Disclaimer: WEP owns Voltron.  DDP owns Comic Voltron.

Talk

“. . . Lance.  Damnit, I wish she’d stop . . . hitting on me so much . . .”

Lance snapped out of his semi-somnolent state, wondering where the hell he was, and why the hell Keith was talking in his head.  He relaxed again when he realized that he was still in his Lion, still part of Voltron, on the long, long trip back to Arus.

And as for why Keith was talking in his head . . .  well, that could be for any of a number of different reasons.  Dreams, all of them, but hey, did that really matter?

“I mean . . . I’ve almost as good as told her I’m not interested . . . what more do I have to do?”

Lance held his breath, waiting for the explosion, or maybe Hunk or Pidge jumping in and asking their commander what he thought he was doing.  But there was nothing, and he was surprised.  I didn’t know you could do this, he thought.  I thought we all had to be . . . well, kind of on the ‘net at the same time . . .

He hesitated an instant longer, then took a mental deep breath and said, “Well, maybe you have to just tell her.”

He had the sudden sense of distance—like he gasped for breath, maybe? he thought—then Keith replied slowly, “I . . . I didn’t know you were awake, Lance.”

Briefly, Lance speculated about what might happen if one of them was seriously injured or actually lost consciousness while they were in the Voltron ‘net . . . then shook it away.  Geeze, that’s something that Pidge would want to know . . . Hmmm.  Maybe I should mention it to him, see what he thinks about it . . .  Aloud, he said, “I heard my name.  And I wasn’t really asleep.  So what’s up?”  When there was no response, he tried again.  “I . . . uh, I assume this is about Allura?”

There was such a long silence this time that he nearly decided that Keith wasn’t going to answer him at all.  Eventually, however, he got the impression of a gusty sigh.  “Yes.”

When nothing more was forthcoming, he held back the exasperated sigh he wanted to release and asked, leadingly, “And . . .?”

“And she’s . . . as good as told me that we’re going to have a deep and meaningful when we get back to Arus.”

He blinked.  Reading between the lines, there, it almost sounded like “threatened,” didn’t it?  He shook his head.  Wishful thinking, McClain.  Get over it.  “And you don’t want to.”

“No.”

It’s like pulling teeth.  “And she wants to . . . why?”

Another pause.  “I . . . I don’t know, but I could guess that she wants to get to know me better.  And I don’t want to.”

Lance felt his heart lift slightly.  I don’t want her to get to know you better, either.  But saying that would only gain him a Keith uncomfortable around him, too.  So instead, he said, “Well, then, don’t.  You don’t have to if you don’t want to, you know.”

He could have sworn that was a snort.  “She said that I wasn’t going to be able to run away this time.”

Well.  This was as loose and casual as Keith had ever been. 

Then what he’d said registered, and Lance felt his eyebrows raise to his hairline.  “Oh, really?”  He winced at the cold tone he’d unintentionally used.  This is not the time to let my commanding officer know that I’m interested in him! he told himself firmly.  Just stop it now! 

“Lance?” Keith sounded puzzled at the vehemence he’d put into the words.

He forced a laugh.  “It just seems she’s being . . . well, bossy.  Even if she is a princess, she can’t make you do anything if you don’t want to.”

“No.  You’re right.”

This time, his chuckle was real.  “And anyway . . . if she starts . . . hitting on you again, just tell her you’re gay, or something.  That usually stops ‘em . . .”

Instantly, his mind was filled with a presence, the image of a beautiful girl, and he was filled with love for her.  Suddenly, she was replaced with darkness, and a phone dangling by its cord, the word death echoing in his head, and the love was turned to disbelief and rage and grief . . .

As quickly as the emotions were there, they were gone, leaving him breathless and slightly hollow.

It took him a minute to recover.  “Oh, man,” he whispered, “was . . . was that your fiancée?  I’m sorry, I’m so sorry . . .”

“Yeah.  Thanks.” Keith’s words were chilling, abrupt.  Then he was gone.

Heaving that sigh he’d held in for so long, Lance ran his fingers through his hair.  “Way to go, McClain,” he muttered.  “Way to fuck things up.  The only way things could get worse is if he knew that I’ve been dreaming about him . . .”

And no sooner were the words out of his mouth than the Lion responded around him, and drew him back into the Voltron ‘net . . .

He licked at the hollow of Keith’s throat, relishing the taste of the perspiration that had collected there, the spicy scent of the golden skin.  The contrast between his own lighter skin tone and Keith’s was pleasing to his eyes.  Keith’s moans and breathless gasps were music to his ears, but he felt . . . oh, the way he felt . . . The slip of sweat-soaked skin beneath his fingers, the hard velvety length of his cock, pumping up and down in his grasp, the way he bucked and tossed as Lance moved within him, the tight clenching heat of Keith around him, oh, gods, it was . . .

“Incredible!”

Lance shook himself out of the dream state once again, hoping he hadn’t said that out loud.  But no, that had sounded like Pidge. 

Then he discovered that he was mortally afraid that this time, something had spilled over the ‘net and that the rest of them knew . . .

“Keith!  That . . . other robot, the one we fought?  It’s behind us!”

“You mean it’s following us?” the Princess gasped.

“Ok, people, get ready,” Keith ordered calmly.  After a second, Lance heard him say, “And McClain?”

He swallowed convulsively.  “Uh . . . yeah?”

“When we get back to Arus . . . we’re going to have a talk.”

***

March 21, 2004