Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The ceiling of the dingy office --- located in an equally dingy part of the Outskirts --- held one slowly moving ceiling fan and all manner of office implements. Everything from pens to scissors to loose staples were currently embedded in the cheap tiles. Below, a man rolled his chair across the floor, holding several sharpened pencils in his hands. He moved to an area where the ceiling was relatively clear of supplies, selected one of the pencils, aimed the pointed end up, and threw it. The throw was true, and the point sank into the ceiling and stayed there.

Leandro Sanchez was bored.

Work had been slow lately. Not that L&S Delivery had ever been a particularly booming business, but he’d never had a day go by when he didn’t have at least one delivery scheduled. Now he was on day three of staring at the walls of his office with nothing to do.

He had figured that work might slow down a bit. The Galra were pushing further and further out into the Outskirts, expanding their hold on the people of the city. The people in this area --- including himself --- had made it a point to avoid being noticed by the purple aliens. As such, most of his clients were staying home, waiting to see what was going to happen next.

Thankfully, business --- when he did get it --- was lucrative. He had built his reputation as the go-to delivery boy for those in the Outskirts by being discreet and willing to take on jobs that no one else would. As such, he had built up quite a large client base that paid him handsomely to move cargo and keep his mouth shut.

Still, he hoped this current drought didn’t last much longer. He was going to run out of office supplies to throw. “Hey, Petra,” he called through the open door of his office. “Do we have any more pencils?”

A sound of creaking metal came from the front room as desk drawers were open and closed. A moment later, a voice called out “I found a box, but they’re not sharp.”

“No problem. I have a sharpener back here.” Leandro got to his feet and moved through the small room --- mostly a desk and two chairs --- to the front area of the office. “I’m almost out of ammo.”

The front room was even smaller than Leandro’s office, but it was clean and tidy. A monster of a desk took up mot of the space. Leandro liked to refer to it as HQ, because it was this desk that ran his world.

Most of that was due to the woman who sat behind it.

Anyone who saw Petra Gunn tended to dismiss her. She stood at five foot and some change with large, round glasses perched on the end of her nose, shaggy brown hair falling in haphazard waves around her face. She looked like she could be anyone’s younger sister. Nothing about her outward appearance hinted at the fact that she had the sharpest mind in the whole city, if not the whole damn universe. Leandro knew that, if it hadn’t been for Petra, he would have been dead a long time ago. Or worse.

She was currently holding out an unopened box of pencils in his general direction while her free hand flew furiously over her terminal’s keyboard. “Finding anything interesting?” Leandro asked as he took the box from her.

“Looks like there is a lot of movement around the Castillo and the docks,” she replied without looking up from her screen. Her brow was furrowed in concentration. “Like a lot. Supply ships have been flying in and out almost non-stop for the past four days. That’s three times the normal amount of supplies that come in. And the Galra aren’t releasing what is being brought in. It’s a bit odd, since there are all about their transparency.”

Leandro leaned forward so that he could peer at the terminal screen over her shoulder. “What do you think it could be? Food? Last time I made a run the lines at the soup-kitchens were longer than normal.”

Petra cut him a side glare, hands never stopping. “I doubt it. Those soup kitchens are for people who are no use to the Galra. They won’t waste resources there. They just want those of us they can enslave and put to work for them.”

“You mean indoctrinate us,” Leandro murmured. “Enslave us while we smile and thank them for taking care of us. They already have enough actual slaves to do their dirty work for them.”

Petra winced at the harsh bitterness in his voice, then sighed. “I’m sorry,” she said, adjusting her glasses as she turned to face him. “I know how you feel about all of this, that you want to stay as far away from the Galra as possible. I understand, and don’t blame you at all. But… I just…” She bit her lip, lowering her gaze.

Leandro placed a hand on her shoulder. “I know you want to help, and you have no idea how much I admire that about you. But we’re just two people. What could we do against the Galra? Hell, even just here in the city we’d be far outnumbered. And you know what happened the last time someone tried to incite an uprising. It’s best that we just stay off their radar and do what we can for the people here.”

“I know, I know. I just hate feeling so helpless.” She blew out a breath of frustration. “You and I both know what it’s like to lose family to those monsters. I just wish I could do something to make sure that what happened to me --- what happened to you --- never happens to anyone else.”

Leandro hesitated. “Do you…” He swallowed hard. He was afraid of what Petra might say to the question he was about to ask. “Would you like to join the Deliverance? Because, if so ---”

“What?” Underneath his hand, Petra jumped, as though he had shocked her. “No! No way! Are you crazy? Those guys are insane!”

“But, if you want to help, really help ---”

“Then I’ll find some way to help. But it won’t be with those guys. I’m not much of a fighter. And I’m sure as hell not suicidal.” She smiled at him and reached up to cover his hand with one of her own. “Besides, if I decided to go be a vigilante, who would take care of you? You’re far too reckless to survive on your own for very long.”

Leandro couldn’t help but laugh as overwhelming relief poured through him. “You’re damn right about that.” He leaned down so that he could kiss the top of her head. “I don’t know what I would do without you. And never forget that you saved me.”

She turned her head away, but not before he saw her cheeks turn pink. “Don’t break all of our office supplies,” she said sternly. “I’m not about to blow our budget on pencils because you are bored.”

He chuckled and ruffled her hair fondly before going back into his office.

As soon as he was inside Leandro plopped down in his chair and leaned his head back, closing his eyes. Was he being a coward? He knew that Petra would never accuse him of being so, but he knew how she felt about helping those who couldn’t help themselves. He wanted to help, too. He would like for nothing more than to destroy every single Galra here in the city and set everyone free. There weren’t many Free Citizens left to fight, and the Galra were trying harder and harder every day to subjugate those that were left. But he had no idea how he could fight the massive horde of Galra without getting himself killed. And Leandro rather liked being alive. He’d been fighting to stay that way for the past eleven years.

Joining the Deliverance was out of the question. They had absolutely no concept of self-perseveration. The motto on their recruitment posters was “A Cause Worth Dying For”, and he could hardly watch the news tickers without seeing a story about another one of the resistance fighters blowing themselves up in an attempt to take out some Galra stronghold.

He opened his eyes and stared up at the various objects hanging from the ceiling.

Petra was a genius when it came to technology. She could hack into almost any system the Galra had developed and disrupt them from the inside out. But him? He was just a delivery boy  with no real special skill. He had never really had a  “thing”. Sure, he was a decent shot, but all he had was a pair of blast pistols that were more to scare off any would-be muggers than for use. Even the Galra sentries had better firepower than he did. Besides, even if he did manage to take down a Galra, two more would take its place. And his hopes of going unnoticed would be ruined.

He blew out a breath and laced his hands together behind his head. Why was he even worrying about this? It’s not like ---

“Leo!”

He jumped at the sound of his name being called, flailing for a moment before he caught his balance and managed to not fall out of his chair. Sitting up, he found Petra standing in the doorway, an amused expression on her face.

‘We’ve got a customer,” she said, hitching a thumb over her shoulder. “but they’re insisting that they only talk to you.”

Leandro brightened at this news. Finally! Some work! He sat up straighter in his chair and ran a hand through his hair. “All right. Send them in.”

She lifted an eyebrow, and then raised her gaze to the ceiling.

He followed, then winced. “Ah, right. Not very professional when you have pencils hanging from your ceiling.” He got to his feet and came around the desk. “I guess I’ll go meet with them out there. You got my back?”

Petra was already sliding into his chair, pulling up the camera monitors as she did so. “You know I always do. Try not to piss off the customer, yeah?”

He gave her his middle finger as he stepped out of the door.  

At first, it was difficult for Leandro to tell if the person standing in front of HQ was a man or a woman. They had long, unruly black hair that had mostly been pulled into a ponytail, though there were still several strands that fell into their face. They lifted a hand to tuck one of the wayward strands behind an ear that was glittering with studs, and Leandro caught a glimpse of long, slender fingers sticking out of a  half-glove, the nails short and square. They would have been clean except for something that looked like motor oil underneath them.

This should bee interesting. “Welcome to L&S Delivery,” he said in his smoothest, most professional voice. “My name is Leandro. What can I do to help you?”

The stranger turned to face him, and Leandro found himself struck by their eyes. They were an odd grey-purple color that he had never seen before, striking against pale skin and dark hair. They also held a slight tilt, hinting at Asian descent.

The lower half of their face was covered by a black cloth mask, making his eyes stand out all the more. “Are you the owner?” The voice, though muffled by the mask, was gruff, throaty,  and unmistakably masculine.

Leandro leaned a hip against the desk and offered his best smile, the one that had charmed the pants off of more than one of his former lovers. “I am indeed. Whom do I have the pleasure of speaking with?”

The man, it appeared, was immune to Leandro’s charms. “A customer,” he replied in a low growl. “I have a delivery that needs to be made, and you came highly recommended.”

Leandro straightened at this, dropping his expression into something a bit more professional. Straight to business, then. “Of course,” he said coolly, reaching for a clipboard and form from the desk. “I’ll just need you to fill this out with ---”

“No.” The stranger shook his head. “I need this to be completely off the record. There needs to be no trace that this transaction ever took place. I’m willing to pay twice your normal rate for this service. I will give you half now, half when I have confirmation of delivery.”

Leandro nodded. “Somehow, he had been expecting this. “Very well. Then I’ll just need the package, the delivery instructions, and the confirmation criteria.”

The stranger quirked an eyebrow. “That’s it? No questions?”

“Only three.” Leandro lifted a finger. “Is this something that will harm me or the person it is being delivered to?”

“Not that I am aware of.”

A second finger joined the first. “Is this something that, if discovered, the Galra will be able to trace back to me?”

“Not that I ama ware of.”

“Last one.” One more finger rose into the air. “Can I have your number?”

The man blinked his peculiar eyes. “What?”

“Y’know, your number? For your comm? So I can message you sometime? After this delivery is over, of course. I try not to make it a habit of mixing business with pleasure. You don’t have to give me a name if you don’t want to. You don’t have to have a name in order to have a good time.”

The stranger blinked at him again. “Are you… hitting on me?”

Leandro lowered his hand and used it to rub the back of his neck. ’Well, yeah. I mean, I’m single, and you’re cute. What I can see of you is cute, anyways.” He leaned forward and turned his smile back on, making sure the wattage was turned up past eleven. “But I wouldn’t mind seeing more of you. If you know what I mean.” He winked.

The man reeled back, sputtering, and Leandro waited for him to turn and storm out of the door. Instead he jammed a hand into his oversized red jacket and pulled out a long, flat object wrapped in paper. ‘”Hre is your package,” he all but spat out. Then he reached for an inside pocket and drew out a thick envelope, which he slapped down onto the desk. ‘This contains your delivery instructions and the first half of your payment. I’ll be back tomorrow with the other half, as long as I receive confirmation of the delivery.”

Then he spun on his heel and practically ran out of the office.

The door had barely had time to close behind him before Petra came storming out of the Leandro’s office. “Leo! What did I ---”

‘Shh!” he said, holding up a hand. “Listen.”

She crossed her arms and glared at him, but she did as he asked, standing silent, head cocked to one side.

For a moment, they could hear nothing but the normal sounds coming from the street outside. But then, in the distance, came the unmistakable sound of a motorcycle engine roaring to life. From the sound of it, it was a big engine. And powerful. And apparently well-cared for by the purr it made.

Leandro’s grin turned sharp as the sound faded away into the distance. “Well, well, well,” he murmured, almost to himself. “I wasn’t wrong about it being interesting.”

Petra took this as permission to finally continue her earlier statement. She stalked over to Leandro and punched him in the arm. ‘What the hell, Leo?” she hissed. “I told you not to piss him off!”

Leandro pouted at her as he rubbed the spot on his arm where she had hit him. “I didn’t piss him off,” he protested. “I just flirted with him. You didn’t say anything about flirting.”

She threw up her hands in exasperation. “What have I told you about being reckless, Leo? You should just be thankful he didn’t leave and not give us the job.”

“Oh, I don’t think he would have done that, even if I had pissed him off.” Leandro stared out of the door, drumming his fingers against the desk. “I think we just got a visit from The Mechanic.”

Petra frowned at him in confusion. ‘Who?” she asked. Then, before he could answer, her eyes widened in recognition. “Wait. You mean the Mechanic?”

He lifted an eyebrow at her. “Unless you know of two Deliverance vigilantes who call themselves that name?”

She punched him again, causing him to yelp. “Of course not. But what makes you think that was him? No one know what he looks like. Or even it’s actually a him. This guy is probably just some rando who needs something delivered to the city and is too chicken to do it himself.”

That was true, but Leandro doubted it, He’d heard quite a bit about the so-called Galran Boogeyman to come up with some theories about their identity. “Think about it, Pet. Why is he called The Mechanic?”

Petra looked at him as though he were a particularly dense child. “Because he ‘fixes’ the problem of the Galra. Everyone knows that.”

“Right. But that name seems a little dramatic, even for the Deliverance. As crazy as they are, they like to keep their members off of the Galra’s radar.” His fingers drummed faster. ‘What if --- hear me out on this --- what if he actually is a mechanic? As in that is his actual job. And the legend just somehow grew up around his title.”

Petra twisted her lips in skepticism. “You mean, like if you became an assassin and people called you The Delivery Boy and said it was because you delivered people from the Galra?”

“Right! Think about it. What is the only thing that we know for a fact about The Mechanic?”

“Um… He drives a motorcycle?”

“Exactly!” Leandro began pacing back and forth in the small space. “And our mysterious friend is clearly a rider. His boots were those fancy ones that are made to grip the foot rests if you have to make a sharp turn. He also had on riding gloves, a pair of goggles --- though they were almost lost in all of that hair of his --- and a mask. You could even see where his exposed skin had been windburned. And his fingernails had something dark underneath them that looked like motor oil. You know hoe hard that shit is to get out from under your nails. Besides, you heard the sound of that bike. That was one hell of a big engine. And someone has been taking care of it. My guess is that it would have no problems powering something fast enough to outrun the Galra.”

Petra’s expression had changed from skeptical to speculative. “If our client is The Mechanic then why did he ask you to make the delivery? He could be in and out faster than you could. I mean, no one knows what he looks like.”

Leandro reached over and plucked the envelope that the stranger had left behind off the counter. “Let’s see what this holds, shall we?” He grabbed a letter opener from the desk and started to pry open the flap.

Even before he had finished opening it, he could see that it was stuffed with green. A lot of green.

“Holy shit,” he breathed as he pulled out the envelope’s contents. “This is a lot of credits.”

“Give me that.” Petra snatched the green pieces of plastic out of Leandro’s hands and quickly counted it. “Holy shit,” she echoed. “He wasn’t kidding about doubling your fee. If he was serious about paying you another half tomorrow, we won’t have to worry if we don’t get any business for the rest of the month. We could get you a new bike! Ooooh! We could get an ice machine! A real one! Or…” She trailed off, eyes going distant as she stared at the credits in her hand.

Leandro frowned. “Pet? What’s wrong?”

She blinked, then looked up at him, an unreadable expression on her face. “We could… we could leave,”  she said quietly. “Between this and what we have in savings, we could afford transport off-planet. We could… We could ho home.”

Her words hit him like a sucker punch to the gut. Home. It had been so long since he’d even thought of home. Of Earth. Of Cuba. He had thought he would never see it again. If what Petra was saying was true…

He turned his attention back to the envelope he still held in his hands. There was still something inside, something that wasn’t the green of a credit chit but was a single sheet of paper, folded in half. He unfolded in and read the very brief message that it contained.

The package must be delivered by dawn tomorrow, it read. This will be a contactless delivery. You may leave it at the door of the address provided below. I will be notified once the package has been delivered. As long as the delivery conditions are met, I will return tomorrow with the other half of your payment.

Undrneath it was an address that Leandro didn’t recognize. There was no signature, of course.

He rubbed his jaw thoughtfully. While this was not the strangest delivery request he had ever had --- there had been one involving a brothel and a naked six-breasted alien that still gave him nightmares --- it definitely made his hackles rise. There was no way this was just a simple delivery. But if this could be his ticket back to Earth…

“Petra,” he said, holding out the paper,” see what you can find out about his address.”

“Got it.” She snatched the paper out of his hand and plopped back down onto her chair. After carefully stashing the stack of credits into a small lockbox she kept in a hidden pocket of her desk, Petra laced her fingers together, cracked them like a concert pianist about to perform, and got to work.

In the six years that they had known one another the two had made it a rule that they would never ask each other about their pasts. If one of them wanted to talk, the other would listen. But they would never actually ask. Which meant that he had no idea where Petra had learned her computer skills from or why, but he was damned thankful she was on his side. If the Galra ever managed to get their hands on her the whole city would be lost.

“Here we go.” She tapped a button on her keyboard and suddenly the image on her terminal screen was projected into the air above the desk. “It looks like it’s some kind of office.” She squinted at something on her terminal, then let out a snort of laughter. “It’s the office for Galra-Human Affairs. There is no way that this isn’t some kind of joke.”

Leandro came to stand next to her, looking up at the display. ‘Where in the city is it?”

A few strokes of keys brought up a city map. “here’s the Castillo de Lyon,” she said, and a large red dot appeared, indicating the Galra headquarters. “And here is your delivery location.” Another dot, this one blue and much smaller, appeared.

Leandro frowned in thought. “It’s a good distance into the city, but nothing too risky. I’ll still be several blocks from the city center. That part of the city is only patrolled by sentries. Nothing that would frighten an assassin.”

“Maybe he’s scared someone would recognize his bike?”

“Maybe.” He tapped a finger against his lips, studying the grid. “It looks like it’s in some kind of office park. What about the businesses around it? Anything interesting there?”

Petra tapped away, bringing up a list of the offices around the drop-off point. “Looks like more of the same. More Galra-alien relations offices. A law firm. An accountant. Nothing to raise any kind of flags.” She shrugged. “Of course, these could all be fronts for something else. But I’m not seeing any warnings in the Galra’s systems about any of them.”

Leandro’s frown deepened. “Pull up the street cameras. I want to see what our playground looks like.”

A few more taps brought up the security cameras outside of the office. (Petra had hacked into the camera systems years ago and still hadn’t been caught.) Slowly, the cycled through every camera that was located in and around the area, looking for anything out of the ordinary: an obvious place to stage an ambush, a particularly narrow street where Leandro would have no room to maneuver away from blaster fire, anything that could indicate that the delivery was actually some kind of trap.

Finally, after they had cycled through all of the cameras three times, Petra sat back in her chair with a sound of frustration. “I’ve got nothing. D’you suppose it’s a test of some kind?”

“Maybe.” Leandro had been told that the Deliverance made all of their new recruits go through some kind of test before officially accepting them. ‘But why would they be testing me? I’ve made it pretty clear on several occasions that I have no interesting in joining them. And they don’t seem like the kind of people to waste resource on a lost cause.”

They both stared up at the display, thinking.

“I think,” Petra said, after a few minutes of silence, “that the main question here is what happens once the package is delivered?”

Both of them looked to the brown paper-wrapped package that sat on the edge of the desk where the stranger had placed it. As if it someone held the answers to all of their questions.

Leandro never gave much thought to the packages that he delivered, save to make sure that they would not knowingly cause any harm. This was a trait that made him popular with smugglers and fencers. To him, it was never about the package. The job --- the thrill --- came from the delivery itself.

And this one promised to be nothing is not interesting. And Petra didn’t call him reckless without cause.

He could feel a wide grin stretching across his face as he reached out to pick up the innocuous looking package. “Guess there is only one way to find out.”

Usually, Akira Kogane preferred to wear the mask that covered the lower half of his face when he was out of his home. It hid the distinctive scar that carved a large path prom his chin up his right cheek. He didn’t want anyone outside of the Deliverance to remember him. It was bad for business.

But as he was rumbling away down the street from the delivery office and turning onto the highway that would lead him back home he had to yank it down so that he could let the wind cool his burning cheeks.

When Alina had asked him to take on this mission, he hadn’t given it much thought. Hell, he hadn’t even really considered it a mission, despite Alina’s assurances that this was vital for the Deliverance. So he had broken his own rule --- his one and only rule --- and not done any research. No surveillance of the target, no background checks, no digging into who owned the office or financial records. It seemed more of a favor for Alina, a simple package drop-off. To a delivery boy, no less. How could anything go amiss?

Whatever Akira had been expecting, it certainly hadn’t been him.

When Alina had asked him to go to this Leandro and ask him to complete this delivery for her, the name had brought to mind a grizzled old man. One who looked like a hardened sea captian from the stories Hoshi used to read to him as a child. He would have an eyepatch and smoke a pipe. Akira had never actually met anyone who operated a delivery service that he was aware of, and had no idea about what kind of person it would take to do such a job.

But when Akira had asked to speak to the owner, he had walked out. Leandro. He wasn’t that old at all. In fact, Akira would put his age at around his own. And he most certainly was not grizzled. Akira had been treated to a lithe body covered in tan skin. Tossled brown curls that made Akira’s hands itch to touch, blue eyes that seemed almost out of place with his dark skin, and freckles.

Gods, he had always been a sucker for a man with freckles.

Leandro had moved with an easy grace, with just enough arrogance to show that he was confident in himself. And then he had smiled, a cocky half-grin that had drawn Akira’s attention to his mouth. His generous, sensuous mouth. And to lips that had been made to do nothing but kiss.

Akira had been thankful for the mask then. Leandro was sin incarnate, every single aspect of a person that Akira found attractive wrapped up in one tantalizing package. He had felt his cheeks grow warm, and had to fight the urge to tug his mask up higher onto his nose.

“Are you the owner?” he had asked, then nearly winced. Of course this man was the owner. He looked like a Leandro. Akira wondered why he ever thought that he would be old.

“I am indeed,” he had replied. And even his voice was sexy. Smooth, warm, with just a touch of an accent. Like caramel, Akira had thought.

He had found himself flustered then, a state he was not used to being in. Keep it together, Kogane, he had told himself sternly. This is a job. Get your head right and get it done.

He had been doing pretty well at not letting that man’s attractiveness distract him --- at least, he thought he was --- when Leandro’s lips had turned into a wide smile and he had winked.

Akira wasn’t used to being flirted with. Hell, he wasn’t used to interacting with people outside of the Deliverance at all. He was a loner. Always had been. So when Leandro had unexpectedly asked him for his number, he had completely thrown Akira off balance.

He had spluttered, his cheeks flaming underneath his mask. He had lost his composure, showcasing a vulnerability that made him angry. He could never show weakness. It would only get him killed.

So he had given Leandro the package and delivery instructions --- being sure to leave them on the desk so he didn’t run the risk of actually touching the other man --- and stormed out of the office before he could do anything to further embarrass himself.

Now, as he sped down what was left of the highway, he found his embarrassment fading away to anger. He should not have reacted the way he did. He was better than that. Yes, he was temperamental, but not when it came to his work. And, as much as he would have liked for it to be otherwise, Leandro was just work.

By the time he had turned onto his own street, Akira’s mood had shifted yet again. He didn’t want Leandro to just be work. He wanted to be able to give the other man his com number, maybe ask him out for a drink or go dancing with him. He wanted to explore more of Leandro’s tan skin, count his freckles, learn what his lips tasted like. He wanted to be normal.

But that wasn’t possible. Not for him. Not for an assassin. Relationships meant weaknesses that could be exploited by his enemies. His life --- and every aspect of it --- belonged to the Deliverance.

So he needed to just forget all about Leandro ---

--- and what he could never have.

Chapter Text

As the Galra had lured more and more people into the city with their promises of peace and prosperity, the Outskirts had been left to rot. Once a vibrant suburb, it was now home to cracked pavement, crumbling buildings, and those few brave souls who just wanted to be left alone to live their lives as they chose.

Which made it a perfect place to house the Deliverance.

The army of resistance fighters had taken over several city blocks in order to build their headquarters. It was now the size of a small city within itself. They had living quarters for those who needed them, a fully-functional hospital, a working farm, even their own underground parking garage. Which was a necessary amenity, as they had amassed a fleet of vehicles that the Galra would not be able to ignore if it was discovered.

It was to this underground garage that Akira went to now, using his access chip in his wrist communicator to open the gate that would let him in. This was his sanctuary, the space that was his and his alone. Though he shared a large suite of rooms with Hoshi and Dante, this was where he lived. This was where he worked to keep the Deliverance’s vehicles running, where he could tinker with his motorcycle.. The one place where he could be left alone to his thoughts and work his own particular brand of magic.

He pulled Red --- Dante had christened the motorcycle with that name when Akira had decided to paint it a deep, shiny crimson --- into her designated parking spot located just outside of his workshop. He switched off the engine and lifted his goggles from his eyes, sitting for a moment as he let himself adjust to the dimmer lights and the sudden quiet. He tossed his goggles and mask onto his already-cluttered desk, hung his jacket up on the peg by the door, and headed for the elevator.

The building above him had once been a fancy high-rise apartment tower that had never had the chance to open before the Galra had invaded. It had been the perfect place for the Deliverance to move into, as there was not much that they needed to do before setting up shop. It now housed their command center, the engineering department, research labs, its own medical wing, and living quarters for the more important members of the army. (Not that Akira himself was particularly important to the organization, but both Hoshi and Dante were. And, as Hoshi was his brother, Akira got to reap the rewards as well.

He had lived in this building --- nicknamed The Castle --- for the past fifteen years, and it had been the only stable home he had ever known. It wasn’t much --- he had his own bedroom and bathroom, and shared a kitchen and living space with the other two men --- but, much like his workshop, it was his. And he was damned proud of it.

When he reached the elevator, a pair of glowing red numbers alerted him that the car was currently on one of the upper floors. Rather than wait for it to return, Akira decided to take the stairs instead. The exercise would give him the chance to burn away the last of the emotions still thrumming through him. His brother had always been able to read him like a book, no matter how hard Akira tried to hide his feelings. The last thing he needed right now was Hoshi trying to pry into what was bothering him. Hoshi liked to talk about his feelings. Akira did not.

By the time he had jogged up twelve flights of stairs there was a slight burn in his calves and a light sheen of sweat on his brow. He was due for a good training. It would help him work out his frustrations. He should change his clothes and head down to the gym.

He swiped his wrist comm over the access panel of the apartment, the door sliding open with a quiet hiss. He quickly made his way across the living area, already focused on his upcoming workout. Maybe he could ---

“Akira?”

He stopped at the sound of his name being called, and turned to see a man with closely-cropped blond hair peering at him from behind a pair of square-framed glasses. “Oh, hey, Dante. What’s up?”

The other man blew out a breath of relief. “Thank the stars you’re home. I was trying to make dinner --- I knew both you and Hoshi were working today ---but…” He winced. “I think I need some help.”

Akira couldn’t help but laugh. Dante White-Kogane was an incredibly brilliant man. As the chief medical officer of the Deliverance, he was in charge of the entire hospital, the medical wing here at the Castle, and responsible for the well-being of every man, woman, and child that were under the banner of the resistance. Akira had seen him come up with solutions to complex medical problems in a matter of minutes, and could easily remember the name of every patient he had ever treated.

But he couldn’t cook for shit.

“Sure,” Akira said, stepping past the other man into the kitchen. “What are you trying to cook?”

“Spaghetti.” Dante rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, a faint flush on his face. “I know we’ve only made it a million times, but the two of you love it so much, and I don’t want to mess it up.” He grinned. “I can at least cook the garlic knots.”

Akira’s smile widened, and he felt a warmth settle into his chest. He clapped a hand on Dante’s shoulder. “I’m really glad you are a part of this family,” he said softly before moving on into the kitchen. And he meant it.

There had been a time when Akira had hated the other man, would refuse to even be in the same room with him. But that had been back when Akira was a very young, very angry, and very scared boy. He was a man now, and had left those feelings far behind.

The Kogane brothers had met Dante White after Akira had managed to rescue Hoshi from a Galra prison. The elder brother had been badly injured --- the guards at the prison had cut off his left arm as a form of punishment --- and was delirious with fever. So Akira, who had barely been able to support his brother, had managed to hotwire a nearby car and drive them to the only place that he had been told could help them.

Dante had been the doctor on duty when the two of them had stumbled in. He was fresh out of medical school and had only recently been recruited by the Deliverance. He had taken one look at Hoshi and ordered Akira out of the room so that he could get to work. When the boy had refused, Dante hadn’t hesitated ti use force to have him removed.

Hoshi had been in worse shape than Akira had realized. It had taken over a week before Dante would let the younger Kogane visit the elder. Every day the doctor would come to Akira and use words like ‘internal bleeding’, ‘infections’, ‘surgery’ and ‘transfusions’. But, to Akira’s young mind, the man was just trying to keep him away from the only family he had.

Hoshi had ended up spending a month in the hospital. Once he had become healthy enough to undergo the procedure, he had had a mechanical arm --- created by the engineering team ---grafted on to his left shoulder. That had been followed by weeks of physical therapy and practice using the new appendage. Dante had been there every day, fussing over Hoshi and threatening to kick Akira out yet again any time the elder Kogane showed any sign of fatigue. Even as young as he was, Akira could see the obvious attraction growing between the two men, and he hated the doctor for the attention he was getting from Hoshi.

The first time Akira had seen them kiss had been devastating for him. In his mind, he believed that this meant that his brother was choosing Dante over him. That night, as he felt his heart breaking due to what he perceived as a betrayal, he had quietly stolen out of the Castle, stolen a motorcycle someone had left nearby, and driven it back to the same Galra prison that he had rescued Hoshi from. He had managed to sneak back in --- using the same method as before, no less --- and took out three of the guards and gained access to the control room. He had found the master release switch and opened all of the cells before escaping in the resulting chaos. He was back in his room at the Castle by the time the sun rose.

The next morning, all of the news tickers ran the story about the mass prison escape. No Galra had been killed, but every prisoner had managed to get free. Akira could still remember how proud he was, puffing out his small chest as he told Hoshi about how he had infiltrated the prison and set everyone in it free. He just knew that his older brother would be so impressed, he had thought, that he would do anything Akira wanted. Including telling Dante to leave.

But Hoshi hadn’t been impressed. He’d been furious. He’d reminded Akira that he was the younger Kogane’s legal guardian, and forbade him from doing anything else without his permission. Hoshi had yelled at him for the first time in Akira’s life, calling him reckless. Calling him stupid. And Akira, hurt in a way he would never be able to describe, had yelled right back. He’d told Hoshi that he obviously didn’t care about Akira. That, now that he had a boyfriend, he didn’t want his annoying little brother around anymore. Then he’d stormed out of the apartment before Hoshi could see the tears that were welling up in his eyes.

He’d left again that night. And the night after that, and the night after that.

Hoshi did everything he could to stop Akira from leaving the Castle. He had threatened his younger brother, had bribed him, had begged him. He’d even tried posting a guard outside of the apartment door. When that hadn’t worked, he’d resorted to locking Akira in his room. Finally, when he realized that he couldn’t stop the younger man on his own, he had gone to the head of the Deliverance for help.

But, instead of locking Akira up, they had recruited him. Alina --- who was one of the last surviving Alteans, and the acting head of the resistance --- told a flabbergasted Hoshi that this was the best answer to the problem. Akira was going to keep sneaking out on his own no matter what they said. This way, they at least could direct him, make sure that they knew where he was going and what he was doing. And they could outfit him with the things he needed to keep him safe. He was already skilled in getting in and out of places unnoticed. Plus --- and this part had been said quietly --- the Galra were less likely to hurt a child in the even that he was captured.

So the Deliverance had made him an official member, had given him something that he had never had before: purpose and direction. But it had come with conditions. Akira had to attend school--- something that he had never done before --- and had to attend weapons and fighting trainings. Alina herself would assign his missions, and he would debrief with her after each one. Akira, of course, had readily agreed.

Hoshi, infuriated, had immediately volunteered to join the Deliverance as well. He told Alina that he wasn’t about to just let his little brother run out into dangerous situations without him there to watch his back. Alina had still insisted that Akira be sent on missions on his own, but she had accepted Hoshi into the army, and allowed them to attend their training sessions together.

So Akira started school --- there was already one set up for children of Deliverance members --- then would attend training sessions every evening after lessons were over. He learned how to fight properly (instead of the street-brawl style he was used to), and how to use a number of different weapons. He had quickly fallen in love with the sword, and had become quite proficient at wielding it in no time at all.

The best part was that Akira was guaranteed time alone with his brother every day. They couldn’t ignore each other here in the training room, and Dante respectfully stayed away. This gave Akira the chance to talk about his fear that Dante was taking Hoshi away from him, and Hoshi was able to explain that he felt like he failed as Akira’s guardian because he felt like he wasn’t able to keep him safe. And then, if they couldn’t talk out their differences, they were able to take their frustrations out on the training dummies.

As his relationship with his brother improved, so did his relationship with Dante. The doctor was the one who taught him how to fix cars (“it’s good practice for fixing people” the older man had said with a wink), and had actually helped Akira build Red. And, when Dante had nervously told him that he wanted to marry Hoshi, Akira had happily helped plan the proposal. When the two had finally said their vows Akira had proudly stood at his brother’s side.                 

Now, as the two of them stood in the kitchen together, Akira couldn’t imagine his life without Dante in it.

As their dinner sat cooling on the stove, the two men grabbed a pair of beers and headed for the living area. Dante was in the middle of telling a story about one of the more interesting patients he had treated when the door hissed open and the third member of the Kogane family walked in.

Hoshi Kogane was nearly a foot taller than his brother, something that he made sure to remind Akira of as often as possible. While the younger Kogane brother was all lean muscle, Hoshi was built like a tank. His shoulders were broad, and a tight black t-shirt strained against the muscles of his chest and biceps. He shared Akira’s dark hair and pale skin, though he preferred to keep his hair shorn close to his scalp. A scar ran across his nose, and a shock of white hair hung over his left eye, both souvenirs from his time as a Galra prisoner. And his eyes were the same odd, purple-grey color as his brother’s.

Those eyes now lit up in delight as he stepped into the living area. “Hey. Both of my boys are here! And… Mmmm. Is that spaghetti I smell? What’s the special occasion?”

Akira tilted his bottle towards his brother-in-law. “Ask him. It was all his idea. And he did most of the cooking.” He grinned. “I just supervised.”

Hoshi let out a sound that was pure pleasure as he went to kiss his blushing husband. ‘Thank you, sweetheart.” Then he turned to Akira. “I wasn’t expecting you to be home for dinner. Alina said that she had sent you on a mission. How did it go?”

Akira shrugged as he took a swig of his beer. “It wasn’t really a mission. More of an errand.”

“Really? She told me it was pretty important.”

Another shrug. “All she did was ask me to set up a delivery for her. She told me I had to go to some guy named Leandro to arrange it.”

“Leandro, huh? He sounds interesting.” Hoshi clapped his brother on the shoulder. “Come on. I’m starving. You can tell us all about it over dinner.”

The plan was as solid as they could make it. Petra was stationed behind HQ, ready to monitor the cameras and listen to Galra radio chatter for any signs the purple guys might be onto them. Leandro had a small earpiece tucked into his right ear so that they could talk to each other.

Leandro pulled out his leather duster and settled it around his shoulders. It was a little too warm to be wearing it, but it would provide him the best protection against road rash should he fall off of his bike. He grabbed his own pair of goggles and a pair of fingerless gloves. Then he slung his messenger bag over his shoulder and added the package, the piece of paper that held the instructions, and a few other toys that Petra had told him to bring along just in case. He strapped on a pair of thigh holsters into which he slid his blast pistols. He swung his leg over the saddle of his bike and gave it an affectionate pat.

His bike was nothing special. It was around ten years old and small, with a nicked and dented frame. It could certainly never outrun a Galra drone, and no one would ever call it the Devil’s anything. But it was his. It had been the first purchase he had ever made after he had gained his freedom, and he and Petra had modified it to within an inch of its life. It wasn’t particularly powerful. It wasn’t exceptionally fast, but it had enough surprises in it to give him a fighting chance should he need one.

He settled onto the bike and pulled on his gloves. “Pet? Can you hear me?”

“Loud and clear. You tried the goggles yet?”

“Putting them on now.” Leandro slid the goggles down over his eyes and pressed a small button on the side of the frames. Immediately, a digital display sprang to life, faintly glowing green lines and circles laid over his view of the world outside of the glass.

A loud whoop sounded in his ear “I knew they would work!” Petra crowed triumphantly.

Leandro grinned at the excitement in his partner’s voice. “I never had any doubts,” He squinted his right eye, and the view suddenly zoomed in. He squinted the other eye and also found his view zooming in. He reopened both eyes back to normal and his view returned to normal with them. “These are fucking amazing, Petra.”

“Of course they are,” she replied smugly, and he could clearly picture her adjusting her glasses the way she always did when she was exceptionally pleased with herself. “Try not to break them. When you get back we’ll go over what you think about them and I can make any adjustments that we feel are warranted. Once I tweak them to where I want them to be, I can start producing them. We’ll be able to sell them for some serious credits. If this delivery doesn’t work out, we’ll make sure that we get enough credits to make it back to Earth.”

He could feel something warm and familiar settle in his chest, and it made his smile turn soft. “I love you, Petra,” he said in a rare display of sentimentality. “I can’t wait to show you Cuba.”

For a moment, there was silence in his ear. Then he heard a huff of laughter. “I love you too, you big idiot,” she said fondly. “And I can’t wait to see Cuba. And Italy. I want to see where my family came from.”

‘We’ll tour the whole damn globe, wherever you want to go. I’ll talk to you when I get there.” He flipped the ignition switch, and the bike roared to life underneath him.

The one thing that everyone could agree on was that the city had once had a name. Leandro imagined that it had probably been something boring, probably named after some locally famous do-gooder or city father. Whatever it had been, no one remembered it now. As far as he knew, it didn’t even exist in any historical records. Now it was just known as the Neon City.

It had started when the Galra had first built the Castillo de Lyon and had placed blinding purple and white lights all over it, to the point that you could see it from anywhere in the city. The Galra-owned businesses that were located near the Castillo had quickly adopted the idea, using lights in every color and shape to lure customers into their shops. It had spread further and further away from the city center until the entire city was awash in light.

Leandro hated it. It was impossible to see the stars with that much light and it made him feel as though he were trapped in some kind of giant bubble. His housing complex in the Outskirts only had a lone streetlight to pollute the night sky. He would often go up to the roof and lay on his back, looking up at the stars, the city nothing but a giant, glowing blob in the distance. The residents of the Outskirts had unanimously banned neon lights, and he hoped it stayed that way.

As he made his way into the city proper, the traffic became heavier, the roads packed with all manner of vehicles as people began to make their way home at the end of the work day. Leandro weaved his way in and out of the nearly-still traffic, earning him several honks and a few angry curses. He just grinned and offered them his middle finger in reply.

His drop-off point was located in the north-eastern section of the city, which was known --- unimaginatively, in his opinion --- as the Business District. According to Petra, there were no residential buildings anywhere in this sector. This meant that the risk of running into another person after normal business hours was rather slim. Unless there were some employees working late he should pretty much have the whole place to himself.

He pulled his bike into an alley a few streets down from his destination and cut the engine. It was relatively clean as far as alleys go, which meant he wouldn’t be hindered trying to flee if this turned out to be a trap. “All right, Pet,” he murmured. “I’m here.”

“I’ve got you on the screen,” she replied, and he could hear the sound of clicking keys in the background “I don’t see any signs of Galran sentries anywhere nearby. Let’s get the Rover ready to fly.”

Leandro reached into his messenger bag and pulled out a slate-gray triangle that was about the size of his head. He pressed a small button located at the base of the triangle and watched as lines of green light suddenly appeared all over its body. After a moment, it let out a single chirp and began floating away from his hands. ‘We’re up.”

“Acquiring the signal and… There!” Another beep sounded from the triangle and a circle of green light appeared in the center of one of its sides, looking like a great, single eye. The triangle turned until the eye was facing Leandro, and he grinned and waved. “Visuals look good,” Petra said in his ear. “Let’s go have us a look, shall we?”

And, with that, the triangle floated away from Leandro, out of the alley, and out of sight.

Not for the first time --- not even for the first time that day --- Leandro found himself amazed by his partner’s genius. Petra had managed to capture and reprogram a Galra security drone back before the two of them had ever met and had used it to help her infiltrate various Galra prisons. She had named it Rover, and it had become a sort of pet to her. Since then, she had managed to reverse-engineer Rover’s design and had built several replicas, Most of them she sold on the many black markets that operated in the city and the Outskirts, but she always kept a few on hand for situations such as this.

Using one of the Rovers was a much safer option than doing physical recon. Leandro knew this, and was very grateful for it. But it meant having to wait for the little drone to do its job. And he hated waiting. He had never been very good at sitting still.

He folded his arms across his chest and bounced a knee up and down. He wished he could see what Petra was seeing (she told him that she couldn’t send visual input to the goggles wirelessly because the quality would be crap), what the Rover was seeing. Was there anything out of the ordinary? Would there be actual Galra waiting for him instead of the robotic sentries? Would there be someone waiting to spring out at him once he made the delivery? How was the man who had scheduled the delivery to know when it was complete? But, if it was a trap, surely it wouldn’t be that obvious. Would it?

Just as he was about to drive himself insane with the worry and the wondering, Leandro heard the quiet murmur of Petra’s voice through the ear piece. “Looks like you’re all clear. I can’t find anyone or anything anywhere around the drop-point.”

He blew out a breath. If this was a test for the Deliverance, they were making it far too easy on him. “What about the office itself? Can you tell if there is anyone inside?”

“No,” she growled, and the frustration was evident in her voice. “The whole damn complex is shielded.”

Leandro winced. Fuck.

The Galra shielding technology had been developed only a few years ago. It somehow managed to block any type of signal from passing through Satellites, radio waves, audio signals. Nothing could get through it. The Galra engineers who had created it had explained that the purpose of the shields was to give their government agents a chance to hold meetings without having to worry about them being compromised. To Petra, the shields were a personal affront, as it was the only piece of Galra tech that she had been unable to hack into.

It wasn’t a surprise that the building was shielded. After all, it was a government office. But it did provide an unknown variable that they had no way of monitoring. Hopefully, all of the employees had left for the day and there would be no one there to raise any kind of alarm.

He took in a deep breath and blew it all out in one big rush of air. “Here goes nothing.” He checked that both of his pistols were in place, checked that his messenger bag was secure, and began to walk.

The trick to going unnoticed, Leandro had discovered, wasn’t looking like you belonged. It was walking like you belonged. In the Outskirts, that meant keeping your face hidden and eyes down, trying your best to not interact with anyone else. In the city, it meant keeping your head up and walking with purpose, like you knew exactly where you were going and were determined to get there as soon as possible.

He was walking around with explicitly illegal weapons, and only his duster is what kept them from being openly displayed. If he was caught, he would be arrested if he couldn’t outrun them. Then he’d be put in prison. If he was lucky.

He felt a wide, wild grin stretch across his face. This --- the element of danger, the fear of being caught, the anticipation of having to fight his way out --- is what made his heart pound. This is what he lived for.

He saw no one else out on the street as he strode down the sidewalk purposefully, his eyes roaming over the scene in front of him, the goggles looking for things that his naked eyes could not see. He saw no movement, nothing out of the ordinary. So far, so good.

As he got closer to the drop-off site, Leandro squinted his eyes, making the goggles zoom in. He looked around again, making sure just to move his eyes and not his head. He tried to take in all of the obvious hiding places: bushes, trees, rooftops. Any place a well-hidden sniper could easily take him out. But neither his eyes nor the goggles picked up anything.

Maybe Petra had been right after all. Maybe this was just a regular delivery and he was being paranoid.

“Anything?” he murmured.

“Nothing.” Petra’s voice was just as soft. “No extra chatter on the Galran frequencies. No movement. No unaccounted for signals flying around.”

All right, then. Leandro dipped a hand into his messenger bag and pulled out the package. He stepped up to the door that had HUMAN-GALRA AFFAIRS written across it in silver script, gently sat the parcel down where it wouldn’t be missed, then turned and began walking back the way he had come. His body wanted him to run, but he knew that would alert anyone who might be watching him. So he forced himself to keep walking at the same pace as before.

He was halfway back to the alley when he heard a gruff voice shout “Halt!” from somewhere behind him.

Leandro whirled to look behind him, and when he squinted, the goggles zoomed in to show him several Galra pouring out from the building he had just left. And these were actual Galra, not the robotic sentries that normally patrolled the area.

Shit.

He turned back around and began sprinting down the street. “It’s a trap!” he hissed. “Can I get some help, please?”

“On it!”

Behind him, Leandro could hear confused shouts as Petra’s Rover fired on the Galran soldiers. The lasers weren’t fatal, but the Galrans wouldn’t know that. As far as they knew, they were being fired on by one of their own security drones.

His heart rate sped up as adrenaline flooded his system. He let out a loud whoop of laughter as he put on a burst of speed. That distraction would keep them busy for the precious few seconds he needed to duck down into the alley and hop on his bike. Once he hit the main roads he would have no trouble losing any pursuers in the heavy traffic.

He made it to his bike, still grinning like a lunatic, and swung a leg over the saddle. He was reaching for the ignition switch when the unmistakable sound of an explosion came from behind him.  

Chapter Text

Akira had spent a very restless night tossing and turning in his bed. Every time he closed his eyes he would see images of blue eyes, tan skin, and easy smile, and those damned freckles flash behind his eyelids. By the time the sun started to rise, he threw his blankets off in frustration and changed into his workout clothes.

Hoshi was already seated in the kitchen when he walked in, drinking coffee and scrolling through his screen. The older brother lifted an eyebrow at the younger. “You’re up early.”

“Can’t sleep,” Akira growled as he went to the refrigerator and reached for the jug of orange juice.

“Oh?” Hoshi’s voice took on a teasing tone. “Too busy thinking about your upcoming date today?”

Akira gave a silent snarl and closed the refrigerator door with a little more force than necessary.

The three Kogane brothers had just sat down to dinner last night when Akira’s wrist comm had chirped with a notification. It was an alert telling him that the package that he had left with Leandro had been delivered. He forwarded the information on to Alina before turning back to his spaghetti.

“So tell us about this Leandro,” Hoshi had said “How old was he? What color were his eyes? Did he have freckles?”

The two older men had spent the entire meal interrogating him. They asked him everything --- from what was in the package to how tall Leandro was. By the time they had finally ran out of questions Akira was certain his face was going to be a permanent shade of red.

And now it seemed as though Hoshi was ready to start the teasing all over again. But Akira ---- tired and irritable --- was in no mood for it. “You know it’s not a date,” he muttered, staring into his glass of orange juice.

“It could be,” his brother said gently. “You said he asked for your number, right? Sounds like he’s at least somewhat interested.”

Akira let out an angry breath of air. “You know it doesn’t matter. You know I can’t go out with him. Do we really have to have this conversation again?”

Hoshi shook his head, a look of frustration on his face. “I understand that you’re worried you’ll put someone in danger if you get too close to them and that you don’t want that to happen. I understand, and I respect that. But that doesn’t mean you have to completely isolate yourself.” His face softened. “You don’t have many friends, Ki. And Dante and I might not be around forever. I just don’t won’t you to be alone.”

“I chose this life. I knew what I was getting into when I agreed to do this. I’ll be fine.”

“You were a child. You had no idea what you were signing up for, what the consequences would be. You agreed to this because you were angry at me, and no one sat down and explained things to you. And you are not fine, Ki. You’re lonely. Don’t try to deny it. I’m your brother. I know you better than I know myself.”

Akira, who had opened his mouth to do exactly what Hoshi told him not to do, closed it with an audible click. Instead, he pressed his lips together and didn’t respond.

It was an old argument, one they’d been having more and more often as Akira got older. He knew that Hoshi worried about him, didn’t want him to have to be alone in the vent that something happened to him and Dante, but it didn’t make talking about it any easier.

Truth be told, Akira was envious of the relationship his brother had with his husband. Dante brought out the best in Hoshi, and gave him strength when he needed it. He loved and supported Hoshi in a way that Akira --- or anyone else --- never could, and his brother was a better man because of it.

Oh, Akira had had his share of lovers over the years, various men within the Deliverance who were more than happy to meet his physical needs. But no one had ever cared for him, never worried about him when he went out on a mission. There was no one who made him want to be a better person, made his chest ache when he thought about them. He was well aware of the fact that this was all his own damn fault, that he wouldn’t let anyone get close enough to him to make him feel anything like that. But still. Just once, he would like to fall in love. Even if he knew it would end in disaster.

For a moment, neither of the brothers spoke, both of them lost in their own thoughts. Then, very quietly, Hoshi said “Maybe Alina is planning to recruit him to the Deliverance. If he does join, then you won’t have to worry about putting him in danger.”

Akira felt his body jerk at this statement, his juice sloshing over the rim of his glass. That wasn’t a thought that had crossed his mind, but it made sense. Akira knew that Alina would often set tests for those who wished to join the resistenace. Was that what was happening with Leandro? If so…

He quickly drained his glass and sat it in the sink before hurrying out of the apartment. Hoshi’s words sounded too much like hope, and that was something that Akira couldn’t let himself feel. At least, not yet.

The training session was brutal. Akira did one light warm-up round before setting the level as high as it would go. His steel practice sword spun and slashed at lighting speeds, defending him against every manner of attack the Deliverance engineers had been able to think of (and some that were so outlandish they had only been thought of when a group of the engineers had gotten drunk). He pushed his body --- and his mind --- to remember why he was here, why he had chosen this path, why he had to remain alone. Always alone.

It didn’t work. After two hours of an absolutely punishing training session, he still felt on edge. Angry. Still thinking about blue eyes and tan skin. Only now there was a tiny spark of hope in his chest.

He stalked back towards the living quarters, only offering curt nods to those he passed in the hallway. He knew his brother only wanted what was best for him. Hoshi had confessed to him on more than one occasion that his greatest fear was that something would happen to him and Akira would be left on his own with no one to look out for him. That was why the elder Kogane was always pushing him to find a partner. And it was the only reason Akira still tolerated his brother’s meddling.

He was passing by the dining hall when the scent of bacon and something sweet hit his nose, and his stomach let out an audible growl. Suddenly, Akira realized that he was starving. He had only drank orange juice that morning, and he had just burned a lot of calories. He needed to refuel.

As he wound his way through the dining hall --- it was mostly empty at this time of the morning --- the smell grew stronger and his stomach protested louder. By the time he opened the door to the kitchen he was practically drooling.

Inside, he found a large young man with brown skin standing in front of a large counter. He was singing loudly to himself as he rearranged platters of food.

A smile spread across Akira’s face, and he felt himself relax for what felt like the first time in ages. “Hey, Hayach,” he called out. “Whatcha cooking?”

The other man let out a small shriek as he jumped higher than seemed possible with his bulk. He whirled around, a large spatula held in his right hand like a weapon. ‘Who’s there?” he shouted.

Akira raised his hands in surrender, his smile growing into a grin. “Relax, big man,” he said with a laugh. “It’s just me. Sorry I startled you.”

The other man blinked at him for a moment, then let out a woosh of air as he slumped over in relief. “Stars and Mars, Kira. You can’t just sneak up on a man like that!” He lifted his head and shot his companion a glare. ‘What are you even doing here? You’re never awake before noon. And you’re all sweaty? Have you been training? This early? You only do that if something’s wrong. So what’s wrong?”

Akira opened his mouth to reply --- if he didn’t take this chance to answer he would never get to --- but his stomach chose that moment to let out another loud growl.

Warm brown eyes narrowed at him. “You haven’t eaten, have you? Of course you haven’t. That’s why you’re so skinny. And you’ve been working out! It’s a miracle you didn’t just pass out while you were training. How many times have I told you to eat something before you hit the training room? Sit right there and let me fix you a plate.”

Akira watched in bemusement as his companion flitted around the kitchen, muttering under his breath as he filled up a plate from the various platters on the counter. By the time he turned back to Akira  he had a dish piled high with bacon, sausage, eggs, and cinnamon rolls. “Get a stool,” he said firmly, pointing to an empty spot on the kitchen island. “You will sit, and you will eat.”

“Yes, sir.” Akira touched two fingers to his forehead in a salute before leaving the kitchen long enough to grab a stool and place it at the kitchen island. Then he sat down and tucked into his breakfast.

Akira had met Hayach Garrett years ago, on his very first day of school. It had been a nerve-wracking day for Akira. Hoshi had done his best to teach his younger brother what he could, but it was hard to do when they were constantly on the run. He could barely read, didn’t know how to write anything other than his name, and was terrified that the other kinds in the school would make fun of him.

But, almost as soon as he had walked into the building where the school was housed, a large boy with dark sin and a wide smile had ran up to him. “You must be Akira! Miss Alina was here yesterday telling us that you would be starting soon. She said it might be nice if someone would show you around and help you get settled in, so I volunteered. Oh! My name is Hayach, by the way.”

They had been best friends ever since.

As Akira ate, Haych carried the platters of food out to the banquet tables in the dinning hall. Soon, Akira knew, people would start to fill up the room, drawn in by the smells of breakfast. Not only was Hayach a brilliant engineer, but he was one of the best cooks the Deliverance had. No one would miss an opportunity to eat any of his food. Akira was glad he had come in when he did.

His duties fulfilled, Hayach made his own plate and returned to the kitchen, dragging a stool behind him. He plunked it down across the island from Akira and sat. ‘So what’s going on that’s gotten you so worked up?”

In between bites of food, Akira told him everything. About Leandro, about Hoshi’s words, about his own thoughts and feelings. And, when he was done, his friend regarded him for a long moment before speaking.

“You know that I understand why you feel the way that you do. You are th most selfless person I have ever met. You want to save people, not drag them into danger. But…” He shrugged. “Hoshi is right. I’m your only friend. Even when you’re not on a mission you keep to yourself. We’re human, Kira. None of us are meant to be alone. Not even you.”

Akira stared down at his now empty plate, thinking. Was he lonely? He had never really thought of himself as such. Sure, he didn’t have many friends --- oaky, so he really only had one friend --- but he and Hayach were as close as brothers. And he had Hoshi and Dante. They all They all did things together. Plus he had his workshop in the garage. He got along better with cars than with people, anyways.

And why the hell was this all coming up now? He’d been totally fine with the state of his life until yesterday. Until Leandro. Must have been the freckles.

And the blue eyes. And the curls. And the tan skin.

“Look.” Hayach’s voice brought his head up and his mind back to the present. “No one is asking you to marry the guy. Just talk to him.” The other man brightened. “Besides. Maybe he’s some kind of secret super-ninja, y’know? Then you won’t have to worry about him being able to protect himself.”

Akira lifted an eyebrow. “A secret super-ninja disguising himself as a delivery boy?”

“Why not? Everyone thinks you’re nothing more than our temperamental mechanic when you’re really a deadly assassin who stalks the nightmares of even the most hardened of Galra warriors!”

Well. He had a point there.

“So, I just… talk to him?” Akira’s voice was hesitant. Was he really going to do this? “How? About what?”

Hayach shrugged. “About anything you want. Ask him his middle name. That’s always a fun ice-breaker. Ask him where he’s from, what’s his favorite food. You can learn a lot about someone by asking them what their favorite food is. Oooh! Ask him his favorite color, too. Then you give him your number. You said he asked for it, right?”

Akira nodded.

His friend beamed. “See? There’s already a mutual attraction there! So just talk to him like you’re talking to me. I mean, what do you have to lose?”

After a shower and a change of clothes, Akira made his way to the command center.  Alina wasn’t there, but Curran was.

Curran was an odd man, with a bright shock of red hair and an enormous moustache that had fallen out of fashion before Akira was born. Like Alina, he was Altean, his heritage noted by strange, triangle-shaped markings under both eyes. He acted as her advisor, right-hand man, and sometimes-father-figure.

“Good morning, Akira,” he said cheerfully when the other man entered the large room. “Alina isn’t here right now, but she said you’d be stopping by. She asked me to give you this.” He held out a thick envelope similar to the one he had given to Leandro yesterday.

“Anything else?” he asked as he took the envelope. ‘Any additional instructions?”

“No. She said you would know what to do.”

“Then I’ll go take care of this right now.” Akira offered Curran a nod before leaving.

Once in the garage, he slid on his jacket --- being sure to tuck the envelope into an interior pocket for safety --- before covering his face with his mask and his eyes with his goggles. This was it. He was going to talk to Leandro. Actually talk to him. Maybe even flirt. If he could manage it.

The idea set a wave of warmth over his whole body. He’d never flirted with anyone before. Had no idea how to, really. And --- if he was being honest with himself --- he was looking forward to the challenge.

With a smile, he flipped Red’s ignition switch.

He used the ride through the crumbling streets of the Outskirts to think about what he was going to say when he saw Leandro again. Hello. My name is Akira. Here is that number you were wanting.

Maybe. It could work, but he didn’t think it would leave a lasting impression. He needed something catchy, some interesting, something that would hold Leandro’s attention.

Hey there, handsome. You said you wanted to see more of me, right? Why don’t you call me some time and you can take a look at anything you want.

He felt his face go hot under his mask. Stars, no! He could never be that bold. Besides, he was looking for more than just sex. Hoping for more than just sex.

But what if all Leandro wanted was just sex? What if that was what the other man had been angling for yesterday when he’d flirted with Akira? It’s not that Akira had any problems with casual sex --- after all, that was the only kind of sex he’d ever had --- but for some strange reason, the idea of Leandro being just another causal lover made something twist in his chest.

And, what if… What is Leandro hadn’t been interested in him at all? What if all of his flirting yesterday had been for show, maybe just to get a rise out of him? What if Akira tried to flirt back and Leandro rejected him??

By the time he’d parked Red in the same side street as yesterday, Akira’s stomach was twisted into knots, and his breakfast was threatening to make a reappearance. He took a moment to try and fix his hair, which had twisted into snarls in the wind, and straightened his shirt. Then he took a deep breath before beginning the walk towards Leandro’s office. He made sure to keep his chin tilted up, head held high. I can do this.

He was passing by a small delivery alley when a hand shot out, grabbed him by the sleeve of his jacket, and yanked him into the darkness. Akira barely had time to register what was happening before his back was being slammed into something hard.

Instincts kicked in, And Akira started reaching for the sword he normally kept strapped to his back, only belatedly realizing he’d broken his number two rule --- again --- and not brought a sword. The only weapon he had was his brother’s blade that was strapped to the back of his waist, which was currently pressed against what he assumed was a wall and unable to be reached.

Before he could complete the movement, however, he felt the cool kiss of metal from a gun barrel press into his forehead. “Don’t move!” snarled an agry voice from somewhere above him. “Or your brains will be spread all over this alley.”

Akira opened his mouth to say something --- try to defend himself, maybe --- but whoever had a hold of him gave him a shake, causing his head to bounce .,off the wall and stars to explode behind his eyes. He blinked, trying to clear his vision ---

---and found himself looking directly into a pair of angry blue eyes.

Leandro.

The other man looked… Well, he still looked beautiful. Akira didn’t think the other man would ever look anything but beautiful. But he was certainly the worse for wear. His skin looked paler than Akira remembered, his freckles standing out starkly. There were dark circles under his eyes, and his brown curls were sticking out in very direction, as if he had been running his hands though them over and over.

And he was furious.

“you set me up, you son of a bitch!” he hissed, pressing the gun barrel deeper into Akira’s skin.”You fucking lied to me!”

Akira slowly lifted his hands, palms out, in a gesture of surrender. “What are you talking about?”

“The package you gave me yesterday? The one that you said wouldn’t hurt me or the person I was delivering it to? It was a bomb. A bomb that went off. And it killed three Galra. Do you know what means?”

Akira just stared at hime, not comprehending. “A… bomb? But…” He shook his head slowly. “No. That’s not possible. She wouldn’t have sent a bomb. Bit with ne, and certainly not with you. We only use bombs against the Galra.”

Leandro stared at him for a moment, his face twisted into something ugly. “You’re with the Deliverance, aren’t you? You’re the one they call The Mechanic.”

Akira’s breath hissed in between his teeth, eyes going wide. “How did you know?” he asked sharply as something that felt like a cold fist gripped his heart. Of Leandro knew who he was…Well, that was a secret Akira couldn’t afford to let go free.

The other man tilted his head, studying him. “How did I know you were the boogeyman of the purple bastards? Lucky guess.” His eyes narrowed. “But if you don’t start talking --- or I don’t like what you have to say --- you better believe I’ll walk straight to the Castillo de Lyon myself and turn you in. They might forgive me if I give them you instead.”

Akira lifted his gaze so that he was staring directly into Leandro’s eyes He wouldn’t let the other man do that. He couldn’t. No matter what it took. No matter the sick feeling that twisted his guts at the idea of having to kill the same man he had so recently been dreaming of seducing. “I have no ide what was in that package,” he said, voice steady. “I was told to bring it to you --- you, specially --- and arrange the delivery. That was it.”

His companion arched an eyebrow. “So the Deliverance asks their top assassin to have a package delivered, and you didn’t even bother to ask what was in it?” His voice dripped with scorn.

Akira felt the sudden need to defend himself, and he lifted his chin in defiance. “I’m a solider. I’ve stayed alive  this long by trusting my superiors and not asking questions.”

Leandro stared at him for a moment longer before letting out a snort and taking a step back. He lowered the gun from Akira’s forehead and tucked it into a holster that was strapped to his thigh. “No wonder your people keep blowing themselves up. They’re not suicidal. They’re just stupid.”

Akira let out a snarl. Before his brain could register that he was moving, he found himself with a fistful of Leandro’s shirt, and the other man’s nose was nearly touching his. “We never ask anyone to sacrifice themselves! Every single member of the Deliverance is told the details of every mission they are asked to go on, and they are always allowed to say no. We are trying to save people, not kill them. But, if they are captured by the Galra, many of them choose to sacrifice themselves rather than allow themselves to be taken prisoner.”

Leandro’s eyes --- the same eyes that had haunted Akira all night --- stared steadily into his. And, when he spoke, his voice was dangerously quiet. So. I guess you all decided to start ruining other people’s lives instead, huh?”

Akira flinched at this. “I ---”

“Did they at least tell you whose life you would be running?”

‘They told me that your name was Leandro.”

“Well, my name is Leandro.” He reached up and grasped the collar of his shirt, right above Akira’s fist, yanking it down hard so that his right shoulder was exposed. “Leandro Julian Sanchez. Does that name ring any bells for you?”

Akira stared at the exposed flesh before him, where a large, angry black mark in the shape of a hand covered Leandro’s entire shoulder and the base of his throat.

It was a slave mark, a cruel byrn in the shape of the Galran hand that had administered it. The marks were placed on ‘laborers’ that the Galrans had ‘acquired’, usually through force. Many of them were used to do the jobs that the conquers thought of as menial or dangerous. They were seen as nothing more than property, tools to be used and replaced when they became broken.

And he said his name was Sanchez.

Leandro Julian Sanchez.

Akira felt his eyes go round as he realized just who was standing in front of him. “You’re the missing Sanchez brother,” he breathed, trying to wrap his head around this latest development.

“Not missing,” Leandro growled, pulling his shirt back into place to hide the incriminating mark. “Dead.”

Akira shook his head. “No. No, we always suspected that you were still alive, despite the Galra reporting that they had found and killed you. There was never a body, and they ---”

“Dead!” Leandro shouted, Then he spun away from Akira, dragging a hand through his hair. ‘At least, I was. Until yesterday. Until you walked into my office and fucked everything up. Now I’m a wanted man, The Galra will come looking for me, wanting to publicly execute whoever it was that killed three Galra. And if they find me --- if they realize who I am ---” He whirled back around, anger and pain written clearly across his face. “They won’t kill me. Oh, no. I wouldn’t get that lucky.”

Akira reeled back as though he had physically been struck. “I ---” He swallowed hard. “I ---”

“Didn’t know. I know.” Leandro eas pacing now, “It doesn’t matter now. What does matter is --- Shit!”

Akira’s hand shot out, lightning fast, and once again grabbed a fistful of the other man’s shirt. This time, he gave it a hard yank, causing Leandro to stumble forward and into him.

Right as the purple bolt of a pulse rifle screamed through the air where Leandro had just been standing.

Chapter Text

Leandro couldn’t remember ever having been this tired in his life. His eyes were blurry, his brain foggy, his body sluggish. Even the burst of adrenaline that had spiked through him at seeing the man who had given him the bomb was short-lived, leaving him feeling even more exhausted, if that was even possible.

That was why he didn’t see the small group of robotic sentries turn down the service alley, why he didn’t see the leader lift his pulse rifle and fire. It was also the reason why he stumbled when he was yanked forward, falling hard against the other man. He told himself later that it was also the reason why his first thought was Wow. His muscles are really hard when he caught himself on his chest.

The stranger (Leandro realized that he still hadn’t offered up his name) let go of his shirt to snake an arm around Leandro’s waist, pulling him even closer so that their chests were pressed together. The assassin reached under Leandro’s coat, his hand skimming up his thigh until it found the blast pistol strapped there. He pulled it free and pointed it at the three sentries, resting his wrist on Leandro’s shoulder for stabilization. He fired one, two, three times. Behind him, Leandro could hear loud thumps as each shot hit their mark and the sentries dropped to the ground. The whole sequence of events had happened in under a minute.

Okay. That was impressive.

The other man stepped back from him, letting go of his waist and holding out his gun. “Let’s go,” he said, jerking his thumb over his shoulder. “My bike is just around the corner. We need to be gone before any more sentries shows up.”

Numbly, Leandro took his pistol and slid it back into its holster. “Yeah. Yeah, that’s a good idea. Um… Where are we going to go?”

“The Deliverance.” His companion turned and began walking back towards the street. “Someone there needs to tell us what the hell is going on.”

That made sense. He hurried after the retreating figure.

Just like yesterday, his instincts were screaming at him to run, to get away as fast as he could. But he knew that running right now would get him killed rather than save him. If there was one sentry patrol here --- and not even a full one to boot --- there could easily be more. And, when the downed sentries failed to check in, he had no doubt that a patrol of actual Galra soldiers would come to investigate. So he would walk like he belonged.

That, however, turned out to be more difficult than he’d thought. He was a few good inches taller than his companion, and he had to shorten his stride so that they could walk side-by-side. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his duster and ducked his head so that his face would be partially obscured by the coat’s collar. “So,” he murmured. “Are you finally going to give me your name? Or do you just want me to call you ‘Hey, you’?”

“That depends. Are you still planning on turning me over to the Galra?” There was a hard edge to his voice.

Ah. He’d said that, hadn’t he? He huffed out a breath. “Look, man. I’m tired. I’ve been awake for over twenty-four hours and don’t remember the last time I had anything to eat. Plus, I am beyond pissed at this whole situation. But I’m not stupid. The Galra would take the information, then shoot me in the back as I was walking away. So, no. Your secret is safe with me.”

The two continued walking down the street in silence, and Leandro started to think that the other man wasn’t going to give him his name. Then, softly Leandro heard, “Akira. My name is Akira. Akira Kogane.”

Akira, huh? Leandro turned the name over a few times. “Well, Akira Kogane. I would say it was nice to meet you, but, circumstances being what they are…”

The other man flinched, and Leandro could have kicked himself. Way to go, Sanchez. This guy may be a tool, but he did just save your life. Plus, he could probably kill you with his pinky. So try not to piss him off, yeah?

“Look, Akira.” He reached up to run his hand through his hair. “I-I’m not exactly at my best right now, and I’m sorry. But I do want to say thank you. For saving me back there.”

Akira shrugged. “I’m the one that got you into this mess. It’s my duty to get you out.” He nodded at a fenced-in trash area tucked up against a shop wall. “My bike’s in there.”

Leandro looked to where Akira was pointing and wrinkled his nose. “You parked your bike by the trash?”

“It was the only place I could find to hide it.” Akira disappeared behind the fence, then reemerged a short time later pushing the most beautiful machine Leandro had ever seen.

He let out a low whistle of appreciation as his eyes roamed over the vehicle. It was large, just as Leandro had suspected, but it had curves. He had no doubt that it was just as agile as those bikes that were used in the late-night street races that he liked to watch (and weren’t entirely legal). And it gleamed a beautiful cherry red. “Wow. No wonder the Galra call that thing the Devil’s Ride. It’s beautiful.”

“Thanks.” Akira climbed onto the bike and jerked his chin towards the seat behind him. “Get on.”

Leandro eyed the seat and hesitated. It was narrow and looked as though it had not been designed to carry two people. And there was nothing for him to hold on to, except for Akira himself, which meant that he would have to spend this trip pressed up against the assassin and holding on his hips. “Er…”

Akira turned his head to lift an eyebrow at him, and Leandro got the distinct impression that, underneath that mask, the other man was wearing an amused expression. “What’s wrong? Scared?”

Leandro scowled at him. “No,” he huffed, then moved to climb up behind him. It wasn’t that he minded being shoved against the assassin. Quite the opposite, actually. He had felt the hard planes of Akira’s chest, and he had no doubt that he would not find one ounce of softness if he were given the chance to explore Akira’s whole body. The problem was that he was exhausted, which meant that what little filter he had was gone. And, with his thighs being pressed against Akira’s, and his hands on his hips… It would just be way too easy for things to get awkward.

As he gingerly placed his hands on his companion’s waist, Akira grabbed one of them and pulled it around to rest on his stomach. His flat stomach, Leandro couldn’t help but notice. “You’re going to have to hold on tighter than that,” he said, and --- was it Leandro’s imagination, or had Akira’s voice gone a bit husky? “I tend to go fast.”

He swallowed hard and begged his body not to respond because there would be no way that Akira wouldn’t be able to notice that. He was extremely grateful that the other man could not see his face, as it was currently hotter than the surface of the sun. He opened his mouth to reply but was (thankfully) interrupted by the sound of pounding feet behind him “Stop!” came a deep guttural voice. “In the name of the Galra Empire, stop!”

Leandro whipped his head around to see two Galra --- real Galra this time --- running up the street in their direction. Both of them had their weapons out and pointed at the two of them.

“Hang on!” Akira shouted just as the machine roared to life beneath them.

Leandro let out a yelp as they rocketed forward, kept on the bike only by the arm he had curled around Akira’s waist. He flailed his other arm for a moment, trying to regain his balance, before throwing it around Akira’s waist, clasping his hands together over the other man’s stomach. His goggles were sitting on his head, but he was too afraid to let go long enough to reach up and pull them down. So he just squeezed his eyes shut and ducked his head down, pressing it against the back of Akira’s shoulder in order to protect his eyes.

They sped down the street at speeds that his bike could only dream of. Akira turned his head, long hair whipping in the wind. “When I say go,” he shouted, “you lean to the right. Hard. Got it?”

Leandro lifted his head, squinting against the wind. “What are you…?”

“Get ready!” Akira throttled the bike, and it somehow went even faster. ‘We’re going to turn onto the highway in about five ticks!”

Leandro felt his eyes go wide. “What? At this speed? We’ll never ---“

“Three!”

“You’re going to get us ---”

“Two!”

“Just stop!”

“One! Lean!”

He screamed as he ducked his head back down, squeezing Akira has tight as he could as he threw his body hard to the right at the same time that Akira did. The bike leaned over, farther and farther, as they swung out onto the highway. Leandro felt his ankle start to scrape the pavement, then his calf, the leather of the duster protecting him from road rash. He waited for his knee to hit, or for the bike to fall over --- there was no way this could physically be possible --- but then he felt Akira start to lean back to the left, and he had no choice but to follow him.

Somehow --- somehow --- they were back upright once again, roaring down the highway. Distantly, Leandro was aware of the sounds of car horns blaring at them, but all of his attention was focused on staying on the bike. God. This guy is going to get us killed! There is no way he should have been able to pull that off, not at this speed. We shouldn’t even be able to go this fast!

Leandro hadn’t prayed in years, not since he had left Cuba. But as Akira deftly wove them in and out of the traffic at a breakneck speed, the words of the prayer his mother used to recite with him every night before bed came right back. Hail Mary, full of grace…

And when the wind carried the sound of Akira’s maniacal laughter back to him, he prayed even harder.

It didn’t take long to become apparent that Akira was making sure to loop around and backtrack in order to throw off any possible pursuers (not that anyone could have actually followed them, mid you. But the Galra now knew what they looked like, and Leandro doubted there were very many cherry-red motorcycles that could break the sound barrier floating around.) Even Leandro, who thought he knew the Outskirts like the back of his hand, was soon lost.

As his fight-or-flight response started to fade, Leandro found his earlier weariness returning with a vengeance. He found it impossible to keep his eyes open or lift his head. He left it resting against Akira’s shoulder and hoped that the other man wouldn’t mind if he just…

He jolted awake when he felt the bike slow to a stop. He lifted his head, blinking blearily at his unfamiliar surroundings. “Where …” He yawned. “Where are we?”

“Welcome back,” Akira called over his shoulder. “Did you sleep well? You’ve been drooling on me for the past ten minutes.”

He spluttered, one hand reaching up to wipe at his mouth “I did not!” he protested, feeling his face burn with mortification. “I don’t drool.” Still, he looked to where his face had been pressed to Akira’s jacket, trying to see if there was any evidence that he had, in fact, been drooling. “And you didn’t answer my question.”

“We’re at the Deliverance headquarters.” Akira pulled up in front of a massive wrought-iron gate and waved his right hand at an access panel. Leandro heard a faint beep, then the gate began to swing inward on silent hinges.

As they drove down a ramp to a dimly-lit area, Leandro felt his jaw drop-open at the sight that lay before him.

There were vehicles everywhere, as far as the eye could see. Not just the everyday cars he was used to seeing on the highways , but boats, military trucks, semis, and even things that looked like the oil tankers he used to see back home. He had never seen this many vehicles in one place before. Not even back on Earth.

Akira pulled into an area next to a large, open-faced work area and killed the engine. “Are all of these yours?” Leandro asked, his voice loud in the sudden quiet.

“They belong to the Deliverance. Some, like Red here” --- he patted the motorcycle underneath him affectionately “--- are private vehicles. Some are available to loan out to our members. And some are strictly used for missions.” He stood up, moving forward so that Leandro would have room to get off the bike. “But I am responsible for taking care of all of them, yeah.”

So. He had been right. The Mechanic was a mechanic. Leandro hoped that he would get the chance to gloat to Petra about that.

It took him a few minutes to get off of the bike, as his legs currently felt like rubber, probably because he’d been squeezing the bike with his thighs as hard as he could so that he didn’t fall off. When he finally felt like he could safely stand, he turned to Akira with a question on his lips. But when he caught sight of his companion, all that came out was “Woah”.

While he had been trying to get his land legs back, Akira had divested himself of his jacket, gloves, mask, and goggles. Now standing in nothing but a black t-shirt and jeans, Leandro was finally able to get a good look at the wiry muscles that could clearly be seen in the other man’s arms. Normally, Leandro would be dying to give Akira’s biceps a squeeze --- he loved men who had arms that looked capable of sweeping him off of his feet and carrying him around with no problems ---but he was too busy staring at his face instead.

Those arresting eyes were fixed on him, peering out from behind dark hair. Most of it had come lose from its tail during their wild ride and now hung down to frame a face that was just as striking. He had high, sharp cheekbones that most women --- and some men --- would have killed for. His jaw was strong, and his nose could have been called aristocratic were it not for the bump in the middle, showing that it had been broken at least once. And, on his right cheek, was a large, angry scar --- a burn from the looks of it --- that rose diagonally from his chin almost to the bridge of his nose.

Oh. Leandro’s very tired, unfiltered brain thought. He’s hot.

 “Let’s go,” Akira said, saving him from whatever else his brain might come up with. “I know you said you haven’t eaten, so we’ll go to the kitchen and get you some food first.”

Food. His stomach, which had nearly forgotten about its near-empty state during the confrontation with Akira and their subsequent flight, suddenly let out a loud growl. He placed a hand on it. “Yeah. Food would be great. Thanks.”

Akira led him over to an elevator and pushed the button. As they waited for the car to descend the dark-haired man touched something on his right wrist that looked to Leandro like a chunky, unfashionable timepiece. “Hayach,” he said. Leandro started to say “bless you”, but when Akira kept speaking, he realized that it had been a name and not a sneeze. “Are you busy right now?”

There was a spark of light, and Leandro jumped as an illuminated image of a rather rotund  young man appeared over the device on Akira’s wrist. “Hey, Ki! I’m good right now. What’s up?”

“Can you tell me what’s ready to eat in the kitchen? Sandwiches? Frozen leftovers? We need something quick and easy.” Akira looked over at Leandro. “And a lot of it.”

“Wait. Did you say ‘we’?” The other man’s illuminated face loomed in close. “Do you have Leandro with you? Oh, Ki! I’m so proud of you! Did you ---“

“Not now, Hayach.” Akira’s voice was sharp. “Suffice it to say, things did not go as planned. I’ll explain everything later. Right now, we need food.”

Hayach leaned back, but they could easily tell that he was grinning. “Sure,” he said, drawing the word out. “I’ll meet you in the kitchen in five.”

Then he was gone.

“So,” Leandro said in a casual tone of voice, as the elevator chimed and the doors opened. “You’ve been talking about me, huh?”

Akira sighed as he stepped into the elevator car and pushed the button for the first floor. “Hayach is my best friend,” he said, reaching up to pull the hair tie from his hair, letting all of it fall down to brush against his shoulders. (Leandro was willing to bet it felt like silk, and his fingers itched to run through it. Only the realization that Akira would probably break his hand before it got anywhere near his hair kept him still.) “He’s also one of the few people who knows that I’m not just a mechanic for the Deliverance. So yes. I talked to him about my mission. Which included you.”

“Mmmm.” Leandro leaned against the wall of the car, staring unabashedly as Akira worked to gather his hair back into a neat ponytail. He watched the play of muscles under the assassin’s shirt and along his arms appreciatively. Well, if he was going to be kidnapped by someone --- okay, rescued and whisked away to safety was a bit more accurate ---at least it was by someone who was easy on the eyes.

Then he frowned at something Akira had just said. “Wait. You’re telling me that your own people don’t know that you’re, you know…” He waved his hands above his head. “A boogeyman? Assassin?” Was there a more polite term he could use? “The assassin?”

Akira shrugged as he finished wrapping the tie around his hair. “The less people who know about that means less chances of someone telling the Galra about me. The people who need to know do. And now you know, too.”

“Is this one of those situations where you’re going to have to kill me now that I know your secret identity?”

Akira looked him with a shocked expression. “Of course not! I told you, we don’t kill people.”

“I know, I know.” Leandro lifted his hands. “You’re all big damn heroes. Geez. I was just joking.”

Akira scowled at him before turning back to face the elevator doors, crossing his arms across his chest.

Neither of them spoke for the rest of the trip.

Growing up, Leandro had loved to watch movies. His sisters would make him watch sappy romance movies on their battered old holovid player while they would paint his nails or practice their makeup skills on him. His brothers would sneak him downstairs, long after their parents had gone to sleep so that he could watch the action movies that his mother has sternly told him he was too young to be watching. His favorites had always been the good versus evil stories, where the good guys came from nothing, fought against the odds, and beat the bad guys.

In the movies, the good guys were always the underdogs, fighting with broken weapons and rusty armor. Their headquarters were usually in an abandoned building with no heat or running water. They would have to spread their battle plans across broken board, and there was always a large pot of stew on an open fire that would be used to feed the entire army.

The Deliverance had obviously not watched the same movies as he had. The elevator doors opened into a large foyer that was richly appointed. There was quite a number of couches and chairs in one corner, all gathered around a large, state-of-the-art holovid screen. He saw several potted plants placed around the room, most of which looked real and not native to this planet. And the carpet looked plush, thick, and more expensive than anything he had ever owned in his life.

“Nice digs<” he said, the sarcasm dripping from his voice. His housing complex was run-down, had bars on all of the windows, and the lobby constantly smelled like stale piss. The furniture in this lobby alone could probably pay his rent for at least three months.

Akira started down a hallway off to the left of the lobby area. “The Deliverance has been here for several years. They’ve had plenty of time to spruce it up. The kitchen us this way.”

Leandro levered a scowl at the furniture but hurried after the other man without another word. The prospect of food was more than enough to make him keep the rest of his comments to himself.

They passed by several large, open rooms that Leandro tried to peer into, but Akira never slowed his pace. Even with his longer stride, Leandro had to almost jog in order to keep up with him. They walked for what had to be a solid five minutes when Akira made another left. Leandro found himself walking through rows of dining tables before passing through a set of double doors and into heaven.

Okay, it was just a kitchen, but it smelled like heaven. Leandro inhaled deeply, taking in the lingering scents of bacon and cinnamon and other delicious things. Stars, I could eat a whale right now.

“Hey, guys!” came that same cheerful voice that Leandro had heard through the earlier projection. “I’ve got some sandwiches here that I just made. I’ve got a few frozen leftovers, too. Any preference?”

Turning, Leandro saw the large man from the projection standing by an industrial-sized chill box. He had brown hair that was held back by a yellow headband, brown eyes, and a wide smile that stood out against his dark skin. In his hands, he held a plate piled high with sandwiches.

Leandro dove towards him, grabbing three of the sandwiches and eating half of one in a single bite. He let out a moan as the taste of peanut butter and grape jelly slid down his throat. It was the best thing he had ever tasted.

The dark-skinned man --- Hayach, Leandro assumed --- blinked at him in surprise before turning to Akira. “What did you do to him? I thought you were just going to talk! Here, let me get you something to drink before you choke.” He sat the plate down on the kitchen island and directed Leandro to the same stool that Akira had sat in earlier that morning. He then went to the chill box to retrieve a carafe of milk. He started to reach for a glass, thought better of it, then sat the whole carafe down on the island in front of Leandro, who picked it up and took a large gulp.

“I didn’t do anything to him.” Akira sounded distracted as he tapped at the device on his wrist yet again. “We didn’t even get to talk.” He waited for a moment, then a woman’s voice was suddenly floating through the room.

“Akira?” Her voice was airy and held a thick accent that Leandro couldn’t place. “Is everything all right?”

“I’m back at the Castle.” His voice held an edge to it. “The mission is complete.”

There was a pause, one that went on long enough that Leandro was able to devour another entire sandwich. “I… see.” The voice was hesitant. He noticed that there was no projected image this time, and he briefly wondered why that was. “Is he… Is he with you?”

“He is.”

Another long pause, followed by a heavy sigh. “I know you must be terribly angry with me right now, and I am so, so sorry. But I can explain everything. To both of you. If you’ll give me the chance.”

Akira didn’t respond right away. Leandro watched him as he licked the remains of his meal from his fingers. The other man’s face was set into a hard mask, lips pressed together, eyes more purple than gray as he stared at device. Finally, he said “We’re eating right now. Once we’re done, we’ll meet with you. I’m bringing Hayach and Hoshi with me.”

“I understand. I would invite Dante as well, if he is available. I’ll bring Curran. How long do you think it will take?”

Akira’s eyes shifted to Leandro, silently asking him the same question. Leandro lifted one sticky finger of his left hand, then splayed all five of his right.

“Give us fifteen minutes. That will allow us time to finish up here and for me to call Hoshi. Where should we meet?”

“What about the lounge? It’s comfortable, and we’ll have plenty of room to move around.”

The lounge? Could that be the place they had passed through when they had stepped off the elevator? The one with the expensive furniture and plush carpet? That would work for Leandro. It was right by the elevator, and --- more than likely --- a stairwell. If he found himself in need of a hasty escape, he could hightail it down to the garage, steal whatever vehicle he wanted, and get as far away from the city as possible before the Galra had the chance to track him down.

“All right. We’ll see you then.” Akira cut off the communication before the woman could say anything else. Then he turned away from them and walked to the far side of the kitchen, already tapping at the device yet again.

“Woah,” came a low voice from Leandro’s left, causing him to jump. He had been so focused on his food and Akira’s converstation that he had totally forgotten that Hayach was there “He’s really upset, isn’t he?” I’ve never heard him talk to Alina like that. He practically worships her!”

Leandro took another drink of milk. “Is she the one who sent me the bomb?”

“Bomb?” Hayach’s brows came together in confusion. “What bomb?”

Leandro let out a noise of frustration. “Do you people seriously not check the news? It was the biggest headline on all of the tickers this morning.”

Brows still knitted together, the bigger man reached into one of the many pockets of his cargo shorts and pulled out a small, flat square of orange plastic. His communicator. Leandro watched as he tapped at it for a moment before swiping his finger upwards across the screen, causing whatever it was he was looking at to hover in the air in front of him. Leandro recognized the logos of several of the major news tickers.

It took only a moment of reading before Hayach let out a string of curses. ‘This was you? ” he asked Leandro, voice tight.

“This was you,” he shot back. “The Deliverance, I mean. I’m just the poor idiot that got conned into doing your dirty work.”

Hayach turned back to the image in front of him, a look of pure confusion on his face. “Kira?” he called out, his voice tinged with hesitation. “Did you know about this?”

The third member of their trio came to stand by Hayach so that he too could read what was on the screen. As he did so, his face became even harder and a muscle in his jaw began to tick.

“Alina said she could explain,” he said, his voice barely more than a growl. His eyes moved to Leandro. “As soon as you’re finished, we’ll go meet her. Let’s see what she has to say.”

Leandro was feeling much more energized as they made their way back down the hall. He was still tired, but after his brief nap and five sandwiches, he was starting to feel somewhat human again.

None of them spoke during the walk, and Leandro could feel the tension rolling off of the other two men. Whoever this Alina person was, she had hurt them. If he hadn’t been an unwitting pawn in whatever scheme this was he might have felt sorry for them.

Much to Leandro’s delight, he had been correct in his assumption about the lounge. As they returned to the plush entry area, his eyes shot back to the elevator doors. He quickly spotted a door just off to the left of the elevator that he was willing to bet led to a stairwell. Bingo.

There was already a small group of people gathered at the seating area, all standing, all looking anxious. The first one that Leandro noticed was an older, taller version of Akira. His hair was short, and he was broad where the other man was lean, but he had the same odd eyes, the same refined nose (his wasn’t broken, but did have a scar across it), and the same enviable cheekbones. This, Leandro deduced, must be Akira’s brother, as he was far too young to be his father.

The second person he noticed was a woman who looked no older than he. Her skin was a warm brown, not as dark as Hayach’s, and not as light as his. She had long, white hair that had been pleated into several tiny braids with dark-colored beads woven throughout. Her eyes were also an odd color: a burnished green that shone almost jewel-like, and her pupils were vertical instead of round. But it was the markings under her eyes that held his attention.

“You’re an Altean!” he blurted out, his eyes wide.

All four of them --- The Altean, Akira’s brother, and two other men --- stopped whatever they were doing and turned to look at him. He found himself suddenly wishing that the floor would open up and swallow him as his face flamed. Way to play it cool, Leo.

“Akira,” the female said, and Leandro realized that she was the woman Akira had been speaking to in the kitchen, that odd accent turning her voice musical. “Would you care to introduce us?”

“Um… Well, this is Leandro Sanchez. Leandro, you’ve already met Hayach Garrett, one of our engineers. This is our leader, Alina, and her advisor, Curran. This is my brother, Hoshi. He’s the general for the military arm of the Deliverance. And this is Dante, our chief medical officer, and Hoshi’s husband.”

Curran, a tall, thin man who also bore the Altean markings, bowed deeply from the waist. “It truly is an honor to meet you, sir.”

“Yes.” Alina sounded breathless, and her jewel-toned eyes were wide. “We have been eagerly awaiting the chance to get to meet you. Though I wish the circumstances could have been better.”

“And just what are the circumstances of this meeting?” That was Hoshi, his voice angry as he crossed his arms over his massive chest. “Alina, please tell me that you did not give my brother a bomb without telling him what it was.”

A look of pain fluttered across her face before she turned to face the brothers. “You know I would never willingly put any of my people in danger.” Her voice was quiet. “You know I see Akira as my own brother. I have watched him grow from a child into a man, and I would rather stab myself in the heart than do anything that would purposefully bring him harm.” She turned back to Leandro. “The same goes for you as well. You were never in any danger.”

“But there was a bomb,” Hayach interjected. “It was all over the news. We saw it.”

“Yes, there was. But neither Akira nor Leandro ever touched it. The bomb had already been placed in the building by one of our spies. The package contained the detonator. A detonator, I might add, that could only be triggered remotely.”

Silence fell over the group as they all digested this bit of information. Then, in a tight voice, Akira said “Then why all this fanfare? If you already had a spy there, then why have Leandro deliver the detonator? And why did you ask me to take it to him? There are plenty of Deliverance members who could have just as easily ran your little errand.”

“I told you that this was a mission that was vitally important for the Deliverance, and I meant it. I needed someone that I could trust to get the job done with no problems.”

He crossed his arms over his chest, mimicking his brother. “And you knew I wouldn’t question an order.”

There was a heavy pause as everyone stared at Alina, waiting. Leandro watched as a myriad of emotions crossed her face, none of which he could name.

Finally, she let out a tired sigh, her shoulders slumping. “Yes,” she said, reaching up to rub her forehead. “That… was taken into consideration.”

Akira reacted as though he had been physically struck. He rocked back on his heels, face going white, eyes widening in shock and disbelief. But it only took him a moment to recover, his lips peeling back into a snarl. “I assure you that I won’t be making that mistake again,” he spat out before turning and starting to walk away.

“Akira, wait!” Alina took a step forward, one hand outstretched, a pleading note in her voice. “You promised to give me a chance to explain, remember? Please. Just… listen to what I have to say, okay?” She bit her lip. “I know… I know I’ve betrayed your trust. I knew when I asked you do this for me that it would hurt. But I had my reasons. And if there had been any other way, I wouldn’t have done this. I want you to understand that much, at least.”

Akira stopped, but did not turn around. His hands were balled into fists, and his shoulders were tight. For a moment, Leandro thought that he was going to ignore Alina’s plea and actually walk away. But he finally turned around and stomped back to his brother’s side. His arms went back across his chest and his mouth was a thin, angry line.

Alina’s face was sad, but she managed a small smile and a nod to Akira. Then she turned to fully face Leandro. “Mr. Sanchez, please forgive the deception. But I’m afraid desperate times call for desperate measures. You’ve refused all of our previous attempts to recruit you.”

He lifted an eyebrow. “Did it ever cross your mind that maybe it was because I wasn’t interested?”

She spread her hands in a helpless gesture. “We need you, Leandro. Do you have any idea what you mean to the people of this planet? To everyone who opposes the Galra? The Deliverance would easily triple it’s numbers if people knew you were one of us. More members means a better chance to defeat the Galra once and for all. Isn’t that what you want?”

He stared at her, trying to comprehend what she had just said. “Are you saying” --- his words came out slowly ---“that you have wrecked the life that I have worked so hard to build just so I can be your fucking poster boy?”

Alina’s eyes narrowed. “We are at war with the most powerful empire in the universe. Sacrifices must be made if we are to be victorious.”

“Don’t you think I’ve already sacrificed enough for this war? I lost my entire family.”

Something sparked in the Altean’s eyes, something bright and hot. “And I lost my entire planet!” she snarled, her face twisting into something ugly and her hands curling into fists. “We know, more than anyone, what the Galra are capable of, what they are willing to do. We have obligations to help make sure that what happened to us doesn’t happen to anyone else. Don’t let your family’s sacrifice be in vain.”

That was taking it too far.

“My family is none of your fucking business!” he shouted back at her. “They fought the Galra for me, so that I could be free. The Galra killed them because of me, because they wanted me to live. And I have spent the last six years trying to do exactly what they wanted me to do: live free. But now you’ve gone and ruined everything.” He flung his arms out. “It’s a capital offense to kill a Galra, even in self-defense. And I am now responsible for the death of three. They will spare no effort to hunt me down. And, when they find me and realize just who I am, they won’t kill me. Oh, no. They killed my family as a warning. They’ll use me as an example. If I’m lucky, they’ll just make me a slave again. But if I’m not --- and I doubt I would be --- I’ll be indoctrinated.” He gave her a mocking slaute. “Congratulations. It seems you have me well and truly fucked.”

No one spoke after that, the only sound filling the room that of Leandro’s ragged breathing. He and Alina stared each other down, like enemy combatants in a war that only they could fight.

Alina was the one who relented first. She offered him a curt nod before straightening, her back going stiff, her chin lifting. “It doesn’t matter now. The Galra, as you said, will hunt you down. If you want to avoid capture, you have no choice but to help us.”

He snorted at that. “Sorry to disappoint you, princess, but there’s always a choice.” He turned away from her. “Yo, Kira. Do you have the second half of my payment? Or was that a lie, too?”

Grim-faced, Akira reached into his back pocket and pulled out a thick envelope similar to the one that he had given Leandro yesterday. (Stars, had that only been yesterday?) He opened it to make sure it was actually fully of credits (it was) before touching it to his temple in a salute. “It really was nice to meet you, Fly Boy. Too bad you didn’t give me your number.”

Then he moved past Akira and towards the stairwell door.

“Leandro, please!” Alina’s voice had turned desperate. “The Galra have been bringing in massive amounts of quintessence into the city, all within the past few weeks. They are planning something big.  There is nowhere safe for you to go. You need us!”

He simply raised his middle finger and threw a cheerful “fuck you” over his shoulder in reply without missing a step.

Just as he was about to reach the stairwell door it flew open with a loud bang, and a small, blurry figure darted out. In their hands was a very large, very ugly looking gun, which they shoved into Leandro’s face.

“Don’t move!”

Chapter Text

Leandro slowly lifted his hands to show that he was unarmed as her stared down the very, very long barrel of the gun. The person on the other end of it was small, and had to squint up the sight at him. A pair of glasses sat on their nose, and the eyes  behind them were a familiar amber color.

He felt his shoulders drop in relief, and a wide grin stretched across his face. “Hey, Pet”, he called out lazily. “Fancy meeting you here. And with my sniper rifle, no less. What the hell did you bring that one for? It’s bigger than you are!”

She blinked at him, her stern expression turning into one of confusion. “Leo?” The gun barrel dipped slightly. “What are you --- ”

“Who are you?” came a sharp voice from Leandro’s left. “And how did you get in here?”

Turning, Leandro saw that Akira had come to stand next to him, his body angled in a way that he was in between the two of them. In his right hand was a very wicked-looking dagger.

Leandro lowered his hands all the way down as one of his eyebrows went up. “Dude. She has a gun that’s twice as big as she is, and is close enough to you that she can’t miss. But you’re going to try and defend me with that pig-sticker?” He pressed a hand to his chest. “I’m flattered, honestly, but I --- Woah!”

He couldn’t help but jump as the dagger pulsed a bright white before growing into a sword. An actual sword.

Akira ignored him, his attention entirely focused on the threat before him. “You’re Leandro’s assistant,” he said. “I saw you at the shop yesterday.”

Petra snarled, swinging the barrel of the gun to point directly at Akira’s heart. “I’m his friend. And I am here to take him home.”

Leandro moved to stand behind her, putting a hand on her shoulder as he gave a knife-sharp grin to the other man. “You heard the lady. We’re leaving.”

Akira’s eyes narrowed, and he shifted his grip on his sword. Leandro, in turn, tightened his grip on Petra’s shoulder. If the assassin still just held a dagger, he wouldn’t be worried about him hurting her. But Akira now had enough reach that he could hurt Petra before she should pull the trigger. “Easy there, Samurai. Just let us go, okay?”

That purple gaze lifted to meet his. “Please,” Leandro said in a soft voice, letting a note of pleading enter it “I just want to go home.”

He saw it the moment that Akira’s eyes softened, and he felt himself let out a whoosh of breath. This was it. They were going to be free.

“Wait.”

Petra jumped at the sound of Alina’s voice and started to turn, but Leandro tightened his grip on her shoulder once again, keeping her in place. He never took his eyes off of Akira. He knew the other man was furious at his leader, but a soldier was a soldier. If Alina asked him to stop them from leaving, there was a good chance he would do so, even if he didn’t want to. And, with his sword, he was a far more dangerous threat to them than Alina. He needed to keep Petra’s gun pointed at the assassin for the time being.

He needn’t have worried. There was another pop of light, and Akira’s sword returned to being a dagger. He tucked it into a sheath strapped to the back of his waist before taking two steps back.

Leandro offered him a nod of thanks before turning to Alina. He loosened his hold on his partner’s shoulder, but he didn’t let go completely. Just because the Altean didn’t have a weapon pointing at them didn’t mean she wasn’t a threat.

The leader of the Deliverance had moved to stand a few feet away from the pair, smiling warmly down at Petra. “You must be Petra Gunn,” she said. “We’d heard rumors that you had partnered with Leandro, but we never have been able to find out for sure. You are a very hard woman to track down.”

Petra raised the gun to point it at the other woman. “Who are you?” she asked sharply. “And how do you know my name?”

The other woman opened her mouth to reply, but before she could, Hayach was suddenly standing right in front of them, eyes wide, hands up to his face. “Are you really Petra Gunn?” he asked breathlessly, seeming oblivious to the gun that was pressed into his stomach. “The Petra Gunn? The same Petra Gunn who managed to hack the Galra’s most complicated communication system in less than thirty minutes?”

“Um…” She blinked up at him for a moment, then turned to Leandro, who just shrugged. After another moment, she turned back to Hayach and said “Yes?”

This caused the big man to let out a squeal that Leandro remembered his sister’s making whenever they saw a cute boy before he started doing a strange, hopping dance. “Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh. I am such a fan of your work! I mean, everyone in Engineering really admires you, but I am a fan! That virus that you uploaded to make all the neon lights at the Castillo turn that lovely shade of puke green? That was beautiful, an absolute piece of art. Every time the Galra switch to a new frequency I race to try and hack it before you do. I’ve never been able to beat you, of course. Do you mind if I shake your hand? My friends in Engineering are never going to believe that I met you!”

Petra just gawked at him as he thrust out one of his hands, her eyes wide behind her glasses. The gun in her hands was all but forgotten, the tip of it resting against the floor. “I…. Er…. Sure?” It was, Leandro thought, the first time he had ever seen her flustered.

She slowly reached out, her tiny hand all but disappearing in his massive paw. He shook it enthusiastically, nearly lifting her off of the ground. “Thank you so much!” he gushed. “This is such an honor! I can’t wait to ---”

“Hayach.” Alina’s voice was firm, but there was a current of amusement in it. “I’m sure our guest is quite flattered by your enthusiasm, but won’t you give the poor girl a chance to catch her breath?”

Hayach looked to his leader, then back to Petra, who still looked a bit shell-shocked. “Oh!” he said, quickly dropping her hand and taking a step back. “i-I’m so sorry, Miss Gunn,” he stammered, his skin growing even darker as he flushed. “I didn’t mean to --- Ah, that is ---” He pressed his lips together before he could babble any further.

“No, no,” Petra said quickly. “It’s fine, really. I just wasn’t expecting anyone to know my name, much less someone who knows what I do.” She gave him a bright smile as she adjusted her glasses. “Maybe we can talk more after all of this is sorted out, yeah?”

Hayach’s face brightened, and he nodded happily. “Yeah. That would be great! Thanks!”

Petra’s smile widened briefly, but as she turned back to Alina, her face settled into a mask of cool disinterest. “Now. You were telling me how you knew who I was?”

The other woman stared at her for a long moment. Then, in a quiet voice, she said “Because you look so much like your father.”

The effect of her words on Petra was equivalent to a bullet, sending the younger woman reeling backwards. The gun fell to the floor with a clatter as she took in a sharp breath of air. She stared back at Alina with wide eyes. “You know my father?” Her voice was little more than a hoarse whisper.

“And your brother, though not as well. I often consulted with Dr. Gunn on all things relating to technology. I even tried to recruit him a few times, but he always turned me down. Said his own work was too important.”

Petra swayed a little, and the look on her face was so hopeful that it hurt Leandro to look at. “Do you…” She stopped to lick her lips. “Do you know where he is?”

“I know that he is alive.” Alina’s tone was gentle. “I’m not sure where he is, but we’re working on that as we speak.” She held out a hand. “Would you like to see him?”

She stepped forward automatically, all of her usual caution forgotten in the excitement of a new lead. Leandro watched her go, feeling something twist inside of him. He leaned down and retrieved the fallen weapon, trying to quash the ugly feelings that were starting to creep into him.

Petra had been searching for her lost father and brother for the past six years, Leandro knew. That search was what led her to finding him. And though she had never given up, he knew that the leads had been few and far between. He knew that it frustrated her, that she couldn’t understand how they both had somehow disappeared without leaving a clue behind.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want her to find them. Hell, he would go to the ends of the universe to find them if that’s what it took. He knew, better than most, just how important family was. It was just that, with leads becoming rarer as the years went on, he had started to think that they might never be found. Which meant that he would always have Petra with him. Just the two of them standing against the world.

If she found her family, of course she would want to be with them. Leandro couldn’t blame her for that. But Petra was all he had. If they found the missing Gunn men, and if they decided to leave the planet---

He would be alone. Truly and completely alone.

He gave his head a vigorous shake, trying to dislodge the thought. Not now, Sanchez. One problem at a time.

So he folded the gun --- the stock folded to one side of the body, the barrel to the other --- and followed the two women back to the seating area.

Curran was already tapping at the hooved screen as the others gathered around it. No one, Leandro noticed, was sitting down. “As soon as I heard that Dr. Gunn had disappeared --- along with his entire research team --- I immediately started looking for him. The Deliverance is fortunate to have many resources at its disposal, and we have members spread out all over the planet. We would hear whispers of rumors, get tips on sightings, but nothing concrete. Nothing we could act on. But then, five months ago, we received this footage from an anonymous source. We’ve checked and double-checked its authenticity and can find no evidence of tampering. Watch.”

The holovid sparked to life, showing a large room with several people roaming around. The image was done in shades of gray, and the quality was poor. Security feed, Leandro thought.

“We went through and enhanced it, frame by frame, looking for anything that might help us. And we scanned each individual that came on the camera. That’s how we found him.”

The image on the screen zoomed in on the face of one of the individuals, slowly reworking itself, coming in to focus and showing ---

“Dad!” Petra took an involuntary step forward, her hand stretched out towards the screen.

Leandro had never met Dr. Silas Gunn, though Petra had shown him several photos. But even if he had never seen the man before there could be no doubt that he was related to Petra. He looked tired, his cheeks gaunt. But his eyes --- the same color of amber, peering out from behind almost identical glasses as his daughter --- were bright. He was well-groomed and well-dressed, including an immaculate white lab coat. Wherever he was, he was at least being well-cared for.

Petra fell to her knees, her eyes glued to the screen as tears started to fill them. “Dad,” she whispered. “You’re…. He’s alive.”

“We’ve scanned the other individuals in the footage as well, and ran them through multiple missing persons databases” Alina said, her eyes also on the enhanced image of Silas Gunn. “They all seem to be scientists of some sort, some of whom were reported missing a decade ago. It looks like the Galra have been kidnapping scientists over the years, and have put them all together somewhere. We just don’t know where they are. But we will find them.”

Leandro moved to crouch down next to his friend, putting a supportive arm around her shoulders. “We’ll find him, Pet,” he said gently. “We know he’s alive. We’ll find him, no matter how long it takes, no matter what it takes. We’ll find him. I swear it.”

She leaned into him with a sniffle. “But… What about Earth? You wanted to go back, to go to Cuba.”

He chuckled as he ran a hand over her hair. “You’re my family, Pet. My home. You mean more to me than anything else in the entire universe. Finding your father is far more important to me than going back to a place that holds nothing but memories.” He gave her a smile. “Besides, after everything you have done for me, it’s the least I can do for you.”

She turned to him the and, with a sob, threw her arms around him. “Thank you, Leo,” she managed to choke out, burying her face into the side of his neck. “I love you.”

He bugged her back tightly, hiding his face in her hair. “I love you, too,” he replied. “Everything is going to be okay. You’ll see.”

“And we can help,” Alina said from above them. “We have people and resources that you can’t even begin to imagine. They will all be available to aid you in your search.” She paused. “We just ask that you help us right now. Help us figure out what the Galra are planning, and help us stop them. Once this has been done we can turn all of our attention towards finding your family.”

Leandro’s head snapped up at that, his eyes narrowing into a glare as they met the Altean’s. “You really are a cold-hearted bitch, aren’t you?” he said in a disgusted tone, not bothering to keep his voice low. “You’re really going to force me to join your little group in order to help Petra find her family? This is the first lead she has had in years. The first time that she has seen him, the first time she has had confirmation that he is even alive. You said you have the resources and the manpower, but you won’t let her use them unless we agree to help you first?”

Petra lifted her face from his neck. “Leo? Wha—”

Alina’s emerald gaze was steady. “I am not withholding anything from her. The Deliverance is here to help anyone we can in any way we can. She will have full access to all of our files and records. But, right now, most of those same resources are currently tied up in the immediate threat. The quicker we take care of this problem, the quicker we can focus more of our efforts on locating Dr. Gunn and his son.” Her eyes narrowed. “Think of how much faster it could go if both of you agreed to join us.”

Petra pulled away so that she could look up at him, eyes full of confusion as they searched his face. “What is she talking about?”

He lifted an eyebrow at the other woman. “Do you want to tell her? Or shall I?”

Alina pressed her lips tightly together and did not respond.

Leandro kept his eyes on Alina, but tilted his head so that he could speak to Petra. “This here is Alina, the leader of our merry band of suicidal idiots. She is the one who planned that little explosion yesterday. And she did it because she wants to do a recruitment drive and thinks that all of these people will flock to her banner if they know the sole-surviving Sanchez is endorsing her. You see, since I had turned her down twice before --- very politely, I might add --- she decided to make it so that I am the Galra’s most-wanted man and Alina is the only one that can keep me safe.”

Petra’s eyes had been growing bigger and bigger during his explanation, and now she whipped her head around to face the other woman. “What?”

Once again, Alina lifted her chin. “I did what needed to be done. And I would do it again in a a heartbeat.”

Petra stared at her for a long moment, her face turning completely white before turning back to him.  Her eyes were still wide, and were now full of anguish. “Leo…” His name came out in a broken whisper.

He didn’t look at her, but gave her another tight hug before letting her go. “I won’t speak for Petra,” he said slowly, rising to his feet. If he was going to be negotiating, he didn’t want his opponent standing over him. “But I’m willing to make a deal.”

Alina inclined her head. “Name your terms.”

Petra jumped up and tugged at Leandro’s arm. “No! We can still leave! We ---“

“I’ll help you with whatever problem it is you think you have, though, I have to tell you, I don’t know what help I can be beyond poster boy. Once that is over, we find Petra’s father. And her brother. Once that has happened, both she and I will be free to do whatever we wish. And you will never contact us again.” His gaze hardened. “Never.”

There was a collective inhale as everyone’s eyes swung to Alina, waiting for her reply.

She looked at him thoughtfully for a long moment before giving him a nod. “I believe these terms are acceptable.” She turned to her advisor. “Curran, would you mind drafting a contract for us to sign? I have a feeling that Mr. Sanchez would prefer to have this in writing.”

He snorted, crossing his arms over his chest, “Damn right, I do.”

“Leo, stop. Please.” Petra was crying again, her arms wrapped around his waist “I won’t let you do this. I want you to be free. Don’t help them. We can look for them on our own.”

“Hey.” He turned and leaned down to cup her face in his hands. Looking at her wide eyes and tear-streaked face, he was sharply reminded of just how young she was. Far too young to be trying to take care of him.  “Let me do this, yeah? I owe you everything. And, even if I didn’t, I would do it anyways.” He leaned forward to touch his forehead to hers. “You’ve been taking care of me for the past six years when you didn’t have to. Now it’s my turn.”

She sniffed, reaching up to to cover his hands with hers. “You’re such an idiot, Leandro Sanchez.” She squeezed his hands and gave him a tiny smile. “But you’re my idiot. And I’m not about to let you do this without me. Someone has to watch your back.”

His smile bloomed into a grin. “I wouldn’t want anyone else.” Then he stood and turned to face Alina. “All right. Looks like you got a two-for-one deal. Now what?”

They watched as a look of utter relief crossed the Altean woman’s face. “Thank you,” she breathed. “Thank you so much. I – I promise I’ll make it worth it. What do you need first?”

“Sleep,” Leandro said without hesitation. “At least, that what’s what I need. And a lot of it.”

“Of course. There is an apartment that has already been prepared for you. And it’s a two-bedroom, so you and Miss Gun can share, if you’d like. Akira? Would you be so kind?”

It wasn’t Akira’s voice that answered, but his brother’s. “He’s not here. Perhaps Dante could show them the way?”

“Oh.” Alina’s expression melted into one of guilt. “Yes. Of course. Dante? Could you show them to the apartment? It’s number 128.”

“I would be happy to.” The man with sandy hair and glasses --- Hoshi’s husband, Leandro remembered Akira saying --- turned to them and offered a warm smile that reached his eyes. “Come on. Let’s go get some rest, yeah?”

Leandro nodded, and he and Petra followed the older man to the elevator. He looked around for Akira, but the other man was nowhere to be found. “Where did Akira go?”

Dante sighed as he pushed the button for the twelfth floor. “I’m not sure. I was so focused on what Alina was saying that I never noticed him leave.”

“Where does he live?” Leandro didn’t know why he was asking about the assassin, but the questions just kept falling from his lips before he could stop them.

“He shares an apartment with Hoshi and I.” Dante looked at him out of the corner of his eye. “We’re actually just down the hall from where you will be staying.”

After a brief, silent ride, the elevator doors opened onto a wide hallway. Dante gestured them forward. “You two will get the official tour later, but I just wanted to make you aware of the basics. This building is known as the Castle. Our command center and most of the living quarters are here. There’s a kitchen and dining hall, a training area, and a medical wing.” He gestured to a door marked 121. “This is our apartment. If you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to come and get us.”

“How will we get in?” Petra asked. Pointing to the black access panels by the doors.

“You’ll be given access chips later. Right now, the access panel isn’t active. But you’ll be able to lock the door from the inside.” He stopped by another door. “Here we are.” He waved at the door, and it slid open with a quiet hiss.

Leandro took a step towards the door, but stopped when Dante touched his shoulder. “Leandro?” he said in a low voice. “I know I have no right to ask anything of you, but I hope you will at least hear what I have to say.”

He was so tired, and the opportunity to finally get some sleep was right there, but he found himself turning to face the other man anyways.

Dante looked troubled. “Akira is a good man,” he started. “He has a big heart. Too big, sometimes. He tries to hide it, but he feels things so deeply. This will devastate him. If he had known what was going to happen today, what it was going to cost you, he never would have agreed to it. I don’t want him to miss an opportunity to get to know you because of a misplaced idea you may have of him. So, please. Give him another chance?”

Leandro studied him, thinking. He had a hard time imagining that an assassin as well known at The Mechanic would have a depth of feeling, but this guy seemed sincere. And he could clearly remember the way Akira’s eyes had softened before he had stepped back to let them leave.  

Besides, Leandro would be lying if he said he wasn’t intrigued by the dark-haired man. So he nodded. “Sure. I’ll be willing to give him a shot.”

Dante let out a sigh of relief before running a hand through his hair. “Thank you so much. Hoshi and I both really appreciate this. And I’m sure Akira will as well, though it may take him some time to warm up to you.” He straightened and offered Leandro a smile and a nod. “Well, I’ll leave you to your rest, then.”

Then he was walking away, and Leandro was finally able to go into the apartment, the door wooshing softly shut behind him.

Akira hadn’t wanted to see what the outcome of the confrontation between Alina and Leandro would be. He couldn’t have. Watching Leandro and Petra cling to one another, seeing the hard look in Leandro’s eyes as he had bargained away his own freedom in order to find his friend’s family, had made him feels sick. So, while everyone else was fixated on the scene in front of them, he had managed to slip quietly into the stairwell and go down to the garage.

He truly loved his job. He liked that he got to work alone, and there was something about taking something that was broken and making it work again that was satisfying. (Hoshi liked to try to say there was a metaphor in there somewhere) Plus, all of the work was done by his hands. No Altean magic, no clever tech wizardry. Just his hands.

And he was good at it. So much so that he had earned a reputation even outside of the Deliverance. Yes, he was quite aware that he had had been given the moniker of Moody Mechanic , but that didn’t stop the residents of the Outskirts from contacting him when they had a job no one else could o. He took a lot of pride in that.

Having that reputation meant that he often received odd requests. For example, one of the better-off smugglers in the area had paid a fortune to have an old Mustang shipped in from Earth. The thing was old --- really ­old --- mostly rust, and beaten all to hell. But the smuggler loved the car, and was willing to pay Akira another small fortune to restore it.

He went to it now, pulling its protective cover off to reveal a skeleton of steel. It had taken him a month to rebuild the frame of the car, painstakingly recreating it from the rusted remains of the original. He had carefully removed the body and sat it to the side until he could get enough steel to build a new body. That meant that, today, he got to work on the parts that made the car go.

Akira turned on the music player app on his comm and sat it on his desk before moving to the workbench where the guts of the Mustang were spread out. He grabbed his industrial-sized can of grease and his tool box and moved to the transmission. The bolts were covered in decades of rust, but it was nothing that some good, old-fashioned elbow grease couldn’t solve.

He soon lost himself in the work, lost track of time as he fought with the bolts holding the transmission cover in place. There had to be at least fifty years’ worth of rust on them, and they weren’t willing to give up without a fight. So Akira greased it, pulled at it, and cursed at it, until, at last, the first bolt came free. He grinned triumphantly, standing up and running the back of his hand across his sweaty brow. It might only be one of many, but a victory was a victory.

“Need a hand?”

Akira jumped at the sound of the unexpected voice. He hadn’t even noticed that the music had stopped, focused totally on the task at hand. Turning, he saw his brother leaning against his desk, arms crossed, a grin on his face. “I might,” he replied, waving his wrench at the older man.. “These bolts are older than you are, and stuck tight. That bionic arm of yours might be able to help me with that.”

Hoshi chuckled as he stepped forward. “It must be bad if you’re asking for help.”

Akira shrugged. “I’m not so stubborn as to pass up on help when I know it’s someone who is more suited to the job than I am.”

The elder Kogane snorted as he took the proffered wrench. “We both know that’s a lie. You never ask for help until you’re half past dead.”

“Well, consider this me turning over a new leaf.”

Hoshi looked down at the dirty transmission, but he wasn’t seeing it, his eyes unfocused. “Look, Kira. About what happened earlier ---“

“Oh, no.” Akira was already shaking his head. “You know I don’t bring that shit down here. So we’re not going to talk about it.”

His brother sighed, lifting those eyes that were identical to his own to look at him. “We need to talk about it, Kira.”

“No. we don’t. What happened happened, and there is nothing anyone can do to change it. So just drop it.”

“But it wasn’t your fault, and ---“

Akira let out a snarl and yanked the wrench back out of his brother’s hand. “I told you that I don’t want to talk about it! Now, if you are not going to help me, then get out. I have work to do.” He turned back to the transmission, spraying the next bolt with the grease and placing the wrench around it.

Hoshi placed his human hand onto his shoulder. ‘Kira…”

He shook it off. “Go away, Hoshi.”

Hoshi let out a noise of frustration. “Akira Kogane!” His voice was sharp, and Akira felt himself freeze. His brother never used his full name --- not in that tone of voice --- unless something was really bad. Or he was in deep trouble. So he stood and slowly turned to face the other man, bracing himself for whatever was coming.

Hoshi didn’t look mad. He looked…. Pained. Tired. Old. And, with a start, Akira realized that he was probably the main reason for that look. “I know you like the world to think that you are this hard badass that nothing can touch. But I’m your brother. I know that’s not the case. And, right now, I know that you are hurting. That you feel betrayed by Alina, and that you feel responsible for Leandro’s current predicament. So we are going to talk about this. Even if I have to stand here all day annoying you until you talk, this discussion is happening.”

Akira grunted in annoyance as he swept his hair out of his eyes. He knew he might as well give in. For all his talk, Hoshi was just as stubborn as he was. His brother wouldn’t leave until he got what he wanted. “Fine. What do you want to know?”

‘Tell me what happened.”

So he did, refusing to meet the other man’s eyes as he relayed the events of that morning. “He knew who I was, Hoshi. He’d somehow guessed that I was the Mechanic after we met yesterday. And he asked me if I hadn’t thought it odd that the leader of the Deliverance would ask an assassin to set up a package delivery. I did think it was strange. But I didn’t ask any questions. Because I am a good little soldier.”

“Akira…”

“Then he said ---“ He turned to the transmission and gave the wrench a vicious yank. “He asked me if I had even bothered to learn the name of the person whose life he was running.” His voice had turned bitter, but he didn’t bother to hide it. “And I didn’t. I always do research before a mission. You know that. But this time, I didn’t. If I had known, if I had bothered to learn, I never would have gone.” Another yank.  “He showed me his slave mark, Hoshi. Can you imagine what that must have been like? And I’ve condemned him to go back to that. If he’s lucky.” Another yank. This time, the bolt moved a fraction of an inch. “He’s going to hate me now. And I don’t blame him.”

That, he thought unhappily, was the worst part of this entire SNAFU. When he had first left this morning, he had been so hopeful. He had met someone new, someone he thought was attractive, someone who had shown interest in him. He had decided to step out of his comfort zone and actually show interest back. And maybe --- maybe --- something would happen between them.

And now…

Akira would never forgive himself for what he had done, even if he had been an unwilling participant,  and he doubted that Leandro would, either. Which meant that that small, fragile hope he had left with this morning was irrevocably gone. And it made him… sad.

When he finally looked back up, his brother was looking at him with a strange expression on his face, one that was so rare that Akira didn’t recognize it right away. But, when he did, he felt a sharp spike of anger pierce his chest, and his vision went red.

“Don’t you dare give me your pity, Hoshi,” he spat out. “I don’t want it, nor do I deserve it. I made the choice to not do what I thought was right, and now I have to deal with the consequences of my actions. That was the lesson you always taught me, remember? You do the action, you deal with the consequences. So I will. Now, I have work to do.”

Without waiting for a response, he stalked over to his comm and mashed the play button on his music player once more, filling the garage with the sounds of heavy, angry music. Ignoring his brother completely, he went back to the transmission and the stubborn bolts.  

Hoshi watched him, fists clenched, wishing there was something he could do to make this right. To somehow take the weight of this from his brother’s shoulders. But he knew Akira better than he knew himself. The younger Kogane felt too much, and too deeply. There would be no reasoning with him, not while he was like this.

So he turned, and, with a heavy sigh and even heavier heart, left his brother to deal with his anger on his own.

Chapter Text

When Leandro next awoke, he was in darkness.

He became fully awake almost instantly., eyes darting around as he tried to figure out where he was before panic could set in. He wasn’t in his bedroom, he knew. He kept a string of small, twinkling lights (his niece had called them fairy lights, and she had always loved them) on at all times so that his room was never in total darkness. But, if he wasn’t at home, where was he?

Just as his heart rate started to kick up, he saw a thin strip of light coming from somewhere off to his right, and his body sagged in relief. Someone had left a door cracked open. He wasn’t trapped in the darkness after all.

He let out a groan as he reached up to rub at his face with both of his hands. Stars, but he hated this… this weakness. This overwhelming fear that came over him at the mere thought of being stuck in a dark place. He had done everything he could think of to cure himself with no luck. Some hurts, he was slowly coming to realize, would be haunting him for the rest of his life.

Now that the near-panic was fading away, he realized that he must be in his new apartment at the Deliverance’s headquarters. He remembered talking to Dante outside, then walking through the door… but nothing after that. He had no idea how he had gotten into bed. Or --- as he was coming to be more aware of himself --- taking off everything but his pants.

Now that the sleep and confusion were wearing off, Leandro was becoming acutely aware of an urgent need from his bladder. Spying an open door at the other end of the room, he shuffled through it to find a large, luxurious bathroom. After relieving himself (stars, but that was the longest piss he had ever taken), he went to the sink and finally got a look at himself in the mirror.

He couldn’t help but let out a groan as he caught sight of his reflection. He hadn’t shaved in at least a day, and prickly stubble covered his chin. There were dark circles under his eyes, and his skin had faded from its normal golden color to a sickly yellowish tone. The stress and lack of sleep were wreaking havoc on his skin. Plus, he hadn’t been able to do his daily skincare routine.

Feeling awake and alert, Leandro decided to explore his new surroundings. The bathroom was large and by far the nicest one he had ever used, with a wide, tiled shower and sperate bathtub. The bedroom was also large, with a bed big enough to easily hold three or four people. There was also a nightstand, desk, and large dresser. When he opened another door, he found a walk-in closet that was nearly the six=ze of his old bedroom. Seeing it empty remind him that he would have to see about getting his things brought over from his old apartment.

Wandering out of his bedroom, he walked into what he assumed was the living area. Except that this room was full of stuff. There were boxes everywhere, some stacked three high. Against one stack, he saw an old, battered guitar case that he immediately recognized as his. In the corner was the large, flowering plant that Petra had given him as a housewarming gift (and that he had, somehow miraculously, managed to keep alive). And, in the middle of it all, sat Petra herself, furiously typing away at her laptop.

“Um, Petra?” he called out, gingerly picking his way through the impromptu obstacle course. “Is this all of my stuff?”

She looked up at the sound of his voice, face brightening. “Hey there, Sleeping Beauty,” she teased, sitting her laptop to the side. “I was starting to wonder if you were ever going to wake up.”

He flopped down next to her on yet another expensive-looking couch, the only clear surface that he could find. “How long was I out?”

She lifted her glasses and squinted at something on her wrist. It was, he realized, a device that looked exactly like the one he had seen Akira wearing. “About eighteen hours.”

Huh. No wonder he’d had to pee. “I see you’ve been busy while I was asleep.”

“I figured it would be better to go ahead and get our things now, before the Galra figure out who we are and where we live. After I finally got you into bed yesterday --- seriously, you passed out as soon as you walked through the door --- I went and rounded up some help. We found what’s-his-name down in the garage. The one who came to the office the other day?”

“Akira?”

“Yeah, him. He got us one of their transport vehicles and took us to get out things. I tell you; these guys are efficient. Had your place packed up in two hours. Akira went to talk to Mr. Corey.” She grinned. “Bet the old geezer just loved that.”

Leandro couldn’t help but chuckle. Mr. Corey, his landlord, was a lecherous old man who had a thing for ripped abs and flat chests. He was notorious for lurking outside Leandro’s apartment when he heard the shower running and knock on the door as soon as it stopped, hoping to catch his tenant is nothing but a towel. Leandro could only imagine what the old geezer had thought of Akira, with his beautiful eyes and sharp cheekbones. He’d probably had a heart attack. “Well, you’ve been a member of the Deliverance for less than a day and have already taken over, I see.”

She let out a snort as she leaned into him. “After what they did to you, they better be glad I didn’t set the place on fire. Or just run off with you and broadcast their location to the Galra. It would serve them right.”

“How did you find me, anyways?”

“By tracking your goggles. When you told me that you were going to wait to see if Akira came back so you could question him, I immediately locked on to the goggles so that I could track you in case he dragged you away. I wanted to make sure I could swoop in and save your ass.” She tilted her head so that she could grin up at him. “Though it looked like you were doing a pretty good job of saving yourself when I barged in. Sorry I messed it up.”

He returned her grin as he slung an arm around her shoulders. “Oh, I’m sure my ass would still have needed saving. Alina seemed pretty desperate. I doubt she was going to let me go that easily. Besides, I didn’t have much of a plan beyond getting down to the garage and stealing a car. I doubt I would have made it very far on my own.”

“Probably not,” she replied, voice going grim. “Akira told me that the Galra found you two pretty quick, both the sentries and the soldiers.  He was pretty sure that they had somehow been able to track you. Or him.”

“You two seem to have gotten awfully chatty.”

She shrugged. “It’s been easy to get information out of him. He’s practically oozing guilt, and wants to do whatever he can to make up for his part in all of this.” She paused. “Y’know, now I can see why you flirted with him. He is pretty sexy, especially without that mask on. What with that scar and all.”

Oh, no. He wasn’t about to rise to this bait. “You were saying about the Galra?”

“Oh, right. So, Akira was worried about them somehow tracking one of you. I asked him what all he had at the time he came to meet you, and he let me scan it. Nothing. So I scanned your things, and voila! He was right.”

He frowned at that. “How were the Galra able to get a tracker on me?”

“The Galra didn’t. The Deliverance did.”

Leandro felt his whole body go rigid at this. “Where?” he growled. “If they ---”

“Easy,” she said, pressing herself deeper into his side and placing a reassuring hand on his knee. “It’s been deactivated. It was dead when I found it. You’re safe here. From the Galra, at least.”

He stayed that way for a moment, body so tight he was nearly vibrating, before he let out a long, slow breath, and allowed himself to melt back into the couch. “Where was it?” he asked, his voice still holding a hint of his earlier growl.

“In the envelope. The one Akira was bringing to you. It was hidden between the credits. My guess is that Alina anonymously sent the signal to the Galra as a tip about the bombing.”

It took a moment for that piece of information to sink in. “Damn,” he said, shaking his head. “He had that envelope at least long enough to get from here to the office. How could she be sure that the Galra wouldn’t get to him before he found me?”

“If I had to guess, he was given a dormant tracker. Then she gave him time to get to you before broadcasting the signal. Once Alina knew that Akira had you in tow, she deactivated it. They just wanted to make sure that you thought you had no choice but to come here, not lead the Galra to their doorstep.” She paused. “But I smashed it. Just to be safe.”

He shook his head again. “You have to give her credit. She’s clever. Ruthless, but clever.”

“Don’t forget desperate. Which means she’s dangerous.”

“Yeah. Definitely noticed the desperate part. Speaking of which, did she tell you what this ‘new Galra threat’ that she’s so worried about is?”

Petra shook her head. “She said she’d wait until you were awake, then she’d call a meeting to explain everything. Says she has a plan.”

“We’ll, at least she has that in her favor.” He yawned and stretched. “Just let me get something to eat, and we can get down to business.”

“No. First you’re going to take a shower.” She sat up so that she could turn to him, her nose scrunched up. “You smell like shit.”

He pouted. “You were the one leaning on me!”

“That’s because I love you. And, if you could smell yourself, you would know what a sacrifice it was.” She shoved his shoulder. “Go get cleaned up. Then we’ll get down to business.”

The people who had packed his belongings hadn’t just been efficient; they’d been thoughtful as well,l and made sure to label every box. When Leandro had found the one marked ‘bathroom’, he’d been delighted to find not only his toiletries, but all of his skincare products as well. Armed with this and a clean change of clothes, he headed for the shower.

The shower felt as luxurious as it looked. There were five jets --- five! ---cleaning him from every angle. The door, he learned, doubled as a screen that he could link to his comm. He refused to look at the news tickers that it was suggesting for him and decided to listen to music instead. When he finally stepped out, he found impossibly thick, fluffy towels waiting for him in some sort of container that acted as a warmer.

By the time he returned to the living area, he was starting to feel like a human again. “Y’know,” he told Petra as they walked into the kitchen, “if we’re going to be imprisoned, at least it’s a nice prison.”

She snorted. “A cage is still a cage, Leo. No matter how gilded it is.” She paused. “But, yeah. If I had to pick a place to be stuck in, I’d definitely pick this one.”

The kitchen, he soon discovered, had also been stocked while he was dead to the world. Hayach, Petra explained to him, was the best cook in the Deliverance. The two of them had gone on a supply run yesterday, and there were now fruits and vegetables and cereal and juice. Plus, Hayach had cooked a pan of meatloaf for them as a welcome meal.

More importantly, there was ---

“Coffee!” Leandro couldn’t contain his shout of joy as he lunged towards the device set into the wall that bore the image of a large, white mug, the universal symbol for liquid life. “Where ---”

“In the cabinet to your right,” Petra called out in an amused tone.

He flung open the door to the aforementioned cabinet and squealed in pure delight when he saw that Petra had already unpacked his collection of mugs. He pulled one out --- a red one that said ‘I’M THE REASON IT’S HOT IN HERE’ before turning to her, beaming. “Petra, you are a goddess.”

“I know,” she said smugly, flashing her glasses.

He placed the mug into its allotted space in the unit and started pushing buttons. It took him a few minutes to figure it out --- this unit was far nicer than any of the others he’d found on this godforsaken rock --- but soon he was taking his first sip of coffee in days. He closed his eyes and let out a moan that was purely orgasmic. Okay. This whole situation wasn’t all bad.

“Sit,” Petra told him, pointing to a stool situated behind a small bar area. As he did so, she moved to the chill box and pulled out the meatloaf and began to cut him a slice. “We haven’t been able to get to the office yet. The Galra have the whole block cordoned off while they are looking for clues. It may be a bit before their attention dies down enough for us to get in and get what we need out of there.”

“Has there been any more news about the bombing?”

“There was an official press release yesterday.” Petra took the plate of meatloaf to the warmer. “They are listing it as a terrorist attack, but stopped just short of placing blame on anyone. They did report that there were two suspects, and they gave descriptions, but they were pretty vague.” The warmer chimed, and she took out the plate and put it in front of him. “They did, however, give a pretty accurate description of Akira’s bike. A lot of people are pointing out that it sounds a lot like the motorcycle The Mechanic supposedly drives. However, there are just was many stating that The Mechanic has never had a partner before, so it must be a copycat.”

He took the fork that Petra offered him and dug into his meal. “So, what’s the official verdict?” he asked around a mouthful of food.

“Officially, the investigation is ongoing. The Galra have, of course, offered a reward for any information in regards to the bombing or the two suspects.” Her brow creased. “But the chat rooms have been going insane since the press release came out. There’s been a lot of talk about Juicers getting involved in the search.”

He paused with the next forkful halfway to his mouth. “Juicers? What do they have to do with any of this?”

“According to the chatter, the Galra have made a separate deal with the leaders of the top three gangs in the city. If they can find any information that is reliable, they’ll get a huge supply of raw quintessence along with the credits. There have already been a number of reports coming in about Juicers coming into the Outskirts.”

Leandro scowled down at his food. Fucking Juicers.

Quintessence was the main source of energy for the Galra. They used it for everything, from powering their hideous neon lights to curing their sick. Raw quintessence, when melted into liquid, could be used as a stimulant. He had been injected with it on multiple occasions when he was a slave, and he had hated it. He’d had no control over his body, the need to constantly be moving, to do something, overwhelming everything else. Afterwards, it had left his body jittery and aching.

A lot of people, however, found the Juice (as it had come to be called) addictive. They liked the boost of energy it gave them, liked the fact that they could go for days without rest. He had even overheard conversations about how much better sex was when Juiced. But he had seen what happened to people who had been using it too much, had seen what they had been willing to do in order to get even the smallest amount of it. If the Galra were offering a large amount of raw quintessence in exchange for his whereabouts, the Juicers wouldn’t hesitate to raze the whole planet to the ground in order to find him.

His stomach clenched, and he sat his fork down. “Didn’t you say Alina wanted to meet with us?” he asked, voice tight.

Petra was watching him from across the bar, her gaze searching. He knew that she was trying to figure out what it was that had upset him. But he also knew that she would never ask. And he would never tell her. Those were memories best left in the past. “She asked that we let her know when you were awake. Try and eat some more. I’ll send her a message and see what she says.”

When they stepped out of the apartment, Petra waved the device on her wrist at the access panel. There was a beep, followed by a click, signifying that the door was now locked.

Both of his eyebrows lifted. “You got an access chip?”

“Yep. So do you.” She held out another one of the black wrist devices towards him.

He took it, making a face as he did so. “Do I have to wear this? It’s hideous.”

She rolled her eyes. “Yes, you diva, you have to wear it. It’s not just your access chip. It’s a comm, too. It lets you call out, and can even project the image of the person you are speaking to in real time. You can  get updates on it, check the news, the weather… It’s just like your normal comm, but with easier access.”

He squinted at it as they stepped into the elevator. “You’d think that, with all the technology and people that Alina claims to have, they could make this a bit more fashionable. It looks like those tacky Apple Watches our grandparents had.”

She let out a long-suffering sigh. “Just put the damn thing on, Leo.”

He did so, nose scrunched up in distaste. “how does this thing work, anyways?”

She held up her own wrist to demonstrate how each of the features worked. By the time the elevator doors slid open, Leandro was grudgingly beginning to admit that the thing was useful, even if it was ugly. He was so busy tapping on the screen that he didn’t even bother paying attention to his surroundings, letting Petra guide him along. It wasn’t until he heard Alina call his name that he looked up, blinking as he realized he had no idea where he was.

He had expected them to return to the lounge area where they had met yesterday. He had not expected to end up in a giant room filled with dozens of holovid screens, with a large holomap dominating the center of the room. It looked like those high—tech military command centers they always showed in the movies.

He let out a low whistle of appreciation. Now this is impressive!

Alina was standing by the holomap, beaming at him. “Hello, Mr. Sanchez. It’s a pleasure to see you again. I hope you are well-rested?”

“Uh, yeah. Yeah, I slept great.” He placed a hand on the back of his neck as his eyes swept the room. “Where are we?”

“Welcome to our command center,” Curran answered in a proud tone of voice as he appeared next to his fellow Altean. “This is the heart of the Deliverance.”

Equipment rested on every surface of the room. There were more computers here than he had ever seen before, along with other things that he did not recognize. Hayach was currently hurrying across the room to speak with Petra, and the three Kogane men stood a little bit away, all murmuring to each other. Akira caught his eye and gave him a small nod. He returned it before turning back to Curran. “So this is where the magic happens, huh?”

‘Precisely.” The other man looked smug as he twirled his mustache. “We can run surveillance, keep track of the locations of all of our members, provide real time support during missions, even pinpoint distress calls as they come in so that we can alert the nearest operative as soon as possible. I designed it myself.” His chest puffed out proudly.

“I’m impressed.” Leandro touched his fingers to his temple in a salute, and Curran’s chest, if possible, puffed out even more.

“We wanted to bring you all here today so we can discuss our plans for what comes next,” Alina said, causing the rest of the room to fall silent. “You all are now part of a special team within the Deliverance, a special operations unit, if you will. We will operate under the team name of Voltron, and you will each be known as a paladin. I’ve assigned you each a color as your call sign. Leandro, you will be the Blue Paladin. Petra will be green, and Hayach will be yellow. Akira, I have assigned you as red, Hoshi is black, and Dante is white. Any questions so far?”

Silence greeted her.

“Um…” That was Hayach. “What is Voltron?”

“And what the hell is a paladin?” Leandro couldn’t help but ask.

There was a strange light in Alina’s eyes as she took a step forward. “Voltron was a mighty weapon created by my people thousands of years ago. No one is exactly sure what it was, as all of the legends vary. But what we do know is that it was created as a means to help broker peace throughout the universe, a tool to help those who were otherwise unable to protect themselves. It played a large part in pushing back the Galra when they began conquering other worlds. So much so that it became a sort of boogeyman for the Galra, a name only whispered about in fear.” Her teeth flashed into a sharp grin. “What better name for those will soon become the things of Galran nightmares?”

Leandro felt a shudder make its way down his spine. He and Petra had both thought that Alina was just desperate. But now he could see that she was zealous, that this was a holy cause for her. And that was far more dangerous than desperate.

“I do like the idea of being called a paladin,” said Hoshi. The elder Kogane brother turned to Leandro and offered a warm smile. “’Paladin’ is an old military title. It started off as the title for the man who was responsible for the soldiers’ faith as well as fighting by their side. He would often be someone who came from a religious background. But then it became a title for anyone who was a champion of a just cause. It was considered a great honor to be given the title of paladin.”

Alina beamed at him. “Exactly! Champions of a just cause is exactly what you all are.”

“And what cause is that?” Akira sked in a sharp tone of voice. He had his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes narrowed on his leader.

“Freedom,” she replied. ‘The most just of all causes.”

“And why are you doing this?” That was Petra. “What has changed that warrants the formation of Voltron?”

Alina beckoned them all closer. “The reason that we need you all --- the reason that we need Voltron --- is because we’ve recently noticed a significant change in the behavior of the Galra. They are planning something in Neon City. Something big. We have some ideas of what it might be, but we’re not sure. And we need to be sure.”

Leandro couldn’t deny his curiosity. “What’s the behavior that’s changed? I haven’t noticed anything in the city.”

“There has been a huge spike in traffic lately.  They’ve been making runs like I’ve ---”

“The supply ships!” Petra suddenly yelled out, causing everyone in the room to jump. She turned to face Leandro, eyes bright with excitement. “I was telling you about this the other day, remember? I had noticed that the amount of supply ships coming in was way more than normal.”

God, had that just been a few days ago? It felt as though it had been a lifetime. “I remember. You said they weren’t releasing their cargo manifests like they normally do.” His eyes flicked to Alina. “I take you know what was in those ships?”

“Quintessence,” she replied grimly. “Raw quintessence. And a lot of it.”

Petra sucked in air through her teeth. “No wonder the Juicers are going crazy.”

“Juicers?” That was Dante, who, until now, had been silent. “Are they involved in this somehow?”

Petra explained what she had learned earlier while surfing through some of the underground chat rooms. The more she spoke, the deeper the doctor’s frown became. “That could be a problem,” he said when she was finished. “If enough Juice --- or even just raw quintessence --- hits the streets, the Galra won’t have to worry about making everyone submissive to them. There won’t be any people left after the finish tearing each other apart.”

“That doesn’t make any sense,” Leandro interjected, shaking his head. “The Galra need people, need them to bend to their rule. They see us as tools. Cattle. We do all of their dirty work for them. No people, no workforce. And people hyped up on Juice are hard to control.”

Hoshi was tapping a metal finger against his chin thoughtfully. “How much quintessence are we talking about?”

Alina’s expression was grim. ‘They have basically shipped in all of the quintessence from every mining operation on the planet, even the ones that are not on the official registers. It’s … I don’t know if we can even start to calculate how much we’re talking about.”

Leandro blanched at that. He had worked in a mine during his time as a slave, one of the smaller ones close to the city. He had seen firsthand just how much quintessence could be mined when you didn’t care about your workers. And, if she was talking about all of the mines…

“That a lot of quintessence,” Hayach said in a nervous voice. “What would they need that much for?”

“Indoctrination,” Leandro and Alina said at the same time. They looked at each other, startled, before he gestured for her to continue. “We know that the indoctrination process has to be difficult, and we know that it appears to require a good amount of quintessence. Dante, you know more about this than I do.”

“It’s… It’s not quintessence, exactly.” Dante pushed his glasses farther up his nose. “I haven’t had the chance to study it very much, as we’ve only managed to get our hands on a few samples. We can tell that it is made from quintessence, but its makeup has been changed somehow. It’s turned into what we call nanos, which are microscopic machines that are injected into an individual’s bloodstream. Nanos have traditionally been used to heal small injuries from the inside out. But these are almost like radios that are already programmed to make their host complaint to whatever they are told by the Galra, and the Galra only.” He held up his hands in a helpless shrug. “But we have no idea how it all actually works.”

Petra was tugging at her lower lip, brows furrowed. “So, if we’re going off the theory that they are bringing in all of this quintessence for the purpose of indoctrination, we need to think about the reasoning behind it. They only do indoctrinations… what? Twice a year? Maybe three times?”

“And they save it for those who are their loudest opponents,” Akira added. “Usually political prisoners. How many of those do they have locked away right now? Surely not enough to account for this much quintessence.”

“Are they planning on increasing the number of indoctrinations?” Hoshi.

“People would start to notice.” Leandro. “The only reason they haven’t protested the indoctrination process so far is because the victims are always radicals. But if they start turning regular people into mindless servants, the people as a whole won’t stay quiet.”

“But would they really  ---”

“Enough.” Alina’s voice did not raise, but rang throughout the room nonetheless. They all feel silent and turned to face her. “This is all just speculation at this point. What we need right now is information. That is why I formed this team. We cannot let the Galra know that we are on to them. This is not something that the Deliverance can handle. This requires you all and your unique talents.”

“All right,” Hoshi said. “What’s your plan?”

“Each of you will be paired up with another Paladin, and each pair will have a specific assignment during the mission. Leandro, you will be working with Akira.”

“What?” Leandro shouted, at the same time that Akira barked out a “No!” The two men whipped their heads around to glare at each other for several seconds before they both turned away, both scowling.

Leandro spoke first. “No offense, princess, but I’m not real keen on the idea of working with someone who doesn’t know how to think for himself. I need someone who can act, not sit there and wait for orders while we are getting shot at. If I have to have a partner, why not give me Petra? We’ve been together for years and make a pretty good team.”

“I can think for myself,” Akira snapped at him. “I’ve been evading the Galra far longer than you have.” He turned back to Alina. “And I’ve always done it alone. That was our deal, remember? You wouldn’t even let my brother go on assignments with me. And now you want me to work with a complete stranger?”

She lifted a hand placatingly. “I am not sending you out there alone, Akira. Especially not now that we know there are Juicers looking for you. I need to know that you at least have backup to help get you out of trouble should the need arise. As for you…” She turned to face Leandro. “Like I said, each of you has a unique talent that is suited for this mission. Petra will be needed here to help Hayach with research. She’s already managed to provide us with valuable information that we were not otherwise aware of. You and Akira are the most familiar with both the city and the Outskirts, and you both have managed to evade the Galra for years. I need you two to be my boots on the ground.” Her expression hardened. “And I can assure you that you could not ask for a better person to have at your back in a time of trouble. I would trust Akira with my life. You can trust him with yours.”

His scowl deepened, but he didn’t say anything else.

She held his gaze for a few seconds longer before she turned to the elder Kogane brother. “Hoshi, you and Dante will provide mission support. I am also appointing you as team leader, and give you full permission to direct each of your Paladins as you see fit. I know that you will always take their well-being into consideration when assigning missions.”

He nodded. “Thank you, Alina. I will do my best to take care of them.”

She smiled, then clapped her hands together. “This next week will be spent on nothing but training and strategizing. It is far too risky to send Akira and Leandro out right now, as the Galra and Juicers will be swarming the streets looking for them. I will make a schedule for each of you in regards to trainings and debriefings, and will have them out to you later on this evening. You have the rest of the day to do as you please.” That zealous light was back in her eyes. “Rest well, my paladins. Tomorrow, we begin our march towards freedom.”

Chapter Text

Akira was thankful that Alina had scheduled his solo training sessions first thing in the morning, since the training room was usually empty at this time. He had decided to spend his hour with the various punching bags located around the room, so he’d wrapped his hands in athletic tape and --- forgoing any type of gloves --- got to work.

He didn’t let himself think as he worked. He focused only on his breathing, controlling his inhales and exhales as he punched and kicked. He started off slow, giving his muscled a chance to loosen up, to start to feel the stretch settle into his limbs and a light sheen of sweat to settle onto his skin. That meant that he could now push for more.

He began to move faster, hit harder, kick higher. The dull ache in his arms and legs began to burn, turning painful. The sheen of sweat turned into rivers, pouring down his skin and drenching his clothes.

He gritted his teeth and pushed for more.

He kept going until he reached the point where he knew he could go no further. With a loud cry, he aimed a spinning kick at the top of the heavy bag he had been pummeling.

And felt the material split under this heel.

Akira landed in a crouch, chest heaving from exertion as he watched the sand trickle out of the tear he’d made in the bag. Holy shit.

“Well,” came a voice off to his right. He turned his head to see Alina standing just inside the entrance. Her gaze was locked onto the pile of sand that was beginning to gather on the floor underneath the bag. “I had planned on asking you to spar with me, but…” Her lips twisted into a wry smile, and she shook her head. “Better that bag than my head, I suppose.”

He slowly rose to his feet, feeling a slight shake in his legs. “Alina,” he murmured, giving her a small nod. “Is there anything else I can do for you?”

“Actually, I was hoping I could talk to you.” She turned to face him, eyes pleading. In a soft voice, she added, “Please?”

He sighed as he walked to the corner where he had left his gym towel and water pouch. “There isn’t anything to say, Alina,” he said, using the towel to wipe the sweat from his face. “You’ve already given me your explanation, and I know you’re not going to apologize.”

“You’re right; I won’t apologize. I did what was necessary.” She bit her lip. “I meant what I said the other day, about you being like a younger brother to me. You are a part of my family, and I don’t want you to hate me. I know I’ve lost your trust, maybe your respect. But…” She shrugged helplessly.

He stood there for a moment, staring at her, thinking of what to say. He’d spent these past few days mulling over all of the events that had transpired and how he felt about it. He hadn’t, however, thought about what he might say to her if she asked. He had assumed they would just ignore it and push on.

Finally, he shook his head slowly. “I’m angry at you, yes. But I’m mostly angry at myself for not being more thorough. For breaking my own rules. I’m just as much at fault in this as you are. And I haven’t lost my respect for you. I know that you were doing it because you thought it was right, not because you wanted to hurt anyone.” He paused. “I just wish you would have told me what the plan was.”

Alina ran a hand over her braids before giving them a tug. Akira had seen her perform the gesture enough times to know that it meant she was frustrated. “I knew you would tell me no, Kira. You have the biggest heart of anyone I know. If I had told you that I planned to trick the only surviving Sanchez family member into joining the Deliverance, you would have refused. And then you would have tried to talk me out of it.”

“You’re right. I would have. Someone should have.” He spread his hands. “This isn’t what the Deliverance is about. We help people. You could have killed him! What if he had brought Petra with him when he delivered the package? What if the Galra had caught him? Would you have cared? Would you have spent as much effort to rescue him as you did to recruit him?”

He saw the look of guilt flash across her face before she schooled it back into a neutral expression.  “’A cause worth dying for;”, she said, reminding him of the Deliverance’s motto.

“Only if they are willing to do so,” he snapped back, feeling his temper flare. Was she seriously still trying to defend herself? She knew how he felt about this subject.  “We never force anyone to do anything they don’t want to. That makes us no better than the Galra!”

. She visibly flinched at that, and Akira felt a small, grim sense of victory as he realized that his verbal punch had landed hard. “I did what was necessary,” she repeated, though she didn’t sound as convinced as she had just a moment ago.

Akira clenched his fists and took a step forward. Now that the damn had broke, all of those mixed-up feelings that had been swirling around inside of him came pouring out. “You could have asked him. It should have been his choice. It should always be their choice. You were the one who told me that!”

“I did ask him! Twice! He said no!”

“No. You had the Deliverance ask him to join the cause, and I doubt that they tried very hard. You --- Alina --- never asked him. You did not go to him and explain what was happening, explain your worries to him. He might have agreed then. Instead, you forced him into it. And you exploited both the deaths of his family and the loss of his friend’s family to get what you wanted.” He shook his head. “Is this what the Deliverance is turning into? Because, if it is, then I’d prefer to be on my own.”

“We are doing what is right!” she shouted at him, her cheeks red and eyes bright. Akira knew then that he had struck a nerve. Alina never raised her voice.

He sneered at her. “Are we? Or is just nothing more than your own personal vendetta?”

That, apparently, was the wrong thing to say.

Alina let out a growl, a sound that no human throat should be able to make. Her pupils blew, the iris reduced to a small ring of green around the black. Her face began to change, and she dropped to all fours, her eyes locked on his.

Shit. Akira felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end as he dropped into a fighting crouch. Alina was about to attack him, and he knew he was no match for her. Not in physical combat, anyways, not when she was like this. Maybe if he had his sword….

“Yo, Kira. You still in here? Sorry I’m late. I --- Woah!”

Shit, he thought again. He hadn’t been paying attention to the time, had totally forgotten that Leandro was supposed to meet him for team training. He needed to get the other man out of the room, but he didn’t dare take his eyes off of Alina. He had to keep her attention on him and away from Leandro.

However, Alina seemed to remember where she was --- and what she was about to do ---and Akira watched as she managed to pull herself back together. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, her face returning to normal. When she lifted her eyelids, he could see that her eyes had returned to the sparkling green that he was used to. He let out the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding, feeling his body relax.

As Alina slowly rose to her feet, he finally felt comfortable enough to move his gaze to Leandro. The other man’s hands were up, his eyes wide and focused on Alina. “Er. I can come back later. I told Hayach that ---”

“It’s all right,” Alina said smoothly, turning to smile at Leandro. “Akira and I were just having a… misunderstanding. That is all. Please. Don’t let me keep you from your training.” She offered him a nod, then glanced back at Akira. He stiffened, but all she did was offer him the same nod. “We’ll finish this conversation at a later date.” The corner of her lips turned up. “When cooler heads can prevail.”

He nodded in return. “I look forward to it.”

Her smile widened --- just a bit --- before she turned to leave, pausing long enough to place a hand on Leandro’s shoulder. 

He watched her walk away before turning back to Akira. “What was that all about?” he asked, lowering his hands. “I could have used that fancy knife of yours to cut the tension, it was so thick in here.”

“It was nothing. Don’t worry about it.” Akira cocked his head to the side. “You were saying something about being late?”

Leandro moved to drop his towel and water pouch next to Akira’s. “I got lost,” he answered sheepishly. “I know I have a map on this wrist thingy, but I’m still trying to figure out how to use it.” He moved to unzip his pullover. “I finally went to the dinning hall to ask for directions. Thank the stars Hayach was there. He pointed me in the right direction.”

Akira watched as the other man pulled the garment off and dropped it to the floor next to his towel. He was wearing a tank top and a pair of shorts, and Akira was treated to a feast of beautiful bronze skin and taut muscles. Akira was also surprised to see a few tattoos located on his companion’s arms and legs. The ugly black of his slave mark peeked out from under the strap of his tank top.

God, but he was gorgeous. For a moment --- and only a moment --- he let himself wonder what it would feel like to run his hands over Leandro’s body. To see how soft his skin felt, to trace those tattoos with his fingertips. Maybe even find out what his lips tasted like.

“All right.” Leandro’s voice pulled him back from his daydream. The other man was standing with his hands on his hips, surveying the training room. “What exactly are we supposed to be doing?”

“For our hour, we’ll be working on hand-to-hand combat,” Akira replied as he began to unwrap his hands. “We’ll start off with some light sparring, just to see what we’re working with.”

Leandro made a face at this. “I don’t plan on getting near enough to anyone to have to fight them. I’m more of a ‘shoot-them-from-a-safe-distance’ kind of guy. Why don’t we practice shooting things?”

Akira valiantly tried to not look at the pout that was on is companion’s lips. “You can do that during your solo hour. The weapon training room is back there.”

Leandro’s eyes moved to the area where Akira had pointed his chin, looking skeptical. “Don’t worry,” Akira said, easily deciphering the other man’s concern. “I’ll show you how to use it. Now, do you know anything about hand-to-hand combat?”

Leandro ran a hand through his brown curls, and Akira found his own hands itching to do the same. “Does watching kung-fu movies count? I was a pretty small kid, so I just ran away from fights. And, as I mentioned earlier, I have no desire to get close enough to someone to have to hit them.”

“Fair enough.” Akira dropped his sweat-soaked wraps into the recycler before pulling his hair tie out. A lot of his hair had escaped during his training session, and he needed to fix it. “Show me how you think you should stand when you’re fighting.”

Leandro shot him a bemused look, but he moved his feet so that one was in the front, toes pointed forward, the back foot facing sideways, bracing him. He slightly bent his knees, then lifted his hands to form fists in front of his face.

The first thing that Akira noticed was that his front foot was his right, which he had not expected. “You’re left-handed?”

He opened his left fist and wiggled his fingers. ‘The fastest southpaw in all of Santiago de Cuba.”

“Well, I’m glad to see that you at least know to put your best foot forward.”

There was a breath of silence, then Leandro barked out a laugh. “Did you just make a joke? I’m impressed, Samurai! I didn’t know you had it in you!”

Akira, who had moved to stand behind the other man, frowned in confusion. He actually had not been making a joke, but that wasn’t the important part. “What do you mean by that?”

“Well, I mean, no offense ---- I’ve only been around you, like, three times --- but you kind of seem to have a stick permanently shoved up your ass.”

He scowled, even though he knew his companion couldn’t see him. “I do not. You just haven’t been around me when we’re not in a stressful situation.”

Leandro snorted. “Dude, that stick was up your ass when we first met, before the shit hit the fan. Do you remember what you said when I asked you who you were?” He lowered his voice in an attempt to mimic Akira’s. “’A customer’. I even tried flirting with you. You just narrowed your eyes at me. You have no sense of humor, my friend.”

His scowl deepened, but he decided to drop the subject. “Do I have permission to touch you?” he asked, then winced when he realized how stiff his voice sounded.

Leandro tsked at this. “Forget working on fighting. We need to work on getting that stick out. And your flirting skills! I give you major points for asking for consent --- at least you are a gentleman --- but your delivery needs a lot of work.”

Akira couldn’t hold back a growl. “I am not flirting,” he ground out, even as he felt the blush creep into his cheeks. “I just wanted to fix a few things with your stance, but I didn’t want to touch you without your permission first.”

He could practically hear the grin in Leandro’s voice. “Sure, Samurai. You can touch me all you want.” His last few words came out as a purr.

That was just too much. “Are you going to take this seriously?” he snapped. “We have a job to do, and I am going to have to rely on you to protect my back. If you can’t do that, then we are going to have to figure something else out. Because, if I can’t trust you to look out for me, then we can’t be partners. So, tell me now, before I waste any more of my time.”

For a moment, no one soke. The only sounds Akira could hear was his own ragged breathing and the pounding of his heart. Fuck. He couldn’t do this. He wasn’t good with people. This was why he had always worked alone. Leandro already hated him, and this wasn’t going to help. It was a wonder the other man had even bothered to show up today at all.

He waited for Leandro to say something, for his companion to comment on his outburst, to leave, Anything. Anything but what actually happened.

“You’re right,” Leandro said in a quiet voice, all hints of playfulness gone. “I do need to take this seriously. I’m sorry. Please. Show me.”

Akira stood still for a moment, trying to get his breathing under control. He ran his hands over his face, silently cursing himself for losing his cool in front of his new partner. But he didn’t say anything else, just stepped forward to lightly grip the other man’s hips. “Here,” he said gruffly, turning Leandro slightly. “You need to stand a little looser. You’re going to want to be able to move quickly, and you are too squared --- like you are now --- you will only be able to move your upper body. Pull your back foot in a little bit closer.”

“Like this?”  He moved his foot as instructed.

Akira let out a hum of approval. “Very good. Now, move your weight to the balls of your feet. And don’t bend your knees quite as much. The idea is to be loose. Fluid.”

Leandro nodded, then inhaled deeply through his nose. When he slowly exhaled through his mouth, Akira could see his shoulders loosening, the tension in his back disappearing.

“Good,”  Akira murmured, moving around to Leandro’s front. He studied the other man’s arms, making sure to avoid eye contact. He reached out to gently grasp his companion’s wrists, pulling his arms slightly down. “Keep them below your chin. That way it’s easier to move them to the place you need to protect the most, be it your face or your midsection.”

He lifted his gaze to find those blue eyes (cornflower his mind supplied, as a brief memory of asking his mother what the name on the Crayon was) fixated on him as he continued to adjust their owner’s body. Akira tried to keep his touches light and brief, to not let his mind latch on to the fact that Leandro’s skin was warm and soft under his fingers.

Finally, he took a step back, and --- after raking Leandro’s form with a critical eye --- gave a satisfied nod. “There. How does that feel?”

Leandro moved experimentally, bouncing on his feet and weaving the top half of his body back and forth. “It feels pretty good, actually. You were right. Being loose is way better. It’s much easier for me to move like this.”

Akira let himself start to smile. The other man looked absolutely ridiculous bobbing around like that, but the motion was fluid, which was exactly what they had been going for. “All right. Now, I want to see what your punch looks like.” He moved so that he was within striking distance of Leandro’s fists. “Hit me.”

Leandro stopped moving. “What?”

“I want you to hit me. It’s the best way for me to see what your punches are like. I want to make sure you aren’t going to break your hand if you happen to get into a fight.”

“Dude, I’m not hitting you. Don’t you have some pads or something I can hit instead? Or what about the punching bag? There’s several of those. The heavy bag is already busted. I’ll take a few whacks at it.”

Akira frowned at him. He had thought that the other man would relish the chance to get in a few hits. He was sure Leandro still blamed him for being here, and he had wanted to do something by way of apology. The fact that Leandro was hesitating was unexpected. “You… don’t want to hit me?”

“Of course I don’t want to hit you! Why would I ---” Leandro suddenly stopped, straitening his legs and putting his hands on his hips as he gazed at his partner thoughtfully. “Ooooh, I get it. This is your way of trying to say you’re sorry, isn’t it? You think that I am super pissed at you, and that hitting that pretty face of yours will make me feel better. That’s it, isn’t it?”

Akira was feeling very confused --- the fact that Leandro had said he had a pretty face wasn’t helping --- and a bit foolish. “But you hate me,” he pointed out. “There is no way you don’t hate me. Not after everything that’s happened.”

Leandro sighed and shook his head. “I don’t hate you, Akira,” he said softly. I’m not mad at you. Hell, I’m not even mad at Alina. You two may not be my favorite people in the world right now, but I’m not mad.”

None of this was going the way Akira had expected. He had been so sure that his new teammate was furious with hm, that he was so full of anger that Leandro would enjoy the opportunity to take it out on Akira. He hadn’t expected the other man to be so casual with him, to flirt and make jokes. And definitely not to not be angry. This…. acceptance was foreign to him. “But why?” he blurted out. “We ruined your life! You said so yourself!”

“Yeah. Well.” He shrugged. “I was tired and hungry and confused and fucking scared. My mouth was working faster than my brain.” He paused, then shook his head. “But what’s done is done. I can’t go back and change it. So what’s the point in being mad? ‘No use crying over spilled milk’, as my mother used to say.” A smile touched his lips, briefly, and he turned his face away. “Besides, the worst thing that could possibly happen to me already has. So the bar was already set kinda high in the ‘you-ruined-my-life’ department.”

Akira didn’t understand any of this. He knew that he’d be furious if he were in Leandro’s position. He would be boiling over with rage, and he would take every chance possible to get back at the people that he held responsible for his misery. But all that mattered to him in that moment --- all he could care about --- was that the other man wasn’t angry at him.

Leandro didn’t hate him.

A wave of relief washed over him so vast it nearly sent him staggering to his knees. It was overwhelming, and beautiful, and he had never felt anything like it in his life.

A smile --- a real smile --- crossed his face, and he stood up taller, his heart feeling lighter. “All right, then. I’ll go get the practice pads so we can see how you hit.” He paused. “And, um, thanks, Leandro. For not hating me. I was worried that… Well, it means a lot. What you said. And I’m sorry for yelling at you earlier.”

He waved his hand dismissively. “Hey, man. No worries. I did tell you that you have a stick up your ass, so I kind of earned a dressing-down” Then he grinned, a grin so wide and so bright that it was nearly blinding. Akira’s breath hitched at the sight of it, his heart stuttering through a few beats. And when Leandro winked, he felt his face immediately catch fire. “And, please. Call me Leo.”

By the time he left the training room, Leandro was sore, but happy. Akira had given him a thorough workout, making him repeat his moves over and over again until they were exactly the way the scarred man had wanted them. After his partner was satisfied with his results, Leandro had been led to the weapons training room.

It was a large, open space, much bigger than the gym area they had just been in. At first, Leandro had been confused, as the room appeared to be empty. But when Akira had shown him the massive store of practice weapons --- everything from throwing stars and swords to weapons that he had never even heard of --- and explained how it worked, he couldn’t help but laugh in pure delight. Then he had spent the next hour shooting at whatever the AI threw at him.

After toweling off his sweat and zipping his pullover back up (Alina had decided not to announce that Leandro Sanchez was part of the Deliverance just yet, so he didn’t want the whole Castle to see his slave mark and start asking questions), he headed off down the hall towards the living quarters, already imaging how good his shower was going to feel.

However, he found Curran waiting for him.

The flame-haired Altean was lounging a few feet down the hall, his face brightening at the sight of the newly-minted Blue Paladin. “Hello, Mr. Sanchez! I hope you had a good training session this morning.”

“You can call me Leo, Curran.” He grinned. “And yeah. Training was great.”

‘Great’ had been Akira asking for permission --- fucking permission ---to touch him, then being so gentle when he finally did. (Leandro was pretty sure that he had fallen at least a little bit in love with his partner at that.) ‘Great’ was realizing just how awkward his new teammate really was, and being absolutely charmed by it. ‘Great’ was understanding just how devastated Akira had been at the thought of Leandro hating him, and the look of utter relief that crossed the scarred man’s face when he realized that wasn’t the case.

Curran beamed at this. “I am so happy to hear that! Now, I know that you are probably wanting to take a shower, but I was hoping I could borrow a few moments of your time?”

‘Sure,” he replied with a shrug. “I don’t have anything else to do anyways.”

“Ah! That’s exactly what I wanted to talk to you about!” Curran clapped him on the shoulder. “Follow me.”

He led Leandro to the lounge area, then through a thick glass door and out into the rest of the Deliverance’s complex. “I don’t know how much you know about how the Deliverance operates, but we offer opportunities for anyone willing to take them. We don’t just need soldiers like Hoshi. We also need doctors like Dante and engineers like Hayach. The Deliverance wouldn’t be able to exist without them.”

“That makes sense. I mean, I know Akira is also the mechanic, and Hayach does a lot of the cooking as well. “

“Precisely! I thought you might like a job to do as well. Something to do while you’re not training or out on missions. We’ll provide you with a small stipend, of course.”

Leandro sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I appreciate the thought, Curran, but I have no formal training in anything. I never finished high school, and being a delivery boy doesn’t really require any skill. I’m not sure how I can be of use to you in the jobs department.”

Curran scoffed, waving a hand dismissively. “The only people here who have official training are the medical staff. Akira learned how to work on cars from Dante, and he is now the best mechanic in all of the Outskirts! Besides.” He glanced at the younger man sideways. “I already have a job in mind for you.”

The two trekked across a wide expanse of lawn and down a gentle slope torwards a long, low building. As they got closer, Leandro could make out the sounds of children’s squeals and laughter. And, after a few more moments, he could see why.

“A school?” He raised an eyebrow. “Curran, no offense, man, but I don’t think I’d make a very good teacher. I say ‘fuck’ a lot.”

The Altean just smiled and put a hand on Leandro’s shoulder. “Not a teacher, but something just as important. Something much more needed. Come on. Let me introduce you to sone of my friends.”

Leandro reluctantly followed his companion towards a modest playground, where a group of small children were gathered. He hadn’t been around any children since… Well, in a very long time. He wasn’t sure he remembered how to interact with them.

Just before they reached the group, a small figure rocketed towards them. “Curran!”

Curran laughed as he opened his arms just in time to catch the child as they launched themselves at him. “Hello, Master Lance! It is good to see you again!”

“Where have you been?” demanded a small, angry voice. “You promised that you would come and play with me!”

Curran sighed. “I know,” he said, and Leandro could hear real regret in his voice. “And I am so very sorry that I have not been able to keep my promise. I have been very busy lately. But I have brought someone that I want you to meet.” He put the child down and placed his hands on their shoulders, both of them facing Leandro. He looked down at the child…

… and felt his entire body go numb.

The child at Curran’s feet was a boy who looked to be around seven or eight. His skin was tan, a shade lighter than Leandro’s own. His hair was bronze, and he was looking up with wide eyes the color of chocolate.

For a moment, his vision waivered, and Leandro was seeing a different boy. The same age, with the same tan skin, same brown hair. But this boy had eyes the color of the sky, and a gaped-tooth grin was spread across his face.

“Tio Leo!” He could hear the boy’s voice as if he were right there with them on that playground. “Tio Leo! Will you teach me how to play baseball? Papa says you’re the best player he’s ever seen!”

Then he blinked, and he was back to staring at the boy with the chocolate eyes.

Leandro let out a shaky breath, then crouched down so that he was eye level with the child. “Hey, there,” he said with a smile. “My name is Leo. What’s yours?”

The boy pressed his back against Curran’s legs while looking at him warily, as if trying to decide if Leandro was a friend or foe. Finally, he said “My name is Lance.” Then, “You look like me. I’ve never met anyone else who looks like me, Well, not since we came here.” He held out a skinny arm for Leandro to inspect.

Leandro lifted his own arm, placing it next to the boy’s so that they could compare their skin tones. “That’s because my family is Hispanic,” he explained. “I’m from a place on Earth called Cuba. Have you ever heard of it?”

They boy’s eyes grew even wider at this, a small gasp escaping his lips. “No way!” he said excitedly. “I’m from Cuba, too! I was born in Havana!”

“Ah,” Leandro said in an impressed tone of voice. “You are from the capital! I am from Santiago de Cuba. Do you know where that is?”

The boy --- Lance, Leandro reminded himself --- bit his bottom lip, eyebrows drawing together in concentration. After a moment, he shook his head, looking frustrated.

“Check this out.” Leandro lifted a hand, palm towards Lance, fingers pointed to the side and down. “Here is Havana.” He pointed to the area of his palm just below his thumb. “And here is Santiago de Cuba, alllllll the way down here.” He drug his fingertip down his hand to end at the tip of his middle finger.

The boy opened his mouth to say something, but he was interrupted by a voice calling out his name. “Come along now, Lance.” It was the teacher. All of the other kids were already gathered around her. “It’s time to go back inside.”

Lance looked like he wanted to argue, but Curran ruffled his hair fondly. “Go on now, Master Lance. I’ll bring Leo back tomorrow.”

That all-too adult wariness was back in his eyes. “Do you promise?”

“I’ll be back tomorrow.” Leandro offered his fist. “I promise.”

For a moment, no one moved. Then a wide grin stretched across Lance’s face, and he bumped his much smaller fist against Leandro’s before running back to join his classmates.

Leandro stood, watching as the herd of small bodies filed back into the building. He could easily pick out Lance, his mop of brown hair dancing as he walked. He felt something tighten in his chest as he watched the boy disappear through the door.

Curran stepped up next to him, reaching up to place a hand on his shoulder. “We all know your story,” the older man said softly. “We know how you felt about Julian, what you sacrificed for him.”

Julian…

The tightness in his chest twisted painfully as he thought about that other boy, the one with the blue eyes. The boy that had been named after him. The boy that he had been willing to give his life for.

The boy that he had been unable to save.

As if sensing Leandro’s thoughts, Curran squeezed his shoulder. “We can’t bring your nephew back,” he said, voice gentle. “But these children need someone. Not a teacher. Not a counselor. But a friend. A mentor. Someone who has overcome their own personal tragedy and can help them do the same.” He shook his head. “I’ve tried to be that person, but my duties keep me too busy. But you… You are exactly what they need.”

Leandro was still staring at the door that the kids had walked through. ”When you say they need help overcoming their own tragedies…”

“Most of them have lost something --- if not everything --- to the Galra. Some have lost homes, some have lost limbs. Almost all of them have lost family members.”

“Lance?”

Curran nodded, his eye sad. “His father and brother were enslaved by the Galra, just as you were, and sent to a worker’s prison several miles outside of the city. We were finally able to liberate the prison, but both men had been killed in a riot. Lance lives with his mother and younger sister. He is the man of the house now, and he hardly knows how to even be a child.”

We can’t bring your nephew back, Curran had said. And Leandro knew that, knew Julian had been lost to him. But maybe --- just maybe ---he could use this opportunity to save someone else.

“All right,” he said, turning to face Curran. “When do I start?”

Chapter Text

The next several days passed in relative peace. The Paladins of Voltron had quickly settled into a daily routine: they had their individual and team trainings in the mornings, an unofficial team lunch (in which no one was allowed to talk about work), an afternoon spent working on their respective duties, and a group debriefing every night.

Much to his surprise, it didn’t take Leandro long to settle into life at the Castle. His living quarters were certainly an upgrade, and it was starting to feel quite homey, now that all of his things had been unpacked and put away. He liked living with Petra, liked getting to sit with her in their kitchen every morning, drinking coffee while they scanned through the news tickers.

The kids at the school had taken to him right away. Curran had been right; they just needed someone to be there for them. Someone who wasn’t an official adult, like the teachers or counselors. Someone who had no other obligation to them besides being a listening ear or a shoulder to cry on. He was at the school every afternoon. and didn’t leave until every student had gone home for the day.

He was enjoying getting to know his new teammates. He had quickly taken to Hayach, the other man always so happy and optimistic that Leandro couldn’t help but like him. Dante was the most patient man he had ever met. Hoshi was incredibly kind, and happily took on the role as the Team Mom. Leandro loved listening to their stories during their lunch hour, and had started trying to spend more time with each of them outside of their roles as paladins.

And then there was Akira.

Leandro had discovered on their second day of training that his partner had the lowest blushing threshold of anyone he had ever met, and he took every opportunity to turn the other man’s face red. He kept his teasing gentle --- Akira’s temper was just as easy to rile up as his embarrassment --- and Leandro had no desire to upset him. But every time Akira blushed, he gave himself a point. Two, if the other man stuttered in response as well. He had lost count of his score by the fifth day.

One day, after he and Petra had returned to their apartment for the night, he threw himself onto their couch. “I have decided on a new goal for my life,” he declared.

Petra’s expression was amused as she perched on the arm of the couch. “What is it this time? Learn to speak Galran? Go skinny-dipping in the fountain in front of the Castillo? Travel across the entire expanse of the Wastes?”

He waved her away. “No. It’s an even more daunting goal than any of those.” He paused for dramatic effect. “I’m going to make Akira fall in love with me.”

That caused both of Petra’s eyebrows to shoot upwards. That was an answer that she had not expected. “Oh? And how do you plan on doing that? Every other time you’ve tried to make someone fall in love with you, it has failed. Miserably. Remember that bartender? The one that stalked you?”

“Pssh. He was harmless.”

“Harmless? Leo, he followed you from the bar to your apartment three times. He tried to break in. You had to cosh him on the head with a baseball bat to get him away from you!”

Instead of being deterred, Leandro just grinned. “Guess that just means I’m too good at making people fall in love with me.” He winked.

Petra could only let out a groan as she rolled her eyes. “You are such an idiot. You’ve never actually made anyone fall in love with you before. You’re always the one who is doing the falling. Have you ever thought about what you might do if someone actually said they loved you?”

“One step at a time, my friend,” he said cheerily. “One step at a time.”

She studied him for a long moment, watching as he rolled onto his side so that he could gesture the holovid screen on. She had known him for nearly seven years, had been there with him at the worst moment of his life. She had watched him pull himself back together, slowly and painfully, until he had become the Leandro that was before her now. He had a zest for life, that she had never seen before, and he wanted nothing more than to experience everything it had to offer. Anytime anyone paid him attention for more than two days, he would fall in love with them. He always fell fast, and he fell hard. But he hadn’t said anything about Akira. She knew that he had flirted with him, but, then, Leandro flirted with everyone. “Do you like him?” she asked. “Akira, I mean? As a potential romantic partner?”

Leandro shrugged. “I don’t know him enough to like him like that.”

“That’s never stopped you before.”

That drew a chuckle out of him. “You have a point.” He paused for a moment. “I like him as a man, sure. He’s beautiful. Even you’ve talked about how pretty he is. He’s dedicated, which I respect. And he’s so godsdamned proper. He never does anything to anyone without asking permission first. He’s exactly like the heroes from the romantic movies my sisters used to make me watch.” He shrugs. “In another life, yes. He would be my ideal romantic partner. But, let’s face it. Akira will never love me. He might tolerate me. Hell, I think we might actually be friends now. But love? No way. And that’s why it’s going to be so fun to try.”

Petra pursed her lips at this. Leandro had never spoken of a potential lover like this before. Usually he just saw a man or a woman that he thought was attractive and went from there. He never bothered with caring about their character, and none of them had ever stayed around long enough for him to really get to know them. But he had been forced to be around Akira, to work with him, to get to know him. And now he was talking about him not as a sex object, but as a man. “Why do you think he wouldn’t love you?”

He rolled back onto his back so that he could look at her. “Come on, Pet. We couldn’t be more opposite if we tried. He is so stuffy and uptight and doesn’t like to be around people. I hate being by myself, and I have a hard time being serious. Could you imagine us actually together?” He shuddered. “Besides, we’re partners now. We work together. A romantic entanglement might make things awkward, especially if we didn’t work out. I’m fine with how things are going right now.”

“Then why this goal of making him fall in love with you if you don’t plan on falling in love with him? You can’t just play with people like that, Leo.”

“Oh, I’m not. I wouldn’t do that to him. Besides, it’s just a silly game.” He told her about his goal to make Akira blush at every opportunity, and outlined some of the better responses he had gotten out of the tother man with his outrageous flirting. She couldn’t help but laugh at some of the stories he told, but she knew there was more to this, despite what Leandro was telling her.  

“What about you?” he finally asked. “Any cute boys down in Engineering caught your eye yet? What about Hayach? The two of you seem to be pretty chummy.”

She smiled as she pulled her hair tie free, letting he brown locks fall to her shoulder. “Hayach is such a good guy. But he’s still in the puppy stage with me. He follows me everywhere, constantly asking me questions. I don’t mind it, though. He’s absolutely brilliant, way more than he gives himself credit for.”

“Not your type, huh?”

She snorted as she shoved his legs off of the couch so that she could sit. “Unlike you, my main goal in life isn’t to find my next sex partner. I have more important things to worry about.”

He wrinkled his nose. “Ugh. I don’t even want to think about you having sex. That’s just… wrong.”

She threw a pillow at him. “You’re the one who brought this up, asshole! Besides, you’ve never spared me the details about your sex life. So why should I spare you from mine?”

For a moment, there was no answer, and Petra thought that he had finally let the matter drop. But then, in a soft voice, he said “You deserve to find someone, Petra. You’ve spent all this time taking care of me and not doing things for yourself. You never hang out with anyone but me, and you’ve gone out on a date, what? Twice? You’re finally around other people who think like you do, have similar interests to you. You’re beautiful, Petra. You’re smart as fuck, and you have the biggest heart of anyone I have ever met. You deserve to have a life of your own instead of always having to babysit me. I just feel like this is a really good opportunity for you to be happy.”

Petra felt her heart swell at his words, and a feeling of warmth settled into her stomach. She loved this man more than she could ever put into words. Not romantically --- there had been a period of time when she thought it might have gone that way, but they had both realized that what they had was far more rare and precious. Despite his careless, arrogant air, Leandro cared more for others than he ever would about himself. He would do whatever it took to make those he cared about happy, no matter what the cost to himself.

She reached out to twine her fingers through his. “I’m not looking for a relationship,” she said, her voice just as soft as his had been. “If I do manage to find someone I’m interested in, then I’ll see what happens. But you are my family just as much as I am yours. Even if I do find a partner, you’re still stuck with me.” She squeezed his hand. “And the same goes for you. If Akira does fall in love with you, you better make sure he understands that we are a two-for-one deal. He doesn’t get you without me.”

He laughed softly as he brought her hand to his mouth, placing a gentle kiss onto her knuckles. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure he knows.”

Leandro was sitting on a swing in the school’s empty playground when his wrist comm beeped. He had been talking to another boy --- well, trying to talk to him, anyways ---- as the two of them slowly swung back and forth. The boy was in the same class a Lance, and Leandro had noticed that he mostly kept to himself. He didn’t seem to have any friends, and Leandro didn’t think he had ever heard the boy speak. So when he had noticed the boy sitting by himself on the swing set, Leandro had decided to go and introduce himself. He had plopped onto the empty swing next to the boy and began to move back and forth.

Neither of them spoke for several moments as they concentrated on lazily swinging. When Leandro finally spoke, he made sure to pitch his voice so that only his companion could hear him. “’Sup? My name is Leo. What’s yours?’

There was no answer. The boy didn’t look at him, didn’t acknowledge that Leandro had even spoken. That was all right. Leandro would push him. He would just stay there, swinging, letting the boy know that he was there if he wanted to talk.

The boy still hadn’t said a word by the time the teacher called them to go back inside. He instantly stopped swinging and got to his feet. He didn’t leave right away, though. Instead, he turned his head just enough that Leandro could hear his voice.

“My name is Keith.”

Then he was gone, running off to join the line of his classmates moving through the door.

Leandro didn’t move from his swing after that. The weather was perfect today, and there would be another class out on the playground soon, another chance fo him to connect with a child who needed him.

But then his wrist comm beeped, startling him. He looked down at the screen, tapping at it until he was able to retrieve the message.

Alina’s face appeared above his wrist. “Hello, Paladins,” she said, her voice as clear as if she were standing right in front of him. “I am sorry to bother you, but we have just received some information that we must act upon immediately. Please come to the command center as soon as you can.”

He frowned as Alina’s face disappeared. He wondered what kind of information they had gotten that would cause this kind of urgency.

Well, he supposed he would find out soon enough. He stopped his swinging, then headed up to the Castle.

All of the other Paladins were gathered in the command center by the time Leandro arrived. Petra walked over to say hello, while Hayach and Curran were staring intently at a tablet. Alina and Hoshi were conversing quietly with one another, while Dante and Akira were ---

He came up short as he caught sight of his partner.

Akira must have come directly from the garage. He had on one of his customary black t-shirts, but the sleeves were cut off, and Leandro got a taste of those biceps that Akira had kept hidden thus far. And, everywhere Leandro looked, there was grease. His partner’s hands were totally black, and his face and both arms had grease smudges all over them. His gray-violet eyes stood out starkly from his suddenly darker skin.

Leandro had seen the other man when he was disheveled. Hell, he saw him drenched in sweat every single day for at least an hour, sometimes more. But, for some reason, this made Akira look human. Not that cool, heartless robot that he normally projected, but human. He looked like any man who had just finished up at work and was looking for a way to unwind. He looked like someone Leandro might have sat next to at a bar.

This, Leandro decided, was his favorite version of Akira; this dirty-but-don’t-care man in his combat boots and sleeveless t-shirt and covered in grease.

Though, if he was being honest with himself, he would like Akira even more if he wore less clothing and more skin.

Petra nudged him with her elbow. “Pick your jaw up off the floor, Romeo.”

He tilted his head towards her, but did not take his eyes off of the other man. He watched, almost hungrily, as Akira crossed his arms across his chest, making those delicious biceps flex. “Hmmm?”

“You’re staring,” she murmured to him, a grin on her face. “Actually, I think you might be oogling.”

He let out a gasp at this, finally turning to look at his friend. “I was not,” he said indignantly. “Well, I may have been staring --- though, who came blame me? That is a masterpiece of the male species, thank you very much --- but I most certainly was not oogling. I, my dear lady, never oogle.”

She patted him on the arm. “Whatever you say, Loverboy.”

He opened his mouth to retort (no way was he letting her have the last word on this), but was interrupted by the sound of Alina clapping her hands together. “Thank you, Paladins, for coming together on such short notice. I know many of you were busy, and I am sorry to have to pull you away from your duties. But the information we have obtained must be acted on as soon as possible.” She gestured to Curran and Hayach.

It was Hayach who spoke first. “Remember those Juicers we talked about a while back? Well, it looks like they’ve been joining forces Supposedly they have set up a base of operations here in the Outskirts. Our sources tell us that they have planned a massive raid on the area.” He paused. “Tonight.”

“That sounds ominous,” Leandro murmured. Louder, he asked “What kind of raid are they planning, exactly?”

“According to the chatter Petra has been monitoring, they plan to sweep through the Outskirts in an attempt to flush out the Neon City Outlaws.” He pointed a finger at Akira, then at Leandro. “They mean you two.”

Leandro looked over at Akira, who was looking back at him. Leandro imagined that he must look just as confused as Akira. “The who?”

“The Neon City Outlaws,” Hayach replied with a grin. “Pretty catchy, huh? Someone in the chat rooms came up with it, and it’s stuck.”

“This raid will be a bloodbath,” Alina interjected, bringing the conversation back to the topic at hand. “We’ve been told that shops are closing early and that the residents have been seeking shelter elsewhere. I’m afraid that anyone left in the Outskirts will be in great danger tonight. We must stop this from happening.”

“How many Juicers are we talking?” Akira asked in a wary tone.

Curran tapped at his tablet, then swiped his finger up so that he could share his screen. “We know for a fact that Juicers have gathered at an abandoned warehouse on the edge of the Wastes. We have managed to hack the security cameras outside of it. The video quality is absolutely terrible, but so far we have managed to identify at least seventy different individuals.”

Leandro let out a long, low whistle. “That’s a lot of Juicers for just two people to handle. Have you ever tried to fight one when they’re juiced? Seventy Juicers hyped up on quintessence is the equivalent to a large army.” He turned to look at his partner. “What do you think, Samurai? You’ve been working with me for almost two weeks now. You know what you and I are both capable of. Do you think we can do this?”

‘Hopefully, you won’t have to,” Alina answered instead. “We just need to cause a distraction, something that will keep them off of the streets.”

He raised an eyebrow at this. “Let me guess: another bomb?”

She shrugged, not looking the least bit ashamed. “You have to admit that setting their headquarters on fire would certainly be distracting.”

“Besides, it’s not like you’ll have to do it yourself.” Petra’s tone was smug. “I’ve been able to give the Rovers some pretty sweet upgrades since we came here, and you can use one of them to deliver the bomb for you.” She grinned. “Destruction from a distance.”

Hoshi was looking at the flickering security footage thoughtfully. “What does the surrounding area look like? Is there anywhere they can safely dispatch the Rover from?”

Curran pulled up another screen. “There are several buildings in the area, almost all of them abandoned. A few of them have been corroded by the Wastes, but most of them are still structurally sound.”

Akira’s brother rubbed his chin for a moment. “Petra, when you say ‘destruction from a distance’, how much distance are we talking?”

“Twelve or thirteen hundred feet at least. We’ve never really had any reason to test it further than that.”

“All right. I’ll take a team to the area and find a suitable location for them to set up.”

But Alina was already shaking her head. “There is no time. The raid is supposed to happen tonight. If we have any hopes of stopping it, we have to act now. And we can’t risk tipping the Juicers off to our plan.”

“No.” Hoshi’s voice was hard, leaving no room for arguments. “This is non-negotiable, Alina. If you expect me to agree with sending my brother --- or Leo --- into a hostile situation without doing recon first, then you are greatly mistaken. You will either make time, or the mission will be a no-go.”

The Altean held up her hands in a placating gesture. “I promise that I am not sending them in blind and unprepared. We have access to every security camera in both the Outskirts and the Neon City. I was going to suggest that you and Dante look through all of the feeds to see if you can find a suitable location that way. That also means that you will be able to watch them in real time when they leave.” She lowered her hands. “I know this is not ideal, but it was the best I could come up with on such short notice.”

The elder Kogane stared at her for a several moments, his hesitation evident, before offering her a stiff nod. “Very well. We’ll make it work.”

“Can I at least take a shower first?” Akira called out. “If I’m going to be blowing things up, I would at least like to wash all of this grease off first.”

Please say no, Leandro thought in Alina’s direction. He rather relished the idea of having to cling onto the other man while he was dressed down and dirty. Maybe he could finally get his hands on Akira’s arms, find out just how strong they really were. Please say no.

“Of course you can,” she said, causing Leandro to pout in disappointment. “We have a little time yet. We decided that twilight would be the best time to execute our plan. Hopefully, they will all be too busy preparing for the raid ahead that they won’t be paying any attention to their surroundings.” She clapped her hands together once more. “All right, Paladins. Finish up whatever tasks you may need to, then return in three hours ready to go.”

When Akira returned to the command center, he was feeling much more like a paladin and less like a walking grease stain. He had taken a shower and managed to scrub most of the gunk off of his body (he had just come to terms with the fact that he would never be able to get it completely out from under his nails). His skin was clean, and he was wearing clothes that weren’t filthy and smelled of motor oil. He had pulled on his shoulder harness for his sword and had slid his favorite katana into it’s sheath on his back. As always, his mother’s blade was strapped to his back within easy reach. He also had two throwing knives tucked into his boots.

His eyes scanned over the room, picking out each member of the team. Hoshi and Dante were gathered behind a cluster of monitors, heads close as they spoke in hushed tones. Leandro was speaking to Hayach, who had his head thrown back in a laugh His partner --- he still couldn’t make himself call him Leo, no matter how many times the other man asked --- was grinning broadly. He had thrown on the same leather duster that he had worn when the two of them had made their wild escape from the Galra, and his blast pistols were in their holsters around his thighs.

Unbidden, his mind flashed back to that day in the alley when he had blindly reached for one of those blasters, his fingers skimming along Leandro’s thigh. His fingers tingled at the memory, and he had to fight the urge to shake his hand out.

“Hey, Akira! Whatcha looking at?”

He jumped at the sound of the voice suddenly coming from his side. Looking down, he saw Petra standing next to him with a mischievous grin spread across her face. “What?”

“You were staring at something awfully hard,” she said as she adjusted her glasses.

“Why would you --- I’m not ---” He turned his face away before she could see his blush. Damn it. She’s just as bad as Leandro! “I was just thinking. That’s all.”

“Thinking about anything in particular?” her tone was innocent, but the glint in her eyes was far too knowing for his liking

He glared down at her, refusing to rise to her bait. “Did you need something?”

She held his gaze for a bit longer before holding out a hand. “Here. These are for you.”

“Googles?” he said, looking at the item dangling from her fingers. “Thanks, but I already have a pair.”

“Not like these, you don’t. They are based off of the ones I made for Leo. You can command them with your eye movements. And these have night vision!”

“Hey! That’s not fair. How come his are nicer than mine?”

They both turned to see Leandro standing at their side, hands on his hips, lower lip stuck out in a pout. Akira had to avert his gaze from that lip, because it would send his mind off in a direction that he could not afford to let it go.

“Yours are perfectly fine, Leo. Besides, Akira needs these more than you do, since he’ll be the one driving. There aren’t a lot of street lights in that area, so if you guys have to make a quick exit in the dark, he’ll need these to be able to see.” She lifted her hand higher. “Here. Try them on.”

He took them and slid them over his eyes. “Walk me through this.”

She did, explaining the different eye movements and the coordinating actions. She showed him how to switch from regular to night vision by closing his eyes for thirty seconds. By the time he finally pushed them up into his hair he was thoroughly impressed and told her so.

She beamed at him. “Thanks! We can also track these, so if anything happens, try to keep these on you so we can find you.”

“You’ll have these, too.” Alina had joined their group and was holding out a hand each to Akira and Leandro. In her palms lay two small, black… dots. “They go in your ears,” she explained, noting their looks of confusion. “We will be able to talk to you through these. Hoshi and Dante will be monitoring your progress on the cameras and can use these to guide you around any obstacles that might arise. Petra and Hayach well be watching the chat rooms and can inform you of any updates.”

The two men take the devices and place them in their ears. Akira was afraid they would block out all other sound but, to his surprise, they didn’t seem to bother his hearing at all.

“Aren’t they amazing?” Petra said excitedly, eyes sparkling with fierce pride. “Hayach designed them! They are programmed to match natural sound waves so that you can still hear everything around you.”

Akira’s eyes went wide, and he turned to face his best friend. “Hayach, these are brilliant! Why didn’t you tell me you were working on these?”

The other man looked uncharacteristically bashful. “I wanted to make sure that they would work first. I’ve been working on them for a few months now, and didn’t finish the protype until a week or so ago.”

Akira raised a fist towards him. “You’re a genius, Hayach. As always.”

Hayach’s face broke into a wide, beaming grin, and he reached out to bump the proffered  fist with his own. “Thanks, man. I really appreciate it. I just hope they work for you guys.”

“I have no doubt that they will,” Akira replied, clapping the bigger man on the shoulder. He was insanely proud of Hayach. His friend was the smartest person he had ever met, and he knew that the ear pieces would work flawlessly.

Now Hoshi and Dante were joining them. “We’ve found a spot for you to set up,” the elder Kogane said. “From everything we’ve seen, it will put you in range for the Rover, but far enough away that they shouldn’t be able to see you.”

“Can you send me the coordinates?”

His brother grinned at him. “Already did. They’ll be on your wrist comm. Plus, we’ll be able to direct you through the ear pieces.”

Akira was not used to this. Whenever he went out on solo missions he never met with anyone prior. Alina would just send him the mission details, then debrief him once he returned. This idea of having support --- of having a team --- was totally foreign to him. If he was honest, he quite liked it. He liked the idea that someone would know if things went sideways and could come and pull his ass out of the fire if need be.

And having Leandro with him…. He was a little apprehensive about this mission, as he had never worked with a partner before, and he wasn’t sure how things would go. But --- and he would never admit this to anyone, not even Hayach ---- he was excited. Leandro was a capable fighter; he had seen that first hand. He was also a decent shot. The only question now would be how well they worked together.

They were as ready as they could possibly be. After saying goodbye to everyone --- and making several promises to be careful --- the two men headed down to the garage. As the elevator car made its decent, Leandro gave him one of his trademark grins. “Nice sword you got there, Samurai,” he said in a suggestive voice.

Akira crossed his arms over his chest as he fought hard not to blush. Petra had tuned him to his partner’s game --- scoring rules and all --- and he had decided to try and play back. Sure, he had no idea how to flirt --- he’d never really had to before --- but he did his best to think like Leandro. “I think my sword might be a bit too much for you to handle, Sharpshooter.”

For a moment, nothing happened.

And then the most beautiful thing Akira had ever witnessed happened. Leandro blushed. Leandro Sanchez, the self-proclaimed Loverboy Leo, actually blushed.

Akira knew what he looked like when he blushed, and it was not pretty. His face turned red and splotchy, like a teenager with bad acne. But Leandro blushed beautifully. His eyes went wide, and his cheeks became s dark shade of rose.  

Akira couldn’t keep his lips from turning up into a smirk. And, when Leandro started to stutter, unable to respond, his smirk grew into a grin.

Two points to me.

He had flirted.

Akira had actually flirted.

He never would have expected this from the other man. He had been flirting with Akira --- outrageously so --- every single day for nearly two weeks now, and his partner had never once done anything other than blush and jumble his words. He had never even tried to flirt back, not even once.  

He hadn’t been able to resist getting one more jab in before the mission officially started. He had been so sure that his not-so-subtle innuendo would leave his partner’s face as red as his motorcycle, especially as he would have to contend with the fact that Leandro would have his arms wrapped around him the entire trip.

He had been so sure of Akira’s reaction that Leandro had not even entertained the thought that the other man might actually flirt back. When it had happened, he had been so shocked that he had not been able to control his own response. And, as they were currently in an elevator, he’d had no way of hiding it.

Stars, how long had it been since someone had flirted with him? He had always been the instigator, the one who controlled the game. He could start or stop it any time he wanted to. He was anle to use his charm and sheer force of personality to simply bowl any potential lover over. But now Akira, his newest target, was playing back. And his own innuendo (and, Gods help him, that smirk) was making Leandro’s brain go down roads he hadn’t previously known existed.

Also, Akira had given him a nickname. Sharpshooter, he’d called him. The realization that his partner had taken the time to come up with a nickname that was personal to him, that it mimicked the nickname Leandro had bestowed upon him, left a warm sensation in his stomach. Sharpshooter. He loved it.

They exited the elevator and made their way to Red. Akira stopped by his workshop long enough to don his jacket, mask, and gloves. Then he was straddling the bike, and Leandro was sliding on behind him, pressing his body close, wrapping his arms around the other man’s waist.

Akira tilted his head so that he could look at Leandro over his shoulder, his brilliant eyes magnified by the goggles. “You ready?” he called.

Leandro felt a wide grin stretch across his face. His heart began to beat faster as the adrenaline kicked in, and he tightened his grip on Akira’s waist. “Hell, yes.”

His partner turned back around and twisted the key in the ignition, causing the bike to roar to life beneath them.

Chapter Text

Keep him safe.

The words echoed through Akira’s mind as they wove their way through the streets of the Outskirts. Hayach had been right: almost all of the shops were already closed, and most of the homes they passed were dark. It seemed as though most of the inhabitants were either hiding in their dark abodes, or had sought shelter elsewhere. Akira desperately hoped that he and Leandro would be able to stop the Juicers before they could cause any harm.

Keep him safe.

Those words had been spoken just two days ago. One of the Deliverance members had managed to steal one of the Galra’s skiffs, and Alina had wanted it taken apart and studied. So she had sent Petra down to the garage to help Akira with the task.

Akira had discovered that he quite liked the young woman. She had come to him the day after she and Leandro had arrived at the Castle and told him, quite bluntly, that she didn’t blame him for anything. They had quickly settled into a friendship, and he was thankful for her calm presence when Leandro’s boisterousness got to be too much for him.

They had managed to take the skiff apart and remove the engine. They were taking a break, sitting in Akira’s workshop and drinking from their water pouches, when Petra had spoken up.

“Can I ask you a favor?”

“Sure.”

She was sitting on his desk, legs swinging back and forth, feet a few inches from the floor. “I know you didn’t ask to be partnered with Leo. I know you prefer to work alone --- Hayach told me --- but I’m glad Alina gave him to you. He needs someone to keep an eye on him, make sure he doesn’t do something stupid.”

Akira’s eyebrows furrowed at this. “What do you mean?”

“He’s…” She paused, scrunching her nose as she searched for the right words. “He’s reckless. He has a tendency to do dangerous things without thinking. He just kind of throws himself at it.”

Akira felt something cold clench at his heart. “He’s… He’s not… you know, trying to…” He found that he couldn’t force himself to say the words.

“What, kill himself?” Petra let out a scoff as she shook her head. “No. That boy loves life more than anyone I have ever met. And I think that is the problem. I think he wants to experience everything life has to offer, to feel alive.”

Ah. Akira understood that feeling well. He felt that way himself every single time he went on a mission. When he was running from the Galra, when he was flying down the streets at speeds that were slightly faster than safe. Hoshi called him an adrenaline junkie, and Akira supposed that he was. He still craved that rush, still sought it out when and where he could. “Is that the favor? Stopping him from being reckless? I can’t do that, Petra. I’m not his mother.”

“Ha! I’m pretty sure even his mother wouldn’t be able to stop him at this point. No. I don’t want you to stop him. He would hate you if you did that, and I don’t want that for either of you. I just want you to look out for him, okay? Keep him safe. Please.”

That he could do. Well, at least try to do.

“I’ve never seen the Outskirts this quiet,” Leandro said into his ear, bringing Akira back to the task at hand. “It’s… unsettling.”

As they reached the edges of the Outskirts, streetlights became almost non-existent, and Akira was thankful that the others had decided to start the mission before the sun had completely set. He wasn’t as familiar with this area, and he was glad he had light to see by.

“Take the next right.” Hoshi’s voice came through his earpieces. “The road ahead is blocked by some debris.”

Akira did as his brother instructed, slowing as he turned onto a side street whose pavement was cracked and full of holes that would cause his bike to flip if he hit them going faster than a crawl.

There was a reason why this part of the Outskirts had been abandoned: the Wastes were corrosive. Thanks to the planet’s rotation and proximity to this solar system’s sun, there was a large area that was constantly bombarded by solar flares and radiation. It was an absolute wasteland. Akira knew that there were people who made fortunes delivering goods across the Wastes, and had even heard dumors that there were a few hardy folk who actually lived out there.

In typical Galra fashion, the leaders of Neon City were determined to conquer the Wastes since they already had the rest of the planet. They threw everything they had at trying to make the area hospitable. They put their best scientists onto the task, trying to come up with shielding technology or new building materials that could withstand the environmental punishment. After months of trial and error, they had finally started the construction process, planning on extending the city’s borders outward.

It hadn’t lasted long. The Galra had been able to shield everything from the flares and radiation, but not from the violent solar storms that sometimes swept through the area. One particularly nasty storm had caused two of the nearly completed structures to collapse, crushing two of the workers (both of whom had been slaves). The Galra had tried to start the project again, but another storm had come through a few months later, causing the rest of the buildings to fall. The Galra had abandoned the idea after that.

Some of the more lawless individuals of the Outskirts had moved out to the areas where the Outskirts met the Wastes, knowing that there was a much less likely chance of being discovered by the Galra. But even most of them had retreated as more and more of the structures crumbled underneath the solar onslaught.  

Akira wasn’t worried about the radiation. They hopefully wouldn’t be out here long enough to be in any danger, and they were close enough to the ground that direct exposure would be minimal. He was more concerned about debris and other things that could potentially fall on them.

He continued down the street, deftly swerving around large holes and fallen objects. He felt Leandro’s arms tighten around him as he took a particularly sharp turn, and he couldn’t help but smile.

“Take the second right up ahead,” Hoshi called out, his voice calm and even. “The road looks to be clear from here on out. You should reach your destination in about ten minutes.”

Akira followed his brother’s instructions, grateful to have his soothing voice guiding him. He was also grateful for the body pressed against his back. Not just because it felt good (and it very much did), but because it meant he wasn’t alone.

He would never admit it ---- not to Hoshi, not to Alina, not even to himself --- but he was afraid every time he went on a mission. Sure, his first prison raid had been wild and careless. But he’d been young and brash, trying to prove a point. Now, when he went out, he was careful and cautious. Still, he couldn’t help but wonder if this time --- this mission --- would be his last.

He didn’t want to die. He quite enjoyed his life. He knew that what he was doing was important, and, if he were to die in the line of duty, he knew it would be worth it. But that didn’t mean he had any intentions of being a martyr for the cause.

Now he had a partner. Someone to help him, someone who could watch his back.  The thought of that made him feel better than he ever had when going out on a mission.

Something flashed above his right wrist. Canting his eyes to the side, he saw that his comm display was up, a large red dot blinking in the middle of it. “That’s your destination,” Hoshi informed him. “You’re about two minutes out.”

“I don’t see anyone near the launch site.” That was Dante, his voice as patient and steady as always. “There doesn’t seem to be any unusual movement at the Juicers’ headquarters either. It appears as though you are safe for now.”

Akira slowed down as the red dot on his display became closer. “There,” Hoshi said softly. “Just ahead and to your right. Do you see it?”

He did: a small structure that had been reduced to what appeared to be an outside wall and a small chunk of side wall. It wasn’t the best cover Akira had ever used, but it would be enough to hide them. Plus, there was a hole in the outside wall where a window had once been, and he was willing to bet that it would give them a view of the warehouse the Juicers were using.

Akira cut Red’s engine and coasted the rest of the way to the small structure. Leandro quickly climbed off of the bike, pulling his brown leather bag over his head as he moved to kneel by the window. As Akira watched, his partner opened the bag and pulled out a familiar-looking metal triangle.

He had heard about the Rovers. Petra had regaled the team at lunch one day with the tale of how she had managed to capture one of the Galra’s security drones and reprogram it for her own use. He knew that the thing Leandro now held in his hands was harmless. But still. He had to fight the urge to hurl one of his throwing knives at it.

He quickly made his way over to the other side of the window, crouching down as well. He carefully lifted his head above the edge of the opening, squinting both of his eyes so that the goggles could zoom in on his target.

The warehouse the Juicers were using didn’t appear to be in much better shape than their own shelter, a large portion of it corroded away. But chunks of each wall remained standing, as well as a good bit of the roof. He couldn’t see inside --- even with the goggles’ help it was still too far away --- but he could see several large motorcycles parked outside, many of them covered with what looked like wickedly-sharp metal spikes. A small group of men, six or seven, were standing outside.

He ducked back down. “There’s a few of them standing outside talking,” he murmured. ‘”here’s no way they won’t notice the Rover. There are no Galra drones this far outside of the city. They’ll know something is up.”

Leandro offered him a sharp grin, blue eyes bright with excitement. “Then we’ll just have to make sure they don’t notice it until it’s too late.”

Akira could feel his own grin forming. He couldn’t help it: Leandro’s excitement was infectious. “What do you need me to do?”

“Keep an eye on them. If anything looks off, let me know. And get ready to haul ass.”

Akira nodded, then peeked back out over the edge.

“No, no, no.” Petra’s voice was suddenly in his ear, startling him. “Not like that, Leo. If you attach it like that it won’t disengage from the Rover properly. Attach it the other way. Remember? Face out!”

“I’ll put your face out,” Leandro grumbled since Petra couldn’t hear him. Akira bit the inside of his cheek to hold back a laugh, watching as his partner followed the instructions. A moment later, the drone lifted into the air.

“All right, now.” That was Petra again. “Nice and easy.”

Leandro let out a huff of air. “Thank you, Petra,” he said in a childish tone as he used a small controller to steer the Rover slowly through the window. “I’ve never done this before.”

The little robot was halfway to its intended target when movement caught Akira’s eyes. Squinting, he saw one of the Juicers striding away from the group and climbing onto one of the motorcycles. Faintly, he could make out the sound of the bike’s engine roaring to life.

“Looks like one of them is leaving,” he said, tilting his head towards his partner. “I doubt he’s heading towards us --- there’s no direct route between them and us --- but we need to be ready to move just in case.”

“Two more minutes,” Leandro replied, eyes focused on the task in front of him. “We’re too close to stop now. Besides, we can handle one Juicer between the two of us.”

Akira wanted to argue --- Leandro was the one who kept saying he didn’t want to get close enough to anyone to actually fight them --- but Hoshi’s voice stopped him. “We’ll keep an eye on that Juicer. If he looks like he’s going to be a problem we’ll let you know. Just focus on the mission, then get out of there.”

Focus. Akira hated that word. He felt as though everyone was always telling him to focus, as though by doing so he could solve all of his problems. Hoshi even had a favorite mantra that he often repeated: “Patience yields focus”. The problem was that Akira had never had much patience, which meant that focusing was out of the question. Especially now, when he wasn’t actually doing anything.

So he decided to change that; he got to his feet and moved so that he was standing with his back directly towards Leandro, reaching back to free his katana. If the Juicer did happen to come their way, at least Akira would be ready for him.

“What are you doing?” Leandro called out.

“Watching your back.” He adjusted his grip on the sword. “How much longer do you need?”

Before Leandro could reply, Dante was in their ears. “You’ve got incoming. It looks like he’s doing a perimeter check. He’ll be at your location in about three minutes.”

“I just need another minute,” Leandro reported. “I’m almost there.”

Akira didn’t need to ask what was going on through the window. He could hear the faintest sounds of shouting. The Rover must have been spotted.

He quickly re-sheathed his sword and strode over to his bike. “Let’s go,” he said, climbing on and reaching for the key.

“Just another minute.” Leandro’s voice sounded determined. “The Rover is almost to the drop point.”

“That Juicer has sped up.” Dante’s voice was still calm, but it had grown tight. “He’ll reach you in under two minutes at this speed.”

“Leandro…” His voice was a growl.

“Two more seconds! I’m just ---”

“There’s more of them coming outside now.” Hoshi’s voice had taken on a grim tone. “They have guns. If you don’t ---”

“Done!” Leandro cried. As he scrambled to his feet, throwing the controller for the Rover into his bag at the same time, Akira turned on Red’s engine. He closed his eyes and, by the time his partner had clambered on behind him, his goggles had switched to night vision. “Hang on!” he shouted.

Just as he began to move forward, the sound of the explosion boomed in the distance. He felt Leandro tuck his face against Akira’s neck in an attempt to shield himself, and he shot forward into the rapidly-darkening night just as the shockwave reached them.

The world around him was lit up in shades of white and green. He could see everything better now than even in the middle of a sunny day. He grinned, feeling that familiar rush of adrenaline kick in as he urged Rd to go even faster.

When he had been a boy, he’d dreamt of being a pilot, just like his mother. He could still vividly remember her taking him to the flight hangars to show him all of the different craft that she flew. His father would put Akira on his shoulders andrun as fast as he could while Akira held out his arms and made noises that vaguely resembled jet engines. And, at night, the entire Kogane family would go outside and look up at the stars while Hoshi and Akira’s parents would tell them about all of the different worlds that were out there. Akira had wanted to visit them all.

He’d never gotten the chance, of course. The Galra had seen to that. He would never become a pilot, never explore worlds outside of his own. But sometimes, when he was on the back of Red, he felt like he was flying. This is what he lived for, what made him feel alive: the wind in his hair, the world rushing by at dangerous speeds, walking that fine line between being good and being stupid. Sometimes, he even imagined that his mother was there with him, laying her hands over his to help him steer.

He guided the bike like it was made of water instead of several hundred pounds f metal. He wove them around holes in the pavement and fallen debris like it was nothing, Petra’s goggles lighting his surroundings with crystal clarity. Only the body against his back and the voices in his ears kept him grounded.

“Looks like the bomb hit true!” Hoshi whooped in their ears. “The roof collapsed, taking a lot of the Juicers with it --- and good riddance, too. But nearly all of the ones who were outside escaped the blast and are now chasing you. From what we can tell, you have about five of them after you.”

Akira could feel Leandro cursing against his back, and he couldn’t help but agree. One Juicer would have been doable. Not easy, but doable. Five, on the other hand, would be impossible for the two of them to fight and survive. Their only option would be to outrun them. He was sure they could. Red could outrun anything. All they had to do was ---

A shout over the earpieces was the only warning he got before something hot and bright whizzed by his face, alarmingly close. It smashed into a crumbled wall some yards ahead of them, punching a hole through the material and sending it scattering in every direction. Akira swore and ducked his head.

That had been a blast pistol shot. Damn. How had they managed to get close enough to shoot at them? There was no way their bikes were faster than Red. Nothing was faster than Red. But if their motorcycles weren’t faster, then…

When the realization hit him, he couldn’t hold back a groan. Of course. The Juicers weren’t going faster. He was going slower. He always rode Red alone, and the two of them could outrun anything. But having a passenger meant having extra weight, and extra weight meant Red couldn’t go as fast.

Think, Kogane. There had to be a way out of this. There was always a way out. He just had to find it.

Leandro shifted behind him, and suddenly the other man’s chin was on his shoulder, his mouth at Akira’s ear. “Can we make it back to the Outskirts? I have an idea, but we need clear roads.”

Akira shook his head, never taking his eyes from the road. “Too risky,” he shouted in reply.

“The Outskirts are empty, remember? Everyone is in hiding. So, unless you have a better idea…”

He didn’t. And Leandro was right; the Outskirts were empty. “What are you planning to do?”

The other man’s face was close enough to his skin that Akira could feel Leandro’s lips turn up into a smile. “Something… reckless.”

He didn’t know how he felt about that. But they didn’t have a lot of options at the moment. And at least Akira would be there to temper him. So he pushed Red as far as he dared, heading back to the Outskirts.

Even without the threat of the Juicers this area of the Outskirts was mostly uninhabited, as it sat too close to the area affected by the Wastes. But the roads were still in good shape, and --- more importantly --- Akira knew it. “Is this clear enough?” he called back.

“Perfect!”

Suddenly, the arms around his waist were gone, and he could feel his partner shifting, causing the bike to wobble precariously. He tightened his grip, steadying her, as he felt --- was that Leandro’s back? ---press against his. He spared a glance at his sideview mirror ---

And felt his eyes widen in shock.

Leandro had somehow managed to turn himself completely around --- while on a moving motorcycle --- so that he was now facing backwards. He had drawn both of his pistols and was pointing them at the oncoming Juicers.

He was planning on shooting them. While on the back of a motorcycle clocking speeds that were far past legal. With nothing to hold on to.

Petra had assured him that Leandro wasn’t suicidal, just reckless. But now Akira couldn’t help but wonder if she had been wrong. Surely no sane man would think this was a good idea.

But then he heard a loud shout from behind them, and he could feel the muscles in Leandro’s back shift as he pulled both triggers. A few seconds later, Akira was able to make out the sounds of screeching metal and shattering glass. Another glance in the mirror gave Akira a glimpse of a motorcycle on its side, spinning across the pavement.

Okay. So Leandro was reckless. But his plan had worked. Which meant that, as his partner, it was Akira’s responsibility to give him the best chance of success.

He pulled up his mental map of the area, considering --- and just as quickly discarding --- multiple routes. He knew every inch of the Outskirts, had spent years learning every twist and turn, every shortcut, every hidden niche. Now he needed to use that knowledge to find a way to give Leandro the best chance of taking out their remaining pursuers. And, if it came down to it, a place where they could have a fair fight.

Ah.

“Don’t fall off!” he called over his shoulder, hoping that the other man could hear him. He tried not to think about the fact that Leandro was staying on the bike only by the strength of his thighs. Please don’t fall off.

He took a hard left, the turn just sharp enough to cause Leandro to let out a yelp as he struggled to stay on the bike. Akira took them down a narrow alleyway that would force the Juicers to ride single file, and would hopefully give Leandro a clear shot at them.

He could feel Leandro’s back push against his, and then the tell-tale movement of muscles that told Akira that his partner was firing his pistols. He heard someone yelling in his ears --- he couldn’t tell whose voice it was --- and the only word he could make out was “Duck!” A second later, a bolt flew over his head and disappeared harmlessly into the night.

Okay. So the narrowness of the alley meant that they had a clear shot at them as well. And there were at least four Juicers left, all of whom probably had guns.

Fine. He could revise his plan.

At the end of the alley he turned right. This would take him back to the area where the Outskirts butted up against the Wastes. They would have to dip back into the radiation for a moment, back into the debris and crumbling roads, but it would be worth it. At least, he hoped it would.  

Behind him, Leandro continued to fire when he had an opening. Even though Leandro had no idea what Akira was doing, the other man was trusting him to do what was needed to complete the mission and to keep them both safe. This realization made something warm settle into Akira’s chest. He couldn’t let his partner down.

He left the main road, taking a street that had been reduced to little more than gravel. He wove around the corpse of a car that had been abandoned to the elements --- he had always planned to rescue it --- and took another turn down what had once been a service alley. Then, in a move that he hoped would throw the Juicers off, he turned Red to go through a door and into a building.

He had done this a million times, dashing through here to elude pursuers. The building was abandoned, but was still mostly intact. He had spent months cleaning out the debris so that he could use it as either a shortcut or a hiding place.

Now he used it as a means to slow the Juicers down, to give the two of them some breathing room. Maybe Leandro would be able to take another one of them out.

They were almost to the exit when he heard Leandro let out another whoop. He must have hit another target. Akira felt a fierce grin spread across his face. Only three left to go. Their odds were improving.

He burst through the front door and back out into the blasted landscape. He steered them towards a large pile of rubble, throttling the engine as he raced towards it. He could hear Hoshi telling Leandro to hold on.

Then Akira hit the pile of rubble. Or, more accurately, the carefully placed pieces of metal he had laid down to form a pathway over the rubble. They shot upwards, never losing speed, so that when they crested the top of the pile there was a brief moment where they were airborne. When the tires came back down with a thump, it was Akira who let loose a shout of excitement.

They made it down the other side in one piece, and Akira took them towards another of his hideouts: a rusting hulk of a city bus. This would allow them to double back, then he could hit the last alley before taking them to the place that he had dubbed The Arena. It was there that he hoped they would be able to take out any remaining Juicers.

The bus had been left in the middle of the street when this part of the town had been abandoned to the Wastes. This meant that the three remaining Juicers would either have to ride single file or split up to make it through the wreck.

He angled Red towards the gaping hole in the side of the bus, it’s doors long gone. Akira had removed the steps and placed a ramp there instead, making it easy to get up into the main area of the bus. He’d also gotten rid of all the seats, leaving the inside totally empty, which meant that the area was large enough for Red to fit through with no problems.

He barreled through it now, bursting out of the back end, and heading towards a small opening to the right. It curved inwards, leading to an alley that was dangerously narrow. They turned down it with ease, and a moment later Akira heard the distinct sounds of a crash. Another Juicer had fallen.

Akira felt a wild grin spread across his face. They were down to two. Two of them, two Juicers. They could work with that.

The alley dumped them out into a large area that was closed in on three sides by towering structures, the only exit being the alley that they had just came through. This was where they would make their stand.

He quickly pulled Red over into a dark corner (where she would hopefully go unnoticed by their foes) and quickly cut the engine. In the distance, they could hear the sound of shouting as the remaining Juicers tried to find a way around their fellow’s wreckage. “Are you all right?” he asked, twisting around so that he could look at his partner.

Leandro barked out a laugh as he slid off of the bike. “Are you kidding me? This is the best night of my life!” He lifted his blast pistols. “What’s the plan?”

Akira opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted by the sound of roaring engines getting closer. He leapt up from Red, his hand going for his katana. “Survive,” was his snarled answer.

The Juicers came bursting into the clearing then, both going full speed. The first one, not realizing where he was, had no time to slow down and slammed into the back wall at a speed that no one could survive. The second one cranked his bike hard to the side and laid it down, skidding across the ground before stopping just short of the back wall.

Akira moved to stand beside Leandro, gripping his sword tight. Both men stared at the downed bike, not knowing if the driver was dead or still alive and able to move.

As they watched, the bike shifted, moving just a little as the man underneath it tried to push it off of him. Then the bike was suddenly flying upwards, sailing through the air before crashing a few feet away.

Akira couldn’t hold back the quick inhalation of breath at this display of strength. That bike had to weigh more than he and Leandro combined. And this man had just thrown it off of him as thought it was nothing more than a blanket.

And, as he got to his feet, Akira could see why.

He had not had to deal with Juicers very much during his time as the Mechanic. Sure, he knew about them. And he’d seen a few out and about. But never like this.

This man was huge. Not just tall --- though he was that, standing at least a foot taller than Akira --- but was impossibly wide as well. And, in the light of the goggles, he could see lighter shades of green snaking throughout the man’s body. Which meant that ---

“He’s Juiced!” Leandro shouted, lifting his pistols to get off two quick shots, both of which hit the Juicer’s chest and just… disappeared.

Shit. Akira danced backwards, tightening his grip on the katana. He had expected the Juicers to be normal-sized and human. No one had warned him that shooting quintessence into your veins turned you into a fucking tank. And this one appeared to have plenty of quintessence flowing through him.

Leandro was right next to him, pistols still raised as though they might be able to stop the giant before them. “This guy is a lifer,” he explained, head tilted towards Akira, though his eyes never left the Juicer. “You have to be using for a long time to get that big. The good news is that his ride won’t last that long. Bad news is that he can do a lot of serious damage during that ride.”

Of course. Because they couldn’t just fight against a normal Juicer. That would be too easy. “Any idea on how to take this guy down? Shooting him seems to be pointless.”

“Your fancy night vision still working? Good. You’ll want to look for the points where the quintessence is gathering. I can faintly see it through my goggles, but you should have no trouble finding them. Try and hit him there. If we can disrupt the flow of quintessence, it will weaken him.”

Akira was curious to know how his partner knew so much about Juicers. But before he could say anything, the man --- giant? --- in front of them began to laugh. It was an awful sound, like rocks continuously crashing into each other. And, when he spoke, his voice didn’t sound much better.

“So. You are the infamous Neon City Outlaws.” He stared at them for a long moment before spitting, the wad of saliva landing in the dirt just in front of where the two men stood. “Look more like a pair of rats to me. Still, Governor Sendak is willing to pay handsomely for your capture.” He grinned then, showing them a mouth full of broken and jagged teeth. “I suppose I should thank you. Since you took out all of those other idiots, I won’t have to share my reward.”

“I wouldn’t count on all of that Juice just yet,” Leandro called out in that cocky tone of voice that drove Akira insane. “You still have to catch us.”

The Juicer made a humming sound as he fixed his gaze on the taller man. “True. Though I don’t think that will be a problem. The order from Sendak didn’t say I had to bring you in alive. Only that I had to bring you in.”

There was a wild light in Leandro’s eyes, and the grin that he was wearing was as sharp as a knife. He still held his pistols out, arms rock steady. “Do you really think it will be so easy? Bringing us in, I mean. There’s two of us and only one of you. And you don’t know who we are. Not really.” He waggled an eyebrow. “Do you think you got what it takes to take down the top assassin for the Deliverance? Hmmm?”

Akira inhaled sharply, his eyes going wide. What was Leandro doing? Akira liked the other man --- liked him a bit more than he was willing to admit --- but he could not let his partner betray his secret. No matter the cost.

He shifted his stance so that he was facing the Juicer head on. Look for where the quintessence is gathering, Leandro had said. Akira studied the giant, looking for any such spot. If he could just ---

“Akira, wait.” Petra’s voice was low in his ears, but the urgency in it caught his attention. “Leandro has a plan. I’m not sure what it is, but he’s not going to betray you. I swear it. Just trust him, okay?”

Trust him. That’s what partners did, right? They trusted each other. Leandro had trusted Akira earlier. The least he could do was return the favor.

The Juicer had an amused sort of expression on his face as he stared down at Leandro. “Are you telling me that you’re the Mechanic?” Even his voice sounded amused. If gravel could sound amused.

“I know, I know. It’s hard to believe that someone as charming and good looking as I am could be a cold-hearted assassin, right?” Leandro ducked his head slightly, as though he were preparing to share a great secret. “Think about it, though. No one has ever seen the Mechanic, right? So how can you be sure it isn’t me?”

The Juicer’s face falls, going from amused to confused, and it’s then that Akira realizes what’s happening: a distraction. Leandro was distracting the big man, keeping his attention focused on him so that Akira could…

Could do what, exactly?

There had been no time to plan when they had reached the arena, no time to assess the situation, to run through different scenarios of how they might take their opponent down. Akira had told Leandro that the goal was simply to survive. But then Leandro had said something else, something about this Juicer’s ride being shorter than most due to his prolonged exposure.

Was that what Leandro was doing? Trying to distract the Juicer until his ride was over and he returned to normal size? But how long would that take? And why would Leandro be doing it on his own? He had to want Akira to do something. 

“Your fancy night vision still working?” Leandro’s words came floating back to him. And Akira suddenly realized what he was meant to do.

The Juicer was still looking at Leandro in confusion. “The tickers all say that the Mechanic drives the Devil’s Ride. I don’t see anything like that here.”

“You mean Red?” Leandro jerked his chin towards the corner where they had left the bike. “She’s a beaut, right? All custom. Big, and wicked fast. If you’re not hanging on, she can leave skid marks. If you know what I mean.” He winked. He actually winked.

This seemed to confuse the big man even more. (Not that Akira could blame the guy. Leandro confused him a lot, too.) “So… You’re telling me that you’re the Mechanic?”

‘That’s right.” The other man’s voice was smug. “The one and only. You sure you still want to take me on?”

The Juicer studied him for a moment longer, then a lazy grin spread across his face. “I don’t believe you. But, if you are telling the truth, I’ll make sure the governor pays me extra for you!”

And then he moved.

Akira would never have believed that someone so big could move so fast. The Juicer lunged forward with a roar that shook the buildings around them, one meaty fist raised high in the air. If it had been Akira standing there, he would have been dead. But Leandro had somehow anticipated the move and was already diving out of the way. But the giant’s fist still managed to catch him in the shoulder, and he flew several feet through the air before hitting the ground with a sickening thud.

“Leo!” The shout was ripped from Akira’s throat as he felt terror grip his heart. He dove forward, sword held high, desperate to do anything to stop their enemy so that he could go to the aid of his partner. He had seen a spot just above the back of the Juicer’s knee where a bright burst of light burned. He aimed for that now, hoping he could cut deep enough to disrupt the quintessence, then have enough time to land another slice to his hamstring. Giant that he was, he was still human. If his hamstring was cut, that leg would be useless.

The point of the sword drove into the gathered quintessence. For a moment, the man’s skin resisted, and Akira remembered that Leandro’s blasts had bounced off of him harmlessly. But then the skin parted, and the sword dug in, the tip of it piercing the spot of quintessence. In the eerie green light of the goggles, he could see the liquid energy drain out of the wound.

The Juicer roared as he stumbled forward, jerking Akira off balance. He tightened his grip on the sword and pushed, forcing the blade down to cut through as much flesh and muscle as possible. When it finally came free, blood and another viscous liquid that Akira assumed was the quintessence splattered onto the ground.

The giant spun around, eyes wide in rage, lips peeled back in a snarl. “You fucking cockroach,” he growled. “I’m going to squash you like --- Arrgh!”

He took another stumbling step forward, forcing Akira to skip away so that the big man did not step on him. He cut his eyes to the side to see Leandro standing, his pistols out. From this distance, Akira could see that one side of his partner’s face was covered in dirt and blood. But he was on his feet, and his aim was still steady.

Akira quickly moved to the other man’s side, eyes never leaving the now-howling Juicer. “Are you all right?”

“I’ll make it.” Leandro’s voice was full of pain, but hearing it sent a wave of relief over Akira so vast that it nearly knocked him over. He’s okay…

He could feel a fierce grin spread across his face. “Glad to hear it, Sharpshooter.” He nodded towards the Juicer. “Any more bright ideas on how to deal with him?”

“Keep trying to hit those points I told you about. It hurts him. And ---” Leandro let out a hiss of pain and winced. “Shit. I think he broke some ribs.”

“Then we need to keep him away from you.” ‘Akira’s gaze dropped to the Juicer’s bleeding leg, and he thought back to his earlier plan. “Can you distract him again?”

“You got a plan?”

He couldn’t help but throw a wink Leandro’s way. “Yeah, I do.”

“All right, then. One distraction, coming up.” He turned his face towards Akira, and his characteristic grin was in place. ”Kick some ass, Samurai.”

Then he started unloading his pistols into the Juicer.

The big man let out a howl as the blasts tore into him. Most of the shots simply bounced off of him, but a few of them found their marks and caused him to stumble back a step or two. But he was still on his feet, and he was still moving towards Leandro.

Akira ran towards the giant, keeping his body as low to the ground as possible. He reached behind him as he ran to pull out his mother’s blade, triggering it to form into a sword. If he could cut both of the Juicer’s hamstrings at once, he  would be totally immobilized. Akira knew it would be hard --- the Juicer’s skin was impossibly thick ---- but he had to try. It was their best chance.

He ran straight towards the man, moving to go around him at the last second to dart behind him and strike out with both blades, using all of his strength to strike at his opponent’s vulnerable hamstrings.

His mother’s blade bit deep into the left calf, the one that he had already injured, and sliced easily through the muscle. The katana, on the other hand, barely scratched the right leg.

The Juicer began to list to the left, but he didn’t go down. Somehow, some way, he kept moving forwards, dragging his mangled leg behind him.

Akira let out a snarl as he ran after the man. He couldn’t let the Juicer get to Leandro, who was already injured and barely standing.

He squinted through the goggles, zooming his sight in in on the Juicer’s back. He found a thread of light on his shoulder and followed it down, hoping it would lead to ---

There! Just above his right hip. A large, pulsing glow of light. He would have to jump to reach it, but he had to stop the giant before he could reach Akira’s partner.

So he ran, faster than he’d ever ran in his life, re-sheathing his katana as he did so and placing both hands on the hilt of his mother’s sword. He ran directly behind the Juicer, using the big man’s body as a shield against Leandro’s shots. He put on one last burst of speed ---

He leapt, putting all of his strength into the jump, blade held high in a two-handed grip. And when the pool of quintessence was just inches away, he drove the blade down with all of his might.

The blade struck true, burying two inches deep into the Juicer’s back, blood and quintessence spraying out and drenching Akira

The Juicer let out the most unearthly scream Akira had ever heard. He threw his head back, body bowing as he scrabbled at the spot where Akira still clung determinedly to his sword. The big man began to thrash, trying to knock his attacker free. He took a step forward, but forgot that his leg was unable to support any weight, causing it to crumple underneath him. He began to fall forward, a high-pitched keen coming from his throat.

Akira yanked at the sword, pulling it free with a wet, sucking sound before leaping free of the falling body. Hit the ground, rolling to gentle the impact, then sprang back to his feet, his sword held at the ready.

The Juicer was on his hands and knees, chest heaving, visibly trying to push himself back up to his feet. As Akira watched, a massive shudder passed through the man, causing him to let out pained, mewling noises. The vibrations coursing through him became more frequent --- and more violent --- as his cries continued to rise in pitch.

And then he began to shrink.

It was painful to watch, and must have been even more painful to experience. The sound of bones cracking echoed across the arena, followed by the sound of the Juicer’s howls. The man seemed to be folding in on himself, his back arched sharply, spine pressed starkly against his back.

After a few moments, it stopped, the sudden silence leaving Akira’s ears ringing. He approached the Juicer cautiously, sword point held low on the off chance that this was some kind of trap.

The Juicer now lay on the ground face-first, not moving. He was still bleeding profusely, and he had become smaller. Much, much smaller.  Apparently, his ride was finally over.

Akira approached cautiously, gently nudging the body with the toe of his boot. The Juicer didn’t move. Dead or just incapacitated, Akira didn’t know. Nor did he care. The man would no longer pose any kind of threat, and that was all that mattered.

Letting out a sigh of relief, he returned his mother’s blade to its normal size and re-sheathed it, looking around for his partner. “Leo?” he called out when he didn’t see the other man. “Leo?”

A quiet groan was his only answer and he ran towards it, fear rising up in the back of his throat. What had happened? Had Leandro been injured worse than they had originally thought? Had the Juicer fallen on him? Had he been hit a second time without Akira noticing?

He found Leandro sprawled out in the dirt, pistols at his sides. His eyes were closed, and under all of the dirt and blood his face was alarmingly pale.

Akira dropped to his knees at his partner’s side. “Leo?” he called out as he reached for the other man. “Hey, buddy. Come on. I need you to wake up.”

For a moment, the other man didn’t move and Akira felt his panic flare into hot, white life. He started to scrabble to his feet, planning to scoop Leandro up in his arms and race for Red. But then he saw his partner’s eyes start to flutter open. Then he was looking up, blue eyes glassy and full of pai.

Akira had never seen a more beautiful sight in all of his life.

He let out a sigh of relief, a soft smile crossing his face. “Hey there, Sharpshooter. How are you feeling?”

“I’ve been better.” He held out a hand. “Can you help me up?”

Akira grasped his partner’s hand and reached down to put his free hand on Leandro’s shoulder, helping him into a sitting position. “Easy does it.”

Leandro let out another groan, wincing as he sat up. “Ugh. I think he had concrete in his fist. Or I got ran over by a battle cruiser.” He turned to face Akira, and a smile spread across his face. It was a gentle smile, one that Akira had never seen before. “Hey,” he said in a soft, wonder-filled tone of voice. “You called me Leo.”

Akira blinked at him. “What?”

“I asked you to call me Leo the first day we trained together, remember? But you never have. You are the only one who doesn’t call me that.” His smile widened. “Until now. And you said it multiple times.”

Akira felt his eyes widen briefly as he realized that the other man was right. He’d been so worried for his partner that he hadn’t even realized he was doing it, his carefully maintained caution towards Leandro falling away in his panic. “Huh. Does that mean we’re officially partners now?”

Leandro laughed, but it was quickly cut off by a hiss. “Oooh, that hurts. Ribs are definitely broken.”

“Here.” Akira moved to crouch down next to his partner and put Leandro’s arm around his shoulders before carefully wrapping his own arm around the other man’s waist. “Let’s get you on your feet.”

They moved slow, Akira supporting almost all of Leandro’s weight as the other man got his feet underneath him and carefully rose to a standing position. He leaned heavily against Akira, his free hand clutching at his injured ribs. “Where’s the Juicer?” he asked in a strained voice.

“Over there.” Akira nodded to where the now-normal man lay sprawled in the dirt.

“Well, would you look at that.” Leandro turned to face him, and --- despite everything --- there wass a bright, fierce smile on his face. “I guess we really do make a great team.”

Chapter Text

They were on all of the news tickers the next morning.

They were crowded together in Leandro’s hospital room, watching the story scroll by on the holovid screen. Petra was perched on the edge of the bed, and Akira was sprawled out in the bedside chair. Leandro was lying on the bed, propped up on some pillows, with a line running from an IV bag to his arm.

“The two assailants, who have been dubbed the Neon City Outlaws by locals, are also believed to be responsible for the bombing of the Galra-Human Affairs office two weeks ago.” The ticker’s voice sounded almost grim as it recited the text. “Governor Sendak is categorizing the two individuals as terrorists, and reports that anyone who is found to be harboring them will also be taken into custody and tried as terrorists. Anyone with information leading to the capture of these two individuals will receive a substantial reward.”

“How about that?” Leandro said, his voice slurred by the painkillers that were being pumped into his arm. “We’re famous, Ki!”

“I think the word you’re looking for is ‘infamous’,” Petra said, voice dry.

“Noooo. I want to be famous! People will be begging me for an autograph. Or a selfie.” His eyes went wide. “Ooooh. Maybe we’ll get groupies!”

She let out an exasperated sigh as she rolled her eyes. “Yes. Because that’s exactly what you need.” She turned to face the other man. “Are you sure you want to stay with him while he’s like this? That chair pulls out into a bed. Maybe I can convince Dante to knock him out and I can just sleep there.”

Akira waved a dismissive hand at her. ‘Don’t worry. I can just ignore him if he gets too mouthy. You’ve already been here all night. Besides, Dante wants to check my radiation levels, make sure I’m not going to start glowing or anything. So it makes more sense for me to stay.”

Leandro leaned around Petra to frown at his partner, trying to ignore the fact that the room continued to move even after he had stopped. “Are you planning on babysitting me? Well, you can just go on home right now, mister. I do not need a babysitter.”

“Yes, you do.” Petra pushed him back against the pillows. “You’re so high right now you wouldn’t be able to stand on your own. I honestly don’t even know how you’re still awake.” Her face softened, and she reached up to cup his cheek. “You almost died last night, you idiot. It scared us. So just let us be overprotective for a day or two, okay?”

He wanted to argue --- he was pretty sure he could stand on his own --- but the look on her face stopped him. There were dark circles under her eyes, indicating that she hadn’t slept much last night, if she had slept at all. They were also red and puffy, making him frown. Has she been crying?

You almost died last night. Her words punched through the drug-induced haze surrounding his brain, and guilt suddenly flooded him. She’d been worried about him. Really worried.

So he mustered up the best dramatic sigh he could manage. “Fine,” he said, reaching up to cover her hand with one of his own. “I suppose I can let a gorgeous man stay here and babysit me for a while. But only if you promise to go and get some rest. You look awful.”

“You’re not looking so hot yourself, you know. And believe me: rest is exactly what I plan on doing. You should, too. Dante said that resting would be the best way to help you heal right now.”

“Yes, Mother.”

Petra rolled her eyes yet again, but she was smiling. It was a tired smile, but it was a smile nonetheless. “Now, don’t be a dick to Akira, all right? He saved your ass last night, so I expect you to behave.”

Leandro place a hand over his heart and did his best to look hurt. “Ma’am, you wound me. I’m always a gentleman.”

That earned him a snort. “Pretty sure you have no clue what that word means.” Then she leaned forward, and Leandro closed his eyes as her lips pressed against his forehead. He savored the contact, basking in the feeling of warmth and security it provided.

Then she was gone, slinging the strap of a backpack over her shoulder and turning towards the door. “If you guys need anything…”

“We’ll be fine,” Akira said, and Leandro felt his heart melt a little at the gentleness of his partner’s tone. “Go and get some rest. I promise I’ll call you if anything changes.”

“Okay then. Don’t be afraid to tie him to the bed if you need to. Bye, Leo!”

“Bye!” He watched her leave, and as soon as the door whooshed closed behind her, he was leaning towards Akira, voice dropping into a conspiratorial tone. “Y’know, Samurai, you don’t really have to stay. I’ll be fine. I mean, I’m in a hospital, right? I’m in the safest place I could possibly be at the moment.”

Akira snorted as he leaned back in the chair. “Nice try, but I’m afraid you’re stuck with me. Petra terrifies me, and if she found out that I left you here alone, death would be a mercy. She’d probably dismantle me piece by piece. Slowly. And make me watch.” He shrugged. “Besides, Dante really does want me here so he can check me over. We were too worried about you last night to even think about me.”

Leandro felt a goofy smile start to stretch across his face that he was pretty sure had nothing to do with the drugs. Akira had said ‘we’. We were too worried about you last night. Which meant that Akira had been worried about him. That realization started a warm, glowly feeling somewhere deep in his chest.

But then he thought about the rest of his partner’s words, and about what Petra had said a few moments ago, and his smile became a frown. “Did I really almost die last night? I mean, I knew that my ribs were broken. But I didn’t feel like I was at death’s doorstep or anything.”

For a moment, Akira didn’t speak, and Leandro was afraid that the other man wasn’t going to answer him. But he finally let out a heavy sigh and began to speak in a quiet voice.

“You passed out during the ride back to the Castle. I was trying to hurry, because Hoshi had said that there was a group of Galra sentries headed our way ---”

“I remember hearing him say that.”

“---but I was afraid you would fall off. So I went slow. By the time we got back to the Castle you were totally unresponsive. I couldn’t wake you for anything. And then I noticed that your skin had started to turn blue. And that there was blood coming out of your mouth. I thought ---” He stopped, and Leandro watched as his Adam’s apple bobbed on a hard swallow. “I thought you were dead.”

Oh. The obvious pain in Akira’s voice cut through his brain fog, and he desperately wished that his partner was sitting closer so that he could reach out and touch him. Maybe hold his hand, or maybe just place one of his own hands on Akira’s shoulder. Anything to comfort him.

“I just kind of… panicked.” Akira’s eyes were distant, as though he were somehow watching a replay of the events he was describing. “I scooped you up and just ran. The others were waiting for us inside. I saw the look on Petra’s face when she saw you. I think it will haunt me for the rest of my life.”

Leandro found that he was the one suddenly having to swallow a lump in his throat as he imagined what his best friend must have felt in that moment. “What happened?” he whispered.

“You were right about your ribs being broken. There were four of them, and one of them managed to puncture one of your lungs. Dante had to manually inflate it to get it to start working again. You also had a concussion, as well as a pretty nasty wound on your head that Dante had to stitch up.” He paused for a moment. “There were a few times that you stopped breathing, but then you’d start again a minute or two later. And Dante had to give you blood. It was… bad.”

They both felll silent, Leandro leaning back against the pillows as he tried to process this new information. He could somewhat remember Akira helping him onto the back of Red, his whole body feeling like it was on fire. He could remember wrapping his arms around Akira’s waist and laying his head against the red paladin’s shoulder, hearing Hoshi warn them about the approaching sentries. And then ---

And then he had woken up here, in the hospital wing of the Castle, with Dante leaning over him and telling him that everything was fine and that he needed to just breathe.

So. Petra hadn’t been exaggerating. He really had almost died. The realization of just how close he had come was heavy and sobering, as well as the realization of just how lucky he was that he hadn’t been alone.

“Thank you,” he called out softly. “For taking care of me. For making sure I got help. For saving me.”

Akira shifted awkwardly in his chair eyes fixed firmly away from Leandro. “That’s what partners do, right? They take care of each other.”

“Not just partners. Friends, too.”

For a moment, there was only silence. Then, in a voice almost too quiet to hear, Akira said “Yeah. Friends, too.”

He fell asleep sometime after that, the drugs finally overpowering what little resistance he had left. He had no idea how long he slept, but when he woke up the news tickers had changed to what looked like an alien soap opera, and his body felt like it weighed at least a thousand pounds.

He let out a groan as he forced himself to a sitting position. His mouth felt as though it had been stuffed with cottons and his eyes buffed with sandpaper. He might be alive, but he certainly felt like death.

He turned to his right, ready to ask for help --- he wasn’t feeling invincible any more --- but stopped at the sight that greeted him.

Apparently, he wasn’t the only one who had fallen asleep.

Akira had pushed the chair all the way back so he could stretch out. His boots lay on the floor, the feet that were now propped up clad in only a pair of socks. (Black, of course.) His face was turned towards the bed, giving Leandro an unobstructed view of long eyelashes and slightly parted lips. His chest rose and fell in a slow, steady rhythm.

He looked peaceful. Almost… vulnerable. As though sleep was the only place he could take off that invisible armor he seemed to wear every day and just be Akira. The sight made Leandro’s heart turn a somersault in his chest. He’s so beautiful.

Leandro didn’t want to wake him, not if he didn’t have to. From the way his partner had spoken earlier, Leandro doubted Akira had gotten much sleep the night before, ether. So if Leandro could let him sleep, then he would.

He turned to the other side of the bed and reached out to grasp his IV pole (he was none too happy to see that a fresh bag of something had been attached to it while he’d been asleep) and carefully swung his feet over the edge. When the room stayed where it was supposed to, he tightened his grip on the pole and slowly, carefully, made his way to a standing position. He felt a small twinge of protest from his abused ribs, but nothing that made him feel as though he needed assistance. A look over his shoulder told him that Akira hadn’t moved.

His walk (or shuffle, as the case was) to the bathroom was slow, but he made it with no problem. He splashed water on his face and drank a cup of water from the tap. Then he started the journey back.

But instead of going back to the bed, Leandro found himself walking over to where Akira lay sleeping. Leandro had spotted a blanket that someone --- probably Petra --- had left out and he reached for it now. He let it unfold to its full length before carefully, gently, draping it over his partner.

He wasn’t sure why he was feeling so bold. Maybe it was the drugs stealing away what little self-control he had. Maybe it was the realization that he had almost died, that this moment --- this opportunity --- had come so close to never happening. Whatever the reason, he reached out with his free hand to gently brush a stray lock of hair away from Akira’s face When his partner didn’t move, Leandro carefully leaned down and placed his lips against the other man’s forehead.

Leandro missed touch. He missed touching others, and being touched in return. He had come from a large family, and they had all used touch as a way to show affection: a hug, a reassuring hand on the shoulder, a high-five, a gentle hand on the back. During his time as a slave he had yearned for the touch of another person, one that wasn’t delivered out of anger or malice. He still craved it.

But as his lips touched Akira’s skin, his body was suddenly flooded with… something. Something warm and familiar, like a hug or a blanket. It’s an emotion that he can’t name, one that he had thought he’d lost forever.

It’s harder for him to pull away than he’d like to admit, but he feels lighter than he has in a long time, and he can’t stop the smile that’s spreading across his face. “Sweet dreams, Samurai,” he whispered before turning and going back to the bed.

Dante made him stay in the hospital for another night to make sure that there was no danger of his lung collapsing again, and that his ribs were bound properly. To add insult to injury, he was discharged with the news that he will be making the trip back to his apartment in a wheelchair.

“This is so unfair,” Leandro whined as Dante sent him off with a bottle of pain medication and strict orders to take it easy over the next few days. “Why can’t I just walk like a normal person?”

“You heard Dante,” Petra said cheerfully as she walked alongside him. “You have to give your lung time to heal. You wouldn’t be able to make the walk back right now. If you tried it, we’d just end up having to take you back to the hospital.”

Leandro pouted at this. Sometimes he really hated it when Petra was right.

Then an idea struck him, and he tilted his head back to look at the man pushing the wheelchair. “Can’t you carry me?” he pleaded. “I would much rather be carried by you then have to ride in this stupid wheelchair.” He flashed his best smile. “Besides, I was unconscious the last time you carried me. If an attractive man is going to cradle me in his arms, I would like to be awake and able to enjoy it, thank you very much.”

Above him, Akira’s cheeks bloomed with color as he tried to come up with an appropriate response, but only managed to stutter out a few words. Leandro’s smile turned into a full-blown grin. He loved it when that happened. Especially when he was the cause of it.

“Take it easy there, Loverboy,” Petra laughed as she reached up to pat Akira on the arm. “We don’t want to break him now, do we? Just let him push you for the time being. If he wants hold you in his arms later, that’s on him.”

Akira scowled at her, his face turning an even darker shade of red, and Leandro couldn’t help but laugh.

He must have dozed off after that, because the next thing he knew, Akira was gently shaking him. “Wake up, Leo. You’re home.”

He opened his eyes, blinking blearily at the familiar, comforting sight of his own apartment. He looked over to the door to his bedroom and let out a quiet groan. It seemed so far away. He didn’t even want to think about the distance to his bed.

Hey lay his head back against the wheelchair. “Can you just go ahead and push me into my room? It just… I don’t know if I can walk that far. Even with help.”

Silence greeted him, and he wondered if Akira had left without him noticing. But then there was a gentle touch on his knee, then an arm slid under his legs, and he was suddenly being lifted by a pair of strong arms and held against a warm chest.

Akira was going to carry him.

Leandro didn’t bother to think. He just reacted, reaching up to twine his arms around Akira’s neck and tucking his head into the hollow of the other man’s collarbone.

“Is… is this all right?” Akira murmured hesitantly, and Leandro loved the fact that he could feel his partner’s chest rumble underneath him when he spoke. “I’m not hurting you, am I?”

Leandro shook his head, not willing to speak, too afraid that it would ruin the moment.

At first, Akira didn’t move, and Leandro found himself hoping that he wouldn’t. He moved his head forward so that he could place his nose against the other man’s neck, inhaling deeply. Akira smelled warm and earthy, like a mixture of cinnamon and campfire. And Leandro could detect the faint scent of grease and motor oil that seemed to be permanently ingrained into the mechanic’s skin. All of the scents mingled together to form something that smelled like Akira.

It smelled wonderful.

It smelled like… like home.

Akira finally started to take slow, careful steps towards Leandro’s bedroom. The injured man hoped the trip took forever. He didn’t want this moment --- this feeling of warmth, and utter and complete security --- to ever end.

There was a brief pause as Akira fumbled with the door to the bedroom. Then, far too soon, his partner was gently lowering him down onto his bed. There was a quiet rustle, and then Akira was pulling the quilt up and over Leandro’s body, gently tucking it in around him. “Get some rest, Leo,” he said softly.

He was asleep before the other man made it out of the door.

The next several days saw a parade of visitors come in and out of Leandro’s apartment. The entire team decided to gather there for lunch, and Hayach would often come with Petra after they finished their day’s work and would cook them dinner. Curran stopped by one day with a stack of get-well cards that had been made by the kids he worked with. Dante was there every afternoon to check on him, and Hoshi would come by in the mornings to drink coffee with him and talk about the morning’s news.

And every day, just like clockwork, Akira showed up at their scheduled training time. Sometimes they just sat and talked. Most days the scarred man would make him get up and walk down the hall  (“Dante says you have to get up and move around so that you won’t get fluid in your lungs”) and back again.

Leandro was incredibly thankful for the company. It not only staved off the boredom, but it kept him from being lonely. He’d never done well with being alone, his mind wanting to fall back into places that he had fought and clawed his way out of years ago. Knowing that there was someone close by if things started to get bad was always a huge comfort

Leandro never brought up the night that Akira had carried him. He was afraid that the other man would play it off, or say it hadn’t meant anything to him. It had certainly meant something to Leandro. It had meant a lot. If he found out Akira didn’t feel that way, it would break his heart.

After a week of recovery, Akira came to him bearing a gift. When Leandro answered the door that day, his partner held up a familiar-looking cardboard container. “I made sure to ask Dante if you could have this before I brought it,” he said by way of explanation.

Leandro let out a gasp of delight, his eyes going wide. “Is that beer?”

”It is indeed.” The other man had an uncharacteristically smug grin on his face. “Hayach and I brew it as a hobby. I’ve been told it’s the best booze in the Outskirts.”

Leandro stepped aside and gestured him in. “Well, well. That is a bold claim. I can’t wait to test this for myself.”

Akira briefly vanished into the kitchen to place the six-pack in the chill box, then reappeared carrying two of the dark glass bottles in his hands. They both sat on the couch and twisted the tops off, and Akira lifted his in the air. “To the Neon City Outlaws.”

Leandro grinned as he clinked his bottle against his partners. “To the first of what will hopefully be many successful ass-kickings.”

“I’ll drink to that.” Both men lifted their bottles to their lips and took a drink. Leandro closed his eyes as the taste of the beer flooded over his tongue, chased by notes of orange and vanilla. “Damn,” he said, opening his eyes and looking at the bottle in awe. “I have to say that this is definitely one of the best brews I’ve ever had. And I have been to every drinking establishment in the Outskirts at least once.”

His partner’s eyes lit up at the praise. “Yeah? You think it’s that good? Thanks! I’m glad you like it.”

The two lapsed into a comfortable silence as they enjoyed their beers. Leandro couldn’t help but marvel at how far the two of them had come in just a few weeks. There was no way they would have been able to do this when they had first met. 

Leandro shifted so that he could turn to face the other man. “So I have a question I have been dying to ask you, Kira, if you don’t mind.”

A wary look crossed over Akira’s face, but he nodded for his companion to continue.

“Why do you do all of this? What made you decide to join the Deliverance, become the Mechanic? What is it about this shitty rock that you are willing to risk your life for it over and over again?”

Akira’s expression relaxed from wary into a smile. “I’m from here.”

Leandro winced. “Yeesh. Sorry I called it a shitty rock.”

“No worries. It is a shitty rock. But it’s the only home I’ve ever known. And the Galra are fucking ruthless. They don’t care about anyone but themselves. I don’t want them to keep doing what they did to my family --- what they did to your family. If I can just save one kid from going through what I did, then it’s all worth it. To me, that is a cause worth dying for. And the Deliverance lets me do it.”

Both of Leandro’s eyebrows shot up at this piece of information, and before he could stop himself, he blurted out “What happened to your family?” Then he immediately flushed with embaressment. ‘Errr, ignore that. You don’t have to answer.”

Akira waved a dismissive hand at him. “It’s fine. I don’t mind. Besides, I know all about what the Galra did to your family. It’s only fair that you should know what they did to mine.” Akira shifted in his seat so that he was leaning back into the couch and took a  deep, fortifying pull of his bottle. “Both of my parents were in the military. Mom was a pilot, and Dad was a medic. She was a native, and he was an off-worlder who was stationed here.” A slight smile touched his lips. “Apparently it was love at first sight. Which I always found hilarious. You want to talk about opposites attracting. Mom was built like a tank, tall and strong as hell, just like Hoshi. I, of course, managed to get my Dad’s genes. He barely came up to her chin. She liked to bench press him sometimes, just because she could.

“We lived right on the border between the city and the Outskirts. We had a quiet life. We had a good life.” He paused for a moment, his eyes going distant. “One day, the local school caught on fire. It happened in the middle of the day, and the school was full of kids. Dad rushed out to help --- he was a medic, after all --- but the Galra had the entire scene blocked off. They wouldn’t let anybody in, told Dad that if he managed to break past the barrier it would be considered an act of treason. So my father was forced to stand there, helpless, as a school full of children burned to the ground.” His fingers whitened as he tightened his grip on the bottle. “Over three hundred people died that day.”

The warm, pleasant feeling that had begun to form in Leandro’s stomach instantly turned sour. “Jesus,” he breathed.

Akira bobbed his head in agreement. “When the Galra did the press conference the next day, they said that they had simply been unable to do anything. That, since the school had been located in the Outskirts, they had --- regrettably, of course --- not been able to utilize their vast resources to put out the fire and save the children.”

“Even though the Outskirts has its own emergency services that could have saved them if the Galra hadn’t set up a blockade.”

‘Some of them tried.” The other man’s voice was quiet. “Some of the residents of the Outskirts who had come to help managed to slip through the barricade to try and help. They were shot on the spot. It’s the only reason my father didn’t try. If he had thought he had a chance of rescuing anyone, he would have gladly given his life. That’s who he was.” He took another drink. “The hardest part --- at least for my father --- was the fact that this was where Hoshi went to school. They had kept him home that day because he had been sick. If they hadn’t ---”

They lapsed back into silence. Leandro tried to think about how Akira’s father must have felt realizing that it had only been sheer luck that had kept his son alive. And the guilt he must have  at come with realizing that there was nothing he could do to save someone else’s child, even though he was right there and possessed the skills necessary to do so. “What happened next?” he finally asked in a hushed tone.

“My father had a hard time with it. I remember him having nightmares for months. He tried to hide it from us, but I could hear him crying in the middle of the night sometimes. He and my mother finally decided that they had to do something, that they couldn’t let the Galra keep hurting people with no repercussions.”

“They joined the Deliverance.” It wasn’t a question.

Another nod. “They tried to keep it from us, but we would often hear them talk. It didn’t take us long to figure out that they were spies. It was actually a prefect job for them. Since they were both in the military, they were in perfect positions to hear information about planned raids or other operations. Even if the Galra refused to be part of the planetary military, they would often coordinate with them. So whenever something came in that they thought was important, they would pass it on to the Deliverance.”

“What happened to them?’

“They got discovered. To this day, Hoshi and I still haven’t been able to figure out how. Though I guess it doesn’t really matter.” Akira looked down at his hands, the bottle dangling for him fingertips. “They woke us up in the middle of the night, telling us that we had to go. They got us dressed and handed us each a backpack full of emergency supplies. Then they gave us these.” He reached under the collar of his t-shirt and pulled out a chain that Leandro had never noticed before. At the end of it dangled two items that he immediately recognized as dog tags.

“One of them is my mother’s,” he said softly. “The other is my father’s. They told us that there were certain people that we could show these to and they would help us.” He tucked the chain back into his shirt, and Leandro realized just how precious those dog tags must be to the Kogane brothers. “Then my mother gave me her dagger, and Hoshi was given my father’s pistol. They told us that they loved us, and to make sure that we took care of each other. I remember thinking that it was some kind of game, or a test, because both of them were so calm. But then they shoved us out of the door and locked it behind us. We found out later that the house burned to the ground that night. My father’s body was recovered, but my mother was never found.”

Leandro closed his eyes at that, feeling his heart ache. Even knowing first-hand just how heartless the Galra were towards those they considered to be lesser, he still found himself shocked by every new account of their cruelty. Fucking monsters.

“Hoshi led us out into the Outskirts that night, as far away from the city as possible. He found us an abandoned shack to stay in. I still thought it was a game, that Mom and Dad would show up in the morning to tell us that we’d won, and then we’d all go home and have breakfast together.”

Leandro could almost imagine it: a young Akira lying in a sleeping bag on the floor of a dark building, believing that he was on some bizarre camping trip with his brother, who was no doubt sitting up with his father’s pistol, keeping watch. “How old were you?”

His partner shrugged. “Around ten, I think? I know Hoshi was a teenager, and he’s four years older than me.”

So young. They’d both been younger than Leandro had been when the Galra had taken his family. “Did you come to the Deliverance then?”

“That had been the plan, I think. Hoshi knew where the Castle was --- Dad had apparently told him --- and he wanted us to find it and show them out dog tags. But, when he woke up the next morning, we found our faces plastered everywhere. Every sign, every billboard, every gods-be-damned holovid screen in the Outskirts were showing pictures of us. There was a reward being offered for any information that would lead to our safe return. They had spun a story that our home had been attacked, our parents killed, and we were now missing and considered endangered.”

“Son of a bitch,” Leandro swore, feeling anger rising up in his chest. “So, even if you had found someone to help you…”

‘They would have handed us over to the Galra, thinking that they were saving us.” He drained the last of his beer and carefully placed the empty bottle on the corner of the coffee table. “We managed pretty well, all things considered. The shack was still in good shape, and we were able to fix it up so it was almost homey. Hoshi would often go out and try to find small jobs to earn us money, and we stole what we couldn’t buy.” He made a face. “The worst part was that Hoshi made us shave our heads so that it would be harder for people to recognize us. I hated being bald.” He ran his hand over his ponytail, as if to make sure it was still there, “We made it on our own for two years before Hoshi got caught stealing food and sent to prison. It took me almost another two years to track him down and break him out. That’s when we finally made it to the Castle.”

Silence settled over them, each man lost in his own thoughts. Leandro couldn’t help but feel a thread of guilt as he thought about what his partner had told him. Akira’s parents had been killed by the Galra, just as his had. But where Leandro had spent the subsequent years hiding, doing everything he could to not be noticed, Akira had been out fighting, doing what he could to help save others from the same fate. It made Leandro feel… ashamed.

Stop that, he told himself firmly. You did what you had to do to survive. No one will blame you for that. Besides, you’re here now. And that’s what matters.

On the other end of the couch, Akira let out a sigh as he pushed to his feet. “I should probably head out. Hayach and Petra want me to stop by sometime today and see if I can answer any questions they have about that Galra skiff engine.” He picked up his empty beer bottle from the coffee table. “Can I get you anything before I go?”

Leandro gave him an airy wave. “Nah. I’ll be fine. You don’t want to keep Petra waiting. She should be the poster child for impatience.”

The other man didn’t move. “Are you sure? I can stay if you want me to. Or if you need me to, rather.”

“You can stay if you want to. I will never complain about getting to spend time with you.” And he meant it. “But if you want to go poke around a Galra engine with Petra and Hayach, then go. I’ll be fine. Besides, you’ll be back later, right?”

Akira visibly relaxed. “Yeah. Yeah, I will. I just… If you’re sure ---”

“Kira,” he said, drawing the other man’s name out. “It sounds to me like you are looking for an excuse to stay here with me.” He fluttered his eyelashes at the other man.

Akira let out a huff, but Leandro didn’t miss the hint of color that rose in his cheeks. “Fine. I’ll go. Just let me put this in the recycler first.”

But as his partner started to walk past him, Leandro reached out to catch his hand, causing Akira to stop in his tracks. “Hey, Kira?” His voice was soft, almost… shy. “I, um, I wanted to say thank you. For… Well, for everything, really. For saving my life. For staying with me when I was in the hospital. For coming to visit me every day. For being my friend.” He paused. “And for sharing your story with me. I know how hard it is to share your private pains, and I am honored that you chose me to share it with.” He stared at their clasped hands for a moment. Marveling at how they fit together. How his hands were large, skin smooth and soft, and how Akira’s hands were starkly pale against his darker skin, his fingers long and slender. And how Leandro could feel the callouses and rough skin that pressed against his. “I hate what happened to you. And, if I could go back in time and stop it from ever happening, I would. I would do it in a heartbeat. But…” He bit his lip, trying to decide how best to word what he wanted to say next. “I am so very thankful that you made your way here, because I don’t think we would have ever met otherwise. And the idea of having never met you… Well, I don’t like thinking about it.” He took a deep breath, lifting his gaze ---

---only to find himself staring directly into Akira’s eyes.

Leandro felt his breath hitch, and his heart started to do a vigorous tap dance against his rib cage. The air around them was heavy and thick, the way it had always felt before a thunderstorm back in Cuba. It was crackling with possibility, a portent of something to come. Leandro didn’t know what that might be: maybe Akira would laugh it off, maybe he would jerk his hand away and leave without another word, or maybe he would kiss him. Leandro didn’t know. All he could do was wait.

Akira dropped his gaze from Leandro’s face to their joined hands, not speaking, just staring. Leandro felt his heart began to pound even harder, and he distantly wondered if it would keep going faster until it cracked his barely-healed ribs again. His mouth went dry, and fear started to coil in his belly. I’ve ruined it, he couldn’t help but think, starting to feel the first threads of panic. I shouldn’t have touched him. Now he’ll never ---

But then Akira lifted his head once more, and Leandro’s brain immediately stopped working.

His partner was smiling, and it was beautiful. Leandro had never seen Akira smile like that before. It was absolutely radiant, lighting up his whole face, making him look softer somehow. Open. Not wary and closed-off like he normally seemed to be.

Forget blushing, Leandro thought, awestruck. I want to make him smile like this.

“I’m very thankful that I got to meet you, too.” Akira’s voice was soft. He squeezed Leandro’s hand, but he didn’t let go. “See you at lunch?”

Unable to speak, Leandro just nodded.

“Good.” His hand tightened around Leandro’s once more, and --- was it Leandro’s imagination, or was he reluctant to let him go?

Then he was gone, leaving Leandro to sit in stunned silence.

Chapter Text

Akira had been pacing for what felt like hours. He’d lost count of how many times he’d made the circuit around the command center. If it was possible to wear a hole in the floor, he was certain he would have done so by now.

Leandro was perched on one of the many desks that littered the room, watching him with an amused expression. “How long are you going to keep this up? You’re starting to make me tired.”

Akira scowled at him without breaking his stride. “I don’t like this,” he said for what had to be at least the tenth time. “It’s not right. I don’t see how you can be so calm about it.”

His partner gave an easy shrug. “I agreed to this, remember?”

“No. You were forced to agree to it. There’s a difference. Besides, you’ve already done more than enough for us. You should not have to be held to this.”

As he paced by the desk where Leandro sat, the darker-skinned man reached out and snagged Akira’s hand. “Hey,” he said in a gentle tone of voice. “What’s bothering you so much? You know I don’t mind doing this. I want to do this.” He gave the other man’s hand a reassuring squeeze.  “Everything is going to be fine.”

Akira let out a frustrated huff, reaching back to give his ponytail a tug. He didn’t continue his pacing, halted by Leandro’s grip, and not wanting to pull away. (Maybe, if he just held the other man down…) “It’s not going to be fine, Leo. It’s going to paint an even bigger target on your back than the one you already have. The Galra will happily burn the entire planet to ash in order to find you. It’s too risky.” Too agitated to stand still, Akira tried to tug his hand free so he could keep pacing. Stubborn idiot!

But Leandro refused to let him go. “No, it’s not. The Galra want people to move to the city so that they can control them. If they kill all of their workforce, they might actually have to do something themselves. And we know that’s not going to happen.” He offered one pf his grins. “Everything will turn out okay, Ki. I promise.”

But things would not be okay, Akira knew. It was going to be a fucking nightmare.

Leandro was about to do a planet-wide broadcast, announcing to the entire world that he was the long-thought dead Sanchez son, as well as a member of the Deliverance. Just being one of those things was bad enough. But both? Akira knew that the Galra would use every resource they had to find him. And, as Leandro had pointed out to him when they had first met, the Galra wouldn’t just kill him. They would make an example out of him.

But Leandro no longer seemed to care.

Akira let out a low growl and gave his hair an even more vicious yank. “Leo, they burned down an entire school full of children without blinking an eye. And you think they won’t move heaven and earth to try and get their hands on you?” He didn’t bother to hide the panic in his voice. He had been arguing with his partner since he and Alina had decided to do this; but, he had learned, arguing with Leandro Sanchez was as productive as arguing with a rock.

Leandro’s blue eyes were solemn as they looked into Akira’s. “That’s why I want to do this, why I need to do this. I want to make it so that they can never hurt anyone else. I don’t want them to be able to tear another family apart, like they did to you and me.” His face hardened.  “Besides, I’m tired of hiding. It’s time they finally were held responsible for their actions,”

Akira let out a snarl of pure anger and yanked his hand away so he could continue his pacing. If he didn’t keep moving, he was going to punch something, Most likely his idiot of a partner.

It had been over a week since Akira’s confession, and he’d regretted it ever since. The day after, Leandro had decided that he had been a coward for hiding from the Galra instead of fighting them and had wanted to make up for it. So he had decided to broadcast his existence, letting everyone know that he was alive and well and fighting for the Deliverance.

And it terrified Akira more than he would like to admit.

Their relationship had changed since the fight against the Juicers, a subtle shift that Akira could not define. They were still friends, but it felt as though the two of them had moved past just friendship. They were easier around each other now, each man moving naturally with the other instead of the cautious dance they had been doing.

And, now, the idea of something happening to Leandro, of him being gone, caused a sharp ache somewhere in Akira’s chest. But save for locking him up and throwing away the key, there was absolutely nothing Akira could do to keep him safe. And that knowledge had him feeling like he was tearing apart from the inside out.

Was this what it meant to care for someone?  To constantly be in a state of ear? To know that there was nothing you could do that would guarantee the other person’s safety?

He remembered arguing with Hoshi about how he didn’t want to grow close to anyone out of fear that they could be used against him. He had always thought it would be the Galra, not his own heart.

Maybe I was better off on my own…

Before that thought could sit and fester, Alina was calling to them from across the room. “We’re ready.”

Leandro got to his feet and walked to the Altean woman’s side, Akira reluctantly following. Alina held open the door to one of the small conference rooms that ringed command center. “Just let Petra know when you’re ready. Once the camera light turns green, you’ll be live.”

Leandro stood in the door for a moment, not moving, and Akira began to think that maybe the other man had changed his mind. But when he turned to face his partner, Leandro’s eyes were full of nothing but determination. “Wish me luck?” he asked, his voice soft.

Akira wanted to tell him no. He wanted to tell Leandro that he needed to walk away from that room right now and forget this whole foolish endeavor. But he knew the other man wouldn’t listen to him, and he couldn’t just walk away to leave his partner to deal with this on his own. So he offered a nod and what he hoped was a reassuring smile. “Go be great,” he said, his voice just as soft.

Leandro smiled at that, and Akira was relieved to see that it reached his eyes. Then he disappeared into the conference room, Alina gently closing the door behind him. The two of them turned and walked to the other side of the command center, where Curran, Dante, and Hoshi were gathered in front of the holovid screen that took up almost the entire wall.

Hoshi looked at his brother out of the corner of his eye. “Are you all right?” he murmured, keeping his tone low enough so that only Akira could hear him.

Akira kept his eyes on the screen, but gave a sharp shake of his head. “No.”

Hoshi didn’t reply, but he reached up and placed his mechanical hand on his brother’s shoulder. The younger Kogane was thankful for the gesture, grateful to have something to keep him grounded. He was so full of nervous energy at the moment that he was worried that he would vibrate apart.

Nothing happened for several moments, and Akira found himself hoping that his partner had realized that this was a stupid idea and would come out of the conference room looking sheepish. But just as Akira was getting ready to return to the conference room, the screen lit up, and Leandro’s face was suddenly looking out at them.

Akira couldn’t hold back a sharp intake of breath. On the screen, all of Leandro’s features stood out in sharp relief: his freckles, his blue eyes, his crooked nose. All of it was now on display in stunning resolution for the entire world to see. Akira felt a sharp stab of something pierce his chest as the realization that he was having to share his partner --- his friend --- with the whole world.

Jealousy, he realized a moment later. That was what he was feeling. Jealousy.

Above them, Leandro’s signature grin spread across his face. “Hey, guys!” he said, cheerfully waving at the camera. “Sorry to interrupt your soap operas --- are those a thing here? Anyways, I wanted to take a few moments to chat with everyone.” He paused, and the rest of Voltron watched as he took a deep, fortifying breath. “My name is Leandro Julian Sanchez, and the tales of my demise have been greatly exaggerated. If there is anyone out there who does not recognize my name, I am the son of Alejo and Macaria Sanchez, the youngest of five children.” His face became hard, and his eyes flashed with an emotion that Akira could not name. “I was uncle to Julian and little Novia Sanchez. And, now, the only Sanchez. If you don’t believe me --- since the Galra have spent the past six years telling you that they killed me after my family’s execution --- here is your proof.” He grabbed the collar of his shirt and gave a viscous yank, displaying the entirety of his slave mark,

Akira felt his hands curl into fists, nails digging into his palms. Stop this, he thought desperately. Don’t do this.

But Leandro continued, not bothering to cover up the ugly mark on his shoulder. “The Galra killed my family, murdered them. You all know this. You all watched it happen. But the story you have been told is not the truth. My family did not care about the Galra at all. What my family cared about --- what my family fought for --- was freedom. My freedom. They were fighting for the right for us to live as a family. They were fighting so that we could all sit around the table together and have dinner. They fought so that we could do the exact same thing that you are doing right now. And the Galra killed them for it.

“They killed my grandparents, who had spent their entire lives working so that their children could have better lives. They killed my parents, who were childhood sweethearts, and had loved each other more than anyone else I have ever known. They killed my siblings, all of whom were just starting their own lives, their own families. And they killed --- they ---” His voice broke, and Akira could only watch helplessly as his partner blinked tears from his eyes. “My niece and nephew --- Julian and Novia --- were children. Children. Novia hadn’t even been old enough to start school when she was killed. But the Galra murdered them anyways. And for what? What threat could a five-year-old pose to the mightiest empire in the universe?”

The sound of a broken sob came from Akira’s left. Turning, he saw that Alina was staring up at the screen, a hand covering her mouth, jeweled eyes shining with unshed tears.

Good, he thought viscously. You should be upset. This is all your fault.

On the screen, Leandro had managed to regain his composure, though the tears were running down his face. When he next spoke, his voice was strong and clear.

“I have spent the past six years living the life I thought my family wanted me to have. I was living a life of freedom.” He lowered his eyes, and somehow --- somehow --- they landed directly on Akira, as though Leandro could see him through the camera. “But I have recently realized that my family didn’t fight and die for just me. They gave their lives so that everyone could live free.”

His eyes came back to the camera, and he lifted his chin in a sign of defiance. “I’ve decided to carry on their fight, to continue the work that they gave their lives for. Believe me when I say that the Galra do not care about you. Remember, they promised to take care of my family, too. They only protect you as long as you do whatever they ask and do not question them. But the first time you do anything that they see as an act of rebellion, it will be your family, your children, that will pay the price.

“I don’t want what happened to my family to happen to yours. I don’t want the news tickers to tell the story of another Julian or another Novia losing their lives just so the Galra can tighten their hold on all of you. But I can’t do it on my own.” His eyes softened, his expression turning pleading. “Please. Help us. The Deliverance will gladly take anyone who is willing to join the fight.”

Then he lifted his head, squared his shoulders, and stared directly into the camera. “Recuorado la familia Sanchez.”

Then the screen went dark.

Akira didn’t wait a single moment before turning and sprinting back to the conference room where Leandro was and threw open the door.

The taller man had slumped into one of the chairs that ringed the room, hunched over, shoulders curled in as though he was trying to disappear into himself, hands covering his face.

Akira dropped to his knees in front of the other man, reaching out to gently grasp his shoulders. “Hey,” he said gently. “Are you all right?”

In response, Leandro lowered his arms so that he could wrap them around Akira’s waist before leaning forward and burying his face into the kneeling man’s neck. A moment later, his whole body started to shake, and Akira felt the first drops of tears slide down his skin.

Akira froze, panic seizing him. What am I supposed to do? he thought frantically. He’d never really comforted anyone before, and he didn’t want to do or say anything that would make the other man feel worse.

But then an image flashed through his mind, a memory from when he was a child, a time when he had been scared or upset. He remembered the way his mother had held him, the words that she had spoken to soothe him. Holding that memory in his head, Akira wrapped one arm around Leandro’s waist, resting his hand against the small of the other man’s back. His free hand moved to gently cradle the back of Leandro’s head, holding him in place. “I’m here,” he said quietly. “I’ve got you.”

Time ceased to exist around them. (Though Akira didn’t care about time at all; he would stay there on that floor forever if that was what Leandro needed.) But then he noticed that his partner’s shaking had subsided, and there were no new tears tricking onto his neck. Still, he didn’t move.

Finally, Leandro pulled away with a groan, his hands going back up to rub at his eyes. “Shit,” he said, his voice stuffy from crying. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to fall apart on you like that.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for,” Akira told him firmly. He stayed kneeling, hands resting on his partner’s knees, letting Leandro know that he was still there if he needed him. “What you just did was incredible. There is no way I could have done that.”

That earned him a short huff of laughter. “I almost didn’t. I thought it would be easier to talk about them. I mean, it’s been six years. And I ---” He let out a sigh and lowered his hands from his face. “Stars, I must look awful.”

Akira tilted his head so that he could look up at his partner’s face. Leandro’s eyes were red and puffy, and his face had become blotchy, making his freckles stand out even more. He reached up, moving slowly so that Leandro would have time to pull away if he wanted to, and gently brushed away a stray curl that had stuck to his tear-stained face. “I think you look beautiful.”  

Leandro reached up, capturing Akira’s hand in his own, and pressed it to his cheek, leaning into the touch. “I’m so glad you’re here,” he whispered, eyes beginning to glisten once again. “I don’t… I couldn’t have done this without you.”

Akira had never wanted to kiss anyone as much as he wanted to kiss Leandro in that moment. But he didn’t know how. Not the kissing part --- he’d had plenty of practice with that. But he’d never kissed anyone because he actually cared about them before.  

He found himself having to swallow past the lump that had formed in his throat. “Leo, I ---”

The sound of someone frantically banging on the door caused Akira to jump. (In all honesty, he had been so caught up with Leo that he had totally forgotten that there were other people just outside of the room.) “Leo?” Even through the door there was no mistaking the anxiety in Petra’s voice. “Leo? Are you okay? Can I come in?”

“I’m fine,” he called back, never taking his eyes off of the man in front of him. “Kira’s in here with me. We’ll be out in a few minutes.” He squeezed Akira’s hand, which he was still holding against his face. “I meant what I said,” His voice had dropped back into a low pitch. “There’s no one else I’d rather be with right now than you.”

Then he leaned forward, and Akira felt his lungs freeze in his chest as he thought, for just a second, that Leandro was going to kiss him. But then his partner angled his head, and instead of kissing Akira on his lips, the kiss landed on the scar on Akira’s cheek. “Thank you,” he murmured, pressing their foreheads together. “For being here.”

Akira closed his eyes, feeling his entire body come alive at the gesture. His mind --- and his heart --- were both screaming at him to kiss this beautiful human being in front of him, that this was the moment to do it. All he had to do was lean in that last inch that separated them and press their lips together, to show Leandro just how glad he was to be here, too.  To be with him.

But he still couldn’t do it.

Finally, Leandro sat back with a sigh, reaching up to scrub at his face, “We should probably go. If we stay in here too much longer, Petra’s likely to break down the door.” He stood, then reached down to pull Akira to his feet.

As soon as Leandro opened the door, Petra was launching herself at him. “Leo!” she wailed as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “I’m so sorry. Why didn’t you tell me that’s what you were going to say? I never would have agreed to this if I had known.”

He chuckled as he hugged her back, gently petting her hair. (Akira realized, much to his mortification, that he was having a hard time not feeling jealous about that, too.) “It’s all right, Pet. I honestly did not think that I would have any problems talking about them. But I made it though. Besides, I bet I won a few people over with those tears. Don’t you think?”

Petra lifted her head up so she could glare at him. “You’re such an idiot,” she scolded. Then her face softened. “But you are a brave idiot. I’m so proud of you.” She placed a kiss against his cheek before sliding to the floor.

Then she turned and threw herself at Akira.

He let out a meep of surprise, stumbling back a few steps as her weight hit him. “Err..”

She held him tight, burying her face into his shoulder. “Thank you,” she murmured, her voice muffled by the fabric of his shirt. “For taking care of him.” Then she pressed her lips against his scar, almost in the same place that Leandro had.

It took him another moment --- he wasn’t used to people outside of his immediate circle hugging him, much less kissing him on the cheek (and that had happened twice in the past half hour!) --- but he finally relaxed into the embrace, bringing his hands up to hug her back. “You’re very welcome.”

She gave him one last squeeze before dropping back to the floor. “Come on. The others are waiting for us.”

They found the rest of Team Voltron standing around Hayach, who was furiously typing at a keyboard, the tip of his tongue sticking out of the side of his mouth in concentration. A flurry of words scrolled through the air in front of him. On the large holovid screen, the news ticker was going so fast that the narrator was unable to keep up.

At their approach, Hayach looked up, his eyes brightening at the sight of Leandro. “Dude!” he cried, holding up a hand for a high-five. “That was awesome! You broke… Well, everything!”

Leandro laughed as he slapped his hand against the larger man’s. ‘Thanks! I think. What’s going on?”

“The Galra are scrambling,” Alina said, her voice proud and fierce as she stared at the stream of tickers rolling by a replay of Leandro’s broadcast. “Right now, they are trying to spin this as a hoax. That they killed the real Leandro Sanchez six years ago. But it doesn’t seem as though many people believe them.” She turned to face the man in question, and her expression went soft. “Thank you, Leo. This… You went far beyond what I had expected from you. You’ve done more for the Deliverance in the past thirty minutes than we’ve managed to do in the past ten years.”

He gave her a nod in reply. “I’m just happy I was able to do something to help.”

“Are we absolutely certain that the broadcast cannot be traced back to here?” Hoshi asked, arms crossed, and his brows furrowed in concern as he looked up at the holovid screen. “If the Galra are able to find us and attack, there is no way we’d have time for a full evacuation.”

“Oh, I’m sure,” Petra said, adjusting her glasses. “Once I hacked the broadcast signal, I locked it to its original source, which is the Castillo de Lyons. Then I bounced our broadcast through about ten different satellites around the planet. It will take them days to trace it back to its origination. Which, of course, is their own castle.” She didn’t bother to hide her smug tone.

Hoshi blinked at her for a moment as he ran her words through his head, making sure he understood what she was saying, before he offered her a nod of respect. “I am sorry for doubting you. Thank you making sure our people are safe.”

Petra’s chest puffed out with pride. “I can’t fight, but I can use technology as a weapon. So I am glad I was able to do my part.”

“Guys!” Hayach’s excited voice brought their attention back to the images flashing above his keyboard. “Check this out!” He punched a key on the keyboard, and a single image appeared in the air above him.

No, Akira realized as he moved to stand behind his best friend. It wasn’t a single image. It was a video feed. It was dark, making it almost impossible to see what was happening, but he could detect some kind of movement. “What is this?”

“Just watch.”

As time ticked by, they could see that there was more and more movement happening, though the screen remained dark. But then a light flared into existence, then another, then another, until they could finally see what was happening.

The first thing they saw were people. A lot of people. And, as more light burst into life, Akira could see that they were all gathered in what looked like a courtyard or a square of some kind.

“Isn’t this amazing?” Hayach’s tone was that of hushed awe, and his honey-brown eyes were bright with excitement. “Someone in the chat rooms sent out an invite at the end of Leo’s speech. Look at how many people have already shown up!”

“What are they all doing?” Hoshi asked. “And where?”

“They’re in Church Square. See?” Hayach lifted a finger towards a structure in the background of the video. “That’s the Old City Church.” He then moved his finger to a large wall that stood on its own, the edges of it blackened. “This was the Sanchez family home,” he said quietly, turning to look at Leandro. “This is where your family lived when they came here . The Galra had it burned to the ground after they were executed.”

They all were silent as they watched the events unfold on the screen. “Look,” Petra said softly, moving to tuck herself into Leandro’s side. “Something’s happening.”

More light had appeared, and now they could see the entire scene in perfect clarity. They could see more people streaming into the courtyard--- Akira guessed there were at least two hundred people there ---- and three ladders had now been propped up against the wall of the former Sanchez home. As they watched, people began to make their way up the ladders. “What ---” Leandro asked, his voice a whisper.

“They’re tagging the wall!” Dante suddenly exclaimed, “Sweet heavens, it’s a tag party!”

All of the other paladins turned to look at him.

“What?” he asked, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “I wanted to be an artist at one point in my life. I attended my share of these events.”

“But what is a, ah…” Curran cocked his head to the side. “’Tag party’?”

“Tagging is another name for street art. Graffiti, but professional graffiti, See those people on the ladders? They all have cans of paint. They will use them to paint an image on the wall. Each person will paint a small portion of a larger image. Everyone gets a turn until the entire image is formed.”

“Oh.” Alina leaned in over Hayach’s shoulder so that she could peer closer at the screen. “But how do they know what the picture is supposed to look like? I mean, if they are each just doing a small portion of it, won’t they be afraid it will look like…. I don’t know. A giant blob?”

“The finished image is decided beforehand,” Dante explained. “Everyone just gets their turn to add to it. It’s a mosaic, if you will. A large image made from several smaller ones.”

“So what is this image going to be? Do we know?”

Hayach turned to look at Leandro, his face turning soft, his voice gentle. “It’s going to say ‘Recuerdo la familia Sanchez’.”

Leandro inhaled sharply, his eyes going wide and watery. “Oh,” he whispered.

“Someone suggested this on one of the chat rooms, and, like, a ton of people responded. They --- the people --- did all of this.”

“What does that mean?” Alina asked, still watching the video feed. “I heard you say it at the end of the broadcast, but I --- Leo?”

But her blue paladin was unable to answer, as his hands were currently covering his face and his shoulders were trembling as he started to cry.

The realization that a member of the Sanchez family was still alive threw everything into chaos. Hayach reported that the chat rooms were blowing up: the Galra had lied to them about Leandro’s death, about the motivation behind the Sanchez family’s rebellion. If they had been lying about that, what else could they be lying about?

There were riots in Neon City for the first time in a decade. The Galran governor was trying to quell them without much success. People had even started to tag the walls in the city itself. And when the Galra took one down, two more went up.

Leandro became a celebrity overnight. Members of the Deliverance were flooding the Castle in order to meet him, to shake his hand, to tell him how his family had inspired them. People were clamoring to join the Deliverance, and Alina was having Hoshi shuttle Leandro around the Outskirts in a series of recruitment events.

Which meant that Akira had not seen his partner in days.

He was trying not to let it bother him. Leandro wasn’t his, didn’t owe him anything. And this was what Alina had wanted all along. Besides, Leandro had told him that he wanted to do this. So, really, he had no reason to be upset by the other man’s absence.

But he missed Leandro. The two of them had spent time together every day for over a month now, and going for so long without hearing his voice made Akira feel itchy inside. Restless.  

He and Dante were currently sitting at their kitchen table, eating dinner, when the older man sat his fork down with a sigh. “Okay, Kira, Spill it.”

Akira looked up from where he had been pushing his food around on his plate, blinking in confusion. “Spill? What’s spilled?”

“You need to spill. You’re being moodier than usual. What gives?”

A scowl immediately crossed his face. “I am not moody.”

His brother-in-law let out an inelegant snort. “You’ve spent the past week walking around looking as though you have a thundercloud hanging over your head. Which is unusual, even for you.” He paused. “Is it because of Leo?”

Akira willed himself not to react, but he could still feel warmth flood into his cheeks. “Why would you think this was about Leo? He’s not here.”

“Which, I am assuming, is the reason for the thundercloud. You miss him.”

He put his own fork down and let out a heavy sigh. “Yes,” he said with a grumble. “And I feel so stupid. It is ridiculous to feel like this. I know that. But…” He shrugged. “I’ve seen him every day, talked to him every day. He’s become this… fixed point in my life now, and with him gone I feel like I’ve gotten knocked off my axis.”  He let out a groan and dropped his head to the table with a thunk. “Shit. I can’t believe I just said that out loud.”

Dante laughed softly. “It’s not stupid, Ki. Not at all. You care about him. Anyone who sees you two together can see that. Of course it’s going to be hard for you to be away from him.”

“It’s just… He’s so selfless! I have never met anyone who cares less about himself than Leandro Sanchez. He worries about everyone else and never thinks about himself. I know Hoshi is with him and will make sure to keep him safe, but I just worry that he’s not taking care of himself. That he’s giving too much of himself to everyone else and not keeping anything for himself.”

“Have you tried calling him? Hoshi and I have a video chat every night.”

Akira paused at this. The thought of calling his partner had never even crossed his mind. “I wouldn’t want to bother him,” he said slowly. “I’m sure he’s busy. Besides, he probably wouldn’t appreciate me nagging him.”

“I can assure you that you don’t need to worry about that. He cares about you, too. Don’t think your brother and I haven’t noticed how close he has gotten to you, how he’s been touching you much more lately.”

Akira felt the heat in his face increase, and he placed his head back down onto the table. “You make it sound like it’s something special, but it’s not. He does it with Petra, too.” Though I wish it was just me sometimes.

“Exactly. That’s how he shows affection to the people he cares about. And he rarely is near you without touching you in some way. Because he cares.”

Akira fell silent as he absorbed Dante’s words. He knew how his partner felt about Petra, how deeply Leandro loved her. She was his world, and he would do anything for her without a second thought.

But how did he feel about Akira? Surely Leandro didn’t love him like he loved Petra. He might have strong feelings, but there was no way love was one of them. He knew they had moved beyond friendship, but into what, exactly?

“Dante?” Akira’s voice was quiet “Do you think… I mean, I know that he and I are friends, but… Does he…” He broke off, not quite sure how to ask the question burning through his mind.

“Call him,” was the other man’s response. “Even if it is just a quick call to say ‘Hey, how are you?’ He’ll appreciate the thought, if nothing else. If you call and he answers, you get to talk to him, ease your mind a bit. If he doesn’t answer, then at least he’ll see that you tried. What is there to lose?”

What is there to lose?

Dante’s earlier words came ringing back as Akira stared at his comm, his face reflected in the orange plastic. He’d been looking at it for the past five minutes, trying to decide if he wanted to make the call or not. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that he did have something to lose.

His sanity.

He let out a groan of frustration as he threw the device onto his nightstand before flopping face-first down onto his bed. This is ridiculous, he thought, not for the first time He was a grown man. He was the most feared assassin in Neon City. He killed Galran warriors without a second thought.  And yet the thought of calling Leandro Sanchez just to chat with him nearly drove him to panic.

Just call him, you coward, he told himself firmly. He’s probably busy, or asleep, and won’t even answer the call anyways. Then you can say you tried and move on.

But he wanted Leandro to answer, right? That was the whole reason Akira was calling him, to talk to him and make sure he was all right.

To just hear his voice for a few minutes.

He let out another groan. Gods, he thought miserably. What is wrong with me?

He spent another five minutes silently debating with himself before lifting his head and reaching over to grab his communicator from his nightstand. I’m calling him, he told himself sternly. If he doesn’t answer, he’ll at least see that you made the effort to reach out to him. And then he can call you back if he wants to. Which would put the ball firmly in Leandro’s court, relieving Akira of any further responsibility in the matter.

Before he could lose his courage, Akira pulled up Leandro’s number and hit dial.

He heard the first ring, and the panic he had barely been able to hold back earlier slammed into him full force. Shit. What am I doing?

A second ring had him franticly searching for something to vomit in. This is so stupid. Hang up. Hang up!

He moved his thumb so that it hovered over the disconnect button, ready to end the call before the third ring could finish. But then ---

Click. “Kira! Oh, man. You have no idea how happy I am to hear from you.”

Leo.

Akira looked down at the screen in his hand and saw his partner’s face looking back at him. Leandro’s eyes looked tired, and his hair was an absolute mess. But the grin that stretched across his face was wide and real.

And, just like, all of Akira’s earlier doubts and fears were gone. This was Leo he was talking to. His partner. His friend. Someone that he cared about, someone that he trusted. Talking to him came just as naturally to Akira as talking to Hayach or Hoshi.

He felt his own smile start to form. “Hey there, Sharpshooter. How is it going? Are you enjoying a life of fame?”

The other man let out one of his dramatic sighs. “Oh, you know how it is. Shaking everyone’s hand, kissing everyone’s baby, giving speeches every night, posing for pictures with all of the pretty girls. Just the usual stuff.”

He tried to let Leandro’s comment about ‘pretty girls’ slide past him, refusing to let that flicker of jealousy take root. “Mmm. Sounds taxing.”

“So taxing. But it is a struggle that I am willing to endure. For the people, of course.”

“Of course.” Akira rolled over so that he was lying on his back, then scooted up the bed until he was leaning against his headboard. “Want to tell me how things are really going?”

This time, Leandro’s sigh was weary as he scrubbed at his face. “Exhausting. Don’t get me wrong; I’m glad I did this. It feels good, knowing that I’m doing something to make a difference. But…” He paused for a moment, and Akira could see something flash in his partner’s eyes that made his insides twist painfully. “Everyone wants something from me. Some kind of future favor or a guarantee of some position or perk if they join the Deliverance. And these are the nice people.”

Akira frowned. “What do you mean?”

‘So, these meetings are open to the public, right? You know, ‘Come and learn about the Deliverance and see what we can do for you! Guest starring the reportedly-deceased Sanchez son!’ And, for the most part, people have been great. But some have been… not so great?”

“How so?”

He shrugged. “I’ve had some people tell me that I’m a coward for not coming forward sooner. Honestly, I kind of expected that to happen. There are also a few people who are angry at me for invoking the wrath of the Galra. They say that they are willing to trade their freedom for safety. And I can’t blame them for being upset, either.  I have potentially upended their entire way of life. But other people…” He paused to take a deep breath, and this time Akira was able to identify the emotion that he saw as pain. Deep pain. Raw. “Some have said that I should have died with the rest of my family.”

Akira was on his feet before he realized he was moving, reaching for his clothes with his free hand. “Where are you?” he asked, not recognizing the deep, angry growl that come from his mouth. “I’m coming to get you.”

On the screen, his partners eyes widened in surprise. “What?”

“You’ve done enough.” Damn it, where did I put my pants? “You’ve done more than enough You’ve gone far above and beyond what Alina asked you to do. You don’t owe us anything more than what you’ve already given. I will not let you be subjected to that kind of shit. So just tell me where you are, and I will –“

--”

“Kira? Kira, stop. Stop! You don’t have to come to my rescue. I am not some damsel in distress.”

Akira scowled down at him.

Leandro blew out a long breath. “Okay, yes. I am obviously in some distress. But I don’t need you to come and save me. Honestly.” He tried to give his signature grin, but it never reached his eyes. “Besides, Hoshi makes sure to chase off anyone who starts getting too nasty. Your brother is almost as intimidating as you.”

Hoshi. In his single-minded determination to get his partner out of his current situation, Akira had completely forgotten that his brother was there as well. Of course Hoshi would protect Leandro. Akira had nothing to worry about.

He could feel himself relax, but only marginally. “If it gets to be too much, promise me you’ll tell Hoshi. He’ll bring you back here as soon as you say the word.”

‘And if he doesn’t, you’ll ride to my rescue?”

‘Damn right, I will.”

On the screen, Leandro’s face had turned soft. He still looked tired, and Akira had realized that the state of his hair was most likely due to Leandro running his hands through it multiple times. But the pain Akira had glimpsed earlier was nowhere to be seen. “I hope we get to come home soon,” he said, his voice dropping into a quieter tone. “I… I miss you. I wanted to call you sooner, but.. Well, I thought you might think it was stupid of me to be calling you like this. I mean, it kind of is. But I’m homesick, you know? And you… You mean home to me.”

Akira felt his brain start to short-circuit. Home? he thought numbly. He thinks of me as… home?

Oblivious to the shock he had just thrown in his partner into, Leandro continued to ramble on. “I know we’re moving to a new location tomorrow. We keep moving around so the Galra can’t get a lock on our location. But I don’t know how long we’ll be there, or if we have plans to go anywhere else afterwards.” He paused. “Kira?”

The sound of his name being called brought Akira back to the conversation at hand.  “Yeah,” he replied. Then blew out a breath, a smile following behind that. “Yeah, I miss you, too. I… Well, I want you back home. Soon.

A look of surprise crossed Leandro’s face at hat. “Oh. You.. miss me? Really?”

“Yeah. A lot, actually. Dante told me tonight that I’ve been moody since you left.” He moved to sit on the edge of his bed. “I’m sorry I didn’t call you sooner. I didn’t think about it, honestly. I thought you would be busy, and that I would just be bothering you.”

“You could never be a bother to me, Kira. I would drop everything to talk to you.”

The two men fell silent at this, both of them lost in his own thoughts. Akira’s mind latched on to the fact that his partner had said that he missed him. Leandro --- beautiful, reckless, selfless Leandro --- missed him. Akira, who was awkward, stubborn, scarred, and usually covered in engine grease. And he was happy Akira had called him. He wanted to come home. To Akira. Not Petra. Not the Castle. But him.

Another long, heavy sigh came from the screen. “I should probably get off of here,” Leandro said quietly, sounding reluctant. “We have an early start tomorrow, and I haven’t even started my bedtime routine. Would it be all right if I called you tomorrow night? It’s going to be another long day of hand-shaking and baby-kissing, and it would be nice to have something to look forward to after it’s all over.”

“Will this be before or after the picture-taking?” Jealousy, thy name is Akira. But he didn’t bother to hide it.

A slow, knowing smile broke across Leandro’s face, and Akira knew --- he knew --- that his partner understood. “Mmmm. Maybe I’ll skip that part tomorrow.” He tilted his head to the side, and, when he next spoke, his voice had gone quiet once more. “But seriously. Thank you. For talking to me. For listening to me. You don’t know how much I needed this. Needed you.”

Akira felt his heart pound inside his chest, and his mouth was suddenly dry. “That’s what friends do, right?”

Leandro lifted an eyebrow at that. “Is that what you think we are?” he said, a light teasing to his words. “Friends?”

Akira didn’t know how to respond to that.

On the screen, Leandro’s smile had widened. “Don’t think too hard about it, Samurai. Go get some sleep. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

As if he was going to be able to sleep after this conversation. “You’re the one who needs to rest,” he grumbled. “All those girls to flirt with.”

Leandro laughed at this, throwing his head back and laughing with his whole body, and it warmed Akira to his soul to hear it. “Don’t worry, Kira,” he said with a wink. “None of them are as pretty as you are.”

Then he was gone.

Akira dropped his communicator onto the bed and buried his face in his hands, utterly thankful that there was no one else in the room with him.

Gods.

I’m falling in love with him.

Chapter Text

When he and Hoshi climbed into their vehicle, both men let out heavy sighs and leaned back into their seats, closing their eyes. Leandro felt weary to the bone, as though he would never not be tired again. The only thing keeping him going at the moment was the knowledge that he was finally going home.

He’d been thinking about home a lot lately, ever since he had left the Castle nearly two weeks ago. He had realized, after the second day of being away, that he was homesick, and it made him wonder about when he had started to think of the Castle as home. After another few days of thinking, he came to the understanding that it wasn’t the Castle itself that he thought of as home, but, rather, it was the people who resided within it. It was Petra, to whom he owed everything. It was Hayach and Hoshi, who had immediately taken him in without question, and made him feel like family. It was Curran, who had gone out of his way to give Leandro a job that he loved because the Altean man knew that Leandro needed those kids in his life as much as they needed him in theirs.

And it was Akira, who had come to mean more to him than Leandro had thought possible. When he thought about the other man, his heart ached for him. It ached to see him, to hear his voice, to touch his skin. His body ached to breathe him in, to hold him close, to simply know that he was there.

They were his home. They were the reason why he was still going instead of lying in a corner somewhere, licking at his emotional wounds.

Next to him, Hoshi let out a groan as he leaned forward to start the car. “I cannot wait to get home and sleep in my own damn bed again.”

Leandro cracked one eye open at those words. “You’re more excited about seeing your bed than your husband??”

“Mmm. I would prefer it if my husband was in the bed with me, but, yes. Right now, sleep is what I am looking forward to the most. Uninterrupted sleep. With no alarm.” He steered the vehicle onto the highway. ‘What about you? What are you planning on doing once we get back?”

Leandro shrugged. “Probably go see Kira. He should be working in the garage when we get back.”

“Does he know you’re coming home?”

Leandro didn’t miss the way Akira’s brother had said “you” and not “we”, and, for some reason, it made him squirm a bit. “Uh, no, actually. Well, I mean, I didn’t tell him. I don’t know if anyone else did. I thought it would be kind of a surprise, you know? Just show up and be all ‘Ta da!’”

His companion chuckled softly. “I know he’ll be happy to see you.”

“Not as happy as I will be to see him,” Leandro murmured fervently. And he meant it.

These past two weeks had not exactly been kind to him. He had known that there would be people who were angry with him. After all, by announcing himself and his intentions, he was upsetting what had already been a very delicate balance between the Galra and the other inhabitants. Some people didn’t mind trading in their freedom for safety. Some did not want the Galra to increase their grip on the rest of the population. He did not blame them for being angry at him. It was the comments about the rest of his family --- especially about Julian and Novia --- that shook him, that made him question everything he had done since the day they had been executed.

”You should have just let Julian die,” one person had said angrily. “Then the rest of your family would still be alive, and none of this would have happened.”

“You already cost your family their lives,” another one had snapped. “Now you’re going to cost us ours as well. Better that your children died than mine!”

Some part of Leandro understood that these people, these complete strangers, did not mean what they were saying. They were frightened, and frightened people tended to lash out. He just happened to be the target for that fear.

But it still hurt.

Hoshi did his best to be a comfort during this time. He always checked in with the younger man at the beginning and end of each day, asking Leandro how he was feeling, and was there anything he could do to help. If he thought Leandro was having an exceptionally rough day, he would argue with his companion about cancelling that day’s event. Leandro always refused, of course, but he appreciated the sentiment. And he knew that he could talk to Hoshi if he really needed to, knew that the other man would simply sit and listen to him anytime he needed it.

But it was his nightly phone calls with Akira that kept him from dropping back into that deep darkness he had clawed his way out of before. It was knowing that, no matter how bad the day was, he had someone waiting for him that night that kept him going. On the bad days, he would just sit and cry and tell Akira everything that had happened, and his partner would automatically threaten to kill anyone who had hurt him. He would then begin to describe the different ways in which the murders would happen, his descriptions so outlandish that Leandro would laugh until he couldn’t breathe. Sometimes Leandro would prop his comm up on the bathroom sink while he went through his extensive nightime skincare routine, fielding Akira’s many questions and comments. And, sometimes, they wouldn’t even talk at all. Leandro would just leave the comm on, lying there in the dark, listening to the sound of Akira’s breathing, knowing that the other man was right there if he needed him the only thing that allowed the blue paladin to fall asleep.

Tonight, however, he wouldn’t have just a face on a screen. Tonight, he would have the real thing. That thought alone nearly made Leandro leap out of the car and run all the way back to the Castle.

“You’re good for him, you know.”

The sound of Hoshi’s quiet voice had Leandro opening both eyes and turning to face him. “What was that?”

“Akira. You’re good for him. You have been, ever since you arrived.”

Leandro turned is face away, feeling as though his expression might say too much to his partner’s brother.  “I don’t see how. He’s done far more for me than I have for him.”

Hoshi made a humming noise. “Perhaps so. But that doesn’t change the fact that I have never seen my brother as happy as he is when he is with you.”

The words caught him off guard, and Leandro felt his eyes go wide in surprise. “You think,” he said, speaking slowly, ”that I make Kira happy?”

There was a long moment of silence, then his companion let out a sigh that sounded as though the weight of the world was behind it. “Akira has not had… the easiest life,” he said quietly. “He was so young when our parents were murdered, and then spent all those years living on the streets, hiding from the Galra. I know that it wasn’t my fault that I was captured, but I still feel guilty when I think about those two years he was on his own. He should have been in school, worrying about grades and cute boys and life in general. He shouldn’t have been living in a shack, nearly starving, trying to figure out how he was going to break into a Galra prison so he could free me.”

He fell silent again. Leandro didn’t push, knowing that this was something that Hoshi did not speak about often, and knowing that he wouldn’t be telling him now unless he felt it was important.

When he did speak again, his voice was stronger, determined. “I’m sure you’ve noticed that Kira doesn’t have any friends besides Hayach. Well, besides you and Petra now, of course. Basically, he has no one outside of Team Voltron. He’s never even had a boyfriend, for stars’ sake. He says it’s because he doesn’t want the Galra to have anyone to use against him in case his identity as The Mechanic is ever discovered, but I think it’s more than that. I think he just doesn’t want to get close to people. He lost our parents so long ago, and then he lost me for a while. Has he told you about his and Dante’s relationship? He hated Dante for so long when we first met, because he thought Dante was taking me away from him. He’s scared and he’s lonely. He’ll never admit it, just tell you that he knew this was the life he would be living when he took up this mantle of assassin, but I know better. He wants people in his life. He wants to have that someone that is just his, the person that will always be there for him no matter what. I can’t be that person for him, not anymore, because I am that person for Dante.

“The day he met you --- when he dropped off Alina’s package --- he talked about you all during dinner. He talked about how you had flirted with him, had asked for his number. He told us that you had blue eys and brown, curly hair. He talked about your smile. And then he talked about your freckles. Dear Gods in the Heavens, I have never heard anyone talk about freckles as much as he did that day.”

Unconsciously, Leandro lifted a hand to his face. “He… He likes my freckles?”

The other man snorted. “He loves your freckles. I mean, he has always been attracted to men with freckles, but I am fairly certain he could write poetry about yours.” Hoshi shook his head. “He’d never talked about anyone before. I know he has had… partners, but it has never been anyone he was interested in romantically. I tried to ask him about it a few times, but he just said it was the way it had to be. I have no idea who they were --- or are. As far as I know, you are the only person he has ever shown any actual interest in. And I thought --- hoped --- that you could be something to him. He was going to give you his number, you know. When he went back to give you the second half of the payment. Hayach and I had badgered him all night and all morning about it, and he had at least agreed to give you the number for his comm.”

“He never told me that.”

This seemed to surprise Hoshi, but then he shrugged. “Well, after everything that happened next, I suppose it doesn’t matter. He was so upset after Alina revealed her plan. He blamed himself for the whole thing, thought you were going to hate him forever.”

Leandro let out a snort. “Oh, yeah. I know. The first day we trained together he tried to get me to hit him. He was trying to find a way to make everything up to me, and he thought me punching him in the face would be a good start.” He shook his head. “I didn’t, obviously. I told him I didn’t blame him. I was angry with him at first, sure. But that was because I was scared and confused. And I saw how upset he was with Alina. I knew he had no idea what she had been planning. Took him awhile to believe that, though.”

“That boy would take on the problems of the whole world if we let him,” Hoshi mumbled. Then he sighed. “Look. I know Kira is an adult, and I really shouldn’t meddle in his life, but I am still his big brother. I still worry about him. I don’t want him to spend the rest of his life alone. I want him to find his person, you know? I want him to have someone like I have Dante. And I think --- I hope ---he may have found it in you.”

Leandro was silent for a moment as he digested these words. He knew he cared for Akira, far more than he had ever cared for anyone else besides Petra. He knew that something inside of him always seemed to settle when his partner was near. And when the other man smiled at him --- just at him --- it made his heart do funny things. “Do you really think so?” he finally asked, voice soft and hesitant.

Hoshi replied without any hesitation. “Absolutely. Whenever you two are in the same room he’s always searching you out, like he has to know where you are. And he can’t take his eyes off of you. Whenever he thinks you’re not looking, he watches you with this look on his face that I’ve never seen before.” He looked at his companion out of the side of his eye, and when he next spoke, his voice had dropped into a lower tone. “And don’t think I haven’t noticed how you are around him, too. How you’re always touching him, like you need to make sure he is still there. I don’t know what the two of you have, but it is certainly something. And I can tell you that it is far more than anything he has ever had before.”

Those words, the knowledge that he meant something to Akira that no one else ever had, made something warm and light settle into Leandro’s chest. “I care about him, too,” he said quietly. “A lot. I know… I know I tend to fling myself at people. Just like he is scared to get too close, I am scared to let go. I had a large family. I was always surrounded by love and physical affection. It’s… been hard to not have that. Most of the time I scare people off by how intense I can be, by how quickly I want that contact, those touches like you see. He’s never run away from me. He’s never asked me to stop. He lets me reassure myself that he is still there. And, sometimes, he’ll even reach out to me first.” He stopped long enough to draw in a deep breath. “I think… I think I love him. I don’t know. I’ve never had a relationship, either. Not a real one. But I know… I know that I feel better with him. That I am better with him. And I hope that I can be for him what he is for me.”

Silence filled the car, and Leandro began to wonder if he had said the wrong thing. But then Hoshi reached out and gripped his shoulder. “Thank you,” the older man said quietly. “Just knowing that you care about him, and that he cares about you in return… Thank you. That’s all I have to say.”

“You’re welcome.” Then, because he couldn’t help himself, Leandro grinned widely and said “He doesn’t always make it easy, though.”

Hoshi laughed, a full-bodied, genuine laugh. “No. I don’t imagine he does.” Then he gave his own grin. “However, I have found that the best ones usually don’t.”

Hoshi took them through an entrance that Leandro had never seen before, explaining that it led to the back of the garage, farther away from Akira’s workshop, which would give Leandro a better chance of surprising him. It was hidden behind a low, squat building and, like the main entrance, was gated and accessible only by an access chip. Hoshi pulled the vehicle into the middle parking row and turned off the engine. When the two climbed out, they could hear music drifting down from the other end, a sure sign that Akira was working.

Hoshi grinned at his companion over the top of the car as he hoisted his bag onto his shoulders. “Good luck.”

“Where are you going?”

“I have a bed --- and a husband --- to get back to, remember?” Then he turned and began to jog towards the corner of the garage, where Leandro assumed another elevator --- or at least a stairwell --- would take him back to the Castle.

Leandro watched him go before he turned and began making his way to the other end of the garage.

Now that he was here, now that he was so close to --- close to what? The object of his desire? Affection? Longing? --- Akira, all of his earlier exhaustion was gone, drowned beneath a wave of nervous anticipation. He wanted to see Akira, wanted to see the look on the other man’s face when he saw Leandro, realized he was home.

As the workshop came into view, Leandro sent up a silent yet fervent prayer of thanks to whomever had made it so that the vast majority of a vehicle’s malintents required one to be under the car. Akira was currently lying on a creeper seat, the top half of his body hidden underneath the car. The other half was on view for Leandro, and what a view it was. The hem of his tank top had ridden up, exposing a strip of pale flesh and the tops of what looked lke a significantly deep V-cut.

He let himself enjoy the view a little while longer (at one point, Akira had to stretch, causing his shirt to ride up even more, and Leandro nearly swooned when he saw what looked like very defined abs), but when a break in the music came, he called out “Hey, honey! I’m home!”

There was a loud clank from underneath the car, followed by several curse words. Then the creeper seat was moving, pushing Akira out until Leandro could see all of him.

He couldn’t help but grin at the sight of his partner. Everywhere that Leandro looked, Akira was covered in oil and grease. It was smudged onto his face, his hair, his shoulders, his arms, his chest. Even his safety glasses had dark smudges on them. But, to Leandro, he was the most beautiful man he had ever seen.

And when he smiled, that wide, brilliant smile that Leandro had only seen once before but had immediate fallen in love with, the dirt and grime seemed to disappear.

“Leo!” he cried joyfully. “You’re back!” He quickly got to his feet, tossing his safety glasses aside as he took a step forward. But then he stopped, looking down at his filthy tank top and smudged pants. “Oh. Err…”

Leandro snorted. “Do you really think I care about some dirt?” he asked, dropping his bag. “I’ve missed you too damn much for that.” And, to prove it, he quickly covered the distance between the two of them, throwing his arms around his partner, burying his face into the side of his neck and breathing him in.

Cinnamon and campfire smoke.

Engine grease and motor oil.

Home.

He felt Akira’s arms go around him and squeeze him tight. “I missed you, too,” his partner murmured into his hair. “Stars, but it is good to have you back. Why didn’t you tell me you were coming home?”

“I wanted to surprise you,” he replied, gently skimming his nose over his partner’s warm skin. “Did it work?”

Akira chuckled, and Leandro marveled at the way it made the other man’s chest rumble against his. “You surprised me, all right. Though you probably would have preferred to have me take a shower first. I’ve been down here all day working on this piece of shit.”

Leandro pulled his head back just enough so that he could look into Akira’s eyes, a grin already pulling at his lips. “I told you I don’t mind the dirt. Besides, I think you’re way sexier when you’re all sweaty and smudgy.”

Leandro had been expecting his partner to blush at this, but, instead, Akira threw his head back and let out a long, full laugh. “You think this is sexy? Ah, Leo. You must be delirious with exhaustion if you think this is anything but gross.”

“Mmmm. I always think you’re sexy.” He winked.

Akira blinked at him for a moment, and Leandro felt his grin spread at the rush of color that flooded the other man’s cheeks before he shook his head. “What the hell am I going to do with you?” he said, his tone fond. “Come on. Let me walk you back to your room. I need to stop for the day, anyways.”

He jogged to his workshop so that he could turn off his music and gather up his things, while Leandro retrieved his bag. When the blue paladin returned to his partner’s side, Akira held out his hand.

Leandro blinked down at it. “I can carry by bag, Kira. It’s not that heavy.”

Akira let out a long-suffering sigh. “I’m not trying to take your bag, Leo.”

Leandro frowned at the preferred hand. If he didn’t want to carry Leandro’s bag, then why…..

And then he realized what Akira meant.

Oh.  

He lifted his eyes back up to find Akira waiting, a small, almost shy smile on his face. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” he said quietly. “Just say no. Or shake your head. I don’t want to do anything that makes your uncomfortable.”

“No!” Leandro blurted out. Then, when he saw Akira’s eyes widen, he quickly shook his head. “I mean, yes! No, it doesn’t make me uncomfortable. Not at all.” He reached out then, placing his hand in his partner’s, expecting Akira to wrap his fingers around his. Instead, the red paladin wove his fingers through Leandro’s, and left them there.

He stared down at their joined hands with what he imagined was a very goofy grin on his face. He’s holding my hand, he though giddily. He is actually holding my hand!

Akira’s own smile went from shy to brilliant, and Leandro mentally added two points to his long-forgotten tally. “Come on, Sharpshooter. Let’s get you home.”

I already am home, he thought. But this moment was too precious --- and too precarious --- for him to possibly ruin, so he stayed silent as he let his partner tug him forward.

Neither of them spoke as they waited for the elevator car to arrive. And, once they had stepped inside, Leandro leaned his head over onto Akira’s shoulder and closed his eyes. Now that he was was home, now that he was safe, the overwhelming exhaustion from the past two weeks was beginning o catch up to him.

“Are you sure about this?” he murmured, squeezing their joined hands.

“What do you mean?’

“Just that… People get certain ideas if they see two people holding hands like this.”

Akira shifted next to him. “Does that bother you? Afraid people might see us and think the great Leandro Sanchez is slumming it with the grumpy, grungy mechanic?” Leandro knew that he meant it as a joke, but there was a thread of hesitation underneath the humor that he couldn’t mistake.

He snorted. “Please. If anyone is slumming, it’s you. I mean, seriously. The only thing people are going to think when they see us together is ‘Man, that Leandro Sanchez is the luckiest guy in the universe right now’.”

“Charmer.” Akira leaned his head over onto Leandro’s. “And, to answer your question, yes, I am sure. I don’t give a Galra’s ass what other people think about me. The only people whose opinions matter already know how I feel about you, and they are quite happy with it. So let people think what they will. Unles… Will it bother you?”

“Fuck, no. I already told you. People are going to be so envious of me. As well they should be. Cause I am a pretty damn lucky guy right now.”

Akira chuckled quietly, and Leandro couldn’t keep a wide smile off his face. The only people who matter already know how I feel about you.

He wondered what that meant. What had he said to the others while Leandro had been gone? What had they said back? And just how did Akira feel about him?

These were questions that he decided could wait to be answered later. Right now, he was just going to enjoy the feeling of their fingers twined around one another, palms pressed together, and the fact that neither of them cared what anyone else thought about it.

Petra was waiting for them as they entered the apartment, alerted by the sound of the access panel’s chirp, a wide grin on her face. “Hey, Leo!” she called out happily. “Welcome back!” Then her gaze dropped, falling onto their joined hands, and her grin grew even wider. “Well, it’s about damn time. Hayach owes me a date. You two want some alone time?”

Leandro made an indignant, sputtering sound, but Akira just laughed. “I’m afraid I am only here to drop him off. He’s about to fall over as it is.”

Petra let out a dramatic sigh that, had it not been made at his expense, Leandro would have been quite proud of. “Ah, well. I was rather hoping to get that new laser-cutting tool set as well. One step at a time, I suppose.” She waved an airy hand as she turned back towards the kitchen. “Off to bed with you, then.”

Date? Leandro thought dazedly. Laser-cutting tools?

Akira pulled him into the bedroom and ordered him to sit on the bed. Leandro did so, finally understanding why Hoshi had been more excited about his bed than his husband. He looked down at his partner, who was kneelingon the floor so that he could unlace Leandro’s boots with a fond smile. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay?” he asked, his voice beginning to slur from exhaustion. “There’s plenty of room for both of us.”

Akira looked up at that, and Leandro felt his breath catch as their gazes met. The look in Akira’s eyes was so focused, so intense, that Leandro felt as though the other man was looking all the way into his soul. “Not this time,” he said in a voice so low that it did very interesting things to Leandro’s insides.

Then his gaze shifted as he pulled the now unlaced boots off, and Leandro blinked, wondering if he had just imagined the whole thing. “There,” Akira said, climbing to his feet. “Now, get some rest. That’s an order.”

Then he leaned forward and gently pressed his lips to Leandro’s forehead.

Leandro’s eyes fluttered closed at the touch, and he had to reach out and grasp Akira’s shirt as a shudder ran through him. He remembered other times he had been kissed on the forehead: by his mother, after a nightmare, by his grandmother, when he had been sick. It always reminded him of comfort, of safety, of love. This, he thought to himself, eyes suddenly stinging with tears, is all I want. It’s all I have ever wanted. “Don’t go,” he whispered, tightening his grip on the other man’s shirt. “Please.”

A soft sigh came from above him, and Akira reached out to gently grasp Leandro’s wrists, pulling his hands away from his shirt. “You need sleep,” he murmured. “And I need a shower.”

Then he reached down and grasped Leandro’s legs, swinging them up onto the bed. A moment later, a blanket was being pulled over him.

“This is the second time you’ve tucked me in,” he murmured drowsily. Or, at least, he thought he did. Because he didn’t remember anything else after that.

He dreamt he was back home, back in Cuba, the sun shining warmly onto his skin. He was walking along the beach, feeling the sun-warmed waters lapping at his ankles, laughing when he felt the sand beneath him being pulled away. He could see sailboats bobbing in the distance, and the smell of salt tinged the air.

And he wasn’t alone. Akira walked next to him, eyes wide as they stared out at the ocean. He was holding Leandro’s hand, and every time the water receded, he would tighten his grip until it was almost bone-crushing. “Let’s go back to solid land,” he said in a pleading voice that Leandro was certain he had never heard before.

He grinned at his partner. “Come on, you baby,” he teased. “You’re not going to fall. I promise.”

Akira glared at him. “Easy for you to say. You –” He stopped, clutching at Leandro’s arm as a larger wave splashed around them before returning back out to sea. “You’ve done this a million times. I’ve never been to the ocean before. This is… unsettling.”

Leandro’s grin turned soft, and he gave Akira’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “Don’t worry. I won’t let you fall. Besides.” He gestured to the ground beneath them. “Even if you did, you’d be fine. There’s not enough water to drown you.”

Akira shook his head. “I just feel like, if I fall, I’ll get swept out to sea and lost.” His gaze went back to the ocean, the sun turning his eyes a strange lavender color. “It’s just so big. And empty. How do people find their way across it?”

Leandro turned to look out at the ocean as well, trying to see it through his partner’s eyes. He supposed, to one seeing it for the first time, it would seem endless and terrifying. “Just think about it,” he murmured. “Long ago, our ancestors were able to find their way across the oceans simply by following the stars.” He turned a smile to Akira and gave his hand another squeeze. “if it weren’t for them, space flight would never have been achievable. And I never would have found my way to you.”

Akira ducked his head, opening his mouth to say something, but ---

Riiiinnnnnggggg.

Leandro frowned as he looked around for the source of the strange noise. “Did you hear that?” he murmured. When there was no answer, he turned back around, only to find that he was now alone.

Panic gripped his heart. “Kira?” he called out, looking around wildly. “Kira, where are you? Kira?”

Riiiiiiiiinnnnnnggggggg.

He spun back around, then gasped, eyes going wide, as he saw large, black holes forming in the sky. They were moving, tearing, eating away at the blue. What was happening? Were the Galra attacking? Where was Akira? And why did no one else seem to notice the holes in the sky?

Riiiiiinnnnnnnngggggg.

Leandro let out a gasp as he sat up, eyes going wide. He glanced wildly around, heart hammering in his chest, as he tried to decipher where he was, what was happening. The sky was gone, but in its place was the familiar twinkle of the fairy lights that he always left on. There was no more ocean, but he did see his desk, his battered guitar case propped up next to it.

He felt his body relax as he realized that he was in his room at the Castle. Akira, the beach, the black holes int the sky, had all just been a dream. He had been ---

Riiiiiiiiinnnnnnnggggggg.

Leandro jumped at the loud, jarring sound that suddenly echoed through the room. Looking around, his eyes fell onto his nightstand, where he could see a bright orange glow. Realizing what was happening, he reached over and snatched his comm from the nightstand, hitting the answer button before it could ring again. “What?” he snarled, not een bothering to see who was calling him.

There was a moment of silence, then a cultured, lightly accented voice came through the speakers. “Hello, Leo. I am sorry I had to wake you --- I know you must be exhausted --- but I am afraid there is something that needs to be discussed right away.”

He let out a groan and flopped back onto the bed. “Couldn’t you have just sent me a message? Or something that didn’t require you calling to interrupt the only good dream I have had in six fucking years?”

Through the comm speaker, he could hear Alina’s heavy sigh. “I’m sorry, Leo. I really am. But this is about your safety. About all of our safety. And we cannot wait until a time that is convenient for everyone. That’s why I’m calling. I need you to come to the debriefing.”

Leandro threw an arm across his eyes. “No,” he said flatly. “I am exhausted, Alina. I can get Petra to tell me what happened when she gets back. I need to go back to sleep.”

“I need you here, Leo. I would not ask if it was not of the utmost importance.” She paused. “If you do not care for your own safety, then perhaps you should know that this puts Akira at a high risk of danger as well.”

He lifted his arm so that he could glare at the screen, teeth clenched. “You know, I’m starting to get real fucking tired of you using the people I care about to try and manipulate me.”

On the screen, Alina’s shoulders were back, spin straight, gaze fierce, and mouth set into a determined line. “I am not manipulating you, Leo, only stating facts. While this new information presents as a danger to us all, it will directly threaten you and Kira. This is information you need to hear first-hand.” She gave him a sharp nod. “I’ll see you in a few moments.”

The screen went blank.

Leandro stared at the blank screen for a moment before throwing back his blanket with a snarl. He found his boots where Akira had set them earlier and angrily tugged them on, all the while viscously spitting out words in Spanish. All of them were aimed at Alina, and none of them were flattering.

In his head, he knew he was being unkind. He knew that Alina wasn’t trying to manipulate him, that she wouldn’t have called him if it wasn’t important. After all, if she was requesting that all of the paladins be present, that meant that she had called to wake up Hoshi as well. And Leandro got the impression that the Altean woman would rather cut off her own arm than do anything that would upset her general.

But his heart was not so forgiving. He had been dreaming, dammit! He couldn’t remember the last time he had dreamt. And it had been a good dream, too. He could still feel the hot Cuban sun warming his face, the water swirling around his ankles, the feel of Akira’s hand in his. It had felt utterly like home, and a part of him wouldn’t be able to forgive Alina for taking it from him.

By the time he got to the command center, he was having to work at keeping up the appearance of being cranky. However, before he could say or do anything that would let the rest of the team know how unhappy he was, he felt a pair of strong arms wrap around him and lift him into the air.

“Leo!” Hayach’s joyful shout echoed throughout the room. “Oh, man. It is so good to have you back! It has been way too boring around here without you, too quiet! No one else wants to play video games with me or keep me company while I cook. Plus, Kira has been pinning over you. Like, seriously, lots of sad eyes and heavy sighing. It was starting to become unbearable.”

Leandro couldn’t help but laugh as he put his arms around the big man’s neck and hugged him back. “Hey, buddy. I missed you, too.”

The other paladin gave him another squeeze before setting him down, but he didn’t let go. Instead, he held Leandro out at arm’s length and looked him over with a critical eye. “Have you been eating?” he asked sternly. “You look like you’ve lost weight. And you were already skin and bones to begin with!”

Leandro grinned as he reached up to pat his friend’s hand. “I promise I ate, Hayach. Not everyone tries to feed me like you do.”

“Well, I’m going to make you some garlic knots tomorrow. We have to make sure you stay healthy!”

Leandro’s grin got even wider. “Hayach, you’re the best.” Then he leaned forward, dropping his voice to a conspiratorial tone. “Was Kira really pinning for me?”

“Like a puppy. You should have seen him. I don’t think he ever paid attention to the debriefings because he was too busy looking at his comm, in case you called early. Then, as soon as the debriefing was over, he was gone so he could get back to his apartment before you called.” Hayach shook his head, his own grin splitting his face. “And I heard that you two were holding hands earlier today?”

“Yeah, we were.”

There was no warning before Hayach was pulling him forward into a bone-crushing hug. “I am so happy about this! Do you have any idea how long I have waited for this?”

Leandro couldn’t answer, even if he had wanted to, as his main air supply had suddenly been shut off. “Can’t… breathe… big guy.”

“Oh!” Hayach let him go, taking a step back. “Sorry,” he said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. “I just… got excited, you know? Kira has never been interested in anyone before. Never. I mean, he’s a great guy. But he’s not so great with people. And it’s not because he doesn’t care. He just isn’t sure how. Getting close to people scares him. Which is why this is such a big deal. So just… be patient with him, yeah?”

Leandro nodded. “I will,” he said softly. “You know I care about him, too. A lot. I’m willing to do whatever he needs, as long as he is, as well.”

Hayach blinked at him a moment before his lower lip started to tremble. “Aw, man,” he said rubbing at his suddenly watery eyes. “Space dust. It gets me every time.”

Leandro didn’t say anything else, just patted the bigger man on the shoulder. He was grateful --- incredibly so --- that Akira had a friend like Hayach, someone who was so supportive and was genuinely happy for his best friend.

The sound of voices drew their attention to the room’s entrance just in time to see the subject of their discussion walk in, followed by the two other Kogane men. Akira was wearing his usual scowl, and there was a deep crease in between his brows that did not lessen as he made his way to Leandro’s side. “Did she wake you up?” the red paladin asked in a sharp voice.

Leandro blinked at him. “Well, hello to you, too, Ki.”

His partner went on as though he hadn’t heard him. “I told her not to bother you. I told her you were exhausted. Hoshi is, too.” He shook his head. “I told her we could take the information back, that you didn’t need to actually be here. But I guess she---”

“Kira, stop. Stop.” Leandro reached out and placed a hand on his partner’s shoulder. “It’s all right. I know she wouldn’t have called if it wasn’t important.”

The other man let out a huff. “It doesn’t matter. You two have been gone for two weeks on Deliverance business. And I know it’s been exhausting, emotionally and physically. You deserve some rest. She should understand that.”

Leandro slung his arm around Akira’s shoulders. “Hey, it means I get to spend more time with you, so I don’t mind at all. Speaking of which…” He lowered his head and fluttered his eyelashes. “I heard you were pnning for me while I was gone.”

Akira jerked as though he had been shocked. “I was not!” he protested, though his face suddenly turned a brilliant shade of scarlet. “Yes, I missed you. I told you I missed you. But I was not pining.”

“Hey, it’s all right.” Leandro grinned. “There is no shame in it. I would have pined after me, too. I am incredibly handsome, after all.”

Akira spluttered, and Leandro couldn’t help but laugh as he mentally added two more points. To make sure his partner knew he was teasing, Leandro dropped his arm to Akira’s waist, giving it a squeeze, and leaving it there. Akira glared at him, but didn’t say anything else. Nor did he try to pull away. Behind them, Leandro was fairly certain he could hear Hayach sniffling.

Leandro wanted to say something else --- something smooth, something romantic, something to keep the color on Akira’s face --- but before he could Alina’s voice rang throughout the room. “Hello, paladins. Thank you all for coming. I know I had to wake some of you up, and I am so very sorry about that. But this is vital information that you all need to be aware of.”

Leandro frowned as he turned his attention to the Altean woman. On the comm screen, she had looked as she always did: fierce and determined. But now that he was seeing her in person, he noticed that she looked… tired. Exhausted. Maybe even more than he was. She had pulled her war braids back into a high pony tail, and he could see that there were dark shadows under her eyes. Her clothes fit loosely, as though she had suddenly lost weight, or had been wearing the same outfit for the past few days. And those brilliantly-toned eyes of hers were bloodshot and dull.

Leandro tightened his grip on Akira’s waist, pulling him just a bit closer. Whatever information their leader had it wasn’t good.

“Earlier today, Petra managed to intercept a press release from Sendak that is set to be released tomorrow.” She nodded to the other woman, and a moment later, the large monitor sprang to life, showing the enlarged face of the planet’s governor.

Leandro had seen Sendak several times over the years. He was, after all, the face of the Galra occupation. But it didn’t matter how many times Leandro saw him. This was still the man who had ordered his family’s execution. The monster who had made the entire planet watch as, one by one, his loved ones were murdered. He still felt his jaw clench, his body tense, his chest tighten.

Next to him, Akira shifted just enough to slip out of his grasp. Before his arm could drop, however, the red paladin was reaching out, sliding his callous-roughened palm against his, sliding those long, slender fingers through his so that he could grip Leandro’s hand. I’m here, the gesture seemed to say. I’m right here is you need me.  

“Citizens of the Galra Empire.” Sendak’s voice, which had always sounded to Leandro like rusting metal, boomed out through the room. “As you all know, this planet has been plagued by the rebel group known as the Deliverance for many years. Now they have taken their criminal acts to a new level, first by sending the so-called Neon City Outlaws to target Galran representatives, and now by having this imposter claim to be Leandro Sanchez in order to stir up dissent. In an effort to find these rebels and stop their terroristic acts, I have asked our emperor Zarkon for permission to call out the RoBeasts.

“I received word today that Emperor Zarkon has approved my request, and that one of the RoBeasts will be dispatched to us in the next day or two. I wanted to send this message out as I know many of you have never seen one of the RoBeasts in real life. Please do not be alarmed if you see him around the city. He may deem it necessary to interview some of you, but if you are a loyal citizen of the Empire and answer truthfully, you will have nothing to fear.” He paused. “And, if there are any members of the Deliverance listening to this, hear me now: We will find you. We will find you, and we will put an end to your reign of insurrection. Your time is limited.” Then he placed a fist over his heart. “Vrepit sa.”

The screen went dark.

For a long moment, no one spoke, the quiet so loud that it was nearly deafening as the paladins collectively held their breaths. It was only broken when Leandro uttered one, single word.

“Fuck.”

That seemed to break the spell that had fallen over the room, and everyone began to speak at once.

“How many are they sending? Just one? Or all three?” Next to him, Akira’s voice was sharp.

Hayach’s sounded frightened. “Do you think they know where we are? Or at least have an idea as to where we are? What if they find us? What would we do?”

But it was Hoshi’s strong voice that rang out over all of them. “Do we know which one they are sending? We can better prepare if we know what we are up against.”

Alina let out a sigh that sounded as though it carried the weight of the whole world. Which, Leandro supposed, it did. “You all have valid questions, but, unfortunately, this is all the information we have at the moment. We will, of course, continue to monitor their communications and let you all know the instant we learn anything else.

“In the meantime, all Deliverance operations will cease. I don’t want any of you leaving the compound unless absolutely necessary. Especially you, Leo. They know your face and voice now, and I won’t risk you any more than I already have to. And, if an emergency arises and you must leave, you will not go alone. Is that understood?”

“Loud and clear. Trust me, I have no desire to go up against one of those things.”

The Galrans loved dealing out punishments. And, during their ten-thousand-year reign of terror across the universe, they had gotten quite good at it. Many of their prisoners, usually the milder ones, were simply kept in various prisons, left to rot away doing whatever menial jobs the Galra needed them to do. Some, like Leandro, were sent to work camps to performer hard labor for the Empire. Others, usually strong and healthy, were sent to fight in the entertainment arenas. (This, Akira had told him during one of their later-night conversations, was how Hoshi had lost his arm.) Political prisoners were either killed or indoctrinated. But the worst punishment, the one that horrified even the most loyal of non-Galran citizens, was the one that they reserved for those they considered to be traitors.

Once you were deemed a traitor to the Galran Empire, you were given to the group known as the Druids, which was made up of the top scientists in the Empire. They then used the traitor as their personal lab rat, practicing whatever new genetic modifications they had been working on. Some people whispered that the Druids didn’t use science at all, but magic. Whatever their method was --- magic or medical --- what emerged bore no resemblance to the person they had once been. They were now more machine than man. A genetically-modified bounty hunter. Another weapon in the Galra’s arsenal. A RoBeast.

Leandro had never seen one in person, thank God. But he had seen footage of them, had seen the destruction they could wreak. And he was already terrified of them. The idea that one was coming here, that they were coming for him… He couldn’t stop another shudder from going through him. Akira tightened his grip.

“We’ll see if we can get any more information,” Alina was saying. “As soon as we learn anything further, we will let you know.” She lifted her chin, and the Alina that Leandro knew --- the fierce, determined warrior --- was back. “We will find a way to take down this new threat, no matter how strong they may be. The Galra are scared, which means we have the upper hand.” Her eyes flicked to Leandro. “But I won’t sacrifice the safety of any of our people. So we will gather information, and we will plan. For now, let’s all go get some rest. We have a fight coming up.”

Akira had told him to take the day off, to take some time to rest and relax after having been gone for so long. But Leandro was feeling restless after they got the news about the RoBeast. Besides, he wanted to get to spend more time with the other man. So he woke up the next morning, had coffee and breakfast with Petra, got dressed, and headed towards the training room.

He was actually looking forward to their training session. He had not been able to attend them after their fight against the Juicers, then, just as Dante had cleared him for light workouts, he’d left for the recruitment tour. He missed the routine of it, missed that familiar burn of muscle, the feeling of satisfaction he got after a good workout.

And the fact that he would get to see Akira sweaty and wearing a tank top for the second day in a row  was a pretty good motivator, too.

He felt a smile cross his face as he got closer to the training area, hoping that he would get to surprise his partner again. The way Akira had looked at him yesterday, that completely unguarded happiness, the wide eyes, the brilliant smile… He wanted to see it again. Hell, he wanted to see that every day for the rest of his life.

But as he slowed his steps, not wanting to give himself away, he became aware of the sound of voices coming from the training room. One he recognized as Akira’s. The other was clearly male and unfamiliar.

Leandro felt his smile slip into a frown. This was strange. Akira was one of the most regimented people he had ever met. When they were in training, they were in training. There was nothing else. No one else was invited to participate or even come to watch. Akira took Alina’s orders to train Leandro seriously. Which meant that whoever this stranger was, they were there because of something important.

Or someone had shown up uninvited and Akira hadn’t been able to get rid of them.

Leandro pressed himself to the outside wall, inching forward until he could slightly lean his head out into the open entrance of the training room, just enough so he could hear the conversation clearly. It wasn’t eavesdropping, not really. If it was an important conversation, then Leandro would know not to go in and interrupt them. And if it was the other, then he could go in and save Akira if need be.

“--- heard from you in over a month,” the stranger was saying, and Leandro could hear the pout in the voice. “I thought I would come and see you, make sure you were all right.”

“I haven’t had any reason to contact you,” said Akira in an irritated voice.

“But I’m your partner, and I ---”

“No, you are not. You helped me once, Jamison. Once. And while I am grateful, I actually have a partner now. We’ve been working together for a couple of months. In fact, he should be here at any minute, so if you wouldn’t mind…”

But the other man, Jamison, didn’t seem to get the hint. Instead, he let out a sigh. “I wasn’t talking about that kind of partner.”

“No.” Akira’s voice was flat. “We agreed to that, remember? It was just sex. Nothing more. I told you that every time, and you agreed.”

“Yes, well, after three times, things change.”

“No, they don’t.”

“Come on, Kira. You can’t expect ---”

“Don’t call me that!” he snapped. “You have no right to call me by that name.”

Silence answered him, and Leandro held his breath, waiting to hear the sound of the other man’s retreating footsteps. But they never came. Instead, Jamison spoke again. And, when he did, his voice was a low, throaty purr. “You didn’t seem to mind me calling you that while I was fucking you.”

Leandro stumbled back, as though the words had been a physical blow instead of just speech. He felt his lungs freeze in his chest as his vision went red with anger. Hearing the man talk about Akira like that, talk about the man he loved in that manner, made Leandro’s hands curl and his lips pull back into a snarl. And, before he even had time to think about what he was doing, he was storming into the training room.

His eyes went instantly to Jamison. The other man was standing right in front of Akira, too close, making a growl form somewhere deep in Leandro’s chest. The man was taller than the red paladin, and whip-thin. He had longish brown hair that hung in his face. But Leandro could still make out the predatory smile on his face, the hungry look in his eyes as he leaned down towards the other man.

Akira was staring back up at him, defiance written clearly all over his face. His eyes were the color of angry storm clouds, a swirled mix of dark gray and purple. His mouth was pressed into a tight line, and his arms were crossed over his chest. Leandro knew that Akira could take care of himself, that he wouldn’t allow Jamison to do anything he did not want him to, but that wasn’t the point. Leandro wasn’t coming to save him. He was just going to make sure that this Jamison understood that Akira was now off limits.

“Gentlemen,” he said, trying to keep his voice as smooth as possible, despite the fact that his blood was boiling in his veins. “I’m not interrupting anything, am I?”

The other two men turned their heads towards him, but Leandro kept his gaze fixed firmly on Jamison. His hands were on his hips, his stance relaxed, trying to look as non-threatening as possible.

Jamison frowned at him. “Who are you?” he asked, sounding as though Leandro had the significance of a bug.

“I’m his partner,” he replied, tipping his head towards Akira. Then he let his lips peel back into a wolfish smile. “In every since of the word.”

Jamison’s eyes widened a fraction, and he turned back to Akira, mouth open as if to say something. But then he stopped, gaze swinging back to Leandro, eyes narrowing. “Wait. I know you. You are the man that was on TV. The one claiming to be Leandro Sanchez.”

“Not just claiming.” Leandro dropped into a deep bow, though he never took his eyes off of the other man. “Leandro Julian Sanchez, at your service.” He stood, still holding Jamison’s gaze. “Now, I believe my partner asked you to leave. We have a scheduled training this morning, and he doesn’t like having other people here.”

Jamison’s lips twisted. “We were trying to have a private conversation that does not include you.”

“Not anymore. Not when I am supposed to be here and you are not.” Leandro gestured to the entrance. “Shall I show you out?”

They stared at each other for a long moment, neither of them daring to move. Leandro couldn’t help but smirk. He’d grown up with four older siblings. If Jamison thought he was going to be intimidated by a stare-down, then he was about to be sorely disappointed.

Finally, Jamison lifted his chin, dropped his arms to his side, and began walking towards the entrance. Leandro let his smirk grow, just a little, just so the other man would understand that Leandro knew he had won.

But he didn’t leave. Instead, he stopped next to Leandro, leaning in so that his lips were right next to the blue paladin’s ear. “Do not think,” he said softly, breath washing over Leandro’s neck, “that he is yours. He is not. He will never be yours. Or anyone else’s. Soon, he will bore of you as well, and he will discard you like he does all of the rest of his playthings.”

Leandro gritted his teeth, and he had to curl his hands into fists so he didn’t punch the other man in the face. “That is your problem right there, my friend,” he said, turning to face Jamison. “Akira doesn’t belong to anyone but himself, and he never will. He is his own person, and I wouldn’t want him any other way.” He bared his teeth. “And, if he decides he doesn’t want me, I’ll respect that wish instead of pathetically begging him to pay me attention.”

Whatever response Jamison had been expecting, it hadn’t been that one. His eyes widened with shock, and Leandro couldn’t help but feel a grim sort of satisfaction. Point to me, he thought smugly.

It didn’t take long for Jamison to recover, his expression sliding back into one of disdain, though Leandro couldn’t miss the anger flashing in his eyes. “Enjoy what little time you have,” the other man murmured. Then his eyes flickered back to Akira. “Call me when you get bored of this one,” he called out lazily. “I’ll be waiting.”

Then he was gone.

“Well!” Leandro said cheerfully, turning back to Akira. “He seems like a charming fellow.”

Akira groaned and reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose. “I am so sorry you had to witness that. I never thought that this would be a problem. Though I appreciate you stepping in. I didn’t think I was ever going to get him to leave.”

Leandro made a sound that was vaguely sympathetic. “Ex-boyfriend?”

Akira let out a short bark of laughter. “Gods, no! I don’t do the whole… boyfriend thing.” He said the word as though it were something bitter. “And, even if I did, it certainly wouldn’t be with him.”

“Does he know that? Because I’m not sure that he does.”

“Yes. Every single time we got together I told him. I told him it was nothing but sex. That he shouldn’t expect anything else. Hell, I never even stayed the night. He knows.” He let out a deep sigh. “Stars, but I should have known this would be a problem. He was starting to get a little possessive last time. That’s why I stopped calling him.”

“What made you decide to pick him in the first place?” Before the words had even finished leaving his mouth, Leandro was shaking his head. “No, don’t answer that. It’s none of my business.”

“I don’t mind telling you. Besides, he kind of made it your business. But first…” Akira pursed his lips and looked Leandro up and down with an appraising eye. “How are you feeling? Physically, I mean. Have you been able to do any type of exercise lately?”

Leandro looked down at his body as if as he could visually determine his fitness level. “Um… I guess I feel okay? My side doesn’t pull anymore when I stretch.” He lifted the arm on his injured side to demonstrate. “And I was doing the exercises that Dante cleared me for. But I didn’t really have a chance to do many of them while I was gone.”

Lips still pursed, Akira gave a nod. “All right. We’ll start off slow today, see how you do. I don’t want to put you back in full force and injure yourself even more. Come on.” He led his partner over to the exercise equipment and pointed to the gravity bike. “Let’s go.”

Leandro groaned, feeling his shoulders slump. “Aw, man. I hate this thing.”

There was a wicked glint in the other man’s eyes --- which, Leandro noticed, had returned to their usual, lighter shade. “I know. But I’m not asking you to take it to the ceiling. We’re just testing your stamina.” He threw a leg over the neighboring bike. “I’ll ride with you.”

He let out another dramatic sigh, but he climbed onto the bike as ordered. He started off slow, letting his body get used to the movement before speeding up, falling into a rhythm that was comfortable but not too stressful on his body. After a few moments at this speed, he looked down to see that the bike was at least a foot off of the floor. Not bad, he thought, pleased. He had been afraid that his inactivity over the past several weeks would have taken a harder toll on him than this.

“Don’t push yourself too hard!” he heard Akira call out. Turning, he saw that his partner had managed to raise his bike to hover next to his. “Dante will kill me if you get hurt on my watch. If Petra doesn’t kill my first, that is.”      

“Yes, Mother,” Leandro grumbled. But he was smiling. It felt good to be working his body like this again. He hadn’t realized he’d missed it.    

They rode in silence for several moments, both of them getting into their own zone to where they could ride without having to think about it. Finally, Akira let out a sigh, sitting up, even as he kept pumping his legs in order to keep his bike in the air. “I’m sure by now you’ve noticed I’m not much of a people person,” he said, a hint of apology I his voice. “There is a reason why Hayach is my only friend. It’s one of the reasons why I’ve always worked alone, and one of the reasons why I, you know…” He waved a hand in the air.

“Don’t do the whole boyfriend thing?”

“Exactly. Attachments are hard for me, so I just don’t make them. I go to other men in the Deliverance, ones that I know and trust, and we come to an agreement. It’s always just sex. No staying the night, no contacting each other for anything else, and if any feelings start brewing, we cut it off. That’s just the way it’s always been with me.  

“Jamison and I went to school together. We were never friends, though he certainly tried. He was always hanging around me, trying to talk to me, trying to get me involved with some club or something that some of the kids in the Deliverance had going. I always told him no, that I wasn’t interested. But he never listened. Always kept coming back and trying again.”

Leandro snorted. “I’m sure he did. People tend to do stupid things in order to get their crush’s attention.”

Akira turned to look at him, brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”

“It’s obvious he had a crush on you back then. You don’t keep coming around someone who has blown you off unless you got it bad for them. And, from the way he acted earlier, it looks like he’s still carrying that torch.”

The crease between the other man’s brows deepened. “What are you talking about?”

Leandro lifted an eye brow in Akira’s direction. “You know, he had a crush on you?” When Akira still looked confused, Leandro’s eyebrow went higher. “You do know what that means, right? To have a crush on someone?”

“No.”

Leandro’s surprise was enough that his bike dropped a few inches, and it took him a moment to get it back up next to Akira’s. “Well, a crush is when you like like someone. You know, you think they are cute and you want to be with them. Hold their hand, kiss them, all of that. You do stupid things when you have a crush on someone. Like keep coming back to someone who has already told you they are not interested.”

“Oh.” Akira looked down, but Leandro didn’t miss the flush of color that suddenly appeared on his cheeks. “That… That explains a lot, actually.” He blew out a breath and lifted his head back up. “Alina sent me on a mission about a year ago that Hoshi didn’t think was safe for me to do on my own. I protested, of course, but he’s my older brother, so of course he got his way. He said he would appoint someone to be my partner for the mission, and he chose Jamison. That’s how we ended up working together. And he was someone I had known for a long time, and I trusted him --- as much as I trust anyone outside of the team --- so I asked him if he would be interested. He said yes, and here we are now.”                                

“Didn’t you say he was getting possessive?”

“Yeah.” He reached up and folded his arms across the top of his head, staring forward. “The last time we were together, he got upset when I got ready to leave, kept asking if he could call me, wanted to know when we would get together again. So I just decided that I wouldn’t call him again. I honestly thought that would be it, that it would just… go away.”

“Like I said, you do dumb shit when you’re in love with someone.”     

Akira groaned. “Please stop saying he’s in love with me. The idea of that just…” A shudder passed through his body.

Leandro sat up on his bike so that he could look over at his partner. “Does it really bother you that much? The idea of being in a relationship with someone? Of being in love?”         

“No,” Akira said, a note of surprise in his voice. “I want to. Be with someone, that is. I want to fall in love. At least once. But… well.” He let his arms fall back down. “What if the Galra ever catch me? If they find out who I am, and they find anyone I care about, they could easily use them against me. I would give up everything to keep those I care about safe. And I haven’t found anyone I’m willing to risk that for.” He paused. “At least, not yet.”      

Neither of them spoke after that.

It didn’t take Leandro long to fall back into a daily routine. He was quite happy to be back in a familiar pattern of training, eating, working, and debriefing. He hadn’t realized how much he had missed the normalcy of it all.

There was one thing different, however, one more step added into his day: every night, after debriefing, he found himself somehow spending at least another hour with Akira. He never meant to. After all, they each had things they wanted to do before bed. But, somehow, they always ended up somewhere together, talking. Sometimes it was just the two of them, drinking a beer and chatting. Sometimes it was all of the team, gathered in someone’s apartment to watch a movie. Sometimes they were playing video games with Hayach. But no matter what they were doing, they were always together.  Bonding, he had explained to Akira one night.

It quickly became Leandro’s favorite part of the day. Especially when it was just the two of them. Because whatever had started between them all those weeks ago was finally starting to bloom. When they played video games with Hayach and Petra, Leandro would reach out and take Akira’s hand in his. When the whole team got together to watch a movie, Akira would nestle against Leandro, resting his head against the other man’s chest or shoulder. And Leandro would curl his arm around his partner, or play with his hair, and it felt like the most natural thing in the world. This was, he realized, the happiest he could ever remember being.

The problem was that, long after everyone was gone, long after he had gone to bed and should be asleep, Leandro couldn’t stop thinking about those moments. About Akira himself. And how hard it was becoming for Leandro not to simply grab the other man’s face and kiss him until they were both breathless.

But was that what Akira wanted? Leandro couldn’t help but think about that day in the training room and the words that had been said.

It was just sex.

You didn’t seem to mind when I was fucking you.

I don’t do the whole boyfriend thing.

I just haven’t found anyone that I want to have a relationship with.

Was Akira just trying to get comfortable with Leandro so that he would ask him to be his sexual partner? To add him to the list of names he had already accumulated? If so, Leandro knew he wouldn’t be able to do it. It would never be ‘just sex’ for him. Not with Akira. Not when Leandro was already in love with him.

He had already imagined what it would be like, the first time the two of them were together. It was all he had been able to think about since the confrontation with Jamison. And every time they were together --- every time they shared a look, a smile, or a touch --- it just made the images that much more vivid. He could picture it clearly now: Akira, here, in Leandro’s bed, dark hair spilled around him like a halo. His eyes would be the color of amethysts as he reached up for Leandro’s mouth, whispering his name. Leandro would spend hours making love to him, exploring every inch of his body, learning where the other man liked to be touched, liked to be kissed. And, when it was over, neither of them would be leaving. Instead, they would sleep together, curled up in one another’s arms, knowing that they were each cared for, cherished. Loved.

No, he would never be able to just have a casual relationship with Akira. The feelings were already there, had been for some time now. For him, it would have to be all or nothing. And if Akira only wanted sex, then Leandro would just have to find a way to change his mind. Or else he would have to fulfill his part of the agreement with Alina and leave the Deliverance --- and Akira --- far, far behind.

But he didn’t want to leave. And not just because the idea of leaving Akira made a knot of panic begin to form in his chest. But he had made a home here. He had found a family, people who had accepted him into their lives as though he had always been there. He had already lost one family. He didn’t want to consider the possibility that he might have to give up another.

But he was getting ahead of himself, wasn’t he? Maybe he wouldn’t have to leave. After all, both Hoshi and Hayach had said that Akira had never been this way around anyone else. Had never wanted to always be near someone, had never touched someone the way he touched Leandro. That had to mean something, right? Besides just casual sex?

Maybe this was just Akira’s way of getting comfortable with the men who he planned to invite into his bed. Maybe he and Jamison had once cuddled on the couch together while watching a movie. (Though, to be honest, the very idea of that left a sour taste in Leandro’s mouth.)

Aaaaaaannnnd he was right back where he had started.

With a groan of frustration, Leandro threw aside his blankets and got to his feet. He knew there would be no sleep for him at this rate. If he wanted a chance at any rest, he would need to find something to quiet his thoughts. Or to take his mind off of his dark-haired, violet-eyed partner.

When he walked into the living area, he wasn’t surprised to find Petra curled up on one end of the couch, a tablet in one hand, and a cup of coffee in the other. She narrowed her eyes at him as he came to flop down on the other end of the couch. “This is the third night in a row you haven’t been able to sleep,” she said in an accusatory tone.

“Pot, meet kettle.”

“Yes, but I never sleep. You, on the other hand, sleep like the dead.” Her face softened. “You’re not having night terrors again, are you?”

“No, thank the stars.” He let out a long sigh as he tipped his head back, resting it against the back of the couch as he closed his eyes. “It’s Kira.”

“Kira?” She frowned. “What’s wrong with Kira? I thought everything was going great with you two. Did something happen?”

“Yes? Kind of?”

She put her tablet and coffee aside. “Tell me.”

So he did. He told her about the conversation he had overheard between Akira and Jamison, and then about the words he and his partner had exchanged afterwards. “I just don’t know what he’s wanting. I mean, he told me point blank that he hadn’t met anyone he wanted to have a relationship with. So it makes me think that he wants it to be a casual sex partnership, like all of the others. But I can’t do that, Pet. Not with him. Now I don’t know what to do.”

She made a thoughtful humming sound. “What does it feel like to you? Is he coming across as a man who just wants to have a sexual relationship with you and nothing else? Because that sure isn’t how it looks from the outside.”

Leandro opened his eyes and stared up at the ceiling as he thought about all of the interactions between he and Akira since he had first come to the Castle. He remembered their first training session, when Akira had asked for his permission to touch him. He remembered how Akira had refused to call him Leo until they fought side by side. He could still see Akira sleeping in the chair by his hospital bed, remember how gentle the other man had been when he had carried Leandro from the wheelchair to his bed. He could still feel Akira’s arms around him after the broadcast, and the feel of Akira’s lips against his forehead the day he had returned. He thought of everything they had shared and realized that there had been no sign of lust, or need, or want want. Just caring.

He blew out a long breath, feeling some of the tension he had been carrying around for days leave his body. “No,” he said softly. “No, it doesn’t.”

“That’s what I thought.” She reached out to pat his hand. “You forget that while the two of you are busy looking at each other, I’m watching both of you. And, believe me, that boy has it bad for you. When he looks at you, it’s like there is no one else in the room. And, when he smiles at you, he goes so soft he practically melts. I may not be an expert on people, but that does not seem like the behavior of someone who only wants you for sex.”

Leandro let out a groan as he reached up to scrub at his face. “Then what do I do? He said that he doesn’t do the boyfriend thing, and that he hasn’t met anyone he wants to have a relationship with, but… Arrrgggh! Why is this so complicated??”

“You’re going to have to talk to him about this.”

He let his hands hit the couch with a thump as he rolled his head to look at her. “You’re kidding right? I mean, what am I supposed to do? Invite him to my room for a beer and a chat? ‘Hey, Kira. I know you said you don’t do the whole boyfriend thing, but I kind of want to be your boyfriend. Oh, and you can forget the whole casual sex thing, because I’m pretty sure I’m already in love with you’.”  He shook his head. “No way. That will just make him want to get as far away from me as possible.”

She let out a huff of air as she leaned back against the arm of the couch. “You’re going to have to, Leo. If not, the wondering is going to drive you insane.”

He let out another groan. “I know. But…” He paused. “What if he says he does just want sex? I mean, we both know that Kira is a bit… awkward when it comes to dealing with people. Maybe this really is his way of getting comfortable. And if he says that’s all it is…” He shook his head. “I can’t do that, Pet. This is so different from all those other times I said I was in love. He’s different. And if he doesn’t have feelings for me, or doesn’t want to have feelings for me…” He bit his lip, feeling that knot of panic starting to form in his chest yet again.”

“Hey, hey.” Petra reached out to take his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “Don’t get ahead of yourself, okay? We don’t know if that’s how he feels.”

“But what if it is?”

“Talk to him first. See what he has to say. Then we’ll go from there.”

He made it two more days.

Leandro thought that he would make it longer. After talking to Petra, he actually felt a bit better. Petra didn’t sugar-coat things. If she had thought that Akira didn’t care for him in the way that Leandro wanted him to, she would have told him, if for no other reason than to save him from heartbreak. It wouldn’t be the first time she had told him someone wasn’t good for him. He still fought to go to sleep that first night, but it was certainly easier than it had been.

On the second night, after their debriefing, Petra and Hayach informed them that they had a project they were working on and wouldn’t be able to participate in the rest of the evening. Dante and Hoshi had also declined. And so it was that Leandro found himself alone in his apartment with Akira.

“I want to hear you play some music,” Akira said, nodding towards Leandro’s bedroom. “I’ve seen your guitar case in there, but I’ve never heard you play. Will you? Since it’s just us?”

“Oh!” Leandro hadn’t been expecting that, and he reached up to rub at the back of his neck with sudden nerves. “I mean, I don’t mind. If you want. But, ah, I’m not very good.”

This caused the other man to let out a snort. “If there is one thing I have learned about you, Leandro Sanchez, it’s that, when you decide to do something, you do it. You don’t just kind of do it. So I doubt you’re not very good.” He shrugged. “Besides, I’ve never actually heard anyone play a guitar in real life, only on holovids. So I don’t really have anything to compare your performance to.”

“Really?” Leandro dropped his hand so that he could stare wide-eyed at him. “You’ve seriously never heard anyone play a guitar before? Even here at the Castle?”

“Never.”

“Well, I can’t say no to that now, can I?” Leandro bowed and gestured his partner towards his bedroom. “After you. Feel free to make yourself comfortable.”

He had honestly expected the other man to sit in the plush chair at his desk. Instead, Akira went to perch on the edge of Leandro’s bed before he started to remove his shoes. Leandro blinked at him for a moment, before hurrying over to where his guitar case rested against the wall, trying to get his thoughts in order.

Shit shit shit, he thought frantically as he undid the clasps of the case. Kira is here. In my room. On my bed. We’re alone. What am I supposed to do? Am I supposed to do something?

Then another thought struck him, and he felt his hands go still. What if he’s doing this so he can ask me to have sex with him? It would make sense: they were alone, they were already in Leandro’s room, on his bed. All Akira had to do was ask.

What would he do? What would he say? To be honest, the whole idea of talking to Akira about this --- about them ---terrified him. He never knew what to do, what words he was supposed to say, when he fell in love with someone. And with Akira… He wanted this. Whatever they had, he wanted it. He wanted the cuddling on the couch, the holding hands, all of the things you were supposed to do with the person you loved. But he had no idea how to ask for it. And if the other man asked him here, tonight, if he wanted a sexual relationship and nothing else---

“Leo?” Akira’s voice cut through his thoughts, startling him. “Are you all right?”

“Yeah. Yeah. I, uh, just got lost in thought.” He took a deep breath as he pulled the guitar from its case, trying to find at least a measure of his normal confidence. When he turned back around, he had a grin on his face. “Well, if I am to be serenading you, do you have something in particular you’d like to hear?”

Akira was sitting with his back against Leandro’s headboard, one leg stretched out, the other bent, an arm draped casually over his knee. “Nothing in particular, no. I just wanted to hear you play.” He lifted an eyebrow. “Are you singing as well?”

“I mean, I may as well give you the full Loverboy Leo experience. Since you’re here and all.”

That eyebrow went up another fraction of an inch, and one corner of his mouth twitched. “’Loverboy Leo’?”

Leandro let out a cough as he waved a dismissive hand, feeling his cheeks start to warm. “Ah, just a persona. Nothing more. Give me just a moment to tune this, okay?”

He sat on the opposite end of the bed from his partner, sliding back until his back rested against the wall. He sat the guitar in his lap, adjusting it until it felt comfortable, then fell into the routine of tuning the instrument. Once he was satisfied, he glanced back up at Akira. “Last chance for requests.”

Akira just shook his head. “Play whatever you like,” he said softly.

He strummed idly for a moment, trying to think of something to play. Should he try and impress the other man? He had a few songs that he knew he could play and sing pretty well, and they had never failed to help him get at least a phone number from an appreciative fan. But this was Akira. He didn’t need to impress him. Instead, he wanted to share something with him, something personal.

He wasn’t sure why he chose the song he did. While it had a deep, personal meaning to him, he wasn’t sure if he wanted to play this one for Akira. It was perhaps a bit too personal to share.

And yet he found his fingers picking out the chords almost on their own, his voice singing the words softly.  

“Stay with me.”

He didn’t remember very much about the first few weeks after escaping the mines, but what he did remember was all bad. There had been night terrors every night, night terrors so bad he would wake up covered in blood from where he had clawed at himself. Petra would always be there to comfort him as best as she could, but there were many a night --- far more than he liked to think about now --- where he had wanted to die. Where he had begged her to leave him, to just let him die. Or let the Galra find him and kill him. But she hadn’t. She had always stayed right there with him. And, almost every night she had sang this song to him.

Open your eyes.

Things were so much better now. He hadn’t had a night terror in years. And dying was the last thing he wanted to do. Not when he was just discovering what all life had to offer. But sometimes, when he missed his family ao much the aches went all the way into his soul, he would listen to this song and let himself miss them. Let himself cry and wonder what if.

Breathe in life.

He couldn’t do the song justice, not really not with just his acoustic guitar. The original included a full band, as well as a full orchestra. But, as he continued to play and sing, eyes closed, he could almost imagine the rest of the music flowing through him so that Akira could hear it as well

Stay with me.

He let he music --- and his voice --- fade away, leaving silence in its wake. Leandro sat still for a long moment, taking a steadying breath before opening his eyes and turning a sheepish smile onto his partner. “Sorry. I honestly didn’t mean to play something so depressing.”

Akira had moved during the performance, shifting forward so that he was kneeling in the middle of the bed, even closer to Leandro now. When he looked up, he saw a look on the other man’s face that he could not read. “Leo,” he said in a soft voice, his face taking on a concerned expression as he reached out to touch his cheek. “You’re crying.”

He blinked in surprise. “I am?” He hadn’t realized it. But when Akira gently swiped at the area under his eye with a thumb, he could feel the wetness spread across his skin. “Huh.” He offered another weak smile. “Guess I really know how to show a guy a good time, huh? I play a depressing song cry.”

Akira offered a small smile, his fingertips still pressed to Leandro’s cheek. “I thought it was beautiful,” he said softly. “Thank you so much for sharing it with me.”

Leandro felt his breath hitch in his throat as he stared at the other man. His heart was pounding in his chest, beating so fast that he had a distant thought to be afraid for his ribs. Akira’s eyes were bright with concern and that other emotion he couldn’t identify, His fingers against Leandro’s cheek were gentle, and his thumb made another swipe under his eye.

Leandro swallowed the lump that had suddenly formed in his throat. This was it. This was the moment he needed.

“Kira,” he said, voice soft, as he reached up to press the other man’s hand to his cheek. “There is something I need to ask you. But… Well, I might have a bit of trouble asking. So just bear with me for a few minutes. Okay?”

A small crease formed between his eyes as his brows furrowed, but Akira nodded. “Sure. Take your time.”

Leandro nodded back, took a deep breath, then slowly let it out. “That day in the training room, that first day after I got back? When Jamison was in there? You told me that you didn’t want a relationship with anyone. And I respect that. If that is what you want then I will never bring this up again. Unless you want to, that is.” He felt his face getting warm, and he suddenly couldn’t look Akira in the eyes. “I know that you normally have… partners. Men that you can have sex with, but that you don’t have any emotional attachment to. Please don’t take this as me judging you. Because I’m not. The only reason I bring it up is because…. Well…” He reached up with his free hand to rub the back of his neck. “I sort of… Well, not sort of. I really, um, would like to be in a relationship. With you. And not just the sex. Though we can do that too, if you want. But the rest of it. You know.” He waved his hand vaguely in the air. “Relationship-type stuff.”

God, he was mucking this all up. “I thought that, maybe, you might want that, too. I know you said you haven’t met anyone you want a relationship with, but we’ve gotten so close, and… You never hesitate to touch me. You always seem so comfortable with me. And you have done so much for me. God, Kira, if you only knew what you’ve done for me. I know things didn’t start off under the best of circumstances, but… I haven’t met anyone else I’ve wanted to be with so badly. And I don’t mean sex. I mean just be around you. Just being in the same room with you makes me so ridiculously happy. I know I don’t know how you feel. I know I might be way off base here, but I have to ask you. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it --- about you, about us --- since that day. And I know that, if you only want casual sex, I can’t give you that. Because I love you, Kira. I fucking love you. And, yeah. This may be the worst confession in the history of confessions, but here it is. I just… I just want to know what I am to you. What you want me to be to you. Because the wondering is killing me.”

Silence.

Leandro felt his heart clench in his chest, and he stared fixedly at a spot on his floor, afraid to look up and see what expression was on his partner’s face. I’ve fucked up, he thought desperately. I shouldn’t have told him that I loved him. God, what was I thinking? Now he’s not going to want anything to do with me. He’ll go back to just being my partner, not even my friend. I’ll ---

A hand, roughened with callouses, slid against his other cheek, pulling his face back towards Akira. “Leo.” Akira’s voice was gentle, no trace of anger or uncertainty to be found. “Look at me. Please.”

He took a deep, fortifying breath, steeled himself for rejection, and looked ack up at his partner.

Akira’s eyes were bright, the color the shade of lavender Leandro remembered from his dream. And, as he watched, that brilliant, beautiful smile spread across the other man’s face. “It could never be just sex with you,” he said, tone still gentle. “Not for me, either. That day of the broadcast, when it was over and I came to you, I have never wanted to kiss anyone so much in my life. I wanted to do whatever it took to make your hurt go away. But I didn’t know what to do.”  He reached up to brush one of Leandro’s curls away. “I’m not good with people. You know that. And I have no idea how to be with someone else. But I would like to try it. With you. If you’ll allow me.”

Leandro blinked at him, trying to get his brain to understand the words that had just been said to him. “I… What?”

Akira’s smile turned into a full-blown grin as he leaned forward, putting his face just inches from Leandro’s. “It means that, yes, I want to do the relationship thing with you.” He held Leandro’s gaze. “I haven’t been with anyone since the day I met you, Leo. I haven’t wanted to. Because all I could think about was how much I wanted to be with you.”

He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He had thought --- had dreaded --- that the answer would be different. Had prepared himself for it as best as he could. He hadn’t even thought about what to do if Akira had said yes. “You… you do?”

“Very much so.” His eyes trailed down to Leandro’s mouth, and, a moment later, his thumb was gently brushing across Leandro’s bottom lip. “May I?” His voice was quiet, hesitant, hopeful.

A powerful shudder went down Leandro’s spine, and he couldn’t stop a gasp from escaping at Akira’s touch. He wants to kiss me, he thought dumbly. Akira wants to kiss me. And then, Akira wants to kiss me!

And he was so close. Close enough that Leandro could feel his warm breath wash over his cheek. Close enough that he could see that his eyes actually were purple, with flecks of gray dotted throughout. Close enough that it would take no effort at all for Leandro to close the distance between them and press their lips together. He could just nod, just say yes, and then ---

A loud, blaring alarm suddenly sounded, echoing loudly in the small room. Leandro let out a startled yelp and jerked back. This caused him to tip over the edge of the bed, and though he windmilled his arms in an effort to regain his balance, he still fell, landing on his hip. A second later, his guitar hit the floor with a twang. He immediately popped back up, looking around frantically. “What the fuck?”

Akira didn’t look nearly as startled as Leandro. Instead, he was looking at his wrist with an annoyed expression. He turned to Leandro and held up his arm. “Comms,” he said, pointing to the device on his wrist. “It’s a message. Probably from Alina.”

Leandro looked down at the device strapped to his wrist, noticing that it was blinking as well as wailing. He reached out and tapped it. A second later, Alina’s mage was projected in the air above the device.

“Hello, paladins,” she said, voice echoing as both he and Akira played the message. “I know you all just left our debriefing, but we just received some new information that we need to act on right away. So, please, I need you all to return to the command center at once.” Then she was gone.

Leandro stared down at the comm, feeling a sense of anger crawling up his spine. Akira was this close --- this close --- to kissing me, and she interrupted us for a meeting?? Of all the… The worst part was that the moment was over now, and he knew they couldn’t get it back. Not right now, anyways.

Akira let out a heavy sigh and reached down to tug his shoes on. “I guess we should go,” he said, sounding as if he’d rather do anything but that. “Else she’ll keep calling us until we show up.”

“Yeah. You’re probably right.” Leandro ran a hand through his hair before moving to place his guitar back in its case. As he closed the clasps, he noticed that his hands were slightly shaking. Probably from the adrenaline of the near-kiss, and then the alarm. He almost kissed me, he thought again, this time depressed because it was an almost-kiss instead of an actual kiss. Fuck.

He got to his feet and turned to Akira with a huff, leveling a finger at the other man. “Don’t think that this conversation is over,” he said sternly.

His partner blinked at him, then his lips peeled back into a feral grin. “You’re damn right, it’s not.”

Chapter Text

He was going to murder Alina.

He had been seconds away --- seconds ---from kissing Leandro. From finally being able to give in to the longing that he had been harboring for weeks. And the Altean woman had ruined it, had stolen the moment out from underneath him.

He knew he was scowling as he and Leandro made their way back down the hallway. Stars, but he wanted nothing more than to reach out and take Leandro’s hand, to find some solace in knowing that the other man was there with him. But his nerves were too raw, his emotions too turbulent at the moment. He feared that if he did take Leandro’s hand, touched him at all, he would lose what little self-control he had and shove his partner against the wall before kissing him until they both lost their senses. But he couldn’t. He wouldn’t. Not until Leandro gave him permission.

And so, here he was, walking side-by-side with the man who had just confessed to loving him, and he couldn’t even touch him. Gods, was it even possible to be this happy and pissed off at the same time?

They found Hoshi and Dante at the end of the hallways, waiting on the elevator. His brother took one look at him and frowned. “Are you all right?”

“No,” he growled, reaching up to give his ponytail a vicious yank. “I am not.”

Hoshi’s brows came together in concern. “What is it?” His eyes flicked to Leandro, who seemed to be shell-shocked. “What happened?”

“Alina happened. I am going to murder her in the most painful way I can imagine.”

Hoshi’s eyes went wide, his jaw dropping open at the younger man’s words. But, before he could say anything, Leandro started to giggle. An actual giggle. He placed a hand over his mouth, trying to keep it from turning into anything more, but he only lasted a few seconds before he was hunched over, shoulders shaking as he gave in to the laughter bubbling out of him.

And, just like that, Akira felt his anger fade away, his scowl being replaced by a smile. He couldn’t hang on to it while Leandro was laughing like that. It was such a rich sound, so full and genuine, that Akira couldn’t help but be affected by it, too.

“S-sorry,” Leandro finally managed, wiping the tears of laughter from his eyes. “It shouldn’t be funny, I know. But…” He looked over at Akira, a wide grin on his face. He started to say something, but dissolved back into laughter instead.

Akira shook his head, feeling his own laughter start to surface. Leandro’s mirth was infectious.

By the time the four of them stepped off the elevator, Akira felt himself full of sheer joy, brought on by the knowledge that Leandro loved him. He couldn’t help but reach out to take the other man’s hand. He needed to know that Leandro was right there, that this wasn’t a dream.

He loves me.

Those three simple words made Akira feel as though he were floating through air rather than walking. So much so that he couldn’t help but look down to make sure that his feet were actually touching the ground. He couldn’t remember ever feeling this happy. It made him feel giddy, almost drunk. Leandro loves me.

He had wanted to say it back, to tell Leandro that he took his breath away, that he made his chest feel tight, that just one smile from him was enough to make Akira melt. But, in the moment, he had been too stunned, to happy to be able to form coherent thoughts. He wanted his partner to know how important he was to him, that Akira had never wanted it to be just sex with him. That he wanted this relationship, too.

But he had never been very good with words, especially when it came to talking about his feelings. That was why he wanted to kiss Leandro. To show him how he felt. To use his actions to convey what his words could not.

As they followed Hoshi and Dante toward the command room, Leandro leaned his head towards Akira’s. “So what do we tell the others?” he murmured. “About us, I mean. Do we want to tell them?”

“What do you want to tell them?”

Leandro shrugged, suddenly looking shy. “I know you said that you don’t do the whole boyfriend thing, so I thought maybe ---”

“Leo.” Akira came to an abrupt halt, tugging the other man to a stop as well. When Leandro turned to him, confusion written on his face, Akira reached out for his partner’s free hand so that he could grip them both. “Do not think,” he said, voice low, “for even one second that I could possibly be ashamed of being with you. Or that I don’t want people to know that we are together. If it was up to me, I would make sure the whole damn universe knew about us.” He gently ran his thumbs across the backs of Leandro’s hands. “If you want to call me your boyfriend, then do so. I am completely okay with that. Personally, I think the word is, well… childish. I mean, we haven’t been boys for a long time. But If that is the word you want to use, then so be it.” He offered a gentle smile. “Boyfriends we shall be.”

“But it’s not just about what I want. That’s not how relationships work, Kira. It’s about what we want.” Leandro tipped his head to one side. “What would you like to call this, call us? What am I to you, Akira Kogane?”

What am I to you?

He continued to rub the backs of Leandro’s hands. “I’ve thought about this a lot, you know,” he murmured. “About how much you mean to me and what you are to me. What I wanted you to be to me.” He paused, trying to collect his thoughts. “I never have thought about you as my boyfriend because, again, we’re not boys. Plus, that word is just ridiculous. I don’t want to simply call you my lover. I mean, I do. Love you. So much it terrifies the shit out of me. But that’s not the point. The point is, I’ve had lovers before. And you are certainly not one of those.”

He felt Leandro’s fingers tighten around his. “You… you love me, too?” he said, voice soft and full of hope.

“I… I think I do. I mean, I’ve never been in love before, so I don’t really have anything to compare it to.” He finally lifted his gaze to meet Leandro’s. “But what I am certain of is that, what I feel for you, I have never felt for anyone before. Never. I cannot define what you are to me because, to be honest, I don’t know if it can be defined. But, if someone asks me what we are, I would simply tell them that I am yours. Whatever capacity you need me in --- friend, partner, lover --- I am yours. Nothing more, nothing less.”

Leandro didn’t say anything after that. But, as Akira watched, his eyes began to fill with water.

He froze, feeling panic suddenly bloom in his chest. Shit, he thought frantically. I must have said something wrong. He opened his mouth, trying to think of something, anything, that he could say to fix this.

However, before he could get even  one word out, Leandro was throwing his arms around him, burying his face into the side of his neck. “Errrm,” he said, not sure what was happening. “Leo?”

“I’m supposed to be the smooth one!” the other man wailed, his voice muffled against Akira’s skin. “And here you are saying the most romantic thing I could ever imagine. It’s not fair!”

He didn’t quite understand. “So… I didn’t say the wrong thing?”

Leandro let out a huff of laughter. “No, you beautiful idiot. You said the most perfect thing ever.” He lifted his head, and Akira could see where a few of his tears had escaped and made their way down his cheeks. “Did you mean what you said earlier? About… being with me? You weren’t just saying that to make me feel better, were you?”

Akira reached up so that he could grasp the other man’s face with both hands, forcing him to be still so Akira could hold his gaze. “I will never lie to you, Leo. Never. I might not always be able to express what I’m feeling, but I will never lie to you.”

Leandro let out a laugh before leaning forward to rest his forehead against Akira’s. “If you are mine, then I am yours. Whenever you need me, however you need me, I will be there. All you have to do is ask.”

He closed his eyes, basking in the warm glow that was currently spreading throughout his body. This, he thought dreamily, is love. This is what love feels like. And I hope I never lose it.

They were the last to arrive to the meeting, but Akira could care less. Everyone was staring at them as they walked in, hands gripped tightly together, clear evidence that Leandro had been crying, bothy wearing sappy smiles. Hell, he wouldn’t be surprised if they both had hearts in their eyes at this point. He caught his brother’s eye, and saw Hoshi’s face split into the widest grin he had sported since his wedding. Akira’s own smile widened in response.

When Hayach saw them, his eyes started to water, much like Leandro’s had earlier. Petra just gave them a smug grin, adjusting her glasses. “Sorry to interrupt your make out session, guys. We’ll let you get back to it as soon as possible.”

Akira felt his cheeks flush, and he automatically opened his mouth to deny that they had been doing anything of the sort, but Leandro beat him to it. “If there had been any making out going on, we would most certainly not be here right now. You interrupted us before we could even get to the kissing part.” He planted his free hand onto his hip and pouted.

Petra just threw back her head and laughed. It was almost as joyous as the one Leandro had loosed earlier.

Alina was standing underneath the giant holovid scree, looking at them with an expression that was soft, but Akira could make out the sadness in it. “I am so very sorry that you had to cut your time together short,” she said, and her tone said that she meant it. “But some things have been set into motion that we must plan for right away.”

“Unfortunately, she’s right.” Petra’s smile was fading into a grim expression. “We found out who the RoBeast is, and that he will be arriving in Neon City tomorrow.”

“Shit.” Leandro reached up to run a hand through his curls. “It’s not Laser Guy, is it? He creeps me out. Why did they have to give him so many eyes?”

“No, it’s not him. It’s Prorock.”

Leandro pursed his lips. “Is that Arm Guy, Tree Guy, or Cannon Guy?”

“Cannon Guy.” Hayach’s voice was just as grim.

They all lapsed into silence as they digested this new information. Alina was the one to finally break it, her voice hard as it rang out. “And we have a mission that we need to discuss right away right away.”

“When is this mission scheduled to take place?” Hoshi asked.

“Tomorrow.”

Akira felt a slice of fear cut through him at that. “No,” he said, tightening his grip on Leandro’s hand. “Leo’s not going out. Not now. Especially is Prorock is scheduled to arrive tomorrow. You said yourself that it was too dangerous.”

“Kira---” Leandro tried to interject, but Alina was already speaking.

“I know what I said, but I’m afraid we don’t have a choice. This is the first new information we have received in weeks. And, if we don’t act on it, we may lose our chance of stopping the Galra from whatever they plan to use the quintessence for.”

That fanatical light was back in her eyes, the one that Akira had seen at the begging of all of this madness. It had frightened him then, but it absolutely terrified him now. “Then let me go alone. They don’t know what I look like, and I’m used to operating by myself. Leo can stay here and help with ops.”

“Kira, you –” Leandro tried again, but to no avail.

“I told you I don’t want you to go alone anymore, Kira. And I am most certainly not sending you out on your own with a RoBeast in the city. I am well aware of the danger I am putting Leo in. Putting all of you in.” The brightness faded from her eyes, replaced by something that could have been regret. “But I have weighed the risks against the potential benefits, and we need to do this. It is vital that we obtain the information that this mission may provide.”

Akira felt his lips peel back into a snarl, and he took a step forward, ready to argue. Before, he could say anything, however, he felt Leandro’s hand on his jaw, pulling his face towards his. “Hey,” he said softly when Akira’s eyes met his. “I know you’re worried. I can’t say I’m too hip on the idea myself. But let’s see what she has to say first, yeah? Then we’ll figure out what to do. Together.” He squeezed Akira’s hand. “That’s what partners do, right? That’s what couples do.”

Akira snapped his mouth shut, pressing his lips together into a tight line. Leandro was right, of course. They couldn’t just make decisions for one another and expect their relationship to work. But… “I’m not willing to compromise when it comes to your safety.”

Leandro tightened his grip on Akira’s jaw, blue eyes boring into violet. “And I am not willing to compromise on yours. Which means you will not be going on your own. Even if that means I have to tie you up and sit on you. Do you understand me?” He held Akira’s gaze, waiting for an argument. When it didn’t come, he finally loosened his grip, face softening. “Let’s just hear her out, okay?”

Akira gave a sharp nod, even though he wanted to fight with everything he had. He hated this. He knew Leandro could take care of himself. Knew that he would grow to resent Akira if he tried to put him in a bubble for his safety. But Akira didn’t have very many people in his life, and thought of losing even one terrified him. Especially if he knew he could prevent it from happening.

Leandro broke out into a smile as he let his hand fall away from Akira’s face. “That’s my boy,” he said softly, leaning over to press his cheek to Akira’s for a brief moment before turning back to look at Alina. Akira closed his eyes briefly before he also turned to face their leader. His scowl had returned, and he took a small step closer to Leandro. The other man noticed, and moved closer himself so that their shoulders were touching.

“Thank you, Leo.” Alina gave him a nod of appreciation. “Hayach? Do you mind staring us off?”

The big man blinked in surprise. “Oh! Uh, sure!” He cleared his throat and straightened. “So Petra designed this amazing tracking program, right? She programed it to listen for certain keywords in the Galra comm frequencies, then notify us anytime it heard them. That’s how we know about Prorock, by the way. One of the words was ‘RoBeast’. Isn’t she a genius?” He beamed proudly.

Petra sighed and rolled her eyes, but there was a fond smile on her face. “You’re supposed to be talking about the mission, remember?”

“Oh! Right. The mission. So, one of the words that Petra programmed was ‘quintessence’. We’ve gotten several pings on it, but nothing that was useful. Until about a week ago, when we heard the Galra start talking about moving it. They didn’t offer any information we could act on until tonight.”

He reached over to tap at a keyboard, and an image appeared in the air before them. It was a person. A man, to be precise, human. He appeared to be around Akira’s age, with a military-style buzz cut and sporting a massive scar that ran from temple to chin on the left side of his face.

“Hey!” Leandro exclaimed. “I know that guy! It’s Roman!”

“I know him, too,” Akira said, a hint of amusement in his voice. He had known Roman Russell for years. In fact, Roman had been the one to give Akira his first black eye back when he was fifteen and they were in school together.

Leandro quirked an eyebrow. “How does the Deliverance’s pet assassin know the Galra’s top smuggler?”

Akira looked to Alina, silently asking for permission as this was not his secret to share. At her nod, he turned back to face Leandro. “He was a Deliverance kid. We grew up together. He’s technically not part of the Deliverance anymore, but he’ll sometimes throw work our way.” Then it was his turn to lift an eyebrow. “How do you know him?”

“We’ve worked together quite a few times. I wouldn’t say that we’re friends, but we get along all right.” When this caused both of Akira’s eyebrows to shoot up, the other man shrugged. “What? Smugglers need to have deliveries made, too. And I had a pretty good reputation for being discreet, if you’ll remember.”

Akira couldn’t help but grin. He remembered, all right. That was the reason Alina had sent Akira to him in the first place. Gods, it feels like that happened a lifetime ago. “So what does Roman have to do with all of this?”

Hayach picked his narrative back up. “According to the communication we picked up, the Galra have reached out to him to help with the quintessence. Which would make sense, as he has the largest operation on the planet. If anyone can move a large amount of cargo undetected, it’s Roman.”

“He’s called a meeting for tomorrow night,” Alina interjected. “All of his generals will be there. We need to be there, too.”

“The meeting is scheduled to take place here.” Petra tapped another key, and the image of Roman disappeared, replaced by one of a building layout. “This is the Quantum Abyss, a nightclub that Roman owns. The top floor in basically Roman’s entire security hub, and that is where the meeting will be held.”

“We need to come up with a plan for getting in there.” Alina’s voice was almost desperate. “If we can discover where the Galra are moving the quintessence to, we might be able to intercept them. We might be able to stop them before they even have a chance to set their plan into motion.”

Hoshi was already shaking his head. “There’s no way. Roman only has four generals. He’s not going to let anyone else in that room, not if it’s a job from the Galra. And his security is notoriously tight. The boys wouldn’t even make it to the top floor.”

“Maybe we don’t have to.”

Alina narrowed her eyes at Leandro. “Do you have another idea?”

“Maybe.” There was a long pause before the blue paladin turned to face his partner. “I know you’re worried about me,” he said, voice pitched soft so that it didn’t carry past the two of them. “The idea that I have is going to sound crazy, but I just want you to listen to it. Okay?”

Akira already knew he wasn’t going to like it --- if Leandro thought it was crazy, then it most certainly was – but he nodded anyway.

Leandro gave his hand once last squeeze before dropping it so he could turn to face Akira’s brother. “Okay. So I’ve been to the Abyss quite a few times. Both as Roman’s business associate and as a customer. And I’ve managed to learn a few things that might be helpful.

“First of all, everyone that he employees at the Abyss --- from security to bartenders, even the dishwashers --- are also involved with the smuggling side of things. It’s one of the reasons why he’s so good at what he does; his circle is smaller, and they are fiercely loyal to him.

“Second, each general is allowed to bring a small entourage with them, usually three or four people.” He leaned forward, blue eyes sparkling. “Which means that there will be several people in the club proper who will have knowledge of what the meeting is about ---”

“Without having to be in the meeting itself.” Hoshi’s eyes were glittering with excitement. “That’s a damn good plan, Leo. Well done.”

Leandro beamed with pride at the praise, and Akira didn’t blame him. Hoshi didn’t impress easily. And it was a good plan. Except… “How will we get the information?” he couldn’t help but ask. “Do we just go up and ask them?”

“Ah. That’s where our skills of subterfuge come in.” Leandro threw an arm over his shoulders, giving him a wide grin. “We’re gonna go dancing.”

He blanched. “Dancing?”

“Yup. A little dancing, a little drinking, a little flirting, maybe a bribe or two, and they’ll be telling us all we need to know.”

“I don’t know how to dance.” Or flirt, for that matter. At least, not with anyone other than Leandro. Even then, only a small percentage of his attempts had been successful. The idea of attempting it with someone he didn’t know was terrifying.

Leandro gave his shoulders a reassuring squeeze. “It’s all right. That’s what you’ve got me for.”

“You know how to dance?”

Leandro lowered his eye lids and moved forward until his mouth was right at Akira’s ear. “Amor,” he said, rolling his Rs in a way that turned the word into a purr. “I’m from Cuba. I was born knowing how to dance.” He took a step back and moved his hips in a way that did very interesting things to Akira’s libido.

“Umm,” was all he managed to say. But then another idea struck him. “Wait. If all of these people know who you are, how do we know they haven’t already told the Galra about you? And, if they haven’t, and Leandro Sanchez shows up at this club…”

“We won’t have to worry about that. Roman may work with the Galra, but it doesn’t mean he has any loyalty towards them. If someone at his club turned me in and it got out, it would be bad for business. He would make that person’s life absolute hell, and they all know it.” His teeth flashed in a wicked grin. “Besides, by the time I get ready, my own mother wouldn’t be able to recognize me.”

What the hell does that mean? But, before Akira could ask, his brother was speaking again.

“It’s a good idea, Alina.” The black paladin’s voice was decisive. “I know the information won’t be as good as what we would get in the actual meeting, but at least we’ll still be able to get something. And it’s much safer for the boys.”

As one, they all turned to look at their leader.

The Altean’s lips were pressed tightly together as she stared out over her assembled paladins, and Akira knew that she was warring with herself. He knew that she wanted to demand that they find a way into that meeting, that the reward far outweighed the risk. But he also knew that she cared for her people, that she would never needlessly put them in danger. Not if there was another way.

Finally, she blew out a long breath. “You’re right, Hoshi. Of course you are.” She smiled out at them, and Akira was relieved to see that the fanatical light in her eyes had been replaced by one of determination. “All right, paladins. Let’s get to work.”

They worked well into the morning trying to come up with the best plan for the next evening. At some point, Curran brought them all coffee. But it still wasn’t enough for Leandro, who fell asleep against his partner early in the strategy session. With Petra’s help, Akira was able to maneuver the other man so that he was stretched out in the floor, his head resting in Akira’s lap. Dante even went to fetch a blanket to drape over him.

“Poor guy.” Petra reached out to gently brush away one of Leandro’s curls. “He hasn’t been sleeping well lately. Something about worrying if the man he was falling for cared about him or not.”

“So he said.” Akira looked down at the sleeping man’s face, and a surge of pure love swept through him, strong enough to leave him dizzy. Leandro’s long eyelashes lay against his cheeks, his lips slightly parted, his breaths slow and even. He looked so young, so vunerable, and Akira’s chest ached to think about everything he had been through. “I wish he had come to me about this sooner. I thought I was making it clear that I cared about him. That I wanted more than just sex with him.”

“I tried to tell him that, but he didn’t believe me.” She shook her head. “Did we really keep you two from kissing?”

“Yes. Well, maybe? I’d asked him if I could kiss him, but he never got a chance to answer before our comms went off.”

She let out a snort. “I can go ahead and tell you that his answer will be a resounding yes. He’s been mad for you since the beginning. Do you remember your first training session? He went on for days about how you had asked for his permission before you touched him.”

He blinked in surprise. “Really?”

“Mmmm. As you can imagine, after spending years of being a slave, consent is a big issue for him. So when you asked him that, you instantly won him over. He also told me, back before you two went up against the Juicers, that he was going to find a way to make you fall in love with him.”

“I… I didn’t know.” Akira traced his fingers lightly down Leandro’s cheek. “I think I fell early on. It just took my brain a little while to catch up to my heart.”

Petra scooted across the floor so that she could sit next to Akira., resting her head against his shoulder. He didn’t hesitate to tip his head so that his cheek was resting atop her hair as he continued to gently stroke Leandro’s hair and face.

“You know,” she said after a few moments of silence, “I’m really glad that we made our way here. I know you blamed yourself for what happened to us --- Leo told me about you trying to make him hit you as an apology --- but it really was the best thing that could have happened to him. He needs people, needs a family. And he’s found that here. We both have.”

“I’m glad you’re both here, too.” And he meant it. Petra had become his friend on that very first day when she had stormed up to him and told him that she wasn’t mad at him, but if he felt like he needed to make things up to them, he could help her move their things. She’d spent hours in the garage with him, just talking. She’d been the one who’d told him about Leandro’s little game, about how he craved physical affection, and the different ways that Akira could show him that he cared.

And Leo --- his Leo ---- had come to mean so much to him. He had forgiven Akira when Akira couldn’t forgive himself. He had managed to coax a playful side out of Akira that the other man had never known was there. He had taught Akira not to take life too seriously, and challenged him almost daily to see things from a different perspective.

They sat in silence for several more moments, each lost in their own thoughts, before Petra let out a long sigh. “Well, I suppose we should get Sleeping beauty to bed. Tomorrow’s going to be a long day.”

As far as mission prep went, Akira was expecting this one to involve almost nothing. Weapons weren’t allowed inside the club, and none of Hayach’s fancy gadgets would work inside of a building protected by Galran shielding technology. The rest of Team Voltron would track their comms on the off chance that things went south. So he was spending his prep time by studying the layout of the club, and reading everything he could find on Roman and his generals.

So when Dante and Hoshi both barged into his room hours before he was due to meet Leandro, telling him they were there to help him get ready, he was confused. “I am ready,” he tried to tell them, but they just ignored him and went straight to his closet.

“Um, guys?” He tried again as Dante threw open the doors to his closet and began to rummage through its meager contents. “What are you doing?”

“You’re going to a club,” Hoshi said, as though Akira was not already aware of this fact. “You need to look the part.”

“What’s wrong with that way I look now?”

“You’re going to a club,” Hoshi said again, this time with a little more emphasis. “On an undercover mission. You are going to need to blend in.”

Akira had never stepped foot into a nightclub. He’d let the others drag him to a few of the quieter bars in the Outskirts, but he’d drawn the line at clubs. He had no idea what he was supposed to wear, but judging by the other two men’s actions, it wasn’t his normal all-black mission attire.

“Dammit, Kira,” came his brother-in-law’s exasperated voice. “Don’t you have anything that’s not black? We’re going to have to take you shopping soon.”

“Let me look through his dresser. That’s where he usually stores the things he doesn’t wear as much.”

Akira crossed his arms, watching in amusement as his brother started pulling drawers out and digging through their contents. Dante, apparently not satisfied with what he had found in the closet, came to help him.

They finally settled on a pair of black pants that were artfully ripped at the knees (Dante had bought them for him “in case you ever decide you want to go somewhere nice”) and a red tank top that Akira had honestly forgotten he owned. Hoshi handed them to Akira and pointed him towards the bathroom. “Thankfully, you have plenty of black jackets, so it shouldn’t be a problem finding something that will tie it all together. The boots look fine, but do you think they will be comfortable enough to dance in?”

“It’s a mission, Hoshi, not a date. I won’t be doing any dancing.”

“What if one of your marks asks you to dance with them? Besides, no one said you can’t mix a little pleasure with business. Maybe you and Leo will have the opportunity to dance together. You wouldn’t mind that, right? Wear comfortable shoes.”

Akira shook his head, knowing there was no point in arguing with his brother, before disappearing into the bathroom to change.

He had never actually worn the pants before, and they clung tightly to his legs. He moved around experimentally, making sure that they wouldn’t restrict any of his movements. They also sat a little lower on his hips than he was used to, and when he pulled the tank top over his head, he realized that there was about a half an inch’s gap between the two garments, leaving a thin strip of pale skin visible to the world. He scowled at himself in the mirror. The gap made him feel vulnerable,  a chink in his armor.

 He stepped back out into his room, hoping that Dante had at least picked out a jacket that he would be able to use to hide his skin. He already knew that there was no way he could wear his mask inside, and he already dreaded people staring at his scar. He really didn’t want to give them anything else to stare at.

He found Dante eyeing several jackets that were lying on his bed, When he heard the bathroom door opening he lifted his gaze, eyes going bright when he saw Akira. “Ah!” he exclaimed, reaching down to pluck one of the jackets off the bed and handing it to Akira. “Try this one on. Let’s see how it looks.”

Akira sighed as he shrugged into a short-sleeved, lightweight blazer that he knew would do nothing to cover him up and make him feel more comfortable. But it must have had the desired effect, because Dante clapped his hands in delight. “Perfect!” He looked so happy that Akira actually felt bad for not wanting to wear the outfit. “I never get to assist with you missions. I’m always stuck here, worried to death that something is going to happen to you that I can’t fix. So it’s nice to be able to help in a way other than stitching you up.”

“Oh.” This took Akira by surprise. He knew that Dante worried about him --- they were family, after all --- but he had never realized that his brother-in-law felt left out. “well, um.” He looked down at his outfit. He might be uncomfortable, but he had to admit that he looked nice. Nicer than he usually did, anyways. “Thanks for helping me. I honestly have no idea what you’re supposed to wear to a club.” He paused, eyebrows furrowing in thought. “How do you know what to wear to a club?”

Dante’s grin held a touch of mischief that Akira wasn’t used to seeing. “What can I say? I’m a well-versed man.” He winked.

Akira was still trying to decide whether or not he wanted to know what that meant when Hoshi, who he hadn’t noticed was missing, came back through the door. “Hey! You’re looking good, Kira! Now, just a few final touches, and you’ll be good to go.”

He held out both of his hands. In the mechanical one, Akira could make out the handle of a styling wand. In the other…

“No.” Akira took a step back, vehemently shaking his head. “You are not putting eyeliner on me, Hoshi. No way.”

“Come on, Kira. It will look great!”

“No! Just because you can’t leave this apartment without eyeliner on doesn’t mean I want to. So you can just put that away.”

“Please, Kira?” The whine in his brother’s voice would have done Leandro proud. “You’ve never let me put eyeliner on you This might be my only chance! Please?” When Akira still didn’t reply he let out a sigh. “Look. I promise I won’t go overboard. And, if you let me do the eyeliner, I won’t touch your hair. I’ll even give the wand to Dante for safekeeping. See?” He handed the handle out to his husband, who took it and stuck it in a pocket.

Akira pressed his lips together as he stared at the small, unassuming pen in Hoshi’s hand. His brother was a master at winged eyeliner, and it was a talent he was incredibly proud of. He had been begging Akira to let him try some on him “just to see what it would look like”. Akira had no desire to wear the stuff, but…

“If I agree to this,” he said, his words slow and deliberate, “and I do mean if, will you promise to quit harassing me about it?”

“Yes.” Hoshi’s reply was far too eager.

Akira narrowed his eyes at the older man. “I mean it, Hoshi. If you so much as mention using eyeliner on me again---”

“I won’t. I swear.” Hoshi placed a hand over his heart. “I will only say something if you bring it up first. I just want to do it once. Please?”

He was going to regret this. Gods, was he going to regret this. But, no matter how much of a useless skill Akira thought it was, he knew it made Hoshi happy. And he would be willing to endure almost anything to make his brother happy.

So, with a sigh of resignation, he said “Fine. But not too much, okay Please don’t make me look like one of those Earth creatures that eats trash.”

The look of utter joy on Hoshi’s face almost --- almost ---made Akira glad that he had agreed. “I won’t. I promise. You’re going to look great! Now, sit down and let me get to work.”

By the time they left to go meet Leandro, Akira wasn’t able to recognize his own reflection.

He looked…. Well, he looked good. Hoshi’s work with the eyeliner had been absolutely perfect, and though Akira would never admit it, he liked the way it made his eyes stand out. He’d even changed his earrings, swapping out his normal black hoops for studs in varying shades in black and red.

But as they made their way down the hall towards Leandro’s apartment, a nervous gnawing began in the pit of his stomach. What if Leandro didn’t like the way he looked? What if he thought the eyeliner was too much? What if ---

Stop that, he told himself firmly. He hadn’t dressed up to impress Leandro. He’d dressed up as part of the mission. What his partner thought about how he looked didn’t matter.

No matter how much he told himself that, he knew it was a lie. If they were going to be an actual couple, he wanted Leandro to be proud to call Akira his, wanted Leandro to show him off to his friends. And though Leandro had said he thought Akira was sexy when he was sweaty and dirty, that didn’t mean he wanted him to look like that all of the time. Maybe Leandro preferred him in his usual t-shirt and pants.

By the time they reached Leandro’s apartment, Akira had made up his mind to run back to his own room. To change back into his normal clothes and wash the eyeliner from his face. But before he could make his escape, Dante was knocking, and the door was hissing open.

“Hey, guys!” came Leandro’s cheerful voice. “Wow! Kira, you look amazing! Is that eyeliner you’re wearing?! Damn. I’m going to have tp fight everyone at the club to keep them off of you.”

Akira wished he could have said something then. Maybe something smooth that would have impressed Leandro, the way he had last night. But as soon as he got a look at his partner, his jaw fell open, and his brain came to a crashing halt.

By the time I’m done, my own mother wouldn’t be able to recognize me. Akira had thought that statement odd, but now he understood.

Somehow Leandro’s curls had been tamed and now stood from his head in utter defiance of gravity. He too was wearing eyeliner, but had also added eyeshadow, smoking out the areas above and below his eyes in a way that made them impossibly blue. And he had added something to his lips to make them full and shiny.

He also had made a change from his normal clothing, and was now wearing a pair of dark purple pants and a black, silk, button-up shirt. The top two buttons were undone, giving Akira a tantalizing view of tawny skin.

Never, in all of his life, had Akira wanted nothing more than to grip the back of Leandro’s neck and hold the other man in place while he leaned over and licked that strip of golden skin. He had always thought that Leandro was beautiful --- easily the most beautiful man he had ever met --- but, in that moment, Akira didn’t want so much to kiss him as to fall to the ground and worship him like the god he was.

“Kira? Are you all right?” Leandro’s voice sounded distant, drowned out by the blood rushing in his ears.

Somewhere nearby, Hoshi let out a laugh of delight. “I think you broke him,” he said, clapping his brother on the shoulder and causing Akira to jump. “You look amazing, by the way.”

Leandro brightened at the praise. “Thanks! I haven’t gone out in forever, so I thought I’d go big or go home, y’know?” He spun around to give them the full effect, and Akira found his eyes drifting down to --- Yup. Those pants hugged Leandro’s ass perfectly. 

He hoped that whatever deities were listening to him would have mercy on his soul, because there was no way he was going to survive this night.

There were some last minute instructions from Dante and Hoshi, then Petra --- whom Akira hadn’t even noticed in his shock --- demanded to take pictures of the two of them. Part of him cringed at the idea that there would be photographic proof of him wearing eyeliner, but he decided it would be worth it when Leandro put an arm around his waist and pulled him closer. Especially when his hand landed on the bare skin at Akira’s hip, and he could feel how warm the other man’s skin was.

When they were finally on their way down to the garage, Akira closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the elevator’s wall. They hadn’t even left yet and he was already exhausted.

“Kira?” Leandro’s voice was soft, almost hesitant, and Akira could feel his partner’s fingertips brush across the back of his hand. “Are you all right? You seem… upset.”

Akira was silent for a moment, thinking before he answered. “Do you want me to be honest?”

He could hear the other man shifting his weight as he contemplated Akira’s question. “We’re partners now, remember? In every sense of the word. There needs to be no secrets between us. Whatever you need to say, I can handle it.”

No secrets between us, huh?

Akira was moving before he could let himself think, let his brain talk him out of this. In the space of only a second he had Leandro pressed against the side of the elevator, each of the other man’s wrists pinned against the wall by his head. He looked into Leandro’s wide eyes and said, in a low, husky voice, “I can’t stop thinking about how good your hand felt on my skin, and how much I want to feel them on the rest of me.” He pressed his body in just a little bit closer. “I keep thinking about how much I want to hit the stop button on this damned elevator and ruin all of your makeup.”

Leandro’s eyes had grown impossibly wider, and his lips formed a perfect O. Akira felt his eyes drawn to them, mesmerized by how plump and shiny they were. He wanted nothing more than to press his own lips to them, to see what they would taste like. To see what Leo tasted like.

But he couldn’t. Leandro had not given him permission to kiss him, not yet. And, despite Petra’s assurances that his answer would be yes, Akira still wanted to hear it from his partner himself. So, keeping his grip on the other man’s wrists, Akira dipped his head so that he could bury his nose into the expanse of skin exposed by the two open buttons of Leandro’s shirt. His lounge darted out, and he licked a path up to Leandro’s right shoulder. Then he placed a kiss to the fabric that held Leandro’s slave mark from the rest of the world.

Then he was trailing his nose up the side of the side of Leandro’s neck, stopping to place a kiss at the sensitive spot behind his partner’s ear. “You are so beautiful,” he breathed softly, “you take my breath away. It’s still so hard for me to believe that you are real. And that I am yours.” He leaned his head back so that he could smile up at Leandro. “I’m going to have a hard time not burning this damn club down before the night is over. Because I already know that everyone there is going to want to take you home with them.”

Leandro was staring at him with eyes that had glazed over. His mouth opened and closed a few times as though he was trying to form words. But before he could manage to say anything, the elevator was slowing to a stop.

Akira released his hold and took a step back, a wide smirk on his face. Forget flustered. He had left Leandro speechless. Two points for me.

Still seeming unable to form words, Leandro followed him into the garage.

The first thing that Hoshi had said during their late-night planning session was that they absolutely could not take Red. As it was well-known that both the Mechanic and the Neon City Outlaws rode on a red motorcycle, there was a good chance that she would draw too much attention. Especially now that they both had a price on their heads. Akira had wanted to argue --- after all, he trusted his bike more than he trusted most people --- but he knew that his brother was right.

So he walked by the bike, giving her an apologetic pat before moving into his workshop and heading directly for the box where he kept all of the keys. He pulled out a set and tossed them to Leandro. “Here. You know where we’re going, so you can drive.”

“What are we taking?” Leandro had managed to regain his ability to speak, but his voice still came out hoarse.

Akira couldn’t help but grin as he headed out into the garage proper. “Come and see.”

During one of their nightly phone calls Leandro had confessed that he didn’t know much about cars. But his father had loved automobiles of all kinds and, after dragging his youngest son to dozens of car shows he had developed an appreciation for them. Which was why Akira had chosen this particular one.

“Here we are,” he said after a few moments of walking, gesturing to the car on his right. “Think this will do?”

Leandro’s reaction was everything Akira had hoped it would be; his eyes went wide, and a fist was lifted to cover his mouth. “Noooo,” he said, the word coming out almost as a moan. “Kira, are you fucking kidding me right now?!”

“Not at all.” Grinning widely, Akira placed a hand on the car. “Meet our chariot for the evening.”

Leandro eagerly pushed the key fob, and when the car beeped in response, he let out a high-pitched squeal of delight. Any other time, Akira might have been jealous that a car got more of a reaction out of Leandro than his impromptu actions in the elevator had. But, in this case, Akira couldn’t blame him.

The car resembled a piece of art more than it did a working vehicle. It was a sleek, black machine that sat low to the ground. The top curved gently up, affording its passengers an unobstructed view of the sky. Once the engine had started, blue neon lights would appear underneath the car and around the rims of the tires.

Leandro reached for the door handle, and when the door swung up instead of out, he let out another sound of delight, “This is amazing! Surely this can’t be just a Deliverance car. Are you sure the owner won’t mind us taking it?”

“Oh, I’m sure,” he replied in a wry tone of voice.

Leandro must have heard it, because he was suddenly looking at Akira with narrowed eyes. “It’s yours, isn’t it?” When Akira dropped his eyes, he continued. “Akira Kogane. You mean to tell me you have a ride this fine and you never told me?”

He shrugged uncomfortably as he reached for his own door handle. “It never came up. Besides, it technically is a Deliverance vehicle. I just happen to be its legal owner.” He had never actually wanted the car. It was far too flashy for his tastes. And it stood out, even in Neon City. But the owner had insisted that Akira take it as payment for saving his daughter from a group of slavers, and he had refused to take no for an answer.

Leandro’s face held nothing but pure joy as he examined the car’s insides, oohing and awing over all of the different features. And when the engine started up beneath them, Leandro threw back his head and let out a laugh that warmed Akira from the inside out.

As they made their way out of the garage and through the Outskirts Akira found himself less enamored with Leandro’s childlike glee and more worried about what he wasn’t talking about. The other man hadn’t said a word about their encounter in the elevator. While Akira had no doubt that it was due to his partner’s excitement over the car, Akira still couldn’t help but worry that he had done something wrong. By the time Leandro pulled into a parking lot already full of cars, he was nearly sick with nerves. The other man hadn’t even had time to turn the engine off before Akira was slapping the release for his safety harness and reaching for the door.

“Wait.” He could feel Leandro’s hand on his arm, and he froze in place, knowing he wasn’t going to get a chance to escape. Swallowing back the bile hat threatened to rise up, he turned to face his partner.

Leandro used his free hand to undo his own harness before turning in his seat to face Akira, his hand still resting on the other’s arm. “Before we go in there, I wanted to talk to you. About what you said in the elevator.”

He felt himself tense. Here it comes. “Yeah. About that. Look, I know I came on kind of strong. I’m so sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I promise I ---”

“What? No. I wasn’t bothered at all. That’s not ---” He suddenly shifted forward, eyes glittering in the dim light. “I can absolutely assure you that, if this beauty had anything resembling a backseat, I would already have you back there letting you do whatever you wanted to me, makeup be damned. I was thinking more about the other thing that you said. About how you are mine. You said it last night, too.” He gave Akira’s arm a squeeze. “It still seems like a dream, you know. That you love me back. That we are together. And, no matter how many times I hear it, you saying that you are mine makes me so fucking happy.”

He slid his hand down Akira’s arm until it came to his hand, where he laced their fingers together. “I just want to make sure that you understand I don’t see you as some kind of possession. When I say it makes me happy to hear you are mine, it doesn’t mean that… Well, you know. It’s like I told Jamison when he said you would never be mine: I don’t want you to be. You belong to no one but yourself.”

A pleasant shudder went through Akira. “And that’s one of the things I love about you.” He gave Leandro’s hand a squeeze. “You do own my heart, though. But that is because I willingly gave it to you.”

A breath of laughter escaped from the other man’s lips. “There you go again with the smooth lines.” Keeping his gaze fixed on Akira’s, he lifted their joined hands to his mouth in order to place a soft kiss on the back of Akira’s knuckles.

Another shudder passed through him at the feel of Leandro’s lips on his skin. The other man must have noticed it, because a grin stretched across his face, and it glinted wickedly. “Maybe,” he said, his voice a low purr, “we can finish up our conversation from last night after we get home. If you’d like.”

His mouth suddenly felt very dry. “Yes. I would like that very much.”

“Good. Now, let’s go get this over with, shall we?”

When they reached the building, they found that there was already a lengthy line snaking out of the front door. Akira found himself wiping his palms nervously on his thighs. He hated crowds. He always felt like he was going to be crushed when there were too many people around him. Plus, when they were all talking at once, he found himself easily overwhelmed. Just take a deep breath.

Leandro looped an arm through his, pulling Akira tighter against him and resting his chin on the other man’s shoulder. “It’s going to be okay,” he murmured gently. “It’s just a mission, remember? Treat it like you would any other mission. And I’m here, too. You’re going to be fine.”

Leandro was right; it was just a mission, no different than the hundreds he had been on before. His job was to get in, completed the objective, then get out. The setting didn’t matter. Besides, he’d been in worst places before. And he wouldn’t be alone this time.

He tilted his head just enough to press his cheek against Leandro’s forehead. “Thanks,” he murmured.

He could feel his partner’s smile. “It’s what I’m here for.” He brushed his lips across Akira’s cheek before drawing his head away. But he kept their arms linked.

They were still a few feet away from the door when they heard a loud voice ring out. “Hot damn! Leo, is that you? Where the fuck you been, man?”

Leandro’s face broke out into a wide grain, and he let go of Akira so he could throw his arms out wide. “Julio! How’s my favorite enforcer? Sorry it’s been so long. I’ve been busy.”

A figure stepped towards them, and Akira had to blink to make sure he wasn’t seeing things.

The man (at least, Akira assumed it was a man) that now stood at Leandro’s side was massive. He stood at least seven feet tall and was easily half as wide, He had long brown hair that had been twisted into dreadlocks, and a pair of yellow eyes that were staring down at the smaller man with fondness. His skin was the color of leather, with lines of black ink encircling his tree trunk-sized arms. When he grinned, Akira got a good look at his fangs.

Leandro, however, did not seem the least bit put off by the man’s enormous size or his ferocious appearance. Instead, he took a step forward, arms still outstretched. When the big man lifted him into the air for a hug, Akira couldn’t help but hold his breath, expecting to hear the crunching of bones. But the man was extremely gentle with him, and when Leandro was placed back onto his feet, he was laughing.

Still grinning, the man’s citrine eyes shifted to Akira. “Who’s the arm candy? I usually see you leaving with people, not bringing them in.”

“Well, get used to some changes, my friend. Cause there is only one person I’ll be leaving with from now on.” He slid his arms through Akira’s once more. “This is Kira. My boyfriend.” He said the word with such pride that Akira couldn’t help but blush. Even if he hated the word himself, the fact that Leandro had introduced him as such made his toes curs with pleasure.

“Boyfriend, huh?” The man ran a critical eye over Akira before sticking out a hand.

“Name’s Julio. It’s a damned fine pleasure to meet you. Leo’s one of the best men I’ve ever met, and I’m glad to hear someone has finally managed to snag him.”

Akira offered his own hand in return, and watched as it was swallowed by the bigger man’s. It’s, uh, it’s a pleasure to meet you as well. And, yeah. Leo is a pretty amazing guy.”

Julio gave him an approving nod before dropping his hand and turning back to Leandro. “Listen,” he said, lowering his voice so that only the two of them could hear him. “I saw the broadcast. I recognized you right away. Now, most of the yahoos in here won’t know who you are. Or they won’t care. But if anyone starts giving you trouble, you come and find me. Hear?”

“I will. Thanks, Julio. I really appreciate it.”

“Cularquier casa para, ti amigo,” the big man said, clapping Leandro on the shoulder hard enough to make him stumble. Then his eyes swung back to Akira. “You. Novio. You will take care of him, yes?”

Not quite sure how he was supposed to respond, Akira simply nodded.

“All right, then. You kids have fun in there. And make sure you don’t leave without saying goodbye!”

“We won’t. Thanks again, amigo!”

As the big man lumbered his way further down the line, Akira couldn’t help but shake his head in amusement. “Do you do that with everyone you meet?”

Do what?”

“Charm them until they fall in love with you.”

Leandro laughed at that. “Don’t worry, babe,” he said, squeezing Akira’s arm. “You’re the only person I want to love me. Julio is more of a kindred spirit than anything. The first time I ever came here I happened to overhear him speaking Spanish. It had been ages since I’d heard anyone speaking my native language, so of course I introduced myself to him. Turns out he’s a Kal’riki --- you know, that species that can transform into animals? But he was raised on Earth, in Argentina. We became friends after that. It’s nice knowing that there is someone else here that I can talk to in my own tongue. It helps with the homesickness.”

Akira didn’t know any other language besides the trade language everyone was taught. But he decided right then and there that he would learn Spanish. He was sure there was a teaching program he could use. Petra would know. Or maybe he could get this Julio fellow to teach him.

By that time, they were finally at the door. The doorman knew Leandro as well, calling him by name and offering one of his four hands for Leandro to complete some elaborate gesture with. Something was stamped onto the back of their hands that Akira couldn’t see, then they were inside.

Though he had spent hours studying the layout of the club, Akira hadn’t realized just how massive the place was. The main room of the Abyss was cavernous, dominated by the dance floor that was situated in the middle of it. He could make out several people already dancing, their whirling and gyrating bodies illuminated by the multi-colored balls of light that swam around the space. Loud music drowned out all other sound, the beat strong enough to vibrate his bones. The air smelled of sweat, alcohol, sex, and a sweet-tinted smoke that Akira didn’t recognize.

He felt his breath catch in this throat. I can’t do this, he thought desperately. The lights, the sound, the people… It was all too much. He had to get out of here, had to ---

Leandro’s arm tightened around his before he could bolt, grounding him, reminding him that he wasn’t alone. “Come on,” he said, shouting to be heard above the noise. “Let’s go find a table.”

Akira gratefully let his partner tug him along, expertly weaving them through the crush of bodies to reach the side of the room where a bar and several tables were located. They were mostly empty --- everyone seemed to have headed directly for the dance floor ---- and they were soon seated. Leandro waved a hand over the tabletop, causing a screen to appear in its center. He tapped at for a moment before the entire table lit up white, letting the other club-goers know that it was taken.

Now that the initial surge of panic had subsided, Akira found that he was finally able to breathe normally again. As he inhaled, the scent of the smoke he had noticed earlier hit him hard enough to make his eyes water.

He reached over to tap Leandro’s hand. “What is that smell?” he called out, wrinkling his nose in demonstration.

Leandro took an experimental sniff --- he looked absolutely adorable when he crinkled his nose --- before a look of understanding crossed his face. He leaned forward so that he could put his mouth right at Akira’s ear. “Juniberry.”

Akira felt his eyes widen at this information. Leandro must have anticipated his partner’s next question, because he continued speaking. “Remember, Roman is a smuggler. He can get you anything you want, as long as you have the chits to pay for it.”

Juniberries weren’t berries at all. Rather, it was a flower. A large, pink flower that glowed faintly at nighttime. Originally found on Altea, the blooms had gained a reputation for being prized by the wealthy and the noble of the galaxy. It wasn’t until some scientist was running experiments on it that the flower’s hidden properties came to light; when the bloom was ingested, it acted as a sort of hallucinogenic, allowing its user to relive their past memories as though they were taking place in real time.

This new information had quickly been used to help treat those with memory loss, but it had also gained popularity as a recreational drug. Many people, it turned out, were willing to pay any price for a chance to relive their past glories. Juniberry farms had sprung up all over the universe, quickly followed by a full-blown drug epidemic. Akira had heard stories of people who had stayed firmly locked in their past, never coming out of their drug-induced memories to eat or sleep, until they simply withered away and died.

The most interesting thing about the Pink Lady, as it came to be called, was the fact that it had no effect on the Galra whatsoever. No matter how they put it into their bodies --- smoking it, injecting it, snorting it, or eating it --- they reported no effects other than headaches and stomach cramps. As it held no benefit to his own people, the Galran emperor had outlawed the drug on every planet under Galra occupation.

The decree had done nothing to curb the drug’s popularity. Juniberries were hearty, and could be grown almost anywhere, which kept the Pink Lady fairly cheap and readily available. Akira himself had never tried it --- he didn’t have any memories that he wanted to experience for a second time --- but he knew of several members of the Deliverance who had.

But it would make sense that Leandro had used it. Akira found his heart aching for the other man, wondering if those revisited memories had brought him any comfort.

Speaking of Leandro, he was scrolling through what appeared to be a menu, brows pinched in concentration. “Do you want a drink?” he asked.

Right. This was a club. And clubs had alcohol. A drink would help them to blend in. And the alcohol might help calm his nerves. “I wouldn’t mind a beer. Dark, if they have any.”

“Baby, they’ve got everything you could ever want,” Leandro purred, waggling his eyebrows and throwing in a wink for good measure.

Akira couldn’t help but laugh, feeling some of his anxiety melt away. Gods, but he was glad Leandro was here. He never would have been able to do this on his own. “Then yes, I would like a beer.”

A few moments later their drinks were brought to them by a woman with flaming red hair, golden skin, and a generous chest that was only barely covered by her top. Akira couldn’t help but notice that she spoke only to Leandro, ignoring him completely, and kept leaning over so that her breasts were nearly rubbing against Leandro. That spike of jealousy that Akira was becoming far too familiar with shot through him, and he took a long, fortifying drink before he could say something rude to her.

When she finally left, Akira glared at her retreating back until she disappeared into the crowd. “She better not come back,” he muttered once he could no longer see her. He went to take another drink but stopped when he saw Leandro’s face. “What?”

“Nothing.” Leandro’s eyes were sparkling with humor. “I just think it’s sexy when you get jealous. Your voice gets all growly. You did it that first night I called you. Remember? When I said something about taking pictures with pretty girls? You just did it again.”

He lowered his eyes as he felt his cheeks heat up. Gods, was he that obvious? “I told you everyone here was going to want to take you home with them.”

Leandro reached out to take his free hand, twining their fingers together and leaving their joined hands on the table, right in view of anyone who might be looking. “Kira, I love you. You. No one else. You have absolutely nothing to worry about. I promise.”

“I know.” He felt his face get even warmer. He hated feeling like this. Here he was, with the most beautiful person he’d ever met, someone who loved him, who wanted to be in a relationship with him, and he was acting like an absolute idiot instead of just enjoying the moments. “It’s just… These people are…” Beautiful. Not awkward. Not always covered in grease and motor oil. “They seem more like you than I do. That’s all. I’ll be fine.” He took another drink of his beer, hoping Leandro would drop the matter.

Instead, he leaned over to once again place his mouth at Akira’s ear. “Do you know that you smell like home to me? When I was gone, I could not wait to see you again, to have the chance to breathe you in, because then I would know I was home.”  He gently rubbed his nose against the skin behind Akira’s ear. “You are my home, Akira Kogane. Not Petra, not the Castle, not any of these people here. Just you.”

Akira let out a sigh, closing his eyes as he leaned his head against Leandro’s. “I’m sorry,” he murmured. “I don’t doubt you. I don’t. It’s just… This is hard.”

He felt more than herd Leandro’s laugh. “Don’t I know it. Remember the other day when I walked in on Jamison harassing you in the training room? I walked into that room fully intending on ripping him to shreds.” He leaned back so that he could pick up his glass and hold it out towards Akira. “Here’s to us.”

Akira tapped his own glass against his partner’s. “I’ll drink to that.”

They sipped their drinks for a moment, just enjoying being together. But it didn’t take Akira long to notice that one of Leandro’s legs was bouncing, and that his eyes kept drifting to the dance floor with an almost hungry look in them.

Akira gave his shoulder a nudge. “Go on.”

“What?”

He nodded at the dance floor. “I can tell you are dying to get out there. So go. Do your thing. Work your magic. Have fun.”

Leandro looked out at the dance floor, then back at Akira, a hopeful look on his face. “Will you dance with me? I know you said you don’t know how, but no one here cares. Please?”

He wanted to. Dear Gods, did he want to. He’d been thinking about it ever since the night before when Leandro had moved his hips and sent all of Akira’s blood rushing downwards. And he could see that this wasn’t a place where people danced seriously. This was about dancing to have fun. Surely, he could do that.

And yet…

“I think I may need to get some more alcohol in me first.” Akira tried to sound teasing, but it came out weak, even to him. He wanted to get out there. He needed to, needed to make Leandro happy. But the thought of being surrounded by all of those people made his breath stutter in his lungs.

But then Leandro pouted --- pouted --- and Akira nearly changed his mind. It should be illegal for that man to pout, what with that damnable full and glossy bottom lip stuck out like that. “Fine. I’ll let you off this time. But you’re going to dance with me before the night is over. Got it?”

How could he say no to that? “I promise,” he said, placing a hand over his heart. “I’ll finish my drink, start working on finding some information, and then I’ll dance with you as much as you want me to.”

Leandro’s face stretched into a delighted grin, his eyes lighting up, and Akira could have sworn his heart was doing backflips in his chest. “I’m going to hold you to that,” he said, leaning forward to plant a kiss on Akira’s cheek. Then he was gone, disappearing into the crowd.

Akira reached up to touch the place where Leandro’s lips had just been, feeling a soft smile form on hi s own. I love that man.

Well, if he was going to be dancing anytime soon, he needed to get busy. So he downed the last of his beer and sat back with a sigh. All right, Kogane. Let’s go to work.

Pulling up a mental layout of the building, he tried to decide where he was most likely to be successful.  The top floor, as they had realized last night, was off limits to anyone that Roman did not want there. He knew that the security hub was there, and that the meeting between Roman and his generals would be happening there, but it held no other value.

The mid-level was reserved for VIPS. On paper, it held private suites that could be rented out to those who had enough chits and the right credentials. Akira had no doubt that he could get up there, but he wasn’t sure if he could do so without attracting attention. And, if the mingled scents of sex and the Pink Lady were anything to go by, he doubted he would find much information of value.

That just left the main floor.

The main floor, he had been surprised to learn, was actually a labyrinth. While the public area consisted of the room he was in now and two sets of restrooms, there were several corridors and rooms that were apparently for staff only. Akira didn’t want o risk trying to get to one of those areas, not when he had other routes to explore.

There were several enforcers like Leandro’s friend Julio walking around, trying to make sure that no one got too rowdy, but he had a feeling that they might be hard to crack. That left the bartenders and the servers. He decided not to try the bar nearest him --- if he ran into their server from earlir, he might say something that would get him kicked out --- so he headed towards the bar at the back of the club.

He slid into an empty bar stool, put his chin in his hand, and tried to look as forlorn as possible. It was only a matter of seconds before the bartender was standing in front of him. “Hey!” he said cheerfully. “You look like you could use a friend.”

“That obvious, huh?” Akira offered a wry smile. “I haven’t even been here half an hour and my date has already run off and abandoned me. I have no idea where he is. Or who he’s with.”

The bartender winced in sympathy. “That’s rough, buddy. Can I get you a drink to make you feel better?”

“That would be great. Do you have any suggestions? I’m not a big drinker, so I don’t know what’s good. Or what will make me forget him.”

The bartender grinned at him. “I know just the thing. Be right back!”

As the bartender left to go work on his drink, Akira let his eyes drift around the bar area. This space behind the DJ booth was much quieter and seemed to be the spot where couples came to actually talk. The bar itself was mostly empty, but all of the tables were full, and everyone had a drink in their hand. The atmosphere was much more relaxed, and he could feel his nerves settling. This was more of his speed. He wondered if he could convince Leandro to come back there sometime during the night, maybe sit and talk for a bit before they started dancing.

“Here you are!” the bartender said, carefully placing a glass in front of him. “This should help you with your asshole-of-a-date problem.”

Akira eyed the glass, which was filled with a black liquid run through by something blue and sparkly, making the top of it look like a fully-formed galaxy. “It’s very pretty,” he complimented. “What’s this called?”

“This, my friend, is a Black Magic, and it is guaranteed to get rid of any lingering shyness you might have about getting on that dance floor and shaking your ass.”

Akira couldn’t help but grin as he lifted the glass to his lips. As soon as the liquid hit his tongue, he felt his eyebrows lift in surprise. It was good, really good. It had a deep, full flavor that he liked in his beers, with just a touch of sweetness that kept it from being too bitter to drink. It left a smooth, pleasant burn behind as it slid down his throat. “Wow. This is amazing!”

The other man beamed at him. “Right? I may not be the most popular bartender --- that’s mostly because I don’t have tits --- but I do make the best drinks.” He held out a hand. “Soren.”

He reached out to shake the proffered hand and was pleasantly surprised to find that it was just as strong and calloused as his own. “Kira.”

“Well, Kira, you just sit there and let that drink work its magic”  --- he winked at the pun --- “and then you’ll be ready to hit the floor. By the time this night is over, you’ll have a line of men just begging you to go home with them.”

Akira could feel heat flood his cheeks, and he took a sip of his drink to hide it. “Thanks,” he said shyly. And he meant it. The compliment was nice, even if it wasn’t necessarily warranted.  “How long have you worked here?” he asked, hoping the question was innocent enough.

“Over ten years,” Soren answered, not bothering to hide the pride in his voice. “I was the first bartender hired on here.”

Akira lifted an eyebrow. “Over ten years? What, were you twelve when you started? You can’t be more than twenty-five.”

The bartender blinked at him, then let out a sound of delight. “Well, aren’t you a charmer! No, I’m not twenty-five. But I’ll let you keep the illusion.” He reached over and patted Akira’s hand affectionately.

Akira gave him a pleased smile that wasn’t the least bit fake. “Well, I couldn’t help but notice that there are no Galra here. Is that on purpose, or…?”

“Ah. It must be your first time here.” Soren pursed his lips and eyed him carefully. “Tell me, Kira. Are you from the city?”

“Hell, no. I’m a ‘Skirter. Born and raised.”

“Then you probably know who Roman Russell is.”

Akira frowned as he pretended to think. “I’ve heard that name before. He’s a smuggler, right?”

Soren snorted. “He prefers the term “purveyor of rare items’, but yes. He’s a smuggler. He’s also the one who owns the Abyss. And he has made it a no-Galra zone.”

His puzzlement was genuine. “But he works for the Galra, doesn’t he?”

“Technically, he works for whoever is willing to pay him. But yes, he often does work for the Galra.” He leaned forward his eyes sparkling with excitement. “In fact, he just took a new job for them.”

Akira felt himself instinctively leaning forward as well, his own eyes wide. “Doing what?” he asked breathlessly.

“From what I’ve heard --- and this isn’t first-hand information, mind you --- they want him to move and store some cargo for him.”

That didn’t make sense. “Couldn’t the Galra just store whatever it is themselves? Surely they have plenty of places in the city to keep things.”

Soren leveled a finger at him. “Exactly. Moving things, I get. Roman can travel throughout the Outskirts without a problem, unlike the Galra. But storing it? That is an unusual request, coming from them.”

“What kind of cargo is it?”

“That’s the thing: no one knows. I’m not even sure Roman knows. Or, if he does, he’s playing it pretty close to the chest.”

Akira’s head swam. He wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol, or if it was his brain trying to follow this trail of information. By the time he felt ready to ask another question, Soren had disappeared to check on his other customers.

He finished his drink, trying to make sense of what Soren had just told him. If it was the quintessence that the Galra were wanting Roman to store, what was the purpose? Sure, the smuggler owned several warehouses, but they were all in the Outskirts. If Alina’s theory was correct, and the Galra were planning a mass indoctrination, it didn’t make sense to keep it outside of the city. Unless the recent unrest had them worried that someone might try to destroy it. Or…

Fuck. They couldn’t be planning on indoctrinating the people of the Outskirts. Could they?

He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t realize Roman had returned until the other man started to speak again. “Back to your original question about the lack of Galra at our fine establishment. Roman doesn’t allow any Galra to come here because city folk like to come here and feel naughty.”

“What do you mean?”

“There’s plenty of nightspots in the city, plenty of places for people to go party. But there’s always Galra there, right? Always someone watching them to make sure they behave, to report to Sendak if they see anything ‘suspicious’. Here there are no Galra. Here you can say and do things that yo can’t in the city, get certain things that are technically illegal. So they come here, their one small act of rebellion.” He gave a conspiratorial wink. “Why do you think this place is so close to the city limits?”

Akira couldn’t help but laugh. He really shouldn’t be surprised. Roman always had been a clever bastard. “Guess that means you guys stay pretty busy, huh?”

Soren shrugged. “We get by. Business has started to pick up quite a bit, thanks to those Neon City Outlaws they keep talking about on the tickers. People are starting to feel bold. They want to fight back, but they don’t want to lose their feelings of safety and security. So they come here to pretend that they are sticking it to their Galran overlords, and I happily take their money.”

Akira couldn’t help but laugh again as he reached for his wallet. “Speaking of money, how much do I owe you for the drink?” He handed the bartender one of his larger chits and told him to keep the change. Soren tried to protest, saying it was far too much, but Akira waved him off. “For the company. And the conversation. And the liquid courage. I really appreciate all of it. You’ve definitely turned my night around.”

In response, Soren leaned across the bar top and kissed his cheek, causing Akira to blush furiously. “Get out there, shake that ass, and get you a new man. That asshole is going to regret letting you get away.”

As he made his way back to their table, Akira could feel a pleasant warmth beginning to spread through him. Part of it, he kne, was the alcohol --- his head was beginning to buzz with it. But the other part, the larger part, was due to his feeling of accomplishment.

He found Leandro sitting at the table, tapping his fingers in time with the music as he scanned the menu. When he looked up to see Akira, his whole face brightened. “There you are!” he cried out happily. “I was starting to worry that it had gotten to be too much for you and you’d left.”

Akira shook his head as he took his seat. “No. I was working on wheedling some information out of someone.” He smiled as he reached out to place his hand on top of his partner’s. “I wouldn’t leave without telling you. Besides, I promised I’d dance with you, remember? I’m not about to skip out on that.”

Leandro’s responding smile was dazzling, and he turned his hand over so that he could squeeze Akira’s fingers. “Were you able to find out anything?”

“Yeah, actually, I did. It’s not much, but it’s a start. What about you?”

“I got a good start, too. There’s a few other people that I hope I ---”

“Leo!”

Both of them looked up just in time to see a blur of color launch itself at Leandro. Akira found himself automatically reaching for his mother’s knife before he remembered that he was weaponless.

Leandro, however, just let out a laugh and held out his arms to catch the thing hurtling towards him. “Naima!”

The blur quickly resolved itself into the shape of a woman with pale yellow skin and large, dark eyes. She was hairless, but two long tails protruded from the back of her head and swung down past her shoulders. She wore a top that was barely more than a scrap of fabric and a skirt so short that even Akira could tell she wasn’t wearing underwear.

And she was currently draped all over his partner. He felt that sting of jealous start to rise back up, and he firmly pushed it back down.

“Where have you been?” the woman whined. “I haven’t seen you in ages. I was starting to think you’d forgotten about me!”

Leandro grinned up at her. “You know I could never forget about you, Naima,” he said, the words doing nothing to help the tightness in Akira’s chest. “I’ve just been busy.”

“We’ll have to catch up over drinks later,” Naima said, grabbing his hand and pulling him to his feet. “But first, you’re going to dance with me.” She spared a quick glance at Akira. “I’ll bring him back. I promise.”

The she was tugging him out to the dance floor. He turned around once to point a finger at Akira and mouth the words ‘You’re next’ before he was swallowed up by the crowd.

Akira looked down at the table, trying not to let himself feel rejected. This was the plan, he reminded himself. He knows people here, people he can talk to, people he can get information from. Maybe she’s one of them.

He needed to try and do more investigating himself, see if he could find out any additional information. That would help to keep him occupied, help keep his mind off of the feelings of jealousy that he couldn’t quite quash. But what could he do? The other two bars were completely packed. Even if he could make it to either bar, he doubted the bartenders would have time to talk to him the way Soren had.

He could try the dance floor, but he had no clue who was here as part of one of the generals’ entourages. And, to be honest, he thought he might need one more drink before he was ready to try to dance.

A drink. Of course. He could order a drink, then try and talk to the server who brought it to him.

It wasn’t until after he’d ordered another Black Magic that he remembered their earlier server. Please don’t let it be her, he begged silently.

It was.

He watched, heart dropping, as she sashayed up to the table, a briht grin on her face. However, once she saw that Akira was alone, her smile dropped into a pout.

“Here you go,” she said in an absent tone of voice as she sat his drink in front of him. She never looked at him, her eyes glued to Leandro’s empty seat as if she could make him appear simply by staring hard enough. “Where did Leo go? Asa’s working the bar tonight, and he’ll kill me if I knew Leo was here and he didn’t get a chance to see him.”

Akira ground his teeth as he wrapped his hand around the glass. Maybe it was his jealousy speaking. Maybe it was the alcohol. Or maybe it was the deep, primal need he suddenly had to stake his claim. Whatever the reason, he couldn’t help but snap “He’s taken, you know.”

The woman turned to him, frowning. “What?”

“Leo. He’s taken.” He gave her a smile that was all teeth. “By me.”

She blinked at him for a moment, then her lips twisted up into a wry smile. “Of course he is. Leo’s always taken.” She waved a hand around vaguely. “He’s slept with half the people in this club. Including me. And Asa. Oh, and Soren, too.”

Her words hit him like a sledgehammer. Pain bloomed in his chest as his vision went white, and he was suddenly having a hard time catching his breath. “Wha—” was all he managed to get out.

She must have sensed his distress because her face softened. “Did you not know? Oh, you are new. I am so sorry.” She took Leandro’s empty seat and leaned forward. “Has he told you he loves you yet?”

He could only nod. He suddenly found that he didn’t know which way was up and which way was down, as the whole world seemed to be shifting around him.

She let out a noise of sympathy. “Leo falls hard, and he falls fast. But it never lasts. He’s a fantastic guy, and I honestly think he genuinely cares about the people he’s with. But I just don’t think he knows what he wants in a partner. Or he just gets bored easily.” She got to her feet before patting him on the shoulder. “Enjoy it while it lasts, yeah? Cause, believe me. It’s one hell of a ride.”

Then she was gone, walking away as though she hadn’t just turned his entire world upside down.

He stared after her, heart hammering frantically against his ribs, a loud roaring in his ears as he remembered the exchange that had taken place when they were waiting in line.

“Do you do that with everyone you meet?”

“Do what?”

“Charm them into falling in love with you.”

Akira didn’t care that his partner had a past. Leandro was beautiful, smart, and funny, all the things that people looked for in a romantic partner. But he could have at least warned Akira that they were walking into a building full of people that he had once loved. And who had loved him in return. Maybe even still loved him.

“Loverboy Leo?”

“It’s just a persona.”

Akira lifted his glass to his lips, hands shaking, and took a large gulp. The burn in his throat felt good, comforting. Feeling just a bit more steady, Akira let his eyes wander to the dance floor.

The dance space was jam packed, most of the dancers barely having enough space to do more than sway. But even in the midst of the sea of people, Leandro shone like a beacon, and Akira had no problems picking him out.

He was practically in the middle of the dance floor. To the front of him was the girl who had dragged him away. Her hands wre resting on Leandro’s hips, her own hips pressed tightly against his. Behind him was a man Akira didn’t recognize, his whole body pressed tightly against Leandro’s back. The man had his arms around Leandro, his hands tucked inside his partner’s shirt, which had apparently lost a few more buttons. And the man’s head was bent, mis mouth pressed tightly to the side of Leandro’s neck. Akira could see over him enough to see that Leandro’s head was thrown back against the man’s shoulder, and that he had a look of pure ecstasy on his face.

Akira felt his fingers tighten on the glass, and before he knew what he was doing, he had knocked the rest of the drink back. The alcohol roiled unpleasantly in his stomach, but he didn’t care. Tears of anger and humiliation burned behind his eyes, and he felt a hollowness in his chest right where his heart should be.

 “I always see you leave with people, never come in with them.”

He ordered another drink.

By the time Leandro reappeared, he had just started on his fourth. “Sorry about that,” the other man said breathlessly. He was covered in sweat, eyes fever-bright, cheeks flushed. “I haven’t seen Naima in years.” He leaned forward, peering at the glass in Akira’s hand. “What are you drinking?”

“Called Black Magic. S’possed to make me – hic - brave.” He could hear the slur in his voice, but he didn’t care.

Leandro blinked at him, a crease forming between his brows. “Kira, are you drunk?”

“Working on it,” he muttered in reply, taking another drink. This time it didn’t burn on its way down, which was disappointing. His body had gone from warm and tingly to completely numb. Even the ache in his chest had subsided a bit.

Leandro’s lips twisted into a frown. “Don’t you think you should slow down a bit? We’re still working, you know.”

Akira waved a hand around dismissively. “’s okay. I’ve already got all I need to know.”

Leandro’s frown deepened but he didn’t comment on it further. Instead, he pulled up the menu “Well, then. I’m going to have a drink with you, if that’s all right.”

Akira didn’t care what Leandro did. He didn’t care what anyone did. And he rather liked feeling this way. He knew he would have to deal with the fallout from this at some point, but right now he just wanted to keep tis numbness up until he could get home.

He was getting ready to take another drink when the song changed from something with heavy bass to a trilling guitar. Leandro, still looking at the menu, let out a squeal and grabbed Akira’s arm. “This is my favorite song!” he shouted, already out of his seat. “Come on. You’re dancing with me!”

He didn’t have time to protest (or do much of anything really) before he was being dragged out of his seat. He stumbled after Leandro, keeping his feet only by the hand on his arm and the crush of bodies around him.

Leandro came to a halt just on the inside of the dance floor, turning to face Akira with a wide grin. “You promised you’d dance with me!” He started to sway in time with the beat.  

Akira could only stare at him, panic starting to fill up his lungs. He didn’t know how to move like that. He couldn’t---

“Here.”

Suddenly, Leandro’s hands were on his hips, his long fingers brushing against Akira’s bare flesh as they curled around his back. And then he was there, right there, his body flush against Akira’s, face only inches away. “Just relax and trust me.”

He started moving again, hands still gripping Akira’s hips, and Akira couldn’t help but move with him. His eyes were locked with Leandro’s, unable to look away, but somehow his body was able to follow the other man’s with no effort from him.

A wide grin stretched across Leandro’s face. “See? You got it!” He let go of Akira’s hips and took a step back, but Akira’s body was still moving, still following the rhythm that Leandro had set.

He was doing it. He was dancing. And now that he was moving, it really was easy. The music had a steady, sensual beat that was easy to follow, and he found that it got easier the less he thought about it.

He could feel his own lips stretch into a grin as he realized that he could dance after all. And that it was actually kind of fun. He closed his eyes and just let himself move. He didn’t let himself think about the moves, didn’t try to plan what he would do next. He could feel his arms and his legs moving on their own accord, his head falling back as he felt the music flow through him. Not just the vibrations under his feet, but in his chest, his arms, his hips. His body was moving in ways that he had never even known it could move.

A hand was placed on the back of his waist, fingers sliding under his blazer and tank top to splay out against his back. He opened his eyes to see who was touching him and found that Leandro’s face was right in front of his, their noses nearly touching. The other man’s eyes were startling blue. Had they always been that bright? Sweat sparkled on his skin like glitter, and though his smile had softened, it was no less brilliant.

He's so beautiful.

Suddenly, everything around them seemed to disappear, leaving just him and Leandro, with his freckles and curly hair and infectious smile. Just him and Leo, who loved him.

His eyes dropped, landing on his partner’s lips. Those perfectly pink, plump lips that had been taunting him all night. And he knew --- he knew --- that there would be no more perfect moment than this one.  

His hand, still moving on its own accord, reached out to land on Leandro’s face. He watched as those blue eyes widened, a feeling of pure bliss coursing through him. “Leo,” he whispered, brushing his thumb over the other man’s cheek. Had his skin always been this soft?

Then he was moving, head leaning forward, eyes closed, more than ready to finally finish the process they had started the night before.

But before he could connect, before he could finally taste those damnable lips, Leandro was gone. Akira froze, eyes blinking open in confusion at the sudden disappearance.

Leandro had moved away from him, their bodies no longer touching, his lips no longer in kissing range. When Akira’s eyes finally drifted up to his, Leandro gave him a small, gentle smile before shaking his head.

Akira didn’t understand. He moved close, but Leandro put a hand to his chest, stopping him before shaking his head again.

He felt his brows come together as he tried to understand what was happening. He had beenwant  about to kiss Leandro, but he had moved away. And now he didn’t seem to even Akira to dance with him anymore. At least, not the way they had been. But wha…

He doesn’t want to kiss you, said a small voice in the back of his head. He doesn’t want to kiss you in front of all of his other lovers. Why else would he refuse to kiss you now after supposedly wanting to just last night?

He could feel all of the air being sucked out of his lungs. I guess he’s only okay with kissing me where no one else can see.

Suddenly he was too hot, the people around him were pressing in too close, and he couldn’t get enough air. If he didn’t get out of there right now, he was sure that he would suffocate.

He whirled around and plunged into the crowd, just knowing that he had to get out, get away, and that anywhere was better than here. He thought he felt Leandro’s fingers grab for his arm, but Akira tore himself away before the other man could get a solid hold.

He could hear people yelling at him as he shoved his way through the sea of bodies but they moved out of his way, and it didn’t take him more than a moment to reach the edge of the dance floor. His breath was coming in short, painful gasps, and his heart was pounding hard enough to be painful.

For a second he thought that he had gone the wrong way, that he had gone towards Soren’s bar at the back of the club instead of the front door. But then there was a break in the crowd, and he saw the doors standing wide open. He pushed his way forward until he was able to finally stumble out of them with a sob of relief.

As soon as he felt the fresh air hit his lungs he began taking in deep, greedy breaths. He leaned against the wall of the Abyss, eyes closed, trying to get himself back under control. But when he heard someone shout out his name, he was off and running before he’d even had time to think.

He didn’t know how far he ran, or for how long, He only knew that he ran until his lungs burned and his legs couldn’t carry him any farther. He leaned over to place his hands on his knees, trying to slow his breathing and get his heart rate under control. He had no idea where he was, but it didn’t matter. He knew every nook and cranny of the Outskirts, knew all the shortcuts and secret passageways. All he needed to do was get to the highway in order to orient himself.

He walked (or, more accurately, stumbled) towards the sounds of traffic. He was thankful now that Hoshi had insisted that he wear comfortable shoes as he had every intention of walking back to the Castle. He knew he could call Hoshi or Dante to come and pick him up, or even hire a steamshaw to take him back, but he knew the walk would give him the chance to sober up and clear his head before having to face any of the others.

Once he reached the highway and was able to determine where he was he slunk back to the shadows so that he would be less likely to stagger out into the road and get hit. And, as he walked, he let his mind wander. The numbness was starting to wear off, and the image of Leandro moving away from when he tried to kiss him caused an ache to form deep in his chest.

He didn’t want to kiss me. The thought was devastating. He had been so sure last night that Leandro wanted to kiss him.  Akira had been waiting all day for the chance to be alone with his partner again, and their brief encounter in the elevator had only made him more impatient.  

Had he just been leading Akira on this whole time? No. He knew Leandro didn’t have the capacity to be that cruel. So that subconscious voice must have been right; Leandro hadn’t wanted any of his previous romantic partners to see them kiss. He couldn’t think of any other explanation.

Could it be that Leandro was ashamed of him? That he loved him and didn’t want anyone else to know? That could be it. Akira certainly didn’t look like any of the people he had seen at the club.

No. That didn’t make sense, either. Leandro had never shied away from showing his affection for Akira at the Castle. He had seemed so excited to walk into the meeting while they were holding hands, as though he wanted everyone to know that they were together now. He had continued to hold Akira’s hand throughout the night, and had even fallen asleep on him.

So it was just these people he didn’t want to see Akira kiss him. Maybe he knew he would get bored with Akira sooner rather than later and wanted to make sure one of them would be willing to take him back.

He stumbled to a stop, a wave of nausea passing over him as the alcohol churned in his stomach as he remembered what the server had said to him.

I don’t think he knows what he’s looking for in a partner. Or else he just gets bored easily.

That had to be it; Leandro already knew that Akira wasn’t what he wanted long-term, and was anticipating the day when he would grow bored and let him go.

He squeezed his eyes shut, his head spinning as he fought to keep the contents of his stomach from rising up his throat. Why? he thought miserably. Why did I have to fall in love with him? I am not what he wants. I’m nothing like those people back at the Abyss. There’s no way I can keep his interest for very long.

It was ironic, he thought bitterly, that he would have his first love and his first heartbreak all within a twenty-four period. And both caused by the same man.

Using that hurt to fuel him, Akira opened his eyes and started walking again. It will be fine, he told himself. You’ve survived without him for all this time. You can do it again.

He’d only taken a few steps when the sound of screeching tires filled his ears. Blinking, he saw where a car had veered off the road and had come to a stop in the gras. And not just any car, but his car.

Fuck. He looked around frantically, trying to find somewhere else he could run to, but it was too late.

“Kira!” Leandro was suddenly there, eyes wide with worry, hands gripping both of his biceps. “What the hell, man? Why did you run off like that? You scared the shit out of me! I wouldn’t even know where you were if Julio hadn’t seen you take off.” The other man gave him a slight shake. “Come on. Let’s get in the car. Then we can talk.”

Akira shook his head and tried to pull away, nearly falling over in the process. “No. I’m going home.”

“Okay. We can go home. Let’s just get in the car.”

“No.” Akira pulled away again., this time more forcefully., and managed to break his partner’s grip. “I’m  walking home. Gives me time to clear my head. Think.”

Leandro let out a sigh of frustration and rubbed at his face. Akira couldn’t help but notice that the glossy sheen was gone from the other man’s lips and, with a spike of pain, he wondered if it was because he had kissed someone else before he had decided to chase after Akira. “We won’t talk in the car, then. Okay? I’ll give you all the time you need to think. I promise. But I can’t just let you walk home, Kira. You’re drunk. And we’re miles away from the Castle. What if you fall and get hurt? Or someone thinks you’re an easy target and tries to jump you?”

He let out a snort. “So what? It’s not like you actually care.”

A look of hurt flashed across Leandro’s face, and Akira felt another wave of nausea pass over him. This time, however, it had nothing to do with the alcohol. “Of course I care, Kira. I love you. Remember?”

“Do you?” he shot back. “Do you really? Or do you love me the same way you loved all of those people back at the Abyss?”

Leandro’s face shifted from hurt to guarded. “What do you mean?”

“The server? The one who was trying to rub her tits all over you? She came back while you were gone and told me about how you are so quick to fall in love then get bored with that partner. And how you have already gone through half the people in the club. Including her. And Soren. And Asa.”

He couldn’t help but feel a sick sense of satisfaction as he watched Leandro’s eyes blow wide and his face go pale beneath his makeup. He stared at Akira in horror for a moment before turning away and spitting out words in a language Akira didn’t understand. But the tone said clearly that he was cursing.

So she was telling the truth He didn’t know if he should feel victorious or defeated.

He spun on his heel and began walking away, hands shoved deep into the pockets of his blazer. He didn’t want to have this argument right now. He just wanted to be left alone so he could wallow in his misery.

But then Leandro was in front of him again, arms out in a pleading gesture, voice desperate. “Kira, wait. Please. Let’s just… Let’s just go home and sober up and ---”

“Is that why you wouldn’t let me kiss you?”

Leandro blinked at him, startled by the interruption. “What?”

“When we were dancing, I tried to kiss you. You know I did. But you stopped me. Why? Was it because you didn’t want any of them to see? Because you know that you’ll get bored with me and want to be able to just go back to them with no problems?” He hated the vulnerability in his voice.

“Kira, no.” Leandro reached for him, but Akira stepped away before he could touch him. Leandro’s face contorted in anguish, and he ran his hand over his hair instead. “Those people are all in my past, just like Jamison is in yours. I don’t want them. I want you. Jesus, Kira. How could you think I would ever get bored of you?”

“Then why? Why wouldn’t you let me kiss you? I thought you wanted  me to. I thought…” Dammit. He could feel that hot burn of tears behind his eyes again. He needed to stop talking.

“Because you were drunk. I don’t want our first kiss to happen when one of us is drunk and might not remember. I didn’t think you’d want that, either.”

Of course. That explanation made perfect sense. And Leandro had been right. Akira would never forgive himself if he hadn’t been able to remember their first kiss because of his own stupidity. This should make him happy, right?

Then why could he feel a coil of rage settle in his stomach?

“Is that what you told the people that you were dancing with, too? That they couldn’t touch you unless they were sober?”

“Kira, what ---”

“I saw you out there, Leo. When you were dancing.” He should stop. He wanted to stop. But the words were coming so fast now that he was nearly tripping over them. “I saw that man with his hands down your shirt. His mouth was on your neck, for fuck’s sake! You won’t let me kiss you because I’m drunk --- even though you know I wanted to kiss you even when I was sober --- but that’s okay?”

Leandro flinched. “Look. I was trying to get some information, okay? Remember that girl who came and asked me to dance with her? Naima? She’s Roman’s girlfriend. And the man you saw is her personal bodyguard. I thought that if anyone would have important information it would be them.”

Akira crossed his arms over his chest. “Well did you?”

“Did I what?”

“Get any information.”

Leandro didn’t reply. But the way he pressed his lips together told Akira everything he needed to know.

Suddenly, he was exhausted, a bone-deep weariness sweeping over him that nearly made his knees buckle. All he wanted to do was go lie down somewhere and cry himself to sleep. “Just… Go back to the club, Leo. Go back and have fun with your friends. You belong there, you know. Anyone watching could tell you belonged there. Not with us. Not with me.” He turned and started to walk away once more. He would call Hoshi to come and pick him up. Pride and dignity be damned.

“Kira, please.” He could feel Leandro’s fingers curl around his wrist. “Let’s talk about this, okay? I want to talk about this. So let’s go home, yeah? Let’s go home and sober up, and once you’ve calmed down we ---”

And, just like that, the simmering coil of rage burst into white hot flame.

“Calm down?” he spat, ripping his arm from the other man’s grasp. “You want me to calm down? I think I’ve done a pretty good job of not losing my shit so far. And you’re the one who won’t leave me alone when I ask you to!”

Leandro took a step back, raising his hands in a defensive gesture. “I didn’t mean ---”

“Oh, I know what you meant to say. You meant to say ‘Oops, I fucked up, and I’m sorry. Let me be a fucking man and own up to it instead of deflecting the fault back on you’ That is what you should have said instead of telling me to calm down because I had to watch a strange fucking man grope you. Not just in public, but in a room full of people you’ve already fucked at least once!”

Leandro flinched again. “Look. I really am sorry, okay? I didn’t want to tell you before we went in there. Everything is so new between us and I thought that, if you knew about them beforehand, it might make things harder than they already were. I know you hate being around a lot of people, and I honestly wanted us to just focus on the mission so we could get what we needed and get out. I didn’t think anyone there would bring it up. Honestly.”

“And the man you danced with? The one that you let put his hands and mouth all over you. Is he one of your past lovers? Have you slept with him before?”

Leandro’s look of desperation was answer enough. “I’m not the only one with a past. I had to stand there and listen to Jamison talk about fucking you, for Christ’s sake! At least the people I’ve been with cared about me!”

Akira ground his teeth, feeling his hands curl into fists. When had this turned into a fight? “I don’t care that you have a past, Leo. Hell, I’d be more surprised if you didn’t. But I didn’t know Jamison would be there, and I tried to get him to leave before you got there. And he never touched me. I would have broken his arm if he had. But I had to sit there and watch this man --- this man that you’ve had a previous relationship with --- put his hands all over you. And you were enjoying it. I could see your face, Leo. And yet you won’t let me kiss you. Me. The person you claim to love and want to be with.” He shook his head. Then, before he could stop himself, he said “I bet your family would be so proud to know that you’ve been shoving your dick into every ---”

He never saw the blow coming. In hindsight, he should have, as Leandro was suddenly shifting into the fighting stance that Akira had taught him all those months ago. But it wasn’t until the other man’s fist connected with the side of his face that he realized what was happening.

He could feel something crunch under the force of Leandro’s punch, and pain exploded somewhere in the center of his face. His head whipped hard to the side, and he could feel his feet go out from underneath him.

Before he could fall, however, someone was grabbing a fistful of his shirt and yanking him back upright. Blinking past the spots and tears that were in his eyes, Akira found Leandro right in front of him, blue eyes blazing in fury, lips peeled back in a snarl. “Don’t you ever speak of my family like that again.” He gave Akira shake hard enough to make stars bloom in his vision. “Now, you are going to get into the fucking car and we are going to go home.”

Akira didn’t protest as Leandro dragged him to the car, didn’t say a word as he was shoved inside and his safety harness was clicked into place. He simply closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against the window. He was going to be sick. He could feel the bile rising up his throat. He knew he should make sure to get sick outside of the car, but he honestly didn’t care.

Everything else had already been ruined.

Chapter Text

Leandro Sanchez had never really considered himself a coward. In fact, Petra was always scolding him for not being cautious enough, for having absolutely no sense of self-preservation. But as he walked through the corridors of the Castle towards the training room, he had to fight not to turn tail, run back to his room, and hide.

It had been three days since the disastrous mission to the Quantum Abyss. Three days since everything had fallen apart. Three days since he had last seen Akira.

The first day he had ignored his partner out of anger and pure pettiness, Akira had hurt him, and Leandro had wanted to hurt him back. So he had pointedly ignored the multitude of calls and texts that the other man had been sending him. He’d even skipped training, lunch, and the daily debriefing all out of pure spite.

The second day, however, had found him coming to the realization of what exactly had taken place at the club. Of what he himself had done.

He had punched Akira. He had hit his partner. His friend.

He had physically assaulted the man he loved.

It had made him feel sick with shame. He knew that what he had done was wrong. Akira hadn’t meant what he had said. And, had the other man been sober, he never would have spoken those words. But he hadn’t been sober, and he had been upset. So he had said those ugly things, and Leandro, blind with panic and fear, had reacted on pure instinct instead of logic and had struck out.

So, when his comm continued to chime and beep with incoming calls and messages during the next two days, he continued to ignore them. How could he possibly face Akira now?

On the third day he was lying in his bed, fully engulfed in self-pity, when Petra barged in like a small, angry battering ram. Before he could say a word, she stopped at the side of his bed and snatched his comm off of his nightstand.

He blinked up at her from his pillow. “Pet? What are you---?”

She held up a finger, silencing him as she used her other hand to scroll through his comm. He could only watch with growing trepidation as the expression on her face became harder the longer the scrolled.

Finally, she threw his comm down next to him on the bed and glared down at him, lips pressed tight and hands planted firmly on her hips. “Want to tell me what’s going on?”

He carefully avoided meeting her gaze. “Nothing is going on,” he muttered.

“Oh? Then why was Kira just here, looking like shit? And I’m not talking about the busted side of his face. I’m talking about the fact that he looks like he hasn’t slept in a year. His eyes are bloodshot as hell, there are dark circles under his eyes --- well, under his good eye, anyways --- and I’m pretty sure he’s wearing the same clothes he was two days ago. He was frantic, said he’s been trying to get in touch with you for days with no luck. He was worried about you, Leo. When I told him that you were fine, that you’d been here the whole time, it was like I had told him you had died. He fucking deflated. I asked him if he wanted me to come and get you, but he said no, that he didn’t want to bother you. Then he turned and practically ran away before I could ask anything else.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “And now I see that he has been calling and messaging you ever since you got back from the Abyss and that you have ignored every single one of them. So let me ask you again. What the fuck is going on?”

He winced and shrank further under his blanket, feeling absolutely miserable. Kira’s worried about me? “We got into a fight.”

Petra crossed her arms over her chest. “Is this why you haven’t been coming to lunch or the debriefings? Because you’re avoiding him?”

He nodded.

She blew out a sigh and plopped down on the edge of the bed. “What happened, Leo? I’ve never known you to be angry for this long before. Was the fight really that bad?”

He didn’t want to tell her, knowing that she would be disappointed in him. He could handle her anger, maybe even her pity, but not her disappointment.

He felt her hand run through his hair and he closed his eyes at the touch, savoring it. “Talk to me.” Petra’s voice was soft, a note of concern threaded through it. “Tell me what happened. Maybe I can help.”

He wasn’t sure if there was anyone who could help at this point. But Petra was his family. His only family. Even if she was disappointed in him, she wouldn’t hate him. She would chastise him. She would be angry with him. But she would never hate him.

So, he told her. He told her everything that had happened from the time they had arrived at the club to when they had returned to the Castle. He told her about hos Akira had learned about his past, about the aborted kiss, and about Akira’s flight and their subsequent fight.

By the time he was finished, he felt raw and exhausted. He could only lie there and close his eyes as he waited for Petra to speak.

For a long moment --- too long, in his opinion --- there was only silence. Then came the sound of a long, slow breath being released. “Wow,” she said, her voice stunned. “You really fucked everything up, didn’t you?”

He winced as he pulled the blanket up over his head. “Yeah. I know.”

“And the reason you’ve been avoiding him this whole time is…?”

He let out a groan. “I don’t know. Because I’m mad at him? Because I’m md at myself? I hit him, Petra. I hit him. And for what? For being drunk and upset? The whole reason he was drunk and upset was because of me. And, instead of waiting until both of us could think sensibly, I hit him.” He tried to curl in on himself. “He probably hates me now.”

It was Petra’s turn to groan, and Leandro could just picture her reaching up to pinch the bridge of her nose. “Leo, have you actually read any of the messages he sent you?” When Leandro, still hiding under his blanket, shook his head, she plucked his comm off of the bed and started reading. “’I am so, so sorry about what I said. When can I talk to you? I want a chance to apologize.’ ‘Please talk to me, Leo. I just want to say sorry.’ ‘Where are you? Why are you not answering me?’ ‘Are you all right? If you don’t want to talk to me right now that’s okay. Please just let me know that you’re okay.’ ‘Leo, please. I need to know that you’re okay. If you can’t ---‘”

“Stop!” he cried out, his voice a hoarse croak. “Please, Petra. Just stop. I don’t want to hear any more.”

He could hear a soft thunk as she sat his comm back on the nightstand. “Does that sound like the words of a man who hates you” she asked in a gentle tone.

“No.”

Petra shifted on the bed, lying over so that her head could rest on his shoulder, her arms draped around his blanket-covered form. “I’m sorry this happened. I really am. But you need to talk to him, Leo. If you don’t, you’re going to lose him.”

Which was why he was now walking to the training room wilth all the enthusiasm of man going to his own execution. He couldn’t lose Akira. He couldn’t.

He stopped outside of the training room entrance, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath in an attempt to calm his nerves. It’s all right, he told himself, even as he wiped his sweaty palms on his pants. It’s just Kira. He loves you, remember? You just need to talk to him, tell him you’re sorry. You can do that.

So, with one last fortifying inhale he stepped inside.

It didn’t take him but a moment to find the other man, the sound of grunting drawing his eye to the series of punching bags that ringed the room. Akira stood in front of the new heavy bag, delivering a series of devastating blows to the leather, followed by a vicious roundhouse kick.

Leandro inwardly winced. Akira usually didn’t go for the heavy bag unless he was really upset about something. And it looked like he hadn’t even taken the time to wrap his hands before taking out his frustrations.

Leandro couldn’t help but wonder if it was him the other man was picturing when he hit the bag.

His mouth was suddenly dry. It’s fine, he told himself for what had to be the hundredth time hat morning. It’s just Kira. He would never hurt you, no matter how upset he is. Besides, he has every right to want to hit me right now.

He waited until there was a pause in his partner’s punches before loudly clearing his throat. “Hey, Kira.” He tried to make his voice sound cheerful but it just came out weak. “I, uh, I’m sorry I’ve been MIA the past few days. Have I missed anything important?”

He watched as Akira straightened, his back going rigid. A few seconds of silence passed, Leandro holding his breath as he watched Akira turn to face him, and… He couldn’t hold back a noise of distress as he took an involuntary step forward, one hand lifted towards Akira.

When Petra had said that Akira’s face was ‘busted’, she hadn’t been exaggerating. There was a bruise underneath his right eye. It had faded to a sickly yellow, but it was obvious that he still couldn’t quite open his eye all the way. The bridge of is nose was bumpy from where Leandro must have broken it,  and he was still sporting a cut on his bottom lip.

I did that, Leandro thought as he continued to stare at the other man. In growing horror. I’m the one that hit him. I’m the one that hurt him.

“Hello, Leandro.” Akira’s voice was cool and devoid of emotion. “I’m glad to see that you are doing well.”

“Kira.” His voice was ragged. “Kira, I am so sorry. I didn’t ---- I never meant ---” He stopped, a crease suddenly forming between his brows. “Wait. Did you just call me Leandro?”

“I did.” Akira examined his hands, flexing his fingers as though his knuckles weren’t split and bleeding. “After the events of the past few days I felt it would be more appropriate.”

Something twisted unpleasantly in his gut and he could feel the same panic from the other night start to try and claw its way up his throat. “This is all my fault,” he said, not bothering to hide the desperation in his voice. “I want to try and fix this. Can we just talk? Please?”

“I tried talking to you.” Akira lifted his eyes and Leandro could see that they were a dull, flat gray. “I tried for three days to talk to you. But you were ignoring me. On purpose.”

“I just thought ---”

“I have no doubt that the only reason you are here now is because Petra told you I came by, looking for you. If I hadn’t, you would probably still be avoiding me. Correct?”

Leandro’s mouth snapped shut with an audible click as he felt heat start to creep into his face. He knew there was no use in trying to deny it. “I thought you might want some space,” he finally said, the excuse sounding lame even to him.

“You could have told me you wanted some breathing room. It would have only taken you a moment to reply to any of the messages I sent you.”

Leandro didn’t answer. There wasn’t anything for him to say.

After a moment of neither of them speaking, Akira blew out a breath and shook his head. “I just wanted to make sure that you were all right,” he said, an odd note in his voice. “You weren’t responding to me and I hadn’t seen you and I --- I thought maybe you had left. That you had gone back to the Abyss. Or maybe just left the Castle for good. And I ---“He broke off, closing his eyes.  “I thought that you had left me, just like everyone else I’ve ever cared about has. I thought you were gone. I just ---” His voice broke and he dropped his face back down to the floor. But not before Leandro saw the first tear start to fall.

Was…. Was Akira crying? Leandro could only stare in disbelief as the other man visably struggled to regain control of his emotions. He had seen Akira showcase a wide range of emotions since their first meeting --- anger, worry, frustration, love --- but Leandro had never once seen him cry.

Unbidden, a memory arose from the back of his mid: He and Hoshi on their way home to the Castle, the older man telling him about the concern he had for his brother. “I think he just doesn’t want to get close to people. He lost our parents so long ago, and then he lost me for a while.”

“I thought you had left me, just like everyone else I’ve ever cared about has.”

“Kira,” he managed to rasp, taking another step forward. “Kira, no! I would never leave you. I promise. I love you.”

The other man just shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. It’s all over now.”

Leandro came to a halt, blinking. “What are you talking about? What’s over?”

“I’m leaving Voltron.” Akira’s voice was as dull and flat as his eyes. “I never should have been part of it in the first place. I’m much better off on my own.”

The implication of what Akira was saying hit Leandro like a sledgehammer to the chest. “Me. You… You’re leaving me.”

Akira lifted his head so that he could look at him, and there was something in his eyes that Leandro couldn’t --- or maybe just didn’t want to --- identify. “It was just a dream, Leandro. It never would have worked, and you and I both know it.”

“No.” Leandro shook his head, brain working furiously to try and come up with a way to fix this as quickly as possible. “You don’t know that. We haven’t even had a chance to try. Please. Let me prove to you that ---”

“That what? That whenever you get mad you’re just going to take off and leave me to wonder where you are? If you’re okay? If you’re even alive?” He took two steps forward, and Leandro found himself taking two involuntary steps back. “You made me a promise, Leandro. You told me that if I ever needed you, you would be there. All I had to do was ask. Well, I asked. I asked over and over. And you chose not to answer me. To not be there for me when I needed you.” He shook his head. “I won’t do that again. I can’t.”

Something inside of Leandro was starting to break. He could feel it, those first, sharp splinters breaking free. But he didn’t know how to stop it. “But…. I love you, Kira. I love you. Doesn’t that mean anything?”

Akira just stared at him for a long moment, and Leandro found himself holding his breath. Please, he begged silently. Please don’t leave me. I’ve lost everyone, too.

But then Akira looked away, and Leandro could feel everything start to crash down around him. “Relationships take more than just love, Leandro.” His words were spoken in a tone that was both soft and sad. “It takes trust. It takes communication. It takes compromise. It takes two people working together.” He paused. “Maybe it was just a dream, but I really did want it to be real. I wanted---” He stopped, biting his lip hard enough for a drop of blood to well up from the cut that Leandro had left him with.

Then he was gone, brushing past Leandro to walk out of the training room.

Leandro’s knees chose that moment to give out on him, dumping him unceremoniously onto the floor. He simply lay there, staring up at the ceiling, too stunned to move. He’ll be back, he tried to tell himself. Kira’s just mad right now. He’s not really leaving. He just needs some time and some space. He’ll be back.

But Akira’s words wouldn’t stop ringing through his head.

“I thought you had left me, just like everyone else I’ve ever cared about has.”

“You told me that if I ever needed you, you would be there. All I had to do was ask.”

“It might have just been a dream, but I really did want it to be real.”

And he had called him Leandro.

That, he thought miserably, was what hurt the most. That Leandro. He had picked at Akira for weeks when they had first met, insisting that the other man call him Leo like everyone else. When Akira had finally relented, back during their first mission together, Leandro had felt like he had been given something special. Something sacred.

And now he’d lost it.

He closed his eyes. He could fix this. He had to fix this. He loved Akira. He knew that as sure as he knew that his favorite color was blue. He wanted this relationship more than anything he had ever wanted in his life. He just had to find a way to prove it.

He thought back to the night in his bedroom, the night that now seemed so long ago, when Akira had asked him to play the guitar. He remembered the way his heart had felt as his confession had tumbled out of him in a desperate need to be free, to be heard. He remembered the way his body had shook when Akira had brushed his thumb across Leandro’s lip and asked for permission to kiss him.

It had been the best night of Leandro’s life. He was in love in a way he never had been before, and he knew that he would never love anyone else, no matter how long he lived. And somehow. Impossibly, the person that he loved, loved him back. Akira, who had refused to let himself love before, loved him back. Had wanted to try and have a relationship with hm when he had never wanted to be with anyone else.

“You do own my heart. But that is because I gave It to you willingly.”

And what had Leandro done? He had taken that delicate, fragile heart --- that love and trust that Akira ha d given to him and him alone --- and had completely and utterly destroyed it. And he had done it in less than a day.

He’s gone, said a voice in the back of his mind. You’ve lost him, and it’s no one’s fault but your own.

Somewhere deep inside his chest he felt his own heart shatter. All he could do was lie there on the training room floor and curl in on himself as he began to cry.

“No. Absolutely not.”

Akira stood on the other side of Alina’s desk, hands behind his back, chin raised high, standing like a solider should stand. He’d even dressed the part, wearing one of the all-black outfits that he often wore while on a mission as The Mechanic. He wanted to remind Alina of what he had been. Of what he was.

He’d left the training room as quickly as he could and was just able to make it back to his room before the churning in his stomach had risen up his throat, and he had spent twenty minutes throwing up. He had then sat in the shower and let the water run over him while he cried for the first time since he had come to the Castle over a decade ago.

He had thought he would have broken down last night. But after Petra had informed him that no, Leandro hadn’t left --- that he had, in fact, been just down the hall from Akira this whole time --- a strange sort of calm had come over him. Maybe it was because he finally knew that Leandro was safe. Maybe it was because the anxiety of not knowing was gone and his body had just given out. Whatever the reason, he had left Petra, returned to his own room, fallen onto his bed, and slept for the next fourteen hours.

When he’d woken up that morning, he’d been angry. No, he’d been more than angry. He’d been pissed. And hurt. How dare Leandro ignore him like that. Had he just rolled his eyes whenever he saw that it was Akira calling? Had he laughed whenever he saw that Akira had sent him another text message? Had he already started messaging people from the Abyss? Maybe he already had a date planned with the man he had been dancing with.

By the time he’d made it to the training room, he’d been so worked up that he hadn’t even bothered to warm up or even wrap his hands before going to the heavy bag and start hitting it. As he let his anger, hurt, and worry flow through his arms and out of his fists he began to think about what he needed to do next.

He knew he couldn’t be with Leo. (No, he reminded himself, not Leo. Leandro. He wasn’t Leo anymore.) Though the thought made his chest ache, it had to be this way. Akira knew that he would forever be walking on eggshells around the other man, afraid he might say or do something that would cause Leandro to get upset and leave again. Better to just cut ties completely, the sooner the better.

Which meant that he would need to leave Voltron. He knew Alina would fight him, knew everyone would fight him, but that was okay. He wasn’t above fighting dirty when he needed to.

It had felt good, having a plan in place, and he had felt himself start to relax a little when Leandro had shown up and had nearly broken his resolve. Hearing the other man’s voice for the first time in days had driven all the air from his lungs. Then Akira had faced him and found Leandro looking small and just as wrecked as he felt. He had wanted nothing more than to run to the other man, to throw his arms around him and beg for Leandro to forgive him. To let Akira start over and try again.

Instead, he had chosen to walk away. From Leandro. From the team. Which was why he was now in Alina’s office.

He brought his chin up even higher, meeting Alina’s gaze head on. “You haven’t even listened to what I have to say.”

She shook her head, her beaded braids clicking together. “It doesn’t matter. I can’t afford for you to leave the team at this time. I’m sorry that you feel the need to do so, but I’m afraid you’re going to have to wait.”

“The Mechanic has not been seen in moths. Hayach says that there has been a lot of chatter lately stating that the Mechanic has either been captured or killed by the Galra. He needs to make an appearance before Sendak tries to use this to his advantage. I am the only one who can be the Mechanic, Alina. But I am not the only one who can be the red paladin.”

She frowned at this. “You think you can be replaced?”

“No one outside of the team even knows about Voltron, right? Not even the other members of the Deliverance, and certainly not the Galra. Which means that anyone has the possibility of being a paladin. You could bring in someone else that you trust, Even you or Curran could take my place, since you already know all of the details of Voltron and its mission.” He leaned forward. “Think about it, Alina. You could have both the Mechanic and Voltron working against the Galra at the same time. It would divide their attention, maybe cause them to make mistakes that we can use to our advantage.”

She tapped her fingernails against her desk, as she continued to stare at him, her eyes far too knowing for his liking. “Does this have anything to do with Leo?”

He found himself gritting his teeth, and tried to keep his voice neutral. “Why would this have anything to do with Le --- with him?”

“The night before you went to the Quantum Abyss the two of you were arguing over each other’s safety. Every time you looked at him… I’ve never seen you look so happy, Kira.” Her jeweled eyes pinned him in place. “But then you came back, drunk and with a black eye, and the two of you haven’t been seen together since. He hasn’t come to any of the team meetings since then, and now you are requesting to leave the team.” One elegant eyebrow lifted in a silent questiion.

He forced himself to hold her gaze and not flinch away. “I let my personal feelings get in the way and it seriously comprised the mission. I want to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

She let out a sigh, her face growing softer. “Kira, you are not a cyborg. Someone was being disrespectful towards someone you care about and you defended him. It’s not your fault that the other individual hit you first.”

“That’s not the point. The point is that I lost control of my emotions, and that caused us to lose an opportunity to gather further information. I could have cost us everything for all we know. I need to work alone.” He added a slight note of pleading at the end.

Alina pursued her lips before shaking her head yet again. “No, Kira. I don’t like the idea of you working alone right now. I need to know that you are safe when you are on a mission. I’m sorry.”

He inhaled through his nose. All right then. Time to play dirty.

“I am a soldier of the Deliverance,” he said, voice quiet, words sharp. “I always have been. It is what you taught me to be.” She winced at this, and he tried not to feel guilty for saying it. After all, she had used him in her desperate plans. She owed him this. “I never once questioned your orders, even if I didn’t agree with them. I have never even thought about disobeying you. Until you made me consider the safety of someone other than myself.” He paused, knowing that he was about to hit below the belt. “It’s the reason you would never let Hoshi work with me, remember?”

She dropped her eyes at this, and he knew he had scored a hit against her.

He pressed the advantage. “I’m far more valuable to you on my own,” he said softly. “Let me fight for you again, Alina. Let me be the Mechanic again. Please.”

They fell into silence then, Alina staring down at her desk with pursed lips and furrowed brow as she thought. Akira felt himself holding his breath as he waited for her response.

Finally, the Altean woman let out a heavy sigh and looked up. Her eyes, when they met his, were full of sorrow and regret. “Give me a week,” she said in a quiet murmur. “We are still looking into Roman’s plans for the quintessence. If we receive no new information in that time, then I will release you from your duties as a paladin of Voltron. You will then resume your place as the Mechanic.”

He felt himself slumping over n relief, all of his air leaving him in one giant woosh. “Thank you, Alina. I know… I know it’s not what you wanted. And I am grateful for the opportunity you gave me to be a part of a team. But you and I both know that this is what is best for all of us.” He offered her a nod of appreciation before turning to leave.

He was almost to the door when he heard her call out his name. He stopped, turning back around to face her once again.

She had risen to her feet and was staring at him, the expression on her face unreadable. But when she saw that she had his attention, she offered him an encouraging smile. “You will always be welcome as a member of Voltron if you ever change your mind…”

He tried to smile back, but he didn’t think it worked. “Thanks, Alina. I won’t, but I appreciate the offer.”

Then he walked out of the door before she tried to change his mind again.  

When Leandro awoke the next day he found himself moving on autopilot. He got dressed, went to the kitchen, ate breakfast with Petra, then went to the training room. Even the sight of Akira standing there waiting for him did nothing to break through the fog surrounding his brain.

“In a week, I will be leaving Voltron and Alina will be taking my place as your partner,” Akira said in that same cool, emotionless tone that he had used the day before. “Since these will be our last few sessions together, I want to work on teaching you how to break out of different types of holds. That means I will have to touch you. Will that be all right?”

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Leandro --- the old Leandro --- was clamoring for him to say something inappropriate, something that would make his partner either laugh or blush. Something that would break this horrible tension that had built between them and bring things back to normal.

But all he could do was nod numbly, feeling that hollow place in his chest tighten. A week. All he had left was a week. Then Akira would be gone.

The next hour was nothing but torture. Akira would direct him on how to move while doing everything he could not to touch him. The few times where touch was required, they were always brief and light, nothing like the touches they had shared just a few days ago. Remembering what those had felt like --- passionate, meaningful, tender --- and knowing that these were likely the last ones that Leandro would feel, made them nearly unbearable.

Lunch was even worse. The others welcomed him back like a returning hero, happily telling him how much they had missed him and teasing him about the pictures Petra had taken of him and Akira dressed up to go to the Abyss. He forced himself to smile and laugh along with them, all the while trying not to throw up.

He stayed long enough that, when he was finally able to escape, it wouldn’t look like he was running away. He had made it only a few steps out of the kitchen when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

It was Alina. “Hello, Leo,” she said softly, smiling up at him. “Do you have anything pressing to do right now? I would like a few moments of your time, if that’s all right.”

Leandro bit his lip. No, he didn’t have anything to do --- the school was closed for the next few days --- but he really wasn’t in the mood for company. “I don’t think I’m someone you want to be around right now.”

Her smile only grew. “That’s all right. I’d still prefer your company over the pile of paperwork that is currently waiting for me.” She slid her arm through his. “Come on. Let’s go for a walk.”

He let her lead him to the foyer and out into the bright midday sun. They walked down the slope to the empty schoolyard, where she proceeded to sit on one of the swings and gestured for him to do the same. “I’m afraid I owe you something of an apology.”

He frowned as he sat in the adjacent swing. “For what?”

“I believe that I may be the one to blame --- at least partially --- for your current situation with Kira.”

Leandro let out a short, sharp laugh. “No offense, princess, but I’m pretty sure I managed to do that all on my own.”

“Oh?”

“Did Ki --- Akira not tell you about what happened?” There was a physical feeling of something inside of him ripping away when he said that. He honestly couldn’t remember the last time he had used his partner’s full name. He supposed he was going to have to get used to it now. “At the club, I mean?”

“He told us that he’d drank too much and that someone had started to get handsy with you so he started a fight with them. That’s how he got the black eye. He said he feels guilty because he got the two of you kicked out before you could get any more information.”

Leandro looked down to where he was scuffing his feet through the dirt, feeling even more like an ass. Even though Akira must have been angry, even though Leandro had treated him so shamefully, Akira had still placed all of the blame for their mission’s failure on himself. I don’t deserve him. “That’s not exactly what happened.”

This caused her to lift an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“That part actually didn’t happen at all.” He blew out a breath, reaching up to run a hand through his hair. “I’m the one who fucked up, Alina. I fucked up everything, not just the mission. And I fucked up bad.”

Suddenly, the words were rushing out of him in a torrent, and he found himself telling her everything: how he and Akira had confessed their love for each other, how she had inadvertently interrupted what would have been their first kiss, all of the events that had taken place at the club, Akira’s flight and Leandro’s desperate search for him, how he had been the one who had hit Akira. It felt good to get everything out, like the confessions he had made to his priest back on Earth. Maybe he was hoping for absolution. Maybe he was seeking damnation. He wasn’t sure.

By the time he was finished, his head was in his hands, shoulders slumped. He wondered what Alina was thinking. Would she kick him out of Voltron? That would be all right. Akira wouldn’t have to leave if she did that. But he was worried that she would ask him to leave the Deliverance. What would he do then? He couldn’t go back to being a delivery boy, not now that the whole world knew who he was. He had enough money to buy passage back to Earth, but he didn’t want to do that either. He wanted to stay here, wanted to help Petra find her family. Wanted to try and make things right with Akira.

This --- the Castle, the Deliverance ---- was his home. Kira was his home. Even if the other man didn’t want him in his life anymore, Leandro couldn’t give him up, couldn’t just walk away. Not without losing all that he was.

Next to him, Alina let out a sigh that sounded as though it carried the weight of the world. “Oh, my poor boys.”

Leandro lifted his head, blinking at her in surprise. Whatever he had been expecting, it hadn’t been this. “Sorry?”

She was looking towards the Castle, eyes glazed, looking just as soft as her voice sounded. “You’ve both been through so much already. This should have been a happy time for you, realizing that you were in love with each other. Now you’re both pushing each other away. And for what?”

“Alina, I hit him. I hit him, and then proceeded to ignore him when he reached out to me to try and talk about it. He has every right to be mad at me and push me away. I mean, I pushed him away first. He’s handled this whole thing way better than I have,”

She bobbed her head in agreement. “You did. But why did you push him away?”

Leandro frowned, confused by her train of thought. “Because I’m a coward. Because I thought that he would hate me and I knew I couldn’t bear to hear him say it. Because I was ashamed of myself.”

“Because you were afraid to lose him.”

His frown deepened. “Well… yeah. Yeah. I mean, I guess so.”

Another nod of her head. “And why did he push you away?”

“Because he thought that I had left him. And he feels like everyone else he’s ever loved has left him.” It still hurt to say it out loud.

“If you hadn’t already lost so many people in your life, do you think you would have reacted the way you did? Do you think he would have?”

He shrugged, eye going back to the dirt. “It doesn’t matter. If he didn’t hate me before, he certainly does now.”

She snorted at that, and the sound was so unexpected that Leandro couldn’t help but look at her with wide eyes. “He doesn’t hate you, Leo. He might not particularly like you right now. But he does not hate you. I can promise you that.”

“Wanna make a bet on that? He’s already told me he doesn’t want to be with me anymore. Not even as my partner.” He paused. “He told me that he was leaving Voltron. That you were going to take his place.”

“That is correct. However, that will not happen for at least another week.”

“So?”

“So that means that he is still your partner, still the red paladin, for the next seven days. I asked him to stay on while we try to find more information about Roman’s next steps. If nothing happens in that time --- or if you cannot give him a reason to stay --- then he will go back to being the Mechanic.” The look she gave him was pointed. “A week is all I can guarantee. Convincing him to stay is up to you.”

“How the hell am I supposed to make him want this relationship now? I’ve broken his trust. There’s no way he’s going to give me another chance.”

“Earn it back,” was her answer. “Prove to him that you’re worthy of a second chance. And that you won’t fuck it up this time.”

Leandro let out a laugh as he tipped his head back closing his eyes. She made it all sound so easy when he had no fucking clue as to what he could possibly do.  

But Alina was right about one thing: He had a chance. After yesterday, he didn’t think he would even have that. “Thank you,” he murmured, opening his eyes to look up at the sky. “I don’t want you to think that I am ungrateful for this opportunity. I just have no idea if there is even a sliver of hope that I can fix things. But if I am successful, it will be because of you. So… Thank you.”

“I’m not doing this just for you. The Koganes are like family to me, and I very much want to see Kira happy.” She stood, turning to face him. “You have one week, Leo. Do what you can.”

Leandro’s parents had always told him that he was clever. Not always particularly smart, but certainly clever. His mother would always lament how easy it was for her youngest child to find his way into trouble, then his father would turn around and brag about how good Leandro was at getting out of it. He had charmed, cajoled, and conned his way out of --- and sometimes into --- a number of situations during his life. Maybe he could do it again.

As soon as he and Alina had returned to the Castle he’d gone directly to his apartment, his mind already churning with ideas. He already knew what the heart of the problem was: He’d lost Akira’s trust. Which meant that he needed to show the other man that he would not repeat his mistake. He had to prove that he wasn’t going to leave Kira.

The obvious answer was to simply be there, to simply show that he was still at the Castle, that he had not gone anywhere and had no intentions of doing so. But Leandro knew that wouldn’t be enough. He and Kira needed to talk about what had happened between the two of them. But Akira was refusing to let him even try.

At least it gave him a starting point. He would have to make Akira talk to him.  And, what with his famously short temper, Leandro knew it wouldn’t take much pushing to get Kira to go off on him.

He felt a smile tug at his lips, the first real one he’d had in days. He was going to annoy the other man into talking to him. And he had a whole week in which to do it.

Akira didn’t stand a chance.

The one thing that Akira hated about the garage was that it was always open. There was no way that he could close it off and keep people out when he needed to be by himself. So he picked the loudest, angriest, most curse-laden music he could find and set the volume as high as he could stand it, Hopefully anyone who wandered down to the garage would take the hint and leave him alone.

He had finally found enough steel to make the chassis of the car and had decided that getting to beat molten-hot metal into shape would be a good way to take out his frustrations. I would also give him a chance to let his mind wander to places he normally wouldn’t let it go.

In those first few days after the fight, the worst part hadn’t been the overwhelming guilt that Akira had felt over his behavior, nor was it the blind panic that had fallen over him when he thought Leandro had simply left without telling him. Even when he’d discovered that the other man was avoiding him --- which had been devastating --- it still wasn’t as bad as the realization that the whole experience had led him to.

He needed Leandro. He, Akira Kogane, actually needed someone. Sure, he loved his brother. And Dante. And Hayach. They were his family. But he had managed to survive without them before. It hadn’t been a particularly pleasant experience, and he would prefer not to have to ever do it again, but he had done it. But just a few days without Leandro and he was an absolute mess. It had felt as though he had lost a part of himself. Something vital.

It was, by far, the most terrifying thing he had ever felt.

It was also another good reason to push the other man away. Needing someone was a liability that Akira could not afford. He hadn’t been lying when he had told Alina that he had never had a problem with a mission until he had to think about someone else’s well-being. What if Leandro got hurt? Would he fall apart? Probably. He’d panicked when Leandro had been injured by the Juicer. And that was before he’d fallen in love with him. What would Akira do if it happened again?

He brought his spark hammer down a little harder than was necessary, wishing he could somehow beat his own blasted emotions into submission. He had let his feelings for Leandro compromise their mission. He needed to leave now. Needed to get away from Leandro before those feelings increased and then he couldn’t get away from him.

He worked until his arms began to ache, until his shoulder screamed in agony when he lifted the spark hammer again. He turned it off, placing it and his safety glasses on his workbench before reaching for a towel and a pouch of water.

It wasn’t until he wiped the sweat from his face and had taken his first gulp of water that he realized that the music had stopped.

He frowned at the silence. Had he been working for so long that he’d already gone through his entire music library? Or had his comm battery just died? He placed his pouch and towel back on the bench before turning towards his workshop.

Hoshi was waiting for him, leaning against the outer wall of the workshop, arms crossed loosely over his chest. When Akira’s eyes met his, he offered a small smile. “Hey, kiddo. The car looks great. It’s really starting to take shape, yeah?”

Akira immediately felt his body tense. Hoshi only called him ‘kiddo’ when he was worried about something. “What’s wrong?” Did Leandro really leave? Did he tell Hoshi to tell me goodbye?

His older brother stared at him for a long moment before pushing off the wall. “Alina called me a little while ago. She told me you had asked to leave Voltron and I was worried.” He paused. “I just… You hadn’t mentioned anything to me about leaving. I just wanted to make sure that you were okay.”

Now it was his turn to cross his arms, his lips twisting into a scowl. “It wasn’t her place to tell you.”

“She was worried, too. Or else she wouldn’t have told me.”

Akira let out a huff of annoyance. “She asked me to give her a week. Wants to make sure we don’t need to move to intercept Roman when we’re short a paladin. Once my leaving had been a sure thing, I would have told you. I didn’t see the point in telling you if it wasn’t going to actually happen.”

Hoshi pursed his lips for a moment before nodding. “Okay. That makes sense. I was just worried that something had happened that you were afraid to tell me about.” Pause. “Did something happen?”

“No.”

“Are you sure about that?” Hoshi’s voice went from his gentle big brother voice to his sterner dad voice. “Because I am pretty sure that Leandro is the one that hit you, and I want to know why.”

 “I already told you that I got into a fight with someone at the Abyss.”

“Oh, I know you got into a fight. That was pretty evident by the black eye. But I know it wasn’t with some random person.” Hoshi planted his hands on his hips. “So, I’m going to ask you again. Why did Leandro hit you?”

His arms tightened across his chest. “Why do you think he was the one who hit me? Did he tell you that he did?”

“No. But he didn’t have to.” Hoshi reached up and tapped the right side of his face. “He’s left-handed, right? Which means that, if he took a swing at you, he would have hit you on this side. And don’t think I haven’t noticed how you haven’t spent any time with him since the two of you got back. You didn’t sit next to him at lunch today. Stars, I don’t think you even looked at him.” His face twisted. “Kira, if he… If he did something to you ---"

“What? No! No. It’s nothing like that.” Akira shook his head vigorously. “Look. I was drunk, okay? I got drunk and said some awful things to him and he just… reacted. I told you guys the story about getting into a fight because I was ashamed of myself and I didn’t want you to blame him. You know him well enough to know that he would never hurt me on purpose.” At least not physically. “It was just a stupid fight that got out of hand.”

Hoshi blew out a long breath, his entire body sagging with the weight of relief. “I know that. Of course, I know that. But I just… You weren’t talking about it, and I just assumed the worst, you know? And I thought… Well, if he had done something to you, I was going to have to figure out where I could put his body so that no one would ever find it.”

Akira couldn’t help but laugh as he shook his head. “No. No need to hide his body. I’m so sorry I caused you so much worry. I’m honestly just embarrassed. I was stupid, and these are the consequences of my actions.”

“Does this mean you’ll tell me what really happened? It must have been bad if you want to leave the team.”

“I’d rather not.”

“Come on, Kira. I’m your brother. I already know all of your embarrassing secrets. I know about the birthmark on your left hip, and I know that you still sleep with that stuffed hippo Hayach got you when you first started school. There is absolutely nothing you can say that will make me think any less of you.”

“You better not tell anyone about Mr. Hippo!” Akira hissed, feeling a rush of heat creep up the back of his neck. “Don’t forget that I know where you sleep.”

Hoshi grinned, holding up his hands in surrender. “I wasn’t planning on it. My point is that something happened that upset you enough to want to get away from the man you couldn’t get enough of earlier that day.” He paused. “Does Leo know that you’re leaving?”

“He does.”

“What does he think about it?”

Akira shrugged. “What does it matter?”

The other man let out a sigh. “He’s your partner, Kira. If you two are going to make your relationship work, then you ---”

“We don’t have a relationship.” He hadn’t meant to snap, but he didn’t want to talk about Leandro. Not when just thinking about him caused his heart to squeeze painfully.

Hoshi frowned at him. “But I thought ---”

He waved him away. “Yeah, well, we both thought wrong. It was just a daydream, and I should have known better. But it’s okay. It’s better this way.”

“Kira.” He hadn’t seen his brother move, but Hoshi was suddenly there, gently gripping his shoulder. “Tell me what happened.”

“No.” He tried to pull away, but Hoshi just tightened his grip. “Let me go, Hoshi. Everything’s fine, okay? I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not.” Hoshi’s voice was gentle. “Kira, you’re crying.”

“That’s ridiculous. Why would I ---” Akira lifted a hand to his cheek, ready to call his brother’s bluff, then jerked in surprise when his fingers encountered wetness. “Shit,” he muttered. He hadn’t noticed he was crying. He hadn’t even thought he could cry anymore. Not after that morning.

He let Hoshi tug him to the workshop and push him gently into his chair. “No more stalling. Tell me what happened.”

Akira took a deep breath and began to speak. He told Hoshi about meeting Julio, about his conversation with Soren. He told his brother about Naima and what the flame-haired server had told him. He talked about what it was like seeing Leandro dancing with the other man. Then he told him about their own dance and how Leandro had pushed him away when he’d tried to kiss him. He talked about how he had run away from the club, how he’d needed to just get away, and how Leandro had somehow been able to find him. Then he shared the details of their fight, of his desperate need to hear Leandro deny everything the server had said, and how devastated he had felt when the other man had not.

Then he hung his head in shame as he confessed to his brother the words he had spoken in his drunken anger. “I didn’t mean it,” he whispered, unable to look at Hoshi, afraid to see the expression on his brother’s face. “I didn’t. But I said it. And I can never take those words back. That was why he hit me. He was doing everything right. He was trying to get me in the car so we could go home and calm down. But I couldn’t stop.”

There was a long moment of silence before he heard Hoshi blow out a long breath. “Okay. This actually makes a lot of sense. Have you two talked about what happened?”

“I tried. I tried for three days. I called him over and over. I sent him dozens of messages. He never responded. I finally had to go to his apartment. I was frantic. I thought…” He slid his hands up int his sweat-soaked hair, dropping his forehead to his knees. “I was so sure that he’d left me. That he’d decided to go back to the Abyss and hadn’t bothered to tell me goodbye.”

“But he hadn’t.”

Akira let out a bitter laugh. “No. It was worse. When I stopped by, Petra told me that Leandro was there, right there, in his room, and that he had been the whole time.” He looked up then, fueled by the familiar burn of hurt and anger suddenly flooding his veins. “He was ignoring me, Hoshi. For three days, while I was desperate to see him, to talk to him, he ignored me. On purpose. He didn’t even bother to send me a message telling me that he was okay, or that he needed some time to himself. Nothing. When he does come to talk to me it’s not because he wants to. It’s because he got caught.”

“I see. And so, you decided it would be better to call things off with him?”

“Wouldn’t you?” he challenged. “What have you and Dante always told me? That the key to any good relationship is communication. That when two people don’t talk to each other it’s easy to make assumptions and let yourself believe the worst. Right? I mean, that’s why you were worried about me.”

Hoshi pressed his lips together.

“I could have given him a day, you know? If he had ignored me that first day, then sent me a message saying he needed some time or some space I would have been fine. But three days? And who knows how long he would have waited if it hadn’t been for Petra. It’s better to just end things now.”

“You don’t think he deserves another chance?” An edge of desperation crept into Hoshi’s voice. “Maybe he felt ashamed, too. Maybe he just didn’t know what to say.”

Akira shook his head. “I’ll always be worried that I’ll say or do something that would make him want to leave. And he’ll always feel like he has to prove to me that he won’t. That doesn’t sound like much of a relationship to me.”

There was another long pause. When Hoshi spoke next, his voice was careful. “So, this is what you have decided to do, then? Leave the team --- leave him --- and go back to being on your own?”

He let out a snarl at this, jumping from his chair so that he could pace. “What else am I supposed to do? I love him, okay? I fucking love him.” Dammit, he was crying again. “Not knowing where he was --- not knowing if he was okay, if he hated me, if he had chosen to go back to them instead of trying to fix things with me --- was tearing me apart. I couldn’t sleep because I was so worried. And to find out that he’d been sitting there, just fucking sitting there just down the hall from me the whole time, with his comm on and able to see that I was trying to talk to him… Does that sound like something you would do if you loved someone? What would you do if you were in my place?”

Once again, his brother did not answer.

Akira reached back to grab at his ponytail. “I have no one to blame for this but myself. I should have never let Alina talk me into joining Voltron. I should have never let myself get close to him. I knew it would never work out, that he was too good to be true. I knew… I thought…” He fell heavily back into his chair, head dropping back into his hands. “Fuck.”

He felt Hoshi’s arm wrap around him just as his shoulders began to shake. Thankfully, mercifully, his brother remained silent, simply providing support as Akira broke into sobs once more.

To be honest, Leandro had never cared much about what he looked like when he went to train. Sure, he liked showing off for Akira, letting the other man see his tattoos and as much skin as he could get away with showing without it seeming obvious. But he normally gave no thought to what tank top and shorts or sweat pants he threw on before heading off to the training room.

Today, however, he was on a mission. And this mission required care wardrobe consideration.

Ever since first coming to the Castle, he had been careful to keep his slave mark covered. Though everyone now knew who he was and had seen the mark prominently displayed on the broadcast, he still preferred to keep it hidden. Even the tank tops he normally wore had straps thick enough to cover, if not the entire mark, then at least most of it.

Not today, though. Today he needed Akira to see it.

He found the other man lifting weights when he arrived at the training room. Leandro didn’t say a word, just walked past his partner to sit his water pouch on the ground. He reached down to grasp the hem of the pullover he had thrown on before leaving and quickly pulled it over his head before dropping it to the floor.

When he turned around, he found that Akira was already staring at him, his face a mask of cool indifference. But as soon as Leandro was facing him his eyes flicked down to the clearly visible mark on his shoulder. As Leandro watched, Akira’s eyes went wide .It was only for a moment, and when he looked back up, the mask was back in place.

Leandro bit back a smile. Good.

He took a step forward, planting one hand on a hip. The other he used to point a finger at his partner. “We,” he said, voice stern, “are going to talk.”

Akira narrowed his eyes at him. “I’ve already told you that you’ve had your chance to ---”

“And I blew it to hell. I know.” He lifted his hands in a pleading gesture, letting his face soften. “Look, I know I screwed everything up. I hope you believe me when I say that I will never forgive myself for what I’ve done. For not telling you about my past with the people at the Abyss. For not taking your feelings into account when I danced with Naima’s bodyguard, for our fight, for fucking hitting you, and for ignoring you when you were reaching out to me. All of it was stupid, and I take full responsibility for the whole mess. If I’m the reason you are leaving the team, don’t. I’ll step aside instead. Voltron needs you far more than it needs me.”

“Leandro ---”

“And if you really don’t want to be with me …” His voice faltered a bit, and he had to take a deep, steadying breath. “I’ll respect your decision. I hope… I hope you’ll change your mind. I love you, Kira. I love you so damn much that it scares the absolute shit out of me, and I very much want to be yours. And I am so gods-be-damned sorry that I made you think that I don’t. But I won’t fight with you if you want to leave. Just know that, if you do, I will always be waiting here, hoping you’ll give me another chance.”

For a long moment, there was no reply, and Leandro found himself holding his breath, hoping, hoping ---

“Did you really think you could just come in here, throw some pretty words at me, and we would just go on like nothing had happened?” Akira’s voice held a sneer. “There is no need for you to wait. I won’t be coming back to you.”

Leandro had to fight not to wince. Okay, so he had hoped that Akira would respond a bit more positively to his speech, but at least the other man was talking. “That’s all right. I’ll wait forever if I have to. You’re worth it.” He took a step forward, hands still outstretched. “Regardless of what happens to us we still need to talk about what happened. We have the same friends. We live just down the hall from each other. We’re still going to have to interact with each other. And I would like for us to be civil with each other when we meet.”

“Hmmm. I hadn’t thought about that.” Akira tapped his chin thoughtfully. “You know, I have been thinking about getting my own place for some time now. I can ask Alina to pick me an apartment as far away from yours as possible. Then we won’t have to worry about running into each other.”

Leandro felt his stomach drop. Stay calm. He’s trying to get under your skin. “Kira, please. I’m trying, okay? I know you are mad at me right now, and I ---”

“No, you don’t.” Akira was suddenly striding forward, eyes blazing with something far beyond anger, and Leandro found himself backpedaling. “You think I’m just mad? I am fucking devastated! I have never given my heart to anyone. I always swore that I never would, that I would never give another person that kind of power over me. But I gave it to you. I gave it to you because I was so sure that you would take care of it, that you would do everything you could to keep it safe.” His face twisted. “Instead, you just toss it aside like it’s nothing more than a piece of trash almost as soon as I give it to you. And then, when you finally decide to fucking acknowledge me again, you act like it’s no big deal. Like we can just chat it out and everything will go back to normal. Well, it won’t. It never will.”

Leandro swallowed hard, forcing himself not to take another step back. You wanted him to talk, he reminded himself. That means you have to listen to what he has to say.

“Do you want to know the worst part?” Akira jabbed a finger at him. “The worst part is that I still fucking love you! That I have been worried about you this whole time. That I have missed you.” His eyes were storm clouds. “I want you out of my life, Leandro Sanchez. I want you out of it completely. There is no need for you to wait for me to give you another chance. Because I won’t. Because I can’t.”

Leandro could feel panic start to settle in his gut. He can’t leave! he thought desperately. I can’t lose him.  “What…” His voice came out high and cracked, and he had to clear his throat before trying again. “What about when we were in the elevator? When you ---”

Things happened so fast that Leandro didn’t even have time to register the fact that Akira was moving. One minute the two of them were standing a few feet apart. Then he could feel his back slamming into a wall, Akira’s storm cloud eyes suddenly close enough to fill his vision, a fistf  ul of his carefully-selected tank top in Akira’s hand.

“Don’t,” Akira said in a quiet snarl. “Don’t you dare bring that up. That was a private moment. It doesn’t belong to you.”

Leandro looked up into his partner’s eyes, forcing himself to hold Akira’s gaze. He tried to use his own eyes to show Akira how sorry he was. How much Leandro loved him. How much he wanted to work things out, to have another chance to be the man that Akira had once thought he was.

He couldn’t help but think about the way Akira’s tongue had felt as it had trailed fire across his chest. He remembered the feel of Akira’s lips as they had gently pressed against the sensitive spot at the base of his ear, how it had sent shivers down his spine. He thought about the feel of Akira’s breath as it had ghosted across his skin, the way it had felt to have the other man’s warm, calloused fingers wrapped around his wrists, gentle but strong. Never to hurt, only to hold.

And he could still feel Akira’s kiss against his slave mark. Even through the fabric of his shirt Leandro had felt his partner’s lips burn his skin like a brand, replacing the mark of hatred with one of love.

That was why he had wanted Akira to see the mark, so that maybe he would remember that moment, that Leandro would have the chance to tell him how it had him feel, how much it had meant to him.

“It was my moment, too,” he whispered. “It was one of the best moments of my life, second only to when you told me that you loved me.”

Akira let out a silent snarl as he took a step back, releasing his grip on Leandro’s shirt. “Do you honestly expect me to believe that?” His voice was still angry, but Leandro thought he heard something else in there. A crack, maybe. Small, but still there. “When we were in that elevator, I let myself be vulnerable. I told you I was yours. And yet… When you were dancing with that other man, the one who had his hands all over you, did you think about me at all? Did you think about how seeing you like that might make me feel? Especially after I had just told you how much I wanted you to touch me like that?”

This was his chance, that moment where he could potentially use that famous ability to talk himself out of trouble. But Leandro knew he couldn’t charm his way out of this. He couldn’t lie. Akira deserved the truth.

“No,” His voice was barely more than a whisper. “I wasn’t thinking about anything, really. It just… happened.”

“And you enjoyed it.” Akira lifted a hand when Leandro opened his mouth, ready to protest. “No, don’t argue. I saw you, Leandro. I saw the look on your face. And… I’m not mad. That’s just who you are. You are bright and vivacious and have a love for life that I would never want to snuff out.” He shook his head. “That’s not who I am. I am a loner. I don’t know how to interact with other people. I don’t doubt you love me. I don’t. But… We’re just so different. And, after a while, you would start to resent me for it.”

Leandro felt his body jerk at those words. “No! Kira, I would never ---”

“You are going to have to let this go, oaky? Let us go. It could never work, and I don’t want you spending the rest of your life waiting for the impossible.” His face changed then, expression morphing into something so soft and so sad that Leandro nearly cried out at it. “I love you, Leandro. That will never change. But loving someone means wanting what is best for them, and I am not it. You have the brightest light of anyone I have ever met, and I would only dim it. Go find someone who shines like you do. It’s what you need. It’s what you deserve.”

Leandro stared at him, feeling the tears burn in his eyes. Fuck, “You don’t get it,” he whispered. “You are the reason for that light. I wouldn’t be who I am now if not for you. You are the other half to my whole, Kira. And what will you do without me? Go back to people like Jamison? People who don’t care about you as a person? People who will never spend the night? People who are only there to fuck you then leave you and are never there when you need them?”

Akira lifted his shoulders in a shrug. “It worked for me before.” He paused, and when he next spoke, his voice was just as soft and as sad as his expression. “Besides. It’s not like I have a heart left to give. It was a gift. You keep it.”

Leandro could only stand there, hands curling into fists, as tears started to pour from his eyes.

The worst part about all of this (as if there could be a worst part) was that Akira was right. About all of it. They really were nothing alike. Akira had told him from the very beginning that he preferred to be alone, while Leandro needed to be surrounded by people.  Leandro tended to simply let things flow over him, while Akira had the shortest temper of anyone he had ever met. And Akira didn’t feel comfortable going outside his circle of companions, while Leandro saw everyone he met as a potential friend.

But it didn’t matter. It never had. Leandro loved Akira exactly for who he was. And Akira had never dimmed his light. If anything, he made it shine brighter by chasing away the shadows that still lingered in him. Never once had Akira called him a goofball or made him feel like he wasn’t valued. In fact, Akira had always listened to any ideas that Leandro had and considered them seriously. If he had any questions or doubts, he would always talk them through rather than simply dismissing them. And whenever Leandro was being goofy or over the top, Akira had never once asked him to stop. He let Leandro be who he was. And he loved him regardless.

Then there was the other side to Akira, the sweet and gentle side that most people never got to see. He had been so happy when Leandro had surprised him that day in the garage, totally unafraid to weave their fingers together, not caring if anyone saw them. Then there had been the two times he had gently tucked Leandro into bed. And the time he had slept next to Leandro’s hospital bed. Not just to be there for Leandro, but for Petra, too.

That was Akira. His Kira. The man that had stolen his heart. This was the man he wanted in his life so badly it left a physical ache in his chest. And Leandro knew that --- even if he never saw Akira again --- there would never be anyone else for him. Akira was the only one he would ever want, the only one he would ever love.

He found himself taking a step forward. “Kira!”

The other man, who had nearly made it to the entrance, came to a halt. He didn’t turn around, but he tilted his head in a way that Leandro knew meant he was listening.

“I love you,” he called out. His voice was steady, if a bit watery. “You are the only person I want to love. The only person I ever will love.” He paused. “I know I hurt you. I know that I lost your trust, and those are things that I will never be able to forgive myself for. But, Kira, you are all I want. You are everything I have ever wanted. So. I won’t give up. I can’t stop you from leaving. I wouldn’t, even if I knew that I could. But know that I will never stop fighting for you. For us. If I have to spend the rest of my life showing you just how much you mean to me, then so be it.”

The two men stood there, neither of them speaking, the room around them eerily quiet. Leandro couldn’t help but hold his breath. He knew that his impassioned speech wouldn’t miraculously change Akira’s mind --- he knew his partner far better than that --- but he hoped that he had managed to strike a nerve. Or maybe a chord of some kind. Something that would make Akira turn around and come back and continue the conversation.

But then, without an acknowledgment of any kind, Akira simply walked away.

Over the next few days Akira found himself spending less time with his friends and more time in his garage. The rest of the team now knew of his plans to leave, and every Voltron meeting was full of tension. Almost every single member of the team had come to him to beg him not to leave, and it was starting to wear on him.  

The worst part of the day was his training session with Leandro. He forced himself to be cool and professional treating Leandro the same way he had when they first met. He knew Leandro now, knew his demeanor and personality, and knew how to let it wash over him without reacting.

Except that Leandro… Well, he wasn’t being Leandro. He was quiet and closed off, only offering a quick ‘Hello’ when he arrived for their hour. There were no jokes, no snarky comments, not attempts to make Akira blush. No more touches, no more secret smiles, no more shared glances. It was awful. Knowing that he was the cause of it made Akira ill. And no amount of telling himself that it was for the best made him feel any better.

There were only two days left before he could escape. That meant only two more training sessions. Two more tension-filled lunches. Two more debriefings. Then he would be free. Free to go back to the way things had been, the way he liked it. He should be feeling relief.

Instead, all he could feel was dread.

He’d tried to work on the car, but he couldn’t focus enough to get anything done. Instead, he’d come into the workshop and powered up his computer. There were some parts he needed in order to fix one of the Deliverance vehicles that he’d been meaning to try and find for months now, and it should provide enough of a distraction for him to at least get something done.

Except that, of course, it didn’t. All he could think about --- all he could ever think about --- was Leandro. Gods, but he missed the other man. He missed the easy way they’d once had with each other. He missed spending their evenings together, missed their intimacy, missed them. And he couldn’t help but think about what would happen after he left Voltron. Did Alina know about Leandro’s recklessness? Would she be able to keep him safe when they were on missions together? What would happen if Leandro got hurt? What if he died? How would Akira feel, knowing that he could have been there to protect the other man?

He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t realize that someone else had entered the workshop until he felt a tap on his shoulder. He jumped, nearly falling out of his chair before turning to see who had snuck up on him.

Petra stood there, a smirk on her face that reminded him so much of Leandro that it hurt. “A bit jumpy, aren’t we?”

He scowled in response. “I was working,” he said, gesturing towards his computer.

She looked up at the blank screen that was hovering in the air and her smirk widened. “Uh huh/ Are you sure you weren’t just sleeping with your eyes open?”

His scowl deepened, and he spun his chair back around to face the computer. “What do you want?” he growled, pulling his keyboard close and tapping on it.

“The rest of the team decided that it was my turn to try and talk you out of leaving.”

“Everyone else has already tried, and I’ve said no. You’re just wasting your time.” He tapped harder at the keys, hoping she would take the hint.

Of course she didn’t. This was Petra, after all. “You forget that I am just as stubborn as you are,” she said, hopping onto his desk. “Which means that you’re stuck with me until you hear what I have to say. And that I am satisfied that you are at least thinking about not leaving.” She leaned forward, amber eye glittering. “If you try to leave, I will follow you. If I have to, I will climb onto your back and stay there until we have finished our discussion. So you might as well get comfortable, buttercup.”

He let out a heavy sigh as he pushed his keyboard away and turned to face her. “Look, I already told you that ---”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know.” She waved a dismissive hand at him. “What’s done is done, you can’t go back and change it, actions have consequences, yada, yada, yada.” She shook her head. “I’m not here to apologize on Leo’s behalf, or to try and make excuses for him. He was an utter asshole to you. Stars, I haven’t forgiven him for it yet, and I certainly don’t expect you to.” Her face softened. “But This is tearing him apart, Kira. He knows he messed up. He knows it, and it is killing him that he can’t fix it.”

Something was suddenly clogging his throat and he had to drop his gaze. “I’m sorry,” he muttered. “I’m not trying to hurt him. I don’t want to hurt him. It’s just…” He paused for a moment before shaking his head. “I’m going to tell you the same thing I’ve told everyone else: I have to take care of myself,It’ and I don’t think I would ever survive him leaving me. So, is better if we just top this now, before we get any deeper.”

Petra let out an inelegant snort. “Jeez, and here I thought Leo was being overdramatic. Why the hell are you so convinced that he will eventually leave you? Because that bitch at the Abyss said he’ll eventually get bored with you?”

He blinked at her. “Well, yeah. I mean, she named off a lot of people there at the club he had been with. It just seems like there wouldn’t be that many if he didn’t get bored. Or left for some other reason.”

His companion let out an exasperated sigh and looked up, as though asking the heavens for patience. “I’ve told you that Leandro has a tendency to just throw himself into things without thinking them through. He wants life. He wants love. He wants a family. Stability. Peace. He is so desperate for them that he will jump at anything that looks like it might be able to give him those things. He didn’t get bored with her. She was using him, pretending to love him in order to drain him of money. I’m the one who made him leave her. Those other two that she mentioned? Asa and Soren? He didn’t get bored with them, either. Soren was going around and sleeping with all of these other people behind Leo’s back. He knew it, but he was so sure that Soren actually loved him that he refused to leave. And Asa broke into Leo’s apartment once with the intent to hurt him because he thought Leo was cheating on him. He never got bored. They were just not what he needed.”

Unbidden, the red-headed woman’s voice came back to him: “He always get bored. Or he just hasn’t found what he’s looking for.”

The thought was like a punch to the gut. Had he been wrong this whole time? Had he pushed Leandro away, so sure that the other man would leave him, when it was possible that Leandro had finally found what he was looking for? That Akira could be what he had been looking for? That he could provide the love and peace that Leandro had been searching for for so long?

“You are all I want,” Leandro had said. “You are everything I have ever wanted.”

Petra leaned forward even further, making sure that Akira could not look away from her. “Do you love him?”

“You know I do.”

“Then let him try and fix this. I’m not saying you have to forgive him right away. But he loves you, Akira. No matter what he says, no matter what he does, he loves you. When he is with you, he is happier than I have ever seen him. You’re an anchor for him. You make him slow down and appreciate things more. You give him what he needs without him having to ask for it. And you respect him. You have never asked him to do anything he didn’t want to. You are exactly what he needs. What he wants.” Her eyes glittered. “And, if you leave him now, it will destroy him.”

He bit his lip, already feeling his resolve slipping. “What if… What if he does it again? What if we get into a fight and he just disappears again? Now that he knows what kind of power that has over me, I’m afraid he’ll use it was a weapon.”

“Oh, Kira.” Petra reached out to gently touch his face. “If he ever does anything --- and I mean anything ---to hurt you on purpose, then he is not the man I know and love. If that ever happens, then I will be more than happy to help you rip him limb from limb then dispose of his body.” She gave him a small grin. “But I’m willing to bet you Rover that he won’t. I’m pretty sure he has learned his lesson.”

“Maybe.” But that if?

His companion let out a sigh as she dropped her hand. “Listen,” she said, her voice soft. “Love is scary. You are putting your faith, hope, and trust in this other person, knowing full well that they can turn around and easily use it to hurt you in ways that no one else can. It’s especially hard for people like us who have already lost the people that we loved the most. Finding another person that you can be safe with, be vulnerable with, seems impossible.” She paused. “I know Leo’s not perfect, but you’re his. Once you become part of his family, he would rather cut off a limb than do something that would hurt you on ourpose. Please, Kira. Let him prove it to you.”

They fell into silence then, Akira’s mind churning over everything that Petra has just told him.

He knew he was going to give in. He didn’t want to. (Well, no, that wasn’t right. He did want to.) But the fear was still there. What if Petra was wrong? What if Leandro did become bored with him? Or left him? Or any number of other things that would tear Akira apart?

And yet, even knowing this, knowing that the other man had the power to ruin him with just one word, Akira was still going to give in. Because Leandro Sanchez had become his biggest weakness. Because Akira loved him.

He blew out a long breath, closing his eyes as he slumped in defeat. I am so weak, he thought miserably. “I’ll try. Don’t get your hopes up,” he said quickly, opening his eyes to fix her with a glare. “What he did hurt, even if he didn’t mean for it to. But I will at least try. Okay?”

A wide, beaming smile split her face. “That’s all any of us could ask for. If I thought there was even a chance that Leo had done this on purpose, I wouldn’t be having this conversation with you. I mean, I was so mad at him when he finally fessed up to what had happened that I was almost tempted to just stay out of it and let him deal with it on his own. But he wasn’t malicious. Stupid, yes. But not malicious. This has been killing him. And I know that, despite your tough guy façade, it’s killing you, too. I want you to be happy, Kira. Because I love both of you, and I want to see you be happy for once in your lives.”

They lapsed into a comfortable silence then, and Akira was thankful for the chance to try and get his thoughts in order.

Before their ill-fated trip to the Quantum Abyss, he had been happier than he could ever remember being. He had finally felt like he was a part of a family again. And there was someone who loved him. Him. Out of all the people in the universe, someone had chosen him. And he had let Leandro charm his way into his very soul, and he knew that the other man would never leave. No matter how far Akira ran from him.

Something fluttered in his chest, something warm and light and painful all at once. Hope, he realized after a moment. It was hope.

He looked up at Petra, and she must have sensed the change in him, because her grin was suddenly, impossibly wide. “I’m not going to make it easy for him,” he warned.

She laughed at that. “Good! He needs to earn it.” She leaned forward again and placed a kiss against his cheek. “Thank you, Kira. I promise that, if you two talk things out and decide to still go your separate ways, then I won’t say anything else. I just don’t want you to leave without trying. Okay?”

“Okay.”

Leandro found himself lying listlessly on his couch, staring at the blank holovid screen in front of him. He knew he should probably get something to eat. (He hadn’t eaten anything since lunch, and even that hadn’t been much.) He knew he should take a shower, or maybe clean his room, but he just couldn’t find the motivation to do anything.

He was running out of time. Only two days were left in the week Alina had granted him, and he was totally out of ideas. He didn’t know what else he could say, what else he could do, to convince Akira that he wanted this relationship more than anything. That Akira was the person he wanted to have by his side at the end of it all. That he loved him.

Two days. That was it. He only had two days left until Akira Kogane walked out of his life. Possibly for forever.

I’m going to lose him.

He hadn’t allowed himself to have that thought since this had all started, so sure was he that things would work out. He had been confident that, given time, Akira would at least agree to stay with Voltron. Then Leandro would have the time to work his magic and wiggle his way back into his partner’s good graces.  The idea that Akira might actually slip away from him had never crossed his mind.

Maybe there was still a way. Maybe he could beg Akira, actually get on his hands and knees and beg for another chance. He wouldn’t ask for a romantic relationship --- he would let Akira decided if and when that would happen --- but at least to still be able to be his partner. His friend.

“Leo?” Petra’s voice called out from behind the couch. “What are you doing? Come on. We have to go/”

Go? he thought blearily. Go where? But when he looked at his wrist comm he saw, much to his surprise, that it was the time they usually left for the debriefing. Shit. How long have I been lying here? “You go on. I think I’m going to sit this one out.”

There was a noise of exasperating, then Petra’s face was suddenly peering down at him over the back of the couch. “I’m not putting up with this angsty bullshit,” she said, her tone stern. “Get your ass up and let’s go. You can mope after we get back.”

“Petra, please. I don’t ---”

“I swear to whichever god you want to pick that if you do not get your ass up off that couch, I will call Hayach to come in here and carry you to the debriefing like the child that you are behaving like.”

He found himself jumping to his feet before he had time to think. “I don’t want to go!” he snarled, glaring at her over the couch. “I have already had to see him twice today. And both times he hardly even acknowledged my presence. I don’t want to do it again, okay? So don’t rell me I’m being a childs!”

She simply smirked at him and crossed her arms over her chest. “It got you off the couch, didn’t it?”

He met her eyes, his glare turning into a scowl. “You’re evil.”

“I know,” she replied with a grin. “But you love me regardless. Come on. We don’t want to be late.”

It seemed almost impossible that he had once looked forward to going to these meetings. Back then, he had known that he would get to see Akira, that the other man would stand next to him and hold his hand. That, after the meeting was over, they would have time to spend together doing whatever they wanted. Now, as he walked sullenly down the hallway besides Petra, all he felt was dread.

Petra nudged his shoulder. “Hey, cheer up a bit. It’s just a meeting, not an execution.”

“So says you,” he grumbled. “There’s only two days left, Pet. Two more days until he’s gone. I don’t want to see him any more than I have to. It hurts.”

Her face softened, and she reached over to take his hand. “I know. But it’s not over yet, right? You can’t give up yet.” She squeezed his hand and pulled him forward. “Come on. Have some faith.”

He wanted to laugh at her --- he’d lost his faith a long time ago --- but he let her pull him into the command center.

Thankfully, the only person there was Hayach, and he lit up when he saw them. “Hey, guys! he called out cheerfully. “You okay, Leo? You look a bit pale. Did you eat today? Are you getting enough sleep? When was the last time you went outside?”

Leandro couldn’t help but smile. He had found that it was nearly impossible to stay sad around the other man. “Hey, Hayach. Yeah, Petra told me I was being angsty. Guess I’m trying to look the part.”

“Ah. I see.” He walked over to Leandro and threw an arm around his shoulders. “Well, I have just the thing. You and Pet come over after the meeting. I’ll make cookies and we can play video games, yeah?”

Leandro felt his smile grow a little bit wider. “You always think cookies can solve everything.”

“That’s because I haven’t found a problem yet that my cookies can’t solve.” The big man winked at him, and Leandro found himself laughing.

The three of them quickly fell into an easy conversation, and Leandro found himself starting to relax, enjoying the utter normalcy of it all, when the sound of laughter had him snapping his head up.

The three Kogane men walked into the command center as he watched. Dante had a sour look on his face, while Hoshi’s head was thrown back in laughter. And Akira…

Akira was smiling, a bright, wide grin that lit up his entire face and crinkled the corners of his eyes. It was the first time that Leandro had seen him smile in a week, and it was painstakingly beautiful.

As Leandro continued to stare, unable to look away, Akira turned his head just enough for their eyes to meet. I love you, Leandro thought desperately, hoping that Akira could somehow hear him. I love you, and am so sorry that I hurt you. Please don’t leave me. Please give me another chance.

Akira’s smile slipped a bit, but it didn’t fall completely. And, as Leandro watched, the other man offered him a nod. It wasn’t much, just a slight dip of his head, but it had been there. It had been something.

“Greetings, paladins.” The sound of Alina’s voice had Leandro turning towards where she stood next to Curran. There was a wide smile on her face, and her eyes were sparkling in a way that Leandro knew meant something was up. “Thank you all for being here. We have a new mission, and it’s going to require assistance from all of you.”

Leandro felt his heart leap painfully to attention. A mission? Did she say that we have a mission?

Alina leaned forward, not bothering to hide the excitement in her voice. “We’ve received an update on the plans to move the quintessence from the Galra to one of Roman’s warehouses. In two days’ time, Roman and a contingent of his people are scheduled to meet with the Galra at the Castillo de Lyons. From there the quintessence will be transported to the Outskirts. We are not sure as to where the quintessence is meant to be stored, but we do know that Roman owns several warehouses in the area, so our guess is that he will use one of them for storage. My plan is to have each pair of us --- myself and Curran included --- stationed at separate locations in order to do surveillance. Once we know where it is to be stored, we will be able to proceed with the next step.”

For a moment, silence fell over the group as everyone absorbed this information. Then Akira’s voice rang out, cool and calm. “What are our assignments?”

“Hoshi and I will work out the details and have your assignments ready for you at tomorrow’s meeting. Everyone will be working with their assigned partner, and I will send out the details of each location that we have marked for surveillance. I will need you to study them and be ready with any questions you may have tomorrow night.”

We have a mission, Leandro thought numbly. Kira and I will be going on a mission together. I still have time.

Suddenly he wanted to cry. No, he wanted to laugh. He wanted to run to Alina and wrap her in his arms and spin her around until they both fell over from giddiness.

They had a mission.

I haven’t lost him yet.

Chapter Text

There was something about getting ready for a mission that Leandro loved. As he prepared himself --- strapping on his thigh holsters, making sure his pistols were charged, slipping into his duster --- it reminded him that he was a part of something: the Deliverance, Team Voltron, the Neon City Outlaws. It made him feel like he could make a difference in this world, that he could actually make things better.

It made him feel alive.

As he made his way to the garage, he could feel the stress and tension from the past week start to fall away, replaced by his usual upbeat confidence. These were the things that turned him from Leandro Sanchez into one of the Neon City Outlaws. He could feel his blood singing in his veins, hear himself humming. By the time he stepped off of the elevator, there was a large grin plastered to his face and he could feel his hips swaying with his usual swagger.

He found Akira waiting for him, leaning against the outside wall of his workshop, arms crossed over his chest. He was dressed in his usual mission outfit of all black, save for his red motorcycle jacket. His goggles were perched on the top of his head, and Leandro could see the handle of a sword peeking over his right shoulder.

Leandro paused, taking a moment to drink in the sight. This was his Akira. His partner. His fellow Outlaw. His Samurai. His.

When Akira looked up and caught him staring, a scowl crossed his face. “You’re late.”

Leandro felt his grin widen. Yup, that was his Akira all right. Complete with scowl and grumpy demeanor. “Maybe, but you know I’m totally worth the wait.”

Akira let out a snort as he shook his head. “Let’s move. The others have already left, so we’re going to have to book it in order to make our location on time.”

Leandro waited for his partner to climb onto Red before sliding into place behind him. He went to wrap his arms around Akira, the movement purely instinctual, but caught himself before he could touch the other man. “Er, do you mind if I…” He waved his arms awkwardly.

“You’re going to have to. We’re running late, remember? I’m going to have to go fast.”

“Oh. Right.” He reached out and gingerly placed his hands on Akira’s hips. It wasn’t much in the way of contact, but it was the first time that Leandro had been able to touch him in nearly a week, and it was almost enough to bring him to tears.

In front of him, Akira let out an exasperated sigh. “Not like that, you idiot. You’ll fall off the second we hit the highway. Remember when we had to run from the Galra after we first met?”

You mean when I thought I was going to die because you drove like a maniac?  “Right,” he said, his voice coming out a little higher-pitched than he would have liked. “So, what do I…” He lifted his hands, unsure of what to do with them.

“Here.” Akira reached behind him, grasping each of Leandro’s wrists and pulling them forward until his hands rested at the center of Akira’s stomach. “Scoot closer so that you don’t have to reach so far. Just don’t squeeze too tight. I need to be able to breathe in order to drive.”

Leandro felt a lump form in his throat, and he had to swallow it as he did as Akira asked, moving forward until his thighs pressed against the outside of Akira’s. “Are… are you sure? Because I can ---"

“Yes, Leandro, I’m sure.” He pulled his mask up to cover his mouth and nose, then settled his goggles over his eyes. “Now shut up and hold on to me.”

Roman, it turned out, owned six different warehouses around the Outskirts. The warehouse that Leandro and Akira had been assigned to lay to the south of the Castle, nearly bordering the Wastes. It was the farthest from the city, and had the least number of staff, so Hoshi had deemed it to be the safest for the two most wanted men on the planet to investigate.

True to his word, Akira opened the throttle the second they hit the highway, weaving around the broken sections of the road at speeds that had Leandro burying his face into his partner’s back and tightening his hold. He didn’t slow down until they were turning off of the highway onto a small gravel road that led them up a grassy hill, stopping at a large circle of gravel surrounded by what looked like firepits.

Leandro frowned as Akira cut the engine. “Where are we?” he asked, wincing at how loud his voice sounded in the sudden silence.  

“It’s a campsite. Not much of one ---- and not used very often --- but it’s close to our target. So, if someone sees a motorcycle parked here it shouldn’t arouse too much suspicion. You and I can walk the rest of the way from here.”

As the other man climbed off of Red, Leandro reached into his pockets and pulled out his earpieces. Gods bless, Hayach had taken the small devices and connected them to their wrist comm microphones, meaning that, as long as their wrist comm mikes were on and near, the rest of the team would be able to hear anything they said in their earpieces. “Hey-yo,” he sang out, holding his wrist comm close to his mouth. “This is Team Purple, checking in. Can you guys hear me?”

Akira, who was in the process of inserting his own earpieces, narrowed his eyes at him. Leandro just grinned in reply.

“About time you two decided to join us.” Hoshi’s voice rang through his ears loud, clear, and dry. “Dante and I have been sitting here for an hour.”

“That’s Leo’s fault,” Petra said. “He was running late.”

“Hey!” he called out with faked indignation. “You can’t rush perfection, you know. Besides, we’re here, aren’t we?”

“I’m glad to hear that everyone has arrived safely.” Amusement tinged Alina’s voice. “We’ll go silent now, but please be sure to contact the rest of us if anything happens.”

This was followed by a round of affirmatives, then silence descended as everyone turned off their microphones.

Leandro was still grinning as he swung off of the bike. “All right, Samurai. Lead the way.”

Akira took them down a small dirt path that looked as though it had not been disturbed in some time, leading them away from the campsite and farther up the hill. They walked in silence for several moments before Akira stopped and motioned to a small group of trees. “Here. This gives us a good place to watch from. It can provide camouflage if we need it, and it’s close enough to Red that we can get to her quickly if need be.”

“Where is this warehouse we’re supposed to be watching?”

“Down there.”

Leandro followed his partner’s pointing finger down the slope. At the bottom sat a plain brick building with three loading docks. From this distance it would have been nearly impossible to make out any details. However, thanks to their goggles, Leandro knew they would be able to see everything perfectly. “Is it shielded?”

“Not by Galra tech, no. I’m guessing Roman never thought this operation would be important enough to pay to have it shielded.”

Leandro sent up a silent prayer of thanks for that. Without the Galran shielding, the two of them would be able to see anything inside the building that gave off energy. “So, what do we do now?”

Akira leaned against one of the trees, crossing his arms over his chest. “Now we wait.”

“Just… wait?”

“Mmmm. And watch.”

“Watch for what, exactly?”

Akira shrugged. “Anything unusual. And, before you ask, no. I don’t know exactly what ‘unusual’ means. Could be extra staff showing up, could be the current staff moving inventory around. We won’t know until it happens. So, we just need to wait. And watch.”

“Wait and watch. Got it.” Leandro sat on the ground, leaning back against another tree. “I can do that.”

The two men lapsed into silence, both staring down at the seemingly innocuous building. Leandro squinted, causing his goggles to zoom in. He could make out six human-shaped heat signatures scattered throughout the structure, but no strange-seeming energy sources.

He blew out a breath, letting his head fall back against the tree with a thunk. “Do we do anything while we wait and watch? Like… play a game, maybe? Or sing campfire songs?”

“No.” Akira’s voice was firm. “No games. And definitely no singing. We’re trying not to get noticed, remember?”

This elicited a groan. “Kiiiiiira! I can’t just sit here! I’ll start getting bored and then I won’t pay attention. We have to do something.”

Silence greeted him, and Leandro began to think that Akira wasn’t going to answer. But then his partner expelled a long, heavy sigh. “Maybe… maybe we can talk? You know, about what happened?”

Leandro whipped his head around so fast he felt something in his neck pop. “You… Really? You’re okay? With talking about it? Now, I mean?”

Akira was still leaning against the tree, head lowered. Thanks to his mask and goggles, his face was unreadable. “I’ve been thinking a lot lately, and you were right. We do need to talk it out. Not just for our sakes, but for our friends, too. So. Since we’re here, let’s talk. I’ll go first, if that’s all right.”

“Yeah. Of course. I’m listening.”

Akira straightened, shifting his weight so it was held evenly by both legs, and lifted his chin. He looked as though he was preparing for a fight. Leandro stayed seated.

“First of all, I owe you an apology. Several, actually. I have handled this entire situation poorly. I placed most of the blame for our fight on you, which is unfair. I wasn’t exactly a saint to you when we were at the club.”

Leandro felt his eyes widen. He knew he should be watching the building instead of Akira, but he couldn’t help it. Whatever he had thought was going to happen --- however he thought this conversation was going to go --- this certainly wasn’t it.

“When that server told me that you had all of these previous lovers because you got bored with them, I took her word as truth. I didn’t give you a chance to explain. Because of that, everything else fell apart. I allowed myself to get drunk because I was upset. I tried to force myself on you, then reacted childishly when you stopped me. And then…” He paused, and Leandro could see the tightening of his jaw. “I said the worst thing to you I could think of. I used words that were intended to hurt you. And I realized that I have yet to apologize for saying them. Not really.”

“Kira.” Leandro felt his gut clench. He didn’t like this. It felt wrong somehow. “I don’t blame you. You didn’t ---”

“Shut up, Leandro.”

He did so, jaw snapping shut audibly. He turned his head so that he could look back down at the warehouse. But all of his attention was focused on the man standing beside him.

“Thank you.” Leandro could hear him shifting again. “When I said that to you, I wanted to hurt you. And that… There was no excuse for that. I may have been drunk, but I was sober enough to know what I was doing. My actions were irreprehensible. Those are words that someone who cares about you in any capacity should never say, and I wish to all the gods that I could take them back.”

He pressed his lips together to keep from saying anything. He wanted to tell Akira that he was forgiven, that Leandro had never really blamed him for anything that had happened that night. But he realized that the other man wasn’t looking for forgiveness. This was his version of confession, and Leandro was simply meant to listen.

“I know you were angry with me, which you had every right to be. But when you never answered me, and then I found out that you’d been there all along, ignoring me…”

Leandro winced. This, he had come to realize, was their real issue. Not the fight itself, but the aftermath. And that blame, he knew, fell squarely onto his shoulders. “I’m sorry,” he murmured.

“I know you are. I’m not bringing this up to try and make you feel guilty, or to try and make it out like it’s all your fault. I’ve done that enough already. I just want you to understand why it upset me so much. Because that’s what I should have done in the first place.” He paused again. “That’s what couples do, right? Or so I’ve been told.”

Leandro found himself sucking in air through his nose. Did Akira mean… Was he saying what Leandro thought he was saying? What he hoped he was saying?

“The idea of losing you --- of losing you in any capacity --- terrifies me. So not knowing where you were, not knowing if you were safe, was tearing me apart. All I could do was imagine the worst. So, when I found out that you had deliberately chosen not to respond to me, it was devastating. When you finally came to me, I responded purely out of anger and fear, and I am sorry for that as well.”

Silence fell again. Down in the building below, Leandro could see the six heat signatures all start moving in the same direction. The sun was setting, so he assumed that they were getting ready to finish up their day.

“I want this.” Akira’s voice was soft, slightly muffled by the mask. “What you and I have. What we’ve talked about having together. I do love you, Leandro. But…” He blew out a long breath. “I’m scared. The whole idea of depending on someone else fucking terrifies me. I know that you weren’t ignoring me to be cruel. I know that. But my heart…”

He trailed off again, but Leandro didn’t need him to finish. He knew exactly what the other man was going to say. My heart doesn’t understand.

There were so many things Leandro wanted to say right then. He wanted to tell Akira that he would never do anything to hurt him again. That he would always take Akira’s feelings into account. That he would always think before acting. But these were not things that he could promise. He knew that, and so did Akira.

So he forgot about the words he wanted to say, and focused on the ones that needed to be said.

“I’m just a man.” His voice was quiet. “Nothing more, nothing less. Which means that I am going to make mistakes. I’m going to do things that you may not like, things that might upset you. I can’t help that. But the one thing that I can promise you is that I will never do anything to hurt you on purpose. And I will swear to do my best to never do anything to make you think that I’ve left you. I promise to do my best to let you know if I ever need time or space. I can’t promise I’ll always do it --- I have the tendency to act without thinking --- but I will never again let you go for days wondering where I am. Not if I can help it.”

He heard another shift of Akira’s weight, followed by a long exhalation. “Thank you,” came the murmured reply. “That’s all I can ask of you. I just need to know. For my own peace of mind. And if you ever ---”

He cut his words off abruptly, taking a step forward and lifting his head. “Do you hear that?”

Leandro sat up straight, straining his ears. He could hear a distant hum that he assumed was coming from the warehouse. But nothing that seemed out of the ordinary. “No. I don’t hear anything.”

Akira took another step forward, head cocked to the side. Leandro continued to listen, but couldn’t hear anything besides the normal sounds of night.

After another few moments of silence, Akira finally spoke. “It’s an engine. A big one too, by the sounds of it. And it’s getting loser.”

Leandro still couldn’t hear it. Then again, he wasn’t a mechanic. “Maybe it’s Roman?”

“Can’t be. According to the intel we received he’s not even supposed to meet the Galra until nightfall. He should just now be getting to the Castillo.”

Leandro frowned as he climbed to his feet. The heat signatures inside the warehouse were all gathered together, reaching for things he couldn’t see. Coats and hats, maybe. “They seem to be getting ready to leave. Do you think Roman could have arranged for a transport to pick them up and take them home?”

“Maybe. I think we need to take a closer look. Come on.”

Akira led them down the slope, the darkening sky helping to camouflage their movements. They hurried across the back parking lot and pressed themselves against the bricks.

Leandro could hear the rumble of the engine now. Akira had been right; it was big, and it was getting closer. Another glance inside showed him that the workers were all heading towards the front of the building. “It looks like they’re leaving,” he whispered.

Akira inched along the wall, moving past the loading bays so that he could peer around the corner. Leandro followed, staying a few feet behind, keeping an eye on what was going on inside the building.

The rumbling was much louder now as Akira reached the corner. As Leandro watched, he could just make out three new heat signatures coming from the front of the building, their glow much fainter than the ones inside the building.

“Kira,” he hissed. “Kira, there are ---”

Before he could get the words out, the sounds of gunfire ripped through the night.

Leandro dover forward, letting himself roll off of the loading dock and then falling hard to the pavement below. He threw his arms over his head in a feeble attempt to protect himself, knowing that it would do nothing to stop chucks of the building from crushing him.

The sound of energy shots flying over his head seemed to go on forever. Leandro kept his face pressed to the pavement, afraid to move.

Where is Akira? The question ran a desperate loop through his mind. And when the shooting finally ended, he had to fight not to automatically call out his partner’s name. Instead, he carefully lifted his head, eyes searching for any sign of the other man.

A flash of red was his only warning before hands were gripping his shoulders. Looking up, he found Akira’s concerned face peering down at him.

“Are you all right?” he asked. (At least, that’s what it looked like he asked. Leandro couldn’t hear much besides the ringing in his ears.) He ran his hands gently over Leandro’s body, checking for injuries. “Were you hit?”

“No. I’m fine.” Leandro pushed himself to his knees, eyes sweeping over his partner. “What about you?”

“I’m fine.” Akira peeked over the edge of the loading dock, hands still resting on Leandro’s shoulders. “What the hell happened?”

Leandro shook his head. “I saw some other heat signatures --- they looked like people, but they were faint. Like they were maybe on the other side of the building. And then…” He lifted his head up enough to peer over the lip of the loading dock, ignoring Akira’s warning hiss as he scanned the warehouse.

The back of the building was in ruins, large holes left behind from the force of the energy bursting through. His goggles showed him three person-shaped heat signatures moving through the building. On the floor…

“Shit!” He stood, ready to leap onto the loading dock and run into the warehouse.

Before he could haul himself up however, Akira gripped the back of his duster and yanked him back down. “What are you doing?” he hissed. “Do you want to get yourself killed?”

“They shot the workers!” he hissed back. “I can see them lying on the floor. We have to help them!”

He could see the corners of Akira’s eyes tighten. “We will. As soon as it is safe, we will go in and do what we can for them.”

“But what if ---”

“No!” Akira gave him a slight shake. “If you run in there right now, there is a good chance that whoever is still in there will just blow you away. Who will you be helping then?”

Akira was right. Leandro knew he was right. But that didn’t make staying where he was easy, especially when he could see that the heat signatures on the floor weren’t moving. And that the heat was seeping from the still forms onto the floor at an alarming rate.

The three signatures that were still upright --- the ones that Leandro assumed were the shooters --- were moving through the building with purposeful strides. Every now and then one of them would stop for a moment before moving on. “What are they doing?”

“I’m not sure. Looking for something, maybe? Just get ready. As soon as they leave, we’re going in.”

Leandro stayed crouched behind the lip of the docking bay, eyes flickering anxiously between the the three figures moving through the building and the dead or dying on the floor. The only thing keeping him from dashing into the building, pistols blazing, was Akira’s steadying hand on his back.

When the figures all moved in one direction, becoming faint once again, Leandro tensed, ready to rush forward. But once again, Akira held him back. “Not yet,” his partner murmured. “Let’s wait to make sure they leave.”

It was several more long, tense moments before the rumble of the big engine shifted and Leandro could tell that it was moving. He used that as his signal, ignoring Akira’s low cry as he leapt onto the loading bay and dashed inside.

Somehow, miraculously, the lights had survived the carnage, and Leandro shoved his goggles to the top of his head as he made his way towards the front of the building.He fell to his knees beside the first body he came across, fingers already reaching for the man’s neck. “Come on,” he said, praying that he would find a pulse. “Come on! Please still be alive!”

But there was no pulse to be found. And, as he looked down, Leandro realized that there had never been a chance: everything below the man’s chest had been reduced to tatters.

Bile rose up the back of his throat. Leandro slapped a hand over his mouth and stumbled away from the dead man, trying not to throw up.

Keep it together. Some part of his brain --- some small part that had somehow managed to remain rational --- was yelling at him. You can lose your shit later. There are five other people you need to check on. Get moving!

So he did, walking to where he could see another body splayed out on the floor, a thick puddle of red spreading out around him.

The first thing that Leandro noticed was that this man was young, probably no older than he himself. The second was that the man’s eyes were open wide and fixed to the ceiling, unseeing. And the third was the blood-splattered wedding ring that was on his left hand.

A sob broke through the hand that still covered his mouth, and Leandro could feel the burn of tears press behind his eyes. He had seen death before; he was no stranger to corpses. But he had never seen it like this, so fresh, so personal. Someone is at home waiting for him. He has a family, maybe a child…

Keep going, the rational voice said again, though it was softer this time. You have to keep trying.

He was nearing the third body when he heard a shout come from somewhere behind him. He was moving before he had time to think, drawing both pistols as he raced towards the sound. Had the killers returned? Had they found Akira? An image popped into his mind of the young man whose body he had just found. Only this time those unseeing eyes were a mixture of purple and gray.

He ran faster. “Kira?”

Another shout, this one closer. Leandro angled towards it. If his partner was able to shout, that meant that he was still alive. If he could just ---

“Leo!” Now he could make out words. “Leo, go! Get out of here!”

Leandro felt his lips peel back in a snarl. No way was he leaving Akira behind. If those bastards had him, if they’d hurt him ---

The sound of running footsteps had him bringing up both pistols, fingers hovering over the triggers. But when he saw the figure that was running towards him, he immediately lowered them. “Kira?”

“Go!” Even from this distance Leandro could see that the other man’s eyes were wide with fear. “Run! There’s a bomb!”

Leandro blinked, not sure that he had heard correctly. A bomb? That made no sense.

But then Akira was crashing into him, sending them both flying. Akira wrapped both arms around him, twisting his body so that he was the one to hit the floor first. Then they were rolling across the floor until Leandro felt his back slam into something hard, knocking all of the air from his lungs. Dimly he was aware of Akira moving to hover over him, yelling at Leandro to cover his head.

Then came the unmistakable sound of an explosion, and the building fell on top of them.

The sound of the building collapsing was like nothing Akira had ever heard. It was the thunder of falling brick, the shriek of tortured metal, the groan of buckling wood. It sounded as though a thousand damned souls were crying out.  

He curved his body over Leandro’s, throwing his arms over his head in the hopes that they might offer some protection. He had managed to roll them under one of the industrial shelving units, but he knew that, if the bottom shelf gave away, he would be crushed.

I don’t want to die.

The thought of dying on a  mission had never bothered him before. If his death meant that someone else might live then he would gladly make the sacrifice. He knew that Hoshi, Hayach, and Dante would all miss him, but they would make it without him.

But now there was someone else who needed him, someone that he loved. He wanted Leandro to teach him how to dance, wanted to watch him play guitar and sing to him. He wanted to learn Spanish so that Leandro would never have to feel like he was alone. He wanted them to build a life together.

The rumbling and shrieking and groaning seemed to go on for an eternity. Leandro’s grip on him became painful, and his elbows began to shake from the strain of supporting his weight. But he didn’t move. He couldn’t. If he did, then Leo would be left unprotected.

It wasn’t until long after the rumbling had stopped that he dared to lift his head. “Leo?” he whispered urgently. “Are you all right?”

“I… I think so.” The already-painful grip on Akira’s back tightened. “Are we trapped?”

“I don’t know.” Akira raised a hand to see if there was anything above them. When it met nothing, he let out a lungful of relief. “The shelves above us didn’t collapse, so we’re at least not pinned in. I’m going to see if I can find us a way out of here. Stay here, okay? I’ll be back as soon as I find something.”

A whimper came from beneath him, and Leandro’s hands scrabbled up his back to clutch at his shoulders. “No. Don’t leave me. Please!”

“I have to, Leo. We can’t just ---"

“No!” The word came out as a wail, and Leandro’s nails dug into Akira’s shoulders. “You can’t leave me. It’s too dark. I can’t see. I c-can’t… You…” His words dissolved into a mixture of incoherent babbling and sobs.

Shit. Akira shifted his weight so that he could reach for the utility pouch clipped to his belt, fumbling it open and dipping his hand inside to pull out a small penlight. “Here.” He clicked it on, then pressed it into Leandro’s shaking hands. “I know it’s not much, but at least it’s light.”

Leandro took it and pressed it to his chest. “Thank you.” His voice was hoarse.

“I’m going to see if I can find us a way out, okay? Stay here and hold on to that light. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

The penlight didn’t provide much in the way of illumination, but Leandro was holding it in such a way that Akira could see that his eyes were wide with terror. “Do you promise? You won’t leave me here?”

Akira could feel his heart break at those whispered words. This wasn’t just Leandro being afraid of the dark. This was something different, something deeper. “Of course, I’m coming back,” he said gently. “We’re partners, remember? We’ve always got each other’s backs, no matter what.” On impulse he leaned down to press his lips to the other man’s forehead. “I will never leave you behind, Leo. I promise.”

He saw Leandro’s eyes flutter shut before he took a deep, shuddering breath. “Okay,” he whispered. “Okay. I’ll… I’ll wait here.”

“I’ll be back as soon as possible.” Then Akira was sliding out from underneath the shelf and into darkness.

He had lost his goggles somewhere in the turmoil, so he could make out nothing in front of him. He used his mask to cover his mouth and nose and pulled out his comm, which, thankfully, was unbroken. He turned it on, letting the glow from the screen act as a flashlight. It was dimmer than the penlight, and it didn’t do much to penetrate the dust swirling through the air, but at least he could see what was in front of him.

The area right outside of the shelving unit was clear, only small bits of debris littering the ground. He glanced up, but couldn’t make out any details. He sent up a prayer of thanks to whomever had kept them safe and hoped that the same deity had been kind enough to leave them a way out as well.

He tried to orient himself before striking out. He was acutely aware of the sounds of the rubble sighing and shifting above him as it settled, as well as the sounds of debris falling in the distance. He tried to stay as close to the shelving units as possible in case he needed to use them for shelter again.

Akira managed to walk for several moments, picking his way across the debris-strewn floor as hope rose in his chest, until he came to a pile of rubble that he couldn’t find a way around. Cursing under his breath he made his way along the edge of the debris field, looking for any possible escape route. But there was nothing, and he found himself growing anxious to get back to Leandro.

He tapped his wrist comm, hoping that the rubble wouldn’t block his signal. “Hoshi? Can you hear me?”

“I’m here.” The reply was almost instant, and Akira found himself closing his eyes in relief. He hadn’t realized how much he needed to hear his brother’s voice, to know that he didn’t have to do this alone. “Is everything okay?”

He expelled a hoarse laugh. “No. No, it’s not. Someone planted a bomb in the warehouse, and it went off while we were in it. We’re okay, but I don’t think we’re going to be able to get out on our own.”

“We’re on our way.” He could hear the worry in Hoshi’s voice, even though the elder Kogane was trying to hide it. “Are either of you hurt?”

“No. I mean, nothing beyond some scrapes and bruises. Leo… Leo’s having a hard time with it being dark, but I gave him my penlight, so hopefully he’ll be all right until you get here.”

“Is he there?” Petra’s sharp voice cut in, causing Akira to jump. He had forgotten that the others were able to hear him as well. “With you, I mean? Can he hear me?”

He shook his head before remembering that she couldn’t see him. “No. I left him at our shelter while I looked for a way out. He might still have his ear pieces in, but I doubt it.”

When Petra next spoke, her voice had moved from sharp to tight with worry. “He’s claustrophobic, Kira. He doesn’t like the dark or enclosed spaces. He’ll need ---"

He didn’t hear the rest of what she had to say. He was already hurrying back towards the shelving unit where he had left the other man, picking his way over the debris as fast as he could. Why had Leandro never told him this before? He had always seemed to be fine when they were in the elevator. And, except for the lights above his bed always being on, the dark had never seemed to bother him. “How long will it take you to get here, Hoshi?”

“At least half an hour,” was his brother’s reply. “But we’re on our way.”

“We’re coming, too.” Petra’s voice was quickly followed by Alina’s, stating that “We’ll also be there as soon as we can.”

Akira felt some of the tension leave his shoulders as he realized that his entire team was coming to their rescue. “Okay. Petra, what can I do to help Leo until you get here?”

“Try to keep him distracted. Try to get him to talk to you. He usually has a panic attack when he feels like he’s trapped, so getting him to calm down is the most important thing. If he doesn’t,  he’ll just shut down completely and not be able to do anything on his own.”

Akira’s cursing grew louder as his pace increased.

As he got closer to the shelving unit where he had left his partner Akira flashed the light from his comm forward, hoping that Leandro would see it. “Leo?” he called out. “It’s Kira. I’m back.”

When no answer came, he felt a jolt of panic shoot through him. Had something broken free and fallen on him? “Leo?” he called again, crouching down to peer under the shelf.

Leandro had curled in on himself, knees drawn up tightly to his chest. The penlight was still clutched in his hands, and Akira could see that his shaking had intensified. And though Leandro was staring directly at him, Akira knew that his partner wasn’t seeing him. His eyes were wide, glazed, and unfocused.

Without a second thought he crawled back under the shelf, making his way towards his partner. He lay on his side in front of Leandro --- close enough to touch, but far enough away to give the other man space if he needed it. “Hey, Leo,” he called out softly. “I’m back. I’m sorry I was gone for so long.” He sat his comm on the ground with the screen facing up. “I brought more light with me. Now it won’t be as dark.”

Leandro didn’t respond. He didn’t blink, didn’t move beyond his trembling. Akira wasn’t even sure if the other man had heard him.

“Leo.” He reached out to touch Leandro’s face, gently stroking his cheek. “It’s all right, sweetheart. You’re safe. We’re going to get out of here, I promise. Can you look at me? Leo?”

There was a brief flicker as Leandro moved his eyes towards him, but there was no recognition there, no acknowledgment of Akira’s presence.

Akira moved closer, moving his hand from Leandro’s face into his hair. “Come back to me Sharpshooter. I need you. I can’t do this on my own.”

This time Leandro blinked, and his eyes slowly came back into focus. “K-Kira?” His name was barely audible, but it was there.

Akira felt a smile stretch across his face, relief sinking all the way into his bones. “Hello, love. I’m here. I’ve got you.”

His relief was short-lived, however, when Leandro’s eyes began to fill with tears. “Y-you were gone for so long. And I c-could hear things falling. I thought… I thought…”

Akira quickly reached out to wrap his arms around Leandro, pulling him tightly against him. “I’m so sorry,” he murmured into Leandro’s hair. “I never should have left you. But I’m here now. And I won’t leave you again. I promise.”

Leandro pressed his face into Akira’s chest as he began to cry. Akira simply held him, stroking his hair and cooing to him softly. He had never felt more helpless in his life. Hoshi, where are you?

As though he had someone been conjured, Hoshi’s voice came through his wrist comm. “Kira? We’re about five minutes out. Are you back with Leo? Are you two okay?”

“We’re fine.” He tried to keep his voice soft and even. “We’re back together again, so we’re about as good as we’re going to get.”

“Good. I feel better knowing that the two of you are together. The others are already there, so as soon as Dante and I get on scene we’ll come up with a plan for getting you two out of there.”

“Sounds good. We’ll see you soon.”

Leandro let out a whimper as Akira ended the call. “So, we can’t get out?” he asked in a small, wobbly voice. “We’re trapped?”

“No.” Akira began rubbing what he hoped were soothing circles on Leandro’s back. “No, we’re not trapped. We just need some help in order to get out safely. And you heard Hoshi. We’ll be out of here in no time.”

“What if the rest of the building falls down? What if they can’t get to us? What if they can’t even find us? What ---”

“That’s not going to happen.” He kept his voice soft, but added a hint of steel to it. “You’re getting out of here, Leo. I don’t care what I have to do. Do you hear me?”

“You’re… you’re coming too, right?” Suddenly, one of Leandro’s hands was gripping his shirt. “You’re not planning on staying behind, are you? I can’t…. I can’t…”

“Of course not,” he said, smoothing a hand over the other man’s hair. “I have no plans to stay behind. I want to take you dancing again. Properly, this time. I can’t do that if I’m still here, right?”

There was no response for a long moment, but then Akira felt Leandro’s grip on him loosen, then heard a long exhalation. “Okay. I just… I thought you were going to stay, and I… Don’t leave me, okay? Please? I can’t lose anyone else.”

Akira felt a wave of guilt slam into him. For the past week he had been so angry at Leandro for leaving him. But not once had he ever thought about how his own actions would affect Leandro. Gods, I am so fucking selfish. “I’m not leaving you, Leo. I swear to you that I’m not. We’re getting out of here together. Okay?”

“Okay.” He could feel Leandro relax against him. It was fractional, but it was something. “Okay.”

Akira tightened his grip, shifting his body so that he could pull Leandro tighter against him. “I want to take you on a date. A real one. Somewhere outside of the Castle. Tell me what you want to do. I don’t care what it is. I’ll make it happen.”

This earned him a laugh. It was weak and wobbly, but the sound of it ignited something deep within Akira’s chest.  “Anything I want?”

Akira felt his lips curve into a smile. “Anything you want. You want a moonlight ride across the Wastes? I’ll make it happen. You want to raid a Galra prison? Just say the words.”

This laugh was stronger, and Leandro turned his face so that he could look up at Akira. “Only you would think raiding a Galra prison is romantic.”

“Mmm. What can I say? I’m a simple man with simple tastes.” He wrapped one of Leandro’s curls around his finger. “What about you? What are your ideas of a romantic date?”

He felt Leandro shift against him, but before the other man could answer, Akira’s wrist comm beeped. “Hey, Hoshi.”

“Kira.” The worry was back in his brother’s voice. “We’re here. How are you doing?”

“We’re fine. Leo’s making fun of me because I said raiding a Galra prison was romantic.”

There was a moment of silence, then Hoshi’s laughter was ringing out. “We really need to work on what your idea of ‘romantic’ is, little brother.”

Akira could feel Leandro laugh against him, and his own smile widened into a grin. “Yeah, well, that’s why I’m letting Leo pick what we do for our first date. You guys coming to get us?”

“Soon. We’re tracking your comms so we know exactly where you guys are. Hayach is going to do some scouting and find a structurally-sound section of the building that we can use to get you out. Once we have an extraction plan, we’ll let you know.”

“Excellent. Hopefully, by the time we see you, he and I will have this date planned out.”

Hoshi was still laughing when the comm shut off.

Leandro’s body had now relaxed substantially, and the hand that was on Akira’s back didn’t seem to be shaking as much. “Were you being serious? About going on a date, I mean?”

“I’ve never been more serious about anything in my life.”

Leandro sighed as he curled deeper into Akira’s arms. “I think… I think I want to stay home. Do something where it’s just the two of us. Maybe cook dinner together. Just something quiet.”

“Something quiet, huh? Well, just so you know, I can’t cook for shit. I’ll have to get Hayach to help me. What kind of food do you like?”

“I was thinking we could each make some of our favorite foods and share them with each other.”

Akira let out a hum of pleasure. “Yeah. Yeah, that sounds perfect.”

Leandro lifted his head just enough to press his face into the side of Akira’s neck. “Thank you,” he breathed. “Thank you for not leaving me.”

Akira placed his cheek against the top of Leandro’s head. “I could never have left, Leo. I was angry and scared, and my first instinct is always to pull away from people and isolate myself.” He let out a dry chuckle. “I’m not very good at dealing with my emotions, if you hadn’t already noticed.”

Leandro gently rubbed his nose against his neck and, despite their current situation, Akira couldn’t suppress a shudder. “Neither am I. But now we know how to handle things better so we don’t have to go through that again.”

I love this man so much. Akira moved so that his mouth was hovering directly over Leandro’s ear. “You’re my home too, you know.”

He could feel Leandro’s breath hitch. “Kira.”

Akira’s wrist comm beeped, and he let out a huff of annoyance as he went to answer it. If they were not currently trapped and in need of rescue he would have ignored it. “Yes?”

“It looks like we’ve found a way in. Petra flew Rover over the wreckage, and we were able to find an opening that is almost directly above you. It looks as though some beams fell during the collapse and got wedged against a shelving unit. Hayach says they look pretty stable, so we’ll be lifting you out. Thank the gods we drove one of the rescue trucks. Dante is getting a climbing harness and rope right now, then we’ll be ready to go.”

Akira closed his eyes, feeling a wave of relief wash over him. “Bring a light with you. Shine it down when you get here so we can find you.”

The click of the call ending was Hoshi’s only response.

“Did you hear that?” Akira smoothed some of Leandro’s hair back away from his face. “Hoshi will be here any minute now. He’s going to get us out of here. And Petra’s waiting for you, too. She’ll be right there when you get out.”

The arm around his waist tightened. “You’ll be there too, right? You’re not staying behind? You promised me, remember?”

“Ssssh. Of course I’ll be there. I’ll be right behind you. I promise.”

Outside of their shelter came the sounds of creaking and moaning, followed by the sounds of things crashing to the ground. Leandro let out a whimper and pressed himself tighter against Akira.

“It’s all right, sweetheart. That’s just Hoshi. He’s having to climb over the rubble to get to us.” He shifted so that he was on his back, pulling Leandro so that the other man was lying partially on his chest. “Watch. He’s going to shine a light down to let us know where he is. I’m going to move us out of here, okay? So we can be ready as soon as he gets here.”

He could feel a tremble start in Leandro’s body once again. “I… I don’t…”

“I know you’re scared. But it’s going to be okay. I’ve got you, Leo. And I’m not going to let anything happen. But I need you to trust me right now. Can you do that?”

For a long moment there was only silence. Then came a long, heavy exhale, followed by an almost inaudible “Okay.”

A wide grin spread across Akira’s face, and he felt his chest swell with pride. “That’s my boy,” he said fiercely before planting a kiss to the top of Leandro’s head. “Do you still have your penlight?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Hold on to it. I’m going to have to put my comm away, so we’re going to lose some light until Hoshi gets here. But I’ll be right here the whole time.”

He gave Leandro a moment to get himself ready before turning off his comm and shoving it back into a pocket. The sound of distress his partner made jabbed a knife into his heart, but he knew that there would be more light soon. So he reached out, gripped the edge of the shelf they were under, and pulled them out from underneath it.

Almost as soon as they cleared the shelf a bright light shone down from above them. “Kira?” came Hoshi’s shout. “Leo? Can you hear me?”

“We’re here! We’ll be out in just a minute.” To Leandro he said “All right, sweetheart. I want you to hold on to me, okay? Hoshi’s here. Do you see the light? I’m going to stand up, then I’ll pull you up, okay? I’ll keep a hold of your hand the whole time. Just hold on.”

Leandro didn’t answer, which Akira took as a good sign. He unwrapped his arm from around the other man’s shoulders and grasped his hand instead. Leandro’s grip on his fingers was like a vise. “All right. Here we go.”

He slid out into the clearing, immediately rolling into a crouch, reaching out his other hand towards Leandro. “Come on, sweetheart. Let’s get out of here, yeah?”

He could see that the panic had returned to Leandro’s eyes, and he felt his heart kick. Akira couldn’t afford for him to shut down now.

“Leo.” He let a hint of desperation enter his voice. “I can’t do this without you, love. I need you to stay with me. Please.”

Leandro blinked, and when he looked up his eyes were clearer. “Yes,” he whispered. He licked his lips, then, in a stronger voice, said “Yes”. And, with that, he allowed Akira to pull him free of the shelving.

The wave of relief that crashed over Akira was so strong that his knees nearly buckled. He wrapped his arms around Leandro, holding him tightly against him. “You did it,” he whispered fiercely. “You did it, Leo. I’m so fucking proud of you.”

The penlight clattered to the ground as Leandro threw both of his arms around Akira in return, clutching at him in sheer desperation.

Without relinquishing his hold, Akira looked up, squinting against the light. “Hoshi! We’re ready to get the fuck out of here!”

“I’m sending the harness down now.” A moment later there was a heavy thunk as a thick climbing harness hit the ground.

Akira gently untangled himself from his partner’s embrace and picked it up. “Hold on to me, okay? I’m going to help you get into this so Hoshi can lift you out.”

Leandro gripped his shoulders as he held out the straps, encouraging the other man to step into them. As he buckled and tightened the harness in place he could feel Leandro’s eyes on him, roaming all over his face.

As soon as he was sure Leandro was strapped in as securely as possible and clipped in to the rope, Akira took his face in his hands. “Ready?”

Leandro moved his hands from Akira’s shoulders to grip his wrists., eyes wide and full of fear. “Kira…”

Akira didn’t allow himself time to think about what he was doing. Still holding Leandro’s face he leaned forward to press their lips together.

It wasn’t spectacular as far as kisses went. It was close-mouthed, almost chaste. But it wasn’t the kiss itself that mattered. It was everything that was behind it: his love, his hope, his worry, his desperation. All the things he felt but didn’t know how to express in words went into that simple kiss.

When he broke the away, he leaned forward to place his forehead against Leandro’s. “When we get home,” he murmured, “I’ll kiss you properly. The way I wanted to kiss you that night in your bedroom. They way I’ve thought about kissing you since I first met you.” He planted another soft, gentle kiss to the other man’s lips. “See you on the other side, Sharpshooter.”

Then he stepped back, never taking his eyes from Leandro’s. “Hoshi! Get him out of here!”

“Roger that!” came the reply from above.

Leandro’s eyes suddenly flared wide as he realized what was about to happen. “Wait!” he cried out, taking a step towards Akira.

But he never made it any further. With a groan from the beams above them Leandro was lifted into the air. “No!” he cried out, reaching for Akira. “I don’t want to leave you!”

“It’s going to be fine, Leo,” he called out, trying to keep his voice as soothing as possible. “Petra’s waiting. She’ll take care of you until I get out of here, okay?”

Leandro didn’t reply. But the last image Akira had was of Leandro reaching for him, face twisted in terror. Then he was gone, lost behind the light.

The groaning and creaking from above intensified, causing Akira’s own panic to grow.  All he could think was that the beams would give away before Hoshi was able to get Leandro to safety.  He would be fine if they fell: he could get back under the shelf and then find another way out. But Hoshi and Leandro would fall if the beams gave away, and that thought terrified him.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, he heard Hoshi’s voice call down to him. “We’ve got him, Kira!”

We’ve got him.

Akira closed his eyes, swaying underneath the weight of his relief. Leo was out. He was safe.

Another groan came from above, followed by a rain of dust falling down. Akira squinted up, wishing he could see past the light. Were the beams about to give way? The sounds of protest that they were making were growing louder by the moment. He needed to get his brother and Leo off of them.

“Hoshi!” he called up. “Get off the beams! Get everyone away from the building.”

“What?”

“The beams!” The beams in question let out another groan of protest as if to emphasize his point. “They’re breaking! You need to get off of them!”

“Kira!” Leandro’s cry of despair cut straight to his heart. “Kira, you promised! You promised!”

“It will be okay!” he called out, trying to quash the mix of guilt and panic that was currently churning in his gut. “I’m not staying. I’m just going to find another way out, okay? I’ll meet up with you as soon as I can.”

“Kira.” Hoshi’s words floated down as a low growl. “The quicker you do this, the quicker we get you out, and the quicker we go home. So shut the fuck up and put this on.”

Akira felt his eyes widen, his mouth dropping open in shock. He could count on one hand the number of times his brother had used the word ‘fuck’, always choosing to save that particular expletive for the most dire of circumstances. Hearing it was startling enough that he almost didn’t move in time to not get hit by the falling harness.

He wasted no time in strapping the harness on, only taking the briefest of moments to ensure that it was tight enough to hold him before gripping the rope it was attached to. “I’m ready!” he called up. “But if those beams start to break ---”

He never got to finish his sentence before he was airborne, the motion smooth and fast as he was quickly pulled out of the debris. As soon as he reached the top his brother was grabbing him under the arms, yanking him onto the rubble before they were skidding, climbing, and falling down the remainder of the building.

As soon as his feet touched solid ground Akira felt a pair of hands --- one made of metal and the other of flesh --- land on his shoulders. “Are you all right?” Hoshi’s voice was tight with worry. “Are you hurt?”

He reached up to grasp his brother’s wrists. “I’m fine, Hoshi. A little bruised and banged up, maybe. But nothing that a hot shower and a good night’s sleep won’t fix.”

Hoshi blew out a harsh breath through his nose, then he was pulling Akira forward into a crushing embrace. “Don’t you ever do that again. Do you hear me? You’re going to turn the rest of my hair white.”

Akira closed his eyes as he melted against his brother, letting the other man’s warmth and strength envelope him, finally allowing himself to feel safe. “Thank you for coming to rescue us.”

“I’m your big brother, Kira. Rescuing you is part of my job.” Hoshi gave him one last squeeze before releasing him. “What happened? You said there was an explosion?”

Before Akira had a chance to respond something crashed into him, nearly knocking him to the ground. “Kira!” His name was nearly a wail. “Oh, man. That was so scary! I couldn’t believe it when I got here and saw that a building had fallen on you! Then I didn’t think we were going to be able to get you out. I couldn’t find anywhere that looked stable enough for us to get in, and then ---”

“It’s okay, Hayach.” He patted the big man’s arms, which were wrapped tightly around him. “I’m okay.”

Hayach buried his face against Akira’s shoulder. “I’m an engineer, Kira. An engineer! I build you gadgets to help you on your missions. I don’t help pull you out of collapsed buildings! I thought… When we got here and saw what was left of the place…” He broke off with a great sniff.

At the mention of the collapsed building Akira looked towards the pile of rubble, feeling his eyes go wide when he saw what was left. Looking at it from the outside, it was hard to believe that anyone could have survived the collapse.

Then he remembered that there were some who hadn’t.

He reached out to grasp his brother’s arm. “Someone needs to contact Roman as soon as possible. There was someone else here, some other player who was involved. There were three of them and they open-fired on the building, giving no regards to the fact that there were people inside. We went in to look for survivors as soon as they left. I know Leo was trying to help them, but then I found one of the bombs and we didn’t have time to do anything else.”

Hoshi frowned. “Bombs? As in, more than one?”

“The people who came in and shot the place to hell placed a few bombs around the building.” He blew out a breath, shaking his head. “Those bombs must have been shielded, because I saw no energy readings. If I hadn’t gone to try and figure out what the gunmen had been doing, we’d probably still be in there, too.”

Hoshi pressed his lips together in a grim line before nodding. “I’ll go tell Alina. It would probably be better if he hears it from her. I’ll be right back.”

Akira let out a sigh and closed his eyes as he leaned against Hayach’s comforting bulk. He suddenly felt exhausted, a level the likes pf which he had never experienced before. “Thanks for coming to save me, Hayach. I’d probably still be trapped in there if it wasn’t for you.”

“It’s what best friends do. You know I’ve always got your back.” Hayach tightened his grip on the smaller man. “Though I should be kicking your ass for trying to make us leave you behind. I had to drag Leo kicking and screaming away from where we were set up. I honestly thought he was going to jump back down in there with you. To be fair, I probably would have been right behind him.”

Akira waved him away. “It would have been fine. I would ---”

Hayach released him, stepping back so that he could grasp Akira’s shoulders and shake him. “No, Kira, it wouldn’t have been fine. Do you see what’s left of that building? A good wind will probably knock over anything that’s still left standing. It’s a miracle that the two of you weren’t turned into pancakes.” He gave Akira another shake and looked at him with large, pleading eyes. “You have got to stop with this whole ‘lone wolf’ act. There are people who love you, Kira. People who care about you and want you to come home safe.”

Guilt swam in his stomach. Hayach had been his best friend for over a decade, his only friend. And the thought of hurting him --- even unintentionally --- made Akira feel horrible.

He reached out to place his hands on the other man’s shoulders. “I know,” he said softly. “And I love you, too. More than you know. I am so sorry for always being so selfish. I promise to do better from now on to remember that I’m not as alone as I think I am.”

Hayach pulled him in for another crushing hug. “You’re damned right you’re not alone. You’re my best friend, my family. Plus, you’re part of Team Voltron! And now you’ve got Leo to think about, too.”

Leo. “Where is he?”

Hayach hooked a thumb over his shoulder to where three of the Deliverance’s vehicles were parked. “Petra and Dante took him to the rescue truck. He was freaking out pretty bad --- screaming and fighting. Honestly, I don’t even think he knew who we were, he was so out of it. Dante thought it might be a good idea to give him something to help him calm down.”

His heart kicked painfully, and he had to fight the urge to run to his partner’s side and just hold him, reassure him that everything was going to be okay. But Leo was safe. That was all that mattered. And he was with the people he needed to be with right then, the people who could help him the most.

Hoshi jogged back to them then, and even in the pale moonlight he could see that his brother looked exhausted, older than Akira remembered. “Alina’s going to make the call to Roman as soon as we get back to the Castle. Are you going to ride back with Leo?”

Akira shook his head, reaching up to tug at his ponytail. “I’ve got to go get Red. This place will be crawling with Roman’s people in a few hours, and I don’t want anyone to find her near here.”

“Then let me come with you. Dante can drive the truck, and ---”

“Hoshi.” He held out a hand, stopping his brother mid-sentence. “I’ll be fine. You know I can go faster if it’s just me on the bike. As soon as I get her, I’m going directly home.” He offered a crooked smile. “I told you I need a shower and sleep.”

Hoshi let out a long sigh as he reached up to scrub at his face. “All right. We’ll head on home and meet you at the Castle. Just… Just be careful, yeah?”

“I will. I’ll see you soon. I promise.”

Chapter Text

Petra was waiting for him in the garage.

As soon as he saw her in his workshop Akira felt all of his adrenaline, which had begun to fade during his ride back to the Castle, kick back into overdrive. Why was she here and not with Leandro? Where was Leandro? Was he alright?

He pulled Red into her usual parking spot and killed the engine. He made sure to engage the kickstand before climbing off the bike.

His legs had barely cleared the saddle before Petra was throwing herself at him, wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her face into his chest. A moment later he could feel his shirt grow damp.

Fear shot straight to his core. Something must have happened. Had Leandro been injured and he’d just not been aware of it? Had the killers somehow found the others on their way home? Had Hoshi gotten into an accident of some kind?

“Petra?”  He dropped his hands to her shoulders. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

She moved her head from side to side in a negative gesture. “Nothing is wrong.” Her voice was muffled by his shirt. “Everyone is fine. I just wanted to say thank you.”

Maybe it was the exhaustion. Maybe it was the adrenaline. But he couldn’t make her words make sense. “You’re crying because… because you want to thank me?”

She lifted her head so that she could gaze up at him, her glasses magnifying her tear-filled eyes. “Once Leo calmed down he told me what happened at the warehouse. He told me that you saved him, that if it hadn’t been for you, he probably would have been crushed in the explosion. And he told me what you did while you were waiting for us, how you kept talking to him, kept him calm.” Her lower lip began to tremble as more tears spilled from her eyes. “I would have lost him if it wasn’t for you. In more ways than one. He --- we --- are so lucky to have you.”

Those words --- we are so lucky to have you --- hit him like a punch to the gut. She wasn’t saying it was just Leandro who had been lucky, but her as well. And the implications behind those words nearly made him start to cry as well.

They were his family. Not just Hoshi and Dante, but all of Team Voltron. It was Hayach and Petra, even Alina and Curran. And it was Leo. His brave, beautiful, selfless Leo. These were the people who loved him, who counted on him, who needed him. They were all his.

Why had he ever thought he could leave them?

He wrapped his arms around Petra, burying his face in her hair as his own body began to shake. They’d come close tonight, hadn’t they? He would have died, thinking he was giving his life for some greater good, without realizing what a precious gift his life really was. And Leo… Leo would have died thinking that Akira didn’t want him, that he didn’t think Leo was worth fighting for.

Gids, how could he have been so stupid?

They stood in silence, the two of them holding each other tightly, until Akira felt the trembling in his body subside. When he finally took a step back, he could feel that his face had become wet as well. “Where is Leo?” he asked, wiping at his eyes. “Is he okay?”

“For now. Whatever medication Dante gave him helped tremendously. He went up to the roof, said he didn’t want to be inside right now. He asked me to send you to him as soon as you got back.”

“I’ll head there right now. I just need to let Hoshi know I’m home first.” He paused. “Look. I’m not very good with my emotions, as you well know. But I just want you to know that… Well, I’m lucky to have you, too. Damned lucky.”

Petra blinked at him once before throwing herself at him again. This time, he had his arms open and ready.

Once he was in the elevator and alone, Akira allowed himself to close his eyes and lean back against the wall with a sigh. He was tired in a way he had never thought possible. Everything hurt. All he wanted was a hot shower, maybe even a bath --- he could turn on those fancy jets --- and get at least twelve hours of uninterrupted sleep.

But it would have to wait. He knew he wouldn’t be able to do anything until he knew that his partner was taken care of.

In the years since acquiring the Castle, Alina had turned the roof into a beautiful green space, complete with flower beds and a small pond filled with fat fish. The only light up here came from a few glowing orbs that floated lazily around the area, the neon glare of the city nothing more than a smudge on the horizon.

He found Leandro lying on his back in a patch of grass, staring up at the sky, one hand behind his head. Akira didn’t speak as he approached. He simply lay down next to the other man, reaching out to take Leo’s free hand in his.

Leandro didn’t acknowledge his presence, didn’t move or speak, and Akira wondered if he had fallen sleep. But then he felt his partner’s hand move under his, turning palm-up so that he could thread their fingers together. It was a simple gesture, one that the two of them had done dozens of times. But it felt as though decades had passed since they had last held hands, and Akira was only now realizing how much he’d missed it. He found himself having to swallow the lump that had suddenly appeared in his throat.

Next to him, Leandro let out a quiet sigh, his eyes fixed on the stars overhead. “I am --- was --- the youngest of five children. I was spoiled endlessly. I had mu whole family wrapped around my little finger. I never wanted for anything. Never knew anything but love.

“I was close to all of my siblings. To my sisters, I was like a living doll that they could play dress-up with and practice their make-up skills on. And my brothers were thrilled to have someone else to play sports and video games with. They never resented me, never thought that our parents loved me any more than the rest of them.

“While I loved all of my siblings, the relationship I had with Maceo surprised everyone. After all, he was fourteen when I was born. You would have thought he wouldn’t want anything to do with a baby at that age. But he was the one who would take me with him to baseball games and taught me how to drive. I looked at him more as a second father than as an older brother. When he got married and moved out of the house, I was devastated. And when I found out that Sophie --- his wife --- was pregnant, I demanded that they give the baby away because I didn’t want anyone else to take Maceo away from me.”

He paused, and Akira watched as his lips curled up into a real smile, his eyes glazing over as he lost himself to memory. “I still remember the day they told me about Julian. Maceo and Sophie had picked me up from school because they wanted me to stay with them for the weekend. We went out to my favorite restaurant, then they took me to the arcade on the boardwalk. Sophie racked up all these points in Skee-Ball and won a ton of tickets. Maceo and I played Mario Kart, and I thought I was king of the world when I beat him. They both gave me all of their tickets at the end of the night and I was able to get this big toy robot. It was one of the best nights of my life.

“When we got back to their house, they sat me down on the couch between them and showed me the ultrasound pictures. Sophie pointed out the face, the hands…. I told her it looked like an alien. Maceo told me that it was a boy, and I got mad. I had thought that, if it was a girl, then Sophie would take care of it all of the time and Maceo could still play with me. But, if it was a boy, that would mean that my brother wouldn’t have time for me anymore. But then…” Leandro stopped, taking in a deep breath before saying, “Maceo told me that they wanted to name him Julian. That they were going to name him after me.”

His voice broke on the last word, and Akira could only watch helplessly as tears welled from the other man’s eyes and slid down his face and into the grass below. Stop, he wanted to cry out. I know the story, know how it ends. You don’t have to tell me.

But he didn’t know the story, not really. He knew the story that had been told, but the only person left alive who had actually lived it was the man currently lying next to him. If Leo had decided that now was the time to tell his story, and that Akira was the one he wanted to tell it to, then Akira would listen. Even if the thought of Leandro having to re-live that trauma --- especially now --- made him sick to his stomach.

He gave Leandro’s hand what he hoped was a supportive squeeze. I’m here, he tried to say through the gesture. I’m listening.

Leandro returned the gesture, his grip almost painful as he visibly fought to get himself under control. “Maceo said that the hardest thing about being born first was that he had no one to  look after him and take care of him. That’s why he had always made sure to be there for the rest of us. Even me, despite the age gap. He said that Julian wouldn’t have a big brother, so he wanted me to fill that role. He told me that it would be my job to take care of Julian. To teach him how to play baseball, to protect him. That’s why they wanted him to have my name.

“I was eight when he was born. When we were getting ready to go to the hospital, I wanted to bring him one of my toys, since I was going to be the one who would be taking care of him. I wanted to bring him the robot I had won at the arcade, but Mama said he would be too little to play with it. So instead, I picked out this stuffed animal I had had since I was a baby. A dog. Scruff, I think his name was. He’d always been my security blanket, the thing I had always slept with when I was scared or had a nightmare. My parents kept asking me if I was sure that I wanted to give him to Julian, since he meant so much to me. But I told them, with all of my eight-year-old confidence, that I was a grown-up now and was too old for Scruff.

“When I saw him for the first time, I didn’t know what to think. I’d never really been around a baby before. He had these huge, blue eyes and a lot of hair. He wasn’t crying, which I thought was weird. I reached out to touch him, and he just grabbed my finger. His hands were so little, but he curled those tiny fingers around mine and just held on, staring at me the whole time. And I was a goner.”

Akira could almost picture the moment: a young Leandro leaning over the newborn, hand outstretched, looking unsure. And then the bay reaching back and grasping his finger. He knew that his partner would have immediately taken his job as Julian’s protector seriously.

When Leandro spoke again his voice was softer, a note of anguish threaded through it. “I was fifteen when he got sick. At first, we just thought it was something normal. Like a stubborn flu, you know? But he just kept getting weaker and weaker. He couldn’t keep any food down. He was just… wasting away. And no one seemed to know what was wrong. Doctor after doctor just kept shaking their heads and shrugging their shoulders. It took us a whole year before we were finally able to find someone who could give us a diagnosis. It turned out to be a rare form of cancer, one that no hospital in Cuba had the treatment for. We called specialist after specialist, looking for anyone who might be able to give us some hope. But no one could.

“But just when we thought we had run out of options, a doctor in California told us about a facility here in Neon City. He told us that this particular form of cancer was apparently pretty prevalent in Galra children, so there had been quite a bit of research done on the topic. Their cost would be steep, but if anyone could cure Julian, it would be them.

“So, we sold everything we had. The whole family: my parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, everyone. We raised an astronomical amount of money. We thought it would be more than enough. But when we reached out to the hospital, they told us it was almost enough. It was okay, though. There was a way for us to make up the difference.”

Akira found himself growing tense with anger as Leandro spoke. This was what the Galra did. They preyed on the weak and the desperate, promising people whatever they wanted in their darkest hour as long as they were willing to submit to Galra control.

Leandro shifted, moving closer to Akira, though he never took his eyes from the sky. “’Indentured servitude’, they said it was. We could easily work off the rest of our debt. They ran the numbers and said that one of us could work for them for two years and we would be even. It would be physical labor, but not hard. They would provide all the necessities: food, shelter, clothing, and so on. And whoever agreed to do this would be allowed a one-hour video call with the family three times a week.

“Of course, Maceo volunteered to go. Julian was his son, so it was his responsibility. But I couldn’t let him do it. Novia was just a baby. She needed her Papa. And Julian was mine to protect. I was young and strong. Two years of work would be nothing for me. So, while the rest of the family was arguing about who would be going, I secretly contacted the Galra and told them that I would be the one to fulfill the contract. Two years of work for Julian’s life. It seemed like a paltry trade.”

Akira could remember first hearing the story, told by the Galra in their dry, emotionless voices. They had changed a few details --- such as the length of Leandro’s servitude being five years instead of two --- but the important facts had been the same. They had tried to paint the Sanchez family in such a way so that others would think they had been greedy or unwilling to do what had been asked of them. Instead, they had turned the entire family into martyrs. And Leandro, thanks to his act of selflessness, had been the most venerated of them all.

“It wasn’t bad, really. It was everything they had promised. We stayed in a dorm, had a dining hall, a gym, everything. And it was mostly other people around my age, so I even made quite a few friends. They had us working at some kind of factory doing assembly work. I didn’t mind it at all. I liked feeling like I was accomplishing something. And I got to talk to my family for one hour three times a week.

“They were pretty angry at me for going behind their backs. I remember Mama spent our first call going between cursing me out in both English and Spanish to telling me how proud she was of me. They told me they were all moving here to Neon City so that the whole family could be near each other. I had never known where they lived until after my broadcast.

“And Julian…” His voice broke with a sob. “I wish you could have seen him, Kira. The treatments were working! Every time I talked to him, he looked healthier. His hair had grown back. His skin wasn’t so pale. His eyes were brighter. He would show me how strong he was getting. And I knew --- I knew --- that everything had been worth it.”

Akira could feel Leandro’s hand shaking in his, so he let go long enough to turn onto his side and wrap an arm around his partner’s chest. “Leo,” he whispered, not bothering to hide the desperation in his voice. “Leo, stop. Don’t do this to yourself. You’ve already been through enough tonight. Please. Just stop.”

But Leandro, it seemed, wasn’t listening. “They killed him, Kira,” he said, his voice rising to a wail. “They killed him. I was supposed to protect him. It was my job. But I… I…”

Akira couldn’t stand it any longer. He pulled Leandro against him, holding him as tightly as he could. “It’s all right, love. Please. You need to try and calm down, okay?”

Leandro pressed his face into Akira’s chest, fists grasping at his shirt. “They killed him because of me. It was my fault. I should have… could have…”

“Stop.” Akira tried to sound stern, but his voice just came out hoarse. “Stop it, Leo. It wasn’t your fault. None of it was your fault. I may not have met your family, but I know that they never would have blamed you for this. So you shouldn’t, either.”

Leandro didn’t reply. He just sobbed into Akira’s chest, shaking uncontrollably in his arms.

The world had first been introduced to the Sanchez family when, at the end of his two years of indentured servitude, Leandro had disappeared. There were no more video calls, no word from the Galra, nothing. So the family had begun to make daily trips to the Castillo de Lyon, demanding information.

At first the Galra simply tried to placate them, saying that it must have been a paperwork error. They would look into it, they promised. They would do everything in their power to make sure that Leandro was released as soon as possible.

But weeks passed with no new information. The family became more insistent. They turned to the news tickers, begging for help. People from all over the city rallied to their side. There were protests held outside of the Castillo nearly every day. And, all over the city, signs asking ‘Where is Leo?’ began to go up.

Then came the video. A hacker had somehow been able to break into the Galra’s private server and had found it. They had somehow managed to play it on every holovid screen in the city on a constant loop. It had taken the Galra two days to figure out how to shut it down.

On the video, in stark clarity, was a disheveled-looking Leandro Sanchez. He had manacles around his wrists with a chain leading to another person in front of him. When he walked by the camera, the distinctive black handprint that was the mark of a Galran slave could clearly be seen on his shoulder.

Neon City erupted. Massive riots broke out. Other people began to come forward, stating that they too had had loved ones who had disappeared while under Galra care. You couldn’t turn on a news ticker without seeing a member of the Sanchez family begging for Leandro’s release. They would leave the planet, they said. They would go back to Earth and never step foot on Galra soil again. But only as long as they had Leo.

The Galra attempted to do damage control. They tried to say that the man in the video was not Leandro Sanchez. Then they said there must have been a mistake, that he must have somehow been transferred with a group of prisoners. But by then nothing that they did mattered. The Sanchez Rebellion was in full swing.

Akira knew that Alina had once reached out to them, asking if they wanted to join the Deliverance. They had declined the offer, saying that they didn’t care one bit about ridding the planet of the Galra. They just wanted Leandro back. Alina had, of course, been disappointed, but she never tried to contact them again.

The rebellion lasted for two years. The Sanchez family --- along with the small army they had amassed --- managed to liberate some of the smaller slave encampments outside of the city. But they had never been able to find Leo. And, in the end, they had been no match against the might of the Galran Empire. They had eventually been captured, charged with treason and inciting unrest, and sentenced to death.

A gallows was immediately constructed outside of the Castillo. It was a small one, only big enough for one person to stand on at a time. On the morning of the executions the members of the Sanchez family were gathered, the charges were read, and the first victim was led up to the gallows.

It was Julian.

Akira had watched in utter disbelief as the boy, health now fully restored, had been placed on the trapdoor, hands tied behind his back. He had looked up at one of the camera drones floating around the area, his eyes sparking with defiance. “Tio Leo!” he had called out. “I love you, Tio Leo! Everything will be all right. I promise!”

Then the noose had been placed around his neck, the lever had been pulled, and he had dropped.

Next had been Novia, Julian’s five-year-old sister. She’d had to be carried up onto the gallows by a guard as she screamed and reached out for her parents. Akira had left to go find the nearest trash chute so that he could throw up and refused to watch anything more.

One by one, the remaining members of the Sanchez family had been led up onto the gallows to face their death. And though all of them had been crying, not a one of them had shown an ounce of fear or remorse. Each of them had held their heads high, all of them calling out to Leandro to tell them that they loved him. That they would see him again. That none of this was his fault.

The Galra had left the bodies lying outside of the Castillo for days, letting them serve as a warning to anyone else who might have thoughts about rising up against them. The other members of the Sanchez Rebellion had been privately executed. And, a few days later, it was announced that Leandro Sanchez --- the last remaining member of a proud and loving family --- had been found and executed as well.

In a way, Akira had been thankful when the announcement of Leandro’s death had come. He couldn’t imagine having to live with the fact that your entire family had been taken from you. Even when Alina began to doubt the Galra’s claim that Leandro had been killed Akira had hoped she was wrong. For Leandro’s sake.

What must it have been like for Leandro? Had he been forced to watch his entire family be executed, knowing that there was nothing he could do about it? Akira couldn’t even begin to imagine the guilt he must have felt, the guilt that he was obviously still carrying with him.

A lump formed in his throat as he thought about the absolute hell his partner must have gone through over the years: leaving his family behind, being ripped away from them, then being forced to watch as they were murdered. How long had it been until Petra had found him? How long had he been forced to carry all this on his own?

Akira wished with all of his might that he could take away Leandro’s pain, wished he could go back in time and trade places with every single member of the Sanchez family, allowing them to live the life that they should have. But he knew that he couldn’t. Instead, he tightened his grip on the last remaining member of the family, holding Leandro as close as possible as the other man cried himself to sleep.

When consciousness returned, the first thing that he noticed was that he was warm. Comfortably warm. But he had been cold, he remembered. A bone-aching chill that had seemed to cut to his very soul. This… This felt nice.

Whatever he was lying on was warm, too. Warm and soft. He thought he could faintly hear something underneath his ear, but he wasn’t sure. His mind was a jumble. Every time he managed to single out a thought and tried to latch onto it, it would slip through his fingers like smoke.

He lay still, letting the feelings of warmth and comfort surround him, weave their way into the cracks of his heart and soul and fill them. He felt peaceful. Content. He wanted to just lie there forever.

As he became more and more aware his thoughts began to coalesce. He’d been lying on his back, staring up at the stars. His whole body had been numb with the cold, the only warmth coming from his left hand. What had he been doing outside? And where, exactly, had he been?

He tried to open his eyes but it was useless. His eyelids felt as though they had been glued shut. And… Was that his imagination, or was the sound in his ear getting louder? Thump thump thump. It was steady, like the ticking of a clock.

He tried to move his body then, but found that it too appeared to have become immobile. The first twinges of panic settled into his gut, and a whimper escaped his lips before he had a chance to stop it.

The warm softness underneath his head shifted. “Leo?”

He knew that voice. Knew its timbre and tone, knew the rasp that it sometimes took on. That voice made him feel safe, made him feel loved. He knew that voice.

Akira.

With that name came clarity, memories of the day’s events returning in a rush. He had been on the roof of the Castle. He had come here after they had returned from their failed mission, unable to bear the thought of being inside. Akira had found him there, had lain down next to him and held his hand while he had spilled out his story, unable to stop the words from pouring out of him. And then Akira had held him as he fell apart.

“Kira?” At least, that’s what he tried to say. His tongue felt as though it were too big for his mouth, and his throat felt scrapped raw. He still couldn’t get his eyes to open.

He felt his unknown mattress move again --- am I lying on Kira? ---and then a gentle hand rested on his head. “It’s all right, Leo. You’re okay. Dante gave you some medicine earlier to help you relax. He said it might make you fuzzy and confused when you woke up.”

Medicine? Another flash of memory: lying in the back of a vehicle, something --- or someone --- holding him down. Petra’s worried face was swimming above him, and he was distantly aware of the fact that he was screaming. He could hear Dante’s voice, calm and soothing, before feeling a brief sting in his hip.

How long ago had that been? How long had he been asleep? How long had Akira been holding him?

Then…

Oh, gods. Leandro hadn’t drooled on him, had he?

With that horrifying thought in mind, he finally managed to wrench his eyes open… and immediately wished he hadn’t.  With a hiss he closed them again, feeling them start to water in reaction to the intense burning sensation.

The hand on his head moved, fingers running through his hair. “Don’t rush it.” Akira’s chest rumbled pleasantly under his cheek. “I’ve got you. You’re safe. You can take your time.”

I’ve got you. You’re safe.

He knew that he was safe. He trusted Akira in a way that he trusted no one else. He knew his partner wouldn’t let anything happen to him.

So, he blew out a long breath, trying to release as much tension as he possible could, and let his body sink back against Akira’s. When he felt Akira’s lips press against the top of his head, he felt himself relax even further.

Assured of his comfort and safety, Leandro let his mind drift. More memories were returning to him in a slow, steady stream: Akira leaning against a tree and telling him that he wanted to have a relationship with Leandro; being trapped in the dark; Akira giving him his penlight; Akira’s gentle hands on his face, telling him that everything would be all right; Akira’s lips against his in a kiss so brief that Leandro wondered if it had been real.

There were other, less pleasant memories as well. He could still hear the sound of the gunfire as well as the sound the building had made as it collapsed on top of them. He remembered his terror as Akira left him to look for an escape route. When the image of the blank, staring eyes of the dead man with the wedding ring rose into his mind he began to cry. Akira said nothing. He simply held him as Leandro’s tears dripped onto his shirt.

When the tears finally did stop, he felt… better. Lighter, somehow. Like a weight had been lifted from his whole body. “Kira?”

“Hmmm?”

“How long have I been out?”

“Around five hours or so. Maybe six. I’m not entirely sure.”

Five or six hours? On the roof? “Are we still outside?”

“Yeah.” There was a brief pause. “I, uh, would have carried you back to your room, but I wasn’t sure how you would feel if you woke up inside. Especially if you were confused, like Dante said you might be. So I had Hoshi bring some pillows and blankets up for us. I hope you don’t mind. I wanted you to be comfortable, but I didn’t want to leave you alone in case you woke up.”

A different kind of warmth spread through Leandro, one that had nothing to do with the blanket that he now realized was wrapped around him and everything to do with the man lying next to him.

Eyes still closed, he lifted his face so that he could press it to the side of Akira’s neck, breathing in that warm, comforting scent that told him he was home. “I love you,” he whispered. “I love you so much.”

Akira placed his cheek on the top of Leandro’s head. “I love you, too.”

Neither of them spoke after that, continuing to simply lie there, wrapped up in one another. Leandro wished they could stay out there forever, just the two of them, nestled in the blankets and pillows, letting the rest of the world go on without them.

But he knew that they couldn’t. There was still work to be done. So, with a resigned sigh, he opened his eyes again.

The sky was still dark, only the sliver of light on the horizon letting him know that dawn was not far off. He was tucked comfortably into Akira’s side, and a patchwork quilt was draped over the two of them.

He felt a smile tug at his lips. “Would you look at that? The aloof and untouchable Akira Kogane finally spent the night with someone. Under the stars, no less. How romantic.”

Akira didn’t laugh as Leandro had expected him to. Instead, the hand that had been nestled in his hair dropped down so that Akira could run his thumb over Leandro’s cheek. “It was with you,” he said simply. “That’s all that matters.”

Leandro let out a groan, closing his eyes as they began to sting once more. “How are you so good at this? Damn it, Ki, you’re going to make me cry again.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. “

“I’m not upset. Far from it. You… You make me deliriously happy, Kira. You always seem to know exactly what to say.”

Above him, Akira let out a snort. “Not always. Remember why you punched me?”

“That’s because you’re human, just like me. Which means that we make mistakes. But you always say the right thing when it matters.” He gently brushed his nose against the side of Akira’s neck. “I never would have survived being trapped without you there to talk me through it. I would have just shut down and not been able to do anything.”

There was a pause. “I wish you had told me about your claustrophobia.”

Akira’s voice was gentle, but Leandro could hear the thread of hurt in it, and he winced. “Please don’t take it personally,” he said, moving his hand so that it rested over the other man’s heart. “I’d thought --- I’d hoped --- that I had gotten over it. I haven’t had any problems with it in years. It had always made me feel weak, and, well… I didn’t want you to think I was weak.”

Akira didn’t say anything else, for which Leandro was thankful, and they lapsed back into a comfortable silence, curled into one another, watching as the stars were swallowed by the light.

Finally, Leandro blew out a long, heavy sigh. “We should probably head back in,” he said reluctantly. “I’m sure the others are worried. And, even with the blankets, this roof can’t be too comfortable. You’ve already been up here for hours.”

Akira tightened the arm that was wrapped around Leandro, holding him in place. “We’ll go in when you’re ready. The others know where we are, and I’m fine.” He paused. “Unless you want some time alone? I can ---”

“No!” Leandro’s fingers curled into the fabric of Akira’s shirt, suddenly afraid his partner might disappear out from under him. “No, I don’t want to be alone.” The terror he had felt lying in the dark while Akira had looked for a way out was too close to the surface. “And I’m okay with going back inside. I really need a shower. I’m sure I smell like… Well, I’m sure I just smell.”

Akira didn’t reply. Neither did he move. Leandro knew that he wouldn’t. He knew that the other man would wait for Leandro to move first, let him dictate their next step. His sole reason for being here was to give Leandro whatever support he needed.

Gods, I love this man.

He pressed a kiss to Akira’s cheek. “I would love nothing more than to lie here with you forever. But I’m okay. And life has to go on. You and I both know that.”

Before Akira could say anything else, Leandro pushed himself to a sitting position, wincing as every part of his body protested. “Ooooh. Now I know why people say they feel as though a building fell on top of them. Can you help me up?”

Akira climbed to his feet with an agility that Leandro found himself jealous of and held out both of his hands. Leandro grasped them and let his partner pull him to a standing position, groaning as he came fully upright. “Damn it. If I hurt this much now, I don’t want to think about how bad I’ll feel tomorrow. I might have to skip training.”

Akira chuckled. “I think Alina won’t mind if we skip our training for a day or two.”    He tightened his grip on Leandro’s hands, peering at him with worried eyes. “Steady?”

“Yeah. I might walk like an old man for a bit, but at least I’ll be able to walk.”

They went to gather up their bedding, Akira trying to carry everything. Leandro was having none of it. “I’m wobbly, Kira, not crippled. Besides, you did all of this for me. The least I can do is carry some blankets and pillows.”

The other man let out a sound between a laugh and a sigh before handing Leandro the quilt and both pillows. “Are you okay with the elevator? Or would you prefer the stairs?”

“Honestly? I don’t know if I could make it down the stairs right now.” He paused. “I think I’ll be all right in the elevator. As long as you’re there with me.”

Akira briefly touched his forehead to Leandro’s. “I’m here for as long as you need me,” he murmured. Then, before Leandro had time to dissolve into an emotional mess once again, they were walking towards the door.

Leandro had never had a problem with elevators before the mines. But now, looking at the closed doors of the elevator car, his heart lurched against his ribs and his stomach began to rise into his throat. And he hated it.

Akira must have sensed his hesitation because he stopped. “It’s all right, Leo,” he said gently. “You’ve already been through enough tonight. You don’t have to push yourself.” He paused. “Being afraid doesn’t make you weak. It won’t make me --- or anyone else --- think less of you.”

He knew that. He knew that. But it didn’t matter. “It makes me feel weak,” he growled. “And I’ve had enough of it.” He marched forward and hit the button to call the car.

Akira didn’t say anything else, but Leandro could feel the other man’s eyes on him. When the doors finally chimed open and he went to stand at the back, Akira simply pushed the button for their floor before coming to stand beside him.

Leandro sighed as he closed his eyes, not wanting to see the doors close on him. He leaned his head against Akira’s shoulder, trying to take comfort in his partner’s solid presences next to him.

I’m fine, he told himself firmly as he heard the doors slide shut. Kira is right here with me. I’m safe. Nothing can hurt me. I’m safe.

The elevator ride from the roof to the living quarters seemed to take forever, and Akira hated every second of it. He could feel Leandro trembling against him, could hear his partner’s gasping, panicked breaths. He wanted to push the stop button and make Leandro get out. But he knew that Leandro felt like he needed to do this, to prove to himself that he could do this. Even if it was killing him.

As soon as the elevator came to a stop Leandro was lurching forward, face pale and eyes wide. And, once the doors opened, he was nearly falling in his haste to escape. He dopped the quilt and pillows as he scrambled to the nearest trash chute, opening it just in time to vomit into it.

Akira sat the comforter down and moved to stand beside his partner, placing a hand on his back for comfort. He didn’t say anything. Just tried to will as much strength and ease as he could into the other man.

Finally, Leandro moved away from the trash chute, wiping at his mouth with the back of his hand. “I’m sorry,” he said hoarsely. “I thought I… I’m sorry.”

Akira carefully wrapped his arms around Leandro’s waist, pulling him back against his chest and resting his chin on the other man’s shoulder. “You have nothing to be sorry for. You’ve gone through hell and back tonight, Leo. Give yourself some grace.”

Leandro blew out a breath as he leaned back into Akira, his eyes fluttering shut. “I know. I know this. It’s just… The Galra took so much from me, and this was the only thing I was able to take back. I don’t want to lose it again. I already can’t sleep without a fucking light on. Isn’t that enough?”

“And you will get it back. We will help you in any way we can. All of us. But you can’t force it, Leo. You have to take care of yourself, okay? I need you to promise me that you’ll do that.”

Leandro didn’t answer. Instead, he pushed out of Akira’s embrace, raking a hand through his hair. “Come on,” he said, bending down to retrieve the quilt and pillows. “I’m going to need to brush my teeth a million times now. Maybe I can do that while I’m in the shower.”

Akira picked up the comforter and followed his partner down the hall.

When they reached his door Leandro paused, biting at his lower lip. “I know you’re probably wanting to take a shower and go to sleep too, but… Will you come in, please? Just until I know that Petra is home?”

“Of course, I will. I told you that I’d stay with you for as long as you need me, remember?”

Akira didn’t miss the sheen that fell over Leandro’s eyes before he turned to swipe his wrist comm over the access panel.

As soon as they stepped through the door Akira could see a head full of tussled honey-colored hair appear over the edge of the couch. “Leo?” The voice was groggy, full of worry, and undoubtably Petra’s.

“It’s me,” he replied softly. “Kira’s here, too. Did we wake you? Why are you sleeping out here?”

She rubbed her eyes and yawned. “I was too worried to sleep. I mean, I knew Kira was with you, but I just couldn’t help wondering if you were all right. I figured I could at least try to sleep on the couch so that I would know when you got back.”

A fond smile crossed Leandro’s face and he looked at Petra in such a way that, had Akira been a lesser man, would have made him jealous. He knew that Leandro loved both of them, but in vastly different ways. “I’m fine. Kira took good care of me.”

“I have no doubt that he did.” Petra gave him a smile so grateful that he blushed. “How are you now? Do you need anything?”

“A shower. Or a bath. I’m pretty sure I’m nothing but one giant bruise at this point.”

“And rest,” Akira told him firmly. “Actual rest. Not a drug-induced nap on a rooftop.”

Leandro’s lips quirked. “Aye, aye, captain,” he said, tone dry. But when he handed the quilt and pillows over to Akira his eyes were worried. “You’ll come back and see me later, right? Today, I mean?”

“All you have to do is call and I’ll be here.” When Leandro didn’t look convinced Akira gently nudged his shoulder. “Hey. If you didn’t need sleep nothing would be able to drag me away from you.” He pressed a kiss to his partner’s temple. “Get some rest, okay? Petra will be here to take care of you. And, when you wake up and you’re ready for visitors, all you have to do is call me.”

“Okay.” It was barely a whisper.

Akira gave him what he hoped was an encouraging smile before turning to Petra. “The same goes for you. If you need anything, anything at all, don’t hesitate to call me.”

“I won’t.” She reached over the back of the couch to touch his arm. “Thank you. For everything.”

He gave her a nod, gave Leandro one last kiss on the forehead, then left.

Walking away from their apartment was one of the hardest things Akira had ever done. With each step he took it felt like someone was prying his heart out of his chest. He ground his teeth against the urge to turn around and run back.

Leo would be fine. Petra was with him, and she would know how to take care of him better than Akira did. Besides, Akira would see him again later in the day. They both needed rest. They would call him if they thought they needed him. Everything would be fine.

Gods, he hoped everything would be fine.

Once he stepped inside his own apartment Akira let out a long sigh, closing his eyes as he leaned back against the door. A tension he hadn’t realized he was carrying melted away, leaving exhaustion and a bone-deep ache in its wake. Leandro wasn’t the only one who needed rest.

He pushed off of the door and made his way to the laundry chute, depositing the blankets and pillows. A quick peek into his brother’s room showed Hoshi and Dante fast asleep, the two of them holding each other in a way that made him smile and ache at the same time.

They were safe. His family, his loved ones, the were all safe. Which meant that he finally had time to worry about himself.

He quickly stripped out of his clothes --- they were all ruined --- and clinically went over every inch of his body that he could reach. There were several cuts, scrapes, and bruises that he knew were going to hurt like hell come tomorrow. He found a large gash in his thigh, but it was nothing that he couldn’t fix on his own. Other than that, he seemed to be unharmed. A miracle, really, all things considered.

He needed to get into the shower, needed to clean all of the dirt and blood off of him so that he could tend to his wounds. Instead, he found himself rooted to the spot, unable to look away from his reflection.

He wasn’t ashamed of his body. He had no reason to be. But he couldn’t help but wonder what Leandro would think when --- if --- he ever saw Akira naked. He knew Leandro had called him sexy before, especially after Akira had been working in the garage, but he had no idea if the other man actually thought that or had simply been teasing. Maybe Leandro didn’t find him physically attractive at all. And, if he did, what would he think when he saw the rest of Akira?

Would Leandro think he was too skinny? He had always been slim, but his work and strict training regiment kept him from being scrawny. But he wasn’t bulky, either. Not like Hoshi, whose arms were the size of tree trunks. He’d been able to carry Leo, sure. But he doubted he would be able to bench press the other man like his brother undoubtably could.

Then there were the scars.

The scar on Akira’s face wasn’t his only one. It wasn’t even the largest. (That honor belonged to the one on his left shoulder, left by a Galra who’d managed a lucky strike with his blade and had nearly severed Akira’s arm.) After a lifetime spent fighting, his body was littered with them. They had never bothered him before. In fact, he was proud of each and every one of them. They meant that he had fought and won. That he had survived.

But would Leandro see them that way? Would he think them badges of honor? Or would he find them horrific? Would he think that Akira was … less because of them?

He gave a sharp shake of his head, cutting off his line of thinking. That was a problem for another day, if it even became a problem at all. Right now, he needed to get clean so that when Leandro called for him, he’d be ready.

He let out a hiss as the water hit him, setting every last cut stinging. He leaned his forehead against the wall, watching as the dirty water swirled down the drain. He stayed there, not daring to move, as his body began to shake.

He’d been waiting for this; the crash, the full realization of just what had taken place over the course of the night. He’d been able to let some of it out when he had met Petra in the garage, but it hadn’t been enough. And, whole on the roof, he had been too worried about disturbing Leandro to let go. But now… Now there was nothing holding him back.

He closed his eyes, pressing his forehead deeper into the wall as his shaking increased. His chest felt tight, and his breath was starting to come in short, painful gasps.

He let it all sweep through him, everything that he had been unable to feel during the mission; the sorrow and guilt at not being able to save the workers, the terror at realizing there was a bomb, the regret that he was going to die without getting to say goodbye to his brother, panic that he wasn’t going to be able to save Leo. Everything that the adrenaline and the constant need to think, to plan, had held at bay was suddenly crashing down on him. He fell to his knees under the weight of it all, fingers digging into his hair.

Last night had been too much. He’d come too close to losing everything. What if Leandro had died? What if he had died thinking that Akira was still angry at him? That he didn’t want him in his life? Akira would never have been able to live with himself if he had lost Leo like that.

And what if he had died? What would that have done to Leandro, who had already lost so much? What about Hoshi and Dante? Hayach? How would they have dealt with his loss?

This was why he didn’t get close to people, why he was so afraid of letting anyone in. Just thinking about losing Leo --- or causing his loved ones any pain --- was almost unbearable. What would happen if he actually lost any of them? He wouldn’t stand a chance of surviving intact.

And yet…

He thought of how it felt whenever Leandro held his hand, how much he had missed it in the time they were at odds with each other. He thought about the way the other man would bury his face into Akira’s neck and tell him that he smelled like home. He thought about the way Leandro would look at him, the smile that was reserved just for him. He thought about Leandro’s easy laugh, the way his eyes would often light up with delight. All of this caused a different type of ache in his heart.

He'd come so close to missing out on all of that. If he’d insisted on keeping Leandro at arm’s length, if he’d not allowed the other man to somehow worm his way past Akira’s defenses, he never would have known what any of that was like. Worse, he’d nearly willingly thrown it all away.

And that’s when he realized something, something he once would have never thought possible: the idea of having never loved Leandro at all hurt worse than the idea of losing him. And it wasn’t just Leo, either. He thought of Hayach, kind and patient Hayach, who had been determined to be his friend, no matter how hard Akira had pushed him away. And Dante, who had taken him in and accepted him as he was and loved him, no matter how much Akira had claimed to hate him. The thought of not having these two men --- his family --- in his life was devastating.

But they weren’t lost. Leo, Hoshi, Dante, Hayach… They were all safe. All alive and well. Which meant that he could tell them all how thankful he was to have them in his life. How much worse his life would be without them in it. How much he loved them.

He leaned back on his heels, tipping his face up to let the water mingle with his tears. He was all right. Everyone else was all right. He still had a chance to do all of the things he should have done a long time ago.

He had to wash his hair three times before the water ran clear. He gently ran soap over his skin, wincing whenever a particularly nasty cut would burn. He paid extra attention to the gash on his thigh, making sure to clean it thoroughly. By the time he stepped out of the shower every inch of his body hurt and he was weary to the bone.

He dressed the thigh would before pulling on a pair of shorts and a worn-out t-shirt. Then he finally, finally, fell onto his bed with a groan. Gods, but he hurt. Maybe he should ---

The shrill ring of his comm cut through the room, causing his body to jerk as it was once again flooded with adrenaline. He reached out blindly, snagging the device from his nightstand and hitting the answer button without bothering to see who was calling him. “Hello?”

“Kira!”

He sat up so fast his head spun, his heart pounding in his throat. “Petra?” She sounded terrified. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“It’s Leo. He --- we --- need you. I can’t ---”

And then came a sound unlike anything Akira had ever heard. It wasn’t a scream so much as a howl, desperate and heart-wrenching. It was something that he would expect a wounded or dying animal to make, and it raised every hair on his body.

Petra let out a sob. “Kira, please! Hurry!”

He was on his feet before she finished speaking, throwing the comm onto his bed without bothering to end the call.

His flight down the hall was a blur. He didn’t even register the people that he passed in his mad dash. They were of no concern to him. Something was wrong with Leo, and he needed to get there now.

As he approached the apartment door it slid open, revealing Petra, glasses askew and tears streaming down her face. “He’s in his room,” she said as he stepped inside. “I tried to help him, but ---”

Another howl like the one he’d heard over the comm echoed through the apartment, sounding louder and more desperate than before. Akira realized with growing horror that the sound was, in fact, coming from a human.

It was coming from Leo.

Leandro’s bedroom door was open, the lights blazing. Akira sprinted towards it, pausing in the doorway just long to take in the scene before him.

Leandro was sitting on the bed, blankets tangled all around him. His back was arched, fingers curled into claws as they scrabbled at his eyes. Akira was alarmed to see blood already running down his face.

“Leo!” He was moving without thinking, launching himself at the other man. He grasped Leandro’s wrists, trying to pull his hands from his face. But Leandro’s muscles were locked, unyielding, and Akira was only barely able to hold them in place. “Leo!” he called again in a desperate voice. “Leo, snap out of it! You’re going to hurt yourself!”

His only response was a low wail as Leandro’s arms strained against Akira’s hold, trying to get to his eyes.

Akira’s eyes darted around the room, desperately trying to see if he could find the source of Leandro’s distress, or maybe a clue as to how to stop it. But there was nothing amiss that he could see. Leandro’s eyes were wide open, tears spilling from them to mix with the blood on his face. From their unfocused gaze, Akira knew that his partner wasn’t seeing anything.

His gaze fell on Petra, who was hovering in the doorway and wringing her hands. “What’s wrong with him? And how do I help him?”

“It’s a night terror. He hasn’t had one in years. I used to be able to help him, but he was so weak back then. So emaciated from what they had done to him. But now ---”

“Petra!” He hadn’t meant to snap at her, but Leandro was pulling against his hold again. And damn, was he strong. “What do I need to do?”

“O-oh. Right.” Petra lifted a shaking hand to adjust her glasses. “You’ll have to wake him up somehow. It can be hard, but it’s the only way to get him to stop.”

Akira’s eyes snapped back to his partner. Wake him up? Leandro was asleep?

But that would explain the unseeing eyes. Night terror, Petra called it. An apt name because he had never seen the other man look so terrified.

Akira readjusted his grip on Leandro’s wrists and once again tried to pull them away from his face. “Leo,” he said, trying to keep his voice as calm and steady as possible. “It’s me. It’s Kira. I don’t know if you can hear me, but you’re safe. You’re back in your bedroom at the Castle. I’m here. So is Petra. You’re safe. We need you to wake up.”

There wasn’t any visible reaction that Akira could see, but he felt some of the tension drain from Leandro’s arms, and he was able to pull them just a little bit further away from Leandro’s vulnerable eyes.

Akira turned towards Petra, catching her eye and nodding towards Leandro. “Talk to him. It seemed to help.”

She inched closer to the bed. “Leo? Leo, it’s okay. You’re safe. I promise. We’re both right here with you. We won’t let anything hurt you.”

Leandro let out a whimper, and they both watched as his muscles relaxed infinitesimally. It was something at least, and Akira was able to put a little more distance between Leandro’s hands and his face.

Encouraged by this, Petra reached out to place a hand on Leandro’s straining arm. “Everything’s okay, Leo. You’re not trapped. You’re not locked in the dark. You’re home.”

A deep shudder ran through Leandro’s body, and Akira used the opportunity to pull his partner’s arms far enough apart that he could slip in between them. He wrapped his own arms around the other man. He could feel Leandro’s fingers latch onto his shoulders, nails digging painfully into the flesh, but at least he could not no longer reach his face.

Akira held Leandro against him as tightly as he could without hurting him, continuing to talk to him, hoping that his words were somehow reaching him. “Wake up, Sharpshooter. We need you to come back to us. Wake up, Leo. Please.”

This went on for several minutes more, Akira and Petra taking turns talking to Leandro, Petra gently rubbing his back, until his body gave one last shudder before he fell limp against Akira.

He lifted his head, blinking sleepy eyes at Akira. “Kira?” he asked groggily. “What are you doing here?”

Akira gave him a relieved smile, reaching up to brush a curl away from Leandro’s eyes. “You were having a night terror. Petra called me to come and help.”

His forehead creased for a moment, then his face fell. “Dammit. I haven’t had one of those in years. I suppose---” He broke off with a gasp, his eyes going wide as they were suddenly filled with a different kind of terror. “Petra! Where is she? Did I—”

“I’m here, Leo,” she said, stepping around so that he could see her. “I’m right here.”

He reached over to cup her face between both hands, eyes roaming over her anxiously. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

She reached up to cover his hands with her own. “No. You didn’t hurt me. I ---” Her voice broke as tears once more filled her eyes. “I’m so sorry, Leo. I tried to wake you up, but I couldn’t. So, I called Kira, and ---”

Leandro pulled her onto the bed, wrapping his arms around her and holding her tightly against him. “Don’t you dare apologize,” he said fiercely. “You did the right thing. I could have hurt you if you’d tried on your own.”

She buried her face into his shoulder as she began to sob.

It was an intimate moment, made even more so when Leandro began to murmur soft words into Petra’s ear, and it made Akira uncomfortable to watch. So, he stood, ready to leave them to their privacy.

“Wait.”

Long, cool fingers wrapped around his wrist, and when he looked down, he found Leandro looking up at him, eyes pleading. “Don’t go.”

Akira lifted his free hand and reached out to gently place his fingertips against Leandro’s cheek. “You’re bleeding. Let me go get Dante’s med-kit so I can clean these up.”

Leandro’s expression changed to one of confusion, and het let go of Akira’s wrist so that he could touch his face. When he found blood mixed with tears on the tips of his fingers, his eyes went wide. “Oh.”

“I’ll be right back, I promise.” He carefully ran his fingertips down Leandro’s cheek in a caress before walking away.

As soon as he stepped out of the apartment Akira sagged against the wall, lowering his head and burying his face into his hands. He knew he was getting stares --- he could feel them --- but he didn’t care. He needed a moment to catch his breath.

All of the adrenaline that he had thought he’d gotten rid of came roaring back into him, leaving his body shaking and his heart pounding. He knew Leandro was safe. Hell, the other man hadn’t even seemed fazed by this night terror. But the terror that Akira had felt when he had heard Leandro’s scream and had seen the blood on his face was still fresh in his mind, and he needed to ride it out.

After a few moments of deep breathing, he finally felt steady enough to walk back down the hall to his own apartment.

The door hadn’t had time to close behind him before Dante was hurrying out of the kitchen, his face worried. “Are you alright?” he asked, eyes automatically raking over Akira, looking for any signs of trauma. “I went to the kitchen and thought I heard screaming coming from your room. I went in there to check on you and realized that it was coming from your comm. I assumed everything was all right, but… Well, I couldn’t help but worry.”

Akira felt a rush of warmth fill him at the other man’s concern. “Everything is fine. Leandro was having some night terrors, and Petra had called me to come and help. I forgot to turn my comm off before I left. I’m sorry I worried you.”

“It’s all right. You’re safe, which is all that matters. Is Leo okay?”

“He seems to be. But he managed to scratch up his face. I was actually hoping I could use your med-kit, if that’s okay.”

Dante brightened at this. “Of course! Give me just a moment and I’ll get it for you.” He disappeared down the hallway, returning a few moments later holding his large --- and very well-stocked --- emergency med-kit. “Do you think he’ll need stitches?”

Akira shook his head as he took the kit. “They don’t seem to be that deep. But there are several of them, and they are close to his eyes, and I just want to clean them up so they don’t get infected.”

“Good. Well, if they turn out to be worse than they look, don’t hesitate to call me, okay?”

“I will.” He paused, biting at his lip. “Hey, Dante?”

The other man, who had already started back towards the kitchen, turned back to face him., one eyebrow raised.

“I just… I want to…” Akira stopped, blowing out a breath in frustration. Knowing what he wanted to say and actually saying it were two very different things. “I love you. I know I don’t say it as often as I should, and I wanted to make sure that you knew.”

Dante blinked at him for a moment, then his expression morphed into something so gentle that it almost hurt to look at. “Oh, Kira.” He moved forward to pull Akira into a tight embrace. Akira closed his eyes and allowed himself to sink into the comfort and warmth that Dante was providing. “I love you, too. So very much.”

They stayed that way for several minutes in a comfortable silence before pulling away, Dante’s hands resting on Akira’s shoulders. With a smile, he placed a gentle kiss onto the younger man’s forehead. “Go and take care of your boy. We’ll be here if you need us.”

When he arrived back at the other apartment, he found Petra and Leandro still sitting on Leandro’s bed. But now they were laughing and smiling, and Akira felt his heart lift. Gods, but he needed to hear Leo’s laugh after last night.

As soon as she caught sight of him Petra was pushing to her feet, hurrying over to throw her arms around him. “Thank you so much for coming when I called. I was panicking and didn’t know what else to do. I’m sorry if ---”

“Hey.” He cut her off, reaching down to wrap an arm around her shoulders. “Don’t you ever apologize for calling me for help. I told you to, remember? And not just for Leo. I love you too, you know.”

Petra let out a small sob at this and pressed her face into his side. “I love you, too.”

Akira gave her shoulders another squeeze before looking up at Leandro. The other man was staring at them with an unreadable expression, a sheen of tears in his eyes. When he caught Akira’s gaze, the most beautiful smile that Akira had ever seen spread across his face. “My two favorite people,” he mouthed.

Petra gave one last sniff before stepping away from Akira, wiping at her eyes. “Sorry I keep going all mushy on you. Is there anything you need me to do?”

“Go to bed,” he said gently. “I’ll get him cleaned up, and I’ll stay with him. That way you can both get some sleep.”

She bit her bottom lip, looking uncertain. “Are you sure?”

“Absolutely. I’m a very light sleeper. If he moves or makes any noise at all it will wake me up. Then I can hopefully wake him up before he can have another terror.” He lifted an eyebrow at his partner. “That is, if it’s all right with you.”

Leandro let out a dramatic gasp, pressing a hand to his heart. “Why, Akira Kogane. Are you asking if you can sleep with me?”

Akira let out a groan as he rolled his eyes, but he was smiling. “Yes, you ridiculous man. I am asking if I can sleep with you. I can tell you right now that neither Petra nor I will be able to get any sleep if we leave you in here alone. All three of us are exhausted. This way, we might all actually be able to get some rest.”

“Well.” Leandro batted his eyelashes. “Resting wasn’t quite what I had in mind.”

This time it was Petra who groaned, throwing her arms up in mock disgust. “Okay. I’m out. I’m too tired to deal with Leandro’s version of flirting right now.” She patted Akira on the arm. “Good luck. I’ll be in my room if you need me. Sleeping. With my headphones on.”

Then she was gone. Akira noticed that she left the door slightly ajar, and he made a mental note not to shut it all the way. He didn’t want Leandro to feel trapped.

“Scoot.” Akira motioned for his partner to move back as he sat down on the other end of the bed. He opened Dante’s med-kit, pulling out a pair of gloves and a few packages of antiseptic wipes. “This might burn a little.”

Leandro wrinkled his nose. “Do they look bad?”

Akira shook his head. “There’s a few of them, but they all seem pretty shallow. I doubt you’ll have any scarring, as long as we keep them from getting infected.” He tore the first package open.

Leandro leaned forward to make it easier for Akira to clean the scratches. “Thanks for coming to my rescue,” he said, reaching out to squeeze Akira’s knee. “Petra never would have been able to wake me on her own. Not without her getting hurt. It would have been much worse if not for you.”

“I’m just glad I was able to help.” He touched the wipe to one of the scratches and began to carefully clean it, wincing in sympathy as Leandro let out a hiss of pain. “What was that? Petra called it a night terror?”

“Yeah. That’s what they were called back on Earth, anyway. When Petra and I first met I was having them pretty frequently. It hasn’t happened in years.” He let out a huff of frustration. “Just something else the Galra took from me.”

“It must have been awful. You looked, well… terrified.”

Leandro let out a shot laugh. “You know, I have no idea what was happening. I never do. And I can never remember doing anything. I just woke up and was confused why you were here and looking so scared.”

Akira frowned at this. “Really? You were so terrified that you were clawing at yourself, and you don’t remember what it was?”

“Yup.” He paused, frowning. “Although this whole thing with me trying to claw my eyes out is new. At least, I think it’s new. Petra never mentioned me doing that before.”

“Do you at least know what causes them?”

Leandro dropped his gaze so that he was staring at the place where his hand rested on Akira’s knee. “Nightmares.”

Ah.

They were both silent as Akira finished cleaning one side of Leandro’s face.  He tore into another package and started on the other side. “Do you want to talk about it?” he asked softly.

Leandro’s eyes snapped back up to his. “Are you… are you sure?”

“I am yours, remember? Whenever you need me, whatever you need me to be, I am here.”

Leandro’s eyes fluttered closed as he swallowed hard. “You have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that”, he said, voice hoarse, as he gave Akira’s knee another squeeze. “Thank you.”

Silence descended once more as Leandro got his thoughts togehter. Once Akira had finished cleaning the wounds, he took the debris to the biohazard bin in the bathroom and washed his hands. When he returned, Leandro was sitting with his eyes open and back straight.

“When the Galra enslaved me, they took me to one of the mines.” As Akira settled back into his place on the bed Leandro reached out to take one of his hands. “I was young, strong, and healthy. I would be able to provide years’ worth of hard labor. It’s the reason they didn’t let me go when they were supposed to. So, they shipped me off to one of the larger mines outside of the city, far away from prying eyes.

“It… was awful as you can guess, but bearable. I kept thinking that if I was good and did what they told me to do they would let me go home. So, I never said a word of protest about being there. I had a place to sleep, food to eat, and the work area was safe. I thought I could tough it out.”

He looked down at where he was holding Akira’s hand, idly toying with his fingers. “However, they would hold a sort of raffle every day, draw names to see who would be sent down to the unexcavated parts of the mine. They had enough slaves that you averaged going down to the Deeps --- that’s what we called it --- about once every three months. The first time my name got called I thought nothing of it. I thought it would be the same as working in the mine proper.

“The elevator ride seemed to take forever. I had no idea how deep we were actually going, but it took so long to get there. I had never been somewhere so utterly dark before. There was absolutely no light whatsoever. They gave us all headlamps, chained us together, and took us to the dig site. I had never had any problems with enclosed spaces or the dark before. But there in the Deeps, you could feel all of that rock and earth pressing down on you. You would hear things that you couldn’t see. And then… All I could think about was that I wouldn’t be able to get out if something were to happen, and I panicked.

“I don’t remember what happened after that, really. I just remember feeling this overwhelming sense of being smothered and this voice in the back of my head saying ‘get out’. I guess I tried to run. They might have let me go, maybe let me try to escape or get lost in the dark, but I was chained to all of the other slaves, so when I bolted, they all went down, too. I guess I was so out of it that they were afraid to try and restrain me least they or one of the other slaves get hurt. So, they Juiced me.”

Akira could feel his blood begin to boil in anger even as his stomach churned in revulsion. “They still forced you to work? Knowing that you were absolutely terrified?”

“I don’t think they much cared for my emotional wellbeing. Besides, once the Juice kicked in, I couldn’t stop moving. So, they still got what they wanted out of me.”

 “That’s where your claustrophobia comes from.”

“Every time my name got drawn, I would have a panic attack. I tried not to --- I knew what would happen if I did --- but I couldn’t help it. The guards forced me to go every time. Usually they would just Juice me --- sometimes they had to do it more than once --- but sometimes they got creative. Once they publicly flogged me with an electro-whip, saying it would ‘teach me a lesson.”

When Akira spoke again he couldn’t keep the growl from his voice. “Is that what your nightmare was about?”

Leandro nodded. “I was back there. In the Deeps, I mean. Alone. All I had was your penlight, and I couldn’t find my way out.” He shrugged. “The next thing I knew I woke up and you were there.”

They fell silent after that, each one lost in his own thoughts. Akira gently ran his thumb over the back of Leandro’s hand, wondering which one of them it was he was trying to soothe.

Finally, he let out a sigh. “Is there anything I can do to make this better? Make you some tea, maybe?”

Leandro squeezed his hand in gratitude. “Just you being here has helped me more than you will ever know. However…” He tipped his head to one side, regarding Akira thoughtfully. “There is one thing I would like, if you are willing.”

“Name it.”

“The last time that you and I were in here, together like this, you asked me a question. I never got to give you my answer, and I would very much like to remedy that.”

Oh.

Akira sucked in a breath, eyes going wide as his heart suddenly picked up speed. “Is that… Are you sure you want to do that right now? I don’t want you to think that you owe it to me, or—”

“No.” Leandro cut him off with a shake of his head. “I want this, Kira. I’ve always wanted this. Besides.” He reached out with his free hand to gently cup Akira’s cheek. “I’m tired of waiting. I’ve almost lost you twice since the last time we were here, and I don’t want to risk it happening again.” He brushed Akira’s hair away from his face, tucking it behind an ear. “Whaddya say, samurai? Can I finally give you my answer?”

Akira swallowed hard. “Only if your answer is yes.”

A slow, languid smile crossed Leandro’s face, and his hand slid through Akira’s hair to gently grasp the back of his neck. “Close your eyes,” he murmured, “and you’ll find out.”

Akira did as he was asked, feeling his entire body tense in anticipation.

With his eyes closed everything felt so much more. The place where Leandro’s hand gripped the back of his neck burned, and when the other man placed a hand on his chest Akira’s heart gave a might thump, as thought it were trying to break out of his chest in order to feel that touch. And when Leandro brushed his nose against his, Akira couldn’t stop the hitch in his breath. His chin tilted up on its own accord, lips parting in readiness.

He heard a soft laugh, felt Leandro’s breath ghost across his cheek. And when Leandro’s lips finally touched his, everything inside of him exploded.

Fire raced through his veins, followed by ice, then fire once more. He melted, everything inside of him shifting so that it could be forged anew. Lights burst behind his eyes, and he was certain that his heart had stopped. He was flying. He was drowning. He was dying. And he was being reborn.

Dimly, he was aware of Leandro sliding his hand up into Akira’s hair, gripping it just tight enough that he could tilt Akira’s head to a more suitable angle. Akira readily complied, wanting --- needing   --- as much of the other man as he was willing to give: his lips, his taste, his breath, his touch.

Then he felt Leandro’s tongue trace across his lower lip, asking for permission to be let in. Akira couldn’t hold back a moan as he opened his mouth wider. Yes, he thought dizzily. Take what you want. Take all that I have.

An answering growl came from somewhere deep in Leandro’s chest just before he plunged his tongue into Akira’s mouth.

And Akira was completely and utterly lost.

Leandro tasted like a combination of honey and the finest whiskey Akira had ever drank. It flooded him as Leandro hungrily plundered his mouth, and Akira chased it, sliding his own tongue over Leandro’s in an effort to take in as much of it as he could. The taste was heady, intoxicating, and he couldn’t get enough.

Then Leandro was gone, mouth no longer on Akira’s, and Akira found himself gasping, chest tight as he fought to get enough air into his lungs, body shaking from the effects of the kiss.

No other kiss had ever affected him like that before. Actually, nothing had ever affected him like that. Even now he was mourning the loss of Leandro’s lips against his, the way the other man’s honey-whiskey taste had ignited every nerve in his body. He needed more, just as much as he needed air to breathe.

It was too much, this want, this need, and he could feel his heart start to race as panic took the place of pleasure. This was why he had never let himself be in a relationship before. If Leandro could do this to him with a single kiss, then what ---

Leandro pressed his forehead against his, and all the panic and doubt were suddenly swept away, replaced by the heavy, languid warmth of contentment. Of joy. Of love.

“Wow,” Leandro whispered, and Akira realized that the other man was panting just hard as he was. “That was… I’ve never… Wow.”

Apparently, Akira wasn’t the only one who had been so strongly affected by the kiss.

“I’ve never felt anything like that before,” he murmured in reply. “Ever.” Not even close.

“Neither have I.” Leandro brushed their noses together once again, and Akira could feel his smile. “You know what that means, right? It means that you and I are supposed to be together. That we belong.”

Akira laughed as he slid his hands up Leandro’s chest to rest on his shoulders, feeling giddy and completely drunk on love. It was fanciful, of course, but the idea that he and Leandro were somehow meant to be together set his heart aflame. “In that case, I think we need a follow-up. Just to see if we get the same result.”

The smile on Leandro’s face turned into a full-blown grin. “I like the way you think, Kogane,” he murmured, just before capturing Akira’s lips with his once more.

Leandro had never felt so happy in his entire life.

He had kissed Akira. He had finally kissed Akira. And nothing --- not all of his daydreams, not all of the nights he had lain awake, imagining what it would be like, fantasizing about the moment --- could have prepared him for the actuality of it.

Kissing Akira had felt like kissing the sun. It had burned, had seared away every inch of him, both inside and out. It should have hurt; the feeling was so intense. Instead, it filled him with a sense of euphoria like nothing else ever had.

Something had ignited within him at the kiss, something buried deep, something that he had thought he would never find. He wasn’t quite sure what it was: love, most assuredly. But it went beyond love, beyond acceptance. It was something that made Leandro feel whole, and it was something that only Akira had been able to give him. His partner may scoff at the idea that the two of them were meant to be together, but for Leandro, there was no doubt.

He wanted to kiss Akira forever. Wanted to kiss him until every ounce of breath that was in his body came from Akira. Wanted to kiss him until neither of them could tell where one of them ended and the other began. And though his heart and mind were more than willing to spend the rest of eternity kissing the beautiful man that sat before him, his body, it seemed, was not.

“Leo.” There was gentle laughter in Akira’s voice as he pushed Leandro down onto the bed. “Go to sleep. You can barely keep your eyes open.”

Leandro shook his head stubbornly. “I’m awake,” he slurred. “I just need…. I need…”

“Sleep. You need sleep.” Akira pushed himself off of the bed and started walking towards the door.

“Wait!” Leandro made a feeble attempt to grab the other man’s shirt. “Don’t go. I thought you were going to stay.”

“I am. Just give me a minute.”

Leandro forced his eyes to stay open as he watched Akira open the bedroom door just wide enough that they could see into the living area before turning off the lights. The room was left in the soft glow of the fairy lights above the bed.

Akira climbed back into the bed next to him, reaching out to gently pull the blankets over them. “Do you need anything else?” he asked softly.

Leandro slid an arm around Akira’s waist as pressed his face into the other man’s chest, breathing in his warm, familiar scent. “Not as long as you’re here.”

“For as long as you need me, remember?”

“Mmm. Hope you’re okay with forever, then.”

He heard Akira laugh from somewhere above him. Then an arm, strong and steady, wrapped around him, pulling him deeper into Akira’s warmth. “Get some sleep, love. I’ll keep you safe.”

Leandro smiled, snuggling deeper into his partner’s protective embrace as he drifted off into a deep and dreamless sleep.

Chapter Text

One of the worst things about being a resistance fighter --- at least in Leandro’s opinion --- was that you always ended up being the bad guy. Here he was, risking his life to try and free the people of the city from Galran rule, and those very same people had hurled insults at him. They had told him that he should have died. That they were glad that his family had died.

Now they would think he was a murderer.

He was currently in the living room of the Koganes’ apartment, curled up on a loveseat, tucked into Akira’s side with Dante and Hoshi sitting on the couch. Hayach was sitting in the oversized armchair, Petra perched on one of its arms. They had been in the middle of a discussion about the day’s plans when the latest news ticker had come on, and now all six pairs of eyes were glued to the holovid screen mounted to the wall.

A video was played, showing the remains of the warehouse with a team of Galra climbing over the wreckage. In the front and center of the camera --- right where they could not be missed – a pair of them were maneuvering a skiff. A sheet had been thrown over it, but there was no mistaking what lay beneath it.

“Bodies are still being pulled from what remains of a warehouse located in the Outskirts of the city,” a voice droned as the tickers scrolled by at the bottom of the screen. “It is still unknown how many people were inside the building when it collapsed.”

The screen went black before Sendak’s somber face appeared. Leandro couldn’t suppress a shudder at seeing him. Even though he knew the governor was tucked away in the Castillo, it still felt as though he was looking directly at Leandro. And it made his flesh crawl.

“We are deeply saddened by this needless loss of life.” Sendak’s gravelly voice held a note of regret, just enough to make it seem genuine. “Even though these men were all Free Citizens --- therefore not under my protection --- they did not deserve to die. It is obvious that this was the work of the Deliverance, just one of the many bombings that they have been responsible for. It is reprehensible that they targeted the very same people they say they are trying to protect. And we have several sources that say this particular tragedy was carried out by the terrorists known as the Neon City Outlaws”.

He narrowed his eyes, the red light from his cybernetic one seeming to cut through the screen. “These people are not freedom fighters, as they would have you believe. They are murderers. We must get them off our streets. In an effort to expedite their capture --- and ensure your safety --- we are increasing the amount of the reward we are offering for any information that leads to their arrest.”

Sendak’s face vanished, replaced by a very long list of numbers. Across the room, Hayach let out a choking sound.

“Remember, you may share any information you have with a member of Galran patrols.” Sendak continued to speak as the numbers floated tantalizingly on the screen. “Or you may come to the Castillo to make a report directly to a government official. Once the terrorists have been apprehended, the reward will be yours.”

Sendak reappeared on the screen, his usual scowling visage back in place. “I will not allow these murderers to run around my city unchecked. Outlaws, if you are watching this, we will find you. And you will be brought to justice. It’s only a matter of time.”

Then he was gone, and the next ticker started.

For a long moment the room remained silent, all of them staring at the holovid screen in horrified shock. It was Petra who, in a very quiet voice, finally said what they were all thinking.

“Fuck.”

And then the room erupted, Hoshi’s stern voice ringing out while Akira jumped to his feet and yelled angrily in reply. Dante stood to act as a referee between the brothers, speaking in a calm and soothing tone to no avail.

Leandro paid no attention to the commotion going on around him. He stared blankly at the screen, his mind unable to focus on anything else but what Sendak had said.

Murderer. He called me a murderer. They are saying that I killed those people.

His stomach churned, his breakfast threatening to make a reappearance.

Leandro had never liked violence. He’d always preferred to solve his problems with charm and wit rather than his fists. He had never hurt anyone intentionally before fighting the Juicers. Even that had been a matter of self-defense rather than malice.

Those workers had been innocent, their only crime being unlucky enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. And the Galra were telling the entire planet that he had been responsible for their deaths when he had, in fact, tried to save them.

Long, cool fingers were suddenly sliding across his cheek, startling him. Lifting his head, he found himself staring into a pair of worried amethyst eyes.

“Leo?” Akira’s voice was soft, his touch on Leandro’s still-healing face gentle. “What is it, love? What’s wrong?”

Love. Hearing Akira calling him that it sent a zing throughout his whole body. He hoped Akira would always call him that, and that this feeling never faded.

He reached up to cover his partner’s hand with his own, leaning into the other man’s touch. “I’m fine. Just… thinking.”

Akira held his gaze for a moment longer, so many things filling his eyes but never leaving his lips, before leaning forward to press a kiss to Leandro’s forehead. Leandro let out a sigh of contentment as his eyes fluttered closed. He hoped he never got used to this, either.

Akira dropped his hand from Leandro’s face but Leo took it to hold between both of his. Now that this was okay --- that they were okay --- he found himself wanting to touch Akira as much as he possibly could. Fortunately, the other man didn’t seem to mind, and he laced his fingers through Leandro’s as he turned back to face his brother.

“We can’t just stay locked in here forever, Hoshi. No one outside of Team Voltron knows that we’re the Outlaws. If we suddenly vanish from the radar, people might get suspicious.”

Hoshi’s face could have been carved from stone. “This is not up for debate, Kira. That is a lot of credits. If anyone outside of the team even has a hunch that you two are the Outlaws, I would not trust them to keep their mouths shut.”

“So that’s your plan? Just lock us in our rooms for the rest of our lives?”

“If that is what it takes to keep you safe! This isn’t ---”

“Guys!” Dante’s voice, usually so calm, rose above the din as he stepped between the two men. “This isn’t a problem that we can solve right now.” He cut a glance to his husband. “We need to wait until our heads are cooler before we try to figure out what is the best way to keep everyone safe.” His gaze shifted to Akira. “No one is getting locked in their room, but we do need to be smart about this.”

Leandro gave Akira’s hand what he hoped was a reassuring squeeze. “Alina had already told us not to leave the property, remember? We can certainly do that much.” He tried to grin at them, but it felt unsteady. “I may be reckless, but I’m not stupid.”

Hoshi stared at Akira, lips pressed tight. “Will you promise me --- promise me --- that you won’t step foot off Deliverance grounds?” His eyes moved to Leandro. “I want you to promise as well. You’re a part of this family now, and we don’t want anything happening to you, either.”

This time Leandro’s smile was real. “I promise.” He looked up at his partner. “And I’ll make sure he doesn’t go anywhere, either. I’m not afraid to knock his ass out if that’s what it takes.”

“See?” Dante’s voice had dropped back to its normal tone, and he reached out to place a hand on his husband’s shoulder. “They’ll be fine, Hoshi. Like Leo said, they’re not stupid.”

Hoshi blew out a breath, lifting his prosthetic arm to run a hand through his hair. “You’re right. Of course you’re right.” He closed his eyes briefly before looking back to his brother. “I’m sorry, Kira. I would never dream of locking you away. I just… I’m scared.”

Akira nodded, his face softening as his temper cooled just as quickly as it had flared. “I know. And I’m scared, too.” He cast a brief glance down at Leandro. “I have other people to think of beside myself now. I promise we’ll be smart about this. No leaving the property, no unnecessary risks. We’ll be okay.”

“I’ll hold him to it,” Leandro piped up. “I’ll keep an eye on him. Promise.”

Across the room Petra let out a snort. “I’m pretty sure you haven’t taken your eyes off of him since… Well, since we first got here.”

Leandro grinned in reply, thankful for his best friend knowing just what to say to break the tension. “I can’t help myself. He’s just so pretty!”

Akira groaned as he blushed furiously and everyone else laughed.

Problem solved, Dante planted a quick kiss on Hoshi’s lips before leaving the apartment to head to the hospital. Hoshi, Petra, and Hayach had already planned to take a shopping trip into the Outskirts and were finalizing the details.

Akira leaned down to press his lips to Leandro’s forehead, giving his hand one last squeeze before letting it to. “I’ll be right back, okay? I just need to talk to Hoshi for a minute.”

Leandro nodded, trying --- and failing --- to stamp out the flutter of panic that arose in his chest as the other man walked away. You’re fine, he told himself firmly. He’s just leaving the room. And Petra and Hayach are still in here. You’re not alone. Get a grip on yourself, Sanchez.

It had been two days since he and Akira had been pulled from the wreckage of the warehouse and he was still dealing with the aftermath. He was still having nightmare (though, thanks to Kira, there had been no further night terrors). He couldn’t stand to be left alone and had practically been glued to his partner’s side. If Akira wasn’t with him, then Petra was. They both assured him that they didn’t mind --- Akira had confessed that he quite liked feeling like he was needed --- but Leandro hated feeling as though he was a burden.

He was pulled from his thoughts by Petra, who plopped down next to him on the loveseat. “I’ve got your shopping list,” she said, waving her comm at him. “Last chance to add to it.”

“It’s good. I already went over it three times. I can’t think of anything else I might need.” He reached out to take her hand, feeling his brows pinch with worry. “You’ll be careful, won’t you? I know you’re not going on your own, but…”

She gave his hand a squeeze in return. “I will. I promise. We’ve already decided to stay together while we do our shopping. It might take longer, but it will be safer.” A bright grin spread across her face. “Besides, we’re apparently taking a skiff with us because Hayach has promised to cook a huge dinner for us this week and his list is at least a mile long. So if anyone starts giving us trouble, we can just hop on the skiff and speed off.”

Leandro laughed, feeling that knot of worry that seemed to have taken up permanent residence in his chest loosen just a bit. “All right, then. You guys have fun.”

The two Kogane men returned a few moments later, Hoshi wearing a wide grin and Akira looking flustered. They all said their goodbyes before Petra, Hayach and Hoshi left.

Akira reclaimed his seat on the loveseat with a heavy sigh. “I really hate my brother sometimes,” he muttered, wrapping an arm around Leandro’s shoulders, pulling him in close.

Leandro happily snuggled into his side, resting his head on the other man’s shoulder. “Did you two kiss and make up?”

Akira snorted. “No. I had a, ah, last minute request to add to my list, something that I wanted him to try and find for me while they were out shopping today. He was giving me shit about it. I doubt he’ll ever let me forget this.”

“Oh?” He moved his head just enough so that he could look up at his partner. “What is it?”

Akira shook his head, color rising high on his cheeks. “Let’s wait until they get back. Maybe, if he doesn’t find it, he won’t say anything about it.” He paused, then let out a groan. “Although I’m sure he’ll tell the others, and they certainly won’t stay quiet.”

Leandro was curious as to what this secret, last minute request was, but he was far too comfortable to care too much at the moment. Akira’s heartbeat was steady in his ear, and when the other man began to card his fingers through his hair, Leandro closed his eyes, letting out a sound of contentment.

A comfortable silence fell between them and Leandro marveled at how easy it was for them to just be. There was none of the awkwardness that often accompanied a new relationship. They just slipped into their new roles as lovers as if they had been born for them. Akira might scoff at the idea of the two of them being destined for each other, but Leandro had no doubt.

Akira lowered his hand from Leandro’s hair to gently stroke his cheek and Leandro nearly let out a purr. “Is there anything you would like to do today?” Akira asked in a quiet tone.

“Mmmm. Spend it with you. Though, if you keep petting me like this, I’m going to melt into a puddle of goo.”

That earned him a quiet laugh and Leandro couldn’t help but smile at the sound. He loved hearing Akira laugh, especially when he was the cause of it. “Would you like for me to stop?”

“Don’t you dare.”

Akira dropped his fingers to rest underneath Leandro’s chin and used them to tilt Leandro’s face upwards. Leandro opened his eyes to find himself staring into eyes so dark they were almost black.

“What about this?” Akira breathed, brushing their noses together. “Is that all right?”

Leandro could only nod, his eyes closing once more as Akira’s lips met his. It was a slow, languid kiss, almost agonizing in its gentleness. And yet Leandro could feel his toes curl into the carpet, a bowl of liquid heat settling into the bottom of his stomach.

Leandro knew that, no matter how long he lived, he would never become accustomed to the fact that he could kiss Akira Kogane whenever he wanted. No need to ask, no reason to do so other than wanting to. Even more unbelievable was that Akira could also kiss him whenever he wanted to.

It still felt like a dream. He kept expecting to wake up and find that the two of them were still at odds, that Akira was still planning to leave the team, leave him. Every time they kissed Leandro didn’t want to let Akira go, so afraid that the other man would disappear.

But he had woken up safe in Akira’s arms two days in a row. And he was here now, warm and real beneath Leandro’s hands.

Akira was the first to pull away, letting out a small gasp as he did. “Still in one piece?” he asked as he pressed their foreheads together.

Leandro shook his head, trying to catch his breath. “Goo,” was all he managed to say.

Akira grinned. “A very attractive pile of goo,” he teased, placing a brief kiss to the tip of Leandro’s nose. “I’m going to take a shower. After that, I am yours.”

Leandro couldn’t suppress the shiver that ran through his body as his partner stood and walked away. Dammit, but Kira couldn’t just say things like that. Especially after talking about taking a shower. It might put thoughts into his head.

Not that the thoughts weren’t already there. Hell, they had been there since the day a masked stranger with beautiful eyes had walked into his office. But now that they actually together he had no problems with letting his fantasies flow. Had it been any other partner, Leandro would have simply followed him to the shower with the intent to fuck him against the wall.

But this was Akira, his Kira. The man who loved him despite the fear of losing him. They couldn’t rush this. Everything had to be done right. And while the mental image of Akira standing naked in the shower with water running down his body made Leandro’s pants grow tight, he knew that a quick fuck in the shower wasn’t what he wanted. He wanted to show Akira what it was like to be loved. Leandro wanted to be able to take care of him. To be able to use his body to show Akira just how much he cared for him.

So he let himself flop sideways onto the loveseat, resting his head on the cushion that Akira had vacated, which was still warm from his body heat. Leandro closed his eyes, letting the drone of the news ticker lull him into a light doze.

When he felt a gentle hand land on his shoulder, Leandro blinked up to find Akira peering down at him. “Hey,” he said, brushing an errant curl out of Leandro’s eyes. “You okay?”

“Mmmm. More than okay.” Leandro stretched, yawning as he did so. “C’mon. IYou can have your seat back.”

“Just lift your head up so I can sit.”

Leandro did so, and as soon as Akira had reclaimed his seat Leandro dropped his head back down to rest in his lap. “Is this okay?” Leandro asked. “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

Above him, the other man let out a laugh. “You don’t have to keep asking me, Leo.” He placed one hand on Leandro’s chest, the other going to rest in his hair. “I enjoy getting to touch you. And I have come to realize that I very much enjoy it when you touch me. If anything does make me feel uncomfortable --- which I highly doubt --- I promise to let you know.”

Leandro couldn’t help but grin as he reached up to tangle his fingers in Akira’s hair, which was hanging loose and damp around his face. “Good, because I very much like touching you as well.” His grin widened as he stretched even further. “And I give you permission to touch all you want.”

There was a pause. Then, very quietly, Akira said, “Don’t tempt me.”

Whatever witty retort Leandro had been planning to say died on his lips as his eyes widened. That… was not the response he had expected. He’d been going for a laugh. Or another one of those beautiful blushes that he loved to see spread across his partner’s face. This answer had that earlier heat moving from Leandro’s stomach into his chest as his insides tightened with a surge of want.

But Akira didn’t move, leaving his hands where they were as he gently twirled Leandro’s curls around his fingers and Leandro soon felt his body relax. Akira also understood that they needed to wait before they became intimate with one another. Maybe he didn’t particularly want to wait. But they needed to. And were willing to do so, which meant more to Leandro than he ever would have thought.

“So,” Leandro said. He tried to go for a bright tone, but his voice just came out squeaky. “About today. It looks like we finally have some time just to ourselves.”

“And have you thought about what you would like to do with that time?”

He shrugged. Honestly, he hadn’t given it much thought beyond the fact that it would just be them. “I thought maybe we could just hang out, you know? Just… talk. Tell funny stories or something. Get to know each other a little more. Maybe even…” He trailed off as an idea came to him.

He let out a gasp, sitting up so fast that he nearly knocked his head into Akira’s. “I’ve got it!” he exclaimed, clapping his hands together in delight. “We can have a spa day!”

Akira blinked at him in confusion, his brows coming together in a way that Leandro found adorable. “A… spa day?”

“Yeah! You know, like in a spa? With facials and manicures and hair treatments?”

When Akira’s expression remained blank, Leandro let out a dramatic sigh as he got to his feet. “You poor, deprived soul. Come.” He held out a hand for his partner to take. “Let me introduce you to the wonders of pampering.”

Akira couldn’t help but feel amused as Leandro tugged him down the hallway towards his apartment. His partner was babbling about things like moisturizer and cuticle oil, words that Akira was not familiar with. He had no idea what this ‘spa day’ would consist of, but Leandro seemed excited about it. For Akira, that was all that mattered.

Leandro led him into his bedroom and, pointing to the bed, told him very firmly to ‘sit’. As Akira complied with a laugh, Leandro then darted into his bathroom before returning a few moments later with what appeared to be a small rolling cart that he parked next to the bed.

Akira looked at it curiously. It had four separate drawers, each one labeled. “What is this?”

Leandro beamed at him proudly. “This is my greatest treasure. Well, besides you and Petra, of course.” He grabbed the handle of the top drawer and pulled it open. “Ta da!”

The drawer was neatly organized, full of bottles, pots, and tubes. There was also a small section set aside for various things that Akira didn’t recognize.

He did, however, recognize some of the bottles and pots from the times he watched Leandro do his extensive skincare routine. “This is your face stuff, isn’t it?”

“Not just my ‘face stuff’ but all of my skincare stuff. Plus things to do our nails and hair with, too.” Leandro pulled out each of the other drawers to show Akira that they were full of things that he was pretty sure he had never seen before.

He shook his head, suddenly feeling uncertain. “I don’t know anything about any of this. I don’t even know what any of this is.”

“That’s all right. You don’t have to.” He plopped down on the bed next to Akira and pulled the cart closer. “We’ll need to wear these,” he said, opening the second drawer to pull something out before handing it to the other man.

It was a strip of fabric that had been sewn together to form a circle. “I’m supposed to wear this?”

Leandro let out a soft laugh. “It’s a headband. To hold your hair back. Watch.”  He placed his own circle of fabric around his neck before pulling the front of it up over his forehead. “See? That way your fair is out of your face.”

Akira copied his partner’s movements, pulling the fabric up over the top of his head. “Like this?”

“Almost.” Leandro leaned forward and tugged the band up a bit higher so that it wasn’t covering Akira’s ears. “There. That’s better.”

Akira waited for the other man to pull away, to return to a normal sitting position and continue with whatever he had planned. Instead he slid his hands down so that they were cupping Akira’s face, holding him in place as Leandro moved to slot their lips together. Akira didn’t bother to hold back his sigh of contentment.

When he finally pulled away there was a soft smile on Leandro’s face. “Sorry,” he said, sounding sheepish. “I feel like… I keep having to remind myself that this is real. That you are real.”

Akira couldn’t help but laugh, feeling as though his heart was light enough to float away. “I know how you feel.”  He grinned. “I guess we’ll just have to make sure to kiss each other as often as we can. Just to make sure.”

Leandro’s smile grew impossible softer. “Yeah. I like that idea.” Then he turned back to the cart. “Well. Let’s get started, shall we? The first thing we’re going to do is clean and exfoliate our skin. Have you ever used an exfoliant before?”

“Leo, I barely manage to wash my face most days.”

The other man clicked his tongue in disapproval as he pulled out one of the pots. “We’re going to have to remedy that. Remember, we only get one skin, which means we have to take good care of it. Now, lean forward.”

Akira did as asked, watching as Leandro twisted the lid of the pot open to reveal a thick, blue substance. “Is that going to turn my skin blue?”

“No. What it will do is get rid of any dead or dry skin.” Leandro scooped out some of the goop and held it out for Akira to inspect. “See those tiny black dots? They’ll scrub your skin clean.”

Akira scrunched up his nose. “Is it going to hurt?”

Leandro leaned forward, waggling his eyebrows suggestively. “Don’t worry, babe. I promise to be gentle.”

Akira narrowed his eyes at his partner, trying hard to fight the blush he could feel creeping into his cheeks. Damn it, but how was it possible that Leandro could still affect him like this? “You’re an ass. You know that?”

His partner’s grin stretched wide across his face. “But I’m a cute ass.”

Akira rolled his eyes but leaned forward.

Leandro reached out to begin spreading the blue goo across Akira’s face. “You know, back home --- Earth, I mean --- this would have been hard for us to do.”

“You couldn’t have… What did you call it? A spa day?”

Leandro shook his head, chuckling. “No. I meant it would have been hard for us to be us. You know. A couple. Lovers.”

Akira frowned. “What do you mean?”

“There are a lot of people who believe that two men shouldn’t be together. Or women, for that matter. That only a man and a woman should be allowed to be together.”

“Why?”

“For most people it was a religious thing. They claimed that their God decreed that only men and women were allowed to be together. That it was wrong for two people of the same sex to be in love.” He shrugged. “Then again, those same people couldn’t seem to be able to agree on anything else that their God supposedly decreed. And, when we learned that there were aliens out there, they all nearly lost their minds. But they were always loud about this belief, and they were dangerous.” His touch was gentle as it ran down Akira’s cheek. “It wasn’t that long ago that, had you and I held hands in public, we could have been killed for it.”

This idea was so ludicrous that Akira couldn’t wrap his head around it. The thought that someone could hate him so much that they would want him dead --- someone who didn’t even know him --- all because of who he loved was just so…

Wait.

A thought crashed into him, one so awful that it sent a stone sinking to the bottom of his stomach. “Your family. Did they feel that way? Would they have disapproved of me loving you?” He knew it didn’t matter. But thinking that Leo’s family would hate him on principal alone was unbearable.

Leandro snorted. “We may have been Catholic, but family always came first. They already knew that I was interested in both. And trust me. They would have loved you. Mama would have said you were too skinny and would have tried to feed you pastelito de guayaba every chance she got. And Papa would have begged you to let him help you make beer. My siblings would have taken turns telling you the most embarrassing stories about me that they could. The only thing they would have cared about is that you loved me.”

Akira blew out a breath, feeling the stone disappear. “Good. That makes me happy to know.”

Leandro spread the last of the goo across Akira’s face, leaning back to give his work a critical eye. “Perfect!” he declared, handing the pot to Akira. “Here. Your turn. Just smooth it all over my face, exactly as I did to you.”

Akira dipped his fingers into the pot, the goo cool against his skin, and reached out to start spreading it across Leandro’s chin.

“So,” Leandro asked. “Have you ever liked girls?”

Akira shook his head. “No. I mean, I was older before I even realized I was attracted to anyone. I didn’t have time --- or the desire, honestly --- to think about things like that.”

“How old were you when you had your first kiss?”

“Sixteen.” He could feel heat flood his cheeks at the memory. “It, ah… It was with Hayach, actually.”

Leandro reeled back, eyes going wide. “What? Really??”

He let out a huff, feeling his face grow warmer. Why did I say anything? “Yes, really. We were teenagers. And no, it’s not what yo are probably thinking. Now, come back here so I can reach you.”

Leandro complied, eyes bright with curiosity. “You have to tell me about this.”

Akira reached out to spread more goo on Leandro’s face. “Like I said, we were sixteen. There was this girl at school --- Shay. Hayach had been wanting to ask her out for over a year and had finally worked up enough courage to do so. But he had never kissed anyone before, so he asked me if we could… practice.”

“So you two kissed?”

“Yes.”

“And?”

Akira lifted an eyebrow. “And?”

Leandro leaned forward eagerly. “How was it? Was it everything you thought it would be? Was it magical? Were there sparks?”

Akira let out a groan. “No, you ridiculous man. He’s my best friend. It was sloppy and awkward, and we were both terribly embarrassed about the whole thing.”  He traced the goo carefully underneath Leandro’s bottom lip. “Your kiss is the only one that has ever caused sparks.”

The light in Leandro’s eyes darkened into something far less innocent. “Good. Because I plan on being the only man you ever kiss again.” His gaze dropped to Akira’s lips. “I’d kiss you right now if it wouldn’t mess up all my hard work.”

Akira rolled his eyes again, but he was smiling. “What about you? What was your first kiss like?”

The other man laughed softly. “Ah. Mine was also awkward and sloppy. But there certainly were sparks.” A nostalgic smile crossed his face. “I was… thirteen, I think? Maybe fourteen? Anyways, we were having a talent show at my school, and there was this girl that I’d had a massive crush on for about a year, and I was really hoping to impress her by playing and singing a love song. I practiced for weeks. Drove my family insane.

“So it’s the day of the talent show, right? I’m a nervous wreck. I get to school and… no girl. She’d stayed home sick that day. Can you believe it?” He chuckled. “Man, was I devastated. I thought about just not playing --- because what was the point if she wasn’t going to be there to hear me --- but I had worked too damn hard not to, you know? So I played. And, wouldn’t you know, I won first place.

“After the show all of these girls were suddenly swarming me, telling me how hot I was, and I thought that I had died and gone to teenage boy heaven. I mean, the whole reason I had entered the talent show was to impress a girl. Now I had impressed lots of girls!” Then his smile grew soft. “Then there was Daniel. We’d had a few classes together that year and had spoken a few times. I never really thought of him as a friend, just someone I went to school with. He came up to me later that day and told me that I had played beautifully and that he really liked my singing voice. Not that I was hot or sexy or any of that other shit we say as teenagers. What he said had substance to it. And I remember feeling this… something in my gut. Something I had never felt before and had no clue as to what it could be.

“I started talking to him more, like actually looking for him so that we could talk. I would do whatever I could to make him laugh because, every time I did, I would get butterflies in my stomach. It didn’t take me long to realize that I liked him. As in liked him, the same way I had liked that girl. I had never felt that way about a boy before. It was both terrifying and exhilarating at the same time.”

Akira knew that feeling well. It was exactly how he felt about Leandro.

“After a few weeks of this Daniel asked if he could meet me after baseball practice one day. He said he had something he wanted to tell me in private. I remember seeing him standing behind the bleachers and just feeling my mouth go dry. He didn’t say anything when he saw me, just smiled and held out his hand. I took it, and it just felt so right. And then he was pulling me forward and kissing me. No preamble, no warning. Just a kiss.”

“And it was magical?” Akira kept his voice soft, feeling as though he was somehow intruding on a deeply private moment.

“It was.” Leandro’s voice was just as soft, his gaze distant. “It was everything a first kiss should be: soft, sweet, and unsure. And, yes, sloppy and awkward. But it felt like this --- kissing him --- was the best thing that could ever happen to me.

“He told me later that he’d had a crush on me all year, but that he’d been too nervous to tell me. And, of course, I’d always made a big deal about girls, so he’d just assumed I wouldn’t be interested. We started dating --- if you can call it that when you’re a teenager --- and stayed together until I left Earth.” His expression turned sad. “He was devastated when I told him I had to leave. I told him that it would only be for two years, that I would be back before he knew it.” He paused, and when he spoke again, his voice was barely a whisper. “I wonder whatever happened to him.”

In the silence that followed Akira allowed himself to indulge in a moment of jealousy towards this faceless boy who had been the first person to steal Leandro’s heart. He wondered what Daniel had looked like, what he had been like. Did Leandro compare every lover he took to this first one? Was Akira anything like Daniel? Did Leandro wish he was?

But then he shook the thoughts free. Daniel was in the past and several worlds away. Leo was here. Now. With him. 

“Guess I’m not the only one who has been enchanted by your musical prowess,” he said, a wry smile twisting his lips. He’d meant for his tone to be teasing, but even he could hear the edge to it.

Leandro must have heard it too, because he reached out to touch Akira’s arm. “You know, if it hadn’t been for Daniel, I may never have allowed myself to love you, may have never even realized that loving you was even a possibility.” He offered a gentle smile. “Though I think we still would have managed to find our way to one another, no matter what.”

“You really believe that? That you and I were somehow…” Akira waved a hand around, trying to find the right word “… destined to be together?”

“More than anything.” Leandro’s voice dropped into an uncharacteristically serious tone. “Everything happens for a reason, Kira. And every single moment that you and I have experienced --- both the good and the bad --- have led us to this exact moment. Think about the astronomical odds of that happening. We were born on different planets. In different galaxies. The hospital that took Julian could have been anywhere in the universe. But it was here. The Galra could have simply released me at the end of my servitude and I would have just returned to my family. I could have died in those mines. I could have chosen to not meet you that second day after you gave me the bomb, just gone and hidden somewhere. Alina could have chosen to assign me to a different partner. But everything did happen, and each step happened at just the right moment to lead us here. To each other.” He shook his head. “I can’t believe that this was all just an accident. I can’t.”

Akira was silent as he covered the last of Leandro’s face with the goo.

There were no gods in Neon City. The Galra had no deities of their own. However, as many of the people who lived in the city came from different belief systems Sendak allowed them to continue their worship, as long as said god’s decrees did not contradict those of the Galra. Akira had never held faith in anything other than himself and his own abilities. Fate, destiny, basically anything more was a foreign concept to him. When good things happened, it was because he had worked for it. If he didn’t succeed, it was because he wasn’t good enough. Everything he had, everything he was, was based solely on his own actions.

But Leo’s words made a certain kind of sense. All it would have taken was one thing in either of their lives to have gone differently --- one small, seemingly insignificant thing ---and they would have never met. Never would have even had the chance to fall in love.

He shook his head. Thinking about this too much would do nothing but give him a headache. “I don’t know how we got here,” he said softly as he screwed the lid back onto the pot. “I don’t know if it was fate, some divine plan, or sheer dumb luck. All I know is that I am thankful that it brought you to me.”

Leandro smiled at this, his teeth startling white against the blue goo that was already drying on his face. “Me, too.”

Hours Later, Akira had been exfoliated, toned, and moisturized to within an inch of his life. After applying their face masks, Leandro had begged to do Akira’s nails. He had protested at first; after all, being a mechanic meant that his nails were always dirty and broken. But Leandro had pouted, and Akira had learned that he could refuse his partner nothing when he pouted. So his nails had been filed, buffed, shaped, and painted a glossy black.

He was totally and completely happy. Maybe for the first time in his life. And it was the most increadible feeling he had ever experienced.

Today had been exactly what they had needed. They had spent the entire time just talking about whatever came to their minds. Akira had confessed that his parents had considered naming him Yorak and Leandro had laughed so hard he’d snorted. Leo told him about the multiple times his sisters had made him dress up in their clothes and put on a fashion show for the rest of the family. (“Aleesha thought it would be great fun to make me walk in heels up until the day I stumbled when wearing this ridiculous pair of stilettos and broke my ankle.”) Akira had also learned that his partner had wanted to be a professional baseball player, and when Akira talked about his love of music Leandro had promised to play some of his favorite songs for him sometime.

Now they were stretched out on their sides on the couch, Leandro with his back pressed into Akira’s chest, fast asleep. They had returned to the Kogane apartment with the plan to watch a movie while they waited for the others to return, but Leandro had passed out just after the movie began. Not that Akira minded.

He had dozed off when he felt a hand land on his shoulder, giving him a slight shake. “Kira?” came a low whisper. “Hey. I just wanted to let you know that we were home.”

He blinked up at the blurry figure peering over the back of the couch. “Hoshi,” he mumbled thickly. “Didja get it?”

A soft chuckle floated down to him. “Yes. It’s in the crate with the rest of your things. I’ll put it in your room. Dante and I will get everything unpacked. Go back to sleep.”

Akira wanted to protest --- he should at least help put things away. But his eyes were so heavy, and Leandro was warm in his arms.

He closed his eyes and let his head fall back down, pulling Leandro closer against him. Dimly, he was aware of a blanket being draped over them just as he fell asleep.

He awoke to find his arms empty.

He stared at the empty spot on the couch wondering if he had just dreamt that Leandro had been there. Maybe he had dreamt everything. Maybe Leo wasn’t even real.

Then a delicious aroma hit his nose and his stomach let out a mighty growl, bringing him fully back into reality.

He untangled himself from the blanket and got to his feet, yawning as he stretched before making his way to the kitchen.

He found Dante peering into the open oven, the smell of hot cheese and bread letting him know there was a pizza in there. (Handmade, no doubt. Akira’s brother-in-law didn’t believe in eating anything that wasn’t made by someone he knew.) Hoshi and Leandro were both sitting at the kitchen table, drinking coffee and talking animatedly.

His brother was the first to notice him. “Hey there, sleepy head,” he teased. “I was starting to wonder if you had actually died and we just hadn’t noticed.”

Akira offered him a rude gesture. “You’re the one who told me to go back to sleep.”

“Well, you two just looked so cute like that, curled up together on the couch. I didn’t want to ruin the moment.”

Akira let out a huff and rolled his eyes. “Dante, how much longer until dinner is ready?”

“About twenty minutes or so.”

“Good.” He placed a hand on his partner’s shoulder. “Leo, I need to borrow you for a bit.”

Hoshi smiled knowingly. “We’ll come and get you when it’s ready.”

“Thanks.” Akira grabbed the other man’s hand and led him down the hallway towards his bedroom.

Akira found a crate sitting on top of his bed, just as Hoshi had promised. It would be full of all of the things he had asked his brother to get during the shopping trip. But there was one thing in particular he cared far more about than the others. “I need you to close your eyes.”

“What? Why? Is there something in there you don’t want me to see? Maybe some lacy ---”

“I got you something,” Akira interrupted. “Well, I had Hoshi get you something. But I want it to be a surprise. So, please?”

Several expressions crossed Leandro’s face at that: shock, confusion, tenderness, and --- finally --- a sort of shyness that Akira had never seen before. “Okay,” he said, voice soft, before obediently closing his eyes.

Convinced that Leandro wouldn’t peek, Akira reached for the crate and threw open the lid.  

Hoshi had made sure to place it on the top of the other items so that it wouldn’t be missed. As soon as Akira saw it, he felt a smile bloom on his face. It was perfect, exactly what he had wanted.

He carefully lifted it out of the crate and walked to where Leandro was standing, eyes still closed. “It’s not much,” he said quietly. “And, well… Maybe it’s a bit silly. But I wanted you to have this. Just in case you needed it. So… Here. Open your eyes.”

Leandro did so slowly, teasingly, his gaze meeting Akira’s for a long moment before dropping to where Akira’s hands were outstretched. He stared, not blinking, before his eyes widened in surprise. “Kira,” he breathed. “Is… Is that…”

“I know it’s not Scruff,” Akira said hurriedly as Leandro reached a tentative hand towards the stuffed dog. “And maybe you don’t need it. But I wanted you to have it. That way, if you ever feel lonely or sad or scared, you’ll have something to help you feel safe.”

Gently, reverently, Leandro lifted the toy, looking at it with an expression Akira couldn’t place. The dog itself was large, with long ears and covered in soft, brown fur. “Kira. You got this for me?”

“Well, I asked Hoshi to, since I couldn’t go.” He suddenly felt nervous. “Should I not have? I’m not very good with gifts, so ---”

“Kira.” Leandro reached out to press his fingertips against the other man’s lips, effectively silencing him. His other arm went around the dog, hugging it tightly to his chest. “This is, by far, the best gift anyone has ever given me.” The smile that appeared on his face was brilliant, even though his eyes were glistening with tears. “Thank you.”

Akira’s breath came out in a rush of relief. He hadn’t been entirely sure about this. He didn’t know how Leandro would receive it, if it would make him happy or sad. But after Leandro had told Akira about Scruff, about what the dog had meant to him --- and to Julian --- Akira had wanted him to have something to help reestablish his sense of safety and security. “You’re welcome.”

Leandro slid his hand to the back of Akira’s neck, pulling him forward to press their foreheads together. “You really are more than I deserve,” he murmured. “I never thought I would ever find someone like you.”

“We were meant for each other, remember?”

Leandro let out a sound that was half laugh, half sob, his breath brushing across Akira’s lips just before his partner kissed him.

Akira closed his eyes, his body coming to life at Leandro’s kiss. All the hairs on his arms came to attention, and he could feel his toes curl into the carpet. His lands moved on their own accord, going to wrap around Leandro’s waist and pull him closer.

He’d expected the kiss to remain gentle, nothing more than a sign of affection and thanks, so when Leandro licked into his mouth, he couldn’t stop the gasp of surprise that escaped him.

Liquid fire coursed its way through his body before pooling low in his gut. The hands resting on Leandro’s hips slipped underneath his shirt without Akira telling them to. He wanted to feel Leandro’s skin, needed to feel his warmth. Touch away, Leo had told him earlier, and Akira had never ached for something so much in his life.

He felt more than heard his partner inhale sharply before a deep shudder ran through him. Akira started to pull away, afraid he had done something wrong, overstepped a boundary he had not been aware of. But before he could untangle himself, Leandro was tightening his grip on the back of Akira’s neck, pulling him closer, deepening the kiss.

Stars exploded behind Akira’s eyes, and he could feel his bones turn to liquid. He started to fall, no longer having the means to keep himself upright, but then a strong arm was around his waist, holding him so that their bodies were pressed tightly together.

He returned the kiss with enthusiasm, letting his hands roam freely over the other man’s ribcage. Gods, how many times had he imagined what it would be like to touch Leandro? To explore him at will, to discover every freckle, every scar, every dip and valley of his partner’s body. Getting to feel that warm, soft skin underneath his hands…

Leandro’s mouth was suddenly gone, leaving Akira reeling as he gasped for air. He started to chase the other man’s kiss, not ready for it to be over just yet. But then he felt Leandro’s lips at the corner of his jaw, the sensitive spot behind his ear, the side of his neck, the dip of his collarbone.

Akira let his head fall back, clinging to Leandro as though he were a life preserver. Every touch of lips against his skin left fire in its wake. He was going to burn. But he didn’t care. Not as long as Leandro burned with him.

“Leo,” he gasped, digging his freshly manicured nails into his partner’s back. “I---”

“I know.” Leandro’s voice was little more than a growl as he nipped at Akira’s earlobe. “I need you, too. I’ve been waiting forever for you.”

Those words --- I need you, too --- sent a bolt of molten heat straight to Akira’s core, and he felt himself start to grow hard in response. To know that Leandro wanted --- needed --- him as much as Akira needed Leo --- his touch, his kiss, whatever parts of himself he was willing to give --- washed away any lingering doubts, and he melted fully into the other man’s arms.

Then Leandro’s lips were on his once more, and Akira could feel himself being gently pushed backwards, back towards ---

A loud knock came from the door, causing them to jump apart. Akira’s elbow slammed into the wall, and he let out a string of curses as pain shot through his arm.

“Dinner’s ready!” came Hoshi’s voice, muffled by the door. There was a beat of silence. Then, grin evident in his voice, he said “Make sure you have all of your clothes on, please.”

Akira stared at the door, feeling his heart hammering against his ribs. He had been this close --- this close! --- to… Well, he wasn’t exactly sure what but he knew that it had involved his hands on Leandro’s skin and Leandro’s mouth on his.

“I’m going to kill him,” he breathed, glaring at the door as though he could someone pierce his brother through it. “I’m going to kill him!”

Leandro made a choking sound, and Akira turned to him just in time to see the other man throw his head back, joyful laughter suddenly ringing through the room.

Akira fixed his glare on him, even as he felt his heart sing at the sound of Leandro’s laughter. “I’m glad you think this is funny,” he grumbled. His skin thrummed with energy, and he was mortifyingly aware of just how tight his pants were.

Leandro shook his head, grin wide. “I feel like we’re a couple of teenagers who got caught fooling around. Instead of two grown men who are madly in love with each other.”

It would be funny --- it should be funny --- except that Akira’s frustrated libido didn’t have much of a sense of humor.

So he stomped his way to the bathroom and splashed cold water onto his face, trying to calm himself down. (He’d be damned if he went o dinner with his brother while sporting a visible hard on.) When he felt as calm as he was likely to get, he returned to the bedroom.

Leandro was still standing where Akira had left him, but he was once more hugging the stuffed dog to his chest, his face buried in its plush fur. Akira could see Leandro’s shoulder shaking, so he stayed where he was, letting his partner have a moment to himself.

When Leandro finally lifted his head, his face was streaked with tears. But his eyes, when they met Akira’s, shone bright with happiness. And the smile on his face was warm and genuine.

He gently sat the toy down on Akira’s bed before using the hem of his shirt to wipe at his face. (Akira tried very hard not to stare at the expanse of skin that this action revealed.) “Come on,” he said, holding out his hand. “We better not make them wait too long, else we’ll never hear the end of it.”

Eating dinner with the three Kogane men filled a void in Leandrol that he hadn’t even realized was there. It wasn’t that he didn’t enjoy his intimate dinners with Petra or the laughter-filled lunches with Team Voltron. But there was just something about sitting down and eating a meal with family that he had deeply missed.

Hoshi took to his role as the embarrassing older brother (“I’ve never gotten the chance to do this before!”) with gusto, telling Leandro how Akira’s childhood nickname had been KiKi, and how the other Outlaw had his own stuffed animal that he slept with at night. Then he and Dante had taken turns telling their favorite stories from Akira’s time growing up. By the time dinner was over Akira’s face was a vibrant shade of red and Leandro was crying with laughter.

It felt good. It felt like home.

He had needed today. He was so full of warmth and love that it was hard to believe that this was all real. Part of him kept expecting to wake up still trapped in that warehouse. Or worse, in the mines. But he was here, at the Kogane kitchen table, watching Dante and Hoshi share knowing smiles while Akira hid his face in mortification.

Akira. Gods, but Leandro didn’t know what he had done to deserve him. This man, who had refused to open his heart, who kept everyone at arm’s length, who had told Leandro that he was not what Leandro needed. This man, who had turned out to be one of the most thoughtful, caring, loving people that Leandro had ever met.

He thought back to all of the times he had thought he’d been in love since escaping the mines. He’d thrown himself into relationship after relationship, convinced that this would be the one. This person would be the one that he loved for the rest of his life. Each time he had done everything he could for them, to shower them with love and affection and anything else that they desired. He had always thought it would be enough, and never could understand why each relationship failed.

Now he realized that it was because every single relationship had been one-sided. While he had tried to give his partners everything they wanted none of them had been willing to do the same. None of them had held him as he slept simply to stave off his nightmares. None of them had made sure that he wasn’t alone when he was frightened. And he knew that none of them would have even thought about giving him a gift as thoughtful as the one Akira had bestowed.

When they had first met, Akira had been nothing like what Leandro thought he wanted in a romantic partner. Sure, he was sexy as hell, but Leandro wanted more than that. Akira had been awkward, a loner with no sense of humor, and a temper with a barely-there fuse. Leandro had honestly thought that their forced partnership would quickly end in flames.

But Leandro had founded exactly what he needed in Akira. He had found someone who cared so deeply for those that he considered his that he was willing to do anything for them. He had found someone so thoughtful that he surprised Leandro at every turn. And someone who had managed to not only capture Leandro’s heart but his soul as well.

It was terrifying in a way, to put so much of himself at the mercy of another being. But that was what love was, wasn’t it? What was it his Mama used to say? “Loving someone means watching a piece of your heart walk around outside of your body.” He had given his heart willingly to this man. And while Akira might not always know what to do with it, Leandro knew that he would always cherish it. And that was all Leandro had ever wanted.

The two elder Kogane men had started in on a story about the time Akira had stolen Dante’s car (“He was so short he couldn’t reach the pedals!”) when the man in question let out a groan and pushed away from the table. “All right. That’s enough embarrassing stories for one day. Why don’t we get cleaned up before we go to this meeting?”

Leandro froze, feeling his warm glow suddenly grow cold.

He had completely forgotten that they were meeting with Roman Russell tonight. Alina had let them know that the smuggler had requested a meeting with them, stating that he had some information about what happened at the warehouse that he wanted to share. Leandro hadn’t given it a second thought, but at the mention of the other man’s name his mind instantly flew back to the news ticker from earlier that day.

His stomach churned, the pizza he’d had for dinner suddenly turning to ashes in his mouth.

His sudden distress must have shown on his face because Akira quickly knelt next to him, one hand on his knee. “Hey,” his partner said softly. “What’s wrong?”

“What if…?” He trailed off, biting his lip as he looked down at his lap. He hadn’t realized that he was grasping at the fabric of his pants “You saw the ticker this morning. What if he thinks that I killed his people?”

“No.” There was no hesitation in Akira’s voice as he shook his head. “Roman grew up in the Deliverance, remember? He knows we don’t kill innocents. Even if he did think we had something to do with it he certainly wouldn’t try to do anything here. It would be suicide, and he knows it.”

“I’m not worried about him trying to do anything while he’s here. But, if he really believes that we’re the ones responsible, won’t he try to turn us in? Maybe even give up the location of the Castle? I can’t ---”

“Leo.” Akira moved his hand to lay it on top of Leandro’s clenched one. “Look. Roman can be a ruthless bastard. But, much like us, he’s not stupid. If he sells even one of us out to the Galra he stands to lose everything. The Deliverance would no longer do business with him. He would be a pariah in the Outskirts. And there’s a good chance that the Galra would find out that he has been double-dealing them, and he’d be lucky if all they did was arrest him.” Akira squeezed his hand reassuringly. “Everything is going to be fine.”

He blew out a breath. What Akira was saying made sense. Roman was, if nothing else, a businessman. And a good one at that. If he wanted revenge against the Outlaws, he would do it in a way that that would single them out and no one would have any idea who had been responsible. And, if it had just been his own head at stake, it wouldn’t have bothered Leandro in the least. But the other members of the Deliverance, Alina, Akira….

“Hey.” Akira’s free hand landed on the back of his neck, warm, calloused and comforting. “I know it’s eating you up inside that we couldn’t save them. And I know it hurts you to know that people think you’re a killer. But I can guarantee that no one here thinks that. And I can almost bet you that Roman doesn’t either.”

He couldn’t hold back a soft, surprised laugh. “Are you able to read my mind now? Cause, if so, I need to warn you about the dusty corners you should stay away from.”

“No. I just know you.”

That was it, Leandro realized with a jolt. That was what he had been waiting for all these years: for someone to know him. To really know him, know about his quirks, his fears, and his hopes. Akira knew him. He knew, and he loved him anyways.

He felt his heart swell and his eyes burn as he leaned his head down to rest it atop Akira’s. “You’re perfect,” he murmured. “Did you know that?”

That earned him a chuckle. “I don’t know if I’d use the word perfect, but for you, I’ll always try.” He squeezed Leandro’s hand again. “Come on, Sharpshooter. Let’s go and see what the asshole has to say.”

Despite Akira’s assurances, Leandro felt himself grow more and more anxious the closer they got to the command center. And when he saw Roman talking to Alina, he was certain he was going to be sick.

Akira pressed a steadying hand into the small of his back. “If he starts to say anything to you just leave. I’ll take …”

“Leo!”

Someone crashed into him, knocking him off balance and causing him to stagger back several steps. Two arms were flung around his neck, and he caught sight of smooth, yellow skin.

He let out a small laugh as he caught his balance and returned the embrace. “Hey, Namia.”

She squeezed him tight. “I’ve been so worried about you! We watched the security footage and saw what happened at the warehouse and I nearly lost it when we realized it was you.”  She leaned back so that she could look up at him, her overly-large eyes clearly full of worry. “You are okay, aren’t you?”

He smiled down at her, touched by her concern. “I’m fire. Just some bumps and bruises. Nothing that some time and rest won’t heal.”

“I’m so glad.” She gave him one last squeeze before releasing him and turning her attention to his partner. “You must be Akira. Roman has told me so much about you.” She blinked at him, tilting her head thoughtfully. “Hey! You’re the guy that was with Leo at the club last week. The one I stole him away from.”

Lips pressed tightly together, Akira nodded.

For a moment the two of them simply stood there, regarding one another, Namia’s expression curious and Akira’s shuttered. Leandro remembered how jealous Akira had been of Namia that night and found himself holding his breath, waiting to see what would happen between the two.

Namia moved first, taking several steps forward and wrapping her arms around the other man in a tight hug.

Akira froze at the contact, arms stiff at his side. His gaze swung to Leandro, eyes wide with panic.

Leandro bit his lip, trying to hold back a grin, but not quite managing to do so.

Namia moved her head so that her mouth was at Akira’s ear. Leandro could see her lips moving, but her voice was too low for him to make out her words. Whatever she said, it caused Akira’s expression to soften, and he lifted his arms to offer an awkward hug in return. When she moved away, she was smiling. And it only grew wider when her gaze met Leandro’s.

He turned to his partner, curious as to what Namia had said. But Roman’s voice was booming throughout the room before he had the chance.

“I want to thank you all for agreeing to meet with me. I know it has been a rough couple of days for you as well, so I appreciate your time.” His voice was rough and cracked, and when Leandro looked at him, he didn’t seem to look much better.

In all the years that Leandro had known him, Roman had never been anything but the consummate businessman. He’d always been neatly dressed, smile perfectly white, voice a pleasing baritone. But now he looked… broken. There were dark circles under his eyes, and his clothes were stained and wrinkled. There was enough stubble on his face to let Leandro know that he hadn’t shaved in days

But when his gaze landed on Leandro and Akira, his face broke into a wide grin. It was tired, but it was real. “Never in a million years would have guessed that you two were the Neon City Outlaws. How the hell did you get stuck with this asshole, Leo?”

He couldn’t help but return the grin, feeling his body relax. “You know how I am. He showed up at my office one day, I thought he was cute, so I followed him home. I think he’s finally given up on trying to get rid of me.”

Roman shook his head. “Hard to believe anyone would want to hang around this guy. He’s grumpy, and he’s had a stick up his ass since the day I met him. It’s like he works at being unlikable.”

Akira scowled in response, crossing his arms across his chest.  Roman’s grin just grew wider. “See what I mean?”

Leandro couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re not wrong. He is pretty grumpy. And he absolutely has a stick up his ass.” He reached out to tug at Akira’s crossed arms, pulling one loose so that he could link their fingers together. “But he is a good man. And I wouldn’t change him for the world.”

Roman stared at them, eyes trailing down to their joined hands and back up to their faces before nodding. “It’s about damn time you found someone who is good to you.” His eyes flickered to Akira’s, though his words were for Leandro. “And, if that changes, just let me know.”

Akira held his gaze, lifting his chin in defiance. “You won’t have to worry about that.”

The two men stared at each other for another long moment before Roman shook his head, chuckling softly. “I know they say opposites attract and all, but damn. I never would have seen that one coming.” He ran a hand over his head before turning back to Alina. “I suppose you all would like to know why Namia and I are here.”

“She said you guys know what happened,” Leandro said. “She said you guys saw the security footage.”

He nodded. “Thanks to Alina’s call that night we were able to get the footage before the Galra.” His eyes narrowed as his jaw went tight. “We know you had nothing to do with what happened, despite what the tickers are saying. We saw you trying to help.”

Leandro’s eyes fluttered closed, his body sagging in relief at the smuggler’s words. He felt Akira pull his hand free so that he could wrap his arm around Leandro’s waist and pull him closer.

Roman let out a heavy sigh, and when Leandro opened his eyes, the other man looked as though he had aged several years in just a few seconds. “My guess is that you two were at the warehouse because you had heard about the shipment the Galra asked me to take on?”

Akira and Leandro both nodded.

“I thought as much.” Roman reached up to rub at his jaw, eyes sparking with anger. “Turns out there was no shipment. The whole thing was a ruse to lure the Outlaws into a trap.”

Stunned silence fell over the room, but it was soon interrupted by a sharp “Explain” from Alina.

“It’s pretty self-explanatory, Alina. We showed up at the meeting site only to find no merchandise and one Galra bureaucrat. He apologized so very much for the deception, but they had needed to make it as genuine as possible. He then sent us home and said he’d be in touch. I had no idea what was going on until Alina called me later that night.”

“Did they tell you what actually happened?” Leandro asked, his voice coming out harsher than he had intended it to. The Galra were trying to lure us into a trap?

“It was the Galra. The whole damn thing. They set up this fake meeting in the hopes that the Outlaws would hear about it and try to intercept me. They decided to focus on that particular warehouse because it was farther away from the city and had less staff, which meant you would have less chances of being detected.”

Hoshi let out a stream of curse words at this.

“Then they hired a bunch of those damned Juicers to come and shoot the place up before blowing it. Seemed like they were hoping to kill you two either in the gunfight or the explosion.” His lips peeled back into a rictus of a smile. “They were pretty pissed when there were no extra bodies beyond my staff.”

Leandro felt as though the world had suddenly titled beneath his feet, and he clutched at his partner to keep from falling over. It is my fault. I may not have killed them, but they still died because of me.

Akira moved his mouth to Leandro’s ear. “Not your fault,” he murmured, though Leandro could clearly hear the anger in the other man’s voice. “The Galra killed them, not you. Don’t you dare blame yourself.”

“I marched straight to the Castillo to confront them,” Roman continued, oblivious to Leandro’s internal turmoil. “I told them that, since they were the cause, they were the ones who owed me compensation for my loss. They refused.” His smile turned into a snarl. “I didn’t give a shit about the building itself, or its contents. I didn’t keep anything important at that facility anyways.” His eyes flashed. “But they killed my people. And they refused to pay for any of their services. Nor would they agree to give money to their families. And that I will not allow to go without recourse. Which is why I am here.”

He turned back to Alina, his face twisting. “I wish I could make a broadcast like Leo did, but I still have contracts with the Galra, and if I were the one to out them it would put a lot more of my people in danger. But I have footage of the Galra confessing to the whole damned scheme. I will give it to you to do with as you wish.” He turned back to the two Outlaws. “I also made sure to destroy all of the footage from the warehouse itself. That means your identities are still safe.”

A wave of relief crashed into Leandro hard enough to make him waver on his feet. He hadn’t even thought about that.

Next to him, Akira dipped his head in gratitude. ”Thank you.”

Roman retuned the nod before turning back to Alina once again. “I have one final gift for you. Are you aware of an organization known as the Blade of Marmora?”

“Of course. Why do you ask?”

“I have a contract with them --- well, one of them --- and I would like to connect the two of you.”

Alina’s brows all but disappeared into her hairline as her eyes grew impossibly large. “What? How? I have been begging them --- begging them --- to help us for years! They’ve always said no, said they were trying to rid the entire universe of the Galra, not just one planet.”

He shrugged. “Like I said, it’s really just one of them. He reached out to me saying that the BoM was willing to pay for any confidential information about the Galra and their operations here.” He pulled out his comm and began tapping at it. “My contact is a kid named Malcolm Gunn. I can ---”

“Mal!”

The cry was so loud, so sudden, that it startled everyone in the room. Many a hand reached for weapons that weren’t there, and they only lowered when Petra darted forward.

She ran directly to Roman and grabbed at his sleeve, her eyes wide behind her glasses. “You’ve spoken to Mal? Is he all right? Where is he? Where is my brother?”

Roman blinked down at her. “I, uh…”

She shook his arm as hard as she could for someone who was barely half his size. “I’ve been looking for him for years! I didn’t even know he was alive. Tell me where he is!”

Roman lifted his comm in a gesture of surrender. “I don’t know where he is. We’ve only ever spoken over this.” He waggled his comm in demonstration. “But he is alive. At least, someone who is claiming that name is alive. Why don’t you give me your comm number and I’ll send it to him? Is there a message I can send first? So that we know it’s really your brother?”

Petra went still for a moment, thinking, before squeezing his arm in excitement. “Tell him it’s Pidge. He’ll know it’s me. He’s the only one who ever called me that.”

“Sure. Just let me get your number and I’ll shoot him a message as soon as I get back to my office.” He gave her a small grin. “I know how good you are with your computers and encryptions and what not, but I’d rather use mine. I’m paranoid, and I know mine work.”

Petra nodded eagerly, her eyes welling with tears. “Of course. Just… Thank you!”

“You got it. Namia? Do you mind handing the footage over to Petra? She’ll know what to do with it.”

His girlfriend stepped forward, holding out a blue data chip. “This was filmed when we were with the Galra at the warehouse, so there was no shielding to interfere with the signal. You can hear them confess to everything.” She turned to smile apologetically at Leandro and Akira. “I know this won’t get the Galra off your back, but it will at least let the people know that the Galra have been lying. And that they are willing to waste innocent lives to get to you.”

Having finished getting Petra’s information, Roman slid his comm back into his pocket and straightened, his face going hard. “I want you to beat these bastards, Alina. I will help you as much as I can, as long as it doesn’t endanger any more of my people. All you have to do is ask.” He held out a hand.

Alina gripped his forearm, squeezing it gently. “Thank you, Roman. I promise that we will do everything we can to avenge your people. This is partly my fault, and I will fight to make it right.”

He nodded and released her. Then he spun on his heel to face the outlaws once more. “As for you two…” He paused, then narrowed his eyes. “Try not to do anything too stupid, hear? We need you out there. The people need you out there. So take care of yourselves. And each other.”

Leandro touched two fingers to his forehead and gave the other man a lazy salute. “Aye, aye, Captain.”

The edges of Roman’s lips ticked upwards, and he shook his head. “Idiot,” he muttered fondly.

Then his eyes went to Akira, and all traces of a smile vanished from his face. “Listen to me carefully, Kogane. You break his heart and I’ll break your face. Again.”

Akira’s eyes glittered, and Leandro watched in worry as they turned storm-cloud-gray. “Don’t worry,” he said casually. “You’re the one who taught me how to dodge a punch, remember?”

A rumbling sound came from Roman’s chest, and it took Leandro a long moment to realize that it was suppressed laughter. “Take care of him, and we won’t have to worry about it. And hurry it up with my damned car, will you?”

Akira made a rude gesture, and Roman’s laughter finally broke free.

Chapter Text

Chapter 18

Alina dismissed them after that, stating that Team Voltron would remain on hiatus until Petra was contacted by the man claiming to be her brother. They would regroup at that point, Until then, they were excused from their duties as paladins.

Leandro wasted no time in moving to Petra’s side. She was trembling, tears streaming down her face, as she stared down at the data chip in her hand.

He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, not wanting to startle her. “Pet?”

Slowly, she lifted her head to look at him, her bottom lip wobbly. “He’s alive.” Her words came out in a broken whisper. “He… My brother is alive!”

Leandro squeezed her shoulder, giving her an encouraging smile. “I know. I am so, so fucking excited for you. What are you going to say when he calls you? You’ve been looking for him for so long.”

“I… don’t know. I’ve never thought that far ahead, you know? I’ve always just focused on finding them, never what would happen after.” Her gaze dropped back down as she licked her lips. “What… What if he’s angry with me? Because he was captured and I wasn’t. Or because it took me so long to find him. Or ---”

Leandro wrapped an arm around her shoulders, tucking her into his side. “He’s not going to be mad at you, Petra. I can promise you that much.”

“But ---”

“Petra.” He squeezed her tighter. “I used to be a brother, remember? My siblings pissed me off more times than I could count. There were even a few times when I wanted to kill them. But there was nothing they could have done that would have made me hate them. He’s going to be thrilled to see you again, Pet. Trust me on that.”

She was silent for a long moment before taking a deep breath and lifting her head. “I’m just nervous, you know? It’s been so long since I’ve seen him, since we’ve talked, and I have absolutely no clue what to say to him. But I guess I’ll worry about that when the time comes.” She gave him a nudge. “And you’re still a brother, you idiot. You’re my brother. You have been for the past six years. Which means you are stuck with me forever now.”

He couldn’t help but grin at that. “I wouldn’t want it any other way.” He leaned down to plant a kiss on the top of her head. “So now what?”

She waved the data chip at him. “I’m going to work on this. There’s no way I’m going to be able to sleep now that I know Mal may be calling me. If I’m lucky, I can have this broadcasted before the morning tickers.” Then she spun on her heel and hurried over to Alina.

Leandro was happy for her. More than happy for her. He knew just how long and just how hard she had been searching for her missing family. And he would do anything to make her happy.  But he couldn’t suppress the deep twinge of sadness he felt in his gut as he watched her. He would never have the opportunity to be reunited with his own family, and the reminder hurt him more than he wanted to admit.

Damn it. The telltale burn of tears started behind his eyes. He blinked them away furiously as he moved to stand by Akira.

Hayach was also standing there, looking worried. “Man, I can’t believe the Galra would actually kill people just to try and stop you. That’s low. Like, really low. Even for them.”

Akira’s face was grim. “They’re growing desperate. They’re running out of options to rein us in. They thought sending in the RoBeast might scare us off. When that didn’t work, they took a gamble with this whole false shipment scheme. If they had managed to kill us, problem solved. They could just blame the whole thing on us, win back the sympathy of the people, and be rid of us all in one fell swoop. But it backfired, and now they are scrambling. That’s why they are offering so many credits as a reward.”

Hayach shook his head. “I can’t believe the amount of credits they are offering. I could feed the entire Deliverance for at least a year on that. We heard a lot of people talking about it at the market today. Someone said it would be enough credits to buy passage off-planet for an entire family plus have some left over.” He started wringing his hands. “I’m not going to lie, guys. I’m really worried about you.”

“Maybe once we release that footage Roman gave us it’ll take some of the heat off.”

Hayach’s eyes darted over Leandro’s shoulder, seeking out Petra. “Do you think she’ll need some help with it? I mean, I know she’s a far better hacker than I am, but it always helps to have two pairs of eyes, right? I mean, she won’t be offended if I offer to help, will she?”

Leandro shook his head, feeling his lips curve upwards. “I think she’ll appreciate any help you can give her.”

Looking determined, Hayach straightened before walking over to where Petra still stood at Alina’s side.

Akira watched his friend walk away with fond eyes and a knowing smile. “I think someone is smitten,” he said softly.

“Who?”

Akira nodded after Hayach. Turning, Leandro saw the big man practically hovering at Petra’s side. And when she turned to speak to him, his entire face lit up.

A strange sort of feeling settled in Leandro’s chest. He knew that the hope had always been that Petra would find her family and possibly return to living with them, leaving him behind. And he had always encouraged her to date, to find someone other than him to share her life with. He wanted her to be happy, not have to spend her entire life looking after him.

But as he watched her interact with Hayach, her face glowing just as much as his --- and knowing that she could be reunited with her brother any day now --- it felt  like a piece of himself was breaking away.

Something bumped into his shoulder. It was Akira, standing at his side, that small smile still in place. “Ready to go home?” he asked softly.

Home. Just hearing that word settled him. He had a home and people who loved and cared for him. And he knew Petra would always be in his life, no matter what. They were bound together with ties that could never be broken. Everything was going to be all right.

“Yeah.” He reached out to thread his fingers through his partner’s. “Let’s go.”

“Can I ask you something?”

Leandro was leaning over an open dresser drawers, digging for something to sleep in. Where are all of my shorts? Are they all dirty? When is the next laundry day? “Of course.”

“The other day, in the warehouse --- before the others got to us --- do you remember anything I said to you?”

Leandro stood, his search suddenly forgotten as he turned to face the other man. “I remember every single word. Listening to you was the only thing that kept me sane.”

Akira was sprawled out across the bed, head tilted back against the headboard. His hair hung loose around his face (Gods, but Leandro loved it when he wore his hair down) and he was clad in a worn t-shirt and shorts. His eyes, which were fixed on Leo, were filled with a swirling, unnamed emotion. “You asked me not to leave you. Do you remember that?”

“I do.” He also remembered how terrified he had been, so convinced that if Akira left him he would never come back. “Why are you asking?”

Akira sat up, crossing his legs and looking down at his hands, which were twisted together in his lap. “You said… You asked me not to leave because you didn’t want to lose anyone else.” He was silent for a moment, then lifted his head. “After everything that happened at the club --- when I told you I was leaving --- I never thought about how it would affect you. I just got scared and wanted to run away, because that’s what I always do.”

Leandro didn’t reply, just stood there, studying him. He realized that his partner must have been carrying this ever since that night. He could see it now: in the lines that bracketed Akira’s mouth, in the tightness of his jaw, the shadows under his eyes. It had been eating at him, but he had been too afraid to say anything for fear of upsetting Leandro further.

He padded over to the bed, sitting on the edge and reaching out to gently cup Akira’s jaw. The other man leaned into the touch, but kept his eyes fixed firmly on Leandro’s.

“Kira.” His voice was quiet. “I knew you weren’t trying to leave leave me. And you don’t have to apologize for anything you said or did. I want you to be you. Just you.” He smiled. “But thank you for the apology. It’s appreciated, even if it’s not needed.”

Akira reached out to grasp Leandro’s fingers in his own and gave them a squeeze. “I just don’t want to bring any more grief into your life. You deserve all the happiness in the world.”

Just being with you makes me happy, he wanted to say. Was going to say. But then Akira lifted his hand to his mouth and placed a gentle kiss against his fingertips. Leandro’s mind went blank (he would never have thought that could be erotic) and the words died before they ever reached his lips.

Akira gave his hand a slight squeeze before dropping it. “Go get ready for bed.” Then, with a teasing smile, added “Since it’s going to take you at least two hours.”

Leandro laughed and swatted at him playfully. “It will not. It will take me thirty minutes, tops.”

“Mmm hmm.” Akira leaned back against his pillow and closed his eyes, a small smile playing at his lips. “Wake me up when you come to bed.”

Leandro blew him a raspberry before getting to his feet and walking back to his dresser, plucking out a t-shirt and pair of pajama pants before heading into the bathroom.

In the end it took him closer to forty-five minutes to change, brush his teeth, and complete his nighttime skin care routine. When he finally returned to the bedroom, he found that Akira had already turned off the lights and pulled the covers back.

“And you say you don’t know how to be romantic,” Leandro scoffed as he slipped beneath the blankets. “You give me thoughtful gifts and turn down my sheets. Careful, Kira, or I’m going to get spoiled.”

Akira turned onto his side so that he was facing Leandro. “I like doing nice things for you. And taking care of you.” His brows came together. “I’m not being too, um … clingy, am I?”

He snorted in response. “Please. I am the very definition of ‘high maintenance’. There is no possible way you could ever be too clingy.” He reached out to trace the scar on the other man’s cheek. “I wasn’t lying when I told Roman I wouldn’t change a thing about you. I love you. All of just. Just the way you are.”

In the dim glow of the fairy lights Akira’s eyes were the color of lavender. “I never would have been able to stay away from you, Leo. Even if I had left, had somehow managed to force myself to part from you, I would have found my way back.

“See? Just another sign that you and I were meant to be together.” Leandro wiggled forward, wrapping his arms around his partner and pressing himself against Akira’s chest. He let out a contented sigh as he placed his ear right above Akira’s heart, closing his eyes as he let the strong steady beat of the other man’s heart lull him to sleep.

While Akira was grateful for the break that Alina had granted them, he knew he couldn’t actually rest. He was, if nothing else, a creature of habit. And he’d already missed two days of training. Leandro had slept peacefully throughout the night which meant that when Akira awoke the next morning he didn’t feel so bad about slipping out of the bed. When the other man shifted and mumbled in his sleep Akira lifted Scruff Jr. (Leandro had insisted on the name for the stuffed dog) and placed him in his arms. Leandro pulled the dog to his chest, hugging it tightly, and dropped right back into an easy sleep.

Akira couldn’t resist leaning down to place a soft kiss to Leandro’s temple. “See you later, Sharpshooter,” he murmured before quietly slipping out of the room.

When he stepped inside his own apartment the kitchen light was on. Akira assumed that Dante was hard at work making breakfast, so he stepped in to say hello.

Instead he found Hoshi sitting at the kitchen table, wearing the same clothes from the day before, staring at his tablet with bloodshot eyes. He was so engrossed in whatever was on the screen that he didn’t realize that Akira was there.

He took the seat next to his brother. “Hey,” he said, voice soft in an attempt not to startle the other man. “Why are you awake? Did you even go to bed last night?”

Hoshi turned to blink at him, and Akira could see the dark circles under his eyes. “Kira? What are you doing here?”

“I asked you first.”

Hoshi blinked at him again, then looked at his wrist comm. At seeing what time it was he let out a long groan, slumping in his chair and rubbing tiredly at his eyes. “Damn it. I didn’t realize it was already morning. Dante is going to kill me.”

“What were you even doing?” Akira reached for his brother’s tablet, sliding it across the table so that he could see what Hoshi had ben looking at.

There was a map on the screen with several areas highlighted. It took him a few minutes to realize it was a map of the Outskirts and that the highlighted areas were the locations of Roman’s warehouses.

He lifted an eyebrow. “I thought Alina told us to take a break.”

Hoshi let out another sigh as he pulled the tablet back to him. “I can’t take a break. Not when my actions nearly got you killed.”

Akira frowned in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

“You heard what Roman said. The Galra sent those Juicers to the warehouse you were at for the exact same reason I sent you and Leo there.” He raked a hand through his hair. “I have to be better than them. I have to.”

“Hoshi---”

“You almost died, Kira. Because of a decision that I made.” He shook his head, his face twisting in anguish. “I’m your big brother. I’m supposed to protect you. I promised Mom and Dad that I would take care of you, keep you safe. And I keep failing.”

Akira didn’t know what to say to that. He and his brother never talked about their parents. Or the time they’d spent living at the shack. But he had always assumed it was because Hoshi didn’t want to bring up old wounds. He never would have thought it was because Hoshi felt as though he had failed him.

He reached out to cover the other man’s hand with his own. “Hoshi.” His voice was solemn, serious. “I would have died a long time ago if it wasn’t for you. How many times did you risk your life to make sure I had food? How many nights did you nearly freeze to death because you gave me all of the blankets so that I would be warm?” He gently squeezed his brother’s hand. “You do a great job of taking care of me. You always have.”

Hoshi stared at him, his eyes suddenly growing wet. “Do… Do you really think that?”

“Hoshi, you know what a terrible liar I am. And I wouldn’t want to lie about this.” He paused. “You know I love you, right? I know I’m not great at saying it, but I do. You’ve always been my stability, the one constant in my life. You are, without a doubt, the best big brother I could have asked for.”

Hoshi sucked in a breath, and then Akira found himself being pulled into a bone-crushing hug, his brother pressing his face into his shoulder. “I love you too, kiddo,” he said in a muffled voice. “I guess we’ll just have to keep saving each other.”

Akira couldn’t help but smile as he returned his brother’s embrace. “Yeah. As many times as it takes.”

They sat there for a moment more, clinging to one another, before Hoshi pulled away to wipe at his eyes. “So. What are you doing here? Is Leo all right? Do you need Dante?”

“No. Leo’s fine. He’s great, actually. I didn’t have to wake him up once last night. I’m hoping this means we’re past the worst of the nightmares.”

“I hope so, too.” Hoshi reached out to place a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “You know, I haven’t had the chance to tell you how happy I am for you. And Leo. I’m glad you two were able to get past what happened and give this relationship a shot.”

“So am I. Although Leo believes that we were somehow destined to be together. I guess that means it would have happened eventually.”

“What do you believe?”

Akira shrugged. “I don’t know. All I care is that it happened.”

Hoshi’s smile widened as he gave the younger man’s shoulder one last squeeze. “I am so glad to hear you say that. You know that all I’ve ever wanted is for you to be happy.” Then he let out a sigh, dropping his hand. “I suppose I should go to bed and actually try and get some sleep.”

Akira gave him a playful push. “Yeah, old man. Go get your beauty rest.”

Hoshi narrowed his eyes at him. “I would show you just how old of a man I am, but I’m too tired. Just remember I can kick your ass with one hand tied behind my back.” He pushed away from the table, stretching as he climbed to his feet. “I’ll see you later?”

“Yeah. I’m going to go get a workout in this morning, and I’ll meet you guys for lunch.”

“All right. Just don’t overdo it. You’re allowed to take a break, too.” A beat of silence. “I love you, Kira. And I’m sorry if I come across as over-protective sometimes. But if anything ever happened to you --- if I ever lost you --- I don’t think I would survive it.”

Akira felt as though he’d been suddenly dunked in ice water. He could feel a lump forming in is throat and he reached out to grab Hoshi’s hand, suddenly afraid to let his brother out of his sight. “I wouldn’t be able to survive losing you, either,” he managed to rasp out.

Hoshi leaned down to kiss the top of Akira’s head. “See you at lunch.”

Akira watched his brother go, feeling a strange weight sink into his chest. He knew Hoshi worried about him. Of course he did. They were the only family each other had. But he had always assumed that Hoshi would be all right if anything ever happened to him.

But hearing his brother now… He had always worked hard to not be a burden. After everything his brother had done for him, he wanted to make Hoshi’s life as easy as possible.  Hearing that he had caused the other man more worry made Akira sick to his stomach.

But he couldn’t think too much about it right now. If he did, he would just sink into a depressing mire of his own making. Knowing how Hoshi felt, Akira knew that he would do everything in his power to always make sure he came home.

With a shake of his head, he climbed to his feet and headed for his bedroom.

The first thing that Leandro noticed upon awakening was that the other side of the bed was empty.

He blinked, frowning slightly as his sleep-addled brain fought to make sense of things. There had been someone in the bed with him, right? Someone who made him feel safe.

He reached out to place a hand on the sheets. They were cool. But, as he became more aware, he saw that there was an indention in the pillow. The blanket was thrown aside.

He rolled onto his back, going to rub at his eyes, but found that one of his arms appeared to be trapped underneath something. Looking down, he found himself staring into the glassy brown eyes of a stuffed dog.

Scruff Jr.

Memories of the night before came flooding back, and Leandro couldn’t help but smile as he hugged the toy to his chest. Warmth flooded him as he buried his nose in the dog’s fur. It smelled faintly of Akira.

He lay there for a bit longer before sitting up with a groan. If Akira had been gone long enough for his side of the bed to have grown cold that meant it must be getting late in the morning.

He found his comm sitting on the nightstand and tapped it awake. Looking at the top of the screen he saw that it wasn’t as late as he had thought. He also saw that he had several unread messages. So he thumbed the comm open and began to read.

The first one was from Petra. It took us longer to get the footage put together than expected. It should hit the midday tickers. I’m crashing with Hayach, so don’t be worried if you don’t see me.

Leandro couldn’t help but grin as he remembered Akira’s observation from the night before. Maybe Hayach wasn’t the only one who was smitten.

The next message was from his partner. Hey, it read. I’m going to the training room to get a workout in. Come and join me if you want to.

Then another message, also from Akira, time-stamped just a few moments after the first one.

I love you.

The feeling of pure happiness that bloomed in his chest at seeing those three words made Leandro feel as though he were going to melt. He lifted the comm to his lips, closing his eyes and smiling as he imagined Akira sending the first message, hesitating, then sending the second one. He would have worried about coming off as too clingy but would also be worried about not sending it.

As far as Leo was concerned, Akira could be as clingy as he wanted to be. After all of these years, after all of the nights spent feeling alone and wishing he could find someone to be his, Leandro craved it all. Every touch, every smile, every look, ever kiss.

With that warm glow still radiating through him, he threw the blanket off and got to his feet. His body was still sore, but he didn’t want to erase all of the hard work he’d already put in. A training session with Akira would be just the thing he needed to get back into fighting shape.

He thought about trying the elevator --- after all, it would only be a short ride --- but as soon as he saw the closed doors of the elevator’s car his stomach gave an unpleasant lurch. So he changed course and headed for the stairs, taking them two at a time.

The training room was empty when he arrived. Leandro frowned, wondering how he could have missed the other man on his way here. Then he wandered back into the weapons’ room and found Akira standing in the center, eyes closed, taking long, deep breaths as he let his body relax. A practice version of his katana was strapped to his hip.

Leandro leaned against the wall, watching curiously. There was no sound in the room, no computer counting down the seconds until the training sequence began, no whirring of motors as the selected opponents came to life. Just… silence.

Then Akira’s eyes fluttered open and he began to move.

Leandro could only stare, mesmerized, as Akira’s sword flashed through the air. Every move was precise, controlled. He didn’t so much as fight as dance, the sword an extension of himself. It was as though his body flowed from one move to the next. Leandro could see the muscles in his back flex with his movements, those biceps that had fueled many an improper thought in Leo’s mind working to hold the sword steady through each swing. It was breathtaking, and Leandro found that he was unable to look away.

Akira was so focused on what he was doing, lost in the rhythm he had created that he didn’t realize that he had an audience. This was fine with Leandro, who was more than happy for the opportunity to stare unabashedly at his partner.

Leandro was fairly certain he could have stood there and watched Akira forever. But the other man finally returned to a normal standing position, closing his eyes again and letting out a long breath as the sword returned to its original place on his hip.

“Y’know,” Leandro said, keeping his voice a low rumble, “I have no idea what I just watched. But it was hot.”

Though Akira’s eyes remained closed, Leandro could see the edge of his partner’s lips curl up in a smile. “Good morning,” Akira murmured. He then bowed, low and formal, before opening his eyes and turning to face Leandro. “How are you?”

“Strangely aroused. What was that? I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“Sword forms. It’s a good practice in discipline. And a good reminder of how to hold a sword correctly.” Akira’s eyes flickered up and down Leo’s body. “Looks like you came ready to train. Feel up to some sparring?”

Leandro could feel a wide grin stretch across his face, and he threaded his fingers together and stretched his arms out above his head. “Oh, yeah. If you want to have your ass kicked, Kogane, then I am your man.”

The other man rolled his eyes, but he was grinning. “Let me put my sword up and I’ll get the computer programmed. I’ll keep the difficulty low, since we’re both still a bit banged up. Take a few minutes to warm up, else it’s going to be a short fight.”

As he started stretching, Leandro found himself growing excited at the prospect of pitting his strength against his partner’s. He and Kira had never actually sparred together. While the other man had shown him several different fighting techniques, the two of them had never squared off. Despite his bravado, Leandro had no doubt that he was going to lose the match. But he was sure as hell going to make Akira work for the win.

“All right!” Akira called out. “You ready?”

“As I’ll ever be.” Leandro moved towards the center of the room, shaking out his arms. “So how do we do this? Just start wailing on each other?”

Akira snorted. “As if I’d do anything that might hurt you. No, we’re going to spar like civilized men. Computer, start sequence.”

“Starting level one fight sequence,” came a soothing female voice from overhead. “Fighter one, please step into the circle.”

A large red circle appeared in the center of the room. Still grinning widely Akira stepped into it.

And vanished in a flash of red light.

Leandro gasped, feeling his heart kick in fear as he lost sight of his partner. Before panic could start to settle in, however, the light faded, and he could see that Akira was still standing in the same spot. Only now he was covered in some kind of armor made from a thin, red material.

He blinked stupidly. “Umm…”

“Impact gel,” Akira explained. “When you hit me, I’ll be able to feel the impact and will act accordingly. But the gel takes the damage. The computer will keep track of each of our hits, and once one of us has taken enough, the training will end.”

“Fighter two.” The computer’s serene voice echoed through the room. “Please step into the circle.” A second circle, this one blue, appeared across from Akira.

Leandro stepped into it warily. He knew it wouldn’t hurt him, but…

There was a bright flash of blue, causing him to jump. But as he squinted up into the light, he saw that it wasn’t solid. It was made up of thousands ---- no, millions --- of tiny pieces. Like glitter.

Looking down, he felt his eyes go wide as he noticed that the glitter-like pieces were sticking to his skin. As he watched in fascination, the pieces all seemed to flow together to form something like a second skin. It was cool and smooth, lightweight, and didn’t seem to restrict his movements at all.

He was still gaping down at his body --- now covered in the blue gel-like substance --- when the light vanished. When he finally lifted his head, he could feel a wide grin stretching across his face. “Now that is fucking cool.”

Akira returned his grin, raising his arms above his head in a long, lean stretch. “You think you’ll be able to stop gawking long enough to give me a proper fight?”

“Oh, yeah.” He bounced on the balls of his feet, testing the weight and flexibility of the gel. It hardly felt as though there was anything on his skin. “I told you I was going to kick your ass, and I am a man of my word.”

Akira opened his mouth to reply but was interrupted by the computer. “Fighter one, are you ready?”

“Yes.” Though he was speaking to the computer, Akira’s gaze was fixed firmly on Leandro. His eyes had turned indigo and were glittering with mischief. This was a look that Leandro had never seen on his partner before and it made his stomach flip. “You that sure you can beat me, Sanchez?”

“Fighter two, are you ready?”

“Yes. And yes. You’ve been teaching me how to fight for months, remember? I know all of your moves.”

One of Akira’s eyebrows lifted as he slid into a fighting stance. “Are you certain enough that you would be willing to make a bet?”

Well, now. Leandro had never been able to turn down a challenge. “What kind of bet?”

“A simple one: if I win, I get something that I want from you.”

His insides gave another pleasant twist. “And what would that be, exactly?” he asked, voice a low purr.

Overhead, the computer’s voice rang out. “Fight sequence will begin in five ---”

The grin that was plastered on Akira’s face was positively wicked. “If there’s no chance of me winning, I suppose there is no reason for me to tell you.”

“--- four ---”

Leandro pouted. “You’re not playing fair, sir. I should at least know what the stakes are before I agree to this.”

Akira’s only response was a widening of his grin.

“--- three ---”

He moved into his own fighter’s stance. “Does this mean that I’ll get a prize if I win?”

“Of course. That would only be fair.”

“--- two ---”

“And I’ll be able to claim any prize that I want?”

“As long as you win.”

“--- one. Begin!”

Leandro didn’t even wait for the computer to finish speaking before he was moving, darting forward to try and catch his partner off guard. He knew he would be no match for Akira in a real fight. The other man had far more experience in hand-to-hand combat, which meant that Leandro’s best chance at winning was to hit Akira hard and fast, try and keep him off his guard.

He feinted left, acting like he was going for a punch, then twisted right and aimed a kick at the other man’s midsection. It was with his weaker leg, but he hoped that the surprise move would be enough to let him at least score the first hit.

It didn’t work. Akira was able to easily block it (a bit too easily in Leandro’s opinion) and took advantage of Leandro’s unsteadiness. He dropped into a crouch, sweeping one leg out to catch Leandro behind his left ankle and pull, sending him crashing to the ground.

He felt his back slam into the floor, but there was no shockwave of pain. No bright lights bursting behind his eyes. He felt it, but it didn’t hurt.

“Hit for Fighter One.”

Leandro lifted his arm so that he could examine the blue material that covered his arm. Impact gel, huh?

“You done already?” Akira called out teasingly. “I never thought you would give up after only one hit.”

“Ha! You wish.” He climbed back to his feet, still marveling at the fact that he felt no residual effects from his fall. “It just took me a moment to realize I didn’t have the breath knocked out of me. I’m nowhere near givng up.”

Akira was standing a few feet away, stance loose and ready, eyes practically sparkling. “That was a nice feint. But you’re broadcasting your moves. Try again.”

“Don’t worry.” He was bouncing again, feeling adrenaline course through him. “I was just making sure that you were awake.”

He shot forward again, aiming directly for his partner. This time he went low, ducking under Akira’s reaching arms and managing to land a punch to Akira’s side. He was rewarded with an elbow strike to his back, but at least he had scored a hit.

Akira was laughing as he bounded away. “Better! But you are still letting me know exactly what it is you’re planning to do. Try again!”

And so it went for several minutes, Leandro doing everything he could to land a blow on the other man  and managing to succeed only a few times. It felt good to just be able to let loose on someone without worrying about them getting hurt.

In an embarrassingly short amount of time the computer was declaring the match over, stating that “Fighter One wins”. Then came two flashes of light --- one red, one blue --- and their suits of impact gel vanished.

Leandro groaned as he flopped onto his back, chest heaving, limbs trembling from exertion. Even with the aid of the impact gel his muscles still ached after several days of not being used. “What the hell, man? You didn’t even have to try to kick my ass. No one should be able to move that fast. Are you even fucking human?”

A chuckle floated down to him. “Don’t discount yourself. You fought well. You adapt quickly to your opponent’s fighting style. You just need to work on moving without thinking. When you think too much about your next move you are telling the other guy exactly what you are about to do.”

He made a face. “See, this is why I prefer guns. No need to worry about broadcasting my movements when all I have to do is point a gun at them to make them understand what I’m about to do.”

“And I’ve told you countless times that you may find yourself in a situation where you can’t use a gun and will have to fight.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m still going to try to shoot all of the bad guys before they get close enough to hit me.”

Akira let out a sigh, but it was full of fondness rather than exasperation. “At least you won’t be completely useless if they do.” Then, before Leandro could voice any offense, “Here.”

Cracking an eye open, Leandro found his partner standing over him, holding out a towel and a water pouch. He sat up, wincing at a pull in his side, and took both. “Thanks.”

Akira took a seat on the floor next to him and they lapsed into a comfortable silence as they sipped at their water.

Leandro was suddenly struck with a memory, and he couldn’t hold back a quiet laugh. “Do you remember the first time we trained together? You wanted me to hit you as punishment for your part in Alina’s crazy scheme.”

Akira let out his own embarrassed laugh. “Yeah. In hindsight it was a pretty dumb idea. But I was angry and feeling guilty and didn’t know what else to do.” His lips settled into a soft smile. “We sure have come a long way since then, haven’t we?”

Leandro thought about all of the changes that had taken place since that long-ago day. How Akira had gone from asking for permission to touch him to kissing him without hesitation. How Leo had gone from being resentful towards this man to loving him.

His smile grew wider, softer, and he leaned over to plant a kiss on his partner’s bare shoulder. “Yeah. We have.”

Akira hummed happily, leaning into him. “If you’re trying to get out of paying my reward, it’s not going to work.”

Leandro made a face at this. “I was trying to be sentimental. I was trying to have a moment. But, now that you’ve mentioned it, I don’t think I should have to pay up.”

A single eyebrow arched upwards. “A bet’s a bet, Sanchez, and you lost.”

“Only because you cheated!”

The brow went higher. “How did I cheat?”

“You knew you were going to kick my ass, and you took full advantage.”

Akira’s lips twitched, but he managed to suppress a smile as he said, “I distinctly remember you saying --- multiple times, I might add --- that you were going to be the one kicking my ass.”

Leandro huffed. “I still say you took advantage of me.”

Something sparked in Akira’s gaze, and his eyes were suddenly bleeding into the darkest shade of purple Leandro had ever seen. “Oh?” he said, voice coming out low and throaty. “Maybe I want to take advantage of you.”

Leandro felt his heart come to aa crashing halt as his brain turned to static.

In a flash, Akira went from sitting next to him to hovering over him, hands planted on either side of Leandro’s hips, knees bracketing his thighs. Their faces were only inches apart, and Akira’s eyes were glittering with a wicked light. “What do you say, Loverboy? You gonna let me claim my prize or not?”

Leandro gulped. If flirty Kira made his brain short-circuit then this Kira --- sultry Kira --- made every system in his body fizzle and die.

Those dark, mesmerizing eyes moved back and forth between his. “I told you that it never could have been just sex with you,” he said softly. “And I meant it. Even before I knew I loved you, I could never have taken you as one of my lovers.” One corner of his lips curled upwards. “That didn’t mean I never thought about what I would like to do to you if given the chance.”

“You ---” Leandro’s voice came out hoarse, so he swallowed and tried again. “You thought about me? Like that, I mean?”

“Mmm. Far more that I would like to admit.” Akira moved forward so that their noses --- and their lips --- were nearly touching. “And this? I have been wanting to do this for months, almost since the beginning. Every time we were in here and I watched you move, watched you sweat, I was afraid to touch you any more than I had to for fear that I might lose control.”

Leandro’s eyes fluttered closed as a powerful shudder rocked through him. “And… if you had lost control… what…”

Warm breath washed over his cheek as, in a barely audible whisper, Akira said, “I want to show you, but only if you want me to. I will stop at any time. All you have to do is ask. And I won’t be mad if you say no. I want ---"

Leandro surged forward, closing the small space that separated them to press his lips against Akira’s. He had no idea what thee other man had in mind, but he wanted it, too. He wouldn’t say stop, but he loved Akira all the more for offering it to him.

Akira didn’t hesitate to return the kiss with enthusiasm, pushing forward until Leandro was forced to lay back on the floor. Akira followed him down, their lips never parting. Leandro lifted his hands to the small of his back, allowing his fingers to slip under Akira’s shirt and explore his taut, pale skin.

Now hovering over him, still on all fours, Akira arched his back into the touch. He broke their kiss with a gasp, moving his head so that his mouth was directly over Leandro’s ear. “I love you,” he breathed, running his nose around the delicate shell of Leo’s ear. “All these months I’ve thought about how I wanted to lick the sweat from your skin.” His lips moved to that sweet sensitive spot just behind his ear. “How I wanted to press you against the wall and kiss you senseless.” Now his lips were at his pulse point.

Leandro closed his eyes and moved his head to the side, allowing his partner better access to the column of his throat. He pressed gently down on Akira’s back, forcing him down so that he had no choice but to settle between Leandro’s thighs, their bodies now fully pressed together.

Akira tugged at the strap of Leandro’s tank top, pulling it aside so that his shoulder was exposed. He felt a gentle, reverent kiss placed directly on the center of his slave mark.

Then Akira bit him. Hard.

The move was so sudden, so unexpected, that Leandro cried out, his hips bucking upwards. It didn’t hurt. It actually felt exquisite, pain and pleasure rolling through Leandro in a heady mix. One of his hands moved to the back of Akira’s head, viciously yanking out the hair tie so that he could easily grip the back of the other man’s head, holding him in place.

Akira obliged him, releasing the bite so that he could gently suck on the abused skin. When Leandro’s body began to relax Akira bit him again, thought not as hard this time, before gently licking at the marks his teeth had left.

Then he was looking down at Leandro once more, eyes nearly glowing. “You don’t belong to them,” he growled. “You never belonged to them. You belong to no one. I can’t erase their mark. But I can damn sure work to replace it with one of my own. You are mine, and I am yours.”

Leandro let out a sound between a moan and a sob as Akira’s lips resumed their slow, gentle journey across the planes of his collarbone, leaving fire in their wake. No other lover had ever touched his slave mark A few had acknowledged it, most had ignored it. But they all had been afraid of it, as though it was something that would poison them. To have someone acknowledge that it was there --- was a part of him --- was… overwhelming.

There was a humming underneath his skin, as though all of the blood in his veins had been replaced with electricity. He squirmed underneath the onslaught, feeling the need to burst out of his own skin.

His brain was no different, full of a buzzing energy that made it nearly impossible to think. But there was a small part of him --- a very, very small part of him --- clinging to a final thought.

“Kira,” he gasped, digging his nails into the other man’s shoulders. (Gods. Feeling those muscles that he had been admiring only aa few moments ago was divine.) “Won’t --- Ah! What if someone walks in on us?’

Akira nipped playfully at his ear. “What, is the great Leandro Sanchez afraid of a little exhibitionism?”

He could only moan in response as an image flashed into his mind: he and Akira, naked and entwined on the floor as an unsuspecting Deliverance member walked in. And, yeah, the idea was kind of hot. Exciting. “Kira…”

There was a low chuckle, the sound shooting directly down to Leandro’s groin. “Don’t worry. You are mine, and I do not share.” Then Akira’s mouth was back on his, hot and eager, and the last shred of rational thought was ripped away.

If Akira’s lips were fire, then his touch was ice, burning through his heated skin. Leandro found himself arching into every touch, needing more. And when Akira’s fingertips trailed up his his ribs Leandro could hold back a noise of pure want.

Akira responded with a noise of his own, something between a purr and a growl, as his hands continued to drift higher and higher, taking Leandro’s shirt with them. Leandro surrendered his grip on his partner long enough for his shirt to be pulled over his head and tossed aside.

Akira lifted himself back up over Leandro once again, looking down and letting out a gasp.

Leandro’s eyes flew open at the sound. He wasn’t sure if that had been a good gasp or not. “K-Kira?”

The other man’s gaze was locked onto Leandro’s chest, eyes wide, face lit up in… delight? “Leo,” he said, voice full on wonder. “You have even more freckles!”

Leandro blinked up at him, not quite sure how to respond. “Ummm… yes? I have them --- Oh!”

Akira had already lowered his head back down, and Leandro felt his whole body start when the tip of the other man’s tongue began to trace a slow, languid path between the spots that were scattered across his chest like stars. He swirled it around one of Leandro’s nipples before ever-so-gently taking the raised peak into his mouth and lavishing it with that same, wicked tongue.

Stars exploded behind Leandro’s eyes, his body bowing involuntarily to grind his hips against Akira’s. His head hit the floor, eyes rolling back as wave after wave of pleasure swept through him. And when Akira scrapped his teeth across his sensitive flesh, he was lost.

He let out a low whine, hands reaching out to latch onto Akira’s biceps. (How many times had he fantasized about Akira ravaging him while Leandro held on to those sculpted arms for dear life?) He ground his hips harder into Akira’s, trying to find some friction to help relieve the erection that was quickly growing

“Mmm.” Akira used his teeth to give one last, gentle tug on the nipple before releasing it with a pop. “Someone is awfully impatient.”

Leandro cracked an eye open so that he could glare up at the other man. “You’re the one who started this, mister.”

That earned him another throaty chuckle. Then Akira was continuing his torturous journey downwards. His palms flattened Leo’s hips, holding him in place as his tongue moved back and forth across his lower abdomen. It swirled around his navel a few times, Akira letting out noises of delight when Leandro’s muscles jumped at the contact. Then his fingers were hooking into the waistband of Leandro’s shorts --- and underwear --- before sliding them down to his ankles. Leandro’s cock sprang free, standing tall, the damp tip proving that it was just as eager for Akira’s attention as Leandro himself was.

Akira inhaled sharply, and Leandro’s eyes were once again flying open, suddenly feeling insecure. Was there something wrong? Did Akira see something he didn’t like? Was the other man having second thoughts?

But when Akira’s eyes met his, there was … something there. They were still dark, still dangerous. But Leandro could see the warmth and love swirling in their depths.  

Akira made his way back up Leandro’s now-exposed body, placing all of his weight on one arm so that he could brush Leandro’s sweat-dampened hair from his eyes. “You’re so beautiful,” he whispered, voice full of awe and adoration. “Even my wildest dreams could not compete with the real you.”

Leandro’s chest went tight. And, when Akira leaned down to gently press their lips together, he could feel his eyes begin to burn with tears.

But then Akira vanished, and when his mouth suddenly reappeared, this time on Leandro’s aching cock, all thoughts of tears disappeared.

He let out a moan as the warm wetness of Akira’s mouth covered him, nearly taking in his entire length. One hand shot out to tangle into Akira’s hair. “Fuck,” he panted. “Baby… Kira. I --- you ---”

The other man let out a pleased hum, the sound vibrating against Leandro’s sensitive skin and causing his eyes to roll back into his head yet again. Akira lifted his head, sliding his mouth up the other man’s length lewdly before releasing him. “Baby, huh?” he purred. “I like hearing you call me that.”

Before Leandro can tell him that he will call him whatever he wants as long as he keeps going Akira is running the tip of his tongue along the underside of his shaft and Leandro lost all ability to think.

After that, the only thing he was aware of was Akira. Of the feeling of his partner’s hands and mouth on him. Of the intense, nearly painful sensations of pleasure that rocked through him. His free hand scrabbled at the floor, looking for something to grasp onto before he three his arm across hi eyes.

No one else had ever made him feel this way. Even better, Akira seemed to be enjoying this as much as Leo was. Every time Akira did something exceptionally pleasurable Leandro had been unable to hold back a gasp or a moan, his grip in Akira’s hair tightening. This would cause the other man to make that humming noise and continue doing whatever it was that had made Leandro respond in the first place. No one else had ever taken such care of him before, ensuring that his pleasure came before their own.

He hadn’t thought it possible for him to love Akira more, but he could feel his heart swell so much he was afraid it would burst.

It wasn’t long before he could feel his body growing tight, and he knew that he didn’t have long. “Kira,” he moaned through clenched teeth. “I --- ah! I’m getting --- fuck --- I’m getting close, baby. You should ---”

 Akira didn’t heed the warning, continuing with those slow, lazy licks and sucks that were driving Leandro insane. He was seconds away from begging --- him, begging --- when he was finally, mercifully torn apart. His vision went white, a cry ripping from his throat as he felt himself explode into a thousand pieces, losing himself somewhere in the maelstrom of his orgasm.

When he came back to himself --- when all of his scattered pieces had finally managed to return --- he was aware of his heart hammering against his chest, his lungs burning as he fought to draw in air. His body was trembling, limbs heavy, refusing to listen to any of Leandro’s commands.

Once he was able to finally pry his eyes open he found Akira sitting back on his heels, looking smug. “You look awfully pleased with yourself,” he managed to croak out.

He had the audacity to smirk, the bastard. “Oh, you have no idea how pleased I am. Here, let me get you cleaned up.”

Leandro could only lie there as Akira used their towels to gently clean his skin, basking in the feelings of love that enveloped him. No one else had ever done this, either. Gods, but he was the luckiest man in the universe.

His task completed, Akira left to drop their towels into the laundry shoot and their long-forgotten water pouches into the recycler. Leandro took the opportunity to pull his shorts and underwear back up over his hips. By the time his partner returned he was sitting up and tugging his shirt back on.

Akira held out a hand, that damnable smirk still on his face. “Think you can walk?”

Leandro made a face as he took the proffered hand, letting the other man pull him to his feet. He did indeed wobble for a bit, holding on to Akira to steady himself. “This is your fault,” he grumbled. “I should make you carry me all the way back.”

Akira’s lips twisted. “You think I won’t? I like carrying you, remember?”

While the idea was tempting, he wasn’t going to make the other man do that. Instead he looped his free arm around Akira’s waist, pulling him close so that Leandro could kiss him.

He let out a soft moan as the taste of his own skin mixed with Akira flooded his mouth. It was the flavor of them, and it was heady. Intoxicating. He gripped the back of Akira’s head, tilting it so that he could  kiss him deeper, taste them more.

When he was forced to come up for air, he placed his forehead against Akira’s. “Thank you. That was…” He paused, unable to find the words he needed. “Like nothing I’ve ever experienced. I know that doesn’t do it justice, but it’s all I have. And I can’t wait to spend hours exploring every inch of you. There will not be a spot left on your body that I haven’t touched or kissed by the time I am through with you.”

Akira closed his eyes, a small smile playing at his lips. “I’m looking forward to it.”

They stood there for a moment longer, basking in each other before stating the journey back to their rooms. Leandro made sure to keep his fingers linked with Akira’s the entire trip, not willing to let him go just yet.

Chapter Text

Chapter 19

By the time the two of them had showered (separately, much to Akira’s disappointment) and joined the others for lunch, Petra’s broadcast had already launched and the tickers were having a field day.

Once again, Neon City had erupted into chaos.

A large crowd was currently gathered outside of the Castillo, angrily demanding answers. Guards --- both Galra and sentries --- ringed the fortress, stone-faced and motionless. Even when the crowd began throwing things at them, they never moved. Somewhere else in the city, one of the Galra’s supply buildings had been set on fire. And graffiti was starting to appear on many of the government buildings in the heart of the city, the same phrase repeated over and over.

Long live the Outlaws!

So far, there had been no word from the Galra. No promise of a press release, no attempt at damage control. Either they were taking their time crafting their rebuttal or they had finally realized that there was nothing that they could say to make this right.

Akira was glad to see that the people were still supportive of the Outlaws. Not that he personally cared. (After all, he’d been fighting the Galra as the Mechanic for years and no one had ever spray-painted his name on a wall.) But he knew that it would make Leandro feel better to know that they didn’t believe he was a murderer.

Speaking of Leo…

Akira’s eyes swept the room, looking for his partner. He found him leaning against a counter, talking animatedly with Dante. His eyes were wide and bright, and his face was lit up in a way that Akira had never seen before. It was almost as though he was glowing.

Akira felt his heart flip-flop in his chest, and a soft smile curved his lips as he watched the other man. He’s so beautiful…

Their morning in the training room had been magical. He had never experienced anything like that with any of his other partners. Every other sexual encounter he had ever had was a mutually beneficial one where both he and his partner sought only their own pleasure. But watching Leandro fall apart so beautifully underneath him, knowing that he was the cause of it had been far more satisfying than any orgasm he’d ever had.

After their interrupted makeout session the night before Akira had been unable to stop thinking about what it had been like to touch Leandro and how very much he wanted to do it again. He had started thinking about the many fantasies he’d allowed himself to indulge in over the months since they had met and, well… The opportunity had presented itself, so he took it.

He hadn’t been lying when he’d told Leandro that even his wildest dreams couldn’t compare with the reality of seeing Leandro naked. Those miles of golden sin, the smooth, toned muscles. And those freckles. Gods, but he could never have imagined that Leandro would have even more freckles scattered across his body. Akira was determined to discover every single freckle that had made its home on Leandro’s body and memorize them.

And seeing that slave mark on his partner’s collarbone had sparked something white-hot within him. Leandro belonged to no one, least of all the people who had murdered his family. That was why Akira had bit him. Not in an attempt to replace the Galra’s mark with one of his own, but so that when Leandro looked in the mirror he would be reminded that there was someone who loved him. Someone who didn’t own him but was willing to stand by him.

And he really didn’t want to think about how he had felt when Leandro had called him ‘baby’. Akira hated pet names. Even hearing his brother and brother-in-law call each other ‘honey’ or some much made him roll his eyes. But hearing Leo use a pet name on him had caused some animalistic part fo his brain to fire on all cylinders. He had loved it, and he wanted to hear it again.

Gods, but he was so gone for this man.

“Kira? Hello? Kira? You with me?”

He blinked, turning to see that his brother had taken a seat next to him. “Hmm?”

Hoshi didn’t look much better than he had that morning, but his eyes were sparkling, and he wore a knowing smile. “I’ve been trying to get your attention for the past few minutes, but it seems you’re awfully… enraptured by something. Or, more specifically, someone”. He slowly, deliberately, moved his gaze from Akira to Leandro.

Akira could feel heat begin to rise in his cheeks, but he fought to tamp it down. He had absolutely nothing to be embarrassed about. “I was just wondering what he and Dante are talking about.”

“Mmm. Is that why you haven’t taken your eyes off of him since you two got here?”

He huffed. “Is there a point to this?”

“Just making an observation.” The grin was obvious in the older man’s voice as he leaned towards his brother and murmured, “You do realize that I know what a hickey looks like, right? And that I can see that Leo has more than one on his neck?”

Akira started, nearly falling out of his chair. He whirled to face his brother, eyes wide, face suddenly blazing hot. “I… What --- You…”

Hoshi’s grin was made of pure mischief. “Do we need to have the talk?” he asked innocently as he raised a mug of coffee to his lips.

Akira let out a groan as he tipped his head forward, letting it hit the table with a thunk. “You’re taking this whole ‘embarrassing big brother’ thing a bit too far, don’t you think?”

“Oh, I’m not taking it nearly as far as I would like. I told you that I never thought I was going to have the chance to do this, and I plan on enjoying it as much as possible.”

Akira opened his mouth to tell his brother exactly what he thought of this plan --- and where exactly he could shove it --- but was stopped by the sound of Leandro’s voice, bright and excited, coming from above him.

“Hey, guys! Why --- Oh, hey, Kira? Are you okay? Anyways, why didn’t you two tell me that Dante spoke Spanish?”

Akira lifted his head just enough to be able to squint at his partner. “He does?”

Hoshi turned to face his husband, who had come to stand next to Leandro, and lifted an eyebrow. “You do?”

Dante grinned sheepishly, reaching up to rub at the back of his neck. “My family is originally from Mexico, back on Earth. My grandmother refused to speak anything but Spanish and would always snap at us when we used anything else.” He gestured to Leo. “Our dialects are different, but we can hold a conversation with no problems.” His grin widened. “I’m a bit rusty, though, so it may take me some time to get back into the swing of things.”

“Hey, I’m just glad to have someone to talk to.” Leandro clapped the other man on the shoulder. “You have no idea how much I’ve missed being able to talk in Spanish.”

Akira recalled the night they went to the Quantum Abyss --- before he had gotten drunk and nearly ruined everything --- and Leandro had introduced him to Julio, the enforcer who had also spoken Spanish. “It’s nice knowing that there’s someone else here that I can talk to in my own language,” he had said. “It helps with the homesickness.”

He was glad to know that there was someone at the Castle who could help ease his partner’s loneliness. But it also caused a pang in his heart realizing that that someone wasn’t him. He made a mental note to ask his brother-in-law to try and teach him at least some Spanish so that, maybe one day, he could be the someone.  

“I guess that means that the two of you can talk about us behind our backs now,” Hoshi teased.

Dante took his husband’s chin between his thumb and forefinger, leaning down until they were at eye level. “Mi cielo,” he said, using that same purring tone that Leandro used whenever he spoke Spanish. “Why would we do it behind your backs? You’ll have no clue what we’re saying.”

Hoshi pouted --- actually pouted --- and Dante laughed before moving in to kiss him.

Akira couldn’t help himself. “Do we need to have the talk?” he said in a high-pitched imitation of his brother’s voice.

Hoshi, still lip-locked with his husband, lifted a metal middle finger in response.

The next few days found the paladins drifting back into a sense of normalcy, falling into many of the same routines they’d had prior to the last mission. This included Leandro and Akira sleeping separately. Leandro hated it --- he hadn’t realized how comforting it was to have his partner there next to him until he wasn’t --- but he had to do it for Petra. She had become more and more depressed as the days went on without any word from her brother, and Leandro wanted to be there for her as much as possible.

“You’re being ridiculous,” Petra grumbled as she brushed out her hair. “I’m fine, Leo. You don’t have to babysit me. I’ll just be down the hall. Call Kira and tell him to come over.”

He sighed. This was at least the fifth time they’d had this argument today. “No can do, Pet. Unless you agree to go and stay with Hayach, you’re stuck with me.”

She made a face at him in the mirror. “I already told you that I’m not staying with him tonight. He has to be up early in the morning and I don’t want to keep him awake.”

“And why would you keep him awake if you’re just sleeping?”

Petra glared at him, pressing her lips together and refusing to answer.

That was all right. Hayach had already talked to Leandro earlier in the day, worriedly telling him how Petra had been crying herself to sleep every night and that Hayach didn’t think it was a good idea for her to be alone.

He let out another sigh as he came to stand behind her, draping his arms over her shoulders and resting his chin atop her head. “Look,” he said, tone gentle. “You and I both know how much it sucks to feel alone. And we both know how much it sucks to wake up in the middle of the night and be alone. How many times have you made sure I didn’t have to go through that, hm?”

She let out a groan as she leaned back against him, closing her eyes. “I know. And I love and appreciate you so much for wanting to do this. It’s just… I don’t want to bother anyone over this. It’s really not that big of a deal.”

“It is a big deal! Pet, you have been looking for your brother for more than six years. Being this close to finding him… I would be an utter wreck.” He gave her a squeeze “And don’t you dare think that you’re a bother. You know we all love you and would do anything for you. Hell, if you’d asked to stay with Kira, he’d have kicked me out without even thinking about it. Probably would have slammed the door in my face, too.”

That earned him a chuckle. “Oh, I doubt that. He hasn’t been able to take his eyes off of you since that night at the warehouse.” She opened her eyes so that she could look at him through the mirror. “Seriously, Leo. I don’t want to interrupt anything. If you two ---”

“You’re not interrupting anything, I promise. Besides, Kira knows that you will always come first. And I wasn’t joking about him kicking me out for you. He adores you, you know.” He planted a kiss on the top of her head. “Now, let’s go to bed. We both need our beauty sleep. Hayach may not think you’re as cute with bags under your eyes.”

“Hey!” She reached up to smack him, but he was already dancing out of reach, his laughter trailing behind him.

As she finished getting ready, Leandro turned the lights off and gently placed Scruff Jr. on his nightstand. He paused for a moment, allowing himself to wish that it was Akira he would be sleeping next to instead of Petra, before climbing into bed. He grabbed his comm and typed out a quick message --- Goodnight. I love you. --- before sending it to his partner.

It was only a moment before he received a reply. I hope you sleep well. I love you, too.

He could feel a goofy smile stretch across his face and a warmth settle into his chest. He was never going to get used to this feeling. Never.

He was still smiling at his comm when Petra came out of the bathroom. She took one look at his face, let out a sigh, and planted her hands on her hips. “That’s it. I’m going to sleep in my room. Call him already.”

“Noooo!” He rolled over and reached out for her. “Come on, Pet. Get in bed. We were just saying goodnight, that’s all.”

She narrowed her eyes, pursing her lips. “Wait. Have you two been having sex on this thing? Cause, if you have, ew.”

He let out a dramatic sigh, followed by an equally dramatic eye roll. “No, madame, we have not had sex on my bed. And, if we had, I would at least have the decency to wash everything. Cause, yeah. Ew.” He patted the empty space on the bed. “Now, get your ass up here so we can cuddle.”

She let out her own sigh, but there was a smile on her face as she climbed into the bed. “Well, if you aren’t having sex here, then where are you doing it?”

“Why the sudden interest in my sex life?”

“Because you love him! You’ve never loved anyone before. Well, not really. Not like you love him.” She moved closer, snuggling against his chest. “I just want to know what it’s like.”

He paused for a moment. “Well, um… We actually haven’t had sex. Not yet, anyways.”

She moved her head back so that she could look up at him, her eyes wide. “You haven’t? Really? Why not?”

Leandro could feel heat pool in is cheeks underneath her scrutiny. “It’s not like that with us. This has to be done right. And we’re not quite there yet.” He let out a soft laugh. “Besides, we haven’t exactly been chaste, if you know what I mean.”

She opened her mouth, thought for a moment, then shook her head. “No. You know what? I don’t want to know.”

Leandro grinned, thinking about the results of his lost wager. And how every single training session since then had turned into a hot and heavy makeout session. (Usually prompted by one of them managing to knock the other to the ground.) “No. Probably not.”

She shook her head once more before moving to press her face into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, closing his eyes and letting out a single sigh of contentment. “This is nice, isn’t it? Just like old times.”

“Yeah.” A beat. Then… “Leo?”

“Mmm?”

“What if… What if it’s not him? Mal, I mean. What if it’s just some random person who happens to have the same name? Or what if someone killed my brother and stole his identity? What if ---”

“Hey, hey. None of that now.” Leandro moved his head so that he could press his cheek to the top of her head. “It’s him. It has to be. I mean, what are the odds of us running into a random person who has the same name as your brother? It’s him, Pet. I know it is.”

She pushed her face further into his chest but it did nothing to hide the sound of her sniffle. “Then why hasn’t he called me yet? I told Roman to tell him that it was Pidge so that he would know it was me. Mal is the only person who has ever called me that. He knows it’s me. So, if it is him, then why hasn’t he called me?”

He reached up to wrap a strand of her hair around his finger. “My guess is that he’s busy. I don’t know anything about these Blade of Whatever people, but they seem like a big deal. Remember what Alina said when Roman mentioned them? They wouldn’t help her because they are trying to save the galaxy from the Galra. If he’s working for them, I doubt he’s got the time to just sit around and twiddle his thumbs.”

Another sniffle, this one louder than the first. “Do you really believe that?”

“Absolutely.” He gave her hair a gentle tug. “The universe owes you one, Pet. After everything you’ve been through, after everything you’ve done for me, it’s way past time something good comes your way. He’ll call. We just have to be patient.”

Akira had never been more thankful that he had a job that took him away from the main hub of the Castle than he was at this very moment. The tension between the paladins had grown so thick he could almost taste it. And he hated it.

He was currently sitting on the floor of the garage, music blaring as he changed the brake pads on one of the Deliverance’s cars. He should be working on Roman’s Mustang --- the chassis was nearly complete --- but he couldn’t concentrate on it. Instead, he’d decided to lose himself in a simple, routine job.

Over the past few days Petra’s mood had shifted from sad to angry, lashing out at anyone and everyone. Leandro and Hayach had been taking turns staying with her and Akira could tell that it was taking a toll on them. Hayach had grown quiet, the lack of his incessant chatter deafening in its silence. And Leandro would often call off their daily training sessions, stating that he just needed some alone time. There had been several days where Akira had not seen his partner at all, their only interactions being brief text messages.

He tried not to be upset. After all, Petra was the only family Leandro had. Leo had made it a point to let Akira know that she would always come first for him, and Akia respected that. But still. He couldn’t help but feel as though they’d barely come together before being ripped apart again.

He let out a sigh as he moved the caliper back to its original position and re-inserted the slider bolt. Mal will call soon and everything will go back to normal. He had to believe it.

He was in the process of reattaching the wheel when the music abruptly shut off and his wrist comm started to vibrate. Glancing down, he saw that he had an incoming call from Petra. Trying to fight back a sense of dread, he took a deep, steadying breath and answered. “Hey, Petra,” he said, trying to keep his voice neutral. “What’s up?”

“Kira!” The sound of his name was so loud, so jarring, that he jumped, sending the remaining lug nuts skittering across the garage floor. “He’s coming, Kira! He’ll be here tonight! It’s really him!”

He blinked down at his comm, trying to make sense of the torrent of words spilling from her lips. “Who’s coming?”

“Mal! My brother!” Even in the scaled-down image that hovered over his comm Akira could see that her eyes were wide. “He called me earlier today and it was him!”

“Oh,” he breathed. Then, “Oh! Oh, Petra. I am so happy for you!”

“Thank you. So am I. I was so sure it wasn’t him, you know. But Leo was right!” She grinned, the first real smile that Akira had seen in a week. “He’s been on a mission and wasn’t able to get his messages. As soon as he heard Roman’s, he called me.”

Akira could feel his own grin stretching across his face. “Leo is going to love hearing that.”

The sound of her responding laughter warmed hm from the inside out. “Oh, I know. I’m not really looking forward to that conversation.” She paused. “Actually, that was the reason I called you.”

He lifted an eyebrow. “You want me to tell him that he was right?”

“No. I’ll tell him that myself. I owe him that much. I was going to see if you wouldn’t mind asking him to come and stay with you tonight. I want some time with Mal, and I think Leo will take it better if he hears it from you instead of me.”

“Petra, if you’re worried about him being mad at you, I can tell you ---”

“It’s not that. Though I have been pretty difficult lately.” She paused, and he could see her eyes soften. “I know he’s afraid that I’m just going to up and leave him once I get Mal back. I’m not. I’ve told him I’m not. But I know he still worries. I just feel like if you tell him --- and if he knows he’s going to get to spend time with you --- he might not take it as hard.”

“He’s still going to worry,” Akira said gently. “Do you think that you not telling him might make it worse?”

She blew out a huff of air. “No? Maybe? I don’t know. I’m just afraid that if I ask him to leave his own home so I can spend time with my brother Leo’s going to think that I’m already trying to get rid of him. And I know that he’s missed you so much that he’ll be so happy to be with you that he won’t even think about me.”               

Akira pursed his lips, thinking. “Okay,” he finally said. “I understand why you want to do it this way, and I’d be lying if I said I haven’t missed him, too. But I want you to promise me that you’ll talk to him.”

“I will,” she said, her words coming out in a rush. “Of course I will. And you’ll all get to meet Mal tomorrow. Hayach said he’s going to make a big dinner for all of us in order to celebrate. And I’ve already told Mal all about Leo. He can’t wait to meet him. I want them to get to know each other first, then I’ll talk to Leo. I promise.”

He let his smile return. “All right, then. Go enjoy your time with your brother. I’ll take care of Leo.”

He watched as her entire face lit up. “Thank you, Kira. Thank you so much. I know I’ve kept you guys apart for these past few days, but I promise I’ll find a way to make it up to you.”

He shook his head, still smiling. “You don’t owe us anything, Pet. We love you, and we’re happy to do anything we can for you.” He made a shooing motion at her. “Now go. We’ll see you tomorrow.”

“I love you, too. Both of you. And thank you again. For everything.”

Then she was gone, the music starting up again as the call ended.

Akira stared down at his now-blank comm for a long moment before letting out a long, slow breath, feeling his whole body sag in relief.

Mal was real. He was real, and he would be there that very evening. Petra was finally going to have her brother back.

Which meant that Akira could finally have his partner back.

He tapped at his wrist comm, lighting up the screen so that he could check the time. It was early afternoon. By the time he finished changing the brake pads and got cleaned up the school would be getting ready to end for the day. Which meant that he should be able to catch Leo before he would leave for the Castle.

He made quick work of the brake job before heading towards the school. He hoped that Leandro wouldn’t mind him coming to his place of work, but Akira was too excited to wait.

As he approached the school grounds he could see several children standing outside, playing some sort of game. And standing among them, with a small girl perched on his hip, was Leandro.

Akira stopped at the edge of the play area, leaning against a tree, watching. There were about five kids, not including the little girl, all spread out across the back lawn of the school. One boy, who looked an awful lot like a younger version of Leo, stood apart from the rest, holding a long, wooden object in his hands.

“All right, Keith,” Leandro was calling out. “You’re going to throw the ball at Lance just like I showed you. Remember, you’re not trying to hit him. Lance, you’re going to ---”

“I know what to do,” the boy with the wooden object said, a confident smirk on his face. “I’m going to knock it out of the park. As long as Keith can throw it the right way.”

There was another boy standing almost directly across from the first --- a boy that reminded Akira of himself when he was a boy --- who glared back. “Oh, I can throw the ball. The question is, can you hit it?”       

“Just throw it already, and I’ll show you how hard I can hit it!”

The dark-haired boy twisted his lips in response. As Akira watched he reared back, almost to the point of losing his balance, before his arm shot forward, something flying from his hand. The object shot towards the other boy, who swung the wooden instrument at it.

He missed.

“Strike!” Leo called out, the word echoed by the girl on his hip. “That was a good throw, Keith! Give him the ball back, Lance, and we’ll try again.”

Lance grumbled as he retrieved the ball and tossed it back to the other boy. “Maybe if Keith could throw it so I could hit it…”

“Don’t be a sore loser,” Leandro chided gently. “Keith threw it perfectly. Just keep your eye on the ball. You’ll get it.”

Akira watched the game progress, feeling his lips turn upwards as he realized that Leandro was teaching the kids how to play baseball. He knew nothing about the game himself, but he had heard Leandro talk about it enough to realize what was going on.

Keith threw the ball again. This time Lance was able to make contact. It wasn’t a direct hit --- just a glancing blow off of his makeshift bat --- and the ball bounced along the ground towards Akira.

That was when Leandro noticed him. “Kira!” he cried out in delight as his partner swooped down to pick up the ball. “How long have you been here? Why are you here?”

Akira straightened, holding out the ball. “I’ve missed you,” he said softly. “I just really wanted to see you.”

Leandro looked exhausted, the shadows under his eyes darker than Akira remembered them being. But his smile was genuine, and it was reflected in his eyes. “I love you,” he murmured, stepping past Akira’s outstretched hand to plant a soft kiss onto his lips.

“Yuck,” said the girl that Leandro was holding, scrunching up her nose in disgust. “Kissing is gross.”

Leandro laughed as he bounced her on his hip. “Trust me. You won’t always think that way.”  He took the ball from Akira. “This is Kira. Can you say hi?’

“Hi,” she said obediently, waving at him.

“Hi,” he replied, giving her an awkward wave of his own. He’d never really spent much time around children, and he wasn’t quite sure how one was supposed to interact with them.

Thankfully, she seemed to have no such qualms. “I’m Lilly,” she told him proudly. “And I’m five.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Lilly. My name is Akira. But my friends call me Kira for short.”

“That’s much easier to say. It makes sense for everyone to call you that.” She turned back to Leandro. “Is he your boyfriend?”

A wide grin stretched across his face. “He sure is.”

Her lower lip pushed out into a pout. “But I wanted to be your girlfriend!”

“I’m afraid you’re a bit too young for me. But.” He reached up to tap the end of her nose. “You are mi princesa. No one else. Just you.”

She paused for a moment, her face pinched in thought, before nodding. “All right. As long as it’s just me!”

“I promise.” Leandro placed a kiss to her cheek with a loud smack, making her giggle. “Now, let’s ---”

A shout interrupted him. Peering over Leandro’s shoulder, Akira could see that a boy that he didn’t recognize had his fist in Lance’s shirt, while Keith, looking murderous, was trying to pull him off of the smaller boy.

“Hey!” Leandro shouted, his voice ringing out across the schoolyard. He thrust Lilly out towards Akira. “Watch her for a minute,” he murmured, eyes locked onto the scuffle taking place.

“Ummm…” Akira held out his arms, not sure what to do.

But Lilly came right to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and clinging to him as he moved his arms to hold her comfortably. As they were adjusting to one another Leandro stormed off to where the three boys had broken out into a fight.

Akira and Lilly took a moment to study one another, he with wariness, her with open curiosity.

“You’re very pretty,” she finally blurted out. “I really like your eyes. I wish mine looked like that.”

“Oh! Um, thank you.” He tilted his head to the side, studying her. “I think you are very pretty, too. I especially like your hair. I wish I could make mine as shiny as yours.”

She giggled at this, reaching up to touch her hair. “Thank you! My mama says I have hair like my Papa and it will never behave.”

“Does she make your Papa take care of your hair?”

She shook her head. “My Papa is in heaven now. Him and my brother. It’s just Mama, Lance and me now.”

Akira’s eyes darted back to the group of boys. Lance was currently sitting on the ground, holding something to his nose. Keith was standing over him in a way that could only be described as protective. Leandro stood apart from them, holding the third boy by the arm. Akira couldn’t make out any words, but his partner looked angry. “Lance is your brother?”

“Yeah.” She made a face. “He’s eight, and he’s always telling me what to do.”

“Ah. I have an older brother, too. He also likes to tell me what to do.”

“Even though you’re a grown-up?”

“Even though. Sometimes he still thinks that I’m a little kid and that it’s his job to protect me.”

Lilly gave a sage nod. “Lance always says that I have to listen to him because he is the man of the house and he is trying to protect me. But it’s so annoying!”

“I know it’s annoying. But it means he loves you and wants to keep you safe. That’s what big brothers do.”

“Even when you’re grown up?”

“Always.”

She paused at this, and Akira could practically see the wheels turning in her head. Before she could say anything else, however, Leandro was reappearing at their side.

“Sorry about that,” he huffed. “That Griffin kid is turning out to be a bully. He always picks on Lance because he knows that it will get a rise out of Keith. And those two are going to end up either killing each other or getting married. Gods only know which.”

Lilly giggled at this. “Lance likes Keith. Like, like likes him. He wants Keith to be his boyfriend!”

Leandro blinked at her, both of his eyebrows lifting. “Did Lance tell you that?”

She nodded. “He’s always drawing hearts with their names in them. And he talks about how much he likes Keith’s hair.”

“I see.” Leandro pursed his lips, but Akira could tell by the way his eyes were dancing that he was trying not to laugh. “I promise I won’t say anything to Keith about it. Though I have a feeling I might not have to.” He shook his head, his grin finally breaking free. “Well, I’m going to go have a chat with Griffin’s parents. Do you mind hanging out for a bit, Kira? Once all of the kids have left, we can maybe go get dinner together.” He didn’t bother to hide the hopeful tone in his voice.  

Akira let his own grin show as he hitched Lilly higher up onto his hip. “We can do more than get dinner tonight. You’ve officially been released from Petra-sitting duty.”

“Oh?”

Akira could feel his grin widen to the point where his cheeks began to hurt. “Petra wanted me to tell you that Mal is coming in this evening, and that she would like to spend some alone time with him. So how would you feel about staying with me tonight?”

The other man frowned, his eyebrows coming together in confusion. “Mal? Who’s…”

Akira watched as a parade of emotions made their way across his partner’s face: confusion, excitement, disbelief, awe, and --- finally --- joy. “Oh,” he said, his eyes going wide in realization. “Oh! He’s… He’s coming here? Tonight?”  

“Yes. He apparently called her this morning. She said we’re going to have a celebratory dinner tomorrow night, and we’ll all get the chance to meet him then. But she wanted to have tonight for just the two of them.”

Leandro stared at him for a long moment without speaking. And, when he finally did, his voice was so full of hope that it squeezed Akira’s heart. “So… I can come stay with you tonight? Really?”

“Leo.” His voice was soft. “I would love for you to come and stay with me. I wasn’t lying when I said I’ve missed you.”

There was another long pause, both of them simply staring at one another, before Leandro was reaching out to grab both sides of Akira’s face and pull him into a kiss. It wasn’t anything close to elegant, but it was fierce and full of joy, and Akira nearly swooned under the weight of it.

The two men were so caught up in the moment, caught up in each other, that neither of them noticed Lilly stick out her tongue. “Yuck!”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Chapter Text

Chapter 20

“Does this look all right?”

Leandro stood in front of his full-length mirror, running a critical eye over his outfit. He’d chosen a dark blue shirt, black pants, and his nicest pair of boots. He twisted left, then right, making sure there were no overlooked wrinkles.

Akira lay sprawled across the bed behind him, and Leandro wished that he could properly appreciate the view. At Leandro’s words, he lifted his head, brows furrowing as he met Leandro’s gaze in the mirror. “This is the third time you’ve changed, Leo. That outfit looks fine. So did the other two.”

Leandro blew out a frustrated breath, reaching up to rake a hand through his hair. (Thankfully, he remembered that he had already styled it to perfection, and lowered his hand before he could cause any damage.) “I only have one shot at making a first impression, and I want to make sure it’s a good one.”

“Are you afraid of Mal?”

He made another sound of frustration. “No. I mean, not afraid of him. I just… I want him to think well of me, you know. I don’t want him to think I’m some kind of creep. Or that I’m taking advantage of his sister. Or that ---” He stopped, feeling bile start to creep up the back of his throat. Okay. So maybe he was afraid of Mal.

“Leo.” Akira put down the tablet he had been looking over and got to his feet. He moved to stand in front of Leandro, gently grabbing the back of his head and pulling it forward until their foreheads met. “Everything is going to be all right. You always make the people you meet fall in love with you, remember?”

Leandro laughed weakly, reaching up to grasp his partner’s wrists, thankful that Akira was there to ground him. “And I said that you were the only one I cared about loving me. I just need Mal to like me.”

“He’s going to love you, Leo. He’s going to love you because Petra loves you. He’s going to love you because you kept her from being alone while he was gone. You have nothing to worry about.”

“How are you so sure?”

“Because I know that’s how Hoshi would feel if that had been me. He’s always said that he hates the fact that I was on my own for so long. If he had come back and I’d had someone who had taken me in as family he would have adopted them on the spot. I’m willing to bet Mal will feel the same.”

He said it with such unwavering confidence that Leandro could feel some of his worry ebb away. “Yeah. Yeah, my siblings would have felt that way, too. Thanks, Kira.” He pulled away just far enough to be able to look in his partner’s eyes. “You’re never going to be alone again. You know that, right?”

Akira smiled at that, one of those rare, soft smiles that he seemed to reserve only for Leandro. “Yeah. I know.” He leaned forward to place a kiss on Leandro’s forehead. “Now. You look fine. Let’s not keep them waiting.”

Hayach had insisted that the dinner be held in his apartment. He wanted it to feel like a family dinner instead of something formal and possibly intimidating. Besides, his kitchen was far better equipped than even the Castle’s. So he had commandeered Hoshi and Curran as his assistants and barricaded them all inside his apartment, sternly warning the others to not even think about trying to come inside.  

His apartment was located two floors above the one where Leandro and the Koganes lived, which allowed him to stay close to his very large family. (He had three mothers, two fathers, several siblings, and a small horde of nieces and nephews that he helped to look after. And Leo had thought his family was big!) Leandro hoped that the walk would allow his anxiety to decrease a bit before they arrived.

As they emerged into the hallway that led to Hayach’s apartment, Leandro felt a warm, familiar hand press against his lower back. He turned just enough to see Akira smiling at him. “Steady?”

No, he thought. His stomach was in knots, and he could feel a tremble in his hands. But he was certainly far steadier than he would be had he been alone.

So he offered a return smile and leaned back into the touch. “As steady as I can be.”

Akira didn’t reply, but he left his hand on Leandro’s back, and Leandro was thankful for it’s comforting weight.

Hayach’s apartment was located at the far end of the hallway, and Leandro felt his heart give a nervous jump when he saw that there were already two people standing outside of the door. He immediately recognized Petra, which meant that the other individual must be ---

“Leo!”

The cry of his name shattering the otherwise silent hallway caused him to jump, and he felt Akira’s hand slip from his back. He caught a flash of movement and barely had time to brace himself before Petra was crashing into him.

“Oof.” His breath rushed out as he rocked back a step from the force of their collision. “Hey, Pet. I think you just bruised my kidneys.”

He tilted her head back just enough for him to see her eyes which were wide and watery behind her glasses. “I’m so sorry I’ve been such a bitch the past few days. I promise I’ll make it up to you.”

He chuckled softly as he ruffled her hair. “You weren’t that bad. Besides, it’s not like I’m a joy to be around all of the time.”

“Well, I’m still going to make it up to you. And Kira, too. But first…” She took a step back and gestured to where the other person was standing behind her. “Leo, I want you to meet my brother. Mal, this is Leo.”

Leandro allowed himself a moment to brace himself before he straightened, lifting his gaze to the man who was now standing in front of him.

Over the years, Leandro had seen hundreds of photos and videos of Malcolm Gunn. Petra would often show them off while regaling Leandro with tales of their childhood exploits or other major moments in their lives. While the pictures were older --- all taken prior to the two Gunn men disappearing --- Leo liked to think that he would have been able to recognize either of them had he met them on the street. Looking at Petra’s brother now, Leandro knew that there was no way that this man was anyone other than who he claimed to be.

He looked just like Petra. So much so that Leandro’s first thought was that they must be twins. Yes, Mal was taller and had broader shoulders. But he had the exact same shade of sandy hair (his was pulled back in a low ponytail), the same amber eyes, the same lean build.

Leandro had spent most of the previous night imaging what he would say to Petra’s brother. Even the comforting weight of Akira’s arms around him had not been enough to keep his mind from whirling with ideas. Saying “It’s nice to meet you” seemed far too simple for the magnitude of the meeting.

Now, standing here in front of Mal, Leandro found that he couldn’t remember a single thing he had come up. So he just reached out a (only slightly shaking) hand. “It’s, uh… It’s beyond an honor to finally meet you.”

Mal stared at him for a moment, long enough to make Leandro squirm, those familiar eyes regarding him with an emotion that he couldn’t quite fathom. When Mal finally moved, he completely ignored Leandro’s outstretched hand, stepping past it so that he could throw his arms around the other man and pull him into a bone-crushing embrace.

“Thank you,” Mal murmured in his ear. “Petra has been telling me so much about you. I know I’ll never be able to thank you enough for all that you’ve done for my sister.”

Leandro blinked at this, not quite sure what to do. “Um, well, she’s actually the one who has been taking care of me. I wouldn’t be here now if it wasn’t for her.”

Mal pulled back, though he left his hands on Leandro’s shoulders. His eyes were glistening, but there was a wide smile on his face. “Funny. She said the same thing about you.”

Leandro found himself frowning in confusion. “I, uh… What?” He glanced over at Petra, who’s smile was so bright that it looked as though her face was in danger of cracking. “What?”

She didn’t reply. Instead, she gestured to a spot behind Leandro. “And this is Akira, Leo’s partner.”

Mal gave Leandro’s shoulders a squeeze before stepping around him. “It’s so good to meet you. Petra’s told me so much about you as well.”

Still feeling a bit dazed, Leandro moved to the side so the he could watch the other two men greet each other.

Petra came to stand next to him, twining her arm though his and leaning her head against his shoulder. “You know,” she said, her voice pitched low so that only he could hear, “I don’t think I ever would have found him if not for you. I think I would have just given up the search a long time ago. I never would have joined the Deliverance, never would have found out that my dad is still alive, and I never would have been here, introducing the two of you to each other.”

Leandro was quiet for a moment, letting her words sink in. When he spoke, his voice was just as quiet as hers. “I think maybe you and I were meant to be together, too.”

This earned him a quiet laugh. “I could have told you that a long time ago.”

Across from them, Akira and Mal were shaking hands, and Akira had a warm smile on his face. “It’s an absolute pleasure to meet you. We’re all so happy that Petra was able to find you.”

“Only because of you all. I’m so very thankful that my sister was able to find so many amazing friends to support her.”

“And we’re lucky to have her as well. And not just as a friend, though I am more than thankful to be able to count her as one. But she’s become a vital member of the Deliverance as well.”

“That’s my Pidgeon!” Mal declares, chest puffing out with pride, his smile growing nearly as wide as Petra’s. “She always was the more clever of the two of us, though she usually used those talents to get us into trouble.”

Petra let out a sound somewhere between a laugh and a groan, her cheeks growing pink. “Mal, please. You haven’t called me that since we were kids.”

“Only because I haven’t had the chance to. But now I can make up for all of that lost time.” He threw her a wink. “Just wait until I meet this boyfriend of yours.”

This time, Petra let out a full groan as she buried her face in her hands. “Mal! I’ve already told you that he’s not my boyfriend!”

“Maybe not yet.” He lifted his eyes to Leandro’s, and Leo couldn’t help but notice the wicked glint in them. “But it’s never too early to start sharing the embarrassing childhood stories, eh?”

Leandro could feel his own grin stretching across his face as the tension drained from his body. “Oh, yeah. And I have plenty of material to throw in as well.” He leaned forward, dropping his voice to a conspiratorial tone. “Like how’s she’s always talking about his ---”

“Leo!” Her voice was nearly a shriek as she whirled on him, eyes wide and face bright red.

He laughed, holding up his free hand in surrender. “His eyes, Pet! I was going to say that you’re always going on about his eyes.”

They were still laughing when the door hissed open, and Hoshi peered out. “Hey, guys! Sorry to keep you waiting. But you can come in now. Dinner’s ready!”

The dinner turned out to be a smashing success. Hayach  had borrowed some cushions and chairs from various family members so that there would be plenty of seating. Every inch of kitchen counter space was covered in food, far too many dishes to count. Hayach had instructed the group to “grab a plate and start a   line”.

They hadn’t even started filling their plates when Alina arrived. “Sorry I’m late,” she said as he removed her jacket and toed off her shoes. “I never thought that ---Oh! Um, hello.”

No one saw Mal move. One moment he had been chatting with Dante, the next he was standing in front of Alina, reaching out to take one of her hands. “My lady. It has been years since we last met, but I could never forget your beauty.” He lifted her hand so that he could press a kiss to the back of it, his eyes never leaving hers.

Leandro let out a snort that he quickly covered with a cough after Akira elbowed him. (Oh, he and Mal were going to get along just fine.)

Alina, meanwhile, was only able to stare back at Mal, eyes wide as color rose high in her cheeks. “I… oh.” Then she blinked, her eyes going even wider. “Wait. Mal?? Is that you??”

He grinned. “In the flesh. Nice to see that you haven’t forgotten me.”

She clapped her hands together in delight. “Oh, my goodness. You’re so grown!” She reached out to grasp his cheeks, giving them a tug. “You’re a young man now!”

He laughed at that, swatting her hands away. “Alina, I was already a grown man when you last saw me. I just happened to grow some more. While you, on the other hand, look the exact same.”

She ignored him, electing to throw her arms around him. “Oh, but it does my heart good to see you. When Petra first came to us, I couldn’t believe how much she looked like you. All I could think about was when you would come with your father to help around the Castle. I am so glad she was able to find you.”

He returned the hug, still smiling. “I’m glad she made her way to you. She said you have a video of Dad?”

She stepped back, reaching up to cup his face in her hands. “I do. And I will show it to you whenever you want. Except for right now.  Right now, we’re celebrating!”

Once everyone was seated with a full plate, Mal and Petra regaled the others with their childhood exploits, making the others laugh. Neither Gunn sibling seemed to be able to stop smiling.  

For Leandro, it all felt so good, everyone sitting around and just chatting. It reminded him of the holiday gatherings of his childhood, and a warm feeling of contentment settled into his chest.

Conversations were beginning to die down when Mal leaned forward from his spot on the sofa, eyes intense and focused on Leandro. “So, Leo. My sister has told me quite a bit about the adventures the two of you have had over the years. But she won’t tell me how you met, saying it wasn’t her story to tell. So I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind sharing it.”

Leandro frowned, glancing at Petra, who was sitting on the sofa between Mal and Hayach. “What do you mean, it’s not your story to tell? You saved my life, Petra. You’re the hero of the story!”

She shrugged, looking slightly uncomfortable. “I don’t know. It’s… Well, your part is pretty personal, and I don’t like telling it without your permission. Besides, I’m so used to not being able to tell anyone for fear that we’ll get turned over to the Galra.”

Someone else cleared their throat. Turning, Leandro saw Hoshi looking at him with a sheepish expression. “We actually don’t know how you two met, either.”

His frown deepened. “You don’t?”

“You’ve never told us.”

“Really?” He tilted his head back in order to look up at Akira. “I told you, though. Right?”

His partner shook his head.

Huh. Maybe he had just assumed everyone already knew the story. Or maybe he had just been so used to having to keep it a secret that it never occurred to him that it was to finally tell. Well, he could tell them now. This way he and Petra could tell it together.

“All right.” Leandro leaned back against Akira’s legs and placed an elbow on the other man’s knee. “It’s actually quite long and detailed, so you might as well make yourselves comfortable. Hayach, I don’t suppose I could get a beer?”

“One round of beer, coming right up!” Hayach jumped to his feet and disappeared into the kitchen. He reemerged a few minutes later with an armful of dark brown bottles, which he quickly passed around.

Mal looked absolutely delighted as he accepted his bottle. “Oh, man. This is great! I haven’t had a proper beer in ages!”

“Hayach and Kira make it themselves,” Petra eagerly explained. “It’s really good!”

He eagerly twisted off the cap and took a sip. As he swallowed his eyes fluttered closed and he let out a moan that was just shy of obscene. “Oh. Oh, that’s good!” He opened his eyes to stare at the bottle for a bit before lifting his gaze to Hayach. “And you made this?”

Hayach nodded, beaming proudly. “Kira built the entire setup himself. You should see it; it’s so cool! It took us awhile to find a taste that we like, though. You should have tried some of our earlier stuff. It was gods-awful.”

“Well, this one tastes absolutely perfect.” Mal lifted his bottle in a salute. “Cheers.”

Leandro had already taken a deep swig while everyone got settled, using the time to try and get his thoughts organized. “All right. Everyone ready for story time? Mal, I’m assuming you already know my history.”

“Oh, yes. I know all about the martyred Leandro Sanchez, risen from the dead to exact his revenge on the Galra.”

He made a face. “Wow. That’s dramatic, even for me. So you all know that the Galra were supposed to release me back to my family, but instead they branded me as a slave and sent me to work in the mines.”

“Did they ever explain why they did that?’ Alina asked. She was sitting primly in one of Hayach’s chairs with Curran perched on the arm. “I’ve always wondered about that. It seemed as though they would have saved so much trouble if they had just let you go.”

“Someone in the mines told me later that this was a pretty standard practice for the Galra. They would take their ‘indentured servants’ and keep them separated from their families as long as possible, trying to break down their relationships. That way, when the servant became a slave, their families just don’t bother to come looking for them.”

“But why? There were plenty of other indentured servants that they released. Why did they keep you?”

“Apparently, they only keep the servants who are young and healthy. No use in taking someone you’ll just have to replace in four months, right?”

He could feel Akira place a hand on his shoulder, and he leaned back into it. “Anyways, that’s where I was while the rebellion was going on. And, since we were only shown Galra-approved propaganda, I had no idea about it.”

“Did the Galra in the mine not know who you were?” That was Dante, seated next to his husband on the loveseat. “Surely they knew about the rebellion. They could have used you as a bargaining chip.”

“Honestly, I don’t think they did know who I was. We were never called by our names. We were assigned an ID number when we first arrived and that was how the Galra addressed us. I think they would have actually had to look at their records to realize that X-22 was actually Leandro Sanchez. And maybe there was no record of me. Maybe the Galra didn’t want to keep track of the people they stole.”

Akira’s grip tightened on his shoulder. “Your tattoo,” he murmured.

Oh. Of course Akira had seen the tattoo. If he hadn’t noticed it during their many training sessions when Leandro wore tank-tops that exposed his arms, he most certainly would have seen it the day he stripped Leo bare. Akira had never asked him about it, but Leandro knew that his partner must have wondered why he had X-22 tattooed on his upper bicep. He couldn’t help but wonder if Akira would try to replace that mark as well.

He reached up to grasp the fingers gripping his shoulder, squeezing them in reassurance. “Anyways, when the day of the executions came around, they made us all cram together in our assembly hall so we could watch them. I remember seeing Julian walk up to the gallows and being so confused. I was coming off of Juice at the time and I thought I was hallucinating. But then they pulled the lever and, well…” He stopped to take a fortifying drink. “I just started screaming. I mean, I knew I was screaming. I could feel it. But, at the same time, it wasn’t me, if that makes sense. And I couldn’t do anything to stop it.

“The Galra, of course, tried to stop me. First, they cracked me across the jaw with the butt of a pulse rifle, but I never felt it. I just fell down and kept screaming. I never stopped screaming, even when they broke out the electro-whips. I didn’t feel them, either.”

“Holy fuck,” came Hoshi’s angry mutter, startling Leandro. He’d never heard the elder Kogane say ‘fuck’, and it somehow seemed wrong. He was so surprised that he nearly missed the low growl coming from Akira.

He gave his partner’s hand another squeeze. It was a long time ago, he tried to convey. And I’m here now. Safe. With you. “The Galra had to do something. They couldn’t properly cow their slaves by publicly executing those who rebelled against them when said slaves were distracted by me. So they just hauled me out of the room and tossed me in a cell. I must have fainted after that, because the next thing I knew was that there was a light in my cell and a woman standing over me.” He grinned. “I thought she was an angel, coming to take me to heaven.”

Every head in the room swiveled towards Petra. “That was you?” Hayach asked, his voice full of awe.

“Erm.” Petra reached up to rub at the back of her neck, a slight blush settling into her cheeks. “Yes.”

“What were you doing in the mines?” Mal asked, his voice sounding equal parts curious and horrified.

“Looking for you, actually. The Galra don’t have a centralized database of all of the people they have captured. Or, if they do, it’s behind the heaviest firewall I’ve ever seen. And all of the mines and work camps are shielded, so the only way I could find where they had put you and Dad was to go to each individual place and hack their localized database.”

Alina hummed thoughtfully. “So you were at the mine where they were keeping Leo on the day of the Sanchez family’s execution.”

“Yes.” She gave Leandro an apologetic look. “I was actually hoping to use it to my advantage. It was one of the larger mines located outside of the city. I figured a larger mine meant more workers, which would mean a bigger database to have to go through. I’d hoped that everyone would be so distracted by the executions that I would have plenty of time to work. I was halfway through the database when I heard someone start screaming. At first, I thought that I had been discovered, but then I realized that all of the guards seemed to be heading away from the area I was at. So I left my search program running and decided to go and see what was happening.”

Mal let out a groan. “Of course you did.”

“Hush. Anyways, I got there just in time to watch them try to knock Leo out with the rifle.” She let out a shudder. “I’ll never forget the sound of his scream. It was more of a howl, really. I remember thinking that there was no way that a human was making that sound.

“When I saw them bring out the whips, I knew I had to do something. The sound he was making tore at my heart, and they were just beating him instead of trying to see what was wrong with him. So, once my program was finished running, I went to the cell where they had left him.”

She paused to take another drink of her beer, and Leandro could swear that the entire room was holding its breath.

“The guards didn’t do anything to treat his wounds or even try to clean him up. And I’d brought along some first aid supplies in case I needed them to help you or Dad escape. So I thought that at least I could try and patch him up as best as I could before leaving.

“It was dark in there, but I’d brought Rover --- my original one --- and I used it to cast a light so that I could see what I was doing. Leo had stopped screaming at this point. In fact, he wasn’t making any noise. I couldn’t even hear him breathing. I thought that he was dead. But then I touched him, and he just looked at me and said, ‘Are you her for me, too?’”

Leandro let out a quiet chuckle. “I honestly thought you were about to give me my wings, my halo, and my harp.”

She shook her head. “You were such a mess. Your face had started to swell, and they’d torn your back to shreds. And you were so small, barely more than skin and bones. But the second I got a good look at you I knew who you were. And I knew that I had to get you out of there before they figured it out, because I knew that they would kill you as soon as they did.”

Leandro honestly didn’t remember much of that day. There were flashes --- seeing Julian on the holovid screen, watching the butt of the pulse rifle come towards him, the glow of the electro-whips, Petra’s young, frightened face floating above him --- but Petra had told him about everything that had taken place. He had never felt bothered by it before, but hearing it told to others who hadn’t been there made him feel… unsettled. He couldn’t help but think that it made him out to be someone weak. Broken.

Surely no one here would think that. After all, Akira hadn’t treated him any differently after the night Leandro had poured out his heart on the rooftop. He wouldn’t after this revelation, either.

Right?

As if he could hear Leandro’s thoughts, Akira gently pressed his thumb into the back of Leandro’s shoulder before moving it in small, soothing circles. “How were you able to get him out?”

Petra laughed as she pushed her glasses up her nose. “Well, I hadn’t really planned on having to rescue anyone. I mean, I had assumed that, if I ever did find Dad and Mal, they would be able to walk out on their own. All I had was Rover and my first aid kit. Which meant that I had to improvise. So I ---"

“She tied me to Rover,” Leandro interjected. “Well. First she gave me a shot of adrenaline --- which was awful, by the way --- then she tied me to Rover.”

“No. First I treated your back so that the burns would hopefully not get infected. Then I gave you the shot of adrenaline and tied you to Rover.”

Mal’s eyebrows had risen so high that Leandro couldn’t see them behind the fringe of the other man’s bangs. “And you were able to get him out of the mine without anyone spotting you?”

His sister shrugged. “Like I said, everyone was pretty distracted. Besides, I doubt the Galra thought that he would be able to stand, much less escape.”

“And the two of you have been together ever since.” Curran’s voice was full of pride. “That’s so wonderful!”

“I couldn’t leave him,” Petra said in a soft tone. “I thought about it a few times. I wanted to get back to the search for Mal and Dad. But I just couldn’t.”

“And it’s a good thing, too.” Leandro’s voice was just as soft. “Because there is no way I would have survived if you had.”

Those first few days were still a blur to him, even years later. Petra had told him that he had developed a fever and had been in and out of consciousness during that time. His first real, solid memory had been of Petra, sitting on the edge of his bed and holding out a bowl of soup for him.

Then came the broadcast announcing his own execution. He could still remember Sendak’s exact words: “Leandro Sanchez has been located and executed. There are no remaining members of the Sanchez family on this planet. If anyone else has any thoughts of trying to rise against the Galra, just remember what happened to them and those who chose to follow them.”

Those words hadn’t made sense. He had never heard anything about a rebellion led by his family. And he certainly wasn’t dead. Maybe there had been someone else named Sanchez.

Petra had finally told him everything that had happened, starting with how his family had demanded answers after the Galra didn’t release him on the scheduled date. She explained that other people had started to come forward to say that their loved ones had also gone missing while under Galra care. She talked about how it had all snowballed into a rebellion against the Galra.

He hadn’t believed her when she had told him how the Galra had dealt with their insurgence. He still thought of the Galra as benevolent, despite what they had done to him. There was no way they would kill children. Especially not Julian. Why would they kill him after working so hard to cure him?

But then he remembered the image of Julian standing on the gallows and had demanded that Petra show him the entire broadcast. And so he had sat and watched as his entire family was slaughtered. He had watched as everyone from his niece to his grandparents were led to the gallows and executed.

He stopped eating after that., and refused all of the medication that Petra tried to give him. All he’d wanted to do was stay in his bed and stare at the wall, waiting for the day when he could go to sleep and not wake up.

He had expected Petra to give up on him and leave him to wither away. Or maybe beg him, even yell at him. But she did none of those things. Instead, she had climbed into the bed with him, wrapped her arms around him, and started talking about her family. She told him about her mother, who had died from an unknown illness while Petra was still a child. She told him about her father, who ha done everything he could to make sure that she and her brother had grown up happy. And she told him how the Galra had taken them from her as well. Leandro was all that she had, and could he please try.

He didn’t want to try. What was the point? He had nothing left to try for. But every day Petra would get in the bed with him and hold him. Some days she told him stories about her childhood. Some days she sang to him. Some days she said nothing at all, simply pressing her small body against his just to remind him that he wasn’t alone.

Slowly he began to eat the soup that she made for him. He took the medicine that she offered him. He got out of the bed to sit with her at the kitchen table. He showered. And he even started to talk.

There were still bad days, days when all he could do was lie in bed and cry. And his nights were plagued by night terrors, claustrophobia, and the fear of the dark. And he wasn’t the only one who struggled with feeling lost and alone. Petra had days when everything would just be too much, and she would simply curl in on herself. On those days it would be Leandro who would climb into the bed with her to hold her while she cried.

Some way, somehow, they had made it. They had turned into the glue that held the other together when they started to fall apart. They had forged new lives for themselves and became a family.

And now they were here. They had found a new home and a new family. Leandro had found love. Petra had found her brother. None of this would have ever happened if she had not decided to rescue him on that fateful day.

He could feel his chest grow tight and his eyes start to burn. He cleared his throat before he could get too emotional and lifted his bottle in a salute. “Here’s to Petra. If it wasn’t for her, we wouldn’t be sitting here now, our bellies full of good food and good beer.”

“Hear, hear!” Mal exclaimed, jumping to his feet and lifting his bottle as well. Around the room came other cheers, more calls of, “To Petra!” as the rest of Team Voltron lifted their drinks to her.

Petra let out an embarrassed laugh, her face flushing as she lifted her own bottle. “To us,” she said instead before knocking back the rest of her beer while everyone else cheered.

Chapter Text

Hayach insisted on dessert after that. A collective groan rose from the group, many of them stating that they couldn’t possibly eat anything else. But no one turned him down when he brought out a pan of something that was covered in fruit and chocolate.

As everyone began to tuck into their treat, Alina leaned forward once more. “So, Mal. Will you be staying with us for a while? Or will you be returning to the Blades?”

“Ah! I’m glad you asked. My boss actually decided that I should stay here and be the official liaison between the Blades and the Deliverance.” He grinned. “Which means I’m afraid you’re stuck with me for the foreseeable future.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful! Will you be staying with Petra? Or would you prefer to have your own place?”

Mal leaned back into the couch cushions, throwing an arm around his sister’s shoulders. “Pidgeon is an adult now, and she needs her own space. Can’t have her big brother invading her privacy all the time. So I’ll be needing some accommodations of my own, if you have any to spare.”

“You don’t have to do that,” Leandro protested. “You two haven’t seen each other in years! I don’t mind ---”

“No.”  Mal gave a firm shake of his head. “You’ve been taking care of my sister while I wasn’t able to. The last thing I’m going to do is kick you out of your own home. Besides, she has a good thing going with you, and I don’t want to disrupt it.”

Leandro opened his mouth to protest again, but the look on Mal’s face had him snapping it shut and conceding with a nod.

“Very well, then.” Alina clapped her hands together. “We will get you set up as soon as we leave here. Curran, do we have anything available on the same floor as Petra’s apartment?”

“We do! In fact…” Curran reached up to absently tug on his mustache. “I think we have a single bedroom just a bit down the hall that is move-in ready.”

Akira and Dante both volunteered to clean up, leaving the others to discuss the living arrangements. Leandro tried to help too, but Akira held him down with a firm hand and a, “Sit down, Leo,” before disappearing into the kitchen.

Finally, it was time to leave. After complimenting Hayach at least a million times --- and after he’d received a kiss on the cheek from Petra --- the rest pf the team headed back to their respective living spaces. Petra went with Mal to help him get settled in, giving Leandro a quick hug before heading off with her brother and the two Alteans.

“Man, that was really great.” Hoshi stretched his arms above his head as they walked down the hallway. “I can’t remember the last time I ate that much food.”

“It certainly is an occasion worth celebrating.” Dante smiled at Leandro. “What do you think about Mal, Leo? Is he anything at all like what you expected?”

Leandro responded with a shrug. “Honestly, I was too nervous about meeting him to really think about it. But he seems like a good dude. Right, Kira?”

Akira was walking a few steps away, hands buried deep in his pockets. His gaze was aimed forward, but Leandro could tell by the way that his partner’s eyes were glazed over that his mind had drifted away.

Leandro gently knocked their shoulders together. “Hey. You okay there, Samurai?”

“Hmmm?” Akira blinked, his eyes coming back into focus as they shifted towards Leandro. “Oh. Sorry. I didn’t mean to space out on you. I was just… thinking. Did you need something?”

“We were talking about how glad we are that Mal didn’t turn out to be an asshole.”

The other man let out a snort. “Oh, I don’t doubt that he has the ability to be an asshole. I think that’s just something all older brothers are born with.”

“Hey!” Hoshi’s voice was indignant. “I have never been an asshole to you, sir. Not once.”

“Oh? So all of these things you’ve been doing lately to earn your ‘embarrassing big brother’ badge were just my imagination? Like teasing me about the hickeys on Leandro’s neck. Or the ---”

“Woah, woah! Hey!” Leandro flapped his arms around, his face suddenly feeling flushed. “Let’s not bring me into this, yeah? I mean --- Wait. What hickeys on my neck?” He reached up to place a hand on his neck, as if he could someone feel the spots where Akira’s mouth had left bruises.

Akira grinned before continuing on. “Besides, Mal must have some kind of steel in him. They don’t just let anyone join the Blade of Marmora.”

Leandro frowned, his hand falling away from his neck as his embarrassment was replaced with curiosity. “Who are these Blade people, anyways? From the way you all talk about them, they’re some kind of big deal. But I’ve never heard of them.”

The Blade of Marmora, Hoshi explained, was the largest group of resistance fighters in the known universe. Their mission was to topple the Galra Empire for good, and to free every planet that had been invaded.

“People think that we’re extremists,” Dante said, shaking his head. “But we have nothing on those guys. I’ve heard stories of Blade members crashing their own ships into Galra cruisers on suicide runs. But they also have a good deal of resources that we don’t. Which means that an alliance with them could be incredibly beneficial to us.”

“What kind of resources are we talking about?”

“I’m not exactly sure. But, from the rumors I’ve heard, they have technology that we have only dreamed of. I can’t imagine the medical equipment they must have. If we could get some of that, upgrade the hospital…”

Leandro let their conversation fade into the background, focusing all of his attention on the man beside him. Akira’s eyes had grown distant again, and a slight frown tugged at his lips. Something was bothering him.

He reached out to curl his fingers around the inside of his partner’s elbow. “You okay?” he asked quietly.

Akira’s eyes flicked to him, his expression briefly turning confused before he blew out a long breath. “I’m so sorry, Leo. I promise I’m not trying to ignore you.”  He pulled his hand out of his pocket far enough that Leandro could link his arm through his. “You guys still talking about Mal?”

“No. Hoshi and Dante were telling me about the Blade of Marmora.” He slid his hand down Akira’s arm so that he could link their fingers together. “What’s wrong? You seem upset.”

Akira let out another long sigh, his shoulders slumping. “It’s not that I’m… upset, exactly. I just… Hearing about what happened to you in the mine was hard.”

Leandro gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. “Hey. Don’t worry about that. It was a long time ago. I’m fine now.”

Akira gave him a look that was a mixture of fond and exasperated. (It was a look Leandro was starting to get used to.) “I know that. And I’m very thankful that it is all in the past. But it was still hard.” One corner of his mouth twitched up. “I wanted to find someone that I could fight on your behalf. Knowing that someone hurt you, and knowing that there is nothing I can do to fix it… It’s not an easy feeling for me.

 “And it’s not just that,” he continued, his eyes starting to grow distant again. “I remember that day, the day they executed your family. I… didn’t watch it. Once I realized what was happening, I couldn’t watch it. But I remember hoping that you hadn’t been forced to watch it. That you didn’t even know what had happened. When they announced that you’d been killed as well,  I felt sort of…. relieved. Because I couldn’t imagine how you could live with that, you know?” He offered up a small smile. “Obviously, I am very happy that you lived. And that you made your way to me. But that doesn’t mean I don’t hurt for you. And I know that it’s a hurt that I cannot heal.”

They walked in silence for a little bit after that, Dante and Hoshi far ahead of them. Leandro was glad. This was turning into something that he didn’t want to share with anyone else.

“The thing is --- the thing that bothers me the most --- is that…” Akira trailed off, his face twisting unpleasantly. “I wish I could somehow go back and trade places with them. Your family, I mean. All of them. But…” He reached up to tug at his ponytail. “I know that, if things had gone differently, I never would have met you. And I am so very thankful to have you in my life. But knowing how you got here and still being thankful…” He dropped his hand back down. “It makes me feel like a piece of shit.”

In that moment, Leandro knew. All the horrible things that he had been through --- not just losing his family, but always being afraid of being discovered, of not being able to live --- had all been worth it. Because they all had led him to where he was now. And he knew that he would never give Kira --- or Petra, or any of the rest of his new-found family --- up for anything.

“I think,” he said, his voice very quiet, “that even if you could  go back in time and take their places, I wouldn’t let you.”

Akira let out a sound of distress. “Leo ---”

“No, wait. Let me explain.” Leandro tugged his partner to a stop, using their joined hands to pull Akira around so that they were standing face to face. “I love my family. I will always love my family. And I am so, so very grateful for the time that I had with them. I wish that it had been longer, but doesn’t everyone wish for that?” He paused. “But they are gone, Kira. And you can’t bring them back. No one can.  They are a part of my past now.” He squeezed the other man’s hand, their eyes locked. “But you, Akira Kogane, you  are my future.”

There was a crease of worry between Akira’s eyebrows, and Leandro had to fight the urge to kiss it away. “And you’re sure that’s what you want? A life with me?”

“Kira.” He reached up to place his free hand on his partner’s chest, right above his heart. “All I want to do is live. I want to see and do everything before my time is up. That’s why I was always throwing myself at people. To be honest, I never expected to live very long. Every day, I woke up fully expecting it to be my last. But now I’m here. And I’m safe. And all I can think about is all of the things that I want to experience with you.”

“Like what?”

“Like making you breakfast in bed. Teaching you how to dance bachata. Watching the sunset with you.” He grinned. “Maybe even help you raid a Galra prison or two.”

That earned him a quick laugh. “I thought you said that wasn’t romantic”.

“Well, it’s not my definition of romantic, no. But you enjoy doing it, so I want to do it with you.”

Akira was wearing his soft, secret smile as he reached up to cover Leandro’s hand with his. “I’ll do whatever you want. Give you whatever you want. Anything and everything that I can.”

“Nuh-uh. We’ve been over this, mister. We have to do this together. That’s why we’re called partners. Cause we each have to do our part.”

“Oh. Um…” Akira frowned, the crease on his forehead growing deeper. “Right. I’ll… I’ll try to remember that.”

Leandro couldn’t help but laugh, leaning forward to place his forehead against Akira’s. “You don’t’ have to do any of this alone, KiKi. I’ll always be right by your side. Besides, you’re already doing a great job as it is.”

Akira groaned, lowering his head just enough so that he could nose at Leandro’s ear. “Fine. I’ll do my best to not doubt myself every five minutes. As long as you promise to never call me KiKi again.”

“Hmmm. I promise to only use it if I ever need to blackmail you.”

Akira let out another groan, this one louder than the first. “Stars, but you’re going to keep me on my toes for the rest of my life.”

“You’re damn right I am.” Leandro moved to kiss him, still grinning as their lips met. He grasped Akira’s hips, maneuvering him around until his back was pressed against the wall. The kiss was slow and languid, their tongues twisting together in a dance that only they knew.

And Leandro knew, beyond any shadow of any doubt, that he was home.

The two men decided to wind down for the might by watching a movie in Leandro’s apartment. It felt as though it had been forever since they’d had some downtime together, and both decided that it would be nice to just do something mindless.

Leandro opted for some action movie that had no plot to speak of before joining Akira on the couch. He snuggled into the other man’s side, letting out a sigh of contentment when he felt Akira’s arm wrap around his shoulders. “This is nice.”

“Yeah. It is.” Akira rested his cheek on the top of Leandro’s head. “I’ve missed this, you know. Just us, spending time together. No one else here, nothing pressing to do.”

“Mmm. I wonder how long we’ll have until Alina breaks our hiatus? I feel like we really haven’t gotten to spend much time together like this. At least, not since the night of the warehouse collapse. I don’t know if I’m ready to go back to sharing you just yet.”

“I’m sure it won’t be much longer until we’re back at work, now that Mal is here.” Akira threaded his fingers through his partner’s hair. “You know, if it ever gets to be too much, all you need to do is say something.”

Leandro frowned up at him. “What do you mean, ‘if it gets to be too much’? Are you talking about this? About us?”

“What? No. Not us. Though, if you ever need a break from that, I’ll do my best to give it to you.” Akira waved his free hand vaguely in the air. “I meant the Deliverance. Voltron. All the training and planning and fighting. I know you didn’t sign up for this life, and I don’t want you to think that you have to give up anything else for it. Alina can be… zealous at times, and I think she forgets about the rest of us when she gets that way.”

“I don’t think I have to give anything up. And I don’t mind being a part of all of this.” His fingers drew absent patterns on Akira’s knee. “I actually like being in Team Voltron. I like having a cause, something to fight for. And knowing that I can help other people not have to go through what I did… I can’t think of a better cause. But thank you.” He paused. “What about you? Does it ever get too much for you?”

“It’s my life,” Akira replied automatically. Then he stopped, shaking his head. “No. That’s not true. Not anymore. Not now that I have you.”

“But it was? Before you met me?”

Akira didn’t answer at first, continuing to run his fingers through Leandro’s hair absent-mindedly. Leo closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling as he waited for his partner to get his thoughts together. He tried to move in just a bit closer, resting his cheek against Akira’s shoulder.

“Before you…” Akira’s voice was quiet, each word rumbling through his body and into Leo’s. “Before you, I was a soldier. That was it. I was The Mechanic, the Deliverance’s secret weapon. The Galran Boogeyman, I think some people called me. It was my identity, more than Akira was. And I was okay with it. I was someone special, you know? Someone who could make a difference. And if I died while in the line of duty, then so be it. I really did feel like the Deliverance was a cause with dying for.”

“And now? Do you still feel that way?”

“I still believe in the Deliverance, yes. I still want to make a difference. But dying?” He shook his head. “The idea of dying had never bothered me before. I had always assumed that everyone that I knew would be fine without me. After all, they had managed without me before. But when you and I were in that warehouse, after it had collapsed, I kept thinking about how much I didn’t want to die. I kept thinking about how much I wanted to live. Because you were a cause worth living for. And not just you. But Hoshi and Dante. Hayach. The others. They would all suffer if I died. And there’s already been enough suffering in this family. I don’t want to cause any more.”

They fell silent after that. Leandro turned just enough so that he could put his arm around Akira’s waist. “I’m glad to hear that. I told you this before, but I can’t lose you, too. I don’t know if I could survive any more loss.”

“I know.” He grimaced. “Besides, I’ve come close to dying for the Deliverance enough times that it should count.”

“Oh?” Leandro opened his eyes, looking up at his partner’s face. “Is that where you got your scar?”

“Which one?”

That caused both of Leandro’s eyebrows to lift. “I was talking about the one on your face. How many scars do you have?”

“More than I can count.” Akira lifted his free hand to place his fingertips against the pink, shiny skin that ran up the side of his face. “This was from an electro-whip. I got it when I broke Hoshi out. I had gone to the main control room in order to open all the cells.” His lips twisted into a wry smile. “I had tried to time it so that I was in between shift changes. I, of course, had no idea what I was doing, so I didn’t expect to find a guard in the control room, watching the cameras until the next shift started. He caught me off-guard and managed to get his whip out before I could stop him.”

Leandro winced in sympathy. He hadn’t been aware of the pain of the whips when they had been used on him, but he remembered the aftermath well, and could only imagine how it had felt to be struck by one. “Did it hurt?”

“Like nothing else I’ve ever felt. By the time we made it here to the Castle it was all blistered and swollen to the point that Dante thought I might lose my eye.” His hand fell away from his face. “I know you said that you didn’t really feel the whips when they hit you, but I know how much one lash hurt. Imagining how it must have felt after being hit over and over…”

“Hey.” Leandro reached out to take Akira’s free hand in his. “I swear I didn’t feel them, so there is no reason to be upset on my behalf. Seriously. All I got from those whips was a nasty infection and some gnarly scars.”

The hand that was running through Leandro’s hair disappeared, dropping down to rest in the middle of his back, gently running his fingertips up and down the ridges of his spine. “Do they bother you? The scars, I mean?”

Leandro shrugged, wiggling so that Akira could have better access to his back. “Not yours. But I’ve always been self-conscious, you know? I was that awkward kid that had the braces and bad acne, so I’ve had issues with my blemishes ever since. Besides, I take a lot of pride in the way I look. At least these are in a place where I can’t see them unless I actually look.”

Akira didn’t say anything. Just continued to run his hand up and down Leandro’s back. Leo let his eyes fall closed again, enjoying the feeling of this motion as much as he had when Akira had been playing with his hair.

After a long moment, in which Leandro had nearly dozed off, Akira said, very quietly, “Can I show you my scars?”

Leandro blinked up at him. “Of course.”

“Okay. Then I’m going to need you to sit up.”

Leandro complied, watching curiously as Akira turned to face him fully, scooting back on the couch so that there was some space in between them. He reached down to grasp the hem of his shirt. “Just... Try not to panic, okay?”

Leandro’s frown deepened. “Kira, you don’t have ---"

His words dropped off as his partner lifted his shirt over his head, exposing his chest and abdomen. It took Leandro a moment to realize what he was looking at. But, when he did, he was unable to hold back a gasp, his eyes growing wide.

Akira’s torso was built like the rest of him: long, slender, and pale. His muscles were chiseled, reminding Leandro of the classical Greek statues they had studied in school. If this wasn’t a serious situation, Leandro would be drooling over the sight of the other man’s bare chest. But, right now, he was too distracted by the seemingly hundreds of scars crisscrossing Akira’s pale flesh.

“Kira.” His voice was full of devastation as he reached out a hand, fingertips lightly brushing a large jagged scar on his partner’s shoulder. “What happened to you?”

“Do they bother you?” the other man murmured in reply.

“Yes!” What had caused this? These weren’t burn scars like the one on his face. It was old, the puckered skin white. He traced his fingertips along the length of it. “Of course they do!”

Akira went stiff for a moment, then seemed to … deflate. “Oh.” The word was barely a whisper. “I --- I’m sorry. I thought ---”

He twisted away from Leandro, reaching for his discarded shirt. “I’m sorry.”

Leandro blinked at him, watching in confusion as Akira started to pull his shirt back on. “Wait! Why are you ---”

“You said that they bothered you.” Akira’s voice was rough. “So let me just ---”

“No!” Leandro reached out to grab Akira’s wrist, preventing him from pulling his shirt down any further. “Don’t you dare cover yourself. They don’t bother me because I think they are ugly, Kira. That’s not what I think at all.” He lifted his gaze to his partner’s, whose eyes seemed to be flickering between purple and grey. “I think these scars are beautiful. They are beautiful, because they are a part of you.” He dropped his free hand to begin tracing a scar that started below Akira’s waistband and ran across his hip. “They bother me because it means that someone hurt you. A lot.”

Akira didn’t move, his eyes moving back and forth between Leandro’s, looking for something --- assurance, maybe? Whatever he saw must have appeased him, because he slowly lifted his shirt back up over his head.

Leandro gave him a moment before resuming his exploration, using both hands this time. “There so many. How did you get them?”

“Raiding Galra prisons.” Leandro was fairly certain that it was meant to be a joke, but Akira’s voice was still too rough to pull it off.

Leandro made another unhappy noise when he saw a large, starburst-shaped scar right above Akira’s heart. He placed his hand over it, just barely able to cover it when he spread his fingers. “Now I know what you meant earlier. About wanting to beat someone up for hurting me.”

Akira let out a harsh breath, his heart pounding furiously against Leandro’s hand. “Yeah?”

“Yeah. And you weren’t kidding about it being hard.” It really was. Leandro was horrified at the obvious proof of all the pain the other man had endured over his life. But he was also furious. Someone that he cared about had been hurt, and Leandro couldn’t do a gods-be-damned thing about it.

Well, that wasn’t exactly true, was it? He couldn’t punish anyone for hurting Akira, but he could try and help him forget about the hurt. Replace it with something better. Something sweeter.

He let his fingertips trail over the outline of the scar. “My poor baby,” he murmured before leaning forward to kiss the center of the car.

Akira inhaled sharply. When Leandro looked up the other man’s eyes were wide, but still too full of wariness for Leandro’s liking.

He moved to the scar on Akira’s shoulder. “My poor baby,” he breathed before placing a line of kisses along the puckered skin.

Then he leaned forward just enough so that he could put his mouth by Akira’s ear. “My poor baby,”  he whispered, and was rewarded by a deep shudder rolling through his partner’s body.

Leandro kissed the tip of Akira’s scar --- just underneath his eye --- before moving down to kiss the end of it, located just underneath his jaw. He brushed his lips across the expanse of the other man’s throat before finally landing on his mouth.

A sound came from somewhere deep in Akira’s chest, a primal sound that lifted the hairs on Leandro’s arms and stirred up a warmth low in his belly. He moved his hands down to grasp at Akira’s hips, his thumbs sliding into the dip of Akira’s V-cut.

He tasted sweeter than normal, the flavor of Hayach’s dessert still on his tongue. Leandro licked deeper into his mouth, desperate to get a better taste.

Akira eagerly opened his mouth wider to allow the other man better access. He slid his hands underneath Leandro’s shirt, those long, talented fingers of his splaying across his skin. And when he started to move them up, taking Leandro’s shirt with him, he was only too happy to break the kiss long enough for Akira to pull it off.

This was, Leandro realized, the closest they had ever been. They had never had any skin-to-skin contact besides holding hands, and he didn’t want to waste this opportunity.

Akira let his partner tug him forward by the hips, maneuvering him until he was straddling Leandro, knees on either side of his hips, arms twining around his neck. His skin felt cool against Leandro’s own, which was staring to feel overheated. He reached up to grasp Akira’s hair tie, pulling it free so that the inky strands ftell down around the other man’s face.

Akira let out a noise of frustration, pulling away so that he could make a face. “It’s just going to get in the way. We’ll end up eating half of it.”

Leandro grinned up at him, reaching up to tuck one of the strands back behind Akira’s ear. “I like it when you wear your hair down. And if I cough up a hairball later on, so be it.”

Akira rolled his eyes. “You are ridiculous,” he murmured before kissing him again.

Leandro laughed into his mouth, feeling absolutely giddy. This is it, he thought. This is what we’ve been waiting for.

He broke the kiss, sliding his arms underneath Akira’s thighs and giving him a wicked grin. “Hold on tight, amor.”

Akira frowned. “What are you --- Hey!”

Leandro got to his feet, making sure he had a solid grip on the other man. Akira instinctively wrapped his legs around his waist and tightened his arms around his neck. “Leo! What are you doing?”

“Sweeping you off of your feet, of course. Trying to be romantic.”

 “I am perfectly… Wait. Why are you…” Akira finally seemed to register Leandro’s words --- and what they meant. “Oh. Leo, are you --- I mean, do you want to…”

“Yes. But only if you do.”

Akira didn’t reply. But the desperate kiss he planted on Leandro’s lips was answer enough.

Leandro stumbled towards his bedroom, not wanting to stop the kissing, but not wanting to drop his partner. (Or smash him into a wall on accident.) When they had finally made it into the bedroom, Leandro paused long enough to hit the door lock with his elbow before striding purposefully towards the bed.

The room was dark, the only light coming from the fairy lights twinkling above the bed. When Leandro carefully sat Akira down on the bed, he could see that the soft glow had washed Akira’s pale skin with a golden light.

Leandro swallowed the lump that had suddenly formed in his throat. “Lie back.”

Akira complied, lying his head on the pillow and swinging his legs up so that he was stretched out on the bed. Leandro followed him, not willing to lose contact. He hovered over his partner for a moment, taking in the view.

Akira’s hair was splayed out on his pillow, looking like spilled ink. His eyes glittered like gemstones, the color nearly lilac. In the low light, his scars faded into shadows. He looked positively ethereal.

He couldn’t hold back a breathless laugh as he leaned down to nose at the scar on Akira’s cheek. “How are you real? I feel like this is a dream and that you’ll disappear as soon as I wake up.”

Akira wrapped both arms around him, pulling him down until their chests were pressed together. “I’m real. I’m real, and I am right here with you.” He slid one hand down Leandro’s back, finding the mass of raised scars that had been left from the electro-whips all those years ago. “We’re both here. Together. Right where we belong.”

Leandro pressed his face into the side of Akira’s neck. “Sounds to me you think you and I were meant to be together.”

Akira hummed. “I’m coming around to the idea.”

“Good.” Leandro found his partner’s pulse point and kissed it before gently suckling at the skin. “Now. I hope you didn’t have any plans for the night. Because you are mine for the next several hours.”

“I’m always yours.”

Leandro let out a groan as his eyes fluttered shut for a moment, letting himself revel in the fact that, yes, Akira was his. Then he went back to Akira’s mouth, kissing him softly before moving to kiss his jaw, nipping lightly at his ear before moving down the column of his throat. He paused long enough to lap at the hollow of his collarbone before focusing his attention back on the scar that nearly crossed Akira’s entire shoulder. He placed a reverent kiss on it before sliding down Akira’s body.

He felt a hand slide into his hair. Gentle. As always. “Leo…”

He closed his lips around Akira’s nipple, sucking it gently into his mouth. (Gently. He would be so gentle. Akira’s body had already endured enough pain.) He heard the gasp and felt the hand tighten in his hair. “Leo…”

Leandro couldn’t hold back a moan. Gods. If Akira kept saying his name like that he was going to finish before either of them really got started.

He lifted his lips from the first nipple with a pop before moving to the other side. He placed a series of gentle kisses on the scar above Akira’s hear, sending a silent thanks to any deity who was listening that whatever had left that scar hadn’t done more damage.

This time, he used his tongue to lave the nipple, drawing another delicious sound from Akira that went straight to his groin. The hand in his hair disappeared as Akira’s hips jerked involuntarily. Lifting his eyes, Leandro saw that the other man’s head was thrown back and he was gripping the blanket underneath him with both hands.

Had anyone ever treated Akira this way before? Had anyone ever taken the time to explore his body, to find out what it was he liked, what made him feel good? What had his previous lovers thought about his scars? Had anyone treated them with the reverence they deserved? Or had they thought they detracted from his beauty?

It didn’t matter. Those other men didn’t matter. They would never get to see Akira like this again. Only Leandro would. And he would always make sure that his partner felt good. That he felt loved.

He gently scraped his teeth against Akira’s sensitive flesh, causing the other man’s hips to buck again before moving down even further. There was a long, thin scar that cut across Akira’s ribs that Leandro traced with the tip of his tongue. Another one above his navel that received a brush of lips. And the one that disappeared beneath the waistband of Akira’s pants that Leandro skimmed his nose along.

Finally, he made his way to Akira’s hips. He tugged Akira’s pants down a little further --- not all the way off, not yet --- so that he could have better access. He immediately moved to press a kiss into one side of that sinful dip but stopped when Akira squirmed underneath him.

“Ah!” the other man gasped. “Sorry, sorry. I just wasn’t expecting that to tickle. Don’t stop.”

He couldn’t help but grin mischievously as he licked into the other dip, drawing a breathless laugh from his partner. Still grinning, Leandro rose until he was kneeling between Akira’s thighs and reached for his waistband. “All right?”

At Akira’s nod he began to slide open the buckles holding his pants up. He moved slowly, like he was unwrapping s precious gift. Once finished he hooked his fingers into the waistband and slowly pulled them down.

Leandro swallowed thickly as his cock gave a very eager twitch. “Kira,” he rasped out, eyes drinking in the sight of his partner’s body. “Christ, Kira, but you are beautiful.”

And he was. His legs were long and pale, toned like the rest of his body. His cock, already fully erect, lay thick against his stomach. He was, Leandro thought, not for the first time, the most beautiful creature he had ever seen.

In response, Akira reached up to grasp at the buckles on Leandro’s pants, rising up enough to kiss him as he worked to undo them. They made short work of them, their lips never parting until they were both naked. Leandro lay himself carefully on top of his partner, relishing the feel of the other man’s skin against his. Akira’s hands were everywhere: his face, his hair, his back. His touch was gentle.

Leandro reached over to his nightstand and pulled the drawer open without his lips ever leaving Akira’s. He blindly fumbled his hand around for a moment before he found the bottle of oil. He pulled it out, shut the drawer, and moved so that he was lying half on Akira and half on his side. He made quick work of coating his fingers with the oil. “Bend your knees for me, baby.”

“You… you don’t want me to turn over?”

“No. I want to be able to see you, Kira. I want to be able to look at you and kiss you.” He slid his hand to Akira’s knee and pulled it up. Akira lifted the other without any further hesitation.

Leandro’s hand moved down Akira’s thigh and under his hips until his fingers were sliding over the other man’s opening, his hips flexing to give Leandro better access. “Ready?” Leo whispered.

Akira nodded, his eyes locked with Leo’s. “Please.”

Permission granted, Leandro leaned down to press his lips against Akira’s just as he pressed the first finger into his body.

Both men let out moans as it sank in to the first knuckle. Akira squirmed beneath him, raising his knees even higher for Leandro. He gently pumped his finger in and out, slowly, until he could easily slide it all the way in. He couldn’t help but marvel at how tight the other man was. “I haven’t been with anyone since I met you,” Akira had told him once. The memory of those words sent a wave of possessiveness over him. No one else would ever touch Akira like this again. No other man would ever enter his body. Only him.

The second finger went in alongside the first, Leandro eagerly swallowing the noises that were coming out of Akira’s mouth. Once he had both fingers inserted all the way in, he pulled them apart in a scissoring motion.

“Ah – ah!” Akira broke away, back arching off the bed. “Fuck, Leo. That feels so good.”

“Yeah?” Leandro’s voice was low and dark. “You ready for the real thing?”

“Gods, yes.” Akira looked up at him, eyes bright, color high.

Leandro laughed as he reached for the bottle of oil once more. “So eager for me, huh? Let’s hope I don’t disappoint.”

“You won’t.” Akira sat up, reaching to take the bottle of oil. “Here. Let me.”

Leandro moved to kneel in between Akira’s thighs, resting back on his heels so that Akira could have easy access to him. He watched intently as his partner squeezed some of the oil onto his hand and moved to smooth it over Leandro’s straining cock.

He sucked in air through his teeth at the first touch. Akira’s fingers were gentle, but the callouses provided a contrast that felt far too good. And when Akira wrapped his entire hand around him to give him a few lazy strokes he couldn’t hold in a moan. “Baby…”

Akira reached up to grasp Leandro by the back of the neck, pulling him down with him as he lay back against the pillows. “I’m ready,” he whispered. “I want you so much, Leo, and I’m tired of waiting.”

“I want you, too. More than you know.” Leandro reached down to grasp the base of his cock, guiding it to the entrance of Akira’s body. The other man shifted slighty, wrapping his legs around his waist, hooking his ankles behind his hips.

Leandro adjusted himself accordingly. Then he was pushing his way inside.

Even with the time spent preparing Akira for him, it still was a tight fit. And gods, did it feel good. After a few gentle thrusts, Leandro was finally fully seated inside the other man. He let his eyes flutter shut, letting out a groan as he leaned down to press his forehead against Akira’s. “Dios mio, Kira. You feel amazing.”

“So – so do you.” Akira was panting, his body trembling. He reached up to cup Leandro’s face. “I love you, Leo. It terrifies me every single day, but I am so glad that you found me.”

Leandro rubbed their noses together. “So am I.” He kissed Akira once more before beginning to move.

He’d spent quite a bit of time imaging what his first time with Akira would be like, wanting it to be slow and gentle. While he was always down for a good fuck, he wanted this time to be special. So he made sure to move slowly, interlacing their fingers together and kissing his partner in every place he could reach. The noises that Akira continued to make were driving him insane, but he held himself in check. He wanted this moment to last as long as possible.

“Leo.” His name came out as a whine. “Leo. Please. I want --- I want…”

“Tell me what you want, baby.” Leandro sucked at the side of his neck. “Tell me what you need to feel good.”

“I want --- Ngh! Faster. Please. I want more.”

Leandro chuckled as he moved to nibble at Akira’s ear. “Not this time, Samurai. I told you I was going to take my time exploring you, and I am going to stick to that promise.”

Akira groaned, lifting his head up enough to nip at Leandro’s slave mark. “You’re going to kill me.”

“Maybe. But at least I’ll make sure you enjoy it.”

It didn’t take long for Akira’s body to begin to tense around Leandro’s, telling him that the other man was getting close to climax. So he reached down between them to grasp at Akira’s cock.

“Wa – wait.” Akira panted out, grabbing Leandro’s wrist and pulling his hand away. “I’m close. If – if you ---”

“I know,” Leandro murmured with a wicked grin. “But you’ve already seen me come. Now it’s my turn to watch you. “

Akira breathed out a laugh. “I suppose that’s only fair.” He let go of Leandro’s wrist. “Just… Don’t wait too much longer, okay? I want to feel you come in me.”

“Don’t worry. I won’t be far behind you.” He tightened his grip on Akira’s cock before starting to move again, trying to match his strokes with his thrusts.

Watching Akira Kogane fall apart underneath him was one of the most beautiful experiences Leandro had ever had. His back arched completely off the bed, his head thrown back, eyes closed, hair a glorious mess. The fingers of one hand dug almost painfully into the back of Leandro’s neck, the other clenched white-knuckled in the sheets. And when he finally climaxed it was with a soft cry as his release spurted out over Leandro’s hand.

Leandro worked him through it, wanting to commit this moment to memory. It didn’t matter how many times they did this; there would never be another first time. And Leo wanted to make sure that he couldn’t forget it.

Once Akira’s body hit the bed, his eyes closed and chest heaving, Leandro let him go and repositioned his hips for a better angle He leaned down to touch his forehead to Akira’s as he started to move once again.

As promised, it only took a few more thrusts before he found his own release, his body going rigid as his whole universe exploded. He was distantly aware that he was growling out Akira’s name through clenched teeth and that Akira was whispering his name in return.

As his orgasm faded away, so did his strength, and he collapsed on top of Akira. He buried his face into the side of the other man’s neck, waiting for his heart rate and breathing to slow back to a normal rate.

He felt… Not happy. Happy didn’t even come close to describing how he felt. He was in a place he had never been before, somewhere beyond happy, beyond bliss. His limbs were heavy, and he felt as though he were floating on a cloud.

He nosed at Akira’s jaw. “You okay?”

Akira laughed, the vibrations rumbling pleasantly through his chest and into Leandro. His arms went around Leandro, his fingertips running gently over the ridges of his spine. “I am far, far beyond okay. I have never felt anything like this before.”

Leandro let out a sigh of contentment, smiling against the other man’s skin. “Yeah. Me, either.” One hand reached up to toy with the ends of Akira’s hair. “I don’t think I’ve ever realized that I could feel this way.” This was what he had been chasing for so long: this feeling of complete and utter happiness. Feeling as though there was nothing more that he could ever want Not now that he had this. That he had Kira.

 Leandro moved to roll onto his side, wincing slightly as he slipped out of Akira. “C’mere,” he said, patting his chest. “Let’s cuddle.”

“Are you sure? I’m a mess right now.”

Leandro snorted at that. “Babe, I could care less about that. Right now, I’m on a post-sex high and I would really like to bask in for as long as possible. Besides, we can take a shower later.”

“Oh?” Akira rolled over onto his side so that he was pressed up against Leo. “As in, we can take a shower together?”

“That was the plan. Unless you don’t want to?”

Akira laughed as he settled his head onto Leandro’s chest. “I will take any opportunity I can to see you naked.” He draped a leg over Leandro’s thigh and reached out to place a hand over his heart before letting out his own happy sigh. “This is… nice.”

“Yeah, it is.” Leandro curled an arm around Akira’s waist, pulling him closer. “You are amazing, mi vida. I am so thankful that I am the only one who gets to have this moment with you.”

“So am I.” Akira nuzzled gently at his jaw. “Do you think it will always be like this for us?”

“What do you mean?”

“This… happiness. This feeling of rightness. Whatever this is that we’re --- that I’m --- feeling right now. Do you think it will always feel like this? Afterwards, I mean.”

“Yes.” There wasn’t a second of hesitation in Leandro’s voice as he reached up to cover Akira’s hand with his own, pressing it closer to his heart. “You and I have both been through hell, Kira. We’ve dealt with shit that most people could oly dream of, and we’ve fought and clawed our way back to a sense of normalcy. We deserve this. This is where we belong.”

He could feel the other man’s smile. “Because we were meant to be together?”

“Exactly.” Leandro planted a kiss to the top of the other man’s head. “There is a saying back on Earth that every cloud has a silver lining. It means that there is always something good to be found, even in the worst situations. You are my silver lining, Kira. You are the reason I have weathered all of the storms life has thrown at me. Why I made it through even when all I wanted to do was give up.”

At first there was no reply. Then, very quietly, “You really believe that, don’t you?”

“I have to. I have to believe that all of that pain and sorrow was to bring me to something better. If I let myself think that it just happened, that there was no reason for it, I will go mad. This --- what I have with you --- is all I have ever wanted. I’m not just talking about the sex, though that was amazing. I’m talking about this. Us lying together. Comfortable. Peaceful. I can have sex with anyone. But this? This only happens with someone you love.” He gave Akira’s hair a gentle tug. “I had to cross worlds and go through hell to find you. You can’t tell me that we weren’t meant for this.”

There was another long moment of silence before Akira sighed. “Well, I suppose I can’t argue with that logic. Just be prepared, though. Once you’re mine, you’re mine. I won’t let you go, Leo. Never.”

Leandro grinned, his entire body filling with joy all over again. “Good. Cause I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

Chapter Text

 Akira Kogane knew with absolute certainty that he had never been this happy in his life.

Every morning, he woke up next to Leandro, usually wrapped securely in the other man’s arms. He would often lay there for several moments, simply enjoying the feel of Leandro’s sleep-warmed skin against his, before quietly slipping out of bed to start his day. He would eat breakfast with the other Kogane men before heading to the training room, where Leandro would meet him for their scheduled sessions. After that was lunch with the rest of the team, and then it was time to head to the garage.

He spent his evenings with Hayach or the Gunns or his family. There were evenings of marathon video games or movies or dinners and beers. Dante would often conduct impromptu Spanish lessons after the dinner dishes had been cleaned and put away.

And the nights… Oh, but his nights were magical. Some nights he and Leandro would make love until the sun came up, Leo always so attentive that Akira felt as though his heart would burst. But the best nights, his favorite nights, were the nights that they would simply lie together and talk. Leandro would often speak about Cuba, describing the food and the beaches. Akira would let himself drift off to the sound of his partner’s voice, his head pillowed on Leandro’s chest.

Yes, he was utterly and completely happy. Content, even. So when Alina called for a meeting of Team Voltron he couldn’t help but feel a stab of disappointment.

It felt strange to be back in the command center after so long of a hiatus, and to have Mal there as well. But they all moved into the old familiar patterns they had established what felt like ages ago.

“Welcome back, everyone!” Alina called out cheerfully as they settled in. “We’ve been working with the Blade of Marmora --- with Mal’s help --- and we’ve learned some information that we might be able to act on. Mal? Would you mind starting us off?”

Mal stood from where he had been lounging against a desk and gave them a small wave. “Hey, guys. I realized that I’ve never told you what exactly happened to me and my dad, so I’m going to lead with that.

“Dad is a geneticist. He studied gene mutation in hopes of using it for medical advancement. He loved studying alien genetics, comparing them to humans to find out how we were alike and what was different. The Galra had heard about his studies and reached out to offer him some contract work. They said they had a big project planned and wanted him on the team. We didn’t know the details. The Galra were keeping it pretty hush-hush. Dad only took it because the Galra promised that it would stay local.  Petra was off at university and he wanted to make sure he was still close enough to be able to visit her.”

“So, what happened?” Akira didn’t mean to sound inpatient, but he wanted to get this over with so that he could get back to his domestic bliss.

“Well, all of the scientists and research assistants met at the appointed time, got loaded up into the transport vehicle, and, once we were in the air and off planet, the Galra turned their guns on us. They told us that we were now their prisoners.” Mal’s mouth fell into a flat, thin line. “Before anyone could even say a word, they shot one of the other research assistants, killing her instantly. Left her body lying in the middle of the floor as a warning for anyone who had even thought about trying to protest.”

“They waited until you were in a place where you couldn’t run or get help.” Alina shook her head, the beads in her hair clicking together. “Then what?”

“We eventually landed --- I have no idea where --- and they pulled all of us who weren’t directly related to te project off the transport at gunpoint.” His face fell. “I never got to say goodbye to Dad. I don’t know what happened to him.”

“Hey.” Petra’s voice was soft as she reached up to place a hand on her brother’s shoulder. “We know he’s alive, right? That’s all that matters.”

Mal smiled down at her. “Yeah. And, man. I can’t tell you how good it feels to know that.” He turned back to Alina. “Now, I have no idea what happened to the scientists after we were separated. They stuck us onto another transport and shipped us off to a labor camp they had stationed on an asteroid.”

Leandro winced, making a sympathetic noise. “Mining?”

“What else? The Galra are going to take everything they can get their hands on and bleed it dry. Greedy bastards.”

“I’m glad you were able to escape.”

Mal chuckled at that. “I actually didn’t escape. I was rescued.”

“By those Blades-of-whatever people?”

“Mmm.” He leaned forward, eyes bright. “I wish you could have seen them. It was amazing! We --- the workers --- had no clue what was happening. All of these people wearing uniforms and masks just showed up out of nowhere and started kicking ass. It was almost scary how efficient they were. It took almost no time at all for them to gain control of the camp.”

“How long were you on the asteroid for?” Hoshi asked.

Mal shrugged. “I honestly don’t know. Tracking time wasn’t a big priority for us. But my best guess would be between two or three years.”

“And you joined up with the Blades after that?”

“Not…exactly. All of us that made it out of there alive were in pretty bad shape.” He offered a knowing nod to Leandro. “They didn’t hesitate to use the whips on us, either. I was pretty weak when they rescued us, but I was angry, still holding that grudge against the Galra. So, I asked them if I could join. I knew I wasn’t much of a fighter, but I wanted to get back at the Galra in some way. They offered to train me and put me through the admissions tests, and I passed.”

 “What is your role int the Blades?” Alina again. “What do you do for them?”

He grinned, chest puffing out with pride. “Why, I’m their top hacker, of course. Where do you think Petra learned all of her skills?”

Petra huffed and rolled her eyes. “Yup,” she muttered. “There’s that ego I remember so well.”

Leandro, however, was frowning. “But Roman said that the Blades were paying him for any high-level information he could get about the Galra stationed here. If they have their own team of hackers, couldn’t they have just skipped the middle-man and get it themselves?”

“Because I was the one paying Roman, not the Blades. I just told him that it was for the organization because I thought he might be more apt to help if I told him it was for them instead of just me.”

“Oh!” Curran clasped his hands together and held them against his chest. “You were looking for your family!”

“Well, I was looking for Petra, mostly. I knew that she was alone, and that she would have had no idea what happened to us. I knew there was a chance that I might never find Dad, but Pet? I couldn’t stop looking for her. Not until I knew where she was and if she was okay.”

His sister smiled at him, her eyes growing suspiciously misty behind her glasses. “Guess neither of us were willing to give up on the other, huh?”

“Never,” Mal agreed fiercely. “And as to why I didn’t get the information myself, it’s because there was no information to be found. The Galra here have no centralized database, remember? Everything is kept on individual servers, and it would take me forever to try and hack into each one and look. It seemed to be more prudent to pay someone else to find it for me.”

Alina lifted an eyebrow. “Did he give you anything of value?”

“Depends on what you deem valuable. I was looking for information about my family. Anything else that seemed worthwhile I just passed up my chain of command and let them handle it however they pleased.”

“What about Dad?” Petra asked eagerly. “Were you able to find anything?”

The elder Gunn sibling blew out a breath, his shoulders slumping with the exhale. “Nothing concrete. I caught a few rumors about some top-secret Galra project --- like the one Dad and I were supposed to work on --- but nothing I could actually follow up on.”

“You know…” Dante tapped his lips thoughtfully before turning to Alina. “This top-secret Galra project, the one the Gunns were on… Could it have something to do with the quintessence?”

“It seems like a long shot, but I suppose it could be somehow related. It would help if we knew what the Galra were planning to do with the quintessence.”

They all fell silent after that. Akira could feel their collective frustration at this latest impasse.

“Y’know,” Leandro drawled, breaking the silence, “I might know someone who could help us with these questions.”

Every head in the room swiveled to face him. “You might know someone?” Alina asked with a raised brow.

“Well, I know a guy who might know something and who might be willing to help us out.”

“And who is this might be informant of yours?”

Leandro shrugged. “Just a guy I’ve worked with a few times. He used to be a Galran prisoner --- political --- but somehow managed to escape. Now he runs the fights at the Rats’ Nest.”

Petra let out a gasp. “Of course! Uncle Sakash!”

Matt whipped his head around. “Wait! You’ve seen Uncle Sakash? We’d heard he had died!”

Petra shook her head. “No. He’s still very much alive, and he’s here in Neon City! Leo and I have worked with him a few times over the years.”

 “What makes you think this individual has information that could help us?” Alina cut in, voice sharp, eyes glittering at the idea of a possible lead.

“He was a scientist himself,” Petra explained. “Theoretical engineering. When he refused to turn over his work exclusively to the Galra, they threw him into a supermax prison. He still managed to escape, though, because he’s a genius.”

“Wait, wait, wait, wait,” Hayach walked up to Petra, waving his hands in the air to get the other man’s attention. “You’re not --- Are you talking about Sakash Rai?”

Petra and Mal both turned to him in surprise. “You know him?”

“Do I---?” Hayach spluttered. “Do I---” His hand movements grew wilder as he attempted to find words. “The guy is a legend! We studied him when I was in engineering school. Well, we studied his theories, because, you know, I’m a mechanical engineer and not a theoretical engineer. But, like, the things he built! D’you know why the Galra imprisoned him? Because he developed a theory of folding space and time in order to create pockets to store things. As in, make them completely undetectable. Kind of like the Galra shielding technology. Which is why the Galra wanted it. But he refused to give it to them, so they threw him in prison so he couldn’t share it with anyone else.” He shook his head. “I can’t believe this. We all assumed he was dead! And you called him uncle??”

“Ha!” Matt stabbed a finger in Hayach’s direction. “See? Everyone else thought he was dead, too! And he’s not really our uncle, but he was really close to both of our parents and was always around when we were growing up. So we just took to calling him Uncle Sakash.”

“Oooooh! Do you think I could meet him? I have so many questions for him! Like, how did ---”

“Hayach,” Alina interrupted him gently. “Not right now.”

He blinked at her for a moment before snapping his mouth shut. “Oh,” he said in a small voice. “R-right. You’re talking about important stuff. Sorry.”

“You have no need to be sorry!” Alina gave him a reassuring smile. “I’ll let you be excited in a few minutes, and you can ask Petra and Mal all of the questions you want. But first---” She turned to Leandro. “Why do you think this Sakash might know anything about the quintessence? If he’s been in prison…”

“I know he keeps pretty close tabs on the scientific community. Plus, as he’s the one who organizes the fights, I’m sure he hears all sorts of rumors that we might not.”

Alina pursed her lips for a moment, tapping her foot as she thought. “We would need to find a way to talk to him without putting any of us in danger. I don’t want to risk sending anyone out in public right now.”

Leandro snorted. “The Nest is probably more secure than the Castillo. If anyone puts so much as a toe out of line while there they get dealt with. Pretty harshly, from what I’ve heard. We’d probably be safer there than anywhere else outside of the Castle.”

Alina stared at him for a long moment before giving a decisive nod. “Very well. I’ll allow you and Akira to pursue this, as long as you feel that you can keep yourselves safe. The rest of us can take any information Mal has found that he thinks might be important and work on those keads.”

Leandro grinned as he slung an arm around his partner’s shoulders. “Hear that, babe? We get to go on a date!”

Several years ago, when the crime rate within the Outskirts had overpowered what little law enforcement there was, the ramshackle goverment had decided to take matters into their own hands. Instead of trying to quash the violence --- because they knew that would be an impossible task --- the decision was made to simply contain it.

Thus the Rats’ Nest was born. Envisioned as an enclosed marketplace of sorts, they had managed to find a large building at the edge of the Outskirts and turned it into a den of inequity. (And, just as they had hoped, the crime rate in the Outskirts dropped to nearly zero.)

Akira knew about the Rats’ Nest. Everyone in the Outskirts knew about it. But he had never actually been inside of it and couldn’t help but wonder how much he had heard of the place was truth and how much was rumor. One whole wing of the building, according to the stories he’d overheard, was dedicated to any and all sexual acts you could think of (and maybe some you hadn’t). Another held every type of illegal drug known to the universe. There were weapons, exotic alcohol, equipment that the Galra had banned… Anything that was considered illegal or immoral could be bought and sold there.

However, everything within that building was heavily regulated. If you got too carried away with your sex games, someone would step in and forcibly remove you. If you threw a bunch outside of the fighting arena, you were arrested and heavily prosecuted. The indulgences were only allowed to go so far. Which meant that, when Leandro had said the Nest was the safest place for him to be outside of the Castle, he hadn’t been lying.

Akira had wanted to take Red, but Leandro had vetoed him, stating that she was far too noticeable. And they would not be under the protection of Nest security while in the parking lot. Though, when Leandro suggested they take the same flashy car they had driven to the Quantum Abyss, Akira couldn’t help but frown.

“I thought we’re trying to not stand out.”

“Listen. Any red motorcycle is going to stand out, since everyone knows The Mechanic --- and possibly the Outlaws --- ride one. But your car will fit in just fine. Trust me.”

During the drive to the Nest Leandro gave Akira a rundown of what he could expect. “It’s basically a mall --- an indoor marketplace --- so there will probably be a lot of people just walking around. And I imagine that there will be a lot of people at the Arena, since it’s joust night. So stick close to me. I don’t want to lose you in the crowd.”

“Joust night? What’s that?”

Leandro turned his head just enough to grin at him, teeth flashing white in the dark interior of the car. “Joust night is the most popular event at the Arena. Basically, Sakash pays people to go out and take out Galra sentries and bring them back to the Arena, where they are reprogrammed and set to fight against each other.” He shook his head. “There was one time when this kid decided to ride on top of one of the sentries during the fight. It didn’t go particularly well for him.”

Pitting two Galran sentries against one another in an arena fight actually sounded rather entertaining, especially since the Galra would shit themselves if they knew about that.

It took them twenty minutes to find a parking spot once they reached the Rats’ Nest, the parking lot full of luxury cars that nearly had Akira drooling. They finally found an opening at the edge of the lot, Leandro swinging in smoothly before another vehicle could take it (and earning them an angry honk).

As they began the walk towards the Nest, Leandro slung an arm around his partner’s shoulders, pulling him in close. “Remember, I’m gonna need you to stick close to me while we’re in here, okay?”

Akira snickered. “So you don’t lose me in the crowd?”

“Well, yes. But…” He scrubbed at his face with his free hand. “A lot of the people who work here are… shady. They can talk circles around you, make you agree to something that you don’t want to do. One minute you’re talking about the weather, the next all of your credit chits are gone. Or your kidneys. Or your eyes.”

“My eyes?” Akira reached up to touch the corner of his right eye. “ What would anyone want with my eyes?”

“Your eyes are beautiful, Kira. Well, all of you is beautiful. But your eyes are especially striking. And rare. Selling them on the black market would make someone a millionaire overnight.”

The furrow between Akira’s brows deepened. “I thought this place was safe? That was one of the only reasons I agreed to let you leave the Castle. If someone is going to try and take my eyes, then ---”

“No one is going to forcibly try and take your eyes. But, like I said, there are a lot of people in there who will find some way to get you to agree to it, even if you don’t realize that’s what you’re doing. And, as long as they can prove that you willingly agreed to it, it’s within the laws of the Nest.” He tightened his grip around Akira’s neck. “So, for the sake of my sanity, just… Don’t go far. Okay?”

This was something that Akira had not considered. He’d assumed that the only danger they would face was people recognizing Leandro. The idea that they could face something more significant didn’t sit well with him. Not because he was worried about himself, but because he had that deep-seated need to protect his partner.

In this case, the best way to protect his partner was to… protect himself. It felt strange, and it poked at his pride just a bit. But he would do it. For Leo.

So he slid his arm around Leandro’s waist and tucked himself tighter into his side. “Don’t worry. I won’t go far.”

Akira could feel the other man’s body subtly sag against his. “Thank you,” Leandro murmured before pressing a kiss to Akira’s temple. “I’m rather fond of your eyes and would prefer that no one else have them.”

The sun had sank below the horizon by that point, leaving only a smudge of golden light at the edge of the sky. But the entrance to the Nest was lit up almost as brilliantly as Neon City itself. It was bright enough that Akira had to lift a hand to shield his eyes from the glare.

“Hello, boys,” a voice purred from somewhere beyond the light. “Care to join us for the evening?”

Akira squinted, trying to see the owner of the voice. It had sounded feminine, but …

When the speaker finally did step into his field of vision, Akira felt his entire body flush with heat.

It was indeed a female. She had lovely light blue skin speckled with marks that looked light stars. There were hair-like tendrils curling from her scalp that were swept back into an elegant updo. And she was naked. Completely naked. The only thing that adorned her were delicate chains that had been artfully draped across her body, the links clinking together pleasantly as she moved. And her eyes were fixed onto Akira’s, a sultry smirk on her face as she stepped closer.

“Meep!” was all he managed to say, his whole body freezing up in terror.

Next to him, Leandro shifted, pulling Akira slightly behind him. “We appreciate the offer, but we are here for other entertainment.” His tone was light, but his grip on Akira’s shoulder tightened.

The woman turned to face him, expression cooling as she lifted a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. “Are you sure I can’t change your mind?” She turned back to Akira and reached out to lightly touch his arm. “I promise you won’t be disappointed. You are gorgeous, you know? And exactly my type. I might even do something extra special for you.” She gave him a wink.

Leandro’s lips peeled back from his teeth in an expression that was more of a snarl than a smile. “Sorry, sweetheart, but this one’s mine. And I don’t share.”

Her gaze darted back to Leo, eyes narrowing, lips pursed. They stared at each other for a long moment before the woman offered a curt nod of concession and moved away, already on the prowl for another victim.

Leandro blew out a breath as he pulled a still-stunned Akira forward, his pace picking up as they neared the entrance of the building. “I told you that you would be wanted here,” he said, a hint of a growl in his voice. “She’s one of the sex workers from the fantasy hall. She’s probably not going to be the only one to try and approach you.”

Akira gulped, keeping his eyes on the ground. He had thought that Leandro was just being paranoid, or maybe overprotective, since they were both wanted men. He hadn’t actually thought someone would try to seduce him into something he didn’t want to do. The knowledge that it had happened --- and could potentially happen again --- made him want to turn invisible.

Crossing the threshold into the Rats’ Nest was like being slammed into a wall of chaos. Noise surrounded Akira on all sides; from the sound of laughter, from the hawkers crying their wares, from the hundreds of different conversations taking place. He was assaulted by a multitude of smells as well; food, perfume, body odor. Even the distinctive smell of sex. And, no matter where he looked, all he could see were people.

A familiar panic began to churn in his stomach, his body going tense as he prepared to turn and run back out of the doors. But he felt Leandro’s arm move to his waist, holding him in place. “It’s all right,” his partner murmured soothingly. “You’re okay. I’ve got you.”

Right. He wasn’t alone here. And he could face anything as long as he had Leandro by his side.

Swallowing thickly, Akira steeled his shoulders and allowed the other man to pull him into the fray.

It turned out that the arena was located on the lowest level of the Nest and on the opposite side of the fantasy hall (much to Akira’s relief). It didn’t take Leandro long to navigate them through the crush of bodies located at the entrance and into the less-crowded hall that would lead them to their destination.

Akira could feel himself start to relax as the crowds thinned out around them. Granted, there were still an uncomfortable amount of people, but it no longer felt as though he was about to be crushed. And, as the tension in his body began to loosen, he allowed his eyes to wander.

Most of the shops that he saw seemed to be selling weapons and armor of some kind. Akira saw one stall that seemed to be selling nothing but Galra weaponry, the six-armed shopkeeper showcasing a pulse rifle to a group of customers. Another shopkeeper was yelling out that they had Galra shielding technology for sell, causing a large cluster of people to gather around their stall. And another…

He let out a gasp as he came to an abrupt halt, causing Leandro to come up short next to him. “Leo,” he hissed. “Look!”

The shop that had caught his attention appeared to hold every single type of blade he had ever heard of. He saw the usual assortment of katanas, broadswords, dirks, and daggers. But he also spotted a few electro-blades (highly illegal in the hands of anyone who wasn’t part of the Galran military) falchions, maces, and… Was that a naginata? He’d ways wanted one of those!

Next to him, Leandro breathed out a laugh. “You would find the sword shop.” He tugged at Akira’s arm. “Come on. Let’s go talk to Sakash first. Then we come look at the blades before we leave.”

Akira turned to him and pouted. Well, he tried to, anyways. He had learned from Leandro that a pout could be a pretty effective weapon when wielded correctly, so he’d been trying to learn how to do it himself (with varying success). But all Leandro did was laugh and shake his head. “Later,” he promised, pulling Akira back into the flow of traffic.

Akira let his partner lead him forward again, casting one last, longing look over his shoulder at the naginata hanging on the wall. I’ll be back, he silently promised it.

When Leo had had been describing the arena to him, Akira’s mind had instantly gone to the fighting pits he’d seen in the Galra prisons he’d liberated. He’d been expecting a sunken ring filled with sand and a multitude of stands to hold the bloodthirsty spectators. He certainly hadn’t been expecting… whatever this was.

The sunken ring was still there. However, instead of sand, the floor was covered in white tile. And, instead of crude stands, the pit was surrounded by tiered rings, each one holding several tables and chairs. Akira could even make out what appeared to be a well-stocked bar off to one side.

Leandro tugged on his sleeve. “This way,” he said, leading them up to the third tier and taking them to a table that offered a perfect view of the pit below them.

Akira looked down at the gleaming white floor beneath them, then turned to cock an eyebrow at his partner. “This is, ah…”

“Civilized?” Leandro grinned. “Who knew that the good folk of the Outskirts preferred their violence to have a touch of class?” He tapped the tabletop to bring the screen to life. “Want a drink?”

“I thought we were here to talk to Sakash?”

“We are. But we can’t just go up and ask to talk to him, especially without Petra here. He’ll turn us away if we’re too boring. We have to get his attention first.” He hooked his arm around Akira’s waist, pulling him close and nuzzling into the side of his neck. “We might as well have a little bit of fun while we’re here.”

Akira froze for a moment, fighting his knee-jerk reaction to pull away and put some space between them. He had never liked public displays of affection. Seeing others engage in it, even Hoshi and Dante, had always made him feel uncomfortable, like he was a voyeur.

However, just like every other part of Akira’s life, Leandro had turned all of that upside down. Now Akira found himself reaching for his partner without even thinking about it. Sometimes it was just a simple touch, just something to remind Akira that Leo was real. Sometimes it was to ground himself. And sometimes it was nothing more than the fact that he wanted to.

At the Castle it was so easy for Akira to lean his head against Leandro’s shoulder, or hold his hand, and there was no hesitation in him at all. But here, outside of his comfort zone, surrounded by strangers, Akira wasn’t sure how he would feel if Leandro tried to be affectionate.

Much to his surprise, he found that he was actually enjoying it. He liked the idea that Leandro didn’t mind letting others know that they were together. And there was a small, possessive part of Akira that wanted people to know that they were together. That Leo was his. It felt good. It felt right.

So he tilted his head just enough to give Leandro better access to the sensitive skin of his neck. “Fun, huh?” His voice was breathy. “I suppose I can indulge in a drink then. As long as it’s not one of those Black Magics I had at the Abyss. I would prefer not to repeat that experience.”

“Mmm.” Lance planted a kiss to Akira’s pulse point before pulling back and turning his attention to the table. Akira let out a shiver before moving his chair closer to his partner’s, bending his head to study the menu. Leandro draped an arm over the back of his chair and every so often Akira could feel the other man’s fingertips brush against his back.

Once their drink orders had been placed Akira leaned back in his chair, angling his body so that he was resting against Leandro’s shoulder. “So. How does this all work? What’s our plan?”

Leandro turned so that he was curled more around his partner. “So Sakash is… a very interesting man. He’s a genius, no doubt. But he is also a bit… Well, let’s just call him odd. He’s very fixated on odds and probabilities. Which means that if we place bets on the fights and make a good run, he’ll take notice and want to talk to us. That’s how I met him the first time, before I even knew who he was.”

“Okay. So. We just have to make bets?” That sounded easy enough.

“Not just bet but bet well. Look.” He tapped at another spot on the table and a projection sprang to life. It was a square of blue with ‘Welcome to Joust Night!’ written across it. “Whenever the next round is about to start, they’ll list the two fighters here, along with all of their stats. That will give us a chance to read them over and place a bet if we choose to do so.”

“How do we decide who to bet on?”

Leandro’s grin could only be described as sly. “Watch and learn, babe. Watch and learn.”

Their drinks arrived shortly after, and they sipped on them while they watched the arena continue to fill with people. They began making up stories about different individuals they saw, each one more outlandish than the last, until Akira’s whole body hurt from laughing.

They were in the middle of deciding how one of the aliens sitting four tables down from them got the giant scar across his face when the room suddenly went dark, a single spotlight shinning down on the middle of the pit.

“Here we go,” Leandro murmured, leaning forward eagerly.

In the glow of the light, Akira could see a large --- scratch that, a very large ---person, standing at least ten feet tall, with a long top-knot trailing down from their otherwise bare skull. Their torso was uncovered, showing off a vast amount of corded muscle. All four of their arms were lifted, and their face was stretched in what Akira could only assume was a smile.

“Welcome, friends!” Their voice, which sounded like two boulders crashing into one another, boomed around the arena. “Welcome to Joust Night!”

The entire arena erupted into cheers, the sound echoing off the walls until it was nearly a deafening roar.

The announcer’s grin widened, displaying their very impressive-looking fangs for the crowd. They continued to hold their arms in the air, all four hands curled into fists, until the noise died down. “For those of you not familiar with how this works, let me explain. If you look at your table’s holoprojection, you will see the summaries of each fighter for the next round. You will have a few moments to look them over and decide if you would like to make a bet. At the bottom of each fighter’s column you will see a ‘place bet’ button. Once pressed, simply follow the prompts to place your wager. If you need assistance, please press the ‘help’ button located in the top right corner and someone will be there as soon as possible. Our first round will begin in thirty minutes. Until then sit back, relax, and let our fine liquor loosen your wallets.”

Laughter echoed from the spectators, along with a smattering of applause as the announcer left the pit. The spotlight winked out and the house lights came back on.

Akira leaned towards his partner. “Was that Sakash?”

“Nah. Garrus is just the emcee. See that window up there?” He tipped his chin up at a spot on the wall opposite them. “Sakash is too paranoid to come out and mingle. He’s got a private box up there that has an excellent view of the pit.”

Akira looked up at the window in question and felt his lips curl into a wry smile. “As well as an excellent view of our table, I see.”

Leo’s grin was impish. “We bet well, he’ll look to see what table we’re at. Then he’ll realize he’ll be able to see us, and he’ll just have to meet with us.”

Akira shook his head. This plan seemed shaky as best, but Leandro seemed so sure that it would work. So he took a sip of his drink, leaned back in his seat, and trusted his partner to do whatever he needed to do.

A light on the table began to flash, and Leandro tapped it, bringing the holoprojection back to life. This time, the screen was split between two columns, each one showcasing a photo of a Galran sentry and a long list of numbers. “What is all of this?” Akira asked, squinting at the seemingly random numbers.

“Each fighters’ stats. Statistics. Do you know much about how betting works?”

“Not a damn thing.”

“Then allow me to teach you.” He pulled Akira closer to him, using his free hand to point to the holoprojection. “This is how many wins/loses this sentry has had., as well as how long they have been in the arena. Someone helpfully added their win/loss percentage, I see. That’s what folks usually base their bets on.”

“But not you.” It wasn’t even a question.

“Nope.” His finger moved down the column of numbers, stopping on the last one. “This is the only number that matters. See how this one has a plus sign in front of it? And the corresponding number on the other side has a minus sign?”

Akira nodded obediently.

 “These are the predictions made by the bookies, A plus means they think that fighter will win, and a negative means that fighter is the underdog.”

Okay. That was easy enough. “So we just bet on whoever has the plus sign.”

“Ah. But that’s what Sakash wants you to think. But it’s not quite that simple.” Leandro leaned closer, eyes shining. “Remember, Sakash is obsessed with probability and statistics. He only trusts the numbers. But he’s not the one reprogramming the sentries. And, while they are not true AIs, they do posses some autonomy. And that makes them hard to predict.”                            

Akira frowned, trying to wrap his head around what his partner was saying. The more Leo explained the less sense it all made. “Then… how do you determine which fighter to bet on?”               

“We watch. We’ll see how the first few rounds go, see what happens. I’ll need your help in watching for patterns to the fights. That’s how we’ll determine who to place our bets on.”             

“Patterns?” Akira didn’t bother to hide the skepticism in his voice. “That’s your strategy? To look for patterns?”

“Yep. See, Sakash swears up and down that there can be no patterns, that everything is completely random, that the probability for a pattern to exist is too low. But there is always a pattern. We just have to watch for it.”

Akira let out a frustrated huff as he sat back in his chair. He hated not understanding what was happening around him. “Whatever you say,” he muttered, taking a large gulp of his drink.

Leandro leaned over to once again place his nose against the sensitive spot behind Akira’s ear. “Don’t worry, baby,” he murmured, breath arm against Akira’s skin. “You’ll get a handle on it in no time. I promise.”

Almost immediately, that now-familiar heat pooled low in Akira’s stomach, and he could feel his cock give a twitch of interest. There was a small part of him that hated the fact that all Leandro had to do was call him ‘baby’ to make him fall apart, but it was a very small part. And growing smaller every day.

Besides. It wasn’t like he couldn’t fight back.

He closed his eyes, doing nothing to stop the shudder of pleasure that went through him at his partner’s touch. “I can think of something else I’d like to get a handle on,” he murmured, his hand going to rest on the inside of the other man’s thigh.

Leandro jerked away from him, not quite able to mask the squeak of surprise that came out. Looking up through is lashes, Akira could see that his partner’s eyes had gone wide, and there was color riding high on his cheeks.

Akira couldn’t stop the victorious grin that stretched across his face, and he mentally gave himself two points. Even though it had stopped being a game to them a long time ago, he still counted it as a win when he was able to fluster his partner.

But Leo, even flustered, wasn’t about to let himself be outdone. He leaned forward, a spark appearing in his eyes and said in a breathy voice, “You sure do enjoy getting me naked in public places.”

Almost immediately, Akira’s mind flashed back to that day in the training room. He could vividly remember the way Leandro’s face had looked when Akira had begun to undress him. He remembered everything --- golden skin, constellations of freckles, the taste of Leo on his tongue, hearing the other man moan his name.

“Not completely public.” His voice came out rough. “And not completely naked. I’d kill anyone else who saw you like that. You are mine.”

The spark in Leandro’s eyes flared brighter as he moved closer, the arm that had been casually draped across the back of Akira’s chair moving so he could tangle his hand in Akira’s hair.  “I’m sure we can find a nice dark, empty corner somewhere around here,” he breathed just before pressing their lips together.

Akira found himself regretting all the times he had told Hoshi and Dante that kissing in public was ‘gross’. Getting to kiss Leandro in public --- being kissed by Leandro in public --- was one of the most erotic things Akira had ever experienced. It wasn’t the kiss in of itself (thought it was, as always, amazing). It was the fact that other people could see them. Other people would see them kissing and know that they were together. They would know that Leandro had chosen him, preferred him above everyone else. And, with that realization came the knowledge that Akira had never felt more powerful.

He placed a hand on Leandro’s knee, sliding it over the other man’s thigh towards the juncture of his hip, stopping just shy of where they met. His thumb began to trace slow circles on the inside of Leandro’s leg.

Leandro made a noise that was pure desire before breaking the kiss. “Are you sure about this?” he panted against Akira’s lips. “Be very sure about this. Because if you start something that you don’t intend to finish then I will finish it. One way or another.”

The idea of it --- of the two of them in the aforementioned corner, Leandro leaning against the wall, head thrown back while Akira knelt in front of him, Leandro’s cock in his mouth --- sent a thrill through him, causing his hand to tighten on Leandro’s thigh. Yes, he wanted to say. Let’s go. Right now.

However, before he even had a chance to open his mouth, the house lights went dark and the spotlight returned to the pit.

Leandro let out a long, frustrated groan, dropping his head to rest it on Akira’s shoulder. “This isn’t over,” he murmured, placing a hand over the one that Akira still had resting on his thigh so the other man couldn’t move it. “Not by a long shot.”

Akira couldn’t help but smirk as he leaned back into his seat. Garrus was back in the spotlight, but Akira wasn’t paying attention to what the emcee was saying. Every fiber of his being was tuned into the hard muscles underneath his hand… and the equally hard thing he could see next to it that told him Leandro’s arousal was just as strong as his.

He hoped they were able to meet with Sakash soon. He didn’t know how much longer he could wait before pulling his partner into the most secluded spot he could find and acting on his desire, the mission be damned.

It takes five rounds before Leandro places his first bet.

Akira could tell the exact moment that his partner found whatever pattern he had been looking for because a victorious grin bloomed across his face before he muttered “Bingo”.

Akira watched as Leandro tapped at the table in order to bring up the betting screen. As soon as the profiles for the next two fighters appeared, he hit the flashing ‘place bet’ sign underneath the one on the right. He quickly typed in a number before hitting the ‘confirm’ button. A moment later the screen changed to a cheerful banner that said, ‘Thank you for your bet!’ and displayed the amount of Leandro’s wager.

A strangling sound came from the back of Akira’s throat when he saw the number that flashed on the screen. “Leo, that’s… That’s a lot of credits. Are you sure you want to bet that much money? Shouldn’t you wait and make sure your pattern is right first?”

“Don’t worry. I’m not wrong.” His grin was smug. “Besides, the higher the risk, the higher the reward. And the higher the reward, the quicker we’ll get noticed by Sakash. And the quicker we meet with him the quicker we can… you know…” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.       

“You mean the sooner we can go to the blade shop,” Akira replied, only half teasing.

Leandro’s laugh was soft and fond. “Of course, babe. The quicker we can go look at the sharp and pointys. Then we’ll find somewhere dark and quiet where you can have your wicked ways with me.”

Akira felt a pleasant flush encompass his entire body. This back-and-forth, this flirting, felt so intimate. It was something that could affect him just as much as Leandro’s touch. He loved it.

Akira, much to his surprise, was actually having… fun. The fights had proven to be entertaining, and he found himself being drawn in along with the rest of the crowd, cheering and heckling without even realizing he was doing so. His insides were warm from the alcohol, and Leandro’s arm was a comfortable weight around his shoulders.

Leandro tapped at the table to bring up the drink menu. “Want one more? It shouldn’t take too much longer for Sakash to send for us.”

They ordered their drinks, sipping on them as they watched the next round of fighting. Leandro’s pick won yet again. It was his fourth in a row.     

They were getting ready to place their next bet when they appeared; Two people in dark suits, both silent, both with expressionless faces. “Mr. Sakash would like to see you,” one said, their voice devoid of any emotion.

Leandro grinned, lifting his glass to them in a salute before draining it. He stood and extended his hand to Akira. “Shall we?”         

Akira placed his hand in Leo’s and let him pull him to his feet. The other man made a big show of tucking Akira’s arm into his before gesturing to the two suits to lead the way.

As they made their way through the arena Akira couldn’t help but notice that many pf the other patrons were staring at them as they walked past. Some of them even went so far as to point at them, speaking excitedly to their companions. It made him uncomfortable to have so much attention directed his way. They were fugitives, after all. Akira had no doubt that the people in this room wouldn’t hesitate to turn them over to the Galra.  

Leandro must have felt his tension because he pulled him closer so he could murmur into his ear, “Don’t worry. They’re looking at us because they know we’re going to see Sakash. They don’t recognize us.”

“How do you know for sure?”

“Because everyone here knows that the suits belong to Sakash. If we’re with them, it means that we’re either going to see Sakash, or else we’ve broken some rule and are being led off to some horrible punishment. Which means that we currently have celebrity status. And, much like Roman and the Abyss, they would never do anything to potentially anger Sakash.”

Instead of reassuring him, Akira just felt his shoulders grow tighter. Leandro may think they were in the clear, but Akira hadn’t been able to live this long without a healthy dose of paranoia. Leo was already recognizable as the martyred Leandro Sanchez, and Akira knew his own features made him stand out. If anyone were to come asking, anyone could easily give a fairly accurate description of them.

They were led around the tier they had been sitting at to the area underneath the box Leandro had pointed out earlier. One of the suits tapped at something on the wall behind the bar and two panels slid open, revealing a sleek elevator.

Leandro came to an abrupt halt at the sight. He stared into the open elevator car, his face suddenly paling. “Um.”     

One of the suits turned to look at them, lifting what Akira assumed to be an eyebrow (though it appeared to be moving on its own.) “Is there a problem?”

Leandro swallowed thickly, clutching Akira’s arm almost painfully. “I don’t suppose we could take the stairs instead?”

“No. This is the only way. Please get in.” It wasn’t a question.

Akira wanted to snap at them to find another way, to force Sakash to come to them so that Leandro didn’t have to be retraumatized. The idea of the night terrors returning was almost enough to make him do it. But he knew Leandro wouldn’t want that. They’d come too far to fuck it all up now. So Akira pulled his arm free of Leandro’s so that he could wrap it firmly around the other man’s waist. “It’ll be all right,” he murmured. “I’ve got you.”

Leandro looked over at him, his eyes filled with uncertainty and a touch of fear. Akira felt his chest tighten, but he offered the other man what he hoped was a reassuring smile. “It’ll be all right,” he said again. “I promise”.

There was a long moment that Leandro continued to stare at him, and Akira was afraid that it was going to be too much. But then Leo took a deep breath and nodded before stepping into the elevator car.

Akira tugged him to the back, putting Leandro’s back against the wall and standing between him and the doors. He leaned forward so that their foreheads were touching. “Do you trust me?”

“More than anything.”

“Then close your eyes.”       

He could feel the other man hesitate, hear the hitch in his breath. “Kira, I ---”

Akira didn’t give him a chance to finish his protest. Grabbing both of Leandro’s wrists he lifted them above his head, pinning them against the wall with one hand. Then he kicked the other man’s feet apart and slid a leg in between them, using his free hand to pull Leandro’s hips forward so that he was resting high on Akira’s thigh. “Close them,” he murmured. “Or I’ll make you close them.”

Leandro’s eyes were wide, a flush coloring his cheeks, mouth parted in surprise. “Ki--- mmmph!”

Akira’s kiss was brutal, bruising. He used Leandro’s surprise to shove his tongue deep into his mouth, pressing him back against the elevator car. He didn’t want this to be sweet or romantic. He needed to keep Leandro distracted for the entirety of the ride, however long it would be. He didn’t care if the two suits were watching them. Leandro had worked too hard and come too far since they had been trapped to lose it all over a trip in an elevator.

And if he could replace Leandro’s fear of enclosed spaces with something he actually enjoyed… Well, all the better.

Leandro tried to pull away, but he had nowhere to go. Akira had him firmly pinned against the wall, and every time he tried to move, even just to shift his weight, his groin was rubbing against Akira’s thigh. And Akira would occasionally pull or push his hips, increasing the friction.

He could tell when the sounds that Leo was making turned from protest into something a bit more… personal. Needy. Akira could feel how his hips would stutter involuntarily, seeking out that friction without Leandro being consciously aware of it. And he couldn’t help but smile.

Akira broke the kiss with a gasp, immediately moving his head down to place kisses onto Leandro’s neck, sucking lightly at the skin, making sure to leave marks.

“Kira.” Leandro’s voice was rough. “What ---”

Akira’s smile widened as he nosed along the other man’s jaw. “Making sure you are never afraid to step into an elevator again. Is it working?”

Leandro didn’t reply. He just made another noise as his eyes fluttered shut, his chin lifting so that Akira could have easier access to his neck.

Akira lost track of time, dipping his tongue into Leandro’s collarbone, leaning down to gently suck at his nipples through his shirt, making sure to keep Leandro as immobilized as possible. Every new sound he drew from his partner’s mouth sent a jolt of fierce joy through him. He could keep this up forever. He wished he could. He wished that they were alone with unlimited time so he could take care of Leandro the way he wanted to.

But all too soon a chime sounded, announcing that they had arrived at their destination. Akira reluctantly stepped away from Leandro, letting go of his hips and wrists. The brief feeling of disappointment disappeared when he saw Leandro’s face. His eyes were glassy, chest heaving,clothing slightly rumpled. He looked thoroughly wrecked. Even better, Akira could detect no signs of terror anywhere in his expression.

Grinning widely, he looped his arm back through Leandro’s. “Come on, Loverboy. Let’s go meet Mr. Sakash.”

The elevator had taken them to a long, windowless hallway that was softly lit by a light source that Akira couldn’t quite find. They followed the two suits until they reached a large, heavy, steel door. One of their escorts tapped something into a neatly hidden keypad, and a moment later they heard a loud, grinding sound just before the door swung open. The two suits stepped aside and gestured them forward. “Please don’t keep him waiting.”

The room that lay beyond was the most luxurious space Akira had ever been in, with thick, plush carpet and expensive-looking wallpaper. The wall opposite of the door was made entirely of windows that looked out over the arena, angled down just enough to be able to see the pit as well. State-of-the-art holoscreens were hanging from the ceiling, showing the arena from every possible angle.

“Welcome, welcome!” came a cheerful voice from their right, startling both of them. “Thank you so much for agreeing to see me. I have been looking forward to meeting you!”

Akira hadn’t been sure what he expected Sakash to look like. From the way Hayach had talked about him, Akira had pictured a tall, distinguished-looking man. Human. Probably old.

Sakash, it turned out, was none of those things. What Akira saw instead was a man who only came up to Leandro’s waist. He was a species that Akira had never seen before: A long, thin body with multiple sets of arms and legs, with a few tufts of white hair on his head and a beak for a mouth.

Sakash smiled pleasantly at them. (At least, Akira thought he was smiling.)  “I was quite impressed by your predictability success, quite impressed. I was hoping that…”

He trailed off as his eyes landed on Leandro’s face. He blinked once, then his face shifted into a scowl. “You!”

Leandro grinned and waggled his fingers in greeting. “Hey. Long time no see.”

Sakash’s scowl deepened and he crossed his arms --- all six of them --- across his chest. “Not long enough. Here to cheat me out of more of my money?”

“Hey! I never cheated, and you know it. You’re just mad because I keep beating you at your own game.”

Sakash stared at him for a long moment, beak pressed tightly together, before turning his sharp gaze onto Akira. “And who might you be? Some other crook that Leo has been grooming?”

“First of all, ouch. ‘Crook’ is a little harsh, don’t you think? And second of all…” He pulled his arm free from Akira’s so that he could wrap it around his waist instead. “This is the light of my life, my anchor, my love, my partner.”

Sakash’s face changed once again, going from a deep scowl to open curiosity in the space of a heartbeat. Before Akira had a chance to blink, Sakash was directly in front of him, peering at him intensely. “This is your sexual partner? How interesting.” He lifted up onto his back legs so that he could look Akira directly in the eye. “I had predicted that you would end up with a woman… not human…with blond or red hair. He is none of those things.”

Akira could feel Leandro’s arm tighten around his waist in an almost-possessive manner. “See? Even you can admit that your predictions are not always correct.”

Sakash shot him a dark look before turning back to Akira “Tell me, boy, are you who he says you are? Or are you just someone he managed to charm into going along with him?”

“Ummmm.” Akira blinked. “Yes?”

“’Yes’, you’re his partner? Or ‘yes’, he duped you into this?”

“Hey!” Leandro protested with a pout. “A minute ago you accused me of charming him. Now I’ve duped him?”

“I’m his partner,” Akira answered firmly. “I came here willingly and with the full knowledge of what I was getting into.”

“Hmmm.” Two of Sakash’s hands came up to rub thoughtfully at his chin. “This is very strange. I could see maybe being wrong about one aspect of Leo’s mate, but not all of them. I must admit that I am not used to being so wrong.”

Akira frowned at this. “Why would you even think that Leo had a… a type? Or a certain type of person he would end up with?”

“I based my predictions on the data I have been presented. I have witnessed Leo come in with multiple partners over the years, so I had a large sampling size.”

“But none of these people were my actual partners,” Leandro pointed out. “They were only work contacts, nothing more.”

“You always seemed to be a bit more friendly than a simple work contact warranted.”

“I was being charming,” Leandro shot back. “And, since those people were paying me, I was willing to be as charming as they needed me to be. Besides.” He tilted his head just enough for it to touch Akira’s. “Didn’t you hear the part where I love with this one?”

Akira had heard Leandro tell him that he loved him dozens of times, and it never failed to leave him glowing with happiness. This time, however, that happiness felt almost too big for his body to contain. Because this time --- this time ---Leandro was proclaiming his love for Akira to someone that Akira himself had never met.

He could feel a blush spread across his cheeks, and he had to resist the urge to duck his head. Instead, he wrapped his arm around Leandro’s waist and smiled brightly at their host.  

Sakash regarded them for a moment longer before shaking his head. “I don’t envy you,” he said to Akira. “He is the most unpredictable man I have ever met.”

“But that unpredictability is the reason why you love me so much!”

The other man let out a huff of frustration, but Akira could tell there was no real heat behind it. “Why are you here, Leo? Did you come here just to cheat me out of my money?”

“First of all, I did not cheat. I never cheat and you know it. Second, we actually came here to see you.”

“I notice that Petra isn’t with you. What in the stars could you want to see me for?”

“We’re looking for some information that we think you might be able to help us with.”

Both of Sakash’s eyes lit up with obvious interest. “Oh? And what information might that be?”

Leandro leaned closer, lowering his voice as though he was about to impart some great secret. “We’re here to talk about Silas Gunn.”

Sakash eyes narrowed sharply, his bushy eyebrows forming a deep V. “Why are you asking me about Dr. Gunn? What do you know about him?”

“You know Petra has been looking for him. But we found Mal. And he’s been looking for him, too.”

For a long moment Sakash stared at Leandro without speaking. As he watched, Akira could see the man’s doubt fade, his defenses fall, as his face turned from skeptical to hopeful. When he next spoke, his eyes were starting to fill with water.

“Mal… He’s alive?”

“Yes,” Leandro said, his voice just as soft. “And not just alive, but doing well.”

Sakash closed his eyes and blew out a long breath, seeming to deflate as he did so. “Thank all the gods both above and below. I was so afraid they’d both been lost.” He opened his eyes and looked back up at Leandro and Akira. “I’m so grateful to know that Mal has been found, but what makes you think that Silas is still alive? Di Mal know what happened to him?”

“No, but we have a video,” Leandro explained, his voice rising in excitement. “Someone sent it to the Deliverance about a year ago. Both Petra and Mal have seen it and have verified that it is indeed their father. We don’t know how long ago it was taken, but the general consensus is that it’s recent.”

Sakash lurched forward, not bothering to hide his own excitement. “Is there any way I can see it?”

Leandro turned to Akira, who tapped at his wrist comm. Petra had sent them the video in the hopes they could use it to convince Sakash to help them. A holoscreen appeared over the device, and with one last tap from Akira, the scree began to move.

Sakash made a noise in the back of his throat, leaning forward so that he could be closer to the screen. “Silas,” he said, his voice full of hope. Then his eyes shifted to something else on the screen that caused him to gasp. “Oh! That’s Oliver! Dr. Oliver Myrick! He was on the same expedition as Silas.” Then, after another moment, he let out another exclamation. “And that’s Yasmina!”

“Another scientist?”

“Yes! She was --- is --- a microbiologist. She taught with Silas and I for years.” He shook his head slowly, eyes never leaving the holoscreen. “I can’t believe this. I mean, these people were my colleagues. They were my friends! I swore I would never stop looking for them, but hope was fading fast. To know that they are still alive after all of this time…”

“Is there anything you can tell us?” Leandro asked as Akira closed the video. “Where they might have been taken to. Who all went missing. If you know what the Galra were working on. Anything that could point us in a direction to look.”

“I’m afraid I can’t tell you much. I was already in prison when they were kidnapped, and I’ve not been able to fully dedicate myself to searching for them. But…” He trailed off, two of his hands reaching up to rub thoughtfully at his chin. “There was a rumor going around not too long before I was arrested about a project the Galra were supposedly recruiting for. It was something to do with being able to manipulate quintessence.”

“Quintessence?” Akira felt himself jerk, his eyes swinging to Leandro. “They were trying to manipulate quintessence?”

“Yes. Not just change its form like Juice but actually control it, make it do whatever they want. At least, that was the rumor years ago. I don’t know if there is much merit to it.”

Akira felt a shiver go down his spine. Surely the Galra can’t do that. Can they?

Everyone knew what quintessence was: life itself. It was what turned a walking sack of flesh into a person. It was what breathed life into trees, gave flowers their colors, made things grow. It was everywhere and in everyone. It was sacred. To even attempt to manipulate it was sacrilegious, even for the Galra.

Next to him, Leandro pursed his lips thoughtfully. “We know,” he finally said, speaking slowly, “that the Galra have been stockpiling quintessence. They’ve emptied every mine on the planet and sent it to Neon City. We don’t know where they are keeping it or what they plan to do with it, but… It can’t be a coincidence, can it?”

There was a long pause, followed by a harsh sigh. When Sakash spoke again his voice was hesitant. Almost… fearful. “There have been some… rumblings lately about a potentially massive secret project that the Galra are working on. I have heard of several large shipments of lab equipment --- state-of-the-art lab equipment --- coming in to an old, supposedly abandoned research facility on the edge of the city.” There was another pause, and Akira couldn’t help but notice that Sakash was ringing all six of his hands. “And, well… They say there have been sightings of the Druids there as well.”

At those words, Akira found himself taking an involuntary step closer to Leandro. No wonder Sakash had sounded fearful. If the Druids were involved, that changed everything.

The Druids were the stuff of nightmares. They had once been human --- or Galran, or Altean --- but had twisted themselves into something monstrous. They had all been scientists working for the Galra, scientists who had offered themselves up as guinea pigs for their cruel experiments. It had become an honor among the scientific community to be asked to join the Druids, their status known by the long-nosed masks they wore. Whispers said that the masks’ true purpose was to hide the disfigurement that the experiments had caused. Akira had never seen one in person, and he’d hoped he never would.

“Can you give us the location that the equipment is being sent to?” Leandro’s voice sounded as grim as Akira felt. “And a list of the equipment? Anything and everything you know, or even just suspect.”

Sakash looked at Leandro, then at Akira, then back again. “You… you really think it might be connected to Silas and the others?”

“I think it’s too much of a possibility to not investigate further. Besides, if his is a chance to find Dr. Gunn and discover what the Galra are doing with all of that quintessence we can’t afford to just sit back and do nothing.”

Sakash stared at them for a moment longer before abruptly turning on his heel, the lower half of his body swinging out behind him. “Sven!” he barked. “Sven! Where are you?”

“Ja?” A head poked out from further in the room, hair disheveled, headphones draped around his neck. “Did you need something?”

“The report we put together about the reported project. Where we traced all of that equipment? I need you to send it to these two gentlemen.”

“Okie dokie.” The head disappeared again. A few moments later Akira heard a faint chime come from his wrist comm.

“That document contains all of the information that I have been able to gather,” Sakash stated as he turned back to them. “I know it’s not much, and I’m sorry I can’t do more to help.”

“You’ve given us more than we had,” Leandro assured him. “If this information leads us to Dr. Gunn, or to the Galra’s plans for the quintessence, it could change everything.”

“You could join us,” Akira added. “The Deliverance, I mean. We could really use someone like you.”

“Oh?” One of Sakash’s bushy eyebrows lifted. “What makes you say that?”

“My best friend. He’s an engineer, too. Mechanical.” Akira could feel his lips quirk up into a smile. “He nearly cried when Leo told us you were still alive. He said that you’re a legend, that they studied you in school.”

Sakash reared back onto his two hindmost feet, eyes going wide and mouth falling open in shock. “They. They do?”

“Oh, yes. He told us all about how you found a way to fold space itself to create gravitational pockets. He wanted so much to come with us so he could meet you. He says you’re a genius. So does Petra. We could certainly use someone with your knowledge and expertise. And I’m sure Petra and Mal would love to have you there with them as well.”

For several moments, the room remained silent, Sakash simply staring at them with a dumbfounded expression. But, finally, he lowered himself back down to all six of his feet. “I… will consider your offer.” His voice came out rough, and he cleared his throat before turning to Leandro. “As for you… I’ll call down to the front desk and tell them to close out your tab and that you’ll be by to collect your winnings. Don’t let me see you back here for at least a month. Do you understand me?” Akira was pretty sure he was trying to sound threatening, but the way Sakash’s eyes glistened ruined the effect.

“Aye, aye, captain.” Leandro grinned as he threw an arm around Akira’s shoulders. “Come on, babe. Let’s go buy you something sharp and pointy.”                         

Chapter Text

Chapter 23

“What do you think will happen next?”

It was the day after their trip to the Nest and Leandro was sprawled across his bed, staring up at the ceiling. Akira was lying next to him, head pillowed on Leandro’s chest. He’d left his hair down, and Leo couldn’t stop himself from running his hand through it, loving the way the silky strands felt sliding through his fingers. They’d tried to watch something but nothing had been able to hold their attention. So they’d simply laid in the quiet, enjoying the moment of peace.

Akira shifted slightly on his chest. “What do you mean?” he asked in a drowsy voice.

“I was just wondering what Alina will expect us to do next. I know she told us we would be coming back from hiatus soon. But nothing has really changed, except for the information we got from Sakash.”

“Mmmm. Probably research. She’ll want to know as much about what we’re dealing with as she possibly can. Especially since there is a chance the Druids are involved.”

Oh. In the day since their adventure into the Rat’s Nest Leandro had already forgotten about the Druids. That would certainly cause Alina to be more cautious than usual.

He felt a wave of disappoint sweep through him; not because Alina would be more cautious, but because that caution probably meant that he wouldn’t be seein any action anytime soon.

He tried not to let that disappointment show --- he really did --- but of course his partner knew him too well.

“What’s wrong?” Akira shifted to prop himself up onto an elbow, looking down at Leandro with drawn brows.

“Nothing.” Leandro reached up to twine his arms around Akira’s neck, trying to pull him back down. It’s nothing. I promise.”

But Akira did not move. “You’re bored, aren’t you? You want her to send us back out into the field.”

Leandro sighed and relaxed his grip though he didn’t let go. “You’re not?”

“This is the longest I’ve ever gone without having to go on a mission and it’s been… nice. Hayach and I have been able to work on some new beer recipes, I’ve seen more of Hoshi and Dante than I have in years, and I’ve almost finished Roman’s car”. He gave a smile so soft it made Leo’s throat grow tight. “And we’ve been able to be together. We’ve been able to do face masks and paint our nails and just be. And I’m not ready to lose that. Not yet.”

“Hey.” Leandro moved a hand so he could wrap a lock of Akira’s hair around his finger. “You’re not going to lose that. I promise you, Kira. What I have with you is more important than anything else. We --- you --- will always come first.”

Akira’s smile took on a tinge of sadness. “You know you can’t promise that, Leo. The Deliverance gets under your skin. I know that better than anyone. And I know that it has become a crusade for you. I can promise you that there will come a time when you will have to choose between me --- or Petra, or Hayach, or any of the others --- and the cause. And you may not always be able to choose us.”

“No!” The word burst from him in a sudden rush of panic, and Leandro again tugged on Akira’s neck and shoulders. This time his partner allowed himself to be pulled down, to let Leo guide his head back to its earlier spot on his chest. “That will never happen. I will always choose you. You, Petra, Dante, all of you. Team Voltron is what I have wanted for so long now: a family. A place to call home. And you… You are everything I have ever wanted and thought I would never have.” He turned his head so that he could press his face into Akira’s hair. “When that building collapsed on us you… you said that you had never been afraid to die for the Deliverance. That you had expected to die for the Deliverance. But then you realized that I was a cause worth living for. And you wanted to live. For me. That’s how I feel, too. The Deliverance isn’t my cause. You are. You and the rest of my family. And you always will be.”

“Leo.” Akira reached up to place his hand over Leandro’s heart. “I didn’t mean to make you upset. I’m sorry.”

“No. I know. I’m not upset. I just want to make sure that you understand that you will never be second to the Deliverance. I swear it.”

“I believe you.”

“Do you?” Leandro stared into his partner’s eyes, which were a storm-cloud mixture of gray and purple, looking for confirmation, and hoping that the other man could see the truth in his own eyes. He didn’t know why this was so important to him, but he needed Akira to know that Leandro would always choose him. “You promise?”

“I do.” Akira leaned forward to press his lips to Leandro’s in a soft, reassuring kiss. Leandro let out a sigh as his eyes drifted closed, moving his head so that he could kiss Akira back, hoping that he could convince the other man that this was a promise he would never break.

When they finally pulled away Leandro moved his lips to press against his partner’s forehead. “You will always be my first choice, Kira,” he murmured. “Always.”

When Alina called for them to meet the following night Leandro still hadn’t managed to shake the panic over the conversation he’d had with Akira. There was no way he would ever put the Deliverance before his friends. He could understand why Akira would think that; the Deliverance had saved not only Akira’s life but Hoshi’s life as well. Leandro had no doubt that Akira would have thrown everything he was into aiding the rebellion, no matter the cost to himself. There had to have been plenty of times when he would have had to make a choice like that. And Leandro didn’t blame him if he had put the Deliverance before his family. He just knew that that was a choice he himself would never make.  

And yet…

He couldn’t quite shake off the feeling of guilt as they walked to the command center. Wasn’t he technically choosing the Deliverance over the people he loved simply by wanting to go on a new mission? Hearing Akira talk about how much time he’d been able to spend with his family --- and with Leandro himself --- made him feel like he was. And that didn’t sit well with him at all.

“Earth to Leo.” Akira knocked their shoulders together, bringing Leandro out of his thoughts. “You okay there, Sharpshooter?”

Leandro gave himself a mental shake. These weren’t problems that he could solve easily, and certainly not right away. So he gave his partner a grin before throwing an arm around his shoulders. “Doing fine, Samurai. Just thinking about what our fearless leader has in store for us.” He waggled his eyebrows. “And how long I’m going to have to wait until I can get you alone again.”

Akira let out a sigh and rolled his eyes, but he was smiling. “We’ve slept together in the same bed for the past month. We’ve had plenty of time alone.”

“Mmmm. But I am insatiable when it comes to you.” As if to prove his point, Leandro pressed his nose into the side of Akira’s neck.

The other man laughed softly. “I’m sure you’ll get tired of me eventually.”

That same feeling of panic that he had felt earlier came roaring back, and he tightened his arm around Akira’s shoulders. “Never. I could never get tired of you, Kira. Not in a lifetime. Not in several lifetimes.”

Akira didn’t answer, but Leandro could feel the way his shoulders tightened under his arm.

It must be odd, Leandro thought suddenly, for Akira to find himself in love with someone who was so very different from himself. Akira was afraid of forming attachments while Leandro clung to them. Akira preferred solitude while Leandro couldn’t stand it. And Akira saw very little value in himself while Leandro knew without a shadow of a doubt that his own ego was vastly inflated.

Fate had a strange sense of humor to bring them together. I guess what they say about opposites attracting is true.

The thought made him smile.

Akira must have felt the curve of lips against his skin because he shifted, trying to look down at Leandro. “What are you smiling about?”

“You. Us.” He placed a kiss against the side of Akira’s neck, causing the other man to shiver and his smile to widen. “Come on. Let’s go see what Alina has to say.”

They were the last ones to arrive. When they walked into the command center Leandro wasn’t surprised to find Sakash and Sven mixed in with the rest of Team Voltron. He also wasn’t surprised to find Hayach kneeling on the floor, crying as he tried to shake all six of the man’s hands at once. Leandro couldn’t be sure, but he thought that the scientist might be blushing.

Mal was the first to notice them, giving them a wide grin and a cheerful wave. “Hey, guys! Welcome to the party!”

“Yeah. Thanks.” Leandro eyed the scene before him. “Should we help him?”

“Which him?”

Leandro opened his mouth to say Sakash, of course, but stopped himself from speaking as he looked back over at the two men.

Despite being obviously flustered Sakash appeared to be… pleased. Whichever hand Hayach was grabbing Sakash would allow him to shake vigorously. And Hayach was looking up at him with absolute adoration. Both of them looked happy.

Leandro closed his mouth and shook his head. “Well, would you look at that.”

“Right?” Mal’s grin widened. “Who are we to tear them apart?”

“Cruel. We’d be cruel to do such a thing. Everyone here?”

“All present and accounted for. We just thought we’d give Hayach a little time to meet one of his heroes before we got started on anything important.”

Leandro gave a nod of agreement before letting his eyes sweep the room, noting the places of all the people within.

Akira had moved to stand by Dante, their heads bent together, one dark and one light. Hoshi had moved towards Sven, reaching out a hand in greeting. Mal and Petra were standing by Sakash and Hayach, both grinning widely at the two men. And Alina and Curran stood to one said, gazing out at the room with fond smiles.

A bubble of affection swelled in his chest. He loved these people, each in their own unique way. These were his people. He had already lost one family. He knew just how fortunate he was to have found another one. And he knew, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that he would do whatever it took to keep this one.

“All right, everyone.” Alina’s voice rang out through the room, cutting through the chatter. “I know it’s been a very exciting day for all of us, so I’ll just take a few moments of your time.” Quiet settled over the room as everyone turned to look to their leader. Hayach, who had managed to get back to his feet, gave one final, loud sniff before running his sleeve over his eyes.

“As I’m sure you all have noticed, we have welcomed two new members to Team Voltron: Dr. Sakash and his assistant, Sven. They both have graciously agreed to offer us their aide in our fight against the Galra.” She beamed at the two men. “And it is thanks to them that we now have an idea on where to go next with our plans.” Alina waved a hand and a diagram appeared above the center console. “Thanks to Dr. Sakash, we now know that there have been several shipments of scientific equipment that have made their way from various places to this specific building in Neon City. A building that, according to city records, has been abandoned for quite some time.”

She waved her hand again and the diagram disappeared, replaced by several smaller images. “These are the different pieces of equipment that have been sent to this location. Our hope is that we can learn something from them.”

Almost as one, Sakash, Petra, Hayach, and Mal all leaned forward, peering closely at the display. “What are they?” Petra asked, her brows drawn together in confusion. “I don’t recognize a single thing.”

“Which is why we’re going to have you all research them. I will give the four of you a part of the list of equipment to look at. This is your area of expertise, so I would prefer to have you handle this.”

“Oooooh!” Mal’s face brightened. “We get homework!”

Alina grinned at him. “I’m hoping that by finding out what these pieces are and what they can do will help us get an idea of what they are being used for. If we can at least make an educated guess about what the Galra could be doing with them, it would give us a better idea of how to plan our next step.”

One of Sakash’s bushy eyebrows rose. “That is not a bad idea.”

“It certainly can’t hurt.” She turned to the elder Kogane brother. “Hoshi, I want you and Dante to try and conduct surveillance on the building in question. I ask you to use the utmost caution We don’t want the Galra to know we’re poking around if we can help it.”

Hoshi gave a nod of understanding. “We’ll be careful.”

“What about us?” Leandro couldn’t help but ask. “Me and Kira, I mean. Do we get a cool assignment?”

The smile Alina gave him was apologetic. “I’m sorry, but no. Not yet. This is purely research at this point. And I still don’t want you two leaving the Castle grounds. Not yet. Not until you absolutely have to.”

Despite Akira’s warning that this would probably happen, Leandro still had to fight not to let his shoulders slump or his face fall. Instead, he tried for his normal, lazy grin, not wanting to let the others see how disappointed he was.

But he had never been very good at hiding his feelings. And this was his family.

“If you’re looking for something to do,” Hoshi called out, “then we will gladly put you to use. You and Kira know the Outskirts better than anyone else. Dante and I would love to have you monitoring the cameras while we’re out, see if you notice anything out of the ordinary.”

Leandro knew this was a placation, but he appreciated the fact that Hoshi was trying to make him feel useful. “Sure. I’m happy to help in whatever way I can.”

“Oh! I can help with that, too!” Hayach waved his arms around in excitement. “I’ve got some minicams that Hoshi and Dante can wear that you two can monitor live so you don’t have to rely on just the security camera feeds. That way you can see what they are seeing in real time. And I’m sure the building in question is shielded. I have a prototype that I’ve been working on, but so far I’ve only been able to penetrate about forty percent of their shields, but at least ---”

“What?”

The word came out as a near shriek, causing Leandro to wince and nearly miss seeing Petra whirling on Hayach fast enough to send her glasses askew. She didn’t seem to notice, gripping his arm and staring at him with wide eyes. “You have a prototype? Of a device that can break through Galran shielding?? And you didn’t tell me?”

“Um. Well.” Hayach reached up to rub at the back of his neck as color darkened his cheeks. “I… kinda wanted it to be a surprise? I mean, I’ve only got it to forty percent. I wanted to wait until it was at least at fifty before I told you. That way you could --- mmmph!”

As the rest of the room watched in shock, Petra leapt at Hayach, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him soundly on the lips.

As Leandro watched in bemusement Hayach’s eyes went wide,, his face draining of color before flushing a dusky red. But, in less time than Leandro would have given him credit for, the other man’s eyes fluttered closed, and his arms came up to encircle Petra. One hand even went to the back of her head, gently moving it just enough for Hayach to deepen the kiss.

Leandro could feel his jaw stretching all the way to the floor. He turned his head to see that Akira had also turned to face him, his eyes as wide as saucers. They shared a look of pure shock for a moment before turning back to Hayach and Petra, who were far too lost in each other to pay any attention to the others in the room.

When the shock had finally worn off --- and Petra and Hayach had finally come up for air --- the team broke off into their assigned groups to begin discussing their next steps. Leandro stayed where he was, watching it all with a mixture of fondness and a deep sense of sadness. He loved being able to watch them all come together as a team, but the fact that he was having to watch it from the outside cut him deeper than he wanted to admit.

Akira broke away from his brother and Dante and came to stand at Leandro’s side, leaning against the desk Leandro was perched on, crossing his legs at the ankles. “Hey.”

“Hey.” Leandro grinned at him. “Not quite how we thought this meeting was going to go, eh?”

Akira chuckled, the corner of his mouth curling upwards. “I’m just glad it finally happened. Hayach hasn’t shut up about Petra since the day she showed up here to rescue you. I’ve been trying to get him to talk to her for months, but he would just blush and change the subject.”

“Dude! Why didn’t you tell me? I’ve been trying to get her to make a move on him for months! We could have sped this whole process up!”

“I think maybe we’re the last two people who need to try and give any kind of dating advice.” Akira’s voice was so dry that Leandro couldn’t help but snort. “Besides, they found their way. Just like we did.”

Leandro’s grin went soft and he reached out to lace his fingers through Akira’s. Yeah. We did, didn’t we?”

“We did.” Akira brought their joined hands up to his mouth, placing a gentle kiss to Leandro’s knuckles. Leandro felt warmth flood his entire body. “Speaking of us, I realized the other day that I have yet to take you on that date I promised you.”

Leandro waved his free hand in the air. “Oh, don’t worry about that. We were in the middle of a crisis. Besides, we’ve done plenty of date-ish things since then.”

“No. I want to take you on a date, since we have time. If you want.”

“I do. I absolutely do. It’s just… You don’t have to take me on a date. I don’t want you to feel obligated. You’ve already got me. You don’t have to keep trying to woo me.”

“It’s traditional for couples to go on dates, yes?”

“It is. Though I doubt anyone will ever accuse us of being traditional.” Leandro squeezed his hand to let him know he was teasing, feeling that warm glow from earlier grow stronger. “I would love to go on a date with you, Akira Kogane.”

He watched as a pleased smile crossed his partner’s face. “Good. Then I shall do what I can to make it the most memorable date you’ve ever had.”

Leandro felt his chest go tight. Gods, I love this man. So much so that he wasn’t sure if his body could contain it all. “Fine. But I want the full experience. I want you to pick me up and walk me home. The whole nine yards.”

Akira’s face scrunched in confusion and Leandro had to fight the urge to laugh at how cute he looked. “But you just live down the hall.”

“That doesn’t matter. It’s tradition, since that seems to be so important to you.”

Akira shook his head, but Leandro could see him fighting a smile. “I’ll talk to Hoshi and Dante, see what their plan is, when they think they’ll need us. Then we can schedule a time for our date. Does that sound okay?”

Leandro got to his feet so that he could kiss his partner on the cheek. “I think that sounds perfect.”

Leandro was finishing up some paperwork at the school when his wrist comm beeped with an incoming message. He noticed with was from Akira and couldn’t keep a smile from crossing his lips as he tapped at the screen to open it.

A screen appeared above the device, showing him his partner’s words.

Two days from now.

I’ll pick you up at seven.

I hope you like wine.

Leandro couldn’t hold back a laugh of delight as he read Akira’s message several more times before typing out a response.

What’s the dress code?

A beat.

Is there supposed to be one?

Well, you did mention wine. Sounds fancy. I want to make sure I am dressed appropriately.

Leandro could clearly imagine Akira standing in his garage, frowning at his comm, eyebrows furrowed as he tried to figure out how to respond.

Wear something comfortable, was the answer he got. You look good in anything you wear.

With a grin so wide it made his cheeks hurt Leandro slung his bag over his shoulder and headed for the door.

Two days later, Leandro woke up feeling… nervous. Which was ridiculous, of course. He and Akira had known each other for nearly a year now and had been together for months. They’d had gotten past the embarrassment of morning breath and sleep drool. Hell, Leandro didn’t even feel awkward when they were naked around each other.  There was no need for Leandro to be nervous.

And yet he couldn’t stop the butterflies swarming in his stomach and felt so restless that he couldn’t sit for more than a few minutes before he had to be up and moving. He changed his outfit three times before finally settling on the first one he had tried on.

And when a soft knock came at the door, he jumped.

Wiping his suddenly-sweaty palms on his pants Leandro headed for the door, but stopped just shy of opening it. “I’ll be right there,” he called out before dashing into his bedroom to give himself one last look-over in the full-length mirror.

Akira had told him to wear something comfortable, so he had chosen a pair of soft, close-fitting pants that were midnight black. He’d paired that with a dark red t-shirt and a thin black blazer. Comfortable, he thought, but still dressy enough to make it date-appropriate. He’d even added a touch of makeup, just enough to make his eyes stand out. He hoped it wouldn’t be too much.

Would Akira think it was too much?

Leandro let out a groan, closing his eyes and spinning away from the mirror. He couldn’t let himself think about this any longer. Otherwise, he would never answer the door. And wouldn’t that be some bullshit?

So he took a deep breath, went back to the living room, and hit the panel to open the door.

When Akira had messaged him about the dress code Leandro hadn’t expected his partner to wear anything different from his usual uniform of t-shirt and jeans. After all, Akira rarely went out, and no one would ever accuse him of being flamboyant. Leandro didn’t give a shit what Akira wore, of course. But he had certainly not been prepared for this.

Akira’s outfit was made up of varying shades of black, which should have made his already-pale skin look even lighter. Instead, it made him look ethereal. His jeans were a washed-out black, and he wore a pure-black button-up with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and the top two buttons undone, exposing the smooth skin of his throat. He’d left his hair loose, letting the inky strands fall around he shoulders. And he was wearing eyeliner. It had no doubt been Hoshi’s doing, but it added to Akira’s otherworldly look.  

He was the most beautiful person Leandro had ever seen.

And he was clearly enjoying the effect he was having on his partner, his lips twisting up into a smirk. “Hey,” he said in a low voice.

“Hi,” Leandro said, the word coming out as little more than a breath. “You look absolutely amazing.”

Color shaded the sharp angles of Akira’s cheekbones. “Thanks. So do you.” He shifted his feet and brought something from behind his back, offering it to Leandro. “Here. These are for you.”

Leandro looked down, blinking at the sudden riot of color in front of him. For a moment, all he could see was blue, every shade imaginable. Indigo, cyan, sapphire, turquoise. They were all there, arranged together in a beautiful display.

Flowers, he realized dazedly. Akira had brought him flowers.

Unexpectedly, a stinging heat formed behind his eyes, and he had to quickly blink before any tears could fall.

Akira’s smile quickly faded into concern. “Leo? What is it? Did I… do something wrong?”

“No, you ridiculous man. You have done absolutely nothing wrong.” Leandro took the proffered bouquet and brought it to his nose, closing his eyes as he inhaled deeply.

Each bloom had its own unique scent, all lightly floral, all blending into a sweet perfume that wasn’t too overpowering. Perfect. Just like everything else Akira had done.

He opened his eyes and smiled. “Thank you,” he said softly. “Seriously. No one has ever given me flowers before. They’re beautiful.”

Akira ducked his head, cheeks coloring. “I’m glad you like them. I got them from the greenhouse. Have you been there yet? They grow everything you can imagine. Dante mentioned you might like some flowers so I went by there today and saw those.”

“Well, they are absolutely perfect.” He took another deep inhale of the flowers before taking a step back. “Come on in. I want to put these in water before we do whatever it is you have planned.”

Akira leaned down to pick something up, and Leandro noticed for the first time that there was a black duffle bag by his feet. He lifted an eyebrow as Akira slung the strap over his shoulder. “What’s in there?”

“You’ll find out soon enough,” Akira said cryptically as he stepped past Leandro into the apartment.

“Feel free to grab a cup of coffee or water or whatever,” Leandro said as he moved into the kitchen to search for a vase. “I should only be a minute.”

“You can take your time. We don’t have far to go.”

“Are you going to tell me what your plan is?”

“Nope.”

“Not even a hint? Just a little bitty clue?”

Akira opened his mouth, probably to deny, but then closed it slowly. “Actually, I do need to ask you something. We’re going to the roof. Do you think you’d be okay in the elevator? If not, I’m totally fine with taking the stairs.”

“The roof, huh?” Leandro reached into a curio cabinet Petra had found during a shopping run and pulled out a vase. “Are you planning to recreate the first night we slept together?”

That earned him a snort. “I have no desire to retraumatize you, thank you very much. And even if the scenario had been different, and it had been a romantic encounter instead, it still wasn’t comfortable. Not at all.”

Leandro laughed softly as he filled the vase with water. Though he also hated what had led to that night on the roof, he had been so very grateful for it. The fact that Akira had put Leandro first, had forgone his own comfort to make sure that the other man felt safe and cared for had meant everything to him.

“So, no sleeping under the stars?” he asked.

“Not on purpose, anyway.”

Leandro took a moment to arrange the flowers in the vase, turning Akira’s initial question over in his mind. “I think,” he said slowly, setting the vase down in the center of the table, “that I’ll be okay in the elevator. As long as you’re there.”

“Are you sure?” Akira’s voice was quiet, hesitant. “I don’t mind taking the stairs. I just… I wanted to leave the decision up to you, but I don’t want you to feel pressured to take the elevator if you’re not comfortable yet.”

That warmth filled Leandro once more, spreading until it filled his entire body, all the way to his fingertips and toes. Gods, I love this man.

Instead of answering, Leandro walked around the table to go and stand in front of his partner, leaning in to kiss him. Akira made a sound of surprise but didn’t pull away.

“What was that for?” he murmured when Leandro finally stepped back.

“I just needed to remind myself that you’re real,” Leandro murmured back with a smile. “And that I am the luckiest man in the universe.”

“Ah.” A flush spread across Akira’s face, but his smile was pleased. “Come on,” he said, holding out his hand. “Let me take you on a date.”

Leandro tried to fight the anxiety that climbed up his throat as they approached the elevator. He didn’t want to be afraid anymore. He’d already spent too many years being afraid and hated that now, after believing he had finally overcome that fear, it made him feel weak.

Stop that, he told himself firmly. He had gotten over this once before. Back then it had only been him and Petra. Now he had an entire family to support him. He would be fine.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped onto the elevator, his eyes fixed on Akira. Breathe. He wasn’t going to look at anything else. Only Akira. Only his anchor. Breathe.

Before the doors could close Akira was reaching out to take his face in both hands. “I’m here,” he murmured, his violet eyes locked with Leandro’s blue. “You are safe. I promise you. You are safe. I will not let anything hurt you. You are so, so brave and I am so fucking proud of you. But you don’t have to do this alone, okay? I’m right here.”

Leandro puffed out a breath, reaching up to gently grasp his partner’s wrists. “I know,” he whispered. “I know.”

The elevator let out a ding as the doors closed. Despite his best efforts, Leandro could feel the beginnings of a panic attack.

Akira tightened his grip ever so slightly, keeping Leandro facing him as the car began to rise. “We’re going to the roof because I thought it would be nice to have a picnic and watch the sunset together. I know it might not be the most original idea, but I thought it would be nice. And quiet. I want to spend some quiet time with you. And the roof can be romantic. Especially at sunset.”

“You… planned a picnic?”

“With some help.” He gave a small, somewhat apologetic smile. “I’ve told you before that I do not know how to do romance. So I asked Hayach and Petra for some advice.”

Leandro tightened his grip, pressing his partner’s hands further into his cheeks. “I think you’re doing romance just fine,” he said, feeling his own lips tug upwards. “After all, you did bring wine.”

“I did. And I did that all on my own.”

Leandro let out a laugh, feeling absolutely and ridiculously in love, before leaning forward to kiss his partner on the mouth.

By the time the elevator came to a stop, Leandro had almost forgotten that he was supposed to be afraid. He felt quite the opposite actually: giddy, light-headed, like he was walking on air. And he couldn’t help but think that, maybe, the ride back down the elevator wouldn’t be so bad, either.

Akira reached out, threading his fingers through Leandro’s, and led him through the access door.

The sun was hovering just above the horizon, flooding the sky with a warm, golden light. The globes of light that Leandro vaguely recalled from his last visit to the roof bobbed gently around the artificial gardens and tiled paths. There was a slight breeze blowing, just enough to ruffle their hair. It felt… peaceful. Serene.

Akira led him over to a small patch of grass that sat close to the edge of the roof that faced the sinking sun. Akira let go of his hand, let the bag slide from his shoulder to the ground, then knelt down and began rummaging through it.

“Do you need help with anything?” Leandro asked, watching with a sense of amusement.

The other man made a non-committal grunt as he pulled something from the bag. As Leandro watched he spread a blanket out on the ground before stepping back and gesturing for Leandro to sit.

Leandro did so, gently running his hands over the worn, patchwork quilt. He loved this quilt. It was the same quilt that Hoshi had brought to the roof that night, the one that Leandro had woken up covered by. He had long since learned that it was Akira’s, and it had been made by two of Hayach’s mothers for him when he and Hayach first became friends. It was the quilt that Akira kept on his bed, the quilt that Leandro had spent many a night wrapped in. It made him think of comfort. It made him think of home.

Akira sat down next to him and pulled the bag closer. He pulled out two plastic wine glasses, two bottles of wine --- one white, one red --- followed by several containers filled with food. There was bread and cheese and fruit and…

Leandro let out a gasp. “Are those brownies?”

“They’re supposed to be,” Akira said, the tops of his cheeks coloring a bit as he opened the containers. “I tried to follow Hayach’s instructions to the letter, but I ---"

“Wait, wait. You made these?”

“Umm.” Akira rubbed the back of his neck self-consciously. “It was Hayach’s recipe. But… Yes?”

Leandro couldn’t contain a sound of delight as he lifted a square from the container and bit into it.  

As soon as the flavors of chocolate and peanut butter hit his tongue, he closed his eyes in utter rapture. The texture was perfect: chewy on the inside, crispy on the outside. He had loved brownies, and his mother always made a point to make them whenever Leandro was sad, or whenever they wanted to celebrate one of his achievements. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had them.

When he opened his eyes again Akira was watching him, a hint of apprehension on his handsome face. Leandro, not for the first time that day, couldn’t believe how incredibly lucky he was.

“These may be the best brownies I have ever had,” he said. And he meant it.

His partner snorted as he worked to uncork one of the bottles of wine. “I doubt that.”

Leandro sat the brownie down carefully --- he wasn’t about to waste a single crumb --- and leaned forward, bracing himself on his hands so that he could press his lips against Akira’s in a gentle kiss. “Now it is,” he murmured.

They sat and chatted while they ate and drank their wine. They took turns telling stories from their childhoods and laughing at the ridiculous things they had done. Leandro’s whole body felt warm from the inside out and he didn’t think he could possibly be more in love than he was in that moment.

Finally, when most of the food was gone and the sun was starting to dip below the horizon, they moved towards the edge of the roof so they could stretch out their legs and watch the sky. Leandro let out a long, contended sigh and laid his head against Akira’s shoulder, slipping his arm underneath the other man’s and lacing their fingers together.

Akira let his cheek drop to the top of Leandro’s head. “So?” he murmured. “Not a bad first date?”

“It was a perfect first date.”

“Mmmm. Good. I’m glad you enjoyed it”. Akira kissed his temple before turning his face back to the setting sun. “I love you, Leo. I want you to know that. And I’ll do whatever I can to remind you of that, as often as I can.”

“I know,” he said, nuzzling further into Akira’s side.

“I know that we --- that I disrupted the life you had built with Petra, and I am sorry for that. But I am not sorry that I met you. That we have had the chance to build… this. I… Well, this was something that I had never planned for, never thought I would want. And I am so very, very glad that you came into my life and proved me wrong.”

Even though he didn’t think it was possible, Leandro’s insides grew even warmer. “I’m glad, too.”

“I want to enjoy as much time with you as I can. I told you before that the Deliverance can consume you, can take over your life. I don’t want to lose you --- to lose us --- to it. I don’t want to just be the Mechanic, or a member of Team Voltron. I don’t want to just be a soldier of the Deliverance. I want to also be Akira. I want to be Hoshi and Dante’s brother. And I want to be your partner. Does that make sense?”

It did. Leandro squeezed his arm in an affirmative because he wasn’t sure he could speak past the lump that had suddenly formed in his throat.

“These moments are precious, Leo. These quiet ones, where we can just sit and watch the sunset. Where we can make brownies together and just be. Because you mean so much to me, so much. And I don’t want to miss a single moment with you.”

Leandro couldn’t speak, the lump in his throat making it in impossible. But he didn’t think he had to. He tightened his grip on his partner and turned his face to look out at the setting sun, letting the peace and awe of this moment wash over him.

Maybe, he thought as the sun dipped below the horizon, having some extra time isn’t so bad after all.