a bit," Lance confirmed, and then choked. He really didn't know how to say it.

With a very deep sigh, Keith said it for him. "He felt me there, didn't he?"

Lance nodded quickly, like a child admitting guilt and hoping to wriggle out of punishment.

But Keith wasn't angry, only resigned. "How much did he figure out?"

"Only that we bonded, and have been since before dead space. Nothing about us being together" He shrugged with his entire upper body. Keith's shoulders loosened, but otherwise Lance didn't feel anything noticeable from him. He expected at least a little relief. "Is it really just Shiro that you want to keep this from?" Lance blurted, and knew it was a mistake as soon as he said it.

Keith tensed. His satin presence withdrew, pared down to the thinnest thread, leaving Lance almost completely in the dark. But only a moment before he was gone, there was a flash of heat, and something painful flickered. Now it only leaked down the thread to Lance, like water droplets. He wanted to help, and he really wanted to know why Keith felt so hurt. But… he didn't want to break their privacy, because it afforded Lance the same courtesy. If he didn't pry into Keith's business with Shiro, then Keith left him alone about his meditation. This stalemate couldn't last forever. One day it would break, and Lance hoped their relationship could bear the weight.

"It's just Shiro," Keith confirmed. It was the first time he'd ever acknowledged the issue directly, and Lance knew better than to interrupt. Keith cleared his throat, "He said something when we were in dead space, when you were eavesdropping." He gave Lance a look, but moved on. "It's something he knew better than to bring up and… it's hard to explain without-"

"He broke the bro code," Lance did interrupt, against his better judgment.

"That what?" Keith asked, bewildered.

Lance plucked at Keith's headband, and got batted at for his trouble. "Oh Rojo, so innocent. The bro code is like a set of rules for friends. One of the rules is that friends shouldn't use secrets to hurt each other." Lance shrugged, "Like Hunk, he knows a lot about me, and could probably hurt me more than anyone, but he doesn't, because friends don't use that knowledge as leverage. It's a betrayal of trust." It was easy as pie for Lance, but he could tell that this concept had never been laid out for Keith so blatantly, and he felt a dawning understanding echoing back.

"That's exactly what he did!" Keith snapped, as his righteous anger bubbled up. "He tried to keep us apart, by throwing my past in my face!" He blurted and fumed, unaware of how much he let slip.

But a drop of frigid shock dipped down the bond, and Keith froze.

"Shiro, did what?" Lance whispered. He had trouble picturing their strong and noble leader throwing secrets around to ruin relationships. But Keith wouldn't lie, and the truth stung.

The bond opened for all the emotions Keith had been fruitlessly trying to hide flooded their link, and mixed with Lance's. Together they took a step towards honesty. Keith swooped in and hugged Lance, the acute impact of betrayal cut through Keith's ambiguous anger. He scrambled to fill the blanks while holding Lance tight.

"Shiro didn't know we were together -well almost together at the time- he only thought I was pining after you-"

"Weren't you?" Lance snorted, the joke was involuntary, a knee jerk reaction to the heavy mood.

Keith pulled away and chuckled. His eyes were bright, and his smile warm. "Yeah," he agreed. He didn't blush, or stutter, and the bond was alight with certainty. It struck Lance, for maybe the millionth time, how lucky he was to have this beautiful man. To be looked at like that, it made his heart flutter.

Keith hopped up on the medical table next to Lance, and rubbed his hands on his knees nervously. "When Shiro confronted me about my feelings for you, he still thought you and Allura were together. So he dredged up some of my… history, to make me back off."

The explanation was simpler than Lance expected, and Keith delivered it factually, with no outward emotion. But a deep part of Keith shuttered when he mumbled the word history, and pain seeped through the cracks of something hidden. But Lance didn't ask for elaboration. He was glad he at least knew the general idea of what happened all those months ago.

With a gentile movement, Lance leaned against Keith, and let his head fall to his boyfriend's shoulder. A gesture of comfort and understanding. 'You don't have to tell me yet.' The misty words drifted between them, and Lance knew Keith heard them, and was grateful.

"We can tell Hunk, about us... I mean" Keith offered in a whisper.

Lance sat up, "What?" He wasn't sure he heard correctly.

Keith turned to him, his face determined. "You wanted to tell him, I felt it. But you didn't because of me. But if you trust Hunk to keep our secret, then I do too."

Lance launched himself at Keith, and they both tumbled to the floor with a thump, "Yes!"

oOoOo

Lance wanted to find Keith, but he wasn't sure if he should. The dark hallways of the Castle ship were ominous, the only light was the soft glow of five door panels. One room for each paladin hooked up to batteries until Pidge figured out a more permanent solution. Allura had gone to bed, emotionally, and physically exhausted after their talk, and all Lance wanted now, was to hug Keith. But were they at that point in their relationship? It Hadn't even been 24 hours since they got together. Would it be weird for Lance to just knock on Keith's door? Muffled feelings mumbled in the back of Lance's mind, indicating that Keith was asleep, would it be OK to wake him?

Every time he tried to take a step towards Keith's door he stopped, his chest burned, and his breath stilled. He let his anxiety win, and turned to his own room instead, ignoring the cold ache of regret. He placed his hand on the panel, the door slid open unusually slow, and he crossed into the darkness. The faint light of the hall didn't breach more than a foot into the room, the door closed automatically, and Lance was left feeling his way to the bed, slowed by the loneliness that rained down on him.

His hand landed on the edge of the mattress, and he toed his shoes off before climbing in. He was too tired to change, and he fought the itch to go about his night ritual. All his things were trapped in the mirror cabinet anyway. He couldn't put on his face mask even if he wanted to, and that was OK. He repeated it to himself, willing it to be true.

Its OK, its OK, its OK-

Lance let himself fall onto the mattress, but landed on something warm. He yelped and scrambled to the very end of the bed.

"Lance?" A groggy voice asked through the dark, and red flickered to life.

The immediate terror of finding something alive in his bed was swept away, and Lance took a deep breath. "Keith?"

Keith hummed sleepily, confirming his identity, "Why are you all the way over there?" He mumbled.

Lance chuckled nervously, "No reason… none at all." His voice was still high from the adrenalin as he slid back up the bed. Apparently the agonizing choice Lance had been struggling with in the hall, wasn't a choice at all for Keith. It was so… Keith, for him to just assume they were sharing a room now, subtle wasn't in a concept he subscribed to.

For some people, Keith's slightly off key behavior and assumptions might be unsettling, or possibly invasive. But for Lance, it was comforting. He almost always knew where he stood with Keith. Because, despite their bond, he couldn't actually understand everything he felt from his boyfriend, and doubt still ran rampant in him.

Smooth blankets were pulled over Lance, a warm arm came around his waist, and content emotions covered his mind. But sleep didn't come, despite the half aware wanderings of Keiths thoughts.

"I heard Shiro made you come back to this ship, Allura mentioned it when I got back." Lance regretted the topic. Keith's meandering red haze sharpened with anger, but also withdrew slightly. He was hiding something, Lance knew that from the moment he partially overheard the argument between Keith and Shiro.

Lance avoided asking about Keith's anger, and instead evaded by using his own irritation. Unknown to him, this was the beginning of a pattern. "I'm not that happy with Shiro at the moment either," he revealed, and gently poked at Keith's anger.

"What did he do?" Keith perked up, curious.

"Remember when Allura and I were alone in the control room trying to open doors?" Lance knew this would truly intrigue Keith, and wasn't disappointed when the red hum fully flooded his mind.

Keith's hand ran up Lance's back, to his neck, and then rested on his cheek. "Yeah, I meant to ask you about it. At the time you were upset... and also not upset? it was… complicated?"

Referencing each other's emotions seemed to come naturally, and they adapted with surprising ease. Lance had at one point wanted to talk about the bond. It was growing fast, and he was certain that actual thoughts were slipping through from time to time. But the more it grew, the less he wanted to discuss it, and the more he just wanted it to be there, unexamined, and beautiful. They silently accepted, and understood it, like so many other things between them.

"Oh boy, was ever it complicated." Lance put on a light attitude, distancing himself from the still overwhelming discoveries of the last couple of days. The disappointment ran deep, and it met a pond of self deprecation, feeding it, and keeping it from drying out. "Allura finally told me what the Blue Paladins traits were," he began. "She told me that the Blue Paladin was meant to be second in command. Adaptive, and supportive. I'm supposed to lead when Shiro can't," he recalled the conversation.

"That makes sense," Keith's response was quick and solid, supported by a sense of pride that made Lance blush. "But what does it have to do with Shiro?"

With a short breath, and an even shorter thought, Lance answered. "Shiro knew about it, and still overlooked me… for you." he stumbled over the words, the pain was still fresh.

Lance heard Keith's sharp inhale, and it coincided with a stab of anger, and misplaced guilt. Keith pulled him close, and pressed Lance's face into his shoulder. "So, I was right all along. You would have been a better leader when Shiro was missing," he boasted in an overt 'I told you do' way..

"Wait, what?!" Lance gasped, absolutely amazed and outraged. He tried to pull away, mock offended that Keith somehow turned this into a competition, and then claimed victory all at once. But Keith Held him tight, pressing Lance's face even harder into his shoulder, muffling his complaints. "That's not the point! I'm hurt and upset, and you pull an 'I told you so'?!" Lance continued to struggle, but failed to free himself. "Let go!" he demanded.

"No, I'm comforting you," Keith insisted.

The red wave of rolling amusement that hit Lance was enough to stop his struggle. He relaxed into Keith, completely distracted from his own pain. "Well, you're bad at it," Lance responded petulantly, refusing to completely give in.

"Am I?" A shift in Keith was keenly felt. It was something Lance only expired once, and it had been the previous night. It was as unsettling as it was exciting.

Keith's hand on Lance's back slid down and roughly grabbed his ass, pulling Lance closer. The red velvet of Keith's half of the bond, tightened. It was soft, but also confining. Lance felt warm, and was already breathing hard. He was almost scared of the domineering presence Keith had become in his mind, but he also felt desired.

Lance wanted to do the same for Keith, and tried to reach for him, but his arms were trapped between their chests. Keith pulled back, but instead of letting Lance touch him, he rolled on top, and in a smooth motion grabbed Lance's wrists, pressing them to the bed.

"Keith?" Lance whimpered, fear edging in over excitement. But Keith didn't let up, he pressed in harder, bucking his hips and biting Lance's neck. Pain and pleasure swooped in over the nervous fear, and echoed back from Keith, along with a deep hungry red that invaded Lance. It filled every corner of him, needed him, but it wasn't just desire. The feeling squeezed too tight, grasped too hard, it was desperate. it grew with every hard grind that pressed Lance into the mattress, with every lick, and bite.

Lance was being swept away, and he froze. Keith kissed him, hard and demanding. Lance gasped, and was met with tongue. Keith pressed into his mouth as deeply as he could, dominating Lance, devouring him.

Sharp pleasure, pain, fear and excitement, were all curled together and struck Lance like lighting. Keith practically sucked the breath from his body. His Legs kept Lance from kicking out, and his arms were still trapped. His body was on fire, so absolutely overwhelmed by Keith, that his own blue presence was a speck in a red ocean. He couldn't even feel himself in the bond.

It was too much, Lance didn't have any control, and the realization came with a snap. Lance's fear won, real fear, it reared up. The cold, shocking panic was rising, and it constricted Lance's chest. He turned his head, breaking the kiss, and gasped out, "stop."

As soon as the word left his mouth, the icy panic touched the bond, and Keith stopped. He ripped himself away, retreating to the other side of the bed.

A litany of emotions slammed into Lance, knocking his own panic to the side. It was just like the night before, when they first went into the spare bedroom. Keith was scared, ashamed, and guilty. But under everything there still lingered a desperate desire, and now that Lance could breath, he realized that it might not be just sexual desire. For the first time, Lance focused on the bond, intentionally poking his nose into Keith's feelings, and noticed something. The desire, it was the same as the night Keith admitted he was touched starved, but more. It was so strong it ached in Lance's bones.

The whole ordeal had only lasted seconds, and Keith stopped as soon as Lance said to, but the guilt in the bond was unbearable.

"I'm sorry, I didn't- I don't… I thought you would want-" Keith's voice broke, and it stabbed Lance with its jagged edges. Something, or someone, did this to Keith, he was sure of it without needing an explanation.

Lance calmed his heart with a deep breath. "What I want?..." He murmured. Is that what Keith thought about him? No… this was deeper.

Lance wasn't an expert on sex, or interpersonal relationships, but he knew that the way Keith reacted to both wasn't right. It had been similar the previous night, and Lance had ignored it at the time. But everything led back to Keith's past that Lance knew so little about.

He knew he should be angry, or scared, but all he felt was the need to help Keith, because he knew it wasn't malicious. He crawled across the bed and stopped just short of touching. Keith shied away, it was a small movement, but Lance hated it.

"I'm sorry…"

"Hey," Lance whispered.

Keith looked away, his body curled inward, and defensive. "I should go." He tried to slide off the bed, but Lance grabbed his arm.

"No." He pulled Keith back onto the bed and into his arms, hugging him.

Keith was tense, refusing to enjoy the contact. "You should be mad at me."

Lance pulled him down to the bed so that they were laying side by side. "I am," he said while cuddling Keith.

"You don't feel like it." Keith was still up tight, and not enjoying Lance's efforts.

With a long sigh, Lance pulled back to look Keith in the face. "Logically I'm angry. But you know it was wrong, and you feel bad. I get the feeling that maybe you weren't… socialized correctly as a kid… or something." He explained, and then pulled Keith back into a hug.

"You make it sound like I'm a dog," Keith complained, still refusing to hug Lance back.

"Same concept," Lance shrugged. "I think, maybe we should slow down a bit, take our time with each other. I've never been in a relationship… so we can learn how this works together?" He suggested, trying to sound as soothing as possible.

Finally Keith let go, and his entire body molded into Lance. "so you're not leaving me?" the relief was tangible in his voice.

Lance wanted to laugh, and even though he didn't, he knew Keith felt the reflex. "No, I'm not leaving you… but I do want to know what you were thinking."

"I wasn't. I turned off. It's what I did when- I don't know how to…"

The sick emotion that flared up burned Lance. It was all he needed to know for now, he didn't want to make Keith explain. He moved back and placed a soft hand on Keith's pale cheek and nodded. "I get it, or the gist of it. You don't have to say it," he assured. He would never make him say it.

Keith looked down, full of shame, and whispered, "I'm broken. It's why no one wanted to keep me."

The words were a breath, they quivered, and called back to what Keith had said so long ago. Something Lance never corrected, because he had been scared to admit it. But now, he could be brave.

"I'll keep you," he responded with certainty.

Keith stared at him, mouth slightly open, eyes wide and glassy. When he blinked, Lance saw him cry for the first time, and the tears rolled down his cheeks.

Slowly, leaving plenty of time to pull away, Lance leaned in and lightly pressed his lips to Keith's. Before it could go further, he pulled back, only a hair, and with all his courage he put himself out in the open. "Rojo, you seem to have a picture of how you think relationships work, and I won't push to know where that idea came from…" Lance pressed his forehead against Keith's, and looked him in the eye. "But I need you to know that I want more from you than just your body, as nice as it is." The tease slipped out on reflex, but it drew a small hiccup like laugh from Keith. "And I also need you to know that I'm going to want to give back, is that OK, is this what you want?" The question was the same as the previous night, but in a whole new context.

Keith's jerky nod, swept away Lance's doubt. He knew the creeping worry would return, it always did, but for now he could be sure about where he stood.

Lance rubbed Keith's quivering shoulders. He needed this, Lance couldn't imagine the last time Keith let himself show any negative emotion besides anger. Fluid, and slow, Lance pulled Keith as close as possible. A strong sense of protectiveness rained down, it started in Lance, and rolled over to Keith, only to wash back and forth. Lance pulled the blue covers over them both, like a protective ocean, and tucked Keith under his chin, waiting until he calmed down.

An ember ignited. Not red, but a comforting orange, the same shade as Lance's favorite color. It radiated from the core of Keith's mind, shimmering down the bond. It wasn't hungry, or needy. It was astonished, grateful, and accepting. Lance got the impression that this was the first time Keith truly believed someone who expressed their affection, and maybe it was because he knew Lance was similar to him. Because on some level, Keith could feel it, or maybe he had always been able to look past Lance's act, to see the damage deep down, and related to it.

Lance hugged Keith tighter, tucking his chin on top of the soft black hair. He imagined cupping the ember that grew in their minds, and keeping it lit. He pulled the warming glow closer to himself, in their bond he reached out, letting his mind make contact with it. Something was pulled taut, as if his mind kicked out a leg, then it relaxed, settling the ember between them. It adhered to their link, supporting it, and completing it in a way they didn't realize it was lacking. It was subtle, but powerful, and Lance knew that their minds would never truly separate again. Even if they somehow blocked each other out, it would always be temporary. Keith absorbed this knowledge along with him, and Lance felt him settle in, consoled by the development, but also a little reluctant. Lance had his own reservations, he was concerned about his emotional baggage, and the worry shimmied down their link.

'We will work it out.' The russet reassurance spoke clearly to Lance. It was startling compared to the few distant thoughts they had shared before. But it did calm him, because they were in this together. They both had secrets, things they weren't ready to let go of, so they wouldn't pry. They came to the conclusion together, without independent consideration, they were more in sync than ever. It was a weird feeling. Their mind's were strings tried together, they could pull tight, or loosen, but never unravel. And right now they were as tight as could be.

Lance let himself settle in mentally alongside Keith. 'Guess you're stuck with me.' The words, half a concept, half language, went to Keith without effort.

Keith nuzzled his face into Lance's neck, all the drama from before falling away in the light of this new understanding. 'Could be worse.'

"I guess this bond thing is permanent," Lance mumbled out loud, still a bit off kilter from the mind talk. He somehow knew that he would never send Keith a message he didn't intend to. As if this new level of bond came with a preinstalled handbook, but he still felt anxious about it.

"We never did talk about it, way back when it started," Keith pointed out.

A long breath, silent through his nose, expressed how Lance felt about the topic of 'talks'. "We never talked about a lot of things," he admitted.

Keith pulled back enough to look Lance in the eyes. "We can start now," he offered, and didn't wait for a response before kicking things off. "Because this connection we have is growing. You felt it too, just now, right? I'm not just losing my mind?"

"No, no… I felt it. It's definitely growing, and just now it like, leveled up?" Lance tried to describe.

Keith chuckled, and his eyes brimmed with warmth."Yeah, you can put it that way. I don't really know if there's much to talk about, it's all sorta just clear now."

Lance nodded, running his fingers through Keith's hair. He was still blown away by the open affection, and relaxed body language he was looking at. It may have been partly because of the bond, but in the end, Keith only showed this to Lance, and that was special. "We could talk about something else?" he suggested, but failed to think of anything.

With a small shrug, Keith complied. "How are you dealing with the whole, being part Altean thing?"

Lance smirked. "Better than you dealt with being part Galra," he sassed. Partly because he was slowly coming to terms with it, but also because he still wasn't completely sure.

"... fair enough," Keith conceded.

Silence reigned for a moment, and then Lance broke it. "This bond is weird, right? I mean… it's not weird… and that makes it weird."

Keith snorted, "yeah, I get what you mean. From what Allura explained, this is not what the Paladin bond is supposed to be like. It might have started like that, but… it evolved." He was also struggling to explain. "But I like it…" he whispered as an afterthought.

Lance smiled, "me too."

oOoOo

Lance was power walking down the halls of the castle, evading wires and stray tools that were scattered across the floor. He was excited to tell Hunk about his relationship with Keith, and also scared. Whenever he tried to imagine the scenario, fear would slide down his back like a cold drop of water. Maybe Keith had a valid point with the whole secret relationship thing… But no, Lance wanted to tell his best friend more than anything. He was just scared of the reaction, and the possible hurt. He had kept something this big from Hunk for so long, that it would be understandable if the big guy was a little upset.

Lance slowed his pace, slightly less hyped. Keith had suggested that Lance break the news alone. But maybe doing it alone wasn't a great idea? A small red flash of humor popped in the back of Lance's mind. He couldn't believe that Keith found this funny, his own boyfriend was laughing at him! Lance sped up again, and stomped down the hall to the engine room.

He slammed his hand down on the panel, and the door slid open smoothly, but still slower than with quintessence. Lance slipped through the gap before it was completely open, impatient with irritation.

'But you're not scared anymore, are you?' Keith whispered down the bond.

"Shut up!" Lance snapped out loud as he barged into the engine room.

"Ummm…" Shiro stood alone, shocked. He looked left and right, and then directly at Lance. "Sorry?" He ventured.

Lance tensed, and he tried to keep his face calm. This was his first time being alone with Shiro since landing on Yeppeuda, which was a huge achievement since it had been three months. The silence between them was heavy, but Lance pushed words out against the pressure. "No, don't worry. I was expecting someone else to be in here." Lance waved the situation off with mock flippancy.

"Someone that you want to yell at?" Shiro asked with a friendly smile. He put one arm on his hip, but his Galra arm was restricted by the cables connecting it to a large machine.

Lance wanted to be drawn in by the smile, and let himself forgive. He still didn't know what Shiro had said to Keith, but he knew how much it had hurt. With great effort Lance remained civil, and distant. "I was just looking for Hunk."

Every movement Shiro made was open, and his stance was relaxed. Even his voice invited Lance to be friendly. "He was just here a minute ago with Pidge, They were working on my arm. But then Fen rushed in and said something and they ran off… Do you mind asking one of them to come back and unhook me? I think they went to the Gi-Shu." He rubbed the back of his head with his free arm, embarrassed.

"Sure," Lance responded, his voice cold. Shiro's efforts were commendable, but it wasn't enough. He turned to leave.

"Wait, Lance!" Shiro called out, pleading. His calm and friendly demeanor cracked along with his voice.

Lance stopped, struck by the raw, relatable, emotion he heard. He looked back, and the vulnerability he saw made him turn to face Shrio again.

"Listen," Shiro began, and this time he didn't pretend to be OK. He was just sad. "Allura told me that she explained to you about the Blue Paladin's responsibilities, and I know that's probably what you're mad at me about. I just wanted to say... I'm sorry, and I was wrong." He truly was apologetic. Lance could see it, and hear it. Then, for a sympathetic moment, he felt it. A flicker of black remorse, and it was gone.

Shiro didn't seem to notice the single tick of their bond connecting, he was too distraught. Lance released a long, and silent sigh. The film of darkness that Shiro left behind seeped into him, nudging the dormant melancholy that always lingered inside Lance. "Shiro, I'm not the one you should be apologizing to," he advised, quietly into the thick silence.

Confusion fell over Shiro's face, before it morphed into surprised understanding, and finally settled into a deep shameful expression. "Did Keith tell you about what I said…?" He looked at his feet as he asked.

Keith was being eerily quiet in the bond, so low beneath the surface of Lance's thoughts that the red presence was tinted purple. There was a distinct impression of pouting, and hiding from Keith, and it rubbed Lance the wrong way. If Keith was going to be like that, then Lance was going to take things into his own hands. So, he pushed onward recklessly, channelling Keith's blunt attitude, and took pity on Shiro. His downcast eyes didn't suit him, and honestly, Lance was becoming very done with drama.

"No, He didn't. But he did tell me that you broke the Bro Code, and used something against him you shouldn't have. And it hurt him, a lot." Lance wanted to say more, maybe even yell at Shiro. But Keith had risen up in alarm, making it clear that he had said enough. With the red hum gliding on the surface again, Lance could tell that Keith was both irritated, and touched by Lance's behavior.

Shiro took a step back, stricken by Lance's cool tone. Then, he relaxed, and an unexpected, but soft smile appeared. "I'm glad that Keith is talking to someone, at least a little bit," he admitted. "I don't know if I should tell you this…" Shiro scratched his cheek, and looked off to the side, away from Lance. "But I feel like I should maybe try and fix a little of what I might have broken." He went from scratching his cheek to rubbing the back of his neck, embarrassed.

Lance was very curious now, and remained quiet. Shiro let his hand drop to his side, limp like the one still attached to the console. "Don't freak out, but Keith cares about you, he cares a lot, Lance," he eventually blurted out.

'Well no duh…' The desire to laugh was strong, but Lance maintained a slightly curious and concerned face as Shrio continued.

"I noticed, because I know Keith. Other people might not pick up on it, but I did. And… When I thought you and Allura were together, I might have tried to warn Keith away from you…" Shiro shifted on his feet nervously. "And, while doing that… I might have said something unacceptable," he confessed.

Lance was trapped between two emotions, hilarity at the overall situation, and panic over finding an appropriate reaction that wasn't suspicious. But before he could discern how to respond, Shiro spoke up again, with an indignant air. "This is partly your fault, you know!" He accused.

"My fault?!" Lance scoffed, offended. Shiro's wild accusation at least covered for Lance's lack of 'shock' over Keith's feelings.

"Yes! If you hadn't convinced me that you and Allura were together, then none of this would have happened!" Shiro asserted, hand on his hip, and dad face in place.

Lance crossed his arms, bolstered by his and Keith's anger. "Don't shove responsibility for your actions onto me," he snapped back.

Shiro's stance slumped, shoulders sagging. He was a defeated man grasping for straws. "I'm not, I was an asshat, but it is partly because of you. So will you help me fix it?" He pleaded, with wide eyes.

Lance snorted, where did Shiro get the word asshat from? He looked at the pathetic man, and knew he was being played. No one could look that adorable and needy without trying, except maybe Keith. A long, and suffering sigh slipped from Lance. "Fine," he caved easily. Shiros' guilt tactic worked, since he wasn't wrong about Lance's part in the entire debacle.

Shiro perked up. "So you'll talk to Keith? Convince him to hear me out? You guys have been hanging out more, so he might listen if you ask him."

Lance nodded, even as Keith resisted the idea in the bond. "I'll try," he agreed tentatively. Then, without concluding their conversation he turned to leave.

"Lance, wait! Get Pidge to come unhook me!" Shiro called, reaching out with his free arm, still trapped by his galra one.

Lance looked back and shrugged, "I'll think about it." He tossed over his shoulder, and then left. The door swished shut behind him.

"Asshat…" drifted in red through Lance's thoughts, and he chuckled, while shuffling down the hall to where Shiro said Hunk would be.

oOoOo

Tan fingers tapped on a fine china filled with untouched tea, and a leg bounced restlessly. Lance was seated in a very pink chair, that was across from Dam-Saeg, in her very pink apartment, alone. His other hand picked at the knitted blanket that rested over the arm of the chair, and he found comfort in the familiar feeling of the stitches. He was clinging to anything comforting while under Saeg's harsh scrutiny. He didn't like being here, but like everyone else in Yeppeo five, Lance was under this small woman's thumb.

"So," Saeg began, her voice rough. "I heard from your mentor that you have good potential. But after only three weeks of training, he has noted that you lack focus." She smiled at him, but it was dry, as if amused by this revelation, and also displeased.

Lance wasn't really sure how to respond to that. She wasn't wrong, he had trouble focusing, always had. But her hard gaze made his nerves fray, and he didn't have a witty response ready. Instead, his anxiety chose that moment to wind up, clamping down on his lungs, and holding his thoughts hostage. He didn't like talking about this, it was personal, often his focus wandered to avoid heavy topics. He had only truly focused when he trained with Keith… it was something he hadn't really thought about very hard, but now that he did, it was a bit odd.

"I see," Saeg muttered, as if Lance's fidgeting silence was all the answer she needed. Her light pink eyes peeled back layers from him, and he felt exposed. "I think I understand, at least a little," she explained, her gruff voice softening. Lance's first instinct about her ability to be observant was apparently spot on, and she had figured him out, at least in part, from only his body language. The vice on Lance's chest tightened, and he continued to fidget in silence.

"You will be mentored in a second practice, meditation. I find it helps those with troubled minds." Saeg wasn't just talking about Lance. He heard the subtext, and he felt his breath return a tiny bit. Here was someone who might understand.

It was shaky, but Lance nodded. He was genuinely interested in something that may help. He wanted to be better, and he wanted to protect Keith from his darker thoughts.

Saeg nodded back, and then looked off to the side, her eyes full of contemplation. Lance waited with mounting nerves for her to say something. He also couldn't think of something to say, not even a joke.

When Saeg broke the silence, it was with a heavy tone. "I will be your mentor for these lessons," she revealed slowly, as if unsure of her decision.

Lance was surprised… and a little scared, but he simply nodded again.

Silence reigned for another few moments, and then Saeg took her first sip of tea, prompting Lance to do the same. "So, you mentioned that you knit?" She asked, voice lighter.

Another shaky, and also stiff nod, was Lance's response.

A sigh slipped from Saeg. "In order to meditate, you will have to be a little more relaxed. I know telling you that doesn't really help, but you could at least try," she responded, her words dry.

Lance chuckled, uneven, and harsh. "Yeah, I'm just a little uncomfortable here, alone… with you," he confessed. And then he began to ramble, all the words previously held in by the clamp of anxiety, spilled out. "You know, cuz you apparently own this Yeppeo, the jobs, livelihoods… and people. Like actually own them, and give them to other people. Speaking of which, can I not be a slave owner? NOT, that I'm not grateful, but you know… it's not my thing?" He managed to stem the flow of word vomit, but now he truly knew how Hunk felt when this happened.

Saeg pulled off the goggles that were sitting on her heir line, and placed them on the table between them. The hand crafted doily she set them on, protected the polished glass top from the metal edges of the goggles. Lance studied the doily while he waited for a response, who would have thought that lacy table decoration would be invented independent from earth.

"Relax," Saeg reiterated, direct and concise, completely ignoring his rant.

Lance reacted immediately, and took a deep breath. It didn't ease his nerves very much, but helped. Without his team, people to stand with him, or who relied on him, he found it difficult to stand his ground with Saeg. But maybe it was for the best that he didn't resist without a good reason. Keith lingered in the background of his thoughts, his hum was quiet, only a crimson tinted worry, but still stronger today that the day before. Ever since the second night, the bond had begun to grow exponentially. Lance wonder if-

"I can see what Kal was talking about, you're already distracted." Saeg's tone was dry, and she shot Lance a significant look over her tea cup.

An awkward laugh slipped from Lance, "yeah…" he agreed. "I have a few things on my mind…" he refrained from explaining how literal he was being.

Saeg slowly placed her china on the glass table, almost silently, using her pinkly to couchon the meeting of the two. The slant of her shoulders was determined, at odds with her understanding eyes. Lance saw no ulterior motives under the surface when she leaned back and instructed him. "Close your eyes."

Lance did. All his other of his senses went on full alert to compensate.

Sand moved, and there was a rustle before he heard her settle back into her seat. "Don't regulate your breathing, let it be natural," She commanded.

A soft ring filled the room, and vibrated through Lance.

"Focus on how your breath moves your body. The slight rocking, like an ocean's waves," She told him, in a gentle, smooth tone.

Another ring, long and tapered on both ends, like a paint stroke. It was distorted by the waver in Lance's body, caused by his breaths.

"Eb and flow, eb and flow, eb and flow…" Saeg whispered, the ring repeated several times, and melded with her quiet words.

Lance lost track of time, he was completely relaxed, and his mind felt light, and empty. Eventually Saeg gave a different instruction, and he was following the directions before he realized it, only vaguely aware of how vulnerable this state was.

"Think of someplace quiet," a voice said, distantly.

Lance was in his room, on the castle ship. It was slightly messy, but always silent.

"Let your thoughts wander, do not direct them beyond my suggestions. Do not look for an answer, let it come. Only note awareness of each passing experience."

On instinct, Lance wanted to revolt against letting his mind wander freely. The controlled ramble in his head was how he coped with unpleasant compulsive thoughts. But he was too weak now to resist, and so he waited for the first suggestion.

"What do you hear?"

Distant at first, the thrumming was high pitched. A light pitter-patter, that deepened as it approached. Until it became a heavy battering on the ceiling, underlined by a rolling vibration. The word was lost, no matter how hard Lance looked, the english had slipped through his fingers, and only the spanish remained.

"Lluvia."

It shouldn't be possible in space, But Lance was distant from everything he experienced, only noting what passed, like he was told to do.

"what do you smell?"

The strange scent of space detergent, and face creams, that usually dominated Lance's room, was absent. Replaced by the damp smell of hot sand cooling in a sudden storm, and ocean salt. He breathed in dried up tears of the sky, looking up at the white ceiling of his bunk, and watched it collecting pearls of condensations.

"What do you feel?"

The bed Lance leaned back on was warm, and the smooth sheets under his hand gave way to soft sand. The first drop of water to meet his skin was shocking, and then it was followed by a downpour, as the castle ceiling disappeared. Before Lance stretched a vast ocean. It went on forever, until it didn't, lost in a veil of mist. Like it had reached the end of existence. The cold water running down his face did nothing to cool the hot sand he sat on, it burned his hands, as the rest of him was soaked to the bone. Lance was on a beach, and no longer in the castle.

"Are you alone?"

"Chiquito." A kind voice whispers from Lance's right, so close that he could feel the breath on his ear. It was a nickname he always hated, that he had told her to stop using, and now he sorely missed. He whipped his head around, and there she was, just as he remembered her. Or not…

Maritza smiled, but it was frayed, and worn around the edges. She looked too tired to lift the corners of her lips, but she still tried, because she had always tried for Lance. She wasn't really here -he had to remind himself- this wasn't real. But it felt real. He was cold and the sand that ran between his fingers was hot. The grey clouds bowed across the sky, just like on earth, and Maritza was here… Suddenly, Lance wasn't so distant. He tried to only watch, and take note of this passing thought. But he could see the lines on her face, and the weariness in her eyes, they were details he projected on her, reflecting how he felt.

A scream rent the air apart from someplace behind Lance. It struck him, a sharp edge that slashed against his heart. A sobbing cry, muffled yells, panicked voices, and he ignored it. He watched his sister, but she only continued to smile. Her hair was limp with water, and her clothes clung to her body, but she didn't react, only watched him.

Her gaze laid a pain gently in Lance's chest, and it continued to build, pressing his lungs up to his shoulders, and forcing all his breath from his body. He choked, and the pain broke free, meeting his acidic self hatred, fueling it, and rushing through the rest of him. But he faced it, he faced her, even if it wasn't real, this was someplace to start. He couldn't run away anymore.

"lo siento... mucho-" Lance's voice cracked, and he stumbled over a sob. His chest spasmed, and a whine stretched out as he tried to hold back his cries. Tears escaped his tight grip, and he gave in. "mi más sentido pésame!" Lance wailed, the words thick with tears, and he sobbed. He wasn't sure if he was saying that to his sister, or to himself.

Maritza reached out with both her hand, through the curtain of mist, and cupped Lance's face. Her thumbs dried his cheeks. "está bien," she whispered, it wavered, and trailed off over the ocean.

It was what he wanted her to say, what he wanted to hear.

And even though this wasn't real, and she wasn't really speaking to him, it was something.

oOoOo

When Lance finally found Hunk, he was disappointed. Hunk wasn't alone, he was with Pidge. A direct approach was probably the best, he would simply enter the network room, and tell Hunk he needed to tell him something, that wasn't suspicious, right? Lance sighed, milling around outside the door. A huge bundle of cables snaked across the floor, and through the door, preventing it from ever closing. Lance stepped over it as he paced.

Back and forth, he wandered, trying to come up with a way to pull Hunk away. He ignored Keith's drifting amusement floating in the background. On his fifth pass by the door, his foot didn't clear the cables, and he pitched forward.

"AH!" Lance yelped, crashing to the floor.

"Lance?" Hunk called, his voice was muffled.

Lance lifted his head, while still sprawled across the hallway. Hunk pulled off his headgear and looked back at him, surprised. "What are you doing on the floor?" He asked, bewildered.

In a single smooth movement, Lance rolled onto his back, put his arms behind his head, and lifted one leg in the air. While looking at Hunk upside down, he winked. "Just being sexy~" he answered in an overly sultry voice.

Hunk laughed, and it was filled with fluff. Any lingering stress that may have been clinging to Hunk from his Gi-Shu work, melted away. Lance noted his success, satisfied, as he ignored Keith's unceremonious mental snort at his behavior.

Hunk walked over, and offered a helping hand. "You're always sexy, Lance," he assured, with a convincing air of finality.

Lance took the hand and allowed himself to be hauled up, exerting little effort to help. He allowed Hunk's strength to launch him forward, wrapping the big man in a tight hug. "This is why we're friends, you can appreciate my finer points." Lance smirked, and Hunk nodded his head in a mock -serious business- type of way.

Lance didn't want to disrupt their buddy moment, as they had become rare in the chaos of their temporary home, but he didn't want to lose this chance to talk to Hunk. "Hey, man. I was actually hoping we cou-"

"Hey, chuckle heads, get in here!" Pidge yelled from the network room, completely derailing Lance.

Hunk sensed the turn in Lance's tone, and looked over his shoulder at Pidge. "Hold on a sec, I think Lac-"

"I think I found them!" Pidge hollard, completely unaware of their conversation.

"Hunk, I have something I want to te-" Lance tried again, But Hunks eyes lit up at Pidges announcement.

Hunk threw up a hand to stall Lance. "Hold on, This is really important." He turned around in the doorway to yell back at Pidge. "Where did you find them?!"

A sigh, loud enough to hear in the hall, preceded the response. "That's actually the problem…"

Hunk groaned, unhappy. He half turned to look at Lance. "You should probably come hear this," he said, and grabbed Lance before getting a response, dragging him into the room.

"Hunk!" Lance tried to protest, but gave into his fate shortly after. It must be really important if Hunk shrugged off their conversation.

They stopped in front of a large patched up chair, Pidge sat in the middle, dwarfed by the size of their seat. They were wearing the same head gear that Hunk had removed earlier, and it covered their entire face. It was bulky, and made of faded black metal. A massive series of wires came from every conceivable angle from the helmet, they formed a bundle at the back that connected to a huge mainframe. Lance knew that this computer was the main draw of power in the junkyard, and was located underground, beneath the shack. A massive heatsink came from the top of the computer, and attached to the metal ceiling. The first time Lance came to this room, he learned that the excess heat was used to warm the house in the unusually cold winters this planet had.

"You won't be able to guess where the rumors say-" Pidge was yelling as they pulled off their head gear, only to realize that Hunk was right in front of them. They paused and shrugged sheepishly, then they caught sight of Lance. "Oh, good, you're here. This will save time." They placed the helmet on their dashboard. "I was talking to Ju-Min just now, and they said that..."

Lance was trying to listen, he really was. But Pidge began retelling an entire story about their Gi-Shu buddy, and he really couldn't care less. He knew that Hunk and Pidge came to this room to enter the Gi-Shu, and that it was some sorta computer network. It made the whole Zuko thing make a lot more sense, apparently Gi-Shi never met in person. It all seemed very Matrix-y to Lance, but Hunk told him it was more like VR.

"So I was telling Ju-Min about our project, when suddenly Se-Vin barges in, acting all crazy like he normally does!"

Lance let his eyes wander around the room, wondering when Pidge will get to the point. They always got overly excited about Gi-Shi stuff, the huge new world of tech seemed to short circuit their brains a bit. Huge glaring monitors with curved glass fronts hung all around the room. They displayed information about every aspect of the black market. Most of it made no sense to Lance, as a Zuko he really didn't need to know any of this. He didn't handle the technical stuff, he was the smoozer and the fighter in the group, and he was good at it. Pidge and Hunk worked in facts and numbers, while Lance strategized.

"Pidge, Tell me you didn't rat out Yu-Sung for gaming when he should have been working!"

The largest screen held the only easily recognizable image, it was a map of the eight Yeppeo. Its spiral pattern was familiar, as the Yeppeo got smaller near the center. It always bothered Lance that the numbers didn't go in order. Yeppeo Five was at the top of the spiral, and it was bordered by Yeppeo Four, Seven, and touched Yeppeo Six, which was the smallest territory in the center. Lance thought Yeppeo One would be in the middle, but it was to the right, between Four and Three, and it was the second largest Yeppeo, only beat in size by Five.

"Well it turns out that this guy named Vii has the final parts I need to finish the Castles engine."

THAT caught Lance's attention. He tuned back in, pulling his eyes from the large map, and blinking the after image away. "So, how do we get to this Vii guy, is he on the normal Zuko patrols?" He asked.

Pidge sat up on their knees, still high on their discovery. "That's just it! Vii isn't a Zuko, he's a Gi-shu. And the really weird part is that he doesn't have any Zuko. He deals with a very select crowd, and does leg work himself." Pidge was bouncing, apparently very excited by this anomaly in the system they had come to know.

"Can we set up a meeting with him?" Hunk asked, trusting that Pidge already looked into it. But their face fell at the question, and they seemed slightly frustrated.

Pidge sighed. "That's where the problem comes in. This Vii dude is really reclusive. He only comes online for three varga, once every five quintant, and his chat is SWAMPED. I checked his queue, and it's like a year, or something until our numbers up. AND I heard that he always has what you need." They swung their arms around as they explained, both excited and irritated.

Lance rubbed his chin in thought, there had to be a way around this, so they could get off this rusty rock. Well, rusty for Lance, apparently Keith had made it into Yeppeo One for his work, in all its chrome and shiny glory. While Allura hung back in Yeppeo two, which was still nice and coppery. Lance looked between his two friends, their face's equally thoughtful. "It seems like you found the Cher of Gi-Shu or something, But like how Cher always went back on tour, this guy's got to have something or someplace that he won't give up," Lance concluded.

Hunk and Pidge just stared at him, blank faced.

"What?" Lance became defensive. "Cher's popular, and always amazing… seemed like a good comparison…" He crossed his arms, and wasn't going to back down from his assessment.

Pidge rolled their eyes. "As… interesting, and questionable, as Lance's comparison is, he has a point."

Lance shot Pidge a pointed look, and held it for a moment, before responding knowingly. "I wouldn't judge someone else's taste, Pidgey. Some might say that type of attitude is TOXIC, you wouldn't want to make that mistake ONE MORE TIME-" He put a very obvious emphasis on particular words.

Pidge slapped the arm of their chair, before Lance could make any more song references. "AS I said, Lance has a point!"

Lance made a smug sound, lifting his chin, "Of course I-"

"Vii lives just on the inside of Yeppeo Six, near the Yeppeo One border, but he leaves to go to his favorite bar," Pidge continued.

Offended at being railroaded out of the conversation, Lance pushed back. "Why don't you just contact the Network in Yeppeo six, and corner him there? Yeppeo one is too high security," he argued.

Pidge stood up in their chair, ready to fight, but Hunk, ever the calming source in a dispute, spoke up to explain for Lance's benefit. "That's not possible, Yeppeo six is a dead zone. It's not in the Gi-Shu, it's completely dark on the Network… no one actually knows what happens in that place." He shivered, like he was telling a ghost story.

Pidge slumped back into their seat and shrugged, "Exactly, that's why we need to strike while this Vii guy is in One. It's our best shot." They let their body slide deeper into the chair with a sigh.

Lance let himself relax as well, the tension leaving the air. "So, what's the plan? Set up a sting in a fancy Yeppeo One Bar and get arrested, or killed?" The situation didn't seem good, and Lance was starting to lose hope.

Pidge scoffed. "No, I was thinking of a more subtle approach." They narrowed their eyes and wiggled their brows.

Hunk leaned in. "Oooooo, like espionage?" He asked, and waved his fingers in front of his face as if it were camouflage.

A soft chuckle rolled around the room, and everyone loosened their body language even more, falling into a familiar and easy rhythm. Pidge sat up properly in their chair, "Not quite, Hunk." They glanced between Lance and Hunk, to make sure they had full attention. "I learned from a source that only went by the name Unknown, that Vii is a letch. He goes to this bar to pick up partners-"

Lance struck a pose, and smirked. "So, you need someone attractive, is that what I'm hearing?"

Pidge snorted, and swatted at Lance. "Normally, in a situation like this I would send you. But unlike most Gi-Shu, Vii doesn't like the Zuko standard of beauty. Remember, this bar is in Yeppeo One, this guy's tastes run in higher more 'refined' circles." They tipped their head in a -catch my drift- sorta way.

"Oh, so this guy's into Yep-Nari," Hunk concluded what Pidge was implying.

A small shard of disappointment poke at Lance. He had spent weeks coming to terms with the fact that he was completely rejected by the higher echelons of this planet, based only on his appearance, and understood it was all cultural preference… and bullshit. And he had become happy and immersed in the lower Yeppeo's cultural views on appearance, to the point where he felt better about himself than he had in years. Although Keith might also have a big part in that, even months later he still dreamed of Lance, always seeing him so differently that Lance saw himself.

"Yeah, he really likes Yep-Nari from what I've heard," Pidge confirmed.

Hunk bopped his palm with his fist, "Keith recently got promoted to Yeppeo One."

There was a pause, and then both Pidge and Hunk burst out laughing. Lance even let out a small chuckle. Despite what he knew about how Keith was in the bedroom, he really couldn't imagine him smoothly hitting on a stranger, nor did he want that to happen. A thin edge of something unsettling slipped through his mind, cutting Lance's amusement down, but it was gone as fast as it came.

"Yeah, I don't think Keith is our guy," Pidge's laughter died down, and they side eyed Lance. "I was actually hoping that Lance could pull some strings for Allura. You and Saeg are buds right? Maybe you can get her moved up?"

It wasn't a completely crazy idea, and Lance agreed that it might be their best shot. "I will see what I can do," He offered, But he wasn't holding out too much hope.

oOoOo

Lance opened his eyes, and feared having to face the worst parts of himself. But he wasn't on a beach, and Maritza was gone. Garish pink… everything, surrounded him, including a small pink woman who sat across from him, but it all felt far away. The impact he expected never fell upon Lance's shoulders. Rather, his heart had been lifted from a frozen pool, and tingled.

Dam-Saeg placed the metal bowl and small wooden dowel down on the coffee table, and leaned back in her seat. "You will come to me three times a week, until you can meditate on your own. Then I expect you to check in bi-weekly," she instructed.

Lance nodded. A fogged window was hanging between him and his surroundings, and he still needed to reach out and wipe it clean.

Then, In a jarring wave of crimson panic, the glass of Lance's disassociation, shattered. The crash of emotions shook him, and everything became sharp, and clear. Then it fractured right down the middle, with a sharp bolt of confused fear.

"Lance!" The call was steeped in red.

Lance bolted up from his seat, and Saeg jerked in surprise. "I got to go!" He didn't bother to elaborate before running from the apartment. His feet hit the rust covered concrete running, the slap echoed through the empty stone hallways. He burst out the first floor doors and sprinted to the shack, then through the shack and out the backdoor, ignoring Hunks concerned call.

The waves of red panic, eroded the buoyant peace in Lance's heart. The link with Keith led him down the halls of the Castle, and right to Keith's bedroom door. He entered without knocking, and was met with the force of his boyfriend's entire body. They stumbled into the hallway, but managed to remain standing.

"What happened!" Keith half yelled, sheets of worry coming off him.

Lance tried to press reassurance down the bond, as he slowly backed them both up into the bedroom and shut the door. Keith remained affixed to him the entire time. "I'm sorry, I was meditating. Did you feel it?" Lance was both curious and scared of the answer.

Keith pulled back enough to look at Lance, his face was pulled tight, and he shook his head. "No, I didn't feel anything. It was like… like you were gone." Pain put a soft crack in his voice, and he choked up.

Lance firmly held Keith's face between his hands. He pushed everything he could through the bond, reassurance and comfort, shrouded in cool blue. 'Everything is fine, I'm here…' He could only imagine how scary it would be if Keith was suddenly not in his head.

The wildfire of Keith's panic was doused, and he looked back at Lance in confusion. "Meditation?" He asked, finally clear headed enough to think.

Lance nodded, his shoulders dropping from their tense rise. "Yeah, sorry. Saeg thought it would help me focus. I didn't realize it would muffle our link so much," he apologized. Every inch of him, inside and out, was coated with a red hum. It held on tight, as if Keith was making sure he was real.

Keith's eyes still had a wild edge, but he took a deep breath. "Ace, I didn't know… I thought." He stumbled, unable to voice the conclusion he jumped to. He took a deep breath. "Without you in my head… I don't think I could... Sometimes my thoughts don't feel real until they've gone through you." The honest words were raw, and resonated through the red layer coating Lance, and he felt the same. They wanted and needed each other, maybe it wasn't healthy, and maybe the bond was the reason, but they didn't care.

Keith tilted his head, still in Lance's hands, trying to convey what he felt.

That look always did Lance in, it was unfair. He drew Keith in, and placed a light kiss on his lips. It was only meant to last a moment, a small gesture of comfort. Ever since the night their bond solidified, they had kept some distance between each other. They mostly cuddled and shared small kisses. But the moment their lips met this time, all the concern, and dare he interpret, Love? Slammed into Lance full force. He leaned into the kiss, and Keith took a breath in surprise.

In less than a moment they synced up completely, like that night three weeks ago. Keith opened his mouth, deepening the kiss, and Lance groaned. Lightning shot between them, and hot rain poured down, traveling on them. It felt so good, but Lance made sure to keep a close eye on Keith, making sure he didn't panic.

They stood in the bedroom, kissing. The entire time, a burning need vibrated from Keith, barely restrained, but he refused to press forward. He was respecting Lance's request, it was written all over the restraint he was enforcing, but he wanted this. He wanted Lance in a way that made Lance feel more turned on than he had ever felt.

Something snapped, aggression that Lance had never felt ripped through him, and he was only dimly aware that it might be from Keith. He grabbed Keith's ass, and hauled him up. Immediately Keith jumped up, wrapping his legs around his boyfriend's trim waist.

Lance turned, and pressed Keith to the wall, grinding against him. An electric wave shot through them, and Keith broke the kiss, panting. "Weren't we supposed to go slow?" He asked, slighting slurred, with his head tipped back against the wall, and his chest heaving.

The words were cold water pouring over Lance, breaking his rough desire, but it settled it into something simmering, and still hot. "Yeah, we should slow this down," he agreed.

Keith began to let his legs down, but Lance continued to hold him up. He placed a gentle kiss to Keith's neck, drawing out a long hiss of pleasure that echoed back through Lance pleasantly. He continued to kiss up the long pale neck, dragging his teeth at the end, until he got to Keith's ear. With deliberately slow movements, he kissed the lobe, and then dragged his tongue over the shell.

"Wha… ah!- are you-" Keith tried to question, but his words were swallowed by moans and gasped.

Each bolt of arousal trailed back to Lance, making it hard to think, but he pulled back enough to answer. "I'm slowing down, like you said." He smirked at Keith, who looked back with glazed eyes.

Carefully, Lance backed away from the wall, carrying Keith along. He turned, and closed the short distance to the bed. With all the care in the world, Lance leaned over and placed Keith down, then climbed on top, straddling him.

Keith reached out with purpose, grabbing for the button of Lance's jeans, but Lance stopped him. He barely had to touch Keith's hands with his own, his intense thoughts paralyzing them both. "No, I want to… like you did for me- for you." Lance could hardly get the words out, his face heating up, and a rolling wave of anxiety passed through him. Every inch of his body wanted to run, get away before he inevitably made a fool of himself. But he stayed, determined to give back to Keith in a way that Lance suspected he had never experienced… he just wasn't sure how to do it.

From Keith, a return wave of nerves pulsed. Possibly a response to Lance's fear, or maybe it was a reaction to the offer? Keith tried to protest, "You don't-"

"I want to!" Lance interrupted, pushing through his own doubts. Something inside him, or maybe something from Keith's unconscious, told Lance that Keith needed this. That he needed to feel cared for, to know what it's like to receive, and not just give. Keith looked unsure, and Lance gripped the small light of courage he had. "Rojo," He whispered, calmer, and released his hold on Keith's hands to cup his face. "I want this… I- I just never- so I don't know…" his momentary flash of bravery flickered out in the face of explaining his lack of experience.

But a glow of affection lit up the bond, and Keith smiled. "Ace, I'll tell you what to do." The offer was closely followed by a tinge of fear.

Lance quickly jumped to sooth it. "OK," he agreed, mortified by the deepening blush he could feel.

"Kiss me," Keith instructed, beginning suddenly and without pretence, like only he would. He pulled Lance down by the back of his neck.

Lance complied. Their careful kiss was something Lance knew how to do, and he felt a small bit of pride when he parted Keith's lips with his tongue, earning a small gasp. The pressure of Keith's hand on the back of Lance's neck increased, slowly deepening the kiss. And then Lance felt a grip in his hair, not hard enough to hurt, but enough for Keith to tug down, guiding Lance to his neck.

Lance knew what Keith wanted, in the same way he knew when Keith was going to duck or slash in battle. The bond sent their intentions before they even acted on them. Lance kissed down Keith's Jaw, leaving a burning trail that both of them could feel. He stopped at the junction of Keiths shoulder, lightly biting.

Keith hissed. "Ace- that's good-"

The praise was jilted as Lance bit harder, and then sucked the red mark he left. Bolstered by the intense burn of desire and their bond's guidance, Lance ran his hands up Keith's sides, lifting his shirt along the way. When it reached the top, Lance released Keith's throat and moved down, leaving the black tee bunched up under Keith's chin.

For a moment, Lance admired his boyfriends pale chest, but an impatient mental push spurred him on. Faster than he might have otherwise, Lance kissed down until he reached Keith's belt, and filled with needy want, he quickly unbuckled it.

Keith lifted his hips, allowing Lance to remove the belt and toss it to the floor. Then he stopped, a cresting wave of nerves catching up, leaving him just staring at the front of Keiths pants. What if he was bad at this, or made himself look stupid?

A pale hand cut across Lance's vision, and Keith rubbed himself through his jeans, letting out a small moan. An echo of pleasure and heady want pressed against Lance's thoughts, urging him on.

"Ace, please…" His whine was raspy.

Lance looked up and Keith was looking back down his chest, eyes glassy, and more full of emotion and trust than they were when their positions had been reversed.

Lance was so gone. One undone look from Keith and his soul left his body. Lance did this to him, and it was the most arousing thing he had ever seen. Quickly, he undid Keith's pants, and pulled down his boxers just enough to free him. In the tick it took for Lance to admire what he had just released, Keith's hands became threaded in his growing hair, pushing the pink clip out and onto the bed. Without hesitation Lance allowed Keith to direct him, pushing him down until he was forced to wrap his mouth around the hard length. It was heavy, and solid, but something about the soft skin, and musky smell, caused watery heat to flow down Lance. It curled his toes, and tightened in his groin.

It didn't take long for Lance to pick up on what to do, and what Keith liked. The reverberation of his own menstrations made it clear. He anticipated every hard buck of Keiths hips, taking as much of him in as possible.

"Ace- Lance- Ah!" Keith gasped and hissed.

Lance smirked around Keith, and grabbed the slim hips as they rose from the bed again, forcing them down, and drawing out a high keen. Lance firmly held Keith down, using his leverage to keep him there, and sucked hard.

Keith cried out, and Lance loved the sound. It went right between his legs, the bond sharing their pleasure, making it hard for Lance to concentrate. He dipped down, taking as much as he could into his mouth, feeling the pressure in the back of his throat. He stopped, holding that position long enough to use one of his hands to flick his own jeans open and touch himself.

The reaction was instant. Lance gripped his own erection, stroking, combining their pleasure, and Keith bucked up against the one hand holding him down.

"Ace!" The name was a warning and a moan.

Everything was white, and they fell from their shared precipice.

Lance's hips stuttered, as he jerked forward into his own hand. Keith gripped his hair tight, thrust up into his mouth, and let go suddenly to free Lance before he came. But Lance sucked harder, making Keith yell his name and grab his hair again as he finished.

"Holy... shit…" Keith panted.

Lance sat up, and wiped his mouth on the back of his hand, lightly contemplating the new taste. He was shocked at himself, but also happy. He didn't need to ask if it was good, he could feel Keith's afterglow, and see the completely wrecked, half lidded expression on his face. Lance crawled up Keith, ignoring the mess he left behind on the sheets, and draped himself across Keith's chest. He placed a light kiss on a pale collarbone, and reached up to run his hand through Keith's dark hair.

"All that postering and bragging, and you hadn't even given head before," Keith muttered. He sounded half content and half irritated.

Lance chuckled. The wave of realization and annoyance tickled his mind, as Keith concluded that Lance had been bluffing every time he flirted with anyone. "Turns out I'm pretty good."

Keith laced his fingers into Lance's hair, petting him in return. "Yeah, you're not half bad."

Lance tried to shoot up and glare at his boyfriend, but the hand on his head held him down, and Keith's laughter calmed him. "I'm better than not bad, and you know it!" He still snaped with little force.

The soft hand in Lance's hair slid to his back and made circles slowly. "The best I've had," Keith agreed quietly.

"Really?" Lance hadn't expected that, and something about Keith felt… sad. He was sad that Lance was good? Or maybe because all the others… weren't… how many-? No, Lance denied, trying not to make assumptions… Don't think about it.

Keith didn't say anything, but Lance felt him nod with the hand still in the dark hair. He wanted to just take the compliment, but it felt wrong, and he could tell that Keith was aware that his words and emotions didn't line up. "Isn't… that good?" Lance whispered, with the shadow of self consciousness creeping up.

The melancholy began to shift, and transform, as the sadness slipped beneath the surface, leaving calm waters of happy contentment. The last ring of ripples faded, and a glassy pond of hope was in its wake. "It's very good… you, make me happy," Keith confessed, wrapping both his arms around Lance's shoulders.

Lance decided to ignore the strange downcast from before, and dipped into the pond along with Keith, smiling. "Me too."

oOoOo

Approaching Saeg, was like wandering into a tempermental lion's den. Lance was never sure if he was going to be nuzzled or eaten. But today his reception wasn't important, only the end result mattered, and just as Lance predicted, the request to move Allura up to Yeppeo one was denied, rather harshly. Saeg refused to even give a reason, but Lance suspected that her hands were tied by some higher power, not that he would ever say that to her face. Implying that Saeg wasn't the top rung on this planet tended to rub her the wrong way.

The rejection left Lance wandering down the halls of the apartment complex, shuffling his feet. All he was missing were some slippers and robe, and he would look like he belonged in a hospital or something. Lance twisted his new piercing, and winced. It hurt more than the bandaged cut on his arm, but he kept twisting it as he walked, letting the pain sharpen his mind. He needed to pull himself up from this day of failure. He couldn't even get Hunk alone for a talk…

A long breath lifted his shoulders, and they dropped in a sigh. He better get to the house and meet with the others. He reached out and prodded Keith, but got little response, he must already be there. Outside the backdoor, Lance stopped. He shimmied, wiggled his hips and shook out his arms, in order to shrug off the last remains of his bad mood. With the focus of his meditation he pushed the negative thoughts to the back of his mind, and felt them slid down like ice cream on a hot day.

With a bright and confident stride, Lance entered the room. The door swung shut behind him with a long creak, and everyone, including their three Yeppeadian roommates looked at him expectantly.

"NOPE!" He announced, with hands on his hips and a cocky smile on his face.

Pidge crossed their arms and glared at Lance, unimpressed by his entrance. "Did you even try to explain to Saeg-"

Lance sagged, and waved his hand dismissively, interrupting. "Listen Pidge, if you want to go give it a shot, you are welcome to talk to Saeg yourself," he offered, knowing that it would not be accepted.

Pidge groaned. It was well known that Saeg only opened her door on off hours for Lance, and just like everyone else, Pidge was a little scared of the old lady. Not that they would ever admit it.

Allura gasped. "Lance, you're arm," she drew attention to the bandage.

Lance glanced down at it, and rubbed it with his other hand. "It's nothing, just a little raid from Yeppeo four, those tasteless jerks tried to take down the piercing shop," he explained casually. He never wanted to worry the team, but the unexpected raids were increasing in frequency.

"Didn't they hit the tattoo place last week?" Hunk asked, concerned.

Lance nodded. "Yeah, they're really pushing it. But luckily Kal got out OK."

The mood drifted south of serious, and Hunk tried to lighten it, as was his way. "Your new piercing looks good!" He tried, but fell flat.

"Thanks…" Lance replied, equally flat.

A silence fell, and Lance noticed an important member of the team was missing. The most important in his opinion. "Where's Keith?" He asked.

No one stepped forward with an answer, and Lance still felt as if their minds were farther apart than normal. With a little applied focus, he realized what was happening… Keith was asleep.

"YO, Rojo!" The equivalent of a mental shove was forced down the bond, and ricocheted back shock and indignation, along with the stomach flipping sensation of falling, and Lance chuckled. Keith probably rolled out of bed in surprise.

Everyone was looking at Lance. Laughing in a completely silent room was a bit… odd. He shrugged. "We should probably give Keith a few minutes to get here," he said, as if he hadn't just laughed out loud like a crazy person.

"What the fuck, ACE!"

"What are we all meeting here for anyway," Luce asked, with crossed arms and a tilted stance. As usual he sounded like a teenager dragged to a family meeting.

A loud smack, and Luce was pitched forward by the force of Ja-Berks slap to the back of his head. "Watch ya tone," he chastised.

"You're late to the team meeting, Rojo. Get your cute ass outta bed."

Lance took a seat on the couch next to Allura. "We're strategizing, apparently there's a very hard to find Gi-shu that has something we need to fix the Castle." He glanced at the Princess. "We need someone in Yeppeo one, and I was hoping Saeg would move you up, but she said no." He slumped back into the couch.

"You didn't need to push me so hard..." Keith was giving the impression of pouting.

Lance relented, never was he able to resist his boyfriends pout. "Sorry, babe."

"Isn't Keith already in Yeppeo one, I heard he was quickly climbing the Yep-nari ranks there." Allura questioned, tapping her chin.

"This job isn't really suited for Keith's… skill set," Pidge asserted. One hand on their hip and the other raised with a pointed finger.

Coran pushed off from the wall he was leaning on to join the conversation, wiping his grease covered hands on his patched overalls. "Skill set? What do you mean number-"

"Skill set," Pidge emphasized, wiggling their eyebrows.

"Ah…" Coran understood.

Everyone else looked baffled. Hunk sighed, it was never his style to be indirect. "The guy we are trying to contact... is a big perv," he explained, with arms wide to express just how big. "And has a taste for Yep-nari." He glanced at Allura, sheepish. "The only places he's known to be regularly, is a high end bar in Yeppeo One, and his hideout in Yeppeo Six." Realization dawned for everyone else after the straightforward explanation.

"Apology accepted, I guess." Keith replied as his presence arrived outside the door.

The creak of the door opening wasn't enough to drown out Luce's loud and tackless conclusion. "So I guess you have no choice but to send Keith to seduce this elusive pervert."

"What…?" Keith said, A small sound that almost didn't form a word, but it blanketed the room in silence. The door slipped from Keith's fingers and fell closed with a slap.

Lance wasn't sure what he felt from the bond. It was like slipping out of a warm bed and touching the cold floor. Only Lance could feel the tension, no one else seemed aware, most obviously Pidge, who burst out laughing. "Keith?~ omg my god, we can't send Keith~ can you imagine him~ him trying to~" They clutched their stomach, bent over, trying to catch their breath.

With a fake smile to cover the shiver in his thoughts, Keith chuckled, prompting everyone to join. Except Shiro. Lance watched Shiro's eyes grow dark, as if he was struggling with a difficult decision, and then he cut through the rolling laughter with a sharp tone. "Keith, should do it," he declared.

Lance wasn't sure if Shiro's pointed words were aimed at Keith, or at himself, but he seemed to hate his own suggestion. Everyone abruptly quitted, and a breath of disbelief escaped Keith. But Lance felt what was really happening, something cold grew in the bond, and for the first time it wasn't from Lance. Keith plummeted, and his usually hot presence became so cold, it burned.

"Don't be silly, Shiro!" Allura said lightly. "This isn't Keith's strong suit," she reasoned.

Shiro responded, with no sign of the soft edge he normally displayed towards her. "We need these parts for the Castle, to get off this planet. It's been three months and there's still a war going on we need to get back to. Keith can do this," he insisted.

Shiro wasn't wrong. The war was still there, perched above them out of reach, but looming. They were responsible for protecting the universe, and yet they were trapped. But even still, Lance couldn't let this happen. "No." The word rolled through the room, commanding even without volume, and backed by all the burning fear that rolled from Keith to Lance.

Shiro didn't back down, he stood his ground and grappled for his position as leader in a way he hadn't since becoming stranded. "Lance, we need to rejoin the war. And I know Keith can do this. There will be no argument."

Each word pierced Keith, and through him they painfully prodded Lance, but Keith stayed quiet, frozen. Lance didn't have the full picture, but he was putting it together. What Keith was hiding, why he struggled to be truly intimate, and what Shiro used to hurt him in dead space, "...He's not one of your marks!" is what he had said to Keith.

Lance stood up, and was between Shiro and Keith in an instant. His first were clench at his sides, and his teeth set on edge, so overwhelmed with protecting Keith that his own hesitance to confront was lost. "NO," He barked, and gave no explanation for his stark defiance, he wasn't even sure if he knew the truth, but he knew what he felt from Keith. He set a frigid glare on Shiro.

Shocked silence followed, no one had seen Lance this angry since Pidge was almost murdered, and no one expected it in defence of Keith. But the escalation of the moment distracted from that small fact. Shiro began to cross the room, determined to get in Lance's face, undeterred by the cold gaze fixed on him. But a large hand on Shiro's shoulder stopped him in his tracks, sending a ripple of surprise through the room.

Hunk's friendly eyes, and smooth corners conquered the atmosphere. He looked from the suspiciously quiet Keith, and then to Lance, before settling his eyes on Shiro again. "I don't think Keith should do it either," he commented, in a cool tone that was at odds with his warm demeanor.

Lance relaxed his tight fists, Hunk knew about the bond, and he was smart enough to put together what was happening. He crossed his arms to hide his hands that were shaking with rage.

"Why don't we try and corner the target in Yeppeo Six instead," Coran offered, hoping for a peaceful compromise.

Before Pidge could put forward any of their reasons, Fen spoke up. "No one but Vii goes in and out of Yeppeo six, I assume he's your mark." he was eyeing Lance warily, still on edge whenever he was even slightly irritated.

"You know who Vii is?" Pidge asked, surprised.

Ja-Berk snorted. "Evrah one knows who Vii is," he asserted.

"Yeah," Luse added, snottily. "Just don't say his name in front of Dam-Saeg, she hates him. Cuz she knows he holds more influence than her, and he knows it too."

Luse ducked when Ja tried to swat at him again. "Don't go sayin' thin' that will get you dead!"

Lance took this distraction to glance over his shoulder at Keith. His skin was pale, and a little clammy, but he was taking deep breaths, and the bond was simmering down a little. Lance turned back to the group, "That explains Saeg's outright refusal to help, wish I had known before I brought Vii up." He shrugged.

"But, why does no one go into Yeppeo Six, except this Vii character?" Coran asked, determined to find a solution that kept the peace.

"Well, No one really knows what goes on in there, or if anyone lives there. But story's say that it's where the great suppression began," Fen explained, his mood dampened by the topic.

Luse danced out of Ja's range, and chipped in what he knew. "Yeah, there's no power there, and nothing works, not even electricity. Only mechanical machines. So if you go in, there's no communicating with anyone outside! It's the perfect place for Vii to hide all his valuable items." He bounced a bit, excited by the topic rather than cautious.

"Listen," Fen overshadowed Luce's excitement with a solemn warning. "Don't try and raid Yeppeo six. People don't come back from there. It's rumored that since the quintessence suppression started there, the field is so strong that it kills you. It's said that Vii used his Zuko to find the only safe spot, getting them all killed, which is why Zuko won't work for him anymore."

"Dark…" Pidge mumbled.

Coran moved farther from the wall. "If it's that dangerous… I don't think we should send anyone there." He looked at every team member, even the new ones, with affection and sorrow. "I don't want to lose anyone else." He didn't need to explain, they all knew what he meant.

A tight velvet grip slid down Lance's back, a mental sensation of fear he still didn't understand. But, it was backed by strong affection for Coran, and determination. Lance figured out what was going to happen just a moment too late, he was mid turn when Keith stepped out from behind him.

"I'll do it," his voice was steady, unlike his hands that he hid in his pockets, but Lance could see them shake.

Shiro locked eyes with him, it might have been the first direct contact they made in all of the three months they have been here. Something passed between them, an understanding. "You know what's at stake here."

Keith nodded. Accepting, but still angry. Lance was sure that Shiro volunteering him for this mission didn't help their relationship.

"Uh," Pidge awkwardly interjected themself into the moment. "You won't actually have to sleep with Vii, just so you know, we only need to get him to sell us the parts," they assured.

Keith looked around Shiro at them, brow raised. "I wouldn't have agreed if that was the case…" he deadpanned.

The cold fear still ran deep, but Keith was struggling to hold himself above it, using Lance as a float. He wasn't going to tell Keith what he could and couldn't do, But he didn't have to like it, and he didn't. He was going to keep close tabs on Keith during this mission. With a resigned sigh Lance asked, "When's the next time Vii is at the bar?"

"In a week, so we should get planning," Pidge answered, rubbing their hands together.

"Alright team, let's begin." Shrio fell back into his leader role as everyone began to divy up the work. Communication, camera hacking, recon, ect.

"I'm OK," With red rimmed reassurance Keith tried to comfort Lance, but it was clearly a lie.

Lance glanced at Keith. "I won't tell you not to do this, but…" He wanted to tell him not to do it, they both knew.

"Just, be with me, and everything will be fine." Keith was comforting himself as much as he was Lance. His thoughts, and his feelings were misaligned. That was something Lance could understand. He often felt worried that Keith would leave, or become disinterested, even when he logically knew that would never happen. It was a disconnection that Keith was aware of, and accepted, even as he tried to dissuade it. Now it was Lance's turn to be supportive, despite the misconnection.

"Always, you couldn't shake me if you tried."

oOoOo

In the distance, through the rain, red and blue flashed. The lights bloomed through the hot mist on the moonless night, so bright Lance could see it from the beach behind his house. He shouldn't have broken the rules. His freedom, his adventure, it had too high a price. The damp air carried the scent of salt, and nothing else. Lance breathed deep, and watched the curling mist rise from the cooling sand, until it dissipated into the dark sky, just like him.

They would find her, he was certain. He made a promise to himself, one that would be broken on this same beach, under the hot sun.

Smoke curls twisted, reaching for the grey sky. Lance watched through the ceiling high windows, laying on his back in the observation deck with his arms behind his head, slowly rising from his meditation. His new tattoo throbbed under the bandage, and his heart beat a slow rhythm, unconstricted by the metal bands of his anxiety. He felt untethered, floating away without the weight of his fears, like he usually did right after meditating. The sun was setting, and the approaching night was held up by the neon glow of the many advertisements dotting the rusted skyline.

The sight outside was familiar. After two months, -two very hard months- Lance had the landscape of this view imprinted in his mind. The idealistic Lance from the past was gone, squeezed out of him by the hard hold this world had on his fate. But somehow, losing the innocence that was still buried under all his pain and guilt, was freeing. He was still upbeat when he wasn't berating himself, and Keith filled in many of the gaps he was still exploring in himself. Everything wasn't OK, the topic of his meditation was still troubling, but he was good enough.

As long as Keith was supporting him, and their bond was strong, he could keep going.

As if summoned by Lance's thoughts, Keith wandered into the room. His red hum buzzed brightly as he approached, and Lance sat up, careful not to pull at his new tattoo. Keith sat on the floor, and pressed into Lance's side. Like slipping into a cozy sweater, Lance pressed back. It was a common occurrence for Keith to slide up next to his boyfriend after meditation to reestablish their bond, ever since the first incident.

Lance looked down at the top of Keiths head, resting on his shoulder. Every spot their bodies touched was warm, and thrummed through his heart. He was so in love, and he knew Keith loved him back, even if they never said it out loud. He could feel it in his soul, or what he thought his soul felt like. Sometimes, Lance was sure that they were fated. That If they died, they would somehow find each other in the next life, Like the bond was always there, only dorment. It was something more than just the paladin bond, it felt different. Even if it was just fantasy, Lance was certain that Keith was it for him. No one would ever come after, if there would even be an after.

The thought rippled through him, a sudden stone in a calm pond. It was the first time he had directly acknowledged it, That he really didn't want anyone else, ever.

Keith lifted his head, and looked at Lance, no doubt having felt the flux of strong emotion. "Ace?" He questioned. His lips turned down, dragged by his concern.

Lance shifted to face him, and ran his hand through Keith's hair, pushing the blue head back, and it fell to the floor. He gripped the back of Keith's neck, and with a tug Lance claimed his lips. He poured his love, and reassurance into the kiss, and it rolled between them. Ocean waves and the heat of the sun. Then Lance pulled back, looking into Keith's glazed eyes. "Your hair is getting long," he pointed out.

Keith blinked, confused. "What?"

Lance smirked, loving that he could kiss Keith's head empty like that. "Let me braid it for you," He suggested. Quietly, He was offering himself with the simple request.

"Ummm, sure." Keith didn't have any context, but seemed to feel through the bond that this was important.

Lance turned his boyfriend, facing front to back, and crossed his legs. At first Keith was a little tense, his shoulders lifted. But after a minute of Lance stroking his long fingers through soft black hair, he relaxed. Somehow this felt more intimate than anything else they had done. It was probably because of the strong significance that Lance was sending out, unintentionally.

Lance started on one side, french braising half of the hair to the back of Keith's head, then he held it in place with the headband as a makeshift hair tie. They remained completely silent, as Lance began work on the other side. He was weaving himself into every strand, giving over everything to Keith. His fingers shook slightly, and he was sure Keith could feel it. A tingle of confusion trickled from the red stream, prodding Lance. But Keith didn't push, and submitted to Lance's grooming.

When he finished the braids, Lance secured them both at the back of Keiths head, using headband as a scrunchie. But he didn't let Keith turn around, instead he wrapped his arms around Keith's shoulders and buried his face in his pale neck.

"I love you," Lance whispered, his lips brushing the smooth, perfect skin.

A hot flush rushed up Keith's neck, warming Lance's already red face. But it was the crashing inferno of emotions that barreled down the bond that made him sit up. Keith turned in his arms, pinning him with wide eyes, and a slightly parted mouth.

Lance's heart raced, beating a tattoo of fear and anticipation. He expected a response of some type, not the seconds of silence that passed. When the flood of hot emotions was becoming unbearable, Keith moved. He threw himself forward, and tackled Lance to the floor, his face pressed firmly into Lance's chest.

"I love you too, you idiot!" He yelled, relief and honestly overwhelmed them both.

Lance hugged him back. "you scared me for a second," he admitted.

Keith suddenly sat up, glared down, and with his open hand he slapped Lance's Shoulder. "What do you mean I scared you!? You can feel that I love you, you fucking dumbass!"

"Ouch! Fuck Keith, that hurt!" Lance rubbed his abused and bandaged body.

Keith pulled his hands back, "Shit! Sorry, I forgot about your tattoo." He took a breath, and leaned back over, with his hands on either side of Lance's head. "It's just, I've loved you for so long, and I thought you knew that you could feel it in the bond. But then you never said anything! And then I doubted that what I felt from you was love… and so I didn't say anything…" He trailed off, as if just realizing how dumb his explanation sounded.

Lance laughed, completely uncontrolled. He couldn't help it, this was just too good. Keith sat up, still straddling Lance, and crossed his arms, pouting. "It's not funny…" he whined.

Lance clutched his stomach, gasping. "Yes~ it~ it is!" He took a breath, and tried again. "It's like karma! For~ for not telling me~ you~ you're gay!" he broke down again, wheezing.

"I will slap your tattoo again, don't think I won't," Keith warned.

Lance managed to calm down, but was still smiling like a maniac. "You won't, because you love me!" He teased.

Keith pouted harder, but a shutter of affection shimmied through their minds and he sighed. "I do," he gave in.

"Good, me too," Lance sat up, forcing Keith into the circle of his legs, and hugged him. "You should take the braids out before Hunk sees, unless you want to answer a lot of awkward questions," he advised.

Keith leaned away and raised a brow, absolutely baffled. "You two have the weirdest friendship."

Lance shrugged. "Yeah, it's a rare… uuuuuhhh. I forgot the word… in english. He racked his brain, but couldn't recall what he wanted. "Fenómeno? You know when something is… exists, but is weird?"

Keith looked thoughtful, then snapped his fingers. "Phenomenon? It's like an event or situation without a known cause."

"Yeah, that! The words sound alike." Lance nodded to himself, committing the it to memory. He chuckled and pulled Keith back to his chest, content to hold him. Their minds brushed closer, and whispered thoughts of love.

oOoOo

The team disbanded after the first rough plan was set. Pidge was confident that they could hack the cameras in the Yeppeo One bar, allowing Keith to be closely monitored during the mission. Lance would also be stationed in Yeppeo One, as hidden sniper backup. He was only slightly mollified by this, but it was better than being in the castle with everyone else, very far away from Keith.

Now, after endlessly pestering Keith about his mental state, and showering him with loving affection, Lance was half asleep. The edge of his mind blurred against the edge of Keith's. The purple haze between their thoughts was warm, and filled with affection. It traveled all through Lance's body, heating every bit it touched.

Keith was curled around Lance from behind, and the arm he had draped over Lance slowly moved down. Keith's hand suddenly splayed flat against Lance's stomach, pulling him back against a firm chest. A light kiss on the back of the neck, sent the comforting purple bond shooting down, and flaring up into a red heat. A breathy sound escaped Lance, and Keith kissed his neck harder, pressing into the skin with his teeth. They groaned in joined pleasure, it sloshed between them, seemingly endless.

Lance turned in Keith's arms, but continued to roll until he was on top. He kissed Keith, soft, and slow. It always sent a string of embarrassment through the bond when Lance cherished him like this, but it was weaved with happiness. Lance slid his mouth to Keith's jaw, and then to his neck, trailing small kisses. The hips below him bucked up, and he could feel how hard Keith was, eager and aggressive, but longing to be loved.

Lance always liked to take his time at first, to remind Keith how much he was wanted. But he always lost his cool, unable to resist the smooth skin that was stretched out under him. The second time Keith pressed his hips up, he let out a small, needy sound, and it undid Lance. With a swift moment, he flipped Keith over, with no protest from his partner. Lance ground himself against Keith's ass, and moaned. He could feel his own breath against Keith's ear, as the sensation looped between them.

"Ace…" the name was a pleading gasp.

Lance pulled back enough to slide himself out of the front of his boxers, and pulled down Keith's bottoms enough to reveal his ass. With practiced ease, Lance reached into his bedside drawer and pulled out a small bottle. He flipped the cap, while letting his throbbing length settle between Keith's cheeks, grinding down for good measure, earning a gasp. Distracted for a moment, Lance forgot the lube and used his other hand to push Keith's shirt up, because Lance loved the toned plains of his boyfriend's back. He leaned down to place a kiss, and maybe a bite, and paused.

There was something on Keith's skin…

It was a splotchy purple mark the size of a fist, and immediately Lance was angry. He was filled with icy rage. He pulled back, put his boxers back on properly, and grabbed Keith's hips so he could lean in for a closer look.

"Ace?" All of the raspy need fled Keith's voice. He tried to turn over, but Lance held him in place.

"Who did this?" Lance ran his hand over the mark. It didn't feel the same as the rest of Keith's skin… Weird.

"Did what?!" Keith was confused, and becoming irritated. He pushed back, freeing himself from Lance's hold and pulled his bottoms back up. He turned around and pinned Lance with a glare that demanded an explanation.

"What do you mean? There's a huge bruise on your back!" Lance tried to keep his cool, but his voice was rising. Just the thought of someone hurting Keith sent him off the deep end. He never thought he would have such a protective streak, but the longer he was with Keith, the worse it got. He took a calming breath. "We have to go tell Saeg, Yep-nari aren't allowed to be touched while working. We can get whoever it was locked up for this." Lance started to get up, but was pulled back by a tug on his shirt.

"No one touched me." Keith was truly baffled, and Lance could tell it wasn't an act.

Another thought drifted to Lance, but he didn't want to consider it. How would Keith react if that were the case? "Are you sure?" he asked, worry wavered his voice.

Keith sighed, exasperated. "Considering how angry you are, it's not a small mark. I think I would've noticed getting it."

Lance's mind was racing, and it grabbed at the scene from that morning, when he tried to clean a small dot off of Keith's face. A swoop of panic made Lance's stomach drop, and Keith reacted to it, his breath catching. "Why are you freaking out?" He demanded.

"I'm not," Lance tried to lie, despite knowing Keith would feel it.

"Yes you are," Keith insisted.

Lance had to know. Without responding he grabbed Keith's face to hold it still and leaned in for a closer look. The dot was still there, and now that Lance was looking for it, he could see the purple tint. He thought back on something Allura had said on their first day here, something he never really stopped thinking about since he felt it everyday…

'Just as coming in contact with too much pure quintessence can cause sudden changes to a living thing, having no contact can do the same, only slower.'

Lance had a sinking suspicion he knew what was happening.

"Fuck…"