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5:
It isn’t hard to realize after the third time he had to push away a few wandering hands that there was something off about this species. That or, he sniffed experimentally at the clear liquid he’d been handed upon entering the King’s ballroom, there was something in the punch. Pushing his way towards Hunk, he wasted no time surrounding himself in the scent of his friend, leaning over to rub his face against Hunk’s cheek in greeting.
Hunk wrapped an arm around his waist, “You okay, buddy?”
Lance shrugged, closing his eyes and leaning in. “People are bein’ rude,” he mumbles just as another Uemmu steps in, getting to close to smile at Hunk and Lance with sharp teeth. Their cat like eyes and horns more threatening than they probably intend.
“It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance,” they greet, “I am Giy.” holding out a hand that Hunk returns with a firm shake. When they hold out their hand to Lance, Lance hesitates for a moment before returning the gesture hoping to quickly shake hands and then pull away only for Giy to use it to pull Lance closer and out of Hunk’s hold. Giy turns his hand wrist up and makes a show of gently licking the prominent blue vain. “You are very beautiful, Blue Paladin,” Giy practically purrs.
Lance stares, open mouthed and with mounting horror as Giy continues to hold his hand, clearly looking for a response. “I-I…” Lance stammers, trying to find an out.
Giy grins again, stepping even closer just as a flash of red enters Lance’s vision and then Keith is there, standing between Lance and the Uemmu, bayard out but deactivated. “You shouldn’t touch him,” Keith snaps, teeth bared, a low growl in his voice that lets Lance know the other was slowly slipping into Alpha mode.
Lance huffs, taking Keith’s hand and pressing the scent gland that Giy had just licked to the one in Keith’s own wrist, effortlessly calming him down. Giy takes a step back, arms up. “I did not mean to offend,” he says more to Keith than to Lance and Lance fights back his own growl. It wasn’t rare for Alphas to speak on the behalf of their Omegas in certain settings but Keith wasn’t Lance’s Alpha and Lance was plenty capable of speaking for himself.
He’d just been shocked is all.
“Then I think it’s best you move along.” And when had Shiro got there? The older Alpha’s calming presence taking over and Lance hummed, finally feeling safe now that their leader was here. Turning he could see Hunk sheepishly grin at home. And oh… Hunk had gone to get Shiro. Good thinking.
Giy bowed, once to Keith and then to Shiro, before turning on his heel and running.
“You okay, Lance?” Shiro asked as Keith finally holstered his bayard, chest still puffed out as if asking for a fight.
Lance nods, rubbing soothing circles into Keith’s palm. “I’m okay, Shiro. It was just… weird. I guess they’re just a really handsy species.”
“This isn’t the first time someone’s tried that?” Keith near-snarled.
Lance shook his head and shrugged, “Whatcha gonna do? I’m irrisistable.”
This time Keith did snarl, eye’s turning to glare out at the Uemmu crowd.
“Do you mind if Keith stays with you?” Shiro asked. “I think we’d all feel safer if there was someone there to watch your back.”
Lance wants to argue, to demand they acknowledge he can take care of himself. But he can smell the stress coming off of Shiro and so he relents. Shiro might be their leader as far as Lance was concerned, but Lance was also the only Omega in Shiro’s care. He couldn’t fault the Alpha for wanting to be cautious. “All right,” he mock-sighs, leaning into Keith. “Come on. I want to drink something that doesn’t smell awful.”
...
4:
Lance peers closer at the display, eyeing the fancy flashing machine hidden in the right corner. It looked like some sort of robot helper. Tiny, with little metal claws to pick up things. Probably just a toy but perhaps Pidge would like it? She’d been stressed lately and Lance wasn’t sure how to take care of her.
Keith and Shiro were easy. They were Alphas. A slight scenting and a few well-placed touches could relax them. Follow that up with a good conversation or, with Keith, a session of well-meaning bickering and they were A-okay.
Hunk was Hunk. His bestie. There were few people that Lance knew as well as he did Hunk. And Hunk never failed to come to Lance when he needed help calming down or working out a problem. All Lance had to do was listen and give advice as needed, lean in close so Hunk could smell him and know he was safe.
But Pidge… Pidge was a mystery. Lance had never had a pack mate who was asexual before. She just simply didn’t enjoy scenting or the more physical aspects of their secondary genders. Not that she didn’t enjoy cuddling or hugs; Lance had made sure to ask. He was a physical person. It was literally in his nature. But he didn’t know how to help her de-stress like he did Keith, Hunk, and Shiro. So maybe something to tinker with could help? She’d been missing Rover. Maybe this could be, not a replacement, but another pet?
“Can I help you, sweetheart?” a distinctly feminine voice called to him. He looked up, grinning when he saw it was the shop clerk.
“Yeah,” he pointed to the little robot, “Could I see that?”
“You can see anything you want,” The clerk purred, voice sounding distant as it came through the speakers of their face mask. They unlocked the display and pulled out the toy. “Can I just say you smell lovely?”
Lance blushed from his cheeks to the tips of his ears. Compliments like that were usually reserved for suitors back on earth but Lance could only assume this alien meant nothing by it. “Thank you.” He’d never smelt himself, but his mother would always say he smelt like a fresh ocean breeze or just done laundry. Others would tease him and say he smelt fishy. So it was always nice to know he didn’t smell awful.
He carefully picks up the robot, turning it around to try and find an on switch.
“It’s 100 len,” she says. Lance frowns, setting the toy down. He only had forty… He could ask Allura for more, but…. “But for someone so cute I can give it for free.”
Lance perked up, “Really?”
She nodded, leaning closer. Slowly, she popped the faceplate off. She was quite pretty. Inhuman with scales and pupil-less orange eyes. But sharp cheek bones. “Really. In exchange for a lil’ kiss.”
Lance leaned forward so they were only a few inches apart. “Just a kiss?” A kiss in turn for taking care of Pidge? Yeah, he could do that. His job was to take care of his pack. A kiss was nothing in return.
She hummed, taking the hand that wasn’t holding the robot. “Just a kiss,” she mumbled, eye’s dropping closed as she leaned in. Lance met her half way.
It was a chaste kiss. Lasting only a few moments. She was polite. When Lance pulled away, her orange eyes had a spot of purple in the center and she slowly licked her lips with a sort of snake-like tongue. Lance blushed, laughed. Pulling far enough away that he was no longer laying on the display. She placed her mask back on.
“Pleasure doing business with you,” she said, voice softer and almost airy through the speaker.
Lance grinned, pocketing the robot. “Of course.”
.
Shiro smells it on him the minute he walks through the door.
“Who touched you?” he growls, pulling Lance into the common room where the others were waiting. Apperently Lance was the last to arrive.
“Shiro, my arm,” Lance cries, clawing uselessly at the metal arm before Keith and Hunk were there, pressing him in close. Both sniffing. Lance sighed and tipped his head back, letting them in, thankful Allura and Coran weren’t there. It was hard explain pack dynamics to a species that didn’t have one even though they were very accommodating.
Shiro lets go, still growling softly. A steady vibration that were slowly setting Keith, Hunk, and even Pidge on edge. “Shiro,” Lance sighs, taking a seat next to Pidge as Keith and Hunk hover close by. “It was consensual.”
Keith froze before bolting out of the room. Lance frowns, ready to call out after him before Shiro calls his attention by grabbing Lance’s hand, wrist up. “Lance,” he starts.
“It was just a kiss,” Lance insists. “From a shop clerk in exchange for this.” He shifts and pulls out the little robot, still asleep. Pidge makes the appropriate “oooo” noise that makes Lance smile.
“You had len,” Hunk points out, about to take the robot before Lance makes a sharp chirping noise. Lance hands the toy to Pidge and smiles when her face shows only joy.
“Not enough,” he explains. “It was just a kiss.”
Shiro relents, pressing their wrists together. “Please don’t do that again,” he says, “It’s wrong smelling someone else on you.”
Lance nods. “I won’t make any promises,” he compromises, “But I’ll be more cautious.”
“Thank you, Lance,” Shiro grins.
“Now if you’ll excuse me,” Lance grins, getting up and dislodging Hunk and Pidge. “I have a resident hot head to calm down.”
...
3:
Lance wakes with a moan, heating heavy in the air as that indistinguishable itch settles just beneath his skin. But it’s distant. Not him but an echo.
He’s moving. Swaying down the hall. Footsteps the only thing he can hear as he gets closer. Closer to…
And then there are hands. A body. Orange and yellow. Hunk, his mind whispers. Beta. Sweet. Pack. Friend.
Lance hums, pressing closer even as his feet keep moving, moving him towards his, their, destination. Hunk’s hand is in his. Is Hunk talking? Lance cannot hear him. Not really. Just impressions.
“Lance.” Shiro is here now. Lance can hear him. He smells good. Warm. Like dew and grass. Lance takes a deep breath, letting go of Hunk in favor of bring Shiro’s hand to his mouth. Shiro’s eyes flutter shut. And the itch flares for a moment, makes him squirm, and urging him forward. Lance laces their fingers together and squeezes before letting go to break into a run.
There is a door and then there is not. The smell of Alpha so heady his knees shake. Keith. Keith. “Keith,” he mumbles. Head clearing enough to realize where he is and why he was called.
“Lance,” Keith gasps, clearly about to go into rut, skin sweating and breath coming out harsh. “You don’t need to be here.”
Lance nods. The last of the dream-like state washing away as Lance comes closer, climbs onto the bed to lie down next to Keith. He’s thought about this before. There are no suppressants in space. Ruts and heats are inevitable with two Alphas and an Omega onboard. The real danger will come when they sync up. “I know,” Lance says, running his hand up and down Keith’s chest as they shift so Lance’s head is pillowed on Keith’s arm and they’re facing each other, flush from chest to toe. Keith’s other arm grips his hip. “M’ sorry we didn’t get a chance to talk about this, but I made my decision.”
Keith makes a low humming noise that makes Lance feel warm, liquid in Keith’s arms, “I want to take care of you,” Lance mumbles.
“No.” Keith mumbles, suddenly pulling away. Lance chirps, distressed as Keith’s scent gives away his fear and his stress. “No. Not like this.” He’s up now, stumbling away, leaving Lance cold and alone on the bed.
Lance chirps again, calling Keith back.
Keith shakes his head, stumbling.
“Keith, you’ll get sick,” Lance calls after him, standing up. There are voices on the other side of the door. And Shiro is calling for Lance to open it, to tell them what is going on. “Keith, please.”
Keith shakes his head, face flushed with heat. “Get out, Lance.” He’s standing against the far wall, chest heaving. When Lance gets up as if to go to him, Keith flinches, “Please! Get. Out.”
Lance does as he’s told.
.
Rejection is hard to handle. Hard to stomach when even though Lance is literally Keith’s only choice he would rather risk heat sickness than to be with him. Hard to get past the knowledge that one of his Alphas are so repulsed by him that they would rather risk death than be with him.
Was he not a good enough Omega? Did he not take care of his pack? Remind Pidge to rest when she needed to. Helped Hunk manage his anxiety. Hold Shiro through his nightmares. Ground Keith when he tries to run away from them. Did he not do everything he could to make their lives easier, happier, healthier? Certainly this wasn’t his home. He could not make them a home like this. Flying through space. No this castle belonged to Allura and it showed. In the tapestry and the furniture. Not what Lance would have made or chosen to furnish his home. The colors were nice though. If it came down to it then maybe he could…
But for now he had no home to give his pack even though it was his duty. Alphas were the protectors. Betas the peacekeepers. And Omegas the homemakers. Old fashioned for the most part, but Lance had been raised old fashioned in a small, coastal town where people tended to fall within their categories more often than not. Did he wish to fly? To do something amazing? Yes. But he also knew one day he’d like to start a family and collect a pack. Maybe he is a bit young. Nineteen. But they were all young. Shiro, their oldest, was only twenty-five.
He sniffles, wiping away the tears as he curls up even tighter in the little nook he’d found far enough away from the main portions of the castle they use that the chances of being found were slim while close enough to his room to act if needed. Hunk and Shiro were probably with Keith, trying to keep him from overheating. Pidge was probably trying to explain the situation to Allura and Coran as best she could.
Lance should be with her, helping her, doing something useful instead of feeling sorry for himself. But he can’t make his legs move. Blue purrs softly in the back of his mind and Lance answers her with one of his own, taking comfort in her presence.
He’s pathetic really… no wonder Keith didn’t want him…
...
2:
Half way through Keith’s rut cycle, the alarms go off. The Galra have found them. Lance is asleep, the first sleep he’s gotten in two days. But he wastes no time waking up and throwing on his armor even as his bed calls for him. Blue is stressed, worried for him, but it doesn’t matter.
He may not be a good Omega but he could still be a good Paladin.
Lance makes a distressed noise when he sees Keith suited up and walking towards his tube. “What are you doing here? You’re not…”
Keith looks up at him. Even through the suit Lance can see how much pain he’s in, how much it must hurt to move. “We might…need Voltron,” he bites out, taking a deep breath before flinching.
Right. Lance’s smell must disgust him. Turned on just by having an Alpha in rut so close.
Lance turns and hurries down the hall to his own tube. They don’t have time to argue and Keith is right. They might need Voltron and what was Voltorn without it’s right arm? As he steps in, Lance can’t help but think, pettily, Keith would have been finished by now if he’d let Lance help.
.
Attacking the Galra mission quickly turn into a Free the Prisoners mission as Lance, Pidge, and Keith make their way through the hallways.
“We should split up,” Lance finally says, certain they’re just going in circles. “Pidge and Keith you should go right. I’ll go left. Keep to that one direction. We’ll come back and regroup in thirty.” It’s a solid plan. They’re not getting anywhere like this.
Pidge makes an uncertain noise, ready to argue, but it’s Keith that shocks him. He reaches out, grabbing Lance’s arm. Lance feels weak at the contact and it takes everything he has to pull away. Keith makes a wounded noise, pulling back and grabbing his hand as if wounded.
Lance hadn’t pulled away from Keith’s touch since the Balmera Mission, but… Keith hadn’t rejected him before.
“Go right,” Lance says in the silence, already walking away. “And keep your comms on.” He switches to the private comm for just a moment and says, “Pidge… Keep him from overheating, please?”
There is a moment of just static and then, “Copy that.”
.
Walking by yourself as alarms blare is terrifying. Add the flashing purple lights and erie green floor lighting and Lance had to wonder if the Galra planed their ships to look like the beginnings of a horror movie. He’s almost shaking by the time he finds his first prison cells. “I got them,” he calls over the Comm, “I’m six lefts from the starting point. I’m going to start moving them towards the escape pods.” At least they know where those are. There is a moment of silence before Pidge calls over the comm, “We’re making our way to you.”
The first cell is easy. The second is the same. He gives directions, tell them to stick to the right and to find the Green and Red Paladins. They’re quick to comply, happy to be free. Some start to cry. Other’s grab his hand or pull him into a hug, snifling and thanking him. One calls him an angel and he just grins, tells them it’s his job.
The third is large, larger than the others. And the lock is harder to break. But when he finally gets it open, he’s welcomed to only darkness. Something slithers. “Hello?” He calls out, gun on but lowered. “I’m a paladin of Voltron. We’re here to free you.”
“Whhyyyy,” a voice calls out just as the door behind him slams shut. He spins, turning on night vision and sealing his helmet. “Would I wissssss to essscape, paladin?” Lance tries to open the door. It’s locked.
Another sound like fabric rustling and he turns. There is a man or… a torso of a man coming towards him, inching closer on his arms. Lance keeps his gun lowered, terrified of hurting him more than the Galra must have. Were his legs broken?
“Please,” Lance calls out, “We just want to help you. Are you injured?”
The man laughs and there is something by his leg. He flinches, looks down. Something slithers just out of view. “Is… is there something else?”
The man is in front of him and Lance gasps, stepping back only to trip, bayard flying out of his hand as he catches himself. There is a commotion over his comm as Keith calls out to him, demands he answer. But fear holds his tongue.
The man laughs, “I am Sssulth,” he whispers, crowding over Lance. Lance looks down; biting down a scream as he sees where there should be legs is instead a long, long tail. Something slithers behind him, wraps around his wrist and Lance screams, kicking out.
Sulth laughs again, dipping down to sniff. “You smell wonderful, paladin,” he whispers, forcing his face closer to Lance’s neck. “You will tasssste just asssss good, yesss?”
Lance sobs. Frozen by fear.
“The Galra have not fed me in a long time,” Sulth explains as if Lance wants to know, “In this way take ssssolisssse. You have saved me from ssstarvation.”
He should… do something. Move. Fight back? But the tail has wrapped around his legs and his breath is so close, too close. Lance jerks, pressing futher into the floor as if he could slink through. Pidge is in his ear, saying something Lance can’t hear over the sound of his own heartbeat.
And then Keith is there, screaming. Over the comms Lance can hear banging. He’ll work himself up, Lance thinks, frantic as Sulth runs a clawed hand over his helmet, looking for a way to take it off or get through. He’ll get sick.
Sulth rears back as if ready to lung and Lance closes his eyes, bracing himself. “Love you,” he tells them. Keith and Pidge. And Shiro, Hunk, Allura, and Coran. What a pathetic way to go, but not awful. Not the worst way. At least the Galra won’t be able to capture or interrogate him.
There’s more banging and then green. Flashing through the darkness, riping Sulth off of Lance so he can breathe, the crushing weight on his chest gone. Lance turns onto his side, coughing. And Keith is there. Lance can smell him even through the helmet and the suit. Warm like burning wood. “-ance,” Keith says and Lance focuses, sitting up. Trying to stand and then Keith is there.
Lance thinks about pushing him away, but his legs are still shaking and they don’t have time to be petty. So he sucks it up and says, “My bayard.” Pidge hands it over and Lance activates it. “Did everyone make it out?”
“Are you okay?” Pidge asks but Lance brushes her off. Now isn’t the time. Keith is burning. Lance can feel it. He needs less stress and Hunk and Shiro.
“We need to get back to our lions,” Lance says instead, letting Keith help him out of the cell before he finds his footing and breaks into a jog.
...
1:
The aftermath of their mission leaves everyone tense. It takes four showers for Sulth’s smell to finally leave him. In that time Pidge hovers close by and Allura apologizes for the experience.
“There was nothing you could do,” Lance reassures her. “I should have shot the bastard when I had the chance.” And he had and hesitated. It was his mistake. He would do better next time.
Allura frowns but accepts it. “We’re family, Lance,” she says, “Even if we aren’t like your human packs… You’re important to me. Please be careful.”
Lance smiles, pressing forward to rub his face against hers like he would Hunk. “I’ll do my best, Princess.”
.
Shiro finds him two hours later, huddles in his little nook. He smelt like Keith and it made Lance’s mouth water before he reminded himself Keith didn’t want him. “M’ sorry,” Lance says in turn of a greeting, looking down at the tiled floor.
Shiro sighs and takes a seat down next to him.
“Is Keith okay?”
“Yeah…” Shiro says after a moment, “He’s almost done. Hunk’s helping him take a cold bath.”
Lance nods, “That’s good. M’ glad he’s going to be okay.”
“Lance…”
Lance shakes his head, “We’ll be okay, Shiro. I won’t… I’m not awful. Keith’s still pack. I won’t reject him like before. Just… I need time.”
“Lance…”
“Shiro,” Lance cuts him off, “Please. I don’t want to talk about this.”
Shiro sighs, “You don’t know the whole story. Just….”
“He rejected me,” Lance cuts him off again. Curling in tighter. “There isn’t anything to talk about.”
“Talk to him, Lance,” Shiro urges, “Please. If not for you than at least for Keith.”
Shiro only left when Lance nods.
.
It takes a few hours before Lance can will himself to do as Shiro says. Maybe there is more to this story. Maybe there isn’t? Either way Keith was pack and Voltorn always came first. But first a shower and then he’d go looking for Hunk to figure out if Keith was in a mode to talk.
Unfortunately, Keith was easy to find. All Lance has to do was go to his bedroom.
“HunksaysyouthinkIhateyou, butIdon’t,” Keith snaps, launching himself off the bed only to stumble before catching himself once Lance closes the door and realizes he’s there. “I swear, Lance….”
“Shh,” Lance urges, grabbing Keith’s arms and leading him back to the bed. His scent was returning too normal and Lance reaches a hand up to press against his forehead. Hot but not too hot. Not that he liked the fact that Hunk had left Keith alone when he still wasn’t completely over his rut. “Hey now, don’t stress yourself out, okay? Do you want me to call Hunk or Shiro to come get you?”
Keith makes a frustrated noise and Lance stops moving towards his helmet to look at him. “I need you to listen to me,” Keith whispers. “Please.” He’s begging. Curled in tight to make him look small. “Please, Lance.”
Lance frowns and then nods, sitting back down. Leaving just enough distance between them that he hopes Keith is comfortable.
Keith looks at him, eyes wide and slowly filling with tears. “I… Hunk says you think I hate you and I don’t, Lance. I swear I don’t.”
“I know,” Lance says just as softly, soothing. “You don’t need to be worried about being kicked out of the pack, Keith. I understand.”
Keith makes another frustrated noise, reaching out and then stilling. Waiting. He looks Lance in the eye and Lance doesn’t understand but still slowly taking the hand anyway. Keith laces their fingers together, rubbing a thumb against Lance’s wrist. “I didn’t mean to reject you. I just didn’t want our first time to be when I was half out of my mind. I wanted… I want to court you.”
Lance feezes. “You…”
“I love you,” Keith admits. No hesitation, but there is fear. “Not just because you’re our Omega but because you’re Lance and I love you. And I know you don’t…”
“I-,” Lance starts.
“Don’t, please,” Keith insists, “Don’t lie. I know you don’t and that’s okay. And I wanted to prove myself to you. But it’s… been hard.”
Lance thinks he’s crying. He’s not sure, but then Keith is there. Holding Lance close and whispering things in his ear. “I thought I lost you,” Lance whispers, “I thought I disgusted you…”
“Nononononono,” Keith chants, pulling him even closer. “No, Lance. Never. I love you. I love you.”
Lance nods. He isn’t sure he believes it. Not yet. But he wants to. He wants to…
...
+1
Lance sips on a tropical smoothie as Keith waits in line for their ice cream. Which is actually, for once, real ice cream and not the space equivalent even though Lance is pretty sure their milk doesn’t come from cows. And more those llama-looking purple creatures they’d found wandering through the more rural towns as they followed the King on his pilgrimage through his planet in an attempt to solidify a peace treaty.
“I got you the yellow one,” Keith says, taking a seat next to Lance, hand holding the cone. Lance finshes his drink and leaves the coconut in the sand to accept the cone.
The ocean smells just a little different, more brime-y. But the color is the right blue and the sky is clear except for the occasional fluffy white cloud. He takes a bite of his ice cream and takes a deep breath, leaning closer to Keith.
Closer to the water line, Pidge and Hunk were teaching Coran how to make sand castles while Shiro and Allura took a leisurely stroll. His pack is happy. His lover is sitting next to him. The sun is warm. The ocean is just a few steps away.
Yeah… Lance thought, amused. There wasn’t much more an Omega could ask for.
He takes another deep breath, tips his head back and grins. “Great first date,” he mumbles. He turns his head to give a quick peck against Keith’s cheek, laughing at how red the other boy becomes.
...
++1
The planet they find themselves in is beautiful. Luscious. Flowers as tall as Lance’s knee fills the fields. And the people of this world are oddly delicate and vibrantly colored. Their clothing more like well placed flowers than actual clothing.
“You all smell wonderful,” the Queen tells Allura. “Tell me what scent do you people use?”
“Oh no,” Allura grins, “I don’t use perfume.”
“And what of you?” The Queen grins, hovering closer to Lance, her wings beating fast enough to send a wind rustling through Lance’s hair. “You smell the strongest. Like honey.”
Lance blushes, “Oh…uh… Humans are just born with scents.”
“Oh?” The Queen hums, flying over to Keith and then Shiro, “I see now the difference. But still, you must all be close lovers to smell like him.”
Keith begins stammering, face on fire. “Oh no… We’re not. Well…um…”
“Families tend to smell similar,” Shiro steps in.
The Queen nods before darting back to Lance, “I would love to bottle this smell,” she admits, “It is sinful.”
Lance takes a step back as she floats a little too close. “Oh well…” Awkward much? How did one explain the only reason he smelled like this was to attract interested Alphas or Betas? That the only way to really bottle it would be to collect his well… Lance blushed harder.
How embarrassing.
Pidge clears her throat, pulling the Queen’s attention. “My apologies, your Majesty. But Hunk and I seem to have found the problem with your factory but your works aren’t allowing us any closer.”
“Oh my,” she mumbles, “Yes, I will come along. Well speak more of this later, yes? For now, Queen Allura. Blue Paladin.”
Lance groaned as Hunk rubbed soothing circles along his back. This trip was going to be mortifying.