Work Text:
He got the call in the early morning. Too early. The sun wasn’t even up yet. Who in their right mind was up this early?
Grumbling, he turned over. Glared at his phone, considered through it off the table, then sighed.
“You got a new role,” the voice said the moment Keith unlocked it.
“Good morning to you, too, Thace.”
His agent made a series of frustrated noises on the other end. “Yes, I see, time zones. I’m in LA. Anyway, that book, The Rise of Voltron, you got a feature role in the TV adaption.”
Keith sat bolt upright. “You’re kidding.”
Thace was laughing, a grumbling sound that really didn’t suit him. This was the next big step for the pair of them. “Not kidding. Cast is being announced soon, but we got the notice early, obviously. Filming and planning starts next week, so I’m booking you some flights and accommodation."
Keith felt almost lightheaded. “That’s – thanks, Thace.”
“You earned it, you know.” Thace listed off a series of things he’d need to bring, then hung up the phone.
Keith dropped back onto the bed. There was no chance he’d be able to fall asleep now. Giving up, he went to the kitchens. Early breakfast never hurt.
He’d just come off the back of a massive film production, an incredibly popular superhero series. He’d loved it, gotten his name even bigger. There were few people now who wouldn’t recognise his name. He’d made it.
And now he was about to star in the most popular young adult fiction novel that had been released this decade. It was a trilogy, so far, the author had left the third with a safe ending, the option to continue there.
They were Keith’s favourite book series. He’d sent through his audition with blind hope when they’d announced an adaption. He’d not worked much on television, blockbuster films his usual scene. But he loved the books, he wanted to work on them.
The most interesting part of the books was actually the author. No one knew who he really was. He used a pseudonym, and when he did book signing, he was either in cosplay – spiderman – or behind a screen.
Keith didn’t know whether it was a publicity stunt or if the author just wasn’t expecting his books to be so damn popular. But they were, and now Keith was about to become part of the action.
He was stoked.
Lance was nervous. His book had taken over the literary world, his work was famous. He’d sold enough copies now that he could safely take a leave of absence from his work for a couple years and be very comfortable.
He wasn’t going to do that, though. He really loved working at the planetarium, at his heart he was an astrophysicist. Some of it had translated into his books, which people, dedicated fans, had picked up on.
The first day at the studio was quickly approaching. Lance would be going, masquerading as an intern. He wanted to get the script right, and the science as accurate as they could. He was thrilled to be able to work within the team.
Altea Studios had picked up the filming rights. They’d contacted Lance’s publisher as they’d sold it, pending Lance’s approval, with the condition that Lance McClain would join as an intern.
Hence, the nerves. He hadn’t been an intern now for many years. He was a high up researcher in his field with an incredible team at his side.
He was also nervous for another reason. He’d learned how extreme these studios could be, from reading interviews and testimonies. He knew how little the studios wanted to see real, actual representation. And yet, they’d picked up his book.
The book didn’t have his real name attached, he was the mystery author. He wasn’t one for the public eye, had lived his life as far from scrutiny as possible. He liked the quiet comforts. He hadn’t meant for his book to become as big as it was, and he was glad his name wasn’t there.
Lance had seen the cast listing, finding it perfect. He was surprised to find a certain name on the list. Keith Kogane. He’d just come off a film, a huge blockbuster. Highly entertaining, actually. But he hadn’t done any television before.
The first day of filming arrived too soon, and Lance was led through the main hall to where a group of people were already gathered. Lance’s fingers twitched, restraining him from fiddling with the lanyard on his neck. He swallowed, moving to sit in the corner. He was there to observe, to tweak, not to take over. He was just an intern.
The director and producer, Coran, welcomed them all as they filed into the room. Lance watched, then began to wonder if he were in the wrong room. As more people filtered through, he noted no one else had his colour lanyard. This was where he’d been instructed to go, right? No one had kicked him out.
“Welcome everyone. We have a week before our cast begins to arrive, which means we have a week to write our first episode.” Cheers erupted from the crowd and Lance almost flinched. Coran continued on, “I’ve gathered my writing team and contractors, who are to work together to produce our script.”
“Will L.M be joining us?” Someone asked, purple lanyard flashing script writer. A chorus of chatter erupted from the crowd and Lance shrank.
Coran’s eyes scanned the crowd, landing too long on Lance and he stiffened. “No, he won’t. however, we do have someone interning from the publishing studios.” Heads all turned and Lance froze. Several people scowled at him, but the majority seemed curious.
“I’m sure we’ll all make him feel welcome.” Coran said, his tone pointed. Lance looked around, fiddling with his sleeves, then sank into his chair.
Coran stopped Lance on his way out, the room clear. He wasn’t sure where this was going, he just wanted to get to work. This was his work, his fantasy, he wanted to see it come to light.
“Don’t let the others intimidate you, Lance. The publisher was very firm, we get the rights if you work with us.” Lance looked down. He could hear a slight edge in the tone. This was in his hands.
“Thanks, I won’t. I’m grateful for the opportunity.”
Coran smiled brightly. “I have no doubt your expertise will be critical. It does strike me as odd that they’d insist on an intern.”
Lance flushed. He looked down, rubbing at his arm. “I’m going to assume you know.”
Coran was practically glowing. “I had my suspicions. Don’t worry, I won’t tell a soul. I must say, I am a huge fan. You really do know how to write.”
He wasn’t terribly used to people complimenting his work to his face. Even as a researcher, it was few and far between. It was a good feeling. “Thanks, Coran. I’m just glad people like it.”
“How could they not? I admit, I have read the series several times, I was delighted you accepted my offer.”
“I’ve seen enough of your work to know you’ll do it justice.” Lance admitted. He’d had many offers, and the publisher had wanted him to go with Galra studios, but it hadn’t felt right.
“We’ll do our best. Now, you better get to the others. I expect they’ll have already started. I mean it, Lance. Don’t let them push you around. You deserve to be here more then any of them.”
Lance smiled softly, taking a step away. “Thanks, Coran.”
He collapsed into his apartment several days later. He was exhausted. The script was coming together, despite several attempts to shut Lance down. He hadn’t even been altering the script itself, more the set. People couldn’t quite comprehend that the intern was actually there with a science background.
But, five days later, the script was ready for the cast. For the first episode. He wasn’t sure he could hack it, screen writing was so different from novels. He could do novels. No one had questioned his additions to the script itself, a blessing.
Lance dropped onto the couch, his beloved felines joining him instantly. He smiled, pulling them in close. Blue was a cuddler, the Russian blue purring as she was embraced. The tuxedo, Kaltenecker, not so much. He sat behind Lance on the couch, licking himself.
His phone rang and he fished it from his pocket. His bestie, who also happened to be his work friend. He’d missed work. He’d taken long term leave for this project, but he had plenty acrewed.
“So, how is it?” she demanded the second he answered.
Lance laughed, putting her on speaker. “Good, so far. Damn, some people on the contracting team really don’t know actual science.”
Romelle laughed and Lance ached. He missed her. No one at the studio was this much fun. “Have you met any of the big wigs yet?”
“Just Coran so far, the cast are coming after the weekend.”
Romelle squealed. “Get some autographs for me, or face time!”
Lance rolled his eyes. “Pretty sure they won’t allow that, but I’ll see what I can do for you.”
“And you? Are you ok?”
Lance shrugged, running a hand over Blue’s short coat. “I think so. Most people accepted I was a nerd intern real quick.”
Romelle laughed. “That’s one way to put it.”
“Only the producer, Coran, seems to know the truth.”
Romelle fell silent a moment. “Are you ok with that?”
“Not much I can do about it.”
“Yeah,” she agreed. “Well, I miss you at the office. Too quiet.”
He opened the door to his hotel room and sighed. It had not been a good flight. He hated flying.
The room was sterile, bare. It was fancy, worth the pretty penny he’d paid for it, but it didn’t feel like a place he could live in. He would only be there for a month, at least.
Keith pulled out his takeout, desiring only fast food after the flight. His travel companion, brother and bodyguard was in the room over, talking with his husband on the phone, giving Keith some quiet time.
His phone buzzed and he smiled, finding a message from Pidge. She was one of the few co-stars he’d worked with that he stayed connected with. The other was Acxa, but she was busy working on another film. She and Keith were both in reprising roles on a superhero franchise, but Keith wouldn’t be returning for another year.
“Ok, I have news,” Pidge had called him the moment after he’d texted, and he’d answered with a mouth full of food. “Are you there?”
He grunted, swallowing the food. “Here.”
“Great, ok. So, the person they’d cast for Green – I think it was Nyma? – anyway, she pulled out. So, guess who your new co-star is, Red?”
He abandoned his food, sitting bolt upright. “Don’t be teasing me.”
She laughed. “I would do that, wouldn’t I? But, no. I’m serious. I’m booking flights now, I’ll be in tomorrow. How big is your hotel suite?”
He sagged to the couch. He would have a friend for filming. That made it so much easier. “I have a spare bedroom.” He rolled his eyes. “You can pay half.”
“Awesome. Not that either of us are tight, but, company.”
Keith agreed, humming. He stuffed his mouth again and Pidge hung up.
The studio was much like any other. Keith entered the front doors with Shiro, who was walking close behind as expected.
What was unusual was Coran, the director and producer, at the front door. He greeted them with a wide smile, shaking their hands and providing a lanyard for them. They were given a map with directions and a timetable. Keith thanked him, then moved on.
“He seems nice,” Shiro commented.
Keith couldn’t disagree. What’s more, it hadn’t felt forced.
They found the main room, the interior filled with the behind-the-scenes team. Keith had limited knowledge on how a TV series was filmed, but he was stoked to be working on this one.
He got handed a script for the first episode and found a place to sit. Shiro waltzed off, leaving his brother to work.
The script was good. Dialogue taken directly from the novel was dotted throughout, the increased depth from additional scenes impressive. Some characters who needed more time in the book had been given more screen time, and Keith was excited to see how it would play out.
Someone was beside him, the shadow too large to be Shiro. He turned, surprised to find Hunk Garrett standing there, taking the seat beside him. He was a legend in voice acting, with a major role in a hilarious comedy show.
“Keith, right?” he asked, the most welcoming smile on his face.
“Yeah. Hunk?”
“That’s me,” Hunk said, grinning. “I’m so excited, are you? I read the books, like, six times. I get to be Yellow! He was always my favourite. Fancy myself a bit of a chef like him too.”
“Same, but with Red,” Keith said.
“I heard Pidge Holt’s on the team now,” Hunk said. “You worked with her, right? She as cool as I think she is?”
“Cooler,” Keith said. “But if you tell her, I’ll deny it.”
He laughed, miming the zipped lips. “What do you think of the script?”
“It looks good. I hope I can do it justice.” Keith said.
Hunk looked down. “Yeah, lots of people are counting on us to get it right, you know?”
The pressure was huge. Because book adaptions could be haphazard, and people loved these characters so much. Keith loved the character, he wanted to give this his best. He knew Pidge did too, and now he knew Hunk did.
Another person came to join them. Allura. Blue. She gave a radiant smile and Keith could see why she was a heartthrob, she was beautiful. “Thought I should introduce myself.” She said, her accent melodic and beautiful to listen to.
“Did you read the books too?” Hunk asked.
She nodded. “I doubt Coran would’ve hired someone who hadn’t. We all want this to be the best adaption. I know I do.”
“We’ll be ok,” Keith said. “We all want this.”
The first live read of the script had been incredible. Lance had gotten to sit in, taking a spot in the back. The cast were all perfect, each one of them. He was so excited to see his novel come to life. These were his characters, with a real face to them now. He’d never imagined this could happen.
None of the actors had so much as looked his way, too busy given their live read. Coran and Bob had given out pointers on how to read their line, then they’d been doing a live skit.
It was amazing to watch. Lance had never thought he’d be doing something like this. Part of this. He created this. Provided these jobs for these people, something that could be enjoyed by so many more.
He couldn’t help but be drawn to Keith, the man was just handsome. He was stunning to look at. Lance had accepted long ago that he swung both ways, and Keith was not helping his single heart. He was beautiful, his voice was powerful and his acting skills were amazing. He was the embodiment of who Lance had pictured for Red.
When lunch came around, Lance moved to the table outside on his own. He wanted to contact Romelle, see how things were back at the lab. He ended up being late for his next session, which had him rushing through the maze of halls.
He didn’t check as he passed an intersection, and he really should’ve. He collided with another body, sending them both stumbling. It was far too cliché for Lance to not feel his face heat with embarrassment.
“Damn it, watch where you’re going.” Lance froze. He knew that voice. Had spent the morning waiting to hear him read his lines. Had watched plenty of his movies to know who this was.
“Ah, sorry about that.” He mumbled, pulling away and moving to the side. He kept his head down, not wanting to make an even bigger fool of himself.
“Its, whatever. Where are you headed in such a rush?” Keith asked, dusting off his clothes, temper dampening.
“Headed to check on the set,” he replied.
Keith seemed to appreciate the response, tone changing completely. “Oh, mind us joining? That’s where we’re headed. We got lost.” He scratched at the back of his head and Pidge, who Lance only then realised was there, glared at him.
He did mind. He minded a lot. Keith was much cooler in person, and he had just knocked him over. But, Lance wouldn’t say no, certainly not to Keith.
“Ah, sure.” He started walking again, keeping the actors within his sight. He wouldn’t bump into them again. This was his reputation on the line.
“So, what’s your role?” Pidge asked.
“Intern, helping with the script.”
“It’s a good script,” she said, and Lance felt a puff of pride in his chest. He hadn’t had too much involvement with the script, but he had with the source work.
“Yeah, I think so. I think viewers will be happy.” He was so used to thinking about his audience as readers, but this was an exciting change.
“It helps that the source work is excellent,” Pidge said. “Have you read it?”
Lance blinked. He’d never thought about the actors really reading his work and enjoying it. People who were famous. Could be doing so many other things. “Yeah, a few times.”
“I like the second,” Pidge continued. “I mean, I love them all, but man, the second one, when Red takes control and gets with Purple, I’m here for it.”
“I like the third,” Lance admitted. He’d had the most fun working on the third. It was the one where all the pieces came together. He was working on a fourth in his down time, wanted to give closure to some of his favourite characters.
“First ones the best,” Keith said. “It has them at the rawest, when nothing seems to go right and then suddenly it does.”
It was the first time Keith had spoken since they’d started walking and Lance was honestly surprised he’d forgotten.
“It’s a fantastic series,” Pidge agreed. “The author is insanely talented. I was hoping we’d get to meet him, but apparently not.”
Keith huffed. “Acting like he’s got something to hide. Great novel, but I think the author’s a coward.”
Lance tried not to wince. He kept his features as neutral as possible. He still hadn’t looked at the actors properly, too unsure if that was his place. They were famous, he was just an intern. Head down, seen but not heard.
Maybe he was a coward. Maybe he did have something to hide. He wanted to protect himself. He still had haters out there, he knew they would double when they saw who was behind the work. People needed to love the work separately from the author.
They arrived at set and Lance’s jaw dropped. It looked amazing. From the last time he’d seen it, this was a huge improvement. Lance felt the actors slip from his side and moved to where the set team were.
He found a minor discrepancy and commented on it, which had the team all laughing and making notes to fix it. Lance had made a reputation amongst the set team as the most familiar with the books and was called the nerd. He wasn’t just familiar with it. He wrote the damn thing.
Allura walked over and shook Lance’s hand, prim smile on her face. “I hear you’re working on the set and script.”
He nodded, pulling his hand back. “That’s me.”
“I look forwards to working with you.”
“You’re the perfect Blue, you know.”
She smiled, the softness in her eyes sparkling. She was truly beautiful. “Thank you, I’m really excited. I hope I do her justice. Owe it to the fans, and myself.”
The intern was weird. Over the course of the first week, Keith hadn’t seen him do anything intern-like. He didn’t get coffee or take notes. He wasn’t told not to talk to higher ups. He directed some of the movie science things that went over Keith’s head. He got to change parts of the script. He sat beside Coran.
No, the intern was weird.
It wouldn’t have bothered Keith at all, but the intern, this Lance, was beautiful. Stunning. Glowing. He managed to light up any room he was in, and Keith always seemed to find him. He was damn intelligent too, Keith could see that.
Lance hadn’t spoken to him, not since their first interaction. Keith understood now what had happened. He was refreshing to see, bouncing around the place and seemingly immune to the star power.
Keith had been caught watching Lance, which was a problem. Pidge had made a huge song and dance about it at their hotel room, only stopping when Keith had threatened to kick her out. Room was under his name, after all.
First day of filming was exciting. The cast and crew were filled with nerves. Keith was ready. He wanted to give this his best. He wanted to prove he could, wanted to do the fans justice. This was for them. For himself, a younger him who’d just learned that representation mattered.
When the first day wrapped, Keith couldn’t help but glance over to where Lance was. He was scribbling something on a notepad, furiously trying to write. Keith couldn’t help but find the way he was writing, tongue out and eyes focussed, adorable.
He was walking over before he registered it.
A shadow passed over him and he froze. He hadn’t thought anyone had noticed him, hiding in the corner. The first day of filming had been incredible to watch, and it’d left his mind buzzing.
He’d done his fair share of short stories and even fanfictions, but he’d been inspired by this whole ordeal, he couldn’t help it. No one was supposed to notice him, but they had.
“Oh, hey, Keith,” a blush spread across his cheeks and he hurried to close his book. He really didn’t need Keith seeing it and getting the wrong idea.
The actor raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Instead, he pulled up a chair and sat beside Lance. He tensed slightly, turning to face the actor.
“What did you think?” Keith asked, as though Lance’s opinion mattered to him. Lance was just an intern, he wasn’t of any consequence to this man.
“It was awesome,” Lance said, because it was. “How do you think it went?”
Keith shrugged. “No clue, can never get a sense from day one. I’ve only worked with Pidge before, so this is all new. But very exciting.”
“It is exciting,” he agreed. “I think the fans will love it.”
“That’s why we do this.”
Lance looked down, unsure how to continue the conversation. Unsure how it had started to begin with. What would Keith want with him, anyway? He was a big actor, had a bodyguard and a fanbase. Lance was just the intern.
Pidge waltzed on over, looping an arm around Keith’s shoulder. “We were going to get some food, wanna join?”
Lance startled, realising she was addressing him. “Ah-”
“Just at the local fast food, not exciting. It’s sort of Pidge and my self’s tradition from a day one set. We got Hunk and Allura to agree.”
“Are you sure?”
Pidge shrugged. “You seem cool. Are you going to freak out if you’re out with famous people?”
“Probably not, unless it’s like, Taylor Swift or something.”
Keith snorted, moving to stand. “Figures you’d be a Swiftie.”
“I take great offence to that.”
“Why did we bring him along?” Keith hissed, taking a seat in Shiro’s car. Pidge was grinning beside him. He was thankful Lance had his own vehicle, travelling separately.
“You weren’t about to. Dude seems chill.”
“He’s an intern.”
“Yeah, so? You were one too.” She paused. “You don’t have a problem with Lance, do you?”
Keith huffed, leaning back in his seat. Shiro was laughing in the driver’s seat.
“Oh, he absolutely does. The gay kind.”
Keith reached across and flicked his brother on the shoulder. “Shut up.”
“The way I see it, you weren’t doing anything. I’m simply speeding things up.”
Keith scowled, but then Shiro was pulling into the joint. He put on his best brave face, ignoring Pidge and Shiro’s cackles. They were loving this, the bastards.
It wasn’t like he’d never dated, or had flings. He just hadn’t for a while, and he wanted the next one to mean something. He wanted to meet someone who could match him, who would be ok with his somewhat unusual job. A friend, a partner.
And yes, his traitorous heart thought Lance might be a good candidate.
Lance was already there, sitting beside Hunk and chatting away like old friends. He had placed himself in the corner booth, side to the wall.
Allura waved them over and Keith tried to rid himself of thoughts of Lance. “You sure took your time,” she said, grinning.
“Shiro’s the slowest driver,” Keith said, dropping into the vacant seat across from Lance. Pidge waggled her eyebrows at him, and he scowled.
“Safety is paramount,” Shiro said, shrugging. “People would have my head if I hurt Hollywood’s golden boy.”
“I know I would,” Pidge said.
They ordered food and began to chat, but Keith noticed that Lance seemed to pull back. He chatted with Hunk, when directed at him, but the man never seemed to initiate the conversation. He looked almost like he wasn’t sure how he fit in there.
“So, Lance. Dream job?” Pidge asked, speaking across the table.
The boy froze, considering the words. “Ah, I don’t know. I think I’m already working it.”
Allura tilted her head, staring at him with confused eyes. “Internship?”
Lance laughed, and the sound was so genuine, so real, that Keith wanted to commit it to memory. “No, no, that’s just – well, it’s sort of a long story. But I’m actually working down at the Garrison, I’m part of the leading research teams on the Kerberos mission.”
Silence fell over the table. Keith was sure his jaw would fall open, had he not been a trained actor and in control of his features, it might have.
“You’re – what?” Pidge asked, shaking her head.
Lance shrugged. “It’s not a big deal.”
“Dude, that’s a huge deal. The Garrison is, like, wicked cool. I wanted to be a pilot, you know? Or an engineer, I guess. But I fell in love with acting, here we are. Oh, and cooking,” Hunk said in a rush.
The, apparently incredibly brilliant intern, was practically pink. “I mean, you could do both. I-” he cut himself off, and Keith felt disappointment rise in his chest. He wanted to know what Lance was about to say.
“So, why the studio then? You clearly don’t need to work for them.” Pidge said.
Lance looked down at his lap. “I guess, it was sort of the deal for the publisher and Altea studios to get the sign on. I had to be involved.”
“The publisher?” Shiro asked. “Do you know the author?”
The table was now quiet all waiting on Lance. For the intern who clearly knew more then he was letting on.
“Ah, I did an actual internship with them, and they found out I’m a space nerd, and also knowledgeable on the book. So they sent me.”
“That explains so much,” Shiro said.
And it did. It explained almost everything. But, part of Keith wasn’t so sure. Something wasn’t adding up. He could see the look on Pidge’s features. She agreed. If Lance were just some intern, why would the entire filming licence rest on his shoulders? No, this was weird.
He watched Lance, the man trying to avoid eye contact, keeping his head turned slightly. He didn’t look assuming.
“Do you write, Lance?” Pidge asked, startling Keith.
Apparently, she startled Lance too. He recovered quickly enough. “Oh, yeah, I guess.” That sounded like the truth.
“You’ve got contacts with a publisher, you should use that,” Allura said.
Lance frowned. “I wouldn’t take advantage of that. And besides. No one would be interested.”
“You never know unless you try. Look at the Voltron series,” Hunk said. “That author probably released them into the world, hoping for at least a hundred sales, now he’s one of the most well known authors around. And you get to watch his work come to life.”
Lance gave an odd smile at the mention, almost rueful. Keith watched, curious. “I’m just happy for the opportunity.” His phone chose that moment to ring, and Lance paused. He reached for it.
“Sorry, I have to take this.” He scrambled from the booth, moving to another table. Keith kept an ear out, hoping he wasn’t on the phone with the pap. He didn’t seem the type, but one could never tell.
“Ok, slow down, what’s wrong?”
“Ok, you know the new reactor you were working on? Well, we tried to finish it, but we lost your calculations, and, well. It blew up. Contained, but. Can you come back? We need you, Lance.”
He froze. “You what?” his voice may have turned heads, but he couldn’t help it. “Romelle, how – what?”
“It was the intern, she got cocky. Anyway, we’ve lost weeks of progress.”
“Try months,” he sagged, running a hand down his face. “Ok, I’ll just, tell Coran I can’t come in for a while. They don’t need me, anyway.”
Romelle paused, sounding sheepish with her next words. “How is that going? I may have gotten a tad distracted.”
“A tad?” Lance gave a good-natured laugh. “It’s good, day one wrapped. Should have episode one in post by the end of the week. These guys are good.”
“So much faster than writing it,” Romelle said, laughing.
He grinned, lowering his voice. “You have no idea. The first bit took me a month alone!”
“To be fair, you also work full time,” Romelle said. “What about Allura? Is she as pretty in person? Oh, and her accent?”
Lance rolled his eyes fondly. “I saw nothing, I’m pretty sure they can hear me.” He shot a glance to the side and saw Keith turn away quickly. Lance smiled to himself.
“You’re out with them? Damn. How did that happen?”
Lance wasn’t entirely sure of that front. He was just an intern. “Ah, good question. I think it was Hunk, he’s very likable, you’d like him.”
“But Allura, come on, Lance.”
He laughed. “I think I’d lose any trust they have in me, sorry. But she’s cool. Like, super cool. I think you’d like her. And she’d be a fool not to like you.”
“You’re too kind,” she said. “You’ll come in tomorrow?”
“You bet, I even have my notes.”
She gave a huge sigh. “You’re the best, Lance.”
“I know.” He grinned. “I have to go, I’ll talk to you later.”
He moved back to the table somewhat awkwardly, unsure if he should’ve just left. But they welcomed him back and he smiled, relaxing.
“Who was that? Wife?” Hunk asked, leaning forwards.
“Romelle, she’s my best friend and coworker.” Lance said. He leant back in his seat, smiling at the group.
“So, Lance.” Pidge said as they finally made it back to their hotel.
Keith shot her a withering glare. “What about him?”
“He’s cute,” she grinned.
He grumbled, turning the doorknob. “He’s ok.”
“Yeah, sure,” she said, rolling her eyes. “On another note, Mr I refuse to acknowledge Lance is hot, I think he works for the author.”
This made Keith pause. “Evidence?” though, he’d been thinking the same thing.
“Ok, so, he works for the publishing firm, plus he’s wicked smart. I think the author fact checks with him. And because Lance already knows so much, the author trusts him to tell him about the project and manipulate it slightly. There’s no other reason for Lance to literally be the only reason Coran got the contract.”
Keith knew it made sense. He’d forgotten the tid bit about Lance being an astrophysicist though. “So, you think he’ll tell us who it is?”
Pidge grinned. It was the sort of grin that made Keith want to hide. It was one that said she was up to something. “I think we should get Lance to introduce us.”
“He’d never go for that. He’s probably under, like, a bajillion confidentiality clauses.”
Pidge shrugged. “I think we can. He already likes Allura and Hunk.”
“This is a terrible plan.”
“And it would mean you’d have to get close to him. I can’t see him being opposed to that.”
Keith scowled, moving to his room. “I’m going to sleep, scheme later.”
The first episode looked incredible. Lance was so thrilled to see it come together. The wrap on the first episode had bled into the second, post and acting team working separately. It meant Lance was spending far less time at the studio and more on his real work.
He’d really only wanted to go to ensure the team would do his vision justice, and he knew now that they would.
It also meant he no longer had a reason to ogle Keith. That was a distinct downside. He’d been loving that part. Keith was so easy to ogle at.
Romelle had decided they needed a night out, so they’d gone to a local café. It was quiet, it was exactly what they needed.
Apparently, they weren’t the only ones to agree.
When Romelle’s jaw dropped, Lance had frowned. He turned, carefully, snapping his head around when he recognised the group. Romelle was still ogling, so were the workers of the café. Fortunately, it was practically dead inside, hence why Lance loved it so much. He’d spent a lot of his time writing in this very space.
“You should say hello,” Romelle hissed.
Lance glared at her. “I’m not running their night, Rommy.”
She pouted, leaning against Lance. He had his head down, trying to avoid their gazes. “Hey, you’re worth knowing, you know?”
He gave her a small smile.
Hunk moved to the counter, ordering for his group. As he turned, his eyes found Lance and he saw the flicker of recognition. He waved. The others all turned, curious, and smiled when they too saw Lance. He sighed.
“Hey, guys, what brings you here?”
Pidge was the first to pull up a chair, watching Romelle closely. Romelle was too busy blushing and trying not to look at Allura.
“You told us about this place, best late-night desserts,” Hunk said, dropping beside lance.
He remembered, vaguely. “Oh.” He watched the others join, Keith opting to sit on Hunk’s other side. Not that Keith had Lance’s attention.
“Ah, this is Romelle, my friend.” He looked around the group. “I’m going to assume introductions ’aren’t necessary, but that’s Shiro, Keith’s brother.”
Romelle waved awkwardly at the group. She was trying so hard not to look at Allura and confess her earth size crush on her.
“It’s lovely to meet you, Romelle, Lance has told us so much about you,” Allura said, a winning smile on her soft lips.
“He has?” she asked, snapping to Allura with wide eyes.
The actress smiled, and if Lance weren’t already infatuated with a man with a mullet, he could be persuaded. Romelle stood no chance.
“All good things, I assure you,” Allura said.
“He’s a good friend,” she agreed.
Lance beamed. “That’s me.”
“Don’t go getting a big head,” Romelle said.
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Lance said.
“So, you planning on coming back to the studios?” Pidge asked, interrupting. “We miss you lurking at the studios.”
“I mean, I don’t think I need to. Everyone’s on track. And we’re at a pretty crucial part of our project,” he said. “I’ll be back for the second season though.”
“If we get one,” Pidge said.
Lance shrugged. He had faith.
“You should go back,” Romelle said, coughing when eyes turned to her. “You said it was fun.”
“Yeah, but, so is working on a spaceship.”
“How many chances are you going to have to work on the film? With these people?”
Lance rolled his eyes. “We’re not doing this here, Rommy.”
She pouted.
“It has been weird without our favourite intern,” Hunk offered.
Lance smiled, feeling oddly warm. “I mean, we could do something after filming?”
Hunk beamed, almost glowing. “I’ll give you my number.”
Lance blinked, but they were all thrusting their numbers to Lance’s phone. He caught movement and saw Allura sliding Romelle her number, the latter being beet red. Maybe this was a group he could be friends with, weird as it was. He’d brought them all together. He’d put them on this project. He smiled,
When the show aired its first episode, the team caught up. Lance offered his own home, most of the actors having gone back to their respective homes at the conclusion of the filming. They’d all flown right back to join Lance for the premier. The pilot episode.
Lance was excited. He got to see his friends again and watch something they were all so proud of. It was only Romelle who had no clue how any of this would go, so Lance was keen to see her reaction.
It was Romelle who arrived first, of course. He opened the door to her, letting her in with a smile. She’d brought a handful of movie snacks, as requested.
“Are you feeling ok?”
Lance bit his lip. “Nervous,” he admitted. “Strangely, more then when it first came out. So many more people could watch this. The fans could think it’s a bad adaption.”
Romelle pulled him in for a hug. “It’s going to be amazing. You had the most incredible team working on it.”
He knew she was right, but it didn’t stop the nerves. This was his project, his baby. He’d brought these characters from the depths of his mind, and now they were about to be aired on tv.
Allura arrived next, pulling in her girlfriend for a kiss. Surprising no one, she’d texted Romelle the day after they’d met, and they’d since had three dates. They settled on the smallest couch, Romelle practically in Allura’s lap. Lance couldn’t help but smile.
“And how have you been, Lance?” Allura asked once she was settled. She was too busy appreciating her girlfriend, Lance couldn’t begrudge her that.
“Good, yeah. Nervous.”
Allura waved him off. “Trust me, you’ll be fine. We have this in the bag.”
Pidge arrived next, Keith and Shiro following behind. Soon enough, Hunk entered. The whole team, together under one room again. Lance’s roof. He’d taken great care to ensure no one knew he was the author, hiding anything in the house that would tie him.
Lance turned the screen on, clicking to the station. It would air in several minutes. Lance was so nervous, leg shaking on the couch.
Keith, who’d taken the couch beside Lance, was within arm’s reach. He reached across, covering Lance’s shoulder with his hand gently, the most reassuring move he could make. “Relax, we all put in a lot of work, the fans will see that.”
He did relax, unable to do anything except listen to Keith. He took a deep breath. “Thanks, Keith. You’re right. We all worked hard on this.”
“Hopefully L.M knows that,” Hunk said. “We want to do him proud too.”
Lance gave a real smile, true and brave. “He knows.”
He could feel the eyes on him, turning his head to catch Pidge’s quizzical gaze. She was too damn smart. Had she worked it out?
“You’ve spoke to him? Have you met him?” she asked. Maybe not then.
“Ah, yeah.”
“I knew it!” she exclaimed. “How else could he know so much about space? You were his inside man, right? So, what’s he like? Writing anything else?”
Lance released a shaky breath. “Ah, I can’t answer that, sorry, Pidge. And he’s – a coward, I guess. But he’s good enough.”
Romelle shot him a look. She wanted to argue, but it wasn’t her place, not in this moment. She knew that.
“I don’t think he’s a coward,” Shiro said, startling the group. He continued as heads turned to him. “Well, he released a book in a time where people don’t read much. Part of its huge hype was not knowing the true author, and maybe that was a publicity stunt, but it has meant that he can just live his life. You know, like Hannah Montana.”
“Maybe he’s actually super old,” Hunk said. “Doesn’t want people to know.”
“How did you meet him?” Pidge asked.
“Work,” Lance said.
The others realised, fortunately, that he wouldn’t give them more.
Fortunately, that’s also when the episode started.
The first season had been a roaring success. So much so that the cast had been invited to attend several conventions to promote the second season, which had already been confirmed.
Keith was stoked. More then. It was more then a job for him now, seeing how happy it made the fans. It also came with the added bonus of getting to see Lance.
“You should just ask him out,” Pidge said, lounging in the armchair of Keith’s apartment.
“I can’t do that,” Keith said. Lance was so far above his league it was ridiculous.
She rolled her eyes, though thankfully, dropped it. Instead, she said, “Romelle and Allura are happy.”
“They are,” he agreed. He found the new couple sweet, Allura was always gushing about Romelle in their group chat. It was hard for people in their industry to find a genuine connection, but there they were. Proof it was possible.
As if on cue, his phone buzzed. He reached it and almost dropped it when he saw Lance’s contact picture appear. Lance had texted him. Out of the blue, without any prompting. Lance had texted him.
Pidge was grinning in the background, but Keith opened the text and did his best to ignore her.
‘Hey, I’m taking a break next week, thought I’d visit New York. Anywhere you recommend?’
Keith glared up at Pidge as he read the text out and she laughed. Cackled, more accurate.
‘I would recommend many places’ he shot back.
There was a brief pause, barely long enough for the screen to go dark, before Lance responded with: ‘Thanks, that’s helpful. I can plan my trip now.’
Keith bit his lip, read the text. He could almost see blue eyes rolling, an easy smile on kissable lips. Get it together.
‘I could be your guide? I have some time off too.’
He didn’t, but he would make some. His main work at the moment was in landing another role, an easy task given his current popularity and success with Voltron. He was scheduled to do some interviews, but he could leave Lance alone for some of his trip, surely.
‘Great, sounds perfect. Do we need a disguise?’ Lance shot back after a moment.
Keith couldn’t stop the snort at the mental image. He flicked Pidge with a piece of popcorn as she grinned again.
‘Only if you want to, Shiro is pretty noticeable and he’ll be with us.’
‘Big guns chaperoning our date?’
Keith blinked. Heart thundered in his chest. What.
Then, a series of rapid, anxious tests followed with increasing degrees of panic the longer Keith went without responding.
‘I mean, not a date, obviously, I mean. Could be. But, no.’
And he smiled.
‘Date it is. When do you get in, have you got accommodation?’
‘Date! With Kogane!’
He couldn’t help the warmth in his heart. The moment of panic, hoping he’d done the right thing, gone. A date with Lance. It felt right.
‘I reserve the right to change my mind,’ he shot back, unable to stop his own fond smile.
‘Oh, please don’t. I haven’t booked anything yet.’
Keith tapped out a message, then paused. Was he being too forward? Were they rushing in? They’d only known each other for half a year now, and they hadn’t really done anything alone yet. But, he wanted to. Oh, he wanted to. He trusted Lance, he knew he was a good person.
‘I have a spare room, I’ll charge you companionship fees.’
There was a pause, he held his breath. Was that too forward? Should he have let Lance find his own place? Lance earned money, he hoped it wasn’t coming across as him being unable to afford a place here.
‘Do you have a view?’
He couldn’t help himself. ‘Am I not view enough? Yes, I have a view.’
He laughed when Lance shot through a blushing emoji.
“Care to explain?” and he’d forgotten Pidge was even in the room, too caught up with Lance, Lance, Lance.
“Lance is coming to New York next week, he’s staying here.”
“Boy, you move fast,” she whistled, but she looked – pleased.
‘Penthouse, right? Wouldn’t expect anything less from the famous Keith Kogane. I’ll see you next week.’
‘Look forwards to it.’
He only hoped he could make a good impression. Lance was too good to be true, he wasn’t going to let his own social ineptitude ruin this.
Lance was nervous. He was thrilled Keith had said date, glad he didn’t have to source accommodation, but he was nervous. He hadn’t been on a date in so long, not since his last boyfriend had torn through everything he’d had. Left him a shell of himself, both physically and mentally.
Keith was different though, he knew that. Trusted that. Believed that.
He needed this trip. His publisher had been hounding him for another novel, ideally something from the Voltron series, but they would take anything from the famous L.M. He was out of fresh ideas though, so he would need the break. Clear his head, spend some time in the big city, get his creative juices flowing.
Upon landing, he was surprised to find Shiro on the tarmac, waiting. He’d assumed Keith would send his address, he hadn’t needed a chaperone for real.
“Thanks for doing this, Shiro,” he said, looking mildly sheepish. Feeling it.
“Just doing my job. Whilst you’re here, Keith has asked I ensure you both are safe. I think that’s his way of asking me not to give you the shovel talk.”
Lance made a noise, close to a squeak. He coloured. “I mean, I’m pretty confident I know who’d win. Or at least, for Keith’s sake, I hope I do.”
Shiro shrugged. “I know how to make it look like an accident.”
Lance flinched. His ex had said the same damn thing. It had been what finally made Lance decide to leave. He’d written a novella about it, needing to get his thoughts out. That would never see the light of day, his eyes only.
Shiro seemed to notice the mood shift. “You ok?”
“Yeah, fine.” He said, trying to shake his thoughts away. He’d spent so long recovering from his ex, trying to keep himself healthy. He’d only recently begun healing his self-esteem. That was taking the longest.
They arrived at Keith’s apartment. It was incredible. It was clear the actor was earning far too much. Keith was blushing as he showed Lance to his room, then gave the house tour.
“Do you need to freshen up? I thought we could go for a walk in central park?”
Lance smiled, putting his bags down and grabbing his phone. “Ready whenever you are.”
He’d thought it might be awkward. That having Lance around would be hard, but he was so easy to be around. He was excellent company. When Keith had been recognised at dinner, Lance had merely taken photos for the fan with an easy smile.
It was just so easy. Lance was so good.
They shared their first kiss on Lance’s third day. They’d gone for a long walk, Keith had shown him all his favourite places. At the end of it all, they’d sat in the shade and Lance had been sitting there, ethereal in the dying sunlight. Keith hadn’t been able to stop himself.
Lance’s lips were warm, safe. They were gentle, peace. They were Lance, and he was addicted.
Since then, they’d shared several more chaste kisses. Keith was not so slowly becoming reliant on those warm lips. He’d never felt this way with anyone before. All previous relationships were over in a blink. With Lance, he wanted him around, wanted to be around him all the time. He wanted to hold him, to kiss him, to hear him. He wanted to listen to Lance ramble about anything that came to his brilliant mind, and he knew he would be heard.
It should have scared him, but it only excited him.
On the fourth day, Lance had initiated the kiss at breakfast. He was practically glowing and Keith could only bask in the light.
They sat, but there was clearly something on Lance’s mind. His fingers were twitching on his warm mug, leg shaking beneath the table.
“What are we, Keith?” Lance finally asked, the words tumbling from his mouth in a rush. He wouldn’t meet Keith’s eyes, staring intently at the table, hands linked in his lap.
Keith paused. “I don’t know. More then friends? Is that ok?”
The quiet should have concerned him, but he could see Lance. Could see the way he bit his lip, how words wanted to fall from his lips but couldn’t. “I’d like that. A lot.” He paused, eyes closing the briefest second. "I have a history, and some hangups."
Keith reached across, movements slow and calculated. He took Lance’s warm hands into his own. “We go at your pace, Lance. I just want you, in any way you’ll have me.”
Lance’s smile was radiant. He was the sun, and he was damn beautiful. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you.”
“You were you,” he said plainly. “Beautiful, crazy smart, you.”
Lance’s cheeks flushed a brilliant red. “You’re not so bad yourself, you know.”
“I know, I’m this years heartthrob.”
Lance laughed, the sound ripped from him, startling him. “I’m dating Keith Kogane, will wonders never cease?”
“No one would believe you,” Keith said, squeezing the warm hand gently, keeping a teasing smile on his lips.
Lance smiled, a real, genuine one that melted Keith’s poor heart. “I do have a small favour, if that’s ok?” Keith gestured for him to continue, so he did. “I was hoping to get some work done today.”
“Of course, I can use the time to go over my new script. They want me to cameo in the next marvel film.”
Lance grinned. “Oh, the fans will love that.”
“I’m pretty excited. Not much to do while we wait for season two.”
“What are you going to do after the third season? There’s nothing else out there.”
“Yet,” Keith said. “I don’t think he’s done. You can’t just give us the perfect trilogy and then leave it.”
Lance rolled his eyes, that adorable, knowing glint in his eyes. It was so easy to forget Lance knew the author, worked for him.
“Reckon you could persuade the author to write me into the book?”
Lance laughed, the sound of genuine amusement building up. “I’ll see what I can do. No promises.”
“Worth a shot.”
He was easily able to lose track of time. Sitting on a windowsill, pen and paper in hand, he forgot that time was relevant. Keith had left sometime ago, claiming he’d needed to go out for some errands. But Lance had stayed glued to his spot.
The only time he’d moved had been to go get his glasses when the eye strain became too much. He didn’t want his eyesight to be impacted by bad habits.
He had the bare bones for a new trilogy by the time Keith came home. He had started writing small snippets, trying to get into the characters heads. He was loving it, had forgotten just how much he loved the planning phase.
His name was being called out. Lance froze. He wasn’t alone. Keith was watching him from the couch, a small smile on his lips. Lance blinked.
“What time is it?” he asked, shaking his head. He really hadn’t looked up in a long time, so absorbed in his work. He removed his glasses, replacing them in their case.
“Dinner,” there was amusement in Keith’s voice and Lance flushed.
“Ah,” he said, humming. Last he’d checked, it was morning tea.
Keith was only watching with that adorable smile. Not judging, not telling him to get up, just watching. “Hungry?”
He felt his stomach growl. “Ah, yeah. Sorry.”
“You were very focussed, get what you wanted?”
Lance paused. He’d come on this trip to get inspired, to get out of his own head, away from his writer’s block. He’d at least managed that, having the skeleton for a new series down. Who knows, it could be as popular as the first. He wasn’t so sure. This one was almost a completely different genre.
“Yeah, I think so.”
Keith stood and Lance closed his notebook. If Keith was offended, he didn’t show it. He was a world class actor, though. “How about we get some food? I can get some take out.”
“Sounds good. Would you mind if I wrote tomorrow off too?” he paused, biting his lip. “I mean, I know that might be rude, but-”
Keith held up a hand and Lance shut his mouth. “You do what you need to do.”
“Thanks, Keith. I’ll be more fun, I promise.”
Keith shrugged, moving so he could leave a butterfly kiss on his cheek. “I don’t need you to be anything other then who you are. I can entertain myself. I might see if Shiro wants to hang out.”
“I want to spend my last day here with you, no interruptions.”
“I think that can be arranged.”
Keith had a love hate relationship with Comic-Con, but this year, he wasn’t alone. The main cast of Voltron would be attending. And, as an added bonus, Keith had convinced his boyfriend to come along too.
Unsurprisingly, Keith had the longest line. He was busy all day, when he wasn’t in panels with the others, his photo was being taken, or he was signing for the fans. He was exhausted, but it was all part of it.
Lance had disappeared. He was in full cosplay, which had amused Keith. He wore his own version of paladin armour, like so many others around. He’d chosen to go with blue, to match his eyes.
Keith was almost offended he hadn’t gone with red, but blue worked for him.
He had a small break for lunch in the middle of the day, so he met up with his friends in a behind the scenes room. He’d sent Shiro out to collect food, but also to find Lance.
Pidge was grinning when Keith mentioned Lance. He rolled his eyes.
“Yes, yes. I already told you we’re dating.”
The others all made gleeful sounds.
Lance appeared with trays of food in hand. Shiro had double the amount of trays, which made Keith pull a joke at his boyfriend’s expense. That led to Lance mumbling something about his coordination and inability to not spill drinks. He was also in costume, his mobility was limited.
“Did you watch the panel?” Allura asked, taking food from Lance. Romelle had unfortunately not been free to come to this one, but she’d promised to appear at Lance’s side in full cosplay next time.
“Yeah, of course. I was hidden with a group of paladins.”
Keith had seen the group, of course. A cluster of no less then seven people all wearing various shades of armour. It was impressive. Part of Keith’s mind wondered if the author would get to see the impacts of his work. He’d done this. Created this phenomenon.
“Is it always this busy?” Lance asked.
“It’s just two days,” Allura said. “And the fans love it.”
“I guess it’s not the sort of thing I could get behind,” Lance admitted. “Good thing I’m not the actor.”
“The only person who’d have a bigger cue then Keith would be the author himself,” Hunk said, and the others laughed. Keith watched Lance, saw a faint blush on his cheeks.
He couldn’t resist pulling him into his chest and kissing those cheeks. Lance made a squeak, melting into Keith’s arms like he was made for them. “I’m already looking forwards to dinner.”
Lance grinned, twisting so he could see the others. “Same, you guys can all come, right?”
“Wouldn’t miss it.”
Keith relaxed. This was his team, his friends. Somehow, he’d found people he wanted to be friends with outside work. Real, genuine friends. And Lance.
When they’d returned to the signing table, Keith grabbed a bag of sweets as fuel. Flexed his fingers, then greeted the fans.
The line never seemed to end, but it was definitely an ego boost. The last half hour was approaching, and Keith was relieved. His hand was cramping something awful. He could see his line shortening, other lines having ended. Pidge, Keith and Allura still had the longest, with Hunk taking last minute photos with fans.
Someone in full cosplay came to the table, presenting a book. Keith blinked. A signed book. No one else brought in books, he’d only signed images of himself so far. He looked back up, the fog of meeting so many strangers clearing.
Lance was grinning. Beaming. He was almost laughing. Keith sagged slightly, then looked back at the signatures. Hunk, he’d drawn his name and a scribbled, messy message. Allura had drawn a series of hearts around her name. Pidge had attempted to draw a lion.
But it was the last signature that surprised him the most.
‘Be who you need to be, Lance. L.M’
“You have a signed copy.” Keith said, somewhat dumbly.
Lance grinned. “Several times over, actually. Feel like adding yours?”
Keith paused, glancing back down. “How did you?”
His boyfriend rolled his eyes dramatically. “I paid good money to have you all sign this, so if you could.”
Keith moved his pen numbly, keeping away from the author’s signature. “That would be worth a fortune.”
Lance winked. “I know. I’m going to have it framed. Collectors’ addition, signed by the great Keith Kogane.”
He let out a surprised laugh. He supposed it made sense, Lance knew the author. Had the ability to ask for a signature. He bit his lip. “Do you think you could get one for me?”
Lance raised an eyebrow. He winked, moving along and closing the book. “Don’t go taking advantage, Mr Kogane.” He left soon after, leaving Keith to the rest of his signings. He left a warmth in his chest, a fondness. He’d made the right choice with his boyfriend.
The book had been his best kept secret. It was worth a fortune, Lance hadn’t lied about that. It was the first print. It was the first proper version. The publisher had only printed this once.
It was signed by Lance, because he’d needed to. It was his way of sending it into the world. And now it was signed by the actors who’d made it reach even more people.
Book sales had gone through the roof. Cosplays, art, fanfictions, any manner of personal investment from the fans. It was incredible to see.
Lance would admit he’d written his own fanfiction for the characters. But, was it really fanfiction if he’d been the one to create the characters? He was merely doing character studies, or writing romantic or angst scenes for his favourite ship. Yes, he had a favourite. They were canon, because Lance would never leave his fans like that.
When the con was over, Lance had tucked his book securely into his bag. No one had noticed it wasn’t an official release. People got distracted by the signature. To them, that was the value.
“You know, you didn’t have to pay us to write in your book,” Allura said during dinner that night.
Lance grinned. “I know. But, I wanted to. The book is never leaving my possession anyway.”
“Reckon you could have mine signed?” Hunk asked, and Keith shot him an amused look.
Lance grinned. “I’ll see what I can do.”
The second season had commenced planning. Lance was busy, very. He was writing, he was almost finished a small novella he’d written to warm up for his next trilogy. It was a spin off with Red and Purple, how they found love amongst the stars.
He’d written it whilst staring at Keith. It was easy to imagine himself and Keith as the main characters, given that he was the actor paid to create him on screen.
Lance really wanted to finish the novella. It was at the stage where he would usually share it with Romelle, his first reader. But he wanted the chance to go to his boyfriend of six months.
The new actors had been brought in for the new characters, and Lance was delighted to welcome them all in from the shadows. Acxa, Keith’s best friend, was someone Lance had suggested personally to Coran.
Rolo, he was perfect for the role, but he was a challenge to work with. He was the exact sort of famous person, entitled persona, that Lance had been trying to avoid.
He looked at Lance’s intern badge like it was his personal servant. Despite the fact Lance had been quite clear he was not, Rolo had him fetching coffee, or script, or small requests at least daily. Lance was beyond furious, but Keith had no problem with the man. He was perfect for the role. He was just above everyone else.
On the first day of filming, Rolo had made Lance collect a coffee for him. It was on a day that Lance hadn’t been feeling his best, had made the decision to ask Shiro to drop him back home.
That’s when he’d collided, coffee in hand, with another. The coffee had spilled all over the actor’s entire costume.
Lance was horrified. He hurried to apologise, pausing when he heard a very familiar voice. He looked up, twitching at the movement. Keith wore a soft, gentle smile that made Lance fall in love all over again.
“You don’t even drink coffee,” he said, patting down some of his outfit. It was completely ruined. Drenched. Stained. At least it wasn’t burning him.
“It wasn’t for me,” Lance admitted. He hadn’t told Keith about Rolo’s behaviour, hadn’t wanted to start drama on set.
Coran chose that moment to appear, a loud gasp in his mouth. “I see we’ll need to get you another outfit.”
“I’m sorry, Coran.”
The man held up a hand, waving it away. “Nonsense, are you feeling alright?”
Keith jumped, immediately moving to ask Lance the same.
“I was going to ask if I could borrow Shiro to drop me home early, I need some darkness.” His migraine would only get worse if he didn’t.
“Of course you can,” Keith said, no hesitation. “Who was the coffee for, Lance?”
He looked down. He was unfortunately saved from answering by Rolo himself appearing, seeing the mess of Keith’s costume.
“I’m so sorry, Keith, I didn’t think he’d get it that wrong,” Rolo said.
Keith frowned, as did Coran.
“Did you ask Lance to get you a coffee?” Coran asked.
“He’s an intern.”
“He’s not your personal slave,” Keith said, a new fire in his eyes. Lance pressed closer, the warmth so comforting.
Ciran held up a hand, watching Lance. “Why have you not said anything?”
“Hey, man, he’s just an intern, it’s his job.”
“This film series would not be possible without him. Lance is not your personal intern. You’re lucky to be on this set at all. It was Lance who advocated for your position.”
Rolo looked stunned. “He – what? What sort of intern has that sort of power?”
“The one who’s attached to the publisher,” Coran swanned off, leaving Keith, Rolo and Lance. The author looked down, blinking. His head hurt.
Keith shook himself, pulling Lance away. “Come on, let’s get you home. Looks like I’m going back to wardrobe.”
“I am sorry about that.”
“Yeah, well. You hate conflict, but you’re a pivotal part of this productions.”
“I know,” he said, grinning. Keith had no idea.
Keith had been staying with Lance for the current filming season. There was no point paying for accommodation when Lance could so easily put him up. Pidge and Shiro were also taking the spare rooms when Lance had offered.
On a rare day off, Lance had declared he would like to tell him something. Show him something. Keith was nothing if not curious, so he’d waited for Lance to go into the one locked room of the house.
Lance, wearing his glasses and an adorable, nervous smile, presented Keith with a huge stack of papers. The title page declaring it a novella.
“You’re showing me fanfiction?” Now, Keith had been known to dabble. Who hadn’t? but he wasn’t about to print it out and show his boyfriend. Maybe the internet, but not his boyfriend.
Except, Lance was blushing furiously. “It’s not.”
“This is about Red and Purple,” he said. “That’s clearly fanfiction.”
His boyfriend looked down. Keith took another look at the stack of papers.
It wasn’t fanfiction. This was a manuscript.
His jaw dropped.
“No way.”
Lance looked up, nerves returning to his face. He gave an awkward smile. “Surprise?”
Keith blinked. He clutched the manuscript to his chest. “What – why are you showing me this?”
“I want for you to read it. If you would like. No one else has, you’d be the first. And, well. I want you to know. I love you, I needed to tell you. I’m L.M. Lance McClain.”
Keith felt love like he’d never felt before crash into him. “You’re L.M? That’s – Lance, I don’t need to tell you how much I love your work. Can I read this today, please?”
“Yeah, I was planning on getting some errands done. So you can just. Read. If you want to. If you don’t, I’ll ask Rommy, she’s my normal go to.”
Keith held the manuscript to his chest, clutching it. “Mine.”
Lance rolled his eyes, relaxing his features. “Mine, actually. If you could keep this between us?”
He gave a solemn nod. He knew how important this was. “You have my word, Lance. It does explain why you were brought on set. You’re not affiliated with the author, you are him.”
He’d gone out, watching Keith read his book was entirely too nerve wracking. The few times he’d ducked back home though, Keith hadn’t moved. Hadn’t even looked up. He was completely absorbed in his book.
It was somewhat reassuring.
When he got back later, Keith was practically buzzing. He’d finished the book.
“That was incredible. That was so good, Lance. I loved it.”
Despite the praise creating a delightful blush, Lance sat opposite Keith and did his best serious impression. “Feedback?”
“It was great,” Keith offered, tilting his head.
Lance rolled his eyes. “That doesn’t make it better. I wrote it, I need another set of eyes to see what I missed. I can ask Rommy, she’s really harsh with her critic.”
“But it was good, Lance.”
He groaned. “Keith, light of my life. Treat this like a new script. You don’t care who wrote this, it’s your job to make it better.”
The actor paused. Lance could see it clicking into his mind. He took a deep breath. “Ok. Well. I think the pacing was good at the start, but I did start to get a bit confused on page 23.”
Lance grinned, pulling out his notepad. He began to scribble everything Keith said.
“Was that too harsh?” Keith asked at the end.
“It was perfect,” Lance grinned, closing his book. “I will continue tomorrow. Would you read the updated version?”
“I would be honoured.”
It was all over social media. Posters everywhere. The world renowned author L.M was releasing a short novella on the fated couple. It wasn’t the fourth book they were hoping for, but it was something.
Lance was nervous about the launch. Keith had assured him there was nothing to worry about. He’d read the versions, all seven of them. Keith had taken his job very seriously once Lance had explained.
He would be doing a signing and partial live read on the official release day. Lance had already picked his outfit. He was going as Purple, with a spiderman mask to keep his identity secret.
Keith had joined him, claiming he’d be nowhere else. Lance was nervous, he was excited. He hadn’t released a book for a couple of years now. His publisher was thrilled. He’d let them know the trilogy was in the works, and they’d been even more stoked.
He walked to the signing table, hearing the chatter of people in line. So many people. It was almost longer then Keith’s line at the convention. This was cheaper, more available.
“Are you going to do a book four?” someone – all of them – asked.
Lance answered them all the same. He wasn’t sure. It wasn’t like he hadn’t gotten the plot all lined out for it, but the trilogy felt complete without it. Having the novella meant that he would have something else for people to enjoy.
His hand was cramping by the end of the day, and Keith laughed. He collected Lance as the crowd finally disappeared, proud and pleased to hold him.
“And you thought no one would show up.”
Lance rolled his eyes, leaning in to claim Keith’s lips. “I just hope they like the book.”
The book, to no ones surprise, was a huge success.
And then, with the conclusion of the second season, the looming third and final season, the publisher reached out to Lance. They knew he was writing a new novel, was working on something different. Still.
When Keith returned home from his day out, home being Lance’s home that was now theirs, having put Keith’s apartment out for rent. He’d paused, seeing Lance on the couch, blanket to his chest, phone in hand.
“Coran wants film rights.”
Keith joined his boyfriend on the couch, tucking himself under the blanket. “Ok, that’s not what I was expecting.”
Lance rolled his eyes, leaning against Keith’s side. “I told the publisher I would consider it. I haven’t even got a fourth book out, I thought the trilogy was where it ended, but now they want a film?”
Keith laughed, pulling Lance impossibly closer. “People are greedy. You know that. And I know for a fact that you have a whole new trilogy for the Voltron fans.”
Lance flushed. “Have you been in my studio?”
“No,” Keith said, laughing. “You told me in your sleep. You’re not a good secret keeper when you’re sleepy.” He leant over and kissed Lance’s cheek, sending warm butterflies through him.
“Rude,” Lance said. “I wanted to release my new series. But no one wants to move on. What if fans decide not to read it, or get frustrated?”
Keith pressed both hands to Lance’s face, turning it slowly, gently. Lance stared, melting slightly. “Your fans will love the new trilogy, Lance. I know it. And if you don’t want to write a movie, or another Voltron, don’t. It’s your art, your story.”
“It’s your job, too.”
Keith shrugged. “Yeah, but. I can find work anywhere. Or I can mooch off my rich, very famous boyfriend.”
Lance smiled. “I’ll have a chat with Coran, I guess. I feel a bit blindsided. He could have just asked me.”
The conclusion of series three was bittersweet. As the episodes began to air, the cast gathered for a final part. A final chance to all be in the same space together. Keith had brought Lance along, his official plus one. The fans were starting to realise he was dating someone, the tabloids all getting blurry photos of the astrophysicist.
Coran was practically in tears as he moved around the room and thanked them all. When he got to Lance, he paused.
“I thought you’d be a bit happier, Coran,” Lance said.
Coran looked to Keith, then back to Lance. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
Lance clutched Keith’s hand. “As if my boyfriend doesn’t know. You can announce it, you know.”
“Oh, I plan to.”
Coran swept to the front, grabbing his glass. He got the rooms attention and Keith grinned, pulling Lance in close. He was so damn proud of his little nerd of a boyfriend. He would never be able to thank whoever allowed them to meet enough.
“Before we all leave, I would like to announce one small thing. I have received permission from L.M himself to create a film,” Cheers erupted immediately. “I would love for the team who brought the show together to come back, but I understand contracts as they are. We’ll be in touch.”
“L.M must really like this studio,” Keith said, grinning down at his boyfriend.
“I think he really likes seeing Keith Kogane on screen.”
Keith laughed, pulling him in for a kiss. “I think my boyfriend might get jealous.”
News of the film was overshadowed by two things.
L.M was releasing a new trilogy.
Keith Kogane was engaged.
Lance had written the film, at Coran’s request. He’d sent it to the screen writers for adaption, and he had little left to do. It would be in production soon.
Keith had proposed, and Lance had been overwhelmed by how lucky he was. It had been the love he’d felt that led him to telling the publisher about the new trilogy. They’d all been stoked, had immediately leaked it to the public.
“I think this one is better than Voltron,” Keith said, looking down at the manuscript. Keith now understood the assignment and read with a notepad, scribbling as he went.
“You can’t mean that,” Lance said, rolling his eyes. He dropped onto the couch beside his fiancé.
“I do,” Keith said. “And your fans will love it.”
“I hope so.”
They’d all gathered for a movie night. Lance’s apartment was the perfect place, given the space and comfort it provided. The team, who’d all stayed in contact, were all excited for some in person time.
“I got the script today,” Hunk said, preparing dinner. Lance was in the kitchen, assisting, though the speed Hunk moved around almost made Lance nauseas.
“Same,” Allura chimed in. “I had a quick read through, looks good.”
“Almost like there was always supposed to be a fourth book,” Pidge said.
“A second trilogy,” Lance said, completely without thinking. He had his back turned, unable to see his friends. He hummed, passing Hunk a knife.
He paused when the knife remained in his hand, seeing the shock on Hunk’s face.
A quick glance around the room declared them all surprised. Keith looked fond, amused, though there was a flicker of concern there too.
“What?”
“A second trilogy? Why are we being denied?” Pidge asked.
“I mean, it was just a draft thing. It’s not like it was going to come about.”
The others all looked more shocked. Keith still looked amused.
Lance realised all at once he’d said too much. Then, he wondered why he’d kept it from these people for so long. His friends, his family.
“Boy, how do you know all this?” Pidge demanded.
Lance wiped his hands on a towel, taking a seat beside Keith. “I mean, I wrote it.”
Silence.
He refused to be nervous.
“Dude,” Hunk finally broke the silence, voice full of awe. “Dude.”
“Dude,” Pidge breathed.
Lance laughed, breathy and airy. “Yeah, so. Surprise?”
They all laughed, a little wildly. “Dude,” Pidge repeated.
Then, she hit him on the arm. He winced. It wasn’t meant to hurt, just a playful jab. “Dude, that’s so cool. Can we read your work before it comes out?”
“Ah,” Lance said, looking over to Keith.
Romelle made a noise. “Only if you want to have to tell him how to get better. it’s actually really stressful.”
“You knew?” Allura asked.
“Best friend,” she said.
“What do you mean, how could you improve?” Hunk asked.
“It’s about getting another set of eyes,”
Lance took in the faces of his friends, the look of happiness on their faces, and felt nothing but. “If you guys want to, I’ll show you the write up for the film. I was thinking I could release it after. Talk to the publisher about another instalment.”
“Because they might say no,” Keith said, rolling his eyes.
Lance shrugged. He was just glad his friends had welcomed the news.
Coran approached him on the first day of filming. He looked hesitant. Lance watched, nerves filling him. “Our actor for Grey has cancelled.”
Lance wasn’t sure why that was a problem. Grey was only a minor role who was there to drive a wedge between Purple and Red. Jealousy was entertaining, surely, but seeing how strong their relationship was with Grey’s interference was more important.
“I want you to do it.”
Lance froze. “Coran, I’m not an actor.”
“No, you’re not. But, you’re perfect for the role. You’ve already got the chemistry with Red.”
Lance laughed, unable to argue the point.
Acting was hard, Keith made it look so easy. It wasn’t. The cast were all delighted to have Lance joining them, which did make things easier. It didn’t stop his nerves. He had to pull this off, fans were depending on him.
“Cut,” Coran called for the fourth time. Lance winced, closing his eyes.
Keith and Coran both walked closer. “You need to relax.”
Lance could only nod. He could do that. He could. Keith watched Lance, eyes narrowed.
“I can’t do this, I’m not an actor.”
Keith pulled Lance in, embracing him. It was enough to startle him. “Breathe, Lance. Coran wouldn’t put you in if he didn’t think – didn’t know you could. You got this. Just breath. All you have to do is flirt with me. Make Purple jealous.”
“Flirt with you, I can do that.”
Keith beamed, the look filling Lance’s own heart. “You can. Sort of. I mean, you are terrible at it.”
Lance finally laughed, shoving his fiancé off him. “You suck.”
“You love me.”
He did. He really did.
The day of the movie premier was upon them. Lance would be standing as Keith’s plus one, despite his own minor role in the film. He was a prince who’d caught the eye of the leader of Voltron, despite the man already being in a serious relationship with another paladin. Lance’s character had aided the bad guys in the end, leading to an off screen death.
Off screen, because Lance had written him back in for the next novel, but no one needed to know that yet. He was seriously rethinking it, now that he was the actor.
Keith had an arm looped around Lance’s waist as they walked the red carpet. All manner of celebrities had shown up to support the crew. Lance was overwhelmed by it all, so Keith kept his arm on his the whole time, guiding him through.
They were interviewed the next day. Lance had been asked to accompany Keith and Purple – James Griffon – to the studio. It was a surprise to Lance. He’d never been asked to interview for something like this.
But then, the second the film had been released, fans were shipping Red and Grey immediately. Not because Grey was a good guy, although people were already writing redemption arcs for him. It was because of the chemistry between them.
“So, Lance, your name is new to the film industry. What made you choose the biggest blockbuster of the year for a debut?” Bob asked.
Lance flushed, shooting a look to Keith. “I was asked.”
Bob wasn’t sure how to take that answer, which led to an entertaining silent moment. “Ok, then. I have seen the film, and I can see why the fans are losing their minds. Are you trying to steal Red’s heart?”
Lance huffed a laugh. “Oh, no. Red belongs with Purple. There was never supposed to be such a fan base for him, honestly.” No one was supposed to like the sleaseball prince.
Bob laughed. “And here we are.”
“He just has natural chemistry with Keith,” James said. “That came across.”
“Natural chemistry,” Bob said, humming. “Any future acting plans?”
“I’ll leave that with the professionals. I really wasn’t expecting Grey to be popular.”
Keith was almost laughing. “We might work on the show, but no one gets to know who will be popular.”
“Shame,” Bob said. “And, Keith, rumours are you’re engaged?”
Keith did laugh then, glancing to his fiancé. “Well, I don’t know where they came from, but they’re true.”
Bob paused. He watched Keith, surprise flickering through his features. “Who’s the lucky lady?”
“That would be me,” Lance said, waving a hand. “Hi.”
It took Bob a moment to recover.
“Well, congratulations. I suppose on screen chemistry is in fact real chemistry.”
James was laughing at their side. “They’re as grossly in love as you would expect.”
Bob recovered and began to ask a series of further questions to the real cast, leaving Lance to relax. The world could know the truth now. He was ready.
Lance hadn’t been expecting the requests for followers on his socials. He was Keith’s fiancé, he was someone in the light now. It was getting harder to keep himself hidden.
He was already there. He needed to come clean. It was time.
Keith held his hand. He sent a message with his new trilogy to his publisher.
“Put your hands together for L.M, everyone!”
Lance waved to the live studio audience. He was blinded by the lights, but he could still make out his husband in the front row, a proud smile on his lips.
“Welcome, L.M, or should we say, Lance McClain?” the host, Plaxum, asked. She looked proud, pleased and delighted to be the one to announce him.
“Just Lance is fine, thanks.”
“I need to first say, your books are incredible. Truly, the second trilogy was my favourite. What made you reveal yourself?”
Lance looked down, his clean nails too perfect. “It was time. At first, I was scared, you know? I’m just one man, I thought it would be easier for people to like the book without knowing who’d created it.”
“And then it blew up and I was glad I’d hidden. I didn’t want to be in the spotlight. Then I met Keith, you know, Keith Kogane?”
The audience all laughed.
Lance grinned. “Yeah, so, I met him. And turns out, when you marry someone who’s famous, you become famous by default. So, I wanted to be known for something I actually did myself. Something I’m proud of. I’m not the same man who wrote the first book under a false name. and I hope the world can accept that.”
The room erupted with cheers. “I know I for one am glad to finally be able to thank you for creating a universe for us all. Was it really you under all those costumes?”
Lance laughed, thinking fondly of the book signings he’d done as spiderman, or as a paladin. “Definitely. I had a friend who makes cosplays, she was more then happy to lend a hand to the cause. If you look carefully, I wore the paladin armour without a mask to a con, to get Keith’s signature on my book. I wore that same outfit with a mask for a signing. Not my fault no one picked that up.”
“You got your own book signed by Keith?” Plaxum asked, laughing.
Lance grinned. “I did, I got all the cast to sign it. It was the first book the publisher sent me. A misprint, before the others were released. I signed it, I’d say the book is worth a fair bit.”
“Will you be signing in costume in the future?”
Lance laughed. “I might, it was kind of fun. But I think I’m done with the secrecy. I want to focus on my life now. I’m releasing a new trilogy, I’m in the middle of sending a rocket up to space with some people. And I’m about to go on my honeymoon.”
“Well, we certainly wish you all the best, Lance McClain.”
After, when all the noise died down, and Lance was free to release his new novel in peace, he did so with a photo of himself on the back cover, smiling. He had a public profile on his socials, he had the life he’d never thought he’d want. But, there he was, hands wrapped around the most incredible man who was all his, for as long as they lived. He’d change none of it.