A Sacrifice for Understanding

Chapter 10

Lance sat on the couch, his mind replaying the whirlwind of events that had followed the paladins' arrival on Earth. It felt like a lifetime ago, yet the memories were still fresh. First, there was the Admiral of the Galaxy Garrison, demanding they hand over the lions. Of course, that was a non-starter for the paladins. Then came the talk of him piloting a lion again, a suggestion Lance had initially refused. But with a little persuasion from a certain persistent paladin, he had finally agreed.

As he recalled that decision, the attack by the Galra soon after still sent a chill down his spine. He had nearly lost his life—and his sister's too—on that day. The betrayal that followed, from the Admiral herself, had left him stunned. But then, as if fate had a sense of irony, the Admiral had helped them escape, only to let them save Earth from destruction. And just when they thought it was over, a new threat emerged, one that added yet another layer to their already complicated lives.

Finally, they had their showdown with Honerva. At the heart of all universes, with only one universe left to save, they had succeeded. Yet, in a last-ditch effort to save all of existence, Allura had sacrificed herself. Before she faded, she planted a kiss on Lance's cheek, whispering a small, "I'm sorry for everything." It had been the moment Lance had been waiting for—the moment when he could finally forgive her for everything that had come between them. For whatever reason, Altean marks appeared on his cheek afterward remaining as a constant reminder of that final goodbye.

Lance's fingers instinctively touched the faint marks as he thought back to that moment. His gaze drifted out the window, lost in the past when Keith's voice cut through the silence.

"Are you ready yet?"

Lance blinked, pulling himself from his thoughts, and smiled at Keith. Their relationship had been an unexpected, yet welcomed, surprise. It had been nearly a year since they confessed their feelings to each other, and in that time, they had grown closer in ways Lance never thought possible.

Leaning back, Lance grinned, "Where are we going again?"

Keith rolled his eyes, though his smile betrayed his amusement. "It's been a year since Allura's sacrifice. The paladins are all getting together today to remember her. We're going to be there with them. Now come on."

Lance sighed, giving Keith an exaggerated, dramatic look. "Alright, alright, I'll just be a second."

Keith's smile widened before he walked over to Lance, a playful glint in his eyes. Without warning, he grabbed Lance by the collar of his shirt and pulled him into a kiss, startling Lance, who froze for a moment before melting into it. When they finally broke apart, Keith's grin widened mischievously.

"You're not using that excuse again," Keith teased. "Now get up."

Lance chuckled, his heart light. "Okay, okay, I'm getting up."

Lance slid off the couch and planted a quick peck on Keith's cheek before heading to the bedroom. In a few moments, he reappeared, now dressed in something much more fitting for the occasion. He walked over to Keith, interlacing their fingers together, and gave him another kiss, this one more tender.

"I'm ready," Lance said, his voice soft but filled with a quiet resolve.

Keith's smile grew even wider, the warmth in his eyes unmistakable. "Come on."

Thank you for reading this! I came back to this after years of putting it aside and realized I ended it very poorly, not even giving a proper ending, so here you go. Sorry if you wanted it to be longer, but given everything, I think this is a pretty good ending. Maybe in the future, I'll write another Voltron fanfiction but I don't think that will be any time soon, thank you again for reading this story and I hope you enjoyed it.