Rivals ||Klance Voltron||

Monday 1

( Chapter dedication in Author's note )

" I'm so stupid." Lance said under his breath after watching Keith awkwardly avoid him and walk the other way.

" We know, but why this time?" Pidge asked, taking her tray and beginning to walk with Lance to their usual lunch table.

" Lance, buddy. You are so very far from stupid." Hunk followed with his own tray, shooting daggers at Pidge.

" I just, we were starting to patch things up and I threw this one awkward line and may have ruined it; didn't even mean it that way. I still haven't digested the fact that he actually texted me to say he felt bad." Lance put his food down and sat facing his best friends.

" Keith Kogane did what?! I'm sure you're hallucinating. His phone must be stolen." The girl with the short strawberry blond hair waved around with her plastic fork.

" No, I could tell it was him. It's like he gets awkward when he's nice. It's uncommon for him, or something." Lance stuffed a forkful of mashed potatoes in his mouth.

" But that's the same guy who yelled at Pidge, and I quote : 'Look the f-ck away from me, Pidget. I don't like people who stare!' " Hunk made grimaces and mimiced Keith's angry voice from when they were harmlessly walking past him that day. Let's just say some heads turned to their table, thinking he was serious.

" Oh don't remind me, Hunk. That little sh*t better watch his back! He thought I was a weak target for his rage! How dare he act like I killed a parent of his? When I see him alone, which he always is, I'm gonna grab his ..." Pidge went on about the things she knew she couldn't do to Keith as revenge.

Lance had zoned out after the word parent.

He remembered how this morning his mother gave him lunch money and pulled him in a tight hug, like she'd been doing for the past eighteen years. Her voice carried light jokes that made his day. He smiled, still feeling her kiss lingering on his cheek.

He remembered his father driving him to school because he wasn't working early today. They'd talked about life and the beautiful things they saw on the way. They'd laughed and the older man would occasionally ruffle his son's short brown hair, eyes glistening with pride like they always would when they talk.

Keith didn't have that. It suddenly clicked. Lance's parents were everything to him. They're his rock. Everyone needs parents to truly develop as a person and to show them unconditional love, a love they'd feel empty without. He imagined losing his parents but deleted that scenario from his head after just a few seconds.

He couldn't bare losing them, he'd lose himself as well. Family is all anyone truly has. Which made him wonder, what did Keith have?

Suddenly, every bite of food was hard to swallow. His heart had sunk down into his stomach and was being drowned by its acid.

" ... And he kicked him! He had no reason to be this angry. Ever since he transferred in the ninth grade, he's made everyone hate him. It's obvious, I mean the only reason why anybody ever talks to him is because of Shiro. You know, how he nominated him to be captain last year, he gave Lance his number in hopes that he'd make a friend, but no-"

" Excuse me, guys." Lance interrupted Pidge's ranting to Hunk, who'd been merely nodding and humming in agreement while devouring his food.

Hunk asked him where he was going with a mouth full of Mac and cheese, but Lance already had his gaze on the boy in red sitting in the far corner of the cafeteria, alone.