Don't Ask About My Demons

New Arrival

"And one, two, three, checkmate!" Pidge beamed.

"No fair." Matt pouted.

"Hey, if you think I'm gonna go easy on you after all this time, you thought wrong." Pidge teased.

"Ow! Lance! What the Quiznak!"

The siblings turned to Keith and Lance who sat a couple seats down in the dining room. Keith sat hunched on Lance's lap with an angry scowl while Lance's fingers raked through Keith's mop of hair.

"If you're gonna grow your hair out, you should take better care of it," Lance scolded.

"I'm not growing it-- OW!" He turned to slap Lance's hand away. "Would you stop that!" He tried to stand but Lance wrapped his arms around Keith's waist, pulling him back. Keith crossed his arms and blew his bangs out of his face.

"You're such a baby," Lance teased. He rested his chin on Keith's shoulder.

"I'm not growing it out," Keith said with an angry pout. "I just cut it yesterday."

"In what universe?"

"This one."

"Oh, right, right. And I'm an Altean Prince."

Keith whipped around. "I'm serious you sarcastic little--"

"--Keith, there are children present," Lance warned with a mischievous grin.

"I know, I'm looking at one."

"Is everything alright, Keith?" Matt asked with concern. "You seem more angry lately."

"It's 'cause I have to deal with this on a daily basis." Keith jabbed a thumb back to the smiling Lance.

"Oh please." Lance kissed Keith's neck. "You know you love me."

"I must be insane." Keith ruffled Lance's hair with a reluctant smile.

"Hey, anyone else wanna play?" Pidge asked as she and Matt replaced the pieces in their rightful positions on the board. "Matt?" There was a mischievous glint in her eye. "Ready for another go?"

Matt stretched. "Nah, I think it's someone else's turn to lose. What do you say?" He turned to the others. "Keith? Lance? Wanna challenge the champion?"

Before either of them could speak, Allura's voice resonation over the intercom. "Paladins! Report to the control deck! I repeat, Paladins report to the control deck!"

Keith hopped off of Lance's lap and sprinted from the room. Pidge and Lance followed.

"I'll just... stay here, then." Matt called after them with a wave and a halfhearted smile.
___________________________

The Paladins each ran to their separate stations in the control deck.

"What's going on?" Shiro asked.

"We're getting reports of something coming our way," Allura explained. "We suspect Galra."

"I can see it!" Pidge exclaimed.

Hunk squinted at the hologram. "It looks like a--"

"--It's a ship!" Lance exclaimed.

"No, it's an escape pod." Pidge corrected.

"It's a Galran escape pod," Shiro observed. He turned to Allura. "What are your orders, princess?"

She knit her brows, weighing the options set before her. "If it's an escape pod, it's more than likely a prisoner of the Galra." She inhaled deeply. "Let them come aboard but don't forget to keep your wits about you. For all we know, they could be another spy."

They all nodded and sat back in their chairs, awaiting the new arrival who was expected to come at any minute.