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As Keith laid in his hospital bed, the only thing on his mind was the dull pain in the back of his head and how he dreaded laying down.
Soulmates never crossed his mind. Of course, much like the pain, it was always in the back of his mind.
Every person is born with a dark mark on their body where their soulmate first touches them. The catch? It only disappears when that person has the intention of loving them. After one of the pair touches the other, both their marks disappear. It’s up to them to find each other.
There are people born sans mark, and Keith almost wished that he were one of them. Keith’s mark covered his knee in the shape of a hand.
Ever since he was born Keith always hoped that he would find them, but after 19 years (no wait 21, he had to remind himself) he began to give up.
It was common for people to find their soulmates within the first 18 years of life, but Keith had no luck.
If only he didn’t have one.
So, there Keith was, laying in bed with a head pounding with pain, paying no mind to his mark under the blanket.
It was only when he went to get out of bed that he noticed something about it.
“What!” Keith yelped, falling into Shiro, “Where the fuck did it go?”
Shiro looked perplexed as he helped Keith settle into sitting position. “Uhh, where did what go?”
Keith grabbed his shin and yanked his knee closer to his face, “My soulmate mark! It’s gone! Who touched me?” Keith tried standing again only to fall right back down.
“Oh my,” Shiro let out a sigh, “Let’s not shout that out loud, people might get the wrong idea, Keith.”
Keith couldn’t care less of what people thought of him. He needed to find out everyone who visited him. Now.
After much arguing with Shiro and the nurses, Keith was finally able to leave his room to go on the hunt for the people that had paid him a visit.
His list was moderately long: Krolia, Kolivan, James, Matt, Iverson, Shiro, Pidge, Lance, Hunk, Allura, and Slav.
Most were easily eliminated. Krolia, Kolivan, Shiro, Pidge, Allura, Lance, Hunk, and Slav either had touched his knee before with the mark still remaining or had too small of hands. Iverson was just a hard no, so Keith had two options.
So there Keith was, trying to chase down James and Matt.
The seemingly easy task left Keith breathless, as he ran down the halls. Keith sprinted around a corner a little too fast and--
“Woah, Keith,” James held up his hands in warning as Keith slammed into him, “Where’s the fire?”
“Show me your soulmate mark.” Blunt. To the point. All things Keith.
“Erm, that’s kinda personal?”
“Please, just do it.”
James sighed and began to roll up his sleeve, “God, Keith. What’s gotten into you?”
Finally, James’ sleeve rose high enough to reveal the mark of a hand, resting on his elbow. “What was the purpose of me doing this? Because I’ve got a--”
Keith launched back from James before he could finish his sentence, “It’s Matt! Oh my god it’s Matt! How could I never realize this before! He’s my soulmate!” Keith shot down the hall, now with his official mission in focus.
He tore down the halls searching for that golden, low ponytail.
Just as Keith began to give up, he spotted him. Across the dining hall, Matt stood laughing with Pidge, oblivious to the storm approaching him.
Keith all but sprinted towards Matt, launching over trays and people to get to him.
Matt finally spotted Keith, and raised a hand in greeting, “Hey, Keith, what’s up? Are you alright?”
Panting, Keith slowed to a stop, “Show me your mark.”
Matt squirmed, “Well….”
“I said show me your mark. Please, it’s really, really important.” Keith spoke louder, drawing attention to himself and Matt.
With a sigh, Matt began to lift a the bottom of his shirt to reveal: nothing.
“Oh my god.” Matt looked down at where his mark once was, then back at Keith. “Oh my freaking god.”
Keith grabbed Matt by the side of his head with both hands, “Did you happen to touch my knee while visiting?”
A slow nod told Keith all he needed to know, as he pulled Matt’s lips to meet his.
After what felt like years, Matt pulled away. “I just, how? We’ve known each other for so long? I---”
Suddenly the eyes on them brought them down to earth.
Keith gave Matt a small smile, “Let’s go talk somewhere a little more quiet, don’t you think?”
Matt gulped and turned to look at Pidge, “Uhh,”
Pidge cackled, “Just go you two. You’ve got some stuff to figure out.”
Keith grabbed Matt’s hand, and dragged him out of the dining hall. The eyes of the Garrison cadets followed them all the way, making Keith’s face flare up into a blush.
Only after the pair was successfully outside of Keith’s quarters did he face Matt again. “Sorry for doing that so publically…” Keith trailed off.
Matt’s eyes shot open, “No no no no no! Don’t worry about that! This whole thing is kinda nerve wracking honestly.”
Keith typed in the code to his room, and led Matt into the room. The room was empty except for a bed and side table, as Keith hadn’t even bothered to check it out after being released from the hospital.
“Keith, buddy, we have to get some furniture,” Matt laughed as he sat down on Keith’s bed, dragging Keith to join him.
“I know, I know.” Keith laughed.
Their laughter died down as the reality of the situation fell down onto them. This was serious.
“So,” Matt began, “We’re soulmates.”
Keith snorted, “So very eloquent.”
Matt lightly shoved him, “Come on, I’ve never had to do this before! I’ll go first since I was the one who removed our marks.” He shifted on the bed to be facing Keith and took his hands into his lap.
“Keith, I’ve loved you since...well I guess since I’ve met you. Back before all this chaos, I’d always admired how you held yourself and didn't take any shit from anybody. You spoke your mind and held your own, and I loved that about you. I wish we would have hung out more back then. Then, when I heard you were up in space with Katie I, I was so excited! I knew you would be doing cool, badass things. But then the battle of Naxzela happened. Keith, I’ve never been more scared. We hadn’t had a chance to have a full conversation when you almost sacrificed yourself. That’s when I realized I loved you. That's when I realized I had to keep you safe no matter the cost. That's when--”
Keith cut him off, “Matt…I”
“Keith, please, I need you to know this. I love you. I realized after Naxzela that I didn't have any time to waste. Unfortunately one thing lead to another, and we both got whisked away into the war efforts. I didn’t go a single day without thinking of you, and without hoping you were safe and happy. When I got the transmission that Voltron had defeated Sendak, I was so ecstatic, but when I heard the Lions crashed, I worried. I worried for you and Katie. I love you, Keith, and the moment after I saw Katie, I ran to you. I sat down beside you, laid my hand on your knee, and wept. I cried because at that moment the doctors didn’t know if you were going to wake up. I hated myself because I didn’t get a chance to tell you I loved you.”
Tears pricked at the corner of Keith’s eyes. “I love you too, Matt.”
Keith couldn’t be happier to have been born with a mark.