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some-cookie-crumbz · 5 years

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A Lil’ Pep in it

A Lil’ Pep in it Fandom: Voltron: Legendary Defender Pairing: Shance Summary: Request fill for @shiranai-atsune featuring Lance realizing he’s got a crush on Shiro! This fic is set to take place somewhere between S1 and S2, simply because I thought that’d be a good point in the story for the scene I had in mind. Sorry this took me so long to get done with, but I hope you still enjoy it! :3 Standard Disclaimer: If you read and enjoy this, please give it a like/ reblog so I know if I should write more.

Sometimes Lance just couldn’t believe his luck. After all, how many people got to work directly with THE Takashi Shirogane?

Shiro, as they had all been informed to address him since falling under his command, had a well-deserved reputation as the best pilot to ever be turned out by the Garrison. The guy was naturally gifted, sure, but there was more to it than that! He had taken the time to hone that natural skill, to give it the care and attention needed to improve to the point he was breaking record after record. There was something undeniably admirable about that kind of dedication and tenacity. Lance himself had always felt like a part him belonged to the sky and stars, almost as much as he felt at ease in the gentle lull of waves on the beach back home.

And watching Shiro’s progress from the outside had only inspired him to work that much harder himself. He’d always dreamed that maybe, someday, he’d get to meet the Garrison’s golden boy.

After leading the mission to break Shiro out of the Garrison base and going space-bound in the Blue Lion, however, he was given more than just the chance to meet Shiro. No, instead, he was working directly under the man that had a huge hand in guiding Lance’s path in life. He wasn’t sure what he’d expected when he first got the chance to be the other man, and had even less of an idea as events played out following Lance’s brilliant rescue mission.

Shiro had been sure to thank them all for their help back at Keith’s shack, which certainly showed that he had some manners and humility, but then they found the Blue Lion. Suddenly, the five of them were shooting through space with no real idea of what they were facing off against. It was Shiro’s judgment that led them to go through the wormhole, a decision that was equal parts impulsive and necessary. It led them to planet Arus, where they met Allura and Coran, found the rest of the Lions, and BAM! Then they’re in the middle of a giant intergalactic war!

Not the most ideal situation, but somehow it was easy to forget. Shiro simply had this air to him that made you feel like, as long as you listened to him, everything would turn out just fine. Even in the dire situation they found themselves in, there were still moments where they were able to laugh and enjoy each other’s company. And, even in battle, it never felt like they had need to fear. Sure, sometimes they had no idea what to do, but did that ever shake Shiro? The guy was always calm, composed, and concise in what they needed to do. Never once had his orders led them astray.

Which was what had left Lance cowering in the Blue Lion, feeling like a total knucklehead, because he had absolutely not done that.

The mission had been a rescue mission, and been going relatively smooth. The head of the rebellion for the planet they were on had been taken by the Galra and, in exchange for Voltron liberating her, her follows had vowed to join the coalition. Their planet had been used as a farming world, due to how several of the plant indigenous to their home world could be used to make potent chemical weapons, such as truth serums or hallucinogenic drugs. They were going more covert with this operation, so the Lions were supposed to be out of the question.

But then Blue had started to yowl into Lance’s head that Galran reinforcements had been on their way.

He’d left his post, barely managing to get out a quick, “Guys, incoming!” Shiro had called back at him to stay in the spot he’d been sniping from, as they’d been coming in hot with the rebel leader and the leader of the Galran base a few feet behind them. Lance had known, however, that they’d have more luck with at least one Lion to help. He’d gotten to Blue and then set to tearing about the roof of the prison, scooping up Hunk and the unconscious form of the rebel leader as he went. With the two of them safely in his Lion, he explained there was a fleet coming and rushed Hunk to get in Yellow.

As per usual, they formed Voltron, knocked the Galra around like a ball on a paddle, and then reveled in their victory.

It was as they headed back to the hanger, though, that Lance became aware of the situation.

“You’re gonna be in so much trouble, dude,” Pidge had sang, clearly amused, into the comms.

“Excuse me?” Lance snorted.

“You disregarded what Shiro said! You broke rank and went against your orders!” She answered. Shiro wasn’t in the Lions comms at that second, as he was coordinating their meet up with the rebel forces once they docked.

“Pidge does have a point. We nearly got caught because you weren’t in your sniping post,” Keith chimed in, just the slightest edge of irritation to his tone as he recalled them getting fired at by the Galran commander and his droids.

“Oh, please! It wasn’t that bad!” Lance said, waving one hand in the air dismissively.

“I nearly got shot in the leg,” Hunk added in flatly.

He winced and let out a small hiss. “Oh, geez. Sorry, bud,”

“So, yeah. Pretty big mess up there, pal-o,” Pidge said, her tone all amusement, Cheshire-esque grin tilted up on her lips. A part of Lance shrieked at him to ignore her, that she was just trying to tease him, but another part of him became panicked over the possibility that she was right. “I’m sure Shiro will have a whole lecture prepared for you the minute we settle down in the hanger.”

“He typically does,” Keith scoffed lightly.

“Speaking from experience there, Mullet?” He sneered, trying to keep up the bravado of apathy. It was hard when they were talking about his hero telling him off for disobeying orders. Hopefully a few light jabs would be enough to throw them off the trail.

“Absolutely,” Keith stated bluntly, enunciating each syllable to add a bit more push to his words. “Believe you me; when Shiro needs to have words with you, he has words with you.”

“Okay, now I’m curious. Exactly how many times did Shiro have to read you the riot act back before Kerberos?” Hunk asked.

Keith shrugged and made a small noise of disinterest. “I guess it really depends which subject we’re talking about,”

“How about you just give us a cumulative estimate,” Pidge said, her tone still steeped in amusement, though now her focus had shifted.

Even with the heat off of him, though Lance couldn’t shake the anxiety starting to bubble up inside at their prodding. He worried a lot about how Shiro saw him. He knew he had a tendency to be a bit of a light-hearted goof, using snark and commentary to try and help keep morale up. He knew the situation they were in was grave – after all, he wasn’t a complete moron and had been on the harsher receiving end of that lesson more times than he was keen to admit – and, sometimes, him making some ludacrious, dumb statement could help with that. But, he had also been giving scolding looks and warning tones from Shiro when he’d started up before. A part of him feared that the other man saw him as dead weight, as a liability, and only tolerated him for the sake of forming Voltron. He feared that his insubordination would only cause Shiro to berate him and hammer the point home, like Iverson and so many other Garrison officers had done before.

And that was why, upon landing in the hanger, he’d refused to leave Blue’s cockpit.

The rest of the team – sans Shiro, who was assisting Coran with the alien leader – tried to coerce him into coming out, but when they hadn’t backed down he’d shut his comms off. And Blue – beautiful, compassionate Blue – had thrown her particle barrier up upon sensing her Paladin’s distress. Hunk had vowed to return at some point in the near future with some food for Lance, but otherwise followed the others out of the hanger to meet with the rest of the rebellion for a full report on the mission. Lance appreciated that he was finally getting to have a bit of privacy to figure out how he intended to handle the situation.

A good fifteen minutes or so went by in which he decided he’d just wait it out. He’d hold off on showing up until things had settled down, and then he’d be guaranteed that Shiro should have calmed down. Then, if a conversation needed to be had, it would turn into a Lance Bashing Fest.

He slumped down lower into his chair, the soft, confused rumblings of Blue’s presence in the back of his mind.

“It’s nothing, girl. I’m just trying to wait until things slide on by, wait until things are a little bit more settled,” He mused, stroking the control panels in a way that he hoped communicated reassurance. It was always hard to say what sensations the Lion’s picked up on, or how they chose to interpret the gestures of their Paladins.

Blue pressed further, her urging this time a bit more reassuring, almost challenging.

He snorted and rolled his eyes affectionately at her. “I’m not going to have to fight Shiro for my honor; I just didn’t listen and I’m worried he’ll be mad about it. So, I’m just going to stay here with you until this whole mess blows over,” He explained.

Blue released yet another rumble of discontentment, this time seeming to be put-off by his approach.

“It’s not cowardice, okay? It’s just being tactical!” He insisted.

Blue didn’t believe him. Psh. Even giant robot cats were critics, these days.

He stewed for another ten minutes before Blue shifted suddenly, her head tipping this way and that. He tumbled gracelessly out and rolled along the floor, sputtering frantically. “B-Blue! What’s wrong, girl?” He called out before clipping his head on the bottom edge of his chair and yowling.

The world spun around him for a full two or three minutes, the clinking and creaking noise of the Lion moving echoing around him, before suddenly he was rolling away along the metal flooring of the hanger. He groaned, ending up face first one the ground, one arm turned awkwardly under him, the other sprawled just above his head, his rear sticking up in the air.

Well, at least the humiliation was one he suffered alone.

“Uh, Lance?”

His heart leapt to his throat at the familiar voice of the Black Paladin, far too close for comfort. He slowly lifted the arm above his head, tilting his head until he was able to take in the view of the other’s white boots, less than two feet ahead of him.

He flailed upright into a sitting position with an indignant squawk. “Shiro!” He blurted out.

The other blinked, cocking his head curiously. He was still adorned in his Paladin armor, but the helmet had been left somewhere else. A few strands of the snowy tuft above his forehead shifted when he’d cocked his head, calling to mind a dog with perked up ears, for some reason. “Lance,” He answered, though his tone was inquisitive and concerned rather than frantic and flustered.

“Uh-Hey! Sorry about that! I was just- You know,” He trailed nervously, turning to pin Blue Lion with a glare over his shoulder, “spending some quality time with my Lion.”

In the back of his mind, Blue purred in satisfaction and then dropped her particle barrier again. Filthy traitor cat.

Shiro looked from him to Blue, still seeming a bit confused, but merely shrugged and opted to drop it. “I see. Well, I’m glad you’re taking your duties as a Paladin seriously, but come on out,” He said, offering him a hand.

“Is something going on?” He asked, taking the other’s hand and being hoisted back up on to his feet with one smooth tug. He’d always known the other man was physically fit, but he’d never really noticed just how much so. He’d have to ask him about what his routine was, or if he could sit in sometime, so he could start catching up.

“Just a little celebration. The rebels wanted to show their gratitude for us saving Ganar for them, so they’re preparing a huge hot-pot of some sort,” He explained, releasing Lance’s hand once he was sure he was properly balanced.

“Are we even sure we’ll be able to eat it? Or is this going to be like that feast back on Hiluq?” He asked skeptically.

“Well, Hunk is helping them pick ingredients, so it should hopefully be something we can all enjoy,” He answered with a shrug, but there was an air of uncertainty to his tone.

Lance couldn’t blame him, though; even a culinary genius like Hunk could only do so much in cases like this.

“Well, that’s nice of them. It feels nice to occasionally get shown that we’re appreciated, you know?” He mused, shifting awkwardly on his feet. He knew he couldn’t hide with Blue’s help, but perhaps he could still find a way to get out of this. “Think you can save me a bowl? I think I’m gonna go get a shower and a nap. That mission was cuh-ray-zee.” He said, waving one hand in the air and using a sing-song tone on the last word.

The other frowned slightly. “You should really come participate. Hiluq and her troops really want to thank us for all we’ve done,” He said, indicating the exit with a slight nod of his head. Lance felt his shoulders slump, unable to keep his disappointment from showing. “Oh, come on. I’m sure the food won’t be that bad. It certainly can’t be worse than that strange goop Coran tried giving us earlier on in our training.”

“Nothing will ever be as awful as that,” He snorted, falling in line and letting Shiro lead him along. He had already disobeyed orders once for the day; the last thing he needed to do was give further reasons to be chastised. Shiro chuckled as well, nodding in agreement, and a silence slowly settled in between them. As they walked, Lance felt his stomach churning. What angle was the other playing at? They were alone and he could tear into him. Why wasn’t he? Did he want to wait until after the celebration, when he was riding high, and drag him back down to reality?

He took a deep breath, deciding to bite the bullet, and take the plunge. “I’m sorry about earlier!” He blurted out in a rush of breath.

The other looked over at him in surprise and cocked his head. “Oh, no need to apologize. Staying with Blue for a little longer to help with your bond is completely fine. The bond between the Lions and us on the team is significant in our efforts to-!”

“No, I mean during the mission! When I left my perch!”

“Oh,” He said, seeming completely baffled.

“Oh? Is that all you have to say?” Lance asked, skidding to a stop and throwing his hands up.

Shiro stopped a few paces ahead of him, turning to look at him. “Well, I’m not sure what else I should say,”

“I broke away from the group! I was supposed to stay at my post to snipe any incoming enemies while you retrieved Hiluq, but I didn’t! Hunk almost got shot!” He stared at Shiro, a bit incredulous. The other’s expression had shifted from confused to something Lance couldn’t quite read. Disappointment, maybe? He sighed and shook his head, letting his gaze flitter to the floor. “You should be yelling at me for almost compromising the mission.”

A small hum escaped the other before a hand settled on his shoulder, squeeze a bit and applying just a small amount of pressure to the space between the plates of his Paladin armor. He looked up cautiously to find a small smile on the other’s face, his eyes gleaming bright. “Lance, what you did was the right decision. If you hadn’t gone back to get Blue, we never would have made it out of the base,”

“But… But you said-!”

“I know what I said, but sometimes you need to rely on your own judgment,” He said, his tone a bit more firm. Lance blinked before cautiously nodded. “We’re a team, which means we all need to work together and do what’s best for all of us. If you think that a command I’ve given is detrimental, then I want you to say so or take initiative to fix it. If it’s something that needs to be, we can discuss it later, but this isn’t an instance like that. You going back to get Blue kept us all from being trapped in the base when the backup fleet arrived. We wouldn’t have been able to get back to our Lions and form Voltron if not for what you did.”

Blue eyes widened before skirting from Shiro’s gaze to the floor, scuffing the metal with the toe of his boots. “You’re… I’m not,” He started, trying to come up with any excuse to dissuade the implied praise, but let out a small sigh, unable to articulate it properly.

Shiro squeezed her shoulder again before reaching over and tilting his head up, forcing the younger man to look at him. “Hey,” He said, his voice soft and reassuring, “we’re a team of equals, Lance. Your judgments are just as valid as mine, or Keith’s, or Hunk’s or Pidge’s. It doesn’t matter who pilots which Lion. If we don’t work together as a team, nothing works. If we didn’t have you on the team - if you didn’t have the courage to make the decision you did today - we wouldn’t be able to succeed. Having you here only makes us stronger, Lance.”

He searched the other’s gleaming onyx eyes for any hint that he was being deceptive, but found only transparency there. It felt surreal, really, to think that this living legend was praising him. His heart rate picked up and he looked off to the side, a shy smile turning up on his lips. “You think so?”

“I know so,” Shiro asserted, a warm and inviting smile turning up on his lips. His hand slid away from Lance’s shoulder and, oddly enough, he could feel the loss of heat from the contact underneath the shoulder pads of his Paladin armor. “Now, let’s get going. We don’t want to miss out on the festivities.”

“Yeah, sounds good,” He laughed as he jogged along beside the other man. A small part of him realized that the other’s smile, when he was completely relaxed as opposed to the one he plastered on for Garrison recruitment events, was a breathtaking sight. In fact, everything about the other male was stunning. How confident he was in his own abilities, as well as those he worked with. How he managed to stay calm. How he knew exactly what to say to encourage the other, but it was never a lie. The man offered out compliments based solely on his own genuine, authentic opinions. There was something truly admiring and charming about that.

And then, a trill of panic coursed up his spine at the realization that this wasn’t simple admiration he was feeling; it was undoubtedly a crush.

#crumbles grumbles #Voltron legendary defender #Shance #Takashi Shirogane #Lance McClain #my fics #Man this was a lot of fun!#I really like getting to explore their dynamic more!

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