Agent Blue

Eighteen

Lance chuckled at him as he picked Xen up, gaining a soft glare from the Yellow Paladin. Xen was a heavy sleeper, same with her mother and father. He lifted her into his arms and let her sleep there.

"How are you feeling, Lance?" Shiro asked softly.

"I'm fine," Lance shrugged, looking down on his sleeping Niece.

"You don't look fine, did you sleep at all?" Allura chimed in from where she was folding the blankets she was using last night.

"A little. I'm fine, seriously,"

"Bullshit, you look like crap," Zeno yawned, rubbing his eyes. Once he caught sight of his sleeping daughter his tired face disappeared to be replaced by awe and joy. He took the sleeping girl from Lance's arms and danced around the room with her.

"I look how I always look," Lance frowned, but he knew that wasn't true.

"You look like you just rose from a graveyard after dying from exhaustion," Zeno continued.

"You're just jealous you don't look as good as me," Lance struck a half-assed pose while Pidge and Hunk giggled at him.

"Workaholic is what they call people like you, correct?" Kazera asked as she walked into the room. Her hair was tidy, her eyes wide open and without sleep, she looked completely rested and put together.

"You wound me! I thought you loved me!" Lance frowned.

"I do, little Blue, but you work to the point you drop and it's unhealthy," Kazera smiled sadly. Lance's face turned clean of any emotion. He let out a shaky breath as he ran a hand through his hair.

"Too much is going on for me to relax," he muttered. Hunk frowned and ran to hug his best friend.

"You're not alone, Lance. We're here for you," Allura patted Lance on the shoulder.

"It's not that simple, but thank you," Lance gave a small smile as he hugged Hunk back.

All the commotion woke Xen up who stretched out in her father's arms. She looked around the room with hooded eyes before she locked onto Keith. She leaned as far as she could out of her father's hands, making grabby hands for the one person who least wanted to hold a child. Zeno - oblivious to Keith's horrified face - chuckled and handed the little girl over.

"Uncle Red!" Xen giggled.

"It's Keith," Keith tried.

"Uncle Red!" Xen insisted.

"It's Keith," he tried again.

"Red!" Xen shouted.

"Give it up, at this point, I think she believes all humans have color names," Zeno laughed. Still, it looked like Keith wanted to hold her as far away from his body as possible, but Xen had her arms around his neck at this point and there was no way she was letting go. He was stuck and Lance found that hilarious.

"Play! Play!" Xen cried out, wiggling out of Keith's grip, much to his relief, but that all went away when she grabbed his hand instead and yanked him out of the hut.

"How is she so strong!" Was the last thing the team heard before the hut door shut after him. Pidge was practically on the floor rolling with laughter at this point.

Lance stared at the closed door for a moment longer before he closed his eyes and rubbed his temple.

Kazera tried to hand Lance a cup of tea but he politely shook his head. "I prefer my caffeine a lot stronger," He tried, but Kazera shoved the cup into his hands anyways.