Lured (Klance)

10: Trust: A Fragile Thing

Song Of The Chapter:
Level of Concern - Twenty One Pilots
(Because the new song is out and is a bop. Doesn't really connect to the story but I just had to share)

Lance wasn't pleased to find Red's daring nose invading his space. He had quickly discovered she was the one who was most temperamental and a big risk-taker. Logical creatures would know not to mess with a sleeping siren, especially not one that was additionally hurt. Lance unfurled from his sleeping position with a harsh snarl, causing the dolphin to back up a considerable amount. She let out an annoyed chirp, followed by pestering clicks.

Get up already.

Lance finally gave into her sassy attitude, stretching and swimming closer to the surface. The sun overhead cast stray beams of light into the water, shifting with the water's movement.
I slept a long time.

With that knowledge evident before him, Lance quickly began to recognize that he was hungry. There wasn't anything to supply him here in the empty tank.
As a result he found himself breaking the surface of the water, lifting himself up out of the pool and onto the solid ground. Pain shot through his body as his muscles and bones shifted as he changed, legs breaking out of the slough of tail left behind. The change was slowly becoming faster and more bearable, though not pleasant.
With a twitch of his nose, Lance trekked back into the room he had previously stayed the night in, finding the clothes he had worn folded neatly on the couch. Nobody was around, oddly. It didn't matter much- he proceeded to put the clothes on before he went about searching the room for food.

Of course, the smell of something relatively close to food came from the kitchen. He ventured over opened the fridge, finding a variety of strange things. Cans and bottles were useless. He shuffled through what was there, discarding the vegetables and fruits with a disapproving huff. There wasn't any sort of seafood here.

Behind him, he heard the distinct sound of something shifting, and in an instant the siren whipped around with a defensive snarl, lunging at the intruder, hand wrapping around their neck.

The person standing in front of him raised their hands... hand up. Lance remembered. Shiro. The man he had attacked, the one he had escaped from the military base with.
Shiro seemed shocked at the mere speed of Lance's reflexes, and let out a strangled breath as the siren pressed against his windpipe.
"H-Hey. Easy," he wheezed, and Lance let go, backing up as if he had been burned. His gaze followed Shiro's hand as it rubbed the spot Lance's hand had just previously been gripping.
"I am sorry," Shiro spoke in a slow voice to make sure Lance could follow what he was saying. "I did not know you were in here."
Lance let out a sharp breath.
"Food." He replied, his voice still sounding foreign. "Where?"
Realization lit up Shiro's features.
"Oh! Food, right, you must be starving. I... you eat fish?"
Lance nodded. "Yes. Fish."
Shiro chuckled. "Alright. I'll go get your food. You stay here," Shiro motioned toward the couch. Lance made his way over and planted himself down against the cushioned seat.
"Good. I will be back with food."
With that Shiro left the room. Lance could hear Shiro and another voice outside the room, and then before he knew it Keith walked through the open doorway. The two locked gazes as he joined Lance on the couch, making sure to keep a comfortable distance between them to ensure he wasn't a threat.
Keith drummed his fingers against his knees in a rhythm, something Lance's eyes couldn't help but follow in fascination.
"Do you like the dolphins?"
Lance looked back toward the tank, a small smile creeping upon his face.
"Blue... is... safe."
Keith nodded in understanding.
"She's sweet, isn't she? Nurturing."
"What is, nurturing?"
Lance knew the word. But all the vocabulary on land was still catching up and adapting to his brain. He was used to speaking in his own mother tongue.
"She's caring as a mother cares for a baby?"
"Yes," Lance agreed, remembering now. "Nurturing." The sat in silence for a moment, before Lance furrowed his eyebrows and continued.
"Red is..."
"Bold and cheeky. Pretty stubborn too."
The smile on Lance's face returned. Keith has to admit it was attractive. But as soon as it appeared it was quick to disappear again.
"Black is sad. But he is... strong."
"Yeah, he was very sad that Shiro went missing."
"Yes."
"How do you... know their names?" Keith asked curiously. Lance's lip twitched as he thought.
"Sound?" He tried to explain. "They talk with noises? I don't know the word..."
"Clicks and whistles? Probably the name patterns, right?"
"Yes. That."
"You are talking much more today." Keith pointed out suddenly.
Lance blinked, closed his mouth. Opened it, closed it. Contemplation.
"I am... comfortable," Lance admitted. "Blue tell me I'm safe. I... trust her."
Keith hummed. "She isn't wrong. You're much safer here than at the lab."
Lance bristled slightly at the mention of the lab but said nothing more.
"So..." Keith tried, recognizing the tension that had seeped into Lance's shoulders. "What is your name? You never told me last night."
Lance looked at Keith, then at his own hands in thought. He opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by Shiro.
"Alright, I'm back. Come here and tell me what you want in terms of food."
Conversation momentarily forgotten, Lance got up and moved to the kitchen again, observing the fish set out on the marble countertop.
There was plenty to choose from, and Lance didn't hesitate on reaching for whatever was in reach. Shiro laughed.
"Wait, wait, wait," he tried to gently take the full fish from Lance's hand but was met with a loud, warning snarl, teeth flashing. Startled, Shiro stepped back, raising his hand in what seemed to be a human's submissive position.
"Alright! Okay. Here just..." he rounded the counter and pulled a plate from one of the cabinets.
"Eat it on this so it doesn't get everywhere, please?"
Lance studied the ceramic surface before nodding.
"Okay, yes."
"Good. Go sit down at the table." Shiro pointed to the other room where a round, white wooden table sat gracefully basked in sunlight in a nook. Lance obliged, settling at one of the chairs that could both view the outside window and the interior. The window looked out to the rest of the deck area. He could see the dolphins playing around in one of the pools, and a few other smaller pools filled with other animals.
Lance looked back to the two who were looking uncertainly at one another.
"You do not trust me," Lance pointed out plainly as he dug into the fish in front of him.
Silence. Lance could sense apprehension.
"We don't know much about you," Shiro justified. "And... we do know that you can be dangerous."
Lance did not expect that to hit a nerve, but it did.
"Humans dangerous. You drag me in net from water. I defend myself. Humans at lab take my... my..." Lance scratched himself with a long nail, letting a small sliver of blood loose from his skin.
Blood. That was the word.
"My- blood? My scales? Keep me in a cage? I defend myself! Humans are dangerous!"
He could tell his outburst had frightened the two. He looked away and let out a small hiss.
"You are right," Keith admitted finally. "Humans can be dangerous and cruel. You see, some people don't like those who are different. Many people are afraid of change, afraid of new things that might go against what seems real."
"I am real," Lance retorted with a frown. Keith fiddled with the straps on his black gloves.
"Yes, you are. But nobody believes your kind exists. Up until now, you were a myth, a conspiracy. Fake."
Lance processed this.
"I am not real to humans."
"No."
"I understand, yes. But why do they treat new things so badly?"
"I don't know," Keith admitted. "I think the military just wanted to analyze you and find out what you truly are, and what your abilities are."
"Is this why they take blood?"
"Yes. They inspect it on a cellular level."
Lance nodded, taking another bite of his half-forgotten fish.
"Ok. I am sorry."
"For what?"
"For being mad... angry. For getting angry."
Shiro let out the softest chuckle. "Man, I can't blame you. I hate them just as much as you do."
"Why did they take you?" Lance asked, studying Shiro. "You are human. You are not different, not siren."
"No, but they wanted to keep you a secret. They feared I might tell the rest of the world about your species."
Lance's blue eyes flicked over to Allura as she entered the room, carrying a basket of supplies.
"It seems you guys are busy," She dipped her head to Lance in greeting, and he did so back.
"Yeah, he was hungry. We are... getting acquainted."
"Mmm!" Allura hummed, passing by the table. "Well, that's good to hear. How are you getting along? Are the dolphins nice enough?"
"I am okay, yes. They are nice."
"Good," Allura seemed thrilled. "Well, I need to steal Shiro away from you for a second. I hope you don't mind."
"Okay, yes."
"Great." With a tug of the arm, Shiro was dragged away and outside. Lance went back to eating his fish while Keith stood idle, not entirely sure what to do or what to say.
"Why'd you go into the pool in the first place?" He asked finally, carding a hand absently through his hair.
Lance didn't look up, but replied. "My skin felt dry. Cannot stand being out of water for too long."
Keith noticed how Lance's vocabulary was slowly beginning to become more structured. He wondered if Lance somehow inherently knew English or if it was something he had been taught. Before he could ask, Lance stood.
"I am done."
"Oh, then uh, put the dish in here will you?" He motioned over to the sink, and Lance strode over, setting it down before turning and immediately making his way back outside.
Keith followed closely behind.
"Wait!" he tried calling, watching as Lance dove back into the pool without another word. Moments later the clothes were tossed up onto the side of the pool and Lance's head poked out of the water.
"What's your name?" Keith asked again, voice sheepish.
Lance's lips twitched, and right before he turned to dive back down, he replied.
"My name is Lance."

A/N: WhEW I told you I wasn't finished with this fic!!! I am so sorry for such a long wait, tbh I kind of neglected this story while I worked on my other stories for a while. But hey, a new chapter, and I finally have a direction I am going to take! Finally actually going to be jumping into real Klance content pretty soon, I promise! Thank you so much for tolerating the wait, I hope it didn't disappoint!!! Well, that's all for now. Stay safe and make sure to wash your hands :)
- SquemonWrites