#blind!lance

Word Count: 763

Summary: A lazy morning between Keith and Lance.

A blind Lance au that’s been brewing in my mind for a while.

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The last thing Keith wanted was for another person to join his little ‘party.’ He finally found Shiro - who apparently spent the last year captured by aliens - and he wanted nothing more than to sit back and relax with his brother. But then he was forced to tolerate two strangers, Hunk and Pidge, who had helped Keith rescue Shiro from the Garrison. Pidge demanded answers about the other crew members, but relented when Shiro said he didn’t remember much from the last year. Hunk seemed to just be along for the ride, but without him, Keith would not have found this cave. He was so close to finding that weird energy source that had been calling for him. 

So, yeah, he was going to tolerate them. For now, at least. 

But as they looked at the cave filled with strange lion carvings, they heard footsteps approach from the entrance. 

“Oh man, we are in so much trouble,” Hunk whined, being the last to turn around.

The stranger seemed to be staring right past them, but startled upon Hunk’s voice. 

Keith glanced behind him to see what the stranger had been looking at, but he saw nothing there. Save for a few more lion carvings, but nothing different from the others. As he moved to look forward again, he noticed Hunk was wearing a huge grin.

“LANCE!” he shouted, suddenly running forward.

“Hunk? Buddy, is that you?”

Without warning, Hunk wrapped Lance into a hug, effortlessly lifting him off the ground. Lance squeaked in surprise, before a smile come onto his own face. He wriggled until he got his own arms free, wrapping them around his friend. Laughing, he said, “Yep, that’s you. I’d know this hug from anywhere.”

After another moment, Hunk finally put Lance down. Shiro took that as an opportunity to speak. “Hunk, who is this?”

Lance startled again at the voice, before turning his head in Shito’s direction. Except, he was off by a bit, meaning he was staring directly at Keith. Seeing how quickly uncomfortable Keith had become, Hunk lifted his arm up and pushed Lance’s head, so he was facing Shiro. 

“I’m Lance, Hunk’s certified best friend!”

Shiro gave out quick introductions.

“Wait a second,” Hunk said, interrupting before any more words could be said. “Dude, what are you doing here?” Hunk peeked out around the cave entrance, expecting to see Lance’s family, or someone. A frown marked his features when he saw nobody there.

Lance had the decency to look ashamed. “I, uh... kinda... wandered off...?”

“Dude!”

“It’s not my fault!” Lance protested. Pausing for a second, he continued, “Okay, maybe it is, but still.”

“Lance...”

“Hold up.” Pidge put up his hands. “Hunk, what’s wrong? We basically wandered here.”

“Yeah, but we aren’t blind!” Hunk froze at his own words. “Jeez, I’m sorry Lance-”

“Relax, buddy, I get it. You’re just worried.”

“Wait, you’re blind?” Keith asked, feeling a slight flush of embarrassment. He shouldn’t have felt so uncomfortable when Lance turned towards him. “How’d you make it all the way here?” 

“I walked? Dude, there’s a town my family’s staying at not too far from here.” Lance gestured in the direction he came from. “Just because I’m blind doesn’t mean I’m helpless.”

“That’s not what I mea-”

“Alright then what are you doing here?” Shiro asked. He knew Lance would get in trouble for wandering off, but that was  so much better than what he had been dragged into. It was bad enough that he was dragging Keith, Hunk, and Pidge into this whole Voltron mess. He didn’t want to take anyone else with them. 

Lance reached up, resting his hand on his neck as he considered the question. “I was following some weird energy? I don’t know how to describe it, but it’s been driving me apples and bananas. This thing was calling to me, I think. It lead me here too, like it gave me some sort of path?”

“You sensed it too?” Keith asked. "And you got a path?" He couldn’t deny that he was jealous, at least a little. Keith had needed Hunk to create the geiger counter to come here, yet this stranger had apparently just been told where to go. 

“Yeah, ever since I got here. Where exactly is here anyways?” 

"We're in a cave with some weird lion carvings all over the place," Hunk explained, temporarily forgetting he was supposed to be angry with Lance. He led his friend deeper into the cave, closer to the others. "We think that energy you and Keith have been feeling might be Voltron!"

"Voltron?"

Hunk rambled off a quick explanation about Shiro's disappearance, and how they had ended up here. As Hunk talked, Lance brought his hand up to the wall so he could feel the carvings Hunk had talked about. He trusted his friend to know that he would want that, and Lance was not met with disappointment.

As his hand landed on the cool stone, the lion carvings suddenly lit up, illuminating the entire cavern. Gasps echoed shortly after.

"They've never done that before," Keith murmured.

"What?" Lance called. "Did I do something?"

The only answer Lance got was a bunch of screaming as suddenly the ground gave out beneath them. It ended a few seconds later with a splash.

"Ugh," Pidge groaned, sitting up. "What just happened?"

"I guess we got deeper into the cave, Hunk," Lance joked, trying to hide his panic. He shook his head, trying to get the water out of his hair. He was starting to feel a little bit of regret with following that energy. His mom was gonna kill him.

Keith ignored Lance, looking around. His mouth dropped, and it took Keith a moment to get past his shock. "What is that?"

Everyone turned to look where Keith was staring at. They could only stare in shock as the blue lion seemed to be staring past them.

"Is that Voltron?" Pidge asked.

Sure, they had all expected Voltron to be a pretty massive weapon if what Shiro said was true, but when actually facing it, it was easy to say they were unprepared.

Keith began walking forward, but to everyone's surprise, so did Lance.

"There's some sort of shield around it," Keith said, turning slightly. He was surprised to see Lance so close without Hunk hovering close by, but he brushed his thoughts away.

Keith put his hands up, feeling the barrier. It pulsed around his hand, but gave no indication that it would allow him to pass. "I wonder how we'll get through..."

"Maybe we just need to knock." Lance pulled his fist against the barrier, knocking twice. He gasped when he felt the barrier fall away.

Suddenly the lion's eyes began to glow brighter than before. No one had a chance to comment on that though as suddenly a vision filled their minds, five lions coming together and forming one robot, a sword in hand.

Lance and Hunk fell back in surprise.

"So Voltron... is five lions creating one robot," Pidge finally breathed, staring in awe at the lion looming over them.

Lance was shaking from his spot on the ground.

"Lance?" Shiro called out cautiously, afraid to startle him anymore. "Are you okay?"

"Holy crow... Holy crow! I saw that!"

"Lance what are you..." Hunk trailed off when suddenly Lance launched himself off the ground. At the same time, the lion lowered its head. Everyone yelped and took a step back, but the lion made no move to hurt them. Instead, all it did was open its mouth, and a ramp lowered itself right in front of Lance.

He didn't even take a second to consider the consequences before he ran into the lion.

"LANCE!" Hunk called following after him. The others decided it would be a good idea for them to come too.

They watched Lance move in the lion with such confidence and familiarity, they couldn't help but wonder if he had been here before.

Pidge had to ask his question out loud. "Lance, how are... have you been inside the lion before?"

Lance paused before a door, continuing when it opened with a hiss. He put his hand on a chair that sat in the middle of the room. A cockpit.

"Nope," he answered Pidge, popping the p. "Its really weird. It's like the lion is showing me where to go. I don't see anything, I'm just... sensing where I need to go?" He sat down on the pilot's chair, yelping when it suddenly moved forward.

"Are you saying the lion is talking to you?" Keith asked, doubt dripping from his voice.

Lance didn't answer him.

Keith glanced at him, wondering what was wrong, before sharing a worried look with Shiro. Lance seemed to be staring out the window into the cavern, but that was impossible. His mouth was open, his shock impossible to misplace.

"Buddy?" Hunk called softly. "What's wrong?"

"...Holy crow..." Lance swallowed down the lump in his throat, and Keith noticed a tear slide down Lance's face when he turned towards Hunk. But he was smiling. Practically vibrating in his seat, Lance turned forward, moving his head curiously.

ANON.WHY.

Edit: This turned out longer than I wanted it to be…So brace ya face

The first time Lance realized he was blind, he started laughing, because he legitimately couldn’t believe it.

It was all nothingness, to the point where he couldn’t even tell whether it was all black or white, or grey, or goddamn purple. 

He laughed, and then he screamed. 

Allura desperately tried to explain that the healing pods could only do so much, that it was able to heal the rest of him completely but that the eyes are a complicated mass of jelly and tissue– it just wouldn’t work. She suggested helping him with daily exercises in case she was able to enhance the abilities of the healing pods

Lance made a note that she sounded exactly like an Earth doctor. 

At first, Pidge constantly questioned him about whether he can determine how different objects felt against his skin, in order to determine whether or not the rest of his senses were enhanced

Lance tolerated it at first, because it made him feel…A little less useless, and it gave Pidge her own way to cope with his condition, but once she began to ask whether he remembered how colours worked, he began to sob uncontrollably. Of course he remembered! Just… Not as clearly.

Hunk helped him do the small things he was used to– Eating, washing up, etc. He also makes a point to always include him in the team’s conversations after noticing that everyone would eventually tune him out after a while. 

Lance begged Shiro to let him practice sparring, he pleaded with this man, but Shiro just kept telling him no, in fear that he could end up hurting himself– and others. He also bans Lance from the lions, mainly so that he won’t get depressed in their presence

But Blue still talks to him when he gets lonely.

Keith,,, Didn’t know what to do, especially since it was due to his actions that Lance had to abandon his post, and had dove in front of his ship to keep him from getting blown to pieces.

 He apologizes as much as he can, even offering for Lance to use him as a human punching bag– But it’s almost like he isn’t even talking. Other than the occasional “It’s fine”, and “Stop apologizing”, Lance ignores him completely (Don’t worry, after forever and a half, he starts talking to him again).

Lance spends a lot of time in his room, mumbling visual things he knows by heart… It usually ends with him sobbing over how fucking blurry everything in his mind really is 

But it isn’t all bad. Matt still makes jokes with him, and makes sure to avoid the little “Did you see that?” gestures, even though Lance isn’t that sensitive, but you never know

He still sings in the shower, especially now that he can hear himself better? Bitch.

His flirting with Allura has been turned up to the max

“Hello princess, looking stunning as always” “You can’t even see me” (She’s still learning how to handle it cut her some slack)“I don’t need to see you to know that you’re gorgeous”

It still annoys Shiro but not as much 

Lance has also been guilty of guilt-tripping Keith into doing literally anything he wants

“Gimme some milk” “Okay” “I want it straight from the cow, Keith. I want you to milk the cow.” “But Lance, that’s disgusting” “I mean, I’d do it, if I could see.”

He also uses his inability to see as an excuse to touch his face all the goddamn time

Lance, running his fingers through Keith’s hair in awe:“Oh my God where did your mullet go???” 

Keith, a blushing, flustered mess that has no idea why he’s suddenly so nervous: “Uh, I cut it.” 

Lance, pretending to be disappointed but is actually enjoying this mental image of Keith with shorter hair “Well that was stupid.” 

Pidge helps him study, which is exciting because now that he has no visual distractions, she can actually get somewhere with him 

Pidge: “What’s 54 times 238?” 

Lance: “Do braille calculators exist? Cause this mental math stuff is ridiculous.” 

Coran also lets him help around the castle, and whenever there’s a mission and Coran can’t be there, you can find Lance talking over the comms, swiping his hands over the holograms at the control panel, telling everyone what needs to be done

He uses his connection with Blue (and sometimes Red) to let him know where everybody is, where everybody’s going, and where everybody needs to be

At first, Shiro doubted his abilities, but after Lance helped them avoid a particularly nasty ambush??? Yeah, he’s all ears

The boy finally feels useful, and sure, he can’t see,  and he can’t fly –for now at least– but he’s doing something. 

A oneshot in which Lance is blinded by fault of the paladins and “rescued” by Lotor.

Keith and Lance from @thespace-dragon’s fic Meet Me on the Battlefield!! 

guess what got really out of hand

... @waste-ful your comment inspired this :P