Voltron short stories

The Canoeing trip

"Ok settle down..... Settle down!" Shiro called to his troop of canoers. Lance and Keith had been bickering and Pidge was trying to climb onto Hunk's back to avoid touching the plants and bugs.

"Ok" Shiro said with a sigh. "They don't have five man canoes here so do we want to get a four-man and a two-man canoe and go in groups of three and two or a four man and a one-man canoe?"

"I want to stick together so let's do groups of two and three." Said Pidge

"Me to" agreed Hunk

"Ok then." Said Shiro "I'll steer the big canoe, but I need someone to steer the small one. Keith. Think you can handle it?"

Keith gave a nod of assent.

"Why Keith?!" Lance called indignant.

Keith shot a glare at Lance but Shiro stepped in before things heated up.

"Ok how about you and Keith take turns steering. That way you both get a chance to steer and a chance to fish?"

Lance seemed mollified and Keith looked indifferent.

The paladins unloaded their gear from the trunk of Shiro's truck and headed off down the gravely trail. The trees hung over the path giving them shade. They could hear the river before they saw it. There was a wooden boat house a little way up from the shore. Shiro, followed by the others, went in and spoke to the little old man behind the counter. After securing boats and exchanging money, Shiro told the team to select a paddle each and a life vest.

Pidge and Hunk were having difficulty finding life vests. In the end Pidge wore a blue child's vest with yellow clasps, while Hunk was in a large navy men's one with red clasps. Lance, Keith and Shiro were all selecting pedals. Keith grabbed a long red paddle ideal for steering. Lance made to get a long blue paddle but Keith stopped him.

"We are going to need one paddle for steering and one for just pedaling. I already got a steering paddle so you should get a shorter one. They are easier to paddle with."

Lance dodged around him and seized the long blue paddle. "Well now we have two steering paddles so you should go get a short one."

Keith looked annoyed but didn't seem to want toopen hostilities this early in the trip. Rolling his eyes, he went to find ashort paddle. Shiro grabbed the long redpaddle that Keith had put back and followed Lance to the life vests. Finally, they all had vests and paddles. Pidge looked annoyed at having a child's vest and paddle but she didn't complain. Shiro asked how they wanted to be divided up for the trip. Pidge and Hunk quickly insisted on being in the same canoe. Keith and Lance looked at each other and tried not to groan. Since Hunk and Pidge didn't want to steer that put them with Shiro in the big canoe leaving Keith and Lance to the smaller one. Keith took a deep breath and then looked at Lance.

"Do you want to steer first or fish first?"

Lance gave him a swift searching look before smiling. "I'd like to fish first." Keith gave him a smile in return and climbed into the boat.

Shiro smiled to himself, after all the whole point of this was so they could all be better friends. Hunk lifted Pidge into the boat and then carefully climbed in himself. The boat swayed. Pidge had both hands braced on the side of the boat looking nervous. Shiro pushed the boat in the water and the jumped in. Lance did the same in the smaller canoe and they were off. Lance secured his flashy lure to the end of his pole and cast it out into the lake. He watched smiling as the little gold lure flash as it was dragged being the boat. Keith was genuinely smiling as the gentle breeze ruffled his mullet while he steered the boat. Hunk and Pidge were pointing out interesting sights to each other. Shiro beamed as he watched his strangle little family. After about thirty minutes Lance gave an excited yell.