Shiro stumbled down the hallway, determined to not wake anyone up. He had just woken up from yet another nightmare and he preferred not to wake anyone up over something as petty as nightmares.

He also hadn't slept in the last four nights.

Shiro somehow managed to make it to the kitchen and he dropped into the chair at the table; craving- not for the first time- a piping hot cup of peach sake and a hug from his Oka-san. He leaned forward and rested his head in his left hand.

He refused to rest it in his right hand.

Shiro-not for the first time either-wanted to do nothing more than just cut it off and cast it into space.

It did more harm than good.

He just wanted it gone.

"Shiro?"

Shiro jumped and whirled around; his right arm automatically whirring to life and casting a violet glow in the dim kitchen. Lance stood in the doorway in the royal blue pyjamas that Allura provided for them with a startled look crossing his face; the violet light painting his copper skin.

Lance looked hauntingly and unnaturally beautiful in the dangerous violet light.

Shiro never wanted to see anyone in that light.

Most of all Lance.

Sweet, innocent, gentle, naïve Lance.

"Lance," Shiro breathed out, quickly forcing his arm to shut down, causing the violet glow to disappear and letting the dim golden lights return; the soft golden lights making Lance's copper skin look even more exotic and naturally beautiful, "What are you doing up?"

Lance crosses his arms and leaned against the door, "I could ask you the same question Shiro. You always stress the importance of getting enough sleep so why aren't you following your own rule?"

"I'm doing rounds to ensure the Castle is safe," Shiro said, promptly ignoring the fact that Lance of all people just tossed his own rule back in his face.

Lance just looked unamused, "I know that Coran just did rounds a half hour ago, so do you want to try that again?"

"How do you know that Coran just did rounds?" Shiro asked, again ignoring the question.

"Well Shiro, Coran and I talked about it at dinner and I also heard him open my door to check on me. So, I will ask again Shiro, what are you doing up so late?"

Shiro had to give it to Lance, he was stubborn when he wanted to be.

"I'm fine Lance," Shiro said, looking down and hoping Lance would take the hint and leave him alone, "Just go back to bed."
Lance's expression told Shiro that Lance won't give up so easily.

"Shiro," Shiro refused to look at Lance.

He had seen what Lance's puppy dog eyes could do to Coran.

It was downright terrifying.

Shiro jumped when a hand gently grasped his chin and pulled it up to look into soft worried Caribbean blue eyes; he quickly avoided looking into them for too long, "Shiro look at me."

Shiro finally gave in and let himself be pulled into that gaze that was more than a broken prisoner like him ever deserved, "It's ok to have nightmares Shiro. We don't expect you to be perfect," Shiro stared at Lance with wide eyes, surprised that the teen had nail the problem right on the head.

Lance saw that he had startled the man and he quickly decided to do what his gran hermano Anselmo did when any of the younger ones did- including Lance- got scared or had a nightmare.

Lance quickly pulled Shiro up by his metal hand and started to tug him along.

Shiro yelped, "What the hell are you doing?!"

Lance promptly shushed him and pulled him along so Shiro just resigned himself to whatever fate was in store for him. They travelled for a couple of minutes until Lance finally dragged Shiro into the lounge that connected with the entry points to the Lions hangers. Shiro was quick to note that there were more throw blankets and pillows than there was a week ago.

Then again, Lance and Hunk had hit the open-air market of the latest planet that they had liberated from the Galra. They had come back with so many baskets that Coran, Keith, and Pidge had busted a gut from the swamped look that both teens had but Shiro and Allura had seen the pleased expression that they had on their face.

But that was a story for another time.

Lance had let go of Shiro and he started to gather pillows and blankets; bunching the pillows against one of the arm rests and draping a few blankets over the back beside the pillows. He bent over and fluffed the pillows and made sure any tassels were flipped behind the pillows.

Then Lance laid down, left side out. Back against the pillows and legs slightly spread.

Shiro had no idea what was going on.

"Lance? What are you doing?"

Lance looked at him and patted his stomach, "Come here Shiro."
"Uh… no."

Lance gave him an unreadable expression, then unleashed what Shiro was damn sure was the most lethal weapon in the universe.

His puppy dog eyes.

"Please Shiro?"

Shiro wanted to stay strong but he just couldn't refuse.

He'll blame the lack of sleep from the last few days later but right now?

Lance's offer was just too tempting to the exhausted man.

"Ok; just stop looking at me with those eyes of yours. You could doe-eye Zarkon into submission," Shiro grumbled as he made his way over to the couch. He waited for Lance to get up so he could lay down and let Lance lay on top of him but Lance just patted his own stomach and Shiro groaned.

"My weight will kill you," Shiro weakly protested as Lance gave his stomach another pat.

"Hunk is heavier than you and I did this-and still do this for him-plenty of times so get your ass over here and lay down."
Shiro decided not to push his luck with the Mexican teen.

He had seen the teen actually kick Keith's ass.

Was that footprint bruise still on Keith's left ass cheek?

He'd have to ask.

But right know?

Sleep.

Shiro walked over and sat on the couch. He twisted his body and awkwardly laid down in between Lance's legs, resting his head on the teens chest and white hair pooling over the royal blue fabric. Lance quickly wrapped his arms around Shiro; carding his hands through short black hair. Shiro wrapped his arms around Lance, slowly getting comfortable with this unusual situation.

He heard Lance shift around and he felt blankets settling on top of them.

So, that was why the blankets were on the back.

Shiro rested his ear over Lance's heart, listening to the steady beat as it soothed him.

It didn't stop him from being on guard.

"Shiro," Shiro looked up to see Lance looking at him with tender eyes, "It's okay, I'm on guard tonight so get some sleep."

Shiro wanted to protest but the hands carding through his hair reminded Shiro of what his Obaa-san used to do when he was feeling sick, sad, grumpy, or just plain shitty.

It was soothing.

But it wasn't enough.

Lance saw that and decided that he was gonna do what his hermana mayor Bibiana would do when the younger ones went to her for comfort.

He started to hum making Shiro jolt slightly.

"I remember tears streaming down your face

When I said, "I'll never let you go."

When all those shadows almost killed your light

I remember you said, "Don't leave me here alone,"

But all that's dead and gone and passed tonight," Lance sang as he slowly ran his right hand through silky black hair.

"Just close your eyes

The sun is going down

You'll be alright

No one can hurt you now

Come morning light

You and I'll be safe and sound," Shiro shifted a little and sleepily rubbed his cheek into Lance's chest.

"Don't you dare look out your window, darling.

Everything's on fire

The war outside our door keeps raging on

Hold onto this lullaby

Even when the music's gone

Gone," Lance entangled his left hand with Shiro's right, his warm fleshly fingers intertwined with Shiro's cool metal digits.

"Just close your eyes

The sun is going down

You'll be alright

No one can hurt you now

Come morning light

You and I'll be safe and sound," Shiro tried to drowsily pull his prosthetic hand away but Lance held firm, trying to prove to Shiro that Shiro was not dangerous and that Lance wasn't afraid of him.

"Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh

La, la (la, la)

La, la (la, la)

Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh

La, la (la, la)," Lance sang softly, smiling as Shiro finally gave up and nuzzled the royal blue fabric with his cheek.

"Just close your eyes

You'll be alright

Come morning light,

You and I'll be safe and sound..." Shiro's breathing started to even out and Lance could see steel grey eyes start to flicker shut.

"Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, oh, oh," He hummed as Shiro finally drifted off to sleep.

Lance pulled his bayard out of under the pillows where he had stashed it when Shiro wasn't watching and had it change into a small pistol.

He'd discovered that the bayard could change weapons at will but that was going to be his little secret, an ace in the hole if he ever needed it.

He had told Shiro that he was gonna be on guard tonight and planned to keep that promise.

/

Coran had just finished his rounds through the Castle and he was ready to go to bed but he had one more thing to do first.

He had to sweep the bedrooms one more time.

He started with Shiro's and wasn't surprised at all to find that it was empty; Shiro was probably on the training deck already.

Hunk was sprawled out all over his bed; sheets, and a yellow quilt that Coran was sure that Lance placed on the teen tangled in his legs and face pressed into his pillow.

Coran huffed a silent laugh and closed the door.

Keith was curled up, an colourful alien quilt that Coran knew wasn't there before spread over top of the teen. Inky black hair pooled over top of the pillows and bangs fluttering with the time of Keith's breathing.

Coran closed the door, careful not to disturb the boy.

Allura was unknowingly mimicking Keith, a Altean throw that Coran hadn't realized was on the ship placed over the princess. Her pearl-white hair pooled around her and spilled over the pillows.

Coran left.

Pidge had slumped over onto their side, legs tangled with a green quilt and the computer shut down, hooked up to the charger.

Coran was gonna have a few words with Lance later.

He made his way to Lance's room to check on the copper-skinned teen but he froze when he realized that said teen wasn't in his room. He had been in his room and Coran knew this because his mountain of blankets and quilts had been disturbed and his bayard was missing from his bedside stand.

Coran started to run around the Castle in a hunt for Lance.

Bridge? Nope.

Training deck? Nope.

Kitchen? Nope.

Blue Lions hanger? Nope.

Coran was running out of places to look when he passed the Lions lounge and froze. He backpedalled and looked in; a relieved and surprised look on his face.

Lance was on the couch, his bayard aimed at the door right at Coran's chest. Shiro was nestled in between Lance's legs and was surprisingly sound asleep.

Coran tried not to panic.

He was never the kind of Altean that wanted to be held at bayard point.

Too nerve-racking.

Lance was quick to lower the bayard with an apologetic look, "Sorry man," He whispered, "I have it set to stun and everything but I don't want anyone to wake him up."

"That's alright young Paladin," Coran soothed, secretly pleased that Lance just set it to stun.

Than he noticed the circles under Lance's eyes.

"Did you get any sleep?"

Lance looked at him a funny look, "What?"

"Did you sleep last night?"

"No…"

"Lance!"

Lance shushed him and looked at Shiro, who thankfully remained asleep.

Coran watched as Lance gave Shiro a soft look and brushed his white bangs out of his face.

"I made a promise to stay on guard so he can sleep safely for tonight."

Coran looked at the cuddling duo with soft eyes.

So, that explained it.

"All right young Paladin, see you in the morning," Coran said softly, knowing that Lance would never break a promise.

Even if it killed him.

"Good night Coran. Sweet dreams," The teen said as he turned his attention back to the Altean. Coran smiled at him.

"Have a good night Lance."

Coran retreated to bed.

Lance looked at Shiro, "Sweet dreams querido corazon."

Shiro slept on.

Wildcat: I do not own VLD or Safe and Sound by Taylor Swift. I respect the artists and owners.