If Lance thought that waiting all those years to marry Katie felt long, then the months leading up to the wedding lasted decapheebs. And Katie had to agree with him, if her groans every time someone mentioned a new detail were anything to go by.
If the couple was honest (and they were, to an almost unfathomable degree), they really just wanted to elope. They didn't care for all of the fanfare and the celebration— they just wanted each other.
But no one else was having it.
"You can't just elope!"
"I've been working on my cake recipe for ages!"
"We already have the decorations planned!"
"Finding a dress won't be that hard!"
Weirdly enough, Lotor was the worst one when it came to planning the affair. The second he'd heard about it from Allura, the emperor had sprung into action, gathering leaders from each of his empire's planets and declaring a special holiday for the event. He was involved in every single detail, from the location (the Castle of Lions, of course), to the meal (which he for some reasons felt the need to hire a minimum of twenty chefs for), to the ceremony (a mix of Altean and Earth inspirations).
The planning meetings never seemed to end. There was always something to be discussed: the guest list, invitations, and seating chart alone took over a week for everyone to agree on.
After a debacle over how ginormous Lotor insisted the cake must be, the couple was ready to call it quits. It took some scheming, but Lance and Katie finally managed to sneak away for one of the few stolen moments they had alone these days.
"Are you—" kiss "—sure that—" kiss "—we can't just—" kiss "—leave?" Katie panted.
Her fiancé let out a frustrated groan against her lips. "You know I want to," he mumbled.
Katie sighed long sufferingly. "I know, me too," she admitted. "Did you hear about what's going on next week?"
Lance rolled his eyes. "Something about the UN freaking out over a bunch of aliens coming to a party in a castle parked in Wisconsin? Yeah, Lotor might have mentioned it."
She shook her head. "It's ridiculous. Only we could have a wedding where the governments of the world have to get involved."
His eyes serious, Lance cupped her face in his hands. "Querida, do you want this wedding or not?" he asked. "If you really don't, then I'll handle it, and we can go get married whenever you want."
Katie hesitated. "I…it's complicated," she swallowed. Her eyes flickered up to meet his, and she smoothed his cheek with her thumb. "I want to marry you obviously," she stated, and he laughed. "And I have always wanted a wedding, but…this is all too much."
Lance nodded. "I agree. Do you want me to talk to Allura about it?" he offered. "I have the feeling she's the only one who can stop Lotor from going berserk."
"I think he already has," she muttered darkly.
Lance chuckled, then captured her lips with his. "Just remember, it's our wedding, okay? We get the final say in what happens."
A weight seemed to lift off her shoulders, and Katie smiled.
The conversation— though slightly agonizing— didn't go as bad as Lance imagined. With the help of Shiro's detailed explanations, Lotor seemed to understand why Lance and Katie wanted to have more control over their wedding as opposed to having it done for them.
"I will step down from my position in this event," he conceded, then paused. "…on one condition. It must be within plain view of the empire. A symbol of love and trust, especially between their heroes, cannot be covered up. It connects us, binds us together as a new people."
Lance hesitated. "So…cameras, then?"
Lotor nodded. "And the top representative from each planet. To not do so would be an insult."
Shiro and Lance traded a look, and the married-man-to-be sighed. "Fine, it's a deal," he said, shaking Lotor's hand.
After that, the couple had to admit that things started to go much smoother. The planning didn't take over their lives any more, and it was actually quite enjoyable to imagine how it would all be.
Sure, there were still some crazy moments. Lance could recall the day Katie bought her dress like it was yesterday. Why? Because everyone had freaked out the second he stepped foot in the castle.
"You cannot be here!" Allura shouted, blocking the door to Katie's room defensively. "I have been told that it must be kept a secret!"
"Yeah, you really want it to be kept a surprise, trust me," Charlotte winked.
Completely stumped, Lance slumped off to his room. He'd been gone for several days on an outreach mission to a new planet, and all he'd wanted was to see his fiancée when he returned. Rest assured, though, Katie found her way to his room as soon as the dress was locked away securely.
But then, after months of planning and waiting and stressing…it was here.
They were both giddy with excitement, and the thrill was only intensified by the fact that everyone was insistent upon keeping them apart until Katie walked down the aisle. Thus, Lance was in his room getting ready with Keith, Hunk, and Shiro, trying to beat down his nerves as best as he could.
It sucked, because he just wanted Katie, but he knew that if he dared to go down to the princess' room (the chosen place for bridal preparations due to the sheer size of the space), there would be a riot.
To be fair, Katie wasn't doing much better herself. Every waking moment, her mind drifted to Lance. Her mother was flitting about anxiously, Coran was grabbing whatever they asked for, Allura was busy doing Katie's hair and makeup, and Charlotte was off to the side photographing the entire thing.
Lance, Lance, Lance; that was all Katie could think about. She supposed that maybe she should be nervous— she'd heard about some women getting cold feet on their wedding day. But she was far from anywhere near such a feeling. She wanted to see her fiancé, kiss him until they were out of breath, and run away to whatever planet Lance had chosen for their honeymoon.
It seemed as though their lions sensed their distress, because at the exact same time, both Lance and Katie felt a familiar door open up at the back of their minds.
Wait…Katie? Is that you?
Lance! Oh thank quiznak, I was about to die without you.
Wow, you're starting to sound as dramatic as me! I must be rubbing off on you.
Clearly. I hate being separated.
I know, me too.
I miss you.
I miss you, too, querida.
How much longer?
One more hour, I think.
Can't we just leave?
I suggested that three months ago!
And I should've listened. By the way, where are we going for our honeymoon?
It's a secret!
Laaaaaance.
Katieeeeeee.
You drive me crazy.
You drive me crazier.
We drive each other crazy.
In the best way possible!
True. Maybe we should just go ahead and do our vows now to get it over with?
Okay. Four score and seven years ago, I fell in love with Katie Holt—
Katie burst out laughing, and everyone's heads lifted.
"Are you alright?" Allura asked worriedly.
The bride-to-be waved a hand. "I'm fine, just remembered a joke Lance told me yesterday."
Coran raised an eyebrow, but shrugged and got back to handing Allura a hair pin. "At least you're back in this world now," he commented. "You were quite out of it for a few minutes."
"I can't imagine why," Mrs. Holt hummed. "It's not like this is the biggest day of her life or anything! I know I daydreamed a lot on my wedding day."
You still there, querida?
Katie had to fight down a grin. It was hard to act natural with Lance practically poking at her mind. "Yeah, I'm just daydreaming," she agreed.
"Well don't daydream too long!" Allura said. "It's time to put on your dress!"
Katie nodded, then briefly closed her eyes.
I gotta go, sweetheart— see you soon.
I love you! And I can't wait to see you.
I love you, too. I hope time speeds up.
Me too.
She opened her eyes to see the assuming looks of her company. "What?" she asked innocently.
Charlotte just shook her head and snapped another picture. "What I'd give to have a telepathic connection with Keith," she lamented.
Katie snickered. "Oh please, it's only when the lions open it for us. They probably sensed that we were upset."
Mrs. Holt frowned. "Do you really miss him that much? You two could do a first look if you want— I know some couples do that these days."
"We'll survive, don't worry," Katie reassured her. "And besides, I want to see his face when I walk down the aisle."
"Oh trust me—" Charlotte grinned, holding up her camera, "I'm gonna capture the exact moment he sees you. I'll mostly be filming just you two, not the crowd."
Suddenly, Katie felt overwhelmed. The crowd. Quiznak, how had she forgotten that? They'd be surrounded by strangers and delegates from foreign planets and a whole bunch of people she didn't really know, and what if she messed up? What if she forgot her vow? What if she stuttered or tripped? What if—
Lance, who had thus far been doing a good job at keeping his anxiety down, felt a strong surge of it begin to creep in. The weird thing was, it wasn't from him…oh no, that meant—
Katie?
Yes?
You're not okay. I can feel it.
It's the crowd.
Ah, that made sense. She'd never been entirely happy with the arrangement, and he knew how her social anxiety could sometimes take over when she felt overwhelmed.
Querida, this day is about you and me. Forget them— this is our wedding, okay?
I love you, Lance.
And I love you, Katie.
The sickening worry began to fade away, and Lance let out a relieved sigh.
"You two tele-communicating again?" Hunk questioned.
"Yeah," Lance smiled. "She's nervous about all the guests."
Keith scoffed. "Honestly, it's ridiculous. We should've found a way to have your wedding private, not broadcasted to the entire universe."
"Trust me, with Lotor involved, we got off easy," Shiro said. "Besides, it's not so bad. Only the ceremony will be streamed."
Lance gave a shrug, getting up from his bed and checking his bow tie for the millionth time. Honestly, getting ready for this whole event took so little time, and he hated just waiting around forever. He glanced at his packed bags by the door, then gave them the third check over in the past fifteen minutes alone.
"So where are you taking her?" Hunk prodded. "Come on, you gotta let us know in case something goes wrong!"
Lance rolled his eyes. "Nothing's going to go wrong, Hunk."
"I don't know," Shiro hummed contemplatively. "He makes a good point. It is always good to let trusted contacts know what your travel plans are in case of an emergency."
"You're just being nosy!" Lance claimed.
Shrio shrugged. "Maybe."
"Completely," Keith added on. "What's the big deal anyways? It's just a vacation. You two have made plenty of trips before."
The group of men stared at him, dumbfounded.
"What?" Keith asked.
Hunk shook his head. "Just tell us, Lance. We all want to know."
Lance felt a warmth spread through him. "I'm talking her to Olkarion," he admitted. "It's the first place that I really began to notice her, and how beautiful she was, and—" his face began to redden, "—the people there really like her, so they have a little house on the edge of the forest set up for us and everything."
The soon-to-be-husband looked up from the floor to see his friends staring at him with wide eyes.
He stuttered, "I-I mean, it's cheesy, I know—"
"It's so cute!" Hunk squealed. "That's the most romantic thing I've ever heard in my entire life!"
"Good choice, Lance," Shiro nodded.
"Yeah seriously, how am I gonna live up to that one day," Keith muttered.
Lance laughed awkwardly. "I just hope she likes it."
"She will," Shiro assured.
"Definitely!" Hunk said.
"I mean…probably?" Keith thought aloud, and now, everyone rolled their eyes fondly. Charlotte had worked miracles to soften him up some, but he was still their lovable, socially awkward Keith.
A knock on the door alerted the entire crew, and Lance swallowed nervously. "Guess it's time to go, then."
He focused on Katie's energy flowing through his mind the entire time he walked down to the grand hall of the castle. She was feeling multiple things at once— anxiety, excitement, joy, and occasionally a twinge of sadness whenever she thought of her father. Lance sent as much love as he could, and she would send a silent "thank you" in return.
Katie often wondered how her future husband knew her almost better than herself, but she didn't question it. Matt and her mother were at her sides hugging her now as she stood in her newly donned wedding dress, and the family shared a brief moment of grief together.
"Your dad talked about this day all the time," her mother sniffed. "I wish he could be here to witness it himself."
Matt gave them a smile. "I'm sure he's watching over us. You ready to go, Pidge?"
After taking in a deep breath, she nodded. Katie looped her arm through her brother's and began the trek down to the grand hall, all the while being conscious not to trip over her dress. She glanced down at the green and blue ribbon tied around her waist, and her heart warmed.
I'm on my way down, sweetheart.
I can't wait to see you.
If you don't cry, I'm walking out and then walking back in again.
Lance burst out laughing, and the pastor beside him gave a funny look. "Are you alright, Mr. McClain?"
Lance turned his snickers into a grin. "Of course; it's the most important day of my life!"
The pastor nodded. "Indeed, it is. Are you ready to enter?"
Suddenly, Lance felt a weight drop on his shoulders. Through those doors were who knows how many people, all of them waiting and staring and judging and—
Calm down, Lance, you're freaking me out.
Oops, sorry.
Lance summoned all his courage. "Let's do this."
A signal was given, and two Galran guards opened the door. The music started playing. He froze.
You can do it, sweetheart.
Lance began his walk down the aisle. It lasted seemingly forever, and he used practically all the willpower he possessed to not focus on the absolutely massive crowd that stood on either side of him.
He came to stand resolutely by the pastor, then waved happily at his parents and Katie's mother on the first row. They smiled back, and he felt a sense of peace come over him. He was so thankful he'd insisted that his family be right at the front where he could see them.
A new song began to play, and the procession continued. Each of the paladins— excluding Katie, of course— made their way down the aisle in a line. They were dressed in typical wedding attire, with the exception of the silken sashes across their chests, each colored according to their lions.
Shiro, Hunk, and Keith came to stand by Lance, and Allura stood off to the side where Katie would be. Speaking of which—
The song was transitioning again. Lance felt like his heart was about to pound out of his chest.
Querida?
Yes, Lance?
I already feel like crying.
I know the feeling.
He let out a tiny, tearful laugh, and that's when the doors opened for the final time.
Katie looked up. All of his breath left his lungs.
She felt nervous from head to toe. She couldn't recall walking down the aisle— it felt more like floating, with Matt at her side all the while. Lance looked like he was frozen, his mouth dropped open in awe.
When she got closer, she could see that there were tears in his eyes. Without a second thought, she released her hold on Matt's arm and came forward to wipe her future husband's tears away.
"You okay?" she whispered.
He gave her a watery smile. "I'm the luckiest man alive," he replied softly.
The pastor cleared his throat, and the couple snapped back to reality. He chuckled. "Who gives away this woman?" he asked.
Matt straightened up. "Her loving family."
Katie cast him a fond smile, and the pastor nodded. "Thank you. Please be seated. Loved ones, we are gathered here today to honor the bonds of love that bring us all together—"
You look beautiful.
You look great, too. I missed you.
I want to kiss you.
Me too.
Do you think they'd care?
Probably. Are you even listening to what he's saying?
Not at all— you?
Nope.
I can't wait to be with you forever.
I can't wait until we can get out of here.
The couple stifled a giggle. They stared into each other's eyes longingly, and Lance reached out to tuck one of her curls behind her ear. Katie smoothed a hand over his pocket square— blue and green, just like they'd picked out. He sighed happily.
"—and now, it is time for the vows."
Lance's eyes widened comically, and Katie grinned.
He cleared his throat, then took her hands in his, blue eyes gazing lovingly into honey ones. "Katie, you have entrusted me with your heart. Therefore, I promise to always love you, always protect you, and always be your best friend. I'll be the first to apologize when we fight, the first to say good morning to you every day, and the only to walk with you for the rest of our lives."
Lance glanced over his shoulder, and Hunk handed him the ring. "With this ring," he continued solemnly, sliding it onto her finger, "I give my entire self to you. I am yours, and yours alone."
Katie smiled up at him. "Lance," she started, laughing when his eyes lit up.
"Go on," he teased.
She smothered her laughter and grinned adoringly. "Lance, you have entrusted me with your heart. Therefore, I promise to always love you, always protect you, and always be your best friend. I'll be the first to cheer you up when you're sad, the first to be there when you need me, and the only to walk with you for the rest of our lives."
His eyes were filling with tears again, and they began to spill over when Allura handed her the ring. "With this ring, I give my entire self to you," she promised as she slid the matching ring onto his finger. "I am yours, and yours alone. I love you, Lance."
Lance laughed tearfully. "I love you, too, Katie."
The pastor smiled. "You may now kiss the bride."
They didn't even hear the cheers when their lips met. They just sighed happily as they melted into each other.
Finally.
It's about time.
"I now present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Lance Elijah McClain!"
They broke apart, eyes shining. Lance couldn't hold back his smile, especially when he heard his friends shouting joyfully. "Shall we go, wife?" he asked.
She looped her arm through his. "We shall, husband."
They processed back down the aisle in a happy daze, and Katie wasn't surprised that the second the doors shut behind them, Lance took off running.
"Where are we going?" she laughed.
He didn't even answer, and he didn't have to— a few moments later, he pulled her around a corner and crashed his lips into hers. Katie moaned, especially when she felt his fingers clinging desperately onto her waist. He lavished her mouth with passion and adoration, and when he finally pulled back, they were panting for air.
"You look beautiful," he breathed.
"You already said that," Katie giggled.
Lance grinned. "Not out loud, I didn't." They laughed, and he smiled dreamily, resting his forehead against hers. "Katie McClain," he whispered. "Dios, it finally happened. You're really mine."
She grabbed his face and pressed her lips against his. "And you're mine," she promised.
Hooray! They're married! Stay tuned for an epilogue!