Chapter Text
It was a typical morning or at least as typical as a simulated morning on the castle of lions. All the Paladins were sitting around the table eating space goo while discussing training sessions for later that day when surprise surprise Lance comes in late. Keith didn't even bother turning his head to face the Cuban boy, watching as Allura already has her mouth open to reprimand the Blue Paladin for his tardiness. When a loud slam occurred. Everyone jumped turning to stare at the noise; it was Lance a massive smile on his face as he stood in front of Pidge. Before anyone could ask what he was doing, he grinned even harder sliding a rectangular piece of machine towards Pidge. “Read it and weep Gremlin.”
Keith was ready for the verbal assault to come from the youngest paladin, but she was silent her mouth opening and closing like a fish. “How…but I…there is no way.” She quickly picked up the machine gliding her fingers over the bulky piece of tec a smile overcoming her surprise. “This is exactly what I need, I just need to configure it to-” She screeched open jumping up out of her seat trying to get around Lance.
Only to have Lance reach out with one hand taking the tec out of Pidge's hand and shaking his head "Nope nuh uh. We had a deal Pidgey. I find the tec, and you get at least eight hours of sleep and one whole day free of work." Pidge struggled to climb the tall teen desperate to reach the piece of machinery that Lance was now holding over his head.
"After I'm done," Pidge says as Lance struggles to push the younger teen away who had launched onto his torso. “Lance give me the damn piece.”
"No, we had a deal," Lance says shoving Pidge hard enough to break free and dash to the other side of the table, Pidge growled, but followed. Suddenly both teens were running circles around the table
"Can someone make them stop I'm getting dizzy," Hunk says covering his eyes as he leans in his chair.
Shiro sigh “Guys can you please-”
"Lance give it back" "Not a chance chicken legs." "CHICKEN LEGS" Pidge screeches completely forgetting about going around the table and instead jumped on it to cut right to Lance. Lance dropped down underneath the table scurrying underneath to put more distance between the green raged demon.
"ENOUGH" Shiro shouts both teens freezing on the spot. Lance was looking between Pidge and the door behind him, while Pidge looked like a cat ready to pounce on the taller teen. "Pidge don't even think about it," Shiro says staring at the two like a disappointed dad. Keith couldn't help but agree that Shiro was slowly turning into a Space Dad.
It was Allura who broke the silence "What seems to be the problem?" Suddenly both the teens were yelling their answers each pointing and yelling at each other. Allura blinked reeling back in surprise. "One at a time, please. Pidge go first."
“Lance won’t give me the last piece I need for my project.” Pidge shouts crossing her arms as she glares at Lance.
"Lance why wouldn't you give Pidge the machine," Allura asked slowly her head tilted in confusion.
"Because we had a deal. If I found the piece, she needed then Pidge would go to bed and take a day off."
Pidge stomped her foot. “That was before I knew you would actually find it. Now give it here.” With that Pidge charged at the older teen Lance quickly raising the tec back over her head out of the girls reach.
Lance struggled to restrain the munchkin with one hand but showed no sign of giving up. His years of rough housing and being apart of a big family were finally coming in handy. "Your gonna break your pinky promise Pidge."
“Oh grow up.”
Shiro sighed standing up to separate the teens. "Oh look you angered Space Dad," Lance muttered trying to escape Shiro's grip, but sadly the Galra made hand made that impossible for him.
"What is this project your working on Pidge," Allura asks a frown on her face at the fought of her paladins fighting amongst each other.
"I was hoping to create a cloaking device for the ship. One similar to Green's but better. However, someone seems to have a problem with that."
“Lance this seems like an important project, why not give Pidge what she needs and when she’s done she can rest.”
Lance gasped at her “Are you serious” Lance screeches slipping past Shiro’s fingers as the teen abandoned his trademark jacket for freedom. "Look at her Allura she hasn't slept in forever. You have her training, and then she's in her lab the rest of the day. She hasn't slept in at least three quintants." Pidge opened her mouth as Lance rounded her with a look "Don't even deny it Pidge.” Pidge huffed grumbling to herself but didn't deny it.
As Keith gave Pidge a once over he couldn't help, but agree with Lance Pidge did seem exhausted. Her hair was messier than usual, deep black bags standing out against pale skin and even her clothes were crumpled up. "That maybe true," Allura says "But I'm sure if Pidge needs a break she will take one herself."
“Passing out over your desk isn’t a break” Lance exclaiming it to room.
“I’m sure Pidge knows her limitation better than any of us. This project could help us in battles to come.” Allura stood up with the grace that could only be found in a princess “Give her the piece Lance.”
Lance sighed before sulking “I knew you would pick her side.” He says walking over to Pidge who had a huge grin on her face her hand already stretched out, finger wiggling as she reeled in her victory. Lance grumbled to himself ready to hand over the piece when suddenly he shoved Pidge into Shiro and runs out the door yelling “Sike.”
“LANCE” Pidge shouts running after him.
Everyone stares at the door before Hunk sighs getting up, “we better go before one of them dies or something explodes.”
Just as the paladins began to wander the halls, a loud "ALLURA" could be heard throughout the ship. Suddenly the mice were running towards Allura at full speed, climbing up her dress and resting on her shoulders squeaking the entire time.
"What," Allura asked surprised racing down the hallway.
“Princess wait” Shiro says already following the Altean royalty down the hallway Hunk and Keith behind him.
Suddenly they were the Green Lion hangar. The only problem was that Green’s shields were up and Pidge was the one banging on it while Lance was resting against the Lion’s paw. “Lance I swear to god whatever you did to Green-”
“I didn’t do anything she agrees with me. You need to rest.”
"Damn it Lance tell me how you got Green to keep me out, or I swear you'll wish the Galra got a hold of you."
"What is going-" Allura was cut off by Pidge rushing over to her. "Lance ran in here and hid the tec in Green, but when I tried to get in she put her barriers up, and I can't get them down and worse I CANT GET TO LANCE." Allura took a step back from the enraged girl blinking.
“Lance whatever you did to Green-”
"The only thing I did to Green was talk to her," Lance says looking up at the Green Lion. "Thank you. My legs are killing me" Lance mutters sitting on top of the lion's leg.
“Get off of her” Pidge screeched. “Green let me in. Allura tell Green to let me in.“
“The Green lion isn’t responding to me.” Allura says a frown on her face. “Lance this is serious whatever you have done to the Green Lion-”
“I haven’t done anything, I simply told her what was going on with Pidge and she was more than willing to help.” Lance says with a shrug before directing a smug look towards Pidge “She’s very disappointed that her paladin would go back on her word.” He says dramatically standing up tilting his head up to the Green Lion.
“Can he really talk to the other lions?” Keith asked watching as Pidge was still banging on the barrier feeling oddly content that his lion wasn’t the only lion to shut their paladins out.
Hunk shrug “I don’t see why not he and Sunshine have conversations all the time.”
"Sunshine," Allura asks ignoring the shouts of the tiny girl in front of her.
“Yah Lance and I think we should call the lions something other than their colors. I mean they have their own personality why not a name.” Hunk says again with another shrug “I named her Sunshine because of how warm she always is and Lance finally decided on Mera for Blue.”
“Mera?” Coran asked “What an interesting name.”
"He was gonna name her Amphirite after the sea queen in Roman mythology, but Blue didn't like that the only references to the name were of the sea and being attached to the king. So Lance went with Mera. You know the Queen of Atlantis in the DC comics because she's so badass." Hunk explained watching, as Pidge seemed to be tiring out.
They watched as the Green Lion lowered themselves to its stomach opening its mouth as Lance quickly raced inside. Pidge was practically a banshee at this point, but the barrier started to diminish, and she ran in after the Cuban boy. Before the other paladins could follow the Green Lion shut its mouth. The others stood awkwardly as they could hear shouts inside the lion.
“Lance let go of me.”
“No just sit still.”
“What the hell are you doing?”
“Ow did you just bit me what are you six”
“Lance let me go.”
The shuffling continued until. Finally, the Green Lion opened its mouth and out came a disheveled Lance carrying a wiggling Pidge wrapped like a burrito in a green blanket over his shoulder. “Lance you put me down this instant or so help me by the time I’m done with you-”
"Yah yah I heard you the first time geez," Lance says rolling his eyes, not at all bothered by the wiggling Pidge burrito on his shoulder as he strolled out of the lion's mouth. Lance walked a few steps away before turning back to the Green Lion "Thanks for the help Green, couldn't have done this without you." Lance says with a smile as Pidge screams traitor.
Shiro is pinching the bridge of his nose “Lance put her down.”
"Nope," Lance says popping the p as he tries to walk around the group.
“Lance this is serious Pidge’s project could help tremendously with future missions.” As Shiro stood in front of the Cuban boy an unamused expression settling on his face as he tried to reach for Pidge.
The Green Lion’s eyes flashed just as Shiro was about to touch Pidge and let out a roar, slamming its paw down next to the Black Paladin. Shiro jumped in shock, but Lance was surprisingly calm smiling even. “Like I said she’s not very happy with her paladin’s health.” A mechanic growl ripped itself through the air as if agreeing with the Blue paladin.
Lance sidestepped Shiro who seemed frozen in place “Say goodnight Pidge.”
“Fuck you” Pidge replied slumping in defeat on the boys shoulder.
"Thanks, Green." Lance says throwing a smile over his face as he walks out of the room everyone still standing shocked at the Green Lion's reaction. Once Lance and Pidge had left the room the Green Lion settled and raised its barrier again.
“Princess what just happened?” asked Shiro as the rest of team Voltron headed to the council room.
“I’m not sure,” Allura says placing a hand on her chin. “I’ve never seen a lion react like that before. Hunk you say that Lance had been speaking with your Lion as well.”
Hunk nods "Yup they talk all the time when he helps me buff out some of the bigger dents on her especially when we have to work around her neck she hates neck dents, so Lance distracts hers." Keith couldn't help but feel envious of how simple it seems for the others to connect to their Lions or in Lance case how easy it was for him to connect with multiple lions.
“He just talks to them,” Allura asks suspiciously “Are you sure Lance didn’t do anything to your lion.”
Keith could swear that Hunk's eyes narrowed a flash of anger passing through his eyes, but it was hard to picture their gentle giant angry, so Keith dismissed it as a trick of the light. "I'm sure" Hunk says "Look I'm gonna make sure Pidge hasn't escaped some way and killed Lance." That said the Yellow Paladin left the room.
"Oh, good your alive" Hunk says as he walks into the mess that is Pidge's room.
“Barely” Lance huffs adjusting the green bundle lying on his chest. "She bit me Hunk. I probably have cooties now." Lance says laughing quietly not to wake the sleeping girl in his arms.
"I'm surprised you got her asleep." Hunk says sitting on the edge of the bed next to his friends.
"Me too," Lance starts to chuckle "I actually sang her to sleep."
Hunk laughed out loud Lance shhing him as Pidge stirred “Video or it didn’t happen.”
"Pfft guess it didn't happen then." Lance says petting the girl's hair.
"Hmm, Matt" Pidge muttered, "stop it." Lance felt his heart tighten as Hunk frowned.
"Any luck with you know" Hunk says unsure if it was safe to talk about this with a sleeping Pidge in the room. "Your project."
“No maybe if I had the right ingredients I could…” Lance shakes his head no point in rambling about things he doesn’t have. “I’m doing the best I can, but its baby steps.”
Hunk shrugged “At least it’s steps.”
The duo was silent for a moment until Hunk blurted out “Are the rest of them still bugging you.”
Lance winced “They don’t approve of the word bugging.”
“I’m sorry” Hunk snorted, a playful smile on his face “Are they still assisting you?”
"They helped me find the tec; they told me Pidge spent two nights looking through storage for it before giving up." Lance says glance at the corner of the room. Hunk waits he knows that look, has ever since he met Lance when they were ten.
"It's not that weird." Lance says still looking at the corner. "So what they are all just huddled in the conference room talking…" Lance groaned tilting his head back. "We talked about this." Lance sighed in irritation
Hunk smiled “What did they say?”
"They think I should tell the team."
"They aren't wrong," Hunk says feeling the temp in the room shift warmer.
"The team thinks its weird that I can talk to multiple lions, how am I suppose to explain this." Lance says glaring at something over Hunk's shoulder.
“Well I mean it will take some time, but I mean you should tell them.” Hunk could make out something passing over Pidge’s trash replicas. “You should at least tell Pidge we agreed at the Garrison Pidge should know.”
"Everything is different now," Lance says shaking his head "it's just not the right time." Hunk shivered as the temperature suddenly dropped.
“They don’t seem very happy about that,” Hunk says trying to lighten the mood.
"Yeah well they're dead, so I'm sure there's a lot they aren't happy about." Lance says as the room temperature plummets. Pidge snuggles in closer to a grumbling Lance as Hunk just shakes his head not at all bothered by the Lance trash-replica shaking its head, arms crossed staring at the trio.