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“This has to be one of her worst ideas yet.”
Keith scowled, standing shoulder to shoulder with Lance. He couldn’t very well disagree with the red paladin, but damn did he want to. Allura had constructed this stupid, foolish plan to get an alliance. She’d been unable to go, apparently women weren’t welcome on this planet. That ruled Pidge out too.
And apparently, only those who visited were to be in pairs. The planet seemed more of a hassle then it was worth. But Allura was insistent they had crystals that could grow food that would be useful.
The aliens milled about, hardly sparing the paladins a glance. They went about in pairs, one always following the other. Keith watched, fighting the urge to put Lance behind him. To protect his paladin. Friend. Someone he wanted more from.
This was the closest he would get to that. Lance was a flirt, straight, and far too good for him. Besides, Lance was in love with the princess.
Arriving at the palace, they were led through. Lance followed behind, tense and careful. He was the teams sharpshooter for a reason. He was the only one Keith truly trusted to have his back.
The king nodded to the pair. Lance was stiff, looking almost like a guard dog. Keith could feel the tension, and he was the diplomat here. Keith had gone along to protect Lance, not the other way around.
“Leader of Voltron, welcome. Thank you for observing our planet’s customs. Who is your mate?”
“Red paladin Lance,” he said, tucking himself to Keith’s shadow.
King Regulous seemed surprised, masking it swiftly. He watched only Keith. “You allow him to speak? How unusual.”
Keith felt something sink in his gut. The feeling Lance had clearly already felt since they’d arrived, because that man was far too observant. “Why wouldn’t I?”
“Omegas on this planet are meant to be seen and not heard.” Regulous said, as though it was fact. Keith saw many aliens at court twitch, eyes downcast.
“Lance is a paladin of Voltron, you’ll show him the same curtesy as you should me, or we’ll have no alliance here.” Crystals be damned, they wouldn’t get away with hurting Lance. Not whilst Keith was around.
“Of course,” the king said. “If you’ll follow me.” They moved to a smaller room, a large rectangular table present. Keith took the offered seat, then realised Lance was expected to stand.
“It is customary for omegas to stand.” Regulous said.
Lance put a hand on Keith’s shoulder, a soft squeeze. Grounding. Lance, the one who was actually good at dealing with people, couldn’t do it here. Keith took a breath. He was glad it was Lance who’d come with him, despite what was happening.
“The Galra have not been a threat to us for a long while,” Regulous said. “But we know that will change soon. Our neighbouring planets have been attacked, it is only a matter of time.”
“Voltron is here to help, it’s what we do.” Keith said, watching Lance shift slightly. His eyes were on the room, watching for threats. Keith had never felt safer than he did with this man watching his back.
“And this omega, we are to trust he can protect us? How many others are there on team Voltron?”
Keith gritted his teeth and Lance squeezed his shoulder again. “Forgive my lack of knowledge, but why are you referring to Lance as an omega?”
“He’s your mate, is he not?”
Keith nodded, though the hatred he felt at how untrue it was hurt. He wanted for them to be true. Ached for it, but Lance wasn’t his.
“And you are clearly the alpha, he holds himself like a young, unbroken omega.”
“Unbroken?” Lance’s whispered words sent shivers through Keith’s spine, the proximity to his ear almost overwhelming. His fingers, tense as they were on Keith’s shoulder, tightened.
“Silence.” Regulous spat.
Keith scowled, ready to rise to his feet. “You will not speak to my mate like that. He hated how right the words sounded. Hated that his Galra half made it feel natural. Lance was his, his mate. Galra mated for life, he already knew that. He knew what the words meant. Even if this was a different culture, he knew.
“Of course, paladin Keith. Shall we discuss terms?”
Keith scowled, settling back into the chair, Lance’s fingers relaxing. “Of course.” Do this for Allura, for the team. For Lance.
The red paladin was stiff as they left the room, treaty signed. As they walked, Lance was pulled back. Keith almost tripped as someone grabbed his best friend, who’d been hooked to his side. Lance could handle himself, but there was something about how the alien held him, jaw pursed against Lance’s neck, that made them both freak out.
“Release him at once,” Keith snapped, eyes almost glowing. Claws in his fingers, hands tense to fight.
“You’ve signed the treaty now, he’s fair game.” The alien said, an air of cockiness, amusement, something dark.
Lance scowled, glaring at the alien. “I wouldn’t do that,” he snapped, slamming his foot down on the aliens. He twisted, shoving him back and into the wall. Lance turned to Keith once more, hopping closer. He delighted in the shock on the alien’s face. They couldn’t believe Lance could do that, but he was a paladin of Voltron, he was a fighter.
Several more aliens crept from where they were hiding. Keith’s eyes began to glow a dark gold, claws gripping Lance. It had to hurt, but he said nothing.
“This is mine.”
“He wears no mark,” someone said, practically drooling.
Keith saw marks on the other omegas necks. Teeth marks. Barbaric. A small, instinctual part of him craved it. That mark would look so good on Lance’s perfect neck. His soft skin, marred with Keith’s mark, forever his. He shook his head, clearing his thoughts. Lance wasn’t his. He wouldn’t want his mark.
“This belongs to me. You will leave us, before I back out of the treaty and leave you all defenceless. For my mate, I will.”
That did seem to quiet the crowd. Keith thought it might.
“We are leaving. Anyone who touches Lance, they’ll know why he’s called the sharpshooter.”
Lance was practically skipping at Keith’s side, taking his hand with a gleeful smile. Keith tried not to love it, not to want it. Crave it. This wasn’t his to keep. It was temporary. They’d be back with their friends soon, back to reality. Teammates, friends, nothing more.
They managed to get back to the red lion and off the planet, Lance seething the moment they were out of sight. Keith watched him from beside the pilot’s chair, saw the anger, the frustration. He saw it all, written on Lance’s usually peaceful features.
“The way they treated them, like they were lesser.” Lance said, fingers tight on the control, white knuckles gripping Red. Keith said nothing as Lance continued, glaring at the disappearing planet. “I’d be a great omega, smarter than those damn alphas, stronger too, that’s for sure.”
“And those marks! Barbaric!” he paused, something flickering through Keith’s features that the red paladin caught. Guilt, probably. Guilt because he’d wanted to do the same. Some dark, deep instinct to claim Lance as his own. The Galra had mates, but there were no dynamics like the Knull. Just claims, mates for life, mutual respect.
Not that Lance would ever go for that. He was too good for that.
“Sorry,” Lance finally said. “I didn’t mean it like that.” At Keith’s look of confusion, the man continued. “I know the Galran’s are similar, in that aspect. I heard your mother explain it.”
Keith flushed, an overwhelming feeling of embarrassment flooding him. How much had Lance heard? It was bad enough hearing it from her, but knowing Lance had overheard? Krolia had only explained it because she’d known of his feelings for Lance, the quantum abyss had left plenty of time for talking about beautiful, blue eyed paladins.
“It’s ok, I know you wouldn’t want that. Good thing you’re not dating a Galran.” His own heart ached with the words, but he kept his voice even. Kept his eyes forward.
“Yeah, good thing,” Lance sounded so far away, and Keith only ached.
Good thing indeed.
“Nice work, you two.” Allura said, beaming.
“Don’t ever make me go back there,” Lance said, marching towards the kitchens, blowing past the princess.
Confused eyes landed on Keith, but he shook his head. “Don’t ask.”
Pidge and Hunk both looked to each other, then at where Lance had left through. “What happened? Are you two ok?”
“Fine, they just said some things to Lance.”
“Oh,” Pidge said, green eyes downcast. “Good thing you were there then.”
“Yeah.”
He had to train. Couldn’t sleep. If he did, his mind was bombarded by the idea of Lance, mark on his neck, kissing Keith. Wrapped in his arms, by his side, his mate. He had to train, to keep his body active.
Someone had entered the training room. Keith didn’t react, he knew who it was.
“Dinner’s ready.”
“Have Hunk save some for me.”
Lance ignored him, moving to turn the simulator off. “Ok, that’s it.”
Keith went to snarl, but he saw the look on Lance’s face. Hurt, vulnerable. Concerned. He hadn’t spoken to Lance since they’d returned. That was three days ago. It wasn’t that Keith had been avoiding Lance, but he had. He was a coward. One chance to feel Lance’s hand in his own, he was a goner.
“What do you want, Lance?” he saw the red paladin flinch. Saw the hurt in those eyes, the fear. Something softened within Keith. Those emotions shouldn’t be there.
“I want you to stop avoiding me. I know what happened wasn’t – ideal. But we’re friends, right? I just want to know why you avoided me.” Lance took a deep, stuttering breath. “Was it so bad, to make them believe it was true? The idea of me as your partner that horrible?”
Keith frowned, hurt overwhelming his heart. How could he let Lace believe he was anything other then perfect? Except, that would mean admitting the truth. “That wasn’t the problem.”
“Then what, Keith? Because – because I know I’m loud, and annoying, I know I’m a lot, but I thought we were past this. And you know, the worst part, I thought you – thought you could mean it. But turns out, you’re just a really good actor.”
Something lodged in Keith’s throat that felt like his heart. He couldn’t make sense of the words. Felt hollow. “I meant it,” he said, without thinking. It was shaky, soft, a whisper in the hollow room. He took a fumbling step forward, lacking any of his usual grace. “That’s why I avoided you. Because I never wanted you to know. I never wanted to tell you that I-” he swallowed. Saw the fear flash in Lance’s eyes, the hurt.
It changed, and Lance grew patient, hopeful. It wasn’t fear now, and it fuelled Keith on. Heart racing in his chest, breathing heavy. He would lose Lance, but at least he would be honest.
“I wanted it to be real, Lance. The hand holding, the touches. And I hated myself because I wanted to mean it, when I said you were my mate. I hated the possession. I know who you hare, you’re not to be owned. I know that. And – I wanted to have my own mark on your neck. That’s why I avoided you. I can’t unsee it, and I’m sorry. I’m not going to let it impact the team, I swear, I’ll not let it change things. Just give me some time.”
Lance’s eyes were wide, and he wasn’t backing away. He wasn’t leaving, why wasn’t he leaving? Keith had just admitted his darkest secret, why wasn’t he leaving?
“Oh, Keith, you beautiful idiot.”
Keith’s mouth opened to retort, say something, but then Lance’s lips were on his. Real, soft, gentle lips that belonged to Lance. He melted into it, folding to the other. His best friend. Something cracked within him, this was real, this was happening.
Lance was kissing him.
He pulled away, a soft look fluttering through Lance’s features. Soft, gentle, pleased. Hesitant. “I wanted it to be real, too. I thought you were avoiding me because you saw that, and it freaked you out.”
“I love you too much for that.”
The smile that lit up Lance’s features was pure sunshine. Keith could spend forever basking in it. “And I, you.” He leant into Keith’s arms, curling into the warmth. Lance belonged there. Here, in his arms, at his side. This was where he belonged.
“For the record, I know how possessive you are. I’ve seen you with your blade, and the team. We’ll discuss your mark, too. I’m yours, Keith. Always have been, always will be. Just as you’re mine.”
Keith smiled, corners of his eyes crinkling, heart feeling fuller than he could’ve ever imagined. He pulled Lance closer, trying to absorb him. “Mine, yours. Ours.”
“But seriously, none of this avoiding me. That sucked. And you need to shower, and dinner really is ready.”
Keith’s laugh filled the room, but nothing was brighter than Lance’s smile. He followed Lance through the halls, just as he would follow him anywhere.
Lance was where he belonged, at his side. The rest would soon fall into place.