A Falling Star (SHKLANCE)

Brush Strokes

Oof, sorry for the long wait everyone! I wasn't too sure where I wanted this chapter to start off, but I decided to add some love from the other paladins. So without further ado, enjoy some bromance.

Enjoy~
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*HunkPOV*

Since the incident with Shiro and Lance the other day, I've noticed a massive change in the dynamics of our team. This totally sucks because I was so sure Lance and Keith were getting along. Even if that did mean they beat the living snot out of each other in the training room. Luckily Shiro has been around to play mediator every time he gets a chance. They're way too intense for me to even try to keep things civil.

Lance was doing so well, hanging out and eating with us again, but I guess something must have happened. He hasn't said anything to me, and I doubt he's said anything to Pidge. He's still of really talking to Shiro, and Keith, well, that's not a very good situation either. Which is weird because it feels like it's entirely Lance doing the separating. Keith and Shiro keep orbiting around him like he's the sun on a hot day in Cuba, that's a phrase Lance once used. Speaking of Lance, I've decided a little 'R&R' would be totally refreshing, not only for him, man! All these training exercises and actual battles are grueling.

"Hunk, my man, my big beautiful man, what is that amazing smell?" I chuckle in the back of my throat, watching as the sweaty Cuban comes waltzing into the dining room. He must have been training, he's got a towel over his head, cheeks flushed still despite his best efforts to cool down. "Smells like Christmas!" He exclaims and suddenly abandoned the towel on the tile floor to probably be forgotten until someone slips and falls on it.

"Yeah, I was trying out something new. While it's still food goo, I've tinkered with the system to add some ingredients from the last planet!" I chirp cheerfully, holding out the sludge with little specks of fruit floating around inside the gelatinous mound on the dinner saucer. Lance pokes a spoon at the eerie sight, suspicious of the ingredients. Still it must have smelled good enough because once he popped the spoonful in his mouth his eyes lit up. "Is that what I think it is?" He asked incredibly excited, a nice change in scenery as of late.

I reply with a gin and quick nod, " it sure is, mashed potatoes and stuffing...or well, what I could find that somewhat resembled the flavor, I don't think it's possible to make the real thing without really cracking down on figuring out what's toxic and not. So I guess we have to get used to wonky textures." Lance just stares at me and chuckles lightly to himself. "You're insane, genius boy. This tastes amazing! What's the occasion?" He asks and takes another greedy spoonful. "Well, I mean, everyone's working so dang hard recently. Sure Shiro has a good pep talk up his sleeve, but I figured a nice home cooked meal would be helpful, while it's only food goo, herbs I think, and spices."

"Dude! It's so good, everyone's gonna love it, 'only food goo, herbs, and spices'. Yeah right, it's totally amazing bro. You're so talented." Lance said with a faint smile and I couldn't help but have to turn away bashfully. Lance may be blind to his own talents, but praise from him feels so genuine. Everyone could probably agree, even the resident gremlin. I look back at him and give him a friendly wink and punch on the arm, not hard enough to hurt, but just enough to send him back a bit. "I didn't figure out how to make a meal, but I do know that these weird space potato things from the last planet can make decent potato chips. You know the planet with the fish bird people." I say, and Lance looks at me confused. "Hunk, buddy, that was the last planet we went to, I'm pretty sure I'd remember. It's still fresh." I rolled my eyes at the comment before grinning mischievously toward the blue paladin.

"Oh, are you sure you don't remember the planet because that one fish bird lady tried to feed you her already processed lunch?" Lance looked absolutely scandalized, gasping and pointing at me. "You're one to talk, you had to stop half way through dinner to throw up in Keith's helmet!" He returned, and I groaned at the memory.

"Well it was gross, Lance!"
"Well why did you bring it up?"
"Lover boy Lance almost got fed mouth to mouth by a weird alien lady!"
"Hey! I'll have you know she was very attractive according to her culture!"

Our playful bickering carried on all through the process of making our space chips. They were bright green, rivaling the color of Pidge shirt, but looked edible enough. Lance sprinkled on the last of the salt like crystals when the rest of the group showed up for dinner. Lance and I set the table for everyone, and I couldn't help but smile at the way Lance hopped on one foot when I was going around the corner of the table. He looked much better than he had the days before, and I noticed a certain couple of paladins eyeing the show as well. Yuck, bedroom eyes.

Pidge was the last to arrive, looking disheveled as always, glasses in her hand, she must have just woken up for dinner. She stopped in her tracks, eyes not focused as she just put her glasses on. She looked around the room and looked at me, squinting. She sniffed the air, and a bright smile appeared, looks like my hunch on a palette change was correct. She sniffed the air over and over again as she took a seat, and Keith hummed as he looked before him at the chips, Shiro however looked at the food goo, which Coran complained wasn't the same as his original. Shiro turned to Lance who sat beside him and smiled softly at him. I've only seen this a handful of times towards Lance or Keith, or when one of the others, myself included did something exceptionally good. The black paladin exhaled looking at Lance with that smile, and grabbed Keith's hand on his other side.

"Smells like Christmas."