#klance conspiracy club au

[donnarider]

Conspiracy club (Klance au) part 1

This is a birthday present for @beekeeper-cas who wanted a high school au where Keith is in a conspiracy club and Lance wants to help everyone and constantly needs a nap (I hope I remembered this right ‘cause my garbage phone deleted the text). Enjoy <3

„Lance? Lance? DUDE!“

Something cold touched the back of his neck and he jerked. His head collided painfully with something hard. He groaned and examined the spot of impact. He could have sworn he could already feel a bump.

“ ¿Qué mierda?” he cursed and looked up angrily. His expression softened immediately when his eyes fell on Hunk’s pained face. His best friend was rubbing his jawline.

“Man. You really don’t like it when someone wakes you up…”

“Shit, Hunk. I’m sorry. Are you okay?”

“I’ve had worse. I’m a beefy football player, this is nothing.” He flexed and winked at Lance who blushed a little. Hunk was his best friend but that didn’t mean he couldn’t tell how handsome he was. He had had a small crush on him in 10th grade but it had lasted only a couple of weeks and it had never made things weird between them in any way. “So…” Hunk started and sat down next to Lance at the table he had fallen asleep at. “I’m guessing you didn’t get any sleep last night…again…” Lance squirmed in his chair. Hunk wasn’t going to like his answer.

“Nooo…BUT it was totally an emergency, Hunk! The yearbook club had a major setback with the layout so Nyma called me and - “

“Nyma can do that sort of stuff on her own. She knows how busy you always are and yet she calls you over every little thing. You really need to learn how to say no to her, Lance.” Hunk sighed and ruffled up Lance’ hair.

“I know, I know… but I also wanted to help the other guys in the club, not only her… Anyways, we were supposed to be finished by ten but I didn’t get home till after midnight and then suddenly one of my sisters called from college because her boyfriend broke up with her and she got super drunk and cried and stuff. He didn’t deserve her anyways, that motherfucker…”

“Not the point, Lance. You need to sleep and preferably not during class. By the way, you slept through chemistry again in case you haven’t noticed.” Lance looked around and realized they were indeed still in the lab. He groaned.

“Kaltenecker is gonna breathe down my neck for the rest of the year. I might as well just dig my own grave.”

“No self-pity today, we don’t have time for that. Get off your ass, we’re going to the library to study. You have a lot to catch up on.” Lance was already grabbing his bag and hurried after Hunk.

“Did I ever tell you that I love you, big guy?”

“Once or twice… a day.” Hunk chuckled and punched his arm playfully.

A couple of hours later he was rubbing at his eyes aggressively and was downing his fourth coffee. Which was a lot considering that he hated coffee more than anything. The library smelled of old books and wood and the cheap lamps with their dimmed light did not exactly make it easier to stay awake. Hunk yawned for the fifth time in a row and finally closed his chemistry book.

“Alright, I need to crash. Let’s go home.” Lance shook his head in response.

“You go. I want to go over this part again.”

“Lance!” Hunk said with a warning tone in his voice.

“I’m gonna sleep eventually, promise.” Hunk raised his eyebrows.

“Full 8 hours!” Lance added and made a boy scout gesture. Hunk snorted.

“I’m gonna ask your mum at what time you got home so don’t try any shit, McClain.” Hunk pulled a granola bar from his bag, put it in front of Lance and grabbed his books. Lance smiled at him and saluted when he turned around one last time before he left the library. He pushed the granola bar aside with his index finger. He could use it as a reward for later and his brain worked better on an empty stomach anyways. He sighed and flipped through the pages of his book until he found the chapter he was struggling with. He ripped a blank page from his writing pad. Maybe summarizing his own notes again would help him learn this stuff by heart.

Ten minutes later he found himself doodling small fish on the side of the page. He sighed and lay his head on the table. He should have gone home with Hunk. It was late and he was tired and he had to get up early tomorrow to help the prom committee hang those stupid posters before class started. A sudden chill made him shiver. It was getting cold in the library but he also had the feeling someone was looking at him. He turned his face so that his other cheek was now resting on the table. There was no one looking at him but he saw someone roaming between the shelves. The person was trailing the back of the books with their finger as if they were searching for something but weren’t sure what. Lance could only see their hand for a second but he was sure they were wearing black fingerless leather gloves. When they rounded the next shelf Lance could finally see their upper body.

It was a tall boy with black hair. He wore a black shirt and a red leather jacket with broad white stripes on it. He wasn’t looking in Lance’ direction so it was difficult to see his face. Eventually he pulled a rather big book out of one of the shelves and opened it. Lance was sure he would go to one of the tables to read next but instead he lowered himself to the floor right between the shelves and sat down cross-legged, the book in his lap. He was now facing Lance but apparently hadn’t noticed him. Lance breath caught in his throat. He didn’t know if it was because he was tired but the boy looked incredibly beautiful to him and it made Lance’ heart ache a little. His face was the perfect mix of hard lines and softness and his hair was falling into his face in an endearing way. Lance was, however, pretty sure he was hallucinating the boy because there was no way he actually had a mullet. Nope. Not possible.

His hallucination suddenly looked up and met his gaze. Lance froze. His eyes were so big… and they were fixed on him. He gulped, suddenly very aware that his face was lying on the table and he probably looked like a complete idiot. But the other’s face showed no emotion. He just looked at Lance for a moment and then turned his gaze back to the book in his lap. Lance couldn’t help but keep staring at him and he swore he saw the corner of the boy’s mouth curl up in a smile. Even if it was only for a second.

Lance knew his face was probably red by now and he buried his head under his arms on the table. He fell asleep seconds later.

When the annoyed librarian woke him an hour later because they were closing a red leather jacket had been draped over his shoulders.

After Hunk hit him lightly for not even being close to eight hours of sleep the next morning he was finally able to tell someone about the weird encounter.

“I mean I don’t even know who he is so how am I gonna give him back his jacket?” he ended helplessly. Hunk giggled in response. Lance frowned at him.

“How exactly is that funny, Hunk?”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. It’s just… dude…this is some Cinderella shit right here. Now you have to make every guy you see try on the jacket until you find your one true love… mullet-boy.” Lance kicked his shin under the cafeteria table.

“Bad Hunk, not helping.” Hunk stilled laughed at his own joke.

“Sorry, yeah. Back on track. So, tell me again how pretty he was.” Lance sighed.

“Soooo pretty, Hunk. Ugh. Like… have you ever seen someone so pretty it actually made you thankful humankind was created?”

“I think you might be exaggerating a bit there but okay.”

“Exaggerating? Our Lance? Never!” deadpanned Pidge who just arrived at their table with a full food tray. They sat down next to Hunk and threw the cookie from their tray at Lance. “Here, you disgusting sugar addict.” They took a spoon full of pasta and started chewing. “What are we talking about?”

“Lance met some weird guy in the library last night and is head over heels for him. Unfortunately he doesn’t have any idea who they guy is,” Hunk filled them in while Lance was busy unpacking the cookie and taking a big bite of it. “Our only clue is a jacket his knight in shining armor left.” Pidge nodded.

“Cinderella style.” Hunk beamed at them.

“Exactly!”

“So, Lance. What did he look like?” They asked with one eyebrow raised. Lance knew that the story had woken their interest.

“Black hair, black shirt, fingerless leather gloves, I didn’t pay much attention to his legs but I think black jeans and boots and ummm also… he… well sort of… a mullet,” he mumbled the last words so Pidge might not hear them. They did of course and a stupidly wide grin was plastered on their face.

“Show me the jacket please, dear sir.” Lance grabbed it from the seat next to him and held it up so Pidge could see. He knew they were up to something but knowing Pidge it was better to just go with it.

“Ahhh, well. Mystery solved, I guess.” They said still grinning.

“What? How?”

“I know exactly whose jacket that is.”

“Well? Tell me!”

“Yeah!” Hunk joined in. “Tell us! This is getting really interesting.”

“Keith Kogane. He’s in our year. You don’t have any classes with him though so that explains why you never saw him before. He usually sticks to himself.”

“Kogane…Never heard the name either… How do you know him, Pidge?” They shrugged and swallowed another spoon of pasta before they replied.

“Conspiracy club.”

“Conspi-… what? I didn’t even know we had one!” Lance almost yelled. This was definitely not what he had expected.

“Well, now you know. Every Thursday, 5pm.” Lance and Hunk watched them eat their pasta in silence for a moment. Both too surprised to react. They had been friends with Pidge for years and while they knew about their ‘obsessions’ they had no idea that they were in a club like that. Lance took another bite from his cookie before he slammed his fist on the table and made Hunk jump a bit.

“Hunk, we’re going to the conspiracy club. Today. I wanna meet my Cinderella.”

Author’s notes:

@beekeeper-cas You know how much you mean to me, right? You’re so incredibly important to me and I will be forever thankful that we met and became friends. You’re such a kind, amazing person and I learned so much from you. I’m so glad that we can just hang and talk about stuff all day and when I get home I feel so much better. I wish you all the good things in the world and hope you have a wonderful birthday <3

I’m incredibly sorry if there are any mistakes in this. Unfortunately beekeeper-cas is also my beta and since this is a surprise for her I couldn’t exactly ask her to proof-read it xD If you find any mistakes feel free to tell me.

I don’t know shit about American schools so I’m just making this up as I go with a little help from google.

In case you read my Klance soulmate au and are wondering “Wtf Donna, why don’t you finish one fic before you start a new one?” the answer is that a lot of shit is going on in my life right now (I’m talking existencial level) and I need to work on that right now. Since this is a birthday present for one of my best friends it was more important to me than the other fic. I hope I will be able to upload the next chapter of the soulmate au wihtin the next two weeks. Please bear with me. Read the soulmate au here

As it says in the short intro the idea for this fic comes entirely from beekeeper-cas. She told me she wanted a conspiracy club au where Lance always helps people and studies at night and one night he falls asleep in the library and wakes up with Keith’s jacket on him. I just filled in some details, added some own ideas and well... wrote it xD I hope you like it Mish ^-^

If you want me to tag you when I post the next chapter of this just send me an ask ;)

[aprxl-showers]

For the unwritten Klance aus: how about 8? :3

and @bisociallyawkwardandstressed​  also said ‘mmmmm 8?? :o’ so let’s do it :)

MOVIE CLUB ahhhhhh - this one’s a bit more jumbled so i hope u like :)

the voltron bunch have a movie club at college which was VERY busy during freshers week and a while after but it quickly filtered down.

it’s a weird mix: pidge, hunk and lance - all first years, shiro - he’s on the grad programme, allura and romelle (gfs) - second years and coran is the professor who runs it. he’s a film professor.

they have the club in a room in the creatives department. it has a nice leather couch (a bit battered, but lovely) and cushions all over

they’ve got a good vibe going, they all know each other pretty well and the dynamic is settled

UNTIL

shiro brings along keith to one meeting and BAM. shenanigans abound. dynamics up in the air.

keith is uncultured af and only chooses weird conspiracy shit when it’s his turn. lance is absolutely shocked and offended.  

everyone criticises each other’s movie taste. it’s wonderful. friendship at it’s finest.

i promise they do analyse films occasionally but it’s more about the bonding than actual movie content

add some disney (and keith being enamoured by lance’s voice) in there somewhere. 

at one point they try and make their own movie. pidge films it and they all contribute to the editing process. lance convinces shiro to be the stereotypical movie hunk and keith lies on the ground laughing for seven straight minutes when he comes out of the ‘dressing room’ (allura’s bathroom) wearing a too tight tank top on.

that is when lance realises he really likes keith and for the entirety of the filming process he keeps zoning out because HOW COULD HE LET THIS HAPPEN?? HE HAS BAD TASTE IN MOVIES! WHY WHY WHY?

he accepts it quickly though. keith in a ponytail cracks through his facade.

meanwhile, keith has been into lance ever since he sang ‘part of you world’ flawlessly during one of their disney days (this has nothing to do with the fact there’s a very much incomplete little mermaid au in my wips lol)

anyway,, they get together through a fun series of events which may or may not include falling asleep on the couch. on each other.

on their first date they go and see a movie but ditch it halfway through because they’d rather make out outside the cinema and watch the stars

everyone’s happy and some are in love and they’re all friends it’s fabulous

not me projecting my hopes for university onto these guys oops...

if i ever write this, i’ll call the chapters: play, scene selection, bonus features, sneak peeks, set up, credits (and use pause, fast forward etc if i somehow write loads) bc it feels clever

[nobodys-pearls]

Altea Drive Ch 6

I usually post the AO3 link but I thought I should post it in this format as well :)

Summary: adashi au full of fast cars, mysteries, and dramatic irony. Also lots of background klance, because I have no self control

------

Keith ran a hand through Kosmo’s fur, brows pinched together in thought. He was sitting on the floor, back resting against the couch, while Kosmo nuzzled into him. Shiro watched him from where he was sitting at the kitchen table.

“This is connected to Zarkon,” Keith said firmly, his violet eyes burning. Shiro shifted in his chair.

“Keith, we can’t know that for sure -” Keith’s head quickly turned to look at Shiro.

“My parents were legendary on Altea Drive, my mom was the champion , and the police told me that she lost control of the car and drove into the lake.” Keith’s voice cracked, and he furrowed his brows further, going back to looking at the floor. “It doesn’t make sense.” Shiro was silent for a moment. Keith had never told him about his parents’ death. All Shiro knew were the things he could piece together.

“Did the police -?” Shiro sighed. This wasn’t easy. “Did they find anything in the - well, the -?”

“Autopsy?” Keith asked, a bitter smile on his lips. Kosmo nudged Keith’s hand with his head and Keith began petting him once more. “They found nothing unusual with my dad. And my mom -” Keith paused. Shiro could see the pain in his eyes. He was tempted to stop the conversation for the night, but he knew this was important to Keith, so he waited. Keith turned his face away from Shiro, looking out the window. “They never found her body.” Shiro’s breath caught in his throat. “They wrote it off as a drunk driving case.” Keith clenched his jaw. “I know it wasn’t . She never drank.” Shiro ran a hand through his hair and leaned forward in his seat, looking down at his hands. This was all so complicated. No, if all of this meant what Shiro was beginning to think that it meant - this was a conspiracy, a conspiracy that’s been haunting Keith for seven years.

“You believe me, right?” Keith asked, his voice quiet. Shiro could feel Keith’s eyes on him, and he looked up. The moment he met Keith’s gaze he stood. He thought about what Pilot had told him about his brother, about how there was a case that he’d been working on before he died.

“Keith,” Shiro began clenching his fists. “I think I do.” Keith’s expression turned hopeful, and he moved to stand as well.

“Then let’s do something about it.” Shiro sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Keith -”

“Shiro, come on , we can’t just sit around, not after everything we’ve learned.”

“Keith, this happened years ago. Zarkon is still in prison, we don’t have any evidence -”

“Then let’s find some!” Keith argued. “Shiro, I can’t just let this go.” Shiro sighed.

“I know you can’t, but we need to play this safe -” Keith scoffed and crossed his arms.

“What has safe ever gotten you, Shiro? You still lost your dad, you still lost your arm, you lost the Paladin, you lost a piece of your life -” Keith stopped when he saw the expression on Shiro’s face, his eyes widening slightly. Then he furrowed his brow and looked away. “You know what not being safe got you? Me .” Keith paused. “Do you regret that?” Shiro opened his mouth to respond, but Keith quickly left the room, his head down as he stormed down the hall.

“Keith!” Shiro called after him. Then he heard the door to Keith’s room slam shut. He sighed, moving to sit down again. Kosmo appeared at his side, sitting against his leg. Shiro placed a hand on Kosmo’s head and he heard the gentle thump of his tail. A small, tired smile graced Shiro’s lips.

No. He didn’t regret it. He never would.

Maybe Keith had a point, but Shiro’s point still stood. There wasn’t much they could do about it. There wasn’t much Shiro could do about it. He was just a guidance counselor. He was supposed to help others reach their full potential, to help others move forward in life.

He wondered what would happen if, for once, he decided to help himself. To be the hero.

The thought scared him.

“Keith, wake up,” Shiro said, knocking on the door. He heard a groan in response. Shiro scoffed and leaned against the door. “Mrs. Han dropped off her dough sticks and I’m not making you go to school today.” The door suddenly opened and Shiro stumbled forward, catching his balance.

He looked down to see Keith rubbing the sleep from his eyes, his hair messy and sticking up in odd places.

“Soy milk too?” Keith asked, and a small smile spread across Shiro’s lips.

“Of course.” Keith nodded his head, and then he seemed to remember what had happened last night and his expression darkened.

“Shiro -” Shiro held up a hand to stop him.

“Let’s eat breakfast,” Shiro said. “You’re not going to school today, but we are going somewhere.” Keith looked at him in confusion.

“Where?” Shiro’s smile widened a little.

“Altea Tech.”

“Finally!” Lance yelled, throwing his arms wide and basking in the sunlight. “¡Estoy en casa!” Hunk smiled and shook his head, closing the car door of Shiro’s Subaru.

“Thank you for letting us tag along, Mr. Shirogane,” Hunk said, and Shiro closed his door as well, putting his hands on his hips and looking at the green space in front of them. The weather was nice today - probably one of the last warmer days until winter came. College students were lounging outside on blankets, some were throwing a frisbee, others were walking to class and laughing with their friends.

“Of course, Hunk. As juniors you guys get to have a few days to use as college touring days, and I haven’t used any sick days yet, so I thought why not spend one?” He glanced over at Keith, who was standing a few feet ahead of them and looking at the quad. He couldn’t see his face, but Shiro guessed that he was trying to take it all in. He wondered if Keith’s parents ever took him here.

“Woah, check that out!” Lance yelled, quickly moving to sling an arm around Keith and point in the direction he was looking. Two girls were working on what looked to be a homemade rocket ship. They set it on the ground, making sure that it was stable, and then they looked at each other and grinned. A moment later one of the girls hit a button on the controller in her hand and the rocket shot up in the air, rainbow-colored smoke pouring out of it as it spiraled up into the sky. People on the quad looked up, some of them beginning to clap.

“Amazing,” Hunk breathed, adjusting his headband as he moved to stand on Keith’s other side. “And your parents worked here?” Shiro finally got a look at Keith’s face when he turned to answer Hunk.

“Yeah,” Keith said with a smile. Shiro’s gaze softened, and then he clapped his hands together.

“Where do you boys want to start?” Lance grinned and grabbed Keith’s hand.

“This way!” he declared, pointing in the direction of the building with the large, glass windows. Keith began to blush, and when Lance caught the look on Keith’s face his cheeks heated up as well, but then he quickly turned and tugged Keith along. Keith didn’t protest as he followed Lance through the quad. Shiro heard Hunk scoff as they watched them.

“Maybe Pidge was right, he does have a crush on them both,” Hunk mused, and Shiro raised an brow. Something about that sounded familiar -

“Both?” Shiro asked, moving to stand next to Hunk, locking his car. Hunk’s eyes widened and he looked at Shiro.

“Sorry, I was just thinking about something Pidge told me.” Hunk rubbed the back of his neck, avoiding Shiro’s gaze. “It’s too bad that she couldn’t come, since she’s a sophomore.” Shiro nodded his head. He still didn’t know Pidge all that well, but he did know her parents, and Colleen would never let Pidge skip school. Then he thought about something.

“Hey Hunk, how did you and Lance become friends with Pidge anyway?” Hunk’s eyes widened again and he put his hands in his pockets.

“Oh, well, uh, Pidge was the one who wanted to start the, uh, astronomy club. She overheard me and Lance talking to Adam - Dr. Wadley - after class one day and, um, brought up the idea.” Hunk let out a nervous laugh. “I wasn’t really on board with it at first. I didn’t think I’d have time, but Lance was able to convince me.” Shiro smiled.

“Are you happy? With the club, I mean.” Shiro saw Hunk’s small smile.

“Yeah, I really am. It feels - right.”

“¡Oye! ¡Vamos!” Lance called from where he and Keith were waiting by the building, on the other side of the quad. Keith nudged his ribs and said something, and Lance rubbed the back of his neck, saying something in reply. Shiro scoffed and shook his head. Then he looked back at Hunk.

“Ready?” Hunk beamed, tightening his orange headband.

“Let’s do this.”

Shiro had never toured Altea Tech’s campus before. He had to admit - it was beautiful. Most of the buildings had a modern feel to them, with big windows and shiny metal scaffolding and colorful murals on the walls. People passed them by with different projects held gingerly in their arms - rocket ships and high tech laptops and models of planes and cars. Lance watched as one guy walked past with a small turbine tucked under his arm.

“So cool!” Lance said with wide eyes, drinking it all in. Keith was too busy looking at the building they had stopped in front of. It was dome-shaped, painted white. Above the entrance was the name of the building: Altea Tech Public Observatory . Hunk whistled.

“We have to go in there,” Hunk said, and Lance nodded his head, looking back at Shiro.

“Yeah, why not?” Shiro said with a shrug of his shoulders, and they all made their way inside.

They found themselves standing at the edge of a large, circular room. The ceiling was high and rounded, with a rectangular shaped opening where they could see the blue sky. And in the center of the room was a large telescope, silver and shiny and unlike anything Shiro had ever seen before.

“No way!” Lance said, walking towards the center of the room. He looked back at Hunk and grinned. “You seeing this, man?” Hunk nodded his head and moved to join him.

“Oh yeah,” he breathed. Lance grabbed on to his sleeve.

“We have to go here,” Lance said, his tone more serious this time. Hunk clenched his fists.

“We’ll make it happen.” Shiro felt like he should say something, tell them that they shouldn’t get their hopes up, that they’re still early on in the process to be making any big decisions, but then he noticed the way that Keith was shoving his hands in his pockets, looking at the telescope with a furrowed brow.

“Is everything okay?” Keith didn’t pull his eyes away, still deep in thought, and then he seemed to register that Shiro had asked him a question. He turned to look at Shiro, then back at the telescope.

“It’s just - this place is familiar. My mom took me here, a lot, I think.” Then they heard the door behind them open, and a pair of footsteps that quickly came to a halt.

“Are you four touring the campus?” a deep, somewhat gruff voice asked. Shiro turned to see a tall, broad shouldered man standing by the door. His silver hair was braided and fell down his shoulder. He had a scar that ran vertically across his face and through his eye. He was wearing a black button down shirt with a purple tie, and he was watching them with a measured, guarded gaze.

“Yeah, we’re planning on applying here,” Lance said, grinning as he walked up to the man and offered his hand. “The name’s Lance. I’m planning on joining the aeronautical engineering program. I’m going to design the best planes you’ve ever seen,” he said with a wink, and Keith put a hand on his forehead, shaking his head. The man just raised an eyebrow, seeming to size up the boy in front of him. He didn’t accept Lance’s hand, and a moment later Lance dropped it, giving him finger guns and walking back to stand next to Keith. “That’s okay. The Lance charm can’t work on everyone,” he said, still with a grin on his face. “At least, not right away.” He shot Keith a wink and Keith scoffed, crossing his arms.

“You can be impossible sometimes, you know that, right?” Keith said, and the man turned to look at him.

“Wait,” the man said, his eyes widening slightly. “Keith?” Keith quickly turned to look at him, his gaze wary. His tightened his arms around his chest.

“Yeah? How do you know my name?” The man straightened his posture.

“My name is Kolivan.” There was something hard to read in his gaze. “I knew your mother, Krolia. We worked together, for a long time.” Keith’s lips parted slightly in surprise, and he took a step forward.

“You knew my mom?” Keith said quietly. Then he furrowed his brow. “Then you knew my dad too, right?” Kolivan nodded his head.

“I was introduced to him. Your mother and I worked in the physics department here. Now it’s just me running the department,” Kolivan explained, his expression grim. “Your mother would take you here a lot, when you were younger. She told me that this was your favorite part of Altea Tech.” Keith blinked at him, trying to process it all. Then he clenched his jaw and looked away. Shiro could tell that he was throwing walls around himself, just like he did when they first met. This couldn’t be easy for him, having a stranger tell him things about himself and his mother. Shiro caught Lance looking at Keith in concern. Then Kolivan smiled. There was some bitterness to it.

“I’m sorry for your loss, Keith. Your mother was an incredible woman - strong, bold, a little rough around the edges, for a time,” Kolivan said, a flash on amusement in his eyes. “And then she met your father, and he softened her a little, gave her a new direction. He’s the reason she came to teach at Altea Tech, and convinced me to leave Galra U with her -” Keith’s eyes widened at that.

“What about Galra U?”

“Your mother and I used to teach there, what feels like a forever ago. But then we -” Kolivan stopped. “It wasn’t the right fit for us, anymore.” He looked at Keith with interest. “I’m guessing your mother never told you that.” Keith looked down at the floor, his gaze far away.

“There’s a lot that I don’t know about my past,” Keith finally said. He furrowed his brow, moving to clench his fists. Frustration simmered behind his eyes. Shiro could tell that it was time to go.

“Let’s keep moving, guys,” Shiro said, looking at Kolivan. “There are still some things we haven’t seen yet.”

“Yeah, Mr. Shirogane’s right,” Lance said, still looking at Keith in concern. He reached out his hand, but then he pulled it back, nudging Keith’s shoulder instead. “Hey man, ready to go?” Keith seemed to remember where he was, and he slowly looked up at Lance before looking away.

“Yeah, let’s leave,” Keith decided. He headed for the door, and right as he was about to pass Kolivan he stopped and said, “thank you, for telling me those things.” Kolivan nodded his head.

“If you ever want to talk again, you know where to find me.” Keith nodded his head once, and then he opened the door and left. Lance and Hunk looked at Shiro, waiting for him to say something.

“Go ahead, I’ll meet you two outside.” Lance nodded his head and the two of them made their way outside, closing the door behind them.

“So you’re his guardian, I’m assuming,” Kolivan said. Shiro straightened his back. Kolivan smiled his bitter smile. “He’s been dealt a bad hand in life. But he seems strong enough to rise above it.”

“I know he is,” Shiro said firmly. Then he paused, thinking over his next words. “What happened at Galra U? What made you leave?” Kolivan raised an brow at that.

“Why do you feel the need to know?” Shiro furrowed his brow.

“Because I used to go there, because I’m having some of my students apply there, because -”

“Because something happened to you while you were at that school, and you can’t explain it?” Kolivan asked, and it was like he’d knocked the air out of Shiro’s lungs. “I can see the guilt in your eyes, the shame, the uncertainty.” Then he shook his head. “But if you are hoping for answers, I have none to give you.” Shiro clenched the fist of his prosthetic arm, and let out a deep breath. Then he met Kolivan’s gaze and smiled.

“I’m sorry to have taken your time.” Kolivan looked at him for a long moment, and then he looked past Shiro, at the telescope behind him.

“Just because I don’t have the answers, doesn’t mean that they don’t exist,” Kolivan said. “Keep seeking knowledge, because sometimes it’s knowledge - or death.” Shiro’s eyes widened at his grave tone, and then he nodded his head, walking past him and towards the door. He put his hand on the door and stopped. He felt like he should say something, but instead he shook his head and pushed the door open, stepping back out into the sunlight. He looked to see Keith, Lance, and Hunk standing in front of a statue of some man on a horse. Lance had an arm around Keith’s shoulders and was pointing something out on the statue. Hunk started to laugh and Shiro could tell that Keith was holding back his smile. Shiro’s gaze softened and he moved to join them.

“I mean, what kind of name is Barnabus Boyle the Seventh? Are they trying to tell me that six of his ancestors had that name and they still thought that it was a good idea?” Lance observed. Hunk held his sides as he continued to laugh. “Hey, I think I see a smile there, mullet,” Lance teased, and Keith gave him a gentle shove, laughing and shaking his head. Then Keith noticed Shiro and his smile fell. He looked down at the grass, kicking a rock with his shoe.

“Hey, Keith -” Shiro began. He knew that Keith didn’t want his sympathy, but that didn’t mean that Shiro couldn’t offer his support. He wanted to say something -

“Shiro?” a voice asked from somewhere farther behind him. He turned to see Allura standing in the middle of the green space. She was wearing a pale blue dress today, and her hair was down. He met her gaze and she beamed, waving at him. Then she made her way across the quad and towards them, coming to stand next to Shiro and linking her arm through his. “What a lovely surprise,” she said, a smile still on her face.

“Allura!” Lance said, grinning. “What’s up?” Shiro looked between the two of them in confusion, and Allura shot Lance a look. Lance’s eyes widened slightly.

“How do you two know each other?” Shiro asked. Keith looked at the two of them in interest as well, crossing his arms. Lance laughed and rubbed the back of his neck.

“I stop by Alfor’s sometimes. Blue’s an old girl, so I need to fix her up pretty often, and Allura gives me a good deal.” Lance shot finger guns Allura’s way. “The Lance charm is hard to resist.” Allura rolled her eyes, putting her free hand on her hip.

“It’s really only because I plan to steal his car away from him someday. Blue’s a classic,” Allura whispered to Shiro, but seeing Lance’s offended expression and the way Keith was hiding a laugh behind his hand he assumed that they all had heard her. Allura winked at Lance and then looked at Hunk. “I feel like I should admit that I’ve met Hunk as well.” Hunk’s eyes widened and Allura gave him a small smile. “I drop by his father’s auto shop every once in a while - we’ve become good business partners. And I also stop by his mother’s bakery - she makes the most delicious scones.” Hunk looked at the ground bashfully.

“Small world, I guess,” Shiro finally said. Allura smiled at him, and there was a flash of mischief in her eyes.

“Smaller than you think.” Then she pushed her hair over her shoulder, her arm still linked with Shiro’s. “So I’m guessing you’re all touring the campus? It’s a lovely day for it.” Shiro nodded his head.

“I think we all needed a break, and it’s good to visualize your goals, so -” Allura smiled.

“Always the pragmatist, Shiro.” Then she looked at Keith, Hunk, and Lance. “I can’t wait for you three to call this place home.” Shiro saw their hopeful expressions and winced.

“Well, Allura -” Allura gave his arm a gentle squeeze and smiled.

“Always the pragmatist,” she said again, a little quieter this time. Then her eyes widened slightly. “Oh! I’m already running late. My old college roommate and I promised to meet up here today, and Romelle always teases me when I’m late to things. Everything’s just been so busy with the new shipments and we’re upgrading our server at Alfor’s -” Allura laughed, shaking her head. “I won’t bore you with the details.”

“Did you end up hiring the guy you interviewed?” Shiro asked. Allura nodded her head.

“He’s a gem. He goes to Galra U, actually, and he’s been a big help with our new upgrade. If it wasn’t for him I’d be even busier than I am,” Allura paused, deep in thought for a moment. “And yet I cannot help but feel like there’s something I’ve forgotten to do -” Then she looked down at where her arm was linked through Shiro’s and her eyes widened. “Shoot!” She unhooked her arm from Shiro’s. “I need to -” she cursed under her breath, checking her watch. “I don’t have time -” she looked back up at Shiro. “I need you to do me a favor.” Shiro raised a brow.

“Sure, anything for you, Allura.” Allura smiled, putting a hand on his cheek and dropping it back to her side.

“I need you to tell Adam that we’re not dating.” Shiro heard Lance make a choking noise, and Hunk nudged his ribs, shooting him a look. Keith just looked at Shiro in confusion.

“Wait, Adam thinks were dating?” Shiro asked. Allura giggled and pushed a lock of hair behind her ear.

“What am I going to do with you, Shiro?” Then her expression became serious. “Yes, you need to tell him that we’re not together. I’m living my best single life, thank you very much.” Shiro opened his mouth to respond, but Allura was already leaving, giving him a wave and a smile. “Good luck! Take him out for coffee or something!” With that she was gone, Shiro blinking as he watched her go.

“So you two aren’t dating?” Lance asked, and Shiro looked at him in confusion.

“What?” Shiro shook his head. “No, never. She’s like a sister to me.” He saw the look of relief on Lance’s face and continued to watch him in confusion.

“Maybe Adam won’t be so spacey and sad now,” Lance told Hunk, leaning into him and giving him a nudge. Then he noticed Shiro looking at him and his eyes widened. “Because he likes Allura!” he blurted out, and Hunk’s eyes blew wide, quickly turning to look at Lance. Lance seemed to realize what he said and began to laughed nervously, waving his arms a little. “I mean, no, well, Adam - Dr. Wadley -”

“Oh,” Shiro said, wondering why his voice sounded so small. He almost felt - disappointed? He remembered the crush he had, what felt like a forever ago. But he’d gotten over that, right? He had other things to focus on, he had his life with Keith and Kosmo, and he didn’t have room for more.

And he liked someone new.

He shook the thought away and smiled, Lance still looking flustered and Hunk shooting him a disapproving look.

“Well, someone will have to break it to him that Allura is ‘living her best single life’,” Shiro said with a laugh. But then he considered it. He wondered - if Allura knew that Adam liked her, maybe she would go for it. They would be good together, a power couple for sure. But why did that make Shiro’s insides feel all - weird? He decided to laugh again and began to walk across the quad. “Come on, we should finish the tour.” He caught Keith looking at him, his arms crossed as he watched Shiro with a calculated gaze, but then Keith shrugged and followed him.

“Fine by me,” Keith said. Lance started to say something, but then he slumped his shoulders in defeat, keeping pace with Keith. Hunk sighed and put a hand on his forehead, bringing up the rear.

“I want to visit Galra U,” Keith said as they were heading back to Shiro’s car. They had toured what felt like every inch of campus, looking through all of the academic buildings and dining halls - they even managed to check out one of the dorms. A nice senior student had offered to show them around. Shiro could tell that the three of them had fallen in love with the place. It made him happy, but worried, too. He was hoping that they weren’t putting all their expectations into one place. That’s why Keith’s sudden request caught him off guard. He turned back to look at Keith in surprise. Lance and Hunk looked surprised as well. Keith crossed his arms, looking away from them all and at the ground. Shiro’s gaze softened - he had an idea why Keith wanted to go. He opened his door.

“Sure, let’s do it. Are you two okay with that?” he asked, looking at Hunk and Lance. It seemed like they had remembered what Kolivan had told Keith as well. Hunk nodded his head, but Lance looked at Shiro suspiciously.

“This isn’t some trick to get me to apply there, right? You didn’t plan this -?” Lance began to ask, and Shiro laughed.

“I’m not some super villain, Lance.”

“I’m still not ruling out that you’re an evil clone,” Keith said with a shrug, and Shiro sighed and stepped into his car.

“Thanks, Keith,” Shiro said, and he caught Keith’s grin in his rearview mirror and stuck out his tongue, waiting for him and Lance to pile into the back, Hunk claiming the passenger’s seat.

“You know, that might be a good theory, Keith,” Lance said, and Shiro could feel Lance’s gaze as he began to pull out of the parking lot.

“Yes, because all evil clones drive a Subaru and work as a guidance counselor,” Shiro said dryly. Hunk laughed.

“I don’t know, it’s a good cover story. You could be living a secret double life.” Shiro met Keith’s gaze in the rearview mirror, both of them widening their eyes a little, and then they began to laugh. “Hey, what’s so funny?” Lance asked, and Shiro could hear the pout in his voice.

“Shiro’s too boring for that,” Keith assured him, but he found Shiro’s eyes in the mirror again and smiled.

Galra U was definitely very different from Altea Tech. Where Altea Tech was full of light and glass and made up of airy, modern-looking buildings, Galra U had towering buildings made of darker stone. The place spoke of tradition and discipline. Its corners were filled with shadows.

Shiro remembered it well.

Although he’d only spent two years at Galra U, while he was here it felt like a lifetime. He found himself missing the Garrison most days, but he always managed to shove that want down.

He couldn’t go back. It was too far from home. Galra U had offered him a scholarship. This was the best option, after losing his dad. It was the safe option, and Shiro didn’t want to tarnish his father’s memory by doing anything other than what was safe.

So he sucked it up and spent his last two years at Galra U, and it turned out alright in the end. He managed to excel in all his classes, even though the professors seemed to have it out for him. He got his degree in psychology and managed to get his masters the year after. He was able to move on with his life, and follow through with the path he’d chosen for himself.

Everything had been predictable. That is, everything except that one day during his junior year, when he’d been so run down with classes and his part-time jobs that he ended up in the infirmary.

What had started out being a bad day turned into a bad night. It led to the end of the Paladin. It was the night of the crash.

“Is it just me, or does this place give off some scary vibes?” Hunk asked quietly. Lance had his arm linked with his friend’s, nodding his head in agreement. Keith scoffed and moved past them, walking past the entrance gate and towards the closest building. Shiro shook his head, storing away the memories better left forgotten, and gave Hunk and Lance a smile.

“Come on, guys. I’ve heard people say that this place looks like Hogwarts.” Lance looked past Shiro and at the campus, narrowing his gaze.

“Yeah, maybe when Voldemort had taken over and Snape was Headmaster.”

“He-who-should-not-be-named!” Hunk protested, and Lance let out a laugh and began to lead the two of them forward, in the direction Keith had gone in.

“If we get cursed or hexed here you’ll be getting a call from mi abuelita, Mr. Shirogane,” Lance called over his shoulder. Shiro scoffed and shook his head.

“I’ll take that risk,” Shiro replied dryly, moving to follow them. He spotted Keith and saw that he was talking to someone he didn’t recognize. He looked like a student. He was wearing a dark gray button-up, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and his long silver hair was pulled back into a ponytail. He was holding on to the handlebars of his bike as he talked to Keith, looking down at him and smiling. Then he seemed to notice that he was being watched and picked up his head to see the three of them approaching.

“Oh, hello. I’m guessing that this is the rest of your group?” the young man, Shiro figured that he had to be in his early twenties, asked Keith. Keith nodded his head, looking impatient.

“So you know where the physics department is?” Keith asked, crossing his arms. The man’s eyes widened slightly in surprise. He was probably caught off guard by Keith’s bluntness. Then there was a flash of amusement in his eyes.

“Yes, after going to school here for almost four years I definitely hope that I do.”

“So?” Keith asked, and Shiro moved to stand next to Keith, giving the man a polite smile.

“Sorry, he’s just very - excited,” Shiro explained. Then he gave Keith a pointed look. Keith looked at him and shrugged.

“What?” Shiro sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, and the man laughed.

“It is quite alright. Living amongst my peers, you get used to a lack of formalities in conversation,” the man explained. “I appreciate that he gets straight to the point.” He looked back at Keith. “I’m actually headed in that direction, so you and your friends can follow me if you’d like. I make an excellent tour guide.” Keith furrowed his brow, seeming to size him up.

“That’d be great,” Shiro decided to answer for him, reaching out his hand for the man to take. “I’m Shiro. These are two of my students - Lance and Hunk - and my brother, Keith.” The man looked down to see Shiro’s prosthetic arm, and then he looked back at Shiro again, seeming to analyze his face. Shiro was about to drop his hand when the man took it, giving him a firm handshake.

“My name’s Lotor. I’m a senior here at Galra U. I’m double majoring in computer science and environmental science.”

“Computer science, huh? That’s what Pidge wants to do,” Lance said, nudging Hunk. The man - Lotor - looked at him in confusion.

“What is a ‘pidge’?” he asked, and Shiro let out a somewhat forced laugh and let go of Lotor’s hand.

“That’s quite a combination of majors. Any plans after college?” Shiro asked. Something in Lotor’s gaze became serious.

“I want to save the world. I want to make up for the destruction that my - that people have caused, in the past,” Lotor explained, his smile looking somewhat strained. “Anyway, let’s get you to the physics department.” He began walking down the paved path, still holding on to the handlebars of his bike. He looked over his shoulder to see if they were following, and then he pressed on. Keith went down the path first, then Hunk and Lance. Shiro brought up the rear, but soon he found himself walking in step with Lotor, the other three lagging behind and having their own conversation.

“You used to go to school here,” Lotor said, and Shiro looked at him in surprise.

“Um, yeah, how did you -?”

“It’s the way that you look at the place,” Lotor said, a slight bitterness in his tone. “Like it’s wronged you somehow.” Shiro’s eyes widened further, and Lotor laughed, gesturing to the academic building on the right. It was where all of the math classes were held. “I mean, Professor Sendak’s exams are the worst, right? I could imagine that it would leave any alumni with some not-so-happy memories.” Shiro laughed, feeling more at ease as he nodded his head.

“Yeah, you don’t even want to know the things I drank in order to stay awake and study,” Shiro confessed, rubbing the back of his neck. Lotor laughed behind his hand, and then his expression became more thoughtful.

“What’s it like? Being out of school? Living the life that you’ve made for yourself?” Lotor asked. Shiro thought for a moment, the question catching him off-guard. The life he made for himself? If he was being honest, it didn’t really feel like his own, in some ways. It still felt like he was waiting for something, but he didn’t know what that something was.

“I would savor this last year,” Shiro ended up saying. “Because once you have to create your own budget -” he shivered and Lotor laughed again. Shiro smiled. “But seriously, it’s pretty good. It’s different, and uncertain, but -” Shiro looked back at Keith, who was swatting Lance’s hand away and hiding his grin behind his hair. “Some pretty great things can come out of it.” Lotor adjusted his grip on the handlebars, looking down at the sidewalk.

“That’s what I’m hoping for,” he said quietly, and then he stopped his bike. “Here’s the building you were looking for,” he declared, looking back at Keith. Shiro looked at the long building in front of them. He hadn’t spent too much time inside, there wasn’t really a need to, but he remembered passing it every morning during his runs. “All of our science buildings are connected, and our research labs are on the lower levels.”

“It’s much smaller than what Altea Tech has,” Shiro could hear Lance mumble under his breath to Hunk. Then Lance raised his hand. Lotor raised a brow, looking at him in confusion.

“Uh, yes?”

“Does Galra U have an aeronautical engineering program? Or an aerospace engineering program?” he asked. Lotor gave him a polite smile.

“No, I’m afraid. We don’t quite have the budget, yet. But my -” he suddenly stopped, looking like there was a sour taste in his mouth. “The Galra U president is trying to expand the academics that we can offer. So hopefully we will have both soon.”

“Altea Tech already has both, and even more programs,” Lance pointed out, and Lotor’s eye twitched.

“Lance,” Shiro warned, but Lotor held up a hand.

“It’s okay, we’re well aware of Altea Tech’s many strengths.” Lotor paused. “There was a time when Galra U was able to compete, but complications occurred,” he explained. “But I’ve always held the belief that our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. I believe that Galra U can rise again.”

“See, that’s some optimism right there,” Hunk said, nudging Lance’s ribs. “I like it.” Lotor laughed, and then he looked at Keith with a measured gaze.

“Why did you want to see the physics department? Is that what you want to major in?” Lotor asked. Keith crossed his arms, looking away from him.

“No, my mom used to work here as a professor.” That seemed to pique Lotor’s interest. His eyes flashed.

“Oh? And who was your -?” Then his phone began to ring and he quickly pulled it out of his pocket, checking the caller ID. Shiro could’ve sworn that his face became a few shades paler as he saw who is was. Then Lotor looked up at them and gave them a sheepish smile. “I’m afraid that this is where I leave you. Enjoy the rest of your tour.” He moved further down the path, bike in tow, and picked up the call. “What is it, witch?” Shiro thought he heard Lotor hiss as he walked further down the path. Soon he was hidden by a line of bushes, and was gone.

“He was kind of weird, wasn’t he?” Lance asked.

“I think he’s an alien,” Keith said seriously, and Lance nodded his head, his expression grave.

“Maybe he was trying to abduct us.”

“Guys, don’t joke about that,” Hunk said, looking nervously at where the bushes hid the rest of the path.

“He wanted to steal our bodies!” Lance yelled, throwing his arms in the air and making his way towards Hunk. Hunk shut his eyes and swatted Lance away.

“Seriously! Not funny!” Hunk protested, and Keith began to laugh, holding his sides. Lance looked back to grin at him and continued to poke Hunk’s stomach. Shiro scoffed and shook his head.

“Did you guys want to go into the building or not?” he asked, and Keith stopped laughing, looking serious.

“I want to go in.” He began making his way to the door. Lance stopped pestering Hunk and threw an arm around his shoulders.

“You know that I love you buddy. I would sacrifice myself to the alien overlords for you any day.”

“Maybe, unless you were too busy making heart eyes at Keith,” Hunk mumbled. Shiro let out a surprised laugh and quickly covered his mouth with his hand, but the damage was done. He turned to see Lance looking at Shiro with wide eyes, his face red. Shiro held up his hands in surrender.

“I heard nothing,” Shiro said quickly. He caught Hunk’s gaze and then turned around. “I should catch up to Keith,” he said, quickening his pace to meet Keith at the door. He could hear Lance and Hunk arguing behind him, and he bit back his smile. “So you think your mom worked in this building?” he asked once he’d caught up to Keith, who was waiting for them by the door. Keith shrugged.

“I mean, she taught astrophysics at Altea Tech, so this is the best bet.” Keith furrowed his brow, looking like he was thinking something over.

“What is it?” Shiro asked. Keith furrowed his brow further, but then he took a deep breath and relaxed his shoulders.

“When I was in the observatory, it was kind of like I could feel my mom’s presence, like she was there. The same thing happened at Alfor’s too. I remembered things, I remembered being with them. I was hoping -” Keith paused, tightening his arms across his chest. “I wanted to go in here and see if I could find that feeling again.” Keith kicked a rock on the ground. “It’s stupid -”

“Hey,” Shiro said, putting a hand on Keith’s shoulder. “It’s not, okay? I think your mom would be happy that you’re here.” Keith looked up at him with wide, unknowing eyes, and slowly nodded his head.

“Yeah, I think so too.” Then he clenched his fists and opened the door, stepping inside. “Try to keep up, Lance,” Keith called over his shoulder, and Shiro heard Lance make a noise of protest behind them.

“Why am I the one being singled out?” Lance asked, and Hunk patted his shoulder and moved past him to step into the building, Shiro stepping inside as well. Lance shook his head. “Él me está dando la lata hoy,” he said dryly, but there was a fond smile on his lips.

Shiro didn’t know how he ended up losing track of them. One moment Shiro was looking through the window of one of the chemistry labs, watching as someone in a lab coat and goggles began to pour a dark green liquid into a flask, and the next Keith and Lance were gone, Hunk the only one left standing next to him, giving him a sheepish smile.

“They wanted to go on ahead,” Hunk explained, rubbing the back of his neck. Shiro gave him an unamused look. Then he sighed and shook his head.

“Those two -” he paused, looking back at Hunk. “Lance isn’t -?” he stopped again, trying to find the right words. “You can’t tell Keith I told you this, because he might actually murder me in my sleep, but - he really likes Lance.” Hunk nodded his head, not looking like this was news to him. Shiro didn’t expect that it would be. “And I don’t think he’s really been interested in anyone before. He tends to be pretty closed off.” Shiro stopped again, worrying at his lip as he looked through the glass window. “Lance isn’t going to break his heart, right?” He was met with silence for a long moment.

“I’m -” Hunk exhaled. “I’m not sure, Mr. Shirogane. Lance can be all over the place with his emotions sometimes. He has a lot of love to give, which is one of his strong suits, but it can also cause some hurt, to himself and to others.” Then Hunk ‘s gaze became more serious as he looked through the lab window. “But he cares about Keith. I think he’ll do whatever he can to protect him, and his feelings.” Shiro looked at Hunk, giving him a small smile.

“That’s good to hear, thanks Hunk.” Shiro paused. “And you can call me Shiro, at least when we’re not at school. I think we’re there.” Hunk grinned at him, nodding his head. Then Hunk seemed to remember something.

“Since we’re on the subject of relationships,” Hunk began slowly. “What Lance said about Adam - Dr. Wadley - about him liking Allura -”

“Hey!” Lance called, and they both turned their heads to see Lance standing at the other end of the hall, waving his arm. He hurried down the hall and towards them. “I told Keith not to but he insisted and then he managed to break the lock and I tried to follow him but he’s a slippery one so I thought I should -” Lance said in a rush, and Shiro’s eyes widened.

“ Lance, ” he said firmly, and Lance stopped, quickly closing his mouth and looking at him with wide, panicked eyes. “Where is Keith?” Lance gave him a sheepish smile and looked over his shoulder, pointing to the doorway at the end of the hall that read, Hallway to Experimental Labs: Restricted Access Only . Shiro swore under his breath and moved past Lance and Hunk, heading down the hall.

“You two stay here,” Shiro instructed. Lance began to protest, but Hunk put a hand on his shoulder and he stopped, slumping his shoulders. Shiro made it to the door, looking down both ends of the hall, and opened it, stepping inside.

It looked like a normal hallway. It was long, the ceiling was lined with florescent lights, the floor was made of beige tiles. It looked liked most of the other hallways on campus, and yet Shiro had never been here before. He doubted many people had. Shiro was surprised that the door was unlocked, but when he thought about it it wasn’t all the unsurprising. You didn’t break rules at Galra U.

As he continued down the hall he spotted a door that was slightly ajar, the lock looking like it was broken. Shiro pinched the bridge of his nose and took a moment to think. He read the small sign next to the door. Records . That explained why Keith broke in, he was probably hoping to find information on his mom. He checked this hallway, making sure that it was empty, and stepped inside.

The room was dimly lit, the only sound that could be heard was the whirring of the computer, the glow from the screen barely illuminating the corner where it stood. Then Shiro could hear a rustling coming from further in the room - the room was a lot longer than Shiro expected. He pressed further in, walking between two rows of shelves. Then he saw a small circle of light at the other end, light the flashlight on a phone, and the rustling grew louder. He walked forward quietly. There was a shadowy figure, but he couldn’t tell if it was Keith. Then he bumped into a box that was sticking out from one of the shelves and let out a quiet curse. In that moment the light turned off and the rustling stopped. Shiro clenched his fists and stepped forward.

“Keith?” he dared to asked. Nothing. Then a breath later a light shined in his eyes, and he held up his arms, taking a step back.

“Shiro?” Keith asked, and the light was directed away from him. Shiro blinked the spots from his eyes and looked at Keith, who was standing in front of him with something tucked under his arm and -

“You had your knife with you the whole time?” Shiro asked, his voice a few notes higher than usual. Keith shrugged, lowering his knife. Shiro’s eyes widened. “Where were you even keeping that?” Then they could hear a pair of voices coming from the entrance to the room.

“Why is the lock on this door broken?” a voice asked.

“Nothing else seems disturbed,” another voice said. Then there was a sigh. “With all of the money put into this project, I can’t believe that we haven’t gotten proper security -”

“That’s not important right now. Check the back room.” The voices stopped speaking and Shiro could hear footsteps coming their way. He grabbed Keith’s arm and took him to the back of the room where the two lines of shelves ended, taking a right and moving to hug the wall. He stopped them and they listened. The footsteps seemed to be coming from where they had just been. He led Keith up the wall and back towards the front of the room, holding his breath. He could see lights moving around on the other side of the room. The door they had come through was clear. He quickly moved Keith through the door and practically dragged Keith into the lit hallway, his heart pounding.

“We need to leave. Now ,” Shiro said, and Keith nodded his head, jaw clenched. They hurried down the hall, back the way they’d came, and opened the door back into the main lab space. Thankfully no one was there. Shiro took a few steps and peered down the hall to see Hunk and Lance standing where Shiro had left them, having a serious conversation about something. “Hunk! Lance!” Shiro called. Both of them whipped their heads towards Shiro. Their eyes widened slightly when they saw his expression. “We’re leaving,” he said. They took a look at each other, and then they hurried to join Shiro and Keith. The four of them made their way out of the building and into the sunlight, and then they made a beeline for the car. Shiro hadn’t realized that he was holding onto Keith’s sleeve the entire time until they reached the Subaru. He let go of him and unlocked the car. They all hurried inside. He turned on the engine and pulled out, going as fast as he dared through campus and back on the road. He didn’t realize how tightly he was gripping the wheel until his hands began to hurt. He took a long breath, slumping his shoulders a little. He glanced at Keith, who was sitting in the passenger’s seat, and he finally saw what Keith was holding under his arm. It looked like a thick file.

“Did you steal that?” Shiro asked, Keith turned his body away from him and towards the window.

“It has my mom’s name on it, so it should belong to me,” Keith mumbled, and Shiro let out an exasperated noise.

“Keith! You can’t just - you broke into - I know you never listen to me but this is -!” Shiro began, shaking his head and letting out a laugh of disbelief.

“I do listen,” Keith protested.

“No, you don’t !” Shiro argued. “You just keep pushing and pushing me but this is too far! You can’t just make rash decisions like this! You could’ve gotten caught, you could’ve gotten Lance or Hunk in trouble! They could’ve called Altea Tech and told them that you trespassed, and then any chance you had of going there would be gone .” Shiro took a deep breath, adjusting his grip on the steering wheel. The car was silent. He felt a stab of guilt, but he refused to back down. Keith needed to understand. “Our deal is off,” Shiro said quietly, and Keith shifted in his seat to look at him.

“Shiro -!”

“No! You don’t get to try and change my mind. You’re not allowed to go to -” he looked in the rearview mirror, seeing how Lance and Hunk were listening to their conversation with wide eyes. “You aren’t allowed to go there anymore.”

“This isn’t fair!” Keith protested. “You know how important it is to me!”

“ You are important to me, Keith! You’re more important to me than this mystery you’re trying to solve!” Keith clenched his jaw and turned back towards the window, saying nothing more. Lance and Hunk kept silent as well. Shiro sighed and looked at the road.

Maybe he was being too harsh, but he was so angry right now. He hadn’t been this angry since - it was then that he realized how fast he was driving, that they were flying down the highway, and his eyes widened. He quickly eased up on the gas and they slowed. He heart was beating fast. He couldn’t let his emotions take control of him like that.

He managed to steady his breathing as he drove them home, dropping Lance off at Hunk’s house.

“See you later,” Lance said quietly to Keith, but Keith didn’t say anything. He just kept looking out the window. Hunk put a hand on Lance’s shoulder and they went inside.

“Keith -” Shiro finally said as he drove them back to their apartment. He could hear the tiredness in his own voice.

I don’t want to talk,” Keith said, and Shiro sighed.

“Please, Keith -”

“I wish I never met you!” Keith yelled, his tone ragged, like he was holding back tears. He faced more towards the window and hugged his arms to his chest, the file tucked against him. Shiro felt like throwing up his lungs. His throat burned, but he swallowed it down.

The drove the rest of the way home in silence.

Shiro had to pick up some things that he left in his office. He knocked on Keith’s door, letting him know where he was going, but he didn’t get a response. By the time Shiro made it to the high school he felt like he’d swallowed five bricks. All he wanted to do was sleep, and to pretend like this day never happened. He thought today would be good for Keith, that it would good for them to take a break. But Shiro always managed to make the wrong decisions. He should’ve realized that this one wouldn’t work out any better.

Dora wasn’t at her desk when he made his way to his office. He wasn’t surprised, classes ended a little less than an hour ago. He unlocked his office door and found his briefcase sitting on his chair. He sat down, taking a moment to check his emails, and then he stood up, holding his briefcase and making his way out of the guidance department and down the hall. His footsteps seemed heavier than usual. He ran a tired hand through his hair. How was he going to fix this? They’d never fought like this before. This was his fault -

“Shiro?” a voice asked, and Shiro turned to see Adam standing in the doorway of his classroom, looking at Shiro in confusion. Today he was wearing a dark orange sweater vest with integral signs stitched in with white thread.

“Hey, Adam.” Shiro said, hearing how defeated his voice sounded. Adam furrowed his brow in concern and took a step forward. He reached out a hand but stopped, adjusting his glasses instead.

“Are you okay?” Adam asked, and Shiro scoffed.

“I’m better than ever.” Adam’s brow furrowed further and he crossed his arms.

“Shiro,” he began, a warning in his tone. Shiro sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Keith and I - we got into a fight,” Shiro explained, and Adam’s eyes widened slightly in surprise. “And it - it went too far.” Shiro laughed, a hollow, sad laugh. “And I don’t know what to do.”

“Hey,” Adam said, taking a step forwards and into the hall. He put his hands on Shiro’s shoulders and waited for Shiro to meet his gaze. He looked at Shiro for a long moment, and then an idea seemed to pop into his head. “Meet my dog.” Shiro looked at him in confusion.

“What?” Adam smiled, letting go of Shiro’s shoulders.

“Remember when I told you about my corgi? I’m going home to feed him. How about you come along?” Adam asked. Shiro continued to look at him dumbly and Adam’s cheeks heated up. He looked away, fiddling with the hem of his sweater vest. “I mean, only if you want to. I’m not trying to kidnap you or -” Shiro let out a laugh, and then he smiled.

“No, I mean, yeah, I’d love to meet your dog.” Something shined in Adam’s eyes as he beamed at Shiro.

“Okay, I just need to grab my briefcase. Wait here,” Adam said. Shiro watched as he went into his classroom, closing the door. Shiro could’ve shown he heard what sounded like a cry of victory coming from inside, and a moment later Adam was back in the hallway with his briefcase, locking the door to his classroom. He cleared his throat and began walking down the hall. Then he stopped and turned to look at Shiro, who was still standing where he was, watching him. Adam smiled and something fluttered in Shiro’s chest. “Are you coming?” Shiro watched him for another long moment, and then he broke into a smile of his own, moving to join Adam.

“I like your sweater vest,” Shiro observed. Adam laughed.

“Why thank you.”

Shiro didn’t know what he was expecting Adam’s apartment to be like, but once he saw it he knew that it was a perfect fit. It was simple and organized. There were a few bookshelves built into the wall. The kitchen had a cute orange tea kettle on the stove. The couch was a dark brown, worn leather one. The place looked lived in, and cared for.

“Attie!” Adam called as he walked further into the apartment, putting his briefcase on the coffee table next to the couch. Shiro could hear the patter of paws coming from what must be Adam’s bedroom. Adam’s bedroom. Shiro tried to ignore how that simple fact made his cheeks heat up. Suddenly a small corgi bounded into the room. Adam kneeled on the floor and the corgi managed to wiggle into his arms, licking his face. Adam laughed and snuggled the dog closer. “Dork,” he said fondly. Then he turned to look at Shiro, who was watching with wide eyes, his face burning now.

They’re so cute. The thought snuck to the front of Shiro’s mind before he realized it. Then Adam lifted his corgi in the air, like he was presenting him to Shiro.

“This is Atlas, or Attie, as I like to call him.” The name sounded familiar, like he’d heard someone else use the name before, but not for a dog - but Shiro figured he was just remembering when Adam was talking about his dog back at Alfor’s. It did feel like a long time ago. The dog - Atlas - wiggled in Adam’s grip, wagging his tail and panting as he looked at Shiro. Shiro smiled and moved to join Adam on the floor, folding his legs under him. Adam handed him over and Shiro held the corgi in his arms, the corgi immediately licking his face. Shiro laughed.

“Kosmo isn’t much of a licker,” Shiro explained, scratching Atlas behind the ears. Atlas booped his nose against Shiro’s, and Shiro smiled. Then he met Adam’s gaze. Adam was watching, his lips parted slightly and a rosiness in his cheeks. Then he quickly adjusted his glasses and moved to stand.

“Want some tea?” he offered while Shiro continued to pet Atlas on the hardwood floor.

“That would actually be great, Adam, thanks,” he said, smiling up at him. Adam’s blush deepened and he turned as he headed for the kitchen, saying something under his breath. “What?” Shiro asked.

“Um, is mint okay?” Adam asked, filling the tea kettle with water.

“It’s my favorite, actually,” Shiro said, and Adam nodded his head once, reaching up to grab his tea bags, which he seemed to keep on the top shelf. Shiro had a good view of Adam’s shoulders. They were broad. The muscles in his arm flexed as he got his hand around the box, and Shiro swallowed and look away. Atlas was now laying in Shiro’s lap, his head resting on Shiro’s knee. Shiro began to pet his head, smiling down at him.

“I was going to suggest that we sit on the couch, but it looks like Attie has already decided where we’ll sit,” Adam observed, coming back to sit across from Shiro. Shiro laughed.

“I feel like I’ve been chosen,” Shiro confessed, and Adam laughed behind his hand, watching his dog, who seemed to have fallen asleep.

“I’m tempted to say that you should be honored, and that Attie is very picky, but that wouldn’t be very true,” Adam confessed. “He’s kind of a hoe.” Shiro’s shoulders shook with laugher.

“Kosmo gets along with everyone too, but Keith’s definitely his favorite,” Shiro explained. Then his smile fell. He left Keith in his room, maybe he should check on him -

“I know that analyzing people is kind of your job, but would it be okay if I took a shot at it?” Adam asked, and Shiro looked at him in surprise. Adam was looking at the floor, fidgeting with his sweater.

“Go ahead,” Shiro said, finding himself waiting for Adam’s answer, ready to hang on every word. He wasn’t used to this. Adam took a breath and met Shiro’s gaze, a small smile on his lips.

“You’re impossibly hard on yourself,” Adam began, and Shiro held his breath. “You want to do right by Keith, by everyone you care about, but you constantly second-guess your decisions. You’re patient, and logical, and loving -” Adam took a shaky, nervous breath, leaning towards Shiro. “But you don’t think that you’re good enough, and I wonder what it’ll take to finally convince you that you are, that you’re even more than that,” Adam said. Shiro looked at him with wide eyes, and realized that he’d stopped petting Atlas. He opened his mouth to say something, but he was at a loss for words. Then he let out a short, surprised laugh, and shook his head.

“Are you sure that you didn’t get a PhD in psychology as well?” Shiro asked, and Adam smiled.

“Not to my knowledge.” Adam stopped, looking thoughtful. “I just felt like someone needed to tell you that you’re doing a great job, Shiro. We’re still young, we’re still trying to figure out what we want from life, and yet you’ve dedicated yourself to helping others figure out their purpose. You’re helping raise a teenager into becoming who he’s meant to be. It’s - a lot.” With that the kettle began to whistle and Adam moved to stand once more, walking over to the stove. The whistling stopped. Shiro furrowed his brow, scratching behind Atlas’ ears as he waited for Adam to come back. He was sitting back down a few moments later, two mugs in hand. He offered one to Shiro, and Shiro took it gratefully. He watched Adam blow on his own mug, steeping the bag that rested inside. Shiro thought about what happened earlier today, about how Keith’s mom was connected to Galra U, about the restricted room full of files, about all of the things that didn’t quite add up in Shiro’s life.

The things that he was afraid to face.

“Adam,” Shiro began, his voice quiet. “If you knew that you had to do something that’s dangerous, something risky, but you also knew that it would help people you care about - would you think it’s worth it? Even if it could put them at risk too?” Adam let out a short laugh, what almost looked like a secretive smile on his face as he looked down at his mug.

“I’m not quite sure if it’s worth it, in the end,” Adam confessed. “I’m not sure if you can know that until it’s over. But I will say,” he paused, looking up at Shiro. “Sometimes you don’t have a choice. It’s something you just have to do.” He stopped again, looking back down at his mug. “My brother was the one who taught me that.” Shiro looked at him in interest.

“I didn’t know you have a brother.” Adam’s jaw clenched.

“Yeah, but he’s not around anymore,” Adam explained. Then he looked up at Shiro and smiled. “I guess my point is that older brothers can be a real pain in the ass sometimes, they can set a pretty high standard, but a lot of the time we can’t help but look up to them. And we hate disappointing them.” He waited for Shiro to understand.

“Oh,” Shiro finally said. Now it was his turn to look at his own mug.

“There’s a good chance that Keith’s more mad at himself than he is at you,” Adam explained, taking a sip from his mug. “Just make sure to check your shampoo bottles when you get home - last time I was mad at my brother I replaced all his hair care products with mayonnaise.” Shiro let out a surprised laugh, and Atlas woke up, his tail thumping against the floor as he watched them.

“You didn’t,” Shiro said, and Adam grinned behind his mug. Shiro gave him a nod of approval. “I wouldn’t have thought you were the vengeful type,” he teased. Adam shrugged.

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me.” Shiro thought about that, realizing that Adam was right. Outside of their jobs what did Shiro really know about Adam?

“Well, I know some of the most important things,” Shiro offered, his knees bumping against Adam’s as he shifted a little on the floor, being careful of Atlas. He didn’t realize how close the two of them were sitting. “I know that you’re kind, and hardworking, and that you give good advice, even when people don’t seem to want it.” He gave Adam a dry smile and Adam scoffed, rolling his eyes. “You also care a lot about your students, and they love you - and respect you - which isn’t an easy combination to have,” Shiro continued. “You’re patient too, but you don’t second-guess yourself like I do. You’re steady. You’re someone people can depend on, that I have found myself depending on,” Shiro stopped, his eyes widening slightly as he looked down at Atlas’ sleeping form. Everything he said about Adam was true, but he never really gave himself a moment to consider all of those things. He reminded Shiro of someone else he was just beginning to get to know, another person who made his heart beat faster than normal. He met Adam’s gaze, and saw that Adam was looking at him with wide eyes. His face heated up.

It looked like he had a type.

The next moment Adam was moving closer to him, leaning in, slowly. Atlas squirmed out of Shiro’s lap and made his way back into Adam’s room. Shiro looked up and met Adam’s eyes, then down at his parted lips.

“Shiro,” Adam said, sounding a little breathless, a little unsure. Shiro licked his lips and kept watching him. He found himself putting a hand on Adam’s chest, and then balling his sweater vest with his fist. That brought Adam closer, until they were almost nose to nose. “Shiro,” Adam said again, even quieter, like his voice was about to break. He moved his head slightly to the left, and Shiro could feel one of Adam’s hands resting on his thigh. Shiro nodded his head slowly, still looking at Adam’s lips. It was like Adam had his own gravity, pulling Shiro in. All of those feelings that Shiro tried to ignore - that initial attraction, the way Shiro liked the way Adam’s smile formed, the way he laughed, the way he looked at Shiro and seemed to really see him - Shiro had tried so hard to keep it professional for Keith’s sake. No, for his own sake.

Because he was afraid of the risk. He was afraid of the rejection. He was afraid of having another person leave him.

But maybe, just this once, he didn’t have to be safe.

Or maybe, Adam was the safety he’d been searching for.

“Adam,” Shiro breathed. In that moment he remembered Pilot, although it was hazy amongst all the other thoughts running through Shiro’s mind. He’d almost kissed Pilot, too. He liked Pilot, too.

But it was Adam who was here. It was Adam who had always been here.

“Wait,” Adam said suddenly, and it was like a bucket of cold water had been poured on Shiro’s head. He let go of Adam’s sweater, and Adam pulled away, moving to sit back down. His cheeks were redder than usual as he ran a hand through his hair, avoiding Shiro’s confused gaze. He looked at his hands in his lap, and then finally at Shiro. “What about Allura?”

Shiro’s heart clenched painfully in his chest. Right, Allura. He’d almost forgotten about what Lance had told him. “The two of us aren’t dating,” Shiro explained. Adam’s eyes widened, and Shiro felt like he’d swallowed tacs.

“But at Balmera’s -” Shiro shook his head.

“We were just catching up. We’ve never dated and we never will date, so -” Shiro took a deep breath. “I won’t be mad if you ask her out. She did say she likes being single, though,” Shiro added, a bitter smile on his lips. Adam continued to look at him with wide eyes.

“Allura?” Adam asked, not seeming to understand.

“Lance told me that you like her,” Shiro explained. “But don’t be too hard on him, he didn’t mean to say it.” Adam let out a small noise, his mouth open slightly in shock, and then he shook his head.

“No, Shiro -” Then Shiro’s phone buzzed. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and his eyes widened as he read the message at the top.

“I - I need to head back,” Shiro said, quickly moving to stand. He began looking around the apartment for his stuff. Then he remembered that he didn’t bring anything in. Everything besides his phone and his keys he’d left in his car, and his car was parked outside next to Adam’s. He ran a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry I -”

“Hey,” Adam reaching out to grab Shiro’s wrist. Now he was standing, too. “It’s okay.” Adam searched his eyes, looking at him in concern. “I just need you to know that -” Then Adam stopped, seeing Shiro’s frantic expression. He took a breath, a sad smile on his face. “Nevermind, it can wait.” Shiro gave him a grateful smile in return, even though he still felt like his insides were being twisted by Keith’s knife, and he felt something nudge against his leg. He looked down to see Atlas staring up at him, his tail thumping against the floor. Shiro scratched behind his ears and then he made his way to the door, opening it. He stopped in the doorway, turning to face Adam, wanting to say something. Adam had his mug in his hands, and what looked like an almost pained expression on his face. “I hope everything’s okay.” Adam said, and Shiro nodded his head once.

“Me too,” Shiro said quietly, and then, a breath later, “thank you, for talking to me. With that he walked into the hall, closing the door behind him. He leaned against the wall for a moment, running a hand through his hair.

He was such an idiot. He’d fallen in love with two guys, two guys who both had their eyes on someone else. His father was right - being safe was the best option. It was the only option for Shiro, at least, especially when it came to love. Then he lifted his phone to read the message again. He wasn’t sure if being safe was possible when it came to Keith, however. He took a breath and headed for his car, pulling his keys out of his pocket. Keith had sent him a simple message, one that left Shiro’s mind racing with question as he drove home.

I think my mom’s alive.

[adamlynnch]

Voltron (Klance): Fic Rec List (Updated)

Edit: Added some more fics!

can you tell me by aknightley 

28k, Oneshot, T

Keith works in his brother's coffee shop for the summer, expecting a boring break before college. Lance changes all of that.

The boy is still in the front of the group, but he doesn't take off his glasses so Keith can't tell what he's really looking at -- either the menu or Keith. Keith feels a flash of annoyance but smothers it and pins his smile in place.

i'm betting everything by aknightley

23k, Oneshot, T 

(a continuation of Can You Tell Me)

A summer of dates between a prince and a boy who works in a coffee shop.

"I wanted to see you." Keith's eyes widen a little, and he ducks his head, but not before Lance sees the smile tugging at his lips. "This is the part where you say 'Me too, Lance,'" Lance prompts him, although he's ridiculously charmed by Keith's awkwardness.

"Of course I wanted to see you," Keith says, rolling his eyes.

*The Quilted Lion by geewillikers

97.5k, Complete, Multi-chapter, T

Keith is stuck in New York City barely making ends meet so he and Pidge can live in a decent part of the city close to her university. They scrape by on the illegal winnings Keith makes in street boxing matches, but his manager, Shiro, decides that it's time Keith gets a side job. He's whisked into The Quilted Lion café owned by the woman Shiro's been fawning over for over a year, only to find that he has more to worry about than his lack of magic and cooking skills- -There's a waiter at The Quilted Lion who is entirely Keith's cup of tea.

Drive It Like You Mean It by Zizzani

94k, Complete, Multi-chapter, M

The Castle of Lions is the venue for the city's most dangerous illegal street races where drivers come to test the cut of their tires. Lance has long defended his title as champion, but when a newcomer shows up and threatens his position things take an interesting turn. 

*How to Train Your Voltron by nerdy_cait05

38k, Complete, Multi-chapter, T

When Lance McClain, a Viking Paladin who aspires to hunt dragons, becomes the unlikely friend of a young dragon herself, he learns there may be more to the creatures than previously assumed.

so why don't we fall by aknightley

8k, Oneshot, E

Five times Lance used a pet name for Keith, and one time Keith used one for Lance. Keith has no basis for having a relationship with someone, so he's trying to follow Lance's lead.

The Arch Project by Seliphra

9k, WIP, Multi-chapter, M

When Lance McLain gets promoted to a top secret research project, he is delighted to learn that the old conspiracy theories about something crashing in the desert of New Mexico were right. No one is entirely sure what it is that crashed, but it appears to be a man. A very pretty man who hasn't woken up since the crash. Lance is determined to be the first person on the project in a century to finally crack the case of just what this unconscious being is. Human, alien, or something else entirely? But there are forces out there determined to uncover the truth, and steal it if they must. The Voltron Group, a well known hacker group will apparently stop at nothing to find out what Galra Associated Corperation is hiding. And sooner or later, Lance will have to choose where his loyalties lie.

*What We Make of It by wittyy_name

46k, Oneshot, M

Keith has been training for this for months. So despite feeling like everything else in his life is falling apart and could be summed up with a big, blaring question mark, he finds himself halfway across the world with Shiro and Allura, preparing for his first ironman triathlon. He was expecting some typical touristy activities and a grueling day of physical activity. What he wasn't expecting was to meet a gorgeous boy with bright blue eyes and a smile that made his insides squirm.

Lance has been in a rut, unable to find the happiness that once filled his life. Everything looks gray, and he feels suffocated. And that's how he finds himself halfway across the world, backpacking across a foreign country with his best friend, Hunk, and their new friend, Pidge. That is, until they run out of money and decide to get a job. He's having fun, and colors are leaking past the dam and back into his life. What he wasn't expecting was to meet a beautiful boy with dark eyes and a shy smile that broke those flood gates wide open.

What a Healing Pod Can't Repair by Remember_Me

55k, WIP, T

The compromised wormhole was ripping apart at the seams, sending everyone spiraling away in completely different directions. Lance could feel himself being pulled and bent in ways he was definitely not supposed to be. Stitching the team back together after everyone is separated is difficult, and for one Paladin rescue wouldn't be coming for a very long time.

*Watercast by Fishwrites

83k, WIP, M

Shiro has been a Galra prisoner for over a year; with his flight feathers clipped and unable to fly. Desperate to escape, he jumps overboard while being transported to the capitol on a Galran ship. Lance is a merman who saves him from drowning. Keith thinks Shiro is about to become mermaid dinner. Hunk just wants Lance to stop going to the surface all the time, dammit!

(AU where Avians (winged folk), Galra, humans and merfolk cohabit earth. Shiro and Keith are avian soldiers, Lance is the youngest son of a Queen, Hunk is also a merman and Pidge is still looking for her family.)

Of Lions and House Cats by Ms_Towa

147k, WIP, Multi-chapter, M

Welcome to the City of Monsters.

Crime runs rampant in the streets, and the Voltron Alliance was established to combat the rise of crimes involving superhuman abilities. Revered as upholders of justice and peace, there are measures the Alliance cannot afford to take in order to maintain their public image. All they can do is protect the innocent, defend the law, and keep the peace. The Galra have been dominating both the city and the criminal underworld for too long, however, and what's needed is change.

Change is not meant for heroes. Change is meant for revolutionaries, for rebels.

(Enter Lance.)

tldr;  Keith is a superhero who's been pining after the cute boy who works at the music shop across the street from HQ. He also doesn't know that the cute boy is the same vigilante he wants to bring to justice.

*Dancing Lions, Painted Wings by genericfanatic

35k, Complete, Multi-chapter, T

Years after peace has been made between the Galran and Altean kingdoms, The witch Haggar comes for vengeance. The young symbol of peace, the half-galran, half-altean Prince Kalor is lost. His aunt, Princess Allura, and his bodyguard, Shiro, are heartbroken. 10 years later, an orphan named Keith sets out on his own, trying to find the key to his past. All he has to help him is a small figurine with a cryptic message, a friendly engineer, a technician and her friendly robot, and a cocky con man with a mysterious, yet familiar past.

what are you willing to do? by aknightley

3.8k, Oneshot, E

They fuck in the Red Lion. "This is such a bad idea," Lance says, running his hands down Keith's sides and jerking his shirt out of his pants.

show me your kitties by boydivisions

10k, WIP, Multi-chapter, T

Lance just wanted another dog after his corgi, Nutmeg, died. Instead he got a cat and a crush on the cute guy working at the shelter who makes horrible fashion choices for someone with his job.

*Shut Up and Dance With Me by wittyy_name

152.8k, WIP, Multi-chapter, M

Lance and his friends have been regulars at the Altea Dance Studio for years. Not just for classes, but to hang out, practice, and spend time with good people who love dancing. Every year, they audition to be one of the few representing Altea at the regional dance competition. Lance always auditions solo, but this year he misses out on auditions and blows his chance to participate. And so does his self-proclaimed rival, Keith. Luckily, Shiro comes up with a brilliant plan: convince Lance and Keith to audition as a duo. With a little convincing, and a lot of effort, these two might just be able to pull it off and go to regionals... or they might crash and burn.

*Crowd Pleaser by WhatTheBodyGraspsNot

98k, WIP, Multi-chapter, E

Scoring the new bar-tending position at Lady A's strip club is a lucky break for Keith. What's luckier? He gets to work alongside his brother Shiro. Even luckier than that? It's a male strip club, which means Keith's never short of entertainment during working hours - especially when Blue Rider takes the stage. Because Blue's hot - definitely talented - and definitely taking an interest in Keith. The only thing that isn't so lucky? Keith's already got a boyfriend. That, and he's bad at saying no when it comes to attractive boys with magnetic personalities.

and of course;

*Dirty Laundry 

85k, Complete, Multi-chapter, M

"Two whole months of free laundry in exchange for two weeks of being my fake boyfriend. Deal?” Keith hesitated for a moment. Was this really worth it? Hardly. Lance was an asshole, and he wasn’t sure what fake dating would entail. But, free laundry was free laundry, right? “Alright, it’s a deal.” Or: Lance makes the mistake of telling his Mom he has a boyfriend coming home with him for Christmas. Keith makes the mistake of agreeing to be Lance's 'fake boyfriend'.

[ao3feed-klance]

Conspiracy club (Klance au)

read it on AO3 at http://ift.tt/2ufvV3Y

by DonnaRider

This is a birthday present for Panvia who wanted a high school au where Keith is in a conspiracy club and Lance wants to help everyone and constantly needs a nap.

"He didn’t know if it was because he was tired but the boy looked incredibly beautiful to him and it made Lance’ heart ache a little. His face was the perfect mix of hard lines and softness and his hair was falling into his face in an endearing way. Lance was, however, pretty sure he was hallucinating the boy because there was no way he actually had a mullet. Nope. Not possible."

Words: 1793, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Voltron: Legendary Defender

Rating: Not Rated

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: M/M

Characters: Keith (Voltron), Lance (Voltron), Pidge (Voltron), Hunk (Voltron)

Relationships: Keith/Lance (Voltron), Keith & Lance (Voltron)

Additional Tags: klance, conspiracy club, conspiracy club au, High School AU, lance needs a nap

read it on AO3 at http://ift.tt/2ufvV3Y

[ao3feed-safeklance]

Conspiracy club (Klance au)

read it on the AO3 at http://ift.tt/2ufvV3Y

by DonnaRider

This is a birthday present for Panvia who wanted a high school au where Keith is in a conspiracy club and Lance wants to help everyone and constantly needs a nap.

“He didn’t know if it was because he was tired but the boy looked incredibly beautiful to him and it made Lance’ heart ache a little. His face was the perfect mix of hard lines and softness and his hair was falling into his face in an endearing way. Lance was, however, pretty sure he was hallucinating the boy because there was no way he actually had a mullet. Nope. Not possible.”

Words: 1793, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Voltron: Legendary Defender

Rating: Not Rated

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: M/M

Characters: Keith (Voltron), Lance (Voltron), Pidge (Voltron), Hunk (Voltron)

Relationships: Keith/Lance (Voltron), Keith & Lance (Voltron)

Additional Tags: klance, conspiracy club, conspiracy club au, High School AU, lance needs a nap

read it on the AO3 at http://ift.tt/2ufvV3Y

[ao3feed-voltronlegendarydefender]

Conspiracy club (Klance au)

read it on the AO3 at http://ift.tt/2ufvV3Y

by DonnaRider

This is a birthday present for Panvia who wanted a high school au where Keith is in a conspiracy club and Lance wants to help everyone and constantly needs a nap.

"He didn’t know if it was because he was tired but the boy looked incredibly beautiful to him and it made Lance’ heart ache a little. His face was the perfect mix of hard lines and softness and his hair was falling into his face in an endearing way. Lance was, however, pretty sure he was hallucinating the boy because there was no way he actually had a mullet. Nope. Not possible."

Words: 1793, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Voltron: Legendary Defender

Rating: Not Rated

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: M/M

Characters: Keith (Voltron), Lance (Voltron), Pidge (Voltron), Hunk (Voltron)

Relationships: Keith/Lance (Voltron), Keith & Lance (Voltron)

Additional Tags: klance, conspiracy club, conspiracy club au, High School AU, lance needs a nap

read it on the AO3 at http://ift.tt/2ufvV3Y

[bee-zs]

WRITE MORE STUFF ABOUT CRYPTID HUNTER!KEITH AND GHOST HUNTER!LANCE PLS PLS

oh Boy ur wish is my command anon here are some more notes i have on this AU

Hunk, Pidge, Lance, and Keith all go to the same school.

Coran is their adoring principal, Shiro and Allura are teachers

Lance and Keith try to start a Ghost Club and Cryptid Club at school respectively 

Hunk helps Lance with Ghost Club and Pidge helps out with the Cryptid Club

Allura is set to be the GC sponsor, Shiro is supposed to be the CC’s

surprise turns out that every club has to have at least 4 members to actually be considered a real club

cue the long hard road to getting Lance and Keith to join their clubs together for the sake of the greater good and creating the VOLTRON club. 

Nobody could actually decide on what to call the new supernatural mystery hunter club so they just name it after everyone’s mutual favorite comic book and call it a day.

Coran lets them use them old storehouse on the edge of school property as a clubroom/base because he’s great like that. Allura sneaks them all keys so they can use it after school hours.

Lance has a strong sense for the supernatural and can see ghosts better than most, which is part of the reason he started hunting them down in the first place

another reason is that it’s part of his family history, his mom and grandmother did the same thing

his mother disappeared when he was young, his grandmother taught him everything he knows about the supernatural 

Lance is great with witchcraft, which his Grandmother also taught him. 

He has his mother’s grimoire, which has all kinds of info about the paranormal in it as well as spells on how to deal with spirits and whatnot.

Lance thinks the grimoire is the key to figuring out his mother’s disappearance.

Keith hunts cryptids because it’s his only connection to his past

his knife is an heirloom that is supposed to be tied to the supernatural somehow, but Keith hasn’t figured out what it’s for yet

he says he investigates cryptids to try and understand the knife

but really he just thinks cryptids are damn cool and would probably investigate them regardless

Keith has a journal he records all the information he’s learned about cryptids in

he also draws their pictures

a lot of them really suck

Lance, bonafide artist that he is, ends up offering his assistance (mostly just to rub it in how much better of an artist he is)

Keith spends a day describing what different cryptids are supposed to look like so Lance can do sketches and it becomes a Bonding Moment™

Lance tells Keith ghost stories while he draws.

Lance still thinks cryptids are fake by the end of it but the journal actually ends up looking pretty nice so Keith forgives him (not before telling him ghosts aren’t real though) 

After a while Keith and Lance kind of accept that both ghosts and cryptids are real but they still fight about it so often the team starts calling them Scully and Mulder

“Pidge, tell Keith he’s being an idiot and that there is no such thing as a chupacabra, please, his evidence sucks! There’s no proof!”

“Uh huh, sure thing Scully.”

“Hunk, Lance is going on about Blackbeard’s Pirate Ship again please tell him his Bermuda Triangle theory has like a million holes in it and I refuse to count ‘the way the wind howls’ as conclusive evidence.”

“Mmhmm, anything for you Mulder,”

Every Friday is Movie Night At The Storage Shed AKA “The Castle”

Pidge rigged the place to have some pretty fancy electronics, most importantly, a TV

Keith always wants to watch conspiracy videos ripped from the internet

Pidge wants to watch the X-Files or History Channel Alien Specials

Hunk is either How It’s Made, Chopped, or Unsolved Ancient Mysteries

Hunk gets really, really in to Chopped. Don’t mess with Hunk while watching Chopped.

Lance just wants to watch Ghostbusters, over, and over, and over

Lance gets banned from bringing any of the Ghostbuster movies to Hunks house after they’ve all watched each one at least 6 times

thats all the notes i’ve got as of now but boy do i love me that Cryptic/Ghost hunter Klance AU mmmHMMmmm good stuff Right There

[ao3feed-galrakeith]

Conspiracy

by Notmothman

Voltron Highschool AU! Keith Kogane's alien conspiracy theory club is a bust, weeks pass with only Pidge as a member until one day a new kid shows up: Lance McClain! Little does he know that Lance has no real interest in the mothman or Fresno night crawlers, his heart pines for a different type of Alien: Kogane himself.

AU in which Keith's alien obsession is strong, Pidge is the ultimate wing woman and Lance Is Lance.

Words: 515, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Voltron: Legendary Defender, Voltron - Fandom

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: M/M

Characters: Keith (Voltron), Lance (Voltron), Pidge | Katie Holt, Pidge (Voltron)

Relationships: Keith/Lance (Voltron)

Additional Tags: Galra Keith (Voltron), klance, klance fluff, eventual aliens, Cheerleader Lance (Voltron), Mothman, Alternate Universe - High School, voltron high school

from AO3 works tagged 'Voltron: Legendary Defender' http://ift.tt/2n1IX1x via IFTTT

[fire-bear]

My Klance Month 2019 Ideas

As you may have seen, I have decided to do Klance Month, only about half a month behind - or more, since a lot of these one-shots are rather long, so it might take me a while to write them. But, since I’m super excited about my ideas, I’m going to tell you what you can expect!

For Day 1, the Coffee Shop AU: Lance works in the coffee shop which is owned by Shiro so Keith goes to it a lot, though usually on the days he doesn’t work - until Lance takes a gap year and takes on more shifts. They meet and they like each other and Keith asks him to hang out. ;) It’ll be all cute and fluffy.

For Day 2, the Galtean AU: I’ve seen a whole load of Lance is an Altean prince AUs and ones where he’s Allura’s brother. And ones where he’s just an average Altean but they’re only in a country called Altea and not generally on the planet. So I thought, what if Lance was on Altea when the whole Zarkon thing was going on...

For Day 3, the Mermaid AU: I’m gonna write the second chapter to this story - finally!

For Day 4, the Hogwarts AU: I’m daring to put Lance in Slytherin for some good old fashioned Gryffindor/Slytherin rivalry. (Also because of his ambition to be the best Quidditch player in the world.)

For Day 5, the Roommates AU: If you put an obviously bi Lance in a dorm with the hot, sexy Keith, it’s going to end with both of them in one bed. ;) ;)

For Day 6, the Supernatural AU: I almost went down the ghost who’s actually a demon route but then I thought... Lance as a selkie.

For Day 7, the Internet Friends AU: I mean, I could make it chat based or try to do a Tumblr thing but I decided, hey, these two should meet having met on the Internet. :)

For Day 8, the Garrison AU: Lance and Keith getting on each other’s nerves until they need to duck out of the hall and into a cupboard... ;)

For Day 9, the Movie of Choice AU: Listen. I was watching a TV quiz show and one of the answers was 27 Dresses and my immediate thought was Lance in the role of Katherine Heigel...??’s role. And Keith is the cynical journalist.

For Day 10, the YouTubers AU: I mean, Lance having one of those make up tutorials makes sense. And Keith was guided into a Let’s Play route by Pidge. Who also shares one of Lance’s videos with him for Halloween purposes...

For Day 11, the Historical AU: Every time there’s a historical one, I immediately think of the Victorian era. I’ve got an idea for something set in the 1920s? with a brothel that Lance sings in and Keith ends up in.... but I might change it cause I’m not sure about the 20s... Maybe I should go for WWII...

For Day 12, the Role Reversal AU: Who said anything about their personalities switching? Otherwise, this one I wanna keep secret. :D

For Day 13, the DIsney AU: I’ll either be writing my version of an Enchanted AU (since I’ve seen some around) or a Princess and the Frog one but I haven’t decided yet.

For Day 14, the Soulmates AU: Lance and Keith meet when they’re about to start rooming together at college... Things get awkward and angsty, fast.

For Day 15, the College AU: Ah, a charity drive for Pidge’s gaming club that Keith doesn’t go to but Lance does. How does a Dating Sim Kissing Booth sound?

For Day 16, the Thunderpike AU: (Someone please tell me if Thunder is all there is to Keith’s name because I can’t remember and he’ll just be called Thunder otherwise.) Anyways, how does Keith being a warrior and a princess sound? Because there’s a curse they need to go on a quest for...

For Day 17, the Celebrities AU: I already have one of them! So I’ll be writing the next chapter of the third story in it.

For Day 18, the Childhood Friends AU: I’m actually gonna write a story from their childhood - so this one will be so overwhelmingly sweet and will feature a fair, a toy shark, a runaway boy and a Ferris wheel ride. :)

For Day 19, the Canon Divergence AU: What if Keith hadn’t returned before Haggar forced Kuron to turn on them? What if Kuron kidnapped him and took off? What if Voltron needed a new leader and what if the last leader turned up during his reign? :3

For Day 20, the Leakira AU: I have never known what the heck people were talking about when I saw this until I looked it up. It says it’s a cyberpunk thing and that it’s set 10 years in the future - but what future? So I’m just doing a cyberpunk AU where sleeping with a random guy might just save - or ruin - Lance’s life...

For Day 21, the Crossover AU: Let me present you with Sailor Mercury and Sailor Mars.

For Day 22, the High School AU: I’ve seen a whole lot of Keith is the popular one/the jock or bad boy everyone wants to get with. So I decided to make Lance the popular one and Keith the loner artist. They happen to be paired up with each other on a school trip to the aquarium and Keith learns more about Lance.

For Day 23, the TV Show of Choice AU: I hope you’ve seen Humans! Because Lance getting Keith the synth as a birthday present/something to cheer Lance up after a bad break-up (for company). But... Keith’s family are looking for him and Keith sometimes acts a bit... stabby.

For Day 24, the- ... the Half-Blood Camp AU: .... I... All I know of Percy Jackson is passing posts, fanart and... the movies... And I know there are other... god... camps...??? I honestly have no clue what to do with this and will probably do extensive Googling when I get to this. Or just skip it.

For Day 25, the Neighbours AU: Keith moves in next to Lance. There’s a Boy Next Door scenario, a snowed-in situation and a bed situation which will turn into an angst and then a secret situation.

For Day 26, the Artists/Performers AU: Or both! Keith is an aspiring artist, just as Lance is an aspiring musician. They can usually be found opposite each other in the same park.

For Day 27, the Fantasy: This idea was almost used a supernatural one but I decided this was better for this AU. Anyways, Lance as a fairy godmother - to Keith who’s not please that his family fell apart and Lance didn’t stop it... =/

For Day 28, the Free Day!: And, since I’ll have neglected all my other stories for God knows how long, I’ll be writing the next chapter of this story! Werewolves! Kidnappings! Conspiracies! Lance and Keith forced to live together!

[ao3feed-adashi]

Infinitesimal

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/2Mi4dMg

by Notmothman

Keith has always felt a connection to the stars. The disappearance of the Kerberos mission and the sudden reveal of his alien heritage lands Keith as the unlikely head of the garrison's student run 'Conspiracy theory club'. Little does he know, new recruit Lance only has eyes for one alien: Keith Kogane himself.

AU where team Voltron never leaves Earth, Pidge battles being the ultimate wing woman with the loss of her family and Keith really (really) loves mothman.

Words: 1997, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Voltron: Legendary Defender

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: M/M

Characters: Keith (Voltron), Keith's Family (Voltron), Pidge | Katie Holt, Pidge | Katie Holt's Family, Lance (Voltron), Hunk (Voltron), Shiro (Voltron), Adam (Voltron), Krolia (Voltron)

Relationships: Keith/Lance (Voltron), Adam/Shiro (Voltron)

Additional Tags: Galaxy Garrison, Galra Keith (Voltron), keith and pidge are FRIENDS, Alien Keith (Voltron), Cheerleader Lance (Voltron), keith likes to draw, Hunk is a voice of reason, Conspiracy Theories, Mothman, Garrison shenanigans, Cryptozoology, klance fluff, Enemies to Friends to Lovers

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/2Mi4dMg

[iiwingedpandaii-blog]

Klance college au

Keith: is the astronomy major. Loves his conspiracies and cryptids more that himself. His favourite is mothman. Is yet to leave the emo phase. Spies on fellow cuban classmate, who walks past his dorm everyday. 

Lance: is the art major. Goes to frat parties, and loves them, but isn't actually a total frat boy. Will beat you in every aspect of dance there is. Can sing every word to hips don’t lie and the entire pink Friday album. Has a retro aesthetic with an old car to complete it. Occasional angst.

Hunk: is the engineering major. Also Lances life support. Is super friendly, but will fight someone for Shay. Makes food come out of nowhere. Owns a giant yellow carebear that he keeps in his dorm. Is the mom friend.

Pidge: computer science major. Is younger than you. Lives off caffeine and the hope that she will one day get a full 8 hours of sleep. Has hacked your phone at least twice. If Hunk is to Lance the Pidge is to Keith exept meaner and shorter. 

Allura: fashion major. Is a queen and knows it. Will beat you in an arm wrestle. Pulls off bleached hair. Works at her fathers clothing store. (Best customer is Lance, even though its a women's clothing, accessories and makeup store)

Shiro: Graduated from business school last year. Works in Altean department store’s finance department. Works day and night. Is promoted constantly. Loves to set his little brother Keith up with customers. Dad friend. Stressed but well dressed. Eyeliner on point.

Coran: Manager of Clothing store. Somehow manages to occasionally supply for Keith and Lances classes. Loves his moustache first and himself second. Is weird uncle material. 

Lotor: Fashion major all the way. Competes with Allura just to impress her. Lowkey took an intrest in Keith ONCE, but denies all accusations. Flawless hair and skin. Purple is his coulour for life. Daddy issues to the max. 

Matt: Computer science major. Dj’s at a club. Pinning his butt off w Shiro. Memes his way through the day. Just here to cheer on Pidge, even though she doesn’t need it. 

[ao3feed-klance]

Conspiracy

read it on AO3 at http://ift.tt/2n1IX1x

by Notmothman

Voltron Highschool AU! Keith Kogane's alien conspiracy theory club is a bust, weeks pass with only Pidge as a member until one day a new kid shows up: Lance McClain! Little does he know that Lance has no real interest in the mothman or Fresno night crawlers, his heart pines for a different type of Alien: Kogane himself.

AU in which Keith's alien obsession is strong, Pidge is the ultimate wing woman and Lance Is Lance.

Words: 515, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Voltron: Legendary Defender, Voltron - Fandom

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: M/M

Characters: Keith (Voltron), Lance (Voltron), Pidge | Katie Holt, Pidge (Voltron)

Relationships: Keith/Lance (Voltron)

Additional Tags: Galra Keith (Voltron), klance, klance fluff, eventual aliens, Cheerleader Lance (Voltron), Mothman, Alternate Universe - High School, voltron high school

read it on AO3 at http://ift.tt/2n1IX1x

[ao3feed-safeklance]

Conspiracy

read it on the AO3 at http://ift.tt/2n1IX1x

by Notmothman

Voltron Highschool AU! Keith Kogane's alien conspiracy theory club is a bust, weeks pass with only Pidge as a member until one day a new kid shows up: Lance McClain! Little does he know that Lance has no real interest in the mothman or Fresno night crawlers, his heart pines for a different type of Alien: Kogane himself.

AU in which Keith's alien obsession is strong, Pidge is the ultimate wing woman and Lance Is Lance.

Words: 515, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Voltron: Legendary Defender, Voltron - Fandom

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: M/M

Characters: Keith (Voltron), Lance (Voltron), Pidge | Katie Holt, Pidge (Voltron)

Relationships: Keith/Lance (Voltron)

Additional Tags: Galra Keith (Voltron), klance, klance fluff, eventual aliens, Cheerleader Lance (Voltron), Mothman, Alternate Universe - High School, voltron high school

read it on the AO3 at http://ift.tt/2n1IX1x

[ao3feed-voltronlegendarydefender]

Conspiracy

read it on the AO3 at http://ift.tt/2n1IX1x

by Notmothman

Voltron Highschool AU! Keith Kogane's alien conspiracy theory club is a bust, weeks pass with only Pidge as a member until one day a new kid shows up: Lance McClain! Little does he know that Lance has no real interest in the mothman or Fresno night crawlers, his heart pines for a different type of Alien: Kogane himself.

AU in which Keith's alien obsession is strong, Pidge is the ultimate wing woman and Lance Is Lance.

Words: 515, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Voltron: Legendary Defender, Voltron - Fandom

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: M/M

Characters: Keith (Voltron), Lance (Voltron), Pidge | Katie Holt, Pidge (Voltron)

Relationships: Keith/Lance (Voltron)

Additional Tags: Galra Keith (Voltron), klance, klance fluff, eventual aliens, Cheerleader Lance (Voltron), Mothman, Alternate Universe - High School, voltron high school

read it on the AO3 at http://ift.tt/2n1IX1x