The Galra turns his chin up again. "Why do you laugh, paladin of Voltron? Can you not see the odds have fallen undoubtedly in my favor?"
As Lance wiped the blood from his mouth, a weak smirk settled on his lips. "It's not so unfortunate-if this is h...
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Lance had hardly slept.
The seven hours he had to wait were filled with a jumbled mess of thoughts. Always too many things to think about—Red and Blue refusing him, Allura's distrust, Shiro's betrayal. Not to mention the secret mission he was about to go on, in spite of his friends, his team, and alongside the Prince of the Galra, who they hadn't even established trust with.
Well, Lance had, the rest of them hadn't.
And could he even call that trust? Hey, thanks for not killing me on a planet your dad was currently trying to enslave and conquer.
Quiznack, too many factors, too many variables—
How could he keep it all in check? He wasn't even considered good enough to pilot any of the lions anymore. Could he really consider himself part of the team?
A hand on his shoulder jolted him out of his thoughts, and on instinct, he leapt backward with speed that only his paladin training had afforded him.
Shiro let him step backward, didn't follow him, but stood patiently where he had been.
"Lance, I'm glad I caught you."
Lance felt himself flush with the guilt. Did Shiro know? Did he hear him talking to Lotor?
"Why's that?" he asked, panic rising in his chest.
Shiro almost looked . . . sheepish. With a small smile, and a hand in his dyed black hair, his voice was quiet as he spoke. "I . . ." He seemed to gather his confidence for a moment, before letting his hands rest at his side. "I know you were outside my room earlier . . . When I was talking with Adam."
Lance had to hold back the visible flinch. Caught eavesdropping on his hero. Just his luck.
No, he realized. Just his lack of skill and tact.
He cleared his throat, but Shiro did him the favor of continuing. Fortunate, since all of Lance's words seemed to catch in his throat.
"Look, Lance, I . . . I know I wasn't exactly considerate with my choice of words earlier . . . and I also know that I was in the wrong on our AX-3130 mission. I explained to Adam what I meant just after you left, but I need you to know too—that I never meant to demean your skill as a paladin, or your integrity as my friend. What I should've said, is that you have a good heart, strong will, and considerable talent. You are optimistic, even in the darkest of times, facing enemies far darker then we've encountered. I really respect and admire that about you Lance. It's a bright quality that I'd never seen in anyone I met before you."
Shiro paused to look up at him, but Lance had to duck his head—to hide the tears forming in his eyes, and the quivering in the corner of his lip.
