A/N: lemme preface this by saying that I've only written 2 and a bit chapters so far but I think this is going to be my favourite hehe

Lance wakes up to a soft, purple glow. He sits up slowly, still feeling groggy, and runs his fingers through his hair. He looks around him, and, right, he's back in space. Some of the hesitance from the previous night comes back, but then his eyes land on a set of folded clothes placed at the foot of his bed, and he perks up immediately. Keith pulled through! He eagerly starts to put on the uniform, but there are so many layers and pieces, that he ends up staring at them perplexed. He glances at the mirror, and jumps when he sees his own reflection. He thought he'd managed to get most of the parts on right, but he honestly just looks like a mess. He pulls everything off in frustration, then glares at it. He doesn't want to ask Keith for help, just the thought of having him dress him makes his face heat up, and he isn't familiar with anyone else here. In the end, he decides to try again. He's smart, he's got this. He will figure it out.

And he does. After many attempts, and a short break in which Lance lied face down on his pillow and screamed, he is now wearing the Blade of Marmora uniform. He can't take all the credit though, he found an image with instructions where his uniform once sat following his mental breakdown, and followed it like his life depended on it. He looks at his arms, then glances down, and thinks he probably looks super cool. His suspicions are confirmed when he stands in front of the mirror. Suddenly, he believes he understands the confidence Keith has in himself now. If Lance looked like this all the time, he wouldn't ever doubt himself either. He feels smug, and spends maybe a little too long admiring himself in the mirror. He flexes his muscles a bit, but that's mostly as a joke. At least, that's what he tells himself. When he's finally satisfied, he heads out his room to find Keith.

It's Keith who gets to Lance first. Lance ended up getting lost, and had to ask a Blade where Keith was after finally admitting to himself that he wouldn't be able to work his way through this maze. They told him they'd get him for him, and now he's just awkwardly waiting. Although, he is pondering something. When he was talking to the Blade, they were kind of… staring at him. They gave him a once-over before walking away, and it left Lance confused. He doubts it's because of what he's wearing, he's pretty sure it's standard for anyone who works for the Marmora, whether that be permanently or not. He's racking his brain over this, because he doesn't want to accidentally have missed some new space formality. He still doesn't get it, until he sees Keith approach him, and that's when he realises. It's the type of uniform he's wearing.

Keith's uniform is different to that of the other Blades. He has additional parts, extra material crossed over his chest and hanging over his shoulders. There's another piece of fabric wrapped around his waist, looking like half of a cape but also like a skirt. It denotes his position as a leader. It makes him stand out.

Lance looks down at himself, and notices he's wearing the exact same thing. Or, close to it. He only has one sash crossed over his chest, showing half of his chest plate with the purple luminescence. He also has the cape-skirt thing, but it's a lot shorter. It must imply some position of power as well, which explains why the Blade was looking at him strangely. He, a complete newbie, a stranger to all these Blades, wears a uniform that tells them he is superior to them. He goes wide eyed, jaw dropping, and he's honestly a little scared. When Keith reaches him, Lance points at him, then directs the finger to himself.

"Why… I'm not meant to be wearing this, am I?" Lance is sort of freaking out. He feels like he's breaking some kind of rule, shattering a hierarchy that has been set in place. He thinks there's been some kind of mistake, but Keith simply shrugs, like it's not a big deal at all.

"Not really, I suppose. You wanted it though, so the rules don't matter."

This shocks Lance. He's frozen in place, trying to process Keith's words. He's not particularly surprised about Keith breaking the rules, in fact it gives Lance a sense of calm that he still does it, however he doesn't know how to feel about Keith doing it for him. A warmth starts to ignite in his stomach because of it, but he puts it out. He doesn't want to think about what it implies. Another moment passes before Keith breaks the silence. He tries to comfort Lance, but it sounds a bit like he's trying to convince himself as well.

"It's still different to mine, though. The split in that," he gestures at the fabric covering their legs, "goes opposite directions. And I have an extra triangle here," he touches his chest. Lance compares their outfits again, and feels Keith watching him. He glances back up, and finds the leader appearing timid. "Look," Keith doesn't meet his eyes, "I can take it back if it makes you uncomfortable."

At this, Lance's emotions change completely. He interjects "no!" maybe too forcefully, Keith jumps, but it gets his point across. He didn't mean to make Keith feel like he overstepped any bounds, especially when he was doing something Lance wanted. "It's not bad at all. Sorry if I made you think otherwise. Thanks for getting it for me," he smiles in an attempt to lighten the mood, and he mentally high fives himself when the corners of Keith's lips curl up. "Besides, have you seen me? I look bomb in this." He strikes a pose for Keith. He laughs.

"Yeah," Keith says as he turns around, "you really do."

Lance's steps falter. He feels himself blush, and then the heat spreads throughout his entire being. He's not exactly a stranger to receiving compliments, but to have Keith compliment him… It's something that would've made his teenage self go crazy. In fact, he feels himself going a little crazy right now. He doesn't know why receiving Keith's validation is so important to him, or why it has such a profound effect. He wants to attribute it to the rivalry they used to have, but that wouldn't exactly explain why it makes him feel this way now. He shakes the thought aside, then jogs to catch up to Keith. He doesn't want to have Keith turn around and see the redness in his cheeks.

The Blade of Marmora head out to a planet not too far from their home base, and Lance rides with Keith. He's offered the pilot's seat, but declines. He hasn't properly flown anything in a while, much less in space. He'll give it a shot later though, he says, once he's settled into everything a bit more. Once they land, Keith tells him a bit about this place as they walk.

It's a relatively small planet, and even with that, there's a large area that's uninhabitable, so the population is really small. They were mostly left alone during the war, due to their lack of resources and numbers, however when the Galra arrived, they still caused a lot of destruction before leaving. They were able to back on their feet, but conditions weren't optimal. They couldn't contact anyone for help either, because their technology wasn't advanced, but the Blade of Marmora found them after the war and provided the last bit of support they needed. They now check back every few phoebs, to give out supplies, and to carry out maintenance on the devices they installed. It's not much work though, so there won't be a lot to do.

Lance listens intently as Keith speaks. He sounds passionate, like he really cares about the inhabitants, and Lance doesn't doubt that he does. A village soon comes into view, and Blades immediately launch into action. They transport crates containing foods, medical supplies, and materials for various purposes. Some carry tool boxes with them and approach different structures and houses. They talk with the citizens at the same time, and there are smiles all around. Lance turns to ask Keith what he can do, but he's interrupted by someone launching themselves at Keith. He panics for a moment, hand reaching for where his bayard would've materialised, but stops short when he hears Keith chuckle, and sees a flurry of movement heading towards them.

The two of them are now surrounded by what Lance belatedly realises is a group of children. They huddle around Keith, glancing up at him with glee in their eyes, shouting greetings and speaking over one another. Keith grins, now carrying the first child at his hip, and he leans down to hug everyone else separately. Some of them fling their arms around his neck, and others simply melt in his embrace. Lance watches, baffled. Keith, the once-lone wolf, is good with children. They love him. The warmth from before comes back, and it softens him. He subconsciously smiles at the sight before him, but at the same time there's a pang of something he feels like is jealousy. He pushes the feeling away. He isn't envious of a bunch of kids. He does feel like an outsider, though. He's being completely ignored by the group, and Keith is too busy paying attention to them. He's about to step aside to go help someone else, when a small voice speaks up.

"Keef, who's this!" Lance feels a tug, and looks down to see someone holding onto him.

Immediately, all eyes turn to Lance. He freezes, unsure of what to do or say. In the end, he gives a shy smile and waves. And with that, chaos erupts. The children run up to Lance now, inspecting him with big eyes, asking more questions he isn't sure whether they're meant for him or Keith.

"Is he new?"

"Why hasn't he been here before?"

"How come your face is funny?"

"Where are you from?"

"Tell us!" They chant the last one together for a while, their united voices sounding a bit like something from a horror movie. He stares desperately at Keith, hoping he'll do something, and to his relief, he does.

"Okay, okay," Keith puts the child at his hip down, then stands beside Lance. "This is Lance, he's also a former-Paladin. He's from Earth too." The group is silent for a second, they look at one another, then at the two of them, before there's a chorus of voices again.

"What colour was he?"

"Why is he taller than you?"

"Is he staying?"

"Can I hug him too?"

"Are you together?"

That one startles Lance, and he whips head around to Keith, but he can't read anything from the neutral expression he wears.

"Blue, then red. First of all, we are practically the same height, but I don't know. He's just volunteering, so no. Maybe, if you ask him nicely." He pauses before answering the last one, then tilts his head as he does, "what, why would you say that?" He doesn't reply to the question directly, neither does he deny nor confirm it. Lance can't figure out the tone of his voice either, so he doesn't know how Keith feels about it. He doesn't want to admit it, but he was nervous, waiting for Keith's response. He's anxious, even now. He finds that he really wants to know what Keith thinks about the idea of them dating, even though he doesn't actually like him that way. He's also curious as to why the children would think that; he wonders whether they appear that way to outsiders. It makes him toy with the concept of what it'd be like if they were together.

"Your clothes match!"

Ah, the uniform thing again. Lance thinks that Keith might be regretting it now, but if he does, he doesn't show it. Instead, he laughs.

"Well, all those other Blades' clothes match, do you think they're all dating too?" The kids shake their heads. "Lance and I aren't dating either. However," he makes direct eye contact with Lance, and speaks with conviction, "he is someone very special to me. He's always had my back," Keith finishes off delicately. He gives a small smile before looking away.

Lance feels like a strong gust of wind has just blown past him. He's left dazed, and he thinks Keith is talking with the children again, but he's zoned out so he doesn't know for sure. He's too busy thinking about… Keith. It's not the first time Lance has heard Keith say what he said. In fact, he told him the exact same thing on their final night on Earth before they went back into space again. The part before that though, that's new. Lance tells himself not to overthink it. They were Paladins; they've melded their minds together before; they had a bond that transcends anything else in reality. Of course they are special to each other. That's all he means. Except… Someone's tugging at him again. He kneels to greet the child this time, pats them on the head and gives them a warm smile. He says hi, but they don't say anything back. He's okay with it. Maybe they're just shy.

"Keith," Lance hears from somewhere behind him, "can you tell us the story again?"

"Which story?"

"You know which one! The one you always tell us!" This intrigues Lance. He didn't know Keith was a storyteller. He wants to listen as well, to see what tale Keith shares with these children. It must be interesting, if they ask for it every time.

"Alright," Keith sits down, and everyone crawls towards him. It reminds him of a preschool. He's about to stand back up and observe from the outskirts, when Keith beckons him over. "Lance, you can join in too. Provide some new input." Lance does as he's told, taking his place beside Keith. He isn't sure he'll know the story Keith is going to tell, though, so he's a bit worried. However, when Keith starts, Lance stares at him wide-eyed. He didn't expect this. Of all the things, he never expected it would be a story about them.

"Here's the story of how the universe was saved."

"… And after Voltron defeated Sendak, they thought that was it. But then this Robeast landed on Earth, and it was stronger than any other they had fought before.

"It turns out that the real enemy all along was a witch, named Haggar. Not Zarkon, not Lotor, not Sendak. She used to be called Honerva, and she was Altean. She too had been infected by Quintessence, and it was what made her evil. She was the one who created all the previous Robeasts. She was the one who controlled the Druids. She was capable of dark, dark, magic. And she was powerful. But, she also had a son, and for him, she was prepared to sacrifice the universe.

"After the Galra Empire started falling, she went to Oriande, a realm containing the origins of Altean alchemy. There, she was Haggar no more. She became Honerva again, and began her mission to get her son back.

"She managed to retrieve her son from the Quintessence Field, but he suffered almost irreparable damage. In order to revive him, she travelled across realities to find a rift of pure Quintessence. She was able to, and she brought him back, however her actions destroyed all but one reality.

"Team Voltron met with the two of them in the connected consciousness of all existence. If they didn't act soon, that last reality would cease to exist as well. Everything, everyone, would be gone. Honerva was distraught. She'd gone through so much trouble to get Lotor back, and it was going to be all for nothing. She almost wanted to give up. Even if they saved the one reality, it would still be filled with pain and suffering. But, Queen Allura, who was still only a princess then, had a solution.

"The princess had been to Oriande before as well, with Lotor. There, they learnt how to transform Quintessence from a destructive force into a life-giving force. They could use the Quintessence from Honerva's vessel to restore all the realities, and sacrifice Voltron as well. The Paladins were hesitant about it at first. Voltron was the greatest weapon, and without it, any evil could destroy the universes they just brought back. However, Allura assured them it would be okay. Voltron wouldn't be needed anymore. With this, they could bring peace and prosperity to all realities.

"There was something else she hadn't told them. The Quintessence from their ships wouldn't be enough. She would have to give some of her life force. Lotor and Honerva would have to do so as well. And, because they had once been exposed to Quintessence, they could give a lot more of it. It would also get rid of the last bits of evil in them. The three of them knew the risks, but decided it would be worth it. They knelt, and started to transfer Quintessence. It was similar to the ceremonies Alteans performed on Balmera. The Paladins watched on, anxious. It seemed like nothing was happening, and the three looked to be on the verge of collapsing. In fact, Allura had fainted, but before any Paladins could reach her, there was this bright, bright light.

"When the Paladins came to again, they were aboard the Atlas. Or at least, the part of the Atlas that had merged with Voltron. The Red Paladin composed himself first, and immediately went to find his girlfriend. The others followed suit, searching for Honerva and Lotor as well. They were found unconscious, but otherwise okay. While they were taken to the medical bay, the Green Paladin checked the controls, and confirmed that they were back in their own reality. The three of them had done it. The universe was saved.

"And it wasn't just that. The Yellow Paladin looked out the window and spotted two planets that he swore weren't there before. He pointed it out to the Black Paladin and the commander of Atlas, and they marvelled at the sight as well. It took them a moment to realise, but it was actually Altea and Daibazaal. They had been restored!

"Since then, planets have started undergoing restoration, people have started rebuilding their civilisations, and communications across the universe have become a lot more frequent. Every species is working closely with each other now, as we all occupy the same space, and so the efforts of those who helped end the war don't go to waste."

The way Keith talks makes it seem like he's telling a fictional story. The way the children react only further feeds into that image. They show big reactions at Keith's words. They gasp when there's a surprise or plot twist; they clutch at each other when Keith tells them about scary events; and they cheer when Keith announces victories.

As Lance listens, he nearly forgets for a moment that he's in the story. That he lived through all of this. It almost doesn't seem real; his life now is so quiet and uneventful compared to the years he spent with Voltron. Although, he knows that if he was given the option, he wouldn't trade it for anything in the world, in the universe. The experiences he went through helped him grow, they matured him into the person he is today. He became close to a group of people he considers a second family, and he gained an abundance of knowledge he never would've at school.

After the story is done, some of the kids raise their hands to ask questions. Most of them are small, or silly questions. They want to know what kind of food they ate, how much fun they got to have each day, and whether they were good students at school. One of them, though is more insightful.

"What happened to the bad guys?"

"Well, they aren't exactly bad anymore. Remember when they had to transfer the Quintessence? That was what led to Honerva and Lotor being evil, so after that whole thing was done, they became as if they had never been infected in the first place. Of course, that doesn't automatically pardon their crimes. Their actions resulted in almost ten thousand years of suffering. People lost their homes, their families, their entire species.

"However, the princess had a heart of gold, even back then. She was always able to see that there was still good in people. She allowed them to do what they did best, research. Honerva had practically destroyed Oriande, and so much of the knowledge on Altean alchemy was lost. They are now creating a new Oriande of sorts, some place where information can be stored. They're recording everything they previously knew about Altean alchemy, and conducting new experiments to discover new things. That way, they will be able to pass on the skills to new generations, and continue the Altean legacy."

Keith explains everything so intricately, yet in a way that the children will be able to understand, and Lance finds himself paying careful attention too. That's why he's caught off guard when Keith turns to him, and asks if he missed anything. He shakes his head no, and says that he thinks Keith got it all. Keith then goes back to entertaining the kids, but Lance feels bad for not having actually contributed much. He wanted to, but Keith was very detailed, and Lance had been entranced by him.

When storytime concludes, it's just about time to head back as well. Keith goes to talk with the village chief, and Lance helps out with the last bit of supplies, apologising to various people he comes across for not having done anything before. They all tell him it's okay, giving him a pat on the back once he's done. Some of the inhabitants actually tease him, saying that they understand why he would rather be with Keith. He waves his hands at this, informing them it really isn't like that, but they cock their heads at him. "Why else is he so happy, then?" they ask, and Lance can't provide an explanation. He'd never truly seen Keith be carefree like this before, so he didn't know that he was even more cheerful than normal. He doesn't know what to do with the fact he's believed to be the cause, either.

Once everything is completed, the Blades bid farewell, and they head out. On the way back to their ship, Lance tells Keith that he's the children's hero. From what Lance saw, they absolutely adored and idolised him. Keith just shrugs it off, saying he really isn't, but Lance insists that he is.

"They look up to you, man. I mean, who wouldn't though? You're a leader, and you were the Black Paladin of Voltron. You have insane fighting skills, you can dual wield swords, and not to mention the fact that—" Lance cuts himself off. He was about to tell Keith he was attractive. To his face. And he had said a lot more than he intended to as well. All he wanted to do was explain why Keith was hero material. He didn't mean to say out loud all the observations he's made over the years. He's afraid to look over at Keith, but does it eventually after receiving no response.

He's kind of just… looking at Lance, mouth opened slightly. He regains his composure once Lance quirks an eyebrow at him.

"Wow, thanks. Didn't know you thought all that of me." And then he smirks, causing Lance to hang his head. He's embarrassed, but he's also blushing because he thought Keith looked really good just then. His face only burns hotter when Keith speaks again. "You're a hero too, Lance. Don't you ever forget that." Lance forces himself to look up, but Keith has already gone on ahead. He takes a moment to still the beating of his heart, then continues walking too. He doesn't attempt to hide his smile though, he wouldn't be able to even if he tried.

A/N: How did the clothes end up in Lance's room? Well, maybe Keith had gotten up super early, and went to deliver them to Lance, but he wasn't awake. He could've left them at the foot of the door, but he was just slightly afraid something happened, so he opened the door to check in on him.

I cried… so many times writing this because… BOM uniforms look SO good… keith looks SO good wearing it… can you just imagine lance wearing it too? and they both look so FUCKING BOMB standing there together like POWER COUPLE! sdhfjsdkjfhksdjhfkjsd

also um… I'm hoping this doesn't happen hopefully I can pull through but I'm just gonna warn you guys that there may be a longer wait between this update and the next. I really want to write something for kags' birthday on sat and also banana fish finale is friday so… I'm aiming to finish ch3 before then and upload that sunday or monday, write ch4 in the meantime, and start ch5 (still don't really know what'll happen in it lol). I really don't want to keep you guys waiting long so I shall try my best but if it doesn't work out, here's me apologising in advance.

(as usual feel free to review, my tumblr is riskeith if you wanna hmu)