02/26/17

Inspired by conversations with Dracophile and all the Lancelot on tumblr.

Chapter 1

Bakkeias was the only truly neutral planet in the war against Zarkon. By Earth standards they were Sweden; that is if Sweden had a planet wide impenetrable force field that Zarkon constantly assaulted for centuries only to call truce just decades earlier to reap the benefits of the Bakkeiasians generous and bountiful world, even though everything was for a price.

"Very Star Wars," Hunk had commented, observing the docking station where there were enough spots for at least a hundred ships but none could be seen.

To remain neutral Bakkeias welcomed anyone from either side of the conflict to visit but once their ship was docked at their assigned port at the station their ship was cloaked so any enemy of that ship would not try to attack them while they were a Bakkeiasian visitor. Bakkeiasians were very protective of their clients but if one were to ever call you a guest you knew you were under the greatest care and protection. For there was little a Bakkeiasian loved more than being a good host and it was a bad idea for anyone to mess with one of their visiting clients, particularly a guest. Allura refused to even talk about what happened if Bakkeias ever decided to attack someone for it was too horrible to recall.

Still the main hub after the docking station's security screenings was more like a giant spa than anything else. The facility had and offered pretty much anything you could dream to ask for such as relaxation heated pools, massages, enough food and drink for all of Zarkon's army twice over and even "bed mates" that Allura insisted that none of them would need, and yes they were sure. On top of that guests were given formal looking but rather comfortable robes, along with squishy, yet somehow durable, sandals to wear.

When their host insisted that they change before they could go to their meeting, Lance swore that Bakkeias must have spied on them and given them color coded clothing, with Allura in a silvery pink floral robe, Coran in a dark blue and gray accents and all the Paladins in robes that matched their lions, Lance's ocean blue robes in a lighter shade than Coran's set. Frankly it was a relief that Keith had gotten fire red, Lance did not want to see what would have happened if their host had made the mistake of giving him black anything.

Their missing leader was why they had come to Bakkeias to begin with. Allura hoped that the Spiritual Sages there could help them track down Shiro or at least give them a direction to go in. Keith even carried down the little physical possessions Shiro had left behind to help "get the feel of his aura" as the sage has put it.

After a few hours of silence the Sage told them all to leave her with Shiro's things so she could concentrate without their heavy hearts clouding her gaze. She insisted that the best way to help Shiro was to lift their spirits and their love for him would help her guide them back to him.

Hunk had to drag Keith out of the room but once out Keith stormed off to do who knows what. He hadn't been able to bring his knife down so at least he couldn't stab anything or anyone right now.

At first the rest of the group waited outside the Sage's room but were shooed away by the sages assistants soon after.

Grumbling under their breath that this was a waste of time, Pidge set off to find something to tinker with to get their mind distracted for a bit. Hunk followed along because he didn't think it wasn't a good idea for the group to split up, despite Keith stomping off on his own not too long before.

With not much left to do Allura and Coran decided to explore the grounds extensive gardens. They invited Lance to come with them but Lance said he wanted to see more of what was inside, only to find a spot to lie down and stare at the ceiling once they were gone.

What would they do if this sage could not find a trace of Shiro? Did that mean Shiro was just gone or just couldn't be found this way? There was no way they were going to go back to Earth without him and, besides that; they still had Pidge's family to find. They needed Shiro.

Lance hadn't realized he closed his eyes until he heard something tapping against the nearby window. Opening his eyes, he nearly rolled off his makeshift bench when he saw what it was; rain.

"Is there something I can help you with sir," one of the female workers there asked.

The Bakkeiasian people reminded Lance a bit of bugs but of flowers too. They were all pastel colored, mostly green, pink, yellow and blue but a few lilacs here and there, with two sets of arms, beetle looking wings that lay on top of their clothing and eyes that were rather large in one solid color, typically a shade or two darker than their skin tone. Their lips were always upturned in a smile, as if they were stuck that way but not in the plain way the mind controlled Merpeople had. These smiles beamed like their mouths were not big enough to properly display their joy.

This particular Bakkeasian was taller than Lance, probably close to Shiro in height, but cutely chubby. Her skin was pastel green with eyes like emeralds and darker green dots on her cheeks that looked like freckles.

"Is that rain," Lance dumbly pointed out the window before he could help himself. "Like actual water rain?"

"Yes," the pastel green female worker beamed, her wings fluttering a bit. The small peek made Lance think that maybe the wings under the hard shells were more fairy than beetle. "The scheduled rain is perfect for maintaining our gardens."

Pidge would probably be interested in how this planet scheduled their rain and there was a slight recollection that Allura and Coren probably got caught out there in it but Lance couldn't care less. He just felt the sudden burning urge to be out there in it, right now.

Once the girl directed him outside, Lance all but ran for the door. He kicked off his shoes and sprinted out, feeling something inside him unclench as the rain soaked through his clothing and into his skin.

Rising up his arms, Lance spun around in the rain, remembering being lifted and spun around when he was little. Remembering lifting his little siblings when he was older to do the same for them; giving them as many turns as they wanted until he got too dizzy to hold them up anymore. Remembering running and splashing in puddles with all the members of his family and the sound of too many people laughing to know whose laugh was whose. Remembering the time he convinced Hunk to join him outside in the early days of the academy and lamenting that he never got Pidge to join them or known Keith well enough to care to try back then before he dropped out. He never had an opportunity to try with Shiro, Allura or Coran.

Running his hands through his hair, Lance closed his eyes and just breathed for a moment.

This was not going to be the last time it rained. They were going to find Shiro and he is going to get them all out in the rain even if he has to forcibly drag Pidge out himself. He was going to have more rainy days with his family and he'll have so much to tell them. He could only hope that they would be proud of him.

"What are you doing?" a male voice called to him.

Lance turned and saw a small group of people, definitely not Bakkeiasian with how much they were covered in their cloaks. None of their faces could be seen, only the one in the center, whom the others were holding some sort of canopy over him to keep him dry while it did not do much for the rest of them, had visible yellowish eyes but with his lower face covered in some sort of cowl.

Despite himself, Lance just chuckled, "Just enjoying the rain." He stretched and ran his fingers through his hair again, squeezing the bit of his neck a bit when his hands grazed downward, "And it feels great."

The center man, their leader perhaps, was silent and still for a moment, simply observing him, before moving forward, his attendants quickly following him to keep him dry. Once closer Lance watched the man look him over again but seemed to be perplexed about on something on Lance's face for he wouldn't stop staring.

Up close Lance could see that the man's eyes were humanish. They had whites around the yellow iris and regular looking black pupils. There was something thin and red over the eye lids though, some sort of make-up maybe?

"You," the man brought Lance's attention back to the rest of him and his intense stare, "Have very pretty eyes."

Immediately Lance could feel his face heat up despite the chill of the rain. He couldn't remember the last time someone complimented him like that, that wasn't his mother. Such a thing had definitely not come from a guy either.

"Um," Lance cleared his throat, trying not to think too much on it, "Thanks". He looked over the man curiously, thinking that his eyes were rather interesting as well. "Can I ask what's up with the face mask?"

Reaching up, the man pulled down the face mask and pulled back his hood to reveal what Lance recognized as a classically handsome face. High, well defined cheek bones, strong chin and a powerful gaze that all but screamed British nobleman from a Jane Eyre book. Though those noblemen were blueblood, not purple skinned with corresponding red markings over his eyes that looked sort of like battle scars but were smooth like birthmarks. The skin tone at first made Lance think of a Garla but Garla did not have long, white, silky looking hair or ears similar to Allura's.

"I can't keep a low profile exactly, but I don't like being recognized everywhere," the man explained.

"Well with face that handsome you must be a prince," Lance relied on his old standby of flirting, smiling at him and just barely resisting using his finger guns as emphasis. Once the guy laughed, or giggled like a lot of girls do when he flirts, or scoffed at him then maybe Lance could stop feeling like his skin was fire and his heart forgot how to keep a proper beat.

Instead the man looked intrigued, flashing him a dashing smile, "If you truly don't know who I am, that was a very good guess."

"Seriously," Lance felt his smile falter. He had just been kidding with the prince comment but it was probably really inappropriate for him to hit on an actual royal. At least he and Allura were on friendly terms and he was pretty sure she wouldn't be yelling "off with his head" any time soon.

The prince smiled more and nodded but Lance realized that he no longer felt the rain running over his body. Instead of saying anything in response, he looked up at the sky and saw that there were no rain clouds, the sky as clear as if it had never rained at all. A sigh escaped him; he had really hoped the rain would have lasted longer.

"A towel sir," a female voice brought attention back downward. It was the green Bakkeiasian from before, she must have grabbed the towel she was holding and followed him out since she was the one who gave him directions here to begin with.

"Thanks," Lance reached for the towel but a purple hand beat him to it. He looked up just as the prince unfolded the towel and lifted it over Lance's head.

Those purple hands were gentle when they cradled Lance's head from on top of the towel, running fingers over his hair to dry it but it felt more like a caress and it made Lance's face heat up again and his heart to do that strangely intense pounding. Lance knew he should really tell the prince that he could do this himself but his voice had abandoned him and he could not stop himself from stealing glances at the prince's face but awkwardly staring at the embroidery on the guy's cloak for the most part.

Leaving the towel on top on Lance's head, the prince lifted some of the hanging towel to caress over Lance's cheek, smiling when the shorter boy finally looked up at him.

"Do you, perhaps, work here?"

The question took Lance by surprise. He had mostly seen Bakkeiasians since they arrived but he supposed since this was a neutral planet any number of different alien species could be working there.

"No," Lance hated how soft his voice came out, clearing his throat bit to speak more normally, "Just visiting with my friends."

"Ah, that's a shame," the prince released the bit of towel he was holding but then lifted the other side to caress over Lance's corresponding cheek as he had done with the first one. "I'd love to have you to myself for the evening."

Lance stared at him for a moment, speaking slowly, "But I don't know how to give massages."

Initially the prince stared back at him but then smiled and laughed, releasing the towel. The laugh wasn't mocking but warm, genuinely taken by surprise, "Oh you are cute" his smile grew at Lance's renewed blush, "I guess you really are here just for the spa."

"What else is," Lance stopped himself as he remembered all the things that the Bakkeiasians offered to them and blushed all the worse, feeling his jaw drop slightly, "O-oh, that". He looked anywhere but the prince for probably longer than he should have but finally managed to look at his chin, "Um, aren't you a little too good looking to be paying someone for," it shouldn't have been possible but he blushed worse as his hands didn't know what to do with themselves, but he finally managed to look at the prince's face again, "that?"

Again the prince chucked good naturedly, "You are quite the flatterer, my blue-eyed sweet-tongue. True, I don't have trouble finding partners when I want them, though sometimes on a ship it's a bit more difficult. I came for the spa as well, being here a few days. But if there's someone here who catches my attention, and many try, I'm not opposed to giving them some business on that side of things as well. After all, the more they please a high profile client, the better their reputation. A win-win you might say."

"I guess that makes sense," Lance managed to calm his blush and push the towel back to rest around his neck. "I should probably get back to my friends though."

"If you must," the prince sighed disappointedly but took Lance's hand and raised it to his lips, kissing the top of Lance's hand like he had stepped out of an animated fairy tale. He kept hold of Lance's hand as he held Lance's gaze. "If you would like to keep me company of your own free will, I have rooms rented out, the penthouse suite."

Word completely failed to come out of Lance's mouth. Sure he made a few noises but he was sure no alien anywhere would have been able to make anything of it.

"Please consider my offer dearest one, I would be most honored by your company," the prince's voice had taken a silkier, thumb caressing Lance's hand, which he was still holding.

"O-okay," Lance finally managed, slowly slipping his hand free. "I'll think about it."

Shortly after the Bakkeiasian lead Lance back inside, he realized that he never asked the prince his name.

By the time the sun was setting on Bakkeias the available Voltron team had gathered back together near the Sage's dwellings. Allura and Coran were both as pristine as before so they must have gotten back inside before rain started. Pidge had found something to tinker on, sitting on the ground as they work and Hunk as making suggestions and handing them tools. Keith was sulking in the corner, arms crossed and not looking at any of them.

"Lance, what happened, you're drenched," Coran noticed the Blue Paladin first, striding over to him and taking the towel from around Lance's shoulder to try and squeeze some of the access water from his clothing.

"I'm fine, really Coran," Lance smiled at the older Alteans concern, trying to take back the towel. "I was just out in the rain."

"Didn't the Bakkeiasians tell you that they had rain scheduled?" Allura asked.

"Yeah, that's why I went out there," Lance put his hand over Coran's, smiling when Coran relented and surrendered back the towel.

"Only a fool doesn't have the common sense to get out of the rain," Keith finally turned to the group, looking at Lance, "It's even more foolish to purposefully go out in it."

"Hey, my entire family likes to go out into the rain together," Lance protested.

"Then you have a family of fools," Keith shouted back.

Lance wasn't sure when he moved, only aware of it when Hunk all but bear hugged Lance to keep him from attacking Keith and pulling out his stupid mullet.

"Don't you dare talk about my family like that," Lance all but snarled, twisting and struggling in Hunk's hold but never taking his eyes off Keith.

"Indeed," Allura frowned at Keith, "Not only was that a horrible thing to say but that's no way for a leader to act."

"I'm not the leader," Keith practically screamed.

"Damn right you're not," Lance stopped to give Keith the full on power of his glare.

There was silence so thick Voltron's sword would break trying to cut it.

Instead the green Bakkeiasian stepped forward, "This isn't helping to find your friend."

Finally Hunk set Lance back to his feet, "She's right. Both of you apologize."

"He insulted my family, I'm not apologizing for anything," Lance crossed his arms.

"Come on guys, we are all under a lot of stress right now and we say things we don't mean in situations like that," Hunk tried to reason. "Why don't we all go back up to the castle and just try and take a break from all this?"

"We can't take a break from this," Keith snapped, "We're not any closer to finding Shiro then before."

"That Sage said our negativity would block her from sensing Shiro, if she can at all," Pidge reminded him. "You have to relax somehow if this is going to have even a remote chance of this working."

Keith practically growled but didn't say anything further.

"May I make a suggestion?" the Bakkeiasian looked to the princess.

"Of course," Allura nodded.

"Taking a break," said the Bakkeiasian, "A break from each other." She turned to Lance, "Why don't you stay here for the night?"

"Hey now, I don't think we should split up," Hunk looked to Allura.

"You would all be welcomed to stay if you wish," the Bakkeiasian assured them. "Just in separate rooms to get a breather from each other and the tension currently between you. You'd also be welcomed to enjoy all that we have to offer while you wait for the Sage's news."

"Thank you but we can't really afford for us to stay planet side," Allura sighed. "We have limited resources and we still need to pay the Sage for her assistance."

Again the Bakkeiasian turned to Lance, "Then please stay as my guest."

Slowly Lance recalled what Allura said about being a Bakkeiasian guest. First of all it was a great honor to not be taken lightly. The one who offered it to you would do anything to take care of you and protect you, everything they did would be a joyfully given gift. To refuse would be a great insult, especially if not done just right.

"I'm honored and flattered," Lance unfolded his arms and turned fully to the Bakkeiasian, trying to remember what Allura told them to say if this was offered, "Thank you for welcoming me to your home."

"Thank you for accepting my invitation," the Bakkeiasian smiled.

Soon the others were heading back to the castle and the Bakkeiasian was leading Lance somewhere for him to spend the night.

"Thank you again for inviting me," Lance absently rubbed over his arms, starting to get chilled from his damp clothing. "I don't think I ever caught your name though."

"I am Mi'Dori," the Bakkeiasian answered, "And you are?"

"It's Lance and thank you Mi'Dori."

"It is my pleasure."

Silence stretched for a little longer than Lance liked. He wasn't sure what to say.

"You've been very nice to me," he tried.

"I've never seen someone so happy to be in the rain," Mi'Dori smiled at him, gentler than the usual smile. "I want your happiness to only grow."

The comment took Lance by surprise, he was even less sure of what to say than before when he realized that they were no longer moving. He looked around and saw some large double doors with some of the prince's assistants he saw earlier standing in front of it.

"We're…" Lance wasn't sure how to ask, looking to Mi'Dori.

"We're at the penthouse."

"Why?"

"Because your face glowed when he spoke to you," Mi'Dori explained.

"That's called blushing," Lance felt himself doing just that.

"Still there seemed to be an attraction there but I will not force you to go and he would not do anything to harm you if you went in; it's completely up to you."

Lance looked back at the giant doors, "I could go in but leave if I wanted to?"

"Of course," Mi'Dori nodded. "All you'd have to do is call for me and I would come take you to a different room."

Despite himself, Lance thought of the hands running over his head on top of the towel, caressing his cheeks and then the prince kissing his hand.

"Alright," Lance kept his eyes one the door.

Mi'Dori put two hands on Lance's back and walked with him to the doors and stopped in front of the assistants, or rather guards at the moment.

"This is my guest; make sure the prince knows this."

The guards looked at each other but Lance still could not see their faces to read their expressions.

"He, um, invited me here earlier," said Lance.

Barely giving Lance another look the guards nodded, one turned to Mi'Dori, "We shall inform the prince," they turned to Lance, "Follow me."

Lance looked at Mi'Dori who smiled and nodded. He took a breath and followed the guard through the doors.