They all have to go home and change before they go to the dojo for practice. The day's practice splits everyone up and pairs them off based on experience, the most advanced judoka with the newest ones. They then work on whatever the junior pupil wants to for a while. Lance's partner asks to work on defensive techniques, and so he spends a while showing the kid how to drop his body low and place a hand on their opponents back, and once the kid has that down, they work on counter throws- mostly ogoshi since it's one of the few the kid already knows. Knows being a very loose term. After about the twelfth time, Lance is tired of telling this guy the same things over and over. Every time it repeats: first the kid will try and lift with his back, and Lance will tell him to stop doing that lest he hurt himself. Then the kid overcompensates and doesn't lift at all, and merely spins Lance around him.

"More pull, get lower," Zarkon-sensei says tersely as he walks past. Lance would appreciate the sensei's help, except the kid seems terrified of Zarkon and only gets worse. In fact, Lance notices that Zarkon-sensei, and Haggar-sensei as well, leave behind a trail of frightened judoka. Even the kids from the Galra dojo seem more subdued once their senseis walk past. Lance remembers what he was told two days before, about Zarkon-sensei's insistence on being the best. He feels kinda sorry for the Galra dojo judoka. He likes to win, but being pressured to do so all the time seems rather stressful.

And what if Keith always tries to be the best because he feels pressure to do so?

Lance quickly crushes whatever treacherous corner of his mind insists on thinking that.

At the end of practice, the senseis tell them to find a partner for randori. Lance grins, and is about to pair up with Hunk before he finds himself facing off against Acxa. He's about to explain that no, he and Hunk always spar together, it's like their thing, but already they're being told to begin, and she grabs his gi and the grip fighting begins. The two circle, trying to gain the advantage and looking for the right moment to go for a throw, and they're moving a lot but have yet to try a single throw and then Lance hears Lotor's voice.

"My my, Keith. No need to use ashi barai like that. You've already swept me off my feet."

Acxa proves herself to be a surprisingly decent human being by not slamming Lance into the mats right away. She waits until he recovers and attempts a throw of his own to do so. But that doesn't mean she's the better judoka or anything. He just was still a little upset by what he heard. Except no he IS NOT upset by what he heard, because that would mean he cared, and he DOES NOT CARE ABOUT KEITH AND LOTOR.

And then they switch partners and since they're supposed to grab the closest person, he finds himself paired with Lotor.

"So Lance, planning on making me fall for you?" Lotor asks with one eyebrow raised.

"Sure, why not. Try not to fall too hard," Lance says through clenched teeth. Lotor smirks.

"Well, just so you know, I like to be on top."

"You're gross."

"How so? Any judoka would. After all, you can't win a match on the bottom."

"Like you were talking about matwork."

"Tsk, tsk, such a dirty mind."

Lance doesn't listen any further since he's currently airborne, but he twists to make sure he doesn't land on his back and immediately turtles so that Lotor can't pin him. Lotor tries to roll him over, but Lance lunges forward and gains his feet, and Lotor follows and they begin grip-fighting again.

Lance is relieved when a partner change is called, except then he finds himself face to face with Keith. Keith who looks startled and mildly nervous. The moment they're told to begin, Lance holds nothing back, and goes straight for ippon seoi-nage. To his surprise, he is able to complete the throw, and he quickly drops after Keith so he can put the arm he still holds in jigotai. Within seconds Keith has already tapped out.

That. Was. Weird. Keith, black belt Keith, second dan Keith, just lost to Lance without so much as a fight. And this after Lance had proven to be the better skater. Lance would have expected Keith to clean the mats with him as a way of reaffirming his superiority. Unless maybe Keith is so humiliated by being shown up that he has lost all confidence in himself and can't win as a result?

Or maybe it was because of something Keith had overheard Lance saying two days ago. What all had Lance said again?

No, he was being ridiculous. Keith always complained that Lance never took things seriously. Therefore there was no way Keith would ever take anything Lance said to heart.

Before Lance knows it, they've finished randori and bowed out, and everyone is gathering their things to go home. Lance shrugs off the jacket of his gi, only sort of hearing as Shiro asks Keith to get a scale out of the closet since a couple of the judoka want to check their weight. He might not have noticed at all, except then he hears Lotor saying in a low voice "Looks like I might get a chance to pick up what I started earlier," and suddenly Lance just knows that Lotor is about to follow Keith and ambush him. And the way Keith has been today, there's no way he can handle Lotor on his own. Lance may not like Keith, but there is no way he's done anything to deserve that. He has to warn Keith.

Lance heads to the back of the dojo where the hallway with closet is and walks through the open door. He sees Keith silhouetted against a lot of random boxes- full of extra gis and belts and Voltron dojo apparel. Keith looks up, and his brow furrows as he registers that it is Lance standing there.

"Uh, I uh… Need any help?" Lance says cheerfully. Smooth. Well what is he supposed to say? "Hi I think Lotor is a total creepazoid who may be targeting you and I'm not sure you can take care of yourself so I came to watch your back even though I hate your guts, you're welcome"? Yeah, somehow, that seems like a good way to make their relationship even worse. Not that Lance has a problem with that or anything, but he also doesn't have a problem with it getting better… Scratch that last. What is wrong with Lance today?

"Not really?" Keith says, though it comes out like a question.

"Oh, uh, okay. Um, want some company?"

"Lance I'm just grabbing a scale for Shir-" Keith abruptly cuts off as the room darkens. Lance whirls around to see that the door has closed. He fumbles blindly for the handle, but when he finds it, it doesn't turn. It's locked.

"What the fuck?" he exclaims.

"What's wrong?" Keith asks, sounding ever so slightly panicked. Is he maybe afraid of the dark?

"It's locked."

"Aw, shit. I guess the door locks automatically. Well, I'm sure Shiro will be coming to ask about the scale soon, or the people who wanted to check their weights, since everyone wants to go home."

"That's a surprisingly pragmatic view."

"Well what else can we do? Break down the door? For one, the only way I know how to do that is one of us throws the other into it, and the person getting thrown would probably get hurt, and for two, Shiro would tan my hide if I broke the dojo at all. Allura-sensei too, most likely."

"And Coran-sensei. He was pretty close to Alfor-sensei. To the point where it was almost like worship. So he would end anyone who damages the dojo too."

"Great, so I'd be dead three times over."

"I'd be just as dead, Keith."

"Nah, Shiro wouldn't hurt a student. Unless that student happens to be his cousin because family is special. Yay."

Keith's voice is so bland that Lance can't help but laugh.

"But I guess you would still have Allura-sensei and Coran-sensei to worry about," Keith adds.

He can't see it, but Lance shudders.

"Yikes. Allura-sensei mad at me might be worse than death. I can just picture all the ultimate burpees she'd have me doing. I think I would hurl. Or pass out. But probably hurl. Or maybe hurl and then pass out."

"Not on the mats, please. No amount of mopping will be enough to make me forget that there was once vomit there."

"Then I probably shouldn't tell you about the time Hunk made the mistake of having ice cream before practice."

"Please don't."

"Or the time when they had one of those climbing ropes set up, and Matt tried using it as a swing but ended up getting spun around a bunch."

"I really don't need to know these things."

"Just be glad they didn't allow me to come test to belt up last time. There probably wouldn't be a single safe spot left on the mats with how sick I was."

"Oh god. You need to stop."

"Traumatized yet?"

"Very."

"Sorry, sorry." Lance laughs. He then remembers he's got another apology he still has yet to give.

"Also, um, sorry about the other day. I… I may have said some unfair things about you."

There's a long silence. Yeah, Lance should have known better than to say anything. Either Keith never cared and so doesn't give a crap, or if he did care then there's no way he'll forgive Lance so easily. Whatever.

"I- I think you may have been kinda right," Keith whispers, and if Lance could see he would gather Keith up in a hug because he sounds so weak right there and enemy or not, Lance won't let anyone be alone when they sound like that. "I just- I guess that- You know, popular kids are always good at something. They're fast or they're smart or they tell the funniest jokes but they always are people who shine. And since I don't really know how to make friends, I guess I thought that if I was good at things, people would be friends with me. Though it never really worked. Honestly I still don't know how I became friends with Matt. Like, yeah I tried pretty hard to make friends here, but while I get along with most of them, I don't know what it was I did right to become 'best buds' with Matt. But anyway, I guess I just got into this mindset that if I'm not the best I won't be good enough for everyone else. And I guess I am kinda rude too, but that's… I just really don't get how to be social."

Lance stares in the direction Keith's voice is coming from, shocked. This- What- Where did this- What is going on? Did Keith just confide in him? In him, Lance McClain? Alright, new theory, Keith has been abducted by aliens. That's the only way to explain what all has been going on today. And Lance is willing to bet Lotor somehow orchestrated the abduction.

"Dude. One: not all popular kids are good at things. Some just are really cool and that's what draws people to them. Two: not being the best doesn't mean you're not good enough. Three: what do you even have to be good enough for? The right to exist? Because you've already been born, what more right do you need? No one has the authority to judge that you should not exist. They may claim to, but they're full of shit and so don't listen to them. Four: I believe your friendship with Matt came from you sharing a candy bar with him. He went on for days about how great a guy you were. Pidge told me so. Five: You can't learn to be social if you never try it. You were only at our school for like, three weeks, but in that time I saw more than a few people try to talk to you and you just totally aired them. They'd much rather you be a totally awkward weirdo dork than a jerk who thinks he's too good to talk to them. Take it from someone who IS a totally awkward weirdo dork."

There's another long silence, and Lance is glad for the dark because he is totally blushing after that speech.

"Um, thanks? But, uh, you're not a totally awkward weirdo dork. You're like, none of those things."

Lance has been wondering for a little bit now why no one has come for the scale yet, but now he is very glad they haven't because he probably looks like a beet right about now. Keith is so cu-

NO. No. He will not go there. That kind of thinking is not allowed. Do you hear, brain?

"Oh I totally am. But anyway, why don't you flirt with me?" Shit. Lance had been trying to change the topic, but why did he have to go with that? Goddamnit. Especially since it wasn't like he had any reason to feel hurt if Keith didn't flirt with him. He certainly didn't have a crush on Keith or anything like that. Nooooooo. He'd better not have a crush on frickin' Keith.

"Um, because you rejected me on my first day here?" Keith says.

"What? When?"

"Before practice. You and Hunk and Pidge and Matt came over to meet me, and I was putting on my gi, I tried to flirt with you and you shut me down. I'm not gonna keep pushing when someone's made it clear they resent my attention."

Lance tries to remember that first day after Keith came to the dojo. All he can seem to remember is that embarrassing fit of show-offiness when he challenged Keith to a match and (got his ass handed to him) couldn't quite gain the upper hand. And also that weirdness right after he introduced himself to Keith and-

Wait wait wait a minute. That couldn't have been… But Pidge and Hunk did say Keith was subtle, so could it have been?

"Um, when you say you tried to flirt with me, what exactly do you mean?"

"I asked you to teach me how to fall. As in fall… for you. Y'know?"

Lance cringes. Yup, it was that alright. Apparently Keith has either improved his flirting game a lot since then, or he was having the mother of all off days.

"Dude, I thought you meant like actual falling. I totally missed that!"

"Oh. Really? Uh, but well, you did say you are just so sick of me so why does it matter now all of a sudden?"

"It doesn't," Lance replies tersely. He hates himself for ever bringing this up.

"R-right."

Finally, FINALLY the door opens, and Lance has never been happier to see… nevermind. He will never ever in a million years be happy to see Lotor.

"Sorry to interrupt this little tryst but Shiro-sensei was wondering what was taking Keith so long," Lotor says.

"T-tryst?!" Lance exclaims, half embarrassed and half aghast at the sheer gall of this guy to set them up and then act all innocent. Because the locked door was definitely Lotor's doing. It had to be. Lance didn't know why or how or anything, but this had to be Lotor's doing.

"Well what else would you be doing in a dark closet together?" Lotor says, and walks away. But Lance catches the smirk on his face before he turns around. He even keeps looking at them as he turns, as if he was making sure Lance saw it. The creep.

"I really don't trust that guy," Lance mutters.

"Amen to that," Keith says. His voice is almost right in Lance's ear, causing him to jump. Keith steps past Lance, the scale in his hand.

"Keith." Lance finds himself catching Keith's wrist for no fathomable reason.

"What?" Keith asks.

"About Lotor. Do you want some help dealing with him? Like, I don't know how much I could do, but with two people we'd have twice the vigilance, a-and if we got our friends involved- like Pidge and Hunk and Matt- then he might not be so… hard to deal with."

"That sounds... great."

"Cool. Give me your number and once I confer with Pidge and Hunk I can text you when to meet us for a strategy meeting. Or I guess since I'm counting on Pidge to tell Matt anyway, he can text you."

Smooth, Lance, smooth. Like sandpaper. It probably sounds like he's trying to hook up with Keith or something.

"No, it's fine. I don't mind giving you my number."

"Okay then." Lance goes with Keith to hand over the scale, then leads the way over to his bag and pulls out his phone. Keith rattles off his digits and Lance inputs them into his phone, saving the new contact. He has Keith check it over to make sure he got it right, and then texts Keith's phone so Keith will have his number and not just ignore his texts. They separate and Lance almost runs outside. He IS NOT embarrassed or anything. Just whoever is picking him up is probably here and he doesn't want to keep them waiting.

x

After practice, Pidge noticed how Lance followed after Keith. And she noticed how Narti followed after Lance. She noticed how Zethrid asked Kolivan-sensei to help her with some throw or other- Pidge could never remember their names, just how to do them- and how Ezor managed the not-so-difficult feat of coaxing Coran-sensei into talking about his glory days, and noticed how Lotor and Acxa approached Shiro-sensei and Allura-sensei and after a brief exchange and a lot of blushing on the part of the two senseis, Shiro-sensei ended up rubbing Allura-sensei's shoulders. And she noticed that Narti reappeared, and Acxa started chatting with the students who wanted to check their weight, and all in all everyone forgot for a while about the scale and its retrieval.

Pidge also sees when a parent starts to come into the dojo, waiting for one of the kids who was going to weigh in, and Ezor intercepts them while Coran-sensei continues his story- which is more reenactment than simple story now- oblivious to his vanished audience, and Lotor goes over in the direction of the back hallway with the bathrooms and changing rooms and the storage closet. After a minute, he reappears, and then Lance and Keith come walking out together, which is like a sign of the apocalypse or something because they actually seem to be at peace with each other for once. They hand over the scale and then go to Lance's bag, and Lance's phone is pulled out. Interesting.

Pidge watches as Lance races off. She then approaches where Lotor and his crew are still hanging out. She's kind of amazed how much freedom the Galra dojo students have, that they can even go back to their hotel on their own time. Though she did hear from Lance that they apparently run to and from practice.

"I know what you're doing," she tells Lotor.

"Pardon?"

Rather than give a verbal response, Pidge simply crosses her arms, shifts her weight to one side, and raises her eyebrows in a classic "mmhmm" look. She holds it until she sees Lotor starting to get nervous.

"And I think I can help you," she finishes, uncrossing her arms and holding out a hand.

"Looking forward to working with you, my dear," Lotor replies with a smile.

x

That night, Lance dreams of that first day Keith was at the dojo. This time, when he hears the line, he can hear the slight lilt to Keith's tone, playful and flirtatious. It's still not super obvious, but he can sense it.

And then Lance hears himself sneering "What kind of black belt doesn't know how to fall? Unless you stole the belt from someone else? Let's see you prove you earned it."

Lance cringes as he realizes what an ass he must have seemed like. It wasn't even Keith's comment that made him challenge Keith. It was just him having a chip on his shoulder and being determined to prove that he was badass and could beat a black belt.

But the dream does not follow the real-life event after that. Instead, in that weird way dreams have, the situation somehow becomes Keith ignoring his challenge- or maybe they had their match and Lance somehow didn't notice- and Keith starts making more attempts to flirt. And Lance hears himself flirting back.

"You must be quite the judoka. You haven't even thrown me and already you've taken my breath away."

"I feel like such a loser right now because with just one look you won me over."

The lines go back and forth, and it's fun, and Lance feels himself grinning, and then he wakes up.

Oh. Shit. There's no denying it now.

He cannot let anyone find out. Pidge and Hunk and Matt would never let him hear the end of it, and Keith probably lost interest in him ages ago. Lance hates himself a bit right now. Why did he have to go and realize he has feelings for a guy long after he already ruined any chances with him?

Realizing the truth really hurts. Like a bitch.