Fun fact: I hate school. And most importantly the Home Ec test we will have tomorrow that I most definitely didn't study for :D

But uhh, here, have this dose of Klance:

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Hunk had been stuffing Keith's face with food at least half of the day now.

And the problem was that he definitely didn't have the appetite for all of that, and only felt like throwing it all up. But Hunk insisted that he needed to make sure the food sank all the way down the stomach, before it could show any effect. And he basically had the red paladin pinned to the chair, so there was no way for him to escape.

According to the healing pod, Keith's very intensive training, mixed with too little energy from not eating well, and his blood loss was what caused him to pass out, and the fact that he couldn't even recall harming his body in such way beforehand, was enough for Hunk to cook like hell for a meal that could feed a whole universe. Keith's stomach twisted in disapproval by just looking at the amount of it.

Today was their second day of banquets, and Keith luckily had a reason not to attend to it. He didn't even need to fake his infirmity, since it was very much real. Too real. As soon as he woke up, his legs wanted nothing but double over, and even if the pod provided him with the nutrients he needed to survive, it wasn't as near as enough as his body craved. Besides, Alteans didn't require half of how much nutrients an average human did, so the pod was stingy with that. That's why Hunk insisted on stuffing his face with so much food.

But there was something that disturbed him, beyond the whole eating 'till you burst situation. And that was Lance. Just like before, Keith found himself staring at him so intensely that he was almost seeing in a blur, watching as he argued with Shiro at the end of the kitchen table, gesticulating dramatically. The height difference was almost humorous. 
But it's what they talked about that disturbed him. They were talking about him, and Lance kept giving reasons as to why they all couldn't just attend to the banquet without Keith, because the citizens needed to see all the paladins, for "good image". "Wouldn't want to lower their expectations, right?" Lance had asserted, crossing his arms. Shiro had answered in a very annoyingly calm voice that they would explain the situation to the aliens, and that Keith needed to stay in the castle to rest.

"That's ridiculous. Just leave him here all alone? Not that I'm concerned about his well being, but what if he manages to pass out again, because of his lack of responsibility? Someone needs to watch this guy, that's why I'm kind enough to offer my help. Not out of concern, of course", the blue paladin said, raising his head high.

There was no sign of annoyance on Shiro's face, and a little yank of the corner of his mouth revealed his amusement. "I'm sorry Lance, but we can't let you stay here. Not when Keith can handle himself fine here. And we certainly can't afford to cancel this banquet either. We've prepared so long for it, and two absent paladins is way worse than one." He put his metallic arm on Lance's shoulder, and he huffed, looking to the side. "But don't worry, I know Keith will be just fine, and we don't have to be away for so long. We'll be back in no time."

"Be just fine?" Lance repeated, slowly unfolding his arms, raising his eyebrows. "Be just fine?! I don't think you understand, Shiro, Keith doesn't do just fine, and that's why he passed out in the first place! To leave him alone again could just risk something like that to happen again. Oh, maybe this time he will train himself to death! What a lovely idea! Great leadership, Shiro!"

"I understand that you're concerned, Lance...", the black paladin began.

"I'm not concerned!"

"...but you have nothing to worry about. I wouldn't leave him alone if I didn't feel like he couldn't take care of himself. Besides, we are close by. It's not like we will be thousands of lightyears away from him. He can always call for help if something is wrong."

"No importará si está muerto", Lance muttered under his breath, crossing his arms again, pouting.

💬 Translation: It won't matter if he's dead💬

Shiro blinked, and Keith didn't know if he had understood what the other had just said, or if he was just as confused as Keith was in this moment. But then he quickly spoke again. "But if it will make you feel better, you can occasionally check up on him while we're there, just to make sure everything's alright."

Keith didn't expect much for his answer, but still it made him sink a little deeper into the chair when Lance waved his hand, closing his eyes. "Pff, why would I want to do that? As I said, I'm. Not. Concerned. I couldn't care less about his health. ¿Por qué me importaría? No estoy preocupado. En absoluto."

💬Translation: Why would I care? I'm not concerned. Not at all."💬

"Suit yourself", Shiro said, his smile growing wider. Keith clenched his fist. He understood what he had just said. That bastard. How many languages did this guy speak? Keith had never bothered to ask if he'd been a language teacher of some sort before the Garrison, but maybe he needed to. 

"He's concerned for you", Pidge said as she sat down next to Keith, propping up her legs on the table, computer in her lap. When Keith turned to look at her, she didn't even bother to meet his gaze. He had to ignore Hunk's commando to get back to eating.

"What do you mean?" Although her comment was quite clear, Keith needed to ask anyways, because only God knew what was going on inside the green paladin's head.

"Lance. He's concerned for you. That's why he's having this whole argument with Shiro in the first place", Pidge clarified, only that it didn't really clarify anything, so Keith was left confused, still.

"What makes you think that?" he asked, ever so slowly, his thoughts going into a conflict mode. He couldn't really wrap his head around what she was implying on.

Only now did she peek up from her computer screen, her eyes unreadable. "It's the Spanish that is a dead giveaway. Whenever he starts speaking it, it's either because he's worried, angry, or flirting. This moment totally fits in on that, expect for the flirting." Keith didn't want to believe that something twinkled in her eyes, but it was very hard to miss. She had turned her whole head now, waiting for some kind of reaction.

Keith could only gape with his eyes, failing to get a sentence out. His mouth felt dry, like he was dehydrated on words, and needed a refill. He was still drowsy, and maybe that was the incoming food coma, or maybe the healing pod just had that effect, so he couldn't really form anything useful to say from the words that had remained in his mind. So eventually it just came to a quiet:

"I don't know what you're talking about." He dared to peek at Lance further away, just out of pure curiosity, and just when he did, the brunet met his eyes, quickly glaring to get his point through. Keith followed him with his eyes all the way out of the dining table, until he had vanished completely, but still he stared at that direction.

I don't know what you're talking about, Keith thought, but this time it wasn't meant for Pidge.

Speaking of...

"Hey Pidge, I need your help..."

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Lance didn't know what was going on with him anymore; nothing he did or said seemed rational for both himself and everyone around him. His words were like bullets, and an evil force in his body was pulling the trigger to the gun that was his mouth. Nothing, from his words and actions, to his feelings, could be controlled, and he wasn't sure if it was all his fault.

No, it definitely wasn't his fault. More like a certain emo boy. Lance was sure that his mullet held some kind of powers, and was the reason he was behaving this way. Maybe Keith was like Medusa, and whenever he looked at that very horrible hair, his rational thoughts would just solidify. Yeah, that was it.

"Still not up for my offer?" Lance whipped his head to the side, startled by the man that had dispersed his thoughts. Shiro smiled just briefly, looking over at the field littered with meringue looking aliens. They all just... floated over the ground. Like Drakula meringues. Lance never thought he'd get to witness something like that.

"What offer?" he snapped, still annoyed over their previous discussion, and he was growing even more irritated now that he sensed that this conversation would go the same path.

Shiro didn't look at him, just crossing his arms as he let his face get illuminated by the orange sky above them. He gave a little nod over his shoulder, gesturing towards the castle behind them. "Keith's just there. You can check on him if you want. I'm sure everything's fine with him, thought, but maybe he'll appreciate the concern."

"WHAT?!" Lance accidentally breathed in too sharply, and he coughed violently, shaking off Shiro's hand that started to pat his back. He stood up taller, surpressing another upcoming cough, which made him sound strangled when he spoke again. "That's ridiculous! I thought I made it very clear when I said that I'm NOT concerned with him. Not one bit! I just thought of our reputation, and the hardship we would have to face if he were to pass out again." He tried to push away his own thoughts, afraid that he would start to question himself again, and overthink. The last thing he wanted was to give in to Shiro's words,

W̶h̶i̶c̶h̶ ̶h̶e̶ ̶m̶a̶y̶b̶e̶ ̶a̶l̶r̶e̶a̶d̶y̶ ̶h̶a̶d̶.

The team leader looked at him, flashed him a smile before dropping the subject, just like that. "No flirting with aliens this time?"

The sudden conversation change was baffling. Lance had to blink several times. "Huh... I..Um, I..." Get a grip of yourself! "I... I'm not really up for flirting with a walking meringue, if you know what I mean."

Shiro chuckled. "You seem hungry. Have you eaten dinner yet? Try their dish, it's actually really good. Hunk even got inspired to cook something like that for us."

"I'm good, thanks", Lance mumbled, looking out over the aliens. I could eat up a whole ass planet, his stomach grumbled, but he had to quite it down. He wasn't done with the pondering just yet.

"Suit yourself", Shiro said again, putting a strong hand on the other's shoulder. "But hey, try to have some fun. Or else, go check on Keith to clear you head from the worry. Maybe you'll enjoy your time here more if you do." Before Lance had time to scream at him, he was gone, walking off to Coran further away. Lance snorted, his eyebrows knitting together.

"Pff, like I'd want to check on that guy", Lance muttered to himself, pressing his knuckle against his mouth, speaking into his hand. "I don't care what happens to him. I don't care if he passes out again. I don't care about anything he does. Concerned for him-my ass. Mierda de mierda."

His thoughts were spiraling, his brain felt like a poached egg, and he didn't know what to focus on anymore. We're Shiro's words getting to him, is that what was going on? He flicked his own head. No. Never. He flicked it again just to make sure. Never ever.

But then his way of thinking switched into something worse. A thought: He was just a very good paladin helping in need, no matter how annoying and boring this person he was saving was. With his knuckles in between his teeth, he slowly turned around, looking over at the castle looming over him, glistening under the natural light above. He could practically hear it whisper for him to step closer.

He sighed, taking his hand away from his mouth, throwing a quick glance at Shiro's direction to see if he was witnessing his surrender. His back was completely turned towards him, but he knew that he didn't need to witness such a thing to know that he was right.

Welp, he was just a very good-hearted, naive paladin, after all.

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Ooo, first Lance POV in this book.

Ending it off on a nice Klance note cuz I can't get my shit together and write long chapters anymore😃