Accidental Intentions

32 • Proposition

Lance was back on earth, but it was different. Everybody had pet cats. Hundreds of them.

Perhaps it would be better to say that the cats had pet humans. Because nobody told the cats what to do. They did what they liked and they were found everywhere. He was trying to find out where all these purple cats had come from. Wait, they were all purple? Strange, he didn't notice that before. Nobody else seemed to notice anything wrong though. Some people even wore fuzzy ears so that they would look like the cats. He didn't hate cats, though many people pegged him as a dog person. He just found it odd but started to question his sanity when no one else found it out of the ordinary. But after a while he got an ominous feeling from the cats. They were trying to accomplish something, he was sure of it.

He met a giant and a dwarf who were intent on ridding the cats from the face of the earth. Lance didn't mind the giant (he was kinds cute in a bearded sort of way), but the dwarf gave him chaotic vibes, and was always calling after him. Lance. Lance. LANCE!

Lance awoke with a not-so cool-and-collected cry as someone shook him roughly.

"Oh calm down, it's just me," they directed.

"Pidge! What are you doing here? How did you get in?" Lance asked, pulling the sheets up to his neck in false modesty as he shook his head in attempt to sort out what was dreamy nonsense and what was reality.

"I have a favor to ask you. As to how I got in, I don't think there is a room on this ship I couldn't get into," she explained.

"A favor you say? Well then, what urgent business caused you to break into my bedchamber this time of night, little lady?" Lance asked with a suggestive voice as he sat up, leaning his elbow on the edge of his bed.

"I need you to sleep with Keith tonight."

Lance.exe has stopped.

Lance froze for a second too long. Two seconds too long. Several seconds too long. His elbow slipped, causing him to fall out of bed halfway. Mentally Lance's mind was scrambled, but he did his best to appear cool. Or as cool as one can in lime green pajamas with tiny pink watermelon wedges on them.

"Ha?" he said eloquently.

If Pidge knew what she had said, she did a good job of not showing it as she took in his getup. "Where'd you get those?"

"Allura made them for me.

"Liar."

Lance wiggled his eyebrows at her.

She took a deep breath as if debating whether to pursue the pajama issue or continue on with her original purpose. "Anyway, Hunk and I were working on the shower, but he went to bed, and I really want to finish this tonight, but Keith's been kinda moody lately, so can he hang out here?"

"Why me? Ask Hunk!" Lance exclaimed in a loud whisper.

The stars reflected off her glasses, making it hard to see her expression, but Lance knew she had just rolled her eyes at him. "Hunk's asleep."

"Yeah, so was I! And why now? Didn't you have plenty of time when we were stuck in the maze?" Lance asked.

"You were stuck in the maze?"

"Yeah, didn't you think it was weird that neither of us were around?"

Pidge shrugged. "I didn't notice."

"Wait, wait, wait. Are you kidding me?" Lance pouted.

"No."

"Something happened?" Lance guessed.

She dipped her head slightly in admittance.

Lance kicked off the sheets as he swung his legs off the bed, leaning forward on his palms. "Pidge? What happened?"

But the Green Paladin had clammed up. "Can't tell you yet. Not until I know more."

Of course that made Lance want to know more than anything, but he knew Pidge and that she must have a good reason. Besides she didn't say she couldn't tell him. She said she couldn't tell him yet.

"You want to finish tonight so you can focus on whatever it was that happened," Lance ventured.

She nodded. "So is it alright if he sleeps here?"

"Is it alright with him?" Lance asked, doubtful as he recalled the events of the past few days.

"I haven't asked him yet. Don't give me that look!"

"I will look at you however the heck I want!" Lance declared, decidedly grumpy.

She huffed before turning and exiting the room.

Lance wondered if that was the last of that. He felt bad though. Whatever Pidge was going through, it was clearly important to her. But spending the night with Keith? Lance really didn't think he could do that, even for her.

With a guilty conscience, but unwavering resolve, Lance tried to get some much-needed sleep. However he kept getting side-tracked by distracting thoughts of what it would be like to lie beside Keith for a night.

He had just managed to clear his mind of all things mullet-related when his door swung open.