Author's Note: Sorry, this took longer to write than planned. It's been a busy month!
Swimming Part 2
Shiro patted Black's head as he read over the tablet and walked down the hall. "So, I'm thinking the guys will be ready to start the next level of the gladiator," he said.
"I agree," Coran said as he twirled his moustache, "but I would advise some solo practice for Pidge. She still needs to improve her hand to hand combat."
Black growled in agreement. "Noted," Shiro said. "With that said, I should check and see-"
"RED, COME ON!" Keith cried. "YOU'RE BEING RIDICULOUS!"
Coran and Shiro both jumped as they spotted Keith's head poking out of his room as he clung to the door frame like he was fighting a monster.
Two sets of growls could be heard from within and Shiro was certain one of them belonged to the Red Paladin.
"Uh, Buddy," Shiro said as he tucked the tablet away. "What are you doing?"
Coran checked the time. "And correct me if I'm mistaken, but shouldn't you be at the bathing chamber getting that promised swimming lesson?"
Keith panted as he leaned against the doorway. "I've been trying to for the last ten minutes."
Shiro raised an eyebrow. "So, what's stopping you?"
"Take a look," Keith said as he gestured to the inside with his thumb.
Shiro and Coran exchanged puzzled expression, but when they did as Keith asked it only caused more questions.
Red Lion was growling madly as she kept a tight hold on Keith's pants and yanked on them hard.
"What is she doing?" Shiro asked as she pointed and Black moved in for an inspection.
Keith ran a hand through his hair. "Red, doesn't want me in the pool again."
Shiro frowned, but then it struck him. "Ah," he said slowly as his brain put the pieces together. "I take it she's afraid you're going to almost drown again?"
"Pretty much," Keith said as he looked to his lion. "I keep telling her that I need to go to prevent it from happening, but she won't listen."
"Hmm," Coran said thoughtfully. "Red Lion was always a stubborn one when it came to her paladin's safety." He shook a finger. "I remember this one time in the Kracken Sector the Red Paladin and I-"
"Coran, no offense," Keith said with a pleading look, "but could you tell me that story later when I don't have a lion attached to my leg?"
Red gave another fierce growl.
"Ah, of course," Coran said as he cleared his throat. "Fear not, I know exactly how to handle this." He cracked his knuckles and flexed his fingers. "I believe this calls for an ancient Altean method."
Keith and Shiro exchanged quizzed looks as Red refuse to release her hold on Keith's pants and Black poked her with her front paw.
"Oh, yeah?" Shiro asked as he folded his arms. "What's that?"
Coran cleared his throat and in a blink of an eye gasped as he pointed behind Keith.
"LOOK! IT'S ZARKON!" he exclaimed.
Red gave a confused growl and let go of Keith to glance behind her. Realizing the plan, Keith immediately took off like lightening.
"Thanks, Coran!" he cried as he zoomed past him and Shiro.
Red jumped and roared in frustration as she chased after her paladin, while making certain to send death glares in Coran's direction.
Shiro raised an eyebrow and gave Coran an unimpressed look. "Ancient Altean method?"
Coran was unfazed as he tucked his hands behind his back. "You scoff, but I'll have to know the great Tulack War was ended thanks to that."
Shiro gave a sigh, silently wishing that it was that easy to defeat Zarkon himself.
08080808080808080808080808080
Lance dunked his toes into the pool and glanced to his watch again before leaning back.
"Where is he?" he muttered as Blue rested her head in his lap. "Keith should have been here 15 minutes ago."
"Do you think he's stalling?" Hunk asked as he continued to dingle his bandana for Yellow to bat at with her paws.
"Shiro told him he had to take swimming lessons from Lance," Pidge stated as she scratched Green's head. "He's the type that rather get something like that over with."
Lance growled as he pulled his feet out of the pool. "That's it, he has one more minute and if he doesn't show I'm sending Blue to drag him-"
"I'M HERE!" Keith cried as he huffed and leaned against the doorway. "Sorry...I'm late."
Lance raised an eyebrow as Blue tilted her head. "Dude, what took you so long?"
Pidge frowned as Green sat up straight. "And why do you sound like you just ran a marathon?"
Keith glanced behind him like he was expecting something before he entered. "Sorry, I had to run while Shiro and Coran tried to distract her."
"Her?" Hunk asked as he let Yellow catch the bandana. "You mean Allura?"
Keith shook his head. "No, I mean-"
A fierce growl cut him off as the sound of racing feet echoed throughout the chamber. Within seconds, Red bounded through the doorway, skidded to a halt before standing in front of Keith growling.
Keith let out a deep groan as Shiro appeared with both Coran and Black close behind him.
"I assume that ancient Atlean method won't work twice," Shiro said as he wiped away sweat from his forehead.
"Alas, it is only proven to be a one use method," Coran sadly replied.
"Okay, what's going on?" Hunk asked as he stood.
"Red doesn't want me in the water," Keith explained as he tried to get past her and Red blocked him.
Hunk frowned, but then hit his fist into his palm. "Ah, you mean she doesn't want to risk you drowning again."
"Basically," Keith said as Red tugged at his pants to drag him out of the chamber.
"But the whole point of this is for you to learn how to swim so that doesn't happen," Lance argued.
"Yes, well we all know that," Coran added, "but I'm afraid Red doesn't care much for that fact."
Shiro sighed as Black entered and she looked up to him. "That's it, time to pull rank," Shiro muttered as he kneeled and patted Black. "Black, mind giving Keith a hand here?"
Black growled what sounded like a 'yes' and then headed towards Red and Keith. She gave a fierce growled that caused Red to jump and was enough of a distraction for Keith to sneak away. Red prepared to chase after him, but Black zoomed around and pinned her to the ground.
Red gave protest snarls, but Black remained firm and didn't budge an inch as she sat on her.
"Huh," Lance said thoughtfully as he moved closer and poked Red who responded with a growl. "Wish we could do that with Keith."
"Yeah, yeah," Keith said as he stepped into the small changing room. Within a couple of minutes, Keith appeared wearing only a pair of shorts. "We going to do this, Lance?"
Lance grinned and cupped a hand around his ear. "What's that? Who is this 'Lance' you are referring to?"
Keith sighed and looked to Shiro for assistance, but he only gave a shrug.
Keith sighed and shook his head. "We going to do this...Professor Lance?"
"Professor Fabulous Lance!" Lance added.
Keith shot a glare. "Fine, 'Professor Fabulous Lance'! Happy?"
Lance smirked and Blue looked equally as pleased as she swished her tail. "Any chance I can get a recording of that?"
"Don't push your luck," Shiro laughed as he took a seat on the floor.
"Fine," Lance said with a grin as he climbed into the pool and Blue jumped in. "Get in, Keith."
Keith stared at the water and took a deep breath to settle his nerves.
"We're at the shallow end," Pidge offered from her seat next to Shiro and Hunk. "So, you can't drown here….at least it's not likely."
"Thanks...I think," Keith said as he hopped over the side and climbed into the water. "So, what do we do?"
"Get your face use to being under water," Lance instructed and pointed to the water as Blue swam around them in a circle. "So, put your face in, then tilt it to the side when you need a breath of air and then turn it back in the water."
Keith blinked. "Seriously?" The idea sounded a bit silly.
"Dude, who is the expert here and the the one that saved your butt from drowning?" Lance retorted.
"Alright, I won't argue," Keith replied and did as Lance instructed. At first, he felt awkward doing it, but after a few attempts he began to understand Lance's intention as he got use to the sensation. He would be less likely to panic if he was use to the water if he ever found himself submerged in it again.
"Alright, good," Lance said as he patted him on the shoulder and placed his fingers in his mouth to give a sharp whistle.
Blue's head sprung out of the water and she paddled all the way to Lance's side.
"Next thing you need to learn is how to float on your back," Lance instructed and laid back in the water to show Keith. "Floating can differ with people, but generally humans can float if you stretch out like this. The important thing is for you to just chill and relax."
Keith carefully watched Lance as the boy seemed to glide along like he was a merman. No wonder Blue picked him. If the Blue Lion's element was water, Lance was a perfect candidate for it.
Lance then stood back up and pointed to Keith. "You're turn, Bro."
Keith wince a bit as he rubbed his neck. "Um...I know you say it's easy, but I'm fairly certain I'll sink."
He had already experience going under the water once and he wasn't thrilled with the prospect of doing it again.
"You may sink, but I'll be standing beside you," Lance retorted. "So, worse case, I can drag you back up and don't forget we're in the shallow end, so you can stand up."
Right, forgot about that part, Keith thought as he took a breath. I need to do this.
He heard Red give a growl of protest from underneath Black as he leaned back in the water. Lance grabbed his shoulders as Keith spread out his body. After a moment, Lance let go and to Keith's astonishment, he was still floating.
"Huh," Keith muttered as he let himself drift. "Not as hard as I thought it was."
"See what happens when you listen to me?" Lance commented as he hovered over him.
"Still doesn't mean your idea of us having a theme song is a good idea," Keith retorted as he reached out and poked Lane's side.
"It's a genius idea and you know it," Lance replied as he crossed back arms. "Now get back up, I want to show you how to kick next."
Keith nodded and Lance steadied him as let his feet touch the ground again.
"Doing great, Buddy," Shiro called out and caused Keith to blush slightly.
"So, next lesson, you need to practice how to kick in the water," Lance said as he patted Blue. "Normally, I would give you a swimming board to practice on, but since we don't have those, Blue here has volunteered."
Blue gave a growl and Keith blinked dumbfound. "You want me to use your lion...as a paddle board?"
"Yes," Lance said, "also Hunk thought you might be more comfortable grabbing onto something that would ensure you wouldn't drown with it."
Keith raised an eyebrow and glanced back to Hunk.
"Tell me I'm wrong!" Hunk called out as Yellow growled in agreement.
"You're not," Keith replied with a sigh as he turned back. "How do I do this?"
"I'm going to show you," Lance stated as Blue spun around and offered her back to him. He then kneeled and grabbed onto Blue's back as he proceeded to start kicking. After a minute or so, Lance stopped and pointed to Keith.
"Your turn," Lance said as Blue swam over to Keith. "And remember to tilt your head to the side so you can practice taking breaths."
Keith nodded as Blue turned around and gave a playful growl to which Keith replied by gripping onto her back.
Louder growls of protest could be heard from the sidelines.
"I believe Red is a bit jealous at the moment," Coran called, "but don't worry, we got her."
Keith sighed as he lowered himself in the water and used Blue to let himself float. He then began to kick and tried to tilt his head to the side when he needed a mouthful of air like Lance instructed.
Keith heard Red give more protest growls, but trusted the others to hold her back as he continued to practice. After a moment, he heard Lance tell him to stop and he did.
"You're doing good," Lance replied as he stepped back. "Next, I want to see if you can swim while moving your arms." He rotated his arms in a circular motion. "Like this, idea is that with the kicking you should be able to move fast in the water."
"Okay," Keith said, "and I'm assuming I'm not holding on to Blue for this."
"No, unless you got a third arm I don't know about," Lance retorted.
Keith smirked and then positioned himself as he eased back into the water. He placed his face into the water and began to move his arms...or he would have if a loud roar hadn't caught him off guard.
Yells were heard, along with some curse words that was followed by a huge splash. Keith and Lance both used their arms to shield themselves from the water. Keith shook off the water and saw through the drips Red swimming frantically to him.
Keith sighed as he stood, waited and scooped Red up in his arms before she got chance to drag him out.
"Thought you were keeping an eye on her!" Keith cried out.
"We were!" Coran called out, "but I'm afraid the moment you put your face under she overpowered Black and broke free."
Keith raised an eyebrow as he glanced down to Red. "I don't know if I should be annoyed or proud that you managed to do that."
Red gave no reply besides a disgruntled growl as both Lance and Blue shook their heads.
0808080808080808080808080808080808080
After much coaxing, and Blue somehow managing to convince Red that Keith was not going to drown, Keith got some actual swimming practice. He was hardly a master, but Lance insisted as long as Keith practiced for a few more days he would know it by instinct in no time.
Keith had to agree he looked forward to not stare at the water and not have the sense of dread that came along with it.
Lance then moved onto the lessons for Hunk and Pidge. Keith had half expected for Shiro and Coran to leave when they had climbed out of the pool, but they stayed. He was even more surprised when Allura appeared.
"I'm rather curious on Earth's techniques on surviving in water," she admitted as she took a seat next to Shiro. "Hope you don't mind if I watch."
"Of course not, Princess," Lance said as he grinned and posed. "If you want, I could even demonstrate and rescue you from drowning."
Allura raised an eyebrow as she frowned. "I'll pass."
Lance gave a shrug. "Alright, you're loss then."
"So, what exactly are we doing?" Hunk asked as Yellow crawled into his lap.
"I figured I show you guys some CPR," Lance replied.
"C...P...What?" asked Coran with a raised eyebrow.
"It's an abbreviation for 'cardiopulmonary resuscitation'," Pidge explained as she leaned on her hands. "It's basically a life saving technique if someone stops breathing or their heart stops."
"Ah, yes, of course," Coran said as he grasped his chin. "We had a similar technique on Altea. Tell me does yours involve shocking slugs too?"
"Uh….no," Lance said dryly, "but I am going to need a volunteer to pretend to be a victim to give mouth to mouth to." He gave a sly glance to Allura. "Princess, want to be my drowned victim?"
"Still passing," Allura said with a confirmed nod.
Lance shrugged. "Can't blame me for trying." He looked around the group. "Since, Keith, Pidge and Hunk are learning that leaves Shiro and Coran-"
Blue gave a growl as she pawed his leg.
"Yes, there is you," Lance said as he patted her head. "But I think a more human body would be a better idea here."
"I'll do it," Coran said as he stood. "You got me curious about this and I happen to have excellent acting skills."
Lance frowned, but gave a shrug as he sat back down. "Yeah, sure. Just lay here, Coran, and pretend to be unconscious."
"Will do!" Coran said as he moved and stretched out on the floor. Once Coran had his eyes shut, Lance cleared his throat.
"Right, first thing you got to make sure is that there's nothing-"
Coran gave a gasp. "Hurry! I can't breathe!"
Lance jumped slightly, but tried to keep focus. "So, uh, you need to inspect-"
"The world is getting dizzy!" Coran exclaimed as he shifted from side to side like he was twitching.
"Um…" Lance said as the group started to snicker.
"The light is fading!" Coran continued. "Everything is going black!"
"Coran, you do know what 'unconscious' means right?" Lance asked, annoyed as Blue tilted her head.
"Goodbye, cruel universe!" Coran said mournfully as he reached out with his arm to the sky only for it to drop lifelessly to the side like a stone.
Blue and Green growled as they both poked at Coran's head to see if he was alive.
"Well...that was dramatic," Keith commented as Red blinked in confusion.
"And hilarious," Pidge added as she struggled to hold in her laughter. "Don't forget hilarious."
Lance sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "On second thought, Blue, you're up."
Blue's head perked up as she let loose a growl.
"What? Why?" Coran said as he sat up with his arms crossed. "I believed I took on the role of a 'drowned person' perfectly."
"Yes, you did that's the problem," Lance retorted.
The others laughed as Coran continued to stare on in confusion.
080808080808080808080808080808080
The rest of the lessons passed on with little trouble, even if Coran argued he was a perfect drowned victim. Hunk, Keith, Pidge and even Allura listen carefully as Lance demonstrated first aid and how to read vital signs. By the end of it, Shiro patted Lance on the shoulder and praised him for a job well done.
Lance gave a smile as Blue rubbed her head against his leg. It felt good to be in charge, although a small part of him worried if he taught well enough for the group to understand. He lagged behind as the others left, debating if he and Blue should snag a quick swim in the pool, but noticed Keith and Red had remained.
"I didn't plan on teaching you more until tomorrow," Lance stated.
He could have gotten through all the lessons in one day, but Lance felt it was better to take it slow with Keith to ensure he got it. He refused to make any mistakes when it came to water safety.
"Yeah, I know," Keith muttered as he scooped Red up in his arms. "I..just...wanted to...say thanks...for the lessons and stuff."
Lance rolled his eyes. "You already thanked me before, Dude."
"I know," Keith said with a slight blush, "but..you're a good teacher and just had to say it."
Lance felt close to blushing, but swiftly turned his head to the side so Keith wouldn't see. "Well, of course I am. I am the swimming master after all!"
Keith chuckled. "Yeah, yeah," he said and then chewed his bottom lip. "With that said...do you want me to give you sword fighting lessons?"
Lance's blush vanished as he glanced back surprised as did Blue at the same time. "Swordfighting?"
"To repay you," Keith said as he looked tempted to bury his face in Red as he muttered. "I'm..probably not a great teacher, but..I thought it might be worth trying?"
Lance raised an eyebrow as he crossed his arms in thought. He never had much interest in learning how to use a sword...but, then again, it could be a handy skill to have if Lance wasn't able to use his blaster for some reason.
He glanced to Blue for her opinion. She gave a firm growl and butted her head against Lance's leg like she was pushing him towards Keith. Lance gave a small smile as he raised his head.
"Yeah...okay, sure," Lance said as he approached him. "After I'm certain I got you to master swimming, you teach me to use a sword."
Keith raised his head and blinked stunned. Had he thought Lance wouldn't take him up on the offer? He gave a half smile as Red purred.
"Yeah, sure, that makes sense," Keith replied.
Lance started to head out of the room. "With that said, I'm betting I'll be an instant expert at sword fighting."
Lance pretend to be in a fighting stance as he jabbed with an invisible sword. "You just use the sharp end to poke people with, right?"
Keith blinked, exchanged a dry look with Red and sighed. "Yeah….I'm sensing this is going to take awhile too...a long while."
Lance tuned him out as he lead them out of the chamber. They had enough swimming...for today at least.
Author's Note: So, for those wondering I got the information on how to not sink from here:
Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! ^_^
