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“Alright! Another win for Voltron!” Hunk shouts animatedly as he wraps an arm around Keith’s shoulder, shaking him as he cheers, “Did you guys see how Keith dodged that laser beam when one of the Galras tried to sneak up on him? Keith, buddy, that was amazing! You totally flipped them!”
Keith laughs as he takes off his helmet and brushes Hunk’s praise off. “What? No, come on! Are you kidding? Were you even present when your Lion completely crushed that rock and saved the entire village? Because I was and it was out of this planet, man.”
“Okay, guys, but I think I speak for everyone that the best part was when we formed Voltron and we completely destroyed that Robeast because Shiro’s plan was on point!” Pidge cuts in, grinning behind her shoulder to meet their leader, “If it hadn’t been for your quick thinking, the battle would have taken a lot longer.”
Shiro chuckles from his place besides Allura and waves the compliments off with a hand. “No way. The plan was a success because your plants held the Robeast long enough for us to make a move, Pidge. You have been improving a lot since the day we found of about your Lion’s power.”
Lance watches from the sidelines as he stands besides Coran, a few feet away from the team. He smiles fondly as he hears them cheer and praise each other, their adrenaline and enthusiasm that always come from a winning battle still running through their blood.
“Wait, wait, but did you guys notice when Lance –” Keith’s sentence is suddenly cut off when the Prince of the Royal Family from the Kingdom they just saved clears his throat abruptly, catching everyone’s attention and making Keith’s proud grin to dim, replacing it with a frown.
“On behalf of my people and my Mother, I would like to express our gratitude towards the brave Paladins of Voltron who saved us today and forevermore, for it is their duty to defend and serve this Universe from the claws of evil.” The Prince says, voice high and powerful.
He stares into each of the Paladin’s eyes before they fall on Allura. “Princess Allura, please, as a thank you, allow us to escort you and the entire team to our Castle in order to present you an exquisite and well deserved banquet in your honor.”
Allura smiles and opens her mouth to respond but Lance’s voice beats her to it.
“Sure, dude!” He shouts happily, walking a few steps until he’s standing beside Allura and Shiro. “A banquet is always appreciated! I mean, Voltron really kicked some serious ass today if you know what I mean.” Lance can hear the way his team groan and chuckle at his words, too used to Lance’s cocky facade and he can feel Allura’s playful smack of her hand on his ribs.
Lance’s grin fades when the Price stares down at him unamused and something inside him drops unpleasantly.
“Blue...Paladin, of course.” The Prince says, a bore and uninterested tone on the back of his tone as he forces a rigid polite smile, “While I agree with you on the fact that Voltron surely won this battle by their own hands, I have to ask…”
He pauses, letting his words linger in the air as he takes a step towards Lance and clicks his tongue.
“Why are you on the team? I’m sure that your ... talents, if you even have some, can be of much assistance back in the Castle.”
Lance’s smile falls and he hears the way someone behind him takes a sharp intake of breath but Lance doesn't bother to turn around to found out who exactly.
“Well, I am the Blue Paladin. I have to be where the team is, of course.” Lance says, mouth twitching in what he hopes to be a smile but ends up being a grimace.
The Prince clicks his tongue once again and shakes his head as if in disappointment. “Ah, my apologies, Blue Paladin. I had just assumed that you were just filling the spot for the time being until the true Blue Paladin claimed the title.”
Lance doesn’t need to turn around to know what’s happening behind his back. He can feel the tense air that has settled on the team. He can hear the hard shallow pants from Hunk’s end as the Yellow Paladin tries to suppress the urge to lunge at the Prince. He can hear the soft faint sound of Shiro’s arm activating itself along with Keith’s bayard. He can even feel Pidge’s deathly glare that goes through him to get to their target that is the Prince.
He feels the grip of Allura’s hand on his suit tighten and the way Coran’s hand find its way until it’s resting on his shoulder.
But the Prince doesn’t. He doesn’t see, feel or sense any of what Lance does because they are not his team, they are Lance’s .
The Prince continues.
“No offense, Blue Paladin, but I had actually thought that Princess Allura here was the rightful Paladin for the Blue Lion. Having her leadership and power aside, she seems to be such a good fit for the title.”
Lance doesn’t disagree.
“Of course, I might be wrong. After all, there must be a reason why you are fighting besides Voltron itself. I speak out only because I believe your talents have been blurred by being surrounded by such powerful people and I’m merely concerned about the efficiency in future battles, thinking that your efforts may not be good enough –”
Lance can’t even come up with a response because suddenly there’s a body rushing past him and then Keith is standing there, pressing his Marmora Blade against the Prince’s neck.
“Would you like to say that again? Just to make sure I have the right motive to make you regret those words?” Keith hisses, face inches away from the Prince’s.
“Keith.” Coran calls, sharp and with a hidden warning, “Step back from the Prince, right now, Young Paladin.”
“But Coran –!”
“Right now.”
Keith growls but ends up taking a step back, his scowl deep in his face as he glares at the Prince from a distance.
“Prince Yult,” Allura says, voice tight and on edge as she releases Lance’s suit and takes a step forward, “While we appreciate your hospitality, you have no right to –”
“Princess Allura, if I may?” Lance cuts off, quiet but firm as he raises his chin high, staring at her evenly.
Allura stares right back, eyebrows furrowed in confusion before she nods.
“Prince Yult.” Lance addresses respectfully and waits until the royal nods at him before he continues, “I can understand your confusion about my position as a Paladin and your concern around the topic. My team’s talent and power is unmeasured and it’s not something anyone can live up to.”
“Lance...” Keith mumbles behind him but Lance continues.
“Which is why I must ask of you, not to doubt my team’s efficiency based on their one weakness that is me.”
“Lance, that’s enough.” Shiro snaps, low and dangerous but Lance doesn’t stop.
“Rest reassured, your highness.” Lance smiles, tight and forced, “That Voltron shall continue winning more battles and I will not be a liability to the team.”
“Buddy, come on, stop –”
“Now, if you excuse me, your highness.” Lance says, cutting Hunk’s plead short, “I shall take my leave. I’m sure the rest of the team would love to meet the Queen, but I sadly need to go back to the Castle and stand guard.”
Lance doesn’t wait for an answer. He turns around, ignoring the way Keith reaches out to him and how the rest of the team calls his name.
Keith is the first one who finds him two hours later.
The young teen allows himself to let out a soft sigh of relief when his eyes fall on his boyfriend’s back. The observatory deck is dark, allowing the stars from outside to glow at full power through the glass on the ceiling.
The glow they offer is enough for Keith to notice the wet tracks on Lance’s cheeks as he steps closer.
He stays quiet, taking a seat besides the brunet and grabbing one of his hands, interlocking them with his own and starting to rub his thumb over them in a soothing matter.
Keith bites his lip after a few ticks in silence but before he can even open his mouth, Lance sighs and drops his head on Keith’s shoulder, nuzzling deeper into his arms.
“I don’t wanna talk about it, please.”
Keith’s eyes soften at the quiet words but he complies. He turns his head slightly towards the brunet and drops a long, loving kiss against his temple.
“Okay, love.”
Pidge and Hunk corner him next, four hours later.
Pidge jumps on his back just as Lance and Keith are turning around the corner, Hunk not far behind.
“Pidge?” Lance asks, confusion clear in his tone but neither her or Hunk try to fill him up.
“Come on, Lance!” Pidge urges, playfully pressing her foot against his ribs to get him moving, “We gotta beat Hunk and Keith to the living room!”
Lance blinks, a fine thin eyebrow arched up in his face before his eyes turn to the left and catch the way Keith jumps on Hunk’s back and the duo starts running towards the Castle’s living room.
“Oh, it is on!” He mumbles, his mouth twitching into a grin as he grabs Pidge’s legs to support her better before he takes off after his best friend and boyfriend.
Shiro finds them half an hour later.
He smiles as he catches the four teenagers wrestling in the middle of the living room, playfully smacking each other on the face and yelping in disgust when Pidge bites one of them.
The young adult drops the pile of blankets and pillows that he was holding on the floor before he puts two fingers on his mouth and whistles, catching his team’s attention.
“Alright, guys, who is ready to make a fort?” He says, grinning wide when three out of four teens run up to him and starts grabbing their own blanket and pillow.
Shiro frowns slightly when he notices that Lance had stayed behind. He turns, trying to catch the brunet’s figure once again and then his shoulders relax when he sees Lance’s soft smile a few feet from him.
He walks towards the teen, nudging him with his arm gently to grab his attention.
Lance blinks before he meets his leader’s eyes and smiles, small and unsure but more genuine than earlier.
Shiro smiles back and pats him on the shoulder, eyes shining with pride before a pillow smacks him on the face.
“Ups, sorry Shiro, I was trying to hit Lance.” Keith says, shrugging his shoulder nonchalantly as his brother glares at him and it’s not a tick later before a pillow falls on Keith’s face.
“Heh, like that?” Lance mumbles, arching an eyebrow as a challenge when his boyfriend turns to look at him and grins back at him.
Allura finds them an hour later.
The five Paladins of Voltron are on a floor made out of blankets. There are big cushions surrounding them in what looks to be walls around the couch’s center.
All of them have a certain amount of feathers on their hair and Allura can’t help but giggle behind her hand when Pidge uses one of the feather to tickle just below Hunk’s chin.
She watches as the entire team erupts in laughter when the Yellow Paladin screeched in surprise and jumps high on his place, almost knocking over one of the walls near him.
Her gaze softens when she sees the way Lance’s laughter just grows and his smile doesn’t waver in the least when he tries to wipe away the tiny tears from his eyes.
She takes a seat near Shiro in silence, greeting them all with a smile and a box full of Altean movies.
While Pidge, Hunk, Keith and Shiro hover around the box with interest and curiosity, she takes the opportunity to grab Lance’s hand from her right and brings him close to her, kissing his forehead in a sisterly manner.
“We’re here, asteraki . ” She whispers against his skin, her words hiding a promise of listening and understanding anything he may want to talk about whenever he was ready. She feels the way Lance lets out a shuddering breath before he wraps his arms around her back.
“I know.”
Coran arrives last, almost an hour later.
The entire team is ready, all of them in their night clothes and snuggled in blankets.
Pidge is on the right end, smiling as a thank you when Coran handles her a bowl of crunchy food goo. Besides her is Hunk followed by Lance and then Keith, who are cuddle up together, close as humanly possible with Lance resting his head against Keith’s chest and both of their hands intertwined, laying on Lance’s own chest comfortably. Both Shiro and Allura are on the end of the line, having their own couple cuddle.
Coran makes his way towards Allura’s free space but not before he stops above Lance’s seat and ruffles his hair fondly, smiling when the teen looks up and sends him a grin of his own.
The Royal Advisor chuckles and then continues his way, switching the lights off and pressing a few buttons near the screen for the movie to start.
Lance stares at the black screen as the credits end and the living room is left in silence for a second before Hunk’s snoring starts up again.
The brunet suppresses the urge to chuckle as he turns his face to the side, eyes softening as he sees the way Pidge is curled up on Hunk’s side, almost like a kitten, and Hunk is spread out on the floor like a bear, one of his arms covering Pidge’s small body.
“You are my best friend, my brother, and I trust you with my life.” Hunk’s words echo inside him, the warmth he had felt back then reappearing as if it were the first time, “Nothing will ever change that.”
“You’re the Mom Friend, you are always there for us; nagging like there's no tomorrow.” Pidge’s voice comes up next, playful banter and sassiness on the back of her tone before it turns gentle, “Please, remember that? We would be pretty much lost without you.”
Lance lets out a breath as he calms down his breathing, feeling the way his eyes start getting misty before he turns to the other side.
“I have seen you grow, Lance. I have seen you try, fail and picking yourself up every time without missing a beat.” Shiro’s voice appears in his mind as his eyes fall on his leader’s peaceful sleeping form, “You’re not beneath anyone. You are an equal, you are part of this team, no matter what anyone says.”
As Lance’s eyes move on towards Allura’s figure, her face hidden in Shiro’s neck, Lance remember her soft spoken words. “Destiny might have brought you here.” She had said, “But it was Blue who chose you as her Paladin. It was us who chose you as our family. It is you who chose us and that will always be enough.”
“You gave me back a family of my own.” Coran’s whispered words come up next, the same lump that had appeared on Lance’s throat when he first heard them making a comeback as the mustached man snores softly from his place on the floor, “Because that’s what you are, that’s what we are: a family. We got each other’s back; today, tomorrow and every day to come.”
A soft whine brings him back to the present and Lance raises his eyes until he catches his boyfriend's face, still sleeping but a faint frown in his face when the corner of the blanket that was covering them falls to the ground.
“I love you.” Keith’s warm words repeat themselves in Lance’s mind, “I love you, I love you. You belong here with me, with us. Please, believe me.”
“I do believe you.” Lance sighs contently as he falls back on his boyfriend’s chest, heart warm and full when Keith relaxes even more, and lets his team’s words echo inside his mind. “I do belong here.”