Notes: HERE U GO QUEENIE MERRY CHRISTMAS
Lance hurried down the corridor, rushing past maids and servants as they prepared the castle for the night’s big event. He glanced at them as he passed, making sure nothing seemed off about them. He continued down the castle’s winding hallways as he finally found Keith talking to Coran and a few other security guards.
“Hey Keith!” He exclaimed, putting his arm around his best friend. “Can I talk to you for a second?”
Keith nodded, and excused himself from his previous conversation as Lance pulled him around the corner into a slightly more secluded area. “What’s wrong, Lance?”
Lance sighed, trying to find the right words to explain what was bugging him. “You know how I sometimes get bad feelings about something?”
“Yes?”
“And you know how I’m always right?”
“I wouldn’t say that, but please, continue.”
Lance clutched his hand over his heart in mock offense. “Your words hurt me commander, I hope you know that.”
“Your point please?”
“My gut is telling me something is… wrong with tonight, that things aren’t as they should be. That something big is going to happen.”
Keith looked at him for a few moments before placing his hand on his chin in thought, and fixed his friend with a sympathetic smile. “Look, I know you’re on edge, it’s how we’ve been surviving for the past four years here on Arus. Being on our guard is what kept our butts from hanging over Zarkon’s fireplace. But Doom’s forces have been driven back, and we severely damaged his fleet in our last battle, there’s no way the Drule can stage an attack right now. We don’t want to worry anyone, so please try to relax. I am more than willing to look the other way if you need a glass of whiskey to help loosen up, just as long as you promise to not go overboard.”
Lance looked at his friend, unamused. “I’m just saying, my gut has never been wrong before, I understand you don’t want to get people worked up, but its our job to protect them. I’d like to know we’re doing everything we can to keep them safe” His mind wandered to his own wife, and his heart sank at the prospect of her getting hurt.
Keith once again stared at Lance in deep thought before speaking up again. “I’ll assign some extra shifts and place two extra guards at every entrance in addition to the four we already have set up. I’ve got our finest security manager on camera duty, but you’re welcome to brief him on procedures and give him some advice if it would make you feel more comfortable.”
Lance smiled, slightly relieved that Keith had heard him out. “Yeah, I think I’ll go give him a visit and check the cams for myself before getting ready.”
“Good, don’t take too long, I think Pidge wanted you to teach him how to ballroom dance or something.”
Lance laughed, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he smiled. “I’ll find the squirt and show him what I know.” He turned on his heels after bidding Keith goodbye, castle control room now his destination. His mind once again wandered to his beautiful wife, and his eyes narrowed as he was overcome with a determination to keep her one hundred percent safe.
Lance smoothed the wrinkles on his suit jacket, looking himself over one last time in the rec room’s mirror. “Are you both sure I look okay?”
Hunk stopped chewing on his hamburger and gave Lance a once over. “I think you look great!”
Lance looked his friend in the eyes, unamused. “Uh huh, and you’re not just saying that to be courteous?”
Hunk shook his head. “Nope! Ask Pidge, he’ll tell ya! Kids are always honest.”
Lance’s gaze moved to Pidge. “What do you think, squirt?”
“I told you to stop calling me that, and you look fine, if anything it’s your teaching skills that I’d be worried about. I still don’t know a right hook from a right step.”
Lance brushed off Pidge’s teaching comment, satisfied that he looked decent. “Okay boys, let’s roll out. This ball won’t know what hit it!” He stepped out of the room and into the bustling hallway filled with maids and servants running around like chickens with their heads cut off. His eyes scanned as he made his way to the main ballroom, searching for his wife. He knew Nanny had given her permission to wear her own dress, and he was anxious to see her.
The trio began walking to the ballroom, picking up the pace as Lance began speed walking anxiously, searching for his wife. He soon broke off from the other two and began wandering around the ball, spotting old friends and familiar faces. He still didn’t see who he was looking for. He made his way to the bottom of the staircase in hopes of climbing it to get a better vantage point when he saw her , standing at the top, gazing lovingly down at him.
Lance felt the air leave his lungs as his heart began skipping a few beats. She was wearing a black floor length dress that hugged her body, the gold trim accenting the blue ombre bottom. Her hair was down and smooth, shimmering every time she moved. He felt like he was watching an angel descend upon him as she made her way down the grand staircase.
He met her halfway down the staircase, taking her own small hands in his. He let his eyes linger on the ring resting on the finger, his mouth twisted in a goofy grin. He got a hold of himself as he locked eyes with her, then bent down and kissed her hand.
“Shall we dance, my dear?” Lance asked, goofy grin still lingering on his face.
Rachel giggled, intertwining their fingers and pulling him to the dance floor. “I’d love that!” she exclaimed, now practically dragging him behind her.
They found their way to the middle of the floor right as the string band finished their third song of the night. Other couples took each other in their arms in anticipation of the next song, though neither Rachel nor Lance were paying them much attention, the couple lost in the moment together.
The band began the song as Lance’s hand made its way to Rachel’s hip, resting there firmly before extending out his other hand for her to take. She wrapped her free hand around the back of his neck and they began swaying to the music. Lance guided her as they took each step in sync, moving gracefully from one position to the next. His grasp on her hand tightened as he released her hip to twirl her around, relishing the way she giggled when she came spinning back into his grasp. They move like a well oiled machine, except for the fact that nothing about them seemed to lack emotion or feeling. Every move was accentuated with a laugh or a smile, sometimes Lance would sneak in a quick forehead kiss.
Once the song ended, the couple took a step back from each other, bowed, and resumed contact, hands once again intertwined as Rachel led Lance to the empty garden gazebo just outside the ballroom.
Lance’s eyes remained fixated on her hair as she pulled down the pathway to the empty garden, the lights from the ballroom catching the sparkles, making her look absolutely ethereal as the stepped into the gazebo, pulling him behind her. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, losing himself in the smell of her perfume, only breaking contact so he could once again lose himself in her beautiful eyes, the dark orbs keeping him fixated for an eternity as neither of them moved.
Lance was reminded how he had been worried sick earlier about how he had to keep her safe from whatever was going to happen, although he slowly realised what that feeling was as it had all but disappeared from his gut. He laughed as he thought about it now.
“What’s so funny?” Rachel asked, her head tilting slightly, hair shimmering under the moonlight.
“I just… ah, you’re gonna think its silly, but…” he paused, trying to put into words how he had felt earlier today, “I had a weird feeling in my gut today, you know how that goes for me, and I thought it was just me being paranoid about a Drule attack or something, but…” he took her hand in his, squeezing with reassurance as he continued, “I think I know what was wrong.”
Rachel’s head remained tilted, her eyes searching his. “What was it?” she asked, her face wrought with concern, a look Lance hoped he would always be able to wipe away with reassurance and love.
“I was nervous about seeing you!” He grinned, thinking about how he sounded like a teenage boy. “I hadn’t seen you all day, I was afraid you would be too busy to get to the ball and that I wouldn’t have my girl with me! I’d never go to any party ever again if I couldn’t have you with me.”
Lance smiled at Rachel, although it quickly faded to confusion as she tilted her head up. He brushed some of the hair out of her face. “What’s wrong?”
Rachel smiled, her bottom lip slightly quivering. “I’m trying not to cry, my foundation was forty-eight dollars.”
Lance quickly began apologizing as he realised he had been the one to make her cry.
Rachel smiled again, and Lance stopped his worrying as she took his hand in hers. “Just kiss me already, Lieutenant!”
A blush rose to Lance’s cheeks as he leaned down and placed his lips on hers, noticing how she tasted sweet, like strawberries. He could recognize any kind of lip balm, anywhere. She broke the kiss, much to his dismay, and once again began pulling him back to the castle, giggling. Lance’s eyes remained fixed on her shiny hair as she guided him back to the dance floor for one more dance before they called it a night and made their way back to their quarters, hands hardly ever leaving each other’s grip.
“Hey Keith!” He exclaimed, putting his arm around his best friend. “Can I talk to you for a second?”
Keith nodded, and excused himself from his previous conversation as Lance pulled him around the corner into a slightly more secluded area. “What’s wrong, Lance?”
Lance sighed, trying to find the right words to explain what was bugging him. “You know how I sometimes get bad feelings about something?”
“Yes?”
“And you know how I’m always right?”
“I wouldn’t say that, but please, continue.”
Lance clutched his hand over his heart in mock offense. “Your words hurt me commander, I hope you know that.”
“Your point please?”
“My gut is telling me something is… wrong with tonight, that things aren’t as they should be. That something big is going to happen.”
Keith looked at him for a few moments before placing his hand on his chin in thought, and fixed his friend with a sympathetic smile. “Look, I know you’re on edge, it’s how we’ve been surviving for the past four years here on Arus. Being on our guard is what kept our butts from hanging over Zarkon’s fireplace. But Doom’s forces have been driven back, and we severely damaged his fleet in our last battle, there’s no way the Drule can stage an attack right now. We don’t want to worry anyone, so please try to relax. I am more than willing to look the other way if you need a glass of whiskey to help loosen up, just as long as you promise to not go overboard.”
Lance looked at his friend, unamused. “I’m just saying, my gut has never been wrong before, I understand you don’t want to get people worked up, but its our job to protect them. I’d like to know we’re doing everything we can to keep them safe” His mind wandered to his own wife, and his heart sank at the prospect of her getting hurt.
Keith once again stared at Lance in deep thought before speaking up again. “I’ll assign some extra shifts and place two extra guards at every entrance in addition to the four we already have set up. I’ve got our finest security manager on camera duty, but you’re welcome to brief him on procedures and give him some advice if it would make you feel more comfortable.”
Lance smiled, slightly relieved that Keith had heard him out. “Yeah, I think I’ll go give him a visit and check the cams for myself before getting ready.”
“Good, don’t take too long, I think Pidge wanted you to teach him how to ballroom dance or something.”
Lance laughed, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he smiled. “I’ll find the squirt and show him what I know.” He turned on his heels after bidding Keith goodbye, castle control room now his destination. His mind once again wandered to his beautiful wife, and his eyes narrowed as he was overcome with a determination to keep her one hundred percent safe.
Lance smoothed the wrinkles on his suit jacket, looking himself over one last time in the rec room’s mirror. “Are you both sure I look okay?”
Hunk stopped chewing on his hamburger and gave Lance a once over. “I think you look great!”
Lance looked his friend in the eyes, unamused. “Uh huh, and you’re not just saying that to be courteous?”
Hunk shook his head. “Nope! Ask Pidge, he’ll tell ya! Kids are always honest.”
Lance’s gaze moved to Pidge. “What do you think, squirt?”
“I told you to stop calling me that, and you look fine, if anything it’s your teaching skills that I’d be worried about. I still don’t know a right hook from a right step.”
Lance brushed off Pidge’s teaching comment, satisfied that he looked decent. “Okay boys, let’s roll out. This ball won’t know what hit it!” He stepped out of the room and into the bustling hallway filled with maids and servants running around like chickens with their heads cut off. His eyes scanned as he made his way to the main ballroom, searching for his wife. He knew Nanny had given her permission to wear her own dress, and he was anxious to see her.
The trio began walking to the ballroom, picking up the pace as Lance began speed walking anxiously, searching for his wife. He soon broke off from the other two and began wandering around the ball, spotting old friends and familiar faces. He still didn’t see who he was looking for. He made his way to the bottom of the staircase in hopes of climbing it to get a better vantage point when he saw her , standing at the top, gazing lovingly down at him.
Lance felt the air leave his lungs as his heart began skipping a few beats. She was wearing a black floor length dress that hugged her body, the gold trim accenting the blue ombre bottom. Her hair was down and smooth, shimmering every time she moved. He felt like he was watching an angel descend upon him as she made her way down the grand staircase.
He met her halfway down the staircase, taking her own small hands in his. He let his eyes linger on the ring resting on the finger, his mouth twisted in a goofy grin. He got a hold of himself as he locked eyes with her, then bent down and kissed her hand.
“Shall we dance, my dear?” Lance asked, goofy grin still lingering on his face.
Rachel giggled, intertwining their fingers and pulling him to the dance floor. “I’d love that!” she exclaimed, now practically dragging him behind her.
They found their way to the middle of the floor right as the string band finished their third song of the night. Other couples took each other in their arms in anticipation of the next song, though neither Rachel nor Lance were paying them much attention, the couple lost in the moment together.
The band began the song as Lance’s hand made its way to Rachel’s hip, resting there firmly before extending out his other hand for her to take. She wrapped her free hand around the back of his neck and they began swaying to the music. Lance guided her as they took each step in sync, moving gracefully from one position to the next. His grasp on her hand tightened as he released her hip to twirl her around, relishing the way she giggled when she came spinning back into his grasp. They move like a well oiled machine, except for the fact that nothing about them seemed to lack emotion or feeling. Every move was accentuated with a laugh or a smile, sometimes Lance would sneak in a quick forehead kiss.
Once the song ended, the couple took a step back from each other, bowed, and resumed contact, hands once again intertwined as Rachel led Lance to the empty garden gazebo just outside the ballroom.
Lance’s eyes remained fixated on her hair as she pulled down the pathway to the empty garden, the lights from the ballroom catching the sparkles, making her look absolutely ethereal as the stepped into the gazebo, pulling him behind her. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, losing himself in the smell of her perfume, only breaking contact so he could once again lose himself in her beautiful eyes, the dark orbs keeping him fixated for an eternity as neither of them moved.
Lance was reminded how he had been worried sick earlier about how he had to keep her safe from whatever was going to happen, although he slowly realised what that feeling was as it had all but disappeared from his gut. He laughed as he thought about it now.
“What’s so funny?” Rachel asked, her head tilting slightly, hair shimmering under the moonlight.
“I just… ah, you’re gonna think its silly, but…” he paused, trying to put into words how he had felt earlier today, “I had a weird feeling in my gut today, you know how that goes for me, and I thought it was just me being paranoid about a Drule attack or something, but…” he took her hand in his, squeezing with reassurance as he continued, “I think I know what was wrong.”
Rachel’s head remained tilted, her eyes searching his. “What was it?” she asked, her face wrought with concern, a look Lance hoped he would always be able to wipe away with reassurance and love.
“I was nervous about seeing you!” He grinned, thinking about how he sounded like a teenage boy. “I hadn’t seen you all day, I was afraid you would be too busy to get to the ball and that I wouldn’t have my girl with me! I’d never go to any party ever again if I couldn’t have you with me.”
Lance smiled at Rachel, although it quickly faded to confusion as she tilted her head up. He brushed some of the hair out of her face. “What’s wrong?”
Rachel smiled, her bottom lip slightly quivering. “I’m trying not to cry, my foundation was forty-eight dollars.”
Lance quickly began apologizing as he realised he had been the one to make her cry.
Rachel smiled again, and Lance stopped his worrying as she took his hand in hers. “Just kiss me already, Lieutenant!”
A blush rose to Lance’s cheeks as he leaned down and placed his lips on hers, noticing how she tasted sweet, like strawberries. He could recognize any kind of lip balm, anywhere. She broke the kiss, much to his dismay, and once again began pulling him back to the castle, giggling. Lance’s eyes remained fixed on her shiny hair as she guided him back to the dance floor for one more dance before they called it a night and made their way back to their quarters, hands hardly ever leaving each other’s grip.