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Ever since Lance woke up there was always someone around him.
His family was big so it was nothing new to him. He actually welcomed it with a smile and a laugh. A huge part of him fed off of all the attention. But when Shiro, the top pilot of the Garrison aka the whole Earth, pulled him aside it was something entirely new. He was sure it was going to be a scolding about his recent flirtation with the Princess. His mouth had a mind of its own. He really couldn't get anyone to understand and accept that fact.
"Coran says you saved him when the crystal exploded."
"I just pushed him away from it."
Shiro looked him straight in the eye with a smile. "I'm proud of you."
Lance's eyes were wide at that. I don't think I've heard him say that to anyone else. Not even wonder boy Keith, the right hand of Voltron. His confidence surged to new levels. He focused back to Shiro as his gaze turned serious, almost as if Shiro could read the teen's thoughts.
"Don't let it go to your head."
"Yeah. Sure."
He walked away with his chest puffed up and his head held high. He felt indestructible. People were filtering in and taking their seats for the launch. When Allura came in he swiftly turned in his seat to address her.
"Hey Princess."
"Hello Lance. How are you feeling?"
"Like a genuine hero," he let loose a half cocked grin, "Have you ever had dinner with one?"
Slowly, Allura turned forward to where Shiro was sitting. Her brow quirked as she looked at him expectantly. Already ahead of her the Black Paladin turned towards Lance, shooting him a silent warning look through the visor of his helmet. The teen had the grace to look scolded.
Appeased, Allura raised her multitude of holo-screens. "Coran, are the engines ready?"
"Pulling up their screens now Princess."
Shiro listened attentively as the Alteans readied for launch. The pilot in him was very curious how a ship this size was prepped for flight. The others did not listen, choosing instead to lovingly pick on their fellow paladin while he was down.
"Someone got schooled," Hunk said in a loud whisper.
There were snickers from Pidge and an amused shake of Keith's head.
"And someone's got a ball and chain after one visit," Lance quipped.
Hunk pouted. "Shay's just a friend. How many times do I have to say it?"
"Until you stop denying she's your girlfriend," Pidge egged on.
"Come on Pidge! I thought fellow techies looked out for one another."
"You're an engineer. I'm a communications officer."
"Technically we're all paladins," Keith added in, "so who cares what your title was at the Garrison."
Lance haughtily sighed. "Spoken like a true dropout."
"You're all dropouts." Keith crossed his arms. "Or did you really think the Garrison's going to take you back after all this?"
"Har har. Nice try mullet."
"...Would the Garrison take us back?" Hunk lightly frowned. "I mean, we are missing classes."
"Yeah, but we're saving the universe," Lance defended.
"They don't know that," Keith scoffed. "They don't know crap."
At this point those readying for launch caught wind of the conversation. Allura and Coran shared a look. Neither one knew what exactly the Garrison was, but by the way they referred to it they could make assumptions. Allura glanced at Shiro but he didn't see it. He was merely watching them.
"...We probably won't," Pidge murmured. "But honestly, if I had to choose...I'd pick Voltron over the Garrison."
Lance and Hunk stared at Pidge. She was the first one that wanted to leave. Then, slow smiles appeared on each of their faces.
"There's nothing like Voltron," Hunk agreed.
"I'd pick Blue any day."
Keith leaned back, satisfied.
Coran beamed at the responses of the others and turned to Allura to share her joy. But she was looking at Shiro's face, his expression unreadable. They've been through a lot these past couple of quntants. She honestly did trust his word when he said he would help, when they vowed in the infirmary to try harder, to be better teammates and leaders of this mismatched group that somehow fit together as if by design...
But a niggling feeling was nudging her, keeping her from being completely at ease.
"Are we ready for launch?"
She blinked, seeing that it was Shiro addressing her. "Just about."
He frowned a little in question. She gave him a small, reassuring smile. His eyes assessed her expression but could not see what was the issue. Partly mollified, he turned back to the front windows of the observation deck. She pushed aside the uneasiness, choosing to go over what her father told her about launching the ship. Her fingers glided across the screens, seeing nothing wrong.
"Brace for launch," she called out.
Answering their first distress signal did not go as Allura thought it would. As if anyone could have predicted this, Allura sighed to herself as Shiro's eye twitched.
"What happened again?" Keith voiced out in his helmet's comms in heavy disbelief.
"I was flying Nyma around in Blue but kind of...lost her."
" 'Her' as in Nyma or the Lion?" Pidge asked.
"Both."
"Where are you now?" Shiro asked.
"I...have no idea. I'm just tied to a tree."
"Oh Lance," Allura softly groaned.
Shiro took a couple of seconds to rub his forehead. "Can you get loose?"
"I'm not a magician Shiro."
"..."
"Sorry. Just kind of anxious."
"Sit tight. We'll go after Rolo then figure out a way to find you."
"Thanks Shiro."
"Lance."
"Yeah?"
"We'll need to talk afterwards."
"...Ok."
Having Lance's team find him handcuffed to a tree was probably one of the most embarrassing things he had ever had happened to him, save for any embarrassing things he did as a toddler like eating his mom's flavored lip balm that was scented like candy but most certainly not edible and having that moment photographed for eternity.
Making his way to the observation deck for his meeting with Shiro was, by far, the most nerve wracking walk of his life. He seemed to be passing by everybody even the blasted mice. Hunk's grave "Vaya con Dios" did nothing to ease his mind. With such heightened nerves he nearly yelped when the sliding door whooshed closed behind him.
Directly in front of the windows stood Shiro with his back to him.
He felt like he was facing his final judgment, what with the darkness of space the courtroom and the tiny stars his jury for the trial. He walked as slowly as he dared. His shoes were too noisy. His hands were too clammy. His breath was way, way too shallow. He never really heard Shiro yell at anyone before.
Is today my lucky day?
...Even a joke in his head did nothing for his nerves.
He stopped about five feet away from Shiro. The Black Paladin did not turn around. He wiped his hands against his pants' leg, waited, then finally opened his big mouth.
"Nice weather huh?"
He really hated that he couldn't just wait a little while longer.
"We were in this room when I told you I was proud of you." Lance felt that sting, seeing where he was going with this. Shiro turned around, his hands folded behind his back. "I also told you to not let it go to your head."
Dios, just kill me now. The disappointment in his leader's eyes was like lead in Lance's soul.
"I know I messed up Shiro," Lance replied with a rasp.
"...I think you don't know."
"Shiro -"
Lance stopped himself upon seeing Shiro's hand raised. He brought it down when the talkative teen listened to the wordless order.
"All five Lions are needed to form Voltron. Which means each individual is responsible for their own Lion." Pause. "Rolo was going to give the Blue Lion to Zarkon. If Hunk hadn't placed a tracker on their ship...Your vanity trip could have cost us. The universe, actually."
"...I screwed up big time," Lance's head hung low, "Maybe...I wasn't cut out for this."
He felt Shiro's hand on his shoulder.
"You did mess up," he murmured in a slightly less stern voice, "but it doesn't mean you weren't meant to be here." Lance looked up at that. Shiro gave him a faint smile. "The Lion chooses its pilot, remember?"
"Yeah, I do."
"Good. Now get some rest cadet. We'll be all motion once we reach the Balmera."
"Ok." He was about to turn but then halted. "...Hey Shiro?"
Seeing the teen's expression Shiro moved his left arm to the side. "Come on buddy." Lance stepped in for a half embrace. Shiro felt him give his torso a tight squeeze. "You're a part of a team now. There's no room for solo performances."
"I know," came Lance's quiet response.
"But being on a team also means having support."
Lance smiled at that. "I know that too."
They disconnected. Lance left the room feeling a lot better about being a screw up. He didn't even notice Allura waiting outside the door. She was about to bid him a "good night" but the teen was clearly not aware of her presence. She took no offense to that. There was something else on her mind.
"Lance looks subdued but better. You're not the punishing type I take it?"
Shiro looked away from the windows with a soft hum.
"Not really."
She stood beside him, staring out into the window. "I cannot count the number of times I've seen you gazing out here."
He stared at the swirling purple and blue colors in the distance. "Space has had my interest since I was a child."
"It is entrancing." Pause. "Even overwhelming at times."
"Yes."
"You were the first pilot to fly to the furthest reaches of your star system, correct?"
"I was. Who told you?"
"No one. I simply overhead them talking."
He turned to look at her profile. "This isn't what you want to talk about."
"It is, in a way." She grabbed her elbows without realizing it. "I don't think I've heard you talk about Earth. Not like the others. Or the Garrison, whatever that is."
"The Galaxy Garrison is where we train for space exploration." His lips quirked a little. "I'm the only one that's completed my training, unfortunately."
She shared an amused look with him. "That does explain a lot."
The amusement faded from his face. "Why ask me?"
Anyone could give her answers about what life on Earth was like. Lance was clearly the more eager and willing choice to answer her. She followed the pathway of an asteroid belt, the red brown rocks still in motion as they were suspended in time.
"...I am perplexed by your silence." Her gaze softened a little. "Do you not miss Earth?"
"At times."
"Would you go back?"
He stared at her eyes, the dark purple hues of her pupils bleeding into the blue of her irises.
"I did," he quietly murmured. "And they strapped me down." He lifted right hand, letting it faintly glow so the plates of metal and the screws could be outlined by the mysterious power of his arm. "Wanted to run tests."
She looked aghast. "Your own people?"
The glow from his hand dimmed out. "I was missing for a year. They didn't expect to see a dead man coming back." He gave her a rueful smile. "I don't completely blame them."
"They should have rejoiced," she spat out, "not want to test you like a specimen!"
"Princess, I appreciate your anger. But you have to understand that all of this," he gestured around the castle, "is not typical for Earth. You saw how we reacted."
She pursed her lips. "I do remember." The anger she had felt on his behalf slowly drained. "Your part of the universe is rather young in comparison to..."
"Pretty much the rest of the universe," he finished.
She lightly grinned. "You said it, not I."
He grinned back. "We have a lot to learn from our elders."
She playfully pushed his shoulder. He grunted a little at the strength. He supposed he hadn't been mistaken when he saw her hand crushing that chair days ago.
"That is no way to speak to a princess."
"I apologize my lady."
She looked at his slightly bowed head. Then his eyes lifted up to her. She could see the teasing light dancing in them. Her mouth twisted in a small pout as her cheeks heated just slightly.
"Mocking royalty is a crime, Paladin."
"Who said I was mocking you?"
She could only keep his gaze for a couple of ticks. She turned back to the windows.
"You haven't truly answered my question."
"Not on purpose," he quietly sighed, looking back to space. "I don't know if I want to return."
"Do you not have family?"
"Some." Pause. "But we have a history of pilots. It is not an easy life and that is understood."
"But you fear being kept in isolation," she slowly murmured as she came upon the realization. "Of being a prisoner once again."
"..."
"I am sorry," she murmured, "this was clearly not something I should have inquired -"
"It's fine, Princess. I probably would have wondered too if I was in your position."
"...You are very forgiving."
He looked at her from the corner of his eye. He wasn't completely sure if it was a critique of his character. Seeing the faint smile on her lips, he took that it wasn't.
"Not always."
She looked back, the heavy words being accompanied by a shadow in his eyes. Zarkon.
"We should discuss the rescue mission."
He nodded his head. She led the way over to the control panel, pulling up the information they had thus far. She paused in lifting up the screens. He looked at her in question.
"...Thank you. For sharing that." She pulled the screens up, not letting him answer. "Here is the Balmera."
He stepped up besides her.
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AN: A longer chapter! Just trying to move things along to the interesting parts. But since this story is about bonds I don't want to rush it either. XD So hard to keep the flow sometimes!