Accidental Intentions

12 • Dark

Lance watched Keith go, pleased to see the effect of his words.

"Wipe that grin off your face, Lance," Pidge chided as she dodged a spray of goop.

"He may seriously try to hurt you someday, and I can't play babysitter all the time." Shiro said.

"Yeah, the guy seems a little bit unstable at times, why do you tease him so much?" Hunk asked from the control panel that he was hunched over. Frustrated, he pulled the panel free and started messing with the wiring underneath.

Lance shrugged. "It's fun."

"Someday, all that 'fun' is going to catch up with you," Pidge predicted.

Lance sprung to his feet. "Never gonna happen! These long legs, I can outrun him any day," Lance boasted.

"Honestly, I think you're jealous," Hunk stated as he crossed two wires. The lights went out. "Oh no, that wasn't supposed to happen."

"At least our food isn't attacking us anymore," Pidge observed.

"Jealous?" Shiro proded.

"Yeah, like they're always competing, but Keith always manages to one-up him in some wa—"

"Are you going to turn the lights back on or not?" Lance interrupted.

"No can do," Hunk apologized.

"What do you mean, 'no can do'? You did it, so undo it!" It was so simple.

Lance could hear the smirk that was plastered on Pidge's face as she said, "What's wrong? You're not scared are you?"

"No! I just can't see!"

"You see my problem," Hunk explained.

"Obviously, he doesn't," Pidge commented.

"Ha ha, very punny," Lance applauded sarcastically.

"Here," Shiro offered, firing up his right hand so it gave off a purple glow.

"Oh, wow. Very dangerous Galra technology very close to my face," Hunk began to sweat.

"Just fix it!" Lance exclaimed impatiently.

"Alright, alright!" Hunk directed his attention back to the control panel.

"I don't think it was you, Hunk. The lights are off everywhere," Pidge announced from the doorway.

"You left?" Lance asked, suprised.

"Just for a bit."

"Everywhere? That's not good," Shiro said.

"Maybe they just decided to reboot the whole system," Pidge reasoned.

"Either way, we should probably find the princess and Coran. If everything has been shut down, then that means our oxygen too. And I'm not so sure they need it to survive."

"We should get Keith and—" Pidge began.

"Lance will get Keith. You two are coming with me to the main control room," Shiro instructed.

"In the dark? By myself?" Lance protested.

"Is that a problem?" Shiro asked.

It kinda was, but there was no way he was going to let anyone know that. "N-not really."

As he felt his way down the hall, Lance appreciated how much he used his eyes. He would sooner die than loose his sight. Well, maybe not die, he thought. But he'd gladly give up any other sense before he lost his sharpshooter eyes.

As he felt the first door on the left side, he gently pushed it open. "Keith? Are you still here?"

"Yes."

"Where are you?" Lance asked because he wasn't sure where the voice was coming from.

"In the shower."

"Still? The water's not running," Lance pointed out as he felt for the bathroom door. Keith had left it cracked.

"I noticed—Hey! Don't come in!" Keith exclaimed as the door creaked open.

The invisible steam in the room surrounded Lance and caused his clothes to cling to his skin. The air tasted ever so slightly of minerals that were infused in the Altean water system. And he was pretty sure he could hear the water drop from Keith's hair. It was amazing how much more aware he was of his other senses when his sight was taken away.

"What? It's not like I can see you." Lance teased.

"What do you want?"

"Shiro sent me to come get you. The lights are out everywhere," Lance explained.

"'Kay," Keith said as he pulled back the curtain. "Grab my towel, would you? I left it on the sink."

Lance turned around and felt for the towel. It was soft and fluffy. As he handed it off towards the direction of the shower, his knuckles came in contact with something wet and warm. Keith's chest.

"Thanks," Keith swiped the towel from his grasp.

Lance was painfully aware of the sound of the towel running against bare skin and he was grateful for the cover of darkness.