#vldpolyweek

“Please, Your Highness, just stay back.”

“God Shiro, how many times have I told you not to call me that.”

“Your whole life. So you should know by now I’m not going to stop.”

Matt sighs, and Keith drapes an arm over his shoulder, much to Shiro’s chagrin. They all know Keith does it just to irritate Shiro. Matt loves it, just like he does any time he’s treated like a regular guy.

“It’s alright, Matt,” Keith says with a wink. “We got your back.”

Matt can’t keep the beaming grin from his face. He can count on two hands the number of times he’s been called just ‘Matt.’ He gives into his impulse and drags Keith in for a deep kiss. Keith makes a show of arching into the royal and clutching at his lapels. Shiro rolls his eyes at the spectacle.

“When you children are all finished, we have a council to attend. At this point we’re already fashionably late.”

“Ah, you’re just jealous, Shiro. There’s plenty of me to go around.” Matt makes an exaggerated kissy face at his other boyfriend, and Shiro really should just ignore it, but he comes in close for a kiss anyway.

“But we’re gonna be late,” Keith teases as Matt groans into Shiro’s kiss. They stall for a few more minutes.

It turns out they never actually make it to the council.

Shiro had just reached for the door handle when the gunshots had rung out. He and Keith immediately fall into their training, covering Matt with their body as they draw their guns, eyes alert. Screams start up and the doors bang open. Shiro herds the three of them into a corner to avoid the stampede of panicked people. He’s surveying the scene, taking stock of the survivors and noting any visible signs of blood or injury. He needs to know what he’s dealing with.

“Matt! NO!”

Keith lunges for the determined royal, but Matt evades his grip. Shiro manages to snag him before he charges in.

“Now’s not the time for heroics, Matt! We need to keep you safe!”

In a surprising show of strength, Matt wrestles out of Shiro’s hold.

“You’re wrong, Shiro! This is exactly the time for heroics! The people need me!”

The look only lasts a minute, but to Shiro it passes much longer. He sees the image of the prince grow from a child into a man. Sees the determination settle on his face. Is reminded that at his core Prince Matthew has always dedicated his life to his people. And now he just might sacrifice it for them. Shiro tears his eyes from the prince to watch Keith come to the same conclusion. They both love Matt, but his duty has always been clear. The moment ends and the present comes slamming back.

“Fuck! Fine! Matt get behind me and stay close!”

Shiro flicks off the safety and leads them through the throng of evacuating people. A man is standing at the podium with a gun at the princess’s head. The king is on his knees, but despite the blood on his suit he looks uninjured. Keith comes up beside Shiro and gestures to the single body on the floor, resting in a pool of red. Shiro can make out the rumpled clothes as being those of the butler. A damn shame.

“Looks like he gave his life for the king’s,” Keith whispers near silently.

Prince Matthew stands tall as he approaches the front of the room. Shiro and Keith flank him, both guns pointed at the target. It takes Shiro a second. The man is wearing one of those Anonymous masks, but by the build and outfit Shiro can tell it’s Sendak.

“Put the gun down, Sendak,” Shiro says calmly. "Let the princess go.”

Sendak laughs and shakes the girl in his grasp. She sobs. Matt throws out a hand placatingly.

“It’s okay, Katie. Everything will be fine.

“Sendak, please,” King Samuel says quietly from the floor. “You can have whatever you want. Just let my daughter go.”

“Ha! As if you have anything I could want. Actually, wait, you do. Your death!”

As Sendak rambles on, gloating and boasting, Shiro tunes him out. There’s something not quite right with this picture. Subtly, he catches Keith’s eye and makes a tiny gesture with his finger against his gun. It’s part of their code for situations just like this, and Keith moves forward, lifting his gun threateningly.

“Ah ah ah! Hold it right there!” Sendak shouts, focusing on Keith. “Move and I shoot!”

As Keith attracts Sendak’s attention, Shiro slowly moves around to the peripheral. There’s something more than just a hostage situation here. Sendak is stalling. But for what? Is there a bomb? Is he waiting for backup? Shiro keeps his eyes alert and his steps steady. He sees Matt push Keith aside and get up right into Sendak’s face. Shiro feels his heart stop.

“Let her go you bastard! Take me instead!”

“Matt, no! Get back!” Keith’s trying to pull Matt back, but he can’t keep his gun sighted on Sendak at the same time. Sendak has had enough of Matt’s defiance and has aimed his gun right at the prince’s forehead. Both Katie and the king cry out, and Shiro’s moving, but then there’s a gunshot and a deafening boom and everyone’s thrown back and the lights go out. (end part 1)

For @polyvldnetwork ‘s VLD Poly Week!

Sept 24th: Flowers / Tattoos

Sept 25th: Royalty / Rebellion

Sept 26th: Heart / Soul

Sept 27th: 4 or more

Sept 28th: Broken / Whole

Sept 29th: Beach / Mall

AO3 or FFN

1.3k, Shklance, M-rating, for @polyvldnetwork (Day 7: Free Day/AU) and for @shklanceflowerexchange and my giftee @saltedsaltine

Read on AO3

Lance remembers a daffodil in the middle of thousands of violets.

Hunk remembers the opposite, the daffodils so plentiful they nearly smothered the bright blue. Whichever it was, there was a sea of flowers, more beautiful than anything either of them had seen before. They laid in the field, grinning ear to ear. They were new to life-changing sights like this; they were children, but barely. Still young, still mostly happy. 

“Lance.”

Startled, Lance shrieks in a very manly way and spins around, eyes wide.

“Oh! H-hi Shiro. Babe. Baby. You’re home early!” Lance stammers, trying and failing to hide a giant bouquet of flowers behind his back.

It didn’t do him any good. Not only had Shiro clearly seen it before Lance turned around, the entire dining room was covered in flowers.  Sweet peas were in a pretty little vase on the table, next to a colorful flair of carnations and marigolds. Ferns and baby's breath clustered around blue irises and yellow daffodils. Lilies and violets and sunflowers were still resting on the table, next to a partially unwrapped bouquet of vibrant gladiolus. Soggy newspaper and rubberbands littered and floor, along with several hundreds of leaves and cut stems.

Shiro’s eyebrows disappear into his hair.

“What is all this? Are we running a secret flower shop out of our apartment that I wasn’t aware of?

Lance sighs and places the bouquet in his hands, something with reds and purples, into an empty vase and awkwardly dries his hands on his apron. His head is down.

“No. I’m sorry for the mess, Shiro. I’ll clean it up. I meant to fix everything before you got home.”

Now that won’t do.

Shiro puts his coat and briefcase down by the doorframe and gathers Lance up in his arms. He rests his chin on top of Lance’s head just the way Lance likes it.

“Don’t worry about it, sweetie. But I’m home, so how can I help? What are we doing?”

Immediately Lance perks up and shines his big blue eyes at his boyfriend.

“You’re in? You’ll help?”

Shiro can’t keep the warm smile from his face. “I’m always on your side, Lance. I’ve told you that. You and Keith.” He gives Lance a peck on the cheek and nuzzles into his neck.

Lance giggles and nudges Shiro back.

“Careful, if you do that we’ll never be done before Keith gets home.”

“Oh ho. So it’s for Keith, then?”

Lance surveys the flowers that still need to be put in water, ideas on arrangements still fresh in his mind.

“Well he got that promotion the other day. We were going to celebrate by taking the day off for a picnic at our favorite spot, but then he had to immediately start his new work.”

Shiro hums. “Yes, that was supposed to be today, huh? You don’t work today and I traded shifts with Allura so she could get off on her birthday. But why all the flowers?”

“Well,” Lance starts off shyly. “I figured if we couldn’t bring Keith to the wildflowers, I’d bring the flowers to him. And just do the picnic here. I have the wine and cheeses and sandwiches already prepared. I’ve been picking up extra shifts so I could afford everything. Fortunately the florist gave me a nice discount.”

God, Shiro loves this man. This wonderful, kind, compassionate, thoughtful, gorgeous man who loves his boyfriends with all his heart. Shiro can’t help but dip Lance and kiss him hungrily. Lance melts into putty in his arms and moans in response.

And that’s how Keith finds them.

“Uh, do I even want to ask? Is Lance starting a flower shop here? Where people come get flowers and watch the hot owners make out?”

Lance pulls back with a start, but Keith is smirking from the doorway, arms crossed and backpack slung around a shoulder.

“Keith! You’re home early, too!”

Lance runs the short distance to Keith and leaps into his arms. Keith chuckles as he hugs Lance tight.

“Yeah, boss let me off early as an apology for having to go into work today. God, I feel really dumb, now.”

Lance pulls back with a questioning look as Shiro leans in for his kiss, too.

“How so?” Shiro asks.

Sheepishly, Keith reaches for his backpack and unzips it. He pulls out a strange cone wrapped thickly in newspapers, and it isn’t until he’s halfway done wrapping it that Lance gasps.

Keith holds out a bouquet of red roses to Lance. It’s a little worse for wear, having to survive the ride home on Keith’s motorcycle, but to Lance it’s perfect. Tears start to fall from Lance’s eyes and he rubs at them quickly.

“Wait, what’s wrong Lance? Did I do something-”

Lance throws himself into Keith’s chest, who wraps his arms around him automatically, petting his soft hair as he tries to make sense of what’s going on. Shiro looks on knowingly and drapes an arm across Keith’s shoulders. Keith looks to him for answers but Shiro just smiles in response.

“They’re perfect,” Lance mumbles into Keith’s chest. “They’re perfect thank you so much!”

“Whew, okay I’m glad. But that isn’t the only present I have for you two.”

Lance pulls back and he and Shiro tilt their heads, confused. Keith gives both of them a small kiss on the forehead.

“I got all of next week off, too. We can finally take a vacation.”

Lance beams at Keith as Shiro looks floored. They’ve been working so hard to make ends meet, and now they can afford a whole week off?

Shiro feels like he might faint. “A vacation? For real?”

“Yup, and I got enough from the bonus to get us plane tickets.”

Shiro’s jaw drops and Lance gasps. “No way! A real vacation? Like, out of town?”

“More like out of the country, honey. Where was that place you wanted to go? The Alps?”

Shiro actually needs to sit down, and he falls heavily into one of the dining room chairs and threads his hand through his hair, lifting the bangs off his face. He can’t remember the last time he actually took a trip like this. Was it when he was still living with his parents?

“Oh my god, Shiro!” Lance skips over to him and shakes Shiro’s shoulder. “The Alps. Could you imagine? All the wildflowers on those gorgeous mountains. Oh my god! Keith! I love you!”

Keith smiles, pleased his boyfriends are so happy. “I love you, too. Now please, I’m dying to know what all this is about.”

Lance giggles and tugs both Keith and Shiro to the kitchen. “Well how about I show you instead?”

For @polyvldnetwork​‘s VLD Poly Week!