Reward Trip
Chapter 4
***Disclaimer: I don't own Voltron. I never did, I don't now, and my chances in the future are looking dim as a Voltron owner. ***
Diana woke up with Dradin's stimulated sunlight filling up the room. With a smile, she noticed that Lance was still asleep with her wrapped up in his arms and their legs slightly tangled. Diana took a few moments to think about last night after the party. Everything was a blur from when they left the party to when they finally closed their eyes. Lance was finally able to make love to her without interruptions. She lost count how many times Lance ultimately pleased her last night other than when he took her to another world and never looked back. When they finally came back down to Dradin to catch their breath, Diana snuggled deeply against Lance while he wrapped his arms and legs around her. Before they closed their eyes, they were whispering how much they loved each other.
Smiling still, Diana released herself from Lance's embrace and got up from the bed. She carefully picked up her dress, his shirt, his slacks, their shoes, and their underwear and tossed them into a small hamper in the closet. Diana then took a sheer black chemise and put it on, before taking a pair of boxers for Lance and a robe just in case someone knocks on the door while she was cooking. After gently placing the boxers on the nightstand next to Lance, Diana walked into the kitchen and started to prepare Lance's favorite breakfast—egg omelets, sausage patties, and pancakes. From the fridge, she took the eggs, vegetables, sausage, and cheese. From the pantry, she grabbed the pancake mix. After getting the ingredients together, Diana hummed softly as she chopped up the vegetables.
Meanwhile, back in the bedroom, Lance woke up to an empty bed. Looking around the room, he noticed that Diana tidied the room some and put a replacement pair of boxers on the nightstand next to him. He laid back, closed his eyes, and thought about how last night ended. They really enjoyed the party last night and they even got to know some of the drivers and owners better. Then came the dancing. All Lance knew was that after an hour of dancing, he was ready to take Diana back to the suite and finally make uninterrupted love with her. One second, they were dancing in the middle of the set, the next second, they found Azine and thanked him for playing their host. Lance didn't remember the last time it was so quick and easy to take a cab, but he was grateful that within 20 minutes they were back in the suite. While they were relatively chaste on the elevator with non-stop kissing, once they walked into the suite, all inhibitions went away. All he can remember is that he was so focused on Diana and making sure she was well satisfied before the ultimate climax happened and brought them back down to Dradin. Lance whistled at the memory before getting up from the bed and putting on the boxers Diana chose for him.
Before he left the room, he grabbed his robe and joined Diana in the kitchen. All the prep work for the meal was finished and she was about to start the active cooking part. He stealthily got behind Diana and hugged her. "Good morning, love. Did you enjoy last night?" He placed a couple of kisses on her neck before giving a lingering on the lips. Diana smiled against his mouth before answering.
"Good morning. I thoroughly enjoyed last night-especially our special after-afterparty." Diana said before giving him a lingering kiss. "As you can tell, I'm about to make your favorite breakfast." Lance quickly bathed Diana in kisses before lifting her off the ground. With a click of her tongue, Diana turned off the burners before Lance managed to press her body hard against the wall.
"I rather continue what we started last night. I'm hungry for my other favorite breakfast."
"Oh my!" Diana squealed as Lance started kissing her neck and collarbone. "Lance," Diana moaned as Lance went back to her lips and gave a lingering kiss as his hands started moving up and down her body. Diana was enjoying Lance's ministrations on her body, and it wasn't too long before one of his hands hiked up the chemise and inched closer to her womanhood. As Lance teasingly sucked on her neck as he entered a finger inside Diana. In response, Diana cried out and started to grip Lance's shoulders. "Lance…"
"That's it baby," Lance encouraged as he continue to place kisses on her neck. "Let me hear how much you enjoy my breakfast."
"Yours? Don't you mean ours?" Diana gasped out, when Lance entered another finger.
"You're right, our breakfast," Lance agreed before bathing Diana's collarbone with kisses and inserting another finger. A few seconds later, Lance hiked Diana higher on the wall before parting Diana's legs further and left a trail of kisses on her thighs one by one. She was about to anticipate feeling Lance's tongue inside her when someone knocked on the door. Diana tried to move away, but Lance held firm. "Oh no you don't. We're going to ignore the door. I'm not done with our breakfast yet." Lance started kissing Diana's thighs once again one by one. Just when Lance was about to taste Diana intimately, the door knocked again. They groaned in displeasure. "Who is it?" Lance yelled.
"It's Manset. How's my favorite guests?"
"Why me?" Lance said as he massaged Diana's thighs before pulling the chemise back down. "It was just getting good, too. I thought I had a Do Not Disturb tag on the door." All Diana could do was nod as Lance lowered Diana to the ground. "To be continued?" Lance asked as he walked to the dining room table and tossed Diana's robe to her.
"Definitely, to be continued." Diana replied taking a quick glance at Lance's erect manhood through the boxers. Lance gave her a wink as he took his robe and tied it together before approaching the door.
"Good morning, Lance! My favorite Voltron pilot!" Manset said innocently. "I hope I wasn't disturbing anything."
"We were just about to enjoy breakfast," Lance said, as he stepped aside to let Manset in. "Would you like to eat with us?"
"I am a bit hungry. Is Diana cooking?" Manset asked as he could tell that the stove was on.
"I sure am. Take a seat, it shouldn't take me too long to make breakfast," Diana called out from the kitchen. "You have great timing, Manset."
"Or terrible timing…" Lance muttered under his breath as he joined Manset at the table. "So, what brings you to our suite?"
"I tried calling you to ask about last night. But the phone just rang, so I wanted to personally make sure that my favorite guests were doing ok." Manset answered as he heard the sizzling on the stove. "So…how was the party?"
"I enjoyed the afterparty and it was nice. The food was great, the drivers were great company and entertainment. I really enjoyed our personal after-afterparty the most," Lance answered as he watched Diana make some of the pancakes. Diana looked up at Lance and gave him a smirk.
"I bet you do," Diana responded to Lance before flipping the pancakes. "I enjoyed the party as well, Manset. It was nice to get to know all the different drivers and owners more. The music was fabulous and the night turn into a pleasurable blur." A few moments later, Diana was finished making their breakfast and entered the dining room with a tray full of food. She served Manset first, then Lance who playfully smacked her bottom. "Not in front of company…"
"It's just Manset. He doesn't count," Lance said with a grin.
"Hey, I resent that!" Manset replied with a laugh. Diana placed her plate in front of her seat that was across from Lance and next to Manset.
"I hope you enjoy the breakfast, Manset."
"You always cook great meals, Diana," Manset said as he dug into the omelet first. He took a few moments to observe Diana and Lance at the table. He noticed that the couple in front of him was more relaxed than yesterday. He also noticed that Diana had a brighter glow today and that she looked less tense. Perhaps Lance proposed to Diana already? "So…" suddenly Manset noticed that Diana was not wearing a new ring yet.
"So?" Lance asked Manset, taking his attention off of Diana.
"Have you thought about visiting Dradin's Natural Park?" Manset asked, knowing what Lance's plan for the day was.
"Funny you mention that Manset," Lance said with smiling at Diana. "That was what today's plan was—going hiking and then a boat trip on the river. We'll hike from the cliffs down to the river. Then we'll boat down the river to the tram back to the SUV."
Diana smiled. "We haven't hiked or taken up in a boat in a long while. I like how you think, Lance."
"I told you, trust me to make the plans," Lance winked. "I'm guessing that you're also here to personally hand me the passes we need, Manset."
"You're correct," Manset said with a smile as he pushed his empty plate back. Diana got up from the table and took the dishes off the table before loading them directly into the dishwasher. "Diana, thank you for your hospitality! Your cooking is delicious as always."
"Thank you, Manset. Have a good day," Diana called out as he and Lance made their way to the door.
"Thank you for your incredible timing," Lance said with a smile. Manset handed Lance the envelope with the passes he'll need for the natural park. "And for making sure I got these passes."
"It's a pleasure on both ends. I'll make sure the staff knows not to disturb your door." Mansett said with a grin.
"Thanks," Lance said closing the door behind Manset. He dashed to their room in the hopes that he'd be able to finish what they started earlier. Unfortunately, Diana was already in the closet getting ready to take her shower. "Ahh…I wanted to finish what we started earlier."
Diana smirked as she opened the garment bag for day 2. "But I'm excited for today's activities."
"I bet you are," Lance replied, pulling Diana close to him for a lingering kiss. He let his hands roam all over Diana's body as he let the kiss continue until they were out of breath. "We can always just stay in—"
"But I want to check out the natural park with you," Diana said after catching her breath. With a teasing smile, she grabbed her hiking stuff and stepped out of the closet. "But if you hurry, I'll let you take a shower with me…" Without saying a word, Lance had Diana drop her clothes and pull the chemise and robe off her body. Before they knew it, Lance had Diana pressed against the shower wall with the water hitting them from different angles and ready for a sensual shower together.
After their shower, Diana slipped on her purple hiking outfit. Her hair was pulled back into a bun with a purple headband, followed by a form-fitting t-shirt, and at last purple hiking boots. She was also wearing a pair of thick purple socks with the matching purple backpack. In contrast, Lance was wearing a red shirt, black hiking shorts, and black hiking boots. He decided to leave his leather jacket off for the day. Then as they were walking through the lobby, it seemed as if everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at them.
"Why is everyone looking so intently at us? Is there a new rumor about us going around?" Lance asked Diana.
"That's a good question. We're on vacation, so we'll worry about whatever it is when we get back to Arus," Diana replied shrugging her shoulders. "Then again, you're not wearing your leather jacket for the third day in the row. It's probably scaring people."
Lance laughed. "Or maybe, people are amazed that we look like we're about to take a hike." Diana laughed with him as they approached the valet. When their rental SUV pulled up, Diana decided she wanted to drive this time, so she walked to the driver's side. Lance made sure she had settled in before walking around to jump into the passenger seat.
After setting the address in the GPS, Diana drove off from the hotel and took the main highway to the park. "When was the last time we took a hike together? It feels like ages," Diana asked Lance as she slowly sped up the SUV.
"The last time I remember, it was roughly about a couple of months before I went back to Arus with Daniel and Vince in tow," Lance smiled. "I remember it because somebody nearly jumped into my arms because somebody nearly mistook a skink for a snake."
"It's not my fault they look like snakes with little legs," Diana replied. "You know I still don't like snakes like that."
"If it makes you feel better, you can always jump into my arms when you see a snake. Especially if it's non-venomous," Lance offered with a smile. "I love rescuing you." Diana laughed as she passed by a hatchback car.
"I might have to take you up on your offer. There's a reason why I love being in Arus and Hawaii—no snakes to worry about."
"They're not all bad…" Lance replied. "As long as they're not robeast-sized I can handle them."
"Not helping…" Diana replied as she passed a black pick-up truck. "And watch. Since we're talking about those nope-ropes now, we're going to see some. I know it!"
"And I'll be here to help protect you from them," Lance replied. "I also have my Voltcom on just in case." He raised his right arm to show Diana.
"I have my on as well," Diana raised her right arm to show the smaller, bangle version of the Voltcom.
"Always prepared. That's one of the reasons why I love you so much," Lance stated as he bent over and gave Diana a quick kiss on her cheek. A few minutes after the kiss, Diana pulled the SUV up to the ranger station. After exchanging pleasantries and a brief safety conversation, Diana handed over their day passes and was allowed to drive into the parking lot and to a nice parking spot not too far from the hiking trail they're going to take.
With anticipation, Diana and Lance got out of the SUV and grabbed their backpacks from the back. When the back door closed, Lance pulled Diana to him and gave her a kiss. "I'll have to admit, I'm love being kissed and in your arms. I'm going to have to wear Chocolate more often," Diana flirted.
"And I'll devour you each time," Lance flirted back. "Everyone at the castle will just have to get used it." Diana and Lance laughed together before heading towards the trail. "So basically, this trail will lead us to the highest cliffs giving us a great view of the Vook River. After a break at the summit, we'll hike down to the river and grab a boat to follow the river back here." Diana nodded her understanding as they started on the trail.
The first part of the trail had two side trails for them to explore. The first side trail led to a tight ledge. Lance tested the ledge but noticed that it was a little unstable and after a few moments of disagreements, Diana ultimately won out and the two of them went back to the main trail. After about five minutes, they noticed how soft the ground was and how there were several different tracks. The first set of tracks they came across appeared to be deer tracks. The next set of tracks belonged to a coyote. The following set was rabbit tracks and the final set looked like it belonged to a roadrunner. A few moments after identifying the animal tracks a small rabbit moved quickly in front of them, followed by a snake that was moving just as fast.
With a yell, Diana instantly jumped into Lance's arms. "That was definitely a snake."
Lance chuckled in response. "I think he was more interested in his prey, the bunny, than us."
"He'll probably come back," Diana responded. Lance shook his head as he guided Diana back to her feet.
"Let's just keep going," Lance encouraged as he led Diana the next few steps in the trail. "It's going to be ok—you're not going to see him again."
"I'm going to say the same thing to you the next time you think you see a ghost," Diana muttered as she followed Lance.
"I heard that. It was an abandoned ghost ship, you would have reacted the same way."
"Right," Diana replied as they continued to move. A few seconds later, Diana heard a loud hiss and jumped on Lance's back. "Return of the snake."
Lance turned around to see a cicada slowly crossing the trail. "It's a cicada. See, no harm." Diana slowly climbed off Lance's back.
"It could have been the snake," Diana replied, crossing her arms. Lance pulled Diana for a kiss before guiding them back on the trail. A few minutes later, they arrived at the highest point of the cliff. "It's beautiful," Diana said in awe. Below them from right to left was the river they were going to take later. The trail they took here was slightly behind them along with an opening that looked like a cave entrance. Beyond the river was the lower side of the canyon and in the distance, they could see the area of the park that had a large number of hoodoos.
"Yes—but not as beautiful as you," Lance replied with a kiss. He glanced at the scenery around him and was inspired to propose to Diana again at that moment. With a subtle pull, Lance had Diana face him again. "Diana, you're the most beautiful woman in the galaxy. When I first met you, it was love at first sight. Within a week, I got to know all of your nuances—your playfulness, your intellect, your empathy, your resilience, your strength and knew that no matter what—you were going to be a part of my life forever."
"Lance—" Diana sighed as she reached for his cheek and softly rubbed it. "I love you."
"And, I love you, Diana. Let me finish," Lance said as he briefly kissed her hand. "Against all odds, we started a bond that few can completely understand. Through my worst and best times, you were always there to help me see it through—even if we were on a break," Lance paused to slowly kneel in front of Diana and to pull the ring box out. Just as he was going to speak again, Diana quickly kneeled next to Lance and had him turn around.
In front of the cave opening was a large condor, preparing to take flight. With it wings spread, the bird ran towards the couple before taking off from the ground and flew over them. For a few moments, Lance and Diana watched the condor fly around the canyon and followed with river away from them.
"Lance, I'm sorry, but that bird was just asking for our attention. But now that it's gone, we can finish what you started."
"I—I," Lance started to say, before shaking his head. He gave Diana a kiss as he helped her to stand. "It's nothing. I just wanted to let you know how much you mean to me from the beginning." He said with his hand on his pocket, making sure that the engagement ring was still in his possession. "I was this close!"
"Are you sure? This is the second or third time you've started this kind of conversation. I'm getting worried."
"Everything's fine," Lance reassured her before giving Diana a lingering kiss. "This trip is better than I could ever hope. And we go to see the rare Dradine Condor."
Diana smiled, "This trip has been worth it several times over and this is only day 2." She pulled Lance closer to her for another lingering kiss. "And it's better than any reward I could ever hope to get." Lance smirked in response.
"That's the point. Let's finish this hike and get into the water!" They started on the other part of the trail. The trip to the river was significantly quieter than the trip to the cliff. They were able to identify several plants and smaller creatures. At one point of the hike down, they were able to take a quick break at a small historical cabin. There was a metal marker including the story of how one of Manset's ancestors decided to stay in the wilderness and start the first conservation movement in Dradin. Unfortunately, the citizens of the planet didn't make enough changes to stop the planet from changing and needing to be terraformed. After taking a few photos, they finished the last leg of the hiking trail and met up with the vendor who rented boats.
After a few minutes of talking, Diana and Lance were in a small inflatable raft and using oars and starting down their way to the river.
"The gentleman did seem a bit sad that we wouldn't let him guide us down the river. I'm a bit apprehensive about the Class III parts."
"We'll be fine," Lance replied. "Although I still think I should be at the front."
"But I'm the better navigator out of the two of us," Diana countered.
The next few minutes were spent in silence as they paddled and enjoyed the scenery as the river was shallow and smooth. It wasn't too long before they came across a Class II with slightly more wave caps. They managed to go through the waves with no issues since they had the same plan in mind. When the river was smooth and shallow again, Lance pulled Diana to him for a quick kiss. Diana responded in kind with a longer kiss before scotting back to the front of the boat for the next Class II rapid area. As they peddled through with no issues, they took the time to eat a couple of snack bars and prepare themselves for the roughest part of the river. For the next few minutes, they were going to go through patches of both Class II and Class III waves without a guide.
It was a challenge for the both of them. Some splashes from the Class III waves did make their way into the boat, but Diana expertly guided the raft with minor issues. If Diana hesitated, Lance spoke up and provided insights into how to manage the rockier parts. As they were going through the toughest Class III parts, Diana stated that she was glad that they took a couple of rowing classes. Lance replied that he's grateful to have a partner who listens to him while going through the rapids.
After their final rough stretch, the river was smooth again and they were close to where they could return the raft. Once they made it to the SUV, Lance pressed Diana's body against it and gave Diana a long, lingering kiss with all the passion he had inside for her. In response, Diana moved her arms to Lance's shoulders and kissed him back with just as much passion. When they finally broke apart from the kiss, Diana smirked "Everything is definitely fine,"
"I'll say. Let's get back to the hotel and finish what I started this morning." Lance said as he opened the driver's side door for Diana.
"If we're going to finish what you started this morning," Diana said with a smile. "You better drive—you're more speed demon than me." She walked around the truck and helped herself in as Lance sat in the driver's side. He quickly started the SUV and left the park. With a devilish grin, Lance had some love songs playing on the radio while driving.
Diana was still savoring their park experience as Lance drove them back into town in between being teased by him. "Lance that was the best hiking and boat experience ever! I enjoyed every moment with you!"
"I'm glad that you enjoyed our park visit. I'm still amazed at that large condor we saw."
"Yes! He was so majestic. I also loved the views we had going down to the river. It was a challenge to look at the scenery while making sure we kept the boat on top of the water."
"I love how well we work together as a team—even in super challenging situations," Lance replied. "The last time I tried with Keith, we both hit the water. From now on, it's just going to be me and you in a boat together." Diana nodded her agreement. After leaving the rental car with the valet, Lance and Diana were greeted by Manset.
"Lance and Diana! Welcome back!"
"Thanks, Manset," Diana responded.
"I'm guessing that you enjoyed the park?"
"We loved the park," Lance said, hugging Diana and pulling her closer. "We actually got to witness a Dradine Condor taking flight in front of us. Then we enjoyed all the views going down the hiking trail. Then it was a challenge to enjoy the river scenery while rafting."
"I never knew the outdoors could be so romantic," Diana said giving Lance a kiss on the cheek. "I'll be right back; I need to go to the Ladies' room." Lance and Manset watched Diana walk to the bathroom before turning to look at each other.
"So…did you manage to pop the question?"
"I was in the middle of doing so when that bird showed up and stole my thunder," Lance replied. "That's 2 failed attempts so far. I promise, once I do, you'll know it."
"If there's anything I can do to help, let me know. You and Diana are my favorite couple. I'm always rooting for you two," Manset confessed. "Y'all remind me of my parents. It's always fun to watch the two of interact."
"Ah, that's so sweet," Lance replied. "Thank you for being in our corner and helping put my plans into motion for this engagement."
"It's a pleasure," Manset stated. "So, two failed attempts, hmm?"
"I keep getting interrupted. Luckily, we still have the rest of the week," Lance stated. "I can't wait to put a ring on it."
"She's going to be so surprised to see that you bought that ring she's been dying to get," Manset said.
"I know," Lance replied. "It's going to be so memorable."
"What's going to be memorable?" Diana asked as she rejoined Lance and Manset.
"The rest of this week," Lance said. "If you thought you loved these last two days, you haven't seen anything yet."
"What promises you make, Commander Lance," Diana said with a wink before walking towards the elevator.
"In fact, there's a promise I made this morning that I need to keep," Lance called out as he stepped away from Manset. "I'll see you later, Manset."
"Have a good evening. Call if you need anything…" Manset called out to the couple as Lance managed to reach Diana and take her hand. Lance bent down and gave Diana a quick kiss on the lips before pressing the elevator door.