Time Moves On (Langst)

Remembering Her Pt.2

"I used to have a baby sister."

Lances words echoed throughout the large room as guilt claimed permanent residence in his gut. The room was eerily quiet, people shuffled their feet and fidgeted with their hands but only Allura seemed to take action upon this new information. She reached forward taking 3 graceful steps until she stood in front of Lance. Without a moments notice she closed the space between them in a hug. Her voice was soft with firm undertones whispering to Lance "I'm so sorry." She stated their with Lance relaxing in her arms, her hair falling over lances shoulder and she could feel his dark locks press against her forehead. "Why didn't you tell us?" Lance stilled until she started to stroke his hair in a comforting fashion to which he eased again resting his head now on her shoulder.

He breathed slowly. Taking in long breaths and holding them for 4 seconds before breathing out and repeating the process two more times. "I was scared. I didn't want to give all of myself away, because then who knows what you would do with it." Agh Lance thought to himself why am I so stupid. Their only trying to help and here you go making them pity you! They have more important business to attend to. Like saving the freaking universe! Their paladins of Voltron, why are you even apart of this team? There's others who are so much better than you, and more than willing to defend all life. But how could I even go back to my family? They must hate me now, they must think I'm dead. Maybe I'm better off that way. Whose protecting them right now? I'm gone, moms gone, they must be so scared! What a shit brother I am leaving them all alone. How badly are they hurt, what can I do? More insults floated through lances head scolding himself for his lack of planning and negligence. He red the faces of his teammates, all contorted into different emotions. Pidge was scared, likely for Lance which he felt bad about. Hunk was upset to see the reason Lance kept this secret from the team being one of the five castle of lions inhabitants to know. Coran looked guilty even though he had done nothing wrong, being only him Hunk and the mice knew of this. Shiro looked reminiscent like he understood Lance's reasoning because he had had similar problems. Keith's face shocked Lance the most, he was not angry like his hot headed self or guilty or pitying, but he seemed genuinely depressed in light of this information. Allura was still pressed firmly to lances chest carding her hands in a rhythmic motion through Lance's chestnut hair, long fingers sliding in between soft strands. He drearily let his eyes begin to flicker shut at the motion calming him.

"I'm sorry Lance if we pushed you. We shouldn't have asked for so much of your life" Shiro looked down at the ground as he spoke "we really just wanted to be there for you. But I guess rather than pulling you away from a cliff we really were pushing you towards it."

"No Shiro don't feel bad" lances voice was calm as he felt himself slipping away in the arms of the princess "I needed that push. I was breaking already and scared to let my heart belong to others. Aleja held my heart wether she knew it or not. When she left I broke. Again,"

"I understand. Princess" Allura made a small hm in question of their leader "I think a nap would be in order. We are all very tired after the liberation of Temoria."

"I do believe a rest is required." She lifted Lance from the ground holding him bridal style. His weight barely straining her muscles. Shiro and the other paladins were always in awe when she revealed her power. Lance buried himself deeper into the young woman arms his mind drifting away on the waves.

Allura placed Lance on the couch dug into the living area. He fell asleep within seconds. She began to wonder how well he had been sleeping if he fell to sleeps hands so quickly. The other paladins were also rather tired. Fighting a war with a race with a ten thousand year start does that to you. They all cuddled around him pressing into his tanned skin. Hunk layer down behind Lance with his chest facing Lance'a back. Pidge curled over his legs like a cat, Shiro sat down next to Hunk and Lance's heads laying a hand over their arms. Keith squeezed in front of Lance so he could look at Lance's sculptured face, strong jaw and soft eye lids fluttering every so often.