#Coran is also supportive

[rory-cakes]

So, I saw that Voltron: Legendary Defenders of the Universe was leaving Netflix. And because I had never actually gotten past like season 2, I decided to binge watch all 8 seasons before it left. And here are my thoughts

WARNING SPOILERS FOR ALL SEASONS BELOW

Kaltenecker is the best character, I will take no arguments on that.

Yes I also would have liked to see lance's character development sooner but I also think he was a solid character throughout the show.

I think Lance tended to internalize a lot of things because of everything going on. Throughout the show, when everything was slowing down for a bit, you could see his character shine through, especially in the one-on-one conversations he would have with the other characters.

I think Pidge and Hunk are my favorite duo. They feed off of each other's chaos and ideas in a way that is healthy and beautiful.

Matt is hot.

That's it.

I might get hate for this but YALL GIVE ALLURA TOO MUCH GREIF.

She had her ENTIRE FAMILY AND RACE wiped out by the gulra, so of course, when she finds out that someone she considered family is half gulra, she's gonna have mixed feelings. but also she realizes her mistakes and grows from them, in overcoming her biases and accepting keith, she helped HIM accept that part of himself!!

Also while I love klance and I do think that there is something there, I think lance equally loved Allura just as much.

He was there for her, and while it took her a damn minute, she fell for Lance because of his unwavering compassion.

Also, Adam was SO Shiro's complicated situationship.

I think I would love Klance most if they got together after the events of the show. The Blade of Marmora has strong foundations as a relief group and is working well on its own. Keith goes back to earth to Lance and starts their relationship that way because it would validate Lance's feelings for Allura and their relationship by giving Lance the time to grieve and move on.

I liked the complexities of the villains and how the show showed what could happen when you strive for power in the name of peace.

I like how with each of them, it was always starting out with good intentions that some how got lost along the way.

I like how Honerva had lost her memories in the quintessence field and how when she regained them she realized how much more important her family was to her even if she went about the wrong was

Zarkon, Honerva, and Lotor were good people corrupted by bad energy, all of them were icarus in their own ways

I liked getting to see Keith grow as a leader and his friendship with Hunk is really sweet and people don't talk about them enough.

I liked how we got to see the og paladins of voltron and how we got to see each of them impart their blessings on the team.

Lance getting Alfor's approval for being with Allura was so sweet to me

I liked see how the corruption got to Allura but she was stong enough to over come in because of the support and family she had

unlike zarkon and co. who isolated themselves and allowed themselves to be consumes

I'm also glad she got to have her moments with her father.

I love the bond that she and coran had. also coran is amazing.

Quiznack = Fuck and everything becomes ten times funnier

WE COULD HAVE HAD SOUTHERN KEITH!!!!

WHY COULDN'T HE HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF HIS POP'S SOUTHERN DRAWL

I MEAN COME ON!!

also the vest that shiro wears for most of the show's is keith's dad's because shiro didn't have and clothes accept the prison clothes and I love the symbolism because shiro was like a parent/big brother to Keith

I'm also crying while writing all of this

idk where the head cannon that james griffon is a jerk came from because while yes he wasn't the greatest to Keith, Keith was also working through issues and recognises that when he apologises to iverson when they returned to earth. James actually helped keith and hunk because he knew them and what they meant to the world.

I loved the character development for lotor's group and other gulra adversaries they had.

Because people forgot that the gulra once lived peacefully and they did again.

Overall, it's a beautiful show that showcases so many complex personalities and diversities in design. I think that there are a lot of things people shit on the show for that aren't as big of deal but that's my personal opinion.

Definately top 10 all time favorite shows.

[justaz]

lance who always wanted to be a fighter pilot would NEVER be a farmer and we can throw hands if you disagree. anyways au time. allurance happens or doesn’t happen doesn’t matter but they aren’t together now. allura is queen of new altea with her advisor coran and close “friend” romelle. shiro is retired on earth w his husband adam. pidge also stays on earth and works with her parents on advancing earth’s technology. when they make breakthroughs, they relay it to matt when he pops by earth and then he takes it up into space to the rebellion who spreads it to planets that are behind on the galactic scale. hunk travels planet to planet with his moms and they connects all these different cultures and essentially does what he does in canon.

keith sort of takes over the blade and (since the war is over) turns it from a hidden rebellion group to a public aid and relief organization. they go planet to planet and help rebuild the worlds as much as they can. lance is on earth with his family but is Torn. he longed to be a fighter pilot since he was a kid, but being in space was almost unbearable bc of how bad he wanted to come home. when keith is visiting earth and talking about his travels to different planets, theres this flash of envy within lance and he comments about it. bada bing bada boom lance is joining keith into space once he leaves (he really has no idea how he gets into these things). he tells his family who are hesitant but ultimately supportive.

lance joins keith with the blade and finds himself greatly enjoying his time back up in space. he isn’t sure why until he mentions that he forgot something back of earth and keith asks if he wants to go back and grab it. lance has a choice now. he can go home if he wished and he can go up in space if he asked. when they were all kidnapped by the blue lion and jumped thru a wormhole, lance hadn’t been expecting staying up in space, away from his family, for years. the last bit of unease in lance settles and he thoroughly enjoys his time with the blade. by the time he’s set to go home, he barely even noticed time passing but he’s glad to be back.

he happens to return right as summer kicks off and he joins his family down in varadero. by the time august rolls around, he’s growing antsy again and staring up at the night sky with longing. his parents join him one night and encourage him to chase his dreams, to make younger him proud. lance says he doesn’t want to be away from his family like last time. they reassure him he won’t and point out how he could come home whenever he wished.

lance now spends end of august to beginning of june in space with keith helping planets, then june to august with his family on earth. its a good balance and makes everyone quite happy. eventually, keith starts to spend a bit more time on earth. he stops by toward the end of july and happens to catch lance’s birthday but that’s definitely purely a coincidence. keith spends a week in the states with shiro and adam then a couple of days with pidge and her family before going back down to cuba to spend the rest of august with lance before they fly back out.

rachel is the first to notice when lance and keith begin to share a bed when he stays. his mother catches them wrestling out in the water and chuckles to herself. veronica watches their hands linger against one another while doing the dishes after a family dinner that keith had attended.

its not long before keith’s time on earth extends until he’s practically following lance’s schedule. it’s not a surprise to anyone when marco walks in on lance and keith making out. he accepts responsibility as he did not knock before entering. his father had instructed them all to do so. thats on him.

[linkemon]

It's gonna be alright (Keith Kogane x Reader)

Friendly reminder that English is not my first language. You can check my Masterlists both in English and Polish here. Consider supporting me on Ko-fi. You can also check out my commissions if you’re interested.

Other oneshots can be found here.

ᴋᴇɪᴛʜ ᴛʀɪᴇꜱ ᴛᴏ ᴄᴏᴘᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ ꜱʜɪʀᴏ'ꜱ ᴅɪꜱᴀᴘᴘᴇᴀʀᴀɴᴄᴇ. ɪᴛ ɪꜱ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴏɴ ᴋɴᴏᴡʟᴇᴅɢᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴄᴏᴏᴋɪᴇꜱ ʜᴇʟᴘ. ᴏʀ ᴀᴛ ʟᴇᴀꜱᴛ ᴛʜᴀᴛ'ꜱ ᴡʜᴀᴛ [ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ] ꜱᴀʏꜱ…

ᴀᴅᴅɪᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟ ɪɴꜰᴏʀᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ: 1. ᴏɴᴇꜱʜᴏᴛ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴀɪɴꜱ ꜱᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀꜱ ꜰᴏʀ ᴇᴀʀʟʏ ꜱᴇᴀꜱᴏɴꜱ.

It was the final stretch.

I snuck out again. Doing it in the evening would mean that someone would probably catch me but at night it's much easier. If the rest of the team saw me now, I'd probably get scolded but I couldn't help myself. Hunk finally baked some edible cookies!

I grabbed a plate from the nearest shelf and helped myself to a generous amount, then rearranged the cookies that had fallen out of formation back into a pyramid. This way, no one noticed when one or two floors disappeared.

As a medical student, or rather a former student, because on Earth I've probably already been kicked out of school, I always tell my team to eat healthily. I am quite aware of the effects of overeating at night and too many sweets but everyone has smaller or larger deviations. Mine gradually started to increase after Hunk got a new recipe for blueberry cookies.

When we tasted them for the first time, I was skeptical because of their blue color. We chose Coran as the tester because no one else wanted to poison themselves. However, it turned out that we had avoided failure. They tasted like cocoa.

Since then, Hunk has been baking them almost all the time and I've been stealing them on the sly. It quickly turned out that paladins had a habit of getting up often in the middle of the night. At first I ate in the living room and almost got caught when Pidge walked by. However, I managed to find a solution. My place for a snack was the rather narrow roof, which was accessed through a window on the top floor of the castle. Perhaps someone would be able to spot me during the day but at night it was virtually impossible.

I headed there too, thinking only that in a moment I would inhale that cocoa scent again. I crossed the hall, opened the window, and then placed the plate on the tiny windowsill. I had both legs out and was just about to start eating when it turned out I wasn't alone.

Keith was now sitting in my usual seat with wide eyes. He looked ready to jump but visibly relaxed when he saw it was just me.

Well, great.

So I did the only right thing that could be done in such a situation.

— Cookie?

— Excuse me? — He asked.

— I asked if you wanted a cookie. — I sat down and offered him a plate. — Just don't betray to others because I won't have a life.

He ate it, then reached for another one.

We never got along very well, partly because we didn't know each other before I joined the team. It's true that I didn't argue with him like Lance but he had such a heavy personality that I preferred spending time with Hunk or Allura. He always seemed quite cold to me but I admired his skills and courage because he certainly had plenty of that.

The silence was quite uncomfortable, so I decided to break it.

— Nice sky.

No response from Mr. Silent.

It was beautiful. A shade of navy blue completely different than the one on Earth. Constellations unlike any I've seen. Everything was different here. The thought always brought a momentary feeling of nostalgia and longing for my family but I was used to it by now. It hasn't wanted to leave me since I got here.

— Sooo... you came to think? — I said with my mouth full.

— You could say that — he muttered.

What an elaborate statement.

— I came to eat without anyone noticing. I glanced at him. — But it didn't work out as you can see. — What are you thinking about?

I didn't receive any response.

Keith started to stand up but I grabbed his sleeve.

— It's a bit inelegant of you to leave me in the middle of a conversation now.

If this could even be called a conversation...

— Something will attack me here at night when it smells food if I stay alone. — I stuffed the cookie into myself with my free hand. — If you want, we can sit in silence — I added.

I saw his hesitation but he finally sat back down after the last sentence.

I wanted to keep my word, I really wanted to. The problem, however, was the talkativeness. Everyone around me knew perfectly well that I was loud and ubiquitous. I also had trouble keeping my mouth shut. Keith and I were basically opposites, which was one of the reasons we had limited contact.

In short, I could be irritating. No wonder I couldn't last more than a few minutes.

— If you don't want to say what you're thinking, don't say it — I started. — But if you change your mind, you know  — I stabbed him in the arm — you can vent.

— Do I look like someone who wants to talk?

No, you look like an irritated bastard.

— No but you look like someone who needs it. You know, as a pseudo-doctor on this team, I also have to take care of your mental health. I think it's just as important as physical one.

His expression softened slightly. He was clearly wondering whether he should share with me what was on his mind.

The silence grew.

This is how my career as a psychologist dies prematurely.

I actually could have given up but I felt like I wanted to help. Kind of like when I was quite little and put plasters on literally all the kids in my neighbourhood who had bad knees. This feeling turned into a passion — the desire to professionally care for others. I didn't have the opportunity to graduate because I was in the middle of another galaxy but I did my best. I tried to use everything I had at hand to help those who were saving planets and races that we had never known about before.

— It's about my leadership — he began, so quietly that I could barely hear him. — I feel bad about it. Everyone is counting on me, they want me to give them orders but I have the impression that whatever I do, wherever I step, will be wrong. I'm not even sure how to get along with you. After I came back to the team, everyone looks at me differently. I'm not like Shiro. My only hope is to find him and bring him back but I don't even know where to start looking for him.

I'm out of cookies.

— It's obvious — I felt his eyes on me — that you're not Shiro. I'm sure we'll find him but it will take some time. You shouldn't try to replace him because each of you is different — I started. — It'll take you a while to get used to your new role but you're on the right track. Maybe try spending some time with the team? We haven't known each other for very long but I'm not blind. Some people really miss you, Keith. Don't run away from them, try to talk to them, eat some cookies and everything will be fine. — I stood up, took my plate and headed to the window.

It's gonna be alright — the cliché I may have tried to say to myself a lot too but what choice did I have? What else could I tell him?

— [Reader]?

— Hmmm? — I stuck my head out.

— Thank you.

— No problem but it was Hunk who baked them — I said, smiling to myself and then started walking down the dark corridor.

Keith will make a good leader but I might still make a good doctor when I get back to Earth. I should just cut down on the cookies...

[callum-23]

just discovered ur acc, who's ur fav character? (and yeah, this is me asking for u to rant abt ur fav)

L A N C E !!!

Lance is my favourite!! For many reasons, but mostly because I relate to him on a lot of levels, mainly with

- self recognition issues, aka what happened when Lance doubted his skills as a paladin, and was thinking about stepping down.

I struggle with this, mostly as an artist, as I've seen my friends, and other people I know in life, have better skills, and most of the times doubting myself about my artist skills 😔 But I've gotten better at just focusing on my own art and in turn I felt like it helped me get better!!

- value in relationships, platonic, family, romantic even. I love how he values his relationships with the other paladins, about how he's always willing to take steps for others, comforting his friends, and always willing to step up as a person, even though he's cocky and can be full of himself (mostly in the earlier seasons) he's got a heart of gold underneath all that!!

Lance tends to put up this persona of himself being a "ladies man," the cocky flirt even. But there's so much more to his character than just that, he's not just the love interest, he tends to be the emotional support of others, a hard worker, he's also a pretty good well rounded character, he has his own flaws and insecurites, which help him become a better paladin throughout the show. Honestly, though, later, seasons mainly treat him as the "love interest," and I don't think that's really a way to describe him, as he's just SO much more than that!!

I love his dynamic with other characters, SO SO MUCH!

There's Hunk and Lance. They're basically best friends!! Best friends since the garrison, I love their moments together, even though it's not much, and mostly joking and small banter, but in the end they're really close friends who've always got eachothers backs, and knowing how close they are, makes them a really good team. They show their best values and bring out the best in each other!!

There's Pidge and Lance, who are more like a brother/sister duo, with Lance being like a second brother to Pidge. A moment that really stood out to me was Pidge dragging Lance along to help her find enough GAC to purchase a video game from the space mall, I love how Lance just simply went along with it, spending time with her as if she was his own sister, and in return, Pidge traded away a video game so that Allura could get a dress for her date with Lance, as Pidge knew how much this meant to him, even though she was reluctant at first!

Coran and Lance, having a father-son bond, similar to Shiro, being the guide for the paladins, acting as a father figure (space dad)

And then there's Keith and Lance, Keith and Lance, the "rivals" who compete for Np reason, who grow to accept eachother. A good example of acceptance shown between their bond is when the Black Lion had chosen Keith as the paladin, while at first, Lance was jealous, he learned to realise and proceeded to comfort Keith about his new position, showing that yes its going to he difficult, but he says to Keith that he is the one for the job, and gives him a fond look, stating that even though no one can replace Shiro, Keith can lead the team, and that he'll always be there with Keith. (Kinda cute as Lance sorta becomes his right hand man!) And the fact that Lance trusts Keith enough to get some words before his date with Allura, Lance going to Keith of all people when he was unsure about his place as a paladin, Lance even comforting Keith, and helping him during missions, being by his side, the jokes, the playful name calling. Everything, I love their dynamic!!

I love Lance as a character, sure, I'm still SUPER upset on how his life is after the events of the series, but in short, Lance, Lance McClain is my favourite vld character.

Literally the best sharpshooter ever !! ⬆️

[autisticlancemcclain]

prev

———

“Keith Kogane, you magnanimous dumbass, would it kill you to ask me out like a man. Something like that.”

Hunk presses the pause button. He tucks his phone back into his pocket. He turns to Shiro, expectant, prepared.

“So,” he says.

Shiro stares at the space in front of him, fingertips pressed together and in front of his face.

“So.”

“Your brother is kind of an airhead.”

“He is indeed.”

“No offense to Keith. He has his smart moments. Probably.” Hunk’s mouth twitches. “Sorry. I said that to not be mean and then immediately thought of the whole Voltron cheer situation and laughed in my head. I promise I don’t actually think Keith is stupid.”

Shiro’s mouth twitches. He forces his face to remain neutral. It is a challenge.

“Keith refused to name his pet gecko as a child,” he shares. “He insisted the gecko would reveal its name when it was ready.”

Hunk bites his lip very hard. He looks deliberately away from Shiro.

“He was thirteen.”

The yellow paladin presses his hands to his eyes. He tries visibly hard to compose himself. He fails.

“…I see.”

“My fiancé often said he must have been born blond.”

“Boy, do I have news for you.”

Shiro raises his eyebrows. “More news than your recording of Lance processing his love?”

“There was an incident beforehand,” Hunk explains. “You know how Lance does those leg stretches sometimes? When we have agility training?”

Shiro inclines his head.

“Well, apparently last week he did them in front of Keith and Keith was so distracted he walked into a wall and broke his nose. He had to go into a healing pod.”

Truly, Shiro would love to say that he’s surprised. He’d love to say that his brother, known gay, was not so fixated on a cute boy that he walked into a whole ass wall hard enough to break his nose. He would love for that to be true.

But he knows his dumbass brother.

“Oh my God.”

“And he still isn’t picking up Lance’s hints.”

“Oh my God.”

Hunk nods, patting Shiro’s hand sympathetically. “We gotta do something, man. I can’t keep watching this.” He pauses. “Also, I really want to stop hearing about what Lance thinks about Keith’s Galra form. I really can’t hear any more talk about fangs in places fangs should not be placed. It’s not good for my mental health.”

Shiro sighs. Even he has heard Lance’s mutterings about Keith’s fangs, and Lance still gets all shy and star-struck around him. At this point it’s gotta be a human rights violation.

“I’ll see what I can do,” he promises.

———

He finds his brother in the training room, because of course he does, getting absolutely demolished by the training bot.

“You’re getting your ass kicked,” Shiro observes.

Keith grunts.

Shiro makes himself comfortable at the edge of the mat, sticking a straw in a juice pouch and sipping it leaisurely as he watches the twerp get pummelled. It’s amusing, in the way watching those test-dummy car crashes are amusing. Or videos of kids crying in fear of Santa Claus.

“Level failed,” echoes the pleasant voice of Space Siri, as Lance and Pidge have dubbed the disembodied robot voice of the training room. “Try again?”

“Fuck off,” Keith mutters to it.

Shiro stretches out and pokes him with his toe. Keith only half-heartedly tries to slice him about it.

“Somebody’s brooding.”

Evidentially deciding he would rather vent in Shiro’s direction than fall for Shiro’s transparent attempts to goad him into a fight, he flops down dramatically, stealing Shiro’s juice pouch and rudely sucking back the rest of it. Fucker.

“He’s so confusing,” he says, free arm flailing. “Just — all the time.”

Shiro politely refrains from asking him to clarify. He knows who he’s talking about.

“Hm,” he says instead, supportively. “How unfortunate for you.”

“Right!” He throws his hands up in the air, sending his bayard flying in one direction and the empty juice pouch in another. Shiro watches it go with great sadness. “One second it’s — Keith, you suck so bad, ugh, you’re such a weird dweeb. And the next it’s I’m hanging out with Coran and you’re not allowed to come and also I hate you.” He looks at Shiro expectantly. “He’s so!” He gestures vaguely. Shiro assumes it’s meant to mean something.

Shiro stares at him.

“See, to me there’s no dichotomy there,” he says slowly. “You said that as if it was two different sentiments. But in fact that was the same opinion expressed twice.”

“The tone was different,” Keith insists. “The dweeb thing is affectionate. He says it in a friendship way. I’m sure of it.”

“Friendship,” Shiro echoes.

“Exactly,” Keith agrees.

Shiro hums. He’s quite sure, now, that he is not going to explain to Keith in any words of his own how much of an oblivious dumbass he is. There is no sentence or string of sentences that Shiro can use to demonstrate just how obvious Lance is being, and how obtusely Keith is responding. He’s going to have to be clearer than that.

But. For his own amusement.

“Could you maybe explain how Lance shows his friendship to you? So I can better understand, of course.”

“Well, for starters, he says we’re enemies but always wants to pair up,” Keith says. “That’s friendship, right?”

“That’s certainly one way to put it, sure.”

“And the fact that we hang out so often.”

“Of course.”

“And the clothes stealing, of course. Lance says I have gross mullet germs but he’s always stealing my jackets, so that doesn’t add up.”

Shiro purses his lips. That is — whew. Poor Lance is in the trenches.

Keith pouts. “I just don’t get why he flips around it all the time, man. I mean, one second he’s all smiles and nudging my shoulders, and the next he’s bright red and stomping away. He’s so confusing!”

Shiro can take this no longer.

“Keith, I am going to show you something,” he says, digging his phone out of his pocket and pulling up the file Hunk sent him. “Okay?”

“…Okay,” Keith says hesitantly.

Shiro stares at him for a moment longer. Then he sighs, shoves the phone into Keith’s hands, and presses play.

The video starts shaky, audio muddled, and when it clears Lance is lying sprawled on Hunk’s bed, pillow strewn dramatically to the side.

“I just wish I could get it through his fool head that he is loved by me particularly in such a way that I want to hold hands and kiss and generally be nuisances of the affectionate kind. You know, romance,” he is saying.

Keith goes still next to him. With every passing word his jaw drops lower and lower.

“You could also ask him out like a man,” Hunk is explaining.

“Choke and die,” responds video-Lance, and then the audio cuts. Shiro puts his phone away.

“So?”

“I have to go immediately,” Keith says. He’s up and halfway out the door before Shiro can blink.

“Shower first!” he calls. “You just sweated it up with the training hot for God knows how long. Wash off before you do anything romcom-y.” Keith disappears around the corner. “Keith, do you hear me? Shower first! Keith!”

———

next

[keithkog]

How did you come out?

I didn’t. Liking guys has been a fact of life for me ever since I was young, it was just something I never gave any focus to. I was too busy with other worries. When war was finally over and we were winding down, that’s when I started thinking more about my feelings.

I guess you could consider me and Lance starting to date as me coming out. Shiro was the first person who knew, and obviously he was very supportive. I think the only people who seemed surprised was Hunk and Coran. Hunk was supportive, but I think he wanted to talk to Lance about it. For what reason? No idea. Coran also talked to Lance in private, but at least for that one I knew what it was about.

Allura’s death still weighed heavily on us, and I think he was making sure Lance actually did love Allura. I do not doubt Lance’s love for Allura, as Coran did, but I also do not doubt his love for me. You can love more than one person in your lifetime, and just because he loved Allura does not mean he loves me any less, vice versa too.

-Keith

[keithbutgay]

autistic keith headcanons because i can part 1

Shiro was the person to bring it up with Keith and go to get him tested. He had been heavily masking but as he started to trust and open up to Shiro, he slowly started subtly stimming more, and not hiding his autistic traits

Little by little, he begins to open up to the others. Mostly to Lance at first, but when Pidge discovered him having a meltdown in the kitchen after a really hectic day and helped him through it, he began to trust them as well. It takes a while, but everyone fully supports him and does their best to help however they can

When Keith is overstimulated and needs pressure, Kosmo makes it his personal duty to lie on top of Keith until he feels better as like a fluffy weighted blanket

He needs his gloves to feel comfortable. They provide a sense of security to him, and help him with his sensory issues. They're really hard to wash though, and not very durable, so when the first pair fell apart Keith panicked and would not calm down until Shiro found an extra pair of his in a bag. After that, they bought three other pairs in different colors just in case. Keith loves them.

Since he is part Galra, Keith's ears are even more sensitive to sound. He is usually able to keep it handled with earplugs and headphones, but it often becomes too much for him, especially with the Castle's constant humming and fluorescent lighting. Fortunately, Coran, Pidge, and Hunk were able to work together to dim the lights in his room, helping with the lighting, and created a switch that would soundproof the room. Keith also loves to hang out in the soundproof training room for that reason, although the lights are a massive issue in there too.

[kismetconstellations]

@sockdooe Are there legitimately, truly, and genuinely people who fight about that?

I'm pretty sure that the Black Lion, herself, definitively answered that question.

She came to Shiro's aid by awakening and allowing Keith to pilot her when Shiro was being attacked and on the verge of losing his life to those raptor creatures in the second season's opening episode.

She severed Zarkon's connection to her in favor of bolstering her bond with Shiro, because Shiro understood that the relationship between Lion and Paladin is "not about power. It's about earning each other's trust."

And, she cherished Shiro enough to hold onto his essence after his body was destroyed.

Shiro was the first to master seeing through his lion's eyes, all the way back in Season One.

He and Black had a deep enough desire and willingness to fully understand one another that she showed him her history and abilities that she and Shiro had yet to unlock together.

There's no debate to be had, here. Shiro is the ultimate Black Paladin, as determined by the Black Lion, herself.

I can only guess that there's an element of ageism, perhaps even ableism, and undoubtedly superficial vanity at play when it comes to the fandom's preference for Keith, Lance, and the pairing of the two of them that shall not be named. Keith and Lance are skinny, elfin-faced twinks with a cliche rivalry and certain vulnerabilities that appeal more to the younger demographic. Shiro is a square-jawed, six-foot-tall adult man with bulging biceps and abs of steel, and the sort of trauma that would take years to even begin processing, let alone healing from, who seems to be much more popular with the older, adult fans, and Eastern audiences. The younger, American fans took to calling Shiro a "dad", after all, despite him being twenty-five years-old; nowhere near old enough to be a father to any of the teenagers he finds himself put in charge of. I've also seen Keith/Lance shippers calling Shiro "Keith's dad", which feels vaguely racist, and arguing that Shiro "raised" Keith, which is ludicrous. It doesn't help at all that the show, itself, feeds into the ageism and ableism by sweeping Shiro's trauma under the rug, sidelining him when he's down an arm, and sequestering him and Coran off with the other adults while the teenaged- sans Keith, who was at least twenty-one throughout the latter half of the seventh and whole of the eighth season- Paladins go off on their adventures.

I know the intention was to kill Shiro off permanently before the producers vetoed it due to Shiro's popularity and status as the show's only (living, explicitly confirmed, and relevant) gay character. Perhaps because he has no one-to-one equivalent character in the original series this was a remake of, and Keith was the leader in that same original series, so he was destined to be the leader, here, as well. Or, because the VLD showrunners were under the- delusional- belief that they could have Keith redo what Shiro had already done, only better, somehow, because they prioritized spectacle over narrative substance. Regardless, it's apparent that Shiro is only still around out of obligation, come the eighth season, and there was no desire on the writers' parts to further explore or develop his character. Hence him having no family, and, by extension, no real support system, being largely isolated from everyone, only really getting to shine in an episode that's half filler and unintentionally perpetuates more ableism, and then being married off to a "character" who might as well be a glorified piece of set dressing for all of the personality and importance he's given.

It's absolutely mind-boggling to me that,

1. The majority, or at least the most vocal parts of the fanbase cared more about shipping and complaining about being "queerbaited" over Lance/Keith when Shiro is right there.

And, 2. It seems like Josh Keaton, Shiro's voice actor, was the only member of the crew who truly appreciated Shiro, enough to offer his personal headcanon about Shiro's family- that Shiro was raised by his grandfather- state that he intentionally gave the clone's voice a harder edge compared to Shiro's softer, gentler tones in order to distinguish between the two of them, showing his implicit understanding of Shiro's character, and even made a video tribute to Shiro after the show had ended.

Aww, thank you for enjoying my angry rant on Shiro's behalf. Believe me, it burns that Shiro is overlooked entirely as the stepping stone he was on the path toward gay representation in children's media, purely because this show's quality plummeted so hard, and the fandom earned itself a reputation as one of the worst in recorded history. He deserves to be honored and celebrated, as not only a proud gay man who told Pidge that "owning who you are is going to make you a better Paladin", but also as a trauma survivor who strove to remain gentle, patient, and kind, and devote his life to saving others.

And, yes, he also deserves the best therapist in the universe, and all of the cuddles. ❤

[greenrow]

Working on a project together

Lance thinks he's so sneaky (he's not)

this is an adaptation from @herodzn other klance comic

you can also find it on ao3 here

They were in Keith’s collage room. It was a cozy little space, walls filled with posters with his favourite movies and bands. Keith had his laptop open on his lap, typing away for the project they had to deliver for professor Coran’s class. His back was being supported by two fluffy pillows, making him sink into them a bit.

Lance, who was previously scanning the book for any type of information that might be helpful for their project, glance up taking in Keith’s concentrated face. He could see Keith’s eyes scanning his screen, his left eyebrow scrunching the slightest. His bangs were falling into his eyes, escaping from the half up-do he had made some 20 minutes ago. Lance took a mental note of how Keith’s hair had grown since their first year. He thought back to that time. How it seemed as if they couldn’t stand each other, just like water and oil. Fire and ice, red and blue. He bit back the little giggle threatening of escaping his throat. First year him would be so confused if he knew that, right now, Lance was sitting in Keith’s bed, barely a foot away from him, using Keith’s own pillow to support his back.

Tilting his head, Lance lets his eyes rest on Keith’s figure just a moment longer. He could feel how his cheeks grew warmer. Maybe it was the temperature in the room, the comforting light pink walls making it cosier somehow, or, maybe, it was all because of Keith. Him in his ugly blue sweater (although ugly wasn’t the first word popping in Lance’s mind while looking at the boy), his trademarked black pants and his messy hair. Lance wanted to rip his hair out from just what Keith made him feel. Nonetheless, Lance keeps his eyes trained on him and his smile grows softer.

Keith’s voice rang in the previous silent room, slicing it.

“Hey, Lance? Do you know if we-”, he cuts himself off, lifting his head from his computer screen, finally.

“Uh?”, he says out loud, tilting his head to the side slightly. He wasn’t expecting Lance’s eyes to be on him already. And, most of all, he was not expecting to see that look in Lance’s eyes. Soft adoration.

Keith knew all to well about that look. Shiro would not stop teasing him about it when they had their weekly hang out sessions. He would always comment how Keith’s eyes would soften comically fast while looking at Lance. How Keith looks at him like he hung the very stars he’s so passionate about. Keith would always deny it, but he knew it. Knew Shiro’s observation was right. How Keith’s eyes would automatically look for Lance in a crowded room, how he would seek his companionship in their group, how he made sure to present professor Coran all the reasons for why they should be allowed to work together in this project. He knew what he felt for Lance went beyond what normal friends feel like. He loved Shiro like a brother would, he loved Pidge and Hunk as friends. Hell, he even loved Allura as a friend, now, as well. But, Lance… Lance was different. He had always been different. Made him feel different. He wanted to have a different relationship with Lance, something beyond being just friends. Something more. But for now he would stay put. For now, just having Lance feel comfortable around him was enough.

Keith observed how Lance’s expression changed to one of shock. He looked flustered. He looked away for a second, at the wall to his left, taking in the posters littered on his wall. He quickly looked back to the book in his hands.

“Oh.. Sorry, I spaced out…”

Lance’s voice came soft, almost shy like. Keith couldn’t help the smile creeping way to his face. They locked eyes once more when Lance, almost defiantly, glanced up. They held eye contact for what felt like an eternity (it was a few seconds at best). Looking down to their respective literatures, they kept on working on their project. A silent question dangling over their heads. They would answer it some other time.

For now, they would freeze this time.

For now, they would finish their assignment.

[noahideahwrites]

About the alpha — Multifandom

Notes: This is in no way, shape, or form how you have to imagine their meetings or who they are in my writings, I always try to keep these vague, but in case you want to know how I think their story and meeting with the omegas would go.

I will do Inuyasha's characters separately, cause I think of so many ways they could meet each other, and that's to all of the characters.

Warnings: might have grammar errors, heavy spoilers on HTTYD, and mild on Voltron (principally Shiro's and Lotor's)

Now I must explain this first, when I make a Character x Reader I don't normally include the other characters having an Alpha(Reader), so if in certain scenarios where they would be the "same person" just think of two different universes.

I'm also aware that some of these might change significantly or completely the plotline of their anime/series.

» Voltron:

For Keith and Lance, I imagine the alpha being an Altean who was with Coran and Allura, more specifically Allura's older brother (by a maximum of 5 years).

For Hunk the alpha is another race of aliens, I cannot choose between Galra and Olkari, so maybe a hybrid of both. I just know I would love for his alpha to be a Blade of Marmora member.

For Shiro is a lot more simple, they would be a human, either part of the Atlas crew or a civilian he met after the war. If he met them before the Cerberus mission (like Adam), I do think Alpha would also go to the mission.

Now for Lotor is more complicated, I would love for him to have a childhood friend with who he fell in love in the future, but for that to happen they would have to be Galra and I don't know if he would fall in love with a Galra considering what he said about them on his close to last moments. So he might fall in love before his hatred started, that's the only way this could ever work.

» Stardew Valley:

Obviously, for both Sam and Sebastian, the alpha would be the new farmer, but I think the way they would meet is different.

While Sam has seen the farmer around town and pretty early on have talked to them and become friends, that's a little more difficult for Sebastian, who spends most of his days inside his room.

So the farmer will have heard of him by Sam and Robin, maybe even Abigail and Maru, but has never seen him. The first time they see each other is on a rainy day when Sebastian decides to go to the beach.

» How To Train Your Dragon:

Hiccup and Snotlout would only date someone who's from Berk, preferably a fellow Dragon Rider. For Dagur we have two ways, either alpha was a dragon hunter and redeem themselves with Dagur, or they're a Defender of the Wing member who worked close to the Dragon Riders on some missions (I love Dagur and Mala as a couple, even though it was kind of rushed).

For Viggo, he would only date a Dragon Hunter, but they would've only become one because of him, they wouldn't feel pleasure in killing or slaving dragons. When he went to hide after falling into the volcano, he would have made his alpha hide with him, and on his redeem, they both would die.

» Boku no Hero:

For all three of them (Bakugou, Todoroki, and Kirishima), their alpha is in the hero support class and they're the ones responsible for their omega's hero suit. Or they're at a maximum a civilian, I cannot see them dating another hero, I don't know why.

» Nanbaka:

These are quite simple also, for Musashi and Liang alpha would have to be an inmate, but not for a serious crime like murder, maybe they're in for robbery (for survival) or for escaping arrest/prison.

For Hajime, they would either be a civilian who visits him from time to time, or another guard as long as their relationship doesn't affect their work.

Enki depends on the time, if they met when he was a guard then they would have to be a guard, but if they met when he became an inmate, then they would also have to be an inmate.

[discordiansamba]

Still working on the Voltron/Pacific Rim Crossover, but i decided I’m keeping the different alien species

so the Galra lost their planet (and king and queen) to the kaiju, Altea barely kept their planet and they’re working to help other planets.

they find earth and Altea geeks out because Earth has the same plan as they did with the jaegars (though Altea only has Voltron and finding five people compatible with each other and the lions is more difficult than they expected), and are quick to help fix the brain frying problem.

there are differences in how each species can drift, but solo piloting is a bad idea for anyone regardless of species

alteans can drift with anyone with no consequences, but there are exceptions (Coran can’t, much to his frustration, he managed exactly once with Alfor but can’t repeat the process) and Altea isn’t going to risk their princess, no matter how much she wants to fight.

humans need to be drift compatable, but can recover from losing a partner. they are a bit more prone to chasing rabits compared to the other species

galra are only drift compatible with one partner, and losing that partner leaves them unable to drift with anyone else. those that lose their partner become part of the blades, a unit of Galra who are on earth to help monitor the earth’s rift and fly small ships to support the jaegars in combat. Krolia loses her husband and keith’s father and is the only galra who is stubbornly retesting to see if she can become drift compatible with her son if something happens to Shiro. (there are also concerns about Keith, which makes his ability to connect with others not Shiro a surprise)

the exception to both Galran and Altean is Lotor, but unfortunately, it’s not a good thing. he’s had multiple partners but they all break it off if they don’t get killed. his last partner before story was Romelle (here a cousin to Allura), who when kind describes him as all take and no give in the drift. when ticked off she’ll call him a royal brat, which everyone finds a bit rich given her new partner is her younger brother who is a brat to everyone that isn’t her. (her partner before Lotor was her older brother, but he went mia after a bad battle ripped their jaegaer in two)

Lotor takes his leave in roughly end of the begning start of the middle of the story, giving up on earth and doing something with the druids he says will stop the kaiju for good. He takes his jaegar and a few other hybrid Galra with him. unsurprisingly this ticks off everyone including the blades who remain on earth.

it later turns out he and the druids were making robeasts, and Romelle and her little brother both get angry when they realize Lotor used their mia older brother to make one, while lotor fails to read the room and explains the use of kaiju sized warriors is better than jaegars and voltron, and seriously damages the galra’s relationship with other races

still working on exactly what happens when, but our paladins will be sealing the rift on earth and taking voltron to help other planets under attack by Kaiju (and Lotor’s Robeasts who aren’t helping matters) and title is still tbd

[bluedemon1995]

KIDGE content…

Imagine…

AU where Katherine Holt has a massive crush on Lance, from afar. She is socially awkward because she skipped a few grades and now is the youngest person at the college/university. She gets recruited by Coran for his robotics club and there she meets Allura. Allura instantly wants to be friends but Katherine is shy and self conscious. She’s used to being in the background, the brains behind the curtain so to speak. Allura is patient though, she knows how it feels to be different. So she chips away at her walls. Besides she doesn’t want to change her just change everyone else’s perspective…especially Katherine’s. Once she finds out about Katherines crush on Lance she decides to use that line to tug.

Katherine is smart, witty and a bit devious. Unknown to Alllura, Katherine also goes by Pidge and is currently a consultant for her brother and his partner who works for the FBI. She does a lot of the computer work with Matt. Initially Shiro was very against Pidge helping but after getting to know her, he can’t help but be impressed. Hell, he’s half in love with her and knowing she doesnt connect well with people her age, he deliberately hangs out with both the Holts. Hiijinks ensure and their bond helps Pidge blossom.

Meanwhile, Allura starts dating the new guy at school-Lotor. Who has some conflicts with Lance and his friend Hunk. It’s around this time that Lance starts to notice Katherine, who he quickly nicknames Katie. She’s tiny, quiet and supportive. She always seems to be smiling and laughs at all his jokes. As Allura starts to hang out with Lotor, Katie falls into hanging out with Lance and Hunk. Hunk loves her, she eats all his cooking and she is wicked smart. They join the robotics club and are soon winning much of the competitions. Until they join an underground fight club for their robots.

The only reason they are doing the whole underground fighting however is because Pidge had overheard how her brother hit a bunch of blocks on the current case. So she dropped breadcrumbs for Lance to follow, which he of course ran for and somehow it was his idea to compete. It’s here that Lance sees his old nemeses Keith.

But Pidge has done her research and she knows that Keith is old friends with Shiro-so she instantly puts him in the friend column, especially after doing a deep five into his history via some hacking. Fortunately, he’s friends with Acxa who is friends with Lotor who Pidge believes is somehow connected to all this.

Paths are crossed. And while Keith doesn’t hate Lance, he does make his presence known. So Keith naturally observes Katie, who is kinda dating Lance. The more he watches the more he doesn’t understand. How does everyone thing Katie is so sweet and nice? She’s sarcastic. She’s tricky. She’s suddenly all he can think about. He’s constantly searching for that moment, that glint she gets when she does something…un-Katie like. But is like he’s the only one who sees. It drives him mad. He’s obsessed.

One day, he sees some guys hassling her and he goes to step in, not even thinking she could take care of herself. But boy does she. She wipes the ground with the guys and Keith witnesses it all. He calls her on it. She shrugs it off as self defense, duh.

But now Katie realizes Keith is onto her. What to do…she needs help and she hasn’t told her brother…yet. Then suddenly there’s a raid at the fight, and chaos ensues. At some point Keith is trapped and he’s ready to bash some heads when Katie appears. She pulls him along to one of her preplanned exit plans when she sees an opportunity to hack the mainframe that is usually heavily guarded. Decided she has to go with her gut, she tells Keith and of course he’s in. With zero thought. Watching her, Keith grins, satisfied with the knowledge he was right. She was so much more than she appeared.

Obviously a slow burn where Keith fell first, and Katie realizes, a crush is so much different than love…

[icypantherwrites]

RAINN Support Event: Day3

For each story that I link to and post a quote for, if you leave an engaged comment on the day it is posted I will donate $1 to RAINN. For reference, an engaged comment is 100+ words about that story and those words cannot include copied text from the story to beef it up (if you have over 100 words without that and would like to quote, feel free). In the event I post a chaptered fic you do not have to leave a comment on the final chapter; any chapter of the work works :) Also do not mention donations or any type of "monetary" word in your comment as apparently I can get suspended again for even others commenting such.

I'll keep a running tally on each day's quote for how much I'll be donating and I'll donate the final amount at the end of April or whenever AO3 restores To Become the Nightmare, whichever comes first. Please feel free to share these posts to help spread the word and raise even more money for RAINN!

Current total to donate: $1

Ginger and Lilac Tea (April 22, 2024)

“The universe is full of beautiful stars,” Coran said quietly. “Each star is unique, is beautiful, and shines. But they are all alone. However, with a constellation… it brings those lonely stars together so that they, for however brief a time, are not quite so alone, and make something even more beautiful together.” 

Keith’s eyes stung and he hurriedly blinked, hands curling into fists on his thighs.

And then he startled as a hand descended on his shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze.

“We are like the stars, Keith,” and the use of his name had Keith startling and looking up to find Coran’s eyes upon him. “We each have our own bit of brightness to add to the universe. And we shine brightest when we come together and can share our light with one another.”

[ittybittyteddie]

❤️ Keith Agere Headcanons! ❤️

Keith is an age regressor, but no one really knows what his specific age range is. The others just know that typically, he regresses to be really little, often times 2- unless it's a rare occasion that he can tell them otherwise

Shiro is his main caregiver! Keith usually calls him either Dada or Daddy

Also Keith is aroace

And trans

Keith is really shy and embarrassed about his regression, and fears what the others will think of him for it, but they're all so patient, kind and understanding. It really doesn't take too long for them to love the fear right out of him

Shiro is very protective of Keith, even when he isn't regressed, so it takes him a while to let the others watch him on their own. It isn't that he doesn't trust them, he does, he just harbors a lot of guilt about the times he wasn't able to be there for Keith. Now he can't stand the thought of anything else happening to his little one and him not being there for him the second he needs him

Eventually Shiro gets to the point where he can let the others watch him, though. It takes a while, sure, but they get there. The team is really happy about it, wanting to spend some time with Keith when he's regressed, too, which Shiro thinks is very sweet and Keith thinks is very embarrassing

Everyone has A Thing that they usually do with Keith if they're watching him:

Hunk has the best baking helper ever, letting Keith pour pre-messured ingredients and stir whatever it is that they set out to make (usually cookies--Keith loves cookies). The little one doesn't even complain about the clean up, just happy to spend some time with Hunk making yummy treats to share

Lance is amazing at playing simple but fun baby games with Keith, keeping him happy and giggling for hours. Peek-a-boo is a favorite of Keith's, especially when Lance does silly faces and voices! Lance cuddles are also top tire

Pidge builds the best pillow forts for Keith and herself to burrow into, complete with tons of blankies, stuffies, fairy lights, snacks, story books, Keith's favorite pacifier, and Pidge's laptop open and ready for a movie or two after story time. 9 times out of 10, they end up found hours later, both sound asleep and curled up together

Allura was very new to the concept of age regression but quickly learned all about it. She sort of became a second caregiver for Keith, doing pretty much everything that Shiro does with him, from cuddling to feeding to bathing. It isn't unusual to find her working with a dozing Keith safe and sound in her arms while Shiro is off doing more hands on work or leading the others in training that Keith was simply too small to participate in

Coran is very much the storyteller that Keith had only dreamed of having before. He delights the baby with fascinating tales about his time in the Altean military, but making age appropriate for Keith, of course. He also happily fills Keith in on a lot of fun alien animal facts

Everyone keeps track of his binder time, making sure that he doesn't go over 8 hours a day--less after particularly difficult battles--and that he gets breaks from binding when he needs them

Somehow, someway, Keith has yet to slip during battle. But almost as soon as a battle is over, his headspace tends to come crashing in all at once, rather than being a gradual feeling that he sinks into like when it isn't brought on from fighting. It's in cases like this where he’s the most upset in his headspace and is in need of lot of love and support from the others

Keith is a very well behaved baby, which is kind of a surprise to, well, everyone. He's happy to fallow the rules that Shiro makes for him, and tries his very best to remember to use his manners. He even tries to use his words to tell the others how he's feeling, even if it's just basic words like sad, mad, icky, sleepy, etc

When he does manage to get into trouble, usually all it takes is a lecture from Shiro to set him straight, but on harder days, a time out is needed. Sometimes Keith feels really guilty after, but Shiro is always quick to reassure Keith that he's still a very good, very sweet little boy and that making a bad decision doesn't make him a bad person

Usually Keith is mostly non-verbal when he's feeling small. He tends to communicate using sounds and gestures and basic ASL. He and Shiro are learning it together to try to make communicating a bit easier

Shiro was able to find a purple stuffed animal at the space mall that looks almost like a hippopotamus--the only difference is that this creature has six legs instead of four. Keith falls in love with the gift immediately, carrying it with him every single place that he goes. It doesn't matter if he's playing, napping, eating, being changed, or having a bath: Hippo is right there by his side

God help them when Kosmo comes into the picture. It's pure chaos masked by delighted squeals and giggles, and the excited howls of a teleporting cosmic space wolf

[autisticlancemcclain]

prev chapter

– – –

The mission falls apart.

Keith wishes he was surprised. 

They lose communication with Hunk right from the get-go, following a giant explosion that collapses a good third of the entire base. Keith feels the panic begin to grow, then – not Hunk, not Hunk, we can’t lose Hunk, our support, our nurturer, our engineer, our friend. 

“Keith, focus! He’s fine! Explosions mess with the comm’s radio waves, you know that!”

Keith forces himself to swallow, to focus on the very real threat of armed Galran general in front of him. His focus is fucking shot, today, it’s ridiculous, he’s usually better than this. 

But something does not feel right. 

Keith continues to provide the main distraction in the control room, double blades slashing and stabbing anyone who comes close. Lance is perched somewhere above him, firing shot after shot and never once missing. 

Keith forces his hands to stop shaking, to hold the blades steadily. 

Shiro is covering Pidge. They’re sending updates. They’re both fine. Allura is ripping the entire experimental warfare department apart with her bare hands. (These fuckers have nothing on her superstrength.) Coran is shooting down every single reinforcement fleet and keeping the pods up and running. Hunk’s radio waves are simply blocked, he’s fine.

A blue laser flies millimetres away from his ear, nailing a soldier in the head right before they lift their blaster to blow Keith’s head off. Keith smiles despite himself.

Lance is fine, too. 

“I’m done here. Who needs help?” Allura doesn’t even sound like she’s broken a sweat, which is entirely like her and also entirely unfair. Keith is suddenly aware that his undersuit is drenched, which is disgusting and also distracting.

“We’re good. I’ve managed to take care of any soldier to come close to us – there haven’t been many, Keith and Lance have been handling most of them; great job, guys – and Pidge is almost done.”

“Alright, Shiro. Lance and Keith, I’m coming to you.” 

Keith stops listening after that. Not that there’s much to listen to, he doesn’t think. He lets his brain settle into the rhythm of the fight, synching his breaths with every slash of his sword, matching every turn and flick of his eyes to his heartbeat. He is, in some backward way, grateful for a routine he is familiar with, even if it’s stressful and kind of horrible. He notices when Allura finally makes it into the fray – his whole job is noticing everything and reacting to it – because it is, honestly, kind of hard to miss her ear-splitting battle cry and the sound of her massive axe helpfully removing the burden of several Galran soldier’s heads from their bodies. 

Time passes, or it doesn’t. Keith’s not a hundred percent sure. All he knows is that just when he thinks he and the rest of the team – who trickled in eventually, Hunk’s arrival especially drawing several cries of relief – think they have finally thinned out the room, a new surge of soldiers and sentries crowds the room and they have to drag themselves alert again lest they literally die. 

A myriad of curses fill the comms at a new wave, the bridge they’re fighting in become more crowded and more dangerous. 

That is not what worries Keith. 

He has three soldiers and four sentries turn to him at once, weapons bared, danger attacking him from all angles. He barely has the time to react, and fully misses a shot from one of the sentry's blasters, burning a hole into one of the unprotected parts of his armour which stings like a swarm of wasps.

That is not what worries Keith, either. 

Quietly, almost silently, in fact so slight it might be a figment of Keith’s anxious imagination, there’s a breathy noise over the comms, a sharp inhale. And Keith realises he has not seen blue laser fire flashing steadily, knocking down adversaries one by one with ease. 

That is what worries Keith. 

“Lance, status report,” Keith orders immediately. He immediately notices the sudden stiffness in Shiro’s shoulders, right next to him, and hears Hunk echoing Keith’s worry. Matters are made worse by the several minutes that pass before Lance replies. 

“Um, could be better,” Lance says quietly, clearly out of breath. “Really wishing I was a flounder right now. They can move their eyes to the back of their head, you know. Real useful skill. You guys are going to need it.”

“Lance, darling, the point,” Allura says, voice short and more sharply space-British than usual. “You need to get to it.”

There’s another moment of hesitation, and Keith can practically hear Lance’s thoughts, desperately hoping he can resolve the situation on his own before asking for help, because Lance hates being vulnerable although he’d rather die than admit it. Keith is genuinely better at asking for help than Lance, and Keith has never been out-stubborned in that particular avenue before. 

“I got shoved off my perch,” Lance admits eventually. As soon as he says it, Keith realises it’s not his usual laser-focus that is making his breathing so heavy, nor is it frustration, but an injury from falling twenty-six fucking feet. 

“Lance,” shout several frustrated voices in unison, including Keith’s. 

“Injuries,” Pidge snaps. Out of the corner of his eye, Keith watches her whip her bayard forward with particularly brutal strength, perfectly calculated to knock out an entire squad of sentries. “List them. Now.”

“Nothing fatal,” Lance assures. “In fact I might not even bruise.”

“Lance,” Allura warns, again. Keith wonders if Keith is going to hear Lance’s name echoed in his nightmares, voices of the team tinged in panic, calling for him again and again and never getting a straight answer. Keith has always admired Lance’s ability to lighten a room, but it scares him, sometimes. He wonders against his will if Lance will die laughing, with his final joke still hanging in the air like a noose.

The thought makes him gag, stomach twisting painfully and violently. He doesn’t want to even imagine it, and hates himself for imagining it anyway. 

 “It’s fine,” Lance says eventually. “I didn’t fall on my head, or anything. And the armour held up pretty well, so any and all damage to my extremities is contained.”

“Lance!” Keith shouts, and it echoes over and over in his head. “Please, for the love of God.”

Lance laughs, high strung and pained, the first cracks in his faith and his fearlessness and his hope. “I can’t move,” he says, and he almost sounds giddy, and he laughs again, and the panic floods through. “I sprained my wrist. And. Um. You know how the knee bends one way? Mine bends the other, now. I’m stuck. It’s funny, kind of, huh? ”

There’s a beat of hesitation before the entire team whips to face Lance, everyone’s mouth dropped at the same time, same terror written on their faces, same shouts pushing their way past their throats. 

Keith sees as Lance’s other leg, not bent grotesquely, finally gives out. He sees as Lance’s back hits the wall. He sees the shattered glass of Lance’s helmet. He sees as his face crumples in pain and he drops his gun. He sees Lance look up, brown eyes clouded in panic, locked with Keth’s. He sees Lance’s mouth open, hears an aborted ‘k’ sound over the comms. 

He doesn’t see who shot the bullet. But he does see the perfectly circular hole that burns through Lance’s forehead. And he sees the light die from Lance’s eyes before he can finish begging Keith to save him. 

– – –

next chapter

[burritello3000]

Klance Launch Date

Basically Launch Date, but with Klance instead of Allurance :))))))))

Lance sat at a cafeteria table, absentmindedly stirring his coffee. He didn’t normally drink coffee at this time of day, but he found it helped to calm his nerves. 

Hunk sat down across from him, a smile on his face. “Launching tomorrow. The big day.” Lance zoned out as his best friend continued. “Oh, it seems like it was forever ago when we piled into the Blue Lion and blasted out into space. Man, we had no idea what we were getting into!” 

“Yeah,” Lance agreed, still not really listening.

“But now it’s different,” Hunk said. “We’ve seen it all. We’re rugged veterans now, going back into battle one last time.”

Lance hummed. “Yup.” 

“Guess that makes us heroes or something? … Like the type of heroes that would have their own TV show!” The yellow paladin chuckled, clasping his hands together. “Did you watch it, Lance? Ah, it’s so cool! It’s so cool. They got you spot-on, but Coran is like…” Hunk made a face. “He’s all super serious and stuff. 

“And Allura is a little… I don’t know, she’s different. Keith is friendly!” Hunk laughed like that was the funniest thing he’d ever heard. Keith’s name caught Lance’s attention. “He’s happy all the time. I mean, they got it so wrong.” 

Lance frowned. Keith could be friendly with people he liked! There just… wasn’t a lot of people that he really liked.

Before he could interrupt, Hunk kept talking. “Plus, I think they’re hinting at some romance between him and Allura.”

Lance jumped out of his seat, slamming his hands on the table. “What?! Keith and Allura? No! It should be Keith and Lance!” He sat down, realizing what he’d just said. He lowered his voice. “Uh, I mean it should be Lance and Allura. Saying it should be Keith and Lance would imply that I have a crush on him. Which I don’t… And besides, Keith is gay! Like, everyone knows that.”

His friend raised an eyebrow. “Uh huh, sure. Anyways, a love triangle?” He pointed a finger gun at Lance. “I like where you’re taking this.” 

The blue paladin sighed. “No, no. It’s not about that…” 

“Wait, that’s right. You said you were going to invite Keith to dinner at your house.” Hunk’s voice started to grow louder. “Oh, you asked him, didn’t you? Ah, and he said no. Oh. Oh, man. And here I am, rubbing your face in it. Sorry, buddy—”

Lance cut him off. “Keep your voice down! He didn’t say no. I… Well, I haven’t asked him yet. And I’m scared to…” 

“You chickened out?” 

“I didn’t chicken out!” Lance growled, putting his face in his hands. “I just… My family doesn’t know I’m bisexual. I know they’ll support me,” he added. “But I’ve got a good thing going with Keith right now! We’re finally friends, and I don’t want to ruin that if he doesn’t like me back. Maybe this just isn’t the right time…”

Hunk frowned. “No, Lance. What? It’s the only time. After tomorrow, we’re back in space fighting the Galra. There is no other time, literally. And I can’t believe how oblivious you are!” His voice softened. “Keith has clearly had a crush on you since, like, forever. Also, you two already bicker like an old married couple, so you’re already one step there! You’re asking him today, and that is final, young man.” 

Lance thought about it. Maybe Keith did like him, and he’d just pushed him away with his stupid made up rivalry. “… Thanks, man,” he said, standing up. I’ll ask him after the meeting today!” 

As Lance walked away, he suddenly realized something. Wait… do we really fight like an old married couple?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Keith strood through the hallway, going through his mental checklist. Alright. I’ve packed my stuff. Maybe I should take Kosmo for a walk? Yeah, he would like that. I should also spend some time with Black tonight. I think Kosmo needs a bath. Would Black like a wash, too? Do the Lions even need cleaning? I’ll ask her lat—

“Hey, uh, Keith?” 

He stopped, Lance’s voice cutting through his thoughts. Keith smiled. “Hey, Lance. What’s up?” 

Lance ran up to him, panting. He stopped, leaning over and trying to catch his breath. “Dude, why do you walk so fast?”

“I don’t walk fast. Maybe you’re just slow.”

The blue paladin glared at him, spluttering. “I-I’m not slow, Mullet! I like to stroll. You on the other hand…” Lance ran a hand down his face. “Oh god, we do argue like an old married couple.”

Keith's eyes widened. Had he heard that right? “What?” 

“Nothing!” the Cuban boy yelped, straightening his posture. “Anyways, I was just, uh, checking in. So, how are…  things?” 

“Um.” Lance looked sweaty and nervous. Why is he acting so weird? “Yeah, things are fine. Are you okay?” 

“Oh, yeah, I’m good,” Lance said. He put his hands behind his back. “Just, are you busy tonight?” 

Keith bit his lip. “Well, I was thinking about giving Kosmo a walk and a bath. Why?”

“O-Oh, um,” the blue paladin stammered. “If you’re busy, it’s nothing.” 

Lance looked so downcast. Keith’s heart felt like it was being squeezed. He didn’t like seeing a frown on his friend’s face. “But, Kosmo can wait,” Keith said, trying to salvage the situation. “What did you have in mind?” 

Lance clasped his hands together. “Um, actually, I was wondering…” Keith’s pulse quickened. A little part of his mind whispered ‘Is Lance going to ask me out on a date?’ Woah, where did that come from? The blue paladin continued. “If, maybe, if you want to, you could have dinner with me tonight?”

A weird feeling warmed his heart, and he found himself blushing. “A-And my family,” Lance said. “Dinner with me and my family? My mom’s cooking for our last night together. I-I just thought you could join us.” 

Keith pretended to think for a moment. “Will there be the famous garlic knots I have heard so much about?”

Lance nodded, looking sad again. “Yeah. I’ll ask her to make them, she usually does.” 

“Lance!” Keith grabbed his hand. “I was just joking. Of course I’ll come.” He suddenly hesitated. “You’re… asking me out on a date, right?”

The blue paladin blushed, looking down at their intertwined hands. “Yes, I am. I really like you, Keith.” 

He let go of Lance’s hand, suddenly feeling self-conscious. “I really like you too, Lance. Sorry I was such a jerk when we first met. I’m not good with people.” He was already nervous about meeting Lance’s big family. “And I can take Kosmo, too. You’re an uncle, right? There should be kids?” 

Lance gave him a big smile. “Yeah, Silvio and Nadia would love Kosmo!”

There was a few seconds of awkward silence as they stared at each other. Keith started to chew on his lip again. How do boyfriends-who-aren’t-officially-boyfriends-because-they-haven’t gone-on-a-date-yet act around each other? 

Lance also looked unsure. Thankfully, Hunk saved them. He came up and put a hand on Lance’s shoulder, slowly pulling him away. “Okay, Loverboy Lance. Now walk away before he changes his mind.” 

Keith tried not to snicker at the nickname. He watched them go, a dreamy smile spreading unknowingly across his face. I can’t believe I finally have a date with Lance! He had actually had a crush on him at the Garrison long ago, but Lance had always thought there was a rivalry between them, so they never got close.

“Ohoho,” someone purred behind him, startling him out of his thoughts. “Finally! I thought for sure he would never ask you.”

The red paladin whipped around. He was met by a sneaky smile and glittering brown eyes. He tried not to sigh. “Hello, Rizavi.”

The girl took a step back. “Call me Nadia. Oh, I’ve been waiting for one of you to ask the other out. I literally cannot believe how oblivious you both are.”

Keith frowned. “What? Me and Lance? How did you know?”

“It’s hard not to notice with all the romantic tension between you two.”

“W-What?” he spluttered. “We don’t have any romantic tension! What are you talking about?”

“Um, yes you do.” She gestured at him. “There’s tons of it. Well, not right now, since he asked you out to dinner.” 

“Were you listening to our whole conversation?” Keith hissed. 

Nadia flipped her hair over her shoulder. “Yeah, pretty much. And I saw your face. You seem like a guy that’s pretty socially challenged. Which means you’ll probably need help choosing what to wear!” 

“What’s wrong with my usual outfit?” Keith asked, feeling slightly embarrassed. He had been planning to wear what he usually wore instead of his uniform or armor.

She scoffed. “Everything. You need something more fancy, and I’m your gal. We could go shopping!” 

“No,” he said. “I can handle this myself.” 

“No you can’t.” She wagged a finger at him. “I’m going to help you, but we need more input. I was thinking we can grab Allura?” Nadia’s eyes suddenly sparkled with concern. “She’s been spending all her time in the Med Bay lately. It’d be good for her to get out.” 

Keith crossed his arms. “… Fine. But only if Allura agrees.”

Nadia rubbed her hands together, an evil look on her face. “We need more opinions… and I know just the people to bring along.” 

Keith was starting to regret his decision.

----------------------------------------------------

Nadia’s first target was Allura. They headed to her usual place, the Med Bay. Allura and Romelle were looking through the window, watching the unconscious Altean. They were whispering to each other softly.

“Hey!” Nadia called, jogging up to the pair. “Allura! Romelle!” Keith followed her quickly. 

The two Alteans looked up. “Rizavi,” Allura said. “Hello. What is it?” 

“Keith has a date with Lance!” Nadia squealed. “And we were thinking that you could help us pick out his outfit!”

Allura simply frowned. “That sounds wonderful, but I can’t. I’m sorry, but we must keep an eye on Luca.” Her gaze strayed back to the window. “She could wake up any day now.”

“Pleeeaaaase, Allura.” Nadia’s eyes were wide and pleading. “It would be good for you to get out, and we could really use your help. Right, Keith?” 

She grabbed his arm, pulling him forward. He shot a glare at the obnoxious girl. “Yes, Allura, I could use your help. Because apparently I have no fashion sense.”

“Hmm,” Allura hummed, looking unsure. “I should really stay here…”

Romelle put a hand on her friend's shoulder. “Allura, I know you’re worried about Luca, but we’re worried about you. It’ll be good to get away for a night and clear your head.” They stared at each other for a few seconds, a soft look on both their faces. 

Is that how me and Lance look when talking about each other? Keith wondered.

“Okay, lovebirds,” Nadia interrupted, crossing her arms. “Don’t worry, Romelle can come too.”

Allura raised an eyebrow. “Love… birds? Wait…” Her cheeks darkened. “What! W-We don’t— We’re not. Ugh, fine. Maybe taking a break is a good idea.”

Nadia clapped her hands. “Perfect! I’ll get Ina too, but right now, I know just the person to ask!” 

----------------------------------------------------

Pidge was next. He followed Nadia, as she entered the ship’s greenhouse, Allura and Romelle right behind him. “Hey, Pidge. Do you have a sec?” 

She looked up from her tablet, putting it down. “Sure. What’s up?” 

Beezer was suddenly looking very interesting right now. Keith busied his attention on the little robot. Nadia smiled. “Well, Keith has—”

Romelle butted in, her voice shrill with excitement. “A date… with pointy chin!”

“Wait.” Pidge’s eyes widened in surprise. “A date? With Lance?” Beezer squealed, an exclamation mark on his screen. “Weird. Well, I’m glad you guys worked it out.”

“It’s not weird,” he muttered in protest. 

Nadia ignored him, clasping her hands together with excitement. “And we were thinking, you could help us choose Keith’s outfit!” 

Colleen laughed from a few rows over, her eyes still on her screen. “Katie? Fashion? That’s a good one.” 

Pidge glared at her mom, then hugged her tablet to her chest. “Well, I heard the mall has reopened. I’ve been wanting to check it out,” her golden-brown eyes flicked towards Colleen, “but I’m grounded.” 

“Grounded?” Romelle asked, sounding confused. “I wasn’t aware humans could float.” 

Keith sighed. “No, Romelle, we can’t float. It just means that Pidge isn’t allowed to go anywhere without her mom’s supervision. It’s a punishment.” 

“What are you grounded for?” Allura questioned, her eyebrows furrowed.

Colleen spoke up, not even looking up from her tablet. “She’s grounded because apparently my daughter thinks that running away from home and gallivanting off into space without her mother’s permission is an acceptable activity for a fifteen year old.” 

There was a moment of silence as the green paladin hunched her shoulders. She then turned around and started yelling at her mom. “Well, apparently, finding my brother and saving my father from an intergalactic space tyrant doesn’t get me a pass!” 

Colleen’s eyes glimmered as she replied. “Not on your life, young lady.” 

Beezer beeped, panicked, and ran out of the room. Keith was tempted to do the same. The air literally crackled with tension as the two stared each other down. He winced. He could see where Pidge got her ruthlessness from. 

Romelle hid behind Allura as Nadia tried to calm the situation. “Please, Mrs. Holt, we could really use her help.” 

“We will not let her leave the ground once,” Romelle added.

Pidge’s mother studied them, one eyebrow raised. After a moment of silence, she closed her eyes. “All right.” She glanced at her daughter. “But only because I know how much Katie hates shopping for clothing.” 

Pidge let out a low growl as Keith pulled on her arm to lead her out of the room. “Thank you, Colleen. And humans don’t float,” he grumbled to Romelle as she passed him.

----------------------------------------------------

There were a lot of people at the mall. More than Keith had expected. The entire mall was actually bigger than he had thought it was going to be. To be honest, Keith had never really been to an actual mall before. There were too many people, and he’d basically been living alone in a shack for a good chunk of his life, so there was no need to go to one.

There were aliens and humans alike shopping everywhere. They had grabbed Ina, and everyone had changed into their normal clothes before heading out. 

Nadia put her hands on her hips, turning to the five of them. “Okay. ‘Operation Find Keith a Date Outfit’ is go! We’re going to take it one store at a time until we come out of this place successful.” She pointed out to the mall. “Let the hunt begin!”

Keith smirked as they started to make their way around. An operation, huh? We’re going to need a battle strategy…

He smashed a fist against the inside of his palm, cracking his fingers. “All right, team. We need a plan. Leifsdotter, Rizavi, Pidge, you three take the north side. Me, Allura, and Romelle will cover the south. Then, if yo—”

“Oh, Keith,” Nadia sighed, looking over her shoulder at him with a tsk. “Sweet, naive, beautiful, Keith. Haven’t you ever been shopping before? We can’t split up.” 

His face turned red. “I’ve been clothes shopping! I’ve just… only done it by myself.” 

“Suuure,” Pidge drawled from next to him. “Anyways, Rizavi is right. We need your opinion on everything, so we can’t split up.” 

Keith's shoulders slumped. I hate shopping. Allura and Romelle led the pack, whispering quietly to each other. Ina and Nadia walked in front of him and Pidge. They were talking loudly. Mostly Nadia.

As they walked past a stall, Pidge suddenly stopped, rushing back to the stall and crouching down. “Killbot Phantasm 26: Revengifiance! This is out?” Her voice was shrill with excitement.

Nadia joined her, her mouth gaping open with shock. “Oh my gosh! It came out just a few days before the Galra invaded. No one was ever able to reach the end!” 

Keith rolled his eyes. “That’s right,” the stall owner said, his voice soft. “I have one of the few undamaged units left.”

“WE’LL TAKE IT!” Pidge and Nadia yelled, leaning in close. 

The poor seller gave them a nervous look, glancing back and forth. “Okay. Great to meet such passionate KBP fans. What have you got to trade?”

There were a few beats of silence. “Trade?” Pidge said, her voice small. She looked at Rizavi, then looked back at them.

Keith groaned and facepalmed as Ina showed them her empty pockets. Did we really forget to bring money? Or something to trade? Now how will we get something for me to wear for our date? That actually upset him more than he had expected. 

“I-I, uh…,” Pidge stammered. “I don’t… really have anything.” 

He really wanted to punch the easygoing smile off of the shopkeeper’s face. “I’m sorry, but no trade, no game.” 

His friend groaned in defeat, lowering her head. Keith took a step forward. Maybe he could negotiate. Maybe trade his jacket or belt? 

Before he could get closer to them, Nadia stood up, gesturing to Pidge. “Well, that’s some way to treat a Paladin of Voltron.” 

The stall owner’s eyes widened. “Wait, what? You mean, like, from the show?”

“Show? Well, kind of,” Pidge said. “It was based off me.” She glanced back at Keith. “And him.” 

“My kid loves that show!” the man said, leaning back. “The game is yours if I could just get an autograph for my daughter.” 

Pidge shot up, a strange smile on her face. “Sure thing!” she exclaimed in a higher, squeakier voice. “Anything for the kids!” 

She pulled out a pencil from nowhere and drew a mini version of her face on a paper the man handed her. She gave the paper to him. “Come on, Keith! Autograph time!”

Keith reluctantly took the pencil and wrote his name in big, blocky letters. She snatched the paper and gave it back to the man, in exchange for the video game. 

As Pidge turned around, she flashed him a sneaky smile, an evil glint in her eyes. They proceeded to go around, trading stuff for his and Pidge’s autographs. Soon, the green paladin had traded enough clothes to dress up as her character in the show. She had even tried to get Keith to wear a costume too, but he had loudly disagreed.

----------------------------------------------------

Lance took a deep breath. This was fine, everything was fine. He wouldn’t get mad at him for asking Keith out. 

He entered the bridge, clearing his throat. “Uh, Shiro?”

The captain of the Atlas paused, looking up from his screen. “Yes, Lance?” 

“Could I, uh, talk to you?”

“Sure. In private, or…”

“Y-Yeah. In private, thanks.” 

Shiro nodded, stepping down from his captain spot and coming up to Lance. The blue paladin led him down the hall and to his room, nervously fidgeting.

“Alright, Lance,” Shiro said as the door slid shut behind him. “What do you need?” 

He rubbed the back of his neck. “Um, it’s about Keith.” He kept going before Shiro could interrupt. “I know that Krolia is his actual mother but you’re like a father or big brother to him.”

“Lan—”

“And please don’t get mad at me, but I asked him out on a date and I just wanted you to know about it.”

“Lance—”

“I also wanted advice about what to do because you know him better than I do an—”

“Lance!” Shiro yelled, cutting him off. “Lance, calm down. I’m not mad.”

He wet his lips nervously. “… You aren’t?”

“No.” Shiro smiled. “Quite the opposite. I’m glad you guys worked it out. I was hoping you would before we left.”

“Oh,” Lance murmured. Are we really that obvious? “Okay, cool. Cool. So, can you give me any advice? Like what does he like? I invited him to dinner with my family, but now I’m not sure.” He started rambling. “We could probably do something after. Like take a walk, maybe? No, that’s not good enough. Who am I kidding! Nothing I could come up with is good enough for Keith Kogane! He deserves the best, and I don’t—”

“Lance!” Shiro put a steady hand on his shoulder, grounding him. “If Keith is going out with you, it’s because he likes you.”

Lance sighed. “I know, but—”

“No,” Shiro stopped him. “No, buts. Keith likes you for you. So the best advice I can give is to be yourself.” His gaze suddenly darkened. “Just… be patient with Keith. He’s been hurt before, and isn’t used to being loved. And if you hurt him, I’ll have some choice words for you.”

Lance held up his hands. “Okay, okay, should have expected the shovel talk. Don’t worry, I won’t hurt him.” He poured all his emotion into those few words. “And I won’t let anyone hurt him ever again.” 

Shiro smiled again, ruffling his hair. “Good. Everything will be fine. Now go get ready, Loverboy Lance.”

----------------------------------------------------

The group was walking around some more, laden with bags full of junk that they had bought. Rizavi suddenly stopped them in front of a store. “Oh, I’ve got a good feeling about this place. Keith, leave this to me. Ladies, divide and conquer!”

Pidge sat in the corner, reading a comic book, while Allura and Romelle looked at the shiny jewelry. He followed Nadia as she started browsing, looking through the men’s clothes. “You’re the last person I would trust to pick an outfit,” Keith grumbled. 

She flipped her hair over her shoulder. “You’ll just have to deal with it sweetheart.” 

He ignored her, turning around to a rack of assorted clothing. They spent a few minutes searching. He picked up a cool black jacket with crimson highlights. It probably wasn’t fancy enough. 

Ina and Nadia ran up to him, mischievous looks on their faces. The black-haired girl started pushing him towards the dressing rooms. “Keith! Try on these outfits!”

As soon as he looked at the outfits they had chosen, he knew they were all wrong, but he decided to humor them. Nadia had picked out a yellow and white sporty outfit for him. “Ta da!” she yelled, showing it off. Ina, Allura, Romelle, and Pidge all gave it a dubious look. Keith silently agreed with them.

Ina had picked out a really baggy light red and white suit, with short white pants. That one got the same reaction as before. 

Romelle’s choice was almost indescribable, and not in a good way. It was super colorful and looked like she had grabbed random things and thrown them together. His patience was starting to wear thin.

Same reaction. Allura smiled and gave her an encouraging thumbs up. “Good try, Romelle!” Pidge facepalmed.

The green paladin’s outfit was the same thing Keith’s character wears in the new show. He had refused to even try it.

He hoped Allura’s outfit was better. She had always seemed the most fashionable out of all of them. It was the best out of all the others so far. She had chosen a white dress shirt with a red tie and black slacks. 

As he stepped out, Nadia’s eyes sparkled. “Wow, Allura! That looks amazing! It really suits you, Keith.”

He shrugged. “Yeah, it looks good. Thanks, Allura, but… something feels off. One second.” 

Keith got to work, going through the aisles and grabbing items that he had seen earlier. He went back into the dressing room. He came out again, enjoying the looks on everyone’s faces. 

Nadia sighed happily, putting her hands on her hips. “I think we’ve done it.” 

“More like I did it,” Keith corrected. “And Allura. Thanks again.” 

The princess smiled. “My pleasure. Shall we go?”

They went up to the counter and set the clothes down. The four-armed alien turned around giving them a pleasant smile. “Why, hello there. Is this everything?” Keith frowned. Something felt off about this guy. He didn’t trust him. 

“Yep,” Rizavi said. “Mission complete!” 

The alien held up a calculator in one hand, and looked through the clothes with another. “Let’s see, what have we got?” He cracked his knuckles and went to work punching numbers in. “Two decorative tarps with casing, one foot container and its mirror match, and a pair of damaged leg coverings. That’ll be… one phoeb of servitude from your small friend there.”

Nadia’s eyes grew to the size of golfballs. “What? A year?” 

“A month,” Pidge said, glancing back at her. “I got this.” She spun around, ruffling up her hair to look like her character, and turned back to the counter, putting on her nasally voice. “How about you give us all this and I give you an autograph from a world-famous Paladin of Voltron.” Her eyes sparkled convincingly.

The alien had a confused, and slightly disgusted, look on his face, an eyebrow raised. “No! Price just went up to three phoebs.”

Pidge took a step back as Allura spoke up. “I could give you a royal decree of service from the Crown Princess of Alte—” She suddenly stopped, and looked at the ground with a sigh. “Oh, right, I, um…” 

Romelle gave her concerned look, then clasped her hands together. “I can make you a deca-phoebs’ worth of blomfruit pies! I just need blomfruits. You wouldn’t happen to sell any, would you?” 

“Shipping will cost you ten phoebs of servitude alone!” the alien yelled, leaning forward. 

Keith scowled at the alien behind the counter, putting a hand on Allura’s shoulder. “Maybe this was a bad idea. I don’t need the clothes. Let’s just go.” If he was being honest, he really wanted the clothes. They looked good and made him feel good, but he wasn’t going to put up with this shopkeeper any longer.

He turned around and started to walk away, everyone following him. The four-armed alien suddenly gasped. “Wait!” he called, reaching out towards them. “I’ll give you a friendly deal. You can have all this… for Killbot Phantasm 26: Revengifiance.” Pidge’s eyes widened with surprise. 

“No deal!” Nadia growled, narrowing her eyes. “What could you possibly need it for?” 

“I’ve been looking to get my claws on that game for deca-phoebs.” A slightly dreamy expression appeared on his face. “I’m a huge KBP fan.” 

He noticed the thoughtful way Pidge was looking at the game. As Rizavi vehemently denied his offer, Keith put an arm around his friend’s shoulder. “It’s okay, Pidge. I don't need them. This guy is shady anyways.” He pushed down his reluctance at giving up the clothes. 

She shook her head, holding it out to the alien. “It’s fine. You can have it. We don’t have any time to play it anyway.” 

As she turned around, Keith, who was usually not one for physical touch, bent down and hugged her. “Thank you,” he whispered in her ear. 

He let her go, and Pidge gave him a happy smile and a thumbs up. “Anytime. Now, let’s get you ready!”

----------------------------------------------------

Keith hesitantly rang the doorbell, trying to smooth down his hair for the tenth time. Even after Rizavi tried tackling it with a hairbrush and gel, it still stuck up defiantly. It was fine though, Keith liked it this way.

Komso brushed against him reassuringly. He ruffled the wolf’s mane affectionately, and straightened as the front door swung open. 

Standing on the other side was a woman. Keith could immediately tell this was Lance’s mother. They both had the same bright smile and chocolate-brown hair. 

“Come in, come in, my dear!” she said. Even though he was bad at reading people, Keith detected a slight strain in her voice. She looked over her shoulder, swinging the door open wider. “Oh, you look wonderful! Doesn’t he look wonderful, Lance?”

Lance, who had been walking down the stairs, paused, his mouth gaping. “Wow!” he breathed, his eyes sparkling. “You look amazing.”

Keith glanced away, blushing. He nervously ran a hand through his hair, messing it up again. Rizavi would be so mad right now. 

He brushed a piece of Kosmo’s fur off his sweater. He had picked out a loose red sweater to put on over the white dress shirt Allura had found, with ripped black jeans and black combat boots to complete the look.

“Thanks,” Keith said, meeting Lance’s eyes. The Cuban boy was wearing a tight white sweater with gray arms that looked adorable on him. “You look good, too.”

Lance smirked, making his way down the stairs and stopping in front of him. “Wow, a rare compliment by the amazing Keith Kogane. Who would have thought it was possible?” 

“Remind me why I like you again?” Keith asked teasingly, crossing his arms. 

Kosmo chuffed in greeting, bounding up to Lance. The blue paladin kneeled on the ground, allowing the wolf to jump up and lick his face. “Hey, buddy!” He laughed as Kosmo licked his cheek again, his tail wagging. God, who given this boy the right to look so damn cute. Lance looked up. “Maybe it’s because of my charming personality and dashing looks?”

“No, it’s because Kosmo likes you. Otherwise, you’d be kicked off the team.”

Lance’s face darkened, but it was so quick that maybe he had imagined it. “Yeah, yeah, I know.” He stood up, putting a hand on the woman’s shoulder. “Anyways, Keith, this is my mom and Pop-pop.” He went through everyone, pointing at each person as he named them. “You know Veronica. That’s Rachel, my brother Marco, my other brother Luis, his wife Lisa, and their kids, Silvio and Nadia.” 

The two kids weren’t even looking at him, their eyes were fixed on Kosmo. “Puppy!” the little girl shrieked. 

Luis put a hand on Nadia’s shoulder, a nervous look on his face. “I knew you were bringing your pet, but… is it safe?”

Keith tried not to frown, instead forcing a smile. “Yes,” he said through gritted teeth. “Kosmo may be a space wolf, but he is well trained.” Kosmo gave him a look like ‘Seriously?’ At least he hoped he was. 

“Don’t worry, guys,” Lance said, reaching down and patting the wolf’s head. “Kosmo is pretty chill.” 

Luis let go of Nadia’s shoulder, and with that, the young girl ran up to Kosmo, throwing her arms around him. “Good puppy!” 

The wolf sat patiently, his tail thumping on the ground as Nadia ran her fingers through his fur. Silvio slowly approached them, holding out his hand. Kosmo stood up, Nadia still practically hanging on him, and sniffed the boy’s hand. The space wolf licked his hand, making him giggle.

Rachel was giving him a suspicious look, but didn’t say anything. Now that Keith thought about it, everyone looked slightly uncomfortable. Is it because I’m a boy? he wondered. Did Lance’s family not know that he is bi? As the children started to play with Kosmo, Lance grabbed his hand. “Come on, Keith! Let’s go set the table.”

He allowed Lance to lead him to the dining room, a light blush dusting across his cheeks. They set the table, talking and laughing. His heart fluttered everytime Lance brushed against him.

They joined everyone in the living room after setting the table as Lance’s mother and Pop-pop went to the kitchen to finish dinner. The tension that Keith had noticed disappeared throughout the evening. 

The kids had fun playing with Kosmo, who was preening under all the attention, and all of Lance’s family was really nice. Even Rachel eventually warmed up to him. 

At one point, Nadia had run up to him and Lance, a curious expression on her face. “Uncle Lance, you’re a boy, and Keith is a boy, but you’re in love, right?”

They exchanged an awkward glance. “Yeah, kiddo,” Lance eventually said, ruffling her hair. “Why?”

She had a thoughtful look on her face. “So, is it okay if a girl likes a girl?”

“Of course.” Lance smiled. “Anyone can like anyone they want to.” 

“Okay!” Nadia said, her face lighting up. “Thanks, Uncle Lance!” 

Keith’s heart felt warm as he watched her run off. 

----------------------------------------------------

When dinner was ready, they sat at the table, Lance pulling out Keith’s chair for him and sitting next to him. A headache that had started to plague him was chased away by the sensation of Lance holding his hand under the table. 

The food was really good, especially the garlic knots. Even Kosmo had gotten bits of food slipped under the table from Silvio and Nadia. Eventually, Lance’s family started to tell embarrassing stories about his childhood. 

“Or the time when we were kids,” Marco was saying, twiddling with his fork. “And Veronica mixed dirt with water and told Lance it was chocolate milk.” Keith chuckled along with everyone else, enjoying the annoyed look on his boyfriend’s face. Woah, when had he started thinking of Lance as his boyfriend?

“Oh, yeah!” Veronica exclaimed. “I still can’t believe he fell for it.”

Keith shook his head. “Oh God, I’m dating an idiot. What did he do?” The strange tension from before suddenly flooded the room again. Why did I say that?!

Lance blushed at his words as his sister continued. “He told on me, of course. Then Pop-pop gave him ice cream and I got none.”

“Yeah, Lance was always the baby of the family,” Marco said, a gleam in his eyes. “It only took you coming to dinner to graduate him to the adult table.” 

Keith could feel Rachel’s eyes glaring daggers into his back. He put a smirk on his face. “That’s not surprising.”

Lance squawked in protest. “What?! What’s that supposed to mean, babe?”

He couldn’t help but blush at the nickname. That meant Lance wanted to be boyfriends, too. They would talk about it later. 

Keith put his head on his boyfriend’s shoulder. “You know exactly what I mean, Lance.”

After he sat up straight again, there was a beat of awkward silence. Then, Lance’s mother spoke up. 

Her next words were kind, but for some reason, it made Keith’s mental hackles raise. “Lance never brings girls, or boys, home. You must really mean something to him.”

Girls, or boys… 

“That’s strange.” Keith had meant the words to be teasing, but they came out sharper than intended. “Lance gave off the impression of being really popular with women.” 

There was an even longer moment of silence, only the kids still obliviously talking. 

Then Veronica rose, clearing her throat. She held up a glass of water. “A toast… to family. Though we may be apart after tomorrow, we’ll always remain close at heart. Family is forever.” She glanced at him, her eyes raking over the table. “And to Keith, the newest member of our family.” 

Everyone held up their glasses. “To family!”

He put down his glass, staring into the water. Family… Keith had never really had a permanent family before. His father had died when he was young, and his mother had left. He now knew why Krolia had to leave, but it still didn’t change the past. Then Shiro had become his father figure. Then he had also left, presumed dead on the Kerberos mission. 

Then the paladins had come, and he had felt like part of a family again. Pidge had felt like a little sister. Hunk the big brother he had never had. Coran had turned into the weird, crazy uncle. Allura had become almost like a mother, and now their sister. Lance… Lance didn’t really have a family title in Keith’s eyes. Now he knew it was because he had a crush on the blue paladin. 

Even with Krolia back, Keith still felt like he was missing something. Maybe it had come from visiting his father’s grave when they came back to earth? Or maybe it was seeing Lance, Hunk, and Pidge with their families… Another reminder that he would never fit in.

Keith stayed quiet the rest of the evening. After it was over, he thanked Lance’s mother for the wonderful dinner, and said a quick goodbye to Lance. Then, the moment he was out of sight, had Kosmo teleport him back to the Garrison.

After getting back, he made his way to the lions, Kosmo following him. He sat on Black’s head, stroking the wolf’s fur. Since it was summer, the sun was going down later, allowing Keith to catch the last of its rays as it dipped below the horizon. 

The wolf suddenly teleported out from under his fingers, a rush of cold air greeting his hand. He sighed. Even Kosmo doesn’t want to hang out with me right now…

A few seconds later, Kosmo appeared. He had a passenger. The wolf gave him a pointed look before disappearing again.

Lance sat there, blinking in confusion. “Wha— Oh, hey, Keith.”

“Hey, Lance,” he muttered, avoiding eye contact. 

“Sooo,” Lance said. “You’re watching the sunset?”

“Yeah…”

There was a few seconds of silence, before they both spoke at the same time. 

“I’m sorry for ruining your dinner!”

“I’m sorry for being a bad boyfriend!” 

Keith was the first to speak. “What? You’re not a bad boyfriend! Why would you even think that, Lance?”

The blue paladin scowled. “Oh, I don’t know, maybe because I forced you into having dinner with my family? And what about you? You didn’t ruin anything, Keith!” 

“Yes, I did,” he bit out. “My very presence ruined it! It’s obvious that your family doesn’t want us dating. They probably want a future daughter-in-law. Not a son.”

He didn't look at Lance. “… What?” The boy’s voice was confused. “Keith… it’s not you. My family loves you. Everyone wouldn’t shut up about it afterwards.” He finally turned to look. Lance’s eyes were soft. “It was my fault. I only told them I was bi and that I had invited my boyfriend to dinner only after I had asked you. They aren’t against us, they just still need to get used to me dating a boy.” He grabbed his hands. “Keith, you didn’t do anything wrong. You are fucking amazing. It was my fault. It’s always my fault…”

Keith squeezed his hands in return, concern for his boyfriend washing over him. “What do you mean, Lance?”

“You know what I mean.” His voice was surprisingly bitter. “I can never get things right. I’d be amazed if you even considered going on another date with me. I just keep messing up. I’m not a good paladin, I’m not a good friend, and I’m definitely not a good boyfriend.”

It hurt Keith to hear the usually bright, funny boy talk about himself that way. He grabbed his shoulders. “Lance, that’s not true.”

He shook him off. “It’s true and you know it. Nobody needs me, I’m expendable. And I don’t want to—”

“Lance!” Keith grabbed his shoulders again, leaning in so close that their lips were almost brushing against each other. “Shut the fuck up.” Then, he kissed him.

Lance immediately buried his fingers in Keith’s hair, letting out a little gasp as their lips met. Keith’s hands trailed down to the blue paladin’s hips. One hand rested on his thigh, while the other wrapped around his waist.

They pulled away after a few seconds, resting their foreheads together. “You’re not expendable, Lance,” Keith breathed, reaching up to cup his face in his hands. “You’re amazing. You're loving. You’re kind. You’re sweet. You’re funny. You’re important, to your family, and to me. 

“I swear, Lance. We’re going to end this war, and we’ll do it with the Lance that’s the Paladin of the Red Lion. The Lance that’s always got my back. And the Lance who knows exactly who he is and what he’s got to offer.”  

Lance played with his hair. “How am I supposed to one-up that speech? And who knew you were such a sap, Mullet? Speaking of which, your hair is really soft.” Keith snorted with laughter as he continued. “Keith… I know this is our first date, but I love you.” 

“I love you too, Lance.” Raw emotion filled his voice. “With all my fucking heart.” 

Lance pulled him into another kiss as the sun sank below the horizon.