Chapter 1: lance — the end is only the beginning.
Summary:
Allura tells the team about meeting with the Galrans.
Notes:
edit 27/12/2022: added little things with keith and shiro's points of view to pad the word count loool
Chapter Text
“We’re what now?” Keith stiffened at the news, eyes narrowing as his hands balled into fists, his scent spicy and cloying. In that one moment, he was the picture of anger and wrath. He even looked like he was ready to charge at Allura.
Though, even on his worst days, Lance doubted Keith would even attempt.
It really was a surprise that Shiro didn’t step up to place a placating hand on Keith’s shoulder, like he always did.
Maybe it was because Shiro, too, was wary. He didn’t show it like Keith, of course. If Keith was the storm, Shiro was the calm. Lance, however, could see the doubt in the Alpha’s eyes and in the way his scent turned smoky
“We are going to be meeting with Lotor, the Prince Regent of the Galran Empire.” Allura repeated patiently and she held her hands up mid-waist as if she was calming a roaring beast (which, if Lance was honest, Keith was.)
Her scent was soft, like usual, but there was a hint of something else there. Though Alteans didn't have secondary genders like Humans did, like almost every living creature they’ve met, they still smelt of certain things when they felt certain emotions.
It took Lance a few tries to really get it down because, truly, Altean scents were vastly different compared to Human pheromones. They were softer, more subtle. Now, though, he could identify the smells without hesitation.
Their Princess smelt like she was nervous.
“The Prince promised that he is coming in peace.” Allura continued, voice still trying to be soothing though her scent only did the opposite “We’ll be meeting in a controlled environment. Nothing could go wrong.”
Keith only looked even more irritated at that “Everything could go wrong.”
Usually, Keith wasn’t this angry. Most of the time anyway. Lance supposed the stress of the moment was pushing too many of Keith’s buttons. Not just the stress but possibly also the disappointment Keith held when they were told the war still wasn’t over.
A lot of them had thought that it would be done with once Zarkon was dead. Now that Lance looked back at it, he now knew all of that was just hopeful thinking. After all, the Galran Empire wasn’t simply going to scatter. They had Haggar, they had a system, they had a line of succession. They were foolish to overlook that.
“Wait, why do we have to go then?” Came Hunk’s nervous inquiry “I mean, usually, with secure diplomacy meetings… We never really have to attend.”
Lance knew why Hunk was asking that question. He was intimidated by most Galrans and didn't want to meet with the Prince so he hoped, of course, that the Paladins wouldn't have to. Lance thought that funny since, with Hunk's strength and size, Hunk could easily crush most Galrans. Probably even Lotor.
Still, Hunk had a point.
Allura directed her attention to Hunk though her hands were still up in Keith’s general direction. “Well, I was hoping that having you there would not only increase defense if the need arose but also…”
The Princess paused and Lance could already tell that what she was about to say was going to be worse than what she already had. Having them there as a security measure already went against her claim that nothing could go wrong.
Why else would she need them there if she was so sure that everything would go great?
“I just thought maybe you would get along with them better than I could. Humans and Galrans have so much in common!” Allura finally finished, a nervous smile playing across her face.
There was something more, something she was hiding. Lance could sense it in her posture and in her expression. Even her scent grew stronger, still subtle but cloudy like Lance was breathing right over an air humidifier.
“Other than secondary genders and maybe our pack mentality, we have nothing alike.” Pidge countered Allura’s claim just as quickly as the Princess had made it, arms crossed and an almost irritated look on her face.
Lance thought that Pidge’s reaction was a little harsh and frowned at her to show exactly that. She glanced at him, probably because she saw him give her a look from the corner of her eye. She deflated a little after that, back hunching a little bit more.
“Listen, Princess, just spill the beans.” Lance turned his attention from Pidge to Allura but, unlike everyone else, he kept his tone calm and passive. No matter what the Princess agreed to, they shouldn’t gang up on her.
She was a struggling leader with little experience in performing her duties by herself. It was easy to see she was trying her best.
Allura, however, looked confused and Lance immediately explained himself “I mean like… ‘Spill the beans’ is an Earth saying meaning—"
“Tell us the truth already!” Pidge interrupted though she was still hunched over, patience wearing thin as she stared down and worried a dent into the floor with the toe of her shoe. Her scent turned cloyingly thick too and Lance regretted standing in between Keith and her.
Even as an omega, Lance had always had a stronger nose. It didn’t just help him discern how other people felt, he also found himself reacting strongly to even the most faint scent. Which was why it was unpleasant to be surrounded by all the negative smells his pack exuded. It made him feel antsy.
Thankfully, this time, Pidge not only garnered Hunk’s fretting glance but also Shiro’s. Lance hoped that would snap her out of it. Unfortunately , if she noticed, she didn’t let on.
The Princess’ eyes lit up a little as if she finally understood but only for a second. Soon after, her sheepish expression returned and she sighed “Prince Lotor requested for the Paladins of Voltron to be in the meeting.”
“That’s suspicious!” Keith practically had an ‘ah-ha!’ moment, pointing an accusatory finger at the Princess.
Coran didn’t look like he appreciated the disrespect that was being aimed towards Allura but, before the older Altean could intervene, Shiro was pulling Keith back and forcing him to lower his arm.
Lance felt sorry for Allura and knew that she deserved to be more than the receiving end of their stress and anger.
They were just in a life changing battle the day before and now Allura dropped the news on them about meeting Lotor. Though Lance didn’t like it, and neither did anyone else, she was simply doing what she needed to do for the team. Lance respected that.
Keith and Pidge did not. Shiro, on the other hand, looked like he sided with Allura.
( It wasn't just that, either. Shiro quickly took note of the people in the room and how Lance's eyes jumped from one person to another much too quickly. He knew for a fact that Lance had a delicate nose.
He just simply wanted to placate the pack as quickly as possible for the omega's sake. The thought of Lance being upset by the strong scents in the room almost made Shiro rumble overprotectively. Almost .
Though he and Keith had talked about it before, the pair were still hesitant to really get close to Lance or even show him any sign they were interested.
For Shiro, he feared he had too much baggage for Lance to want to take care of. Keith had the same concern and he worried Lance wasn't interested in a mating triplet or, especially, an omega.
So, they stuck to each other and Shiro was forced to swallow down any overprotective feelings. He had a team to lead, anyway. )
“Okay, listen, team. I know this seems really suspicious—” Keith snorted but Shiro continued with what he was saying “—but if the Princess truly thinks this will help then we have to at least try.”
Shiro was the head of Voltron and the leader of their pack. Of course, when he said it like that, they had to go with Allura. Not because he was the leader, though. Lance knew it was more than that.
Shiro just had this way about him that made it feel right to listen to him. He was a natural-born leader, even if he had revealed to Lance more than once that he didn’t feel as if that was true.
It also helped that Shiro was soft at heart and knew exactly how to get all of them to drop their walls. Well, maybe not Lance’s but surely Pidge's and Keith's. Pidge was already looking guilty and Keith’s anger dissipated off of him.
There was nobody in the ship that could soothe Keith as well as Shiro.
Lance pushed that thought away and just relished in the fact that he could finally calm down. He could finally breathe now that everyone’s scents around him mellowed. He felt his heart slow in his chest and, in return, he pushed out a calming scent of his own.
“I suppose they would be stupid to try anything on our territory…” Pidge thought out loud before looking at Allura apologetically “I’m sorry I was… mean . I’m just feeling irritable .”
“It’s ‘cus you don’t get enough sleep, Pidgeon.” Lance chuckled, swooping down to ruffle Pidge’s hair which only resulted in the poor kid grumbling angrily.
Lance looked up fast enough to see the way Shiro nudged at Keith, probably to urge him to apologise for snapping like Pidge, and the hothead eventually complied.
“ Sorry , Princess. I just want all of this to be over.” Keith grumbled out but his voice was easily understood. He seemed truly apologetic, too. His scent wasn't as spicy anymore. Instead, it was placating, warm.
Lance turned his nose away.
Allura, on the other hand, despite the fact that she couldn't smell how apologetic Keith truly felt, looked relieved “I’m glad all of you understand. I also want the war to be over.”
“I’m just as weary as you about meeting with the Prince, I promise you that.” She then admitted, looking both sheepish and anxious “But both Coran and the Blades of Marmora assure me that this is the right decision.”
“If we do not side with Lotor, taking down the corrupted Galran empire would be an uphill battle and, just like you, I want this to be over as soon as possible.” Allura continued to explain but, this time, she smiled gently at them.
“Hopefully, this is the decision that will lead to that.” She added almost like an afterthought and in a softer voice, like it was more of a wish than anything.
Lance looked at her sympathetically.
“It would be nice if all of you trusted your Princess far more.” Coran muttered under his breath as he twisted his prized moustache.
“We do trust you Princess… We just don’t trust Lotor.” Keith replied all too quickly, that anger seeping back into his voice.
Lance understood why. No one on the team trusted any Galran outside of the Blade of Marmora. The Galran Empire had brought them too much heartache. Maybe not Lance and Hunk specifically. The two of them were there to pick everyone else back up, though, and, sometimes, nothing felt worse than that.
Lance could never hate anything more than he hated seeing his pack broken and beaten. Physical enemies, they could deal with. But the past was cloying and difficult to fight.
As Lance thought this, he saw Keith tucking his head under Shiro’s chin. Lance watched as Keith took comfort in Shiro though the younger looked especially bashful when he did so.
Lance had pieced together, little by little, that Keith wasn't exactly the picture perfect omega. He had been a loner all his life, something a lot of omegas had trouble with since they tended to be more social, so Keith didn't do a lot of conventionally omegan things.
Lately, it felt like Keith was starting to really embrace more omegan behaviors, though.
The action brought a pang to Lance’s chest but he simply looked away, simply willed that pain away. His feelings on the subject weren't important. The pain was almost agonizing and the loneliness was cold and empty. Still, it didn't matter . All that mattered was the war, was the team, was everyone else.
Lance wondered why he was so sympathetic towards his other pack mates but never towards himself.
Now that Lance really thought about it, it had been a while since Keith was declared as Shiro’s omega and, by default, the Pack omega . Since the news, Lance felt himself distancing away from the two. Mostly because Lance had a huge crush on Shiro but, another good reason was the fact that his chances of being with either of them crashed to a 0%.
During their Garrison days, his crush on Shiro was just a small crush. After all, who wouldn’t have a crush on the Galaxy Garrison’s poster boy, Takashi Shirogane? After meeting the Alpha, Lance felt himself crushing on him even more.
The crush felt futile after a while. Shiro had shown that he saw Lance as nothing but a small brother, perhaps, or a nosy kid. Maybe even just another generic pack member. Shiro would never see Lance as anything more.
Sadly, Lance’s feelings didn’t know how to quit. When the crush on Shiro dissipated (or so Lance told himself), his heart moved on to Keith. That was even worse than liking Shiro. Not even simply because Keith could never find him as anything more than an annoyance.
Keith would never be attracted to Lance because Keith, like Lance, was an omega. Relationships where both people were omegas were rare and almost unheard of. Though Lance had hoped, Keith didn't seem to show signs of leaning that way.
Yet, instead of letting himself naturally get over these feelings, Lance simply shoved them right into the closet. He knew he should let the heartbreak heal but he also knew that war was no place for heartbreak. He had to get over it now.
“If it's any consolation, Princess, I trust your judgement.” Lance spoke up and, though he knew Allura wouldn't be able to tell, he still let his scent turn comforting and sweet “I know you wouldn't make a decision without really really really looking into it.”
At that, Allura's cheeks turned pink and she gave a curt nod “Thank you Lance, that… was very thoughtful of you to say.”
Lance could quickly tell that his words were exactly what Allura had needed to hear and that made him grin “You have a good head on your shoulders, Princess, don't doubt yourself too much.”
This time, Allura didn't reply with anything but another nod. Lance could see that her eyes seemed a bit wetter than usual though and, when she quickly excused herself, he hoped his words encouraged her a bit more.
He knew he was overstepping his boundaries by comforting Allura and by trying to placate everyone in the pack. That was usually a Pack omega job.
However, their pack was a little bit different and he was sure that, if Keith felt he was overstepping, he would let Lance know.
( In fact, Lance wasn’t aware of it but Keith saw every single thing Lance did and, though there was a little insecurity there, Keith was more proud of Lance than anything.
It made Keith feel warm whenever Lance took the mantle of Pack omega. Maybe not the title but certainly the responsibilities.
Something about watching Lance be kind and caring made Keith feel warm and soft all over. Especially when Lance’s scent turned comforting. Keith wanted to do nothing but bury his face into Lance’s neck and get high on his pheromones.
Unfortunately, Keith knew he couldn’t and it wasn’t just because the thought of doing so was embarrassing as all hell.
As much as he wanted to get as close to Lance as possible, press his skin against the Blue Paladin’s, crowd around him and breathe him in, as much as he loved Lance, Keith wasn’t allowed. )
Lance couldn't help himself and, as subtly as he could, he glanced over. Keith seemed fully calm now, standing nuzzled comfortably into Shiro's side. They looked good like that, like two puzzle pieces that perfectly fit together.
The way Keith stretched his face into Shiro's neck allowed Lance a peek at the mating bite that splayed almost proudly against Keith's rather pale neck. Only a quarter of it peeked over the high neck of their battle suits but, still, it was almost like Lance could imagine what the whole thing looked like against Keith’s skin.
Subconsciously, Lance's hand wandered to his own neck and he quickly had to force his scent to stay pleasant instead of sour. He cursed himself for wanting, for hoping, for being a complete idiot .
“Hey, Hunkie-dory, my man, we should go stress bake.” Lance tried to distract himself from his thoughts, grabbing Hunk’s hand before thinking for a second and then also grabbing Pidge’s “Pidgeon over here hasn’t eaten since yesterday.”
Pidge looked like she was about to protest but Lance gave her a look and she gave up, pouting “I guess I am feeling a bit peckish.”
“Please don’t stay up too late, you three. We will be having our meeting with the Prince tomorrow morning.” Coran called after them as they started heading to the kitchen.
“Will do, boss.” Lance looked over his shoulder, making an effort to only look at Coran and not the lovey-dovey couple to Coran’s right.
Lance was hopeless but at least he had stress baking and worrying about the peace talk to distract him.
Chapter 2: lance — kitchen talk.
Summary:
The Garrison Trio have a little talk in the kitchen about Lance's problems. Though nothing gets solved, Lance feels a little lighter afterwards.
Chapter Text
Pidge leaned forward on the counter, eyes pretending to be busy watching Hunk work but Lance knew better
“So, how’s your pining?”
Despite the fact that he almost saw it coming, Lance still practically choked on his own spit and Hunk hurried over, patting Lance’s back almost harshly. After his little coughing fit, Lance sent a glare in Pidge's direction.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Lance’s voice was rough from the coughing, his tone adamant as he continued cutting out circles with the weird cookie cutter Hunk had made from scrap metal.
He knew it was futile though because, as Lance's best friends, both Hunk and Pidge were adept at reading him, almost like he was their favourite book.
It made sense since they were each other's first pack members. At least, first outside of their family. That connection, that relationship, allowed you certain insight on people, a certain closeness.
It was endearing to have people care about you like that, to have people close to you like that, but what wasn't endearing was when, at moments like this, their knowledge was used against him.
Either way, Pidge scoffed at Lance's words “We all know about your widdle wovey dovey cwuush on Shiro and Keith.”
Lance felt his face flush from neck to ear and he ducked his head, huffing “Only because I told you.”
“Well, Lance…” Hunk spoke up as he removed a baking tray from the makeshift oven (it was called something else in Altean) and placed it on the counter “It was kinda’ obvious since we were in the Garrison.”
“Yeah, you’d always go goo-goo lovey dovey eyes at posters of Shiro or when you passed Keith in the hallway.” Pidge mocked what Lance could only interpret as his supposed ‘ goo-goo lovey dovey eyes’ and Hunk chuckled. In retaliation, Lance pushed Pidge’s face away and scowled.
“You would even sometimes whisper one of their names in your sleep.” Hunk added, smirk on his face despite the good-natured tone in his voice.
Lance groaned at Hunk’s confession, angrily stamping out the rest of the cookies from the dough he was given “It’s not my fault they're so… ugh .”
“ Ugh ? ” Pidge chortled at that, apparently entertained by Lance’s pain and misery.
In truth, Lance knew he could rely on Pidge and Hunk. Though they teased him often, they would never be the ones to reveal his feelings to anyone. Pidge threatened Lance all she wanted but there was no denying that she would carry his secrets to her grave.
“Listen, it’s over.” Lance tried to sound serious, expression as emotionless as he could muster despite the still obvious flush on his face and the way his scent turned a little bit too sweet.
Lance wouldn’t deny the ache in his chest and the twist of his stomach at the thought of simply abandoning his little crushes. Lance grew fond of the feelings both Shiro and Keith gave him. The happier feelings, anyway.
He liked how his heart fluttered at the sight of Shiro's soft smile or how Shiro's voice dipped just a little lower when he complimented Lance for a job well done. Lance also loved the way Keith smelled, warm with sleep, whenever the pack cuddled together and Keith found himself nuzzling closer to Lance or how Keith grumbled, voice slightly rumbling, whenever they'd play fight.
However, this was a war they were in and, though love was sometimes a strength, it was also a weakness.
Pidge’s eyes softened then. “Look, I’m not exactly experienced when it comes to romance but, Lance, I don’t think you get to decide when it’s ‘over’.”
Hunk nodded, placing a hand on Lance’s shoulder “You need to give it time, buddy.”
Though Lance agreed with both of them, he couldn’t help but think that he had no time to get over his insignificant little feelings. Taking his time was not an option.
“I guess you’re right.” Lance relented, deciding for now to hide how he truly felt. He would figure this out on his own or just continue ignoring what he felt. Either way, it was no Keith or Shiro for Lance.
“Of course.” Pidge seemed satisfied by Lance’s answer before turning to Hunk “Now that we've barfed out our feelings... Please hand me some space cookies and a cup of space coffee!”
“Why do you guys always add space to everything?” Hunk rolled his eyes, seemingly amused. The big guy still plated a couple of the cookies, though, and happily handed the plate to Pidge.
Lance looked at Hunk like the answer to his question was the most obvious answer of all “Duh, because we’re in space.”
Hunk laughed at that while Pidge scarfed down a cookie, smiling at both Hunk and Lance. Though his problem wasn’t resolved, being there with his two friends made Lance feel a little lighter.
If only life was always like that.
Chapter 3: lance — the handsome prince and his beautiful escorts.
Summary:
The Team finally meets Lotor and the Prince seems to have taken a little bit of a liking towards Lance. It also seems that the Prince's escorts also take a liking to Lance. The Blue Paladin himself can't believe how beautiful both the Prince and his Generals are.
Notes:
edit 12/27/2022: added stuff with lotor and axca too hehehe
Chapter Text
Lotor and his generals arrived on a Galran ship, of course, but it was no battle ship. Lance estimated that it would fit, at most seven or eight people and whatever those people needed to live. It was definitely dwarfed by the Castle Ship, that was for sure. It did, however, have that same colour scheme as all Galran ships did.
Lance wondered how self-centred Galrans had to be to make everything purple. Their skins were purple enough as it was.
Quickly, the sharpshooter pushed those thoughts away, opting to focus more on the landing ship in front of them.
Allura had told the pack that both her and Lotor agreed to an uninhabited planet. They would land first and then Lotor would land right afterwards. Then, they would commence the peace talks. Allura told them she didn’t know how long the talks would last. It would have to last long enough for the two parties to come to a consensus, at least.
Lance almost scoffed at the thought of a consensus. Most Galrans were self-serving and mean. They were never going to arrive at a consensus. Unless that consensus was mutual destruction.
Just as Lance thought that, the entrance to the ship in front of them hissed open. Lance could hear Keith tighten his grip on the red bayard as if ready for an attack.
What exited out of the ship, however, was something Lance had not anticipated.
A low whistle escaped his lips before he could stop himself “Talk about a Prince and his entourage.. .”
Lance’s more flirtatious, less serious side was usually a ruse or a distraction, something to ease everyone else. Most of his pack found this side of him entertaining (when they weren’t on the receiving end) so he tended to pretend to be this way when the atmosphere was thick.
Watching Lotor and his generals exit that ship, Lance could say, without a doubt, he was not pretending at the moment. The Prince and his generals were eye-catching .
( Keith couldn’t help but side eye Lance, annoyed by the way Lance’s scent turned sweet and buttery. His jaw clenched and his grip on his bayard tightened even more. )
“Hello, Princess.” Lotor finally reached his welcoming party with Allura at the forefront. Lotor’s voice was not grating like most Galrans’ were. In fact, Lance mused, Lotor’s voice was velvety and deep.
It surely sent a shiver down Lance’s spine. He quickly had to force his scent towards a more calm subtle aroma instead of the syrupy sweet one it wanted to be.
“I see these are your paladins.” Lotor turned his attention away from Allura to the rainbow squad behind her “I didn’t know humans were such a beautiful race.”
As Lotor said that, his eyes landed right on Lance. Their eyes met, fleetingly, and Lance could swear his entire face burned.
Quickly, Lance looked away, opting to pretend that his attention was elsewhere. What an interesting bush! The grass on this planet looked much bluer than the grass on Earth! Was that a bird in the sky?
Lotor chuckled and the sound was much like his voice: smooth and sinful. Lance mentally cursed at his habit of falling a little bit in love with everyone he met.
( The Prince, on the other hand, hadn't really expected anyone in Voltron to catch his eye and, yet, the Blue Paladin was certainly a sight to behold . Their beauty stood out much too brightly and Lotor couldn’t pry his gaze away.
It was surprising, truly . Lotor’s tastes were specific . He was picky enough that not even the most beautiful aliens could really truly satisfy him. Believe him, various Galran nobles and generals tried to curry his favour that way and all of them failed.
Yet, here the Blue Paladin stood, in nothing but armour, their expression soft and embarrassed. It made something quiver in Lotor’s heart, made him pay attention and watch, attracted him like a Yalmor to Faunatonium.
He hungered for the Blue Paladin without even knowing who they were and, glancing at his mate, he could tell that she felt exactly the same. )
“These are my generals.”
Lance’s attention piqued then and his gaze went back to Lotor as the Prince introduced his generals one by one.
All of them were beautiful, each in their own ways. Lance couldn’t help but be especially enamoured by Acxa. Though the rest could arguably be just as beautiful, Lance noted that Acxa seemed just his type.
Why Lance was attracted to people who looked like they could tie him into a pretzel, he didn’t know. All he knew was that she made his heart flutter, especially when their eyes met and she looked away bashfully.
Then, after that thought struck his mind, he quickly brushed it aside. It was stupid to even consider whether other people were Lance's type or not. He knew for a fact that he could never love anyone as much as Shiro and Keith. And, even if he did, there was no way he stood a chance against a bombshell like Lotor's general.
“Thank you for agreeing to meet with us.” Allura finally spoke up before gesturing to the paladins behind her. Like Lotor, she also introduced them, starting with Shiro and ending with Lance.
“I can’t say I regret coming. Especially after seeing such a beautiful sight.” Lotor crossed his arms, his eyes obviously glued to the Paladin that piqued his interest “Your blue eyes are quite fitting.”
Allura looked offended for one second, as if she had thought he was referring to her, before following Lotor’s gaze to Lance who was sweating and looking quite nervous. Despite how nervous he looked, however, his scent was sticky sweet, like he was more than pleased by the attention.
“Thank you, Prince Lotor.” Lance gathered his thoughts, hoping his scent wasn’t too strong, and he even managed a small bow “That’s a huge compliment comin’ from you.”
Lotor’s expression at the moment was thoroughly amused and Lance thought he would say something else but, thankfully, Allura interjected “Come, let’s get into the castle.”
Lance was relieved to be out of Lotor’s sights—Allura dragged him up to the front of the group while Lance hung back—and he couldn’t believe the Prince had the confidence to say something like that.
It was a nice compliment , Lance couldn’t help but think. His eyes had never been complimented before so bluntly like that. He had to agree with the Prince. Blue eyes were fitting for the Blue Paladin.
As Lance walked, he realised that, though he was at the back in terms of his pack, he was actually walking in front of Lotor’s generals.
He slowed down a little and, with his luck, managed to start walking right next to Acxa, the beautiful general he had been inexplicably attracted to.
“Hey there.” Lance tried to sound suave, even going so far as to smile at the general.
He didn't want to flirt with her as much as simply just get to know her. He knew it would be a bad idea to flirt with her, despite how much he already liked her.
Even if he wasn't going to pursue her, it still would've been nice to be her friend. Plus, the Paladins could easily be considered as Allura’s generals. If both parties’ generals got along, the peace talk could go smoother.
It didn't seem that Acxa shared the sentiment though. She was stiff beside Lance, almost like she was acting very hard to look like a good soldier.
She even went as far as throwing him an irritated look “Please, do not bother me, Alpha Blue Paladin.”
Lance looked confused and she faltered at the surprised expression on his face.
“I’m an omega.” Lance offered, more than a little bit confused, however he did pause before continuing “If you don't wanna talk—”
Lance couldn’t complete his sentence because Acxa suddenly swooped down and practically pressed her face against Lance’s neck.
( It was hard to keep up appearances when the Blue Paladin stood next to her. Acxa had never felt so attracted to someone before, not even to Prince Lotor.
Prince Lotor made her want to bare her neck, made her want to kneel and obey and be good. Something about the Blue Paladin made her want to pounce and pin him down and lick him open —
It was even worse when she impulsively ducked her head, her nose brushing against the Blue Paladin’s neck. She knew the Paladin would probably behead her for such impropriaety and he’d be in the right if he did but she couldn’t help it.
She didn’t want the hope in her chest to grow. She didn’t want to believe he was an omega — the very thing both her and her Prince have been searching the galaxy for — until she smelled it on him herself.
And she did. He smelled sweet and buttery, like Acxa could taste him on her tongue. her eyes fluttered close and she wanted to continue breathing this scent in forever.
She knew Lotor would accept the Blue Paladin no matter his gender but knowing they were looking for an omega and then, suddenly, this paladin was in front of them, unclaimed and so very gorgeous, so soft and sweet and unbelievably attractive.
It made Acxa’s impulses hard to control.)
Lance grew stock stiff and let out a small noise of surprise, one Keith and Pidge seemed to notice.
Both Keith and Pidge hurried over, Keith with his bayard in hand and Pidge looking angry. Acxa quickly stepped back before Keith could slash at her.
( He would've gravely injured her too, if he had the chance. Seeing one of Lotor's generals, a Galran, pressing their ugly mug against Lance's neck, their omega's neck, made Keith's blood boil. He was angry enough not to care about whatever consequences came after. )
“Is she bothering you?” Keith sounded irritated and, though the question was directed at Lance, Keith kept his glare at Acxa as if she could attack at any moment.
Their little welcome group officially stopped and all eyes were now on the four of them.
Acxa didn’t look apologetic when she straightened herself but she did nod her head towards Lance, looking just a little bit embarrassed “I apologise. I thought you had been lying about being an omega.”
( Not true, Acxa thought in her head, she didn’t think he was lying but she also didn’t think it would hurt to double-check. She apologised but not a single part of her regretted what she’d done. )
Pidge looked at her incredulously “You don’t just sniff people!”
“It’s okay, guys.” Lance tried to calm everyone down but with little success. His eyes darted to Shiro as if begging for help.
Shiro looked like he was about to step forward but he was beaten by Lotor who was at Acxa’s side much more quickly than Lance thought possible.
“I apologise for my general’s behavior, Blue Paladin.” Lotor’s confidence from earlier was still there but the Prince also looked sheepish “Acxa can be quite straightforward.”
Lance shook his head, letting his scent spread out, all pleasant and calming “It's okay , I get mistaken for an Alpha a lot.”
( Acxa tried not to disappoint her Prince by doing anything else inappropriate. Still, when the Blue Paladin, as any omega would do, tried to placate his increasingly angry pack, Acxa let herself enjoy the scent a bit too much.
Lotor himself hadn’t had the chance to scent the Paladin until now and the realisation that he was an omega hit him like a space cruiser. His fists clenched and it took every bit of control he’d built up over the years not to just step forward and ask to court the human omega.
The Blue Paladin was perfect for them.
He was soft, kind, absolutely breathtaking. Despite being an omega, he wasn’t one to back down when it came to what he wanted. His pack justifiably wanted to punish Acxa for her breach in etiquette but the Blue Paladin refused, even when the Red Paladin insisted.
Lotor couldn’t wait to get to know the Blue Paladin even more.)
“She sniffed you!” Pidge sounded offended, looking towards Lance almost incredulously.
Acxa bowed her head again “I apologise for that.”
“I have met a lot of Alphas who assume we are omegas and pose as omegas to get closer to us.” She explained calmly though her embarrassment seemed to grow.
( Lotor almost laughed at the blatant lie but contained himself and decided that the embarrassment was punishment enough for his mate. )
“Hey, it's alright. I get that a lot too.” Lance nods and, though the air was still thick, it seemed that everyone calmed down a little. Lance liked to think his scent helped but, either way, he was just glad the barrage of spice and bitterness toned down.
Lotor nodded to Lance “I apologise again—”
“There's no need to apologise, I swear .” Lance chuckled this time, slightly entertained that both these gigantic Galrans kept apologising to him.
Lotor seemed to take a breath before finally believing Lance. When assured that everything was fine, the Welcoming Committee seemed to continue as everyone settled back to where they were before.
With a small nod to Acxa, Lotor returned to the front. They shared a look that Lance couldn't decipher but he settled on thinking that it was, most likely, a look that read ' don't make trouble again '. Lance had been on the receiving end of enough of those looks so he knew it was universal.
Though, curiously enough, Lotor's look wasn't exactly like the stereotypical stern glare. But, if not that, what else could that look have meant? Lance decided to push the thought aside.
Both Shiro and Allura seemed concerned for Lance and wary of Acxa but they followed right after Lotor to continue leading the group. Pidge, Keith and Hunk seemed more reluctant to step away but did so as well.
Lance noted that Keith seemed closer than before and he couldn't help but feel a little happy for the omega’s concern. Then, as quickly as he had the thought, Lance pushed it away. He didn't want to keep letting himself think those things.
The more acts of kindness and caring Lance associated with Keith and Shiro, the more he would fall in love with them. That was the problem. He couldn't do that anymore.
Ezor—Lance guessed—suddenly strode up to Acxa, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and interrupting Lance's train of thought “So, already sniffing the prettiest one in the room, huh?”
Lance stiffened at that again but tried not to mind it that much. His face still flushed, however.
“Don't say that.” Acxa practically barked but softly so as to not attract too much attention.
Someone in the back—Zethrid?—laughed in response.
Always being the flirt he was and not wanting to let the opportunity pass, Lance calmed his fast beating heart and managed a small smile towards Acxa “You didn't have to sniff me, you could've just said you thought I was pretty.”
It was a joke, really. A platonic flirt if Lance had a say in it. That was just how he made friends! He flirted with them! That was all it was.
Yet, as Lance looked up at Acxa, he couldn't help but watch in awe as her face flushed. She looked cute as she directed her gaze away, looking much more embarrassed than she had looked a few minutes ago. It wasn't like she was upset or angry, though, because her sent became almost husky, savory, like Lance could taste it thick in his mouth.
One part of him wanted to stop breathing while the other wanted to breathe that scent in forever. Lance settled on just calming himself down and forcing his scent not to respond.
( On the other hand, Acxa could only hear her blood pumping in her ears. It wasn't as if beautiful omegas were few and far in between. In fact, Acxa had seen numerous high ranking Galrans who were just as lithe, just as striking, just like the Blue Paladin.
Yet, still, there hadn’t been an issue with her control in front of them. There was just something about the human omega in front of her, something about those wide blue eyes and that sweet gentle smile…
Yes, she was more convinced than before. It had to be the Blue Paladin. It couldn’t be anyone else.
Even the way he responded to her, the way he looked at her with those half-lidded eyes—bluer than anything she’d ever seen and twice as beautiful—and that irresistible scent; he was perfect.
Acxa had to bite the inside of her cheek. She wanted to scramble out and say that the Blue Paladin was gorgeous. That he was the prettiest thing she’d ever seen, that she didn’t think she could see anything so beautiful ever again.
He looked even more breathtaking than a Modroni sunrise, more alluring than any pheromone she’d ever smelled, more enchanting than quintessence itself!
Acxa was torn between wanting to gently hold the Blue Paladin and wanting to see him writhe underneath her. )
In response to the sudden awkward silence, Ezor laughed, though, from Acxa's reaction or Lance's joke, Lance couldn't tell. Still, she moved from Acxa to Lance, wrapping her arm around him “I like you.”
“I hope you're not uncomfortable, being surrounded by female Alphas and all.” Ezor added, obviously not wanting to cause Lance any discomfort.
( It was common for male Galran omegas to feel uncomfortable near female Galran Alphas, especially a mixed bunch like them. The last thing Lotor's generals wanted to do was scare the pretty human omega away .
Lotor would never forgive them. )
Zethrid and the other general with the creature, Narti, moved up to be closer to them. Zethrid looked cautious and the creature on Narti’s shoulder let out a soft sound.
The omega glanced at them before shaking his head, offering yet another smile “I don't mind at all.”
“Especially not when they're beautiful like you guys.” Lance added though, for some weird reason, he found himself glancing at Acxa from the corners of his eyes as if wanting to see her reaction.
Ezor laughed at that “I really like you.”
Chapter 4: keith — jealousy mistaken for concern.
Summary:
Keith notices the fact that Lance and the Galrans get along well and does not like it at all. Shiro simply tries to placate his hotheaded mate.
Chapter Text
After the tour around the castle and then the meeting, Lance and the rest of the generals seemed to have disappeared.
It put Keith on edge, though, he supposed, that was simply because he was the Pack omega. He couldn't take care of the pack if he didn't know where all of them were.
Then again, he couldn't take care of the pack much, period . He wasn't used to ‘taking care of the pack’ since he never really had a pack before.
This was his first one and he was already fucking up.
“ Keith .”
The omega's head snapped up at Shiro’s voice and his body melted at Shiro’s touch to his shoulder.
They both sat in the common room of the castle. In fact, all of the paladins were there. Pidge was tinkering away at something in the corner, Hunk sat next to her reading something off of a tablet, Keith and Shiro sat on one of the weird curvy couch things they had all over the castle.
All of them were present except their loudest one. That made the common room much quieter than Keith was used to.
Therein lied the problem .
“Calm down.” Shiro pulled Keith closer and Keith could feel the comforting rumble in Shiro’s voice now that they pressed against each other.
Shiro let his hand drop lower, rubbing small circles against Keith’s forearm, trying his best to placate his hotheaded mate “Lance is fine.”
Keith was surprised Shiro knew he was worrying about Lance in the first place but chalked it off to the fact that Shiro knew Keith well. In fact, Shiro knew Keith better than Keith knew himself.
“He's too chummy with those generals.” Keith couldn't think of much else to say so he opted to say that much. He worried Lance would get too attached to them or, perhaps, find himself in trouble like with the Nyma Incident .
Keith even recalled how Lance had chosen to sit in between Ezor and Acxa. Which, of course, resulted in Lance sitting much too close to Lotor. At least, it was much too close for Keith's comfort.
That was very much a Lance thing to do, however. He had always been outgoing and bright, a people's kind of person. He befriended everyone and anyone. It got him in more trouble than what Keith would've liked.
“I’m sure he's fine.” Shiro shifted Keith again so that Keith's head rested against Shiro's shoulder “He can handle himself, right?”
Keith grumbled at that, not wanting to admit that he did think Lance capable of many things. Lance was talented in that he seemed to be good at everything. That didn't mean Galran generals couldn't mess with his head.
“He called them beautiful…” Keith crossed his arms, pliant but still complaining.
Shiro chuckled this time “You don't sound worried. You sound jealous.”
Keith immediately sat up, a rather offended expression on his face “I'm not!”
He could hear both Pidge and Hunk’s snickers from the corner of the room. The sudden urge to walk over there and yell at them rose in Keith.
Shiro, however, would have none of it and pressed Keith back down “Then why worry about what Lance thinks of Lotor's generals?”
Keith seemed to hesitate for a second before just sighing “Lance thought Nyma was beautiful and look where that led him.”
“That's true.” Shiro conceded, earning a small noise of approval from Keith.
“Still…” Shiro added “Lance can handle himself, especially since he's in the castle and we're right here.”
Keith just hoped Shiro was right.
Chapter 5: lance — getting a few bruises.
Summary:
Lance seems to be in trouble with the generals. Lotor seems to be irritated by the peace meetings.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Lance fell with a loud clatter, the breath in his lungs leaving him as his bayard flew from his hand. The world before him spun a little and he coughed, trying to orient himself.
Above him, Ezor smirked victoriously, yellow eyes gleaming.
Without thinking it through, Lance’s leg swung, knocking Ezor down to the floor like Lance had just been.
She dropped with a loud harrumph and, most likely, her fall had made her just a little bit dizzy. At least, that was what Lance guessed because the thump of her body against the metal of the floor sounded too loud to not have.
It didn’t matter anyway. Quickly, the Blue Paladin scrambled to his bayard, body burning in exhaustion and sweat dripping down his face.
He needed to get to his bayard if he wanted a chance against a Galran General.
Before he could grab the gun, however, someone stepped in between it and him. Their feet looked all too familiar.
Lance looked up, a groan threatening to leave his lips at the sight of Ezor, the general he had just knocked over. She didn’t look like someone who had just been taken off of her feet.
“You look pretty on your hands and knees.” She practically cooed and Lance narrowed his eyes in response.
The thought ‘ God quznacking damnnit. ’ passed through his mind.
Without missing a beat, Lance quickly reached between Ezor’s legs, most likely surprising her, and he pointed the bayard at her without hesitation. The tip of it was aimed directly at her chest and Lance’s finger hovered dangerously over the trigger. He could easily take her out right then and there.
However, the fact that she looked unperturbed bothered Lance all too much.
“You left your backside open.” A voice suddenly whispered in his ear and Lance swivelled quickly, heart jumping into his throat and bayard muzzle thumping against someone else’s armour.
Lance would recognise that velvety sinful voice anywhere.
Lotor stood there, bent over so that his eyes were almost level to Lance’s. His hair cascaded down, framing his face handsomely. He was unfairly good looking.
“You can't double team me!” Lance yelled before yelping when Ezor crouched down to place a hand on his shoulder
“I don't know, I'm pretty sure you'd enjoy that.” Ezor practically purred, causing Lance’s face to completely flush.
( He tried not to let his thoughts wander. The fact that the Blue Paladin’s scent went cloyingly sweet at what Ezor said only proved that she was right.
The Paladin liked the thought of being double-teamed. Which, of course, meant that there was a possibility that Lance would like being double-teamed by the Prince and his general.
God, Lance in between the two of them, their bodies pressed as closely as possible, the scent of him probably both sweet and warm, his body soft and pliable.
Lotor couldn’t help but wonder if he’d be good, if he’d listen to them like a good little boy, let them manhandle him and order him around. Or would he be a brat? Would he be defiant and bossy? Try to one-up them or fight back in an effort to get them to put him in his place?
Lotor almost growled at himself. Despite the fact that he told himself he wouldn’t let his thoughts wander, they did. He wondered if Lance had smelt the arousal in his scent.
Part of him wanted the Blue Paladin noticed. The other part thought it was much too soon. )
Lance relaxed, letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding in. “Where did you even come from?”
Ezor laughed at that and then she straightened and stretched. Lotor seemed to hesitate a little, his eyes darting all over Lance before finally settling on his eyes.
Now that Lance was less on alert than before, he couldn’t help but notice the smell of the room. That happened sometimes, when he was a bit too stressed out. Despite his sensitive nose, Lance could get a bit absentminded.
Now , he could finally scent Lotor.
All the times he’d been around the prince, Lotor had been too far away for Lance to really smell him. It was like he kept everyone but his generals at an arm’s length. Lance understood that; he was a wanted Prince after all and a Galran people both loved and hated.
Hesitantly, with his eyes still staring into Lotor’s, Lance took a deep breath in.
His eyes almost rolled back but, instead, he let them flutter close. Lotor’s scent was heady . He was truly a prime Alpha, with his scent the kind of savoury that melted against Lance’s tongue.
Shiro’s scent was savoury too but there was also a hint of sweetness in it. Lotor, though, had no sweet. His scent was smooth, luscious. It made Lance’s mouth water in a way that Shiro’s didn’t.
Without opening his eyes, Lance heard the Prince chuckle, rumbling and deep, before he heard the creak of his armour. When Lance’s eyes opened, the Prince had stood.
Lance got up last, cracking his neck and letting the gun in his hand transform back into a bayard. He tried to ignore the heat that pooled in his stomach, tried to brush off the way the Prince stared at him.
The sudden onslaught of clapping helped a distract him a little bit. Though he was surprised by it, he was also curious.
Zethrid, Acxa and Narti seemed happy about the results of the fight. Zethrid even grinned widely and Acxa looked fairly impressed. Narti didn’t seem to have an expression on her face but, then again, that came with having literally no eyes. She was clapping though.
Lance quickly assumed they were clapping for Ezor but, as he walked over and holstered his bayard, that didn't seem to be the case.
“You did good, Blue Paladin.” Acxa told him, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips.
( She tried not to think about how well the Blue Paladin fought, about how honorable of a warrior he was. He wasn’t just a worthy omega, he was a worthy fighter too and it was rare to see someone who was both. )
Zethrid seemed to nod as well, looking much more enthusiastic and excited “You did much better against Ezor than I had expected!”
Part of Lance wanted to ask if it was because he was an omega. The Galrans simply expected him to be soft and easily bruised. It was fine if that was the case. It wouldn’t be the first time anyone judged him for his gender and he was used to the sting of it. He didn’t want to somber up the situation by asking, though, so he simply chuckled nervously.
“You guys think so? For real?” He rubbed the back of his neck, his nervousness mixing with a little bit of sheepishness. Instead of the sweet-sour scent it had taken after getting cornered, Lance's scent settled on a much more mellow aroma.
Yes, he was cautious around the Galran Generals and their Prince. They were enemies after all, no matter how friendly they seemed and no matter how attractive they were. Lance hoped that would change because of the peace talks, he was already rather fond of them, but he couldn’t get his hopes up.
That didn’t stop him from enjoying their compliments.
Zethrid nodded again, seemingly excited which was apparent from the way she clenched her fists “Yes, you have lasted longer than most.”
“Zethrid informed me that she thought you would be beaten in a second.” Lotor joined the banter, small smirk on his devilish face “She said she expected humans to be weak.”
“Oh.” At that revelation, Lance relaxed a bit, a little relieved they weren’t underestimating him for something he had been discriminated against far too many times “Well, I mean… Sometimes it is scary to be human and to go against Galrans but we can hold our own.”
When he said that, of course, Lance was referring to the fact that Galrans were gigantic. They usually towered over him and that was certainly something because Lance was one of the taller Paladins.
“If you really want a challenge, fight me, Blue Paladin.” Zethrid finally stepped forward, fists still clenched excitedly and the devious grin that spread across her face was almost cute. Almost because she was making that expression at the thought of beating Lance up.
He didn’t want to say no, though. He didn’t want to seem weak or to seem as if he was being rude. He couldn’t say yes either. His body ached and, even though he apparently made the fight look effortless, he put a lot of his strength and energy into keeping Ezor back.
Lotor glanced over at Lance before shaking his head at Zethrid “Maybe another time, Zethrid. The Blue Paladin shouldn’t have to fight every single one of you in one day, should he?”
( Lotor also tried to tamp down the overprotective feelings bubbling in his chest. He was used to feeling the same things for Acxa but it was both odd and refreshing to feel the same for the Blue Paladin. )
Zethrid didn’t seem deterred by that “As long as I get to test your strength for myself one day, Blue Paladin, I don’t mind waiting.”
Lotor chuckled at that. Surprisingly enough, like earlier, it made Lance’s heart jump. Lotor seemed very good at that. That, of course, being making Lance’s heart flutter and flustering him.
It reminded Lance of two other people he already knew. Perhaps a certain black armoured Alpha and a mullet-haired omega.
“Thank you, Prince Lotor. And, yeah, sure, we’ll have our fight eventually, Zethrid.” Lance felt relieved once again and he found himself feeling more and more relaxed around the Galrans “Also, please, guys, you can call me Lance.”
Acxa looked perplexed “You would have us drop formalities?”
“Heck yeah. I mean, you’re here to have peace talks with Allura, not me.” Lance nodded, looking all too casual about something that apparently every single one of the Galran Generals were mildly surprised about.
Ignoring their looks, Lance glanced at Lotor “You done with the peace talks for today?”
At that, Lotor responded with a small frown “It would seem so seeing as the Royal Advisor had wanted to take a break for the Princess’ sake and I am not rude enough to say no.”
( Lotor could understand. A lot of the topics stressed the Altean Princess out, especially the topic about the Paladin standing right in front of him .)
Lance nodded at that, completely understanding. It probably wasn’t too easy being the representative of a new age for an old empire. Now that Zarkon was gone, Lotor was in charge of bringing about the next phase in this dynasty of theirs. It must have been a lot of pressure.
Lance’s first instinct was to try and relieve this sort of stress that was causing the Prince early wrinkles. It was an odd inclination but it seemed like a good idea. After all, stressed out diplomats were most likely not something Allura, who was most likely equally stressed out, wanted to deal with.
That was just a recipe for arguments and disaster.
There wasn’t a lot on the ship to help someone relax, though. The castle was built for royalty, yes, but most of the castle that Lance knew had nothing in it that screamed stress relief. The parts of the palace that Allura had shown them were the bedrooms, the living rooms, the kitchen and the various training decks.
Then, the idea came to him. “Hey, you guys hungry?”
Notes:
thank you so much for reading!!! leave a kudos and a comment if you liked it!!! i know it's rough in the voltron fandom right now but honestly i really want to continue writing for this fandom so, hopefully, the update will come soon
if you wanna get some updates, my tumblr is mini-ghost-writer and my twitter is minikkukkungi. there's not much on either of them but like... if you wanna follow anyway lmao. on my twitter, there's a poll up on which story you guys want updated asap? so if you wanna vote on that, hmu! i only have my top three most popular stories on there but you can dm me or retweet it with a vote if the story you wanna vote on isn't an option
Chapter 6: lance — reassurance
Summary:
Lance learns more about a lot of things. Most importantly, he learns more about himself.
Chapter Text
After a quick removal of most of Lance’s paladin armor (for comfortability) and a short walk around the castle, Lance and his little tour finally reached their destination.
“This is the kitchen.” Lance gestured his open arms to the room around them and Ezor, the general closest to Lance, ohh-ed and ahh-ed.
“It’s a very nice kitchen.” Lotor nodded in agreement to Ezor’s amazement “Definitely less purple than I am used to.”
Lance looked surprised at that for a little bit before laughing, half from the humor and half from the fact that a dignified Prince just made a cheesy joke in front of him.
Acxa also cracked a smile at that, head nodding as well. Lance glanced at her, grinning, happy that she too found Lotor’s humor funny.
“Can we cook here? Do we have permission to?” Ezor suddenly asked, eyes wide as she looked down at Lance.
Lance simply shrugged, gesturing to the part of the kitchen that he, Hunk and Pidge always gathered around “Knock yourselves out.”
There was a brief silence that followed, stretching out awkwardly in between them.
Lance quickly realised his mistake, rubbing at the back of his neck almost sheepishly, his scent turning a bit sharp to mirror his embarrassment “That’s a human saying. It means… Uh, basically, go ahead.”
“What an odd saying.” Lotor looked down at Lance, lips twitching down, but there was no malice behind his words. In fact, he looked very intrigued.
He looked so interested, actually, that Lance continued as the entire group walked over to the area Lance had gestured to. “I’m just basically telling you to, uh, I guess use the kitchen till you’re too exhausted to continue?”
“Why would you want us to do that?” Lotor’s fascination piqued, his irritated expression from the peace talks long gone, and the two of them sat side by side on the bar stools at the counter of the kitchen to continue their discussion.
Zethrid didn’t pay attention to the two, instead much more enthralled by whatever Narti was doing. Ezor was helping Narti by collecting various knick knacks around the kitchen from the various cabinets and compartments.
In fact, the only one who was truly paying attention to Lotor and Lance was Acxa who sat across the counter and looked just as fascinated by whatever Lance was saying.
Though never one to shy away from the spotlight, Lance felt himself wilt a little bit under the sharp gazes of the two Galran Alphas.
“Uhm, it’s not that I want you to get all tired and stuff.” Lance tried to explain, hand gesturing in the air almost hesitantly as if he was scared he wouldn’t be able to get his point across “I’m just saying that… If you want to, you can?”
Lotor seemed content with that answer “Ah, so, when you say that, you are not speaking of how you want us to use the kitchen but, rather, to what extent you’ll allow us to.”
Lance nodded, feeling slightly relieved though still a little confused. He was glad that his odd explanation was clear to Lotor, even if the way Lotor reworded it was a little too formal.
Acxa suddenly laughed, drawing the attention of both the Prince and the Blue Paladin. Lotor seemed unperturbed. Actually, he looked more amused than anything.
Lance, on the other hand, looked smitten. Since Acxa had arrived, she had kept to herself, only letting out a small smile every now and again. She held herself back though why Lance didn’t want to ask in fear of being rude.
This would be the first time Acxa let herself completely laugh and the sight was beautiful. Acxa with her mouth completely turned up, eyes sparkling slightly with delight. This was definitely a complete turnaround from the way she had been acting earlier.
“Sorry.” Acxa finally seemed to calm down, her lips still curved in a cute smile though she looked much more bashful than entertained “I just-- The Blue Paladin’s expression--”
“Call me Lance.” The sentence left Lance’s mouth before he could fully consider it and, even worse, his tone was much more flirtatious than he had intended.
Lance knew he could be a flirt and he knew he wasn’t the best when it came to keeping himself from flirting with random people. Especially when he wanted people to like him and even more especially when he wanted people he liked to like him back.
He knew he shouldn't have, that he had promised himself not to grow attached to Acxa, that this weird pull towards her was something he needed to ignore. Yet, still, he couldn't help himself.
He felt rather embarrassed for quickly going back to his more flirtatious personality when he knew he shouldn't.
Even Lotor himself seemed to raise an interested eyebrow at the way Lance worded the phrase and the way Lance had said it. If Lotor had a problem with it, however, it didn’t show.
( Acxa didn’t see her Prince’s quick, intrigued glance. Instead, she kept her eyes on Lance.
Her Prince was never one to shy from praising her. Lotor always acted like Acxa arranged the entire galaxy just for him, like she was some higher power that he needed to worship. He’d look at her with his bright violet eyes and she’d see reverence in them clear as crystal.
Right now, the Blue Paladin had that same expression. She could see the adoration in his blue eyes, the way they sparkled and it felt like it was just for her.
Her mouth suddenly felt dry and she didn’t know what to say. )
Lance worried he said something wrong. It was obvious that there was something playing through Axca’s head, something that made her look like she was staring through Lance rather than at him
Finally, she opened her mouth to speak. “ Lance. ”
The Blue Paladin’s heart felt like it burst. He didn’t understand why he felt this way for some stranger he had literally only met that day but there was a way she said his name that made him want to cover his face and scream. Not because he was angry, of course, but rather because he felt flustered.
Without Lance really noticing, his scent turned a bit sweeter. Not overwhelmingly sweet but the kind of sweet that settled deliciously on the tongue. He didn't notice it because he was so enamored by Acxa.
( Lotor did, however, and so did Acxa. Both Galrans tilted closer, itching to take a deep breath, to inhale the scent so deeply that they could taste it, just like before. Lotor held back, of course, hesitant because he didn’t want to make the omega uncomfortable. Acxa, with less control over herself in front of the omega, noticeably leaned forward, her arms braced against the counter .)
Lance, on the other hand, didn't seem to notice the change in demeanor from either of them. Instead, he was focused on his own thoughts. He knew he couldn’t let the others see this weird development, so he quickly tried to recover “See? It’s not too hard.”
“It seems very improper.” Acxa shook her head but her expression didn't look like someone who was trying to argue. In fact, Acxa looked like she was only arguing to be polite, like, deep down, she actually liked using Lance's name.
Or, maybe, Lance was just going crazy.
“It’s not.” Lance waved his hand as if to shoo that thought as well as his own stray ones away “Why do you need to be formal with me anyway? I’m no one special. Just a human boy from Cuba.”
“ No , that’s not true. You’re a paladin of Voltron . You pilot the Blue Lion.” Lotor replied before Acxa had the opportunity to and the furrow in his brow signaled to Lance that what he had said didn’t settle well with the Prince.
( That overprotectiveness bubbled inside of Lotor again. He didn’t like where this conversation was going. He’d seen it so many different times, in so many different ways. The self-deprication, the hint of spice in his scent, the way the Blue Paladin shifted; he acted confident but there was more to him than that.
Lotor commended the Blue Paladin for his act. So far, there had been no hint of any doubt in himself until now.
All of that pointed to a bigger problem, though: was the Blue Paladin--was Lance --so used to acting that he got so good at it? The Prince hoped not.
Part of Lotor wanted to play Alpha. Part of him wanted to pull Lance close, to purr and let the vibrations of it lull the Paladin into comfort and relaxation. He wanted to rub himself all over Lance’s scent glands, wanted the both of them and Acxa to smell like something akin to family.
Lotor wanted Lance to get it into his thick head that he was more than just a human boy from Cuba. There was a hint of promise, of potential, in him that just needed to be cultivated.
Unfortunately, Lotor was forced to keep himself in check. However much he wanted it, Lance wasn’t his omega to comfort. At least, not yet.
Acxa, on the other hand, was far from okay. She saw himself in the Blue Paladin, saw the curve of his shoulders, like they were used to hunching over, saw the sheepishness in his expression and how he used it to hide his disappointment, saw the way his words mirrored hers once upon a time.
Meeting Lance like this, getting to know him like this, wasn’t a coincidence. He piqued their interest from the very first time they laid eyes on him and then they found out he was an omega! Now, Acxa was finding out that he was just like she had been long ago, that he was insecure and lost and scared like she had been.
Who better to help with that than the very person who helped Acxa? Who built Acxa from the very bottom to the great general she was now? She flourished under Lotor’s guidance and she knew for a fact that the Blue Paladin would too!
One glance at her Prince told her, however, that that she couldn’t make a move. It was the hardest thing she’d ever had to do. )
Quickly, the atmosphere between the three of them seemed to shift.
Of course Lotor didn’t like that! The Prince probably thought Lance was belittling the title of the Blue Paladin. Now that he thought about it, it did seem like he was implying that the Blue Paladin wasn’t anything special.
Quickly, Lance shook his head, feeling a little panicked just like before, when he struggled to explain himself to the two “I mean, I’m not-- I’m not disrespecting anyone-- I didn’t--”
“No, you don’t seem to be disrespecting anyone... Lance .” Acxa gently interrupted the stuttering boy, that earlier sweet smile on her face returning to its usual straight line. Suddenly, Lance wished he could turn back time to only a minute ago.
Lotor nodded in agreement to that but the troubled expression on his face persisted “Well, besides yourself, that is.”
Lance’s face burned. “I--”
What was he going to say? What should he say? He wanted to let the words out but they wouldn’t leave his mouth. Instead, the syllables clogged in his throat, choking him. Mostly because he didn’t know what words to let out. Instead, he floundered.
They had a point . Lance always seemed to think that he didn’t deserve respect, especially not from himself. Usually, however, people didn’t notice it. If they did, they never voiced their concerns. People just ignored Lance’s self-deprecation, chalked it up to a sudden burst of humility in the midst of his usually narcissistic routine and left it at that.
Nobody had ever called him out on it like Acxa and Lotor just had.
“Do you… perhaps have trouble ascertaining your position on your team?” Lotor interrupted Lance’s train of thought and Lance quickly focused his eyes on the Galran Prince.
That was also true. It was like Acxa and Lotor could read Lance like a book. He couldn’t understand it. How could they know him so well? How could they be able to ask him questions and tell him things that not even his closest friends would?
Just before Lance could nod, just before he could reach out with shaking fingers to accept the attention he had been starved from, however, the door to the kitchen wooshed open.
Chapter 7
“Oh, this is where you’ve been.”
Shiro walked in through the entrance of the kitchen, the plates of his Paladin armour removed, revealing the dark skin tight suit underneath. He at least still had his Paladin boots on. There was a towel hanging around his neck so Lance could guess that he had just been training.
When Keith followed right after, also simply in his under armor and boots, it was clear that the two had been sparring and were now hungry and tired. Unlike usual, Keith’s ‘ugly’ mullet was swept back and kept up by the sweat he had most likely worked up during their training.
Sure, Lance was in practically the same get up (he kept most of his leg armour on, though, and his paladin belt) but there was just something about how Shiro and Keith wore it. Lance blamed that on their rather well kept bodies.
“Yeah, I was showing Prince Lotor and his generals around.” Lance quickly replied, trying his best not to show how affected he was at the sight of Keith and Shiro.
It stung. He had declared that he was over them and yet his heart still managed to race when they were around. He wished it didn’t, wished he could finally just sweep his emotions away.
It also stung that, right when he had decided to open up to Lotor and his generals, something that he craved but was very ill-advised, he was interrupted. Now , he thought, the opportunity was gone as suddenly as it had appeared .
In response to Lance, Keith made a scrunched up face, glare apparent as if the thought of Lance showing Lotor and his generals around was dumb and stupid. Which, in fairness, was probably true. Keith thought anything Lance did was dumb and stupid, after all.
( Keith, on the other hand, could only think of Nyma and how she had taken blatant advantage of Lance’s kindness, could only look at Lotor and see the way he looked like the least trustworthy person in the galaxy, could only worry about their omega .)
“That’s really nice of you, Lance.” Shiro walked past Lance, did that thing where he clapped his hand against the back of Lance’s neck, thumb briefly brushing against Lance's scent gland, before continuing on to the fridge, his hand dragging Keith away “It’s good of you to actually step up once in a blue moon.”
Lance felt his entire body flush (from pride or shame, he wasn’t sure) but he hastily nodded, eyes boring holes into the table in front of him “Yeah, it’s the least I could do.”
When Lance finally looked up, his eyes met with Lotor’s. The Prince looked intrigued again but it was different from before. Instead of curious, there was a heavy feeling to his gaze.
( Lotor saw the way the Black Paladin looked at Lance, saw the heat and warmth and caring in his gaze. It was the same way Lotor looked at Acxa, the same way Acxa looked at Lance.
The thought that Lance was mated, that, perhaps, Acxa and Lotor misunderstood something, made Lotor’s stomach churn. He glanced at Lance’s neck but it was obscured by his uniform.
Lotor would’ve growled if he didn’t think it were inappropriate. He didn’t understand why Lance would cover his claiming marks if he were spoken for or why the Black Paladin would let him.
If he were together-- )
“You and the Black Paladin are mated?” Lotor asked calmly but it was the kind of calm that settled before a storm. Lance didn't understand why his voice took that tone.
It took Lance a second to understand what Lotor meant by mated but, once it suddenly clicked in his head, his spine went ramrod straight.
It was so sudden, in fact, that Lance’s eyes widened and he quickly glanced back to see if Shiro or Keith had heard. Thankfully, they seemed too far away.
Thank Allura for the extra long kitchen, he supposed.
“No, no, no, not at all!” Lance turned back to Lotor, hand automatically going up to rub at the back of his neck, as if it would help with the way his skin burned “It’s just… Shiro is our pack leader and sometimes pack leaders do that, you know?”
( Lotor and Acxa didn’t know, didn’t understand.
Acxa found it absolutely unbelievable and Lotor tried to imagine doing that to Zethrid or Narti or Ezor. He couldn’t though because not only would their mates prevent it but it felt like it cheapened the gesture.
Maybe Galrans were just a much more possessive race but it meant less if you trusted more people with the softest parts of you, didn’t it? )
“Oh.” Lotor nodded slowly before his mouth stretched in what almost looked like he was forcing a smile but, instead, it came out as a grimace. “In Galran tradition, most don’t let anyone other than their mates touch their neck.”
“Really?”
“Yes. The Galran race is a warrior race and so most of us tend to only want to show strength and power. The neck is a weak spot for a lot of us and so Galrans only bare their necks to their mates. The less people have access to our weaknesses, the better.” Lotor explained carefully and, for some reason, his eyes felt calculating as they stared at Lance.
It was like there was something in the spaces of his words, something sandwiched in the lines, that Lotor wanted Lance to understand.
( Lotor knew it wouldn’t mean anything, that Lance wouldn’t change his behaviour just because Lotor explained but, still, he couldn’t stop himself from hoping. )
Lance brushed the odd feeling aside “I can understand that. It’s the same with humans but it’s not just mates. It’s also pack leaders, siblings, parents; you bare your neck to people to show you trust them.”
Acxa, who had been quiet the entire time, shifted only slightly, hand going up to cradle the crook of her neck “I could not imagine baring my neck to anyone but my Prince.”
It took Lance a second to realise but, when he did, his eyes widened and he looked from Lotor to Acxa “Y-You-- You guys are-- m-mated ?”
Finally, that heavy expression left Lotor’s face as he chuckled, smooth and deep like always “Yes, we are. It’s not your fault for not noticing. We have been fully armored this entire time so it’s hard to see the mating bites.”
“M-Mating bites? ” Lance felt like an echo but it seemed Acxa and Lotor didn’t mind.
This time, however, Acxa was the one to explain “For Galrans, we give our mates several bites, mostly on public areas, on parts of them everyone can see, to signify our claim on their entire body .”
He couldn’t imagine being bitten--something so intimate in human culture--anywhere other than over a scent gland and he definitely didn’t want his thoughts to linger on what it would feel like to show it off purposefully.
Lance’s body flushed for what felt like the hundredth time that day. “Humans w-would never… That’d almost be like… like…”
( Lance's expression was almost irresistible. The way his tan skin flushed, how it travelled down his neck and up his ears, how he looked so shy and bashful.
Acxa couldn't help but imagine a different situation, a different time and place, Lance pressed against a flat surface, Acxa's teeth buried into that sweet skin--
Acxa quickly took a deep breath in and out, calming herself and letting her scent settle instead of spiking into a headier aroused aroma. )
“Public mating?” Lotor finished Lance’s sentence for him and, when Lance felt too embarrassed to continue, Lotor added “Galrans do mate in public once, to solidify their relationship. It’s a ritual to signify that the person is taken and that anyone who tries to get in between will have to fight to the death.”
( Lotor couldn’t stop himself from imagining a future where he could sit at the throne, his subjects and the Voltron team in a crowd in front of him as he took the Blue Paladin, as Acxa marked him all over, as the two of them pulled moan after moan, whimper after whimper out of the poor omega.
Then, as suddenly as the thought came to him, he filed it away for later. His control over his instincts were already wavering and he couldn’t afford to make any mistakes. Lance was human and humans needed a more delicate approach. )
Lance sat up a bit straighter “O-Oh! E-Earlier, wh-when I-- Wh-When-- I-I mean!”
Lotor and Acxa seemed to understand him almost immediately and Acxa even went so far as to wave her hand as if to dismiss the thought “Don’t worry about that. We took no offense.”
( Actually, Acxa felt something warm in her chest at the thought of Lance being interested. She had promised Prince Lotor that she'd take it slow, though, so she held herself back .)
“In fact, I found it very flattering.” Lotor smirked and Lance had to look away to calm his heart.
He didn’t understand how Lotor could easily talk about a fight to the death but then find Lance’s flirting with his mate flattering. He was just thankful that he wouldn’t have to fight the Prince to death. Fighting the Galran’s Prince regent (and perhaps, even it’s soon to be Emperor) sounded like a grave mistake.
A fight to the death would’ve been a lose-lose situation.
“Wait… so… both of you are Alphas, right..?” Was Lance’s next question after he had managed to calm both his heart and his racing thoughts.
Lotor slowly nodded, “Is that kind of grouping uncommon on Earth?”
“Yeah, usually it’s Alpha and omega or Alpha and beta or beta and omega.” Lance nodded before hastily adding “Not that I’m against Alpha-Alpha pairings! I’m attracted to Alphas, betas and omegas so it’s not like I have room to judge!”
( Keith’s ears perked from where he’d been rifling through one of the cabinets.
No , he hadn’t been trying to eavesdrop! If he was a bit closer than he was before, well, that was simply just a coincidence!
Still, Lance’s admission made his heart soar. He wasn’t sure he was hearing right, of course, since he was so far away. Maybe he was misunderstanding? But, rather than thinking that, he let himself hope .)
Lance then paused as if to consider his words “It’s just that they’re rarer? Not unheard of but definitely one in a thousand.”
“For Galrans, since we’re so vast and there’s such a multitude of different types of us, it’s inaccurate to say that any grouping is uncommon.” Acxa looked thoughtful for a second before giving a firm nod “However, most include at least one omega.”
Lance nodded as if he understood before looking confused again “Wait, you keep saying grouping and you-- I don’t think I understand…”
“Well, of course, a grouping must include at least one omega or else they wouldn’t be able to bear any cubs.” Lotor said almost a-matter-of-factly before seemingly realising why Lance was confused “Or could it be that Earth keeps their breeding to two partners?”
“Oh. Y-You guys have mating… groups , I guess? Instead of mating pairs?”
“Yes. Even Acxa and I are still looking to find an omega. It’s uncommon for Galrans to stick to just two.” Lotor explained as if it was the easiest thing in the world to say but, as he said it, there was a glint in his eye that made Lance’s heart rate pick back up.
Acxa at least had the decency to look embarrassed but Lotor seemed unashamed of the way his eyes travelled down Lance’s body and then back up to stare into his eyes. “We haven’t found exactly the right omega but I feel as if Acxa and I are very close…”
"It's hard to choose an omega since Galran Alpha instincts treat everyone as a threat and it takes a… very special omega to bring out more caring instincts in us." Lotor continued to explain and, thought Lance wanted to pretend he wasn't interested, he couldn't help but listen intently "Most groupings require a person being introduced in to be someone who… doesn't irritate or bring out overprotective impulses in the group."
Lance didn’t want to bring his hopes up. On one hand, he couldn't help but remember Lotor's words from before, how Lotor had purred out that Lance's flirting didn't offend but actually intrigued and flattered them.
On the other hand, Lance knew he couldn’t fall for another mated pair, not when falling for Keith and Shiro ended up being a disaster. Still, his mouth was dry and he found his body leaning towards Lotor, found his eyes fluttering down to Lotor’s lips, found that delicious sweetness growing heavier in his scent.
Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to hope, wouldn’t hurt to have people help him forget the heartbreak he was going through…
( Keith saw the way Lotor looked at Lance, the way the damned Prince leaned in, the way he looked like he was going to force himself closer to their omega. It took everything in him not to snarl .)
“Lance?”
At the sound of Keith’s voice, Lance’s head whipped around so fast he almost felt like he got whiplash. Quickly, he suppressed his scent, his hand coming up to instinctively cover his left neck scent gland.
“We were going to hang out in the pack den if you wanted to come with us?” Shiro smiled kindly but there was a hint of something unfamiliar in his gaze.
( Truthfully, Shiro had also seen the way Lotor leaned into Lance, saw the way his yellow eyes traced over Lance's lips, and a possessiveness bloomed in his chest. It was no secret that Shiro played favourites and that he would do anything for Lance, no matter the cost .
It was also no secret that Shiro and Keith were interested in Lance.
Though they tried their hardest to hide it, their adoration for him overflowed into everything they did. It was just hard to control themselves when it came to their favourite omega.
The thought of Nyma, of how easily Lance was seduced, by someone who didn’t even present as any second gender, popped into Shiro’s head then. If that was possible, Shiro couldn’t help but fret that, perhaps, Keith had a point earlier.
Keith, on the other hand, looked like he could blow fire out of his ears any second now. Thankfully, he had himself under control. He didn’t want to drop the several bottles of nadar in his arms.
He couldn’t shove them into Shiro’s arms either and march over to Lance because Shiro was already carrying three giant bags of snacks and, though Shiro was athletic, he wasn’t an octopus .
So Keith silently fumed as he tried to telepathically yell at Lance to come with them. )
“Yeah, uh.” Lance almost nodded before he stopped himself and cocked his head towards Lotor and his generals “Actually, I’ll just stay with Lotor and the gang. It’d be rude of me to just leave them in the middle of our… tour? Around the castle?”
Keith openly scowled again at Lance’s answer and Lance almost wanted to change his mind right then and there but he stood his ground “C’mon, mullet , you know we’re supposed to get along with them.”
“We’re supposed to have peace talks , doesn’t mean I have to like them.” Keith answered and the smell of him, spicy and hot with anger, made Lance almost recoil. “And it definitely doesn’t mean you have to flirt your way into getting favours from them.”
( The implication that Lance was trying to-- what? Prostitute himself to them? It made Lotor almost growl. Instead, his eyes darted to Lance, trying to gauge his reaction. From the forlorn expression on the Blue Paladin’s face, Lotor already knew he was going to hate the Red Paladin. )
As soon as Keith’s anger started, Shiro stepped forward, shuffling the snack bags in his arms so he could cup one side of Keith’s neck “Keith, Lance is just trying to help out in any way he can, okay?”
Shiro’s voice was almost a murmur as he talked but Lance could hear it, could hear how softly and sweetly he placated Keith “Wouldn’t you rather Lance contributes to the peace somehow?”
“I like the way it usually is.” Keith disagreed but his scent wasn’t as unpleasant anymore.
( Like how it usually is? Implying that the Blue Paladin wasn’t always trying to contribute to the peace? Acxa doubted it.
Just from their time in the castle alone, Lance was always trying to calm everyone down, trying to comfort with his scent or soothe an argument with his words.
Normally, Acxa wouldn’t leap to conclusions but, from the expression on the Blue Paladin’s face, it was obvious that this wasn’t just a joke, that the two of them were where Lance’s insecurities had come from.
It angered Acxa but she held back, aware that she needed to bide her time when it came to these idiots. Lance was brilliant and loyal and sweet but he cared for the wrong people.
Unfortunately, they needed these people’s approval to mate with Lance. )
Lance’s heart fell at Keith’s words but, still, he managed to control his expression. Instead, he turned away, embarrassed he was intruding on such a private matter.
“We’ll see you later, okay, Lance? Just be careful.” Shiro finally finished with Keith and, when he regarded Lance, his voice was stronger instead of the soft tone he held when he had comforted Keith.
A longing bloomed in Lance’s chest then but he kept himself in control “Of course, you know me!”
“That’s exactly why I’m asking you to be careful.” Shiro joked and Lance understood that it was just that, just a joke, a simple teasing remark.
Yet, even as he tried to convince himself, Lance couldn’t help but remember how Keith had tried to imply that Lance usually didn’t contribute to anything. It reminded Lance of how he was the seventh wheel, how there wasn’t someone there, on the ship, for him like everyone else.
“Right. Ya’ll have fun.”
Chapter 7: lance — deals to be done
Summary:
Lance makes deals with the Galrans that make his stomach churn. Still, he knows it's for the best
Chapter Text
Right before Keith and Shiro left, the other Generals crowded around the kitchen counter. Keith seemed to look back at them only to look aghast when Ezor stuck a tongue out at him, as if to mock him.
Lance watched the two and, honestly, he felt like he should’ve been angry for Keith but, instead, he was just a bit entertained.
Even the way Shiro pulled Keith away before he could do anything would’ve made Lance laugh! Unfortunately, the two Paladins left a rather distasteful mood in their wake and Lance couldn’t find it in him to even crack a smile
“Why do they do that?”
As soon as Shiro and Keith had left, Lance turned back to Acxa and Lotor and the rest of Lotor’s generals. They were all peering at Lance with varying degrees of concern.
Which was, of course, a feat considering Narti didn’t even have much of anything to make an expression with. Still, despite that, she seemed the most concerned.
Lance simply raised an eyebrow “Do what?”
“I mean, I always joke around with my pack so I can understand a little bit of teasing but…” Ezor paused, contemplating her words with an almost comical expression before turning her sharp eyes to Lance “You smell like you don’t like it.”
Lance hadn’t even realised his scent had changed but, once he had, it soured at the realisation that complete strangers recognized it but not his own Alpha. The generals gave him a sympathetic look but said nothing about it.
Lance calmed himself so his scent returned to its usual sweet undertones but the thought still struck a cord inside of him.
“Which, of course , brings us back to our previous conversation. I hadn’t continued discussing it because you didn’t seem so keen on having it when your ‘Pack Alpha’ was near but I must know.” Lotor spoke up this time, attracting Lance’s gaze “Do you perhaps have trouble ascertaining your position on your team?”
Lance hesitated before shaking his head “N-No! Of course not. I have the armor don’t I? I have the bayard and the lion and the title. I’m the Blue Paladin . I know where I stand.”
He had tried to answer in a joking tone but, instead, his answer sounded fake, insincere, like he wasn’t even trying to hide his insecurities. Which, of course, wasn’t the case. Which, then, of course, made him feel even worse.
Zethrid didn’t even hesitate “You almost took down Ezor.”
Ezor made a noise of agreement before forming a gun with her fingers “And you’re your team’s sharp shooter, aren’t you? You aim and pow! You always hit your target!”
“You’re also very smart.” Acxa added with a passionate nod, her lips pulled into a straight line and her expression obviously displeased “Whenever you take a shot, to be able to hit your target every single time… you must calculate the trajectory and how the environment will react to the plasma bullet! All in seconds! ”
Unlike his generals, Lotor kept quiet, eyes never once leaving Lance. Instead of really saying anything, Lance kept quiet too, face turning hotter and hotter at all of the compliments directed at him.
If Lance didn't know any better, he would've thought they were trying to bait him. They accused him of not having confidence in his role and now they were trying to make him admit it. He didn't want to think that, though. He liked them and he wanted to think they were being genuine.
He didn’t know exactly what to say, either, though. He wanted to admit that they were true, he did almost never miss a shot and he did almost take down Ezor but, instead of acknowledging that, he shrugged “It’s luck, I guess.”
“Luck!” Ezor threw her hands up at that, a scoff leaving her lips as she stared incredulously at Lance, her scent heated and thick “I can’t believe this!”
“You have so little trust and confidence in yourself that you’d rather place the reason on luck instead of your own skill?” Acxa leaned forward, looking almost as if she was ready to jump over the table and throttle Lance. Her scent was spicy with anger too but there was also a saltiness to it, a sadness that Lance didn't understand.
Lance just nervously laughed, forcing his scent to sweeten as a way of calming the Alphas down “I mean, that’s just how things are, I guess.”
“Not to disrespect the Blue Lion--she’s a great gal--but it’s just true. I’m not saying anybody could be the Blue Paladin but I definitely barely passed that bar.” Lance succeeded in making his tone sound joking that time around but it was much too late.
Lance couldn’t help but still be rather surprised, though. He had expected them to brush it off, like most people would brush off any kind of uncomfortable topic. He even changed his scent to encourage a change in conversation! Instead, they just grew even more appalled.
“Blue Paladin, you can’t truly believe that!” Acxa looked like she was half a second from climbing up the table. "What you're saying now contradicts your statement earlier!"
Ezor slammed her fist onto the table, nodding frantically “I refuse to believe you could truly mean what you just said!”
Lotor finally spoke up for the first time as well “I’m more concerned by how your teammates treat you, Paladin, that you seem to think this way?”
“I mean, I-I joke around a lot and I never really take anything seriously.” Lance explained easily enough and he was being completely honest “It’s only fair that they treat me the way I act. If I want to act that way, it’s no surprise that--”
“They don’t treat you seriously? Please, Blue Paladin, you must be joking!” Ezor shook her head, her antenna whipping around as she did “I certainly never take anything seriously--”
“That’s an understatement…” Zethrid muttered
“--but Lotor appreciates me and treats me exactly like he treats anyone else!” Ezor finished, completely ignoring Zethrid. “ That’s what a Pack Alpha does! He sees the best in you and treats you accordingly!”
“Does your Black Paladin truly deserve the right to your trust if he can’t even take care of you?” Acxa cut through the conversation with the most painful question and, suddenly, a silence filled the room.
“ Yes! ” Lance didn’t even have to think before he answered “Of course he does!”
“He wasn’t raised to be a leader, okay? He’s trying his best and he’s only a couple of years older than us. He doesn’t know how to be a leader just as much as we don’t know how to be Paladins but we’ll get better! Him and the rest of the pack!” Lance’s tone was impassioned and his volume rose “We’re in a war. We don’t have time to worry about people’s feelings when aliens’ lives are at stake.”
“But isn’t your life at stake too?” Acxa countered almost immediately “The consequences may not be death but death isn’t the worst fate you could put onto a person.”
“To doubt your worth, to second guess yourself, to find that you have nobody there to uplift you… I cannot imagine a life such as that.” Acxa turned her head away to stare at a far wall, her eyes glossy “I’m lucky enough to have been found by my pack, to have those very thoughts of self hatred pushed out of me before they had worsened but…”
Acxa turned back to look into Lance’s eyes, the saltiness in her scent overpowering the spice “I worry, Blue Paladin, that you think these thoughts of self hatred aren’t biased opinions of yourself but, rather, a fact of life.”
Lance couldn’t find the words to rebutt that. It was true, wasn’t it? He believed what he said more than anything, didn’t he? He also believed Acxa was right. He knew as well as anybody that death wasn’t the worst thing that could happen to someone, that sometimes people escaped from horrible lives by dying.
“It’s not like that.”
None of them spoke up this time and an awkward silence stretched across the room.
Suddenly, Lotor’s hand moved up to cup the side of Lance’s head and he directed Lance to look at him.
The size of Lotor’s hand was almost laughable. His palm was bigger than Lance’s entire cheek and his fingers were long enough to brush against Lance’s neck. Normally, just that would’ve been enough to make Lance bristle but, instead, he found himself shivering in delight.
Something in him wanted to allow Lotor this tiny miniscule touch.
If Lotor noticed, there was nothing in his tone that indicated it “You said none of you really had any training on becoming Paladins, right?”
Lance nodded but the motion was small, almost dismissable. Instead, he couldn’t help but continue to revel in the way that Lotor’s hand felt against his skin, the warmth of it soothing, just like the scent of Lotor, comforting and tranquilizing. It was like it put him in a trance.
“We’ll help you hone your fighting skills, help you into believing you deserve the role of Blue Paladin, would you like that?” Lotor offered and Lance’s nod was once again almost unnoticeable but Lotor smiled nonetheless, mouth full of sharp teeth “You must do something for us in return, however.”
Lance jerked up, body tensing “ No. ”
“You haven’t even heard my proposition.” Lotor clicked his tongue and a small teasing rumble left his lips as if he was playfully reprimanding Lance.
“You’re going to ask me to talk to Shiro or something, right? About my ‘problems’ ?” Lance pouted, shaking his head as he pushed Lotor’s hand away by the wrist “No thank you.”
Then, he struggled to ignore the way his cheek suddenly felt cold and lonely. Thankfully, nobody seemed to notice the way Lance almost followed Lotor’s hand, leaned into it, as he pushed away.
Almost .
“Would you say you like the way you feel, right now?” Lotor ignored the obvious stubborn look in Lance’s eyes and, instead, decided on a different approach.
When Lance didn’t continue, Lotor took the opportunity instead “You said it yourself, your team needs practice being a team, being Voltron, do they not?”
“If you don’t tell them your problems, if you don’t communicate, aren’t you preventing them from learning from their mistakes? How can they become better if you don’t give them the opportunity to?” Lotor finally finished and Lance knew the Prince talked him into a corner this time.
“I-I-- Well, I mean, you’re-- you’re right--” Lance conceded before sighing, breath ragged as it left his lips “But, the thing is… the thing is I don’t want to ruin anything by--”
“Speaking up? Telling them how you feel? Why would that ruin anything, Blue Paladin?” Acxa took her turn to speak and, for some reason, instead of feeling pressured, Lance couldn’t help but listen “If they’re a good pack, a good team , to you, they’ll listen to you and help you, would they not?”
“Or are they not the team you so loyally defended not only a minute ago?”
“They are.” Lance muttered almost lamely before looking up at Lotor, pout hanging off of his lips “Fine, I will. But you guys better keep up your end of the bargain.”
Lotor chuckled, “For you, Blue Paladin, of course.”
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