|L A N C E|
Now that I reminisced that memory again, no wonder Keith didn't seem to recognize me at first! I had been wearing my facemask on! And with only a bathrobe!
Well it's not a big deal. Keith didn't really made a comment on it that much. But he did said something about my blue lion slippers!
I shook my head to suppress the thoughts. Future Lance can deal with it more later. Right now, present Lance is feeling really, really sleepy. I look to Keith and saw him still stuck in the same sleeping position. There was enough space for me on the sleeping bag on his other side. Now my thoughts were debating if I should or if I should not proceed. I want to respect Keith's personal space but there is no way I am gonna use a rock for a pillow or am I gonna sleep on the dirt ground. So I crawled myself to his side and slowly layed down beside him. Carefully doing so, don't want to wake him up now and freak out over our close proximity. Keith can freak out later in the morning. I'm tired and yes maybe I should wake him to take next watch but really there's no danger anywhere. And he needs to sleep.
So now I lay on my back, my eyes still open as I count the stars to lull me to sleep. Suddenly Keith, whose back was faced to me, turned to my side to face me. I tensed up, freezing any movements fearing he might have been stirred awake by my presence beside him. He was still asleep just turning to a different side. But one arm of his draped over me and pulled me in for a cuddle.
I was in major freak out mode yet like at the same time a huge swell of gushy mushy something was all over my chest. My quiznacking heart was having a heart attack!
I could feel Keith's breathing on my neck. Another mental debate was going in my head if I should pry him off me or just let him be. The vibrations and warmth his body was sending to me allowed the sleep to come back to me. I just then put an arm over him and let him be. A contented sigh escapes him and that was the last thing I put into my thoughts before closing my eyes to sleep as well.
...
As I expected a high pitched shriek along with a very forceful hand slammed me in the face, forcing any remnants of sleep out of me.
"Lance!? What the–" Keith began.
"Shhh! It's too early Mullet. Couldn't you just have said a 'Good morning,' or whatever..." I yawned, stretched and rubbed on the side he hit me.
Keith had scampered away from me and the sleeping bag. His seated form was now near the dead camp fire. Its embers glowed in fading light and small smoke still floated out. I can now see well again, my head turned to look at the morning sky. A bright blue color greeted me with pinkish clouds. Of course, they're pink and not white.
Now that it was bright again, our surroundings was easier to see again. Blue still layed on her side unresponsive as ever. Smashed trees and rocks, an extinguished fire and a still freaking out Keith. Though he was rubbing his head now rather than looking at me with wide accusing eyes. A small hint trace of pink was on his cheeks. But what really caught my eyes was something red on his forehead.
"Did...did you hit your head?" I asked, knowing what that red color is already.
Keith looked at me in the eyes. He looked ready to come up with a lie or excuse but simply decided on neither of the two.
"When Red and I crashed landed, my helmet fell off so I kind of hit my head on the controls." Keith admitted sheepishly.
"And you're just telling me this now?" I said looking at him unbelievably.
"We had much bigger problems yesterday than a bleeding head Lance."
"Your head was bleeding?!"
"Yeah but it was only a little–"
"I'm surprised you lasted this long. You could of had a concussion or lost too much blood." I said rubbing on my temples, now I sound like a worried mother hen or like Shiro.
"It's not really a big deal. Look it's morning again and we're still stranded on this planet. We still haven't found Shiro, our Lions are still not responding to any of us and it looks like the others won't be coming soon to find us." Keith said.
I understand our situation clearly well. He didn't have to compare every bad thing that's happening as much worser than his own well-being. Like he could have died from his wound. While indeed that may be an over the top too much of an exaggeration one can never be too sure.
"Will you atleast let me check it and bandaged it up?" I said to him.
Keith was still seated near the fire, I was the only one now seated on the sleeping bag. I gently urged for him to come sit back on it so he'd be much in a comfortable position as I check his head. Also he was the one who would have to move I was too lazy to do so.
"Okay," he answered.
I was surprised by the immediate agreement. There wasn't at least any stubborness that he could have put up first. But I'm not really complaining. Keith stood up, took a few small steps to me and sat down. His side faced me, I guess he didn't want to make complete eye contact. I didn't push him to do so, it was already enough that he agreed to let me help him. Now that he was near me I raised myself to stand on my knees. My hands made their way to his head, gently holding him. The moment I touched him he flinched a bit. In which I returned with a sorry. I checked his head and found a spot within the strands of hair where dried blood coated it. I could have noticed this sooner last night if it weren't so dark.
"Really Keith, you're lucky Shiro's not here right now. Or else he'd be a mother hen right now talking non stop to you." I said checking for more damage areas, assessing what must be done for the wounds to be patched up.
"Alright I get it Lance. How bad is it anyway?" Keith asked.
"Well from the dried blood we'll need to clean that up first. Coz' I don't think I can really see what I should do with it being in the way." I explained to him. "Looks like I can finally put to use my first aid kit! I'm just gonna go and get it inside Blue." I said standing up, dusting any gathered particles off myself.
"You have a first aid kit in Blue?" Keith asked looking surprised. He also had this look that asked me explain why.
"Yeah I actually thought it could be of use someday. You know with all of us having to face the Galra, some of us could get hurt and it's like we can't just immediately get ourselves to a healing pod in the Castle. I just never thought it would come to use for us being stranded in a planet." I said and laughed a bit at the end.
"Wow, you really thought this through. I think when we get back we should tell the others to do the same too. You really have great ideas Lance." Keith genuinely said to me.
And when he said that, how he said that, a very strange yet prodigious feeling came flooding in my chest.
"Thanks Mull– I mean Keith." I corrected. He was being nice so I didn't want to annoy him. Still the utterance slipped my lips, he knew what it was. Resulting for the genuine features on his face to fade and looked annoyed and unimpressed at me.
"I mean Pidge is still smarter..." he added to get back at me.
"Keiiiithhhhh, don't ruin the moment. We were bonding!" I whined.
"Oh so now were bonding, but when I literally cradled you in my arms we weren't bonding?"
"Shut it Kogane! Or you'll have to bandage your head on your own." I said and pointed a threatening finger at him.
The response that came was him putting his hands up in surrender and a small smile twisted the corners of his lips. A laughed trailed behind him and hearing it was just so euphonic. Then came again that swelling in my chest, filling me up with wonder and bewilderment by the sight, sound and feeling.
I took it as my cue to leave and retrieve back the medical kit for him. I was quick to get it and quick to return. I worked giving him the medical treatment, though the execution was lousy and not the best. I blame my lack of experience since I wasn't really expecting ever in my life to end up going into space, becoming a fighter pilot for a war, becoming a defender of the universe and I especially didn't expect to be stranded in a planet I do not know of, with Keith. Keith Kogane, my rival, of all people in the quiznacking whole universe. Soon I finished with the remaing bandages needed for the wound to heal.
"There, finished!" I said and stuffed the supplies back into the plastic box.
"Thank you, Lance." Keith shyly uttered in a low voice.
"What was that? I didn't quite heard you?" I decided to joke around with him. Wanting more of his smile to appear.
"Don't make me say it again or you'll have my sword in your throat as a thank you." Keith instead responded with, not exactly the words or reaction I was hoping for.
"Okay! No need to be all violent! Sheesh cool your jets Samurai." I backed up using the medical kit as an immediate shield. Just in case he really did acted on the sword stabbing and the neck.
Keith didn't respond on that topic further. He now stood up with his bandaged head, dusting off the dirt his suit collected as well.
"So now what? Do we look for Shiro? Maybe Black is responsding to him," Keith began.
"I don't know Keith. I'm not a psychic." I said sarcastically.
"I was suggesting an idea Lance."
"Well your ideas mostly suck."
"Why you–" he said getting angry. I panicked as he instinctively reached for his bayard.
The words I first thought to say had been with regards to not stabbing me with his sword. But the sound of footsteps from another presence coming near made me said different words instead.
"Shhh! Did you hear that?"
"You have been shushing me for more than three tim–"
"Shush, Keith! Shhuuushhhhh! Now listen." I had grabbed his face and squished his cheeks to make him stop talking. Now that we were both silent we listened and anticipated for the sound.
"There's someone coming!" Keith whispered in realization.
"Should we hide?" I panicked, squishing Keith's cheeks further.
"No, it might be Shiro!" his words were a bit muffled because of how I held him. He then tried to pry himself off of my hold on him.
"But then what if it's not Shiro, and it's some crazy hungry wild animal ready to eat us!" I pulled his face back to my hands, smushing his cheeks again. It was adorable and funny to see.
"Then we fight it," Keith said after slapping my hands away from him and distancing himself away from my reach.
"Are you crazy?!"
"Hey you said it yourself yesterday. Maybe if we get ourselves in danger our Lions might sense it and might get them to respond again."
"Well yeah but they might not respond at All! It's still too early to fight and be eaten!" I tried to reason.
"Who are you two?" a new voice spoke, but somehow it sounded all too familiar.
From behind us emerged a woman with long curly silvery white hair. Dark skinned which accented the very familiar pink Althean marks on above both cheeks. Her bright teal and pinkish colored eyes widened over discovering us.
"Allura?" Keith asked unsure and surprised.
"Allura!" I smiled widely and ran for her. "We're so glad to see you! You're finally here. Where are Pidge, Hunk and Coran? Did you guys found Shiro already! Oh! Wow! You got a new outfit there princess. Looks good on you." I kept asking and pointed out with a flirtatious smirk.
It was weird though how she was not dressed in her space suit or atleast her princess dress. Instead she dressed like a huntress out of a fantasy novel. But my excitement brushed the oddness off. The fact they actually managed to find us this fast was major relief for me. The thought of being back in the castle and no longer stranded in a planet made me happy. But...
"Halt! Both of you do not take a step any closer to me! And how do you know of my name?" she demanded raising a bow and arrow, aimed it exactly at me. I stopped in my tracks with a squeak. I was confused and now terrified.
"Wait, what?" Keith was confused as well.
"Allura it's us! You know Lance and Keith?" I said pointing to me and Keith.
"Lo–Lonce?" she questioned and then seem to come into realization. "Lonce! Your majesty what are you doing outside here?! And what happened to your hair and your ears, they look hideous." she pointed at me.
"Actually it's Laaance, with an 'a'. But we could work on that later. Also my hair and ears are fine, that's the second time you insulted them, especially my ears." I said hurt and annoyed.
"Wait did she just mentioned you as 'your majesty'?" Keith asked looking baffled.
Allura's eyes and attention had been concentrated on me. That when Keith spoke at this time she looked towards him. Her neutral surprised eyes became engulfed with so many emotions when she layed her eyes on Keith. There was shock, amazement, disbelief, confusion and uncertainty. I turned my focus back to Keith to see why Allura was being such a rollercoaster of emotions.
"It...It can not be. No, you're not real but...Keith is that really you?" Allura walked towards him. She was cautious to approach, as if fearing that if she'd act too rash something bad would happen to Keith.
"Uh, I...I guess, who else am I supposed to be?" was Keith's reply.
"But you...you vanished. You were gone such a long time ago. We had believed you perished." she muttered holding onto Keith's face and gently twisted his head to the sides. She looked as if to check that it wasn't a trick to the eyes.
"Well this is Keith alright. And he's very much not perished." I went to the two and slung an arm over Keith.
"Forgive me, King Lonce, your majesty–"
"Ohh! I see it. You now see me as your king and you're my queen." I said.
"Lance!" Keith inserted.
"What?" I said in defense and looked to Allura.
Her face plasetered of a feeling that tells me that disturbed her and made her highly uncomfortable.
"Um," she cleared her throat."My apologies your grace but I am your adviser. Please, I keep our relationship as nothing more than just as that and as friends." she said kindly with a smile.
"Am I being rejected?" I asked turning my head to Keith who just rolled his eyes at me.
"Actually, Keith here is your significant other, not me." Allura added.
I turned my head back to her so fast it might of snapped.
"What?!" Keith screeched, his voice breaking in the process.
"Keith?!" I said just a tick after him.
"Yes, why do you two seem so troubled by the thought? Are you not happy Lonce? You were greatly in anguish when Keith disappeared from us all." she said with a sad look on her face.
"Excuse us for a moment," Keith said and pulled me close to him.
He took my hand and dragged us meter away from Allura who looked even more confused.
"I think I'm now getting the picture here Lance. We're not just stranded in a planet, were stranded in another universe. One in particular where you seem to be the king here." Keith explained in a hush tone.
"What? But we went through a wormhole! That's only suppose to take us to a different part of space not another universe!" I replied in the exact opposite tone.
"Quiet down!" he whispered shouted and rubbed at his temples. "Well, the wormhole did appear out of nowhere so who knows if it was more than just a wormhole." Keith added.
"My deepest apologies in interrupting your discussion but I believe maybe we should return to the castle?" Allura suggested, well this universe's Allura.
"I don't think that's a good idea," Keith started.
"Sure!" I answered with.
"Lance!"
"What?!"
"We really shouldn't go!"
"Why not?! I wanna meet King me in this universe! If we really are in another universe!" I said walking over to Allura.
"I just don't really think it's a good idea." Keith reasoned to me.
"Well I'm still going, you can stay here and guard Blue and have the sleeping bag all to yourself." I said pointing out stuff for him to do if he really did decide not to come along.
"Fine! Go then and meet your other royal ass!" he screamed.
"Fine! I will! And you can just stay here and be your lonely emo self!" I screamed back.
"Fine!" Keith screamed back.
"Actually, King Lonce...Keith, I was hoping you would join us. I believe the people would be more than thrilled to see you again." Allura inserted into our discussion.
"Uh, yeah, no. Listen Allura," he sighed rubbing at his temples again. "We are not from this universe. I am not the Keith you think I am and this Lance is definitely not your King." Keith explained
"Hey!" I said feeling offended.
"I–I do not understand." she said looking confused.
"Lance help me here!"