Lance was back in the pilot’s chair of the Red Lion. Keith pat his back before calling over Kosmo, the dog bouncing over as the alpha gave the omega a pat on his back. “Talk to you later.” He mumbled, offering the slightest smile.

Lance let out a sigh, trying his best to curl his lips up to reassure his leader. “Yeah, you too.” He said quietly, glancing up at him.

With another bright flash, the Black Paladin was gone. Lance let a content hum escape his lips as he greeted his previously concerned teammates.

“Lance! We were so worried.” Hunk shouted, eye sparkling through the screen in relief. “Aww, buddy. You gave me a scare.” The Samoan teen look at his long time friend, pouting and teary eyes.

Lance let a chuckle escape his lips. “Sorry, bud.” He said, his voice soft as he gazed at the screen. “Stuff came up.” He mumbled.

“Well, it’s best that you sort that out.” Allura intervened, face creased with worry, yet determination. “We can’t let that affect us forming Voltron.”

Keith came up on screen, irritation prominent in his features. “You mean on how your teammate died, yet you did nothing to help him through it once you brought him back.” He snapped at the Altean.

Allura blinked, confusion on her face before coming to a realization. “Oh… You.. You know about that?” She asked weakly, no longer the regal and strong princess, but a naive young adult who doesn’t know what to do without the guidance of a parental figure.

Keith softened his features. “Yes… I do. Because I asked.” Though his features were no longer fueled with anger, his words were still a punch in the face as Allura slowly deflated slightly.

“I’m sorry, but don’t I get a say in this?” Lance cut in, cheeks flushed in embarrassment at the Alphas’ bickering. He crossed his arms and legs, heart pounding as everyone went quiet at the hostility.

Shiro’s voice, calm like the breeze, was first to speak. “Yes. I mean, yes, Lance. You should have a say in this conversation. Second, Keith is right, Allura. You didn’t speak out about it. You’re one of the leaders of Voltron. Lance didn’t know how to say it if you didn’t mention anything. So he kept quiet. He’s an omega. He follows his leaders because it’s programmed in him whether he or anyone likes it.” He explained briefly. The white-haired man then led his gaze to Keith. “As for you, perhaps it would have been better to talk with everyone and with more tolerance.”

Allura looked down on her lap, regret and shame clear in her crystalized gaze. “I apologize to Lance and the team. That was not very professional and I’ll do my best to prevent any future instances such as this one.” She sniffed.

Keith squirmed under the older Alpha’s gaze. “Sorry… To Lance and Allura.” He added quickly before Shiro could open his mouth to correct him. Instead the former Black Paladin nodded his head.

“I apologize for my son’s actions. He hasn’t quite gotten a hold of his urges to protect his omega.” Krolia’s straightforward voice was heard in the background as the Galran Woman came to the screen.

Keith turned red as he spluttered out words. “Mom!” He groaned in embarrassment, Pidge snickering as she let out teasing comments. Krolia tilted her head, confused by the reactions.

Shiro let a few chuckles escape his lips. “We don’t talk about mating statuses here.” He tried to explain the oblivious mother. “And they’re not really mates…”

Krolia scrunched her nose, still slightly confused. “I am sorry. From what I have heard and seen, they seemed very close and very much in love.” She explained. “That… What was it, Yorak? Bonding Moment? Yes. The Bonding Moment looked very intimate to me when we were in the Quantum Abyss.”

Pidge just continued laughing, tears springing to her eyes as she gasped for air. “Hunk.. Hunk! I can’t breath!” She wheezed as Hunk just laughed nervously, not really knowing what to say about the whole situation.

Keith and Lance on the other hand just sunk in their seats, faces going red as they chuckled slightly with uncertainty. 

“That’s absolutely insane.” Lance mumbled through the comms. “Rude ass bitches. Leave me alone!” He whined, crossing his arms, a pout on his lips. His heart pounded in his chest. Keith and him? Together? As mates? In what universe? “You guys are crazy. Never going to happen.”

“Uh-huh. Sure thing, Loverboy Lance.” Pidge grinned, the little gremlin no longer laughing maniacally. “Whatever you say.”

“What! I did not realize that the Red Paladin and Keith were not mates!” Romelle’s voice suddenly made itself clear as she screeched in disbelief. “I truly believed they were in a relationship.” It was almost as if she felt betrayed.

“If it was made clear, I wouldn’t have written all these short stories and drew all these pictures!” She groaned.

The information alarmed Keith as he shouted out, “What?”

Romelle seemed to get the hint that she shouldn’t have said that and responded with, “Huh? What? I didn’t say anything.” She giggled nervously.

“Wait, wait, wait.” Coran intervened. “You mean Klance is NOT cannon king?”

“Klance?”

“Agreed! Unacceptable!”

“I am so confused.”

“Can someone explain this Klance?”

“What?”

Lance and Keith let out an exasperated groan. The team just laughed at their annoyance.

Shiro let out a chuckle as he bit his lip. "Moving on from the subject. Let's talk about something else! What do you wanna talk about?" He asked, trying to ease into another conversation. 

Luckily, Allura had something in mind to fill up the time in the empty void of space. "What do you miss most of your families and your Earth?" She asked, voice soft with curiosity and understanding. 

Hunk jumped in first. "Well, I for one, miss family time with my moms and my dad. We'd try different dishes from our culture as well as others. Since I knew Lance before anyone else, we'd try Cuban dishes. They were never as good as Mrs. McClain's or her family's, but they were decent. I'd also help my dad around his shop and I'd keep the kids busy and let them play." He sighed with longing. "Strolls along the neighborhood and around the park were pretty nice and relaxing when it got stressful."

Allura nodded slightly. "That sounds pleasant, Hunk. I look forward to experiencing all your favorite activities." She said gingerly. "What about you, Pidge?"

Pidge cleared her throat and pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "Well, I miss my mom. I know she's gonna kill me and ground me for the rest of my life since I randomly disappeared while she was still grieving over my dad and brother. I also miss Bae-Bae, my dog, and watching movies late at night with a fuzzy blanket and eating popcorn and a whole pint of ice cream with my family or even by myself." She paused between words as she shifted uncomfortably. She wasn't particularly fond of sharing her feelings, but she was comfortable enough to tell her friends, who have slowly become close to her like a family. 

Allura leaned in and listened to every word that slipped from the Green Lion's pilot. "I would love to have a taste of these snacks that you speak of. Your mother and dog seem like something you care much about." She breathed.

Krolia entered the conversation with a short comment, "They are quite lovely to have when watching those movies." Her pronunciation was a bit odd at the word and it was intriguing to listen to. "What do you miss more from Earth, Keith?" She asked curiously, thirsty for more information on her son's interest. 

"I-I mean, I didn't do much except bother Shiro. I did love riding my motorcycle with him though. Sometimes we had to cut it short because it was getting it was getting late. I loved the sunsets and stargazing. I guess." Keith replied shortly, his tone anxious and his words quick. 

Allura stayed silent for him, hoping for more clarification on her leader's life before meeting the Alteans.

Though, it was clear to Lance that they were finished speaking about the former Red Paladin's personal information. 

"I loved the sunsets as well." He began with a sigh. "But I prefer them along the beach line. They were beautiful back in Cuba. But I miss a lot more than the sky or the rain. I really miss my family. The house was full of us. All crammed into a decently sized house that was barely affordable. My mom, my sisters, my brothers, my nephew and niece, my grandparents. I miss the buzz of activity during the day and the calmness of my mother waiting for me as she watched a novella by the front door. Just to make sure I was safe from my long nights. I miss dancing and my friends." 

Romelle spoke this time around. "You seem fond of your family and your life on Earth." She commented. 

Lance shrugged. "It seems about right. No matter how loud it got." He said with a slight laugh, reaching for his wrist, the weight of silver chains suddenly burned against his skin in grief. It hurt to think of his life before Voltron. Izzy and Dom had engraved their presence in his heart and mind.

"Gods, I just wanna go home." He muttered, leaning against his seat, Red's protective nature had the Lion grumbling comforting thoughts. 

It was still an alien feeling for Lance. He had been piloting the Red Lion for more than a year now, but his presence and personality varied drastically from Blue's. While the Blue Lion was more of a gentle motherly and calm spirit, Red was aggressive, protective,  yet still caring.

"I'll drink to that, sister." Shiro sighed, running his only hand through strands of white hair.

Allura only spared a confused hum, nodding slowly without purpose. "And you, Shiro?" She asked, brushing past the unknown use of slang.

Shiro just stared out the Black Lion into space. "Adam." He replied, his eyes glazed and glossed over. He didn't emphasize, but Keith reached over to pat Shiro's shoulder in understand. 

Everyone else was silent, unsure of the next thing that was going to be said. Lance was about to open his mouth to gain information, the name familiar, but not familiar enough to be a spark of memory. 

Shiro beat him to it. "Adam was my fiance." He explained slowly. "I left our relationship on bad terms and I… I want to fix that. He was one of the loves of my life and I miss him a lot." He finished with a bittersweet sigh as he bit his lip.

And then it dawned Lance and he could not stress this enough, that he felt like an absolute idiot because he just had a stupid dream about it. But Adam was one of the reasons that he went to the Garrison. Well, his brother, but same difference. 

Once he got there, the professor was fond of him and they grew close. It came to the point where Lance explained why he was there and who he was. Not the whole story, just where it involved the stoic male. He'd ask every day after class if he'd be willing to go and help. Each day the professor would say no with an amused huff and a cross of his arms. 'I won't leave my fiance or my boy.'

When the Kerberos Mission offered to bring Shiro with them, the stubborn teacher spend more time in his classroom than his own home. Lance asked less during this duration of his life. He wouldn't answer the question this time.

When they claimed the mission a fail and the crew dead and when his adopted son disappeared, the man of color barely spoke unless he was giving lessons or absolutely necessary. Lance stopped asking, instead offering a shoulder to cry on. He listened as the man blabbed on about his dead almost spouse and boyfriend and how much he missed the family he created there. He grew to loath the Mission that killed his fiance, boyfriend and his friend. Though people talked about the crew and mission, it was never mentioned around the man, in fear of offending him or being the cause of his anger.

"He loved you a lot and missed you, Shiro." Lance blurted out quietly, interrupting the silence of space and the gentle hum of the Lions.

Shiro's eyes grew sad and Lance wanted to pity him. "I doubt it." He muttered, shutting down the comms and making his way to the cockpit, tears welling up in his eyes.

Lance understood, however. Sometimes you just need to stay inside for hours, just to think, wanting the whole world to go away. And that was okay.

word count: 2158

// I swear I'm alive! Just been busy! I'll try to continue writing as much as possible!!