Langst One-Shots

A Long Time Coming (2)

2 weeks it had taken the castle to fly to earth. 2 weeks of pure excitement for Lance.

Over the past few years Lance had closed up the part of him that missed home. Knowing he couldn't return, it was too painful to be surrounded by the hurt constantly.

And so he stopped oped thinking of his mothers voice, and of how he would give anything to hear her sing to him again.

Or his younger siblings eyes as they dazzled in excitement while Lance was telling them a fearsome tale of fiction.

Or even the smell of home cooked meals. And a bustling household. And chattering children. And the feeling of belonging.

It's not that he doesn't care for his fellow paladins. Its just no one could ever replace the family he had been blessed with.

Even thinking of them at this moment caused him pain. Knowing the suffering they had to endure while he was away protecting the innocents of the universe.

Would they understand why he couldn't return? Would they understand that he couldn't stay?

Of course they would, they're his family. They'd understand, probably.

Allura announcing they were landing was what pulled Lance out of his thoughts. Looking outside he saw the sea.

The way the light danced across it was something he had long forgotten.

Leaving the castle was a blur, the joy Lance was feeling couldn't be contained. Especially as he wandered alone through the town where he grew up.

The market hadn't changed, not even slightly. The colours of the gowns were reflected off of the silverware. The fruits and pastries looked delightful, as he could recall they always had.

Knowing the market hadn't aged while he was away gave Lance some hope.

Nearing his house, Lance's heart was soaring. His heartbeat was quickening and he was beginning to sweat under the rays of sun he'd missed so much.

The old wooden door rattled as he knocked, the lack of sound within only echoed it further. He pushed the door open, immediately he slammed it closed. He had seen his picure, the last one they'd taken together before he left for the Garrison. Surrounding it was candles and flowers. It was on the mantelpiece, opposite the door. He didn't want to see that.

Knowing his family better than anyone, he headed for the beach, hoping to catch them there.

Knowing the journey well, he quickly found the shoreline. The sea was reflecting the blue of the sky, giving it a colour almost too perfect.

Looking around, Lance spotted them. His Mother was wearing her sun hat, it leant over face, giving her cheeks unnatural shadows. Her sundress was a bright orange, she was surrounded by her children.

These were not the siblings Lance remembered. The small children who were swept away by stories of far away lands. No. These were teenagers, all 7 of them had aged.

Lance barely recognised them, he felt a stab in his heart. He'd missed seeing them evolve into young adults.

They were all laughing and eating some sort of barbecue. They looked happy. Even without him. They were happy.

It was this exact moment where Lance made the hardest decision of his life.

He could not go and wreck his family again. He couldn't leave and then suddenly return one day. They'd finally gotten over losing him. He was not about to re-open old wounds.

With his back turned, he was walking to his final destination, to the only place he knew to go. Back to the castle.

While he was wondering how to explain this to the others, he hadn't noticed all of the tears that were running down his face.

Little did he know, his mother turned and saw a young man that resembled her lost son.

She thought it couldn't be, but she relished in the thought that Lance was free now. She hadn't forgotten her eldest son, merely attempted to reassemble her family after his death.

So she turned back to her growing children with a sigh. Knowing Lance was never coming home.