#regeithwintergiftswap2018

[azulaphales]

Handmade

My @regeithgiftswap fic for @pyrestoneatelier ! (dang it tagging fails again)

Your requests fit my Regeith Mini event piece to a t, so I tried to write a fic to go along with it. 

ao3 link

When the paladins went to space, Lance had kept his phone and used it for the calendar, and he insisted on keeping track of the date and getting everyone on the castle to celebrate Earth holidays. Keith fondly remembered the chaos that had ensued when Coran misinterpreted the point of Halloween and filled all of their rooms with candy. Since he was going to be on the Blade base for what was supposedly Christmas, Keith decided to try teaching the aliens about Earth holidays, too, even though he hadn’t experienced much of the Christmas tradition himself.

“Merry Christmas,” Keith said, sitting down next to Regris in the cafeteria.

“What is a Christmas?” Regris asked.

“It’s a holiday we celebrate back on Earth in the winter…” Keith started to explain.

Regris cocked his head to the side. Even with his mask, which he always wore because it had corrective lenses for his nearsightedness, it was an endearing gesture. “What is winter?”

Keith blinked. He didn’t think he’d have to start that far back. “Uh, it’s a season? I guess you don’t have seasons in space but you know, when you’re on a planet, when the weather changes?”

“I have spent most of my life on the base, but I have visited planets like Olkarion, and they don’t have ‘seasons’,” Regris remarked.

“Yeah, I guess Earth is kind of weird like that,” said Keith. Regris was so curious that anyone talking to him had to be prepared to go down a spiral of tangents. Luckily, Keith always enjoyed their meandering conversations. “Winter is the cold season, when it snows and stuff.”

Regris shivered at the mere suggestion. “I don’t like the cold. I would much rather spend my life on a climate-controlled base.”

“Of course you would,” Keith teased. Regris wasn’t built for the cold like some of the long-furred Galra. His fur was short and sleek, velvety to the touch, but it didn’t provide much insulation, and his suit wasn’t enough to make up for it. Keith had heard Regris complain about the cold plenty of times when they were on missions.

“Is the cold season necessary for this holiday?” Regris queried.

“No, not really. We celebrate it back on the castle anyway.” Keith hesitated. “I mean, we probably would. The other paladins like to celebrate Earth holidays.” He sighed wistfully. As much as he appreciated his time at the Blade, training, learning about his heritage, and hanging out with Regris, he still felt homesick.

“We could celebrate it here,” Regris suggested. “What is involved?”

“Um, decorating the house, ugly sweaters, giving gifts…”

Regris gasped. “I don’t have a gift to give you.”

“Well, that’s one place we could start,” Keith said with a laugh.

“Christmas sweaters?” Thace repeated.

“Yes,” Keith said, standing in the doorway of Thace’s office, hugging his arms to his chest and swaying back and forth on his feet nervously. “I was wondering if you could help me knit Christmas sweaters for everyone.”

“Sure. It might take a few days, but I would be happy to,” Thace replied. His alert ears tilted forward in Keith’s direction. “It looks like something else is on your mind, Keith. What is it?”

“How do I tell Regris that I like him?” Keith blurted out, a blush heating his cheeks.

Thace stifled a snort. “Well, assuming just telling him is out of the question…” he began. Keith shot him a glare. “Handmade gifts are a traditional expression of affection in Galra culture.”

“Really?” Keith said. “I… I don’t know how to make anything.”

“I’ll make something and you can take the credit for it,” Thace offered.

Keith rubbed the back of his neck. “Thanks, Thace,” he said bashfully.

“No problem,” said Thace. “Now if you wouldn’t mind, could you explain to me what in Zarkon’s empire a Christmas sweater is?”

For a culture that supposedly didn’t celebrate holidays, the Blade of Marmora went all out for their Christmas party. Every inch of the usually bare halls of the base was draped in tinsel. Thace had gotten some help from Antok and knitted everyone Christmas sweaters with a Marmoran flair, purple lights woven into red, green, and black fabric. Even Kolivan was wearing one over his tunic.

Keith walked into the ballroom wearing his sweater with pride. It was red with a Voltron symbol in lights on the chest. He saw Regris across the room, looking cozy and warm in his sweater with the sleeves pulled up over his claws, and Keith’s heart fluttered a little. Regris’s sweater had a matching design, green with a glowing star on the chest. He wondered if Thace had done that on purpose.

Regris perked up when he saw Keith, his tail waving excitedly. Keith felt his cheeks burning as he walked towards him, and unlike Regris, he wasn’t wearing a mask to hide it. “Merry Christmas, Keith!” Regris chirped.

Keith took a deep breath and handed Regris his present, a soft bundle. Regris ripped open the wrapping paper eagerly and unrolled a long purple sleeve of fabric. He held it up at different angles, examining it. “What is it?”

“It’s a tail sock!” said Keith. “You’re always complaining about how your tail is cold and you don’t have any clothes that fit your tail, so I, uh… got it for you.” He left out the part where Thace did most of the work. It was Keith’s idea, anyway.

“Oh, Keith, thank you so much!” Regris deactivated his mask, and nuzzled his face into the soft fabric. Regris’s smile was like an arrow to Keith’s heart. “Now open yours!” he chirped. He handed Keith a small rectangular package.

Keith gingerly peeled back a corner of the wrapping. It was a small red book. He opened it. On each page was a picture of one of his friends from the castle, and a letter from them wishing Keith a merry Christmas.

A smile spread across Keith’s face. “Regris, how did you get these?” he asked, his voice cracking slightly.

“Well, you sounded like you missed them and spending the holidays with them. So I contacted the castle and asked them to send me pictures and letters. They all responded right away. They really miss you, too.”

“Regris… This is…” Keith was already having trouble forming words, but when he turned to the last page, his breath caught in his throat. There was a picture of Regris smiling, next to a small note:

Meet me under the mistletoe. ♥ Regris

Keith blinked away the tears that had gathered in his eyes and looked up. Regris was holding his tail above Keith’s head, with a sprig of mistletoe tied to the tip of it.

“There’s one more Christmas tradition that Lance told me about,” Regris said with a cheeky grin.

Keith blushed. “Regris, you—!!” he started to say before Regris’s lips collided with his.

[regeithgiftswap]

A gift swap event for Keith/Regris (Regeith) shippers. In here, you can exchange gifts, whether it’s fanart, fanfic, edits, gifset, or other fanworks.

Obviously, keep in mind that this is a Regeith-focused event. Regeith should be the main focus of your request / gift. Platonic or romantic should be okay, as long as these two dorks are the main focus 💜🖤  

 ✨ CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP  ✨

Rules

This is a Regeith-focused event. Meaning, Regeith should be the main focus of your request / gift!

Background ship is allowed, but again, Regeith should be the main focus.

Please don’t tell others who you are making your gift.

Keep it anonymous until the posting date!

Keep it PG-13 (no explicit or triggering content).

This is an exchange for all kind of content creator.

Please put some effort into your gift. Before you post your gift, think like you are the recipient of the gift. Would you be disappointed to receive it? Satisfied?

If the recipient specified that they don't wish to receive a certain kind of trope or background ship, then do not put it into your gift.

This is a drama-free, hate-free event. Do not bash or harass others.

If you need to drop out or an extension to finish your piece, please contact us. Failure to do so will be banned to participate in future exchanges.

Gift Requirement

This is a Regeith-focused event. Meaning, Regeith should be the main focus of your request / gift!

For art, it should be a completed art in your standard. No unfinished sketches or bad phone camera picture, please. Remember that this is a gift for other person.

For fanfiction, it should be 500 words minimum. It doesn't have to be beta-ed, but please proof-read it to minimize typo or grammar error.

You can do gifset, edits, or other fanwork. Again, remember that this is a gift for other person. Put some effort into your gift!

@ or tag your gifter within the first five tags. Also put #regeithwintergiftswap2018 or #rwgs2018 within the first five tags.

Schedule

Sign ups: November 10 - November 30

Assignment sent: December 10

Check in / Drop out due: December 20 - December 22

Gift posting: January 1 - January 10

We understand that December/January is a busy time, what with schoolwork and holiday stuff, but please keep this in mind before you sign up.

Check-in will be done via email to ensure anonimity.

If you feel like you are unable to complete your gift in time, please drop out before December 22 so we can assign a pinch hitter for your recipient.

✨ CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP  ✨

Rules & Schedule | FAQ | Updates

Banner art by the talented @candyfoxdraws | Icon by @xblackpaladin

[revasnaslan]

A Drop of Nostalgia | Ao3 Link

Rating: G Pairings: Regris/Keith Tags: Mid-Season 4, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Regris Lived AU Summary:  Regris finds Keith after searching the ship, and Keith has something to remember the Paladins by, even if he is no longer part of the team. Word Count: 752 Verse: Canon (or as about as ‘canon’ as it can get lmao)

This is my pinch hit for @interdictedink for the @regeithgiftswap !! Hope you like it!! :D

Regris knew that Keith liked to be alone sometimes—which was fine, usually. However, when Keith went missing for well over two vargas, Regris had begun to get a little worried. Even asking Kolivan about the other Blade’s whereabouts hadn’t yielded any results. While searching the ship shouldn’t have taken very long in theory, as it was a small ship, it still had many nooks and crannies that Keith might have been able to squeeze himself into if he didn’t want to be found. Regris supposed that was one of the benefits of Keith’s small size.

When Regris did find Keith, he was in the storage hold, squeezed into the back corner between a crate and the wall. Most of the crates were filled with supplies they had picked up back at the base they had been stationed at until their next assignment came along. Since leaving the Coalition’s main hub, they had mostly been living on whatever rations they could fit into the ship. Regris quickly sniffed the air, and he could tell that the crates Keith was squeezed between did not contain rations. Munitions, perhaps. Paying the crates no further mind, Regris turned his attention back to Keith.

He had curled up in on himself, hugging his knees to his chest as he watched something on his datapad. Regris couldn’t tell what he was watching, though. Then, Keith sniffed, and Regris caught sight of a tear rolling down Keith’s cheek, barely visible past the harsh light of the datapad’s screen.

“Keith—” Regris began.

Keith yelped in surprise, evidently not having heard Regris’ approach. He ended up throwing his datapad to the side, where it hit the wall. Thankfully, they were durable, and it only bounced off the wall before landing at Keith’s feet, unharmed.

“Sorry,” Regris said hastily. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Keith shook his head, quickly wiping his eyes. “It’s fine, Reg,” he said, smiling even in spite of the evident tears. “I’m fine.”

Regris crouched down in front of him, ears flicking in concern beneath his hood as his tail tip twitched nervously against the floor. “But you’re crying—”

A soft snort left Keith’s throat as he reached for his datapad. “Do Galra not cry when they’re happy?” he asked, settling back into his little corner, although he did scoot over enough for Regris to take a seat. “I was just watching a stream of one of the Coalition performances… that’s all.”

Regris settled down in the spot Keith had left open for him, leaning back against the wall as he crossed his arms over his chest. This time, his ears were flicking out of curiosity, rather than concern. “The what?”

Keith turned the datapad enough that Regris could see the screen, and he blinked harshly at the bright light—and he wished he had actually thought to bring his glasses with him when he had gone searching for his friend. Then, Keith pressed the play button again, and Regris was greeted with the sight of the Green and Yellow Paladins sliding around on ice. Apparently, that was some kind of sport back on Keith’s homeplanet. He could remember Keith telling him about it once. Keith had promised to take him if they ever went back to Earth. However, the Pink Paladin—the Altean princess—did not look too happy with her current situation. More annoyed than upset. Perhaps they did not having this ‘ice skating’ on Altea? Regris would have asked, but he didn’t want to upset Keith. Perhaps he would at a later date.

“You must miss them a lot,” Regris said softly as Keith leaned against his shoulder. Keith’s only response was another nod and sniff as he wiped his eye with the heel of his hand. “I thought you said you felt out of place there…”

“Only because they wanted me to be their leader and I just… couldn’t do that,” Keith said.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Regris asked. He knew he wouldn’t have liked being forced into a leadership position either. The chances of that happening now, when he was still a relatively young Blade, were slim to none, though. There were many other, more experienced Blades who would be considered if anything happened to Kolivan.

Keith mutely shook his head.

Regris hummed softly in the back of his throat. “For what it’s worth, they probably miss you too…”

Keith nodded, wiping his eyes one last time as he smiled and pressed the play button again. “I know…”

[regeithgiftswap]

Gift Posting

Gift posting will go from January 1 - 10. Please let us know if you need an extension.

Please tag your recipient, mention @regeithgiftswap, or tag your gift with #regeithwintergiftswap2018 within the first five tags so we can reblog your gift.

If you have any question, please don't hesitate to send us an email.

Happy new year!

--

Rules & Schedule | FAQ | Updates

[regeithgiftswap]

All emails have been sent.

Please let me know if you didn’t receive one or if there’s a problem with your assignment.

Please take note that there will be a check in at December 20 - 22 to make sure that you are still in the exchange. If you wish to drop out, please do it by December 22, so we can find your recipient a pinch hitter.

Gift posting will go at January 1 - 10. Please tag your recipient, mention @regeithgiftswap, or tag your gift with #regeithwintergiftswap2018 within the first five tags so we can reblog your gift.

Rules & Schedule | FAQ | Updates

[revasnaslan]

Shaky Breaths | Ao3 Link

Rating: G Pairings: Regris/Keith Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Panic Attacks Summary: Disastrous missions leave an impression, even if you make it out alive. Word Count: 713 Verse: Canon

This was written for @candyfoxdraws for the Regeith Winter Exchange run over @regeithgiftswap!!

The mission should have been a standard information gathering one—Keith still couldn’t pinpoint exactly where it had gone bad. Even though he was sure both he and Regris had followed all of Kolivan’s orders, somehow—somehow—they had still tripped a sensor… or perhaps, they had been spotted on a security camera. It most certainly hadn’t been someone tipping off the commander in charge of the battleship, thank the stars. Keith and Regris had been lucky to get away in one piece. It could have gone much worse.

Keith knew that—the very idea of it plagued him. His dreams were sporadic, nothing more than shadows of events that could actually have occurred… he smelled nothing but smoke, heard nothing but screams. If they were his own or Regris’s, he couldn’t tell. Abruptly, he awoke, gasping for breath, clawing at the metal floor of… something. It took a moment for his mind to catch up with his memory, for him to remember that they were on the escape shuttle. The knowledge that both he and Regris were safe following their disastrous mission did little to stop the quaking in his bones. He could feel someone touching his arm. It was a gentle touch, meant to be comforting, but Keith’s heart still hammered in his chest as he fought to breathe. Then, a low, hissing voice reached his ears as someone spoke to him.

“Keith?”

He turned, chest heaving, to meet Regris’s gaze—still hidden behind his mask, but even that was comforting. Regris tilted his head to the side, and after a tick, his mask flickered and disappeared. Even though his face was still hidden in the shadow of his hood, Keith saw the slight, concerned crease of his brow there.

Then, Keith felt a couple of tears roll down his cheeks—he hadn’t even realized he had been crying.

Regris’s gaze softened. “Keith—”

Keith turned his head, averting his gaze as he wiped away his tears. His shoulders still shook, but he said nothing—what was there to say? It had been a long… long time since he had cried in front of someone else. He took a couple of deep breaths, trying to calm himself. Around them, Keith could hear the soft hiss of air circulators, the hum of the ship moving through hyperspace. Keith didn’t know how long they had been traveling since jumping to hyperspeed, but he assumed that soon they would arriving back on Olkarion.

He stiffened when he felt Regris’s hand on his shoulder, but he took a deep breath in and let it out before allowing himself to relax again. Only then did Regris’s hand move to his back, and begin rubbing in slow circles. There was the soft, anxious clicking of Regris’s toe-claws against the floor, and the tip of his tail twitched back and forth.

“Pidge said… this is supposed to help?” Regris ventured in a soft voice, sounding a little unsure.

Keith managed a nod, curling up in on himself as he pressed his forehead to his knees. “Thanks, Reg…” he managed, before letting out a shaky breath.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Regris asked carefully, trying not to upset Keith further.

Keith hesitated. Because he did—he really did… but the words caught in his throat. Instead, he mutely shook his head as he turned to meet Regris’s gaze again. He wasn’t surprised when Regris nodded in understanding.

“Another time then…” Regris said, offering a comforting smile. Never once he did stop rubbing Keith’s back, not even when Keith’s breathing had evened out completely.

As Keith’s panic dissipated, a wave of overwhelming exhaustion came over him, and his eyes began to feel heavy. He leaned most of his weight against Regris’s side, resting his cheek on Regris’s shoulder. Then, he let out a sigh, and relaxed completely. The slow, measured movement of Regris’s carefully sheathed claws against his back was beginning to put him to sleep.

“Feeling better now?” Regris asked.

“Much…” Keith managed to whisper as he shifted and shoved his head up underneath of Regris’s chin. “Thanks, Reg…”

A pleased, low, hissing purr was the only response he received in return.

Keith didn’t know when he fell asleep again. However, this time, he didn’t have any nightmares.