Chapter Text
“How much longer do you think he’s gonna be in there?” Pidge asks, inspecting the glass and the still figure behind it. “I thought healing pods were meant to measure exactly to the nearest tick, but it’s not showing anything more than his vitals here.” She taps at the screen, as if to punctuate her point.
Keith squints at the flashing characters and symbols from afar. “You know we can’t read Altean, right?”
“I dunno, guys,” adds Hunk, placing down his tablet, “last time it was only a day and he was all messed up with his arm like…” trying to demonstrate, he pulls in his arm at an awkward angle, face strained with effort. Shiro gives him a look.
He shrugs, letting his hand drop. “All I’m saying is it’s weird.”
“Hunk has a point,” Keith says, eyes trained on the blade in hand. Sitting against the cryopod across from the one Lance occupies, he distracts himself by carefully cleaning his set of arusian knives he’d been gifted.
“Lance is going to be fine,” Shiro reassures. “Coran said he should he out by today at the latest.” He tries not to put emphasis on ‘the latest’.
“He fell from several hundred feet, Shiro,” Pidge reminds him, glasses flashing as she moves to lean against the pod, arms crossed.
“The only reason he’s alive is because his suit’s emergency boosters slowed down the fall,” adds Hunk.
Shiro looks at them warily. “Right… I know that.”
It’s Hunk’s turn to give him a look before turning back to his work, continuing whatever latest project he and Pidge have been working on—Keith was always the last to know. Pidge’s fingers audibly tap against her arm in an agitated rhythm.
Keith breaks the tension with a slow, “If anyone is going to fall like that and then survive, it would be Lance.” They all look to the pod unconsciously, expectantly.
Nothing.
Their attention is torn away from Lance when the infirmary doors slide open, carrying in Coran’s voice. “Paladins! Good too see you’re all here.” He strides in, Allura following closely behind. “According to my estimations, Lance should be out in but a few doboshes!”
Allura agrees, “Yes, Lance will be completely healed soon. Granted, he did suffer some damage to the head which takes more time than other injuries sustained in the fall—” she approaches the pod, Pidge stepping aside to allow her access to the control panel “—which makes it harder to estimate the exact duration of the healing process.”
Coran cocks his head to get better look at the screen. “Yes, head trauma is a tricky business, but our pods are up to the challenge,” he says, patting it with hardy affection. “Lance is in good hands.”
“It’s been four days.” Keith stands, stashing his things into his belt. “That’s longer than anyone’s been in there before.”
“Ah, not entire true!” Coran is quick to respond. “Allura and I were in there for over ten thousand years.” He clamps a hand down on Keith’s shoulder, making him flinch at the sudden contact. The grin that Coran gives him is accented by a raised eyebrow, and he gestures to himself and the princess as proof of the pods’ effectiveness. “As soon as Lance was placed in there, you could be rest assured he would be just fine.”
Keith shrugs off his hand. “Right.”
“We’re not worried about the safety of the pods,” Pidge says. “We know how advanced Altean technology is. It’s just…”
“We miss Lance!” Hunk finishes, at the same time Keith says, “We can’t form Voltron without him.”
Allura narrows her eyes at Keith, who shrinks slightly under her gaze. Pidge nudges him. “I’m pretty sure that’s Keith for ‘I miss Lance’.”
He crosses his arms, but doesn’t argue, prompting a pleased noise from Pidge. “I see right through your aloof persona Keith Gyeong,” she warns.
Keith balks, “How do you know my last name?”
“Guys,” Shiro interrupts, “can we please stay on topic?”
They turn away from each other, mouths open to argue with Shiro, when the telltale hissing arises from the pod.
No one has enough time to react properly, but Allura, having felt the sudden burst of cool air on her back as the glass lifted, turns around just in time. That is, in time for Lance to stumble out and land unceremoniously in her stiff arms. The room is silent in shock as she holds him awkwardly, trying to prop up his limp body.
He groans, raising his head, eyes glassy and out of focus. His face, previously furrowed in confusion and discomfort, instantly smooths when he locks eyes with Allura. Their faces inches apart, he cracks a charming, if not entirely sober looking, smile.
“Well, hello there, beautiful.”
“Yep, he’s alright,” Pidge announces.
Allura makes a sound of disgust and immediately drops him. He yelps in surprise at hitting the hard floor, and Keith lets out an involuntarily laugh. “Back to your usual self, I see,” Allura mutters. However, the tension in the room has evaporated and the team eagerly gathers around Lance, happy to have their blue paladin back.
Sitting up, Lance rubs at his face as if trying to wake up, and looks around blearily.
“Good to have you back, Lance.” Shiro smiles, offering a hand to help him up and its taken without much thought.
He stands shakily, keeping hold of Shiro’s arm for stability. “Who?”
“Who what?” asks Hunk.
“I’m…” he begins, but finally seeming to grasp his surroundings and the faces around him, he stops, mouth gaping.
Keith turns to Coran accusingly. “What’s wrong with him?”
Before Coran can try to answer, Lance lets out a long, “Wooooooooow.”
He breaks his grip on Shiro, only to sway, clearly unable to support himself on his two own feet yet. Pidge quickly moves to hold him up by his side and he slumps against her. “Am I in heaven?” he asks. “Cuz you guys are all like… really, really attractive.”
After a beat of silence, Hunk and Pidge break out into laughter. The yellow paladin actually wipes away a tear when he says, “Oh man, what did you guys use on him, laugh gas?”
Allura and Shiro look unimpressed, not unlike Keith who crosses his arms over his chest with a huff. Coran, however, seems to preen, looking rather pleased with himself at Lance’s comment—his chest puffed up as he strokes his mustache appreciatively.
“I mean, you’re kinda old though,” Lance adds apologetically, “with the mustache and all.”
Coran instantly deflates.
Pidge snorts loudly.
Lance turns to her and continues, leaning his head closer to hers so he can whisper, not so discreetly, “You seem kinda young too, so you can be my little wingman for all of them.” He gestures loosely with his hand to the other three paladins and princess.
“Alright, alright,” Shiro interrupts, “I think that’s enough.”
Pidge hums in consideration, laughter having died down. “He seems to be pretty disoriented,” she hip checks him, making sure to keep him upright, “and unbalanced, but otherwise it’s like he just lost his filter for speech or something.”
Keith scoffs. “Like he normally has one?”
Lance pokes at Pidge’s check. “You know I can hear you, right?” he asks. “I’m pretty much on top of you.”
Pidge grins and replies quickly, “Yeah, I know, and I’m fully taking advantage of your confusion for my own entertainment.”
He narrows his eyes at her. “Just making sure you know,” he says, “because you guys keep talking like I’m not here.”
Shiro sighs. “Pidge, stop messing with Lance.”
“Are you the dad of the group?” he asks suddenly, having forgotten about Pidge. “Cuz I’m getting serious dad vibes from you.”
“What.”
Allura lets out a snicker, followed by an unconvincing coughing fit. Pidge smirks, “Yeah, he’s pretty drugged up, no way Lance would say that to Shiro normally.”
“Yeah, he would die if he called Shiro dad by accident,” Hunk agrees, eyeing him suspiciously, “no way he would say it on purpose.”
Lance meet his gaze evenly with a raised eyebrow to match, resulting in an wordless staring contest between the two that is only interrupted when Keith says, “Guys, I don’t think Lance just lost his inhibitions.”
“Yeah, we know, Keith,” Pidge says. “‘Like he normally has them?’” she imitates, lowering her voice and making an exaggerated huffy expression.
“I do not sound like that!” he protests.
Hunk hums in consideration before saying, “Actually, I think that was a pretty solid Keith impression, Pidge.”
“Ha! You totally got that dude, nice one,” Lance whoops as he gives Pidge a sloppy high five, which she just manages to catch.
Keith brushes them off, but there is a residue bitterness when he says, “I don’t think he’s lost his inhibitions, because think Lance lost his memory.”
The group looks to him in surprise. Hunks small, nervous laugh exemplifying the unsettling shift in mood. Allura’s brow furrows in concern.
“Keith, that’s very unlikely, I doubt…” she begins.
“He just called me ‘that dude,’ right now. You don't think that’s weird?” he argues, body language stiffening in frustration.
Allura turns to Lance expectantly to settle their disagreement with a simple, ‘don’t worry, princess, I’d never forget you,’ and a wink, or whatever he might say. “Lance?” she questions, but is only met with an awkward ‘uhhhhh’ sound coming from a blank looking boy.
“Oh,” says Coran, “I’m afraid Keith might be right.”
———
TRANSCRIPT CONTENT
15th Varga of the 2nd quintet of Spicolian movement - Cycle 32 - Decaphebe 340288
Coran: -ink this will do the trick. Ah yes, red flashing light means recording, and we’re off.
Keith: I don’t understand why you’re recording this.
Coran: Ye have little faith, number four. I was specially trained in interrogations back in my days as an officer, this is just a necessary part of the process.
Hunk: Interrogation?
Pidge: I can crack him! Let me at ‘im, boys.
Shiro: This isn’t an interrogation, we’re just trying to figure out what’s going on with Lance’s memory.
Coran: Yes, yes, of course.
Allura: Our priority is to help Lance by finding out what effect his head trauma had on his memory and what we can do to help him recover fully.
Shiro: Thank you, princess.
Pidge: Ugh.
Coran: Here you go, lad, have a drink of water before we begin.
Lance: Uh, thanks, mustache man. You gonna ask me questions now?
Coran: Yes, let’s begin. Are you ready?
Lance: Yep.
Coran: Starting off simple, then. What is your name?
Lance: Lance?
Shiro: Was that a question or an answer?
Lance: My name is Lance.
Pidge: Objection! He only knows that because we keep calling him that.
Keith: Pidge, this isn’t a courtroom.
Coran: Sustained, number five! Alright, Lance, if that is your real name, what is your sure name.
Keith: He’s trying to say surname, as in your last name.
Hunk: Alvarez! His last name is Alvarez!
Allura: Hunk, this exercise is mean to decipher Lance’s knowledge, not to test your friendship.
Pidge: Like the newlywed game.
Allura: The what?
Shiro: Girls, focus. Hunk, don’t answer Lance’s questions.
Hunk: Right, right, right. Sorry about that guys.
Coran: Lance what is your full name?
Lance: Leandro Jay Alvarez.
Hunk: Oh, guys, I totally forgot to say. Lance is like a nickname I gave him when we met because he got really annoyed that everyone was mispronouncing his name.
Pidge: That’s pretty crucial information, Hunk.
Keith: Explains why he was so confused, I guess.
Coran: Ah, okay, no problem. Let’s continue. When were you born?
Lance: July 28th 2099. Nineties baby for life.
Pidge: That’s barely the nineties.
Lance: Okay, you’re like twelve.
Pidge: UM.
Shiro: Hunk, can you confirm all of this as we go along?
Hunk: No prob, boss. He all right so far.
Shiro: Great, thanks.
Coran: Where do you live?
Keith: That’s not a fair question.
Hunk: Yeah, like what is he supposed to say, that’s pretty objective. Is it here, or the garrison, or his parents house, or where? Who knows.
Allura: Where were you born, Lance?
Lance: Easy, I-
Coran: Princess, I believe I was heading this investigation!
Shiro: Not an investigation either.
Allura: Alright, Coran, feel free to continue.
Coran: Thank you. Now, Lance, where were you born?
Lance: Right. Varadero. See I remember stuff— you can take the boy out of Cuba, you can’t take Cuba out of the boy.
Hunk: I can confirm that.
Lance: I like you, hairband guy.
Pidge: Even when he has amnesia, you’re still his favourite. A bromance for the ages.
Hunk: Aw.
Coran: Bonded for life, as paladins of Voltron should be!
Lance: Pala-what of what?
Coran: Er, we’re getting distracted. Do you know where you are right now?
Lance: … Bright room?
Pidge: I swear he doesn’t remember shit.
Shiro: Pidge!
Lance: Whoa, the twelve year old swears.
Pidge: Lance, I know you don’t remember who I am right now, but I know you. I know intimate details about you—
Keith: Pidge, stop threatening him. He can barely stand up, he doesn’t need to be knocked down any more.
Lance: Um, excuse me, mullet man, I am perfectly capable of handling myself. They didn’t even know my name was Leandro.
Keith: You don’t even remember me and you're still as annoyi— !
Allura: Alright! That’s enough, we aren’t getting anywhere. Either be quiet or everyone’s out but Hunk.
Keith: Ugh.
Coran: Lance, do you remember how you got here?
Lance: I fell out of that thing and onto her.
Hunk: No, he’s asking how you got on the space ship.
Lance: SPACE SHIP?
Hunk: Whoops, my bad.
Lance: Oh my god, this is not—I thought your ears were like a body mod thing— IS THIS AN ALIEN SPACESHIP?
Shiro: Oh no. Coran, stop th-
END OF TRANSCRIPT
———
After a solid twenty minutes of having to calm Lance down and explain their situation in the simplest terms — of course excluding Voltron which they could deal with later — Coran examines Lance’s condition.
“Everything is in order, besides his memory of course, but it still seems Lance still has not regained full control of his limbs,” Coran observes, picking up one of his arms and letting it flop down. “Yes, very noodle-like consistency.”
Shiro surprises everyone when he interrupts to say, “Someone is going to have to carry Lance.”
“Can’t we just use a space gurney or something?” asks Hunk.
Coran looks at him curiously. “Gur knee?”
“You know, those flat medical things you can lay someone on and push them around?”
He strokes his chin, lips pursed for a moment before letting out a hesitant, “No?”
“I think it’s safe to say he doesn’t,” Keith says flatly.
Pidge pops up behind them. “Not it!” she calls.
“Hey, hey, wait,” Lance cuts in from his place slumped on the floor, “if anyone is gonna carry me, shouldn’t I get to chose? From what I’ve gathered, I’m in a very delicate state.”
Pidge shrugs. “Yeah, sure, just chose someone so we can go eat,” she says, knowing she was unlikely to be picked anyway, being the smallest and having already dibsed.
Shiro shrugs, “Yeah, sure why not.”
“Okay!” Lance says much too quickly, his face splitting into a familiar grin. “I want the angry, hot one with,” he gestures loosely with his hand, “the hair.”
“Eloquent as usual,” deadpans Keith.
Allura sighs, “Well, I can’t say I am surprised. I am the strongest one anyway.” She moves forwards, grabbing Lance’s wrists and pulling him up.
“Oh, sorry, I was talking about Red over there,” Lance clarifies, dangling from Allura’s grip, “the emo looking one with the mullet.”
She freezes, losing her grasp on him as soon as he says it.
No one catches him this time as he crashes to the floor once again, landing hard on his hip. The room is completely silent, the only noise being Lance’s squawk at being dropped.
“¡Coño!” he swears, grasping at his sore side. He gives Allura a hard look. "Will you stop dropping me? I thought we agreed I was delicate—at this rate I’ll have to go back into your weird healing thingy!”
She doesn’t seem to notice though, instead her gaze is focused on Keith. In fact, everyone’s eyes seemed to be on Keith suddenly.
His face has quickly turned an alarming shade of red— which Lance is privately amused by, thinking his nickname was more appropriate than he could have imagined. However, it’s unclear to the rest of the group whether his face was heated with embarrassment or anger.
It doesn’t become any more clear when Keith splutters out a very delayed and impossibly loud, “WHAT.”
Lance’s grin instantly widens into what Pidge might classify as ‘shit eating’.
Shiro nods in Lance’s direction, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. He is trying, and failing, to keep a straight face. “Come on then Keith.”
“What?” he repeats.
“You heard the man, he picked you.” Shiro begins to head out the door. “Let’s go get dinner.”
Hunk and Pidge watch him, mouths still hanging open, before they look to each other and immediately burst into shameless giggles. They quickly follow behind Shiro.
That leaves Lance, Keith, and Allura.
She clears her throat and looks between the two of them — Keith who was still sporting a pink flush, and Lance who didn’t look any less pleased with himself. A diplomat as usual, she says, “Alright, I will see you at dinner,” and follows the direction of the others to the dinning hall.
Keith is still not looking at Lance, when he hears, “Are you gonna carry me bridal style or…?”
“Let’s get this over with.” He turns to face him and suddenly hoists Lance up with a not too gentle tug. He wraps his arm around the other’s waist and under his legs for support, allowing Lance to lean his weight onto him as they walk. Lance makes an unflattering noise of surprise, but quickly recovers, letting his arms loop around Keith’s neck.
“Are you one of those people who is just really bad at taking compliments?” he asks.
“I will fucking drop you.”
Lance laughs.