Warmth (Klance Warmth series Book 1 of +4)

15: Feverish Aftermath

Lance began laughing. It was all too much. Once he started, he couldn't stop. He kept laughing even after his stomach began to cramp up and his fellow paladins started to sound concerned for his mental health. He simply couldn't believe it. They'd done it. They'd won. They'd saved the Castle and Allura.

Allura.

He pressed a button on the controls and called, "Coran! Coran, did you see that? We won!"

"I most certainly did," the advisor replied sounding just as exhilarated as the paladins felt. "Now get your quiznaks back here so I can hug the lot of you."

Lance snickered but it was Keith who spoke. "I don't think you're using that word correctly," he said wryly.

"Oh shut your quiznak Keith," Lance said with a teasing glance at the video feed on his left. Keith stared at him with an expression that was a hilarious mix of amusement and incredulity. "You're just jealous that I'm more awesome than you."

"Hardly," Keith said snippily.

"Ooh, touchy-touchy this morning," Lance said.

"I think it's evening actually," Hunk threw in there helpfully.

"Thank you Hunk. Touchy-touchy this evening, Keith," Lance said, with another wink-blink-thing. "I think you're jealous."

"Wha- Why the frell would I be jealous?" Keith said, flinching away from the video feed with a flush in his pale purple cheeks.

"Um, are you two flirting?" Pidge asked suspiciously.

Lance grinned. "Let's break up and go see Allura, guys," he said to the other paladins. "I need to see me some pretty lady."

"I can agree with that," Shiro said.

The Lions disengaged and Lance shook his head, momentarily thrown by the loss of whatever energy had been flowing through him while they were merged as Voltron. His screens returned to their normal layout and he smiled.

"Last one there is a rotten egg," Pidge crowed and blasted off towards the Castle's main hangar.

"Hey!" Hunk cried in dismay. "Totally not fair. You had a head start."

"Coran did promise us food if we won," Shiro added with a chuckle.

"Make way for the Hunk!"

And the Yellow Lion blasted away, speeding past the Green Lion with startling speed to park securely in the hangar.

"What? How did you do that?" Pidge said.

"Pidge is a rotten egg!" Hunk crowed triumphantly behind climbing out of his Lion.

Shiro's laughter echoed through the speakers. "Wait up, Hunk," he said, following the Green Lion at a much more sedate pace. "Let's go check on Coran and the princess on the bridge first."

"Good idea," Lance said suddenly. "You guys go on ahead. Keith and I will catch up."

"It's no trouble," Shiro said. "We can wait."

All of the worry that Lance had not realized he should've felt about this situation suddenly came crashing onto him. He paled and gulped, glancing nervously at Keith through their shared video feed. Keith looked just as nervous, but there was an edge of determination and pride that gave Lance the encouragement he need.

"Fine," he said. "Wait for us in the hangar. We'll join you as soon as we land."

"Sounds good," Shiro said. "Meet you on the ground."