Chapter Text
It was that first night in the Castle of Lions that you found yourself staring into the mirror of your new bathroom in quiet longing. You could make due alternating your clothes from earth and the armor the alien princess had provided to make up for your suddenly limited wardrobe, but you had encountered another problem.
You didn’t have your skincare products. You didn’t even have a good face wash, much less your moisturizers or your exfoliants. What bottles you could find were in a language that you couldn’t read, nor guess at their contents. You gave a soft sigh at your reflection in the mirror. If you hadn’t lost track of your days, this would be the night that you went to bed with an over-night mask, but that was out the window.
Maybe there was like, a space mall you could go to?
Did aliens need skincare products? Princess Allura did have a wonderful complexion, but you were unsure if it was the perks of being an alien princess or if she was hoarding some bomb serums in her rooms. Maybe you could borrow some?
Nevertheless, it was late and you were exhausted. You couldn’t remember the last time you had slept.
Your stomach gurgled, demanding food. You couldn’t remember the last time you’d eaten either. Despite Hunk’s approval of the castle’s food goo, you hadn’t been especially enthusiastic about it. Now, though, it sounded more than appealing and you shrugged on the plain white bathrobe that had been provided and tried to find your way to the kitchen.
The castle’s lights had dimmed due to the late hour, reminding you of the Garrison barracks. Your bare feet padded softly on the floor as you wandered. There didn't seem to be anyone else up, though you were certain you could find Pidge working away somewhere if you looked hard enough. After a moment of searching, you spotted light flooding the hallway through the kitchen doorway and someone humming.
“Lance?” The newly-minted Paladin looked up from the bowl he was mixing and gave you a wide, saucy grin. He was wearing a blue bathrobe and blue lion slippers. Did all of the Paladins have customized, color-coded things?
“What, couldn’t keep yourself away from me, (Name)?” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively and you couldn’t help but grin back. Your friendship with the pilot was mostly harmless flirting. You hadn’t much time to hang out in the Garrison and he always became withdrawn whenever your friendship with Keith was brought up. So, this was mostly it. You liked Lance, but you always felt like the third wheel to him and Hunk. Pidge, at least, wasn’t all that interested in being friends with anyone.
“You know it. But mostly, food. What’s that you got there?” Something besides green goo?
“Oh this? Well – uh,” He titled the bowl so you could see what was inside as you drew near. It was indeed the green food goo, but it was far lighter in color and of a different consistency than you recalled. “I don’t have any of my face masks with me, soooo I’m improvising.” Lance looked quite proud of himself.
You dipped a finger into the makeshift mask. It wasn’t too far off from ideal, perhaps a little thinner than you liked and smelled more pleasant than some that you've tried. “This could work,” You mused with a growing smile, rubbing it between two fingers. It was less goo-like and more gel-like now. “It is supposed to be a food substitute so it would be full of vitamins and the like.”
Lance beamed, preening underneath your approval. “Right? Thin it out and wha-la! Face mask. We may be on an alien planet, but I am not going to miss my routine.”
“I didn’t know you were into skincare, Lance!”
“Of course!” Lance gestured to his face with pride, “How else do I keep myself looking this gorgeous?”
That got a giggle out of you. You leaned against the counter and wished you had lion slippers. They looked cute and the floor was cold beneath his bare feet. “We all can’t be born as handsome as you.” You agreed, a playful tone in your words that took him a second to digest.
He frowned at you, blue eyes narrowing in suspicion. “Was that sarcasm?” He retracted the bowl from you, “No face mask for you.”
You balked, the solution to your problems vanishing, “But, Lance!”
“Nope!” He proclaimed, “No face masks for sarcasm.”
You pouted and pondered how to get yourself back into the good graces of the one man who might know a thing about skincare on this planet. Your pores needed it. Sure, you could figure out how to dilute the food goo, but why do that when Lance already had a bowl ready and waiting?
“Please, Lance? I’ll be nice!” He made a noise and turned his back to you, stirring the food goo at a pace that told you he was still listening. You pursed your lips. You were going to have to work for it. “Aww, Lance. C’mon, you know I know you’re cute.”
“Oh really? You’re not just saying that to get my masks?”
“I mean it, one hundred percent.” He glanced at you over his shoulder, the stirring coming to an end. You leaned a little closer and clasped your hands together beseechingly. “Please, Lance? You’re my only hope!” The quote won him over and he smiled, turning back to you.
“Alright, alright, I’ll share.” He sighed and shrugged. “Just can’t say no to someone pretty.”
You laughed, “That’ll bite you in the ass one day.”
“What? No it won’t. Probably.” He contemplated this thought for a moment before mentally shifting gears and offering, “Want to come to my room to apply this?”
“Sure!” You hadn’t seen anyone’s room other than yours, though you suspected it would be of the same, bland scheme. You followed him out of the kitchen, comparing your routines and discussing different products that you hoped you could somehow find again in the vast expanse of the universe. You wondered if you could somehow talk one of the other paladins’ out of their slippers. Lance seemed to be enjoying his.
Maybe Keith? He didn’t strike you as the sort who would wear them or care if you did. Pidge wearing his slippers was a concept too cute to deprive the world of it and Hunk might give them over after some coercing.
Shiro would probably give them to you, but it would also make you feel guilty for taking them. Shiro had enough things taken from him.
“Feels weird.” You commented as the two of you stood before his bathroom mirror and applied the food goo. The smell was just appetizing enough that it reminded you why you had gotten up in the first place.
Lance hummed thoughtfully as he dipped his fingers into the goo and spread it across his skin. You watched him out of the corner your eye. The pale green of the goo made the natural color of his skin stand out and softened his sharp features. Lance was indeed attractive and you had the sneaking suspicion that he would only get more handsome as time went on. He still had some baby fat to lose and growing to do, but there was no doubt that Lance was a looker. His dark blue eyes stared forward as his reflection until they slid around to look at you. He grinned and winked.
“See something you like?”
You felt heat rise to your skin beneath the goo you had applied. You got caught. There was no recovery. Abort mission.
A mischievous grin spread across your face. “Yes, I do.” You leaned over and pecked him in the cheek, upsetting the mask he had so carefully applied and grinned as he stared at you in shock. “Thanks for sharing your mask, Lance!”
You heard him mumble behind you as you made your quick escape.
What the fuck did you just do? The embarrassment rose as soon as soon as he was out of your range. Your heart raced and you restrained the urge to bury your flushed face into your hands. Was that too bold? That was too bold. Maybe you should’ve sassed him instead.
You took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Well. That happened. Now you have to live with the consequences.
Your belly rumbled its displeasure. You licked your lips.
Huh. Food goo wasn’t that bad.