Klance :: Not So Different

Device

Alarms blared through the castle-ship. The five paladins raced to their lions and launched themselves out into space in seconds.

"Keith, I got your right!" Hunk swooped in beside Keith, ramming into several drones.

"Thanks!"

Lance whooped as he froze several drones. "I am on fire!"

"Technically," Pidge butt in, tackling a drone, "you're on ice. Keith is on fire."

"Oh, hush Pidge!" Lance shouted as Hunk 'oooohh'd.

"Alright, enough!" Shiro activated his jawknife. "Focus on the Galra drones, not burning each other."

Lance scoffed. "It's 'roasting', dad."

"Lance," Hunk cried, "Shiro wasn't supposed to know!"

"What did you call me?"

"Dad! I called you dad! You're practically the dad of this group!"

"Lance!"

Pidge slapped her leg as she hunched over, laughing so hard she could barely breathe. Keith only rolled his eyes and attacked the drones.

"Alright, guys. I'm serious." Shiro plunged his lion forward, crushing a few drones. "Pidge, breathe, Hunk and Lance, attack the drones. We'll talk about this 'dad' nonsense later."

Lance shouted out, slamming his hand down on the dash. "This is exactly what I mean! Total dad mode, right now!"

"Lance!"

"Right, right! I got it."

~

Pidge failed at stifling her giggles behind her hands, Lance pouting beside her. Hunk practically sunk into the sofa under Shiro's stare while Keith shifted uncomfortably. One thing he knew about Galrans were that they must be very uncomfortable under their armor with all that damned fur.

"Well?"

Pidge burst out laughing, doubling over and clutching her stomach.

Lance yelped and flipped onto Hunk at the sudden noise in his ear and Keith flinched back. Shiro looked at the small paladin with widened eyes.

"Lance-! Lance has been-" she wheezed, leaning back on the couch. "He's been call-calling you d-dad behind your-your back for the past-" she sucked in a huge breath- "month!"

Hunk snickered, but quickly slapped a hand over his mouth at the betrayed look Lance shot him. "Pidge, you traitor! You weren't supposed to tell him!"

"Thank you, Pidge, you may go." Shiro offered. She jumped up and scuttled out if the room, eager to get to her lab, but unable to stop her fit of giggles. "Keith? Did you know about this?"

Keith shook his head. "No. I had no idea."

"Because if you did, you would've spilled the beans like Pidge," Lance grumbled. Keith raised a brow at Lance. The blue paladin immediately straightened up and raised his hands. "N-not that I don't trust you! I trust you with my life! I swear to everything holy! I swear to mi madre!"

Keith slowly nodded, folding his arms over his chest. "Good."

Shiro glanced between the two, brows raised. "Am I missing something?"

Hunk sat up, suddenly eager. "Lance and Keith are-!"

"No!" Lance wailed, leaping on the yellow paladin and slapping his hands over his mouth. "No! I told you no! He only wants to know about the dad thing!"

Both Keith and Shiro gave the two questioning looks. Keith then stood, glaring at Lance. "Did you tell him!?"

Lance shot to his feet, eyes wide. "No! No, I swear I didn't! He figured it out!"

Shiro stepped closer, brows furrowed. "Boys, what's going on?"

Keith's ears flattened. "There's no way you didn't tell him!"

"I didn't!" Lance rushed to Keith, trying to reach out to him. "I swear, Keith, I didn't! Hunk figure it out! He knows me too well."

Keith glared. "Shut up," he grounded out, then stomped out of the room. Lance called after him, but Shiro thankfully stopped him. He paused as he spotted the green paladin. "What are you doing?"

Pidge smiled up at him, but worry was clear in her eyes once again today. "I heard the rest," she muttered. "I'm going to go check on Red. Want to come with?"

Keith blinked, then nodded. "Yeah... Thanks..."

~

Keith fiddled with the tool in his hand as Pidge crawled around in Red's forearm. "So, what exactly happened to Red?"

"I can't-" Pidge yelped as she slipped. "Whoo! Nearly cut my leg open!"

"Please don't!" Keith stood straight up, looking up at the open panel. "Shiro will kill me!"

Pidge snorted. "As if I'd let myself- oh... I knew I saw something." Keith listened to Pidge scuffle around in Red's leg before climbing out. Once she was back on the hangar floor, she inspected the tiny device. "Man, it's a wonder I saw this thing. It's only as big as my hand."

Keith leaned closer, eyeing the device as she did. "What is that? It's clearly Galra tech, but-"

He was cut off as Pidge yelped, violet electricity zapping her fingers so she'd drop it. "Quiznak-"

The device glowed and trembled. Keith's ears flattened and his eyes widened and met with Pidge's own wide eyes as the device spoke.

"Red paladin. This is a warning about our deal. You have seven days until we come for you. Make your choice."

The Galran cackled before the message cut out. The device clicked and whirred as the light dimmed and it stopped trembling.

Silence filled the hangar until Pidge drew in a shaky breath. "I... I guess it's a good thing you already figured out what you're going to do..."

Keith looked up at her. "Yeah... I guess so..."