"Do you ever feel like Lance is hiding something?"

"Um, maybe. I don't really care that much. Why, what's up Hunk?"

"Just kinda. Okay Keith we've been friends forever and a half so I really just think something's off. In my gut, ya know?"

"Not really. What do you think it is?" Keith looked up from his tablet, eyes shining with adventure.

"Either something really big or something really insignificant."

"Well that's helpful." Keith rolled his eyes.

"Hey guys. What's goin on?" Pidge rolled into the room on her space heeleys, arms crossed and hair messier than usual.

"Lance has a secret. We want to find out what it is." Hunk informed her.

"Oh yeah. THAT secret. You guys haven't figured it out? He hasn't told you?"

"SPILL THAT TEA GURL!" Hunk screeched, slamming his hands down.

"It isn't my place. I couldn't do that to him. Good luck." Her face fell and she strolled over to her  station and powered up cool-math games.

"Well, " Keith turned to Hunk. "I bet Shiro knows it."

"I guess he probably does. I feel like it's something big, like something that keeps Lance from training as much, cause Shiro lets him off the hook every time we do something exhausting."

"Oh no, do you think he's sick or something?"

"Nah, Allura would have gotten him in a healing pod. Let's hunt for clues."

=================================================================================

Lance's door swished shut as the blue paladin headed for the showers. His room was empty.  Keith darted to the panel nimbly as Hunk tried to copy him but failed, knocking into Keith. They went down like bowling pins.

"What's his room code?" Keith hissed at Hunk.

"I don't know, he likes his privacy too much to tell anyone."

"He's definitely hiding something." Keith punched in L A N C E. Nothing happened. 1 2 3 4 5. Nada.

"Really man, he'd pick something important to him. Like donut. Or pizza. Or pasta."

"What about his friends?"

"Yeah I mean I guess."

P I D G E. S H I R O. C O R A N. Nothing. Hunk elbowed Keith out of the way and punched in K.

"What are you doing?"

I. E.

"No way that's it. The guy hates me.

T. H.

ENTRANCE DENIED. INTRUDER ALLERT. SIX FAILED TRIES. INTRUDER ALLERT. The mechanical voice blared over the hallway intercom.

Shiro hurdled down the hallway. Pidge and Allura met them there.

"What's going on?" Pidge yelled over the alarm. "There's no excess weight anywhere, and all paladins are accounted for."

Shiro turned to Hunk and Keith. "Do you two know what's happening?"

Hunk looked down guiltily. Keith met Shiro's eyes.

"We were. Um. Fighting. Yeah, I insulted his cooking and he hit me, and I banged his head into the wall, six, uh, times and it was the key pad for Lance's room. And the alarm went off."

The noises stopped and the lights quit flashing red. Shiro did not look convinced.

"Well the alarm is reset, and Hunk's head is fine, so I think we should move on now. Shiro, can I talk to you real quick?" Pidge spoke up.

Allura and Keith drifted toward the training deck and Hunk went looking for Coran. Pidge pulled Shiro into her room beside Lance's, almost, but not quite, closing the door, leaving a smidgen of light peeking through. She sat at her desk and fiddled with a pencil.

"Katie, what's wrong? Something's bothering you, and whatever it is, you can tell me."

"Keith and Hunk tried to break into Lance's room!" She blurted out.

"I wondered. Do you know why?"

"I- I don't want to make them mad at me."

"Completely confidential Pidge. What are they trying to do? You're worrying me."

"They- they're trying to be helpful, but-- but they're on to something. About Lance. They know somethings up but they don't know what, and they are trying to figure it out!" She stammers.

"Okay. I'll look into it. Do they know what they're looking for?"

"N- no but if Lance hasn't already told them I don't want them to- to find out. if he's not ready to tell them we should respect that but you know them, Shiro, they won't stop until they find out! What if he knows something about them, and he's hiding it to be safe? I just don't want him to- to get hurt. It was so, so hard for me to tell you, and they accepted me, but Lance is different. What if they don't understand? I was just- well, in disguise. Lance is... not like that."

"It'll be okay Katie, they aren't like that. I get where you're coming from but they're accepting. They'll understand. But I agree. Lance should be allowed to come out when he's ready. They have no right to invade his privacy. Do you think you could--"

"Check security cameras to find out how close they were to getting in? Yeah, if you find Lance and tell him nobody actually broke into his room."

"On it." Shiro stepped out of Pidge's room and straight into Lance, who was in his PJs typing in his code. He quickly hid it from Shiro.

"Shiro, hey man what's up?"

"Lance, I just wanted to let you know that nobody got into your room. It was... just Keith and Hunk fooling around."

Lance visibly relaxed, and he looked down. "That's good to hear. Goodnight Space dad."

Shiro chuckled and ruffled Lance's hair. "Goodnight cadet." He turned to walk down the hallway and stopped, looking over his shoulder. "Remember to take it off to sleep Lance. Nobody is gonna barge in on you in the middle of the night."

"Okay Shiro. Thanks."