#VLDRarePairWeek

[k8ie-h0lt]

Coming back for more

Fandom: Voltron: Legendary Defender Pairing: Matt Holt/Keith Summary: After mulling over the pros and cons of accepting his fate, Keith made his choice. Prompts Used: Bitter, Sweet, Going Out, First @vldrarepairweek A/N: Part 1 Or read from the beginning on Ao3.

After the revelation, Keith hardly attempted to make another move. There were no drastic turns or sudden confessions in the midst. (He sucked at them anyways.) It didn't help that Keith didn't exactly grow up with having heart-to-heart conversations all willy-nilly. His father did his best with their circumstances that they were dealt with; that, and they were both awkward people when it came down to talking about their feelings. Emotions were never a problem, it was just that sometimes it was hard to find the right phases and words to use. Besides, he learned that actions were louder than words.

Having to come into terms of falling in love was already a huge step for him. For someone like Keith, it was both scary and exciting to see how there were still so much he needed to experience. He was still confused about how crushes worked, so that naturally led him to stop himself early on before anything horrible could have happened. Keith had learned to be cautious to the unknown. It was the only way to survive. In the matters of love, it felt like a natural step too. To wait and watch his environment before treading off recklessly.

So, he did his best to continue doing his homework like normal with Shiro and Matt. Resumed on working with trying to get Matt to up his stamina (though it could never really compare to Keith’s or Shiro’s.) Stumble when Matt did something cute (which was happening a little too often for his heart to handle), and attempt to maintain his feelings in check before someone would notice how much Matt affected him. It was a stressful kind of living; having to fend off these emotions that endlessly wouldn’t stop. Having these kinds of thoughts scared him the way they were coming off strong. It made Keith feel like an animal; the way he couldn’t escape this new reality.

Every day was a new battle. Where Keith would have to prove to himself that a crush wouldn’t stop him from living. To have a spark of hope that maybe one day he’ll see Matt as a friend again and not something that could crash his world. It didn’t look like it would work the way his heart couldn’t stop itself. Especially how Matt proved to him every day that he was the missing link of his life. (The one that made Keith truly happy to witness these new kinds of developments.)

The world didn’t revolve on falling in love; it was just one aspect. His father had told him that countless of times. But that didn’t mean that his father ever downed played love, but there was a truth in there. Love was an important piece, to live, to experience and protect. However, there were other sides that needed to be prioritize too. Like the will to adapt to survive any environment and circumstance, to continue the road of curiosity and learn all the little secrets life has to offer.

From all the short years Keith has lived through, he was now in this new side where it was colliding with his past.

One where Keith was beginning to explore. To feel how truly vulnerable, he could be. To see how far he could reach and how far he dared to fall. It was a maze that was uncharted; something that he was sure his classmates had already gone through when he stubbornly tried to stay away. Doing nothing was a safe current, a spot where Keith hardly ever stayed when he felt like he could go beyond. Like getting to know Matt was never in the plan, but it still came into his face. Now Keith had to check all the paths and feel the current push back and forth with ease, tension and uncertainty.

Keith almost wanted to throw up. But he didn’t. Thankfully.

It was actually a funny thing, the way his life was turning around. When one day he was mulling over his options of just doing nothing and then having Shiro come into the picture uncharacteristically.

“Do you want some help?” Keith frowned in confusion making Shiro explain himself, “I can get Matt alone with you so you can confess.”

His brain processed the words. “I thought you liked him.”

Shiro chuckled, “I do.” He started but quickly reassured him. “But not the same way you like him.”

“I don’t know.”

Shiro patted his back, “Okay. It was just a passing thought. If you ever change your mind…”

He left it in the air.

With all his thoughts racing Keith barely had any time to calm down as Matt sat down at their usual table for lunch. He asked about the atmosphere, making Keith stuttered while Shiro made a lame diversion Keith couldn’t bother to remember. All that was stuck inside his skull was the knowledge that he wasn’t as smooth as he thought he was. It was quite the opposite; having Shiro along the ride didn’t exactly sit well with him once the mortification settled in. Because it made him concede that his fears of being an open book could actually exist. That, and Keith seriously needed to upgrade his poker face.

Once his stomach ached less with having Shiro aboard, and Keith being more open with his own feelings he started to feel like there was room to wiggle a new future. One where maybe it was possible to have Matt glance at him with tenderness that would hopefully be only reserved for him alone. It was a start, that was all he could really say on the matter. With the way, Keith was feeling like a ping pong with his emotions going through a roller-coaster. Especially the way he bid all his hope into this new chapter that was manifesting in front of him.

It started out small; like catching Matt off guard with more secret smiles for him to only witness. Or becoming more willing to be Matt’s rag doll when they sparred while allowing small physical touches to last longer than he would have usually accepted. To give him more access to stepping into his own domain. They were all starting to add up, making Keith more nervous the way Matt walked forward without giving his own hint that he understood what Keith was trying to tell him

So, in those failed efforts he quickly asked him out to hangout on a weekend when he knew Shiro would be “busy” and when he was sure Matt had already spent a day with his family to be satisfied. Where once the weekend was rolling by slowly that he could squeeze in time to be with Keith. It was like a perfect chance to get alone and almost personal with him. When he was given a green light with their plans Keith almost felt like he could explode. (He was extremely happy that his poker face was improving as he tried to play it off.) That and Shiro was like a great brother to shield him from others catching a whiff on Keith’s romantic life.

Walking around the closest town with Matt was almost surreal. For most of his garrison days he was used seeing Matt in only in his uniform, now with this new image Keith couldn’t help but feel his skin start to warm up. (And he knew he couldn’t blame the weather for it. Not entirely at least.) He was happy that they had enough topics to go around that made him less tense as the hours spilled out. Joking around him was easy, getting closer was the same.

Having Matt this close was like a dream.

When they finished a movie, and were walking back to the bus to take them back to the garrison, Keith could have sworn the street lights accented Matt’s eyes perfectly. Almost like it was giving him a sign that his mouth should open and for syllables to form. To explain how his body was hyper aware of Matt’s laugh affecting him. It was too good to pass the way it felt so right to confess. He didn’t know why he paused, or how Matt knew something was up with him. All Keith knew was that when he paused he made sure that he was in front of Matt, his hands came out from his pockets, they were practically searching for a spot—any spot to hover. To make the right impression or at least the right atmosphere.

His ears picked up the way his heart throbbed, how he took a deep breath and whispered. “Matt…is it okay?”

He wasn’t sure what he was asking him. To confess? Maybe. To kiss him? Probably that one. Either way he inwardly cursed of his current height compared to Matt's. It forced him to look up and tip toe a little higher so then his face could reach Matt’s.

He barely heard Matt’s voice over his loud heart. “Yes.”

He didn’t waste a second; he brushed his lips with Matt’s. It was instantaneously, wanting to stay in that precise moment and never move. To imprint in this spot of having this giddy feeling of a mutual confession permanently inside his memories. However, he knew that he would eventually have to pull away. When he opened his eyes, and grounded his feet he couldn’t help but feel his face burn hotter the way Matt’s eyes were watching carefully and with amusement.

He sheepishly smiled, “Sorry it took me awhile to figure out what you were trying to say.”

Keith shrugged his shoulders nonchalant, “So long as you got the message, it’s okay.”

[vldrarepairweek]

Welcome to the beginning of VLD Summer Rarepair Week! you can @ us in your posts and we'll be tracking the tag #vldrarepairweek! Happy Shipping everyone!

[justiceforsendak]

Day 3: Staying In/Going Out ShiroxMattxKeith After Finals Matt wants to go out. Keith wants to stay in. Shiro finds a way to compromise.

Shiro trudged back to his dorm, feeling the energy drain out of him as he went. Final exams in general were brutal, and the Galaxy Garrison's were even worse. All he wanted to do was curl up in bed and tune our for a few hours. He scanned his room key and opened the door to find that his bed was already occupied by not just one, but both of his boyfriends. Matt and Keith were tangled together on top of the blankets, apparently asleep. There went Shiro's plans for a nap. He couldn't be mad though. As bad as his final exams were, he knew theirs were worse. Matt had an extra large workload with his responsibilities as a T.A., and everyone knew that the instructors were harder on Keith, being top of his class and all. Shiro smiled. He could sleep later, once those two had gotten their rest. For now a shower would do. He came back clean and refreshed and happily noticed that Matt and Keith were awake, though they hadn't moved an inch, and were having a quiet conversation. Actually, he noted as he was able to catch more of what was being said, they were having an argument. Typical. "Shiro!" Matt begged, having noticed Shiro's presence finally. "Help me! The new Starlands movie is out and Keith won't go see it with me! I had to deal with all of the incoming freshmen applications and I had four exams in one day. I deserve to escape for two hours." He whined. "No way! I had Iverson for ALL of my exams and half of them were partnered finals. He paired me with complete idiots on purpose, I'm sure of it. I can't handle any more people today. Let's stay home." Keith objected. This prompted more arguing from both boys, each begging for Shiro to take his side as if they were mortal enemies and not devoted boyfriends. Shiro chuckled and reached for his wallet. He'd heard this argument enough times that he knew just how to compromise between them. Later that evening Shiro was happily nestled between Matt and Keith in the backseat of the Holts' convertible at the drive-in, with the top pulled up just enough to feel secluded from the other moviegoers, but open enough that Matt could interact with the people in the cars next to them when he got excited. Their relationship was a constant balancing act, but with practice Shiro was getting good at keeping both of his boys happy. As for Shiro, whether they stayed in or went out, as long as he had Keith on one side and Matt on the other he was content.

[parolesluxurieuses]

Voltron Rare Pair Week: Free Day

the day when I will be free from the pain of canon character death. shoutout to @bosstoaster for getting me into shulaz!

[blacklionshiro-backup]

★ Patreon | Commissions | Twitter ★

I am so pumped to see more of these two in season 3 after what happened and I said earlier I was gonna draw some allgar, didn’t I? So here we go. Right on time for @voltron-rare-pair-week.

[damnspider]

here’s a Kolo for Rare Pair Week day 6) Wound/Scar

[freshnightcrawler]

I didn’t have time to color this, but here’s my entry for the first prompt of Voltron Rarepair Week: Past/Present! Have some good old past Coran with present Shiro.

[maternalcube]

Chapters: 1/1 Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Lance/Shiro (Voltron), Keith/Pidge | Katie Holt, Hunk/Shay (Voltron) Tags: No Voltron, the galra are there but theyre the space mafia, keith and shay are space pirate bffs, Soulmate AU, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, soulmarks are first words, Humor, exactly what youd expect out of a fic with a clickbait title tbh, Space Opera, Altean Lance (Voltron), lance is alluras little bro, Betaed, Voltron Rarepair Week 2017, POV Alternating, EVERYONE AND EVERY SHIP HAS EQUAL FOCUS, despite the title no one is a minor ok

Summary:

Hunk believes in aliens, because otherwise his soulmate seems like kind of a jerk. Pidge is more worried about finding her family than whatever stupid question she’s gonna ask to warrant the response on her wrist. Shiro’s mark is gone along with his arm, but he’s pretty sure he was supposed to meet his soulmate before he started going gray. Keith’s mark didn’t make sense until he got kidnapped by space pirates and joined their crew.

Or: a few humans meet their alien soulmates… IN SPACE!

[justpidgance]

New Years Eve

Here’s some Pidgance for rare pair week. This is my first time writing about them, so feedback is welcome. Hope you enjoy !

New Year’s Eve was usually a boring time for Pidge, with the only exciting thing is being able to catch up on sleep. Studying for tests daily at the Garrison prevented her from ever having a second to rest. So to say she was excited for tonight was an understatement. However, that little tradition of hers was dramatically shifted in her schedule when somebody knocked on her door a few hours before midnight.

A part of her wasn’t surprised to see Lance once she turned the knob. From what she heard earlier that day, normally he would’ve celebrated this festive time with Hunk. However, he was out of town.

He needed a backup.

And Pidge’s self conscious wouldn’t let her say no.

“Hey!!” Lance shouted as he raced into the room. He checked the time in the kitchen to make sure he wasn’t even a second off. “We only have five minutes left before the ball drops!” 

She rubbed her eyes for the hundredth time, “I’ll probably fall asleep before then.”

“That sounds like a challenge,”  the teen teased, before plopping next to her on the couch. “You’re not falling asleep anytime soon. Not on my watch.”

Pidge grinned, “How will you prevent my sleeping?” She faked a yawn, just to get a reaction: the look on his face was priceless. She laughed softly to herself when she didn’t get a reply.

F O U R  M I NU T E S

Pidge could already feel her eyelids struggle to stay up; this didn’t go unnoticed by Lance.

“Not on my watch.”

“You already said that-” she paused, this time yawning for real. “Already.”

“Nope, no-” He began to search for something, presumably in arms reach. “Not on my watch, Pidgey.”

“First of all, you said that three times now.” she spoke, counting her points on her hand, “Second, why Pidgey?” 

His shoulders shook from laughter as he looked for whatever he had on his mind, “I don’t know, just came to mind.”

“Kinda stupid, if you asked me.”

“Eh. I think it suits you.”

T H R E E   M I N U T E S

“Aha!” Lance shouted triumphantly, raising his hand to the sky. “Found it!”

She looked upward, raising an eyebrow, “You’re not holding anything.”

“Exactly,” Lance smirked at her. “I was distracting you with conversation to keep you up.” He couldn’t stop the laughter once she face palmed.

Pidge laughed into her hand, “Dangit, that was actually smart.”

“I know.”

T W O   M I N U T E S

“The ball is going to drop!” Pidge reminded Lance, who was too caught up in bringing over some snacks. “Hurry up or you’ll miss it.”

It wasn’t long before he was running back to the living room, junk food pressed tightly against his chest. He sat down in a matter of seconds.

Lance looked over at her, “So, what’cha want?” he asked, showing her all the snacks he had to offer. “Plenty of options to choose from, Pidgey.”

Her eyes rolled at the nickname, but couldn’t help but smile a tad bit. “I’ll go for none. It’s not healthy to eat so late at night.”

Lance searched through the selection he had, until he found exactly what he was looking for.

“C’mon, it’ll be the last snack you’ll have this year,” He dangled the bag of Doritos above her head, waiting for her to snatch it up. Though he didn’t know her as long as Hunk, he memorized practically everything that she loved. “Unless, you don’t want-”

Pidge yanked it out of his hands, “Give it to me,” She ripped open the bag, diving right in.

O N E   M I N U T E

It wasn’t long before the countdown on the television was halfway done. Together, they watched in anticipation as the seconds ticked by. Not only was Lance on the edge of his seat, but though she wouldn’t admit it,  so was Pidge.

She smiled sadly to herself. Even though she was looking forward to getting some shut eye, a part of her was upset that all of this would be shortly over. Coming here was a lot of fun, oddly enough.

“Fifteen seconds left!” His voice jolted her out of her thoughts. It took her a moment to wrap her mind around what he said. Did time go by that quickly? “Are you ready?”

She nodded, “I was born ready.

The countdown reached ten seconds.

“Hey, Lance?” She asked after sometime.

He smiled her way, “Yes?”

“Thanks for inviting me,” She returned the smile. “I had a lot of fun tonight.”

“No problem.” Though it was a simple answer, the look in his eyes said everything she needed to know.

As soon as he spoke, the cheers from the television caught their attention. The ball dropped at last.

“Happy New Year, Pidgey.”

“Same goes for you.”

[bosstoaster]

All About that Space

Pairing: Hunk/Shiro

Summary:

After an accident that cost him his arm and his position on the first manned Mars mission, Shiro transfers to work at the Jet Propulsion Lab. Shortly after, Hunk gains a secret admirer.

These facts are probably coincidental.

A NASA Engineers AU written for Day 7 of VLDRarePairWeek

Excerpt: 

Turning to Lance, Hunk frowned.  “Who’s that?”

Following his gaze, Lance paused, then shot Hunk a wild look.  “Seriously?  You don’t- dude.  Dude.  That’s Takashi Shirogane.  You know.   The pilot.”

The emphasis made Hunk pause, because they knew a lot of pilots.  They were NASA technicians, making things that flew was part of the job.  Hell, they regularly hung out with Keith, who was their usual pick for test pilot.  Lance still sulked over that, occasionally, but Hunk had told him many times that Lance was too brilliant with aerodynamic designs to risk him in a cockpit.

Then it hit.

Shirogane.   The pilot.  Specifically, the one for the first manned Mars mission.

The one they’d blown up.

[tessellations]

make sure to smooch your bae this feb 14

[earline-nathay]

Awake or Asleep

#VLDRarePairWeek Day 3: Awake / Dreams Shidge Fanfic AO3 link

Summary: Sleepless nights are best spent together. Sometimes she didn't even notice if she was awake or asleep, considering how nice it felt and the words exchanged.

It wasn’t that they bumped into each other during all of their nights of insomnia, but recently, she had to admit that their encounters were becoming more and more frequent as time passed.

It started when she found him in the kitchen. She had been working on her computer as usual and had gotten thirsty enough to leave her data for a few minutes to go get something to drink. It was late on the sleeping schedule they have settled and she wasn’t expecting someone to be awake besides herself.

But there he was, the leader of the paladins, leaning on a cupboard, crossing his arms and looking at the emptiness.

“Shiro?” she whispered, and in the quiet of the room, her voice rang against the walls.

He did a small startle and looked at her as he’d been caught.

“Pidge,” he mumbled back.

They looked at each other for a few moments and then it came the silence filled with comprehension. There was no need to ask why they were awake.

It was that time too when she realized she wasn’t the only one who couldn’t sleep because of worries or traumas. The difference, she acknowledged, was that she only had very nasty nightmares fueled by worries and fears. His, were pure night terrors creeping from his time imprisoned.

It was the first night they kept each other company until it was time to wake up. They didn’t ask about the nightmares, nor the preoccupations. They just mumbled small talks, finding solace in each other presence.

It didn’t take long for it to become a habit. Every time she found herself lonely, homesick or especially worried or scared of never seeing her family again, she would go to the kitchen to see if he was there. More often than not, he was.

She realized that sometimes he went even when he wasn’t feeling haunted with his inner demons, clearly looking out for her, in case she needed him, so she made an effort to go check the kitchen too almost every night to reciprocate.

When both of them started to show signs of unhealthy, unnecessary tiredness, she was about done. She hacked the touch-sensitive castle door lock of her room and allowed Shiro’s hand to open it. She thought about hacking his door with her handprint too but decided against it 

“I hacked my door lock,” she informed instead, later that night. “You’ll be able to enter if you need to.”

She wasn’t looking at him when she told him and she refused to acknowledge the irrational heat on her cheeks. His gaze was fixed ahead as well when he asked in return,

“And my door?”

Pidge fisted her hands on her shirt in a reflex.

“No, I didn’t want to intrude…” she began, but before she could start to ramble, he blurted,

“It’s alright,” he said. “You’re not intruding.”

She nodded, and if she had looked up to see his face, she would have noted that their cheeks matched.

It was two nights after their exchange and her second hack when she opened Shiro’s lock with her hand to get in his room. He was asleep and she didn’t want to wake him up but she had had a nightmare where she finally found her father and Matt, just to discover she was barely minutes too late to save them, and they were murdered.

She didn’t want to go back to the emptiness of her own room, so she slipped beside him as softly as she could. But of course, he opened his eyes. He was the lightest sleeper she had ever met.

“Pidge?” he asked with a hoarse voice, heavy with sleep. When his eyes recognized her figure in the dim lights ever present in the room, he let his head fall again against the pillow with a sigh.

“S-sorry,” she stuttered. “It’s just…” she trailed off, “a nightmare.”

“Don’t be. It’s okay,” he reassured her. He opened up the covers and that was all the invitation she needed. She crawled to his side and buried her face in his chest.  She felt his hand lay on top of her head and relaxed a little 

“You want to talk about it?”

“It was the same old nightmare. I couldn’t save them and when I woke up I didn’t want to be alone,” she admitted quietly, “in case it came back.”

“Okay,” she heard him say. “I’m here. Get some sleep.”

And she did.

A few nights later it was her door that opened. She was working on some codes for her lion when he appeared with weary, almost too wide eyes and she hurried to close her laptop.

“Shiro” she greeted him. He stepped inside and the door slid close.

“Katie, I…” he digressed. He only called her by her real name when either of them was especially vulnerable 

She moved to sit on the bed and opened her arms.

“I know,” she said, and then he was there. And he stayed there until morning came.

They laid on their sides, sharing their weaknesses and becoming their mutual strength.

Even fewer than last time nights later, Pidge was half laying, half sitting on Shiro’s bed, with his head on her stomach and his torso between her knees. She was combing her fingers through his hair and he was sound asleep. His expression was relaxed and his breathing even. She felt a little pride when she realized he slept better when she was around.

Truth be told, it wasn’t even that late, barely even midnight, but for some reason, she went to his room as soon as the lights were off, surrendering even her hours on her tech.

If she was honest with herself, she did know the reason. It was the giddy whirl she got on her stomach every time they spent time alone together. It wasn’t wise to encourage those feelings, but she found herself unable to help it, even less when the arms around her middle squeezed her ever so slightly and from his lips sprouted a quiet mumble that sounded like her given name.

Before she could fall asleep, she couldn’t help thinking that despite being the smartest paladin of all, she was being quite stupid.  

And just like that, they were spending almost every night together, and the more nights they shared, the more the nightmares stayed away, and as their bond grew stronger, even she had to admit that it wasn’t completely illogical for her to harbor hope. After all, he sought for her embrace too.

It was in her very room, as he held her close after going to bed and she was barely conscious when she felt him drop a kiss to her left eyelid, probably thinking she was already asleep and whispering a gentle “Goodnight, Katie. I love you.”

And with that promise, she didn’t know if she was awake or asleep anymore. That was what she told herself to justify the even quitter “Me too” she whispered back.

[finalfortunart]

Voltron rare pair week day 1 - Past/Present with Shatt

I was playing around a bit with color this time with this palette

[justiceforsendak]

VLD Rarepair week day 2 (yeah i missed day one, shush) Prompt: Roadtrip

Sendak wanted to get away from grad school for a while. This isn’t quite what he had in mind. (dedicated to @shiroklance bc this ship would never have occured to me if not for them)

When Sendak told Rolo he wanted to get away for a bit he was expecting a day trip into the city or something equally quick and simple, so when Rolo showed up in his dorm at almost midnight demanding that he pack for a few days and come outside he was understandably confused. Still, he grabbed enough clothes for a weekend and the essentials and stepped out into the night to find Rolo leaning proudly against a shiny purple corvette, so dark it was almost black, freshly waxed with the top down. "You finished it." Sendak observed. Rolo grinned, gently patting the passengers side door. "Just put the tags on it yesterday. Now come on, get in." Moments later they were on the highway heading out of town. The rush of wind through Sendak's hair was invigorating, and once they were out of the city he relaxed, letting the fresh air and twinkling stars overhead soothe him in a way nothing had since the semester started. It wasn't until they crossed the state line that Sendak started questioning their destination. "Someplace special." Was all Rolo said. He hit the gas and they sped down the empty highway, free as a pair of birds in the moonlight. They stopped for gas, mock-argued over who would pay, and ducked into an old diner that reminded Sendak of something out of a horror film. Rolo swore they had great burgers and the best pie in the country though, so Sendak decided to risk it. At least if he was horribly murdered he wouldn't have to take his business final. He was pleased to find that the owners were not murdering psychopaths and, after wolfing down the house special and two slices of pie, Sendak had to admit that Rolo was right. That was the best he'd eaten in months, and the place had damn good coffee. As a New Yorker, he was impressed.

With their hunger sated, they hit the road again, Sendak's fingers idly played with the ends of Rolo's hair as they wove through the hills. The longer Rolo drove, Sendak could see the tension in his shoulders melt away. Maybe he wasn't the only one who needed to get away fror a while. Finally, Rolo pulled onto a dirt road, winding through the trees. There was a slight chill on the air that told Sendak they were near water. A cabin appeared around the final bend, and a small smile appeared on Rolo's face with it. He turned to look at Sendak. "Well, this is it." Rolo announced with a vague wave of his hand. "I used to come out here with my brother and Mom when things got bad with dad. Ever since they split, I come out here when I need to get away for a bit. I thought you could use a little away time so, here we are." The moonlight was just enough for Sendak to catch the light blush on Rolo's face. Sendak smirked. "So, you picked me up in the middle of the night, drove me eight hours out of town and took me to your family's private cabin on the lake? I never pinned you at the 'romantic weekend getaway' type." He laughed. Rolo huffed and turned away playfully, blush darkening on his cheeks. "Well, maybe you're just special." He admitted quietly. Sendak slid an arm across Rolo's shoulders and pulled him close, resting his forehead against the blonde's. "You're gonna miss the view." Rolo murmured against his lips. "This is the only view I care about." Sendak replied. Rolo pulled away with a groan. "Aw jeez, and you say I'm the romantic one, you big sap." Sendak opened his mouth to defend himself, but was immediately shushed by Rolo, who pointed across the water. "Look!" Sendak reluctantly looked away from his boyfriend to where he was pointing. One breath, two, and the first rays of morning sun peeked between the hills, shooting across the lake like fire. It was beautiful, but the look on Rolo's face as the light spread over his skin was breathtaking. That look was what drove Sendak. The reason he pushed himself so hard in school, in his internship under Rolo's father, in everything. He wanted to put that awed look on Rolo's face forever, no matter what it took. "Alright, let's get inside." Rolo's voice broke through Sendak's focus. Sendak leaned heavily against Rolo as they made their way up the steps, feeling the fatigue of the all-nighter setting in. Rolo punched a few numbers into the lockpad with practiced ease and ushered Sendak inside. Taking both of their bags and throwing them to the side, Rolo grabbed Sendak by the front of his shirt and crowded into his space. "Here's the plan," He whispered hotly against Sendak's lips, "There are five beds in this house. Pick one to sleep in, and when we wake up you're going to help me defile the other four." "You know, suddenly I feel wide awake." Sendak said. Rolo just laughed and led him down the hallway. They'd have plenty of time for sleep and other things afterward, and maybe Sendak could put that awed look on his face for an entirely different reason.

[parolesluxurieuses]

Voltron Rare Pair Week: Awake/Dreams

Happy Valentuesday everyone! Who wants some angst?

[sunnybimbo]

Cheese and Mint

ao3 link here

@voltron-rare-pair-week for Day Three: Awake/Dreams

Shance (993 words)

“Do you ever dream about Earth?”

The question made Shiro pause, and his fingers tangled in Lance’s hair as he pulled him closer. The steam from their bath condensed across their skin, and Lance’s felt cold and clammy, even in the warm water.

“Sometimes?” He mumbled, tilting his head back against the fine porcelain that was their bathtub, and the cold that clung to it made him shiver. Lance buried his face against Shiro’s shoulder, his breath tickling across the latter’s chest.

“Do you miss it? Or… what do you miss?”

Lance’s face held a sadness that made Shiro’s heart clench. They rarely talked about Earth, despite how much Lance missed it, and honestly? Shiro rarely thought about it either.

Sure, he missed it. He missed it a lot. But he had a job to do, and he wouldn’t allow him the luxury of thinking of a future where he’d be able to visit again.

Not that he would let Lance know that.

Instead, he relaxed his shoulders and pressed a kiss against Lance’s temple.

“Well,” He began. “I miss my family, of course. I miss the snow, and the way the wind smells after the rain.”

“Me too.” Lance interrupted softly.

At that, Shiro ran his fingers down Lance’s spine, and the caress had the other giggling. “I thought you wanted to know what I missed.”

“Sorry, sorry.” Lance cleared his throat, pulling away to claim his spot between Shiro’s legs, facing him directly. Their hands linked together, and Lance pulled them up to his mouth to run kisses across the knuckles. “Continue.”

“I think I mostly miss my mom, honestly.” Shiro admitted, and he gave the other a sad smile when he just nodded sympathetically.

“But you know, I’m glad that I’m here now.”

Lance’s brows furrowed. “You got abducted. By real aliens, who tried to kill you. Who are still trying to kill you.”

Shiro just shrugged. “I got to meet you.” Lance’s face flushed, and Shiro moved closer to smooch him across the reddened cheeks. “If it wasn’t for all of that, I wouldn’t be bathing here with you. I wouldn’t have been able to kiss you, or hold you close. I wouldn’t have been able to look into your beautiful eyes every night and tell myself that this is what I want to live for, forever. Sometimes I think I’m living a dream.”

Lance tilted forward, and his forehead pressed against Shiro’s neck. “Stop, I’m gonna die. You’re so mushy.”

“You love me.” He said smugly, wrapping his arms loosely around Lance’s hips in the lukewarm water.  

Lance hummed in affirmation, and his eyelashes fluttered against Shiro’s skin every time he blinked.

The two of them sat in silence, other than the subtle drip of the water from their limbs. Shiro could feel Lance’s heartbeat through his temple, and was about two seconds from dozing off when Lance spoke up next.

“What do you miss the most?” He tilted his head up to press his lips against Shiro’s stubbly jaw. “Like, you could take anything from Earth, what would you choose?”

What a loaded question. Shiro gave an introspective hum, and the noise rumbled his chest. Lance’s hand strayed across his pecs and he couldn’t help but laugh at his constant fascination with them.

He hooked his finger under the other’s chin and kissed him across the lips.

“The food.” Was his final answer, and Lance’s eyebrows shot up in surprise.

“Really?”

“Sure, Coran and Hunk do a good job, but nothing can beat this one pizza place, back near the Garrison- oh.” Shiro groaned, mouth watering just thinking about it. “It was magical. The crust was just- and the sauce!”

Lance snickered at him. But just as he did, his stomach growled louder than a lion’s roar. He froze almost immediately, and he shoved Shiro when he began to laugh at him.

“You made me hungry, jackass!” He cried, but Shiro just ruffled his hair, stepping over and out of the tub to toss him a fuzzy towel. It landed across Lance’s face.

“Let’s go eat then, yeah? Maybe we can ask Coran to program the goo-dispenser to make something that tastes like pizza.” He mused.

“Oh, and ice cream! Mm, mint.” Lance quickly leaned up to peck Shiro against the cheek just before he dashed out of the bathroom to dry off, homesickness pushed out of his mind. “Thanks, lover boy!”

Shiro shook his head good-naturedly, and he turned to the mirror to comb out the rat’s nest that became his forelock in the humidity.

Maybe it was okay that he didn’t miss Earth as much as he should have. He could live without good pizza and after-rain smells, if Lance is what he got in exchange.

And it was later, when the two had unfortunately been denied their pizza-flavored goo, when Lance had conked out in the middle of the bed, and Shiro had shimmied him over to the other side of the bed to cuddle up against him, did he actually think about his answer.

“Do you ever dream about Earth?”

Sure, he dreamed about it. He dreamed about what would happen to it if he failed, mostly. But it was no longer at the forefront of his mind. He was more worried about his own; his new family. The paladins, Allura, Coran, and even the Lions. There was no time to dream of a perfect world when he had them to look out for.

Still, though.

He turned to look at Lance, who slumbered on peacefully. Lance, who dealt with his inner turmoil every day, probably, and still let himself be happy. Lance who, even after everything they've gone through, chose him out of everyone in the universe.

This was his dream. Earth was important, sure, but Lance even more so. And he would gladly live out this dream for a million years, if only he got to spend every moment with him.