Eye Opening
Relationship: Plance (Pidge x Lance)
Rating: Teen and Up Audiences (For slight makeout)
One-Shot
Word Count: 3192
Summary: A few months have passed since Team Voltron has had to destroy the Castle of Lions and now, they have to make a pit stop on planet Grijalva to stock up on supplies. Planet Grijalva has a population of aliens who can read the emotions of any living being and, unfortunately, Lance has had some powerful feelings after Keith revealed something Lance didn’t even know he had. This proves to be a little...problematic.
Lance sat in Red, running his hand through Kaltenecker's hair floof at the top of his head, "I don't think it's gonna happen, buddy."
Kaltenecker's just chewed on Lance-had-no-idea-what-because-there-isn't-any-food-on-his-lion. Lance continued though, "I mean, I've been there for her the whole time, yet she still chose Lotor."
Lance groaned and hit his head against the back of his chair, "Feelings are so complicated. This is so stupid. Why am I moping over some girl?"
"I don't know, you tell me."
Lance jumped in his seat and looked wide-eyed at an amused Keith watching him from the screen.
Lance stammered before composing himself and asked/yelled, "How much of that did you hear?!"
"Just the last sentence," Keith assured, "We need to make a pit stop to stock up on food and supplies and Coran found a friendly planet just a lightyear away. Pidge already sent out the coordinates and the Lions are flying there right now. Just wanted to tell you."
Lance nodded.
Before Keith left, though, he asked, "What's this about moping about a girl?"
Lance shook his head, "It's nothing."
"It didn't seem like "nothing". You seemed pretty beat up about it," Keith said.
Lance just pouted.
"Is this about Allura?"
"What?!" Lance exclaimed, "Why would it be Allura?"
"You're right. Why would it be about Allura? It's not like you've been throwing yourself at her since we first arrived," Keith rolled his eyes.
Lance crossed his arms, "Forget it, Keith, you wouldn't understand."
"I would actually."
"I don't see how."
"I went through the same thing. Only, instead of rejecting me, she hated my guts for a few hours."
Lance froze and processed Keith's words and he asked hesitantly, "Hold on, you liked Allura?"
Keith shrugged and avoided his eyes, "Briefly. So did Shiro."
Lance nodded in understanding and let Keith continue, "We've all been through that Lance. Just talk to us if you need something. Even if it is weird."
"Definitely," Lance agreed.
"And," Keith added, "If you ever need to talk about Pidge, it's alright too."
"What about Pidge?"
"You know," Keith paused, "about your crush on her?"
Lance rose an eyebrow, "I don't have a crush on Pidge?"
"Really?" Keith asked.
Lance shook his head.
"Oh," Keith said, "I guess I read the signs wrong."
Lance rose an inquisitive brow, "What signs?"
Keith shrugged, "You know, the stolen gazes, the hovering, the invasion of personal space, your habit of borrowing her stuff, the teasing, the fond looks, and constantly talking about girls with her to get her jealous and then watching her reaction."
Lance gazed at him and Keith asked, "You don't see it?"
"The thing is," Lance drawled, "I see it now."
Keith sat in awkward silence as Lance personified the mesh of confusion and realization rolled up together, "Well, I'm just gonna go..."
Lance just sat in a daze. He never really thought about it that way. But now, it's so obvious.
He has been crushing on Pidge the whole time.
Lance whined and threw himself on Kaltenecker, "Now I really have it bad, girl. I like two girls way out of my league."
Kaltenecker moo-ed.
"I mean, Pidge is so smart. She never lets anyone doubt her and she is so strong and determined. She's pretty, too. And Allura is a princess, for crying out loud."
Kaltenecker nudged her head on to Lance's neck and Lance patted her head again.
"At least you're here. You're probably the only girl I love who actually notices me."
Kaltenecker moo-ed.
"Approaching planet Grijalva," Keith announced in the comms, "Remember, Coran said that they are a planet full of aliens who can read emotions. Keep your emotions in check and we'll be fine."
The Lions landed in a distant field and the paladins went out to town to meet with their leader.
Keith was leading the four, using the coordinates Pidge gave him. They were following a faint path that was completely covered by trees.
In the back, Hunk began rambling, "Hey, Keith, do you think they have chocolate? Their planet is pretty similar to Earth."
Keith shrugged, "I wouldn't know, Hunk, I've never been here before."
Hunk continued on, "Because that would be amazing. We will finally be able to make chocolate milkshakes, hot chocolate, chocolate fondue- oh, God, what if they have flour. I can finally make pancakes!"
"Hunk, budddy, pal, as much as I love your food rambles," Lance pointed to a frustrated Keith, "You're pissing Keith off."
Allura just rose an inquisitive brow, "What's a pancake?"
"Pidge are you sure these coordinates are correct?" Keith showed Pidge his map and she leaned over Lance to look at it.
She adjusted her glasses and narrowed her eyes, "Yeah, we're supposed to be in town-"
Suddenly, behind them, a giant creature took Lance's collar in its beak. The paladins screamed in surprise and took in the majestic creature.
It looked like a Griffin, half-lion and half-eagle, in neon colors.
Keith took out his blade and the rest of the team took out their Bayards. They charged, but by then the Griffin already flew away.
"No!" Pidge yelled and aimed her grappling hook. She fired.
The green grappling hook wound itself around the Griffin's tail and Pidge went flying with the Griffin.
Hunk grabbed on to the petite girl first and held down the Griffin for a second, long enough for Keith and Allura to climb up on the rope, before flying off too.
Keith and Allura made it to the back of the Griffin and pulled Hunk and Pidge in. The four caught their breath and they ran to the Griffin's shoulders and called out, "Lance! Are you alright?!"
"I'm fine, but look! I know why we didn't find the town!"
The team turned to where Lance easy pointing and they gasped when they saw a huge town on the canopy. Each house was carved into the thick blue trunks of the trees. Yellow lights emanated from inside and the pink leaves added a wonderful, warm tone to the town.
They would have enjoyed the view better if they weren't hanging on for their lives atop of a Griffin.
The Griffin circled the town before finding it's landing space. The Griffin landed on a platform and shook itself. It eventually shook out all the Paladins and they landed in a heap on the floor.
The Griffin peered down at them, Lance still hanging from its beak, and made its way to a big building in front of them. It placed Lance on the roof of said building and it squawked loudly.
The Paladins moved toward the building, but the Griffin looked down at them and squawked menacingly and they backed off.
"Lance!" Pidge yelled.
"I'm fine. Just...admiring the view as a Griffin takes me hostage."
Suddenly, the building's door opens and out came a humanoid-looking alien. It seemed to be female and had big, round eyes like an owl. She had webbed hands and her arms almost reached the ground.
She ran to the Griffin and cooed, "Hey, Brokaw. What you doing here?"
The Griffin cooed too and squawked and pointed its head to the Paladins. The alien stared wide-eyed at the Paladins and she approached them, "Oh, Paladins, you're here! Nice to finally meet you! My name's Crohji, Grijalva's Queen."
Keith extended his hand and gave a tight-lipped smile, "I'm Keith. It's an honor to be here, Crohji, but we do have a slight situation."
Crohji frowned and asked, "I sense frustration, is everything alright?"
"Well, your pet has taken one of our Paladins hostage," Allura explained with amusement in her voice.
Crohji turned around and gasped when she saw Lance on the roof. Lance let out a sheepish smile and waved, "Hi!"
Crohji sighed, "Brokaw, would you please explain yourself?"
The Griffin stood protectively in front of Lance and cawed multiple times as if it was actually speaking. Apparently, Crohji understood everything because she came back with a translation.
"Well, Paladins, as you may know, planet Grijalva and it's inhabitants have deep connections with emotion. Our guardian, Brokaw, is the first emotion reader. Her powers are strong and powerful. She felt the Red paladin is in great emotional distress-"
"WHAT? No I'm not!" Lance huffed, crossing his hand and his cheeks blushing in embarrassment.
Crohji ignored him, "and, as our guardian, it is her job to make him feel better. That is why everyone on planet Grijalva is so happy."
Allura stepped up, "Well, how can we help?"
"We will fix it in the traditional Grijalvian way. His friends and family will shower him with honest compliments, and we will know if they're honest, and then we will have a feast in his honor," Crohji clapped in excitement.
"You," she pointed to Keith, "you will go first. I sense a strong bond between you two. Tell him how you feel about your relationship."
"Well," Keith coughed into his hand, "this is getting awkward."
Lance nodded and blushed in embarassment, "Tell me about it."
"Uh," Keith scratched his neck and stepped up, "Well, you are an awesome pilot. The first time we met, you were absolutley horrible, but now, you've really gotten better. We all see it. Um, you're a great right-hand man too. You offer good strategies and you help me out in tough situations. You take leadership responsibly and you really are Paladin material. We need you, man."
Lance smiled ,"Thanks, Keith, that means a lot."
Crohji smiled and pointed to Hunk, "You. You also seem to be close with the red Paladin. Express yourself."
"Man, where to begin," Hunk pondered and stepped up, "You're the absolute, bestest friend a guy can ask for. You always try to break me out of my nervous shell and you know how to have fun. You're my best friend. Love you, bro."
Lance beamed a toothy smile, "Love you too, bro."
Crohji clapped, "Perfect! Now you!" She pointed to Allura, "he has strong feelings for you, Your Highness," Lance turned bet-red and Pidge pouted (though no one saw that), "Express yourself."
Allura fiddled with her hands and stepped up, "Um, I know how you feel about me, Lance, and I regret to say that I don't feel the same," Lance nodded solemnly and avoided eye contact, "You truly are an amazing guy. You are destined for great things. You have brought me up in my darkest moments. I owe you so much and you mean to me more than you realize."
Allura smiled and Lance smiled back, "Thank you, Princess."
Crohji squealed, "Wonderful! Now all we have left is you, young lady," she pointed at Pidge, "his feelings for you are stronger than for any other. It'll be your statement that will make a difference."
Lance smacked his head against the wooden roof.
Pidge was also blushing hard. She cleared her throat and stepped up to begin, "Well, Lance is probably the closest friends I have next to Hunk. He's always trying to help me break out of the shell I build against round me constantly. He proved all my bullies wrong. His hearty compliments and his jokes are what I look forward to. He's my best friend."
Pidge smiled up at Lance and he returned it. Thinking, it was done, Pidge was about to join the rest of the group before Crohji stopped her, "You are hiding something, Green Paladin."
Pidge stopped and turned around, her voice frustrated, "No I'm not!"
Crohji narrowed her eyes, "You're hiding how you truly feel out of fear."
Pidge glared and yelled, "No, I'm not!"
"If she doesn't want to say it, it's fine, Crohji!" Lance screamed from the top of the building.
The Griffin then squawked and took Lance in her beak again.
"What is she doing?" Keith yelled.
Crohji looked down at Pidge, "If you do not reveal how you feel, Brokaw will let your "best friend" fall from that branch."
The team looked up in horror to see the Griffin leave Lance at a branch, him grabbing onto the branch tightly with both hands.
"Are you insane?" Allura yelled.
Keith formed his Bayard's sword and placed it under Crohji's head, "Bring him down, right now!"
Crohji, calm as ever, warned, "If you hurt me, Brokaw will release your friend's grip and he will fall to his death."
Hunk looked up concerned at his struggling best friend, "Hold on, buddy, I'm coming!"
Hunk turned on his jet pack and he leaped up branch to branch, desperately trying you get to Lance before it's too late. Keith and Allura followed closely.
When Pidge tried to follow them, Crohji held her back with the help of two other Grijalvians.
Pidge struggled, "Let me go! I need to help!"
"You can," Crohji soothed, "You just need to reveal your true feelings."
Pidge roared, "Why are you doing this?!"
Crohji lamented, "I lost a loved one because I wouldn't reveal my true feelings. No one should go through that."
Pidge groaned, "This isn't the right way to do that!"
Crohji sighed, "Your friend is slipping he'll fall in five..."
Hunk is only about three branches away.
"...four..."
Lance is hanging on by one hand.
"...three..."
Keith and Allura are yelling at Pidge.
"...two..."
Lance tries to grab on with his other hand but he almost slipped. A tear falls down Pidge's cheek.
"...o-"
"I LOVE LANCE!"
Silence.
The Griffin appeared under Lance and he fell onto its back. His face in awe as he listened to Pidge.
"There..." she whispered defeatedly, "I said it. I am in love with Lance McClain."
Crohji smiled and was about to put a hand on Pidge's shoulder before Pidge shoved her hand away and spat, "I'm leaving."
The teen twirled in her heels and headed for the woods.
"Wait! We still have the feast!" Crohji called.
"I don't care!" Pidge yelled back.
Once the Griffin landed, Lance jumped off and ran after Pidge, "Pidge! Wait up!"
The paladins were going to follow, but then the Griffin held up a wing to stop them and she cawed.
"What did she say?" Allura asked.
"She said," Crohji gazed in the direction the two ran off to, "To give them privacy."
°•○●○•°
"Pidge! Piiidge! Pidgey? Pigeon! Where are you?" Lance called.
"Nowhere." Pidge deadpanned.
Lance followed the voice and found Pidge kicking the roots of a tree in anger.
"Hey, what did the tree ever do to you?"
"Lance, I don't want your pity. You didn't have to come after me." Pidge pouted and crossed her arms.
"You're right," Lance approached her, "I didn't have to... I needed to."
Pidge huffed and turned away, "Why are your showing me affection now."
"Well," Lance began, "After-"
"I won't be your rebound, Lance. I'm not any body's second choice," Pidge spat solemnly.
"Good thing you aren't mine, then." Lance got closer and Pidge backed up against a tree.
"What are you doing?" Pidge stammered, a blush coming up from Lance's intense gaze.
Lance placed his left forearm beside Pidge's head and his right hand cupped Pidge's jaw, "Something I should have done a long time ago."
Pidge bit her lip.
"Pidge, I never realized my feelings for you until Keith shoved them down my throat a few vargas ago. Our relationship was so fluid and easy, I never realized when our teasing became stronger. I never realized how much I treasured you. When you left to go find your brother, I thought the hole in me was me missing my best friend. I now realize that what we have is so much stronger. Keith opening my eyes to my crush on you was almost like Romeo. He was in love and heartbroken with Rosaline, but once he saw Juliet, everything faded away."
Lance smiled down at Pidge, "You're my Juliet, Pidge, just a smarter, badass version of her."
"Don't forget cooler." Pidge teased, her hands wrapping around Lance's neck.
Lance chuckled, "Definitely cooler."
Lance leaned in and asked, "Can I kiss you?"
Pidge nodded, "Yes."
Their kiss was like Hazel Grace falling asleep and falling in love: it was slow, then all at once.
The two were fairly inexperienced. The only kiss Lance had was with Jenny Shaybon and that was just a peck when he as fifteen. Pidge hasn't had a first kiss.
This was different. It was Pidge. It was so much better.
She pulled at his hair and he pulled her neck in closer so he can have a better grip and position. Their lips were clumsy as they moved against each other.
They were short, fluid kisses that would last a second before they would separate and come back together like magnets.
Lance relaxed his hand and let himself smush Pidge, causing her to giggle as he did so. Her hands cupped his cheeks as he planted more short and frantic kisses, each sucking a bit on her lips.
Lance then shifted his head and started to kiss her jaw, but Pidge stopped him and placed a hand on his chest and pushed him away slightly.
Lance got the memo and immediately stopped, instead planting a kiss on Pidge's forehead and resting his forehead on hers, "Too much?"
Pidge nodded.
"No problem, Pigeon. We'll go at your pace."
Pidge smiled and placed another kiss on his lips, this one long and soft.
Their lips popped as they disconnected and the two let out a sigh. Pidge laid her head on his shoulder an Lance hugged her and breathed in her scent. Peanut butter.
"I can't believe it."
Lance smiled, "Can't believe what?"
Pidge moved away and smirked, "That you finally opened your eyes."
Lance laughed, "That I did," Pidge squeaked as Lance wrapped her in his arms and started kissing her cheeks, "But you're going to have to get used to it 'cause I'm never letting you go now."
When the two returned, their friends were waiting for them. Shiro, Romelle, Krolia, and Coran also came in to join in the feast.
Lance and Pidge materialised from the forest with joint hands and he lifted them up, announcing loudly, "I have found the love of my life!"
The Grijalvians cheered loudly, happy to help two people fix their emotional distress, and team Voltron clapped and smiled for their friends. Coran, Hunk, and Romelle teared up (well, Hunk and Coran actually cried).
Pidge was laughing and Lance took that as a cue to pick her up and twirl her in the air and then bring her down to kiss her soundly. Pidge's hands cupped his cheeks and she smiled in to the kiss.
Lance pulled away and carried her with one hand and faced the crowd and pumped a fist in the air, "Now let's eat some food!"
Pidge smiled and shook her head in amusement, "This is exactly how I imagined our getting together to be like."
Lance laughed and joined their foreheads. He then separated and ran to the table, Pidge bumping up and down in his arm, "Lance put me down!"
"Never!"