Work Text:
Keith-part one
Unknown to most students the garrison had an extremely large basement. It spanned square miles and was the same size as a small city block. Living underneath was one teenage boy who was taken in a few years after his father's death. The garrison originally thought he was a mutated human but his genes told a different story as they were completely alien compared to most human genes.
He was called Keith.
A new recruit was told to go down to basement block a, room number 18, the room next to young Keith's house. He was a newly graduated student named Shiro. They wanted to put Keith into the garrison as he could shapeshift into a human. He would remain human for impressive amounts of time. But eventually he would turn back into his true form. Samuel Holt would often use the nickname werewolf to describe him.
"Hello Shiro, we have an important mission regarding alien integration here. There is a boy who will be joining the garrison in a few years. He's not exactly, well human." Samuel Holt. Who had taken in the care position of Keith spoke.
He slid a photo of a happy looking boy across the table. The boy was purple and was covered in dense fur. Seriously he was like a chinchilla. His eyes appeared to glow; they had a slight yellow tint. He had clawed nails, they were quite vicious looking or intimidating. He looked to be in his early to mid teens, due to the height.
"Woah!"
"Now Shiro this boy is very shy I must warn you. Do NOT point out his strange appearance. He knows very few people. I.e Katie and Matthew are the only kids around his age he knows."
Shiro smiled acceptingly "sure. He's just a normal kid under all that fur right?"
Shiro decided to knock on the door to Keith's room, he was given the override key but had decided to respect the boy.
"Hello Keith, I'm Shiro." He smiled. To the younger human boy standing at the door judgementally.
"Hi." He reached to shut the door but Shiro put his foot in the doorway.
"You don't look old." Keith commented boredly. "Thought you would be older."
Shiro had to take a double take. This boy was young and not purple. Obviously, he was the kid in the photo, he dressed similarly and had the same face shape. He seemed to be bored of Shiro, and was ignoring him.
"I'm 18. I’m not old, I’m here to help you out before you go to the garrison.”
"So you've seen what I really look like haven't you."
Shiro nodded dumbfounded by the child. He started to shapeshift. His skin slowly became hairy and purple he looked back at the man with bright, wide, yellow eyes. He seemed nervous.
"It's great you have the courage to show me Keith now do you have any games we could play."
"I have monopoly but Sam said Katie wasn't allowed to play it with me. And it’s not as fun with Matt, he’s no good with money, he builds hotels so all his friends can stay over and forgets rent.”
"Katie is evil when she plays games like that. I wouldn't worry."
"So you'll play it." He looked up wide eyed and joyful.
“Of course why don’t I bring you some other games, I’ll even let you play some video games.”
“Really?”
“I don’t see why not.”
Garrison- part two
A few years later Keith was officially a Garrison student, instinctually he was an amazing pilot. Due to his alien origin he had amazing reactions in the air and could easily fly a ship on his own. Even Shiro was impressed. But one day a fight was brewing and Keith was in the middle of it.
"Stop being so weird freak." A boy shouted. He was older than Keith, taller too, but was quite lanky and Keith could easily take him down. Even if he was hindered by his human form. The boy seemed to be trying to grab Keith to do a typical asshole thing before he would move onto the next guy. “God you’re only here because of Shiro, no one wants to work with you.”
"Fuck off!" Keith growled overcome by rage.
He jumped on the other boy getting him to the floor before Shiro grabbed him by the shoulders and dragged the child away. A few moments later the child was purple and in a currently empty corridor.
"What was that all about, Keith?" Shiro questioned frustrated.
"He called me weird Shiro. He treated me like a freak! Because apparently he thinks I can't deal with people!"
"Come here Keith. People won't and I mean it, they just won't understand you if you just attack them."
"So you're not mad?"
"I'm furious at you Keith but I can understand where it came from. I know how you can be."
"¡Dios mio!” A voice shouted.
"Shit!" Keith spoke hiding behind Shiro. He may have unstable genes that allowed him to transition quickly, but at that moment he was so terrified he couldn't change back.
"You're not meant to be here during break hours!" Shiro Used his mentor voice in attempt to cover up Keith.
"Woah aliens exist." The kid said walking over ignoring Shiro.
A loud "Fuck off." Was heard from behind Shiro.
“Stop fucking swearing.” Shiro groaned. “I’m trying to make sure you don’t get suspended.”
"Keith, oh my god it's Keith. Keith are you an alien.”
"Shut up." Keith popped his head out and stared at Lance? Lance McClain? He was taking this well.
"Lance?" Keith although he didn't mean to tilted his head around in confusion.
"Aww he's like a kitty."
Keith responded to that in his usual manner of a middle finger.
"Lance we need to speak to you in private. Come to my office with me. Keith can you turn back yet."
Keith slowly turned back into a human and Lance was fascinated. Although he presented himself as a very much the man everyone expected him to be he did have a more mature understanding side. He looked at Keith as the boy grabbed onto his uniform jacket.
Shiro and Keith explained everything to him. Lance seemed fascinated with the story of Keith, he took everything in.
Kerberos- part 3
"He's not dead." Keith cried into Lance's pillow. "He can't be Lance."
Keith was uncontrollably shifting between galra and human. But he needed comforting. Hunk was out on extra training apparently he needed to get over his space sickness so he should have been out all day.
"It's okay Keith it's okay." He comforted. Not very well as was clear by the continuous crying.
"No it isn't Lance, I don't wanna stay here anymore I wanna find Shiro."
"But Keith how are you going to do that without a ship. They don't just give them out."
Keith pointed at himself again looking at Lance he deadpanned.
"Lance there's at least one ship that isn't owned by the garrison."
"I don't follow."
"My moms."
"Don't do anything stupid like drop out to search for your moms ship."
Keith did drop out to find his moms ship. Lance did not approve.
Voltron- part four
Keith never did find his moms ship, but he found something else. A giant robotic lion Lance was driving and Hunk well, he was either in the airlock or toilet. Judging by the scent of the air it was the toilet. Which must have been steadied.
Through stress he was purple and Shiro was having to hold him. He really missed his big brother. Shiro however seemed nervous, he still was willing to look after Keith but he seemed to be irritated by the small flicking of the teenagers ears. He was afraid. Still he focussed on calming the younger kid, using his human arm he slowly stroked Keiths fur.
They arrived on a planet similar to earth atmospherically. Keith left the lion first and was greeted by a huge castle Lance followed then everyone else slowly left the lion.
“Now if that wasn't the weirdest trip I've ever been on!" Lance spoke.
"I dunno Lance I've been on weirder trips in the dessert."
"Keith he means journey." Pidge of all people deadpanned.
"Never mind then."
Making this even weirder Lance stepped on a button and three ice crystals popped from the floor they suddenly opened to see.
A girl and a man.
The girl was beautiful, long white hair that reached her hips was topped by a tiara. She wore a dress.
The man was kinda tall, he had a moustache and ginger hair.
"Well hello there!" Lance flirted.
"Your ears, they're strange what happened to them."
Lance's face fell while Hunk was laughing and Pidge was trying to find phone signal. Keith was meditating to try and slow his heart rate enough to be able to switch back and Shiro? Shiro had his hand against his four head trying to shield himself from the awkwardness of everything.
"Galra!" The strange man shrieked. "Princesses come here I will protect you."
Shiro (as the only earthling with knowledge of what was going on) jumped in front of Keith to protect him, he didn't deserve more stress. The others looked around, Lance pulled a face shrugging and walked over to Pidge.
"I know he's short but no need to be that mean."
"Keith means you no harm, actually come to think of it you are a bit short for a galra."
"What's a galra!" Keith nearly shouted.
The Alteans looked at the scene confused. A pouty galra, kit dare they say, was surrounded by four terrains who had finally learned a language that wasn't just used to talk about food and fire.
"Right everyone stop. I want an explanation." Keith stood up ears all droopy. Damn them things.
"Awww whittle Keith's ears are all droopy."
“Lance I will punch you.”
The explanation was more complicated than expected but Keith managed to calm down and become human again.
They managed to get the rest of the lions and Keith was fine in the group. Although Keith was kind of clingy to Lance and Shiro especially in his galra form. Even if the Alteans didn't trust him.
Trust-part 5
There was something unusual about that boy, Pidge's scent. It smelled familiar, like a childhood friend's scent. Keith whilst sitting on a counter spoke to Lance.
"So Lance, there's NOTHING unusual about him."
"Yeah why?"
"He smells odd. Like I recognise that scent too much."
"I told you about the Holts right?"
"They looked after you at the garrison right?"
"Yeah, Pidge smells so much like Katie Holt it's actually confusing."
"I don't know what to tell you Keith."
"I'm going to speak to him."
"Wait." Lance grabbed his wrist and looked into his friends eyes. He stuttered. "Just don't be too mean. If he's trans don't you dare deadname him."
"Okay Lance."
Keith walked towards the mess hall where Pidge was trying to program the computer to connect with a server which moved information through wormholes so it could reach earth.
"Hey Pidge," Keith spoke calmly. Well not really as he had built up a mood.
"Sup Keith, our purple icon what's poppin."
"You do know I'm only half galra right?"
"Yes."
"I wanna know what you're hiding Holt. Why are you hiding your identity?"
"Same reason you dropped out. The Kerberos mission. I need to find my family, I miss them so much. I'll tell everyone eventually.
"Okay I'm going to train now. But seriously Pidge if you need me-"
"I get it. But I'm fine, I need to track him first and Shiro needs a break."
Keith wanted to tell Lance about his crush but he couldn't get the words out, he had developed feelings for his friend a while ago but didn't share them. Now was his chance however.
"Hey Lance."
"Hey Keith what's up."
"I have a crush on you, I wanna date you."
"Blunt as usual I see boyfriend."
Cutesy stuff- bonus
After a mission Lance and Keith were sitting on the sofa curled into each other more like Lance was being used as a pillow by Keith. Their fingers were intertwined as they traveled past a comet. It was very peaceful.
Pidge walked in. Now she had told everyone she was a girl but nobody called her Katie and everything was just normal.
"I wonder if I can share this photo with Matt when we find him. He'd love to see this."
"Aww come on."
"Yeah all we know he could have kids with an alien now. Auntie Pidge."
"God what if I am an auntie."
"Then I will forever feel sorry for the child. Matt as the dad and you as the auntie, he's got a tough life ahead of him."
“What’s that supposed to mean!”
“All I’m saying is I should be the godfather!”
“Lance are you actually worried?”
“Yes.”