I Will Pray So The Castle That We Built Won't Cave

It had been a day since the two boys got better and things were already back to normal. Despite Pidge's knowledge on the whole situation they fibbed to the others, saying that when the storm started they were found each other and decided to wait for the others. They said that after a while of waiting they started walking around until they became drenched and then went back to their room.* * * "So what really happened?" Pidge asked when they were alone.

"Well, remember that rough patch that we mentioned?" Pidge nodded. "Well that was kinda that same night, we swore to forget it though so if you don't mind then we'd rather not bring it up. Although what really happened is that I ran away, Lance chased me, we had a heart to heart in the rain, danced in the rain, danced even more in the room with wet clothes, and slept in wet clothes next to each other," Keith explained, Lance nodding along. "...you two are idiots. You know they left pajamas for us, right?" Pidge asked them carefully.

"What? I didn't see any anywhere!" Lance exclaimed. "Maybe if you two were focused on anything besides each other~" Pidge teased, poking Keith because he was the closest.

The red and blue paladins just smiled at each other.* * * "Lalalalalalalala~ I can't hear you!" Lance called, plugging his his ears with his fingers, walking in small circles.

The team was all gathered together in the lounge, Allura called it for bonding purposes but there wasn't much that they could do that wasn't already done. So they settled on asking each other a bunch of random questions and having long discussions about them. Kinda like if 20 questions met an existential crisis. Right now the topic was 'pineapple on pizza, or no?' and Lance and Keith were having another one of their infamous arguments.

"Just give in Lance! People who eat pineapple on pizza are not superior, the flavor isn't good, it's terrible!" Keith called from where he sat with his arms crossed, his face as brooding as ever.

"Only inferior people say that!" Lance retorted.

Allura and Coran were lost on what the topic was while the rest of the paladins were groaning as the argument dragged on.

"No pineapple on pizza is one of the least ama-"

"Shut it!" Pidge yelled. "Please, for the love of fucking god! Stop. Talking. About. It. Let's move on, Hunk?"

"Uh okay, hotdogs, are they sandwiches or not?" Hunk asked nervously.

"Psh, of course not," Lance answered at the same time Keith said, "Um...yeah, of course they are."

"Uh no, they're not. Saying a hotdog is a sandwich is essentially saying that a taco could count as a sandwich as well! And it's not! That doesn't make any sense!" Lance retorted.

"Well of course they don't, tacos are hard shelled and hotdogs are just open sandwiched," Keith replied.

"Then what about soft tacos?" Lance asked.

"Those are just enigmas."

"No! They are tacos!"

"Oh my lord you two are like an old married couple!" Pidge exclaimed, causing the boys to flush.

Just then Allura got an alert from Matt. "Matt! It's wonderful to see you!" she said brightly. Matt just smiled back to her from the screen that his face was displayed on.

"It's great to see all of you, and I'm calling to update you all. Remember those encrypted codes?"

"How could I forget? I'm still running algorithms," Hunk groaned. Pidge just pulled up a screen from her phone thingy (I'm not sure what they are) and scrolled through a long list of Galra information that she had hacked into a while back.

"Well I think that me and my group have cracked it. Well, Anastasia came up with the idea, you remember her? Anyways, if our decryption code was correct then we've found where the next shipment of that weird quintessence is going to be. And there's going to be a lot of it, meaning that if Voltron can get to it before it's used for whatever purposes the Galra have for it, then we'll be taking out a fair chunk of it. Plus, once we get our hands on it we'll be able to do more thorough research to get a better understanding of what the substance is," he finished.

"Matt that's amazing! Look at you big bro, finally cracking something in your own. Oh, they grow up so fast~," Pidge teased.

"Hey..."

"What algorithm did you use? I've tried stuff straight from the Galra and some other planets out here as well. I've even been running the oldest and the latest versions from earth and nothing! I'm pretty sure I also just invented a few," Hunk said.

"Well that's the thing is that we didn't use one any of those algorithms. The idea that Anastasia came up with was to use some of the most forgotten texts and codings that are from planets under the Galra Empire. So we did and we found one that makes the most sense, it's also, get this, from a dead planet, no wonder we didn't get it at first. The planet was evacuated and that's the only reason these methods still exist but I'm sending over what we got right now so that you guys can also take a look at it before we decide anything," Matt replied, clicking a few buttons on some unseen screens before both Pidge and Hunk got notifications on their mini screen.

"Well if this information is correct, that means that this huge shipment is going to pass through the star system that we just passed!" Pidge exclaimed.

"And soon too. It wouldn't hurt to check it out, even if there is no shipment of this quintessence then we can get something off of that ship," Hunk added.

"Yes but the thing is that since we attacked that other destroyer for the prisoners who held important information that we now have then they're definitely going to be on guard. So it's either an all out mission or we put it off and risk letting the Galra receive a large amount of this tampered quintessence for whatever purposes they have to use it for," Matt said.

"And whatever we decide to do we need to decide quick. From the information that Matt sent me the cargo is going to pass through that system in two quintents," Pidge huffed, eyes blocked by the way she was focusing on her screen.

"So we should choose now. What does everyone thing? His should be a whole team decision," Shiro asked.

"I for one think that this is something worth looking into. If Matt is sure that his decryptions are correct then we cannot pass up an opportunity to strike at the Galra like this. We'll be able to delay whatever they're planning at least if we do get out hands on this quintessence, and if it not on that ship then I suppose sometimes we'll just have to make do with a necessary evil," Allura thought aloud.

"I agree Princess, this does seem like something that we just have to try," Lance agreed.

"I'm ready to strike," Keith added.

"I think you already know where Hunk and I stand in this," Pidge smirked. Hunk just nodded.

"Well alright then, I guess we have it. Let's go talk in the first trip room," Shiro said getting up. Everyone trailed after him, mentally preparing themselves for the new mission at hand. * * *It had been a day since the attack on the Galra ships, and Matt was right about them having their guard up. When the paladins went in there was not only a huge cargo ship carrying the shipment, but also three cruisers accompanying it for protection.

The battle wasn't easy but it was another one that was a victory in team Voltron's book. They got the quintessence and destroyed two of the Galra cruisers in the process, not without minimum damage to the Castle of Lions but all was fixed within a varga.

Pidge and Hunk were off examining the quintessence for god knows what, Shiro was off doing Shiro-esque things, Allura and Coran were talking to Matt in the control room, Keith was on the training deck, and Lance was off to look for his boyfriend like a lost puppy in need of attention. When he arrived at the training deck he stood by the doorway just watching Keith move. Keith noticed from the corner of his eye and finished off the Gladiator.

"End training sequence!" he called, wiping his brow with his arm before turning to Lance. "Hey hon, what's up?"

"Oh nothing." Lance walked over to to the Korean and stole a quick kiss from him. "I just wanted to see mi amor."

"Well here I am. Are you sure you didn't need anything?" Keith asked.

"Well I don't know, I kinda have this feeling that something bad is gonna happen, ya know? Like, something is about to go horribly wrong, but I can't put my finger on it," Lance mumbled.

"I'm sure it's just nerves after that mission."

"Yeah, probably." Lance took a deep breath and smiled at the shorter male, bringing his hands up to cup Keith's face for a deep the kiss.

The castleship suddenly shook under them, causing the two boys to fall over as the vibrations sent deep noises up and down the walls of the room.

"What was that?" Keith grunted, the shaking subsided but the red lights and alarms were blaring as the red and blue paladins got up and off of the floor.

"I think that was my bad feeling." Lance grabbed Keith's wrist and started running towards the control room. Keith resisted at first but gave in soon enough so that they could both run side by side to find the rest of the team.

"What happened?" Keith demanded once he and Lance barged into the control room, seeing that everyone else was gathered there as well. They were all huddled over Pidge's screen.

"I think we have some uninvited guests, the Galra," the short girl spoke ominously. "I think they've come after the cargo that we stole from them."

"Then what are we waiting around for? Shouldn't we go after them? And, like, protect what we got?" Lance asked.

"Oh Pidge and I locked up the quintessence so that's safe, but we need to figure out where these guys are before we can go out and attack them," Hunk reassured.

"Then what was that shaking?" Keith asked again.

"I think they set off some explosives..." Pidge trailed off. "Hunk what if they blew up the door?" Hunk paled and took off with Pidge at his heels, you could practically see the dust they left in their wake.

"Okay paladins, we are on high alert, while Hunk and Pidge go take care of the quintessence I'm going to need the rest of you to patrol the halls. Coran and I will keep a birds eye view from here and alert you of any whereabouts we detect. Hurry!" Allura ushered. * * * "There's nothing on my end," Shiro said through the comms, everyone was in armor and tense from the surprise attack. He, Lance, and Keith were the ones patrolling the castleship while Pidge and Hunk were guarding the quintessence.

"Alright, I can't get a good read on where they are, although I think-" Coran was interrupted by the castle furiously shaking beneath them. The entire team could be heard grunted through the comms.

"Paladins, I fear they are trying to blow their way up to the castle's main turbine generator!" Allura shouted over the alarms, the power was almost completely down due to what they hypothesized being an explosion to the main generator.

"And what happens if they succeed in doing that?" Hunk asked nervously, even though he already knew the answer.

"Then the castle, and everyone and everything in it, will be destroyed." There was a strained silence between the team, the weight of what was possible sinking in.

"Then we need to stop them before they do," Shiro spoke up. "Lance, Keith, come with me. We're going to the main generator to stop these guys once and for all."

"But what if they're not even there? They could've set their bombs and left already," Lance said.

"No they wouldn't leave without the quintessence, that is what I assume they really came here for. Blowing up team Voltron and the lions seem to just be a perk." Keith started making his way towards Shiro and Lance.

"Yeah, and Hunk and I will be right here to keep an eye on it nobody is going to get through us," Pidge affirmed.

"Yeah, we'll keep everything safe over here!" Hunk cheered.

"There is one other place that they could be heading," Coran said. "If they really did want to destroy everything on this ship then they might just attack the teludav. If they overheat it then it will create an explosion that could match one of a white hole, it would destroy everything from this focal point to solar systems galaxies away on a radius."

"I'm already close to the teludav, Lance, Shiro, you two go over to the generator. I'll head over to the teludav and keep watch over there," Keith called, changing his direction so that he was headed away from the core and towards the teludav.

"Are you sure you want to go alone? I could go with you Keith," Lance offered, his heart pounding. The bad feeling he had didn't go away, and when Keith said he would go by himself his stomach knotted in an uncomfortable way.

"No, if they really are by the generator then Shiro is going to need backup." Keith took off.

"But what if they really are by the teludav, then you're the one who's going to need backup and no one's going to be there to help you! I'm coming over..."

"Too late Lance just go join Shiro!" Keith yelled.

"Keith..."

"What?" he asked harshly.

"...be careful," Lance whispered.

"I will." Keith's face turned soft as he ducked past corners, coming up close to the area which held the teludav. "Alright, I'm getting close, there seem to be some Galra here, I can hear them. Allura what can you see?"

"There's not much to say, the cameras are going out one by one, neither Coran nor I can barely keep a visual on any of you. Outside communications have been down for a while and there's not much power left in the reserves."

"Alright I guess that I'll just go in without a visual," Keith sighed, moving forward. "I'm going in."

Lance's stomach squirmed, his heart was pounding so hard that he was surprised that it wasn't jumping out of his chest.

There were sounds of shots through the comms. Keith could be heard grunting as the clash of metal meeting metal (or whatever the bayards are made out of) rung in the background.

"Keith what was that?" Lance panicked a little, slowing his run once he caught up with Shiro by the doors to the main turbine of the castle. There were no Galra in sight.

"Just some sentries, it wasn't that bad. But if there's anyone else in there they definitely know that I'm out here." Keith's sentence was followed by by more blaster noises.

"Lance quickly, there are more sentries in the main turbine generator, I'm going to take them out and I'm going to need you to run in and disable any bombs that you see in there," Shiro hissed, motioning for the Cuban to step closer.

"Alright." Both paladins stealth walked into the the room, Shiro taking the lead so that he could easily charge in and take out the sentries. Lance snuck in behind him and scoped the area for the bombs that might've been planted in the room.

"Lance -ugh- do you see any bombs?" Shiro called from where he was slashing sentries left and right. Lance carefully snuck around the perimeter of the bridge, anytime that a sentry would sneak by him he would blast a hole straight them and continue on his way.

"Lance!" Pidge called.

"What is it?"

"Whatever you do don't shoot those bombs. I have the cameras pulled up on my end and from what I can see they're nearly the same type of bombs that the rebels use. The only difference is that to deactivate these bombs you're going to have to take off the backing plate and cut off the largest purple wire then press a button that looks like an upside-down capital 'T' with a small circle above it."

"Copy that. I think I saw a few, I'm going to take them out now." Lance spotted one of the bombs that Pidge was describing and ran over to disable it. He hastily opened the plate and did just as Pidge instructed, the slight purple glow that it was emitting faded and Lance quickly got up to find any other bombs and turn them off.

No time to sit down and take a breath, I need to get these others before they go off and destroy everything, he thought as he took a few more shots at the sentries.

Then there was a loud bang from Keith's end of the comms. * * * Keith was getting attached left and right. Not only were there more sentries inside of the room where the teludav was, but also two Galra commanders. The red paladin was mercilessly fending off the opponents as he made his way towards the teludav. Out of nowhere one of the commanders took their blaster and threw it in Keith's direction, and, not expecting it, the Korean got his right under the jaw with it. It made a large banging noise and knocked off his helmet, meaning that he no longer had armor over his head nor the means to talk to the team through the comms, and it didn't help that he didn't hear all of what Pidge said about the bombs due to the fact that he was too busy not getting pummeled. As a consequence he knew nothing about the bombs other than what they looked like and not how to stop them from going on.

Luckily for him he barged in just in time for them to set up one of these bombs.

Unluckily for him that one bomb was right in by the teludav, meaning that when it went off, the altean tech would overheat and blow up. And even if he did manage to figure it out in the heat of this battle it would've been too late, meaning that it would've blown up anyway. Or even if he cut the wrong wire or hit the wrong button. There were just so many things that had the possibility of going wrong, the odds were definitely not in his favor.

Keith was knocked back a few steps from the impact of the blaster, but the adrenaline pumping through him numbed the sense of any pain he might've felt as he rushed to grab it from the floor. He then proceeded to use shoot the remaining sentries senselessly before throwing it back at the initial commander with so much force it knocked the Galran over. A battle cry was ripped from his lips as he charged at the remaining commander and slashed their blaster in half before thrusting his fist into their face.

"You fight like a true Galra soldier," the commander commented, wiping sweat off of his brow as he went in for a brawl with the red paladin. A leering smile tugged across his face.

"I am nothing like you, and I never will be." Keith went in for a jab only to be elbowed in the back. He fell to the floor with a thud before rolling on his side and propping himself up so that he could swing his leg under the Galran's, causing him to topple over.

Keith got up and off of the floor, placing his foot over the commander's throat. "How do you defuse the bomb?"

The Galran only chuckled darkly, frustrating the red paladin. Keith just pressed his heel into the commander's throat even harder, growling his next words. "I don't play nice, now, tell me. How. To. Diffuse. It." His teeth were clenched so hard they began to ache. The commander only continued to laugh, except it just came out as more of a breathless wheeze.

"Is there nothing you have to say for yourself?" The Galran looked up, his eyes bugged. "Victory, or death!" he spat, a chortled laugh still stuck in his throat.

"Then I guess it's death for you," Keith said coldly before stomping his heel into the other's throat. His eyes rolled to the back of his head before his body went limps. Keith was bluffing of course, he only knocked out the man for a considerable amount of time, not being able to bring himself to actually kill him when he could be useful to team Voltron later in answering their questions.

Behind him the bomb started making beeping noises that got increasingly faster in every passing moment. Keith hurried over to it and frantically falling to his knees, fumbling with the explosive in an effort to shut it off. The beeping was almost deafening as he pried off the panel and stared at the wires and buttons in confusion.

To whatever god is out there, don't allow this to destroy this castle. This castle that has become my home. Don't let it destroy Lance. Lance, who has become my home. I've never had a real home until now, I need to save this precious one that I have. Ugh, this is taking too much time, I need to get this outta here now!

Keith quit fiddling with the bomb and picked it up. He cradled it into his chest and started running off into the hallway, but he was barely able to make it to the door before the heat seared through his arms. There was a bright light that came just after the fireiness of the explosion that was soon followed by an ear shattering blast rung through the air around him. Then nothing.

There was a high pitched ring in his ears.

There were scorch marks and cuts all over him.

There was a hazy cloud of gray covering his vision.

And there was nobody with him, the intense heat he felt previously was gone in an instant and left him cold on the hard floor. His adrenaline was gone, numbing him before the intense pain began to settle in.

Then there was nothing. * * *Lance could feel his heart about to jump out of his chest, his lungs were caught in his throat and everything around him blurred into a fuzzy blend of colors and noises as he rushed towards the teludav. Everyone was yelling at Keith over the comms but he wouldn't answer them so the team was stuck listening to whatever battle was going on through the muffled headset as they left him hopelessly alone. That was, until Lance finished his job and rushed over to see his boyfriend, leaving Shiro in his dust. He just had to see Keith with his own two eye right then, because what they heard after Keith's supposed battle scared him half to death for the red paladin.

What they heard was the blast of what could only be a bomb going off, and if it did then everything would've been blown to bits from here to solar systems galaxies away. That is unless something else happened, and that something else had to be Keith.

Impulsive and stupid and brave Keith.

Lance's stomach was churning as he took the winding turns down to where his boyfriend was, hopefully to where he was all well and fine. But everything told Lance that he was wrong to hope. Wrong to hope that everything was okay when his logic was certain that nothing was okay. But he didn't dwell on that, he wasn't able to dwell on that, his mind physically couldn't work as he rushed over to his boyfriend's side.

"Keith? Mi amor? Are you here?" he called just before he took that last turn to the room where the teludav was, ignoring the fact that his comms were still on and that the others could hear every word that he uttered. His only concern was to see Keith safe and hug him. To just be caught in the Korean's embrace and take in his scent, his warmth, and hum their lullaby to the tempo of his heart.

Lance turned the last corner and stopped dead in his tracks, his already fuzzy mind seemed to completely shut down and he choked on the breath that got stuck in his throat. The surrounds that used to be blurred were suddenly up in high definition to his eyes, every single dust particle and color and bolt was visible to his eye. All of that, and the scorch marks that was unmistakably from from an explosive, there was no way in hell that a blaster could do that.

Lance was numb as his legs moved forward on their own accord, not bothering to bystep the fallen sentries that had been ravenously cut apart with the marksmen of Keith's skill. The Cuban felt nauseous as he got closer and closer to the burns that marked the walls, the ashed and friey odor becoming more pungent with every step he took. Not to mention the feeling of utter sickening dread that only kept forming into more of a bloodthirsty beast like a werewolf in the full moon.

"K-Keith? Mi amor...?" Lance asked hesitantly, his voice was small, scratchy, as he finally made his way into the room.

Then he screamed.

There were voices and all sorts of sounds around him. The voices through the comms, the blaring sirens slowly shutting down and the main power coming back online, the crash of his bayard hitting the floor before it magically (magically?) disappeared into his suit. The only thing that he could hear were the thumps of his palpitating heartbeat in his ears as he rushed to Keith's side.

Keith, who was lying dead still on the floor on his stomach, his head turned to the right and his arms crumpled beneath him.

Keith, who was without a helmet and had cold sweat matting his hair to his exposed neck.

Keith, who was a few feet from the door and had a small pool of thick red liquid underneath him, the black burn marks all over his armor like a focal point for all the other marks.

"Keith!" Lance shrieked, falling to his knees and ripping off his own helmet. He tossed it blindly to the side and panicked a little, he was definitely hyperventilating as his shaky hands gripped Keith's far shoulder and pulled him around so that he was facing up.

As soon as Keith flopped onto his back Lance brought his hands up to clamp them over his mouth. He stared down in horror at the red paladin, blood was oozing from a small hole in his chest, creating a dark, sickly color as it mixed in with the black scorch marks that were grimly streaked over his chest. There were so many marks that the white and red of the chestplate wasn't visible until the blood washed it away, and then it left a brownish-pink stain. The hole seemed to be over a lung, thankfully not in area that was threatening to the heart. Lance was half surprised that there wasn't a bigger one, but he was extremely thankful that it wasn't.

"C'mon baby, please be okay. Mi amor, please. I just got you, when I needed you the most I had you, please don't leave me. Don't do this to me, don't be...don't be gone mi amor. I've never loved anyone like I love you. Please, never leave me. I need you," Lance begged. He carefully set his hand over Keith's heart, feeling for anything. Tears had clouded his vision so his eyesight was of no use to him in any effort to see if Keith's chest was rising and falling. The Cuban whimpered as the sticky blood coated his hand while he was waiting for a pulse, he used his other hand to scoop up Keith's head and lay it softly in his lap.

There it was, just the smallest of things slowly getting a little stronger. Just a faint heartbeat.

Keith gradually peeled his eyes open, one at a time. After the cold that covered him, some warmth reached out to his consciousness. And he jumped for it, some unknown force told him that it Lance. His Lance, his home. He gently parted his lips, looking up at his boyfriend and no longer feeling so alone.

"L-Lance? Is that you hon?" Keith's voice was weak as he brought an arm up to caress Lance's face. It waivered a little due to his unsteady body. "Why are you...don't cry. Why are you crying?"

Lance paused. He's alive. Oh any and all gods above, he's alive! Thank you, mi amor is still with me!

He laughed a little, bending over to engulf Keith in a soft yet strong embrace, his tears fell faster. "You gave me a heart attack! I thought I lost you forever! I thought...I thought you were-were dead! I couldn't-I couldn't do anything! I can't live without you! Stop doing this Keith please, stop rushing in, head first and all alone, with death as a possibility. You're not alone and you can't die! I need you, we all need you. Please stop, you're like an addict who needs a fix by almost getting killed! Yes we were all in danger but please, don't do that." Lance's speech had dissolved into a sloppy fit of sobs as he lay Keith back down so that he could look the Korean in the eye as he was speaking. He really hoped that his point got through.

"Lance-" he broke into a fit of coughs "-I'm sorry that I scared you, but my home was in trouble. This castle, you, were in trouble. My family, they were in danger of dying and so many other innocents in other galaxies. I would do this again, just so that I could save everything I care about. And you're right, I am an addict. I'm addicted to a certain kind of thing Lance. I'm addicted to war and violence. But I'm also addicted to you, and like an addict I ran straight into danger to save what was left of my drug. And don't think that I'm going to die, this war isn't over and I'm going to be around after it is. I-I love you Lance McClain, and I can't wait to go back to earth with you by my side." The pain was still there for the Korean, but he ignored it so that he could finally get it out there. Keith wasn't sure when he finally came to the conclusion, but right then and there, he was so deep in love with the teary-eyed blue paladin from Cuba who was a flirt, who had the dumbest jokes, who was broken, and who Keith suddenly couldn't see himself living without.

And with that he fainted, with everything out in the open. Lance's emotions were in limbo, but despite not knowing what to feel, he couldn't help but to smile and he hugged his beloved into his chest He crying so hard that he would make Niagara Falls jealous. He let out a few small laughs in disbelief. That was the first time that Keith had ever said he loved Lance, and it meant the world to the blue paladin. But he still knew that if he didn't move fast, that might be the last time Keith said it to him as well.

"Oh my god, you idiot. I love too, you fucking moron! I love you so fucking much that it hurts!" Lance cried into Keith's hair. Lance loved his hair, sure he made fun of it in the beginning but now he couldn't imagine his boyfriend any other way. "I'm going to make sure that you live and then I'm going to yell at you and kiss you all over your dumb, pretty face. I love you too..." * * * There was a blinding light blue light that faded into a hurtful white one as Keith stepped out of a healing pod into someone's lean, warm arms. He squinted his eyes and looked up just to be met with a blinding, pearly smile and ocean blue eyes.

"Keith, mi amor! You're okay!" Keith didn't even get a chance to utter a word as his sides seemingly got crushed together.

"Don't give him a reason to go back into a healing pod Lance! You're going to crush his ribs!" someone called. The comment was followed by nervous laughter and the grip around him loosening, but not going away completely.

"Hey guys," Keith rasped before a full surge of bodies collided into him for a group hug. "I need...to...breathe...!" he wheezed after a moment. More nervous laughter, more release of pressure around his torso.

"It's good to have you back bud," someone said, firmly clapping his back. Oh yeah, that was Shiro alright.

"It's good to be back," the smaller male replied, looking around and taking in his surroundings which were becoming more and more clear with every passing moment.

His family was okay.

His home, the castle, didn't cave.

Then he looked up to Lance who still had his arms encircled around Keith's waist. His love was safe, and nothing made him more happier than that thought, and he relaxed to that content feeling. He didn't think about how he and Lance were acting lovey dovey with each other in front of everyone or wondered how the Galra even got onto their ship, he just busied himself being happy with everyone.