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[businessinfront]

"This is Keith. Leave a message."


( text ⋆ voice ⋆ video )

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[yablueit]

...Man, you really don't remember much about me back at the Garrison, huh?

[businessinfront]

[ Keith shoots him a sidelong look, with a slight tilt of his head. ]

I don't know if you noticed, but we're not at the Garrison.

[yablueit]

Well, yeah, but— That's not the point!

[businessinfront]

It's kind of the point!

[yablueit]

Even if we aren't there anymore, I was supposed to be learning how to be a pilot there, and all I ever did was bomb simulator flights. They didn't even want me in the program to begin with.

[businessinfront]

So what? Now you could outfly any of them!

[yablueit]

Maybe. I dunno. It's not like I'm gonna get the chance to find out any time soon.

[businessinfront]

[ Keith frowns, uncertain how to respond. ]

... I don't think Blue would have opened up to anyone but you.

[yablueit]

I guess. They all had other Paladins before us, though, so who even knows?

...I wonder what her first Paladin was like.

[businessinfront]

Lance...

[ Keith leans back, drawing a knee up close to his chest. ]

Tell me what you're getting at.

[yablueit]

...I don't think I even know, man. It's just–

[ He crosses his arms, tucking himself into the opposite corner of the couch. ]

Stuff I think about, I guess.

[businessinfront]

I can't believe I'm about to say this...

[ Keith raises his eyebrows by a fraction, his dark eyes strangely purple in the dim light. He knows he's walking that thin line between a deadpan joke and a wholly serious sentiment, afraid to lean too far either way and lose whatever openness Lance is sharing with him. ]

... but you think too much.

[yablueit]

[ There's a pause, and then Lance laughs. It's genuine enough, but exhausted, and he tips his head back against the back of the couch, staring up at the ceiling. ]

I think that might be the first time anyone's ever accused me of that.

[businessinfront]

[ Keith's quiet for a moment, then huffs, soft and halfway between amused and exasperated. ]

That's me. Telling it like it is.

[yablueit]

[ Lance glances sidelong over at Keith, watching his face for a moment, then half smiles. ]

...Thanks, man.

[businessinfront]

[ That catches him off-guard a little. ]

What for?

[yablueit]

For, yknow. [ He gestures vaguely. ] Telling it like it is? I dunno.

[businessinfront]

I...

[ Keith exhales, looking out of sorts. He makes a small, helpless little gesture with his hands, flexing his fingers. Not quite a shrug. ]

You have a place on the team, that's all I'm trying to say. And it's about a lot more than being a pilot.

[yablueit]

...Really, man. Thanks.

[ Lance smiles, but he's only half reassured. It's weird to hear it from Keith—nice, but weird—but... Even if he knows the thing that said those things to him wasn't really Shiro, it still shaken him. But talking about it helps.

Cereal helps, too, which is why he's leaning over to snag another handful from the box. ]

[businessinfront]

[ Keith could leave it at that. He almost does. But there's a question hovering right on the edge of his thoughts, one that's been there for a long time, and he feels like if he doesn't ask it now, maybe there'll never be another time to ask. ]

... Lance— what would you do if I had to lead Voltron?

[yablueit]

If you had to— Seriously? Dude, if this is about Shiro disappearing before we got here, I know you're worried, but we'll find him. I know we will.

[businessinfront]

No, it's not— I mean, it is, kind of, but—

[yablueit]

But...?

[businessinfront]

It's not like I want to.

[ He shifts, silent for a moment, almost regretting saying anything. ]

A long time ago, Shiro said that if anything happened to him, he wanted me to lead the team. I— I don't even know if he feels that way anymore, I don't know why he felt that way in the first place, but— that's what he said.

[yablueit]

He said—okay, dude, I swear I'm not being a dick here, but what was he thinking?