Author's Notes: Just a little fun with my favorite guy. WEP/Toei own Voltron and the team; the song lyrics are owned by Motley Crue and Guns N Roses respectively.
Lance had reached his limit. With Keith on Planet Ebb rehabbing from a near-fatal Robeast encounter, all the minutiae of being Voltron Force commander had fallen squarely in his lap. Lance didn't have the patience for admin work on his best day; today wasn't one of those days. He glowered at the stack of paperwork on his desk. "Fuck it," he decided, and pushed away from the desk. He rummaged on his bedside table for a minute, then headed out, holding a small silver box in his hand.
Coran stopped him in the hallway. "Ah, Commander McClain. May I have a moment of your time?"
Lance sighed deeply. "Coran, if I don't get out of here for a little while, I'm not going to be responsible for the consequences. Can it wait an hour or two?"
The royal advisor looked at the young pilot, noting the fatigue and strain in his face and posture. "Certainly, Commander. Take all the time you need." He hesitated, then put a hand on Lance's shoulder. "He's going to be fine, Lance," he said softly. "I know you miss him."
Lance didn't trust himself to speak; he merely nodded and set off for Castle Control. Pidge looked up from the monitors as he walked in, face becoming unreadable as he saw the box in Lance's hand. "How long do you want?" the Green Lion pilot asked.
"At least an hour." Lance perched on the edge of the console. "I know you guys don't like it when I do this. . . ."
"Keith would put your butt in a sling, if he was here." Pidge paused. "But if he was here, you wouldn't need it. Go, Lance. I'll give you as long as I can before I cut the power."
"Thanks, man." Lance leapt into the chute as Pidge raised the dais; five minutes later he was in Red's cockpit. He set his helmet to the side, then hooked the little silver box into his COM receiver. As he grasped the controls and sent Red running from his den, rock music screamed into the cockpit.
When I get high, I get high on speed, top fuel funny car's a drug for me. . . Lance grinned and pushed the throttles up, feeling the tension leave him. Always got the cops comin' after me, custom built bike doin 103. . . .He soared into the stratosphere, relishing the g-forces that pushed against his body. "Hell yeah!" he screamed. "This is what it's all about!" He pushed Red into a steep dive, pulling out at the last possible second to rocket along the desert floor. Kickstart my heart, hope it never stops, and to think. . . we did all of this TO ROCK! Lance closed his eyes, reveling in the music pounding through him and the power surrounding him. This was where he felt most alive; not even being in Keith's arms energized him this way.
The music changed, becoming darker, pounding drums behind driving guitars. Well I'm a cold heartbreaker, fit to burn. . . Lance laughed; this was one of his favorites. He brought up Red's weapons and targeted a rock outcropping ahead of him, reducing it to dust. God, he had needed this. Just a chance to let go, to lose himself in some good rock and FLY. It had always been his best stress relief, since he first got into a cockpit at 16. He firewalled the throttles and headed for space, where he spent he didn't know how long twisting and turning through an asteroid field to the pulse of 20th century rock.
All too soon, Red's power flickered; Pidge's way of getting his attention since he couldn't hear the COM. Regretfully, he disconnected the music player and hit the COM. "Yeah, Pidge. I'm on my way back."
"Keith's calling," Pidge informed him. "I figured you might want to get here before the signal goes through."
"There in five." Lance took a deep breath, feeling his burdens settle back onto his shoulders, and returned to the Castle. He knew the music would be waiting the next time he needed it.