[ pulled away from the hug or no, lance will settle in next to her, setting his hand to rest on the seat right behind her - not quite wrapping his arm around her, but close enough that as she rests her head on his shoulder, it's comfortable.

( there is a very specific, very warm feeling that flutters around behind his ribcage, but that's not really relevant or important in this moment, is it? ) ]

You said it. [ he says with a grin, leaning his head off to the side just enough that it settles against her white hair. ] And you should feel bad! My shoulder was sore for a week. [ still joking, still kidding, his voice still warm. he doesn't blame her in the slightest, and honestly - most of that initial meeting has slipped his mind, too many other scenarios, moments, situations, all moving in to take its place.

all in all, lance is just happy. happy where their team has grown to, happy that they've all gotten to a point where this can happen. what they've made here, as voltron, as a team and a family.

allura says that and lance exhales, smiling down at where platt settles and curls up in his lap. he reaches down with his free hand, petting at platt's head gently. ] Yeah, it's...kind of crazy to think about where I was before Voltron, and where I am now? Like. Finding Blue changed my life...and. [ the weight of what he just said settles in a second later, and lance finds himself laughing to kind of shift the focus. to try and underplay just how weighty that comment had been. ]

You can thank me all you want, Princess. I don't mind redundancies. [ *sparkle smirk* ]