There has to be an After for Us ~ (shadam / klance)

Chapter 31 - Going Up Again

"So I have a question about this sole-merging thing," said Lance as they walked along the path to the astral plane.

"Or we can pretend it's not a thing like I'm doing," said Keith, wishing it could never be brought up again.

Bored looked back at them... or rather she looked at the space between them again. "You sound like you're arguing with yourself. Do you actually have a question?"

"Yes."

"No."

"I just want to know how it was possible!" Lance blurted out before Keith could protest again.

"Well, when two paladins love each other very much..." began Hunk.

"I just meant," continued Lance, "How do the they like...fit together...?"

Hunk and Pidge started giggling. Keith didn't get what was funny.

"Like can any two ol' souls merge together or are their different shapes and sizes and you have to fit the right ones together? Like metaphysical Tetris? Like if one's too big will it not fit in the other and who goes inside of whose and...?"

Hunk and Pidge were snorting with laughter now.

"What's so funny?" asked Keith.

"Aw Keefy, if you don't know...," said Pidge.

"What?" said Lance, defensively. "I just wanted to know if Keith and I were special... Like have-our-own-stars special?"

Keith was blushing. Lance really was romantic and now he was being romantic in front of other people. It was too much!"

"You're the first soul-merge I've ever seen," said Bored. "I guess that makes you special."

"Yes," said Lance giving a fist pump.

"First off," continued Bored, "the circumstance of someone about to experience soul-death is pretty rare, but then the quintessence occupying the souls needs to be very similar."

"So our quintessence is similar?" questioned Keith.

"Well, that kinda makes sense since our quintessence is mirrored in our Lions," said Hunk, "And you've both piloted Red."

"Yeah, and Allura can fly Blue," said Keith.

"And Shiro can fly Black," Lance shot back. Wait... were they fighting? "But," said Lance, his voice softening, "you were the one who sensed Blue's energy. And that's kinda like..." Lance got that flirty look on his face. "You were feelin' me."

Keith was bright red.

"Ugh," said Bored, "I hate not being able to see your soul's physical expressions. I miss faces. Anyway, sorry you got tortured in the Memory realm to the point of soul-death."

"Weren't you also trying to kill our souls?" asked Hunk.

"Yeah, but in a fun way. Not a 'torture you with your painful past' way. One of the Guardians down there is a real twisted old bastard... Don't tell him I said that."

"Never actually met him," said Lance.

"I like this new soul though," said Bored, looking between Keith and Lance again. "Frankly your old souls were kinda garbage, but this one has a nice energy. It's a candidate for sure. Now I don't know who I'm going to nominate," Bored lamented.

"For what?" asked Pidge. "Is this the prize you keep mentioning?"

"I can't say," said Bored and Pidge at the exact same time.