Lance's P.O.V.
It's been a few weeks since we arrived in space and honestly it's worse than being on earth. I mean I like saving the universe and helping people and all but I don't know how much longer I can handle this empty feeling.

I feel so left out of the team and I already know why. I have no wings, I was born without them. It's very rare to find someone without wings, and even rarer for them to survive until my age. This is because they're bullied relentlessly and made fun of.

I dealt with bullying so bad my mamá pulled me out of school. Then I applied to the garrison and the bullying continued, I couldn't exactly hide the fact I had no wings. Hunk and Pidge didn't mind though, they were my first ever friends.

It's not like the team purposely leaves me out, it's just... there are things I can't do. A lot of bonding exercises revolve around wings, group grooming sessions, flying as a team or building nests in high places, where you must fly to reach.

My lion, blue, gave me the chance to fly. I love her so much and she made one of my dreams came true, now I can really fly even though it isn't the same as being with the team. Even Alteans have wings so it's not like I can spend time with them while the team is bonding.

"Breakfast is ready paladins." I hear Allura say over the intercom and I head to the dining room

My room is the farthest away so it takes me a bit longer, I decided not to get in the way of anyone's nest or friendships so I kept myself away. I'm just glad they even allow me on Voltron. Of course it makes me jealous they're all so close to each other though.

Shiro and Keith because I kind of have a crush on them and Hunk and Pidge because we were friends from the Garrison but they don't talk to me much anymore. I need to stop complaining, I'm finally useful for something.

I arrive at the dining hall and I sit in the chair farthest away. When people eat they tend to touch wings, like a wall around them in a more... defenceless state, I never really understood but it's ok. I sit the farthest away so I'm not in the way of that wall.

"After you finish eating I want to have some team bonding time." Allura says "I feel the team will benefit from this."

Yay, team bonding... how fun...

"What are we going to do?" Hunk asks

"Well since we landed on the planet Arstius I was thinking we should fly around as a team." Allura explains "It will also be good to give our wings a stretch."

Yeah I guess I'm out. Blue's to big to fly with them. I look back to my food goo and continue eating, but it's tasteless now and I'm only eating to make it seem like I'm fine.

After I finish my food goo I quietly head back to my room, it's better if I just leave instead of asking if I can go. I don't want them to feel sorry for me.

I arrive in my room and I can hear the castle doors opening. They're gone for now, what should I do? I'm not really in the mood to train and I can't sleep yet. Maybe I can find something to read in the library.

It's a pretty big secret that I like to read, it's always given me comfort. I can pretend I have wings as I read the stories of those who do, I get transported into different worlds where I'm not discriminated against.

I arrive at the library and look at the fantasy section, reading though the blurbs I don't find anything that sticks out until one book I find catches my attention. It's called 'The wingless boy', I pull it out and read the description.

'Taryan Isglum is a wingless Altean who has to fight for his position on his team of assassins who underestimate his abilities. He must prove himself or be forced to quit the team. How will Taryan work his way though friendship, love and self worth while also trying to to get caught by those who want him dead?'

Oh my god this story sounds perfect for me, it's so similar to my situation. I open up the first page and begin to read, I don't stop until lunch time which is hours away.

"Lance?" I hear Allura say over the intercom "It's lunch time."

I quickly head to the dining room, carrying my book with me after book marking it. I take my seat at the table, continuing to read while I eat my food. This book is amazing, It's like it was perfectly written for me. The main character is also often left out or bullied because of his lack of wings.

"Lance?" I hear Hunk say and I look up at him

"What's up?" I say, plastering a smile on my face

"Is that a book? I didn't know you liked to read." Hunk says, catching the attention of everyone else

"Oh, not really..." I reply "I just needed something to do."

I can't tell them I read a lot because I'm upset about not having wings.

"Why?" Pidge asks confused

"What do you mean?" I reply, just as confused

"Why did you need something to do?" She says

"Well you guys went out and I didn't really feel like training." I reply

Just as she is about to say something else Allura cuts us off with a message she received from a near by planet.

"The Quarnts need assistance." She says "Paladins, to your lions."

**Time skip to after the battle**

Lance's P.O.V.
We just finished with the battle, it wasn't hard but it was tiring. Luckily nothing to horrible happened and no one was injured badly. There was also no need to exit our lions and fly which was good for me so I didn't get left behind. When that happenes I usually don't get any recognition for saving the planet because they didn't see me...

Everyone else has already exited their lions and are in a grooming pile near the centre of the control room. This happened after our battles so they can get their feathers looking nice again. I can't exactly join that because it's supposed to be only flock members and the way to become flock members is to give someone one of your feathers. Obviously I can't do that so I'm left out.

I quietly walk out of Blue and go searching for my book. I think I left it on the dining table. I find it quickly and head back to the library, hopefully to forget that I'll never properly be part of their team. At least for now I have something to turn to, I guess this book is more important than I first thought.

Hunk's P.O.V.
I finish brushing the feathers in Pidge's wings, making sure they all look nice and I turn to say something to Lance but he's not here.

"Umm guys, where's Lance?" I ask

"No idea, has he even left his lion?" Keith replies, sitting in Shiro's lap

"I saw him leave, I thought he was going to come here so I didn't really watch him." Allura states

I look at Pidge who is frowning heavily and looks like she realised something.

"Remember when we became flock members? How we gave each other feathers?" Pidge asks

"Yeah, I still have the feathers in my draw." Shiro states, brushing a hand over Keith's wings "What about it?"

"Did anyone give Lance a feather?" Pidge asks and it falls completely silent

"Was he even there?" I ask after a while, not remembering if he had left or not

"I don't think so, I don't remember giving him a feather." Allura states "Does that mean he isn't in our flock?"

"I guess so, god have we been leaving him out this whole time?" I ask shocked

"A lot of our group bonding is based around our wings, nesting, flying and grooming." Pidge says "I guess just never really thought about it."

"Except training and mind melding we haven't really spent a lot of time with Lance." Keith says "Our flock nest is also too high for him to get to and none of us have taken him up."

We let the anxious, sad feeling wash over us as we realise how left out Lance has been over the past few weeks. We need to do something about it before we ruin the team.

Lance's P.O.V.
I'm nearly at the end of my book, I can't believe I've read this much in one day, the story is getting really good as well. Taryan has just proved himself to his team and now they're trying to kill the king for betraying the Alteans. But they're so close to getting caught. Of course the king isn't Alfor, it's just fiction after all.

"Lance report to the control room." I hear over the intercom

I sigh and mark my book, bringing it with me to the control room. I walk in so quietly that no one notices me. I see Pidge and Hunk take off to the flock nest which is high in the rafters of the room,  Coran goes after them leaving Allura, Shiro and Keith.

I make a move to call out but I silence myself, maybe I should just leave. I'll pretend I didn't hear the intercom. What if they called me here to kick me off of Voltron? I need to be like Taryan, I need to prove I'm worthy. Besides, they're having flock bonding and no matter how much it hurts I'm not going to get in the way.

I turn around to leave when I hear Shiro call out to me.

"Lance!" Shiro says and I turn to loom at him

My heart starts beating faster as I look at him, Keith is watching me next to him and I start feeling awkward.

"Are you coming?" He asks and Allura flies up

"Where?" I ask confused

"To the nest?" Shiro replies

"Well, I can't exactly get up there so..." I take a few steps back, feeling really uncomfortable "And it's only supposed to be for flock members right? Besides I really want to finish my book."

I quickly turn out of the room and walk away, I can hear Shiro and Keith calling after me but I pay no mind to it. Did they honestly forget I have no wings? Does anyone remember? If something happened up there, or I felt too awkward I wouldn't be able to get away. I think it's my own fault though, I want to be part of the group but I'm to scared to get hurt.

I sit in my room, wrapped in my blankets continuing to read my book until I reach the final few pages and I'm called for dinner. Not wanting to put my book down I continue reading as I walk down the hallway. I make it to the table and I continue reading, no one should notice.

"Lance?" Hunk asks

"Hmm?" I say not looking up from the page

"Umm, why didn't you come to the nest?" Hunk questions

"I can't fly." I say simply

"Shiro and I were going to take you up." Keith says and I snap my head up from my book

"What?" I ask in shock

"We wanted you to join our flock. We planned to give you our feathers." Allura states "Of course the offer isn't off the table."

"You were?" I say in complete shock

They all nod and I study them carefully. They don't seem to be lying, but I don't think it's right of I join their flock. I can't even give them anything in return for feathers.

"I err- I really appreciate it..." I say laughing nervously "But I don't think it's such a good idea. I mean I can't even give you anything in return, and it's not exactly like I can bond or anything. You should probably think about this a bit more. I'm going back to my room."

I quickly leave the dining room, forgetting my book in the process. I don't want to go back to get it though, I'll just go to bed and grab it tomorrow.

Keith's P.O.V.
I watch Lance walk away wanting nothing more to go after him. I can tell he's so scared to get close to us, he's like me with getting close to people but his problem is much different from mine. He doesn't feel like he fits in with us, it's obvious with how awkward he gets when we talk about bonding or flying.

"What do we do?" Allura asks turning to us

"I don't know, it seems Lance has given up trying to join a flock." Pidge says

"At the Garrison he never really made any other friends except for me and then Pidge much later." Hunk explains "I know he doesn't have the best relationship with his family so I don't think he's ever been part of a flock."

"How can we convince him we really want to be part of our flock?" Shiro asks

"What about his book!" Pidge says jumping up "He's been reading it all day."

We walk over to the book and read what it's about. It's about a wingless Altean who doesn't feel like he fits in with his team. We start to notice the similarities between Lance and this story. I guess he really did feel left out.

"We need to fix this." I say

"Let Keith and I go." Shiro says

Everyone nods and Shiro softly pulls me along after him so we can go to Lance's room. We knock on the door but we don't get an answer. We knock again and I hear a sigh from inside, confirming Lance is inside.

"Lance, come on." I say

I hear shuffling and the door opens. Lance is standing there with puffy eyes and a blanket wrapped around him.

"What's going on?" He asks

"Lance, are you ok?" Shiro asks

"I'm fine, fine did you need something?" Lance replies

"We want to make sure you're ok." I say "Can you let us in?"

He steps aside and we walk into his room. It's really plain and not as cozy as the rest of ours, I guess he doesn't nest?

"Do you not nest?" Shiro asks

"Not really, I never really had any reason to." Lance replies, sitting on the bed "It's not like I had anyone to show me how to either."

I remember getting taught my my dad and Shiro when I was younger how nesting works. If Lance had no one close to him then I guess he would never have learnt.

"Lance, it's obvious you're not ok." I say "Why don't you let us help you?"

"Because you're wasting your time." He sighs "Look, I don't have wings so I'm never going to properly fit in with anyone let alone the team. I'm happy we're all paladins and I'm grateful I'm allowed to pilot blue but I just don't think it would be right to get closer. It's not like I can give anything in return."

I notice tears pooling in his eyes and he looks down to hide them but I notice. I sit down next to him and wrap him in a hug, wrapping my wings around him as well. It's an act of comfort and love, when you allow your wings to shield someone else.

"I just- think it would be best if you didn't try to get closer." Lance says, holding back sobs "It's just not right for me to allow others to accept me as a flock member when I'm so different. I've grown up with stores of wingless humans who got accepted into a flock and then kicked out because they couldn't bond. Yes it hurts to watch everyone else form strong bonds, especially the people you want to be close to but I understand. I'm not going to force myself into places where I don't belong."

"Lance, we want you in our flock, you're our team member, our friend," Shiro say sitting on the other side of Lance and wrapping his wings around him as well

His white wings heavily contrast my black ones. I wipe Lance's tears away but they keep on coming.

"Lance, we don't want you to feel like you don't belong." I say "I know how it feels to be on the outside of a group but you have to allow yourself to become part of the group. We want you as a flock member, we want to have a bond with you."

"Really?" He asks almost silently after a few seconds

"Really." Shiro and I both confirm

In the silence both Shiro and I pull off one of our feathers and hand it to Lance. He looks at us in shock but I see a glimpse of happiness.

"You belong with the team, you belong with us." Shiro says "Wings or not you're still Lance and you're still the boy we love. So will you take our feathers and become part of our flock, as well as our boyfriend?"

"Does-Does it even work if I don't give a feather in return?" Lance asks

"The feather is a symbol of a bond." I say "The bond is felt here."

I tap where his heart is and he blushes lightly. He nods slowly and smiles.

"I'll become part of your flock." He says softly "And your boyfriend."

We hug him tightly and press kisses to his cheeks.

"That's all we ever wanted." I say and we can finally rest easy knowing Lance is ok