So, apparently I’ve transferred my habit of associating songs I listen to with my OCs. I’m associating them with Voltron characters now, too.
I was on a Nickel Creek kick this morning, and when I was listening to the song “Someone Like You” I started writing a fic about Lance’s past in my head. I pictured Lance getting his first boyfriend before enrolling in the Garrison. I pictured him being awkward about admitting he liked the boy. I pictured him spending nights, cozy and at peace, in the boy’s house. Making out and snuggling. I pictured Lance catching the boy cheating when he went to surprise him after school one day. I pictured the boy giving Lance the “it’s not you, it’s me” conversation. I pictured Lance yelling at him about belonging with the other guy, because clearly he didn’t belong with Lance if he was gonna go behind his back like that. I pictured Lance grieving his lost relationship, ignoring even his siblings’ attempts at support. I pictured Lance -- keep a brave face Lance, be a role model for the family Lance, Cool Big Brother Lance, can’t let people down ever Lance -- picking himself up and telling himself he’s okay. I pictured a montage of Lance hitting on girls every which way, a mashup of “Someone Like You” and Panic! At the Disco’s “Girls x Girls x Boys” playing in the background. I pictured Lance trying to pretend he’s straight. Trying to embrace his attraction to girls and ignore his attraction to boys, to force himself not to be the bi boy who go his heart broken. I pictured Lance pocketing a Garrison girl’s number as the song fades and the montage ends, and then turning to see Keith sadly/angrily sitting by himself in the cafeteria and the world falling away and Lance cursing himself and telling himself he hates this guy. Hates him -- like dedicated rivals do. I heard Lance noticing how angry Keith looks, and muttering “you probably would’ve liked a guy like him” as if speaking to his absent ex-boyfriend. I pictured Lance getting angry himself, huffing and turning on his heel to go back to his dorm. He doesn’t call the girl.
He sleeps in late the next morning instead because, for the first time, in months his dreams are about something other than his ex looming over him and bragging about how much happier he is with Lance out of his life. He dreams about getting in a fighter jet, and participating in a race, and bragging to the mullet-headed boy when he takes first place. He doesn’t yet know how these dreams will later morph into him racing Keith in their Lions and him kissing Keith when he wins. He doesn’t know that yet; his dreams are innocent. But they’re about Keith, and not about Lance’s ex, and that’s enough. He sighs contentedly, and doesn’t wake up until Hunk shakes him out of his bunk and screams at him to go to class.