Rose Colored Boy

by Anonymous

Summary:

[abandoned until further notice, sorry!]
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Exploring the bond between Paladin and Lion, Lance takes what he's learned from his time on Earth practicing witchcraft and sees how he can use it to connect to ancient forces and his fellow Paladins.

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Listen to the title song here (pretty un-related to the fic besides being the name but it's cool anyhow. might tie it in later tho): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpAMJ_yzltU

Notes:

I know I should be working on my other aus but I've been doing really well recently in my mood and my craft and I wanted to write something that connects from my transition to only feeling safe with the element of water to accepting fire and learning to see it in a positive light!

I think having this aspect of my life start to heal has been a huge help and I'm feeling wonderful lately.

I'm ready to let the sun shine! No more hiding in the shadows!

Chapter 1

The morning alarm rang through the Castle of Lions, early into the cycle. Not long after learning they were going to be living in space and were a long way from Earth, Shiro insisted they set a routine.

 

When they began to adjust to the routine, Hunk set back into part of the routine he had at the Garrison. Waking up Lance, that is. Even though the morning alarm was more of a school bell sound anyway, he knew Lance hated it and always slept with headphones. He made it part of his routine to stop in Lance’s room each morning and make sure he woke up.

 

This morning when the alarm rang and he checked for Lance, he was surprised to find his room empty and his bed made, leaving no sign of him. Assuming he was already in the training room for morning warm ups, he headed there himself.

 

Now Hunk was met with confusion, when he found everyone already in the training room except for Lance. If he wasn’t already here, where could he be? Allura, Shiro, and Coran were talking over a holo-pad, probably planning a new simulation. Pidge and Keith stood idly near the wall, doing stretches.

He approached the duo. “Has anyone seen Lance?”

“I was just about to ask you, Hunk” Pidge replied.

“Uhh did you try his room?” Keith asked.

Hunk wanted to smack his forehead, but he didn’t want to risk making Keith unwilling to speak in the future, so he saved it for later.

“Yes it was the first place I checked.”

At this point Allura walked over to check in. “Is everything alright? Where’s Lance?”

“That’s what we’re trying to figure out,” Keith supplied.

“Well he hasn’t left the Castle. I can still feel his presence.”

“Allura you can do that?!” Pidge’s squawk was overshadowed by everyone else still trying to figure out where Lance could be. She continued to mumble to herself about research and studies.

“Maybe he’s in his lion!” Coran chimed, having been listening for quite awhile.

At this point Shiro turned to face the rest of the team too. “That’s a good idea. Keith, you should go see if he’s in Red and bring him back.”

 

Keith looked ready to protest, but decided against it when Shiro gave him a Look. The two seemed to argue silently with their eyes, before Keith huffed in defeat and headed towards the door.

 

“Alright!” Shiro clapped his hands together. “No time to lose. While Keith is fetching Lance, let’s start warming up.”

Pidge whined pitifully while Coran and Shiro went up to the control room and the rest of them prepared for simulations. Hunk had a lingering feeling today would be an interesting day.

Chapter 2

Summary:

bonding in the next chapter I promise I just really want to make the reader understand the emotion I associate with the lions

The second adrenaline had drained from his veins, Lance was overcome with dread. Sure flying in battle was one thing, but was he ready to leave Blue? Despite being far from associated with humans, she was the closest thing to Earth he had out her.

Blue was water. She was safe. Water was ever changing, peaceful and dangerous, but he knew how to swim. Lance grew up by the ocean, he’d seen her in every state. She’d seen him too. He’s been with her when they both weept, he’s played in her waves, he’s nearly drowned in the riptides.

Losing the ocean had hurt when he left Cuba, but Blue’s energy hummed in his mind, and his altar hid under his bed. Now her presence was muted, and his sacred space was lightyears away. All he had left with that night was a small chunk of rose quartz and a necklace full of sea salt and sage. Except for the clothes on his back and his teammates, they were all he had left of Earth.

Despite being in the hot Arizona desert, you could feel the ocean within Blue. She waited in the damp underground for what must have felt like eons. Her quintessence was in the water, and the water was in her. He had been so deep in his thoughts that he didn’t realize he had wandered to the entrance of the Red Lion’s hangar.

The closer he got, the more he could feel the heat. The more the water receded. He felt parched, the air was dry and the moisture had left his tongue. He couldn’t speak if he tried. He hoped he wouldn’t have to speak. Blue never required him to.

Blue spoke through knowing. She didn’t have a voice, she put the information directly into his mind. It made him think of when his Mama would talk about how if she needed Papa to get something done around the house, she would make him think it’s his idea.

Blue was direct though, she was honest. Not to say Mama was dishonest. She was clever though, she wasn’t so straightforward and she knew what she was doing. Blue was motherly too, but in a different way.

Red wasn’t comforting. He felt too dangerous. He was an open flame, a growing fire, that couldn’t be controlled or quenched. Red’s energy looked like a forest fire on a dry California afternoon. Raging and never-ending. He recoiled at the feeling.

Red felt like the times he burnt his fingers on matches trying to light candles, and the sun blinding his eyes after days in artificial light. He always hated fire, but now he had no choice to befriend him.

Chapter 3

Notes:

Tell me what y'all think of Red's style of talking and Lance's internal monologue. I don't want it to get too messy so I might throw in some colors if I can figure out how to do that.

Red lowered his head to the Blue Paladin. Lance stiffened as he felt more heat roll off of the lion. He felt like he was staring into the mouth of a beast. More or less, he was.

 

He squared his shoulders and looked up with determination as he walked up the ramp into the cockpit, letting himself be surrounded by the feeling of energy sparking like ashes. As he absentmindedly scryed into the shiny surface of the dashboard, he could almost see the Red Lion’s spirit burning bright.

 

“Okay Kitty. How are we doing this.” As he sat down in the pilot’s seat, he made it clear this was not a question, but a command. “Show me”, is what he meant.

A rush of pride overwhelmed him. “Oh I see. You communicate with emotions? That’s not going to be easy is it?” he thought.

What he felt in response could only be described as a smirk.

 

This only spurred on his unease. He knew better than to let fire take control. That’s how he gets burned.

Respect.

“You can feel everything, right? I can’t filter any of my emotions?”

Affirmative.

“Alright. I can work with this. We can do this!”

This feeling was more abstract. Lance couldn’t figure it out. It felt like hope, and pride, but maybe something else. Everything the Red Lion felt was fierce and passionate. This would be difficult.

“You’re kind of hard to communicate with. We’ll have to practice, huh. Wanna try some methods from Earth next time?”

Curiosity.

“Cool. This will probably be unlike anything Keith has done, and it’s kind of a secret. So keep it between us, alright?”

Trust.

“Good Kitty.”

 

Satisfied with the interaction, Lance took off out of the Lion and down the hallway. He didn’t notice how early in the castle cycle it was until he reached the commons and Pidge was the only one out there, slumped over her computer and out cold.

 

He began to hum and heat some water, searching through the premade alien herb packets Hunk had prepared to replicate something along the lines of tea. He made an extra cup for Pidge, feeling oddly warm and comforted after his session with Red.

 

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Keith was the next one to wake. He found Lance sipping his tea and softly nudging Pidge.

He cleared his throat. “Are you sure it’s a good idea to disturb a sleeping soldier?”

Lance nearly jumped out of his skin. Usually he was so keenly aware of everyone’s presence in the castle, but his mind felt like it was wrapped in blankets this morning. He didn’t feel Keith’s fiery energy coming.

 

His eyes began to glaze as he stared into nothingness, studying Keith. He couldn’t actually see it, but he felt something different about him. His flames were being snuffed. There was a heavy weight pushing down on him, piercing into his very core. He blinked and shook his head, it wasn’t right to look at him when he was so vulnerable.

 

“Relax Mullet,” he cocked a lazy grin to hide what he had felt. “Matt probably did this all the time. And I made her tea so she’ll forgive me.”

“Whatever you say,” he mumbled.

 

“He didn’t snap back. Maybe I should talk to him? No. I can’t interfere directly. He’ll know I know something.”

 

“Hey before you go off to brood, I was actually wondering if I could talk to you about something!” Lance hollered. “Shit. My mouth moved faster than my mind.”

Keith paused on his way to the door that led to the training room. “What do you need, Lance?”

“I was wondering if we could talk about Red actually.” good one Lance! “I’m having trouble bonding with her and I wanted to know if you had any advice.”

At this Keith’s guard dropped and he lowered his shoulders. “Uh, yeah I guess,” he stuttered. “Wanna come train with me and we’ll talk?”

“Last one there is rotten food goo!”

“HEY!”

 

“Good. Some competition will keep your spirits up.”

 

The warm feeling in his chest glowed again, and all he could identify from the jumble of feelings was a piece of hope.

Chapter 4

Summary:

Keith and Lance fight it out, then talk it out.

Notes:

I hate writing training/fighting. Also I typed this all in one sitting, no re-reads or rough drafts. We die like men.

Despite Keith’s athletic prowess, Lance’s long legs had him outmatched. His morning tea might also have had a bay leaf or two for strength, but the red paladin didn’t have to know that. Despite their usual banter, training always pushed them into a different mindset. Lance felt more focused and alert, he knew when he had to be serious. Swinging around swords at previously proved lethal robots is a good time for that.

 

“Wanna try out Allura’s new sequence? It’s built for a long range and short range fighter,” Lance asked.

The raven nodded and readied his blade. Not much of a talker most of the time.

“BEGIN TRAINING SEQUENCE,” he hollered.

 

The room morphed into a battle zone much like the Arusian village. Lot’s of rubble and fire, a general area of disaster and destruction. It made his stomach churn, the negative associations with flames just wouldn’t leave him alone. Keith didn’t seem phased at all.

 

Keith always seemed like he was in battle. It was very rare for him to loosen up and be playful, to act like a kid. Lance often forgot he was only 18 when they left Earth. Oddly enough, something about the burn of muscles and the heaviness he could feel in his bones made Keith open up. He wasn’t sure if it was confidence or satisfaction, but despite the fact the blue paladin was getting his ass kicked half the time, it was worth it to open him up.

 

He didn’t have to look at Keith to know he was doing well. He could hear the slash of his bayard slicing through drone after drone while he shot the ones that lingered too close from behind what seemed like a huge chunk of concrete or rock, probably once one of the fake buildings.

 

He’d been so lost in his thoughts he didn’t notice the bot gaining on him from behind. Luckily, Keith was there for him.

“Lance, right behind you!”

He could feel the electricity gaining on him and he turned just in time to place his blaster on it’s chest and pull the trigger. The floor flashed green to show they succeeded.

 

“That one almost got you, huh?” Keith said as he walked over to the bench.

Lance took a seat on the floor beside him, roughly grabbing his water bottle, “Allura just doesn’t know how to hold back.”

“Neither do Galra soldiers.” It was stated with finality that made Lance feel slightly sick. He had to change the mood.

“Neither does Red either! Has he always been so intense? It’s hard to understand him sometimes.”

The shorter boy hummed. “It’s kinda hard to explain. Red wants to make sure you can handle whatever is coming at you, but keep pushing you past your limit too. He always tried to get me to do more than I was capable of, or at least I thought I was, and was there to pick me up if I got in too deep.”

“So you think he’s overloading me to make sure I can handle it?”

“Yeah, maybe. I wouldn’t rule out the possibility that he could know things that are yet to come. They are ancient after all.”

“Older than you even know,” Lance thought. “Thanks for the help, Samurai.”

He stiffened when the brunette stood up and pat his shoulder, only responding with a shaky nod before Lance left the room.

Notes:

Lol KICK

Chapter 5

Summary:

LETS TALK ABOUT THE SIGILS ON LANCE'S BODY AND MORE ABOUT HIS CRAFT YAAAAY

After his training session and little conversation with Keith, Lance headed straight for his room for a shower. Not only was he eager to scrub off the sweat that caked his body from training, but he had a lot to contemplate. Showers were always the best place to contemplate when there’s a lot you need to process. Baths were too still for all the revision he had to do and he needed the constant flow of water to keep his thoughts going while the conversation was still fresh.

He peeled off his training gear and turned the handle to start the water. Even though Altean technology took almost no time at all to heat up, he was used to the routine of inspecting what wards and sigils would need to be recast soon.

He started with his legs, which he always shaved so it was easier to draw on them. Also, it felt nice, so why not. They were were he drew most of his sigils because he rarely wore short pants and it’s easy to hide. They also provided a large canvas, and he liked to charge them by dancing.

He had an entire chain of protection symbols on both his thighs. These were the most important as a fighter and a witch. He had various ones for different purposes, one for protection in each element, protection of body and mind, and protection of others. He updated them frequently for the sense of security the repetition provided.

Up on his chest were further protection for his energy and his soul, along with the sigil for his name and his family. He liked to keep them close to his heart. It was a huge pain in the ass to try to draw like that, but he made do. He trailed his fingertips following his energy down to his left arm. That was his shooting arm for war, and his receiving arm for magick. They had their own respective symbols.

On his right were the opposite. This was the hand he greeted people with, whether it be waving or a hand shake, so he charmed it for diplomacy. It was also the arm he used to send his magic into the world. He liked to keep it simple because it had to be recast most often. The ink was fading so he studied the symbols once more, despite already having been burned into his mind, to make sure he could remake them when they were gone.

Feeling satisfied, he stepped into the stream.

Notes:

Should I draw this? I'd have to design all the sigils and make them working cause accuracy but like,,, worth it.