Reward Trip
Chapter 2
**Disclamer: I do not own Voltron or Voltron Force. They belong to World Events Productions and Netflix. All I can claim is Diana, the shops, shopowners, and several unnamed characters.**
After getting all the last things he needed from town, Lance rushed back to the Castle. When the Voltron Force shop the Market, it was always a trial of sorts and today was no exception. When he first pulled up to the shopping center, some fans converged around him. It took him roughly 20 minutes before all the fans (of all ages, of course) to either take photos, autographs, and advice or for him to give out encouragement as needed. To be honest, although it can be tiring at times, Lance enjoyed interacting with the Arusian citizens. One he was fan-free, he made his first stop at Diana's favorite boutique, Thready Nicely.
It was owned by Serge Arastle, who gained all his fashion experience from internships and working with different fashion houses across the galaxy. When Arus began its rebuilding phase, Serge wanted to come back home to Arus and build a fashion house from scratch. With his connections, Serge was able to clothe the women of Arus with a mix of current and timeless fashion outfits. His designs gained a major following not only at home in Arus but through the Galaxy as well with both Diana and Allura being two of his major clients. Through previous shopping trips with Diana, Lance learned that Serge was her favorite designer and most of her favorite outfits were personally designed by him.
As Lance walked into the store, Serge excitedly grabbed him and guided him to the back of the store. Lance protested that he trusted what Serge had set up for Diana's vacation, but the designer insisted that Lance witness the profile Serge made for Diana. Before he knew it, Lance was sitting down in a Wingchair with a glass of orange juice next to him. Serge decided to feature several mannequins similar to Diana's measurements. Since Lance had an activity in mind for each day, Serge was able to provide a outfit that matched the activity's theme. After showing the new outfits, Serge had a special surprise for the evening that Lance decided to propose to Diana.
Diana confessed that her absolute favorite dress was the blue dress she wore when she first met Lance and the Voltron Force. Between moving, traveling, and even unscheduled searches from Wade, somehow the dress became missing. Diana tried for the last two years to find that dress from internet searches, social media, connections, even asked Serge about the dress to no avail. Imagine Lance's surprise when Serge pulled out the dress. Serge explained that it took him forever to find the dress pattern since it was one of his first office designs and it was locked in a vault at his old fashion school. Serge also explained that he quickly managed to get the dress design to start working on it. Lance was well pleased at this point with the outfits—when Serge had two more surprises. The first one was a black and red lace overlay dress for tonight's dinner at Say's-a restaurant that Diana's been dying to try out in Dradin. The second surprise was a matching black suit with small, red pinstripes. Lance immediately tried on the suit was pleased at how well it fit. Lance quickly handed Serge his credit card and left the store with the outfits already packed in garment bags for the next few days.
Lance's next stop was to the bath store, Scent Treats. The mom-and-pop owners of the store greeted Lance and asked how his day was. After exchanging pleasantries, Lance started to browse around the store. He was looking for one scent—a scent he hadn't smelt on Diana in months. Normally, Diana wore a perfume that invoked sunny days at the beach, but she switched to a new scent without telling him and it pleasantly surprised him. Diana kept telling him that he was never going to be able to smell that scent again, but he waved her off. Giving up, Lance asked the owners, Arklin and Xiandtris about the unique scent – Chocolate. He discovered that the items were discontinued on Earth and haven't been able to find anyone with that scent since. Xiandtris stated that she just happened to finish a batch of chocolate-scented items with the recipe she got from an old professional connection. Xiandtris went to the back of the shop and brought out a whole set for Lance to smell. Excited that he's going to be able to surprise Diana even more, Lance brought the whole set and signed himself up for when the next batch would be made.
His final stop at the Market, was Florestry. It was the main floral shop in the Market. When Lance walked in he was immediately greeted by the shop owner, Todd. His family lived in the town for generations and he's one of the few survivors from Zarkon's initial raids and battles. His wife used to be a teacher with the school in the town but since the original Doom attacks, ended up helping her husband with the shop. Marianne smiled and stated that it looked like he was looking for a bouquet for Diana. Lance smiled and pointed out that he was totally lost in the store. With a smile, Todd suggested a bouquet of orchids and roses. Lance smile grew bigger and quickly bought the bouquet. Just as Lance stepped out of the shop, Allura called him to say that they were done with spa day and were going to enjoy a quick snack and drinks at the café nearby. Allura also advised Lance that he should rush back to the Castle. Lance replied that he was going to do just that. Allura nodded from her end and quickly disconnected before Diana could hear their conversation.
Lance ran to his SUV and placed the bouquet in the seat next to him. He started the vehicle and was able to speed out of the parking spot. Lance drove the fastest way back to the castle hangar. When he arrived, he took out the garment bags and small suitcases and loaded them into the luggage cabinet behind the cockpit of the fractal he was going to use to Dradin. He then returned to the SUV to make sure that he didn't leave anything behind besides the orchids and roses for Diana. He then ran into the fractal for a final check and walk-though. Satisfied that the Fractal was in great shape and that everything needed for the trip was loaded, he double-checked the chest pocket of his leather jacket for the engagement ring. As he stepped out of the fractal, he could hear Allura and Diana make it in from the spa.
Lance was amazed by Diana's transformation from the spa. Before taking the spa day, Diana was looking drained and her skin uncharacteristically dull. Her hair was still full and thick, but it needed just something a little more. You could tell that Diana was going through a stressful time. But after today's visit, her liveliness returned. Diana's natural skin was glowing and brighter with nearly no make-up to cover up her features. Her usually thick curls were elongated and straightened to look like a brownish-black version of Allura's hair. Diana was positively glowing and Lance couldn't help but allow Diana's beauty to pull him to her. Before he knew it, he had Diana in his arms and kissed her. "Hello, gorgeous. Did you enjoy your day at the spa?"
"Yes, I enjoyed my day. I guess I should take a spa day more often?" Diana asked after returning Lance's kiss.
"Only as often as you want," Lance whispered and smiled at Diana's natural reaction. It's been years and she still shivered each time he whispered into her ear. Turning back to their teammates and friends, Lance announced his surprise to Diana. "Looks like it's time to make our getaway."
"What? Getaway? But I have so many meetings and…"
"Which has all been rescheduled in two weeks or later."
"And then what about –"
"No worries, everything else has been delegated."
"But I haven't packed a thing. I got to—" Lance sushed Diana by placing a finger on her lips.
"Everything has been taken care of for you. We have a week's worth of outfits, bath stuff, and just about anything else you would need for a vacation. All you got to do is just enjoy the ride," Lance finished. He could tell that Diana was still processing everything he was telling her.
Just when Diana was about to speak and protest some more, Allura walked up and hugged her. "Enjoy your weeklong break. You deserve it."
"I haven't even said yes yet," Diana protested.
"It's already been decided," Lance said with a smirk. "All you go to do is enjoy the time off. No Voltron, No Public Health projects—nothing but relaxation and me." At that point, the rest of the Voltron Force wished Lance and Diana a great trip. After finishing their goodbyes, Lance handed Diana the bouquet of orchids and roses.
"Wow! These are beautiful and they're from Florestry! Thank you, Lance," Diana perked up before turning around to kiss Lance. "So…where are we going?"
"About that….it's a surprise," Lance stated. Before Diana could respond, Lance gently placed a blindfold over Diana's eyes. He felt Diana stiffen after he was finished. "I know you hate being blindfolded, Diana, but I promise it'll be ok." Lance crooned. "You trust me, right?"
"Somehow, I continuously trust you with my life," Diana smirked. "I guess I can trust you once again."
"As always, you won't regret it at all. You're going to love where we're going," Lance said as he swept Diana off her feet and into his arms. "We'll see everyone later!" Lance called out as he went up the ramp and closed the fractal door behind him. When he made it to the cockpit, he opened the door before gently placing Diana into the co-pilot seat of the fractal before buckling her up.
"It's sweet that you buckled me up—but I can do it myself."
"It's too late, I already took care of that for you. I just wanted you to enjoy the ride and your flowers." Lance made his way to the pilot seat and started the pre-flight checks. "Alright, everything is ready to go. Castle Control, Fractal is ready to go."
"Alright, Lance everything is clear. Enjoy your trip and make sure that Diana stays in one piece!" Hunk stated.
"Stop that! You might scare her. I just got her to trust me," Lance replied chuckling along with Diana and Hunk. As Lance slowly moved the fractal, he and Hunk threw a few more barbs at each other. Once Lance left Arus' orbit, Diana was ready to figure out where she was going.
"So…where am I going and are we there yet?"
"If I tell you, then it won't be a surprise now, would it?" Lance remarked. Diana responded by sticking her tongue out at him. "As for the second question, we just getting started!"
"Darn, I was hoping you'll just tell me offhand. I'm thinking that this trip is probably close-by since we're taking Lucille," Diana deducted. "I know Lucille's pull and sounds since I use her the most the last few weeks."
"You got one thing right. This is Lucille."
"Do I at least get a hint?"
"Nope, no hints. You can use your navigation skills, though."
"Fun. Navigation without seeing. You must have me confused with Sven," Diana responded. "I'm feeling that this trip is somewhat spur of the moment so it's close by. I can safely eliminate Doom. What's the environment of where we're going? Natural environment, anyway."
"Trying hard, aren't you. It's hard to describe the natural environment since it's one of the most terraformed planets," Lance replied.
"I'm guessing we're going no way near Earth. I'm getting the vibes that we are staying in our part of the system. I'm guessing I've been there before."
"Yep, you've been there before."
"Perfet, hint number 1," Diana replied. "Now I just have to narrow down a million planets out."
Lanced laughed as he could hear the wheels in Diana's head turn. Every so often, Diana would take the bouquet and bring them up to her nose. After being quiet and her continuous desire to figure out where they were going, it finally dawned on Diana where she was being taken to. "The only place that makes sense now is Dradin. This is my reward trip to Dradin!" With excitement, Diana snatched the blindfold off her face and took in the space scenery around her. "Dradin, Baby, Dradin."
"Yes, we're going to Dradin. Just the wo of us," Lance stated with a smile. The next thing he knew, Diana unbuckled her seatbelt and jumped into Lance's lap. "What are you doing? How am I supposed to pilot with you in my lab?"
"You've done it before. I also know for a fact that this button here," Diana paused dramatically and pressed the autopilot button. "Will go to autopilot." She finished before kissing Lance soundly on his lips.
"Are you trying to distract me?" Lance asked.
"It depends," Diana replied. "Is it working?"
"It always works on me," Lance replied before giving Diana a long kiss, while placing a hand behind Diana's head to deepen it. His other hand played with the straightened hair. When they broke the kiss minutes later, he had Diana sit back in her set and enjoy the final hours of their flight. Diana gave him a small pout but did as he requested. With space traffic control's permission, Lance landed the fractal at the spaceport closest to the Drome. Diana helped Lance shut down and take care of the post-flight check-up. She then grabbed the bouquet and followed Lance down the ramp to leave the fractal. Outside the fractal a limo was waiting for them.
"Welcome to Dradin, Commander McClain and Marchioness Smythe-Williams. I'll take your suitcases and garment bags," the driver greeted them. With practiced speed, the chauffeur opened the door for Diana.
"Thank you for picking us up," Diana told the chauffeur as she entered the limo. Lance followed behind and closed the door. "So how close is the resort from here?"
"It's roughly about a scenic 15 minute ride. We can either enjoy the scenery or we can spend the time making out."
"Making…" Lance interrupted Diana's question by giving her a lingering kiss. A few moments later they broke up the kiss and alternatively checked out the scenery and each other. They marveled at how well the new and renovated resorts were built. There were even advertisements to witness some of the natural wonders outside the dome.
The limo rolled to a stop outside Manset's main resort building. After stepping out of the limo, Lance turned and helped Diana out of the limo. Diana gasped in surprise at the newly renovated resort with a new statue of Manset. "The resort looks so luxurious!" Diana turned back to thank the chauffeur while Lance gave the driver a considerable tip. With a bow the driver returned to the limo.
"This is the most luxurious resort in Dradin," Lance stated. "Only the best for you."
Manset stepped out of the building with a small group of employees behind him. "Lance, Diana! Welcome to the newly renovated LeisureDrome resort!" Manset stopped in front of the couple and took Diana's hand before kissing it. "You look well, Diana. The Dradine air agrees with you." He released Diana's hand before turning to Lance. "And Lance, you look great as well. Behind me is my VIP team. Selnat is your concierge, and the twins will take care of your bags and make sure your suite is ready." Selnat bowed to them before helping the twin aliens with their luggage. "In the meantime, please allow me to give you a tour of the resort."
"That'll be great, Manset," Diana answered. Lance smiled as Diana tucked her arm within his before following Manset into the resort.
"As you can tell, this is our welcome building," Manset stated. They were greeted by a decadent waiting lounge. "This is our welcome lounge. Guests comfortably wait here for transportation, check-in, and check-out times." There were several leather couches and chairs grouped in several clusters along with matching side tables and lamps. The walls were covered with gold damask wallpaper and the lounge had a woodsy, verbena scent. "Ahead is the front desk. Next to the front desk is the concierge desk, featuring Selnat." Manset then guided them behind the front desk. "Besides our larger lounge, to the right is our coffee shop serving coffee and snacks throughout the day. To the left is our Welcome Café." The smells of fresh coffee wafered from the coffee shop and mingled with the café's vanilla scent.
"It's wonderful, Manset. Excellent and cozy design," Diadna commented about the first floor.
"Thank you, I designed this myself," Manset replied as he guided them to the indoor putt-putt course. "Our famous full 18-hole putt-putt course. It keeps the little ones busy," Diana smiled as she noticed a young family playing putt-putt. The miniature golf course almost smelt like fresh grass. "Of course, we also have an indoor children's playground for our littlest guests. Next to that are our beautiful bathrooms." Lance and Diana nodded their heads as they continued to follow Manset to the left of the room. "This is our gift shop. We have souvenirs and home versions of popular hotel items like towels and linens."
"Awww…a little bit of the hotel to take home," Lance commented. "A great idea."
Manset nodded as he continued the tour. "On our right is our extensive gym and fitness studio." Lance and Diana followed Manset to a banak of windows showing some of the common areas of the gym. "The gym and classes are available 24/7. We feature every type of program known in the universe so far."
"On top of the workout I can give you in the privacy of our own room," Lance whispered into Diana's ear.
"Oh behave you," Diana whispered back to Lance. He responded that he'll behave for now. Manset lead them to the second floor through the elevator.
"The second through fifth floors of the welcome center is home to our shopping mall and a food court. We have designer stores, make-up counters, bath and body stores, jewelry shops, gourmet foods—you name it."
"Shopping! I'm definitely loving this resort so far," Diana replied with a smile. She turned to Lance and whispered into his ear, "Shopping please?"
"No shopping," Lance replied with a playful swat on Diana's bottom.
"Not in front of our host…" Diana softly growled. Lance laughed as they followed Manset into the elevator.
"Behind the welcome center is our conference center where we can hold conventions and major events," Manset pointed out to the rectangular building with arches on the side. They got out of the elevator on the fifth floor. "To the left is our family building. The first floor features a large indoor playground including indoor soccer and baseball fields. There are also large indoor pools and water slides for the kids. The second floor features a sprawling arcade bordered by a kid-friendly food court. The third and fourth floors are full of an amusement park. The rest of the floors in the family building are filled with hotel rooms."
"Amazing!"
"Thank you, however, I believe that you'll enjoy the adults building full of amazing amenities," Manset stated as he guided Lance and Diana into their building. "The fifth floor serves as a sky bridge and expanded lounge areas for all the buildings. Let's go through the amenities in your building." They walked into a different set of elevators and went down. "The first floor features our five main clubs and main bar." Manset gave them a brief tour of the clubs and bar. "The second floor is home to our wonderful five-star restaurants featuring cuisines from every system." Manset continued the tour to each of the restaurants.
"Hunk would kill for these restaurants." Lance stated
"He's not the only one," Diana replied with her foodie smile.
"Next stop, the third floor—our spa and wellness center." Manset showcased the spa, wellness center, juice and smoothie bar. He also gave them a glimpse of the beauty salon, barbershop, and another make-up counter. "The fourth floor is home to our fabulous casino—including our famous high stakes poker rooms."
"My kind of game," Lance stated with a smile. "I might let you shopping if you let me hit the tables," Lance bargained with Diana.
"I think we might come up with an agreement," Diana replied as she playfully swatted Lance's bottom.
"Don't want to wait until we get to the room, umm?" Lance asked playfully back.
"Not in front of our host!" Diana replied. "Whatever would he think of us?"
"It's just Manset," Lance replied with a shrug.
"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" The trio laughed as they stepped back into the elevator. "And finally, I'm taking you to your penthouse suite. We have five penthouse suites with private terraces featuring wonderful views of Dradin." As the elevator continued to the penthouse floor Manset stated how's there's family penthouse suites in the other building and that it was similar to the one that the Voltron Force stayed in last time.
"It was a sweet 3-bedroom suite, too. I think I'll enjoy our penthouse suite more this time," Lance replied with a devious grin.
"How so?" Diana asked.
"I get to share it with my significant other for starters," Lance replied as he pulled Diana closer to him. "We're alone at last," he continued. "And finally, my company will always be pleasurable."
Diana gave Lance a sultry smile that was answered by a lingering kiss. "I'll try, no guarantees on the pleasurable end," Diana remarked after the kiss.
Manset let go of a discrete cough as the elevator's doors opened. After the initial smell of lavender and vanilla through the hallway, Diana and Lance immediately felt at ease and let out a collective sigh. Manset led the couple to the one-bedroom suite at the end of the right hall. Manset discussed how he kept his most important guests on the floor and especially if they were with their significant others. "And finally, here is your suite." With a little fanfare, Manset opened the door to their temporary digs before giving Lance the keycards. The room was full of a lemon verbena scent and felt very welcoming to the couple.
"We're standing in your foyer with a powder room to the right. To your left is a small closet for when you have guests visiting," Manset announced pointing to both features of their foyer. He then led them to a sizeable seating area. "Here is your living room with this nice big TV on the wall. You have access to just about any station in the universe." The living room had a large, black leather sectional in the middle, with a coffee table in front of it. On either side of the couch was an end table with a lamp. Behind the sectional was a section that served as a walkway and 3 large windows behind that.
Manset then guided the couple to the left of the living room where a small dining area greeted them. In the middle of the room was a tall, black square table with four tall chairs. "And this is your dining area with a full stocked mini bar against the far wall. And next to that is your kitchen with everything you would need to cook meals." The kitchen was a mix of wood and dark tiles. The kitchen boasted of a full fridge, dishwasher, oven, microwave, toaster, and blender. Lance and Diana smiled at the possibility of cooking a few meals during the week. "If there's anything you need, please let Selnat know, and he'll make sure to get it delivered." Diana and Lance nodded to their host who led them back into the living room.
Manset then opened the glass door that was to the left of the living room windows. "This is your private terrace with views of the resort and the city," Lance and Diana walked to the terrace and were amazed at the wonderful view of the resort and the main city in the near distance.
"The views are awesome," Lance admired. Diana agreed with a smile as he continued, "I could make all kinds of plans here."
They followed Manset back into their suite. "And through this door is your bedroom," he announced as he opened the sliding door to their temporary room. The room had a more sensual smell of jasmine and made the couple appreciate how the scent set the mood. In the middle of the room was their king-sized bed covered with a black and red spread, with black and red pillows and cushions at the head. Across from the bed was another large tv with a slim stand underneath it. There was a door on either side of the bed. "To your left is your walk-in closet," Manset opened the door and the couple stepped into it. "As you can see, we've already taken care of your clothes," Diana's outfits were hanging inside garment bags that were numbered on the left with her accessories on a table against the wall. Diana pulled on one of the drawers and was amazed that the table was actually a dresser, and her undergarments were carefully placed inside. Opposite of Diana, Lance's clothes were also hanging in their garment bags with his accessories placed on a matching dresser. The couple followed Manset out of the closet.
"And to your right is your bathroom," Manset continued as the couple followed him. "As you can see, the bathroom is divided into two main parts. This first part boasts of a soaking bathtub for two on the left," Lance and Diana's eyes turned to the large tub. "And on the right, is a walk-in shower," then their eyes turned into the large shower with a detachable shower head.
"Very well done, Manset" Diana praised as they followed him to the other side of the bathroom.
"Thank you, Marchioness," Manset replied with a smile. "And here is a dual vanity sink on the left and separate toilet and bidet to your right." The couple nodded and appreciated the double vanity that had their respective hygiene things near to each sink. The couple followed Manset back to their room and noticed that there was a sliding door beside the closet. "And this, at last, is your private entrance to your terrace from earlier."
"I'll have to say, you've outdone yourself Manset," Lance praised him as they followed their host back to the living room."
"Agree, this is a wonderful and luxurious suite," Diana echoed as Manset made his way to the front door.
"I hope that you'll enjoy your stay. If there's anything that I or my staff can do for you, just let me know."
"We'll keep that in mind," Lance stated as Manset finally left them alone in the suite. Lance turned to Diana who was comfortably sitting in the middle of the sectional. "So, milady, how do you find the accommodations?"
"I'm deeply impressed, Lance. I'll say that this trip is very well worth the wait," Diana replied with a smile. "This suite looks like it was designed just for the two of us,"
"I agree," Lance stated as he sat next to Diana in the sectional. "What would you like to do first?"
Diana smiled before answering, "It's close to dinner time. I would like to take a quick shower and go downstairs for a meal."
"Any ideas as to what you would like to eat?"
"I would love to dine at Say's. I've been dying to try that food since you originally told me about my reward trip months ago."
"Say's it is. Luckily, I took the chance and set up a reservation with the restaurant."
Diana stood up from the sectional and blew a kiss at Lance, "I guess I should get ready. You weren't kidding when you stated earlier that you thought of everything. You even went to my favorite boutique!"
"Of course," Lance said as he pulled Diana to him. "In fact, the black dress with the red lace overlay and small straps is what Serge suggested you wear tonight. Everything you need is close by." Lance stopped and gave Diana a lingering kiss before continuing. "I'll behave and let you shower while I make sure that my reservation still stands," Lance stated as Diana pulled away slowly and sauntered off to the closet.
Lance followed Diana to the closet before pulling her back to him. He gave Diana another long kiss. "I love you."
"I love you, too," Diana breathlessly said as she watched Lance leave the closet. Diana turned back and found a matching black lacy bra and sheer lacy panty set to wear under the dress. "He's going to love this set. Especially on me, I guarantee it," Diana said as she grabbed the set, a pair of red heels, the dress and a small jewelry set from the closet. Making a stop at the bed, Diana carefully laid the dress on the covers before placing the heels next to the bed. She also placed the jewelry on the nightstand. With the underwear in hand, she then continued to the bathroom and placed the underwear on a shelf next to the shower.
Once settled into the shower, Diana turned on the water and let it hit her from several angles. "Heavenly," Diana sighed before opening to a large smile when she noticed her bath stuff. Not only was the bath set from her favorite body store – it was Chocolate scented! "I've been looking for this scent forever!" she beamed as she started to lather up. "He's really pulling all the stops for me," Diana thought as she continued taking her shower. 15 minutes later, Diana stepped out of the shower and took an extra fluffy towel and patted her body dry.
After applying a layer of body cream, Diana slid the underwear on before wrapping the towel around her body. Lance poked his head into the bathroom and noticed that Diana was done with the shower. Smiling, Lance walked in and placed a kiss on Diana's forehead before stripping down to take his shower. "I thought you said you'll behave," Diana called out as he entered the shower.
"I did and I did," Lance called back as Diana laughed and made her way back to the bedroom. As Lance continued his shower, Diana slipped the dress over her body and made sure to put her earrings in before putting the matching thin bangles on her right arm. When Diana heard Lance approach the bedroom, she appreciatory glanced up and down Lance's naked torso and towel wrapped waist.
"If you keep looking at me like that, we'll have to order room service," Lance stated as he slightly moved his head. "Not that it's a bad idea."
"I'm tempted, Lance, but I really want to try some of the food downstairs," Diana replied, kissing Lance on the cheek before walking into the bathroom to put a few light touches of make-up on. By the time she was finished, Lance was fully dressed in his matching suit.
"Are you sure? I'm more than ok with having room service and helping myself…"
"I'm sure," Diana said with a smile. "So, Say's?"
"Say's," Lance replied as he took Diana's arm. "I figured that our first meal in Dradin at Say's would be the best way to start our vacation."
"Wonderful," Diana sighed as they left the room. On the elevator ride down, they enjoyed the short trip. Every so often, Lance would pull Diana close to him for lingering kisses on the lips and comment on how much he loved the Chocolate scent on her. Every time he tried to explore Diana's body with his hands, she would swat it away and tell him to behave. When they made it to the restaurant level, Lance guided Diana to Say's.
The hostess smiled and confirmed their reservation. With the menus in her arms, the hostess guided Lance and Diana to the best seat in the house – the chef's table. The hostess explained that the head chef discovered that they were dining tonight and upgraded them immediately. "What would you like to drink to start the night?"
"If we could have a sparkling Rose, that'll be great," Diana and Lance answered together as the menus were placed in front of them.
"I'll be back with your drinks!" The hostess stated as she went to get their glasses.
"I don't know what to try first. Everything looks great on the menu," Diana announced as she went through the menu again before settling on a dish. "I guess that I should try the Salmon en croute. It's calling out to me more."
"That sounds good, but I'm going with the signature Beef Wellington." Their waitress arrived at the table and took their order. As their dinner was being prepared, Lance and Diana spoke about the atmosphere in the restaurant and how well their appetizer tasted. When their dinner arrived, they were both amazed at how well it tasted, and it was the best dish they'd had outside of the castle. It wasn't too long before the chef personally chatted with them and asked about their meals. With matching smiles, the chef convinced Diana and Lance to try the new lemon curd dessert. Before Lance and Diana knew it, their dessert arrived and surprised them with how perfectly sweet the dessert was and how it complemented their dinner. With a satisfied smile, Lance paid for the meal and left a sizeable tip. With the smile still on his face, Lance helped Diana out of her chair and guided her out of the restaurant.
"After a great dinner, would you like to dance?"
"I'll love to dance with you, Lance," Diana replied as they walked towards the elevators. "Let's cap off this evening by going to the jazz club."
Lance agreed and they went down to the next floor. Once they entered the club, they were escorted to an intimate VIP table and ordered their first drinks. After listening to the live music for about 30 minutes, Lance leaned over to Diana and whispered in her ear. "I remember asking this, but I'll try again. Would you do me the pleasure of dancing with me?"
Beaming, Diana leaned over and whispered back, "Yes, I would love to dance with you, Lance." Lance stood up from the table and took Diana's hand. They slowly swayed to the middle of the dance floor as other couples slowly joined them. He pulled Diana slightly closer to him as Acid Jazz hit their ears. Lance couldn't help but be entranced again by Diana's body movements to the music. Her hair moved slightly as she bobbed her head to the beat and how her eyes lit up to the combination of live music and a soft drum track blended together. He was also entranced by how Diana's hips swayed, matching the beats and how her hands anchored him to the club while helping him to make the matching steps. Every time her back was turned, he couldn't help but admire her back and bottom as the hips continued to sway. No matter how many times he saw her move, Lance was always caught up in Diana's wordless spell.
The Acid Jazz slowed down and turned into Smooth Jazz as a new band took over. Diana moved closer to Lance's body as they continued to enjoy each other on the dance floor. If Lance was continuously caught in Diana's spell, Diana was spellbound by Lance's easygoing energy on floor. Before dancing with Lance, most of the men she danced with had a dancing style that was more in line with a mosh pit than intimately moving with her. Every time she danced with Lance, within minutes it would feel as if they were alone in the room. What made their dance even more enjoyable is how Lance tended to tease deeper intimacy on the floor giving her just enough to keep her satisfied on the floor until the music was constantly slow and intimate—close but not kissing yet.
After awhile the smooth jazz music turned into something more intimate and slower. Another band took their turn with a playlist filled with slow jam, quiet storm, and smoother jazz. Diana and Lance moved to where they were only breaths apart. Diana snaked her arms up and around Lance's shoulders as his hands moved to Diana's waist. And as always when the songs were slow, their heads met up to where their breaths were intermingled. This was their favorite part of a night of dancing—singing together the songs they knew. The smoldering heat between their bodies and the synchronized heartbeats just made their night in the club.
"You know this is my favorite part of dancing with you. Being this close, singing a song together. Our breaths mingling and just feeling your gently body heat," Lance softly explained to Diana as she opened her eyes to look into his eyes.
"It's my favorite part of the night, as well. I love feeling the beating of your heart matching mine," Diana responded in kind. "I love craving your touch when we dance." Lance rewarded Diana with yet another lingering kiss as the current song ended.
"Do you want to take a break or dance some more?"
"We can take a quick break and grab another drink," Diana answered, savoring the kiss. Lance smoothly glided them to their table—half dancing, half walking. Once they made it to their table, Lance pulled the chair for Diana before pushing his chair towards the table on the other side. He entered an order of Rose for Diana and a craft beer for himself. Their waitress arrived with their drinks. After thanking her, they both took a sip of their drinks. Diana asked Lance what he had planned for the rest of their trip. Lance smiled and told Diana that everything's been planned but it'll be a surprise. "The question is…do you trust me to pan a romantic trip on my own?" he asked with twinkling eyes.
"Hmm…" Diana teased initially. "You're doing a great job so far. I guess I can trust you for the rest of the week."
"Good. This is just the beginning," Lanced replied as he took her hand and kissed it. When they finished their drinks, they briefly talked about some of the things they had planned in Arus on their return. "Alright that's enough work talk. "We're supposed to focus on us here," Lance stood up and guided Diana back to the dance floor as another rap-inspired Acid Jazz set played through the speakers in the club. It wasn't too long before Lance whispered that he was going to the bathroom would be back. "Stay on the dancefloor. I'll find you when I get back."
Diana nodded her understanding and continued dancing to the beat as Lance made his way to the bathroom. He turned to check on Diana for a few moments and was happy to see her enjoy the music before walking into the men's room. Inside the men's room, there was a line, and the wait was unbearable for Lance. It seems like it took each guy 5 minutes to unzip, take care of business, flush, then get out. After what seemed to be eternal for Lance, he was finally able to get into a stall and take care of his business. Once he was finished, he washed his hands and overheard some of the men complimenting on Diana's looks and dancing skills. Smiling as he left the room, he shouted thanks and she's all mine.
Once he was feet away from the bathroom, Lance focused on the dance floor to see if he could find Diana among the growing crowd. It only took him a minute to find Diana still in the middle of the dance floor with another guy who was uncomfortably close to her. Walking at an aggressive pace, Lance made it to Diana's side in about 30 seconds and tapped on the other guy's shoulder to get him to move over. The other guy ignored Lance and continued trying to match Diana's move. Lance shrugged his shoulders and tapped on the guy's shoulder a little bit harder while saying that he would like to dance with his girl again. In response, the guy shrugged his shoulders back as to say "So". Lance waited for the song to end before moving Diana closer to him and giving the other guy a menacing look.
Diana stared up to Lance. "Was that really necessary?"
"I tried twice to cut back in properly, but he decided to ignore me," Lance shrugged his shoulders. "I hate it when other men dance close to you,"
"In case you didn't know, I can handle unwanted attention just fine. It was just a dance with a stranger. He'll never have the same chemistry we share on the floor."
"I know. I'll have to chase off everyone else if they did," Lance smirked as Diana rolled her eyes. It's been a while since they had a conversation about others dancing with Diana. This conversation never ended well between the two of them.
"And you know that I'm not a piece of property on the dancefloor."
"But you are my girl, and I don't like other men dancing with you – except the guys and Coran."
Diana sighed and pulled away from Lance. Lance grabbed Diana and pulled her closer to him. "Where do you think you're going?"
Diana rolled her eyes in response before frowning. "After this song, I'm going back to the room. You know I hate this conversation and your apparent jealousy on the floor."
"I'm not jealous."
"Whatever," Diana replied, crossing her arms. When the song was over, Diana walked off the dance floor and left the club with Lance in hot pursuit. It didn't take him long to catch up to her in the hallway. He turned Diana around.
"Don't be like that. I hate how this always triggers an argument. Besides, how would you get into the room? You left your keycard."
"It's not like I can't go to the lobby and get another one," Diana responded. "If you get locked out, you get locked out."
"I hate when this happens,"
"Don't push that trigger, then," Diana responded.
"It's always this conversation. I don't get jealous on the dancefloor."
"What would you call it?" Diana asked as she released her arm and walked towards the elevator again. Lance took three steps to catch Diana and swept her into his arms.
"A man in love with his girlfriend very much," Lance stated as he arrived to at the elevator. He pressed the button while Diana softly protested and shared how she felt about the situation this time.
"And another thing, I knew what I was doing—I was trying to get him to stop before you came up to us," Diana finished as Lance guided her feet to the floor. The next thing she knew, Lance had her body pressed hard against the wall before giving her a long, passionate kiss. When they broke the, Diana moaned that it wasn't fair that he would stop this argument by kissing her like that.
"You could resist, but it'll be futile," Lance smirked. Their breaths mingled for a few seconds before they naturally met halfway for another kiss. Lance moved Diana's body so that her back was facing him, and she could feel his body even more. Diana threw her head back so she could kiss Lance again. Seconds later, Lance turned her around again so they could share another long kiss comfortably. Just as the kiss was going to get more passionate, the elevator chimed letting them know that someone was going to enter it on the fifth floor.
"Lance, behave!" Diana gasped as she broke the kiss and managed to face the doors before, they opened. Lance softly growled into Diana's ear as he released her from his embrace. Seconds later, a family of two middle-aged adults, twin twenty-something girls, and an 18-year-old boy entered the elevator. It didn't take the family long to recognize they were sharing the elevator with Lance and Diana. The family took a picture with them before hastily grabbing their suitcases and getting off the ninth floor.
Once the elevator doors closed again, Lance turned Diana around and shared a long kiss. The elevator stopped on the 12th floor and a group of guys entered. Lance growled into Diana's ear "Why me? I just want to…" The guys whistled in appreciation when they noticed Diana. Lance hugged Diana protectively as the guys started making comments. The first guy stated how sexy Diana was. The second guy stated how Diana was out of their league. The third guy asked if Diana had any sisters or friends. The last guy just stared at the floor stating that he loves his woman, and the other guys were going to get him killed. Luckily, all the guys left on the 14th floor.
Once they were alone in the elevator again, Lance pressed Diana against the wall and started kissing her again. The chocolate scent on her skin was making him crave her even more. Diana placed her arms on Lance's shoulders as he deepened the kiss and started moving his hands up and down Diana's body. Just when he was about to move his hands to the hem of Diana's dress, the soft warning beep alerted them that the elevator was going to pick up more passengers. Lance growled before speaking, "Again, why me?"
"Why not you? Behave, we're almost to our floor." Diana whispered in mirth as Lance moved to straighten them up. An elderly couple entered the elevator.
"And how are you young folks doing this evening?"
"We're doing great. And you?"
"Trying to enjoy a vacation. Our kids just insist on being chaperones. The bastards," the older man stated. "Let's have kids, it'll be fun they said."
"They'll carry your legacy they said. It'll be fun they said," the woman continued.
"Still waiting for the fun part," the man grumbled before being elbowed by the woman. "Ouch. Fine, it was fun in the beginning when they were little kids. A lot less fun when they feel the need to tell you what to do. That's why they don't know that we already have a better room. If you get married, don't' have kids. It's—ouch! Stop it, Marjorie!"
"Behave! You're scaring them from having kids," Majorie warned her husband. She turned back to Lance and Diana. "Don't listen to him, you two. Kids are fun, especially when they leave the nest." The elevator dinged. "By the way if you see the younger versions of us running around. Tell them that you didn't see us."
"We will," Lance answered failing to hide his laughter any longer as the door closed behind the couple. Diana joined in his laughter before allowing Lance to pull her to him again.
"That was interesting," Diana commented.
"I'm getting that do not interrupt code for the elevators tomorrow from Manset. How am I supposed to make out in the elevator when we keep getting interrupted?"
"I don't know…maybe you're not supposed to?" Diana laughed.
"Never stopped us before," Lance commented, shrugging his shoulders. "I remember that one time we made-up in the elevator at Garrison headquarters."
"All power was shut down and I'm surprised we didn't get caught."
"Can't get caught if Pidge veered everyone away for hours," Lance stated. "I think he was tired of being our courier or something like that for that break-up. I can't remember for the life of me what we were fighting about that time, but it must have been one of our stupid ones. Anyway,"
"We did that one time—"
"We did it more than once. Atiope, Taoffe, Cetrac, and of course that one time at the Castle of Lions when Pidge and Hunk were in the middle of upgrading the Castle power grid." Lance countered. Diana opened her mouth to respond, when Lance swept her into his arms as the elevator opened the door on the penthouse floor. Before she could make a sound, Lance crashed his lips down on hers. Diana closed her eyes in pleasure and savored the lingering kiss.
Lance managed to seamlessly walk down to their suite and get them inside. When the door closed behind them, Lance pressed Diana's body against the foyer wall. His lips left Diana's and started a trail down her neck as his hands trailed up and down her body. Diana responded with a soft moan and threw her head back, eyes closed in pleasure. Encouraged by Diana's response, Lance moved back to Diana's lips and started another long kiss. Diana moved her hands behind his head and pressed his head closer. Lance moved his hands to Diana's back and unzipped the dress. As the dressed slowly slid down Diana's body, Lance hands followed and enjoyed the feel of Diana's body. Lance took a couple of steps back to admire Daiana's lingerie and growled. The strapless bra cradled and held up Diana's breasts perfectly. Below the bra was Diana's bare and toned abs with her small navel. Next was the matching sheer panty that teased Lance with it partially covered. Finally, he admired Diana's toned legs and the heels on her feet. Lance took another second looking back up Diana's body before kissing her again.
As Lance moved them towards the bedroom, Diana struggled to take Lance's shirt off while enjoying the deepening kiss. Once in their room, Lance quickly took off his pants and shoes before attacking Diana's lips again. "I can't get enough of you," Lance said between kisses.
"I can't get enough of you, either" Diana gasped in return. Lance kissed her deeply while unhooking the strapless bra. He stopped the kiss long enough to throw the bra away from Diana. While she gasped again in mild surprise, Lance covered her lips again while his hands kneaded her chest. "Ohh," She softly breathed against his lips, and he continued to play with her breasts.
"You like that, hmm?" Lance said against her lips.
"I love it," Diana gasped as his hands moved down her body. The next thing she knew, Lance had pulled off the panty and a hand was covering her sex. With his massaging hand, Diana threw her head back deeper to the mattress.
"Oh, you definitely love that," Lance said before making another trail of kisses down Diana's neck as his other hand started alternately attention from breast to breast. "You definitely love your body being played with."
"Hmmm, hmm," Diana simply responded as she continued to enjoy Lance's ministrations. Lance stopped briefly to admire Diana in bed. Her straightened hair fanned around her head. There was a faint flush across her face and her eyes turned to a sensual dark brown. Her mouth was slightly open as her chest rose and fell in a breathing pattern. Her legs were slightly ajar teasing Lance. "Why did you stop?"
"I wanted to admire your body again. You have no idea how sexy you look right now," Lance replied before laying next to Diana. With minimal movement, Lance moved Diana so that she was on top of him. She gasped softly as her body came in full contact with Lance's partly naked body. Diana's hands started to explore his muscular body. When Diana reached the waistband of his boxers, Lance grabbed her hand and placed them on either side of his head. "In due time," he said before rolling them to where he was on top of her with her arms raised above her head. "I love you, Diana."
"I love you, too, Lance." Diana responded back in kind. She reached her head up and kissed him. Seconds later, he released her hands and started massaging the sides of her body. Diana's hands moved up and down Lance's back as their kiss got deeper. The dance between their tongues echoed the sensations of their hands on each other's bodies. When the kisses stopped, Lance propped himself on one elbow and looked at Diana as her breathing slowly returned to normal. "We should always go to bed together like this."
"I'm not sure why we haven't since the first night you returned to the castle after your latest visits across Arus?" Lance asked.
"So, you're just going to forget that Daniel, Vince, and Larmina caught us in the middle of making out in your room. With your door that was somehow still unlocked?"
"But they didn't knock and I'm not responsible for what they see due to a breach of good manners."
"They did knock. Apparently, they thought you said to come in."
"Not my fault," Lance smirked. "I was telling you it was okay to come…in my mouth."
"Whatever," Diana softly yawned as she stood up to grab the cover. "It was not fun having to have The Talk the next morning. Then having to hear both Allura and Keith lecture us like we're their kids on being role models. All that is not worth getting caught again."
"You'll laugh about it when Larmina and the boys reminisce on it later in life," Lane stated as he pulled the cover from his side. Diana softly snorted at his statement which made Lance laugh as she laid on her side under the covers. "Seriously, though. Anytime we're under the same roof, we should always go to bed together." Diana hmphed as she closed her eyes briefly. "We're still talking here."
"You're talking, I'm listening," Diana yawned again. "I promise, I'm still listening to you." Diana let out another yawn and started to shift in bed.
"But you just yawned three times. And now you're rolling to have your back towards me," Lance replied as Diana moved. When Diana didn't respond, Lance moved closer to her body and spooned her before going to sleep himself.