AN: Still based around season 1, ep 2
I'm assuming if you're reading this you know Pidge's secret. But Pidge has not told anyone yet.
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"I'm dead."
Hunk barely had enough energy to glance behind him. Lance was lying on the ground of the training floor with his eyes closed and his blue bayard out of hand's reach. By magic, Shiro and Keith had gotten up and were already out the door. Pidge called Rover in to help get up while Hunk was left to pull himself up one joint at a time.
And Lance...was now curled up into a ball.
"Come on Lance. We can't eat unless everyone's there. Paladin rule."
Lance let out an exaggerated whine. "Can't Blue come get me?"
"Dude, the lion won't fit through the doorway."
"Like a doorway's gonna stop my Blue." Pause. "Can we call the lions?" He uncurled his arm to look for a 'lion pager' on his screen.
Hunk sighed. "The Princess will kill you if you wreck her castle."
"Nah." The Blue Paladin grinned. "She loves me."
"Nothing she has done has indicated that."
"She left blue lion slippers for me." Lance turned his head to show Hunk his wagging eyebrows. "In my room. I think that's a sign."
"First off, Coran's probably the one that left them. Second, we all got slippers." Hunk grunted as he slowly walked back to Lance. "You're the only one dumb enough to wear them outside of your room."
"Hey!"
Hunk dropped his head. That was a little mean. "Sorry. I'm just really hungry."
"And I'm tired."
"So am I man." The Yellow Paladin grabbed Lance's right wrist. "Come on, give me the other."
Slowly Lance lifted his left arm. Hunk took it and pulled him up to a sitting position. He took a long breath and then pulled Lance up to his knees.
"Almost there amigo."
Hunk gave Lance a little glower and then yanked him up the rest of the way. Lance yelped as he stumbled onto his feet.
"Dios! That was too hard!"
"Sorry," came Hunk's unapologetic response.
It didn't deter Lance enough to sling an arm around Hunk's shoulders for support.
"So what do your slippers look like?"
"Like the yellow lion," Hunk grinned. "You are tired."
"Don't need to tell me twice." They slowly dragged themselves through the doorway of the training room. "I bet Keith's look ugly with like a bazillion fangs and spikes."
Hunk laughed and then stopped suddenly.
"Lance, did you get your bayard?"
Lance showed his empty hand. Both groaned and then wearily turned back to the training room.
"Thanks buddy."
Hunk grunted as he fixed Lance's arm on his shoulders. "What are friends for?"
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The way to the dining room felt longer than usual.
Keith rolled his neck as he walked a few steps behind Shiro. Damn Gladiator was still set at a child's level and they were no closer to beating it. Shiro could probably beat it alone if he didn't faze out still. A frown appeared on his face. None of them knew what their leader went through. The scar on his face and the metal arm were only clues to what happened with the Galra. The older pilot just needed time to adjust. Keith didn't mind watching his back until then.
It was the least he could do.
"Great sword blocking in practice today."
Keith gave a half shrug. "My footing's still crap."
Shiro let out a sound of agreement. "A little but you'll learn. You're a quick study."
The teen felt a twinge of guilt. "Shiro, about getting booted from the Garrison - "
"- It's in the past," Shiro gave him a reassuring look. "Focus on your time here."
"I-I can't. Not yet."
Shiro looked back. "Keith?"
The dark haired teen had his head down and his fists clenched at his sides.
"I'm grateful you didn't ask why I was booted," Keith quietly murmured, "and I can't even express how grateful I was to have you as a mentor - me, the problem kid." He looked up with a deep frown on his face. "I want to explain why I got kicked out...but I can't even think of what it was exactly. It's just, when they said you guys were missing...I just - "
"Hey, it's ok. You don't have to," came Shiro's reassurance. Again.
Suddenly, furious fire lit Keith's eyes. It was as if it had been burning inside him for too long without any proper release and had only been building up, up...
"They said it was pilot error. From the Garrison's top pilot? It was complete crap but everyone went along with it! All the students, the teachers - even the freaking head of the program! I was just so angry all the time - I couldn't stop it, couldn't control what came out of my mouth! How could they dismiss you guys so easily?!"
He gasped in air as it was finally let out.
"They have a limit to attitude problems so...I was kicked out."
Shiro stayed quiet. Finally, he lifted his hand up and lightly ruffled Keith's hair.
"You're a good kid."
Keith let out an indistinguishable grunt. "Think Iverson would disagree."
Shiro gave him a crooked smile. "You're a decent kid." He roughly ruffled Keith's hair so that too much was in his face. "That better?"
He pushed Shiro's hand away so he could fix his hair. "Barely."
Shiro only grinned. "Come on. I'm actually in the mood for food goo."
"If Lance can get his lazy butt off the floor."
"There might be a wait then," Shiro joked along.
They walked in companionable silence for a bit until Keith spoke up.
"Shiro?"
"Yeah?"
"Could you mentor me again?"
"Isn't that what we're doing?"
Keith let loose a half smile. "I guess so."
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Pidge was the first to arrive.
She hadn't expected that. "Rover, where is everyone?"
The little pyramid glowed green and then made some electronic chirps. A light green screen appeared as Rover accessed the castle's surveillance feeds. Pidge watched as Shiro and Keith were standing in a hallway talking, then it switched to Hunk mostly dragging Lance out of the training room as Lance cried over his bayard, followed by Coran slapping some green goo onto plates while singing something she could only assume was in Altean.
They were all so weird sometimes.
The feed switched to Allura walking down the hallway to the dining room, complete with dress and tiara. She told Rover to cut the feeds. The last thing she wanted was for Allura to know that she could hack into her castle. Pidge rolled her eyes a little at the word 'castle.'
"If the people you lead are gone can you still be considered royalty?"
Rover chirped and swayed in her face.
"I'm not trying to be mean. It's just a question." Pause. "But does she have to wear the tiara all the time? She probably sleeps with it on."
Rover chirped long.
"Alright alright I'll knock it off!"
The door to the dining room slid open. "Oh Pidge, good to see you. Where are the others?"
Pidge shrugged as she propped her feet. "They should be here soon."
Allura paused at the head of the table. "Do you have to do that?"
"Do what?"
"Your feet."
Pidge slid them off slowly. Allura looked partially mollified.
"I'll see how Coran's doing in the kitchen."
"Ok."
Allura left. Pidge put her feet back up on the table.
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AN: I don't plan to do scene for scene, just heads up. I'll try to indicate where the story is at so there's minimal confusion.