Chapter Text
Allura probably should have warned the paladins beyond saying that it looked like humans had unactivated “designations.” None of them really knew what that meant. It wasn’t like it really affected any of them. Allura only mentioned it in passing after they all got scanned, letting them know that she was wondering why she couldn’t tell. She didn’t explain anything beyond that passing comment, and the paladins figured it was just some strange alien thing that didn’t matter.
They were wrong.
Unlike Alteans, many other humanoid species have the innate ability to smell these “designations,” and just because they weren’t activated in humans didn’t mean that they couldn’t be detected (or activated). After the close call with the explosion, Keith reacted so quickly to get to Lance because he “smelled something was off.” There was also that stupid, dumb, totally not endearing moment after, where Keith was distraught because Lance didn’t remember what happened (That should’ve been their first sign that Keith wasn’t fully human, to be completely honest, but the paladins don’t know that yet). Lance was almost disappointed he had no memories of bonding with Keith, but then he remembered that the only reason they were all stuck in space together was that Keith had been tracking Blue and got them all stuck, who knows how far from Earth, and in a war, and decided they didn’t need to be best buds yet. All that aside, Keith wasn’t the only one to smell something on Lance. Even though he took pride in his self-care and hygiene, it was actually starting to annoy Lance how many times alien species would mention his “smell.” He’d asked Hunk multiple times if he actually smelled (and Pidge just to confirm because he knew they wouldn’t lie to him), and he’d always gotten a “just sweat and shampoo, I swear.”
It wasn’t actually a problem until Lance was flirting with an alien chick who tied him to a post and stole his Lion. Lance didn’t find out until the whole ordeal with the Balmera was over, but Pidge told Lance, while the trio was hanging out together, that Keith had freaked out when Lance first went missing. Lance tried to play it off as Keith just being annoyed with Lance, but even Hunk said it was strange. While Lance was happy he was finally getting some recognition from the hot-headed holier-than-thou Red Paladin, he wanted to be recognized for his tactical prowess and good wits, not some stench.
The same happened again when they all got split up after the weird wormhole split-up after their fight with Zarkon. Well, it was more Keith’s fight; everyone else was just trying to escape. When Hunk, Lance, and Pidge had their debrief after they all reunited, Pidge mentioned that once again, Keith was going mental when they said Lance and Hunk hadn’t been recovered yet. While flattered that the guy was worried, Lance didn't think of himself as a fragile flower—he was fine. He and his best friend had an awesome adventure saving a kingdom of mermaids, and life was pretty spectacular. However, the mermaids telling Lance about his “sweet smell” were the last straws. Fish shouldn’t even be able to smell, and it was starting to hurt his ego that he smelled so much that it was affecting the way people thought about and interacted with him.
Because of all that (and more that he probably couldn’t think of), Lance decided he’d take it upon himself to ask Allura about this whole “designations thing” if it was going to be an issue. Although Lance had a hard time being anything but his flirtatious self with the gorgeous Altean princess, he knew he should probably try to cut it out for this discussion. He didn’t know if there was something culturally significant he should avoid, and wanted to come across as genuine as possible (even if his affections are genuine, Allura never takes them that way). He found Allura after dinner and asked her if they could talk. The princess looked like she was about to refuse until she looked at Lance’s face; instead, she smiled and told Lance, “Of course!” She led them to a sitting room of the castle, where nobody else was, so their conversation could be private.
“Okay. Um, I don’t really know how to ask this question, but when we first met, you mentioned something about humans having ‘unactivated designations.’ I’ve been having a lot of too-close-for-comfort calls with people telling me I smell, and I wanted to know if you knew what they were talking about.”
Allura nodded, “That is fair. It’s probably because you’re an omega. Even though you have not presented, in species where smell is important, they can probably still tell.”
When Lance gave Allura a confused blank stare, she continued.
“To try and not confuse you with details, there are three main designations: Alpha, Beta, and Omega. I, myself, am an alpha. When we scanned you, your results told us you were an unactivated omega. Betas are the most neutral of the designations. They’re ideal for most professions where critical, analytical, careful, and tactical thinking is important. They’re the most likely to keep a level head in a stressful scenario. Alphas are more natural-born leaders. They can be domineering, but they’re passionate and protective of the people around them, and tend to have more physical prowess and stamina. Omegas tend to be the empathetic and caring sort. They’re able to calm you down and are often the glue of any group they are a part of. I think Pidge mentioned it one time, but I guess they would be close to what you would call a “mom” friend. However, all of these are just stereotypical characterizations, and plenty of people deviate. It’s really just more about instincts and capabilities.”
“Okay…so what does that have to do with me smelling? Or Keith acting strange—Pidge has told me a lot about that?”
“Well, I suppose Keith’s behavior has to do with him being an unpresented Alpha. It’s possible the stress of the war is causing those instincts to bubble up for him, and we all spend so much time on the ship together that he’s unconsciously recognizing your sub-gender. As for everyone recognizing your scent, it’s probably because of how frequently you bathe and how stressful your recent battles have been. Although unactivated, an omega’s fear scent is always the strongest, and your scent is likely very pure because of your washing habits. It isn’t a bad thing, but I am sorry if it has been troubling you.”
Lance nodded and asked Allura a few more questions about the whole thing. From the way she was describing omegas (and Lance could tell she was trying to be nice about it), they were thought of as submissive and weak creatures who needed to be protected. Alteans never had those beliefs (some of the strongest people Allura knew were omegas), and Lance being a paladin of Voltron was just proof of that. Lance was a damn good pilot, and he was really improving as a fighter. He was also comforted by the fact that his scent was probably really good, which was why so many aliens were mentioning it; commenting about a scent was usually a compliment for omegas. He didn’t like that he still didn’t know what he smelled like, but at least it probably wasn’t horrible.
He didn’t tell Allura that Keith had made comments about his “scent” other than the noticing. He didn’t know why, but something in his gut told him not to. He didn’t really want to think about it too hard anyway. It was probably the most real conversation Lance had ever had with Allura, and he didn’t want to ruin it by talking about Keith. Hunk and Pidge couldn’t stand it when he did that at the Garrison, and he wasn’t trying to collect data to see if the trend would hold. He asked Allura if stress was causing the “scent” to come out, if he was in any danger of anything bad happening. The last thing Lance wanted was to hinder the team; they all had enough on their plates already, what with saving the universe.
“Well, I guess there is a chance you could present.” Before Lance could panic, she continued, “But it is unlikely considering your species has evolved without presenting.”
“Phew! I was worried that there would be some way for an enemy to force it or something—but that would be crazy!”
Lance laughed, but Allura’s face got deadly serious in a way that couldn’t have meant anything good. Her smile was strained when she tried to ease his worries, but she said there was a way to “force a presentation,” but that she doubted anyone would try. She didn’t know how much customs had changed since she was asleep, but forcing an omega to present before they did it naturally was generally considered illegal. Even in Old Galra laws, mating bites against a person’s will were dishonorable. She doubted much was above the current Galra to be completely honest, but she said as long as he kept his neck away from their teeth, he would be fine. Lance immediately grabbed his neck and asked what they could do to it, and the motion was so ridiculous that Allura actually did laugh this time. She explained that a mating bite could force him to “present,” but there was little to no chance anyone would do that. Even among the Galra, she assumed that taking a false mate for a battle win was low.
There were a lot of words in Allura’s explanation that Lance didn’t understand, but she assured him that he didn’t really need to know any of it. Unless something happened and any of the paladins presented, it was pointless for them to even talk about it. Allura then mentioned that she had never fully presented as an alpha before she was put to sleep, and that at some point, it could theoretically become an issue. She quickly explained that every species presents slightly differently, and that for Alteans, pre-presentation occurs in their early to mid-teens, with a full presentation sometime in their late teens to early twenties. Coran was likely more than able to handle it, but she trusted him to prepare the paladins if it became a problem. She told him that if she started to act aggressively, it was best for him—especially as an omega (presented or not)—to just avoid her. She didn’t go further into detail, but Lance got the hint.
Allura soon changed the topic to ask how he was adjusting to life in space during the one-on-one. It was the most normal conversation Lance had had in a while, and they ended up just chatting about the things they missed. Lance told Allura about his huge family, and how if they managed to win the war and get back to Earth, he’d probably have new nieces and nephews he would have to meet. Allura didn’t have nearly as big a family, but she had a couple of cousins, aunts, and uncles she would see ever so often before the war. Lance told Allura she would love his cousin, Isabel, and his older sister, Veronica, and that after the war, she’d have to meet them. He told her that Isabel had just started law school this year and that she was one of the most kickass people Lance had ever met, always able to talk circles around everyone else in his family. He vented to Allura all about how smart Veronica was, and that she was an analyst for the Garrison—she was actually the reason he was able to join in the first place. Allura returned with stories about her friends and how they’d sometimes sneak out and train with the castle guard.
Soon, they realized hours had passed by, and they probably needed to head to bed. It was honestly a conversation that the two of them needed. It was easy to forget that everyone had lost things because of this war when you only knew the toll it was taking on you, and Lance felt like something had shifted between him and the princess—in a good way. They walked out of the empty room and had to walk back through the dining room to get to their respective bedrooms. They chatted a little bit on their way, but before they could even get to the bedroom hallway, they were interrupted.
“What are you two doing out here?”
Lance and Allura stopped walking to address Keith, who looked like he’d just come from the shower based on his wet hair and the towel draped over his right shoulder. He was shirtless, wearing nothing but pajama pants. Against his will, Lance felt his face heat up a little bit. He couldn’t tell why—he’d never be embarrassed for walking a beautiful girl back to her room, regardless of who saw—but it was annoying that it was happening. If anything, Lance should be annoyed. It had been a really great night, and here Keith was to stomp on it. The guy couldn’t let him have anything. And the worst part was that Keith didn’t even know it. Maybe that’s why Lance decided to respond the way he did.
“Nothing you’d need to know about, Mr. Grumpypants.”
Okay, that was way more childish than Lance intended it to be, but he hoped it annoyed Keith as much as he meant for it to. Lance never claimed he was good at insults all the time. Just most times. He hoped. Keith only actually looked mildly bothered, which wasn’t what Lance was going for, but it was better than nothing. Allura then put her hand on Lance’s shoulder and told him not to start trouble. When Keith saw or heard that (Lance really wasn’t sure what happened), he visibly soured.
“Since when have you two been close?” Keith asked.
It was probably in Lance’s best interests to diffuse, walk away, and go to bed. Lance chose to ignore his best interests.
“Why? You jealous?”
Keith’s jaw clenched, and he stalked forward, toward Lance. Instinctively, the Blue Paladin took a step back. Lance distantly heard Allura say something, but it was in one ear and out the other as Lance couldn’t break eye contact with Keith. Lance’s back hit a countertop, and the two stopped. The tension in the air was so thick it was palpable. It wasn't like Lance was scared of Keith—he had a solid inch and a half on the guy—but Lance couldn’t find it in himself to think completely logically right now. Keith stared him down for a few seconds before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. He grabbed Lance’s forearm and practically pulled the Blue Paladin down the hallway.
Lance looked back at Allura, who looked just as baffled as Lance felt. He gave her a one-armed shrug, and she ran her hands down the sides of her face. He wasn’t quite sure what was happening, but he didn’t want to worry Allura (who already probably thought it was somehow Lance’s fault). Lance figured he’d get to the bottom of whatever was happening and fill Allura in tomorrow. He just hoped she didn’t tell the rest of the team that he was letting the Red Paladin manhandle him—Pidge would never let Lance hear the end of it if they found out.
Keith didn’t stop walking until they’d made it to Lance’s room, where he opened the door and dragged Lance inside. Keith’s grip on his arm shifted, and Lance found himself standing one moment and lying on his back on top of his bed the next. Keith caged Lance in with a hand on each side of his head as he crowded Lance’s space once again. Water hit Lance’s face as it dripped from Keith’s hair, and Lance ran his tongue over his teeth, unsure (for once) if he should say something.
“Why am I so worried about you all of the time?”
Lance didn’t really know how to respond to that, but he tried anyway. “Uh, I don’t know, buddy. You don’t have to be. I can take care of myself just fine.”
“You’re reckless and constantly putting yourself in danger.”
“Says the one who ignored direct orders not to fight Zarkon.”
“Sendak’s explosion, the bounty hunters, the airlock—” “That helped you.” “—the mermaids, that stupid mall cop—” “You aren’t seriously implying that guy was dangerous—”
Keith curls one of his hands into a fist and slams it into the bed, making Lance’s head bounce a bit. Keith’s eyebrows are furrowed together and he’s looking at Lance in a way that makes the Blue Paladin feel raw but invisible at the same time. He closes his mouth.
“The point is that you’ve had so many close calls and for some reason I can’t stop worrying.”
“Allura and I were just talking.”
Lance doesn’t know why he said it. Maybe it was that he was tired. Maybe it was that the water still dripping onto his face was some kind of truth serum. Maybe Keith cornering him was actually working, or maybe he was a sucker for when someone was being vulnerable, but Lance was compelled to try and ease the tension. Whatever it was, it worked. Lance could see Keith’s shoulders visibly relax, and although his expression was still tight, it was less intense. So Lance did the only thing he knew how to do; he kept talking.
“I had some questions, and I thought Allura could answer them, and she did. I still have about a million more, but decided to hold onto them. It was just that, and then we talked a little bit about our families. That was all. It really wasn’t much. I’m sorry for teasing you, it’s late and that was probably uncalled for.”
The way that the tension in the air immediately dissipated could have been studied. Keith hung his head and exhaled a breath neither of them knew he was holding. Lance closed his eyes and thanked God for mercy because he wasn’t sure how much longer he was going to hold out against Keith’s stare. It was brutal. A few moments passed with the two boys just existing. Then, Keith said something Lance couldn’t quite hear. Lance opened his eyes to ask Keith to repeat himself, but didn’t get the chance before the Red Paladin’s lips were on his, and his brain short-circuited. What the fuck.
Lance had known from a fairly young age that he was bi. He wasn’t ashamed of it, or even that secretive about it. He’d just normally had a preference for women, and his attraction to men wasn’t brought up much outside of binge-watching movies and shows with his siblings, cousins, and friends, where all of the actors were stunning. His family knew, and, although Catholic, they didn’t really care as long as he was happy. His uncles, Angel (his mother’s brother) and Sohil, were his favorite babysitters to be dropped off with. Sohil taught at a flight school and would take Lance up in his plane, and those experiences were why Lance himself wanted to be a pilot. Because of his uncles and his family in general, Lance never had that fear of unacceptance and grew up knowing exactly who he was. It was part of why he was always so unabashedly himself all the time, always.
Lance had always noticed Keith, from the very beginning. He was smart, he was a damn good pilot (and Lance hated to admit it), and he was everything Lance wanted to be and wasn’t. He was also gorgeous—”supermodel hot” as Lance had texted Isabel one time before he decided he was going to hate Keith. It wasn’t that Lance forgot that factor, or didn’t think that anymore, but he’d been so infuriated with Keith that those thoughts drowned out the other thoughts. Now, however, the other thoughts were at the forefront of Lance’s brain.
Keith pulled away after a few seconds. The kiss itself was gentle and light. If Lance’s eyes had been closed, he might not have even fully registered what happened. However, when Keith started to pull away, Lance’s arms (which had been stiff and unsure at his sides for the longest time) flew up, wrapped around Keith’s neck, and pulled him back down. This time, it wasn’t so gentle. It was frantic, messy, desperate, and uncoordinated because both of them were so, so tired. One of Keith’s hands found its way to Lance’s cheek, and Lance’s fingers buried themselves in Keith’s hair. They made out for who knows how long until Keith finally collapsed onto the bed, rolling over to his side, where he just stared at Lance for a while. Lance was breathing heavily at this point, but realized he needed to change out of his clothes before he went to sleep.
When Lance got up from the bed to go change, Keith grabbed his wrist.
“Where are you going?”
“I just need to change. I’ll be right back.”
Lance stood up and walked over to his dresser, kicking Keith’s long discarded towel into his laundry pile. He knew he needed to set an alarm for his morning routine, but he couldn’t focus on that right now. “I’ll be right back” are you kidding me? Why are we pretending this is normal? Lance pulled out his sleep shirt and pajama pants. He went to pull off his shirt when he remembered Keith was literally shirtless on his bed and looked back to see the Red Paladin’s eyes were closed, and his chest was slowly rising and falling. You just made out with Keith Kogane. And he started it. Lance changed as quickly as he could into his pajamas, trying not to give himself time to panic. What the fuck did I say during that “bonding moment?”