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The Holts' lab is Ryan's favorite place at the Garrison. There's always something extraordinary going on that they’re more than happy to explain with shining eyes and wide grins. Ryan isn't much of a scientist, but he's always appreciated enthusiasm, and it's more than a little contagious here.
Matt sits at a lab bench, hair pulled back in his new signature ponytail so it doesn't fall in front of the microscope he's buried his face in. The sight brings a smile to Ryan's lips as he approaches and quietly clears his throat. Matt leans back, blinking his sore eyes, but returning the friendly smile nevertheless.
"Hey! Here to learn about some organic quantum computing?" He flashes his teeth just on one side of his mouth; Ryan can tell he's tired.
He almost feels bad about what he's going to show Matt, but he had to live it and misery loves company. "Not today, man, sorry," his tone is soft, it's always soft, but it's as though Matt can sense what he's about to say. "I’ve got something to show you for once."
Matt bristles and Ryan’s smile widens. He's not a cruel man, but he's found a kindred sufferer in Matthew Holt and their friendship is always strengthened through these shared trials. "What'd they do now?" Matt groans, slumping.
"It's not them, actually. It's uh," he licks his lips, not sure how to phrase the problem. "You remember that documentary I was telling you about?"
"Yeah..." Matt trails off warily, a part of him already sensing what's to come.
Craning his neck towards the door, Ryan shoots him an exasperated look. "You just gotta see this, I don't think I can explain."
Matt stands, the stool he was sitting on creaking backwards on squeaky wheels. His back pops as he stretches with a sigh and grabs his hours-cold coffee. "Alright, let's see what you got."
The walk back to Ryan's quarters is a short one, made shorter by the air of desperation surrounding the both of them. It makes their legs pump a little faster and they don't speak as they head inside.
Ryan already has his video equipment connected to the TV, thankful as ever for the upgrade to officers’ quarters. It's not that he has anything but love in his heart for James, but not sharing a room is infinitely better than sharing one, even with your best friend. Matt plops down onto the couch and pulls his hair free of the elastic keeping it up. It fans out, curly and wild as Ryan laughs and picks up the remote to hit play before sitting next to him.
"So I saw the vlogs the Paladins made and tried to go a little deeper, but uh," Ryan shakes his head, pausing as Allura's smiling face greets them from the screen.
Matt sips at his coffee with a grimace. "But you dug too greedily and too deep?"
Ryan nods. "Unearthed something much more frustrating than a Balrog." They both laugh. "Ready?"
At Matt's nod, Ryan hits play and sits back, watching Matt's face instead of the screen.
"Well, thank you for doing this Lieutenant Kinkade. I think it's a wonderful idea." Allura smiles to Ryan behind the camera.
"It was the vlogs that inspired me. I think everyone should know more about the Defenders of the Universe. Bring a little humanity, for lack of a better term, to the Paladins that have been fighting to save us before we even knew we needed saving." Ryan-on-the-screen says as Ryan-on-the-couch cringes at Matt's rolling eyes.
"Where should we start?" Allura asks and Ryan hits pause.
He sighs. "She has a lot of good stuff to say, but I'm gonna fast forward."
The video chases Allura on a blurry tour of the blue lion, slowing when they reach the cockpit. He hits play again just as her eyes go soft and distant. "They're truly awe-inspiring. I've never seen two people more committed to each other, more willing to do anything to keep the other safe. Or, or the team of course. They're brilliant leaders. It took Keith a while to get there, but as he's matured and with Shiro's help, he's grown into the role of Black Paladin. There's nothing Voltron and Atlas can't face with the two of them at the helm."
Her face has been a soft pink for more than half of her monologue and with every filling capillary it's like her cheeks have stolen the blood from Matt's. He's pale as Ryan hits pause, slowly turning his head until their eyes lock. "Are they all like this?"
Ryan purses his lips, letting them form a thin line before he replies, “Yup,” popping the end of the word.
Matt hangs his head. "Well, let's get it over with then," he grumbles, arm stretching out toward the screen dramatically.
Ryan fast forwards through Allura's segment and cuts to Pidge smirking, light flaring off her glasses like J.J. Abrams directed the documentary. He hits play and settles back against the couch, arms folding over his chest.
"Yeah, Keith's a pretty good Black Paladin. He's a major dork though, you should hear him go on and on about Shiro. It's kind of cute, honestly. I wouldn't mind someone going on like that about me someday. Totally ruined my expectations of romance though, I mean where am I gonna find someone who would..." Her face twists into a sour pucker. "Wait, they'll be really mad if a bunch of people see that, can you cut that part?"
Matt, Ryan, and his double on the screen chuckle in unison. "Yeah, no problem. Why don't we go back to Keith being a good Black Paladin?" Ryan says from behind the camera.
Pidge nods. "Right, yeah. I mean he was a mess at first, but he'd just lost Shiro. I mean, we thought he'd just lost Shiro like, misplaced him, but it turns out he died and I think somewhere Keith knew that. Like he could feel it? Is that a thing? Anyway, I didn't realize how important they were to each other until later, but they're both great leaders in really different ways. I'm glad we have both of them back in top shape, and they have each other."
Matt groans and grabs the remote from Ryan's limp grasp, slamming the pause button with more force than is probably necessary. "I can't believe, even my own sister," he hands the remote back and buries his face in his hands, hair falling around him like a rumpled curtain. "How many more are there? Just Lance and Hunk?" He turns desperate eyes and Ryan can only grimace in sympathy.
"I interviewed both of them, too."
Matt's wail is pure anguish and Ryan feels it in his soul. He hits play again before Matt can back out.
Hunk greets them from the kitchen with a wide smile and a wave from his oven mitt-covered hand. Again, Ryan fast forwards through most of the interview. "And Shiro, man. Wow!" Hunk blows out a puff of air as he turns to pull a batch of cookies out of the oven. "He's been through so much. What a guy. He taught me how to fly! Me!" An incredulous laugh precedes another stint on fast forward as Ryan and Hunk each enjoy a cookie. "Anyway, Shiro blames himself for a lot of stuff that isn't his fault. He's been getting better about it since Keith came back all buff and in charge," Hunk shakes his head, mulling over the rest of his sentence while he takes another bite. "They're like, really good for each other. It's really sweet."
Ryan doesn't pause to hear Matt's commentary, just speeds the video along to Lance. He's in his pajamas, playing a video game and only half listening to Ryan's questions. It wasn't ideal but it was the best he could get Lance to commit to. "And then Keith is just like ‘ I Will’ and it was amazing! And Lotor's all ‘ I'm evil blah blah blah’ and we totally kicked his butt and saved everyone, and then Allura saved Shiro because she's amazing. It was pretty rad." Lance's tongue pokes out the side of his mouth as he pounds one of the buttons as fast as he can.
"Sounds... rad." On-screen Ryan replies. "What happened next?"
"Oh, we had to get some... magic whatever stuff and Shiro woke up and he and Keith got back together finally, it all really worked out."
"Got... back together?"
"I mean, I'm guessing, but I was pretty sure they were together like, since we all got shot out into space separately. I mean, Pidge said they were cuddling by a campfire when they got picked up, so..."
"But they broke up?"
"Kind of? I mean, Keith ditched us for the Blades and it hit Shiro really hard. But I guess he was kind of a clone? I dunno, it's all really confusing."
Ryan pauses again, taking a break to grab two beers out of his fridge and pop them open. Matt doesn't need to ask, already knows that he'll need it for what comes next. By the time Keith's face is on the screen, cheeks red and facing away from the camera, both beers are almost half gone.
"He's... he's the most important person in my life. I'm not gonna let anything happen to him." It looks like it's hard for Keith to spit the words out, his arms are crossed over his chest and jaw is set tight. "Never again."
Ryan starts fast forwarding again and Matt sighs as Shiro starts his interview. "How long did Keith go on?" His voice is tired, weak.
"Eleven minutes," Ryan replies flatly, preparing the coup de grace that Matt can feel coming from a mile away.
"Jesus," he mutters under his breath, draining what's left of his beer. Ryan hits play and does the same.
Shiro's eyes are sparkling, the corners of his lips tilting up in the softest smile either of them have ever seen. "I'm so proud of him, he's just," Shiro's shoulders drop a little and he looks down, smiling wider. "He's come so far and done so much. He's saved my life more times than I can count." His cheeks bloom with a rosy red blush that reaches the tips of his ears. "I love him." It comes out a breathless whisper before Shiro's eyes are widening and he's turning towards Ryan with panic on his suddenly pale face. "I didn't, I mean, that wasn't," he's stammering, hands held up defensively as he babbles. "Please edit that out, oh my god." He covers his face with his left hand and holds the floating prosthetic over the camera, frozen there as Ryan pauses a final time and sets the remote down with a clunk.
Matt splays himself across the back of the couch and gazes up through the ceiling with a thousand yard stare. “Part of me wants to hog-tie them and force them to watch what I just witnessed,” Matt moans, squeezing his eyes shut in agony.
“Do you think it would help?” Ryan asks solemnly, already suspecting the answer.
A whine like a deflated balloon spills from Matt’s lips. “Doubt it,” he shakes his head.
Ryan nods, as though Matt has just imparted upon him the wisdom of the ages. “They are pretty great together. Or I guess, they will be.” He stands and grabs the empty bottles, tossing them in the recycling before grabbing another pair.
They drink in silence for a long moment, neither knowing what to say. “Yeah, they really will be. Hopefully it doesn’t take two kids and a dog before they realize it,” Matt finally says, holding up his drink for a toast.
Ryan clinks their glasses with a raised eyebrow.
“To suffering!” He cheers, grin on his face belying his words.
Ryan shakes his head and laughs. “To suffering,” he agrees.