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It’s an emergency they’re facing. Defeating Zarkon didn't turn out how they had expected, the big, bad ruler gone, the universe in peace and Voltron not needed anymore — no. Lotor, Zarkon’s son had taken over the business, showing a whole different approach on how to destroy those who don’t surrender to the Galra Empire. The Paladins aren’t dismissed from their duties, in fact, they’re now needed more than ever — Voltron is needed more than ever.
The new enemies are tough, no doubt, but Team Voltron is trying. They have minor successes, but the loss of Shiro is a constant, crashing down on them every second of the space day. Without Shiro, they can't keep doing this for too much longer. Without Shiro, they're nothing, there's no Voltron without him, just the four of them plus Coran and Allura helping them out from the Castle during battles — they can barely survive when Lotor comes after them, let alone protect the whole universe.
Shiro asked Keith to take his place if something would ever happen to him so Keith is leading them now, not because he wants to but because Shiro asked. Keith leads, from Red, but it doesn't matter who's in command if there's only four of them and they can't form Voltron.
Keith didn't want to, or have anyone else take Shiro's place, he can't accept that he's gone and he wants to keep looking for him. That they will keep doing, honest to god Lance wants to believe that Shiro is well and they will find him sooner or later, but this can't be going on, they need to find out something, rearrange the team to be able to form Voltron.
So that is why they're forced to find a new pilot for the Red lion now.
Keith, however hesitant he had been, agreed to pilot Black. He did it before, out of necessity when Shiro was in trouble. When Black regenerated and was able to fly again, Keith connected with her and Black accepted him — they can work well together. The problem now is that there's no-one to fly Red, temperamental, impossible to impress Red, the one lion that is the hardest to master.
They all have tried to bond with her, Coran for the second time only to be rejected again (Lance comforted him as best as he could) as well as Pidge and Hunk, even Allura, but Red remained unresponsive, uninterested even. If it wasn't for Keith's annoyed ‘Come on!’ — a sign that he'd been communicating with his lion all along — they would've thought Red to have gone into some sort of Altean-like cat sleep.
“So what now?” Hunk asks, exasperated. “Everyone tried, she's just too picky!”
No-one says a word. If Lance were to describe, it’s like a big, grey rain cloud hanging above them heavily, adding a general, very constant lethargy to the already gloomy scene. They're so wrecked, in need of rest, but everyone is deep in thought, trying to find out what to do now. The silence is deafening, unbearable, until Keith looks up suddenly, right at Lance.
“Not everyone,” he says. Lance's mouth goes dry, he swallows. “Lance... ”
Suddenly everyone's looking at him, realisation glinting in their eyes. Lance surely loves attention, but now he's flustered, fidgety and nervous, sweat dripping down his forehead; he can't help but feel like the common enemy here, which is ridiculous since he's done nothing wrong.
Okay, true — he stayed out of the fun for a good reason, meaning that he has no chance in here. At all. Isn't this something everyone on the team just knows by default, especially Keith?
“What?” Lance throws the question at Keith, going all defensive. Keith must be joking, right? Has he lost his mind completely? “I'm fine with Blue very much, thank you!”
Lance is aware this is so pretentious of him to say but this is his way of telling that there's no reality in which Red would want him to pilot her. Isn't that obvious?! This shouldn't even be an issue!
The others are still staring at him, most of them confused and fairly distressed. Keith has his eyes locked on Lance too, but there's no judging or sharpness in them — he just seems… disappointed? No, that can't be, Lance decides. If Keith is anything, Lance would say he must feel helpless right now, just like the rest of them, or the people they're supposed to save and defend.
For a long minute, Keith doesn't say anything and Lance thinks the matter has been settled, they're free to move on, maybe have some sleep before another hellish tomorrow. That is until Keith speaks up again.
“Would you just try?” It doesn't really sound like a question — it's more of a plea, his voice low and wavering, eyes imploring.
Keith is so done, exhausted both emotionally and physically, his eyes bloodshot and the dark circles under a clear evidence that he isn't getting too much sleep lately. With all due respect, he looks like a mess, and having to watch him like this without being able to do anything is something Lance would never enjoy.
He doesn't want Keith to look like this, but what could Lance do for him anyway?
But maybe there is a thing.
“Fine,” Lance gives in after all. If Keith needs Lance’s personal humiliation by Red, sure, he can take it. But Keith doesn’t seem like having harmful intent at all — upon hearing Lance’s final agreement, mouthing a barely audible ‘Thank you’ he rather appears just… grateful? Weird times these are.
Maybe Keith never even wanted to make fun of him in the first place and that's just Lance’s traitorous brain telling him. Keith is just as freaked out and tired and panicking as everyone else is — add losing Shiro for the second time and he's completely on the edge, yet he's trying his best given current circumstances to just get through another day.
But even if Keith means well or just acts on desperation asking Lance, Lance is sure Red won't take him — there's no way.
Keith had to be sucked out of a Galra space ship to be proven worthy of Red’s respect, just what could Lance do for Red to even purr in his direction?! Lance knows his place, or he thinks he has it figured out, and the sooner he gets on with this, the sooner his humiliation ends. They'll be able to move on to find another solution to form Voltron, and he will lick his wounds on his bruised ego later in private.
Red will never want him to pilot her, and so what? It's her loss anyway!
Probably it's not the right mindset to have if the lions can pick up on the Paladins’ moods, but Lance is sure there's nothing he could think or do to make Red dislike him more; he walks up to Red resigned and with the surety of failure.
After a few steps, he stops, awed by the sentient robot in front of him. Red is the tiniest of the lions but she still appears majestic, towering above Lance and suddenly seeming scarier than meeting Blue ever was. Lance gulps.
Okay, stay calm, staaaay caaaaalm.
Something’s prying in the back of his mind. Lance realises, it’s just Blue, encouraging, soothing and supportive like she always is. Lance mentally nods back at her, thanking her unconditional love and kindness, when he senses something else…
It seems odd, very much a foreign presence; extremely hot, like when you step out of your air-conditioned home and the heat slaps you in the face in an instant, enveloping you around like a flaming campfire. Summer and campfires aren’t really something Lance would call unpleasant. In fact, he loves them very much.
The revelation comes down on him as meteorites crash down from sky: sudden, bright and brutal. Turns out, Red and him aren’t so different after all.
But Lance kind of knew that already — when Allura assigned them their lions, he couldn't help but be mesmerised by the Red lion, some kind of inexplicable thrill running down his spine in excitement, yearning to be able to fly her.
Oh how much he would've loved to pilot the fastest, most agile lion! He loves flying, that's why he applied for the Garrison; a kid with big dreams aspiring to be a real pilot, aiming to go to space one day.
Lance loves Blue to the moon and back, she trusted him when no-one else would've, and water is no doubt his element. But Red is amazing too, from the incredible speed to the fire beam and the sword. Lance has always been fascinated with swords, although he never really had the chance to try them before.
Maybe he isn't as skilled as Keith but he could've been a cool Red Paladin nonetheless. As much as insecurities can kick in at times, he's still sure of this as much as knowing that a Tuesday comes after a Monday.
But then Keith was assigned to Red and albeit Lance felt a bit (very much) jealous, it was fine because Keith is an amazing pilot and having to pilot Blue is something Lance would have never even dreamed of, and he's beyond grateful to have her. Lance is fine with his role and to have such a deep connection to another being is beyond words.
He feels lucky to have Blue and to be the Blue Paladin. He only wants to do his best and help those in need.
So when Red, eyes flashing, roars, and bows down to him, opening her mouth for Lance to step inside is a sight that shocks Lance, as well as everyone else around.
In other times, Lance would just rub it in, grin widely and be cocky about this— of course Red chooses him out of everyone else present, he's the most handsome, slash-best pilot in the galaxy, girls just adore him, blah... blah… blah. This time however, he can't really get himself to gloat, in fact, he finds it hard to even move, or form a coherent thought.
He vaguely hears his friends’ reactions, the blunt no ways and whoas and are you kidding mes, but he doesn't really care. Lance can only tilt his head to the left, sneaking glances over where Keith stands, frozen in place and silent, with his mouth hanging open and a faint blush on his pretty face, his beautiful eyes glistening… Wait what?
No, no-no-no, nope! If Lance is really going to pilot Keith's kitty, he will have to stop having such kind of thoughts right here and right now. It's so hecking inappropriate, not cool at all, to let his stupid crush interfere with a crazy-sacred mission to defend the universe! With all foolishness, Lance likes to think that he's a professional.
Keith must sense that Lance is watching him, and Lance is an idiot for doing it so blatantly — his own cheeks colour a vivid shade of red when Keith looks him in the eye. Lance battles the urge to look away and hide, he takes pride in holding the eye contact, and the only reason why his heart rate picks up so much is because of the anticipation of what Keith will say — or so he's telling himself.
The Mullet seems strange for sure, immobile like a sculpture but he's visibly vibrating with what looks like tension, eyes sparkling at Lance, the look on his face knocking the breath out of him. Eventually Keith nods, a silent encouragement for Lance to go.
Even with both Red’s and Keith's approval and his friends’ cheer coming from behind, Lance is hesitant to move. He doesn't want to make Red upset or keep her waiting, that's not his intention, but… Is he ready for this? To have what he wanted — maybe Red is wrong and this isn't for him? Maybe Red only lets Lance up into her cockpit to let it be shown how awful Lance's piloting is?
Blue is still present in his mind; shushing his fears, nurturing and caring as she always is, telling him to go. Lance is overflown with her selfless love as she's doing so.
It's not even taking Keith's place, again, or the fear of failure that keeps Lance paralysed but leaving Blue — his best girl and most amazing partner, the one he's ever had so openly and so close to him. Blue purrs in his head, sending the same waves of emotions to Lance, telling Lance to go and saying that she will keep him in her heart forever; that they're connected and that won't ever change.
Blue is just everything Lance thinks he doesn't even deserve, but is so, so, so very grateful and blessed to have.
With his worries partially soothed, Lance can't help but have the feel of another era beginning in this crazy fairytale in space. A brand new chapter of that he's terrified, but he's also thrilled about. Someone, somehow decided that he needs to be a part of something big, that he's bound to play a role in defending the universe, ending up with the fierce Red lion eventually.
Things have changed and the future appears rather frightening, Lance misses his home, he misses Shiro, just as he will miss Blue. But with Blue just supporting him, reassuring him that it's okay for him to go, his guilt is somewhat eased. Because guilty and ashamed he feels for being so elated and wanting to try this, see if he can do it, but Blue encouraging him calms him down, leaving more room for enthusiasm and eagerness.
Holding his head high and smiling brightly, Lance takes the first step.