Chapter Text
“A kiss on the hand may be quite continental…but it won’t pay the rental.”
-Marilyn Monroe in 'Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend', from the film Gentleman Prefer Blondes
Lance never woke up and chose to annoy Keith Kogane. It just happened. The thing was, Keith brought it on himself. He was always training hard, doing everything correctly, looking stoic and badass, but there was the problem. Or at least, Lance’s problem. Keith never relished in how perfect he was. So, when Lance saw Keith training with his sword and knife, with the same annoying sneer on his face, Lance had to make his life a living Hell.
“What’re you, some kind of samurai?” Lance asked as he leaned against the door frame.
Keith yelped in surprise, but still managed to dodge the training bot’s blow. The bot collapsed in a pile of sparks and wires around the blade of Keith’s knife. Keith took a breath and then ordered the computer to end the training session.
“Lance,” he finally said.
“Hmmm?”
“You do know samurai are Japanese?”
“And?”
“I’m Korean.” Keith said.
“So?” Lance said. “Anyone can be a samurai. Ask that guy from that old movie and-”
“Whatever, I’ve got training to do. So, would you mind being literally anywhere else?” Keith asked.
“Fine. I’m going to the pool.”
Keith’s shoulders slumped and his violet eyes lit up. “We have a pool?” he asked.
Something happy curled inside Lance over the fact he knew something over Keith. “We sure do.”
“Where is it? It’d probably be nice after training.” Lance put his hands behind his back and whistled a delightful tune. Keith’s shoulders fell. “Lance,” He said.
“That’s for me to know and you to find out. Can’t have you all sweaty, ruining my pool day.”
“That’s why you shower before- wait, tell me where the pool is!”
“Too-da-loo, Mr. Annoying Samurai, I gotta get my pool on before you find it. And you’ve got training to finish first!”
That appeared less of a final message and more of a challenge to Keith. Lance had only enough time to get back to his room, find a towel, change, and make his way to the elevator before he saw the stupid Mullet again. Lance had his towel slung across his neck and he tapped his foot to a tune he had stuck in his head as he waited for the elevator doors to close. The door was about to snap shut, when a hand forced its way through and the sensors threw the elevator open once again. Keith stood in the hallway. He was out of breath, sweaty, and clothed only in his own bathing suit and towel. He didn’t even have shoes on.
Lance scowled and stepped aside to make room for Keith. Keith said not a word and chose to pick a hangnail. “I figured Coran told you.” Lance said as the elevator began to ascend.
“Coran’s not back yet, idiot.” Keith said. “And for your information it was King Alfor that told me.”
Traitor. Lance thought. “You stay on your end I stay on mine.”
“No problem there.” Keith said.
The only sound in the elevator was the ticking of every floor and Lance’s now off-rhythm tapping. If it annoyed Keith, he said nothing to note it. The doors opened at the pool floor, the room was as vast as a ball room and decorated in white and blue tile. There was gold piping and soft light came from nowhere in the ceiling. The water was cartoonishly turquoise and waved gently.
“Woah,” Lance and Keith said at the same time.
Keith shot Lance a look and then said: “Last one in is a rotten egg!” and then took off running.
“NO FAIR! AND NO RUNNING IN THE POOL!” Lance cried after him.
Keith dove into the pool with Lance jumping in a fraction of a second behind him. The water was cool but not cold. Lance stayed under, holding his breath and hugging his knees, and for a moment he was back home in his cousin’s pool in the height of summer. Lance pushed upward and broke the surface to hear laughing. Keith was laughing.
“I didn’t know you could do that,” Lance said.
Keith steadied his breathing. “What? Swim?”
“No, have emotions.”
“I’m going to kill you.” Keith said.
“Oh, I’d like to see you- hey!” Keith splashed water and half of the wave ended up in Lance’s mouth. Lance spit it out and glared at Keith who looked far too happy with himself. “You’re going to get it.”
“I’d like to see you try,” Keith said.
Lance was about to grab him by his stupid, too long hair, when a screen appeared above the pool. Allura stood in the control room. “Lance, Keith, report to the control room immediately.” she said.
“Why? What’s up?” Keith asked.
“Hunk’s back.” she said.
“…and that’s why we need to go back as soon as possible.” Hunk said. He seemed to have taken no breaths throughout his explanation and was now finally sucking in air. Coran fared no better from his butting-in throughout.
Lance stood amidst his fellow Paladins pondering over Hunk’s story. There’s really people that need us. Lance felt pathetic shivering and standing in a puddle in the comparatively little control room.
“Will the crystal your brought even give us enough power to get there?” Pidge asked.
Coran pulled the large quartz-like chunk from out of his jacket. A tube popped up form one of the control panels and he placed it inside. The tube glowed blue and whisked the crystal away in a rush.
“Take this to the engine room,” King Alfor ordered.
The tube beeped and then the Castle fell silent. The ship began to tremble and some of the buttons still covered in dust glowed for the first time in centuries. King Alfor smiled and Allura gasped.
“Let us be on our way,” the King said.
The Castle rose from the ground, the ground groaned as it released the ship. Once, the final dirt fell away, the Castle was free to continue its ascent. Blue sky melted into black, and then white specks twinkled in front of the ship’s windows. Lance ran to the windows, almost slipping on his own feet, but that did not stop his laugh of joy as he pressed his face against the now-cool glass. He was in space for the third time in his life.
“Oh, yes,” King Alfor said behind him, “This will do work quit nicely.”