Accidental Intentions

44 • Conflict

Lance couldn't believe his ears.

"What!" he gasped like the inarticulate mess he was.

"So apparently Shiro thinks you were the instigator." Pidge recounted. "And let's face it, your track record is kinda against you."

"No, no. I'm pretty sure he's stuck on that next bit," Hunk mentioned.

"He...he's actually, like, into guys?" Lance whispered.

Pidge nodded gravely. "The only reason I'm telling you is so you know how fucked up it is that you keep messing with him. You need to knock it off."

"What did Shiro say?" Hunk asked.

"Dunno. That conversation wasn't for me, I left."

Lance shifted uncomfortably as a gross knot began to form in his stomach. So theoretically he had a shot, but at the same time it only made things more complicated. "I had no idea. Like if I had known...'cuz that's like..."

"Sexual harassment?" Pidge volunteered.

"Oh, it's always been sexual harassment, which is not okay. But knowing what we know now it's even less okay," Hunk explained.

"Exactly." Lance bit his lip.

Pidge smacked his shoulder. "Lighten up! He kissed you of his own free will, in front of me, on purpose. That's gotta count for something."

"Ah, I think you're forgetting the anger issue," Hunk pointed out. "That's still not okay. Like he could just be using Lance for like...you know."

Lance knew all too well. And it hurt. It also explained a lot. Why Keith was so uptight all the time. He was trying to hide it, and from the sound of it, not even Shiro had known. So he would resist, and Lance was sure his flirting did not help the situation. Dangling meat in front of a starving wolf. Although he was pretty sure Keith hated his guts, someone repressed like that had needs too. He should know.

"Aw, buddy," Hunk crooned, patting him on the back. Lance realized he was crying.

"C'mon. Let's go," Pidge took his arm.

Wiping his face, Lance let her pull him, knowing she was only trying to make things better. He knew it could only get worse, but he let her think she was helping. They made their way to the dining hall, stopping quietly by the training room on the way.

Pidge peaked her head in after several minutes is silence. "Huh, they're gone."

"Really?" Hunk asked, stepping in. Lance hung out in the doorway, hands hugging himself like he could protect his squishy emotions with his twiggy arms.

"Sick," Pidge commented after wandering around. She pointed to a pair of red boxing gloves strewn on the floor next to a pile of--

Is that vomit?

"Well would you look at that," Pidge marveled as Hunk instantly turned a vivid shade of green.

What happened here?

There was no blood on the gloves, plus, Lance didn't think Keith could hit hard enough to make Shiro hurl. The man was made of steel. So that meant...

"You don't think..."

Hunk gave him a disappointed look. "You seriously think Shiro is capable of that? Nah, man. The guy was probably just super nervous."

But Lance still wasn't sure. Shiro could be frightening. And he seemed pretty straight-laced. Lance wasn't sure where that left things.

"Guys, I'm a...really gotta go," Hunk admitted as he gagged on the fumes of regurgitated space goo. Pidge nodded and made her way out, pulling Lance along with her as she passed him.