Chapter Text
Who would of thought that choosing to go to the Galaxy Garrison after high school would lead to these events? The unlikeliest of heroes stumbled upon the castle after being accosted by a giant blue robot lion. Nothing unusual about that-- yeah right. What even was this madness? An alien princess of a long-lost race commanding them to fight in a 10,000-year-old war. Saying they were the universe’s only hope? Well after an impromptu battle where the blue lion plus four more lions combine into this giant man robot and come out victorious when all seemed lost? Well, it’s started to sound less crazy… or maybe we’re just accepting of crazy as our norm now.
“Defenders of the Universe, huh? I like the sound of that.” Shiro states, the rest smile in agreement.
“Well, now that we have that settled, it’s best we get you lot squared away in the castle since you’ll be with us for some time. Don’t worry, we have plenty of room for you!” Coran prompts them to follow him and Allura back inside. The team follows them with varying degrees of exhaustion. Hunk seemed ready to collapse at any moment, now that the adrenaline and the glow of victory have faded away. Lance was more than keen on setting up his room with his beauty regimen or what space equivalents he can find. Pidge seemed more focus on getting back to work on her computer than sleep. Keith was anxious still hyped up after the fight. Shiro appeared as lax and calm as ever, truly giving off the leader visage expected of the black paladin.
Coran set them up to an individual room per person, all in the same hall. Lance and Keith were next to each other, Shiro was a little ways down on the same side and Pidge and Hunk were on the opposite side of the hall going in the opposite direction of Shiro’s room. Everyone was placed into their appointed room and left to their own devices and it was not long till the sun set on Arus and the planet headed into the night cycle.
Shiro heard knocking on his door and opened it expecting the Princess or Coran coming to talk to him, probably about the duties he now has as a leader but was surprised to find Keith there.
“Keith, what is it?”
Keith for a moment didn’t say anything, his gaze going everywhere but directly at Shiro. Shiro placed his hands onto Keith’s shoulders.
“Keith, look at me. You know you can talk to me.”
Keith still didn’t look up but placed his forehead against his chest plate.
“I just… I’m so glad you’re alive. Everyone told us it was pilot error. That you were dead. I didn’t want to believe it, I couldn’t but then months passed, and I thought there was no way you could have survived in space that long without supplies even if you didn’t die in the crash, I never thought something like this would have happened…”
Shiro pulled Keith into a hug. “To be fair, I never expected this either. I mean, I can’t believe it’s only been a year since Kerberos. But I’m okay, I’m alive and now we’re on a team together. You’re my right hand, quite literally, “ Keith snorted at that connection. “we’re going to be okay. I missed you too and I’m sorry you got mixed up in all of this.”
“I’m not. I mean, I didn’t have much going for me back on Earth. And the whole point of the Garrison is to go to space, right? So, I think mission accomplished.” Keith finally looked up at Shiro with a small smile.
“I wouldn’t say you had nothing on Earth, you can do anything you set your mind to Keith, you have a lot of talent and nothing a little hard work can’t help you reach any goal you want.” Shiro smiled back.
“Well I’ll keep that in mind with all this ‘paladin’ and ‘universe saving’ stuff.” ‘And getting even with those that hurt you.’ Keith vowed that last part to himself. “And you’ll tell me if anything bothers you at all, right? I mean it, be it stuff about Earth or… the Galra.”
Shiro’s smile faulters slightly but he nods, nonetheless. “Sure, though to be honest, it’s still kind of fuzzy, not much to worry about if I can’t remember.”
Keith gave an unimpressed look.
“But I’ll keep that in mind. I know you’re looking out for me. I appreciate it.”
Keith lingers in his embrace for a moment longer before letting go. A part of him hopes this isn’t some crazy dream that he’ll wake up from. He’ll take fighting aliens if it means he can have Shiro alive.
-
The next couple of days were filled with strict training. The team was having trouble forming Voltron and needed to act as a unit. It wasn’t easy, but they accomplished it, just in time too for it wasn’t long after they met with the Arusian locals that there was a robeast unleashed on the planet in hopes of destroying them. Voltron succeeds, and everyone turns to celebrate that night, only it’s now that Pidge decides to leave the team. However, Sendak and Haxus come up with a revenge scheme where they blew up the Castle’s crystal, severely injuring Lance in the process. The team gets separated as Hunk and Coran go to find a replacement crystal, Allura and Keith went to the Arusian village to see about the attack happening there, leaving Shiro to tend to an unconscious Lance.
Sendak appears and Shiro is forced into submission or else risk Lance’s life. Pidge luckily had evaded capture and with her ingenuity and Allura’s guidance, she was able to prevent the Galra from taking off with the castle, with the sacrifice of Rover killed Haxus, and lowered the particle barrier that kept Keith and Allura out. Together they manage to sever Sendak’s arm and capture him. Coran and Hunk finally return from the Balmera with the crystal in tow and get the ship up and running again. Lance finally gets sent into healing pod and It’s a new day with things looking up for the team as Pidge makes the decision to stay with them.
“Glad to have you back on the team and… sorry about yelling at you before.” Keith says sheepishly as he scratches at the back of his head. He really didn’t mean to blow up like that, but he couldn’t help it, when he gets impassioned about something, he just goes all out.
“No, I get it, I do. This is so much more than just my family and by defeating the Galra, I’ll be one step closer in getting them back.” Pidge lightly punched his arm causing Keith to chuckle.
Once Lance is out of the pod, they all catch him up on what happened, and Pidge reveals that she is a girl, surprising only Lance. They all go onto their separate ways as they prepare to take off. Lance catches up to Shiro before he could get too far off but was still away from the rest.
“Hey, Shiro.”
“Yes Lance?”
“I just wanted to say I’m sorry.”
“About what?”
“That you got captured because of me. I kept going in and out of it and I know that they used me as leverage against you… you could have beat Sendak if it weren’t for me.”
Shiro shook his head, offering a reassuring pat on his shoulder. “Lance, you have nothing to apologize for. It’s not your fault, besides you were unconscious to save Coran from the blast, you did a good thing. You risked yourself for him and you couldn’t have been prepared for the attack, none of us were. I’m glad you’re okay now though.”
Lance nods and waves Shiro off as he heads in the other direction. Shiro really didn’t blame him, even if he was terrified about being back in captivity, it worried him more that the others could have too. It’s a fate he wouldn’t wish on anyone.