#and when Lance failed to be a fighter pilot did that mean he saw hunk less?

[sockdooe]

Every time I think about my AU the more I’m screaming about how much everything could’ve been SO GOOD

[starglow-xx]

checklist

heyo! i wrote and posted this on my quotev for keith’s birthday (october 23, 2020) and i finally made a tumblr for my fanfiction soo here it is!!

keith kogane x f! reader

genre: fluff and slight angst!

This was what you had planned and written out coming to the Garrison.

(y/n's) Checklist: Garrison Days

Get into the Garrison✔️ extra: best friend is here too! :)

Get a license to become a co-fighter pilot extra: we're getting there!

Make new friends!✔️ extra: pidgeon, lancelot, and sunshine :D

Graduate!

Okay, granted, it's a bit short, but nevertheless it's straightforward and guaranteed to not knock you off course.

Although, this was the list that she seemed to be following at the moment.

(y/n's) Mental Bullshit Checklist

Fall in love with your best friend✔️

Sneak out of the Garrison basically every night to meet up with said best friend who just so happened to be expelled✔️

Fall in love with your best friend✔️

Keep secrets from your other best friends✔️

oh and FALL IN LOVE WITH YOUR BEST FRIEND

✔️

Can't forget that checkmark.

You sighed.

'Damn him and his pretty face.'

Sighing once more, you flopped backward against your bed holding your phone out away from your face staring at the time.

11:23 p.m.

'It's still early. I'm not meeting up with Keith for at least another half hour.'

You frowned at your phone.

'I wish time would go faster. Or better yet, just skip this.'

You put the phone down opting to stare at the ceiling instead. Frankly, you were exhausted. Keith always ends up keeping you up till the very early hours of the morning, just before daybreak, leaving you with a small amount of sleep.

'I mean we do this basically every night. It wouldn't hurt to bail on him just this once right? It's not like we end up finding any clues about Shiro or "the energy source".'

Frowning again at the thought of your lost older brother figure, you closed your eyes and placed your right forearm against your eyes, leaving your other hand against your stomach holding your phone.

'A quick nap wouldn't hurt now would it?'

You shut your eyes slowly and then you were out like a light.

You awoke to light knocking at your door.

Opening your eyes slowly, you stared up at the ceiling, and you wait until your eyes get adjusted to the dim lighting of your room.

'Wait a damn minute.'

You frantically sit upright looking for your phone before spotting it on the floor. You immediately grab it before widening your eyes in horror.

12:46 a.m.

'Shit.'

*knock knock knock*

The knocking of the metal door snapped you back into your senses, making you rush all over the room fixing your appearance while simultaneously packing a small bag.

*knock knock knock*

'There's no fucking way Keith broke into the Garrison. There's no fucking way he's outside my door. No fucking way.'

'Guess we'll just have to find out.'

Taking a big deep breath, you allow the metal door to open.

And you end up staring into the blue orbs of your flirtatious best friend Lance McClain.

A sigh of relief passes in between your breath and you smile as you lean against the frame of your door only then noticing Hunk's panicky presence behind the lanky male. Ignoring his nervousness, you wave at the soon to be yellow paladin, with him exchanging a fidgety smile and wave in return. 

Taking note of your sigh and smile, Lance speaks up with a cocky, goofy grin on his face.

"Woah there pretty lady, happy to see me?~" 

Rolling your eyes with an equally goofy grin on your face you respond.

"Ha! In your dreams McClain."

"But you're always in my dreams (y/n)!" he replies cheekily.

Playfully shoving the tall teen backward, you stifle a laugh. You always enjoy your time with Lance; it's always been like this, the playful banter, everything. Even since you met as kids at the Garrison.

"Okay! Okay! Jeez (n/n) so violent."

Rolling your eyes again, you take another look at the best friend duo before asking, "So, care to tell me why you're here in front of my dorm at like one in the morning?"

Lance opens his mouth only to have Hunk shove the both of you back into your room with him following and the metal door shutting behind the three of you.

Lance not liking how he was treated so roughly, started to whine, "Hunkkkk what was that forrr- MPPFH," only to get interrupted by Hunk placing a hand on both of your mouths.

"SHHH! We have to be quiet you guys," Hunk lowers his voice, "I heard a guard walking down the other hallway, I think he might turn the way next! Oh wait! I hear him shhhhh"

The three of you stood still and quiet as you hear the footsteps of the guard get closer and closer until eventually fading. 

After that very close call, you all sigh in relief as you had done a few minutes prior.

Suddenly remembering the conversation from a few minutes ago also made you become more aware of the time. Taking a look at the clock on your dresser, you curse under your breath.

12:57 a.m.

Quickly taking out your phone from your satchel, you curse again seeing the missed calls and text messages from Keith.

57 missed calls & 6 unread messages

keef♡

where are you?

sent 12:03 a.m.

(y/n) answer.

sent 12:07 a.m.

(y/n) pick up the damn phone! I know you're tired and I always drag you out late but come on pick up.

sent 12:09 a.m.

Okay, okay I'm sorry. Don't be mad at me.

sent 12:10 a.m.

(y/n) damn it. Now's not the time to be mad at me or to be sleeping. I think we might actually find something this time, I can feel it.

sent 12:15 a.m.

Fine then. I'll go on my own this time.

sent 12:17 a.m.

Ah shit. The only time Keith texts you first, and it's because you were being an idiot and accidentally bailed on him. Now he thinks that you've ditched him. Knowing him, he's gonna feel way more upset than you think because of what happened with his mom, dad, and Shiro. 

'Ah I fucked up this time didn't I?'

Breaking out of your thoughts, you realize that you have guests at the moment.

You whispered yelled at the two taller boys, "What are you two doing here?!"

Lance sulked, "Aw (n/n) I could've sworn you were happy to see us like five minutes ago."

"That was before you almost got me in trouble!"

And that's coming from the girl who sneaks out of the Garrison on a daily basis. But they don't need to know that.

Not yet at least.

Hunk (bless his soul) interrupts Lance once more as he opens up his mouth, "Lance here wants to do some "team bonding" so we were going to get both you and Pidge, but we saw Pidge run out of his dorm, but we still needed to get you and this is the worst team-building exercise ever."

Ahh that's right.

The four of you got scolded today after failing the simulation.

Hunk puked, Pidge removed his (you're still doubting if he is really a he, but no judgment there) safety harness, and Lance crashed the jet. You on the other received praise from Iverson after attempting to pull a safer (cough cough Lance) emergency landing, and trying to pull the team together.

Well, it's your job as the co-pilot to keep Lance in check, just like how you attempted to keep Keith in check. All your teachers and other friends warned you about sticking close to Keith. They never did understand that you two had a close bond.

You two grew up together after all.

--

"Seriously (l/n) stay away from Kogane. You're a bright kid, you got real skill. Don't get mixed up with that troublemaker."

You look down as Commander Iverson speaks to you.

"Well go along, break will be over soon enough. See you in class."

He walks down the hallway as Keith approaches you carefully as he enters from the other side of the nearby wall.

"You can stop you know. You always get in trouble for sticking with me. I'll understand." He says in a low voice looking down.

You, on the other hand, shoot your head up and quickly wrapping your arms around him surprising the young teen.

"Are you dumb?! I'd never leave you Keith! We'll go through thick and thin together remember?! If anything, you might be the one leaving me! You move too fast you might just leave me behind!" you exclaim while squeezing him tighter fully aware of the growing blush on your face.

He lightly laughs before wrapping his arms around your smaller frame squeezing you just as tight.

"Don't worry (y/n), I don't plan on it."

You refuse to let him go as you don't want him to see your red face, not knowing that he hasn't let go for the same reason.

--

As you both got older, around the disappearance of Shiro, Keith gets expelled, but the both of you still manage to keep in touch seeing as you frequently sneak out.

"Why don't you two go ahead? I was just about to get some shut-eye, so tell me how it goes tomorrow okay?"

Yes, sleep would be pretty nice, but in reality, you needed them to get out of here so you can find Keith.

Please say okay, please say okay, please say okay.

Scrunching his eyebrows, Lance denies your request, "What? No! You're part of the team, we need you there!"

'Damn it.'

--

Before you know it, you find yourself on the roof checking out Pidge's equipment.

"Stop touching my equipment!"

You and Hunk pouted.

--

Now, you find yourself and the other three spying on an alien ship on a small ledge after hearing the emergency lockdown announcement at the Garrison.

You blinked. 

"Hmm hey, Lance?"

"Yes (y/n)?"

"Why the hell are we here?"

Lance stopped looking through the binoculars to look up at you.

"We need to find out what's going on! But we'll never get past those guards to take a look."

Pidge types away on his computer.

Hunk sighs, "Aww yeah, I guess there's nothing else but to get back to the barracks right?" and he gets up from his crouching position and starts to leave. 

'Good idea Hunk.'

As you yourself start to head back, Pidge speaks up.

"Wait they set up a camera in there and I picked up its feed. Look."

The three of you gather around Pidge, only for your breath to hitch and for tears to start gathering in the corner of your eyes.

'Shiro?'

You think back to Keith's message.

"I think we might actually find something this time, I can feel it."

'Damn it, I hate it when he's right. I need to text Keith.'

You snap back into reality to dig through your bag only to hear Lance say, "No, what we need is a distraction."

As if on cue, a series of explosions go off in the distance.

'Oh no Keith I swear to God.'

"Ahh are those the aliens?! Are they here?! They got here so quick!" 

Hunk continues to freak out, but Pidge interrupts him.

"No, those explosions were a distraction! For him. The Garrison is heading towards the blast, while he's sneaking through the other side!"

You could recognize that red hoverbike anywhere.

So, you quickly make your way down the small ledge ignoring the shouts of your friends.

"(y/n)! Wait! Oh that guy is always trying to one-up me!"

Lance quickly runs after you.

"Who is it?" Hunk asks.

"Keith!"

"What?! Are you sure?!" Hunk is quick on Lance's heels.

By now, you're way ahead of the three.

"Who?!" Pidge questions.

"(y/n)'s boyfriend!"

But not far enough to not hear that.

"I heard that Lance!"

--

(y/n's) Mental Bullshit Checklist

Find your lost brother figure✔️

Get chased by the Garrison✔️

Realize that your bestest friend might be mad and hurt because of you✔️

Today is just not your day.

*A few minutes prior*

"Nope, no, n-n-no no you don't. I'm saving Shiro."

As Lance makes his way over to Keith and Shiro, you find yourself locking your (e/c) eyes with Keith's purple ones.

His eyes widened, not noticing Lance taking Shiro's other arm. 

'Wait. Is that a metal prosthetic?'

"(y/n)?"

Snapping back into reality, (you seem to be spacing out a lot recently) you try and wrap yourself around this delicate situation.

Keith thinks you abandoned him on something that means a lot to him.

Keith is possibly mad at you.

Keith finds Shiro only for you, Lance, Hunk, and Pidge to barge in.

Keith might be thinking you left him alone for those three.

Keith looks hurt.

Your already teary eyes soften along with your voice, "Keith I-", only to get cut off by Keith himself.

"Who are you?" he quetions looking at Lance.

'Ouch.'

'I guess I deserved that.'

"Who am I? Uhh the name's Lance?"

Lance blinks waiting for Keith to recognize him. When he doesn't he speaks again.

"Uhh we were in the same class in the Garrison."

Keith still not recognizing him asks, "Really? Were you an engineer?"

Lance tired of his confusion clarifies, "What no. I'm a pilot. We were like rivals. You know, Lance and Keith neck and neck, and with (y/n) breaking up all our fights."

You deadpan at the brown-haired boy.

'Does he mean those petty fights where Keith doesn't acknowledge him, and I end up dragging him away?'

As if suddenly remembering, Keith says, "Oh wait I remember you. You're a cargo pilot."

"Well not anymore, I'm fighter class now thanks to you washing out."

Keith being Keith sarcastically congratulates him.

"Seriously, how are you (y/n)'s bestest friend?! You don't even know anything about her other best friends? And what's with the attitude?! I swear! I always tell her to stay away! You're a bad influence on her!"

You warn the blue-eyed boy, "Lance..."

"What?! I'm just trying to look out for you!"

*Flashback end*

Now, the five of you along with an unconscious Shiro are all on Keith's red hoverbike with the Garrison hot your trail.

Keith's driving, you're behind him, behind you is Lance, the Pidge and Shiro, and finally Hunk in the back.

Hunk's panicky voice carries through the air, "Oh man, Mr. Harris just wiped out Mr. Montgomery! No no, he's fine."

Keith speaks to you without looking back, "(y/n) hold on."

You quickly wrap your arms around his masculine chest.

'At least he isn't that mad to ignore me completely.'

"Big man lean right!"

Hunk quickly listens and leans right guiding the overworked machine to the right making it jump to another rock structure. That maneuver efficiently stops one of the two Garrison vehicles chasing you. 

Your heart is pounding realizing that you're all heading towards a cliff.

"Uhh guys?!" Hunk promptly points out what you've just been dreading. "Is that a cliff up ahead?!"

You hear the screaming of your teammates behind you and Keith leans forward forcing you to do the same. He grips and twists the handlebars making the bike speed up while confirming Hunk's question.

"Yup."

You don't even have to look at him to know he has that hot stupid smirk on his face.

'Damn it. My heart just skipped a beat, and it's not because we're falling off a cliff.'

Lance continues to scream at Keith.

"What are you doing?! You're gonna kill us all!!"

Not giving Keith the time to respond, you answer Lance with your own yell while squeezing your eyes shut and squeezing Keith even tighter.

"Lance just shut up and trust him!"

Smoothly maneuvering his bike, Keith "lands" back on solid ground and zooms away.

You guys were alive.

Barely.

But that's beside the point.

(y/n's) Mental Bullshit Checklist

Save Shiro✔️

Almost get caught by the Garrison✔️

Almost die falling off a cliff✔️

Feel Keith's masculine chest✔️

--

You, Shiro, and Keith look at the sky as the sun begins to rise.

Once again, you blank out as you try to wrap your head around what had happened in the past few hours, missing Shiro and Keith's conversation and Shiro calling out your name.

 "(-/n)"

"(y/n)"

"(y/n)!"

A sudden shake of your shoulder snapped you back into reality, making you turn your head towards Shiro who was looking at you worriedly and Keith who was looking down and his feet.

'Ah.'

'He's still upset.'

"Are you feeling okay (y/n)?" Shiro asks worriedly.

You look up at him, with a smile on your face and you cheerfully answer his question.

"Ahh Shiro, you haven't changed, always acting like a dad huh? If anything I should be asking you that question!"

His face showed mild surprise but then he chuckled and ruffled your hair making you squeal. 

"You haven't changed much either (y/n). I'll be heading inside, are you two okay out here or are you gonna follow?"

Once again your focus falls on the rising sun.

"Nah, I think I'll just stay here for a bit longer. I can meet you guys in there a bit later."

"Okay, just be careful. You Keith?"

"I think I'll stay here a bit longer too. You can go meet up with the others."

You inwardly flinched. The two of you were going to be alone.

"Alright, I'll head back inside."

Now, it was just the two of you.

A light breeze past by, and you shivered. It was only then you realized you didn't have a jacket.

'I guess I didn't realize it was cold with everything going on.'

Your thoughts were once more interrupted by something getting draped around your shoulders.

Your eyes widened and you look over your shoulder to see Keith looking away from you now only in his black v-neck shirt. 

You bashfully look away as you hold the collar of his jacket close so it stays on your shoulders, with your left arm hugging your body to keep the warmth. You mutter a quiet thanks only to have been met with silence.

It was like that for a while, until you couldn't help but speak.

"Keith I can-"

"Why were you with them?"

With your body now turned as to get a good look at him, you frowned as you process his question and because he still wouldn't look at you.

"Keith, they're my team, even if I didn't want to, I'd still go anyway. They're my best friends Keith you have to understa-"

"Are we not a team? Are we not best friends?"

You visibly irk as you get interrupted yet again.

"I never said that."

"You were thinking it."

"Dammit Keith! Let me talk!"

The purple-eyed boy finally turns to look at you with an agitated look on his face.

"Why should I?! You'll just leave like how everyone else did! It won't matter."

Frankly, you were hurt. Did he really think that you'd just leave him after years of memories and a childhood of growing up alongside each other? But, you understood why he was so upset. He was scared. 

Not wanting to lose your childhood friend and your first love, you try and defuse the situation. 

"Keith, I understand why you're so agitated right now, it's okay, I understand, I know-"

"Know what (y/n)?! You know nothing! You don't know anything! You don't understand anything!"

It's a good thing the both of you were at a far enough distance away from his shack.

He slowly walks towards you waving around his hands and arms to show how agitated he really was.

"What made you think you knew anything?!"

"Our friendship! Our trust! Our bond! Our everything Keith! Did any of that even matter to you?!"

"I don't think it mattered to you! If it did, you wouldn't have abandoned me! Especially since this was important to me!"

You couldn't believe your damn ears. You scoffed before yelling back, not caring about the tears starting to fall.

"I didn't fucking abandon you Keith! And don't you dare think that this thing was only important to you! Shiro means just as much to me and much as he does to you!"

"Then why the hell did you not show up?!"

"For God's sake, I was sleeping! Call it a lame excuse I don't care! Keith, I'm tired. Every single fucking day we're out till fucking daybreak. On top of that, I have class! I have training! It's fine for you because you don't even go to school anymore! You can sleep all day then explore all night! Me? I run every single day with less than four hours of sleep. It's a fucking blessing to even get one. I understand that you're scared! Cause I am too! We grew up together Keith! Do you know how devastated and worried I was after you got expelled?! I thought that was the end for us! Here you are yapping that you have it rough, that I abandoned you, and some other bullshit while I have it just as bad!"

        Your voice was raw and cracking, tears streaming down your face, eyes starting to puff up, but at this point you didn't care. You didn't care if the others could hear you, you didn't care that Keith stopped yelling, you didn't care that his eyes finally softened and weren't sharp and spiteful anymore, you didn't care.

        You didn't care because you felt your heart break. You want him to know. You want him to know how much you struggle every day, but most of all you want him to know how much you cared. You want him to know how much you care for him even if he doesn't really understand right now, even if he doesn't care for you as much as you do you, or if he doesn't care for you the way you want him to. You wanted him to know that you loved him. Him and only him. Even at the risk of rejection.

"(y/n)..."

"No! I listened to you, now you listen to me Keith Kogane! I understand that I hurt you! I understand that you have trust issues and that you don't want anyone to get too close only for them to leave, I understand! You don't want me to be another repeat of the people in the past; your mom, your dad, Shiro! I understand more than you think! I care about you so much so Keith...please."

At this point, Keith looked like he was going to cry too, and Keith never cries in front of you anymore.

"(Y-y/n) I-I didn't know. I-I'm sor-"

You stop him right there.

"Keith, you have nothing to apologize for. You didn't know cause I didn't tell you, I never wanted to tell you but but oh my God fuck. Keith, it's because I love you!"

There. It's out in the open. No going back now.

"I love you more than friends, more than best friends, more than siblings, Keith I love you with all of my heart! And it hurts so much seeing you like this. I don't need you to love me back, what I need you to do is to trust me. To trust me with everything you've got because there's no way in hell I'm going to get up and walk away from your life. I will always be there for you. I'm your best friend. Through thick and remember?"

You're choking on your own words, and your voice trembled with every other word you've said but it doesn't matter now. You did it. You confessed. Maybe now, your heart can be at peace.

You look up at the boy you've grown to love and you take a good look at him. His long dark locks, his captivating purple eyes, everything. 

You take a good look because you believe that this is going to be the last good one you'll have. The last one before he'll shy away from you. But that's okay. It's okay because you'll always be there for him even if he won't be there for you.

You remove his jacket from your shoulders and gently take his hands placing the jacket into them. You feel his eyes on you and you look up at him placing a gentle smile on your features. You watch as his tear-streaked face looks at yours with so many emotions. More emotions than you've ever seen on him. 

Your hands never left his and with one last act of bravery, you lean up and kiss his cheek. 

You gently pull your hands out of his, and turn towards his shack.

You turn around and bravely smile at him and say, "I'll be heading back inside now okay? If you need anything, you know who to find." 

You turn back around and you slowly walk away with one of your hands covering your mouth to cover up your soft sobs. You just really wanted a hug, and you plan on getting four big ones.

As for Keith, Keith can't seem to move.

Don't get mixed up, no no he isn't frozen because he couldn't believe his best friend just confessed to him.

Well actually that was one of the reasons, but that's not important right now.

Your confession and love? Oh boy, he thought that was only a crazy, hopeless dream. Something that he could've never thought would happen.

Let's face it, the boy's in love with you.

Head over heels really.

How could he not be?

You were a godsend in his eyes. You were kind to basically person that you've met, you're compassionate, you're intelligent, and so much more. Your good looks were only a bonus. And one of the most important things was that you were always there. 

You were there to defend him, you were there to comfort him, you there to just be with him.

You were always there. You were there when he cried over his mom, you were there when his dad died, you were there when he found out about Shiro. You were right, the two of you went through thick and thin.

Getting back to the point, he couldn't seem to move was because he hurt you.

Yes, Keith can be an ass, but he's always made sure not to accidentally hurt you in any way shape, or form, but he did.

Seeing you with Lance, Hunk, and Pidge hurt. It stung like hell, but after what just happened, he knowing what he just did hurt far worse, but it hurt just a little bit more realizing that you would've probably planned on not letting him know about your struggles and pain ever. But, something changed, something changed your mind, so you told him.

Just like you wanted, you put your feelings and inner turmoils out in the open, and now he knows. 

Seeing you standing there, pouring your feelings out to him voice raw and filled with emotions tears rapidly falling down your face, your trembling body, it, it was just too much for him.

And after you said that if he needed something, anything, he could go find you; it made him realize how he truly doesn't deserve you.

Yes, he has thought of it before. He can't help it with what seems like every single person in existence telling you that he's bad news or their doubts of him, and with his own insecurities. Truth be told, their words always end up right back into his head, no matter how long it's been.

"Stay away from Kogane"

"Don't get mixed up with that troublemaker."

'You don't deserve her.'

"(y/n) is that guy really your friend? He seems like he's a cold person."

"(y/n) that guy is trouble! Why do you hang out with him?!"

'She's too good for you.'

"Seriously, how are you (y/n)'s bestest friend?!"

"I always tell her to stay away! You're a bad influence on her!"

But even with all those words meant to scare you away, you stayed. He couldn't help but remember the words you told him long ago.

"Are you dumb?! I'd never leave you Keith! We'll go through thick and thin together remember?!"

It was then when Keith made his decision.

--

You were almost at the front door. Surprisingly not one of the four boys three actually, but you didn't know that yet checked outside after all that yelling. Not like they heard any of it

You were lost in your thoughts. Thoughts about Keith, your past, your pain, who would give the most comforting hug right now probably Hunk when someone I wonder who it could be grabbed your wrist and tugged you back so you would be facing him.

Knowing who it was you kept your eyes shut as if you didn't, you knew you were going to cry.

But Keith was stubborn. You of all people know that better than anyone.

"(y/n) look at me."

Keith was stubborn but it didn't mean that you weren't too.

Keith's voice cracked.

"(y/n) please."

Your resolve wavered, and it seems your hesitation was obvious as Keith softly spoke, "You don't have to say anything, I just want you to hear what I have to say."

You hesitantly opened your eyes and you could already feel your eyes watering again.

Keith's entire being seemed to deflate soften at your state.

"Okay, I know I don't deserve you, much less deserve you taking your time to listen to me right now but I just want you to know that I love you."

Your eyes widened. You weren't sure what you were expecting but it certainly wasn't that.

"Keith, if you're just saying that to-"

"(n/n) I promise you that I'm not just saying it because you said it to me. I'm saying it because I truly do love you."

Your voice was stuck in your throat and you gently shake off his hold on your wrist. You opt for wrapping your arms around yourself.

Your glassy eyes showed confusion and panic.

"I-I don't understand," you shakily argued.

"(y/n) you've always been there for me and that's something I will always be grateful for, and it's one of the many reasons why I fell for you."

You didn't respond. Instead, you continued to listen to him. You listened to him because he was allowing himself to be vulnerable.  Even Keith was surprised by his own actions. Yes, times and times again has this broken boy show you his vulnerability, but he always made the effort to do so in a private setting.

Not right outside his door with his brother figure and three strangers waiting for him inside.

Keith gently tilts his head, "(y/n)..."

"Thank you. Thank you so much."

You softly gasped, not expecting the purple-eyed boy to give you his thanks.

From your angle you see a small smile on the boy's face which make your eyes water even more than they already have and your tears once again fall down your face, but at a slower speed.

"I will always appreciate you, and I will always be grateful for all the things you've done for me growing up. I love you. I love you so much, but I'm so sorry that I've been hurting you all this time. I understand if you'd rather go out with Lance seeing as he looks out for you-"

You cut him off with a tight hug that is filled to the brim with love, affection, and warmth. So much warmth. Keith is remain frozen not knowing what to do.

He wants to hug you so badly, but remains from doing so because he doesn't want to hurt you again, but he hears you mumble something that gives him so much reassurance, so much that he forgets all about his insecurities involving you.

"It's okay, Keith. We're okay."

With that, Keith's eyes start to glisten and he gives in and just lets go of reality for a moment to hug you. To hug you and let his tears fall because he knows he's safe with you.

That you are his home and he is yours in return. 

--

(y/n's) Mental Bullshit Checklist

Release and spill all your feeling onto best friend✔️

Act like a crybaby in front of your best friend✔️

Confess to your best friend✔️

Think you get rejected by best friend✔️

Find out your feelings are reciprocated ✔️

--

omake!! :D

"Are you two getting inside or not?! We kinda have an alien problem on our hands!!"

You and Keith jolt out of your hug not expecting to be interrupted by your team pilot at such a vulnerable bonding moment. The both of you turn your heads to see Lance sticking himself out the window shaking his fist into the air as if he was an old geezer yelling at little kids to get off his lawn.

You see Keith visibly irk and you sweat drop seeing Lance duck back inside closing the window letting out a small shriek.

"Remind me to stab him later."

You look up at the boy who's still glaring at the now closed window and softly chuckle before letting out a small "don't" but a teeny weensy small side of you secretly not minding the planned assault.

You hoped Lance knew how dodge. 

--

[actress4him]

Whumptober 2020 - Day 28

This one has a little bit of similarity to yesterday's, but I like it much better. Also, it's been several days since I was really mean to you guys, so...check that "ambiguous ending" warning. I mean, it really leans more toward "bad ending" than anything else, but you are free to imagine a happy one if you'd like.

Read on AO3

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Day 28 - Accidents

Fandom: Voltron: Legendary Defender

Warnings: similarities to car/plane crash, blood, broken bones, impalement, talk of death, self-sacrifice, ambiguous ending

The first thing that Keith noticed as his awareness trickled back in was that the artificial gravity inside Red’s cockpit wasn’t working. Or at least, that’s what he assumed, since one side of his body felt curiously heavy, like he was dangling in midair.

The second thing was the silence, broken only by a consistent drip, drip, drip.

The third thing was pain.

He couldn’t really pinpoint it to one particular spot, it just hurt, all over. He also couldn’t remember anything that had happened in between the battle that they had been fighting against a Galra fleet, and waking up. Something must have happened. Probably something bad, considering the amount of pain he was in.

Prying open his eyes - well, one of his eyes, anyway, the other seemed to be stuck shut - he found himself looking at a darkened windscreen. The whole cockpit was dark, in fact. Nothing lit up on the dash, no warm red overhead light, no alarms…

Alarms. Suddenly a memory stabbed through him, of alarms wailing and sensors flashing frantically, of himself pushing multiple buttons, hoping for some kind of miracle, while simultaneously pulling back on the controls as hard as he could and watching an unknown planet come spiraling toward him at full speed…

He gasped as the dark, still cockpit came back into focus, causing a wave of pain through his torso. Right. No idea still what had happened to make him and Red lose control, but they had definitely crashed. First things first, then, he needed to check on her and see if she was responding at all.

“Red.” His voice sounded awful. Some kind of liquid had pooled in the back of his throat, and he was forced to cough it out before he could continue. Fire spread through his body as it was jolted. “Red, you there? Can you hear me at all?”

Holding still and closing his eye, he waited for her familiar warmth to brush up against his mind, reassuring him that she would be alright after a little bit of rest. But it didn’t come. Instead, he thought he might have felt the tiniest little nudge, much more like a sickly kitten than a proud lion. Just enough to say, “I’m still here,” but also enough to tell him that she was in really bad shape.

Keith opened his eye again, lifting a stiff, sore arm to wipe at the sticky substance that was still keeping the other one glued shut. It burned when he tried to blink it open, and after hissing in a breath, he ended up just keeping it closed.

Now that he was a bit more awake, he could take in just how bad Red’s state really was. The whole front of the cockpit was crumpled. He didn’t even know it was possible for the Lions to take that kind of damage.

“Oh, Red,” he breathed. “I’m sorry, girl. I’m sorry.”

There was no response that time.

Gathering his courage, Keith started the process of assessing his own situation. First of all, he was still seated in the pilot’s chair, hanging sideways like he had surmised at the beginning, which meant that Red had landed on her side - probably after initially crashing headfirst, based on the way she was crushed. The position was far from comfortable, putting strain on his neck and back.

Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do to remedy that, because the completely obliterated dashboard was sitting on his lap, pinning him in place. The simultaneous good news and bad news was that he couldn’t feel anything from that point down. 

The stuff he had scrubbed off his eye was blood. It was also what was making that dripping noise, as it rolled down from some unknown point on his head, across his eye, down to his temple, then dropped to the wall that was now the floor with a wet plop. He wasn’t sure he really wanted to attempt to see how big the puddle down there was. As for the wound itself, his best guess was that a piece of shrapnel had managed to fly up under his partial faceplate and leave a cut. With his whole head throbbing, it was hard to tell anything for sure.

His left arm was broken. Or at least, that was the diagnosis he was going with after he attempted to move it and ended up screaming. All he could really tell from looking at it was that it was not the shape it should be, and he decided right away that he was just going to keep it right where it was, dangling awkwardly off the side of the chair or not.

He didn’t want to look at his stomach. It had been gradually establishing itself as the most intense of all the pains, and he knew it was going to be bad way before he looked at it. But he had to. He needed to know what he was dealing with, if any of this was going to be survivable or not. Steeling himself, he looked down.

It was bad. Like, even worse than he thought it was going to be bad. There was a huge piece of metal, coated in his blood, sticking out of his stomach. For an eternally long moment, Keith just stared at it, trying to wrap his brain around it. 

Okay. Right. So, he’d been impaled. That was a lot of blood. A whole lot more than was coming out of his head, that was for sure. He was pretty sure that it was going all the way through his body and pinning him to the chair, like those butterfly specimens that one of his teachers used to keep on display. He was also pretty sure that it had missed his spine, though that could definitely change if he moved around any.

It had not, however, missed vital organs. There was no way it hadn’t cut through at least a couple. That bitter tasting liquid from before bubbled up in the back of his throat again, as if to confirm it, as if to say, “Yep, Keith, you’re definitely dying!” Coughing it out jiggled the metal inside of him and made him whine.

So, yeah. He was dying. That was a thing. Even if the other Paladins could find him and get to him, they probably wouldn’t be quick enough, not with the way he was losing blood.

It didn’t really surprise him. Death had followed Keith around for most of his life, hiding in the shadows, waiting for it to be his turn to go like so many others had. Besides, now he was in the middle of a ten thousand year old war. Death happened all around him, every day. He knew it would be his turn sooner or later. And the sooner part wasn’t surprising, either, given how reckless he knew he could be. 

Like you know, jumping out in front of a zaiforge cannon to keep it from hitting Lance. He was pretty sure now that that’s what had happened.

He also had always figured that he would die alone, and that’s pretty much how he was. Though...maybe there was a chance that he didn’t have to be.

“Red. If you’re...if you’re running any kind of systems right now...any repairs you’re trying to make, or anything...divert that power to comms. I know...I know you need help. I promise, you’ll get it. The team’ll find you, and Pidge and Hunk will be able to fix you right up. I promise. You...you’ll be okay. They’ll make sure you go on to fly another day. But...for now...I really, really need this. If you can.”

He still didn’t feel anything from her, but a moment later static began crackling in his ears. Keith gave a tired smile. “Good kitty.”

It took a few seconds for the static to clear up, but he could soon hear the familiar shouts of a battle. At first he just shut his eyes and listened, letting his teammates' voices wash over him. When there was a lull, he cleared his throat. “Guys? Can you hear me?”

“Keith?”

“Keith!”

“Keith, is that you?”

“Holy quiznak, you’re alive!”

“You idiota quiznaking estúpido -!”

He winced at the volume that pierced through his aching head, but was quick to jump back into the conversation. “Hey, yeah, I’m here. It’s me.��

“Oh, thank the Ancestors, Keith, we were so afraid of what had happened to you when we saw the Red Lion go down and you failed to respond!”

“Por qué? Why did you flippin’ jump out in front of me, idiota? What were you trying to prove, huh?”

“Nothing! I wasn’t...wasn’t trying to prove anything, I just...I saw the cannon, I saw you...I didn’t really think, I just...acted.”

“Yeah, that...seems to be a thing with you,” Pidge quipped. “Hunk, on your six!”

“Keith. What happened? Where are you?”

Leave it to Shiro to finally cut to the chase. “Red and I crashed. Not sure where. She’s gone dark, I can’t see anything outside.”

“Number Four, when you say the Red Lion has ‘gone dark’...what extent of damage are we talking about here?”

Keith grimaced. “It’s bad. I can barely feel her. The only reason my comm is working is because I asked her to divert whatever power she had left to it.” Yikes, he maybe shouldn’t have admitted that part. “Her front’s all busted up. No telling what kind of hits she took everywhere else.”

“So, you can’t like, get out and look at where you are?” Lance asked.

“Pidge, you’ve got two fighters coming your way. Keith, he’s right, if we could get a location on you we can come pick you up whenever we get the chance.”

“Uh, yeah. About that, it’s, uh…” To tell the truth, or not? Now was the time to decide. “I’m kinda...pinned. When I said Red’s front was busted up, I...the dash is...yeah.”

The silence only lasted a few ticks. “That sounds bad, that’s like, really bad, isn’t it? What does that mean, anyway, you’re pinned?”

“Hunk, less worrying, more shooting!”

“How bad is it, Keith? What are your other injuries?”

Because of course Shiro would automatically assume there are other injuries. Another chance to choose whether to tell the truth.. “Well, um...it’s not...great, um…” 

“Not great? What...what does that mean?” Hunk was still apparently doing just as much worrying as shooting, the poor guy. And Keith would have attempted to answer him, but he was a little busy trying to breathe through a sudden rush of pain through his middle that made all the noises sound more like high-pitched whines for a minute.

When his hearing returned to normal and he could kind of breathe again, he was being bombarded with frantic voices all trying to get him to respond. “I’m here,” he croaked. “Sorry. I was...just…”

“Pidge, there’s absolutely no way you can get a location?”

“Not while she’s powered down. If he could get her to divert power from the comms to her tracker for a minute -”

“No!” That came out far too forcefully, and it hurt like heck, but he couldn’t lose his connection to the team, he couldn’t. If he cut the comms he might never get them back, and...and he’d die alone, in silence. “No, it’s...you don’t need to do that. I’m okay. You’re already down one Lion, you can’t afford to lose any more for a rescue right now. Just focus on your battle.”

No one spoke for a minute, other than calling out the occasional warning or fight maneuver. Keith knew they were realizing that what he said was true, and he was glad. He was already starting to get lightheaded and have a hard time breathing. If they sent someone after him, it would be for nothing, and they might lose the fight, or worse, lose another paladin.

“Talk to me, Keith. You still haven’t told me what your other injuries are.”

Closing his eyes, he drew in a stuttering breath. “Yeah, well...don’t wanna make Hunk queasy while he’s fighting.”

“Keith…”

“It’ll be okay, Shiro. Don’t worry about me. I just…” Wanted some company. “..didn’t want…” To be lonely. “...to miss out when you beat these guys.” The last victory he’d be a part of, even if he had let them down for the majority of the battle.

“Well, then maybe you shouldn’t have jumped out in front of a zaiforge cannon! Which I have now destroyed, by the way, de nada.”

Keith grunted a laugh, wincing when it pulled at his stomach wound. “Well if I hadn’t, then it’d be you down here.” And he could handle the thought of himself dying a lot better than any of them. “So de nada, yourself.”

Lance was shooting something back, as usual, always ready with a retort, but Keith’s hearing was fading in and out with his vision. A wave of dizziness came over him, and he let out a quiet groan.

“-ith?”

“Still here.” Even he could tell that his voice was much weaker than before.

“Stay with us, buddy. Try not to fall asleep.”

“M’kay. Gonna try. Kinda...losin’ some blood here, so…”

Someone who he was pretty sure was Pidge swore loudly. “We need to find him.”

“Nope. Don’t...don’t need to find me. Need to fight. Stop worrying about me.”

“You’re gonna have to get over it, we’re going to worry about you!” Pidge practically shouted. “You call us and tell us you’ve crashed your Lion and are pinned in your seat and bleeding and you keep randomly switching from talking to moaning and you think we’re not gonna worry about you?”

Guilt threaded its way into his chest. He shouldn’t have called. He was distracting them, he could get them killed. Besides the fact that he was making this way harder on them than it needed to be, making them listen to him as he struggled through his last moments.

“‘m sorry. I shouldn’t have...I’ll just go. You guys need...to focus.”

“Keith, no!”

“No! No no no, don’t go, you’re good, okay? We’re focused. You don’t worry about us, okay? You just concentrate on staying awake, and we’ll concentrate on fighting, and we’ll talk at the same time. Okay?”

Keith’s eyes slipped shut with a combination of relief and exhaustion. “Yeah. Okay. Just...just don’t lose focus. Don’t want any of you...getting hurt.”

“We’re good. I promise.” There was a pause before Shiro continued. “Can you promise me the same? That you’re gonna be okay?”

He didn’t know what to say to that. He hated lying to Shiro. Besides, his head was spinning so much now from blood loss that any words he came up with almost immediately got lost again.

“Hey, Sh’ro?” he finally managed. 

“Yeah, bud?”

“R’member when...I stole your...car?”

It seemed like it was taking Shiro a really long time to respond, but that could have just been because he was drifting in and out of consciousness. “Yeah, bud. That’s kinda hard to forget. You sure knew how to make a first impression.”

A smile played at the corners of Keith’s lips. “But you...you were my friend. Anyway. E’en though...I did that. And I was...a jerk.”

“You weren’t a jerk. Well, okay, maybe a little. But I could tell it was all a front.”

“You were...were the only one who...ever tried. I don’t know if I...ever...said thank you.”

Shiro’s voice sounded strange when he spoke again. “You don’t have to, buddy. Being your friend is my pleasure.”

The other Paladins had fallen strangely silent, not even calling out maneuvers anymore. He hoped they were still listening. He wasn’t sure what he was going to say to them, but he knew it needed to be something.

“Thank...all ‘f you. For...bein’ friends. Good...good friends. Like fam’ly.”

“Keith.” Hunk’s voice had that unmistakable wobble to it that meant he was crying or about to. “You’re killing me here, bud. You’re our family, too.”

“No, shut up, don’t encourage him!” Pidge growled. “This is stupid! You sound like you’re saying goodbye and you need to shut up, because we are coming to get you, do you hear me?”

Leave it to Pidge to think she could threaten him into living. “You...you can’t.”

“Excuse you, what the heck do you mean we can’t?”

The end of Lance’s demand was drowned out by Keith falling into a coughing fit, worse than the last two combined. He could feel the metal ripping further into him. Eventually the fit dwindled into a long whimper, one that he didn’t really want the team to hear but couldn’t help.

“...Keith?”

“You’ll be too late,” he whispered, too tired to keep up the lie any longer. “I’m...bleeding out.”

“I’m going down there right now. I don’t care if I have to search the entire planet, I am not staying up here while he’s down there dy-” She cut off abruptly.

“I’m coming, too. Lance, Hunk, you’ve got this handled.”

“Yes, they’ll be fine, and will have backup from the Castle. Go find Keith.”

They were such good people. Better people than he had deserved to have in his life. He was pretty sure he was slipping away, and pretty sure that he wouldn’t wake back up. But he was doing it with a fond smile on his face. “Love you guys,” he breathed.

.

.

“Keith?”

.

.

“KEITH!”

——————————

Now with a continuation!

[goldstonegolem64]

Book 1 Hope returns Chapter 43  Best laid plans  By Goldstonegolem 64

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYLLvLneU2k

In Galra central command.

Thace Had spent the passed three weeks reading over ever reports from everyone that was on level eighteen through forty two the day Voltron attacked . Each one was the same as the next they either were I saw so an so from what ever department go down to that level or I was at my work station. An with no leads Lady Haggar took it upon herself to get the Answers and with over Six hundred and forty people to an interrogate. It gave Thace an opening to do his current mission. As he walked toward one of the main control rooms. As he walked towards his objective he felt someone watching him . He didn’t want to draw attention to himself so he kept moving .As he made it to the control room the feeling stopped. Which wasn’t a good sign

“  If your going to kill me then show me you face I'd rather not be stabbed in the back “ Thace said as he turned around to see two of those Super Soldier thing that Haggar introduced a few days. Each wore a helmet that hide their face it made Thace a little uneasy when ever he saw them. He noticed that these two had green on their uniforms which meant they were under the lead ship of that vines freak meaning that this two survived his training regiment . Their was about fifty of those thing in the begin four were killed off when they face voltron and the Valkyrie. Most of the Others were killed off by Root Rot’s training as he called it  leaving only  ten of them with more to come

“  Hello fleet commander Thace it nice to see you today  “ A deep raspy voice 

Thace felt a chill up run up is spine as he felt hot breath on his neck. Thace turned around to see the hulking vine monstrosity that was Root rot towering over him .”  Hello Root rot what bring you down here?”

“ I’m just taking my best students  for a walk before we depart for are mission” Rot said with a wicked smile on his face

“ And what is that mission?” Thace asked now a little worried

“ Well seeing as that Commander what's her name again Helner was it failed  Lady Haggar Has decide to send me to conquer  the planet of Olkarion. Now what bring you down here” Root rot asked 

“ Same as you just walking “ Thace said 

“Please try that again Thace.“  Root rot said as he started to lean in closer 

“ What do you mean “ Thace said as he reached for is blade only to find at it wasn’t there

“ Looking for this “ Root rot said as he held Thace’s blade in his hand “ It’s been about six hundred years since I've last seen one of these “ As they said that a few dozen blades of the same make started to come out from between the vines that made up his body “  So Now I will ask again What really brings you here Agent thace “

Thace felt a twinge of fear run down his spine as he saw each one of the blades. As he looked at each blade he remembered when he first joined the blade he read about how about six hundred and forty two  years ago thirty nine blades when out to kill a bio-terrorist. Only one returned and they were drive man by the experiences. But he didn’t have time to waste So he remembered his training then spoke” As i said before i’m just walking same as you now my i have the blade my sister gave me for my birthday last year “

Root Rot starred at Thace for a few seconds. Then a  wicked smile came across his face as he handed the blade back. But as thace reach out for it. Root Rots hand unraveled and wrapped around Thace’s arm and pulled him closer and whipped “ You may fool everyone else here but you can’t fool me. I'm guessing you're really here to sabotage this console as well your the one that let Voltron and the Valkyrie escape. But don’t worry I won’t tell not because we share  the same goals. I just like to watch my prey squirm. So watch your back. “ Root rot said as he released Thace's hand “ Blackthorn , Ironwood  lets set out were heading out soon. Goodbye Thace try not to die while I'm away”  Root rot said as he started to walk away followed by his suburbanites 

Thace stood there for a few seconds not know how to handle what just happened . All he know was that his mission had compromised. But he still had to do it . So He entered the control room . Pealed of off one of his nails and pulled out a small chip that would allow him to Sabotage the Command central defenses from his office . He then pleased the chip under the console and then left the room  to return to his office to connect his personal computer to the console. After a minutes the door to the control room opened again and two figures appeared walking into the room

Elsewhere 

In the castle of lions Everyone stood around a holo projector.

“ Hey hunk “ Snap” Walk up” Snap jay snapped his metal  fingers in front of the sleeping yellow paladin

Hunk awake startled by the sound “ Sorry I've haven't  sleep well that passed few days what did i miss.”

“ Lance you up” Shiro said 

Lance walked up to the Holo projector “ Ok Here’s the plan that the beautifully pidge as come up with. First were going to build a massive Teludavs Ring that’s going to teleport  The command center way from the main fleet .Which will allow Us and the rebel feet that General Asmo is work on getting to help us.  “ 

As Lance explained the plan. Allura was looking and the room an as she did everything changed or more appropriately everyone changed  everyone looked older. Shiro’s hair was fully white.he wear glasses and had a little bit of stubble on his chin Also his prosthetic was a little bit bigger it no longer had an upper arm it was just a metal hand and forearm and their was a disk was that glowed blue attactech to where the joint would be . Adam looked the same just a little older looking, same with Lance and Pidge. Hunk hadn’t changed much either he was a little muscular and his hair was shorter , Matt was the same a few more scars here and there . Beau was in that new body that Pidge, Matt , Jay,hunk, La-sai and himself were working on. The bodies design  looked like what  Pidge called a World war 1 fighter pilots uniform with Jay’s salvagers helmet as the head. The bodies color was a mixture of blues and reds. Then there was Keith and Jay that had the biggest changes to them. Keith was much taller then before his hair was longer, He had a purple marking or burn scar on his face. He was also wearing the same robes as kolivan . An as for jay he had a bushy beard and a thick handlebar mustache, his hair was longer and nearly touched the floor. Also his right eye looked like it was half closed do to a scar that line over the eyelid. He also had a tail that split into two sharp bone blade tails that wrapped around his waist . As for the rest of the crew they all looked relatively the same. 

This wasn’t  the first time she Saw them like this it happened every so often that she didn't pay it no mind. She just thought it was a side effects of her being in cryo sleep for ten thousand years .  But as these things happened more frequently. She started to look back on that dream she had a few weeks back where she saw those gravestones of all her friends and she started to think that maybe it wasn't  a dream  Maybe it was a warning of things to come in the coming years . 

“ Allura your up” Lance said as he pointed towards Allura 

Allura shook from her stupor “ Yes We’ll be splitting up to for teams. Shay, Rax, Coran and i Will go to the Balmare to Collect a Crystal strong enough to power the ring. Well Hunk, Keith Nyma,and Rolo with Go collect Skulltrite  from a weblum. While that is going on Shiro, Matt,Adam  and Lance will go to Beta Traz to rescue an engineer named Slav.  As for the rest of the team you will go to Olkierion an defend it from any Imperial warships that might come near the planet. Now An questions  ?” Allura asked  

“ just one from what the blade has told us there are more of those discount Valkyries now mixed in with the normal Warships and probably in side of the command center along “ JAy snapped his fingers trying to remember the names of the four other robeast pilots “ Skyver,Harley,Quinn and that thing i still don’t  know or want to know the name of  still working with the empire meaning that they will be there to defend the command center How are we going to handle that many enemies at once?” 

“ Yeah Jay right there is only so much Voltron and Valkyrie can handle ” Shiro said 

“ Yeah and i really don’t want to be thrown around like a rage doll again “hulk said  

“Well i have come up with a way to handle that problem” Pidge said as she changed the image on the holo projection. To Show of a familier Cube “ Seeing as we're going back to Olkierion I was thinking about Asking Ryner if she could reprogram those cubes we fought before.” Then the image changed again to show of the titanic Knight that helped them.   And if possible maybe we could Call on the help of that Valguard figure.”

 “Yeah If we could get their help it could really turn the tide in a favor ever more” Adam said 

“ But how are going to contacted that thing the first place” Jay say a little skeptical 

In the back of jay’s mind “ I could try and play that song it used to contact us the first time when we get to Olkierion ”

“ Ok but how are we going to do that val. I mean yes we have deep space comms but how do we know it’s going to responded” Jay replied out loud.everyone looked at him “ Sorry Val was talking to me and brought up that maybe we could possible use that song to  contact Vanguard.” Jay said rubbing the back of his head embarrassed .

“ That’s not a bad idea “ Shiro said 

“ But what makes you believe that this Vanguard will come and help us “Kolivan  asked

“ Well it seemed to have some sort of connection To Val and Voltron. It said that it was so happy to no longer be alone. So i going to take a guess that it will do anything no to be alone again  ” Lance said 

“ Well we will only find out when we try it . Now everyone Get ready and head out to your missions “ Allura order. She watched as everyone left the bridger . An after a few minutes took to the hem and opened up three wormholes The first one had the blue lion flying into it . The second one had the yellow lion fly into. While the third hole had the Valkyrie, Green lion , The prometheus fly into it.  After that  she closed those Wormholes she opened a huge wormhole and slowly flow the Castle of lions into it. She prayed for everyone's safe return and hope nothing back happened to Oklierion while the were alway. But she had to push that to the back of her mind and focused on the task at hand.  

 Author’s note                       

The next three posts will be other story i’ve been working on

[crimson-mage-02]

Between You and Me

Summary: While spending time at Clear Day festival, Pidge tries to get over her feelings for Lance who is now in a relationship with her friend, Allura. Pidge then spent the day at the carnival with James Griffin. Will her feelings will stay the same or change after meeting James Griffin? 

A/N: This is my first James Griffin x Pidge one shot fanfic. Hope you all like it and enjoy. I just found this rare-pair and couldn’t help but type up one! 

Enjoy reading and please give feedback so i could improve more. Thanks! 

@spacelion-loveshermulletson @junimullet @magiesheartlove 

Pidge was wondering around the carnival and saw many couples around her as she gritted her teeth and annoyance, tightening her fists in a tight grip until she bumped into someone. “I’m so sorry, Miss Holt.” Pidge looked up to the famous MFE commander James Griffin who has the most worried expression all over his face.

“Oh, it’s fine. I wasn’t looking to be honest.” Pidge said sheepishly, rubbing her neck.

“Heh, me either. So, what are you doing here all alone? I thought you might be with your friends?” James asked, noticing she’s alone.

“Oh, they are somewhere. Out there.” Pidge frowned. James nodded in understanding. “Anyways, I am going to find my Dad and Mom, I need more tokens.” Pidge grinned as she was about to walk away.

“Is it alright if I come with you? My friends sort of ditched me.” James says as he rubbed his back.

Pidge blinked then had this rare pink blush forming on her cheeks. “O-Oh, that’s fine. I mean, if that is ok with you?”

James smiled gently as he stood next to her. “Sounds good to me.” James and Pidge went on to look for the rest of the Holt family.

Lance was signing all of the blue lions while trying to get one for Allura, or maybe he could find a green lion plushie. Lance slumped down as he thought of Pidge. “What’s the matter, boy?” The vendor asked, seeing his mood has changed.

“Oh, um, do you have any green lions?” Lance asked. “It’s for my other friend.”

“Right here. But you still need to sign all of these.” The vendor said as Lance groaned.

Pidge then spotted her parents at the photo booth and grabbed James’s hand, dragging him across the crowd. “Mom, Dad! I need more tokens!”

“That’s what happens when you waste it all.” Sam said.

“Dad!” Pidge give him the best puppy dog eyes she could with James snickering at her. He never had seen this side from the small paladin of Voltron.

“OK. How much do you need?” Sam asked, grabbing his token.

“How much have you got?” Pidge asked. Her father was about to give her the tokens but then her mother grabbed them.

“You’ll have to earn them. I want a family picture. But….”

Pidge groaned while Colleen looked at James who stiffened when she glanced at him. “If you join us, James will have to be apart of this family picture.” Colleen says as Pidge blushed deep red whereas James had this light blush on his face and looked away.

“Oh come, Katie. Make up your mind.” Colleen says as Pidge saw her own brother laughing at her.

She then looked back at James who was patiently waiting. “Um, you don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

“It’s fine with me. It’s just me and you as friends, right?” James asked as he looked at her with a blush forming on his cheeks.

“Oh, yeah. Friends.” Pidge rubbed her head in nervousness until Colleen pulled James and Pidge together for a family picture. All of them has a costume along with it.

“Aww, they look so adorable together.” Colleen gushed over the picture. “Oh, Sam aren’t look great together?”

Sam nodded in agreement while Matt was grinning at his sister while giving her a thumbs up. Pidge growled, gritted her teeth. “Let’s go before they do something crazy.” Pidge muttered as she heard the MFE commander chuckled. It was rare for her to smile or laugh. This was her first time to see him like this. It was a good sight for her to see.

She smiles and then caught up to him. “Hey, let’s play some games.”

James smiled and then grabbed her hand, “Alright, maybe I can win you a Green Lion plushie.” Pidge laughed cheerfully as they ran to find a game to play.

Lance then signed every last one of the lions from the game stall and finally got the Green Lion toy. Now, all he needs to do is look for Pidge and give it to her. He smiled looking at the lion in his hands. He went on to find Pidge in the carnival but couldn’t find her.

He spotted Hunk who was eating some food at a food stall. “Hey, Hunk, have you seen Pidge anywhere? I can’t find her.” Lance says, looking around.

“Hmm, no I haven’t. Why?” Hunk asked and then glanced down at his hand seeing him holding a small Green Lion plushie. “Oh, you got a prize for her, but weren’t you going to get one for Allura?”

“Yeah, I didn’t to be honest. Hope she forgives me. But on the bright side I got one lion for Pidge, right?” Lance asks with a smile.

“Yeah. You should give it to her ASAP.” Hunk said.

Pidge laughed out loud cheerfully at James who was growling in frustration. Not getting a single balloon popped and he always missed his target. He sighed and then later gave up. He looked at Pidge who was smirking. “You are sure having time of your life to see me failing at something I am not good at.” James says jokely, crossing his arms.

“Ahh, I’m sorry. It’s… cute to see you like this. Having fun, like there is no wars to fight. It’s the good normal you.” Pidge says as James passed the darts to her.

“Yeah. well, that’s mostly me doing my job.” James says with a blush and smile. And then saw Pidge got two balloons and had his mouth wide opened and looked at her surprised, seeing her put out her tongue out at him.

“H-how?”

“Hehe, perks of having a bayard as a weapon. And well, serving as a practice as well.” Pidge says with a grin on her face.

“Well, you’re right. A strong, beautiful and nerdy paladin would definitely beat me in a game.” James said with a smile as Pidge looked away from him and blushed deep red.

“U-Um, let’s go to see and want other games they have here at this carnival.” Pidge stammered.

James chuckled and followed her around the carnival. They went on rides, played games and talked to each other. Getting to know each other better. James saw Pidge was a brave and fierce smart paladin he had ever met. He admired her bravery and courage when she was fighting the Galra and admires her gentle and curious side.

Pidge may not know James from the start and wished she met him in the Garrison. He was a kind, gentle and well-mannered person she ever met. He is a brave pilot who always never back down from a fight and he did well in order to help them to save Earth.

James then saw a game that he could play. “Hey, Pidge! Let’s play this one.” James called out to her.

“Ugh, I am not good with guns. Good thing you are good with your aim. Since you know how to handle rifles.” Pidge nudged him on the arm.

“Exactly. And they have a Green Lion toy.” James smirked.

“Where?!” Pidge asked excitedly, looking for the toy and once she saw it. Her eyes began to sparkle and turned to James. “You have to win this!” James laughed and then placed the tokens on the counter. He then started to play and tried to take down much targets as he could.

Once the game was over, James won the game and the plus sized Green Lion plushie. Which is twice her size. But, nonetheless, she hugged it tightly in her arms and held it closely to her chest. “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” Pidge thanked James.

“No problem. I think it’s time to get going.” James says seeing his friends coming towards them.

“Oh, well, it’s nice to um, finally get to know you and um, played some games together. See you soon?” Pidge asks.

“Sure. See you soon.” James smiled as he kissed the back of her hand and walked away leaving her blushing deep red and hugged her prize to her face. She never thought James would be this gentle and kind towards her. She find herself crushing on the MFE fighter.

James walked back to the Atlas with his friends and could feel their eyes on him. “What?”

“You and Pidge. I need details!” Rizavi demanded shaking his shoulders.

“Look, I just walked around with her in the carnival.” James assured them. “Nothing happened.”

“I think something did. We just saw you kissing the back of her hand.” Leifdottier pointed out.

James groaned. “So, something did happened. Looks like he has a crush on a pretty and nerdy paladin.” Kinkade teased his friend. All the way to the Atlas, James’s friends began to tease him and Pidge about spending time together at the carnival.

Pidge walked back to the Atlas with the prize in her hands. And saw Hunk smiling at her. “Hey, Pidge, who gave you that?” Hunk asked, seeing the toy she was holding.

“Um, James won it for me.” Pidge replied with a warm smile.

“Whoa, wait, wait. As in James Griffin?” Hunk asked raising an eyebrow.

“Uh, yeah, we just spent time together that’s all.” Pidge says. “Why?”

Hunk sweats nervously knowing that Lance was going to give her a Green Lion soft toy and it turns out James Griffin already had given her one. “O-Oh, nothing! Nothing! It’s looks cute.” Hunk replied quickly.

Pidge then nodded and walked away with a slight nod and walked along the whole way to her room to put her prize away. She looked at it one last time with a smile before leaving her room to go back to work and found Lance at the entrance. “Hey, Lance.”

“Hey. Um, here I got you a Green Lion plush toy. Pretty cool, right?” Lance asks with a cheery smile.

“Oh, that’s nice of you, Lance but I already got one.” Pidge gestured to the big soft toy laying on her bed.

“Huh, so who won that prize? Was it Keith?” Lance asked raised his eyebrow in suspicious.

“Nope. Well, it was James who won that prize.” Pidge says shyly thinking about the handsome commander.

Lance saw a hint of a blush on her cheeks and slump down. “Wait, you… like him?”

Pidge’s eyes widen and then looked down. “Well, take it as a crush, Lance. Nothing too serious is happening right?”

“Y-Yeah, t-that’s right. Understandable. Heh.” Lance says. “If you don’t want it, it’s ok.”

“No, no. I like it. It can be the kid version.” Pidge smiles taking the toy from his hands. “Thanks, Lance.” Pidge then saw James walking down the hallway and then she looked at Lance who smiled at her.

“It’s okay. Pidge, I wanted you to be happy.” Lance said as Pidge hugged him and then ran to catch up with James. The two greeted happily and chatted away with Lance looking at them with a sad smile but was happy that Pidge has found someone she could talk to, like how they used to. He wished Pidge happiness in the future.

“Hey, um, I want to thank you for the toy.” Pidge said to James.

“Your welcome. I’m glad that you liked it.” James replied with a blush and rubbed his neck. “Um, would you, uh, like to you, know, go on a date once we get back to Earth sometime?”

Pidge stopped and looked at him with her face burning up and squeaked. “O-Oh, uh, y-yeah. that would be n-nice. I loved to.”

“Really?” James asked with a smile.

Pidge nodded with a shy smile and then looked away, because she doesn’t want him to see her blushing. “So, uh, maybe I can help you with your fighter? We can do that while eating dinner? It could be our first date?” Pidge says.

“Then it’s a date milady.” James agreed.

[blueplanettrash]

could you do a latte (lance x matt) reunion scene where they were dating back at the garrison but the others didnt even know that they knew each other and when pidge brings matt to the team for the first time lance is just so excited he jumps matt and kisses him

Here you go! I hope you enjoy! ❤️

Ever since Lance met Matt, he knew that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with him. There was just something about him, something past the jokes and flirting that just stood out to him.

Maybe it was the way that he picked him up after being pushed down by Iverson, or maybe it was the fact that he encouraged him to keep striving for fighter class even if he was falling behind, it could have even been the countless hours that he stayed up with Lance to help him try to make sense of his classes even though he would be exhausted the next morning.

It was just a bonus that they were soulmates on top of that. As soon as their eyes met for the first time, they both felt their marks appearing on their bodies. It only took Matt a couple of hours to track Lance down and to reveal their marks to each other. Lance knew now that the strange symbol that was etched across their skin was identical to Voltron’s. His was a bright blue that stood out from his skin, while Matt’s was a burnt orange. They poured over different databases, texts, and journals trying to figure out what the symbol meant but they never knew that it wasn’t something from their planet.

It only took them a few weeks to admit their love to each other and they started planning to tell their families after the Kerberos mission was complete. At first they wanted to tell everyone before he left but in the end, Lance didn’t want them to be distracted from quite possibly the most important mission of his life.

The night before the Kerberos missions was probably one of the best nights of his life. Matt snuck them out of the Garrison and he took him miles away to the nearest town to have dinner in the small café where they had their first date. He promised him that he would think of him every day while he was in space and that he couldn’t wait to get back and see Lance join him in the stars.

Obviously, it didn’t happen that way.

He had never felt pain like he did when Kerberos actually failed. They chalked it up to a pilot error, which on its own seemed like a lie since Shiro was the most talented pilot of all the Garrison.

He knew that Matt was alive though. His mark never turned grey, it never became deformed, so Matt was still out there alive. He didn’t know if he was in space or on Earth; all he knew was that he wasn’t where he was supposed to be and the Garrison didn’t seem to give a damn about it.

Still, he couldn’t exactly go up to the Garrison personal and demand to know what really happened unless he wanted to either get expelled, or you know, arrested. Considering what happened to Matt and his crew, he wouldn’t be surprised if they actually killed him to stop any leak of information. He heard that someone else had tried to hack into the computer systems and find out what happened but they were booted from the Garrison because of it. He couldn’t say that he hadn’t thought about it, but if he wanted even a remote chance of getting into space and even looking for Matt, Sam, and Shiro he needed to stay where he was.

So he did, and it sucked. Even more so when Keith was booted from the Garrison and Iverson was apparently really salty about it and started taking whatever beef he had with Keith on Lance instead. This time though, he had no one to go to, to vent. He didn’t trust anyone else to understand what he was going through like he did with Matt. Hunk was close but it wasn’t like sharing with your partner.

When he was first introduced to Pidge, he couldn’t believe that people were actually fooled by the disguise. Mainly because she looked exactly like Matt except for the extra three feet of height he had on her. She even had his glasses on. I mean, c’mon, she used her nickname that Matt gave her. If she wanted to keep it a secret though, that wasn’t his problem so he let it be.

If anything, getting Shiro out of Garrison custody was a step in the right direction. Followed by a leap in the right direction by flying off of Earth in Blue. When he first saw his armour, he clutched onto his pant leg, right above where his mark was. Even though he was ready to fight for the universe, knowing that Voltron was what connected them made him fight even harder.

Even if it took his entire life, he would never stop looking for him.

Being in Galra captivity was some of the worst memories of his life so far. Every night he would think about what Lance was up to, whether he moved on or he would be futilely waiting for him to come back to Earth. Thanks to their marks, Lance would know that he was at least alive but other than that he was clueless about what was happening in Lance’s life.

He really hoped that what happened on Kerberos didn’t stop Lance from reaching for the stars. It was his dream to be in the sky, it would destroy him if Lance gave up his dream because of what happened to him. He was grateful to know that Lance was still kicking though, he couldn’t even imagine what Lance went through when he found out he went missing. He could barely imagine what he would have gone through if Lance went missing. However, while Matt was physically stronger, Lance was emotionally stronger and could push back his feelings until they all came out at once.

He sighed as he fiddled around with the glowing yellow map in his hideout. He froze when he heard the hatch open above him. He dove out of sight pulling his mask over his face and extending his staff. He watched as a small armoured figure slowly drifted to the floor.

“How the hell did they find me?” He thought, as he carefully snuck up behind them. He whipped his staff towards them and quickly followed their movements as they ducked and rolled out of the way. He was slightly surprised when they flipped off of the wall and jumped behind him to fire their weapon at him, but he was able to wrap up the cord and pull them to the floor. He raised his staff ready to deal the final blow.

“What have you done with my brother!?” They demanded. Matt froze in shock as the voice flew over him. He knew that voice. He was at the end of that yelling many times. It was impossible though.

He shouted as their weapon caught him in the face, thankfully only sending him and his mask to the floor. He quickly turned to look at them, their glowing green weapon stopping just short of his face.

“Pidge?” He uttered looking up at them with wide eyes.

“Matt?” The voice was equally as shocked, but he knew. He knew that it was his little sister.

There was a second of silence between them before they were clasped around each other and tears were streaming down their faces. He snuggled himself into the crook of her neck, holding her tight to his chest.

“Oh my gosh, ever since the Kerberos mission they said you were dead, but I knew in my heart that you were alive,” she said.

“I can’t believe you found me, it doesn’t seem possible,” he cried.

“The thought of you and dad keep me going, inspired me to do the impossible,” she tearfully explained as Matt pulled away to cradle her helmet in his hands.

“Okay, but seriously, how’d you get this far into space?” He asked genuinely curious, it couldn’t have been a ship from Earth unless they miraculously became 1000 times more technologically advanced since he left.

“It’s a long story, is there any chance you’ve heard of Voltron?” She asked.

“Of course I’ve heard of Voltron,”

“Well, I’m one of the paladins,” he froze and for the first time looked her over. What stood out the strongest was the green emblem across the front of her armour. The exact shape of the mark on his arm. His eyes widened slightly, all this time he and Lance had been looking for it’s meaning on Earth but all along it stood for the defenders of the universe. He barely was able to keep his conversation with Pidge as new thoughts started running through his head.

“No! No! Seriously? You’re a paladin of Voltron? That’s so awesome!” He cheered picking Pidge up and spinning her around in the air. He had no idea what any of it meant, to have a mark meant that they should have a connection to it in some way. Maybe their connection was Pidge but still, he couldn’t help by feel like there was more to it. At the moment though, reuniting with Pidge was more important.

“What a touching reunion,” a deep voice growled. They jumped apart into defensive stances to face the new intruder. They smirked over at each other, this guy had no idea who he was messing with.

As Pidge led him to the Green Lion he was smiling ear to ear. He had a member of his family back and he couldn’t be more grateful for that fact. For the moment, the hole that was in his stomach was filled and it wouldn’t go away for a long while.

“Hey, Pidge is back!” Hunk’s cheered as Green flew over their heads. They rushed over to her as she carefully landed outside the Castle. Lance was really hoping that the lead pulled through and she was able to get more information on Matt’s whereabouts. He knew that it would be a lot of time and trouble until they had the Holts back safely but still, it was frustrating knowing that Matt was alive out there somewhere and he just didn’t know where.

He shuffled behind the rest of the group, looking for a place to put his crate down before he can join the others. He headed over to the group and saw that they were huddled by Green’s mouth.

“Where’s Lance?” He heard Pidge ask. He was about to call out to her when he heard a familiar voice.

“Wait, what did you say? Lance?” Just hearing the voice pushed him back in time to all of the time they spent together on Earth.

“Matt?” He muttered quietly as he stared at the huddle. He would know that voice anywhere. He broke into a sprint across the landing site.

“Matt!” He screamed, tears filling his eyes. The group turned to look at him in shock but he was only focused on his tall, dirty blonde haired soulmate. His amber eyes widened before he too was running across the tarmac.

“Lance!” He shouted equally as loud. He caught Lance around the waist and picked him up, to hug him tightly to his chest. Lance curled himself over the top of Matt’s body, savouring the warmth that was radiating from him.

Matt tilted his head up to catch Lance’s eyes and in that moment he could say that he had never felt so loved. He didn’t acknowledge the tears that were streaming down his cheeks as he softly pressed his lips to Matt. Even as they pulled away and instead pressed their foreheads together, Matt didn’t let him down.

“You’ve gotten stronger, you used to be a noodle,” Lance laughed wetly, brushing his hand down Matt’s cheek.

“What about you? You’re a paladin of Voltron,” Matt shot back softly, still gazing into Lance’s eyes.

“Doesn’t count when you were already the most talented/handsomest paladin of them all,” he said with a smirk.

“Don’t you know it,” Matt muttered before he pushed back in and stole another kiss from Lance.

“Um, guys?” Pidge’s voice called to them. They pulled back and glanced over to see the group staring at them with varying expressions.

“We can explain,” Matt assured them, wrapping his arm around Lance’s waist with a smile.

“WHAT!” Pidge screamed glancing between the two of them. They both burst into laughter, holding on to each other to keep them seated on the lounge couch. She pointed her finger at Lance who let out a yelp.

“You! Why didn’t you tell me?” She demanded with a pout.

“Well, there just didn’t seem to be a right time to do it,” he admitted rubbing his hands together nervously. She huffed but nodded and sat back on the couch.

“Why don’t we show you around the Castle?” Lance suggested standing up and holding his hand out to Matt who smiled and took it.

“Oh, let’s go visit Kaltenecker!” He cheered tugging on Matt’s arm.

“Kaltenecker?” He asked in confusion looking back to see the team following them.

“She’s our cow,” Hunk shrugged. “Oh man, we can make some milkshakes!” he said happily.

“Wait, how did you get a cow up here?”

“Space mall,” Lance shrugged. He stopped suddenly and sent a smirk over to Lance.

“If we have milk does that mean we can make…” Lance’s eyes widened as Matt’s smirk grew.

“No. Shut up.” Lance threatened.

“Lattes?” He asked. Lance threw his arms into the air and let out a loud groan of exasperation. The rest of the group watched in confusion as Matt burst out laughing.

“Uh, what?” Shiro asked with quirked eyebrows. Lance sighed and turned to them with dead eyes.

“For our first date we went to this café near the Garrison and I let Matt order for us and he got us lattes, when I asked why he got us them, he told me that latte was going to be our ship name,” he explained blandly.

“I mean, I expected it but I’m still disappointed,” Pidge deadpanned looking at Matt. He let out a scandalized gasp and pressed his hand to his chest.

“No. Pidge. Shut up, you love it,” he insisted before turning to look at Hunk. “So anyways, lattes?”

“Well, we have something like coffee on board and it’s pretty easy to steam milk so maybe,” Hunk mused, tapping his finger against his chin. Matt gasped and turned to Lance with a smile.

“You’re dead to me,” Lance said straight-faced before turning and walking away from the group. With a loud laugh, Matt scrambled after him.

“C’mon babe, it’s romantic! Lattes in space,”

Stories Masterlist

[i-am-pask]

klance dream I had a while ago

Just as Hunk destroyed the last of the fighters in his lion, Keith saw Red stop flying. She just floated in space. He stopped everything to catch her and her paladin to bring them to safety.

Black nudged her nose under Red and Keith flew them back towards the Castle of Lions.

“Great job, Paladins,” Allura said over the com. “Zarkon’s forces are retreating.”

“Glad they did,” Pidge said. “I'm not sure we could've held out much longer being down a lion.”

“Yeah, Lance, what happened out there? You were doing so well,” Hunk asked. There was no reply.

“Maybe he took a hit and was knocked out?” Pidge asked, looking at Hunk through Green’s eyes.

“Who knows,” Keith said. “Let's get back to the castle.”

That night, Keith sat in his room. His jacket was hung up and he was staring at his Marmora blade, wishing he could meet his mom.

He didn't know what to think about her, was he mad that she abandon him? Yes, very much so. But what if it was because she had to in order to survive? Was he upset that she was never there? Oh yeah, because he had to survive 18 years without her. But why would he need her now? Was he glad she was never there? No, he wished he could've had a mother.

He jumped when there was a knock on his door.

“Yeah?”

The door opened and Pidge stood there, adjusting her glasses. “Do you know where Lance is? I've been looking for him all day.”

Keith furrowed his eyebrows and thought. “No I...I haven't seen him since the battle.”

“Yeah…” she looked down, a bit guiltily. “I wonder if he's in the infirmary.”

“I didn't take him there, do you think Hunk or Shiro did?”

Pidge shook her head. “No, I asked them where he was first. They had no idea. I was hoping you did,” she looked down the hallway, almost sadly. “You don't think he ran away, do you?”

Keith shook his head this time. “It's Lance. He wouldn't be able to leave without at least one of us knowing.”

“Are you sure?” Pidge asked, skeptically adjusting her glasses. “He is a goofball, but he's not stupid. If he wanted to be gone, he'd make sure he did it silently.”

Keith didn't reply and crossed his arms. Yeah, Lance hadn’t been seen around since the battle. He could've been resting in his room with an injury, or he could just be in his room asleep.

Then again, if Pidge was looking for him, she'd check his room first. And if he wasn't there, she'd ask everyone else.

Looking at her, Keith took notice of the guilt on her face. Did she feel bad for not noticing he was gone? Now that Keith thought about it, it'd been so long and none of them even brought up the fact that Lance hadn't shown up even for dinner.

“I'll check the Red Lion bay,” Keith said.

“I'll come with you. Let's just check everywhere else first.”

Keith nodded and followed Pidge out. They started looking around the castle, the kitchen, the dining room, the control room, his room, even the blue lion bay.

There was only a sliver of hope that Lance would still be in Red.

The two got to the bay and saw that Red was laying down, rather than sitting up. Pidge scrambled after Keith as he climbed into Red’s control room. It was empty.

The sliver of hope was crushed.

“He's gone,” he whispered as Pidge walked around the seat and calculating everything. Each crack, each button, each screen.

“There's no way he could've been forced out of the lion,” Pidge said. “There's no evidence of forceful entry or removal. It's like he was never in the lion.”

He didn't reply for a few minutes. “You go ahead Pidge, I’ll keep looking in here for something.” She nodded, giving him a look before leaving him in the red lion.

Keith stared at the controls. He didn't plan on looking. He already knew that Lance was gone and that he wasn't in the castle. He just needed a minute to himself to think clearly.

He sat in the seat and put his head in his hands. He didn't know what to do, yes he was the leader, but Lance was his right hand man. His impulse control. If anything, Lance was the reason the team was still alive. Keith didn't trust himself with the team, the only way he would was if Lance was there to talk him out of doing something stupid.

The red lion suddenly sprung to life. All the lights flicked on, the computer's turned on and she moved into a sitting position, as if waiting for Keith to control her. But he didn't make a move to touch the controls. He didn't think she would respond anyway. And he was right, after a few seconds of staring curiously at the screens, Red mind linked with him, showing him exactly what happened.

He found Pidge at the kitchen, who looked up and opened her mouth but Keith beat her to it.

“I know what happened.”

---

They all gathered in the control room and faced Keith, who stood with his arms crossed. “He was forcibly removed from the lion by Haggar. I'm only assuming that much because everything Red showed me was Lance disappearing after a flash of purple light.”

“Altean magic,” Allura muttered. “Haggar was Altean.”

“Teleportation can be used with Altean magic?” Shiro asked.

“Who cares about that? Is there any way you can scan for his life force or something?” Keith asked desperately.

“Like a heat signature or maybe some lack-of-a-chemical-compound that aliens tend to have and we humans don't?” Hunk asked, right after.

“Maybe you can scan for his neurological activity?” Pidge asked.

“We’re trying the best we can,” Allura assured. “Wherever he is, Zarkon most likely has him. And Zarkon’s ships all have technology that dampens our sensors.”

Keith chewed on his lip and looked away angrily. He frowned and crossed his arms, impatiently tapping his fingers on his arms. He could feel Shiro staring at him, but he refused to look up. For one, he was mad at himself for not even noticing that Lance was missing. He was also mad at the alteans and Shiro for being so calm about it, like they didn't even care. Pidge and Hunk kept glancing at each other.

“I want to know why would Zarkon take Lance and not the red lion as well,” Allura suddenly said, drawing everyone’s attention.

“Why does it matter?” Keith snapped. “We have the red lion, but we lost her paladin.”

“If Lance was hurt, wouldn't the red lion attack Zarkon’s ship to get to Lance, like it did Keith?” Pidge asked. “That must mean Lance isn't hurt, right?”

Allura shook her head. “Keith and the red lion had a different bond. Keith treated her as a being on equal grounds, Lance treats her as a being more powerful than him.”

Suddenly, Keith’s heart sank. Lance had gone to him about his insecurities, how he felt he was the weakest link on the team and how someone else should take his place. Keith told him not to worry about who flies what, and after Black didn't respond to Shiro, Lance had been acting differently, especially in Red.

He didn't think he deserved Red.

Keith didn't say anything to them. It was silent as Allura and Coran worked on finding him through the sensors.

“To interrogate him,” Shiro said suddenly, growing pale. “That's why they took him and not the red lion...they wanted us to forget about him. To prove to Lance that we weren't his friends and to get him to betray us.”

There was an eerie silence throughout the control room. For a moment it felt like everything had fallen apart.

---

A few days of the paladins obsessively hanging around them later, Allura told the three paladins to relax, that it would take a while to get the sensors to be able to break through the barrier Zarkon was using to block them out.

They knew those were orders, and though they didn't like them, they sat on the couches in the lounge and solemnly looked at the floor.

“If I'm being totally honest,” Pidge sighed, getting Hunk and Keith to look up. “I kind of miss him bugging me. It was one of the only constants in my life and now even that's gone. He and Hunk used to bug me to no end when I would work at the garrison...I guess I actually didn't mind it now that I think about it.” She looked up at Hunk. “That's not an invitation to touch my equipment.”

Hunk waved her off. “In the garrison, he would drag me off to go places without Iverson knowing. Sometimes he'd let me stop in the kitchen and get a late night snack.”

Pidge smiled a little. “And during that flight simulation, when I snapped at Iverson, he saved my neck and ended up getting yelled at instead.”

“Remember that time we passed the simulation?” Hunk laughed. “He celebrated for weeks until the next simulation. We failed that one and he said that we passed one so it was okay.”

Pidge’s smile fell. “I feel bad for not celebrating with him,” she replied. There was a few seconds of silence before she sighed. “After the exercise where we were allowed to look in each other’s brains, I noticed how big his family was and he was the youngest of his siblings,” she said. “Maybe...maybe he was so intent on succeeding because he wanted to be like his siblings.”

Keith frowned. That was a good point. It made him feel bad for being a natural pilot, but it wasn't his fault his mom was an alien.

He grunted and stood up. “I'm going to the training deck.”

---

Weeks. It'd been weeks and they still hadn't found Lance. Pidge, Hunk and Keith were getting desperate.

Hunk spent most of his time with the mice or in the kitchen, Pidge stopped showing up for meals and spent all her time in mechanical areas. Every once in awhile someone would bring food to her, which she'd pick at before going back to her projects. Keith spent his time on the training deck or in his room.

“Paladins, I need you in the control room immediately,” Allura said through the castle’s speaker system.

Keith looked up and sighed. “End training session.”

The gladiator froze and powered down as Keith put his bayard away.

In the control room, Coran and Allura stood, facing them. Shiro had obviously gotten there first, then Hunk and Pidge and Keith.

Coran pointed to the screen above them. “We managed to track his heat signature somehow,” he said. Through the corner of his eye, he saw Pidge readjust her glasses, signifying that she altered the castle’s sensors. “He's on Zarkon’s main ship.”

Without a second’s hesitation, all three paladins turned towards their bay doors.

“Hold it,” Allura said, stopping each of them. “Zarkon’s ship will sense the lions approaching and he will send every force he has to obtain them. We need a plan of action—”

“We don't have time to strategize, Princess,” Keith snapped. “If you haven't noticed, one of your paladins is missing. The galra could be doing who knows what to him to get answers from him!”

“Like I said before,” Pidge said, drawing everyone's attention. “Lance may be a goofball, but he's not stupid. You underestimate him.”

“As much as I love flying in on these super cool lions and blowing stuff up,” Hunk said. “Our buddy’s life is on the line. If we barge in there guns blazing, they'll kill him.”

“Hunk’s got a point,” Shiro sighed, giving Keith a look. “Let's come up with a plan.”

Keith crossed his arms and looked away. Luckily, he didn't have to wait long for someone to speak up.

After a few minutes of discussing, Pidge stood up. “I can modify a pod with the cloaking device I used on the pod Coran and Hunk used to get the crystal from the Balmera. Unfortunately, only one person will be able to go to leave a seat open for Lance and if I were to modify a pod bigger than that, it’ll take longer.”

“Excellent,” Allura said. “Now we have to decide who goes.”

“I'll start on the pod right now,” Pidge said, disappearing through the doors.

“Go get into your paladin armor, we’ll decide who goes in.” Keith and Hunk nodded, disappearing the same way Pidge did. “So who’s going in?” Allura asked.

Shiro was staring at the ground, thinking. “Hunk is selfless to no end, he'd definitely to put Lance’s life above his own and attack full force if he had to, but we need someone who's calm and stealthy—galra tech will also be a problem for him. Pidge is very good at stealth and is good at being calm despite the situation, technology won't be an issue for her, but if Lance is hurt she won't be able to carry him out and they'll both end up captured. Keith, despite being driven by his feelings, he will listen to orders if it's Lance’s life on the line. His instincts will also tell him when he needs to get it together. And he has Galra blood, so opening doors and all won't be an issue,” he replied. “My only concern with Keith is if he finds Lance, in whatever state he's in, we won't know how he’ll react. It's obvious he cares so much about Lance, just look at how he reacted when he realized he went missing. We don't know what will happen.”

Allura stayed silent. “Then we’ve decided?”

Shiro frowned. “I guess so.”

---

“The cloaking device is easy,” Pidge said. “Press the button, you're invisible to most sensors and cameras. Except you only have an hour of cloaking. I wish I had more time to give you a longer cloaking time but,” she shrugged. Keith nodded and she slapped his lower back, considering she couldn't reach his shoulder. “Good luck.”

Hunk stared at him intensely. “Bring him back safely, okay?” When Keith nodded, smiled.

“If you lose your cool, he's as good as dead,” Shiro said. Keith didn't show much reaction, but Shiro guessed it hit him dead on. “You've got this.”

He glanced at Allura and Coran, who both nodded silently.

Keith climbed into the pod, hesitating. “You're sure I'm the right person to do this?”

Shiro smiled confidently and nodded. “Like I said,” he replied. “You've got this.”

He nodded, pressing a button as the glass slid closed over top of him. The pod was activated and lifted off, he saw his team give him one last wave before he was off in the direction of Zarkon’s ship.

“Remember,” Allura said through the radio in his helmet. “Once you're past Zarkon’s border, it will be increasingly hard for us to contact you, but you are able to contact us. The interference only works one way.”

“Got it,” he replied, tightening his grip on the controls. “Hey, Allura?”

“Yes?”

“How will I know where he is?”

“I slapped a little tracking device on you,” Pidge said. He could almost imagine her smug little grin. “It's a heat signature module that was coded to sense and alert you when you're getting closer to Lance. In other words, it’ll beep over your com.”

“Pidge you little genius,” Hunk laughed.

“I know.”

Keith grinned a little. “I'll get him back,” he said confidently, despite feeling terrified of messing everything up and getting him killed. For the next few minutes, the team kept their radio on so Keith could hear them. After about ten minutes, it started crackling. “I'm getting close, I'll keep you updated.”

“Wait Keith—” Pidge’s voice was cut out by static. “—a map of—ship—”

“Pidge you’re cutting out.”

“—wrist—”

He supposed she was saying that there was a map of the routes he could take, but he didn't plan on using it.

In the distance he could see the enormous ship coming into view. As he neared, the static over the radio was deafening so he ended up turning it off. He took a deep breath and waited, hand over the cloaking button. It was a gamble, pressing it so close to the ship, but he needed every minute of cloaking he could muster.

He saw the border approaching and he braced himself. He trusted Pidge’s work, but there was always a chance it wouldn’t work. He passed through and opened his eyes. The ship was enormous with fighters flying every which way. The ship was positioned right in the center of the border, the farthest distance from each side of the sphere.

Keith pushed forward on the controls, going right to the ship. As soon as he got close, a fighter ran into the pod and knocked him away. The fighter exploded, damaging the pod in the process. Alerts popped up on the screen, warning him that the cloaking module was damaged and he was now visible.

“Shit,” he grunted, trying the controls again. No use, he was visible again. He pressed the button on his helmet, bringing down the glass and opening the hatch.

He jumped out. Lucky for him, he was miniscule and unnoticeable next to the ship, so the fighters wouldn’t be concerned with him if the pod was still intact.

The fighter ships swarmed the pod and the pod exploded behind him, slamming him against the giant galra ship. At least I didn’t need to use my jetpack was the only positive thought he could think of in that situation.

Using his bayard, he cut his way into the ship, landing directly in a hallway surrounded by centuries.

“This never ends, does it?” he groaned to himself, spinning on his heel and slashing through one of the robots and twisting to stab through another. He made quick work of them, except one of them retreated and managed to get away. That meant he only had a few minutes before Zarkon was alerted.

====

this is only part one ho ho ho wait till part two

[abadoodlesss]

More Than A Prisoner - Chapter Two

Read previous chapters Here.

Next: Chapter Three

Summary: Bella gets a second chance to prove herself innocent but will she be able to sway the ever so stubborn Shiro?  A/N: I’m trying to stick to a schedule so I wanted to get this out by today at the latest but I’m not super happy with the way it turned out. I’ll try to post chapter 3 ASAP to make up for it.

Bella’s throat was raw from all the yelling she had done throughout the night. She had hoped someone would just get annoyed with all her yelling and let her go. Sadly, her plan wasn’t effective. She was currently rested against the door, resorting to limply banging her fist on the cool metal as her throat ached.

“Are you ever quiet?” She heard a voice complain as a plate of food was slid through the slot in the door messily, the green gooey substance spilling off the plate.

“Let me out of here.” Bella cried, finding enough strength to yell again.

“Gonna have to say no to that one.” The voice continued, sliding a mug and a spoon through the slot as well.

“Worth a shot.” Bella muttered to herself, crawling towards the mug and taking a swig of the cold water. She reached for the spoon and inspected the green substance on her plate. “Am I really supposed to eat this?”

“Do you want to starve?”

“Tell me, is everyone on this ship as rude as you? Or are you just special?”

The boy on the other side of the door gave a dry laugh. “Unfortunately the majority of the team pities you,” He said looking down at Bella through the cell’s small window. She recognized him as the boy in red.

“Keith, get out of here.” Another voice called from down the hall. Keith turned and the boy in blue came into view.

“Shiro put me in charge of bringing meals down here.” Keith defended.

“And you did that already.”

“You can’t tell me what to do, Lance.” Keith said, puffing out his chest as Lance came closer.

“Oh yeah?” Lance retorted, getting in Keith’s face.

“Ladies, calm down.” Bella said with the roll of her eyes.

“Quiet.” Keith snapped.

“Here’s an idea, how about you both leave me alone if you’re not going to be of any help.”

Keith glared at Bella before bumping into Lance’s shoulder roughly as he stormed away.

He’s quite the dramatic one. Bella thought to herself.

She noticed the blue boy - Lance - was still outside the door, watching as Keith’s form retreated down the corridor.

“You’re still here, does that mean you are going to be of some help?” Bella asked jokingly.

“I wish I could. If it were up to me you’d be out of here already.”

“Glad someone sees things my way.”  

“Sorry about Keith, by the way, he’s just cranky when…. actually he’s just like that all the time.”

“Must be a joy to live with.”

“He’s not so bad when you get to know him.” Lance offered. “Don’t let him know I said that, though.” He added quickly.

“Your secret’s safe with me.” Bella said, going to take another sip of water to find the cup was already empty. “So, Lance, who are the other members of your team that pity me?”

“Well, pity doesn’t sound right; I just- I think you’re innocent. Most of us do.” He said, rubbing the back of his neck as if he could wipe away the awkwardness he felt.

“Would you mind convincing your moodier friends then?” Bella asked, thinking of both Shiro and Keith.

“You have the chance to do it yourself, miss.” Another voice called. A mustachioed man came into view, holding a ring of keys. He threw open the door, going in and offering Bella a hand to help her up, which she promptly ignored.

“What’s going on?” Bella asked as the man came behind her, locking her wrists behind her in futuristic-looking handcuffs.

“You’re going to be given a chance to explain yourself.” He said, taking hold of her arm.

“Coran, is all this necessary?” Lance asked, motioning to the handcuffs.

“Shiro’s orders.” Coran said with a sigh.

Coran kept moving forward, lightly holding onto Bella’s arm as he led her through the halls. She noted how much gentler he was than Shiro, guiding rather than dragging. Bella could tell he was one of the members that thought she was innocent or at the very least felt bad for her.

Lance had trailed behind the two, feeling too awkward to chat with either Coran or Bella but also hating the idea of continuing to walk in silence. He whistled to himself in a non-nonchalant way.

The group came to a common room where Bella recognized the moody red boy, Keith, leaning against a wall, glaring daggers at her. Near Keith were two other people she had only caught glimpses of the night before. The smaller of the two was sitting on a couch, adjusting their comically large glasses as they avoided eye contact. The other stood behind the couch, looking at Bella sympathetically as Coran led her to a polished metal door.

It slid open to an empty room, spare for the table, singular chair set a few feet away and two other people.

A girl with flowing white hair stood beside Shiro. She gave a much kinder glance her way as Shiro watched her with his judgemental eyes. Coran led her to the loan chair before joining the girl and Shiro.

“Bella, we’d like to ask you a few questions.” The girl spoke.

“Ask away.”

“What’s going on in there?” Lance asked, trying to push Hunk out of his way.

“I don’t know, I can’t hear anything.” Hunk said, staring through the door’s small window.

“Whatever they’re saying, it can’t be good.” Pidge called, standing on her tippy toes to peer into the window.

“Why do you three care so much?” Keith asked, pushing off the door frame to join his fellow paladins.

“Because I think she innocent.” Lance said.

“No, you think she’s cute, there’s a difference.” Keith said, parting the group and having a look in the window himself. “You’ve made the same mistake before, Lance, sorry if I fail to trust you this time.”

Lance desperately wanted to smack the cocky smirk off of Keith’s face. Hunk sensed this and strategically placed himself in between the two.

“You’re just kissing up to Shiro like always.” Lance called from the other side of Hunk with the roll of his eyes.

“I’m trusting our leader, maybe you should try it.” Keith argued.

“Will you two shut up, I’m trying to listen.” Pidge called, pressing her ear to the glass, trying to hear anything she could.

Lance watched over Pidge’s head, seeing Shiro with his arms crossed, saying something that he couldn’t make out. Bella looked calm, holding eye contact and sitting up straight. He noticed the roll of her eyes or the twitch in her jaw most times Shiro spoke. He could only imagine what he was saying to her, most likely trying to rile her up with every sentence. Lance sent silent prayers Bella’s way, hoping she’d be able to remain calm and prove she wasn’t as evil as others believed.

“We want to understand your story. I trust you will be truthful.” The white-haired girl said.

The girl stood to Shiro’s right while Coran was on his left. It was as if he had an angel on each of his shoulders. Bella knew the two were on her side, well at the very least not in total agreement with Shiro. She could work with that.

“Of course.” Bella said.

“You said you were a prisoner on Prince Lotor’s ship?” Coran prompted.

“Yes, for a little over a year, I think. It was hard to keep track of time.”

“You were a prisoner?” Shiro asked which a slight humor to his voice. Bella knew he was going somewhere with this. She scowled at his smugness. He thought he had her figured out but he knew nothing. Nevertheless, she kept her head held high.

“That’s what I said.” She said blankly, trying to mentally prepare herself to hear whatever was about to come out of Shiro’s mouth.

“Tell me,” Shiro said, coming round to the other side of the table and leaning against it in an arrogant fashion. “How is it that you have managed to survive the arena?”

“Excuse me?”

“You said you were a prisoner. You would have been forced to fight in the arena at some point. I want to know how a weak little thing like you was able to survive against some of the most fearsome fighters in the galaxy?” Shiro concluded.

“I never fought in the arena.”

Shiro wasn’t expecting her to tell the truth. He was waiting for her to lie to him so he could pick apart her story and find her guilty. Her bluntness didn’t deter his opinion, however.

“Why is that, exactly?” Allura asked.

“I couldn’t tell you.”

Shiro hummed in interest. “You don’t know?”

Bella hated his patronizing tone. If her arms weren’t cuffed behind she wasn’t sure she’d be able to refrain herself from slapping him across his smug face.

“Are you hard of hearing?” Bella barked. “I wasn’t forced to fight and I don’t know why. But trust me, I wasn’t going around questioning why I wasn’t fighting for my life.”

Shiro’s jaw visibly ticked at her sass. “How’d the Galra find you?”

Bella had to cast her eyes down to the tips of her shoes before gaining the courage to meet Shiro’s eyes again. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“You are in no position to ask questions.”

“I don’t remember.” Bella lied, her voice bitter.

“See, now I don’t think that’s true.” Shiro mocked.

“I don’t know what you want me to say, I don’t remember.” Shiro dropped the topic but didn’t change his mind; in fact, this bit of information (or rather lack thereof) only furthered his suspicion.

“You said you escaped the Galra ship?” Coran asked, moving onto the next topic.

“Yes, I saw an opportunity and I just started running. I managed to get to the fighter ships and hopped aboard one. I struggled to figure out how to fly it at first but it was either I keep pushing buttons or I get dragged back to my cell. I eventually got it off the ground and flew out of there as fast I could. They came after me in their own ships but I figured out how to fire at them.”

“So managed to get past all the guards?”

“For the most part. They saw me running but were too slow.”

“They didn’t just shoot you? Strange.” Shiro mused. “Also strange how you just ‘figured out’ how to pilot such advanced technology. And you were able to get out fast enough then shoot them down? It’s just so... convenient.”

Bella just groaned. “Look, I am not a Galra spy. I’m not here to get information, I’m not here to kill you, I’m not here for anything. I know it’s asking a lot of you to actually get it through that thick skull of yours, but I’m telling you, I’m on your side, buddy.”

Shiro stomped towards Bella, bending over to get in her space. “I am not your friend. I am the only thing still keeping you alive right now so you better start showing some respect.”

Bella had tried to not show any sign of weakness, especially to Shiro, but he was getting to her. The invasion of her space, the disregard for her comfort, the overall harshness of his being, it all reminded her so much of the Galra ship.

She went rigid under Shiro’s gaze, turning her head to the side to try to gain distance between their faces and averting all eye contact as to not challenge him. She had enough encounters with Galran soldiers and guards, even the Prince himself, who didn’t take well to their authority and superiority being disrespected.

When Shiro was satisfied with her submissiveness, he backed off, joining Allura and Coran again.

“I think we’ve heard enough.” Shiro announced, waltzing out of the room.

“We’ll take your case into consideration, give us a moment while we discuss.” Allura said with a small sympathetic smile. She followed, more like chased, Shiro out of the room with Coran, leaving Bella by herself as they decided her fate.

“Shiro’s coming.” Pidge warned as she peered into the window. “And he doesn’t look happy.”

The four paladins scattered, trying to act nonchalant as Shiro stormed out of the interrogation room with Allura and Coran close behind.

“Shiro.” Allura called after the Black Paladin.

“Can we talk about this more privately?” Shiro asked, glancing over at all his fellow paladins, knowing they were all eavesdropping.

“We are a team, Shiro, you should be able to have this conversation with everyone.”

Shiro groaned but Lance was already joining the discussion. “So what happened in there?”

“I still think she’s working for the Galra.” Shiro stated, knowing the majority of his team wasn’t in agreement. They were falling for her little act, but he wouldn’t be so easily swayed by Bella.

“I don’t believe she’s capable of being a spy.” Allura said.

“That’s her whole angle, Allura, you aren’t seriously falling for it.”

“I think you’re refusing to see things differently.”

“I could say the same for you.”

The two had gotten increasingly closer, getting in the other’s face.

“Princess,” Coran spoke up, making Allura and Shiro break their intense eye contact to watch him instead. “I have to say, I agree with Shiro.” He sounded almost disappointed in himself. “Her story does seem too convenient and she refused to talk about how the Galra captured her. I’m not saying she’s a spy but she’s hiding something. If she couldn’t tell the truth, I don’t think we can trust her fully.”

“Coran-”

“Then it’s settled, two to one.”

“Don’t we get a say?” Lance asked.

“You don’t. This doesn’t concern you.”

“Shiro, don’t you think-” Pidge started, but Shiro quickly cut her off.

“It’s settled, she stays here. If she decides she can tell a complete story, then we can reconsider.”

“But don’t-” Hunk started, but he too was dismissed.

“It’s decided.” Shiro announced harshly, before storming into the interrogation room.

The rest of team Voltron could hear shuffling from inside the room.

“Get off of me.” Bella roared as more thrashing around was heard.

Shiro remained silent as he came out of the room, dragging Bella once again.

“I can walk myself.” She argued, ripping away from Shiro.

“I’m sure.” Shiro said, grasping onto her again, as she struggled uselessly against his now iron grip.

Lance’s stomach dropped when he watched Bella go. The rest of his friends remained silent as her sounds of struggle echoed off the walls.

[panda-noosh]

could you do a thing where the paladains are gushing over their cute short Ace S/o?? if not that's perfectly understandable! (I love your writing btw!)

p2: cuteshort Ace request anon, forgot to add,Bonus points if you add thayce(he needs more love, especially since I probably spelled his namewrong lmso)

   Hereyou go! x

   Shiro:

   “Andyou don't think there's anywaythat you'll let me order take out?”

   Shirogroans, shrugging your grip off of his arm once again. “For thelast time, Y/N, we don't order take out in space. It's not safe. Godknows what they're putting in that stuff.”

   “Igrew up on that stuff!” you protest. “Look, I know it might bedifficult for you Earthlings to understand, but I really, reallywantsome Galactic Space Goo right now, and I don't think I'll be able tosurvive without it.”

    “You'rebeing dramatic.”

   “No,I'm not! Ask Allura and Coran. They've seen me when I havewithdrawal-”

   “Y/N!”Shiro exclaims, spinning around to look at you now. His eyes arewide, face red with frustration, but the expression of hostilitymelts away whenever he catches a glimpse of your face. The face whichnever fails to make his stomach feel warm and his entire being meltaway.

    Yourstaring up at him, your height being another thing which he finds soendearing about you. You were small to the point where it was cute.You reminded him of a gnome a little bit.

   “Stoplooking at me like that,” you grunt, slapping his chest. “All Iask is that you order it in for me. You know I don't do well withphone calls.”    Shiro shakes his head, folding his arms overhis chest as if you were a child he was scolding. “And what happensif you get sick?”

   “Thenthat's my fault,” you say. “Nobody elses. I won't even blame youfor it later on.”    “Yes you will.”

   Youshrug. “Okay, I might. But that will be the hurdle we jump when weget to it! Now, please Shiro!”

   Youlatch onto his sleeve again, tugging at his arm as if you really wereachild. He can't help the smile that arises on his face, looking downat you now – so desperate for something so simple. That was anotherthing that made you cute – you were so easily pleased. Whilsteverybody elses main goal was to make sure the universe was safe, youtook things a little easier. You wantedtheuniverse to be safe, but you knew that was a goal that you would meetin the long run. Right now, all you wanted was food.

   Shiroshakes his head lazily as you lean your head against his arm,grinning up at him.

   “You'reso annoying,” he grumbles. “But fine.”

   Keith:

   “That'snot your jumper.”

   Youshrug your shoulders, pulling the sleeves of Keith's hoodie furtherover your hands – only your fingertips are seen, and the sight ofyou in an oversized hoodie, totally unbothered by the way itbasically drowns your body, makes Keith smile.

   “Howmany jumpers of mine have you stole now?” Keith continues, leaningback in his chair with the pen aimlessly twiddling between hisfingers.

   Youpop a strawberry into your mouth, giving Keith a teasing glare. “Notenough. It's cold, Keith! My clothes – people tend to think thatjust because I'm small means they have to make the clothes thin. Ihave nothing warmto wear!”

   Keithshakes his hand in front of his face, telling you not to bother.“It's fine, Y/N. Really. Besides, you look cute.”

   Youblank now, staring at Keith with half a strawberry still in yourmouth. The sour taste makes your face crinkle up and a 'bleh'noiseto escape your throat that makes Keith immediately flush and burstinto a mild case of laughter.

   “Yousee? You can't even eat a strawberry without looking adorable.”

  Youblush, hiding your face in the sweater paws you had created. “Lookat you giving me compliments. Who would have thought?”

   Keithrolls his eyes. “I only have compliments for you, my littlefriend.”

   Lance:

   “No!You can't do that! Not to them. Please. I'm begging you. They're allI have left!”

   Lancestares at you in shock as you drop to your knees in front of theGalra who was currently trying to send him and the other Paladins totheir untimely death.

   Yoursudden outburst had everybody shocked. All eyes locked onto yourshort frame as you burst through the doors, took in the scene infront of you and immediately shifted into character – the characterof a scared school kid, apparently, because those were the vibesLance was currently getting off of you.

   Youwere shaking. Yourhands were raised above your head, tears slipping down your cheeksbut Lance saw right through it. He saw the way your fingers twitchedtowards the sword in your belt – one the Galra's had been toodistracted to even notice yet. Clearly you had once had everyintention to come spiralling in here guns blazing, but a better planhad sprouted into your brain at last minute.

   “Whois that?” the Galra that held Lance growled into his ear.

  Lancebecame flustered. “She's – uh – she's our-”

   Youstand up all of a sudden, spinning around to look at the Galra crowd.“I'm nobody. Nobody special. They saved me from bad people way backand they're the only ones keeping me alive. If you're sentencing themto death, you have to sentence me to death, as well. I can't stayalive on my own.”

   TheGalra leader's eyes widen a little bit – not enough that it'sentirely noticeable, but the beady glare Lance has on him gives himjust enough time to catch it. The uncertainty, the way the cogs areturning, his plan doing a 360.

   Youhad done it. You had bloodydone it. How,Lance had no idea. You were small and cute looking, chubby cheeks andeyes that lit up at every other chance, but he had seen you inaction. He had seen you be ruthless, and it was becoming increasinglydifficult for him to accept you in any other form.

   Butyou had showed a completely different side to yourself today. Onethat made Lance almost giggle in delight.

   TheGalra leader snaps his fingers, catching the attention of hissoldiers. “Let them go. We'll work out a plan for the girl and thenwe can recapture them.”

   Youcan feel theair get sucked from the room, shock overtaking the crowd as youimmediately burst into fake tears of joy, acting as if your knees hadgiven in as you crumble to the floor in a heap of your own tears ofjoy.

   Shirogoes along with the plan. As soon as his hands are released, he'stumbling to the floor next to you and wrapping his arm around yourback, pulling you into his side.

   “Godbless you,” Lance hears Shiro whisper in your ear. He's too stunnedto do anything but watch you as you smile and thank the Galra leaderover and over again. You and the Paladins were getting out of herebecause of your quick thinking.

   AlthoughLance had to keep in mind that this day was perfect for teasing youwith. He'd use it to his advantage eventually, but he had to keep astraight face now. You had just saved his life with your adorablepersona.

  Hunk:

   Achoo!

   Hunkyelled, his usual over-dramatic aura showing through at the suddennoise that sparked through the work room. His eyes shot over to you –you, who was sitting innocently on the spinning desk chair with apencil previously balanced on your nose, now laying scattered on thedesk due to you sneezing.

   You'rerubbing at your nose cutely whenever Hunk looks over at you, nosescrunched up and eyes crinkled. Hunk finds himself smiling at thesight, leaning back in his own desk chair as he watches you.

   Yousigh, shaking your head in an attempt to snap your concentration backto the task at hand, though your eyes catch Hunk's and you freeze.Why was he staring at you?

   “DoI have something on my face?” you ask.

  Hunkis quick to avert his gaze, shaking his head as a response. “No.You look fine.”

   Buthis sudden change in demeanour doesn't go unnoticed, and you findyourself growing more and more curious as the time passes. The two ofyou had been tryingtodecode some enemy ship signals for the past three hours, but hadeventually given up and had succumbed to sitting in silence.

    Nowit seemed like the silence was shattered as your curiosity peaked.

   Youleaned forward on your forearms, the desk creaking as you did so. Thenoise causes Hunk to look up, startled at your movements.

   “Somethingson your mind,” you point out. Hunk shakes his head again. “Don'tlie to me! Come on! What did I do?”

   “Youdidn't doanything,”Hunk says. “You're just – You look cute, is all.”

   You'renearly sure you didn't hear him right. Did he just call you cute?Asin – cute? You?A badass fighter pilot.

   Andyou'd just been called cute.

   Youcrinkle your nose up and lean back in your seat. “That'sdegrading.”

   Hunkscoffs. “What? You do! You sneeze like a kitten.”

   “Pleasestop talking-”

   “Andthe way you crinkle your nose up – aw! It makes me want to pinchyour cheeks, and-”

   “Anyway!”you exclaim, standing up so quickly that you have to grip the desk asthe blood rushes to your head. “It was nice talking with you, HunkyBoy, but I'm afraid I have to go.”

   Pidge:

   “HaveI ever told you just how cute you are?”

   Youlook up from the book in your lap, raising an eyebrow at Pidge as shesits across from you at the dinner able. Neither of you had spoken inquite some time, giving you a chance to study whilst the silence wasstill peaceful. You both knew that the moment Lance and Hunk arrivedhome, you would have no chance of studying anything.

    Youdon't reply at first, daudling on her words as they float around theboth of you.

   “Youlook weirded out,” Pidge says, finally.

   Youshake your head briskly, leaning back in your own chair. You can feelthe pages of the book slipping between your fingertips until thetextbook has closed over completely, basically meaning that studyingwas done for the day.

   “No.Not weirded out. Just confused.”

   Pidgeshrugs. “I mean, it's probably because you're shorter than me. Idon't find that very often, so you're a nice change.”

   Yousnort, rolling your eyes at her words. Despite the sassy move ofdispleasure, Pidge still can't help but awoverjust how cute you made the daunting move look. Your eyes glistenunderneath the uneven, yellow lights of the kitchen, and Pidge stillcan't seem to comprehend how you make such bad, grainy lighting shinedown on you in a way that still flaunts your adorable features.

   “Ifeel like I have to protect you or something,” Pidge continues on,watching a blush sprinkle it's way on your cheeks.

   “Pidge,give it a rest.”

   “I'mserious! You're like – like a younger sibling to me, almost.”

   “Matt'smy favourite.”

   Pidgescrunches her nose up. “I take everything I said back.”

    Thace:

   “Isthere a particular reason you're in my office?”

   Youyelp, shooting upwards. Papers fly out around you, the open deskdrawer suddenly seeming less subtle than you had planned.

   Youhesitantly kick it shut, giving Thace a large grin that screamedinnocent,despite you being caught red handed.

    “Thace!”you exclaim. “Hey! You're back early. How was the mission?”

   Thacedoesn't reply right away, instead opting for narrowing his eyes,trailing them over the office you had so badly destructed in his timeaway. Papers littered the ground, drawers pulled open and chairspushed back to the corners of the room as way to create more spacefor your scavenging.

   Youfollow his gaze, wincing at just how bad of a state you had left theroom in.

   “Iswear I was going to clean it up,” you say. “I just didn't expectyou back so soon, you see. Give me ten minutes and the entire placewill be spotless. I promise.”    Thace shakes his head lightly.“I don't – I don't care about the mess.” He looks back at you.“What are you doing in here?”

   Youpurse your lips cutely, dimples popping on both cheeks as you lookaround the room as if an excuse will fall out of the air if you staysilent for long enough. Your dazed demeanour doesn't go unnoticed byThace, who notes on the way your shoulders are scrunched up by yourjaw line and the way you gently sway back and forth.

   “Iwon't be mad if you tell me the truth,” he says. “The damageisn't that bad.”

   Youlook back at him and smile sweetly – anythingtolighten mood a little bit. “I was – uh – I was actually justlooking for some pictures. Photographs. Them earth things, you know?That capture moments and put them on paper?”    Thace raises abrow. “Pictures of what?”

   Youflush a deep red colour. “Pictures of me and my family.” Yourwords fall short, your voice cracking as the embarrassment floods in.You weren't upset at the memories of your family – it was moresothe fact that Thace now knew you hadn't let go of their memories justyet. Like everybody else on this ship had done, you struggled to doso. You couldn't just forgetaboutthe people who had raised you.

    Thace'sfeatures soften as he shakes his head. “That's cute, Y/N. I'll findthem for you. I promise.”    Your eyes widen, snapping up tolook at him in shock. “Wait, for real? You're not mad?”

   “Howcould I be mad?” Thace scoffs, gently rubbing your arm as he walkspast you, kicking closed desk drawers as he does so. “Come back tome in a few hours. I'm sure I'll have found the pictures by then.”

[paladinspride]

Galaxy Garrison Headcanons:

If Lance and Hunk are 17…does this mean they did away with highschool in the future?

It’s totally probable.

I taught high school English for years (You would never know based on my typos but I blame my phone for changing things way after my brain has moved on) and I questioned, and still question, the purpose of high school. With a changing political landscape and all the increases in technology and independent study courses, I have a gut feeling, high school is on the way out.

So my headcanon is that in VLD-verse, students attend school until Grade 9 or 10, where they learn the fundamentals and get a feel for their strengths and interests. Then after that they follow whatever career path makes the most sense for them. Some go to University/college, some do apprenticeships, some join the military, etc.

I headcanon that the Garrison is a military base near Roswell, New Mexico, with a space exploration centre that focuses on training recruits and research.

While I don’t think Garrison is aware of Voltron or any intergalactic wars, they are aware of the existence of aliens and an increase in alien chatter, and are preparing their recruits for various types of war just in case. Some officers know more than others. 

Shiro joined the Garrison because of family history. He comes from a long line of military men and Space employers. Shiro graduated well ahead of his class and was the Garrison Golden Boy.

Same goes for the Holts, minus the golden boy part.

Hunk and Keith chose the Garrison for financial reasons. Hunk didn’t grow up poor but there wasn’t a lot money let over to put away for school and Keith was a foster kid with no savings whatsoever so joining the military made sense to them.

Lance could have attended any school he wanted for free in Cuba but he had is eyes on the sky since a wee lad. I headcanon that Lance saw Shiro as a hero and may have had a harmless crush on him. Well mostly harmless, his jealousy contributes to his rivalry with Keith.

Keith met Shiro when his was 13 when his school principal suggested he take a martial arts class like taekwondo to learn some discipline.

Shiro was a junior instructor and saw a lot of potential in Keith. Keith earned his belts quickly, so they ended up exploring a variety of different martial arts together and Shiro watched him become gifted with a sword.

Shiro found himself keeping an eye on the kid and overtime Keith became the little brother he never had. Shiro became the person Keith relied on. When Keith got arrested one time for fighting. (It was self defense so he was let go). Shiro was who he called to pick him up. When Keith got booted from his last Foster home, Shiro took him in.

Keith grew really attached to Shiro, looked up to him and decided to follow in his footsteps and join the Garrison space exploration program.  Keith’s skills as a fighter pilot made themselves known early and his marks were stellar, putting him on track to be their next golden boy. Shiro could not have been more proud.

Shiro joining the Kerberos mission was bittersweet for Keith because he was happy for his friend for getting approved for deep space exploration but he was not looking forward to being alone.

Keith didn’t get kicked out of the Garrison right away after the failed Kerberos mission but he had trouble controlling his emotions and his suspicions that the Garrison wasn’t telling him the complete truth fed his anger. Like Pidge, he began rooting for answers. He has a confrontation with one of the higher ups that results in his expulsion.

I also think there are some people at the Garrison that know more about Keith than Keith knows about himself and they wish they would not have had to expel him. 

Keith could not afford to keep Shiro’s apartment by himself, so he moved into the shack, were he squirreled away some of Shiro’s things and clothes at the shack. He doesn’t know why, but he refuses to believe Shiro is dead and knows in his heart that he will need them. 

(Well, that took a different direction and way more Broganes than I intended. 

[ganymedesclock]

In general there is like. a whole category of Voltron angst premises that utterly fails to make me feel anything because it often severely underestimates the strength of the characters that it proposes to be breaking.

Like... Listen. Lance pretty dang likely had internal injuries and had spent a pretty impressive amount of time unresponsive and he woke up like that and shot Sendak in the shoulder before nearly back out again. This tells us Lance woke up, probably in no small amount of pain, probably pretty loopy since he remembered absolutely none of it afterwards, and the absolute first thing that occurred to him to do is Sendak was right there and he had a clear shot so, fuck that guy. He got in that situation in the first place because he saw a bomb going off and his first priority was to protect Coran- who at the time he’d known for... days, maybe? 

Pidge, the fourteen-year-old, who was pretty much entirely alone on the castle during that same time, having just lost contact with Allura, losing Rover and then hearing Shiro get tortured by Sendak- still kept her head about her enough to try and bait Sendak off with a hologram and was a major part of that fight. I mean. literally, take this emotionally compromised kid and go “you’re officially alone on a spaceship with murderous adult soldiers. They have your friends. They’re hurting your friends. You are the only one in position to do anything. Have fun.” And she won. 

Keith had his shoulder hacked pretty impressively in the first room of the Trial of Marmora and was given multiple opportunities to bail with a pretty clear pattern that the next room would be worse and have more attackers and Shiro states it as a given that Keith will not give up. Kolivan unambiguously tells him going in this is a life-or-death scenario. This is also Keith who willingly soloed freaking Zarkon with Coran actively telling him that he had no chance of surviving that fight because Zarkon is not getting the Black Lion.

Allura destroyed the last thing she had of her father in order to protect her team and let herself be captured by Zarkon in order to protect Shiro. She caught her second wind and held out against Haggar as best as she possibly could even knowing those odds were not good.

Coran picked a fight with Zarkon’s entire fleet piloting a ship ten thousand years old, alone, and did pretty dang good. 

Hunk actively, voluntarily, and enthusiastically picked a fight with a planet-eating monster stated to be one of the most dangerous things in space and long before that, all of his misgivings about signing up to save the universe evaporated like morning dew in the Sahara as soon as he saw what Shay and her people were going through. 

A lot of “angst” content seems to really disrespect or even ignore that these people are fighters. Survivors. These aren’t people who flake under pressure. In Shiro’s case, he literally never would have made it if he was. We see that at his worst, during his missing year, when he was utterly baffled by the idea anyone would help him and was pretty unsubtly about to be knocked out and experimented on- he was full of fight. There wasn’t much he could do but he wasn’t going down easily and if nothing else, the fact that there were two good-sized soldiers in full armor in the room taking the role of sedating him would tell us that Shiro didn’t exactly obediently walk to that room in the first place.

I see a lot of stuff that acts like Lance could get captured and in the time it’d take the team to get to him he could be ‘turned to the dark side’ or broken as a person and it’s like... the empire had a solid year to work on Shiro when the latter had the assumption that no one who would want to help him would even have the technology to reach him or even know he was alive in the first place and the empire didn’t win. What honestly makes you think they could take a month and destroy any of the team?

[everythinginslowmotion]

Fixing Blue

This is a second part to my story Seeing Red (found |x| for ao3 and |x| on my blog)

Healing must be one of the hardest things for the human race to endure through. Some are able to push through to the end easily, others struggle to make it all the way to the finish. And a handful, well, sometimes that healing process takes too much and pushes out the light before they even come close to the exit of the tunnel. Although everyone wishes that healing was an instant occurrence, it just isn’t and god knows if it ever will be. Even an ancient alien civilization far more advanced in technology than humanity wasn’t even able to perfect the seemingly impossible task. 

For Lance, healing always seemed like it would be apart of his life. On his 5th birthday he had to heal for the first time after he fell off of the back of his sisters bike and fractured his arm, it took 4 weeks. The next time was 2 months after his arm was healed when he fell from the tree and twisted his ankle from landing wrong, that time is took only 8 days. The most recent major healing he had to endure before his departure to save the universe happened the week before being promoted to fighter class in the garrison. The day he found out Keith had been booted from the program started out being the best day of his life, but the moment he called home to tell his family he had a chance at moving up to what he came here to do, it turned sour. His abuelo died the next day, and Lance didn’t even get the chance to tell the person who believed in his dreams the most the news. That healing, will never be complete.

It only took a week for his arm to heal with the weird Altean cast on.

````````````````````

Moving was hard for him. It sounds stupid, but it's the truth.

Getting out of bed that first day ended up being too difficult a task after Keith’s “I need you” moment and Lance’s realization of how broken he had truly let himself become. So he didn’t proceed with the trying task and rather just stared up at the ceiling like he had done many a night, too drained to cry and too empty to feel or think anything else for the rest of the day. Night. Whatever it had ended up being before he finally closed his eyes and fell into a restless dozing. Hunk entered his room a couple of times after Keith left. The first time, he opened the door and brought in a bowl of the green slime they liked to call food.

“Hey buddy, you awake?” He whispered though he could clearly see that Lance’s eyes were in fact open. He made his way over to Lance’s bed and set the tray down on the floor next to the bed. “Oh no, shit Lance what happened?”

Lance didn’t respond.

Leave it to Hunk to recognize him in this state. Hunk had been the one to comfort Lance those difficult nights in their room at the garrison when he couldn’t sleep because of his loss. Hunk saw the mask fade away once Lance shut the door for the night and just sat there on the blue sheets of his bed telling him about all of the things he wishes he could have done and said but would never get to do. Hunk never tried to get Lance to sneak out like they had done before. He never pushed him to stay up late to play stupid games that Lance would come up with during the middle of a class when he finally stopped paying attention to what the teacher was trying to say. Hunk had complained about all of those things before, “Lance, come on we need to sleep”, “Lance we have a huge test tomorrow, neither of can afford to fail this one”, “Dude, Iverson is literally going to kill us if we get caught leaving our room this late”. But he never really meant them, and during those few days he wanted them to return more than anything else in his life, but he didn’t push. They would find their way back into his life after almost a week, not because Lance had gotten over what had happened, but because he realized that wasting his life was the exact opposite of what his abuelo wanted for his life, which is why we applied for the garrison in the first place, and slowly went back to living his life as he had been. But occasionally Lance would go back into those habits, and this was one of those times.

“You know I’m not gonna force you to tell me anything, but you know I’m here for you when you need me man. I’m always here��.

He didn’t want for Hunk to leave his room, but he also didn’t do anything to stop the exit. He just sat there in silence, listening to the sound of his own breathing and the harsh tone of his thoughts, wrestling around the inside of his mind.

Not much more happened that day. Pidge came in with Shiro to check on him, and she invited him to go watch her play their game that they had bought back at the space mall. She knew how much he loved to watch her play it, not in a creepy way though, when Pidge played it reminded him of when he would babysit and his younger brothers and sister would fight over the controllers and play the videogames on the small television in their little house. He didn’t take her up on her offer though, not today. Shiro just wanted to make sure his arm wasn’t hurting too bad, and honestly he had almost forgotten entirely about his arm if it hadn’t been for the restraint movement that he had when trying to bend it. Coran also came by to check on his arm and spent the first part asking questions but quickly realized that Lance was not in a chatting mode and switched it over to a story about when Allura had to wear one of these devices in her childhood. He was always good in that way, seeming to always pick up emotional cues and adjusting his ways to fit the needs. Sometimes he wondered if it was an Altean thing and then would remember that Allura never seemed to notice when he was feeling this way, but he really couldn’t blame her, she had much more important things to worry about and frankly probably didn’t care all that much on the kind of day Lance was having unless it directly affected team Voltron.

The last visit he got that day was another one from Hunk in which Lance spent the entire duration holding [and failing to] back tears as they sat on the floor leaning against his bed.

“Hunk, I fucked everything up. Why do I always fuck everything up.” There was a scratchiness to his voice that was unnatural and made him cringe with every syllable that left his lips. He sounded so broken and it just made him break a little more with every word.

“I talked with Keith earlier Lance, he feels horrible you know. You didn’t mess everything up.”

“Not with Keith. Well yes, with Keith. I fucking told him I loved him, Hunk! How is that not fucking it up? Not only that but I then proceed to punch a wall and break my hand. Who the hell punches walls? Fucking dumbasses, Hunk that’s who. Now Keith knows everything, and god knows everyone else probably does too, I don’t even know if I can pilot at the moment but I still promised Allura I would, and I’m just bits now Hunk. Ever since we got here I’ve been blaming everything on Keith but it was never his fault. This entire time I’ve been slowly unraveling and I was so sure it was his fault but it's not Hunk. It’s all me, I broke myself and I don’t know how to fucking fix it because all I ever am capable of is breaking”.

“Lance- that’s not…”

“Don’t tell me it’s not true Hunk! At this point I don’t even remember who I was before this, all I know is that I’m stuck here now and I just- I just need to go home”.

“I know, buddy. We all need to go home.”

`````````````

He came out of his room the next day.

Today was going to be the day Lance went back to being Lance. No one would look at him as a broken toy. No one would sit in a slightly uncomfortable silence around him in an effort to comfort. He wasn’t going to let them. Today was going to be normal.

The dark room around him slowly started to illuminate as the castle started powering on the lights for the day, starting a stinging sensation in his eyes that forced him to half squint in order to see. Without allowing time for regret, he achingly pulled back the covers exposing his uncasted arm to the cool air of the metal building. The floor sent chills up his legs as he grudgingly shuffled across the floor to grab his clothes from the closet like panel on the opposite side of the room. He really needed to ask Allura if they had any other clothes, because his blue and white baseball tee and jeans were starting to get a little too redundant to wear. His brothers jacket, however, that thing he would wear until the day he died.

The bathroom across the hallway was one that he and Keith shared since their rooms were right next to one another. Lance slowly made his way over to the door, knowing that Keith wouldn’t be using it at the moment. Keith always woke up unnecessarily early, like 2 vargas earlier than when the lights turned on. And luckily for Lance, that meant that he had also finished up in the bathroom way before Lance even was close to needing it, meaning that he could avoid at least one awkward encounter for now.

Lance tried to make everything like it had been before. Like it had been when they first arrived at the castle. When his efforts weren’t difficult and when he could look into the mirror and see hope and adventure rather than emptiness and disappointment. He tried. But no matter what he did, the water in the shower seemed just a little colder, the food goo mask seemed a little clumpier, and his face seemed a little more paler than it previously had seen. It seemed as though the color and comfort was draining away from the world; and it was taking him with it.

It took 3 tries for him to finally go to the kitchen. The first was after he left the bathroom. Once the door closed behind him, it closed up his lungs as well. He caught himself on the wall as the tried to breathe but wasn’t succeeding. Eventually he made it back to his room where he was able to calm down long enough breathe again. The second time was roughly 10 minutes later, after pacing around the room repeating “You can do this. Just fucking go McClain” and then proceeding to promptly open the door and then close it immediately after. The 3rd time was more or less what someone would call a success depending on who was being asked. As soon as the door closed, he reopened it and took a shaking step outside.

The lights in the hallway were spread further apart than the ones in his room making it appear slightly dimmer. It was also colder out here as the air ran through the hallways causing his nervous shaking to get slightly worse. He pulled his jacket around his tighter and took a step out. The walk down the hallway and towards the kitchen area never seemed as long as it had now. Every step hurt and felt like his legs were about to give out on him. His body and mind were weak from the last couple of days and he felt as if he could fall over and just lay there for hours until somebody came and found him, but he kept on going. Pushing through to a normal day.

“Well someone has to bring him food! Why can’t it be me?”

“Keith, you know why. We all already agreed…” Shiro’s voice traveled through the thin metal door leading into the dining area allowing Lance to hear it with ease.

Lance stood behind the entry way, breathing in one last breath before putting on a smile and pressing the button. Shiro paused with the woosh of the door and everyone's eyes were on Lance. The scene before him was not one that he was expecting. They were all sitting around the long table but not actually eating anything. In fact most of the food looked untouched. Keith was halfway between the table and the door with a bowl of food goo in his hand and with an exasperated looking Shiro standing next to his chair. Everyone was dead silent as Lance took a step through the door and for just a moment he thought his facade might fade away revealing his nervousness and uncertainty, but it didn’t. Rather, he took on his usual stride and made his way over to the table, keeping his arm near to him at all times.

“Well guys I know I’m strikingly handsome, but I didn’t think it was enough to leave a whole room speechless,” he managed to get out as he sat down. He heard Pidge and Allura sigh. He gave Allura a look and winked at her like he usually would after making a comment as such, and like clockwork she rolled her eyes back at him, but with that he noticed a small smile forming in the corners of her mouth.

“Well it’s good to see that you are feeling better, Lance”

“Of course Princess. I told you I would be fine, it takes a lot to knock me off of my feet.” Lance noticed that worried glance he got from Hunk after that statement but decided to ignore it. “Anyway, where did my food go?”

Everybody turned their heads back towards Keith. His face got a deep shade of red and he looked down. Lance saw Shiro sit back down out of the corner of his eye. Keith started shuffling his way back towards his seat next to Lance.

“Oh so now you’re trying to steal my food too? This rivalry is getting serious if we are messing with each others food now too”. He tried to control his voice, and it semi worked.

“I-uh, I was going to bring it to you… but I guess that isn’t necessary.” He eventually made it back over to his chair and set the food down in front of him. Despite Lance’s efforts to try and play off what had happened over the past couple of days, he could sense everyone was worried about the future relationship between the two paladins and what it meant for the future of Voltron. The tension in the room was becoming unbearable and the silence of the crowd wasn’t helping.

Lance tried to eat the goo as quickly as he could with his left hand, and though his efforts were snail like and the time dragged on for much longer than what seemed possible, he still managed to be the first person finished with their food.

“Well, if you guys would excuse me, I have some bonding to catch up on with Blue.”

“Don’t forget about the training later, Lance.”

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world Princess.”

He could finally breathe again as the door closed behind him.

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

“Hey there beautiful, did you miss me?” He asked while walking up to the ginormous metal paw that stood in front of him. In response, a purr like sound came from her as her head lowered allowing Lance to step inside the all too familiar area. The blue lights powered on around him and he closed his eyes allowing for him and Blue to become closer. Blue could read his thoughts, just as he could feel hers. He knew that she was worried about him and worried about him piloting with a broken arm and she knew that he was tired and scared for what was going to happen next. But they were able to take comfort in each other as always.

He doesn’t know how much time he had spent in the hangar with Blue but he didn’t care because it was the most relaxed he had felt in a long time. It wasn’t until he heard Allura’s voice coming over the castle coms telling him to report to the training deck that he finally opened his eyes.

Blue let him out and he took one final look at her before turning and running towards his room to change into the blue armour that he now called his.

He made his was towards the familiar area of the training deck but this time it was different. This time it wasn’t just memories of training or late night walks that would flood his mind upon entering the room. There would be the added image of Keiths face as he was screaming at him. Keith screaming at him back. His hand crumpling against the impact of the wall. All things he would rather not see. But he could do it. He did it for every other day before that and he can do it now. Maybe.

Hopefully.

The room didn’t suck the sound out when he entered this time. Allura and Coran were up in the control room and his fellow team members were gathered in a circle in the middle of the room talking amongst themselves. They probably wouldn’t have even noticed him if it weren’t for Alluras announcement.

“Oh good, you’re here. Okay paladins, since we can’t exactly do any team sparring exercises today we are going back to one of the easier team building exercises of the invisible maze.” Everyone collectively groaned at the memories of how painful the maze could be. “No complaining. We could all use a little team bonding and this is one of the easier ones. And, whichever team gets through the maze the fastest with the fewest mistakes gets to leave training early.”

“How is that promoting bonding, isn’t that just creating competition?”

“Precisely number four! You can’t have a team work well together if they can’t even have a safe and friendly competition every once in awhile.”

“And after the past few days, I believe we could all use a little fun.”

Lance already knew this wouldn’t be fun however. His bonding exercise partner was Keith and he had a feeling Allura and Shiro weren’t going to let him switch for today's competition. In fact, they were probably hoping that a competition would bring the two of them closer together. Lance didn’t blame them though, he understood that the events that unfolded in this very room only 2 nights before could have severe consequences and better try and stop them now before it hurts the team. Lance didn’t want to hurt the team anymore than he had.

He took one final deep breath in before glancing at Hunk, mouthing to him ‘I’ll be okay’ then striding on over to where Keith and Shiro were talking.

“Ready Mullet?” He asked the red paladin. Keith just gave him a slight smile before nodding at Shiro and replying “Sure thing partner.”

Pidge and Hunks maze went extraordinarily well as it always did. Hunk got a little nervous when giving directions like he always does, but it seemed more controlled than usual. Probably because he wanted to get back to trying to figure out how to create better food from food goo. Allura went with Shiro, but she only directed him rather than switching to be directed later. They always worked the best together, which was expected with them being the leaders and all.

It wasn’t until it was time for him and Keith to go that things started to go wrong. Lance could feel the anxiety starting to build up in him as he stepped into the maze. They always failed the maze. Never once have both of them successfully gotten through it without screaming at each other or purposefully running the other into the wall. Lance kept waiting for the shock that came whenever he ran into the wall but it never appeared.

“What the quiznack? Did Lance just go through the maze without touching the wall once?” He heard Pidge call from the control room over their coms.

“Wait I’m finished?”

“Yeah, congratulations boys. Now if you can do that again and maybe a little faster with Keith then looks like you two will be done with training for the day.” Allura replied.

“No but seriously. How did you two do that? You guys always bomb the maze?”

“I guess we just make a good team, Hunk.” He heard Keith let out. Lance could hear the amusement in his voice as he said it. Lance soaked that feeling in letting himself temporarily forget about the last few days and go along with the moment.

“Hell yeah we do!” He yelled back turning and smiling towards the room where everybody was standing watching him as he fist bumped the air.

Well, like everything else in Lance’s life, this started to fall apart as well. Lance got up into the control room and scanned over the map trying to find the best and quickest way out of there. That was the part he was good at, it was the speaking directions part that always got him. Ever since he was a kid things like directions took slightly more time to process than things like numbers and physical images did. He could feel the brief moment of happiness slipping away from him and feel the pull of anxiety and failure starting to take control again.

“Um, take two steps to your right and then head straight for another five steps. Small ones. Make sure they are small. Wait! Actually those were too big so stop.” The rest of the maze came out in hesitant statements and shaking words, but regardless Keith still stepped and turned as directed. Then he ran into the wall.

“Shit! Ow, come on Lance!”

“Oh God. Sorry, I- I meant left.”

“Ok, calm down Lance. It’s fine. Just think about it before you say things or we are going to lose points for aim rather than time.”

He hit the wall a total of 6 times. Which, is better than the usual count that is closer to 20 for each of them. Lance sighed in relief as Keith exited the maze rubbing the arm that took most of the shocks. ‘Shit that's his sword arm. Shit, great. Fuck he’s probably going to be mad.’

He felt Shiro pat him on the back but he didn’t respond. Words were being said to him but it was too much.

“Lan- Lance! Are you okay buddy?” He looked up at Hunk who was now holding onto his good arm supporting him so he wouldn’t fall.

‘So much for a normal day…’

“Lance I think you should spend your extra time off from training resting,” Shiro told him. He was giving him an extremely concerned look.

“Guys, what’s going on up there?” Keith asked from the floor of the training deck.

“Keith, could you help take Lance back to his room?”

“No! I’m fine. I can handle it, I have a broken arm not broken legs. I don’t need Keith to escort me, he already did that enough today.”

“Calm down Lance. You are really pale right now and… “

“Just shut up Pidge! I’m not a broken toy in need of fixing,” LIES. “I don’t need you guys treating me like a stupid child just because of a broken arm! You guys didn’t need to set up a competition to try and get me out of training early! I don’t need…”

“That is enough Lance,” He looked up into the hurt eyes of Pidge, the surprised eyes of Hunk and Shiro and the angry ones of Allura.

“I’m- oh God. No, sorry, I…” he didn’t finish the sentence, instead he just left the control area as fast as he could and walked back to the one place he knew would help him.

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

He could hear them talking about him over the comms as he walked towards the Bridge.

“There is something wrong with him besides just his arm.”

“Maybe he is more homesick than usual?”

“I think the other night just really messed him up.”

“Do you think he will be okay?”

When he got to his chair on the bridge he removed his helmet and pulled up the star map. The room around him grew dim and surrounding him were little spots of light representing every star, planet or sun that is around them. The star map always amazed him. How something so large could be contained to such a small area and even then it only showed was was nearby. There were just so many different things out there and none of them Lance had even known about when he left Earth. Oddly enough, the feeling of being so insignificant and small to such a large scheme of things did the exact opposite of what most people would think. Rather than make him more anxious it helped calm him and helped him focus in on what the real problems that mattered were.

He put in the coordinates for Earth and sat there while the image of it popped up in front of him. Small and blue just like a lot of the planets that were around him.

If he couldn’t go home, then why not at least look at it to give yourself a little motivation of what to fight for.

His mind became lost to him again, so much so that he wasn’t even aware of the person that had come in and sat down next to him. They sat there in silence for a long time just looking out at the various stars and the galaxies that were placed out in arm's reach of them. Neither one acknowledging the fact that the other was there. Just the two of them sitting amongst each other, small in comparison to where they were.

“Lance I…”

“I heard what you said.”

“What?”

“Yesterday. When you came into my room after arguing with Shiro. I was awake. And I heard you.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“Well I meant it.”

“I know you do. I could hear it in your words.”

“I don’t hate you.”

“I know.”

“I like you Lance… I actually really like you.” Lance could feel his heartbeat speed up as those words left Keith’s mouth. “And I was a coward for pretending this whole time like I didn’t. And for yelling back at you the other night when I could see that you needed help.” Lance felt warm as he became aware of Keith’s hand slowly covering his own in between them.

“I’m so sorry Lance. I’m so sorry I broke you.” Lance finally looked up at him while completely intertwining their hands together.

“It wasn’t you Keith. I was already a mess. Ever since we got here I’ve been a mess. It just became too much, I kept on piling on different things like you and our rivalry and not disappointing Shiro and trying to keep all of you alive and it just was so hard to do all of those things. And I broke. I spent so many nights awake trying to blame you for all of my issues and thinking that if it wasn’t for you then all of my problems would be solved but it wasn’t true. You didn’t break me Keith, that was all on me. Everything. From going off on you, to blaming you, everything was all me. All you did was play along with this stupid competition I created and looked great while doing it. If anything I should be sorry. Sorry that I hurt you, and the team and myself.”

“Lance, you didn’t hurt the team. Obviously. We were the ones most affected by the other night and look what we did today! We kicked Pidge and Hunks assses in the maze. If the team was affected, I think it would have shown today. If anything we are stronger than before.” He squeezed Lance’s hand as a way of reassurance and Lance squeezed back. “Oh my God look at us,” He said as he brought their hands up into the air so they could both see them. “It’s like our bonding moment that you don’t remember all over again.”

“Not exactly, this time you don’t have to cradle me as you carry my half dead body to the cyropods.” He said giving Keith a slight smirk getting an offended look out of Keith and a newly freed hand.

“I can’t believe I fell for you of all people,” Lance felt his face kind of drop at the statement. “It’s not like you made it hard or anything with your selflessness and stupid good looks.”

Lance didn’t know how to respond to that. He wasn’t used to getting compliments from people, especially Keith. So instead he just looked at Keith, smiled and leaned his head on his shoulder rather than taking his hand again.

“So what now,” he asked as Keith draped his arm around him carefully so that he wouldn’t bother Lance’s broken arm.

“Well now we try to fix you.”

“Keith, you do realize that I am extremely gone and that you alone won’t be able to do much.”

“Yeah, I know. But that doesn’t mean we can’t try.”

it hasn’t been edited but I know some people have been waiting a couple of weeks for this new part so I decided to go ahead and post it! 

[afishtrap]

This has been bouncing around in my brain for a bit. First, a few links to other essays that have made me have thinky meta thoughts. 

from @radioactivesupersonic, Lance's insecurity and Iverson/Garrison experience

from @keith-against-sheith, the Keith/Lance dynamic

from @dent-de-leon, Keith’s view of Shiro vs Shiro’s view of Shiro

from @caramelcheese, the Keith/Shiro dynamic

This gets into Lance, Shiro, Keith, and the garrison, so it’s all behind a cut. Although what I’m really digging into is Keith’s backstory with Shiro, I mention Lance because he’s the only other one of the group who recognizes Shiro (other than Pidge, who seems to consider Shiro secondary to her family). “He’s my hero,” Lance says. 

What we know about Lance, as @radioactivesupersonic summed it up: he’s from Cuba, has a large family, is close with his mother. If the scenery we see of the Garrison’s surroundings are somewhere in the Southwest of the US, that means Lance is also a long way from home. He made it into Garrison despite clearly having little interest in science or tech (”boring!”), and got stuck in cargo pilot class. His real goal was fighter pilot class. And, for some reason, he saw Keith as his personal rival.

What we know about Shiro, pre-Kerberos: he was the same rank as Iverson and Sam Holt. And he was decorated; I don’t think it’s coincidental the animators chose to show us Shiro in his Garrison uniform, instead of his astronaut’s suit (like Sam and Matt Holt). 

If the Garrison is a military prep school (given the students’ ages) rather than a college, then Shiro is definitely college-age compared to his students. That could still put him at maybe 20 to 22, old enough to turn around and instruct HS-aged ROTC. 

Compared to Lance, Keith’s level of natural talent would normally put him out of bounds of any rivalry -- which means Lance saw something familiar in Keith, such that ‘there but for some really good luck would go I’. My guess is that Lance instinctively recognized that Keith was equally out of his depths, and thus if Keith could do it, so could Lance.

My guess is that Shiro said or did something that made Lance feel recognized and valued. Shiro does it to Pidge almost constantly: “If anyone can figure it out, you can, Pidge.” Or even, “that’s why we bring our sharpshooter,” to Lance. Shiro gives no indication he recognizes Lance, but his gentle encouragements probably meant the entire world to a homesick, overwhelmed, insecure kid. 

Here’s what prompted this whole thing: S1E1 is one of only two times anyone mentions rank. Lance says, “Shiro, you’re the senior officer here, what should we do?” (Later, Shiro tells Keith and Lance, “stow it, cadets!”) After that first episode, Lance never once says “yessir” to Shiro. We get “on it,” and “alright,” from the other pilots, but only Keith says gives a sharp military yessir.

What we know about Keith: he was probably abandoned by his father. We know he’s got some serious authority issues, which Iverson, Shiro, and even Keith himself imply or make explicit at points. That kind of personality is more likely to act up and act out -- as Keith did, in bailing out of Garrison -- than to accept authority on its own say-so. I’d go so far as to say if Keith had to say ‘yessir’ to anyone prior to Shiro, it was probably beaten into him and he said it through gritted teeth. He’s just too recalcitrant, especially in the first half of S1. 

Yet Keith never once shows that attitude towards Shiro, which makes me think they weren’t foster brothers, or neighbors, or even acquainted prior to Garrison. Their introduction had to be at Garrison -- in a quasi-military environment where yessir is expected towards anyone senior. Shiro said or did something that made him the one person Keith could say ‘yessir’ to and mean it, with full respect and admiration. 

My guess: given Shiro’s skill at assessing and directing the other pilots, he probably took one look at Keith, saw an angry, hurting, possibly delinquent (remember the knife fighting skills) kid with a massive potential for piloting, and realized he had to go the extra mile with this one. He’d put in time, a little extra attention, recognition; he got instinctively that Keith was starved for anything resembling positive attention. And I’d be willing to bet that Keith soaked it up. Of course Shiro would get ‘yessir’ from Keith; it’s a continued reminder of their relationship’s foundation as instructor and cadet, a relationship that means more to Keith than perhaps even himself. 

It’s also a little needy, on Keith’s part (understandably so, just saying), because Shiro becomes his rock. In return, he gains Keith’s absolute loyalty (and his ferocious protection). But it also means Keith is a little unsteady without Shiro’s support. 

When Shiro changes the plan so he’ll be going with Pidge to rescue the prisoners, Keith’s tone is nearly plaintive.

 That’s when we get Shiro teaching him the phrase that will become Keith’s mantra:

Keith doesn’t look too convinced here, but he repeats it to himself when his own attempts to find the Red Lion send him in a big circle. And voila, it works. Shiro’s words aren’t just advice to Keith, they’re practically a lifeline. (Makes me wonder what else Keith has said or done that are echoes of Shiro’s pre-Kerberos words.)

“If it wasn’t for you, my life would’ve been a lot different” combined with that ‘yessir’ and Keith’s absolute loyalty, and I’d say Keith was utterly shocked that anyone as amazing, skilled, and just plain kind as Shiro would ever notice someone like himself. But then Shiro died, and with him, Keith lost the one person who’d valued and validated him. More on that in a bit.

First, there’s one other line that never worked for me: “Shiro, you’re like a brother to me.” 

Every time I rewatch that episode, that line leaps out at me. Really? A brother? I have siblings, and if any acted towards me the way Keith acts towards Shiro, I’d either be smacking them upside the head for being smartasses or laugh in their face. One major element of siblinghood (at least those close in age) is having no delusions about your siblings’ failings. In fact, most of the time you’re the first to point out their flaws. 

The only time I see Shiro act anything like an older brother to Keith is after they form Voltron for the first time. We get a casual back-slap from Shiro that nearly knocks Keith over.

Check out this reaction shot from Keith:

He’s somewhere between annoyed, surprised, and perhaps confused. Like he’s not entirely certain about that level of casual. This is perhaps the closest to a sibling-like interaction, but a far better example is when they break from training:

Lance has a casual affection that shows he knows how to lower the distance-zone we usually keep in more formal/distanced adult relationships. It also indicates he and Hunk are good friends. 

The one other place I see sibling-like interaction? 

It’s in S2 when they deal with Rolo, and it’s between Keith and Lance: 

Now that is a sibling exchange if I’ve ever seen one. There’s just enough jabbing, none is truly malicious, but there’s no formality, and it’s all to to one-up the other. They may not be neck-and-neck in the rivalry sense, but they’ve finally achieved the informal sparring that close-in-age siblings (especially of the same gender) will often display.

And outside of that one backslap, I can’t remember a single time Keith or Shiro exchange such informal jibes. Keith can’t do it. He’s too deferent, for starters. 

That’s what makes Keith’s line a little heartbreaking, for me. He says, “you’re like a brother to me,” but based on his behavior, I don’t think he really knows what it’s like to have a brother. 

In the absence of any other model to understand how much Shiro means to him, I think Keith latched onto the concept, with no comprehension of what it really means nor how much it doesn’t fit. 

I do believe Shiro absolutely reciprocates this fondness and affection, and this kind of focus is a path to shipping, but it’s not a healthy relationship. Not unhealthy in the abusive sense -- unhealthy in the stifling sense. Shiro does recognize that; he drops the ‘you be the leader’ after the events of BoM. Keith may have it in him to someday lead, but Keith isn’t ready yet to step out from behind Shiro, and I think Shiro realizes that. 

But it also means that in S3, given Keith’s characterization, it’s going to be hard to believe Keith can simply step into the leadership role without flinching. Once again, Keith has lost his center, and he’ll be reeling from grief, plus all the abandonment issues. (Although he may throw himself into being the leader, even insisting on it, out of some kind of misplaced guilt that if he hadn’t protested, Shiro would’ve stayed. Bargaining is part of the process, too, however irrational.) 

What Keith needs is someone (or several someones) to provide the validation and recognition in Shiro’s place, so that when Shiro does return, Shiro isn’t crushed under the burden of being everything to Keith. Allura and Coran will do so, I think; as one of the co-leaders, Allura’s validation will be of particular support. I’d really like to see Kollivan step into a teaching role, too. Of any of the paladins, Keith desperately needs a solid father-figure.

Pidge’s and Hunk’s support will matter, too, but I think this is where Lance becomes really important, and Lance’s and Keith’s quasi-sibling relationship is groundwork for the next step. I’ll be looking for Lance to take the next step, where a sibling can say, look, I’ve seen the worst of you and I know everything you do wrong, so when I say you can do this right, you’d better believe me. 

Because Keith, with his ignorance of what ‘brother’ or even ‘family’ really means, needs to learn that someone can see all your bad sides, still love you, still call you out, and still support you. He’s been so focused on Shiro that he’s kept himself shut away (”nothing, I just need sleep”) from ever letting Shiro know that Keith is also broken. Where Shiro held back, Lance might be brash enough to push, as a true sibling would.  

[leonawriter]

Pride Come Home

Read it on AO3

Fandom: Voltron: Legendary Defender

Characters: Lance, Keith, Pidge, Matt, Sam (mentioned), Shiro, Allura, Hunk, Coran. 

Pairings: Shiro/Allura and Lance/Keith. Minor focus on both, but still there.

Summary: The return to Earth isn't quite how any of them had planned. But things have turned out better than they could have hoped. And if the team is anything, it's a family that's going to pull through this together.

Notes: Set two years into the future. Refers to things that are probably gonna just be AU.

...

If asked - or just left to talk - Lance would say that his dream homecoming would include touching down in his Lion in somewhere either populated enough that everyone saw him in order to congratulate him and throw him - and the other Paladins, by extension - a parade. Or, it meant going home to Varadero, to see his family, and showing them all Blue, and regaling them all with tales of his bravery.

There were other things as well, but those were the main highlights.

"Keith! Incoming on your eight!"

This, he had long since realised, was nowhere near being his dream homecoming. 

They'd all thought that it was safe to go home - all of them. It was a good thing the Castleship had stayed in orbit, or Allura and Coran wouldn't have been close enough to warn them that a Galran general with way too much ambition for his own good had just appeared.

In some ways, it kind of reminded him of those times when they'd had to go up against nearly a whole fleet of fighters, trying to keep them at bay with just the Castle's drones, and usually at least one Paladin down because something needed fixing. Except that this time, it was a matter of 'don't let the fighters near the atmosphere, or they'll be able to attack Earth.'

A stream of fire took the fighter in front of him out of commission before it had a chance to hit him, one that he'd only missed for this long because he'd been so distracted with the other five on his tail. 

"Thanks, Keith."

It was a much needed and unexpected relief to hear Shiro over the comms telling them that there was incoming from below, fighters they all realised had to be Garrison piloted, because no one else used that motif, and no one else had been training their space exploration teams how to manoeuvre like that. 

He whooped, and went back into the fray with a grin.

...

"I'm not worried," she was saying. While pacing. "Really, I'm not. I mean, I'm excited, if anything. I was right. About everything. And we're going home. Things can finally get back to normal."

Which was what she wanted. It was what she'd always wanted. Hacking into the Garrison in the first place, becoming Pidge Gunderson at all, rescuing Shiro - even finding the Green Lion and becoming a Paladin of Voltron. This was what she'd always wanted. 

To go home, with her family, and go back to her mom, and they could sit around at the table again and she could listen to her dad talk about space peas and Matt could go on and on about whatever he was interested in this time.

She could go back to being Katie Holt.

"It's all right to be worried, Pidge."

Her brother's voice shook her out of her thoughts. She glanced up at him, the vision of how much older he was than when he'd left jarring with the memories she had. He walked with a limp, now, not noticeable on his good days, but more so when he was stressed. A limp that Shiro had given him, in order to save his life. 

"But I've got nothing to worry about! Things are going to be exactly how I always wanted. So why aren't I happy?"

"Maybe because what we want doesn't always turn out quite how we'd planned," Matt said, smiling at her. "I learned that the hard way. But that doesn't always mean it's a bad thing either. Things are just... different."

She looked up at him - still a couple of inches shorter than her big brother, but at least she'd grown at all in the past two years - and felt her eyes water, not for the first or last time.

She threw herself at him, and comforted herself with the way it was definitely Matt, the way she wasn't dreaming, the way his hand patted her awkwardly.

"I want to see mom again. I want to show her you and dad. And the rest of the team. I want her to know we're okay."

Matt held her closer, and it wasn't the first time she realised just how much he must have missed her, too.

"Well, we're definitely getting there, Pidgeon."

"I told you not to call me that!"

But she can't help smiling even as she complains.

...

"Princess, relax. You've dealt with far worse situations than Earth crowds. You'll be fine."

She couldn't help but be tense, however. This wasn't just another planet that they were stopping off at in order to help them recover from ten thousand years of Galran occupation, or to smooth things over in the aftermath. This was Earth. This was the home planet of her Paladins.

She could not allow things to go wrong.

The mice squeaked up and their feelings of reassurance added to the concern in Shiro's eyes and his hand on her shoulder, and she let out a breath.

"If I say something wrong here, it won't be as easy as- this is your home. A battle in the skies above them was the first they knew of life outside of their own world, and I don't... I don't want them to have a bad opinion of the galaxy based on something that I said or did wrong."

Shiro huffed, smiling fondly at her. 

"Well, if anything goes wrong, there's always the fact that you brought back all three members of the so-called 'failed' Kerberos mission, as well as three missing Garrison cadets an a fourth they probably didn't even know was missing, knowing Keith."

She sighs, remembering how far they'd come, and what it had been like finally finding Pidge's lost family, one piece at a time. 

"Have you talked to Keith, by the way?"

The concern bled back into Shiro's expression, even as he leaned into her. 

"I have, and he said that he's doing this the 'ambassadorial way', like you suggested. In his words, 'would you rather the first friendly Galran face they see is someone Lotor sent'.  I can't say I disagree, however. He has a point."

It's the mental image of the new Galran king either sending one of the strange beings he actually trusted, or even coming himself, that sets her off laughing and gets rid of some of the nerves at last. The former prince might have elevated his status from someone she would be all too happy to see dead to someone she could see as an ally, but that would never destroy the fact that he had acted in some extremely ridiculous ways, and his confidants had always been quite... eccentric themselves.

"No, no. You're right. He does have a point. And on that note, you should remind me to thank him for this later. I know that this must mean something to him, separating himself from the rest of his species like this."

Shiro shrugged.

"In a sense, we've all been separated and changed by what we've been through, for better or worse. But the universe is definitely better off for it, and that's what we have to focus on explaining to all of these people. As long as we remember that, there won't be any trouble."

"Right," she said, straightening up and determinedly brushing off her Altean gown yet again - a dress that she remembered that her father had liked her wearing, before the war had come. "We're doing this together."

"Like always, princess."

He took her by the arm, and she remembered the way that they had started to dance just like they were now, back on a planet they'd helped several months ago, now.

...

As parties went, it was more or less the same as anything you could expect, Keith supposed. A whole load of people milling around in the middle of a big room, a bar on one side, and Hunk still ecstatic at the fact that he could go back to using Earth foods as well as the alien ones he'd had to figure his way around.

The fact that they'd been gone two years, saved the universe, he'd found out that he wasn't even all human, and come back only to realise that most of them still weren't legally able to drink at the so-called 'party' just happened to be one of life's great ironies.

His gaze slid across the room once more, picking up on four familiar suits of armour - Shiro was with Allura and Coran, talking to someone and explaining things that didn't translate well. Pidge was still with her brother and father, though it was just as much the fact that they seemed to be talking science with someone he thought he recognised as one of their old instructors, as it was that it'd been hard to pry the Holt family away from each other once they'd been found. Not that he could blame them. And Lance - Lance, he didn't have to look for, because he could hear Lance talking to a large group of people, and he knew he was exaggerating, because he'd been there when Lance had done that, and- he looked away the moment Lance realised that he was looking, not wanting to be dragged in.

"Feels good, doesn't it. We're all back home, you know?"

Keith turned his head to where he'd noticed Hunk sidling up a moment ago. 

"In case you'd forgotten, I'm still purple."

"I thought you were from Texas, though?"

He rolled his eyes. 

"I grew up in Arizona, thank you. And you know perfectly well what I mean. I think I even recognise a few of the people Lance is talking to over there. Apparently, we took the same classes. But they look at me, and I'm just-"

"Purple?"

He sighed. There was so much more to it than that. He knew who he was now, after all, and it was more than this - he knew who his mother was, for one thing. And even though it hadn't started out that way, being Galran wasn't exactly a big deal anymore. Or he hadn't thought it was. 

Until he'd been put in a room with himself, Allura and Coran being the only non-humans there, and he was reminded of just how different he was. How Earth had never really been his home the way it was for the others.

"I think," he said, hesitating slightly, "I think I'm going to go back out there, when all of this is over and I'm not needed to play representative here anymore."

Hunk nearly choked on one of the canapés he'd made.

"You're joking, right? Tell me you're joking. Because if you're not joking, I know someone who'll be really pissed off with you. Actually, no, scratch that, several people, Keith. Think about what you're doing. I mean, trust me. This isn't just going to be playing representative or anything. We've got plans. I don't get how you got the idea you weren't a part of them, buddy. 'Cause you are. You so are."

Keith shrugged awkwardly. 

"It's okay? You don't have to - you guys have your own families. I'm not expecting you to- what? What's so funny?"

Hunk had doubled down in laughter, noticeable enough that Lance was glancing their way and gesturing something that looked a lot like what's up with him?, which Keith could only shrug at, far too confused to give a decent answer himself.

"Keith. Bro. I think by this point you and Lance are family. Unless you think everyone's suddenly gonna forget what happened on Solima, and everything after that, which, you know, I really doubt. Whether you like it or not, you're kind of stuck. And my moms already had him over for the holidays that one time, so they're definitely going to want to meet you and Pidge and, uh, everyone. And I don't think Mrs. Holt's done thanking you for helping look after her baby girl and lead the rescue mission for Matt yet. I don't think she'll ever be done thanking you for that."

He had to remind himself to breathe evenly, but found himself wishing he'd left the glamour up when he realised that his ears were playing traitor and lying flat against his head at Hunk's words.

He could still remember Pidge trying to leave the team after only a few days. Everyone talking about what they wanted to do after defeating Zarkon. Lance talking longingly of home. 

He'd never really been able to relate. He hadn't been able to fit in with any of them, in that respect. He didn't have a family to go back to on Earth like the rest of his team did, but he also hadn't had his home completely destroyed, like Allura and Coran had, so even though they didn't really have anywhere else to go either, it wasn't the same.

"Aw, man. I think you need a hug."

"No, I do not, I don't- Hunk."

"Your fluffy ears were saying you were lying, Keith. You so need a hug right now."

He had to admit, he didn't mind it all that much. Although, it would have been much more comfortable if they hadn't been in their full Paladin armour still.

"So.... still wanna go off on your lonesome the moment you get the chance, or are you gonna stick around?"

"Hah. I don't know - I'd always been kind of curious what Varadero's like."

...

AN: The references to Lotor are due majorly to the fact that a friend and I started theorising as to what he'd be like well before he was ever mentioned and Tumblr took it and ran with it, and our version was more or less 'dark foil to Lance, more curious about his dual Galran/Altean heritage than he is interested in Allura as a consort, has massive insecurities', and so on. Basically, Space Zuko. And I just love playing around with these ideas far more than the 'pure villain' ones.

As for ages, well - Pidge is now sixteen, Lance and Keith are nineteen, and Hunk is twenty (given that his was the first birthday we're aware of, I'm putting him down as the oldest of the Cadet group). Shiro is twenty seven. Given I'm assuming the Galaxy Garrison is in America, and the legal drinking age is usually around 21 (correct me if I'm wrong there because of state differences) then, yeah. You can risk your life in space but you can't have the spiked punch.

And you can make up for yourselves what happened on Solima.

[amoretheiwa]

The worth of a (my) life

I didn’t plan on writing more, but now it’s looking to be a 4-chapter fic! Here’s part two. Chapter One’s title was Exchange of Lives; some of it was inspired by @hedgiwithapen and her ramblings and making me sad still

Read on AO3

Chapter 2-One for None

Pidge, Katie, Paladin, Number 5, did it even matter anymore? She felt her head roll forward, but didn’t have the strength or desire to care. Everything hurt and everything was numb at the same time. She knew people were talking but couldn’t understand them—she wondered why. Maybe the Galra had their own language, or maybe she had been stuck here for so long that her brain couldn’t even compute language anymore.

She mentally shook herself and took a deep breath. She lifted her head back up and left it fall back with a sharp clunk against the table-chair-thing she was on. She opened her eyes—when did they close—to see two druids shuffle forwards, towards her. She focused on breathing and ignoring the fear gripping her heart too tightly. Their quintessence was not as cool anymore, especially not when she was the experiment, not the experimenter.

“Paladin of the Green Lion, can you hear me?” The druid growled at her, his deep voice echoing in her ears.

Pidge squinted at him and opened her mouth. He flicked a hand and quick jolt ran through her, causing her to scream.

“You do not speak unless I specify it. Now again, Paladin, can you hear me?”

Pidge squeezed her eyes shut tight against the fresh wave of pain crackling throughout her body. She nodded, tight-lipped, and cracked open her eyes. The water made the shadows and purple blur together but it looked like the druids were walking way. She heard the door open and close again and she opened her eyes, dropping her head with a giant gust of air.

“Shiro…” she murmured. “Matt, Dad…Hunk…please get here soon…”

There were far too many people in the Holt family living room. Colleen stood in the little area at the foot of the stairs, her hands over her mouth, leaning against her husband. The two looked on at people who were once children, once innocent. People who were now planning a full assault against a rogue group of violent aliens who had their Katie.

Shiro was clearly the leader, on equal footing with the alien princess the boys claimed was their friend of the past four years. Colleen had never met the young woman, but was definitely impressed by her ability to command attention. If only that confidence would be enough to rescue her Katie, and keep the others safe. Seeing Matt angrily involved caused her heart to jump in an unpleasant manner and she turned her face into her husband’s chest.

One of Samuel Holt’s hands rubbed his wife’s back and he couldn’t help but feel a little lost. Strategy, Lions, a castle-ship, and more terms and phrases he did not fully understand flew around his home and all he could hope was that his daughter was home sooner rather than later.

“Remember when Lance and Keith got captured by the Galra? After we got Shiro back? We should attack just like then! Swoop in, guns blazing, and find Pidge while the Castle keeps their fighters busy!”

“We have no idea how many Galra we’ll find there. Stealth is paramount when rescuing Pidge.”

“We can’t risk them hurting Katie just for the sake of your bravado, buddy.”

“What do you know, Matt? And what do you suggest, Princess?”

“I think we need to find the group of Galra who captured Pidge first of all, then do some recon before deciding our next move.”

“Shiro’s right! We can’t just barge in and expect them to give us Pidge back!”

“Coran, dude, seriously? Seeing Voltron on their doorstep would have them scared witless. It’d be the perfect plan!”

“Lance, stop joking around. We need to be serious.”

“I am being serious! We defeated Zarkon and Lotor, what is some small loner group of loser Galra going to do to stop us?”

“You all have good points. Paladins, take a walk. Maybe see if the Holts have some chores you can do, or if you’re lions need any maintenance. Allura and I will discuss what information we do have and then get back to you.”

With varying levels of protest Lance, Hunk, and Keith followed Coran out into the backyard. Sam and Colleen shared a look before following them, Mrs. Holt patting Matt on the shoulder. He stood up and moved closer to where Shiro and Allura were waiting for the room to empty.

“So,” he said, glaring up at his former crewmate. “What information do we have?”

Shiro glanced at Allura and sighed, running a hand through his hair.

“Not much, I’m afraid,” the princess said in reply.

“The group who had you two was mainly comprised of druids and the Galra soldiers more loyal to them than to Zarkon. After we defeated the empire, a huge number of rogue groups formed and the fight turned into a true guerilla war between us, our allies, and them. We no longer have the same ability to track where Galra forces might be like we did when Zarkon was in charge.”

Matt’s eyebrows came down in anger.

“You mean to tell me that even though you defeated them, you didn’t really end it?”

“The paladins have been fighting heroically for years now, sacrificing everything to protect what free portions of the universe still existed. Pidge fought just as bravely alongside the rest of them, and frankly she had most of the information. It was her tracking and hacking that allowed us to find you and your father in the first place.”

Something sparked in Shiro’s mind the same moment it sparked in Matt’s. They shared a wide-eyed look of excitement.

“Do you think…”

“I could try…”

“Let’s do it!”

“Do what?” Allura asked, looking between the two men.

“I may not know your Lions and Altean technology like Katie does, and I may not have the same apt for technology she does, but I’m just as smart.”

“Matt could maybe use Katie-Pidge’s same information to that she used to find him to find her.”

“Perfect!”

Pidge coughed, and vaguely noticed that flecks of blood were splattered on her hands now. She glanced up, hearing some sort of commotion from outside her cell that had been her home for however long she had been there. Time didn’t seem to pass, just as it seemed to pass all to quickly when on the druids table. She wasn’t entirely sure what was going on, as they would normally have come for her by now or at least given her something to eat. It was with a start she realized her door was about to be opened. She shifted herself into a straighter sitting position with gritted teeth, not that it did much.

The door opened and two guards walked in, keeping their weapons trained on her. Katie grinned to herself, remembering the few times she was still able to fight back.

“Get up, now, before we make you.” One of them said.

Pidge normally would have said something sassy in reply, or refused, but she had quickly learned that that was not the right thing to do if she wanted to survive.

“Now!” The other one shouted, jerking his gun at her.

She stood up, wincing. One of the things she did remember happening with the druids was some extremely painful experimenting on her pain tolerance when it came to broken ribs and other injuries. Pidge started to limp, favoring her left ankle—that was one injury she didn’t know how she had come by—but apparently it was too slow for the guards. A gun came swinging at her upper back and with an angry, pained cry she fell forward.

“Move it, Paladin.”

Rough hands gripped her by the shoulders and hauled her up, dragging her through the now-familiar hallway. She tried to wrench away, but after the first few times and resulting jerks either direction, she let her body sag in their hold.

“Mind my asking where we’re going?” She asked, her voice weaker than she had wished.

They didn’t answer her, and to be completely honest Katie hadn’t been expecting an answer. When the trip seemed to be lasting significantly longer than normal trips to her torture chamber she began to get curious in a not-so-confident manner.

It was a few more minutes during which Pidge was convinced they walked in a few circles before they started to slow down. A nondescript door opened and they threw Pidge in. She landed roughly, not able to stop a gasp of pain.

“Katie?” Someone asked, shock, hope, and some pain coloring their voice.

It was with great effort that she pushed herself up only to look into Shiro’s wide eyes. Blood dripped from his nose and there were bruises forming on almost all of his visible skin. His armor was dented in places it shouldn’t have been and his Galra prosthetic arm did not look like it was fully functional.

“Shiro?” She gasped, wincing as pain spiked in her torso, curling in on herself.

“Thank goodness you’re still alive,” the Black Paladin said, shuffling towards her.

Katie looked around the room as he came closer, and saw that it was cell identical to her own, only larger.

“What…how did you end up here? Why are you here? Where is my family?”

“Calm down Pidge, they’re fine. All of them.”

Katie sighed in relief, sagging against Shiro who now knelt next to her. He rested his chin on top of her head for a moment before pulling back.

“Why are you here, Shiro? Where are the others?”

He glanced away, sighing.

“Our rescue attempt didn’t go so well, and…I made a deal with them.”

“You too?” Pidge said in surprise.

“They promised to let everyone else get away safely if I surrendered. It was the only way I could guarantee that at least the others made it out. It was supposed to just be a simple recon mission but we failed you.”

Katie shook her head, tears stinging her eyes.

“No, I’m sure you guys tried your hardest.”

She moved to lean against the wall, sitting next to Shiro.

“What now?” She murmured, wincing at yet another twinge of pain.

“Now, we wait. They have all the information they need to launch a successful rescue mission now, especially since your Lion has allowed Matt to pilot her until you’re fully back.”

A sweeping wave of jealousy flooded the Green Paladin before she shook her head, squashing it down. She leaned her head against the wall, and rotated her neck so as to look at her companion.

“How long do you think that’ll be? How long have I been here?”

Shiro rested his head against the wall as well, looking up at the ceiling.

“I’m not sure. You were only missing for three and a half weeks, so nowhere near that long this time.”

The door slid open and with a jump they both turned to look at the druid who entered, shifting into somewhat defensive positions. Two guards followed the masked creature and Katie narrowed her eyes.

“I have a gift for the two of you,” it said in a sickeningly pleased voice.

“What, more time with your kind?” Pidge bit back. Shiro placed a light hand on her shoulder.

“What do you want?”

The druid chuckled, leaning forward.

“We want to know everything you do. We want the Galra empire to rise again. But first, a gift—footage of your teammates.”

A screen appeared above the druid’s hand and the two Paladins were frozen. It showed Galra fighter ships dancing around the three lions, and one by one they each took increasingly worse hits.

Katie’s hand gripped Shiro’s tightly as one after another the Lions appeared to explode, or fall from the sky in slow motion.

“No,” they said in unison, pain and fear and despair present in their voices.

“Your friends, your fellow paladins, are now dead. It is only a matter of time before the Princess and other Altean join her. Then you will be ours until we tire of you and have finished Zarkon’s will.”

[wingsxofxaxfighter]

I had only really heard myths about him from my cousin Shiro. I never actually thought he was real.

"Wait a second. He's REAL?!" I asked as the real thing stood in from of me. "I always thought that Pidge...." I stopped as I Pidge gave me a look. I only waved and sighed at my own stupidity.

“Seems as though he is in fact real.” Keith said only as exasperated as the others.

“Who are all of you? What do you want? Have you seen my sister? Is she alright?” Matt started but Pidge moving through us cut him off and he stared at her with wide eyes.

“Katie?!” he asked, as if he was confused.

Pidge only smiled, probably happy to hear her brother call her by her real name again.

The two ran towards each other and hugged each hugged the other but Matt recoiled hard when Pidge hugged him, causing me to spring into action and go to his aide as Pidge broke from him.

“Matt?!” Shiro asked. “What’s wrong?!” he asked.

Matt looked up and shook his head, probably in his own disgust. “All they ever did was torture me.” he growled.

Pidge stiffened and I saw her look at me from the corner of my eye but I only took a foot toward Matt.

“Where are they?” I asked, the innocence in my eyes gone now and they raged with fury.

"Wait a second, Lily. We don't know what we're dealing with-" Keith tried but I waisted no time in a comeback. "We know damn well what we're up against here. It's the same thing that trapped two people I care about-"

"And the third person you care about is also one of them." Keith shot back.

I stepped back in shock and disgust that he would bring that up right now. “You know how I feel about you talking about that with these guys.” I said.

“Enough.” Shiro said. “We need to get out of here.

“You get Matt and the others out of here. I’ll take his captors down by myself.” I said.

“You’ll do no such damn thing.” Lance pointed out as he put a firm hand on my shoulder causing me to turn slowly to him.

I only rolled my eyes and looked at him from the side. “This is something I have to do.”

“What will this accomplish?!” Pidge demanded.

“She has a point, Lily.” Matt said through the pain that must have been racking through him at that moment.

"Think about it. We lose you and we loose Voltron in its entirety." Hunk told me.

"Don't you think I've thought if that?" I snapped. "All I ever do is sit basically on the side lines and give you orders to follow." I said.

"The Heart knows right from wrong. You can't think that that's all you've been doing for us?" Pidge told me.

“If it means that I get to help out then I’m all for it.” I said as I looked back at Matt who only now had a little bit of pain let in his eyes from his previous struggle. “Go. I’ll catch up with you, I promise.”

“Better not be lying to me.” I heard Shiro call back over to me as I turned away and took off.

I only heard half if what he said. I navigated myself back the way we had come and hid back as far as I could when another one of the Galra Guards was just around the corner.

Memories of when Shiro and I where captured by the Galra race ran through my head like no time had passed since that day at all. I shook my head and pushed forward to find the control room where Lotor would be sitting and waiting for me. I snuck up behind his chair only to be grabbed by one of Lotor guards from behind.

"Did you really think you could stop me?" Lotor snickered and I was forced to my knees.

"Why did you keep him for so long when you knew that he had a family looking for him?!" I snarled.

"It's more fun that way." Was all Lotor said.

"You're a sick twisted son of a bitch." I screeched but that only earned me a boot to the jaw that left me sprawled out on the floor and blood trailing from my lip.

"I know what I am." Lotor spat at me. "Finish her." He then said with no emotion. I was only striken with terror. I told everyone I would be ok. I PROMISED them! With that I began to struggle like I didn't know what I was doing. That only landed me with another boot to the jaw that rolled me half over. I coughed up a small mouthful of blood but the rest had stayed on my lips and in the cut in my lip as I spit it out onto the floor.

“You’re fun!” Lotor told me with a snicker as I sat up against the wall and stared at him in hatred.

“It was never about the other’s... was it?” I coughed as I held my aching sides. “You wanted to kill me from the start, right?” I asked.

Lotor only smiled in a devilish way as he looked down his nose at me. “I thought that if the Heart was affected then all of Voltron would crumble. Why do you think I tried so hard?” Lotor asked me.

I groaned as I shifted in my position on the floor but only glared up at Lotor.

“Go then. Get it over with.” I said but as I did I saw the others ran past at another window for off in  the distance. Sadly, they had a perfect view of what was happening to me from where they were.

Pidge was the one that stopped first and I could see her eyes widen with horror as she watched and then her mouth opened in protest and the others stopped to watch, helpless from where they stood.

“Come to watch the show have they?’ Lotor asked as he turned half away from me. Before I knew it something was jammed into my left shoulder, pinning me to the wall.

I let out a cry of agony so hard that it only cut me short on it’s own with how loud and hard it was on my vocal chords as I turned my head away.

“You’re friends have a front row seat on the action. What fun.” Lotor said but I only glary’ed at him from the side of my view.

“They’re not my friends.” I said.

Lotor only stopped in confusion.

“They’re more than that to me. In the end..... their family to me in their own weird way.” I said.

“Would someone just kill her already?” Lotor asked ass he turned away from me.

“You won’t get it-” I started before one of his goons punched me in the face and I cried out again in pain.

“You won’t get it because you never had a family. Not really.” I said.

“What the hell is taking so long. Finish her already.” Lotor demanded. “Or I’ll do it myself.’ he said.

“Don’t you lay and hand on her!” someone said and I looked up as one of his goons stood next to me. “The Heart of Voltron is supposed to know right from wrong. I think the girl is right.” they said.

Another came up beside me and another went in front of me.

“ The Heart was right all along. We should’ve never joined you.” One of them said with a snarl.

“Now now. You work for me, remember?” Lotor said.

“Not anymore.” one of them said before two went in to attack and the other turned back to me.

“Sorry about this.” they told me.

“Are you kidding?!” I rasped. “I’ve been through worse than this, let me tell you.” I said.

LATER

Somewhere along the lines I passed out from the pain and blood loss but when I woke up I was back on the Castle of Lions.

“What the-?” I asked before Coran rushed over to me.

“Oh, Thanks goodness you’re ok.” he told me.

“Do you remember anything?” I heard Allura ask  me but I only shook my head.

“Maybe it’s a good thing.” Coran says.

“For now.” Allura told him. “If anything, the both  of us are so glad you’re alright.” Allura told me.

“Do the others not know yet?” I asked as I tried to sit up.

Allura and Coran stiffened and looked at each other before they looked back at me.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“Lily.... The others.... they-” Coran started but Allura cut him off.

“They went looking for you to see if they could help. I’m afraid they didn’t make it off.” she told me.

The smiled on my face quickly melted and the water works started to form.

“We all promised each other that we would be ok.” I said in a small voice. “Why did they forget that promise? What’s the universe without Voltron. It could be years before we find new Paladins and train them to be the fighters we once where!” I stammered trying to keep it all to together but failing miserably as the tears ran down my face and my cries of agony and heartbreak filled the castle and I could feel the spirits of all the Lions deep in my heart somewhere, crying for their lost pilots.