#I hope pidge's character is okay | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

autisticlancemcclain · 1 year ago

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i want it to last forever (all the magic and fun at sea) -- beachisode zine fic!

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The screech of the comm knocks Keith out of his laser focus. He barely manages to dodge the blow from the Gladiator, aimed for his face, throwing himself to the side at the last second. He calls out for the simulation to end as the comm buzzes and crackles with static, wincing at the feedback. By the time it settles into something that doesn’t hurt to hear, he’s gulped down three water pouches and sips slowly on his fourth, catching his breath.

“No it’s — my — Pidge, let go, it’s my turn!”

“Nuh-uh! You get to announce all the time! I want to!”

“I’m just better at it!”

“Liar! Let — Hunk, I am going to taze you!”

The sound of their squabbling makes him snort. He won’t be hearing any announcement for a while if they’re like this, so instead of waiting around for instructions he just scoops up his comm, tugs on a shirt, and heads to the bridge.

As expected, the sounds of scuffling only escalate. Keith can’t tell for sure, but he’s reasonably certain that Hunk and Pidge have graduated to actively trying to claw the intercom mic away from each other. He thinks he even heard the buzzing of Pidge’s bayard, as threatened previously.

As he’s walking past the kitchen, he hears static again, and then a clunk followed by brisk footsteps. Hunk and Pidge’s whining quickly follows.

“Aw, Coran, no fair!”

“C’mon, you always let Allura announce stuff! We never get a turn!”

Seconds later, another voice fills the radio waves, prim and proper and positively dripping with smug satisfaction:

“All paladins please report to the bridge, we’re receiving a foreign call.”

Keith snorts. Hunk and Pidge should have known it was a lost cause. There are only two people on this ship who Coran blatantly favouritizes, and it is neither of them.

He sees the exact scene he expects to see when he walks into the bridge — Hunk and Pidge sulking in their chairs, scowling at the Princess and each other, and Allura sticking her tongue out at them behind Coran’s back. As Allura mentioned, a calling code flashes up on the screen, dialling into their non-emergency line.

Keith walks over to his own chair and sits down, pulling up the number to look at its diagnostics.

“You smell like a gym bag,” Pidge complains, wrinkling her nose at him. Keith considers throwing his sweat-soaked shirt at her just to hear her scream. She turns to Shiro, who has just walked into the bridge. “Shiro, make him change.”

“Do not even think about it,” Shiro says immediately, looking at where Keith has his hands curled around the hem of his shirt. He rolls his eyes and makes a show of letting go. “And Pidge, stop being dramatic. He’s not even sitting anywhere near you.”

At once, Pidge in Keith are allied again, if only to look at each other and roll their eyes as hard as they can as Shiro watches, hoping to make him as exasperated as possible. Judging by the weight of his sigh, it works.

They smirk at each other. Success.

“So what’s this call?” Shiro asks, sitting in his own chair. He presses a button on his dash and the ringing noise accompanying the flashing notification mute.

“We were hoping one of you would know,” Coran says. “The call came in ten doboshes ago. It’s not a recorded number, and it’s encrypted, so none of us know where it’s from. The closest star we can triangulate to it is BX-SD78R3.”

All three present humans stare at the advisor blankly. He holds up a finger, ruffling through some papers until he finds a folded one, unfolding the thing like a map and staring at it intensely, forehead creasing as he tries to decipher the rudimentary Altean characters.

“Ah. The Road Work Ahead Star.”

“Ohhh, okay,” Hunk says. His understanding is echoed in the rest of the paladin’s expressions. “I know that one.”

A couple years ago, now, Lance got fed up with all intergalactically recognised names for stars and systems. He was not the only one. Try as they might, none of them were capable of memorizing thousands of strings of alphanumeric codes, especially not when they were translated into Terran characters. Hunk helpfully described it as hearing the letters but only static happening in his brain. The codes simply didn’t /mean/ anything, the way that words did. The whole thing was just a mess, and it made it hard for the team to strategise, because the Alteans would name a star or system, and the humans would shrug helplessly at them until they pulled out a map or pointed out the nearest planet they recognised.

Lance, of course, was the first to handle the problem. He spent weeks writing out a list renaming every single star or system to something the humans could understand, with their intergalactic names right next to them so everyone could translate. Many of the names were relevant, and made sense — names like Arus for the Arusian planet, Space Mall Moon for the space mall moon, on and on — but many systems simply weren’t occupied, or didn’t have an easily determined name, so Lance just named them after random pop culture things.

Whatever works, honestly.

“Did they send a message?” Pidge asks, clicking through the lines of code of the encryptions.

“Nothing. It’s just a call.”

Hunk hums, squinting at the calling code like it will turn into answers at his behest. “Do we think it’s Galra?”

“It’s a possibility,” Allura agrees. “If it were a call to our emergency line, then answering it would be worth the risk — many planets are just hearing of us and do not know our proposed safety measures. Besides, that line has all of Pidge’s anti-Empire tracking and encryption software. This line not so much. If we connect it and it’s an Empire infiltration, then we’ll get tracked, and we’ll have to prepare for an ambush.”

Keith whistles. “High odds.”

“Yes. So we’ll have to come to a decision, then. I sent the mice after Lance, he should be here any —”

“I’m here! I’m here! I’m not late!” As if summoned, Lance comes barrelling into the bridge, soaking wet, nearly braining himself on the ground as he slips on water and fails to catch himself since the mice are cradled carefully in his hands. Undeterred, he scrambles back to his feet and slides into his chair, grinning sheepishly at everyone else. “Sorry! I was swimming laps and my comm was in my clothes. Plus the castle signal is iffy in there. I didn’t know there was a meeting until the mice came to get me. Thanks, by the way.” He turns the full power of his beam towards Allura, who visibly softens, raised eyebrow turning into something more amused than annoyed. “Anyways. I’m here now. What are we doing?” He turns to his screen and notices the flashing call code. “Oh, hey, that’s Plaxum’s area code!”

Before anyone can stop him, strangled shouts ringing through the bridge, he slams his hand down on a button on his dash.

Keith hears Shiro’s loud “FUCK!” from behind him, which usually would make him gasp really loud and shout something about virgin ears, just to irritate his brother, but his lungs are currently occupied with the breath he is holding in them, waiting as the call flashes twice and connects.

Luckily, the face that comes into focus is not a smirking Galran officer.

Unluckily, Lance is right — the jellyfish-hat-clad face of a grinning mermaid, blue-skinned and bright eyed. Plaxum.

Lance has mentioned her once or twice in passing. He’s mentioned that he keeps in contact with a lot of people from the planets in their alliance, the mermaid planet included. He had not mentioned that he is in contact with Plaxum so often that he has her area code memorized.

Something gross and bitter churns in Keith’s stomach.

“Lance!” Plaxum — and Keith has never met her, but Lance has made it pretty clear who this person is — shouts, loud enough that it’s clear even through the long-distance static.

“Plax!” Lance shouts back. His beam has gotten ten times brighter, if at all possible. “How are you?”

“Lance,” Shiro interrupts before they get lost in their conversation, “maybe ask what’s going on, kiddo. We didn’t recognize the calling code, we thought it might have been Empire. Scared us when you answered.”

The brightness in Lance’s brown eyes dim considerably. Despite Keith’s distaste for it before, as horrible as that is, he’s sad to see it go.

“Oh,” he says quietly. “I didn’t mean — sorry, guys, I should’ve checked. I didn’t think.”

“All good, lad,” Coran assures, clapping him on the shoulder. “You did think, after all. You recognised the calling code. Next time let us in on it, but your judgement was sound.”

As he always does, Coran has said the perfect right thing, some of the guilt vanishes from Lance’s expression. He smiles at the advisor before turning his gaze back to the mermaid.

“Why did you call the Voltron line? You usually just call me.”

“‘Cause you lost your comm again, dummy,” Plaxum explains patiently. “You stopped answering after your last mission. I called to make sure you were alive. And because I needed to ask you something.”

Lance huffs, matching her playfulness. “Right, let me just ask Zarkon to hold off on attempting to blow me up so I don’t keep losing comms to laser fire.”

“It would be grandly appreciated, thank you.”

“Uh huh,” Lance snorts. “Anyways. Is that the only reason you called? You said there was another reason.”

“Oh yeah!” Plaxum shifts her gaze slightly, pupil-less eyes looking at all the team members. “You are all cordially invited to the Ice Break Festival!”

Lance gasps in delight. Keith is relieved to see he’s not the only one who has no idea what’s going on.

“I thought your planet was completely covered in ice,” Hunk asks carefully.

“For most of the year! But for one small portion, we are close enough to the sun that the heat skyrockets. Enough of the ice melts that we can swim to the surface, and that our plants can receive the sunlight they need to keep alive during the rest of the year.”

“And beaches?” Lance asks hopefully.

“Dozens,” Plaxum replies with a grin. “Actually, the Great Heat hits pretty suddenly, so it melts much of the ice around the shallowest parts of the oceans in the first day, pulling the ice sheet away from the beaches. The water is freezing, but the air is nice and hot. We’ve never had land-dwellers on our planet before, so I don’t know how it would be, but you’re welcome to come a day early and try, if you like.”

Lance is not the only one to immediately turn pleading eyes towards Shiro. Allura has joined in on Lance’s wistful retelling of sitting by the beach on numerous occasions, having many of them on Altea. Hunk grew up on a surfboard as much as Lance did. Pidge has fond memories of visiting the Lake Michigan beaches with her family.

Keith has never been to a proper beach before. But there was this tepid little man-made lake in a provincial park in Arizona. It was hours away from the Garrison. But once a year, every summer like clockwork, Shiro and Adam would drag him out to it, kicking and screaming usually. As much as the water smelt stale and the picturesque sand was replaced with uniform grey rocks, he has fond memories of that, too.

“I’d like that,” Keith says quietly, among the sounds of his friends’ shameless begging.

Shiro raises an eyebrow. “Really?”

Keith shrugs. “Vacation’s a vacation.”

Shiro doesn’t need anymore convincing (his softie ass never needed it from the beginning, honestly). “We’ll leave first thing tomorrow,” he says.

The team erupts into cheers.

———

Lance is practically buzzing from excitement. He’d taken off as soon as Plaxum had hung up yesterday afternoon, hollering something about getting everything packed. He’d been nothing more than a blur from then until late in the evening, rushing from the kitchen to the storage rooms to his own room and to everyone else’s room, too, making sandwiches for lunch and gathering towels and even digging around with Allura to find swimsuits for everyone. He’d spent forty minutes lamenting about sunscreen and how Alteans never invented it and how they were all going to get melanoma before Pidge had snapped and stomped off to go invent some. The whole thing had been very amusing, until Lance had marched into Keith’s room and starting bossing him around (“You can’t wear your boots to the beach, Keith! It’s the beach!”).

As the castle approaches the blindingly white sandy beaches of the usual icy tundra, Lance’s excitement builds in the air, and soon everyone is grinning, clutched onto their towels and beach bags and coolers and pails and volleyballs (or the Altean equivalent, at least.) By the time the castle just barely touches the ground, the anticipation is so great it feels like a balloon blown so wide and stretched so thin it’s a hair’s breadth away from exploding. Keith isn’t sure if he’s even breathing.

The second the ramp extends to the ground, they’re racing out the door, screaming with pure excitement.

“It smells like the ocean!” Lance cries. He’s legitimately jumping up and down in excitement.

“I am going to have such a good nap,” Shiro sighs.

“There are seagulls,” Pidge says gleefully. Keith considers telling her how much she looks like an unhinged toddler, especially with the giant hat Lance “Mother Hen” McClain made her wear, but reconsiders when he notices she is the one holding the pointy beach umbrella.

“Yeah, I’m fighting the urge to call her one too,” Hunk whispers to him.

Keith snorts. He follows the rest of the team down to the waves, carefully committing all the new sensations to memory in his head: the smell of the seawater, the burning sand beneath his bare feet, the weight of seven beach chairs in his arms, the wind whipping his hair all over his face. His favourite feeling of all is the tangible joy in the air, the almost sweet relief of a sunny, well-deserved break, where for once they are all sure that nothing is going to go wrong. It’s a naive assumption, and they’re smarter than it, but they leave their bayards in the bottom of the bags anyway, keeping their heads turned to the sun.

Coran picks them a nice spot to set down their things — close enough to the water that no one will lose sight of any swimmers, but far enough that no one will get wet. They’re pretty close to some rock and cave formations too, which will be a nice shelter from the sun as they say stretches on. Fun to explore, too.

The second everything is set down and settled, everyone gets right to whatever activity they’re looking forward to most. Shiro fluffs out his towel, has Keith slap some sunscreen on his back, then passes the fuck out on the sand. Allura curls up next to him, adjusting her floppy pink hat, sliding on her comically oversized sunglasses, and cracking open her book. Coran, Hunk, and Pidge bust out the pails and shovels and the blueprints they drew up last night to start building their sand replica of the castle. Lance straps a pair of dorky, bug-eyed glasses to his face and turns to Keith, sticking out his hand. On reflex Keith grabs it, curling his fingers into long, thin ones. It’s not the first time he and Lance have held hands (that was once a punishment of Shiro’s; something he would force them to do when their arguing got on his last nerve), but it’s the first time Keith feels his naked palm, rough and calloused all over, press against Lance’s soft and smooth one, no leather between them.

“Come find shells with me!”

Keith couldn’t even dream of saying no.

He follows as Lance pulls him into the water, stumbling after him as he sprints. Lance yanks him into the waves faster than he can process, and he’s up to his knees before the cold sets in, and it startles him so badly he laughs, loud and sudden.

They dive into the next big wave, and Keith forgets to hold his breath, coming up sputtering and coughing. Lance cackles, splashing water at him while he chokes because he is the worst. Keith is so painfully endeared that it’s actually humiliating, and to redeem himself he tackles him into the waves, revelling in his shrieking laughter and his later complaint of saltwater up his nose.

At some point, at what Keith imagines is Allura’s insistence, everyone else joins them in the waves. They immediately descend into a game of chicken. Pidge scampers up Hunk’s shoulders like the little rat that she is (Keith makes sure he’s out of biting range when he says that, and unfortunately does not expect a clump of sand to the head), Allura gleefully throws Shiro on hers, and Lance doesn’t even ask before climbing up Keith’s hip and settling behind his head like a particularly aggravating monkey (something Keith is happy to tell him) thighs bracketing his head and ankles crossed at his abdomen.

Keith goes so violently red that he’s genuinely kind of shocked that he can turn that colour.

“Squeeze any tighter, Lance, and Keefers over there is going to evaporate the entire ocean,” Pidge says drily.

Keith does not wait for her to get situated on Hunk’s shoulders, or for Coran — who’s refereeing — to tell them go. He charges.

Despite his brain relaying a constant stream of Oh God Lance’s thighs are wrapped around your head holy shit he’s sitting on your shoulders and he’s barely dressed his fucking legs are so long why are they so long does he have to be this attractive is that even possible what the fuck is the deal with that, he manages to put his full attention into going absolutely ham. He charges, dodges, leaps and bounds, intent on being the winning team of this ridiculous but admittedly fun game.

Obviously, considering who they’re up against, Keith and Lance are the first ones out. One mighty shove from Allura sends them careening towards the icy waves, shrieking at the top of their lungs.

With Lance’s calves a healthy distance away from Keith’s face, however, he regains his ability to function, and as such he thinks they accept their loss with grace. (Wherein Keith means they complain immediately about the game being rigged and dramatically profess how they are going to ditch everyone’s cheating asses. All in good fun.)

“C’mon, Keith,” Lance says, somehow finding their hands linked again, “let’s blow this popsicle stand.”

They run away to their friends’ teasing booing, sprinting to the sand and ducking past the rocks and out of sight, giggling to themselves.

“Oh, hey, look!” Lance points to a small pool of water surrounded by the same beige-ish rock of the rest of the caves. “A grotto!” He bounds over to it leaving Keith to quickly follow, sliding in as soon as he’s close enough. A sigh leaks out of him as he settles in, water up to his neck. “Oh, God, it’s sun warmed.” He turns to face Keith, flashing a smile. “Come in.”

Helpless to disobey and well aware that Lance could be full of shit, pranking him, Keith does. To his peasant surprise, however, it’s warm, but not hot, like bedsheets on a cold morning. Keith can actively feel the stress leeching out of his body as he leans against the rock.

“God, that’s nice.”

Keith hadn’t realised he’d closed his eyes, but he opens them again when he doesn’t hear Lance’s response, and quickly behinds to panic when he doesn’t see him.

“Lance?” he shouts, making no effort to hide his fear. “Lance? Where the fuck are you?”

Heart pounding, he pushes off the edge of the little pool, craning his neck over to the side, but he doesn’t see a mop of brown curls or a flash of white teeth or a long, flailing limb.

“Lance? Lance, answer me! La —”

“— I can’t believe they have these shells here, too, I mean —”

“Oh my God,” Keith chokes out to himself, hand pressed to his chest as Lance swims out from around the bend, eyes trained on his cupped hands. “Oh my God, I am going to smack you. Come here.”

“Huh?” Lance looks up from his shell, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. He quickly understands when he reads the tenseness of Keith’s shoulders, the naked relief in his face. “Oh.” He smiles apologetically. “My bad. Saw something shiny.”

If it weren’t for the wobble in his voice, evident of choked back laughter, Keith would believe his apology. Instead, he glares at him, splashing him with an endless barrage of water until he pleads for mercy.

“Stop, stop, okay! I’m sorry for real!” He curls a hand around Keith’s wrist, squeezing, pulling it towards him so Keith can’t use it. His grin is wide and so so breathtaking. Keith can’t help his own smile in return.

“Thanks for coming with me,” Lance whispers when the water settles again. His grin has softened into something small, buttery and sweet. “Plax was telling me about this place. I couldn’t wait to bring you. It’s been all I was thinking about since we got the call.”

The horrible thing that had settled in his chest, that he had largely ignored since they touched down this morning, begins to dissipate. As Lance links their hands together, floating over next to him, it dissipates entirely.

“Thanks for bringing me,” Keith whispers back. He squeezes Lance’s hand, and he squeezes back, and the sound of their friends laughter echoes over the waves, and he’s warm and settled and happy, and everything is so, unbelievably good.

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kidge-planet · 2 months ago

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"When green leaves meet red ones": kidge fall event.

Day Four; Cozy.

characters: Keith and Pidge.

Pairings: Keith and Pidge, Kidge

Post season 7, secretly dating Kidge.

It was almost nightfall in the desert, and Keith was preparing dinner. The temperature had dropped fast, as it usually did—one moment, it was blistering hot, and the next, the cold settled in like it belonged there. He was just about to eat and then retreat to bed, hoping the warmth of the blankets would keep him comfortable.

As he mentally noted where he had placed Kosmo's food bowl, he heard a knock on the door. His eyebrows furrowed in surprise. Not exactly expecting anyone, he approached slowly and peeked through the peephole.

"Pidge?!"

Without hesitation, he opened the door to reveal a small, bundled-up figure. She looked irritated, but more than that—freezing. She had her bag slung over her shoulder, looking out of place in the cold night air.

"Why don't you answer your phone?" she demanded, her voice laced with irritation, her teeth practically chattering.

Keith blinked. "I... sorry, I was making dinner. Come inside, it's freezing." He stepped aside to let her in and quickly closed the door behind her. "Is everything okay?" he asked, sensing something more than just the cold bothering her.

"My mom and I had an argument. To get back at her, I told her I’d sleep out tonight and didn’t say where." She sighed, her voice a mix of frustration and exhaustion. "Can I stay here?"

Keith nodded, already heading off to grab a blanket. "Yeah, of course. But you should probably let your dad know you're here... They might be worried." He draped the blanket over her shoulders and guided her to the couch.

Pidge sat down with a heavy sigh. "I guess... maybe I will." She pulled the blanket tighter around her, still frowning.

"Do you want tea... or coffee?" Keith offered, hovering near the kitchen.

"Coffee... thanks," she replied, still distant but grateful.

Keith busied himself with the coffee, his mind spinning slightly. It hadn’t been long since they started dating—just two months. They were still figuring things out as a couple, adjusting to the new dynamic. They’d kissed and shared small gestures of affection, but everything was still a bit... tentative.

Soon, he returned with a mug of hot coffee and handed it to her. Sitting beside her, he softly brushed his hand against her back, "Have you eaten dinner yet?" he asked, his touch reassuring.

Pidge shook her head silently, sipping the coffee.

"Alright, I’ll make something for both of us." Keith leaned over and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before getting up to prepare dinner.

When the meal was ready, they ate together on the couch, the blanket now draped over both of them, a shared shield against the cold desert night. The silence between them wasn’t awkward—it was peaceful, broken only by the quiet clinks of their utensils and the crackle of the small heater nearby.

After they finished eating, they set the plates aside on the small table and leaned back against the couch, both lost in their thoughts. Pidge had never slept over at Keith’s place before, and definitely not with him.

Keith cleared his throat, glancing at her. "You can sleep in my bed. I’ll crash here on the couch."

Pidge shook her head, her voice soft as she rested it on his shoulder. "Don’t be ridiculous... You’re my boyfriend. We can both sleep in your bed. Unless it bothers you?"

Keith wrapped his arm around her, feeling the warmth of her body through the blanket. "No... It’s fine. If you say so."

They stayed like that for a moment, cozy and close, letting the quiet of the night and the warmth of their shared space settle in.

A/N

Honestly not very proud of that one🥲 hope you like it, still!

#keith and pidge #pidge and keith #voltron kidge #keith #pidge #voltron pidge #voltron #keith voltron #kidge #voltron legendary defender #kidge fall event 2024

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ririchanva · 7 months ago

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╰※╮▫◕‖ Current ‖ ∴❃∴ ‖ AO3 ‖ ∴❃∴ ‖ Next ‖ ◕▫╰※╮

Summary: Shiro, in the last moments of dying, was sent back to the past to rewrite events that will change for the better. Once he started to change one thing, a lot of other things also went into a butterfly effect. Will he be able to prevent a disastrous future this time around?

A/n: Okay, so welcome to this second crossover story on this account~! This time, we're tackling not just Voltron: Legendary Defender, but we get a lot of Ben 10, Marvel and DC stuff as well. This was one of the other projects I've been working on besides Quirks and Miracles, and hope this one receives the amount of love as much as my other story does. I did try to write this story before, but had to scrap and re-do it for some major changes plot wise. Anyways, here is chapter one, and hope you all enjoy~

Chapter Warning: Mentions of war, violence, blood and major character death(s), but only for this chapter. It is also a Fix-It sort of fic about also an AU crossover that's different from canon events.

Chapter One: The Return of Voltron (Part 1)

It was supposed to be an easy mission.

Being called out of retirement, Shiro was invited to a peace treaty celebration between some planets that were joining the Galactic Coalition. And of course, it was not only the former Captain of the ATLAS that was told to come.

It was good seeing the team again. With Hunk dressed in his culinary uniform, Pidge maturing over the years, even Keith grew up and calmed down from his “lone wolf” phase…

….the biggest change was Lance.

Shiro softened at watching the once bright eyed sharp shooter ageing faster than Shiro himself, especially since the Cuban no longer smiled or showed any emotions. He almost looked like a shell of his former self, taking Keith’s role into being a wall flower and avoided talking to people. Particularly to his former teammates. Losing Allura took it’s toll on the former Blue turned Red Paladin, to the point that he had retired earlier than Shiro to live in his family’s farm.

It was a shame, but Shiro respected his friend’s decision.

The reunion was cut short when the party was ambushed by rebel Galras that did not join the Blade of Marmora nor surrendered to the Voltron Alliance. Shiro, being rusty, had tried to fight off the best of his abilities…

….But it wasn’t enough.

And now, the previous Black Paladin was lying on the cold, hard ground…bleeding out and dying.

He couldn’t move. He couldn’t even think straight as he was listening to the blasting of guns, the cries of allies and enemies alike…he even had to close his eyes tight at the shouts of his teammates names. Keith yelling at Lance as a body hit the floor, the screams of both Hunk and Pidge and more thuds.

Shiro had turned his head with a broken sob at seeing his fallen friends. Hunk being the farthest away, body unrecognisable. Pidge…she was curled up as if hugging herself and unmoving…

Then, there was Keith and Lance. Side by side. Lance on his back with dead eyes and Keith curled up on top of him, as if shielding him. But it looked poetic as Lance looked at peace while Keith looked pained…almost regretful..

Shiro too. He felt regret wash over him.

Tears welled in his eyes at the memories flashing in his mind. He regretted not talking to his friends, his found family, more even when they separated to their own lives after Voltron was no more. He wished he knew where the Lions went, find Black maybe. That he didn’t talk to Keith more about Lance, or even talking to Lance himself as the former Blue Paladin withered away.

Heck, he didn’t even want to admit it…but Shiro regretted marrying Curtis.

Thinking now, as he was dying, he never really loved him. Curtis was a sort of comfort that Shiro accepted. At the time, Shiro thought he had true feelings for the man that helped him in the ATLAS. He deluded himself thinking he was in love with the man, because he couldn’t process that Adam was gone. That Shiro…settled because he thought that was what he wanted, needed, at the time.

‘I am an idiot. I’ve basically strung Curtis along in a lie…and I can’t even tell him because I am here…about to die…’ Shiro thought to himself as the world quieted down around him, signalling that the battle was over. He didn’t even care if his side won or if the rebelled Galra did.

More memories of his past flashed before his eyes, and he chuckled. Did he deserve to remember? Allura must be scolding me in the stars by now…

Allura.

What would she think about this?

He had to cough a laugh, thinking that Allura would be upset that they lost easily…or that she would be screaming at him to get up, keep fighting…

“I have no more in me to keep fighting…” Shiro admitted to himself while wheezing, staring at the sky about him as he sniffed, “I think…it’s time…”

“You gonna give up so easily?”

Shiro looked at the voice that spoke, seeing a familiar brown haired male sitting on top of him, staring down at him with those hauntingly green eyes. Hallucination or real, Shiro accepted the person with a bitter laugh, shaking his head.

“You of all people would show up as I breathe my last breath.” Shiro murmured weakly, as the person looked down at him sadly, tilting his head.

“You’re not a quitter, Shiro. You’re a fighter, and a stubborn one at that.”

Shiro softened, wanting to reach up and touch the other person’s face. Or even sit up and reach up to hug him, anything. But alas, he didn’t have the strength to do so and then sighed.

“…You were right, Ben.”

Ben raised a brow at Shiro, who just chuckled then coughed hard, making the brunet concerned.

“Right…about what?”

“Everything. I should’ve listened to you when you said that I was in over my head before Kerberos. I should’ve listened to you when you said you were only looking out for me and not trying to talk down at me because of…of my disease. I know you’re not like Adam, and I just…” Shiro closed his eyes and sighed, his head lolling to the side, “…I should’ve talked to you. O-Or found you when I came back on Earth…hell, I should’ve tried to find you when I came back the first time before finding the Blue Lion…”

Ben stayed silent, and Shiro continued.

“There are many things I should’ve done and wanted to say. And…and I wish I didn’t…”

“…Didn’t what…?”

Shiro opened his eyes again, the light leaving his eyes as he saw nothing in front of him. Hallucination, then.

Shiro sobbed as he felt alone, his vision slowly fading as he breathed out softly.

“I wish I didn’t go to the Kerberos Mission and followed after you that day…”

“Is that what you wish for?”

Shiro looked up, expecting the illusion of Ben again, but was surprised seeing a young pale man with almost shaggy dark brown hair and dark brown eyes staring back at him blankly. While he did look on the youthful side, his eyes…it looked almost ancient and staring right into his soul.

“…Who are you?”

“Me? I’m…” The young man paused, tapping on his chin, bobbing his head side to side before speaking again, “You can call me Caspian. It’s the name I prefer actually.”

“Who…?” Shiro closed his eyes for a moment, before opening them again as he breathed out tiredly, “What are you? Are you…like, Death?”

“Heh, that’s a good one. Dunno what I am right now, honestly…but I do know I am here to help you~” Caspian had a quirk of an amused smile for a moment before looking seriously at the man before him, “Takashi Shirogane, you are in need to save the universe.”

Save the universe?

Shiro couldn’t help but painfully laugh, which confused Caspian as Shiro shook his head.

“Of course I’d be dragged into once again saving the universe….” Shiro sighed in annoyance, then looked at Caspian, “Why me? Why do I have to do it?” And not someone else for a change?

“Because you wished to fix your mistakes? Is that not what you truly wished for?” Caspian raised a brow at Shiro before tilting his head, “That you wanted to change things and make it right?”

Shiro opened his mouth for a moment, then closed it, sighing. “…Why not ask another person? Someone…not me? Someone else that could maybe change things for the better than I could…”

Something in Caspian softened as a solemn smile appeared on his face, “…The Universe cherishes you, Shiro.”

Shiro snorted, “The Universe has a funny way of showing it.”

“Well, the Lions of Voltron had chosen you.”

“…The Lions are gone. They left when Princess Allura died.” Shiro said miserably, feeling the guilt in his heart.

“And they wish to have their Princess and Paladins back,” Caspian countered, “The Universe needs to be put into balance, and properly this time. So, the Universe thought that you alone should go back and fix everything…save your—what did you call them? Your Space Family.”

Shiro turned his head to where Caspian was looking, his heart clenched at seeing the dead bodies of his friends. Pursing his lips, he turned his head back to the other male, and softened.

“…So, are you taking me now?”

Caspian snorted at his acceptance, and nodded.

“Right where you wished to be…”

A hand reached out to touch over the former Black Paladin’s chest as Shiro felt himself passing out.

“Remember, Takashi Shirogane. Once you make ONE change, everything else will be different than what you remember…”

…

……

………

…………

“…Shiro?”

Opening his eyes with a gasp, the Asian male whipped his head around frantically, as if just remembering to breathe.

He…he wasn’t in that planet anymore? He wasn’t dying and lying in his own pool of blood?

Shiro had to pat himself up, down and around his body to see where his gaping wound on his side was, clearly seeing he wasn’t even wearing his ATLAS uniform.

It was a Galaxy Garrison Space Suit.

“Shiro? We’re about to be launch for Kerberos in twenty minutes, are you coming?”

Whipping his head to the source of the voice, he almost dropped his jaws when seeing a very much younger Matt Holt staring at him in concern, fixing his glasses.

“Kerberos…”

Shiro was at a loss at first, before his mind remembered the day of him, Matt and Sam Holt flying off to space for the first time. He had to look around then saw a reflection of himself, and gasped. He was twenty one again, his face young, full of life and…his hair was all black and he still had his right arm.

He was back.

Soon, he turned around and started running, ignoring the calls of Matt as he was making his way into the Garrison.

He had to find him. He just had to!

Flashes of a memory formed in Shiro’s head as he ran. Of a brown haired male talking desperately to the young Shiro to not fly to Kerberos and wanted to say something more, almost looking sad and defeated. Flashes of Shiro angrily yelling at him and storming away…and into the very ship that changed his life forever.

Shiro pushed himself to run faster, hoping he wasn’t too late…

…And smiled in relief at seeing a slouched figure going through the exit of the Garrison gates.

“BEN!”

Back straightened at the sound of the voice, the young man was turning his head questionably, toxic green coloured eyes looked towards him in surprise, and almost slightly red as if he was holding back tears.

“…Shiro?”

Shiro felt his whole body warm at the surprised and breathless tone the other male had and was rushing towards him in top speed, not caring that he looked like a lunatic with arms waving above his head and crying big fat tears. It seemed Ben wasn’t prepared as he was soon feeling strong arms around him, almost falling over if it wasn’t for Shiro pulling him into his chest and sobbing on him.

“S-shiro? What—?”

“Thank god! Thank god, you’re here…”

Ben Tennyson was never one to be surprised about anything anymore. Ever since he was ten years old, the boy now ageing into a fine young adult, the brunet had been through so many things and met so many walks of life that nothing should ever catch him off guard. So it came to a shock that the summer childhood friend he’s known since he was eleven was now burying his face onto his shoulder, leaving tears and snot trails on his hoodie.

“…Ah, S-shiro…?” Ben asked awkwardly, looking at the bigger male tightening his grip around him, and was relieved when he looked up to see Matt running over to them, “Matt! Thank fuck, do you know what’s got into Shiro?”

“That’s what I would like to know! It wasn’t a few minutes ago that Shiro couldn’t wait to leave this place and go up in space!” Matt huffed, hands on his knees as he was taking a breath from running all the way here, and then looked back up, very miffed, “You got a lot of explaining to do, Shirogane! Do you have any idea how this is going to look?! What will Sanda say when you have begged and pleaded for your case to go on this mission—?”

“Fuck Sanda.”

Ben and Matt both looked horrified at Shiro swearing with a low growl, with Ben having his jaws drop and Matt almost breaking his glasses comically.

“Shiro…?” Ben questioned before Matt screamed out loud.

“THE FUCK DID YOU SAY?! ARE YOU CRAZY!?”

Shiro looked back up at his best friend and narrowed his eyes, and Ben squeaked when he felt the arms tighten around him more. What was going on with him?

“Yes. Tell Sanda to shove it, I changed my mind. I’m not going to Kerberos…”

Calming down, Shiro softened.

“Please tell your dad I’m sorry and thank you for everything, but there’s something important that I’ve gotta do…”

This time, Shiro turned to Ben and breathed out.

“Ben, I’m going to need your help. There’s a lot I wanna say to you, but for now, I think there are much more important things to cover. Will you help me?”

“Yes, of course,” Ben said without hesitation, smiling.

This…this was something that Ben had been waiting a long while for. He wasn’t sure what changed in Shiro at this moment, but it was better than the cold shoulder and violent overacting anger towards him for the past few years. Helping Shiro, whatever it is, was something Ben will do and more.

Matt stared at them for a moment, taking a minute or two to process what was going on and sighed. Rubbing at his head, he turned around and spoke out loud.

“You do realise that this will be seen as an insubordination. The Garrison are not going to be happy you did this…”

“And they’re not gonna be happy on what I’m going to do next~” Shiro smiled, before grabbing Ben’s hand and rushing off, “C’mon, we’re going to find a few people and go somewhere else. Talking here in the Garrison is not safe…”

Matt balked at him while Ben was still reeling at the change of attitude from the Asian male, before Matt started stomping his feet and waving his arms up and down angrily.

“SHIRO! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!”

Shiro looked back and gave a happy grin, waving at him, “Fixing stuff. Please give my apologies to your dad and cover for me from Sanda and them! Thanks Matt, you’re the best~”

And with that, Shiro and Ben vanished back inside the Garrison, and Matt felt his heart stop.

“…I need better friends.”

“Okay, are you going to explain what is going on now, or am I to wait until you stop dragging me to wherever we’re going?”

Shiro paused in his steps as he looked back at the confused look on Ben’s face, and his eyes softened. God…just looking at Ben made his heart flutter. He couldn’t believe he was living and breathing in front of him again. Shaking his head out of the thoughts, Shiro calmly spoke.

“Considering you’re a big hero, and know a lot about space, what I’m about to tell you might be shocking. But before that, I’m going to have to pull some cadets out that might help us out,” He explained, and soon started walking again.

Ben nodded slowly, trying to understand him, but he was sort of distracted as to why Shiro was still holding his hand as they walked together down the Garrison halls. Somehow the gesture sort of made Ben’s cheeks flush for a moment, head spinning. This is so out of character for Shiro…but why do I like it?

Ben was going through his internal monologue, Shiro meanwhile was looking through classrooms by their windows, peering in to look for two certain people. He paused for a second when he spotted Hunk for a moment and then looked unsure.

Should he pull Hunk out and drag him to Voltron again?

Shiro softened as he watched Hunk look out the window and into starry void that was space, the two standing at the central deck of the ATLAS in silence. The war was over, and yet…

“Sometimes…I wished that I didn’t get dragged by Pidge and Lance to space…” Hunk murmured quietly, but then looked to Shiro and looked sheepish, “D-don’t get me wrong! While I do love Yellow, and the team…it’s just…there’s a part of me that missed so much of my families lives, that I was gone for so long…I dunno…it feels complicated now that I’m thinking on it.”

Shiro watched as Hunk was fiddling with what seems to be a cup of Nunvil, staring down at the liquid with ageing eyes.

“If I had a choice to go back? I wished someone else would be the Yellow Paladin and I would stay on Earth…”

Shiro knew that Hunk, despite proving time and time again that he was stronger than he thinks, wasn’t cut out for being in a war. And, as much as he wanted to call out to his friend once more, he has been through hell already once in the past. Maybe someone else could take his place?

Deciding to move on, Shiro looked away from the window and started moving on, giving a mental parting farewell to his old friend. Maybe this time, Hunk can stay with his family and be safe.

Shiro was going through classroom to classroom once more, but then paused when he finally saw two familiar figures. He smiled when he saw Keith, who was very young with no scar on his cheek nor looking like he was haunted by war, and then turned his head to see—

“CAN’T YOU DO ANYTHING RIGHT, MCCLAIN?!”

Shiro’s smile fell when he spotted Iverson yelling at Lance, who was looking down at the ground and hands fisted on his sides. Right, Shiro remembered that Lance had a hard time in his first years of the Garrison. And Iverson particularly relished scolding Lance and trying to compare him to Keith, who somehow was some sort of secret genius.

“Yeesh, this guy’s an ass…” Ben murmured to Shiro, and Shiro soon released Ben’s hand from his own and started walking in the room, “Shiro?”

This alerted everyone in the class, including Iverson and Lance, as Shiro was marching over to them.

“Shirogane? I thought you were flying out for the Kerber—“

Before Iverson could say anything, Shiro pulled his arm back and WHAM!

Keith’s eyes widened in surprise while his classmates, including Lance, were gasping and crying out in surprise. Takashi Shirogane, polite and the Golden Boy of the Garrison, just punched a commanding officer! Needless to say, it surprised every cadet in the room. Ben almost had to laugh at the scene, Shiro looking like a raging bull as he stood over Iverson, who was on the ground and holding his bloody nose.

Shiro was quick to pull the man up by the front of his uniform jacket, and sneered at him, “You think it’s fun talking down on people that are not on the same level as others? You get some sick twisted kicks onto bullying cadets that need more guidance and care? Well, let me tell you something, Iverson…you’re never going to be half the man that Lance McClain is!”

While during his time as Captain of the ATLAS, Shiro remembered how Iverson had been somewhat tolerable when joining the Voltron Coalition, even making apologies to Keith and Lance on how he treated them during their Garrison days. But right now, this Iverson wasn’t the comrade he knew in the ATLAS. Might as well start humbling him while he was still high on his ego trip.

“Shiro?”

Shiro turned to the soft voice, seeing Keith approaching him and touching his arm, violet eyes wide and looking concerned. This caused Shiro to calm down, dropping Iverson to the ground and turning fully to look at his young brother figure. By Quintessence, he looked much like a boy than he remembered. Still looking hopeful and bright…right before Shiro flew in space and captured by the Galra.

This caused Shiro to reach over Keith and hug him, surprising the shorter male with a squeak.

“S-shiro?! What’s got into you?” Keith wiggled out of his hold, looking weirded out, “Aren’t you suppose to be flying to space with the Holts? Why are you here? A-and why did you punch Iverson?”

Somehow despite looking appalled at the thought of his hero punching an officer, Shiro could see the envious glee that someone actually put Iverson in his place.

“Let’s just say that…there’s something more important that I have to do,” Shiro soon turned to Lance and smiled softly, “Lance, right?”

“I should thank you all for getting me out…Lance, right?”

Shiro remembered the very first time meeting Lance, and almost felt the same as before. Especially with Lance reaching a hand out and hesitating, his eyes looking unsure. But he then smiled, looking up at Shiro with hero-worship and admiration in his eyes, taking his hand and shaking it.

“Yes, sir. Lance McClain, reporting.”

“Ah, just Shiro is fine.” It felt weird for Lance to call him sir out of all things.

“So, what’s going on?” Keith came in between them, looking at the both of them with narrowed eyes.

“I’ll explain later. But right now I need you two to come with me.” Shiro stated, and noticed that a few cadets had gone out, probably to call another officer while a few others were checking up on Iverson, “We should get out of here. Now.”

Keith didn’t hesitate as he nodded, already grabbing for his backpack and heading to the door while Lance faltered, looking from Iverson and back to Shiro.

Shiro noticed this and softened, “If…if you don’t want to come with, that’s fine. I’m not forcing you to do anything you don’t want. And I most certainly don’t want you to get into trouble, if that’s what your’e thinking.”

While he had decided to let Hunk be this time around and not bring him along, he’s not gonna lie and say that he was going to do the same for Lance. In fact, he was hoping Lance would come with them, no questions asked. Unlike Hunk, Lance was made to be exploring and fighting in space. He had shown Shiro time and time again how much of a fighter he was, and how he was someone that could be on equal footing to not just Keith, but too Shiro as well.

Someone who was destined for great things, just like Allura had predicted.

However, he wasn’t going to push Lance into coming along, as much as it pained him.

Lance looked like he was thinking for a moment, and Shiro’s spirit almost died at the thought that Lance was going to decline him…but was relieved when Lance looked at him in determination and nodded.

“If you say I should come, then I shall follow your lead, Shiro.”

Shiro smiled, nodding his head as he soon turned to rush out the door, Lance right behind him. Ben was talking to Keith quietly when Shiro and Lance approached, the two then glancing up at them. Shiro did wonder why they stopped talking as soon as they approached and what they were talking about, but he suppose he can ask them later. The four of them soon were rushing out of the Garrison quickly, especially when they noticed some officers were now chasing after them.

“Oh man, it feels like we’re criminals or something!” Lance yelped as he kept on running, Shiro looked sheepish.

Okay, maaaaybe he shouldn’t have decked Iverson like he did just now.

Either way, Ben was reaching towards the Rust Bucket and got in the driver seat, looking at the other guys, “GET IN!”

Keith slipped into the front passenger seat next him, Lance jumping in the back. Shiro was about to go in when he spotted Matt and Sam Holt watching them from afar. Sam looked worried for him, albeit, also puzzled as to why Shiro was leaving and Matt…well, he was glaring at Shiro as if he wanted an explanation to all this. Shiro just gave a small apologetic smile and salute, knowing he’ll explain to Matt what’s going on when things have calmed down. And so, he slipped into the RV and Ben drove off, a few Garrison vehicles coming after them.

Lance had to look back, seeing the Garrison in their wheels and gulped.

“Man, they do not look happy.” He stated nervously, then he looked to Ben, “Can’t this thing go any faster?”

“Never a dull moment. This is a typical Wednesday for me.” Ben murmured, rolling his eyes as he pressed something onto his steering wheel, and soon picked up speed.

“We could toss some non-essential weight?” Keith suddenly said, and Shiro’s eyes widened for moment at those words.

“Oh right!” Lance looked around for a moment but then frowned, looking over at a cheeky looking Keith as Lance huffed, “Okay, that was an insult, I get it.“

This…never happened, at least not at this moment? Shiro thought with a frown, but then again, a lot of things happened that weren’t like in his past memory. Since when did Keith look playfully at Lance, who looked slightly annoyed. Okay, wait, that was normal of Lance in this timeline…right?

Keith suddenly straightened, looking at the front window and his eyes widened as he pointed out, “Guys! T-that…is that…?”

Shiro and Lance looked over, and their eyes widened at seeing the edge of a cliff. Ben almost smirked at them, giving a wink before accelerating the speed of the RV. The three boys screamed while Ben was laughing as the Rust Bucket took flight in the air, the Garrison trucks and cars stopping at the edge of the cliff. Rolling his eyes at the men screaming in his RV, Ben pressed something on his dashboard as the RV started floating in mid-air. Shiro managed to calm down, looking at Ben staring at him with a smile.

“You think you’re the only one that knows how to fly the skies, Shiro the Hero~?”

Shiro’s eyes softened, letting out a chuckle as he smiled fondly, “You’re amazing.”

This caught Ben off guard for a moment, his face flushed before turning around to face the front, “W-whatever, Shiro, you’re so weird…”

Shiro continued on staring at the mumbling Ben, ignoring how Keith was looking at him in suspicion.

“Soooooo, where are we going?” Lance finally asked as they were still flying in the air, looking from Ben to Shiro, “I mean, I know I said I’ll follow you, but I would like to know exactly what I’m getting into?”

Shiro knew that he had to eventually tell them what’s going on, but he didn’t know where to start. And would they believe him? The first time around, it was hard to believe anything that happened and what was about to happen in the future. But…what stays the same and what changes? Shiro had already done a lot of things that he didn’t do in the past…how was that going to effect everything from this point forward?

“It’s gonna sound hard to believe…” Shiro started, glancing at the trio with an unsure look.

“Try us.” Keith said, already giving a look that said that he will believe anything he says. Well, that was typical of Keith, who had his whole trust and faith on Shiro ever since the day they met.

Shiro pursed his lips as he then let out a breath.

“Okay…but first, Keith, do you think we can stop by your house?”

Reaching the Kogane home was something that Shiro didn’t think he’d be seeing again in this lifetime. From what he remembered, Keith had taken him and the Team into a shack. Shiro then remembered Keith saying that the shack was just an old place that his Dad had kept when being a part-time ranger around the dessert. Something about how there were stragglers around the area that wanted to sneak into places that are off limits like the Garrisons secret bases. Shiro believed that was the time when people were hearing rumours about aliens being in the area. Oh how right they were.

“Keith, was there anything strange going around here that might seem…I dunno, extraterrestrial?” Shiro asked innocently as Ben parked his RV to the side, him and Lance talking while Keith welcomed Shiro inside his house.

Keith raised a brow up at him before fully turning to him with his hands on his hips, “Answer my question first, since when are you and Ben in talking terms again?”

This caught Shiro by surprise, “W-what do you mean?”

“From what I remember, last week you were telling Ben to ‘fuck off and never come into my life again!’ and always kept telling me how much you hated the guy?”

Shiro winced at the words coming from Keith’s mouth.

It was true. A long time ago, Shiro absolutely couldn’t stand Ben. He didn’t hate him, per se, it was more…Shiro was immaturely jealous of him.

Shiro knew Ben ever since they were young. One summer, when he was eleven years old, his grandfather and Max Tennyson introduced him and Ben with one another. Apparently, the two were pilot buddies and eventually ended up in the same Plumber business, becoming good allies and life-long friends. With that, their grandfathers thought that Shiro and Ben could be good friends too.

Young Shiro was hiding behind his grandfather’s leg as he peeked out for a moment at the smiling young Ben, who was giving the biggest grin and waving all friendly like. Their grandfathers looked amused at this interaction, knowing that they made the right decision.

And it worked for a while…until the news of Ben being a hero came out.

Fifteen year old Ben blinked when he and sixteen year old Shiro were coming out of Mr. Smoothies one day, and the two were surrounded by paparazzi. A lot of them asking about Ben being a hero and saving the day time and time again, to rumours about being an evil traitor to the human race and expect aliens to invade Earth. Either way, Ben looked annoyed as he grabbed Shiro’s arm and escaped the hounding tabloids.

Shiro looked over at his friend, “Wow, y-you’ve become so popular…”

“Yeah, but it’s getting irritating to the point I can’t even do my job,” Ben murmured as he sipped his smoothie, and Shiro looked away for a moment with a strange look.

Thinking on it now, Shiro always felt that Ben got everything in life too easily. He managed to fly by school despite being the worst student ever, he had friends despite that he never tried interacting with people…but what killed Shiro the most, was that Ben got to go to space. Shiro’s biggest dream…

“You…went to outer space?” A seventeen year old Shiro breathed out one day when he came out, a sixteen year old Ben waiting in his bedroom with a smile.

“Yeah! It was so awesome. Check it out, I got a souvenir for you!” Ben excitedly said as he was holding what looked like a shiny rock, and Shiro frowned.

“You…went to space.” Without me, Shiro would think bitterly.

Ben looked at Shiro, confused, placing the space rock down and looked over his friend, “Yeah? I told you that already—“

“You knew exploring the stars and planets is my dream!” Shiro said hotly, looking away as he glanced around all the N.A.S.A. memorabilia and posters of planets and stars.

Ben looked around as well, closing his eyes and sighing, “…It wasn’t like it was a field trip, Shiro. I was on a mission—“

“And yet you come running here to show off, is that it? Rub it in my face?”

Ben looked hurt at the accusation, which came out of nowhere to him, as he stared at Shiro incredulously, “I-I didn’t—”

“Get out.” Shiro pointed to the door with narrowed eyes, “I don’t want to talk to you today.”

Shiro had to mentally face-palm at his younger self, remembering how Ben looked incredibly and reasonably upset that he was shooed away. All because Shiro was jealous. Jealous of a chance that he wanted. And he did eventually get the chance, in the Galaxy Garrison…

…But even then, Ben was involved with that too.

Eighteen year old Shiro’s eyes widened as he looked down at the paper in hand, then looked to a grinning seventeen year old Ben, who was holding a cupcake and party blower.

“What…did you do???”

Ben laughed as he gave a sheepish look, “Surprise~? Thanks to my rep as hero of Earth and the universe, I managed to score you a way in to your dream come true. You said that you would do anything to get into the Galaxy Garrison to train and fly with the best~! And so, I placed a good word for you with them!”

Shiro crumpled the paper in hand and threw it to the ground, looking at Ben angrily, “Do you have any idea what you did?!”

“…Er, this is the part where you say ‘You’re welcome, Ben~ You’re the best, Ben~’ and all that?” Ben said slowly, wondering what had Shiro up in defence now.

Shiro shook his head as he then let out a huff of frustration, “Do you know how this is going to make me look? Thanks to you, they’ll think that I asked you to recommend me into the program, like I need to have you go up to them and beg me to be placed in! Like some desperate yuppy. They’re not going to take me seriously with my skills and knowledge alone. They’ll now think I’m The Great Ben Tennyson’s Charity Case.”

Ben didn’t think of that, and looked almost apologetic, “I didn’t—That’s not my—Shoot, ah, h-hang on! I can fix this—“

“THIS IS ISN’T SOMETHING YOU CAN FIX! AND STOP TRYING TO FIX ME!” Shiro slammed his fist onto a wall, almost scaring Ben for a second as Shiro breathed out heavy and in fury, “You’re sounding like my doctors. You’re sounding like my grandparents. Trying to control my life and tell me what to do with it!”

“I-I wasn’t trying to do that! I swear, Shiro, I just wanted to help you—“

“STOP TRYING TO HELP ME! I’M NOT SOME WEAK LOSER THAT YOU ARE FORCED TO TAKE CARE OF AND BE FRIENDS WITH! I WISH YOU WOULD JUST LEAVE ME ALONE AND OUT OF MY LIFE!”

That was the last time he had ever spoke to Ben like that. There was another time, but it was supposed to be today…when Ben was trying to also stop Shiro from going to the Kerberos mission.

“Shiro?”

The man blinked as he heard Keith’s concerned voice, and was brought back to the present.

“Ah, s-sorry, what were you saying?”

“You zoned out. Shiro, why did you not go to the Kerberos mission? Are you okay?” Keith asked quietly, looking Shiro over, “Is it the disease? Is it acting up again?”

Shiro felt his heart drop for a moment, and looked down at his wrist, the very one that had the monitor to remind him of his booster medicine for his muscles and maintenance for his weakening body. Right…he was still sick. By not going to space and be captured by the Galra, it would mean that he was still on a ticking time limit before his whole body would fail him…and die.

“…That’s not it. But thank you for reminding me,” Shiro will have to figure out a cure later…because he knew there was one, but not on Earth, “I will explain everything to you, Keith, I promise. But there are some other things that I’ll need before then.”

Keith looked like he wanted to question him more, but decided against it and nodded.

“Okay…so what else do you need?”

Shiro hummed before he looked outside to see Ben and Lance approaching to the front door, and his eyes softened.

“We’re gonna have to call in some people.”

“Call in…who, exactly?” Keith asked curiously, before Ben and Lance stepped into the house and hearing the conversation, “That’s also another thing, why did you want Lance to come with us?”

Shiro looked over at Lance and smiled, “Because he’s going to be important on this mission~”

Lance’s blue eyes widened for a moment, looking flustered at being under the spotlight, rubbing the side of his neck, “I-I’m important…?—Wait, wait, time out. What mission?”

Shiro turned serious, glancing at a curious looking Ben, then to the cadets.

“What I’m about to tell you stays in this house. The reason that I didn’t go onto the Kerberos mission is because there is word that Earth is going to be invaded.“

Lance and Keith gasped, and Ben looked suspiciously at Shiro.

“That’s a big statement, Shiro. What makes you say that?” The Omnitrix wielder inquired, and Shiro knew that Ben was on the know about any alien race coming to invade Earth or not. Which is good, this means he’ll take me seriously.

“Have you heard about Voltron?”

Ben looked at him for a moment, before raising a brow, “…From what I heard from Grandpa Max, it was an old wives’ tale. A story about five lions turning into one giant man that saves universes. Something to tell kids before bed—Shiro, why do you know about Voltron? Earthlings don’t know about that…well, they do, but they think that’s all anime cartoon and fake for TV entertainment?”

“Because it’s real. And I can prove it—”

Shiro paused for a moment, before looking to Keith.

“…Keith, I know you have some weird shack somewhere around here and you might be drawn to search around the grand canyons that are nearby.”

Keith looked confused, “…Are you talking about Dad’s shed he uses as a man cave? And all those deserts are just that, deserts. Why would I search around there?”

This caused Shiro to look confused for a moment, but had to mentally slap himself. Duh, that part won’t happen until he disappears during the Kerberos mission. Where Keith got himself expelled from the Garrison and was turned into a hermit searching for the Blue Lion…that all won’t happen until next year.

“Ah, r-right…” Shiro sweat-dropped before looking over at Ben, “Okay, I have another way to prove it…”

“Oh yeah? How?”

At Ben’s question, Shiro then paused once more, giving himself a slap at his forehead for real this time and almost freaking out Ben, Lance and Keith.

Pidge…

At this time, she would be under the name Katie Holt. She wouldn’t be the same Pidge he remembers because right now she didn’t have a purpose of sneaking into the Garrison, changing her name and looks, going on a mission to find her missing brother and father…that were not missing anymore, thanks to Shiro bailing.

‘Meaning she won’t have the machine that tracks Blue or hear the message about the Galra and Voltron.’ Shiro felt himself groan inwardly, and as much as he wanted to find Pidge and ask for her help…how can he?

There were two things that could happen. One, was that Pidge would look at him like a crazy person and pretty much would call the police on him…or worse, send Mama Holt to deal with him. Another would be that Pidge might be willing to help in the name of science…although this might alert Matt and get him riled up into thinking Shiro was dragging his baby sister into something dangerous.

‘With Matt and Sam on Earth now and the mission cancelled because of me, there is no reason for her to come to the Garrison at all…or any reason to be part of Voltron.’

With this thought in mind, it would mean Shiro might have to consider that Voltron won’t be complete this time around. If he had things his way, he wouldn’t want to bring Pidge into war again. Right now, she was fourteen going on fifteen. A child. And Shiro wasn’t about to send her into space and get hurt again.

Ben looked at Shiro’s thoughtful face and sighed, “Shiro, I know that you think you know things, but I have to say that there is no way there is an invasion happening—“

“Okay, okay! I know I sound like a lunatic, but I’m telling the truth!” Shiro desperately pleaded as Ben almost backed away when Shiro stepped forward, “Please, I know you have every right to not believe me…”

“No, no! Shiro, I believe you. Really, I do,” Ben breathed out softly, “But I cannot just go running to the Plumbers with just word of mouth alone. We need actually solid evidence that there is going to be some sort of attack that’s going to happen.”

Shiro tried to scratch his brain on ideas, until he landed on one.

“Ben, do you remember the Teen Titans?”

This sort of surprised Ben as he looked at him strangely but then spoke slowly, “Er, yes but…why would ask about them?”

Shiro was confused why Ben’s tone changed, but then it hit him. How could he forget how he reacted in front of people that understood Ben the most. And the very people Shiro felt insecure around the most. Which was also yet another reason why he and Ben drifted apart.

“Guys, this is the friend I was telling you about.”

Sixteen year old Shiro felt nervous as he felt himself dragged along by a fifteen year old Ben towards a group of teens in costumes, the people turning to them with different expressions on their faces. Some of them curious, some of them confused. Either way, Shiro didn’t feel all that comfortable. At least Matt was with them, along with Ben’s cousin, Lucy Mann.

“This is Shiro. He’s going to be a future explorer to space of the Galaxy Garrison~” Ben boasted with a smile, while Shiro was rubbing the side of his neck sheepishly.

“I’m Robin, leader of the Teen Titans. Nice to meet you, Ben has told us a lot about you,” A teen in a domino mask spoke with a calm smile, placing his hand out to Shiro, who shook his hand.

“I-I’ve heard of you. Um, big fan?”

Robin chuckled, having an arm around a tan-skinned girl with red hair and glowing eyes, “And this is Starfire. My, ah, girlfriend…”

“A pleasure to meet you, Friend Shiro. Ben has told us fondly that you wish to see the stars and planets outside of Earth,” She spoke softly, as Shiro felt his cheeks flush.

Whew, if he wasn’t attracted to men, he would’ve thought Starfire was beautifully gorgeous. Well, she is, but still—

Ben smiled, watching Matt and Lucy mingle with the other Titans before Shiro leaned over to him once Robin and Starfire left.

“Ben, why did you invite me to this party anyways? Matt, I understand, since he’s Lucy’s plus one. But…?”

“Why wouldn’t I invite you?” Ben looked up at him and tilted his head, “You’re my friend, aaaaand well Julie couldn’t make it. That, and Gwen and Kevin have a date night so, I called you,”

Shiro quirked a brow before looking over at someone calling Ben over. Ben just told Shiro to relax and enjoy the party, before disappearing off. Shiro at first did try to stay away from crowds and just people watch, but eventually thanks to Matt and Lucy, he loosened up. He even got to talking to people like Starfire, to Cyborg, and then to other Honorary Titans. He was about to find Ben when he heard his voice along with two others.

“Guys, c’mon, lay off him! I mean, he’s my friend,” Ben’s voice sounded, and Shiro had to lean back from being seen as it seems Ben was talking to Speedy and Kid Flash, “So he ain’t a super or an alien from another planet with awesome powers, so what? So is Matt.”

“The thing is, at least Holt is a super genius and he’s all buddy-buddy with Princess Sludge over there,” The archer hummed a bit when nodding to Matt and Lucy, sipping his drink, “What? Did you think your friend would be good for the team once he upgrades from cargo pilot? We don’t need another space cadet, Tennyson.”

“No offence, but I don’t see anything special about that guy. He’s…too normal, ya know?” Kid Flash hummed in agreement, “He’s no Robin, who was trained as a kid by THE Batman. Or like Speedy with Green Arrow or—“

Ben sighed in frustration, “You’re judging him already without seeing what he can do…”

“Didn’t you say that he was sick?” Another voice sounded as it was revealed to be Raven, floating over to them and looking at Ben seriously, “It wouldn’t be wise to have an ally that’s already on death’s door. Not to mention cruel to be giving him false hope. Does he even know that you wanted to recruit him as a Titan?”

Shiro felt his heart squeeze for a moment as he closed his eyes. He knew it.

He left that party that night without telling anyone. He didn’t even answer any calls from Ben, Matt or anybody. Shiro just felt disappointment once more, and he never wanted to be involved with parties with Ben ever again.

“Shiro? Are you okay? You’re spacing out again.”

Shiro snapped out of the memory as Ben said this, and then sighed, “I’m fine, Ben. Really. It’s just, we’re going to need them.”

Staring at Shiro for a moment longer, Ben then sighed and was grabbing his cellphone from his jacket pocket, “…Fine, there’s someone that I can talk with. Just give me a sec, okay?”

Shiro looked relieved, but then had a thought before asking cautiously, “W-who is it?”

“Ahhh, Starfire actually…”

Shiro had a mental cheer in his head. This is the exact person I need!

“Great! Ahhhh, there’s also someone else we might have to check on first. Where is your cousin, Gwen?”

Ben looked up and blinked, “Err, she’s probably in her Alma Mater considering she’s going for her advance magic masters…we can totally go and visit her if you want?”

Shiro looked thoughtful and then shook his head, “Do you think it’s alright to maybe call her over?”

“I can try and contact her too,” Ben tilted his head, “But why did you want to have her come here?”

“Just…I need her to check on something.”

Shiro had a theory. One that could be possible, but he needed to confirm it with someone that was magical. Turning to Keith and Lance while Ben was talking on the phone, he looked to the two of them and sighed.

“Okay, the next bit…we’re going to have to explore down at the canyons close by.”

“Is there something that we’re supposed to be looking for?” Lance asked curiously, and Shiro smiled a little.

“Yup.”

While it may be a year or so earlier than expected, it was best that they find the Blue Lion now before the Galra does. Which is perfect since at this moment, one of Zarkon’s fleet that was stationed nearby Earth’s atmosphere was not close yet. If they could find Blue first and go to Arus to the Castle of Lions…maybe this time around they’ll have an advantage against them.

“But first, we’re going to need a machine…” Shiro hummed as he was resting a hand under his chin in thought, eyes narrowed, “One that could read Fraunhofer lines. It would give us the exact location…”

Keith folded his arms, looking sort of puzzled, “A frown…who?”

“It’s a number describing a spectrum of an element…” Shiro accidentally murmured, then blinked as he caught the weirded out looks from Lance and Keith, “Er, basically it’s gonna help us find what we’re looking for.”

“Shiro, you didn’t exactly tell us what we’re looking for,” Keith pointed out, now looking annoyed, “This whole being mysterious and not telling us exactly what’s going on is starting to bug me. Not to mention you’ve been acting weird and bailed on the very mission that you thought was your everything…punching Iverson—“

“Kinda had it coming,” Shiro interrupted with a frown, but then shook his head, “I will explain, once we find Blue—“

“Good news and bad news, guys,” Ben came between them with a finger up, glancing at the both of them before speaking cheerfully, “Good news, I managed to contact Starfire and she’s kinda flying her way here.”

“And the bad news?” Shiro raised a brow while Ben looked sheepish.

“Gwen is out world at the moment. Apparently Kevin has dragged her into one of his car shows in another planet and won’t be back for a while,” Ben explained but then tilted his head, “If you tell me what you need Gwen for, maybe it will be better so I can tell her properly why she needs to come back to Earth.”

Shiro sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, before closing his eyes, “I need her magical expertise to check on something.”

“…I might know someone else that might be able to do that for you,” Ben suggested, as he had his hands on his hips and raised a brow at him, “But again, you’re gonna have to tell me why you need magical help? Since if I recall, you never believed in that sort of stuff.”

“…It’s to check if there’s a cure for my disease.”

Keith and Ben’s eyes widened at that, while Lance gasped and placed a hand over his mouth.

“You’re sick?” Lance asked, clearly worried with sympathy in his eyes, which Shiro ignored as he looked at Ben.

Ben sighed, “…Shiro…”

“Please? I have a feeling that there might be something that could.” Shiro pleaded, stepping forward to place a hand on Ben’s shoulder.

“…I’ve tried to tell you this option before. But you had shut me out every time I tried mentioning it, saying that I should stop calling you and meddle in your life.” He took a deep breath, but nodded as Ben turned away and wiped his eyes, “…Okay. Okay, I definitely will call someone that can help. She’s almost the same level as Gwen and might be able to help.”

Shiro’s eyes soften as he smiled, squeezing Ben’s shoulder, “Thank you…”

Lance and Keith looked awkward at the moment the two men shared, and Keith interrupted them with a cough.

“Er…okay, so, is it really that easy that someone could magically cure Shiro?” He asked.

Ben nodded, “Surprisingly there are things magic can spot that human technology and medicine can’t. Anyways, if we’re gonna do this, we’re gonna have to find a big space.”

“Um…why?” Lance wondered out loud with an apprehensive look, growing even more nervous when Ben grinned.

The four young men stood outside of Keith’s home, the sandy winds blowing around them. Ben stepped forward, holding what seems to be a small notebook, and flipping it open. Reading it quietly, he raised a hand up, and spoke softly that the other three had to strain their hearing a bit to understand.

“Esporow Via Esprolixas Capti Capters Few Sonmow Lenton Oway On Respicklas Lokis Lusses Via Astendus Ocultes Ienwua!”

And with a flash of lights, a very large double door appeared before them, almost looking like an entrance of a spooky castle. Shiro, Lance and Keith looked up in awe while Ben just smiled in satisfaction. While they were distracted, Ben walked over to the door and knocked on it, placing his hand over the door and then called out softly.

“Charmcaster. I know you’re there, and I definitely know the password to your door. So you better come out here unless you want me to barge in—“

“Tennyson, I swear to Legerdomain that you are a pain in my ass sometimes.”

Ben smiled as he looked over to the side to spot a young woman with silvery hair tied up in a high ponytail, light purple-bluish eyes and wearing what seems to be a magenta coat with purple at the ends, tight dark pants that matched with her aesthetic makeup she had on.

“Hey Charmy~” Ben greeted cheekily, before the woman snarled.

“I told you not to call me that,” She looked over at the three other males that were there, then looked back at Ben tiredly, “So, decided to ditch Gwendolyn and her guard dogs and replace them with hot men? What also happened to that handsome alien partner in blue that hung around you?”

“Har, har…and Rook has his own thing going on, so that’s that.” Ben rolled his eyes playfully before looking back at Charmcaster, “I need your help with something.”

“You always need my help with things~” Charmcaster purred as she stepped forward, running a finger down his chest, “Is it that time again—?”

“NOPE! Nope, n-not that,” Ben blushed as he took her hand and placed it down, coughing a bit before letting out a small chuckle, “No, ah, there’s someone I want you to check out.”

“Mmm, checking out people besides you~?”

“You know that’s not what I meant.”

“Tease~ As usual~”

Shiro narrowed his eyes at the two of them for a moment, but then blinked when Ben looked over at him, making Charmcaster look at him too.

“Charmy, this is Shiro. He wanted to have someone magical do a medical diagnosis on him.” Ben explained, and Charmcaster’s eyes sparkled with mischief for a moment, and Ben noticed, “Charmy, no—“

“Shiro~? Is it the very same one that you’ve talked about?” Charmcaster teased, already stepping up towards the taller male, observing him and hummed, “Fitter than Levin, and quite handsome than Rook. I can see why Tennyson is very interested in you~”

“You talk about me?” Shiro questioned, making Ben reach over and smack the witch with a frown.

“Now’s not the time to be playing, Charmcaster. Can you please check on him for me?”

Charmcaster huffed, but nodded as she then stepped back for a moment, raising her hands towards Shiro. Keith wanted to jump in, thinking she was going to attack but Lance stopped him and shook his head. The sorceress hummed as her eyes glowed, murmuring some sort of language as a light surrounded Shiro. To him, it felt warm, like he was being wrapped around blankets and coddled into comfort. After a minute or so, Charmcaster stopped, the light dying down from her hands and around Shiro.

“…Well?” Ben asked as Charmcaster looked over at him, raising a brow.

“…There’s nothing wrong with him?”

All the guys looked puzzled.

“What?” Keith asked suspiciously, before Ben shook his head.

“Um, no? From what I remember, Shiro has a degenerative muscle disease?”

“He’s right,” Shiro said with a serious look, “According to the doctors, with my muscular dystrophy, I only have a few years to go and I wouldn’t be able to pilot or go to space anymore.”

Charmcaster raised a brow at him, and chuckled, “Well, your silly doctors are wrong. There’s no disease in you…”

Shiro looked floored, “Are…are you sure?”

Charmcaster looked offended, “Are you saying my magic is wrong? Then you’re even dumber than I thought,”

“Hey!” Keith growled, before Shiro stopped him from trying to thwart her for that comment.

“So, what? You’re saying…I’m healthy and have no signs of my disease in my body?”

Charmcaster nodded, “Yes. Maybe someone out there cured you already without you knowing~”

Shiro tried to wrack his brain for a moment, feeling like this didn’t make any sense. But then the memory of him almost dying, the strange man that had brought him back to this time—

“Caspian.”

Charmcaster froze at the name while Ben, Lance and Keith looked confused.

“Who?” Ben asked, as Shiro breathed out, looking towards Charmcaster.

“You know who he is, don’t you?”

“How do you know that name?”

Before Shiro could answer, a shadow casted over them and everyone looked up to see a flying red haired woman in purple landing before them, her glowing green eyes looking at them before smiling.

“Greetings!” She cheerfully said, but once she spotted Ben, she soon swooped in and brought him into a hug, “Friend Ben! How I have missed you!”

“A-ack! G-good to s-see you too S-starfire…” Ben choked out as he wriggled himself free from her, and breathed out softly with a friendly smile, “Ah, glad you found me. Er, sorry for dragging you out here but we need your help.”

“I shall offer my assistance to the best of my abilities~” She said in a voice of positivity, almost looking like an angel the way she smiled and the sun shining down on her figure.

Shiro was waiting for a moment for Lance to say something, but blinked when a minute passed by and heard nothing. He glanced over at the Cuban male for a moment, witnessing Lance looking to the side boredly next to Keith. Isn’t this the part where Lance slides in and flirts with a pretty girl? He would wonder, scratching his head.

Maybe he should say something?

Sliding next to Lance, he nudged him, “Don’t you think Starfire is pretty?”

Lance glanced over at the older male, then looked to Starfire, then back to him and shrugged, “She’s attractive, I guess?”

“You…guess?” Shiro asked in surprise, with Keith tilting his head and looking at him suspiciously.

“Why do you care what Lance thinks about some alien chick’s looks?” He asked slowly, and Shiro smiled sheepishly.

‘How weird…maybe this is a good thing?’ Shiro thought to himself, glancing at Lance again, who was staring at Keith with a thoughtful gaze.

With Ben and Starfire still talking, the Tamaranian’s eyes then glanced over to Shiro and blinked, but then recognition shone in her eyes as she then softened, “Ah, you are—?”

“U-Um, it’s nice to see you again, Miss Starfire,” Shiro was quick to cut her off, not liking the sympathetic look she was giving him as he placed his hand out to her, “I asked Ben to call you here because I wished to ask you a few questions and help me find something hidden among this canyons.”

Starfire looked at the hand, then shook it kindly with a small smile, “Any friends of Friend Ben is a friend of mine. Tell me, what is it you wish to ask me?”

Shiro smiled a little, and took a deep breath. “Do you know about Voltron and the Galras?”

A gasp left Starfire as she released Shiro’s hand, looking at him appalled, “H-How do you know about—?”

“Let’s just say I have my sources. But it’s good that you might have knowledge about them and know why I’m asking?”

Starfire nodded slowly, “They are an advance alien species that are are known to work in terms of absolutes, with victory or death being a common motto and philosophy. Cruel and relentless, they are a race that you do not wish to go up against. They are even worse than the Gordanians…”

“Don’t…even know what those are?” Keith murmured, and Starfire didn’t look away from Shiro.

“Are you telling me you know the location of Voltron?”

“Yes. And the Galra are looking too. Luckily I might have an idea of where we can start looking before they do, but we’re in need of a machine to find it,” Shiro told her, and Lance raised his hand up, “Yes, Lance?”

“You said you need a machine…but since we have a witch with us—?”

“Hey!”

Lance ignored Charmcaster for now.

“Don’t you think it’s easier to have her track whatever it is you’re looking for?”

Shiro blinked as he stared at the Cuban for a moment longer, before he smiled, “That’s…actually a good idea, Lance. That was really smart of you!”

Lance felt his face flush as he then rubbed the side of his neck bashfully, and Shiro couldn’t help but smile in pride. It was good that he has Lance here, the potential is still there.

Ben tilted his head and looked to the silvery haired girl, “So? Can you?”

“I can use my magic to track a lot of things…but it would be easier if I had some sort of sample of what I’m looking for~” Charmcaster said, placing her hand out as she stared at Shiro for a moment.

Shiro froze as he looked stumped for a moment. Right, how was he going to give something for her to locate the Blue Lion? He would think nervously, glancing around for a moment until his eyes landed on Keith. If he remembered correctly, Keith said that something had lead him to the canyons. Drawings and symbols leading him to where the Blue Lion could be—

Shiro looked back to Charmcaster and smirked, “First, we have to go near the canyons. Then you’ll understand.”

Everyone looked at each other at this, confused and somewhat intrigued.

“…Okay. I admit it…this is super freaky…” Lance murmured as everyone stood at the edge of a cliff, looking over at the large masses of rocks and mountains before them.

Charmcaster was floating for a moment, eyes glowing pink along with her hands as if being a human sonar.

“Anything, Charmy?” Ben asked as he watched over her, and the woman breathed out finally after a minute.

“I have a lock on a strange signature. Follow me,” She murmured and floated downwards, and everyone soon followed.

Starfire stayed in the air to keep an eye on the sorceress, Ben also following by using a little power from his Omntrix. According to him, he had an upgrade on his watch, allowing him to borrow some of his aliens’ powers without transforming. It was both impressive and terrifying to Shiro how much Ben could use said powers. Keith and Lance also followed behind him, more cautious than anything, but somehow had faces on that looked like they felt something…familiar.

Soon, everyone stopped when Charmcaster froze in place, looking down what seems to be an entrance to a cave.

“…We’re going in there?” Ben questioned, and Charmcaster started moving forward once more, and inside the cave, “…Yup, guess we are.”

A sigh escaped Shiro, knowing what was coming next and soon followed after the floating magic user, Ben and the rest behind him. As soon as they entered the cave, amazed sounds of gasping was heard from everyone…everyone except Charmcaster and Shiro.

Shiro, who knows what these were, wasn’t surprised in the least and had a fond smile on his face. Bingo, now all that’s left is for Lance to touch the walls of the Lion carvings…

He turned his head to see Lance already on it, curiously looking at a chipped drawing of a lion and running his hands over the markings. Shiro waited with baited breath for the walls to light up the familiar blue luminous light that would lead them to Blue…but his smile fell when nothing happened. He didn’t understand, wasn’t it Lance that triggered that awakening to Blue?

“Wow, these are…amazing…” Keith murmured, reaching out to brush some sand off one drawing, seeing the drawing of the lion.

It was then that a loud roar was heard, and Keith’s eyes widened when he saw that the drawing started to glow. Standing back, he looked around and saw all the drawings on the walls started lighting up, almost scaring everyone. Shiro had to double take looking at Keith, now even more confused.

‘Keith triggered Blue…?’

And suddenly, the ground shook under them and gave way, each one of them falling down like some sort of waterslide further into the cave. Starfire gasped, flying after them along with Charmcaster to grab them before they hurt themselves. She managed to catch Ben, while Charmcaster caught Shiro…although sadly Lance and Keith fell with a thud into some puddle of water, landing on each other. A groan escaped the two teens before they realised they were entangled with one another and quickly moved away from each other.

Keith slapped his reddening cheeks for a moment, but then his eyes caught sight of what seemed to be a gigantic force field that was holding an EVEN MORE GIANT ROBOT LION!

“Is this it?” Starfire asked, in awe and looking it over with a hint of excitement in her voice, “Is this the Voltron?”

“Part of it…” Shiro murmured, then saw Ben was staring at him and coughed, “T-there seems to be a force field around it. Lance, feel anything weird about it?”

“Huh?” Caught off guard being called out, Lance raised a brow, “Er, nooooo?”

Shiro blinked, looking back up at Blue then looking back at Lance, “You sure? You don’t feel like the eyes are, like, totally following you?”

Lance folded his arms, raising a brow, “No, I didn’t. Why are you asking me that?”

Keith stepped forward as he looked at the lion for a moment, then felt his heart race. For some reason, he felt like the lion was looking at him. The dark haired teen moved himself to the left, then sliding to the right, frowning a bit as he was very much feeling the eyes on him. Going closer to the force field, he hesitated. Then, he raised a fist, taking a deep breath.

“How are we going to get through the barrier?” Ben asked as he stood next to Keith, ignoring how Shiro and Lance were going back and forth behind them.

“M-Maybe we can knock?” Keith said awkwardly, hoping to come out as a joking manner, and even knocked on the force field for a second, “Heh, guess it didn’t work—“

His eyes widened when something shocked his hand, a light coming from the barrier as Keith stepped away. Before Ben could ask if he was alright, his eyes widened as he witnessed the force field melting away and the room light up with magical blue light. Both of them looked down when the ground shook, seeing how strange markings were appearing under them.

Shiro stopped and turned slowly to Keith and Ben, but mostly staring at Keith.

‘Blue…chose Keith? That can’t be right!’

But he then gasped when something was entering his mind, and knew then and there that Blue was communicating with them.

‘Hello Black Paladin…it is good to see you once more.’

“What…?” Shiro said out loud, staring at the beast and then gulped, “You…recognise me?”

‘You may look young, but your soul is the very same one as before. Before you and the other Paladins sent us away when the Princess died.’

Shiro winced, but then looked confused, “Wait…do…are you from the time in my future?”

The purring is all the answer he needed. And he won’t question it right now. But this means that Yellow and Green are going to be pretty mad that their Paladins are not here this time around. Glancing at the others, he saw that they were slack-jawed and unmoving, almost as if time stopped for them. Blue must be giving the same vision that she did before, explaining who she is and what Voltron is.

Good, this gave him a bit of time.

“Why did you open for Keith and not Lance?” Shiro questioned, raising a brow at Blue, “He’s your paladin, isn’t he?”

‘While Lance is indeed my Chosen, because of you coming back to the past, things have changed. Thus, I have decided to bestow Keith as my new Chosen in this lifetime…’

Shiro didn’t understand, “But…why?”

That, Blue didn’t answer. And it frustrated Shiro so.

“Okay, don’t answer. So, are we going to head to Arus and meet Princess Allura and Coran in the Castle of Lions now?”

‘Yes. All seven of you will go.’

Confusion coloured Shiro’s face. Seven?

He had to count everyone in the room, and pursed his lips.

“Er, Blue? There’s six of us…?”

Suddenly, Blue roared once more and making everyone jump in surprise, including Shiro. It was then there was a sound of a girly shriek was heard somewhere around the cave, then a splash of water. Turning around, he soon found a blonde haired girl in all brown, orange and yellow sitting on the ground, wincing as she rubbed her back and butt with a pout.

‘Who is this?’ Shiro wondered, looking at the girl before a gasp left Keith.

“Terra?”

The girl looked up at the sound of the name, her eyes widened in fear and looked like she was about to run.

“Wait!” Shiro called before Starfire flew past her and tackled the blonde girl to the ground, “Starfire, what—“

“TERRA!” Starfire shouted to her face, but then started crying big fat tears as she wrapped her arms around the freaked out girl, curling around her into a big, tight hug, “OH MY FRIEND, I THOUGHT YOU WERE GONE! A-AND FRIEND BEAST BOY SAID THAT YOU LOST YOUR MEMORIES AND, AND, AND—“

“S-star…y-your hugs are a-as suffocating a-as ever…” Terra choked out as she was trying to wriggle her way out of the Tamaranian girl’s arms, and sighed in relief when she was let go.

Keith took one step as his eyes narrowed, and Terra caught the look with a skittish look.

“Terra…is that you?”

“Keith…” The girl breathed out, standing up shakily as she had her hands onto her chest as if shielding herself, “I…I didn’t think I’d be seeing you again…”

“Why are you here?” He asked, looking like he was holding back some anger as he tried to keep calm.

Terra’s eyes saddened, but then looked up at the Lion before looking at everyone seriously, “I-I felt some weird energy level here. It called out to me and I followed it…although I wasn’t expecting to have some company here. Especially you, Keith…”

Shiro felt confused. Was this girl here before they found Blue?

Lance coughed, before speaking out loud, “Did…anyone else see that?”

Charmcaster raised a brow as she looked at Lance weirdly, “See what?”

“Voltron is a robot!” Ben exclaimed, waving his hands in the air in excitement, “Voltron is a HUGE, HUGE, AWESOME ROBOT!”

"And this is only one part of it!” Terra said out loud, shocking Shiro for a moment as she continued with a hum, “I wonder where the rest of them are?”

‘Did…did Blue show her too?’ Maybe that was why Blue said that the seven of them are going. This just got more interesting, but complicated.

Starfire frowned, looking somewhat lost, “I did not see anything?”

“Neither did I…?” Charmcaster also spoke up, which had Shiro thinking for a moment.

‘So Starfire and Charmcaster didn’t get shown anything by Blue. Only me, Ben, Lance, Keith…and probably this Terra girl that just showed up.’ He thought with a hum, tapping his chest while his arms are folded. But what did this mean for Voltron now? Were Ben and Terra possible Paladins now?

Shiro decided to leave those thoughts away for now. Right now, they had to leave.

The Blue Lion let out another purring sound, lowering her head in front of Keith. Surprise coloured the shaggy haired male’s face, watching how the robotic feline open her mouth to allow him inside. Keith stared, but then confidently walked in, the others following him inside. This included Terra, who stared at Keith’s back worriedly.

It made Shiro wonder what was her history with Keith?

Walking into the Lion, they noticed the inside looked a lot like a ship’s, and Keith was familiar with that scenery as he enters what seems to be the cockpit when another set of sliding doors opened up for him. He saw the single chair, smirked and took a seat. Suddenly, the seat slid forward, shocking Keith as he soon saw the dashboard light up before him, watching how a lot of holo-screens appeared before his eyes and how the command console activated.

“Wow…” Keith breathed out, seeing how the steering handles for a pilot just appeared before him, “This is so cool…”

“Ooookay, I dunno if I should state the obvious or not: but, is no one in here sort of freaked out that we are inside of a big ass cat’s head?” Terra asked everyone with a weirded out look.

Keith stared at her for a moment before he gasped, feeling warmth all over his head and down to his legs. It was as if he was feeling someone tapping at his mind and picture after picture was being presented before his mental cranium and…a voice talking to him.

“Er, d-did you guys hear that?” Keith asked, and Lance looked over at him strangely.

“Hear…what?” The cuban male asked.

“I-I think it’s talking to me?” Keith murmured, as he looked at the dashboard and then to his steering wheel.

“She. And yes, she is talking to you,” Shiro pointed out helpfully, making Ben stare at him weirdly.

“And how would you know that, exactly?” Ben questioned with narrowed eyes, as Shiro looked sheepish.

Keith didn’t hear them as he continued to stare at his console, then to the front window that was already showing the inside of the cave they are currently in. Humming for a moment, he curiously reached out to the bright keys in front of him, tapping onto it. It was then that Blue suddenly got up, stretching her limps and started making a move. Everyone inside held on with shouts of surprise, and Keith grinned once gripping both his controllers.

“Okay. Got it. Now let’s try this~” He chuckled, soon pushing his arms forward with eyes ablaze, forcing Blue to move as well.

With a mighty roar, the mechanical lion soon broke free from it’s prison, smashing out of the cavern walls and off into the sky. Giving a small somersault, jet blasters from it’s paws activated, and the Lion soon was flying even higher up in to the sky. Screams were heard inside of the cockpit, Keith’s eye twitch when both Lance and Terra were hugging around his head and gripping his hair, Starfire and Charmcaster pressed against the walls with their eyes closed and Shiro gripping his arms around Ben protectively while Ben’s eyes were wide and face flushed.

“K-Keith! Slow down! Th-this isn’t the s-simulatoooOOOOOORRRRR—“ Lance was screaming as Keith kept making loop-de-loops with Blue and suddenly blasting off even faster.

Keith was smirking the whole time as everyone still was yelling for him to stop, in particular Terra expressing she was going to barf, and continued to fly. This was the most fun he’s had in a long time, no way he was going to stop now!

“Isn’t this awesome!?” Keith yelled out with a smile, and Lance had to move his head to the side as if finding a place to blow chunks or two.

“Make it stop! Please, make it the stop!” Starfire cried out with comical tears, as Keith laughed.

“I’m not making it do anything~ It’s mostly on auto-pilot~” Keith teased, as Lance snapped his head up and glared at him.

“Keith, you son of a bi—“

“Oops, can’t hear you, Blue seems to want to fly up again~”

More screams were heard as Blue was soaring high in the sky once more, but then Keith frowned when he looked down at the controllers.

“K-Keith?” Shiro asked, as Blue finally slowed down, but it seems they were not in Earth’s atmosphere anymore, “Keith, what is it?”

“The Blue Lion is telling me something…” He responded, as Lance looked at him in disbelief.

“The Lion is…talking to you? What exactly is she saying?”

Keith raised a brow at him for a moment and huffed.

“I-It’s not like she’s saying words per se…more like she’s feeding me ideas in my head…”

Shiro looked curious then asked Keith, “What is Blue saying?”

“Blue wants to go home…but where is her home?”

Shiro knew that this was going to happen. As soon as Blue was free, it was only a matter of time that she would want to reunite with the other lions and meet with the Princess and Coran in the Castle of Lions. Thing was, Arus was pretty much a wormhole away at the edge of the solar system, and way past Kerberos. Meaning once they leave, there was no way they could get back to Earth for a long while.

“…Guys, I have a confession to make…”

Everyone looked to Shiro for a moment, their expressions mixed with curiosity and caution.

“Where we’re about to go…it’s gonna be even farther than you’ve ever gone.” He was mostly speaking to Ben for this part, but Shiro looked to everyone and sighed, “Before we fly any further, I want you to know that you don’t have to be here. We can easily fly you back down and you can walk away from this. Forget about this all happening and go on with your own lives. Because from here on out…your lives will be at risk.”

Shiro hoped at least Lance and Keith will stay and come with him to Arus, but he wasn’t going to force them if somehow they didn’t want to go to space and leave Earth. Shiro knew in his heart of hearts how Lance valued family above all else, like Hunk.

He even had to loosen his grip on Ben just to show that he wasn’t holding him back either.

Ben stared up at him for a moment before smiling, “You talk as if I haven’t been far out of the galaxy before. Wherever you’re going, I’m in.”

Relief washed over Shiro at that moment, smiling down at Ben fondly.

Keith gripped his wheels, as he then breathed out, “I’m already in even if you didn’t say all that. You’re my family, Shiro. There’s no point being on Earth if you’re not around. Besides, who else is going to keep me in line when I get into trouble?” He teased, grinning up at the man.

Shiro chuckled, then looked to everyone else, “W-well?”

Starfire clasped her hands together, looking starry eyed as she smiled, “I would be honoured to join this voyage with you all. Besides, it would be good to stop by Tamaran if I can.”

“What about the Titans?” Shiro asked, ignoring the way Terra tensed up, and Starfire looked awkward for a moment.

“The…Titans are disbanded temporarily.”

Shiro decided not to question any further than that. He looked to Lance this time, and he looked worried. Lance was awfully quiet, and he looked like he was contemplating on his choices. Shiro’s heart squeezed, knowing that Lance was thinking of his family in Cuba. Especially with Veronica being in the Garrison, probably looking for him right at this moment.

“Lance, if you don’t want to, you don’t have to…I won’t force you or think any less of you…”

The brown haired male glanced up at his hero, his eyes wide and something flicked in those blue rises of his. Pursing his lips and narrowing his eyes, he soon straightened, huffing a little.

“I’m a Cadet of the Galaxy Garrison. And we do not quit on a mission. As this is my mission and you are my captain, I will follow you without question. I trust you.”

Shiro felt like he heard these words before, and he felt his whole being break remembering those were Lance’s last words to him.

“I’m a Paladin of Voltron, Shiro. We do not give up! Even if you are part of ATLAS, you’re still my leader. I will follow you to even hell and back if I have to. I trust you.”

“S-shiro? A-are you okay?”

Shiro didn’t even realise that his eyes welled up, quickly reaching to wipe his eyes and smiled weakly at the worried Lance, “I-I’m okay. Just…touched that you trust me.”

“W-well yeah! You’re my hero, after all,” Lance then placed a hand over his mouth and flusters, looking embarrassed that he said that out loud.

Keith saw this and rolled his eyes, but kept the Blue Lion steady.

Shiro smiled, but then glanced over at the remaining people and softened, “And you two?”

Charmcaster was immediate.

“I’m gone.”

And with a magical poof, she actually vanished into thin air, leaving a dust of pink behind.

Ben looked amused, “She does this. But she’ll back…when she’s bored, at least.”

Shiro looked unsure, “What makes you say that?”

Ben grinned as he was then holding up what seems to be a small raggedy pouch of some kind, “Because there’s no way she’d leave me with her magical bag full of unwanted secrets with me~”

Terra almost looked impressed, “Snagged it from her while she wasn’t looking?”

Starfire gasped, “Is that not stealing?”

Ben whistled, twirling the bag around his finger with the strings, “Well, it’s not stealing. More like borrowing~”

Ignoring that for now, Shiro looked to Terra, and waited for her answer with a look, “And you?”

Keith snorted, “Don’t bother, Shiro. If she wants to leave, she can leave. It’s all she’s good at anyways.”

Terra looked at him with narrowed eyes, then placed her hands on her hips as she looked at Shiro coolly, “You know what? Not like I have any place to be, so count me in~”

Keith quirked a brow at her, glaring at her with annoyance while Terra turned to him and stuck her tongue out to annoy him further. Lance glanced at the two of them weirdly but looked over to Shiro, who was just watching them in confusion.

“Sooooo…I guess everyone, minus one that left, are all on board,” Lance noted as he looked at the other man, “Shiro, you’re our senior officer here. What’s our next move?”

Everyone looked towards the man as Shiro then took a deep breath, looking out the window.

“The Blue Lion knows where to go. I say we trust it…but we're a team now. We should decide together.”

Ben smiled, “My vote never changed.”

“Mine either,” Keith agreed, and it seemed Starfire and Terra also agreed along with Lance, “We trust you.”

Shiro nodded, relaxing a little, “Okay…I guess we’re out of here.”

Once he said this, Keith soon pushed his controllers forward, the Lion soon zooming into the skies and out of Earth’s atmosphere. This surprised most of them except Ben and Shiro, the two already used to space (With Ben being a hero and Shiro…well, from the future and all).

“Amazing. It would take a long trip to travel this far off the galaxy,” Starfire pointed out as she saw the planet that was Kerberos passing by them, “But we are here in a tick…”

Shiro caught this and snapped at her, “You…know that word?”

“What is a tick?” Lance asked as Starfire tilted her head.

“I believe in your Earth terms, it is a measurement of time?”

Shiro didn’t like how his stomach turned at that, but focused on Keith’s piloting when he spotted it. A glowing blue wormhole appeared in front of them, and Shiro knew that this was it. There was no going back after this.

“You ready?” Shiro asked Keith, who smirked.

“Look who you’re talking to~” Keith soon made Blue go forward, the Lion speeding towards the portal and disappeared through it.

After a few rumbles and tumbles from Blue, everyone was holding on tightly in the confined space they were in as they exited the portal.

Keith breathed out slowly, blinking his eyes as he looked around, “W-wow…that…was…”

A groan and a hurling sound was heard at his left, Keith closing his eyes with a wince as Terra threw up at the side. Everyone else also looked away with a disgusted look, Terra then finishing with a small apology while holding her sides.

“Surprised she took this long…” Keith murmured before looking out once more to the window and blinked, “Woah…”

“I don’t recognise any of these constellations…” Starfire murmured as she looked around, Ben also looking around and agreeing with her.

“Okay, maybe this is a part of the galaxy I haven’t been yet. Maybe it’s even farther than Revonnah…we must be a long, long way from Earth…”

“I think the Lion wants to go to that planet over there,” Keith pointed out to everyone as he spotted what seems to be a beautiful looking planet that almost looked like Earth, and Blue was speeding over, “I think…I think this is her home.”

Everyone braced themselves as the Blue Lion was hitting past the atmosphere, growing red hot as she never slowed down one bit, as if excited to be coming home to this unknown planet. But Shiro knew. He knew and was smiling brightly as they got closer. Passed the skies and down to look at the land below.

“Guys, personal space,” Keith murmured as everyone seemed squished against him as he piloted the Lion, then glared at Terra close to him, “Terra, your breath is killing me.”

"Um, is it just me or is anyone else having second thoughts about flying through a mysterious wormhole?” The blonde murmured and then narrowed her eyes at Keith, “Why are we listening to a robotic Lion anyway"?

“This Lion happened to take us to her home planet. So I suggest you shut up and stop complaining. You agreed to come with anyways,” Keith argued, and Lance sighed.

“Don’t be mean to her, Keith, she was just asking…case you haven’t noticed, not everyone is used to being inside a strange robot cat taking us to who knows where?”

Keith looked up at him and cocked a brow, “Ohh, you scared?”

“With you in the helm? Terrified.” Lance said coolly.

"All right, knock it off! We all agreed that we do this together and I know that it’s not a happy situation,“ Shiro interjected between them, trying to calm them down, “But we're here now. If we want to get through this, we've got to do it as a team. Okay?“

“Sooo, what do we do?” Ben asked curiously.

“First, we are letting Blue lead us to where she needs to go,” The Castle of Lions should be close by…He added in his mind then glanced over at Keith, “Keith? Is Blue saying anything to you?”

“No, she’s pretty quiet right now.” Keith said with a shrug, and Lance hummed a little, but then blinked when he looked up and leaned over Keith, who then blushed and looked up at the Cuban, “W-what are you—?”

“Guys! There’s a Castle up ahead!”

Everyone looked up and indeed, there was a beautiful view of what seemed to be a shining modernised Castle that was perched on top of some mountain that was nearby what seems to be a beautiful seaside. Shiro felt his eyes well up at seeing the view of the Castle of Lions, his heart yearning. We made it. We’re home, he would think to himself as Blue was zooming to land outside of the Castle, carefully placing their paws on the ground. Somehow, with a purr from Blue, the Castle suddenly lit up in bright blue lights, just like back in the cave.

“Wow!” Starfire and Terra were in awe, and Ben whistled.

“Neat trick,” He stated, but then turned serious with a pursed lips, “…Maybe we should keep our guard up?”

Lance looked over at him, “Something wrong?”

“Who knows what lies inside this Castle. Friend, or foe?”

Shiro sighed as he placed a hand on Ben’s shoulder, “I can assure you, they are friends. Let’s get going.”

Ben wanted to question Shiro, but one by one, everyone was getting out of the Blue Lion and staring right in front of some large doors with some sort of symbol on it. Suddenly, Blue straightened up and roared out loud, causing everyone but Shiro to tense up as if readying for a fight. But they soon turned around when the same doors were glowing brightly and soon opened wide for them.

“Ohhh…the door is open,” Terra breathed out before looking over at Blue, “Heh, s-sorry, thought you were going to eat us.”

Shiro soon rushed forward and started making a beeline to where he knew the Princess and Coran were, and Ben couldn’t help but follow after him. This also caused the rest of them to follow, wondering how in the world Shiro knew where to go?

‘There’s a lot that Shiro isn’t telling us,’ Ben thought in his head, seeing how Shiro skidded to a halt.

It was then a beam of light appeared as the vestibule activates, Shiro remaining calm while the others sort of freaked out.

“Hold for identity scan.”

“W-what is going on?!” Keith exclaimed as he felt himself being scanned, looking around, “Who goes there?What do you want with us?!”

“Keith, calm down. The Castle is just trying to identify us.” Shiro murmured quietly, and then blinked when it finished scanning and started to light up another hallway for them.

“Welcome, Paladins of Voltron.”

Shiro smiled a little, before making his way down the halls, ignoring the look of suspicion from both Ben and Keith. Either way, yhe lights in the hallway started to glow warmly, the team then started to walk down the lit hallway and down a flight of steps. Soon, they ended up in what seems to be a chamber of some sort of strange looking pillars in them.

Shiro was immediate as he went to the centre of the room and looked over some console, while Ben looked around.

“Where are we? Some kind of control room?"

“Princess Allura…” Shiro murmured as he pressed a button on the console, watching two strange pods rise from the ground, “Hope you and Coran had a good sleep…”

“Alright, Shiro, I think I had enough. Tell us what the heck is going on,” Keith finally snapped and walked by Shiro, who looked over in confusion, “It’s like you know all of this. Like, you’ve been here before?”

Shiro softened and was about to say something until he heard a noise and snapped his head to see four more pods rise from the ground. This caused him to frown, as he remembered in the past these ones were empty. But apparently there seem to be people inside them as well. Alteans? Maybe…

“A-are these guys…dead?” Lance squeaked out in fright, but one of the pods started to open.

Shiro expected Allura’s pod to open, but it was one of the new ones as the glass melted away to reveal a blonde girl with a braid dressed in green. She looked…human.

She gasped, her eyes opening to reveal them to be of obsidian coloured, reaching her hand out and yelled, “Wally!”

Ben was quick to move as he opened his arms out and caught her, the young woman falling into his arms. Shiro was alerted for a moment, almost wanting to step forward but the other pods were opening. Soon, another pod opened to reveal a very young Asianboy in a hoodie, stumbling onto his knees and hands as he then was gasping for air. The next pod opened to reveal another blonde haired girl, this time her hair was down past her shoulders and held back by a black hairband, dressed what seems to be a Wonder Woman shirt and red jogging pants. The last pod opened to reveal some red haired rugged man with almost glowing ruby eyes, in a brown trench coat and even stranger clothes underneath.

Shiro…didn’t know any of these people.

“W-what…where am I?” The woman in Ben’s arms murmured, holding her head, “What the heck happened?”

“You’re…in a Castle. In another planet. Um, hi, I’m Ben.” The brunet introduced himself with a small smile, and the blonde looked up with a squint of her eyes.

“…You’re not Wally.”

“No, I am not. May I ask your name?”

“…”

Suddenly, Ben yelped when he found himself in a restraining hold, twisting her arm over his neck and looking at everyone else in the room.

“Stay back! Are you part of The Reach?!“

“The what?!” Lance yelped as he placed his hands up, almost wanting to step forward to stop her, “No! Let him go! W-we’re just passing through! We don’t know anything!”

“Gambit feels like a Sentinel has hit Gambit over the head one too many times,” The strange red haired man spoke in a deep Cajun accent, rubbing his head before looking around with confusion, “…This isn’t Genosha?”

“Artemis!?!” The other blonde girl there squeaked as she flew over and then placed her fists up to stand in front of the girl holding Ben, “Alright, you Reach scum! You’re not taking us or our home planet!”

Keith was already pulling what seems to be a knife from his jacket, and Shiro was also readying for a fight.

The young teenage boy in the hoodie just was rubbing his head before he looked around, before narrowing his eyes, “…I think everyone should calm down for a moment.”

“What’cha say, short stuff?!” The floating blonde girl looked over at him with a glare, while the boy looked up and gave her the stink eye, which made her flinch back with an unsure look.

“I mean, why are you guys going all aggro the moment waking up in…what I believe are Sleep Chambers,” The boy looked back to where he had come out from and then hummed, “Well, never thought I would be abducted by aliens at the age of fourteen. Sort of thought that would happen later on after I finished my brother’s nerd school—“

“Yo-you’re not abducted,” Shiro spoke up as he managed to calm down too, glancing at the one called Artemis holding Ben hostage, “W-what exactly do you remember before waking up…um—?”

“Hiro. Hiro Hamada,” The boy introduced himself as he looked to Shiro, “You seem to be the ring leader for this operation, correct?”

“Uh, I wouldn’t call myself a ring leader per se…” Shiro murmured before Hiro rolled his eyes.

“Anyways, the last thing I was remember was I was in a science fair with my brother and his friends along with my Aunt. I won and was going to go out to celebrate, but I hung back to double check on my invention one last time. I was the last to leave the building that held a lot of upcoming students’ projects but somehow the building was set on fire. Next thing I knew was I was knocked out and ended up here…”

“C-Can you please let me go now?” Ben tapped at the woman’s arm, before he yelped and was dropped to the ground and the blonde raised a brow.

“My name is Artemis. I’m a former protege of Green Arrow and I was supposed to be with the Justice League and The Team behind them to take down an alien race called the Reach…last thing I remember was watching my boyfriend get fried by some weird machine and I rushed in to push him out of the way and…nothing.”

“Wait, Green Arrow has another protege besides Arsenal?” Ben tilted his head, but then yelped when Artemis glared down at him.

“Arsenal? Do you mean Red Arrow or the real Speedy?”

“Who’s Red Arrow? And….real Speedy?”

Artemis shook her head before looking at the other blonde girl and softened, “Cassie, what are you even doing here? Do you remember what happened?”

Cassie looked sheepish for a moment before shaking her head, “I-I dunno. One minute I was with Robin taking down the Reach’s machines and army and then got a message about Kid Flash, Flash and Impulse being in trouble. I was going to fly to their location when I was zapped and…blacked out too…”

“You know of Robin?” Starfire asked curiously before Cassie looked over and nodded.

“He’s…my teammate,” She looked flushed for a second before coughing, then turned serious, “A-anyways, um, who are the rest of you guys? I only know Artemis since we work with the Justice League.”

“There’s no way you work with the Justice League,” Ben pointed out, “I’ve never met you two before.”

Artemis glared at him, “What? We do work with the Justice League. Who are you to say that?”

“I’ve worked with them plenty of times and I’ve never met you nor your Wonder Woman fangirl here,” Ben pointed to Cassie before looking at Artemis with a grin, “I’m Ben Tennyson. Or Ben 10, ya know, saved the universe a billion times~?”

“…Never heard of you.” Artemis huffed as she stared at him, arms folded.

Suddenly, a whistle sounded and the strange man in the trench reached a hand up, signalling everyone’s attention.

“Ah, je suis tres desole for interrupting. But Gambit thinks that the other pods are opening,” He pointed to one that was already melting the glass away, and soon was making the move, “La tête haute~!”

He had shoved Lance out of the way when a strange mocha color-skinned woman with white hair and in a dress was reaching her hand out with a gasp, whispering out ‘Father!’ with a breathless tone, and Gambit soon caught her in his arms in time before she fell to the ground.

Shiro almost balked at this, knowing that it wasn’t Lance who caught Allura this time around, but a total stranger. Lance groaned as he was rubbing his butt since he fell when pushed away, Keith walking over and looking over at him, asking if he was okay.

"Who are you? Where am I?" The woman in his arms questioned, looking around for a moment before her eyes landed in front of the red head.

“Remy LeBeau, chérie. But you can call me Gambit~”

The woman narrowed her eyes up at him, then tilted her head, almost confusing Gambit. She was quiet for a moment, but then blinked she looked into his eyes again, and felt her face flush.

“…Goodness, your eyes?”

Gambit chuckled, giving a charming smile, “Gambit knows. Eyes are attractive, non~?”

Suddenly, she soon brought him into a headlock, but somehow she squeaked when he turned it around on her before holding her in a princess carry.

“Ah, ah, ah, Princesse. There’s no need for violence~” Gambit smiled casually as the woman struggled.

"Who are you? Where is King Alfor? What are you doing in my Castle?" She interrogated with a yell, as she tried to break loose from Gambit’s grip.

“Princess Allura calm down!” Shiro approached this time, raising his hands up as he looked to her, “My name is Shiro. Blue brought us here, and we need to find the other lions and quickly before the Galra find out.”

“You know my name—Wait! You have the Blue Lion? What happened to it’s Paladin? What are you all doing here? Unless... How long has it been?" Allura gasped as she looked around then back at the strangers before her, and then felt her heart drop, “No…”

Shiro softened, as he breathed out, “It’s been ten thousand years, Allura. Sorry, but as much as it’s a lot to take in, I’m afraid we don’t have time to explain everything.”

“Oh, I think it’s the perfect time to speak about everything,” Ben spoke up as he looked up at Shiro, “You know more about this than you’re letting on…so start talking.”

Shiro sighed, knowing that Ben was right.

“Alright…I’ll come clean. Let’s…sit down so I can explain everything.”

//So what do you guys think? Do you think I should continue this story? Or should I just stick to writing Quirks and Miracles only? Let me know what you guys think~! Leave a comment below or feel free to message me on questions or anything else of this story. Thank you and have a wonderful rest of your day~!

-Riri-Mun

#fanfic #fanfiction #crossover #AU #voltron #Voltron: Legendary Defender #vld #Ben 10 #marvel #dc universe #marvel universe #dcu

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spacecowboy-01 · 11 days ago

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p.7.

“Hey, Shiro! Is everything okay?” Hunk asked.

Shiro came and sat down next to the others seated around the circular table playing a hologrammed Monsters and Mana.

“Yeah,” he began.

“He’s okay now, just maybe try to avoid the subject of Lance’s injury around him.. he’s really worried about him. And don’t ask if his eyes are still a little red when we come back in the main hull. Please.”

They nodded, then Pidge quietly muttered: “Believe it or not, I actually hope Lance wakes up soon… It’s too quiet around here without his voice ringing around the room. I kinda miss it.”

“I’m sure he will. The technology in the cryo-pods is very advanced.” Allura reassured them.

“Also, Keith wanted me to let y’all know you’re free to head back to the hull whenever you desire.” Shiro added quickly.

“Ah, yes, good to know. Thank you.” Coran replied.

Almost as soon as Shiro finished his thought, they all turned their heads to see Keith walk through the doorway and sit down next to Shiro.

“Oh, Keith, hey!” Hunk welcomed him into the room.

“So, am I able to join in still or how does this work?” Keith asked, his voice still a slight bit shaky from crying previously.

Coran replied jovially: “Of course! This game is all about imagination! We could meet you as another character or you show up out of nowhere looking for something, anything goes in this game! That’s the fun of Monsters and Mana!”

His light New Zealand accent bounced off the walls in the room, filling it with his enthusiasm.

Keith nodded quietly in understanding as Coran passed a pair of tablets to him and Shiro so they could register our characters into the game.

Keith developed a character that was named Akira; a full-Galran, tall, Warrior class fighter with a muscular build, light purple skin and fluffy Galran ears. He had fluffy dark purple hair styled in his classic mullet, Galran markings similar to his mother’s.

He told Coran he was ready to enter into the game whenever it was best to, and so the paladins continued in their adventure.

#voltron legendary defender #voltron #keith kogane #klance #lance mcclain #takashi shirogane #pidge holt #hunk garrett #coran hieronymus wimbleton smythe #princess allura #monsters and mana #holli writes

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generalallxsanjishipper · 10 months ago

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Icon made by: me

Hi! Welcome.

This is Generalallxsanjishipper's blog

(A long ass nick, I know.)

*stares at the (not many) but 100% "Yes" votes that was in the poll* (How the hell am I supposed to introduce myself? I have no idea, but okay, whatever—)

Killian here! It's not my real name, but it's my art name. I can be called Isa or Bibi as well. My real name is Barbara.

I'm from Italy and I'm a 2001 girl, She/her pronouns, bisexual, introverted, Virgo (too much of a perfectionist sometimes. Ops)

I am a Writer, a Screenwriter and an Artist. I even went to an art school, but the only thing that I learned there is anxiety. Yey.

I love reading. Like tons of books, but for whatever reason I stopped entirely reading books written in Italian and now I'm constantly binge-reading english stuff.

As a Writer, I create tons of Own Characters, yes. I have honestly so many OCs that it's hard to keep track of them between Original Works and Fanfiction. I have to admit that I never wrote as much fanfiction as I'm doing during those last years, mostly for bad experience with criticism in my first fics. But apparently I got over it after randomly starting to write little One Shots of a few different fandoms. It excalated, now.

To read my stuff, you can find me in AO3, Efp and Wattpad under Killian44peeta's nickname. Even as an Artist, you can find me with that nickname on Instagram. I DO NOT have TikTok and I DO NOT intend to have it. If I change my mind, it's gonna rain for months lol.

I have many, many fandoms.

Listing them all is impossible, but my obsessions usually stuck the most when I have a "main crush" in said fandom. If not, they are fleeting at best... And usually the same main crush is the one that I ship with most people (Not always though).

Yep. I'm a multishipper, pro LGBTQ+ and I love polyamorous relationships.

When I hate a ship, I just hate it. No matter how hard you try to change my mind. Still, I'm of the "live and let live policy" because, damn, ship wars are boring and if you dislike something, YOU BLOODY IGNORE IT.

YOU DO NOT STUPIDLY FIGHT SOMEONE AND SAY TO THEM TO K*LL THEMSELVES BECAUSE THEY DO NOT SHIP YOUR PAIRING. THOSE PEOPLE YOU SHIP DO NOT EXIST. THEY ARE JUST A WRITER'S FANTASY. NO NEED TO BE SO STUPIDLY CHILDISH. JUST CALM DOWN.

*takes a deep breath*

Thanks.

A few examples of my main crushes:

Animated ones first.

Sanji, Corazon, Reiju and Vivi (One Piece), Douxie (Tales of Arcadia), Zuko (Avatar), Mika (Owari No Seraph), Levi, Jean and Yelena (Shingeki no Kyojin), Akashi and Kise(Kuroko no basket), Gwen (Total Drama), Megara (Hercules), Dark Bloom (Winx Club), Hijikata (Gintama), Hyoga, Eden, every Virgo Saint ever except Shun (Saint Seiya+), Shiro and Pidge (Voltron), Lust and Roy(Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood)

Not animated crushes (directly the person, not the role, because if not the list would be sooo much longer, ok)

Daniel Sharman, Danielle Campbell, Colin O'donoghue, Richard Armitage, Ian Somerhalder, Josh Hutcherson, Zoe Kravitz, Tom Ellis, Hayden Christensen, Bridgette Mendler

(am I forgetting someone? Probably. Sorry)

Welp. I dunno what else to say. Hope you have fun inside my blog? If you wanna be friends (chat here, on Discord, WhatsApp... ) and ask questions I'm okay with it? If you wanna talk with me about (my, yours) stories, I'm DEFINITELY okay with it.

:D I love to rant about fanfictions and original works. I love ranting about ocs and headcanon about characters. Yes.

(do not kill me if I don’t answer immediately, I have a life/I need time to draw/I need time to write)

Bye.

-Killian

#Killian'sthoughts #my blog #my post #artists on tumblr #writers on tumblr #intro post #introduction #blog #blog intro

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sonekwi · 10 months ago

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☆ ⸻ the white paladin, keith x reader

chapter four: discoveries

characters/pairings: keith, female reader

genre: fanfiction

summary: the red lion is in the possession of a ruthless galra general and taking it back is no small feat. although, you never expected to find another lion.

word count: 2,216

links: previous, next, wattpad, masterlist

a/n: i'm sorry about the shorter chapter. i just couldn't find the right flow for this one no matter how many times i rewrote it. i still hope you enjoy!

You, Pidge, Shiro, and Keith sneak inside the Galra ship, crawling through the hole in the metal hull Pidge had cut out. As you look around, you notice that you're inside some sort of engine control room. Pillars of raw electricity arch from floor to ceiling along the entire length of the room, crackling and buzzing. You nervously keep your distance.

"Pidge, what's your ETA?" Lance asks over the intercom.

"We're in," Pidge responds.

"We shouldn't stay in one spot for long," you say.

Shiro nods. "You're right, let's get moving."

The group sneaks throughout the ship, carefully avoiding the Galra soldiers patrolling around. The purple lights illuminating your path seem to pulse with an eerie and malicious energy, constantly reminding you of the danger you're in.

Shiro stops as the group comes up to an intersection, staring down each of the two halls that stretch out before you. For a moment he tenses up, almost as if he's paralyzed. You reach out and grab his arm, and he flinches away from you.

"Are you okay?" you ask.

"I've been here before," Shiro says, his voice barely above a whisper. "When the Galra had taken us, they– they brought us here."

Pidge perks up, "That means the rest of your crew might still be here. We have to rescue them!" he exclaims.

Shiro shakes his head, "Pidge, we don't have time. We have to get the Red Lion back to Arus.

"But we can't just leave prisoners here!" Pidge shouts. You hiss at him to keep his voice down, but he glares at you instead.

Shiro steps closer to Pidge, "Look, no one understands that more than me, but in war, we have to make hard choices. Now, let's get moving," he says and begins to walk down one of the halls.

"No!" Pidge shouts again and Shiro stops. "Commander Holt is my father... He and my brother were the ones on Kerberos mission with you."

You give Pidge a quizzical look. That doesn't make sense. Commander Holt only had one son, Matt, and as Pidge said, he was on the Kerberos mission. So how the heck is Pidge his child?

Your eyes go wide, the dots finally connecting. No freaking way! You're his daughter Katie!? You're the kid that was blacklisted from the Garrison!

The only thing different is the glasses and short hair. How did Iverson not see it? How did you not see it? You met Commander Holt's children before the Kerberos crew left Earth. You were there with Keith to say goodbye to Shiro. You literally shook Pidge's hand that day!

Wow, that is freaking embarrassing.

"Commander Holt is your father?" Shiro repeats.

"Yes! I have been searching everywhere for my family and I am not going to give up when I am this close!" Pidge says.

"We can split up," you blurt out, still caught up in your revelation. "Keith and I can go look for the Red Lion while you guys go look for the prisoners."

"Alright," Shrio says, agreeing with your idea. "Let's go then, I remember where they are held."

Keith glances between you and Shiro. "Are you sure that's a good idea? There are Galra soldiers everywhere."

Shiro places a hand on his shoulder. "Minor change of plans, but you'll be fine. Just remember, patience yields focus-"

A door down one of the halls opens, the sound of footsteps echoing along the walls. The group splits frantically, and you and Keith sprint down one of the halls. You skid to a stop as you quickly come upon another intersection. But you don't have time to think as the Galra soldiers are heading in your direction. You grab Keith's arm and run in a random direction.

When you can't hear any footsteps other than your own, you slow down and eventually come upon another intersection of halls. You hum, wondering if you can feel the same pulsing energy you did when searching for the Blue Lion, but you have nothing.

"Where do we even go?" Keith says, pacing between the two available directions. You can't feel the Red Lion, but you can definitely feel his growing impatience. "We don't even know where we are."

You grab his hand to force his attention on you, "Hey, remember what Shiro said? Patience yields focus," you say. "Try feeling the Red Lion's energy. You'll find it."

"Right," Keith huffs and closes his eyes. You watch his expression shift, his brows furrowing as he focuses. As he stands there, your eyes slowly begin to wander around his face. They drift from his eyes, to his nose, to his cheeks... to his mouth. You've never been able to keep yourself from admiring him when he wasn't looking.

It's something you've come to do subconsciously.

"I can feel it..." Keith says softly and his voice snaps you out of your trance. You frantically drop his hand and look away, your heart pounding wildly in your chest. For a split second, you thought he was talking about you staring at him.

You mentally cuss at yourself and feel your cheeks heat up with embarrassment. You're supposed to be mad at him, not hopelessly crushing on him. You seriously need to get out of your head.

Keith opens his eyes, "I got it. This way!" he says and you follow him.

The two of you avoid the patrolling soldiers as Keith tracks down the Red Lion, and eventually, you enter a large hangar. Cargo boxes and supplies are scattered about, but what's in the center is what catches your attention.

"What the heck?" Keith mutters.

You pause, "Allura? Are you seeing this?" you ask over the intercom.

"Hold on, (y/n), let me pull up your feed," she says and then there's a very long silence.

Not one, but two Voltron Lions sit in the middle of the hangar, protected by their force fields. The Red Lion is there, as expected, but you stare at the other. Its metal body is entirely white, save for the few crystal blue and yellow accents consistent with Altean architecture and design.

The strange Lion's bright eyes seem to eagerly lock onto you as you approach it.

"I don't understand," Allura's voice barely crackles through the speakers in your helmet. "There's only five Lions..."

"Do you think the Galra built it?" Keith asks, running up to his Lion. As surprised as he is, he needs to focus on bonding with the Red Lion.

"That would be impossible," Allura says. "The blueprints died with my father."

You suddenly feel a pulse of energy, but not in the same way as you did with the Blue Lion. It's as if the strange Lion's very essence is tethered to you, and you can feel that tether tug throughout your whole body, urging you. You stop right in front of it and place your hands against the force field. The material ripples at your touch, but it doesn't open. The Lion purrs deeply.

"It's me! Keith!"

You look over at your friend, wondering what's going on. He stands in front of the Red Lion, who doesn't let him in either. His hands push against the force field.

"I am your Paladin!" he shouts, but the Red Lion continues to ignore him. "I'm bonding with you! Hey, we're connected–"

A group of soldiers burst into the hangar and begin shooting at the two of you. You raise your arm in front of you, activating your shield.

"Why did you have to be so loud?" you snap at Keith and run over to him.

"Why weren't you watching our backs?" Keith says to you. He transforms his bayard into a sword and rushes at the Galra soldiers.

"Oh, well I'm sorry!" you sneer at him and activate your bayard. You stop for a small moment as it materializes into a double-bladed scythe, the weapon feeling balanced and weighted in your hand. "This is new–"

A Galra soldier shoots at you, interrupting your gawking. You brace yourself behind your shield, the lasers dispersing in bright flashes upon impact. Then, for a small moment, there's a pause. You take the opportunity to charge the Galra soldier.

As you join the battle, you try your best to remember what you learned at the Garrison. students were required to take a hand-to-hand combat class, but you're much more used to the small batons and wooden knives they provided rather than a lengthy scythe.

You swing the blade at the feet of a Galra soldier, knocking it down on its back. You swiftly bring the other blade down right on its chest. It penetrates the armor, exposing a bundle of wires and computers.

"Robots?" you mutter, then grunt when another Galra soldier body slams you.

You stumble and catch yourself on one of the cargo boxes. The soldier doesn't waste a second and swings its fist. You manage to move just in time, its knuckles slamming right next to your head. As you side-step, you raise your scythe and swing at the soldier. The blade pierces through its back and it falls limp to the ground.

"(y/n)!" Keith calls out. "Hold onto something!"

"What?" you look over at him and see him standing at a control panel. You grab onto the cargo box, your fingers wrapping around the rope strapped across it.

Keith presses a button and the hangar door opens. Your body jerks as everything gets sucked out into space. You cuss under your breath and you fight to hold on.

Keith holds onto the panel. He struggles to reach the button and close the doors, the vacuum of space overpowering him. You watch as his grip slips and your heart leaps into your throat.

"Keith!" you scream when he gets sucked into space. You let go of the cargo box and follow after him. As your body is thrown out of the hangar, you reach out for your friend.

"What are you doing!?" he shouts.

"What do you think I'm doing?" you shout back. You're almost to him. Just a little more and you can grab onto him.

In a flash of red and white, Keith is gone. You scream, terrified of what space monster could have eaten him. But you stop when you see the Red Lion circle back around. It saved him.

A fearsome roar rattles throughout you and you turn to see the other Lion heading right for you. Its jaw opens and it scoops you up into the safety of its mouth.

You lay on the floor for a moment, panting as you try to gather your bearings. When the inside of the Lion lights up, you scramble to your feet and dust off your armor.

"Uh, thank you!" you call out and get a purr in response. You look around and the inside layout is nothing like the Blue Lion's. Granted, everything about this Lion seems different, either subtly or majorly.

"(y/n), are you okay?" Keith asks over the intercom.

"Yeah," you say, quickly finding your way to the cockpit. "Let's get back to the castle."

"Copy that."

⁀➷

Your feet hit the solid concrete of the courtyard. Behind you, the sixth Voltron Lion sits down on its metal haunches, its eyes watching you. As the others return with their Lions, Allura and Coran come running out into the courtyard.

The two Alteans stop dead in their tracks at the sight of the sixth Lion. Allura remains as stunned as she was when you found it, but now she seems to truly believe it's real now that it's right in front of her. Coran, however, doesn't seem as surprised.

"After all these years..." he says, moving closer to the Lion.

"There's another one?" Pidge gawks as she steps out of her Lion.

"Holy crow!" Lance exclaims, running up to you.

"Can anyone explain what's going on?" Hunk asks. "Why is there a sixth Lion?"

Coran looks to everyone, then gestures to the robotic feline sitting behind you, "When King Alfor was constructing the Lions, the White Lion was the first," he says. "It was... an experimental design."

"How come I never knew of this?" Allura asks.

"Your father had swept its existence under the rug," Coran continues explaining. "Although it was powerful, the White Lion was deemed too flawed to be fit for the battlefield. It was stashed away to be used for scraps... but King Alfor couldn't get himself to take it apart."

"That doesn't explain how Zarkon had it, seeing as he didn't know about it," Shiro notes.

"King Alfor knew the White Lion would still be dangerous in the wrong hands and sent it away with the other Lions," Coran says. "Zarkon simply must have found it."

"Did it have a Paladin before... everything?" you ask, feeling a slight tug on the invisible tether between you and the White Lion. Deep down, you hope it means something, that it's real. You hope you aren't imagining things.

Coran shakes his head, "No."

"Well, it sure doesn't hurt to have some extra firepower," Shiro says. "Sendak is still coming for the Lions and we'll want all the help we can get to defeat him."

"Right, and now that we have the other Lions, let's go get the Black Lion," Allura says.

#voltron fanfic #keith x reader #keith vld #keith kogane #keith voltron #voltron fanfiction #vld fanfic #fanfic #x reader #reader insert #voltron

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ozzies-420-world · 2 years ago

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Hiii! Just stumbled upon your blog! Shiro x trans masc reader? Platonic please! Oh and if you’re alright with it reader has daddy issues? Hope you have a good day!! Byeeeeeee :)

Ooooh boy, as a trans masc myself this is going to be fun! Shiro has always been a huge comfort character for me, so lucky you!!

This is going to start out as angst because I feel like it, deal with it. But don't worry, it will turn into comfort!!

You felt the growing urge to cry as your eyes scanned over your figure in the mirror, nit picking all the big and little things you hated about your body.

No. The body you were trapped in.

It was late, not really since you were in space, but everyone had long since gone to bed. So you decided to just consider the time to be too late to be awake, yet here you were wide awake, too busy criticizing your body for the way it was made.

Looking into your eyes, you couldn't help but tear up, light sobs leaving your lips as you hugged yourself. Stumbling over to your bed, you sat down and leaned back letting yourself fall back.

Staring at the ceiling the sobs only got louder as your mind went to darker places. Placing a hand over your mouth you try to muffle the sounds of your crying, screwing your eyes shut to try and block out the whole world, including your thoughts.

You didn't notice the knock on your door, nor the sound of the door sliding open and then closed, only when the spot beside you on the bed dipped down did you freeze. Opening your eyes you looked over to see Shiro worriedly looking at you.

You sat up, frantically rubbing your eyes to get rid of the tears.

"Sorry if I woke you up Shiro I-"

You were about to ramble out apologies before Shiro stopped you, placing a hand on your shoulder.

"It's okay Y/n, I wasn't asleep anyway. But more importantly why are you crying, what's wrong?"

It was such a simple question, yet it somehow broke whatever control you had left over your emotions as tears started to fall from your eyes, loud sobs left your lips as Shiro pulled you into a hug. Rubbing your back he let you cry, wanting you to let everything out so you could talk if you wanted to.

Finally calming down, crying turned to sobs, then turned to sniffles. Pulling away Shiro looked down at you, offering a patient and kind smile.

"Do you wanna talk now?"

Shiro asked, getting a slow nod in response he waited until you were ready to talk.

"I hate my body..."

You muttered quietly, looking down at your lap to avoid looking Shiro in the eyes. Shiro looked at you with sad eyes, already knowing you were trans masc and the dysphoria you had almost daily.

"Hey, it's gonna be okay. It may seem like there is nothing to like about yourself, but you're wrong."

Shiro said softly, the smile never leaving his lips as you finally looked at him.

"For example your personality, it's like no others that I meet, you can brighten up a room just by being there, and I know the others can agree with me."

Shiro started, resting an arm around your shoulder as you leaned against him, feeling warm and safe in his presence as you listened to him ramble.

"Your sense of humor is hilarious, even Lance would admit it, and you know how he is. You're also very smart, I always see you helping Pidge out with their tech."

Shiro continued, and you couldn't help but feel embarrassed by his compliments. You knew he only meant them in a friendly way, but having someone point out positive things about yourself made you feel better as a smile slowly started to form on your lips.

Before Shiro could continue you cut him off.

"Thank you Shiro, really. You didn't have to come over here and check up on me, let alone stay here and comfort me."

You said, looking up at him, but Shiro only shook his head.

"What are friends for, right Y/n?"

______________________________________

Hope this is good enough for you! I had fun writing this one.

Don't forget to request if you have anymore ideas!! That's all for now, good bye dear friends!

#voltron x reader #shiro x reader #x male reader #voltron

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localfanbaselurker · 4 months ago

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Watching Voltron:Legendary Defender for the First Time and Recording my Thoughts

S1-2 | S3 | S4 | S5 | you are here! | S7 | S8

You get to see the “Pre” thoughts before the read more this time! As a treat <3

Pre-S6 Thoughts

->for the most part I think I understand what’s going on with shiro, but I want to really make sure. jussssst in case.

->they gave lance a big focus in season five so hopefully “we” get to see what that’s culminating to. Super excited about that!

->I don’t fw Lotor all that much despite him being the blorbo by proxy (oomf’s fav) but hopefully this season can change that. I’m just beginning to like him (beginning!) and it’s a 400k slowburn melting an ice berg of hate at that. but it’s getting there. soon they’ll hold hands.

->despite my personal enjoyment of allurance, I would be okay with lotura if Lotor got fully redeemed (in the show and in my heart)

-> PLEASE MAKE KEITH COME BACK!! AND WITH HIS MOM!! I’M BEGGING.

->I’ve noticed a sort of pattern where the characters get a specific episode(s) dedicated to them each season (shiro s1, keith s2, keith+allura s3, pidge s4, and lance s5) So hopefully hunk gets his focus episode this season

->I NEED to see what happened after keith found out about krolia

->hopefully more haggar/honerva lore, maybe even lotor lore to redeem him using Tragic Backstory™ points

Post-Season Six

-> what the actual frick.

-> what WAS this season bro.

-> This season had me getting punched,kicked and tortured left and right and up and down and everywhere. the plot twists and dramatic turns and cries and gasps just kept coming

-> this season left me like lance at the climax of a langst fanfic (yk like right b4 they save him and he’s all fucked over)

-> there are lots of things i liked and also SO MUCH i didn’t like this season

-> so pros and cons basically that’s it that’s the “review”

->WE GOT HUNK APPRECIATION!!! HE GOT TO BE THE ENGINEER AND BE SUPER HELPFUL AND ACTUALLY USE ONE OF HIS SKILLS ABDUWBDJSN IM SO HAPPY FOR MY BOY. MY SON. AAAAHHH.

->^LITERALLY LOOK AT HIM!!! HE GOT SOLID CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT TOO!! He reacted much calmer than his s1/2 self would have in a far less stressful situation!!! He grew up!!! HE GREW UPPPP!!

->^He looks like he’s itching to make a gay joke

->why did lance “die” in the first ep?? It was so random and literally served no purpose?? like it was never talked about in the other episodes and was literally just randomly put in the episode’s run time. it had nothing to do with the shield or whatever was going on with Shiro or lotor either

->does it get talked about in the next seasons or?? like it was literally just a throwaway scene

->KEITH AND HIS MOM!!! THEYRE BONDING!!! KEITH MAKES GOOD RELATIONSHIPS!!!!

->the whole “two years” thing is a little difficult to comprehend on all of its layers but I like to think of it positively because that means Keith and krolia got to spend time building upon their relationship and everything that krolia missed, more than just those flashbacks were “memory shared” between them, and keith resolved some of his internal conflicts.

->however it is probably going to make Keith be even more distant with the team because in his mind two years passed while in theirs only like 2-3 months passed from seeing him in person (if you don’t count 5x04 but they barely saw him there) so the relationships that he was building with them have fallen back a little on his part but the others still feel super close to him, so I hope that also gets resolved in s7

-> LANCE IS CUBAN!!! I got super excited you guys don’t understand. maybe you do considering the notes on my post where I said that. But still. I actually squealed so loud when he said it.

-> The mock DnD episode was super fun!! the calm before the storm though I guess

->i looooved the fact that keith came back to the team but that episode pissed me off SOOOOO FREAKING BAD BRO.

->^“we need to attack Lotor when he comes back” OMFGGGGGG NOOOOOOOO THATS literally so STUPID. make a PLAN first you freaking IDIOTS.

->^Literally if they had just played it cool when lotura came back and then told Allura about everything privately THEN stage an intervention/interrogation with Lotor like in Season 5, NONE OF THAT WOULD’VE HAPPENED.

->^but nooooooo we have to be STUPID and ATTACK IMMEDIATELY because PLOT REASONS. istg. don’t get me started this isn’t even the beginning of that rant. I just… *long suffering sigh*

->^and the way they immediately took the altean girl’s word and turned on Lotor? Y’all some fake ass bitches fr didn’t even let the man defend himself. it could’ve been a misunderstanding but okay. damn.

->^WHY ARE YOU INCRIMINATING YOURSELF BRO. OH MY GODDDDDD. every time i told myself that this episode couldn’t get any worse,, it. got. FUCKING. WORSE.

->^low key get the altean girl’s frustration tho because that shit was traumatizing. literally my live reaction right there

-> the only good things that happened that episode were lance calling keith hot and the team meeting krolia. maybe the lotura kiss. (I would’ve enjoyed it more if it wasn’t for the knowledge that they were straight up gonna beat Lotor’s ass when they got inside the castle)

->I guess I have to suffer for the absolute SQUEAL I gave when Kieth went up to the black lion and said “FORM VOLTRON” making them do the thing where they’re divided into 5 frames like a comic

->^that bitch ass clone better be ready to catch these hands. you do NOT say that to my boy.

->I got so excited when keith went all galra! ultimately yeah he did it because he was incredibly stressed but still it was super cool!

-> I was actually a little sad that Lotor didn’t get a real redemption. Like yeah I saw it from a mile away by the way he talked about quintessence and overall attitude but idk,, like him and allura actually seemed in love. even if he was just doing it for the quintessence you could tell he actually ended up genuinely falling in love with her. maybe it’s just me, but i think it would’ve been nice.

-> maybe keith and him could’ve bonded about being half-galra, and keith would finally get some solidarity with someone who knows exactly how he feels? idk it’s just a lot of missed opportunity there.

-> and then they just…kill him off…wow. that was a lot to take in. I had to actually take a moment. I mean it wasn’t even his fault, really. the quintessence got to him just like his parents. it’s actually super tragic now that I think about it. reminds me of family jewels by MARINA.

->I will say though that final battle was absolutely amazing. Beautifully animated and the action was great. I loved getting to see all the lions powers in the quintessence field. And the flaming sword?? that was literally awesome.

-> my hopes of allurance died but i think this is actually a really good step, Allura still felt bad for lotor when she didn’t wanna leave him in the quintessence field because she still loved him and after the conversation she had with the mice it was obvious she doesn’t (and won’t) like lance back, (she could’ve began to in s4/5) and lance seems to accept this as well, (seeing how he handles it when allura confides in him) which would be good for their relationship. so im happy about that 😊

->ngl if they ended it here it could’ve been pretty good, solid ending. Like, leave the rest up to interpretation sort of thing. (Yes I know there are some strings to be tied yet but yk what I mean) The ending was really satisfactory and if they just fixed a couple plot holes it would’ve been the perfect way to end the show tbh. Idk tho I still need to watch the last two seasons so I’ll see if I still keep my opinion then

->lance’s s5 focus didn’t really culminate to all that much, but he got to be taken seriously when he cried about shiro, so there’s that.

-> the clone!shiro vs keith fight was literally beautiful too omg. The emotions were perfectly captured and the flashbacks were just so perfectly timed it was incredible. the way you could just feel exactly everything keith felt as he fought what looked identical to the man who practically raised him was just. wow.

->^literally gorgeous. look at that, man. beautiful.

-> Don’t get me started on “you’re my brother, I love you” because I will start crying immediately

-> So. yeah. This season was a mess. I laughed. I cried (a lot) I got super pissed in the middle. But it was really super enjoyable otherwise. Bittersweet, really.

-> Hopefully Season Seven doesn’t disappoint! I really hope there’s more Keith+Shiro lore. Just. In general all their family lore.

These are thoughts I’ve been compiling for a while. I will continue to post my thoughts on the tag “Laura’s first VLD”

Please Remember that I am just a person with a life and responsibilities and try to be patient about updates.

Thank you 💞

#laura’s first vld #vld #voltron #voltron legendary defender #remember my ask box is always open!!#you can always ask me about anything!!#sorry I know it’s super late but I’m pretty sure it’s still like 9 pm in California so technically it’s still the weekend there #so I technically updated on time.#once again please remember I’m only fifteen!! I have school and other things to attend to #i usually talk about other stuff i didn’t elaborate on in the tags but I’m super tired and need to go to school tomorrow so #maybe I’ll edit it in the “morning”#good night for now!!#i hope you guys like it

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astralcities · 16 hours ago

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Okay, I get you don't like transmasc headcanons that are out of left field like Tome Kurata. But what about characters that play the role of a man/pretend to be a man? E.g. Mulan, Haruhi Fujioka, Naoto Shirogane, Pidge from Voltron

depends on the character imo; i don't intend for that to be a copout but of the characters here i'm really only familiar w disney's mulan. and while the transmasc read of her is popular i don't super love applying the idea that she's been a man all along and is happier as one to a woman who masqueraded as a man for the sole purpose of saving her father from death and was almost executed for it. she acted that way out of necessity and terror. and like sure you could maybe say that was the starting point and she grew into it and it felt most natural and she realized what she was missing at that point. but @ da end of the film she goes home and abandons that identity. plus the remainder of the film is about how femininity is useful as a weapon too and i'm starting to realize i might be too autistic for a headcanon conversation anyway. like. i think it's a little weird with her in particular. not just because it's character inconsistent but it also feels sorta like revulsion for her being a woman and often carries the implication of "because she wasn't an excellent bride and was unique amongst the women around her and was strong and brave and risked her life she must be a man". which is pretty clearly misogynistic. but my grievance initially isn't really about disney's mulan it's about that post in particular so i hope you're asking this in good faith and curiosity and not as a gotcha or whatever. Peace on earth

#asks #misogyny

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kidgetrash · 2 years ago

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Drunk Kidge Confessions! Pidge to Keith!

Character: Keith Kogane, Pidge Gunderson/Katie Holt

Pairings: Keith/Pidge

Warnings!: Drunken shenanigans. Throwing up. Eventual Hangover. Dirty flirting. mention of STDs

Summary: Pidge finally plucked up the courage to ask Keith on a date, only to see him with Acxa. She decides to drown her sorrows with the local alcohol...

A/N: You voted and I delivered! I have not, even slightly, edited this! I hope it's not too all over the place, but I will go back and fix it if I need to! It ran away with me and ended up hella long, but I'm sure that won't upset anyone! Well, it's back to drunk Keith for me!

Pidge sat at the bar of a local tavern. She had never been happier that this culture took so much pride in brewing fruit based alcohol that not only tasted great but had one of the highest percentages she had ever heard of. She had checked, checked, and triple-checked that it was safe for humans, and she was sure she could drink herself into unconsciousness without doing any permanent damage other than a galaxy-ending hangover, even given her small stature.

She was sick and tired of emotions. She just wanted to blot them out, steep in complete oblivion for a few hours before having to go back to reality and stick a smile on her face while she faked she was okay. Spoiler alert; she was not okay. She chuckled to herself at the My Chemical Romance reference she accidentally made, then realised it reminded her of him again and returned to a pout. Him. Keith motherquiznaking Kogane. She hated that she felt the way she did about him. She hated that it had taken her this long to realise her feelings weren’t just admiration, or a crush. But most of all she hated the fact that he would never feel the same. She was sad for her, not mad at him. He deserved to be happy, but seeing him happy with her was somehow painful.

This planet had a bustling shopping district that had been preserved by the Galra for its eclectic mix of produce, products, bars, and restaurants. Now it was Galra free, in the political not literal sense, it was open for business to locals and saviours alike. Which was the reason for Pidge being here. She had found a restaurant that sold what closely reminded her of burgers and fries and was excited to share it with him, she had planned to finally do what her heart desired, and ask him on a date. Yeah, well that idea had soon been blown out of the water. No sooner had she rushed towards their temporary lodgings than she saw him with her, going into an accessories shop. They were smiling and laughing and…and…and just so happy. She was everything Pidge was not. Tall, slender, a warrior not a thinker. And the worst thing was Pidge didn’t even hate her, she couldn’t. Acxa had helped the team, defected to their side, and she and Keith made such a beautiful couple. After tonight she would be pleased for them, she decided. But for now, she would feel sorry for herself.

She took the shot from the glass in front of her, the sweet burn travelling through her body as she closed her eyes for a moment. This was number…four, five, six…wait, was that one glass or two? Definitely nearing double figures. Even more definitely double vision. Given her weight and height she should still be able to make it back to their lodgings with ten in her system, she just might have to ask someone to give her a total.

‘Another?’ The gold tinged skinned barman held the bottle of pale pink liquid out with another glass.

‘How many is that now?’

‘Eight.’ She waved him to pour it before taking it. ‘The ancient tradition of the barkeep, on my planet at least, is that of a bringer of alcohol and an ear to listen. Should you need to talk, even some nonsensical human issue, I will listen and offer any advice I feel may suffice to appease you.’

‘Wow, no beating about the bush, just lip service until I’m satisfied, huh?’ She replied, taking her time as she struggled to form the words without issue.

‘Beating a bush seems a futile endeavour, and I am afraid our service does not cover lips any further than serving a drink that may briefly touch them.’ He…wait, was it a he? She pondered the thought as it ran through her head. Okay, they, they had misunderstood her analogies.

‘They’re Earth sayings.’ She replied. ‘One means to, you know what? Doesn’t matter. I’m here because of something…personal.’

‘Might I proffer a guess?’ She waved her drink to encourage him. ‘Your inbibement of many alcohol leads me to believe your personal problem is that of a coital nature.’

Pidge spat out the drink she had just downed and took the napkins the barkeep offered. ‘That one does count.’

‘Number nine, again.’ He poured her once more. ‘Am I to assume your abrupt expulsion was due to the correctness of my statement and not due to the alcohol you have ingested all night suddenly disagreeing with you?’

‘You got that on the…’ She squinted at him and realised he didn’t have a nose, so that analogy wouldn’t work either. ‘You got it absolutely right.’

He wiped down the sprayed bar and answered without looking at her. ‘And this coital issue is due to your mate being unable to perform adequately?’

She was glad she had paused before drinking this time as that would have led to another bar spraying. ‘Not in my wildest dreams have I ever considered he might be inadequate, and I’ve had some pretty wild dreams about him.’ She huffed a deep sigh before taking the shot in one. ‘The issue is more emotional that physical. More that I love him and he sees me as his friend.’

‘It is times like this that I am grateful we have evolved beyond the need for emotional attachments.’ He smiled wonkily, which made sense, as his mouth was at a diagonal like the rest of the inhabitants of this planet. ‘So you have confessed your primitive affections and he has informed you of your unattractiveness to him, and therein lies the problem?’

‘Who has a problem?’ Pidge’s head shot round as Keith sat on the bar stool beside her and she waved at the bartender rapidly while tapping the glass in her hand on the bar.

‘Last one! Let’s go!’

The bartender topped up her drink as Keith spoke. ‘I’ll take the same.’

‘Very well, Paladin of Voltron. And to answer your question, the problem is your small companion here and her unattractiveness.’

Keith blinked twice as he processed that statement before being able to reply. ‘Wait…who said who is unattractive?’

‘Okay!’ Pidge downed her next drink. ‘I’m done and going back to sleep! Night!’ She hopped off the stool and that was her downfall, literally. Her legs buckled under her and she ended up sitting on the floor between the two stools, looking around in confusion before looking up at Keith. ‘You weren’t always that tall, right?’

Keith downed his drink, cringing at the sickly sweet burn that slid down his throat, before swinging his legs off the stool and taking Pidge by the upper arms and lifting her back to her feet, keeping a tight hold in case she couldn’t stay there herself. ‘How many did she have?’

‘Ten. She assured me in great detail that her body mass and lack of stature would allow her to ingest the measure of alcohol she stated.’

‘Gee, you’re pretty.’ Pidge breathed, looking up at Keith in wonder.

‘What do we owe you?’ Keith asked as Pidge wavered in his arms.

The bartender waved his hand dismissively. ‘It is a pleasure to have had the opportunity to serve our saviours in the great war with the galra.’

‘Okay, thanks.’ Keith turned back to Pidge and crouched enough to get on her level. ‘Pidge, can you walk?’

‘Of course I can walk, what kind of a question is that? ‘First I’m ugly, and now I can’t walk. Sheesh!’ She tried to shake off his hold but failed and he sighed.

‘Okay, fine, you can walk. But I’m going to hold your hand, just in case.’

‘Keith’s gonna hold my hand!’ She stage whispered at the bartender as they started forward, making Keith chuckle.

Pidge sucked in a breath as the night air hit her, warm and humid it was like inhaling near an open fire, a shiver running through her body, making Keith stop.

‘You good?’

‘Wow, I forgot how hot you are. It is.’ She rapidly corrected herself. ‘And you don’t have to hold my hand.’ She tried to pull out of his grip but instead he tightened it

‘Either you hold my hand or I carry you. Your choice.’

‘Fine I’ll hold hands but you’re gonna make her jealous.’ She muttered.

Keith didn’t quite catch what she said but at least she wasn’t trying to actively pull her hand out of his. Whatever that drink she had managed to drink ten of made her smell like an alcoholic gummy candy and from the one taste he had could have been used as an industrial solvent. He had no idea what had brought this on, she wasn’t one to even bother with more than one drink at a celebratory event, but she had even gone so far as to calculate her tolerance, if the bartender’s words were true.

‘So, tell me what made you decide to go out and get hammered?’

‘Nah.’ She shook her head, starting their hands swinging between them.

‘I have never known you drink that much, in all these years. Something is bothering you and I don’t like it.’

‘You don’t have to like it, but you do have to live with it.’ She stated. ‘Because the reason I drank so much is so I can forget what I’m trying to forget and not have to discuss it so I’m not discussing it.’

‘But I’m worried about you.’

‘Worry about yourself. Space STDs are at an all time high, I hear.’

‘I’m more worried about you than me…wait what did you say?’ Keith’s head snapped around to find her staring at the ground as they walked, her lips pouting either in concentration or anger.

‘I said SPACE STDS ARE AT AN ALL TIME HIGH!’ She yelled loud enough to turn the heads of a few locals, causing him to tug her in closer and cover her mouth with his hand.

‘That’s what I thought you said!’ He hissed. ‘What does that even mean?’

‘It means you might get cosmic herpes and if your girlfriend is the jealous type I’ll probably get my ass kicked from here to Olkarion.’

Keith pulled her to a stop, turning them to face one another. ‘You really aren’t making any sense.’

Pidge looked at him, or tried to. Her eyes were struggling to focus, but they did so as soon as she spotted the restaurant over his shoulder that she had planned on inviting him to. ‘Oh! This place!’

‘This place has…cosmic herpes?’ Keith asked hesitantly as he allowed her to pull him along.

‘No, burgers! Cosmic burgers!’ She put him in front of the menu board and showed him. ‘Tell me that’s not the menu of a burger joint? Because I defy you to tell me that they sound like the best burgers this side of the Milky Way, or at least the only burgers this side of the Milky Way, and I’m going to vomit.’

Keith finally let go of her hand as she lurched towards the side of the road before throwing up heavily and very vocally behind a tree. ‘Uh…you good?’ He called as she sank to her knees using the tree for support.

‘No, I’m not good!’ She called back, her voice cracking from not only losing everything in her stomach, which was only alcohol, and from the fact she was now tearing up.

Keith walked over to where she knelt and leaned on the safe side of the tree with his hands in his pockets. ‘You know, people generally only drink this much to forget.’ He murmured quietly.

‘Well, it doesn’t work.’ She sobbed, curling over her knees with her hands over her face.

‘Then maybe talking will.’ He suggested as he fished in his pockets for the Altean equivalent of a breath mint, that foamed, cleaned, and freshened all in one little capsule. ‘Here.’

She glanced up, her eyes red and brimming with unshed tears, but soon recognised what he was offering and and took it gratefully. The fruity alcohol had left her with the equivalent of the trick jelly beans Lance had once passed around the garrison. ‘Thanks.’ She shifted to sit crosslegged, not even caring that she was in the street beside her strangely glowing vomit. ‘I was going to ask you to this place, you know.’ She grumbled as she swished the capsule’s contents around her mouth.

He shifted in his position, taking his hands out of his pockets and turning to look down at her curiously. ‘You were?’

‘Yeah.’ She sniffed and dragged her sleeve under her nose. ‘Like a get dressed up just the two of us date and everything.’

Keith processed this information as he realised maybe she felt for him the way he felt about her; more than friends, a closeness he didn’t have with the other paladins, the desire to hold her and be held, to protect and love her. ‘Why, uh,’ he cleared his throat, ‘why didn’t you?’

‘Because I left it too long. Too late.’ She sniffled before pushing herself shakily to her feet.

‘You could still ask. We’re here for a few more days.’ He offered her his hand but she just stared at it for a moment before shaking her head as tears flooded her cheeks.

‘Can’t.’

‘Why not?’ He stepped closer, realising she wasn’t going to take his hand, before wiping at her cheeks with the pad of his thumb. ‘You, me, dinner at a diner? Alone? Sounds pretty good.’

‘Forget it, I don’t get between couples. And like I said, your girlfriend looks like the jealous type.’ She pushed past him and started walking wonkily down the street towards their lodgings, leaving him in absolute confusion. Only a minute later he jogged to catch up with her as he sorted his mind out. She had feelings for him and had wanted to ask him out, but she thought he had a girlfriend. This confused him even more. Unless she was seriously insulting Lance, the only other people she could mean were Allura, Romelle, or… ‘Wait, are you talking about Acxa?’

Pidge rolled her eyes as she swerved into the side street where their inn was located. ‘I don’t want to hear that name. That stupid, tall, attractive name. That stupid, tall, attractive, not-me name. That stupid, tall, attractive, not-me, dating you, name.’

Keith caught her arm, realising something had definitely been lost in translation here. ‘Acxa and I aren’t anything, other than colleagues.’ He told her as she stared at his fingers on her bare skin. ‘Where did you get a stupid, small, beautiful idea like that?’ He turned her words into something about her, at least he hoped she realised it was about her.

‘You think my idea is stupid?’ She pouted, wrinkling her nose in a gesture he could only describe as cute as hell.

‘Yeah, I do. Not you, you’re not stupid, but your idea is.’ He smiled.

‘But I saw you! You were all close and lovey-dovey when you were shopping together! You put your hand on her back like a gentleman, you were laughing and she was giggling, and…and…it hurt!’

‘There’s nothing between me and Acxa.’ He repeated. ‘Because for some reason a certain genius caught my eye and has been living rent free in my head and heart for the last few years.’

She raised her eyebrows in surprise, her mouth forming a small oh as realisation struck her. ‘Matt?’

‘Quiznak, for someone so smart, you really are dumb sometimes.’ He pulled her against him and ducked his head, planting a soft kiss on her lips. ‘I was shopping with Acxa because I wanted a girl’s opinion, or rather the opinion of a girl who was familiar with the situation and could advise me what to buy the team member I’ve been in love with for so long I don’t remember what it’s like not to love her.’ He reached into the back pocket of his jeans and brought out a small, plushie of the green lion, keyring sized, but adorable as hell. ‘What better way to tell you it’s you, than with a mini effigy of your lion?’

She stared at him and then did something completely unexpected. She laughed. The tears that had been drying up beginning to leak out with just how hard she she went, and it was several minutes before she took a step back from Keith and wiped at her eyes. ‘Quiznak, if I’d known drinking so much of this stuff would make me hallucinate I’d have just bought a bottle and stayed in my room! It’s me. That’s a good one, brain!’ She knocked on her temple a couple of times before staggering towards the entrance of the inn. ‘Goodnight, imaginary Keith! Thanks for making my night!’

Hunk trotted down the stairs opposite the entrance and past Pidge, she evidently said something to him as she leaned on the wall and slid her way up, as he frowned before turning to face Keith with a puzzled expression. ‘What was that about?’

‘I just confessed to Pidge and she thinks I’m a hallucination.’ Keith leaned down slightly and watched to make sure she made it up the stairs okay.

‘I can’t say I’m surprised.’ Hunk shrugged as Keith glanced back at him. ‘She’s pretty sure you will never feel the same way she does.’

‘She really does feel that way about me?’ Keith looked back after her in surprise.

‘For longer than you know, man.’ Hunk patted him on the shoulder then looked back at their companion as she slid down to sit on the top of the stairs. ‘And please, this time, you be the one to put her to bed and listen to her whine about how great you are.’

‘She’s done this before?’

‘Go put her to bed, Keith. Stick around. You might be surprised.’ Hunk gave him a wink before leaving Keith watch Pidge lay down at the top of the stairs from her sitting position.

‘Oh boy.’ Keith breathed before running up the steps two at a time, this time not even pausing before scooping her up in his arms.

Pidge snorted awake and looked at Keith from close up, fuzzy around the edges and jiggling with movement. ‘Heeeeeey, it’s dream Keith! Hey, dream Keith.’ She slung her arms around his shoulders and pulled herself closer to him. ‘Did you always smell this good? I don’t remember you smelling this good before in my dreams.’

‘I smell like I always smell.’ He smiled at her. ‘And that’s probably because I’m not a dream.’

‘Hallucination, right, right.’ She corrected herself. ‘So, what kinky shit are we going to do tonight, hallucinatory Keith?’

‘I’m not a hallucination either and…kinky shit?’ He gave her wide eyes of surprise as he realised she had been doing more than crushing on him.

‘Yeah, I know, I have to do all the work, but I close my eyes and there you are!’ She nuzzled into his neck. ‘Above me, under me…down on me…’

‘Okay! Let’s put that to one side for a while, alright?’ He spoke over her as she tried to add another position to her list.

‘Oh, gentleman Keith, this is new. Normally you just rail me. Okay, gentleman Keith. What’s first? Wanna go for alien burgers? I know this great little place,’ she leaned in to his ear and whispered overly loudly, ‘but there’s a tree outside with pink vomit behind it, don’t go there.’

‘You’re going to bed.’

‘There we go! Finally!’ She threw her arms in the air joyously. ‘Where are we going?’

‘My room, I know I have some water pouches in there.’ Keith tried not to be distracted but her lips trailing up his jaw made it hard…difficult! Definitely difficult. He swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing enough that it caught her attention.

‘Oh, that’s hot, do it again.’ Her tongue lathed his skin as he reached his door, realising he had a problem trying to reach his key.

‘Can you stand for just a second?’ He didn’t give her time to argue and propped her against the wall, holding her in place with his side as he checked his back pockets first, passing the small plush lion between his pockets as he did so.

‘What did you lose?’ She watched his arms moving with absolute fascination.

‘The key to my room.’

Pidge didn’t even hesitate before putting both her hands in his front pockets and rather than feeling around she felt…him.

‘That’s not the key!’ Keith looked down at her as he grabbed at her wrists then swallowed again as she looked up at him over her glasses, grinning with her lip between her teeth. ‘Damn, when did you get so naughty?’ He carefully removed her hands before finding the key and letting them in. He couldn’t say he hadn’t ever fantasised about what she was doing but their first time wouldn’t be when she was impaired. Right now he needed her to sleep and sober up so they could talk, but he had had no idea she had thought of him like this. That alien alcohol had a lot to answer for.

It took some wrangling to get her into the room, and a little more to get her boots off. He sat her on the side of the bed as he did so, then stood to help her under the covers, which was when she wrapped her arms around his neck and dragged him down with her.

‘Bedtime!’ She grinned as he pushed up on one arm, looking down on her as she gave him the most innocent yet sexy gaze he had ever seen.

‘Sleep time.’ He managed to extricate himself from her arms and grab her a water pouch, making her sit up and drink some. ‘I want you to promise me something.’ He sat facing her as she greedily drank the pouch, nodding avidly. ‘That you’ll sleep and then we’ll talk when you’re feeling better.’

‘I feel pretty good now.’ She said around the pouch, dribbling somewhat.

He chuckled at her, sitting crosslegged with flushed tear stained cheeks. He wiped at the side of her mouth. ‘You need to do this with your wits about you, but I promise I will be here when you wake up.’

She lowered the water pouch and wrinkled her nose, looking down at her lap. ‘That’s what you always say.’ She whispered, but in the quiet of the room he heard her easily.

‘What do you mean?’ He took the pouch from her and put it on the table beside the bed.

‘I mean this is how it always goes.’ She sniffed, and he hoped she wasn’t going to resort to tears again. He hated seeing her like that. ‘You tell me you love me and that you’ll stay with me, and then in the morning you’re gone. You’re always gone.’

‘This time it’s different.’ He tucked her hair behind her ear before tilting her head to make her look at him. ‘I give you my word, as a Paladin of Voltron, as a Blade or Marmora, I will be here when you wake.’

‘Uh huh.’ She nodded slightly and he leaned forward to kiss her forehead.

‘Go to sleep, okay, Pidge?’ He held the covers out for her to settle down. He watched as she wiggled, smiling at the exaggerated movements she gave before covering her gently. ‘If you need anything, I’ll be right here.’

‘Right here?’ She asked, pointing hopefully beside her.

‘You take the bed, I’ll be fine in the chair.’ He indicated behind himself but she shook her head vehemently.

‘Can’t you just hug me til I’m asleep? Please?’

Her voice was so sweet he knew he had already lost, but he was determined not to encourage her in this state. ‘Alright, just give me a minute.’ He was aware of her watching him as he toed off his boots and lowered the lights, ensuring the bathroom door was open and easily accessible should she need it in a hurry, then placing the small plush lion on the table. He lay on top of the covers beside her and offered him his arm. She scooched up close to him almost immediately, wrapping an arm around his waist and sighing contentedly.

‘Thank you, Keith.’ She murmured before yawning widely.

‘Any time.’ He kissed her hair as he squeezed her gently, his other arm behind his head. ‘If you need anything, just shout.’

‘I only need you.’ She hummed. ‘I know we always end up hugging until I fall asleep in my dreams, but like this ending maybe more than the others.’

‘I kinda like it too.’ He admitted, resting his chin on her hair as he decided not to argue the dream part any more.

‘Before this all ends, I just want to say something.’ She yawned again.

‘I’m listening.’

She leaned her head to look at him and he moved to allow her to do so. ‘I love you. I’ve loved you for a stupidly long time but I know you’ll never see me as more than one of the team, and all I have is my imagination that one day this might be real. So, yeah. I appreciate this more than you’ll ever know.’

A lump formed in Keith’s throat as he realised how much she really did love him and how little faith she had that he would ever love her in return. ‘I love you too, Katie.’ He deliberately used her real name. ‘And I will when you wake up, and every day after. But let’s talk about this in the morning when your head is clear.’

‘You said that before too.’ She sighed as she snuggled down against him and closed her eyes. ‘Love you.’

‘Sleep well, Katie.’ He whispered as her breathing deepened, quickly falling asleep.

This evening hadn’t gone how he had planned. He wanted to give her his gift and ask her to join him for dinner. He had no idea she had wanted to ask him the same thing, or that she felt the same way. Instead, she had taken him shopping with Axca as a sign they were together and drank herself into a stupor. He pondered how it was strange how things worked out. How they had both felt the same but neither realised. If he believed in fate, and after all that had happened, all the coincidences in his life, he was sure something existed, this had to be the most memorable he could remember.

Pidge woke with a pounding head and a fuzzy tongue. She managed to crawl out of bed and over the muss of crumpled blankets and into the bathroom without having to open her eyes more than to gauge where the door was and kicked it closed behind her. She went about her business, splashed water on her face, and briefly examined her face, pale skin and sunken, bloodshot eyes. Never again, she decided. It just wasn’t worth drinking this much, no matter how upset she might have been at seeing the man she loved with someone else. She paused long enough to smile for herself about how last night she had dreamt he told her he loved her back, that it wasn’t a dream and that he would be there for her in the morning. It had felt so real that maybe it was worth the hangover after all. Sighing, she decided to spend the rest of the day in bed sleeping things off. She wasn’t needed for anything and honestly, right now, the oblivion sleep offered sounded amazing.

Staggering out of the bathroom she scrunched up her eyes against how gritty they felt. How could they itch and burn at the same time? If she could bear the sunlight she would have gone back to the castleship and shut herself in a healing tube, but for now some water and bed sounded good. She took two steps to the table by the bed and took up the water pouch, draining what was left before putting it back…and knocking something onto the floor. She crouched and picked it up, squinting in the darkness at the small, round, fuzzy plushie that looked just like her lion while trying to remember when she had bought it. It took a moment before parts of the night before came rushing back, including right before she slept. But, that was a dream, right? Right?!

One look at the bed convinced her it wasn’t. Or rather who was on the bed.

The resulting scream of absolute shock was, she would recall later, perhaps the girliest thing she had ever done in her entire life.

Tada! Give me some feedback! I might even be able to continue this into a morning after fic, if anyone is interested!

#kidge fanfic #kidge #kidgetrash #kidgetrash fanfic #voltron #drunk pidge #drunk confessions

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