Shiro's a worried Space Dad, Keith is doing his best for his teammate, Pidge is a genius, Hunk's an angel and Lance wants some cuddles.

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"Bring it on, bitch. Show me what you've got." Lance snarled at Haggar, eyes fearful and defiant at the same time.

A smile grew on Haggar's face, her tongue licking at the corners of her mouth, as if she had seen a delicious meal. "Those eyes. Yes, it reminds me of my Champion. Yes, this is good." Haggar purred in satisfaction, which creeped the hell out of Lance.

Shiro's not yours, you bitch! He's ours!" Lance spat, not liking at the thought of Shiro being that old hag's property like some tool.

The druid ignored him and turned her attention at the other druids who have gathered around the Blue Paladin. "This boy might be useful," Haggar informed them. "He might even be our next Champion." she grinned, delighted at the prospect of having another Human to be made as a tool like the previous Champion.

Lance on the otherhand, froze in horror. If Haggar wants to make him into the next Champion then... does that mean... he has to fight in the Arena?

The feeling of dread quickly settled in his mind, causing his heart to race. 'No.' he thought. 'No! No! No! No! NO!'

Lance struggled harder against his restraints, determined to get out of these druids' clutches. "Let me go!" he shouted. "Let me go!"

The sound of something humming caught his attention and before he could even process any thought, he screamed from pain. Electricity ran through his body like fire is in his veins, the prickle coming from it felt like as if there are millions of sharp needles poking inside of him.

He screamed and screamed, unable to stop the pain. He writhed and convulsed, a desperate attempt to make all of this go away. Finally, he felt himself losing consciousness and Lance welcomed it with opened arms.

The last thing he remembered, before he fell into a blissful darkness, was the sight of Haggar smiling madly at him.

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When Lance woke up, he felt cold and extremely tired. Then, a tick later, he felt something warm wrapping itself around him.

Lance sighed in relief and was snuggling further into said warmth when his memory caught up to him. Immediately, Lance tensed up, panic rising inside of him, his heart thumping wildly against his chest. His vision was hazy and everything was blurry.

But even in his panic, Lance realised that he was not alone and felt another presence, a group, surrounding him. Looking to his side, he can blearily make out some humanoid shape. But they're not Galras.

Lance took a sharp breath, mind going overdrive at the thought that he might be in the Arena and is currently facing an opponent. His instinct took over in an instant, causing him to let out a low growl through his bared teeth towards the group, warning and challenging them.

"Lance? Buddy?" the rumble coming from the warmth gained his attention, stopping Lance from growling.

"Lance?" the warmth rumbled again, followed by the sound of someone calling his name from above him. Peeking up, he saw a face that looked familiar, peering down at him with worry. Lance frowned a little, trying to know why this person feels so safe and familiar when he saw the orange bandana. Lance quickly realised who it was and let out a soft gasp in surprise. "H-Hunk?"

Hunk smiled widely in relief when Lance recognised him. "Yeah, bro. it's me." he confirmed.

"Hunk..." Lance whispered, not fully believing it. But the warmth that felt so safe and comforting, as well as the rythmic thump of his heart, convinced Lance that yes, this is real. A gentle purr could be felt at the back of his head and Lance immediately reached out to Blue in his mind, happy to feel her presence again. A wave of calmness washed over Lance, making him relaxed, his tensed body loosing up until he went completely slack in Hunk's hold.

"Woah! I got you, buddy," Hunk assured him, adjusting his grip around the teen. "Just relax. You're safe now."

"Lance." Shiro gently called out.

the Blue Paladin looked up to see Shiro, Keith, Pidge, Coran, Allura, and even the mice, standing not far from him. His face brightened at the sight of them. "Shiro! Everyone! You're safe!" he cried out in relief. He wanted to reach out to them but he was so exhausted, he could only lift it midway, his hand and arm trembling violently from fatigue.

Thankfully, they understood what he was trying to do and came closer to him, surrounding the teen. "You're okay..." Lance smiled weakly, too tired to speak more than necessary. He was already on the floor with Hunk, leaning heavily against the Yellow Paladin when he lost his strength to keep standing.

"Take it easy, Lance. You're still exhausted from getting out of the pod." Shiro reminded him, worrying for his health.

"'S'alright... m'fine..." Lance slurred, now feeling sleepy.

"Why don't we get you to your room and let you rest. Ok, bud?" Shiro suggested with a gentle smile, relieved and happy to see him finally out of the pod.

Lance however, felt his blood run cold at the thought of spending his time all alone in his dark room. "No..." he frowned, not liking the idea.

"What's that, my boy? What did you say?" Coran asked as he leaned in, trying to catch what he was trying to say.

"I... I don't want to... be alone..." Lance slowly told them, eyes looking at the ground.

The others looked at each other, trying to figure out what to do when Pidge let out a loud, "Aha!" Everyone turned their attention towards the youngest of the group. "What is it, Pidge? You got an idea?" Keith asked.

"Why don't we have a sleepover! That way, Lance won't be alone and he can be with everyone else!" Pidge suggested, proud at being able to make a plan.

"Hm... I don't know. What do you say, Lance?" Shiro asked the Blue Paladin.

Lance blinked once before a smile blossomed on his face. "I'd like that." he agreed.

Pidge clapped her hands together, garnering their attention once more. "It's decided then! Hunk, you go get some food for us."

"Understood!" Hunk replied and carefully peeled himself off of Lance, earning a whine from him.

"Shiro and Allura, you guys need to make sure the Castle is somewhere safe."

Both of them nodded and quickly made their way towards the bridge.

"Coran, help me find pillows and blankets. As many as we can."

"You got it, number 5!"

"And Keith," Pidge turned towards him. "Take care of Lance for us." she gave him a thumbs up before sprinting down the hall with Coran.

Keith blinked before he shuffled his way towards Lance who was now leaning against the wall. "Hey," he greeted.

Lance looked up and gave a smile. "Hey."

Keith sat down beside Lance and immediately, he leaned against Keith, humming in content at the warmth radiating from the Red Paladin.

Keith went rigid in shock before he relaxed completely. "Jeez, give a man some warning before doing that," he muttered with a smile.

Lance huffed a short laugh at that. "Sorry." he apologised as he got comfortable.

Keith hesitantly wrapped an arm around Lance, his arm hovering just above Lance's shoulder, unsure if that's what he should do.

Lance snorted at that, earning a questioning look from the teen. "Just hug me, mullet."

Keith scowled at that but nevertheless, he finally placed the arm on Lance's shoulder, drawing him closer to his chest. Lance cuddled against him, feeling satisfied and happy at the warmth and affection he's receiving.

As they sat in comfortable silence, Keith's eyes wondered around the infirmary before it settled back at Lance. After a few moments of debate, he finally made up his mind to tell Lance.

"Umm... Lance?"

"Hm...?"

"I uh... I just want to say... to say thank you. F-for helping me." he stammered.

For a few ticks, Lance said nothing. When Keith had started to wonder if Lance had fallen asleep, Lance hummed again. "Don't mention it. You're my family. Of course I would help you. Now shut up and let me cuddle in silence."

Keith felt his throat tightened.

"You're my family."

Keith never thought he would ever hear those words from someone else ever again. He was happy when Lance said that. Very happy.

When Pidge returned with Shiro, Allura, and Coran, each of them carrying some pillows and blankets, they smiled happily at the sight of the two paladins sleeping side by side.

They quietly set up the blankets and pillows, covering almost the entire floor and gently put both the sleeping paladins in their fluffy nest. Hunk returned with a bowl full of cookies he had made earlier, carrying a tray of mugs filled with warm liquid with his other hand.

The others chatted a little and enjoyed their late night snack, careful to not wake the two up before finally turning in for the night.

Surrounded by his Space family's snores that reminded him of his family back on Earth, Lance finally went into a peaceful sleep, Blue watching over him like she always do.