Work Text:
“Coran, what are they doing?”
Coran looks at Allura and raises his eyebrows. “I honestly have no idea.”
“Is this another human tradition we don’t understand?” Allura says, watching her fellow Paladins wandering around the Bridge, carrying boxes of stuff that Coran didn’t know they even owned.
“Probably,” he says. But he doesn’t ask them what they are doing, instead just standing and watching the Paladins decorating the Bridge was strange looking decorations, rather entertained by the whole thing.
---
A while later, Coran passes Keith and Hunk as they carry a large tree. But it isn’t the sort of tree Coran remembers from Altea; it has spines instead of leaves. He must have confusion written across his face, because Hunk starts laughing and Keith grins.
“What’s up, Coran?” Hunk asks, spluttering with laughter.
Coran tries to look offended, standing to his full height. “Nothing, Paladin. I was just curious as to why you are carrying a tree.”
The two Paladins look at each other.
“It’s tradition,” Keith says, and they start walking again.
“Is that all you’re going to say?” Coran calls after them.
“Yep,” Hunk says, giggling.
“You’ll find out soon enough,” Keith says, and they walk away, carrying the strange tree and laughing.
---
“Something strange is going on,” Allura says, rushing over to Coran. Her Mice cling to her shoulders, trying not to fall off.
“You can say that again,” Coran says, sighing. “I spotted Keith and Hunk carrying a tree earlier. I have no idea where they got it from.”
“A tree?” Allura says. “How odd. But I’ve just seen Shiro wrapping this strange shiny metal string around the consoles on the Bridge.”
Coran’s eyes widen. “What?”
“I know,” Allura says. “And he refused to tell me the meaning of his bizarre ritual. Apparently, it is traditional.”
Coran sighs. “Now where have I heard that before?”
---
The next day, Pidge walks onto the Bridge wearing the strangest outfit. She has on her normal shorts, but she is wearing red and white striped socks, and a bright red jumper with an image of a brown mammal with a red glowing nose on it. To top it off, she appears to be wearing a pair of antlers on her head.
“Hi, guys,” she says, sitting in her seat as though nothing is different.
“Hello, Pidge,” Allura says with some hesitation. “I can’t help but notice your clothes. They are very… different.”
Pidge grins. “Thanks.”
“Yes, is there a… reason for your change of outfit, Number Five?” Coran asks.
And Pidge gives them the most knowing smile as she says, “It’s traditional.”
Coran and Allura glance at each other. Pidge giggles.
Throughout the rest of the day, the others start wearing a similar array of strange clothes. Even Keith can be seen wear antlers, although he doesn’t look very impressed.
And Coran just has to wonder what on Altea is going on around here.
---
The day after that, Lance comes hurtling onto the Bridge with a sprig of a leafy planet on top of his head. When Hunk and Pidge see him, they burst out laughing.
“Seriously?” Shiro says, smiling fondly. “You’ve got mistletoe?”
Lance grins. “Yeah! I’ve got mistletoe.”
Keith groans and covers his face with his hand.
“This might sound like a silly question, Lance,” Allura says. “But why do you have a piece of a plant on your head?”
“It’s part of a tradition,” Lance says, and Coran pulls a face; Allura smiles. “If you’re underneath a piece of mistletoe, you have to kiss. It’s like, the law.”
“Really?” Allura says.
“No, he’s just exaggerating,” Shiro says. “But it is tradition. Kissing under the mistletoe is something lots of people do.”
“I see,” Coran says, twisting the end of his moustache. “So, do you really just kiss people when you’re underneath this plant?”
Shiro nods. Lance grins. Keith grimaces.
“Is it poisonous?” he asks.
“A bit,” Pidge says. “But you’re fine as long as you don’t eat it.”
Allura raises his eyebrows. “How reassuring.”
“And kissing isn’t just reserved for romance,” Hunk says, putting his arm around Pidge. “You can kiss anyone, platonically.”
“Like this, see,” Lance says. And Lance reaches up and presses a kiss to Coran’s cheek.
Coran smiles, suddenly reminded of life on Altea when he was young, of the young Princess running towards him yelling “Uncle Coran!” and jumping into his arms. And she would press a kiss to his cheek and then grab his moustache and say something like, “We’ve missed you.”
“Hey, if you can kiss Coran then I can too!” Hunk says, and he kisses Coran’s forehead, hugging him tightly.
“You didn’t have the mistletoe,” Pidge says.
“Never mind!” Lance cries, pulling a bag out of his pocket. “There’s plenty to go around.”
He passes them all a piece of mistletoe. Allura holds out a bit to Coran, and he kisses the top of her head. Pidge jumps onto Hunk’s back and kisses his face from behind. Even Shiro takes a piece and plants a kiss on Coran’s hair.
To everyone’s amusement, Lance kisses Keith on the nose. Keith swats him away.
“Sorry, dude,” Lance says, grinning. “It’s tradition.”
Coran looks at Allura and smiles. Of all of their weird Earth traditions, this is probably his favourite so far.
---
A few days after all of this started, Coran finds his early morning duties disturbed by the early rise of the Paladins.
“It’s Christmas!” Lance yells, racing into the room.
He is followed by the others, who all look excited, carrying wrapped presents and wearing their funny jumpers. As Hunk and Lance start adding yet more decorations to the Bridge, Allura is the last to stumble into the room, wearing her pink pyjamas and looking half asleep.
“Was it really necessary to wake everyone up so early?” she asks, yawning.
“I’m afraid so,” Lance says. “It’s—”
“Tradition?” Coran suggests.
Lance nods, grinning. “Yeah.”
“And, may I ask, what exactly is Christmas?”
And the Paladins shove a silly hat on Coran’s head and explain to him the annual tradition of Christmas. And he doesn’t really understand it, but it is a lot of fun.