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“Like I said, your plan is too dangerous Keith,” Lance ground out between gritted teeth for what felt like the hundredth time. Keith wasn't listening.
“It's not dangerous if you have the skill to see it through,” Keith challenged his hands clenched into tight fists because Lance didn't understand dammit, he could do this.
“Even for you, this is risky. You're not indestructible!”
“I don't need you to tell me what I can and can't do, Lance.” Keith spat taking a step forward invading the others personal space and getting right up in his face.
Lance snarled his own hands curling into fists.
“That's enough!” Shiro commanded, stepping between them a hand on each of their chests. He'd hoped the two of them could have sorted this amicably, but they were beyond that now. He had to step in.
Lance froze, but Keith pushed against his hand for a moment before backing down. They continued to glare at each other.
“Lance is right. It's too dangerous,” Shiro said sternly, shooting Keith a sharp look.
“What?!” Keith spluttered taking a step back. He looked up at Shiro with an expression akin to betrayal. Shiro felt Lance flinch in surprise against his other hand.
The others, who'd all been pretending they weren't watching the fight between Lance and Keith, turned their full attention to the three men.
Keith bristled. “You're just saying that because you're fucking him now,” he spat.
“What? We haven't even-its none of your business!” Lance almost choked, his face flushing a hot red.
“Keith! This has nothing to do with my relationship with Lance or what we might get up to in the privacy of our rooms. Your plan places all of the risk on your shoulders. We can't accept that, we're a team, so we're going to work together, now everyone get ready to depart. We're leaving in five," Shiro dropped his hands and stepped back, silently praying that the two men would listen and not try to fight each other again.
Keith glared at them both before turning sharply on his heel and stalking off to his ship.
“Ok team, to your lions!” Shiro commanded. Hunk, Pidge, and even Allura jumped and turned away, running off with their heads bowed acting as if they hadn't seen a thing.
Lance scampered after them quickly, before Shiro could say anything to him. As he left Shiro could see the tips of his ears were still burning red.
Shiro sighed and pulled his fingers through the tuft of white hair. He'd have a word with them after the mission was over.
-
Following the team focused plan, which allowed them all to contribute and play to their strength, the mission was an easy win. They didn't even need to form Voltron.
The team returned to the castle with no injuries, and barely any new scratches on their lions. Even Keith's small Galra ship returned unscathed.
“Shiro?” Lance called out to him after they'd got out of their lions and were heading back to the bridge. There was no one else around.
“Thanks, for having my back back there. I mean I know Keith has the skill, and he could have probably handled that on his own, but it was just too-" Lance was cut off by Shiro's hand landing on his shoulder.
“Lance, I will always be on your side. You make me a better man, and I trust your judgement,” he said with a sincere smile, giving Lance's shoulder a firm squeeze. Even after their success, Lance was hung up on the fact Shiro had sided with him and not Keith as if he hadn't expected it even though it was obvious to everyone he was right.
“Oh, right, it's just..” Lance flushed, stuttering. Shiro smiled his hand moving from Lance's shoulder to the back of his neck to pull him in for a chaste kiss.
They were interrupted by the sharp sound of Keith clearing his throat.
“Sorry to interrupt, but uh, can I talk to Lance? Please,” he coughed, his gaze fixed firmly off to the side so as not to intrude on their intimate moment more than he already had.
Shiro took a step back, his hand sliding from Lance's neck. “Of course,” he shot Lance a reassuring smile before walking ahead leaving the two of them alone.
“I just wanted to say I'm sorry, for what I said earlier,” Keith said quickly before Lance could say anything and start another argument.
“It's not like I disapprove of you and Shiro or anything. You make him happy, and I'm glad for that. And you were right, about the mission, I was just being cocky...” Keith trailed off his hands balling into fists again as he struggled to find the words. It wasn't as if he didn't have faith in their abilities, far from it, he just wanted to protect them.
“Keith, you're still a part of the team you know. You don't have to be in a lion to fight with us,” Lance smiled and moved towards Keith throwing his arm around the other man's shoulders.
“And you know Red was really happy to fight with you today, she was so excited and so proud of you.”
A low rumble from Red echoed around the hanger. Keith laughed.
“Thanks, Red, and thank you, Lance,” he smiled sheepishly at the other Paladin.
“Don't mention it. You really should come back more often, I know you're off being all cool super ninja spy with the blade, but we miss having you around.”
Keith laughed again. “Ninja spy? What is it you think I do with the blade?”
“I dunno. Cool stuff secret stuff,” Lance shrugged. They both laughed.
Shiro watched them from a distance. He loved Lance, and he loved Keith, both were precious and irreplaceable to him, and now that he was dating Lance dating he would likely, more often than not, be on Lance's side when it came to arguments between the two men unless Lance was wrong.
But he hoped, more than anything, the two people he cared about the most would keep getting along, so he didn't have to pick sides.