Archive of Our Own

At the end of everything, under the star shower that marked it, Keith closed his eyes and breathed the clear air of victory. While the cries of joy and triumph flooded his ears, all he felt was a quiet calm and silent unspoken relief. His comrades—his friends—clustered together all around him in tightly clenched hugs with those they loved most like an affirmation of existence. That ache was something Keith could understand well enough. With another soft breath, he let his feet carry him to where he belonged. To the person his very existence belonged.

Shiro, like him, had his face turned heavenward, silent and contemplative. His long lashes were turned downward onto his cheeks under his closed eyelids, but Keith was sure the other man had heard his approach. Keith watched him like that for a moment, taking in his profile silhouetted against the iridescent star stream. He looked like a monument to their victory—and really, he probably should have been.

A soft smile crossed Keith’s lips.

“So,” he began, bumping his shoulder into Shiro’s, “now that the universe has been saved, what does the triumphant Captain of the Atlas want to do?”

Shiro’s lips quirked upward into a smile before a small breathless laugh escaped. When he opened his eyes and looked back down to face him, Keith felt his own breath catch in his throat. Keith was always helpless like this. With Shiro’s gaze on him and the gentle weight of his emotions overflowing, all Keith could do was stare back, mesmerized and heart bursting.

“Sleep for about a week,” Shiro admitted mirthfully first, but in almost a sheepish tone. His answer was honest and so entirely him , in that ever so subtle joking way. The simplicity of it made Keith grin back, a small chuckle tracing his lips.

“There’s that,” Shiro quietly began again after a moment. His expression changed, shifting across a spectrum of emotions that Keith couldn’t fully comprehend. There was his happiness and relief, the longstanding exhaustion, some grief, and something else. Keith held his gaze steady and waited. As the sky shimmered iridescent around them, Shiro finally settled on a wide and peaceful smile, brighter than any stars Keith cared to see.

“I guess the triumphant Captain of the Atlas would like to ask if his hero, the esteemed Leader of Voltron, would go to the beach with him.”

At that, Keith blinked. He had been the one to start the conversation this way, with a little bit of light hearted teasing and titles. He hadn’t really even expected much of a response, let alone that response. Having his teasing thrown back at him caught him off guard, stunning him long enough to let Shiro quietly and gently take his hand to hold between them. His grip was light but his touch was warm enough to sear Keith’s fingertips.

How could he deny this man anything?

Closing his fingers around Shiro’s in a careful clasp, Keith grinned just a little bit wider. “The beach, huh? I guess it’s been a while. The Leader of Voltron accepts.”

Even with their promise spoken and plans made, it still took some time. There were a thousand things that still needed their attention from politics to media to repairs. But since Shiro so rarely made any sort of personal request, especially one just for rest, Keith was insistent on setting aside time for them. Most of his time spent in the Atlas had become dedicated to personally delegating tasks to anyone other than Shiro while standing menacingly in front of him like a bodyguard. No one was really brave or stupid enough to argue with him. Keith definitely felt the advantages of being the leader of Voltron at times like this.

Once the other paladins and his mother found out, they had been even more adamant than he had been. Krolia had packed his bags for him immediately, Hunk and Lance bodily removed Shiro from his office in front of a dozen foreign diplomats, and Pidge input mystery coordinates in the Black Lion within a day. A small part of him was mildly embarrassed that this vacation (date?) had become such a public matter, but mostly he was grateful to his friends and family. As he and Shiro flew out, he expressed as much over the communicators. The only response he got was a dismissing wave from Lance and a sharp warning from Pidge to not return for at least 10 days. No calls either, she had added. With one last request for co-co-nuts from Allura and Romelle, their friends’ boisterous cooing voices faded from the communicators. Keith would have rolled his eyes if Shiro wasn’t so amused by it all.

They travelled across the world in moments with the Black Lion’s speed. Keith didn’t know where they were going, but Pidge had promised it would be beautiful and most importantly, private. No one else knew these coordinates, she swore. And everyone was under strict orders not to disturb them. When he landed the Black Lion in the middle of a clearing in some tropical forest, Keith couldn’t help but think his friends were perhaps taking this more seriously than even he was.

It was a short walk from the clearing to the ocean side. Keith should have known that Pidge (and probably Lance, honestly) wouldn’t disappoint when it came to finding places like this. The ocean was an impeccable cerulean washing up foamy against soft white sands. Shiro’s eyes lit up when the scenery unfolded before them, making Keith wonder how long the other man had been waiting or dreaming for a long-deserved vacation like this. The thought made him smile. When Shiro took a deep breath of the tropical sea breeze in, Keith matched him to do the same. They finally made it.

When they first set out, Keith had vaguely wondered just how remote their destination was going to be. He wondered if he needed to bring a tent or supplies or anything really. Given than his mother had packed his bags with nothing more than some clothes and his knife, he hoped he wouldn’t have to spend half his vacation cutting down trees to make shelter. But of course, his friends were better and more thoughtful than that—even though some of them knew it probably would have been more fun for Keith to actually run around in the wilderness hunting and foraging.

There was a single tiny house not far from the coast line. It was picturesque in its cabin-like structure and grass-covered roof. The inside was simply decorated but fully furnished beyond expectations. Everything was clean and looked like something right out of a resort magazine. Keith hadn’t a clue how they managed this with everything that was going on, especially with a perfect and pristine king sized bed in the middle of the room with…was that flower petals scattered on top? He had a few dozen questions, but beside him, Shiro simply shrugged before dropping his bag on a chair in the corner and diving onto the bed with an almost childish laugh.

The sight of this formidable war hero rolling around happily on an enormous bed making blanket angels warmed Keith’s heart. He couldn’t remember the last time he had seen Shiro look so carefree. It was all he could have asked for.

“Keith,” Shiro suddenly called from the bed after finally settling on one side with a small mountain of pillows. His smile radiated like sunlight as he enthusiastically patted the bed beside him. “Come here.”

Keith took a brief moment to glance over his shoulder at the open porch with the brightly shining sun and ocean out in the distance. It’s still midday , he thought vaguely to himself. Just a second of his waning attention made Shiro pat the bed again, louder this time. Sighing fondly, Keith kicked off his shoes and gave in. The bed was so large it felt like ages before he crawled across it to gingerly lay his head on the pillows next to Shiro. Laying on his back, Keith stared up at the ceiling and marveled at the intricate blue glass tiles that decorated it. He stayed that way until a cool hand touched his cheek, making him turn on his side.

Laying face to face with Shiro like this with so little distance between them made Keith feel exposed. Just being like this without the weight of the world on their shoulders or the worries of battles felt surreal in itself. It had been so long; he had forgotten what peace felt like. Maybe he had needed this vacation also. Maybe that was why Shiro asked him to come along. Maybe.

“Thanks for coming with me,” Shiro breathed. His eyes crinkled at the edges as he smiled once again, as if just looking at Keith soothed all his worries away. Keith liked the way he looked like that. He liked the way he could make Shiro look and feel like that.

Shiro suddenly pushed forward on the pillows until their foreheads bumped together and chuckled when Keith made a faint sound of surprise. Keith continued to look at him through the black and white curtain of their hair shadowing over his lashes. His heartbeat pounded in his ears, loud enough that he wondered if Shiro could hear it too in their close proximity. The moment stretched on, and Shiro made no signs of moving or hearing anything. Finally in one more soft breath as his eyes fluttered shut again, he whispered, “Thanks for always coming with me.”

There was at least a dozen thanks Keith felt he could return, and a hundred more sentiments he wished he could share. But before he had even a moment longer to mutter even a response, Keith felt Shiro still and his breathing slip into an even rhythm. Though it was still the height of the day with the sun brilliantly blazing and though they had only just arrived at the beach Shiro had been so longing to visit, he had fallen soundly asleep.

“Guess he was serious about sleeping for a week first,” Keith muttered to himself with a fond chuckle. His fingers absentmindedly swept the stray locks of hair that stuck down on their faces, letting their foreheads touch skin. For a moment longer, his fingers lingered against the side of Shiro’s face before dropping back down to his side again. With nothing but the rolling sound of waves in the distance and Shiro’s even breathing filling his ears, Keith felt himself relax as well, his heartbeat finally slowing to a norm.

His eyelids fluttered shut, and he breathed in the scent of Shiro and the salt sea air. Pulling himself just a little bit closer, he whispered back quietly, “I’d go anywhere with you.”

Though he himself was slipping off to sleep with his consciousness fading, Keith somehow felt like Shiro pulled closer as if he heard him somehow. Even if he didn’t hear, Keith thought drowsily to himself as his weariness claimed him, surely he already knew.

—

When Shiro had said he planned to sleep for about a week, Keith didn’t realize how serious he actually was. He had joked about it on their first day, but he really, really didn’t know just yet. For the first five days or so, Shiro really didn’t do much else other than sleep. The first day they had arrived, Shiro had laid down and slept until the middle of the night. He woke up mostly just to sleepily greet Keith again, change his clothes, and then go back to sleep. Keith was almost impressed with the way the other man could sleep when left undisturbed.

Through the next few days, Shiro woke a few times to eat and chat with Keith, but mostly rolled around in bed before going back to sleep again. Even though Keith felt as if he should technically be just as tired, he actually got tired of sleeping. Half the time was spent exploring the beach around their hut (not too far though, so he could keep an eye on Shiro). The other half was spent trapped under Shiro’s arm as the other man held onto him in his sleep. Keith lost track of how many hours he spent staring up at the ceiling or gazing down at Shiro’s sleeping face, lost in his own thoughts. He felt restless sometimes, but seeing Shiro’s content face as he tightly held on to his waist eased him again. There was no better place to be trapped, he figured.

After Shiro slept his fill over those five days, he finally sat up one morning with a big yawn and stretch. It had been one of those nights that Keith spent most of awake, thinking or counting, after having slept a portion of the day away. The morning that Shiro finally decided to get up was one that Keith opened his eyes blearily to, not even fully sure if he was seeing things right. Shiro smiled down at him and gently raked his fingers through Keith’s hair, as Keith had done to him for the past few days.

“You can keep resting,” he said quietly, leaning over to brush his lips lightly over Keith’s eyebrow.

The touch tickled, but more than that, Keith realized that Shiro was finally done sleeping. He gave a short laugh, finding it funny that somehow their roles had been reversed. Instead of sleeping more, he sat up and stretched his arms over his head like a reach to the heavens. Shiro smoothed his unruly hair for him with an expression of amusement. Keith, seeing that Shiro’s hair was in no better shape, grinned and reached forward to do the same for him.

A quiet moment passed as Shiro obediently sat in contentment as Keith slowly raked his long fingers through the short hair. Every touch through the soft strands was done in reverence. Shiro leaned into his touch. How he was able to pull off such impressive bedhead with such short hair was a bit of a mystery to Keith. Still, an endearing quality regardless. Maybe it was better that way. Mischief blooming in his heart, Keith let his grin hook on one side as he ruffled the short hair again, effectively undoing all his work. Shiro’s eyes snapped open and immediately retaliated back by pinning him back down on the bed with a laugh.

After a short tussle that left them both with hair more tousled than ever, Shiro finally slid off the bed and offered Keith a hand up with a wide smile.

“Shall we go to the beach, esteemed Leader of Voltron?”

Keith grinned.

“Sure thing, triumphant Captain of the Atlas.”

The whole island had been left to them, it seemed. Or at least, the large part of it they were staying in. For days, Keith had wandered out in curiosity to see if other people were around at all. But when his friends had stressed they wouldn’t be disturbed, he quickly found that they were very serious in that aspect. It was a little funny to Keith that they had gone so far. Not that he minded. His gaze drifted along the shore where the waves turned into soft foam on unperturbed white sands, and Shiro stood with bright eyes, taking it all in with barely contained excitement.

Though it may have been a selfish thought, even after all that he had done to save the universes and everyone in it, Keith knew. There was really only one person he needed in this universe.

Contemplations were then immediately cut short as Shiro enthusiastically grabbed his wrist and dragged him towards the glittering sea waters. Keith let out a hopeless chuckle as he let himself be pulled along. He really, really couldn’t deny this man anything.

The water was warmer than expected and just as clear as it looked from afar. Even after wading out to his hips, Keith could still see his toes buried in the sand beneath. At his side, Shiro wasted no time dunking himself entirely into the salt water, circling around Keith like a shark in shallow waters. He really was intent on playing to his heart’s content. Keith let him swim a few circles before finally folding his arms in amusement. Looking down into the water, he commented loudly, “You know the water’s clear enough for me to see you, right?”

A small wave crashed into his side as Shiro broke through the water’s surface to tackle him back down with him. Keith was actually taken off guard somehow and fell in under the other man’s weight. A larger wave crashed into them as he went, sweeping him closer to the shore until he sat in the sand with the water at up to his elbows. Drops of salt water slipped off the tips of his now soaked hair and eyelashes. Shiro, looking thoroughly pleased with himself at the attack, simply leaned forward into him and laughed brightly.

Arms circled around him, one warm skin and the other sleek metal. The chest pressed against his rumbled with laughter like uninhibited joy. Soft white hairs he had just played with earlier shook with vibrations, sending more rolling drops down both of their faces. The laughter was infectious, and Keith couldn’t help laughing a little as well. It hadn’t been so long ago they were piloting weapons in space, fighting for their lives and the fate of all others. Now it all seemed so far away, like a surreal dream of a past life. Under the heat of the tropical sun in the waters of paradise, all Keith could think was how lucky he was to be there.

Shiro’s arms tightened around him again as his laughter slowly subsided. Their foreheads bumped again in proximity, making Keith tilt his head upward to meet the other man’s gaze. They stayed like that for what felt like an eternity. Something sparked in Shiro’s eyes that made Keith’s breath catch in his throat. The weight of it trapped him, making him unable to move or look away. Heat crept up his neck reflexively as his pulse quickened.

Shiro moved in slowly, contradicting the tight hold of his arms around Keith’s body. They were already close to begin with, but somehow the last few centimeters felt like a weighted eternity. Keith couldn’t wait any longer. Eyes squeezing shut, he surged forward to close the last bit of distance between them until their lips finally met. The kiss was bathed in salt water, the taste of the ocean on each other’s lips. Keith kissed without restraints now that they were blessedly alone without prying eyes. Yet still somehow, Shiro could match him in fervor enough to eventually overpower him.

Keith melted a little under the waterfall of Shiro’s passion, cascading over him until all he could do was desperately hold on to the other man’s back. He had always thought—always known that he wouldn’t lose to anyone in his loyalty and feelings for Shiro. Cold space and galaxies could separate them, and he would still find him. He fell like stars unable to resist the relentless pull of gravity. Helpless, but not wanting it any other way. Somehow he didn’t think that Shiro could feel the same about him. His lips pushed back and moved against Shiro’s until his lungs desperately protested. Only then did he pull away to gasp for air, still trapped close against the other man’s wide chest.

It was moments like this that let him know he was wrong.

With air back in in their lungs, Shiro laughed again, cheeks lightly flushed. Whether it was from the sun or their kiss, Keith would never know. Instead, he would retaliate. Digging his heels into the sand beneath him, he pushed forward against the laughing man until their positions reversed and water splashed up again. A torrent from a wave crashing behind them left Shiro sputtering on his laughs and amplifying Keith’s.

“So that’s how you’re going to play, huh?” Shiro said with a grin, smoothing his wet hair back away from his eyes.

Grinning mischievously, Keith flicked a spritz of water at the other man with his fingers. “You know exactly how I like to play.”

Not another word was needed before Shiro pounced again.

Keith lost track of how long they messed around in the sand and water. Eventually, they swam a bit, exploring further out from the shore and under the sapphire surface. When the sky began to shimmer orange and purple, they stumbled back to the hut. Laughter lingered between them wherever they went. In the midst of it, Keith couldn’t remember the last time he had spent so much time smiling, or if he ever had. He wondered if it was the same for Shiro as well.

They spent the next few days in a similar way: swimming in the ocean, exploring the coast, climbing trees (Keith), and building atrocious sand castles ( Shiro ). At night, when they weren’t stargazing or discussing any little thing, they slept as much as they needed without worrying about battles or enemies or each other’s safety. I guess this is what paradise is like , Keith thought vaguely to himself once, grinning to himself as he watched Shiro struggle to crack a coconut open.

As their vacation days slowly drew closer to the end, they spent more time laying out on the sand under the stars. Even after spending so much time in them, they were still beautiful and nostalgic—like another home to both of them. They had spent several nights just laying with their backs in the sand, staring up at the night sky, pointing out constellations and wondering what familiar stars they might have passed could be. It was one of those nights, nearly their last night, under the blanket of bright stars that Keith finally asked.

“So of all things, why did you want to go to the beach?”

Shiro smiled as he always did, eyes not moving away from the jeweled sky. “We’ve been to a lot of different places over the past few years. Different worlds with different sceneries and all kinds of landscapes. I think there’s something at least a little memorable about each one.” He paused for a moment, as if reflecting on his memories.

“Out of all the places we’ve been to, there hasn’t been anything quite like the beaches on Earth. I guess this is a reminder of what our home planet feels like. I love being out there in the stars, but I’ve missed it here too. At home.”

As he spoke, his hand moved closer to Keith’s until their fingers brushed against each other lightly. Keith felt two of their fingers hook together between them over the cool sand, making him turn his head slightly to look at the other man. To his surprise, Shiro was looking at him already, as if he had been the entire time. As if there were nothing else in the world. It was the kind of look that made Keith forget everything beyond this single moment and the man before him. It was a look that made his heart both pound and ache with yearning, a look he couldn’t turn away from.

“Keith,” Shiro muttered quietly, his two fingers curled, still linked with Keith’s. The touch was warm and his gaze was resolute. “When we were out there, there were times I wondered if I’d ever make it back here in the end. Because of you, I’m here.” Amidst the intensity of his tone, he broke into a small chuckle. “I don’t know if I can be any other way now. Or rather, I don’t want to be any other way.”

“What do you mean?” Keith asked, puzzled by the last statement.

“Here,” Shiro repeated, gaze unwavering. “With you.”

Keith felt his breathing hitch. Part of him wanted to look away from the intensity of Shiro’s gaze, and the other part of him thrummed with uncontainable joy, as if these were the words he had waited an entire lifetime for. Maybe he had. A lingering sensation of doubt flickered in him like a flame, making him wonder if he was just misinterpreting it all in his some kind of selfish desire. It burned inside until he was overcome with the desire to confirm. Heart tied in knots and fingers absentmindedly opening and closing around Shiro’s, he jokingly replied, “Just a little vacation here and you’re ready to retire already, huh? How is the Atlas going to run without you?”

“I think they would manage eventually, but that’s not what I mean,” Shiro answered with a laugh. He didn’t seem to mind Keith’s minor derailment. In fact, he seemed a little amused. Above all, he seemed to have no problem reiterating himself as if he were only speaking universal truths.

“It’s you I can’t be without.”

This time, Keith held his breath.

Shiro went on, unhindered, unabashed. “This life of mine has been yours since you saved it—maybe even before then, if I’m honest. Even if you may not feel the same, I want you to know.”

His fingers tightened again, still just the same two linked together while the others lay on the sand bathed in moonlight. Keith still said nothing, simply gazing back at Shiro in silence, trapped beneath the overflowing affection in his eyes and the severity of his words.

“My life is yours, Keith. And even though I thought there was nothing else in this world I wanted, being here made me realize that there still is something.”

It was then that Shiro finally released his tight hold on Keith’s fingers to gently hold his palm instead. The tight fervor he had used to squeeze their fingers was gone, replaced with only the lightest touch, barely a hold. He held Keith’s hand softly, as if leaving room to allow for his escape any time he wanted. And though his words had seemed so sure, Keith could swear he felt the faintest tremble in Shiro’s fingers as the rest against the back of his palm.

“I just want to be with you, Keith. Like this. I want your life too, if you’re willing to share it with me.”

If the stars could twinkle loudly, Keith was sure he would have heard them. Or maybe he wouldn’t have over the echo of his own heartbeat in his ears. He watched in silence for a long time, as the gravity of those words sank in, bathing him in a shivering feeling he couldn’t quite identify. He did everything he could to remember this moment as it was: the deep blue midnight sky, the faint crashing waves in the distance, Shiro’s perfect profile, their fingers just barely touching. Keith couldn’t remember how long he spent simply taking in that moment and every detail about it, and Shiro seemed to just let him. It must have been an eternity before Keith finally remembered to respond.

“Shiro, I—”

He swallowed.

“I’ve been yours. Always.”

As if it took everything for him to say those words, Keith immediately felt choked up again. His thin lips slowly closed again, sealing in his breath. It was times like this he felt at a loss, like he couldn’t possibly use words to explain everything that he felt. The admiration, devotion, the love —with more intensity than the crashing of the ocean waves at their feet, more depth than the dark space they had journeyed through. He could he ever use just words to express it?

Instead, he pushed their hands together again, entwining their fingers, and held them together tightly again, as they should have been.The sudden motion made Shiro finally turn in his direction, a soft smile on his face and sparkling sand shimmering in his hair. Keith took the opportunity to turn on his side and surge forward to kiss him, putting all of his feelings into his actions instead. He knew Shiro would understand with that. He always did.

When their lips finally parted, Shiro was still smiling at him, even wider than before. Their hands were still tightly clasped together, and neither made a move to separate them. Keith felt like an eternity passed before Shiro finally started to chuckle.

“I guess you’re stuck with me now.”

Keith grinned back and squeezed his hand. Tone gentle, he responded, “How ever will I bear the burden?”

Shiro squeezed back.

“You’ll have all the time in the world to learn.”

—

When they returned to the Garrison, their friends had the courtesy not to demand details of their trip.

...for a little less than 24 hours. After that, it was actually Allura who couldn’t wait any longer and Hunk who immediately backed her up with a barrage of questions. Lance, to his credit, had been doing his damnedest to hold himself back from asking and gently chastised his girlfriend from grabbing the opportunity to ask first.

Keith was fully content with letting Shiro handle their friends’ interrogation while saying the absolute minimum (or preferably nothing at all). But as fate would have it, someone from the Atlas crew ended up dragging Shiro off, leaving Keith at the mercy of their friends’ demands and hard eyed stares.

“Uh,” Keith said eloquently. “It was great. Thanks, guys.”

“Yes, but what was it like really ?” Allura asked impatiently, leaning forward with her head resting in her hands. “Did you go for strolls along the shore every night while holding hands? Hold each other in your arms when it got chilly?”

“Did you feed each other while gazing into each other’s eyes?” Hunk demanded immediately afterward with wide eyes.

Keith was speechless.

“Did you skinny dip?” Lance supplied with a smug grin that Keith wished he could smack off. He wasn’t sure if he felt lucky or not that Allura then immediately turned towards her boyfriend curiously, as if she really wanted to ask. Keith decided to leave Lance to deal with that.

While they were distracted with the most kosher way to explain both skinny dipping and the real intent of what Lance was asking, Keith desperately looked around for a way to escape from this awkward situation. He wasn’t always outnumbered in situations with his friends, but this was definitely one of them. The way Hunk sat just a little bit behind him felt almost like a physical barrier to the exit even. His eyes darted awkwardly from side to side looking for anyone to give him a little relief. A heavy hand suddenly fell on his shoulder, making him freeze and blink in surprise.

It was Romelle.

“I know,” she said sagely, capturing everyone’s attention and curiosity. “Under a beautiful blanket of stars on a warm night, the two of you stargazed until late and pledged your love and souls to each other so that you may spend the rest of your lives together.”

This time Keith was truly speechless. Beyond that, he was dumbfounded . Before he could stop himself, he muttered, “How—”

Biting his lip, he stopped himself, but it was already too late. They had all heard, and the single word was all the confirmation they needed. Hunk and Allura nearly shrieked in simultaneous delight, while Pidge offered Romelle a complimentary pat on her back. The blond Altean girl had never looked prouder. Keith wasn’t sure if it was a lucky guess or...something else. Ultimately, he probably didn’t want to know. With a groan, he sank lower into his seat and lifted his hand in attempt to hide as much of his face with it as possible.

Amidst all the chaos, whooping, and celebrating, only Lance was uncharacteristically silent. In fact, through the small gap between his fingers, Keith could see his friend scrutinizing him with a hard look, as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. The unnecessarily harsh judgement finally made Keith curious enough to widen the gap between his fingers just a fraction.

“...what?”

Lance frowned and crossed his arms. “I can’t believe you, man.”

Keith wasn’t expecting that. In genuine confusion, his brows furrowed as he peeked out over his hands. “ What ?”

By now they had everyone else’s attention as well, as the shrieking slowly quieted down. Lance made a dramatically dismissing wave of his hand and a strong shake of his head. “I can’t believe the two of you just went and got married without letting any of us be there.”

A small chorus of gasps sounded from around them, as if the rest of the team had also just realized this. The absurdity of it made Keith come out of hiding from behind his hands, but also stunned him enough to leave him opening and closing his mouth in silence in his finest impression of a struggling fish on land. Hopeless, he attempted to explain.

“What?! We didn’t get married —”

“Not yet,” Pidge muttered from behind with a tilt of her glasses.

“Engaged then, fine,” Lance corrected loudly, throwing his hands up in the air.

“So there’s still time to plan the wedding?” Allura asked excitedly with clasped hands. “Oh, I just love weddings! Please let me help plan it!”

Pidge and Hunk exchanged looks before simultaneously calling out, “Dibs on best man!”

“Wait, whose best man are you calling?” Hunk paused for clarification.

Pidge shrugged. “Either.”

While his friends proceeded to chatter amongst themselves, Keith looked on helplessly. Sure, they had promised each other to be together forever, to love each other for all of that time and always be there for each other, but that wasn’t the same as...as marriage . He swallowed deeply as Romelle and Allura argued over what color and type of flowers would suit them best. When he actually stopped and thought about it, he supposed...it was...something like marriage. Perhaps. But that wasn’t something that he could decide on without Shiro there. And as long as he didn’t hear it from Shiro himself, he couldn’t agree. It surprised him how disappointed he felt with that realization.

Shaking his head, Keith held up his hands to quiet his friends down. “Guys, that’s enough. We’re not...” He frowned. “We’re not engaged.”

“I thought we were kind of engaged.”

Keith nearly jumped out of his seat when Shiro’s voice suddenly sounded from behind him. He immediately whipped his head around to stare at the thoughtful looking man who had somehow secretly re-entered the room without him noticing. His heart fluttered a little when he registered what Shiro had said, but he couldn’t quite stand the way their friends had resumed hooting. Face feeling a little warm, he hissed in embarrassment, “ Shiro !”

Shiro smiled a little sheepishly, looking off to the side and casually tapping his cheek with his finger. “I guess I’m still not very good at expressing myself.”

For the second time in that hour, Keith’s mouth opened and closed a few times, unable to find any words to say. Thankfully, their friends had finally quieted down and settled for watching them like a row of silent wide-eyed owls. When Shiro slowly brought his gaze back in Keith’s direction, almost shyly, Keith’s mouth finally closed and curved into a small smile. A tiny laugh escaped in spite of himself.

“Are you serious, Shiro?”

“Do you accept?” 

Though he had spoken with all the confidence in the world on that beach, Shiro looked a little nervous this time. Perhaps it was due to the fact that they had an audience this time or perhaps it was embarrassing that he had to ask again in another way. Keith almost felt bad that he didn’t seem to understand the first time. The faintest bit of pink tinged Shiro’s cheeks as he laughed back. “...again?”

The sound of Shiro’s laughter and the color on his cheeks warmed Keith’s heart, filling him with the same feeling he had that night they laid under the stars on that beach. The answer was more than obvious.

“Of course,” he chuckled. “You know I’m already yours.”

They only had a moment longer to smile at each other before the peanut gallery couldn’t hold back any longer and burst into sound again. It was a cacophony of screaming, cooing, sobbing (for some reason?), and cheering. The sudden audio stimulation was overwhelming, but not as much as the sudden weight of all of their friends crashing them into a messy group hug. Between all the others, Shiro somehow managed to curve his arms around Keith’s waist, eyes focused entirely on him as if he was the best thing he had ever seen. Keith swallowed the lump in his throat and buried his face in the other man’s chest to hide his reddened face.

The other paladins fell away one at a time, busying themselves with arguments over who got to be and do what for their wedding.

Their wedding .

The thought of it alone was...bizarre. Keith didn’t think he would ever have one, let alone with Shiro . He couldn’t even begin to think what he wanted or what it should be like.

“We’ll make it a beautiful, grand affair,” Allura said dreamily, hands clasped together as her eyes absolutely shimmered. “The marriage of the Leader of Voltron and the Captain of the Atlas will surely be marked down in history.”

“I’ve always wanted to make a wedding cake,” Hunk said musingly.

“Wait, wait,” Keith interrupted, voice slightly muffled from where his face was pressed up against Shiro’s chest. He pulled away just enough to turn around to face the others, though Shiro didn’t give him much space as he still held tightly onto his waist. “Before this goes any further, I don’t want it to get too out of hand.”

Pidge grinned. “You’d rather elope, I’m sure.”

Actually, that was kind of true, Keith thought to himself. But seeing how happy the thought of a celebration was to his friends and to Shiro, he couldn’t possibly refuse. Clearing his throat to push down his embarrassment, he went on, “Let’s just...keep it simple. Not too many people, not too complicated. Just the essentials.”

“And soon.”

Shiro’s sudden interjection made everyone turn to look at him in surprise. In response, he simply smiled innocently and repeated himself.

“As soon as possible, ideally.”

“Oh Shiro, not you too,” groaned Allura in dismay and disappointment.

“Sorry,” Shiro apologized, though he didn’t sound particularly sorry. His arms tightened a fraction around Keith’s waist, a small motion that only Keith felt and went unnoticed by the others. Eyes warm and expression soft, he explained, “I guess I just don’t want to wait too much longer. I can’t wait.”

At his words, Allura clutched a hand over her heart, smile on her lips, and the faintest bit of tears shimmering in the corner of her eyes. Keith’s own heart had skipped a beat, so he knew she was just as moved, if not possibly more. If he himself couldn’t win Allura over, Shiro for sure would.

“Fine,” Allura finally conceded with a reluctant sigh. “But it will still be beautiful and grand. Just on a smaller scale...as soon as possible.”

She grimaced to herself a little as she spoke, but immediately grabbed Romelle to chat animatedly about all the ideas she had. Similarly, the rest of their friends broke into their own discussions, with Hunk demanding to know Shiro’s favorite flavor cake and Pidge egging him on. Out of the corner of his eye, Keith noticed Lance shoving his hands into his pockets and making his way towards the door in an attempt to sneak out from behind him. Weird. Curiosity got the better of him, and Keith gently pried himself from Shiro’s grasp to go after their friend. When he spared Shiro a look in explanation, he got back a nod of encouragement and a wink in response. Nothing could get past him, Keith thought fondly.

He didn’t have to go far to find Lance. The other paladin was just beyond the door in the hallway, sulking with his shoulders dropped low. If he had heard the door open from behind him, he didn’t make any moves to acknowledge so. Keith took the opportunity to punch his friend in the shoulder to make his presence known.

Lance immediately sputtered at the sudden push, completely caught off-guard. “What the hell, Keith?!”

“Not really like you to sneak off on your own,” Keith commented, coming to stand next to him with the faintest teasing grin. “That’s more my thing, remember?”

“Yeah, yeah, Space Ninja. Whatever.”

Usually, Keith expected more bashlack. A snappier comeback or some other kind of verbal retort was Lance’s default. Dejected agreement wasn’t something Keith was used to getting from him. Not to mention the fact that he had been acting strangely since earlier as well. It was actually kind of worrisome. Keith frowned.

“Are you okay?”

A long moment of silence passed before Lance finally let out a deep sigh of frustration. Hands were still buried in his pockets and his gaze remained rooted to the ground. “Yeah, man. I’m happy for you guys. I really am. It’s just—”

He stopped suddenly, making Keith raise an eyebrow expectantly. Lance’s expression looked uncharacteristically complicated, something Keith wasn’t used to seeing on him. He certainly wasn’t very used to Lance not being able to say what was on his mind. Still, he waited in silence patiently and respectfully. It had taken some time in the past, but they had eventually figured out a proper way to communicate with each other. A lot of the time it meant Keith waiting for Lance to eventually say what he meant after long preludes of rambling, or in this case, the uncharacteristic silence.

Finally, Lance groaned aloud and slumped back against the wall. “I’m annoyed you beat me to it, okay?”

Keith’s brows furrowed further as he struggled to understand. “What do you mean?”

“I wanted…” Lance sighed again. “I wanted to ask Allura too.”

Oh.

“I guess not immediately or anything,” he corrected, still looking frustrated. “But I knew I wanted to. You’re probably going to think this is stupid but...I even got a ring already. It was the first thing I did after all this was over.”

That was a sentiment Keith could understand. It was the same reason he and Shiro had gone away together, to rest and confirm all they thought and felt. Standing before the end of everything tended to help put a few things in order, to bring a few realizations to light. Perspective. You quickly learned what was most important, who was most important. And after coming back from it all, how could you not act on all you had learned? How could you not seize and hold on to what you valued the most?

“It’s not stupid.”

Keith moved to lean against the wall next to his friend, tilting his head back to rest it and simultaneously gaze up at the ceiling.

“It was the same for us. That’s why all of this happened in the first place, right?”

“I guess that’s true,” Lance agreed with a small snort.

“Just because we got to it first doesn’t mean it’ll be any less important or exciting when you do it.” Keith leaned over slightly to bump their shoulders in encouragement. “You’ll give her that ‘beautiful and grand’ ceremony she wants with way more flair than Shiro and I will manage for sure. Pretty sure the Queen of New Altea’s wedding is going to be a bigger deal than some space ninja’s.”

Resigning fully, Lance shook his head and chuckled quietly as he gave a small bump of the shoulders back. “You mean the Leader of Voltron’s. But yeah, it will be a bigger deal. I’m going to make sure of it. And...”

He breathed softly. “It’s not too late.”

Keith smiled a tiny smile. “It’s not.”

“Not too late for you,” Lance muttered, a little louder this time.

Confused, Keith asked, “What?”

Lance slowly turned to look at him, expression solemn. “It’s not too late for you to ask me to be your best man.”

Keith rolled his eyes and shoved his stupid laughing friend.

—

They ended up deciding to hold the ceremony on the beach they had just vacationed on after what felt like an eternity of deliberation. Shiro had informed him the discussion had actually only taken 10 minutes tops, but it had definitely felt longer than that. With all their promises to help plan and prepare things, their friends had all scattered in excitement to do their self-appointed tasks. Keith was actually astonished at how quickly everything was happening. Who needed wedding planners when you had the Paladins of Voltron?

When he finally got a moment to himself, he left for his private room on the Atlas. He didn’t always utilize it since he spent so much time with Shiro, but in overwhelming moments like these, he was glad to have his own space.

His hand had just barely raised to release the electronic lock before a shimmer of light flashed before his eyes and his very large, very excited space wolf materialized in his arms. The sudden impact knocked the wind out of him and off his feet. It was like the wolf had taken a running start at him but then teleported the rest of the way. A wet tongue enthusiastically greeted his face, leaving long trails of drool down the sides. Looking at those wide yellow eyes, Keith couldn’t possibly be upset. Chuckling, he wiped his face with the back of his hand.

“Hey, buddy. Missed you too.”

“He’s been restless from the moment you left,” a familiar voice informed him. Keith looked up to see his mother standing at his side, smiling fondly. “You’d think an entire battle spaceship and its crew would be enough to keep one wolf from running amok, but you’d be wrong.”

“You just didn’t want to keep him contained.”

“He does hate that. Besides, he made friends with the Holts’ dog.”

Krolia pulled him up with one arm, despite the large wolf that still desperately clung to him. Once Keith was upright, his mother took another moment to help wipe away the generous amount of slobber that was left dripping from his face.

“Did you enjoy your vacation?”

Keith gave his mother a nod, slowly redirecting his gaze away. He spent the next few moments silently petting the excited wolf still pawing at him, not quite sure of what to say to his mother yet. As always, she seemed to understand though, as she simply waited patiently until he found the will to speak again.

“Mom, I…” Keith swallowed. “I’m...getting married. I guess.”

Saying the words felt strange and foreign still, like the concept was still too baffling to even to believe. It was the first time he was actually admitting it, like a true acceptance. He didn’t have any doubts about Shiro—he could never—it was just harder to imagine himself going through with something like marriage .

To his surprise, his mother simply smiled gently and responded with, “I know.”

“You do?” Keith asked, confused.

He didn’t recall his mother ever stepping into the room while the discussion had gone on, and not enough time had passed for anyone else to have filled her in before he could. There shouldn’t have been any other opportunity for her to have heard about it all, right? While he puzzled over it, Krolia unlocked the door to his room to let the space wolf race in and pounce sloppily onto Keith’s bed. She walked in after, small smile still on her face.

“He asked me first.”

Keith’s chest tightened. The hook was more than enough, filling Keith with curiosity for details but also a burning feeling, an effervescent knowing of just how loved he was. And just how much he loved him .

Krolia took her time with her story, moving to sit on the edge of Keith’s bed beside the wolf. His tail flapped around in a rare show of happy defenselessness as Krolia stroked his large ears. Keith silently trailed after them, slow as a drifting ghost. Only once he sat down with the rest of his family did Krolia begin to speak again.

“Just before the two of you left,” she informed him, still gently stroking the wolf’s ears. “He asked to speak with me.”

“He really did mean it at the time?” Keith muttered, mostly to himself, in wonder.

Krolia’s smile grew a fraction at the memory. “He told me he loved you and that he would spend the rest of his life protecting and cherishing you if I would allow him to be by your side.” She chuckled. “He’s a serious and straightforward man, that Shiro.”

Warmth bloomed throughout Keith’s chest again like an explosion of color and fire. When they had returned and their friends had teased him, he had thought it was a misunderstanding and their subsequent engagement was a spur of the moment thing, that it was different from the words and intent that Shiro had on that beach. Now before his mother, knowing the truth and all the intent that Shiro had, he felt like a fool for ever questioning whether or not it was all planned or just an impromptu heat of the moment reaction. He had thought that Shiro, the man who had before put the stars before marriage, wouldn’t have asked for such a thing again.

Apparently he was wrong.

“You...approved then?” Keith asked slowly.

Krolia’s hand moved away from the wolf’s ears to touch the side of his face instead, a warm comfort, just as reassuring as her smile. “After all we’ve been through, after seeing firsthand what he means to you...of course I did. I didn’t doubt even for an instance that you would agree.”

Keith leaned into her touch, eyes closing in acceptance. There were so many emotions bubbling throughout him, he barely knew how to react. A small choked laugh escaped his lips amidst it all. “So I’m the only one who didn’t get it, huh?”

“That doesn’t surprise me either,” Krolia soothed knowingly without missing a beat.

“ Mom ,” he groaned.

Her fingers stroked his cheek fondly. “I wish I could say you get that from your father, but I think it’s actually on me. He had to propose at least three times before I understood what he meant.”

Hearing that made Keith laugh a little in surprise, shaking his head slightly against his mother’s palm. “You’re still the record holder then.”

He chuckled like that for a few moments before he felt his mother retaliate with a pinch of his cheeks. As if he were also joining in with agreement, their wolf let out a soft howl as well with his nose thrown up towards the ceiling, bringing down a large paw down on Keith’s leg. The simultaneous attack on both sides had Keith cornered, so he simply sat and absorbed it all. Before he had come in, he had his concerns about everything and what it all meant. But now, with his family supporting him, he had all the reassurance and confirmation he needed.

A firm knock sounded at his door a few moments after. Somehow, even the sound of the knock was familiar, and Keith already knew who it was. Krolia gave him one more pat of his cheek before getting up to open the door. With a beep of the lock, the door released to reveal Shiro in the doorway, politely waiting without making a move to intrude. Like a mirror of her motions with Keith, Krolia placed her palm against Shiro’s cheek to give him a gentle pat before stepping aside to let him in.

Shiro seemed a little surprised by the sudden action and smiled almost shyly in response while Keith struggled to unwedge himself from under his oversized wolf. Then, as if he finally realized who had just entered, the wolf’s ears perked up and he stood abruptly to his feet, freeing Keith from his weight. Instead, he bounded over to Shiro to nudge his hand expectantly with his nose. Laughing a little at the warm invitation, Shiro obliged with a few long strokes of the wolf’s head.

“Welcome to the family,” Keith said with a grin and a shrug.

“Thanks for the warm welcome,” Shiro replied immediately, matching his grin. He gave the wolf a few more gentle scratches behind the ears before speaking again. “Actually, Keith. I was wondering if you had a moment to do something with me. It’s important.”

Blinking, Keith stood from the bed and made his way towards the door. He was curious about what it was, but regardless, he would do anything with or for Shiro. “Of course.”

With a waving send off from Krolia, Keith found himself walking down the long corridors of the Atlas with Shiro by his side.

“Sorry,” the other man apologized immediately. “I know you probably needed time to...get used to everything.”

Keith inclined his head slightly to look over Shiro’s profile. Just like before, he seemed to speak with such confidence but there was a small amount of uncertainty hidden in his expression. Even he probably had his own silent concerns, things he was still too nervous to bring up. Yet still he walked forward, every step full of resolution. Keith couldn’t help but take his hand into his own. Giving it a small squeeze, he smiled.

“It’s fine. I already got all the reassurance I need.”

Shiro’s only response was a returned squeeze of their hands, but Keith was fairly certain his expression was just a bit softer as well, his smile just a little bit wider.

The rest of the walk was spent in companionable silence. The Atlas was enormous, and there were still many halls and rooms Keith had yet to explore. The door they ended up stopping in front of was an unfamiliar one to Keith, but he could tell it was important from the way Shiro seemed to pause in front of it, straightening invisible wrinkles from his coat.

With the long stop for micro-fixations and minute fidgeting, it was probably the most nervous Keith had seen him throughout the whole debacle. Even on the beach when he walked Keith himself, Shiro had been the picture of calm resolution, despite whatever thoughts may have been running through his head. This was something new, and actually a bit endearing.

Keith gave Shiro’s hand another squeeze of encouragement before speaking, “Shiro, whatever it is, it’ll be fine. I’m with you.”

Like a panacea, Keith’s words seemed to heal his turmoil. His hands stilled, stopping the small nervous motions he had previously engaged in. He took a breath, stilling himself, and returned the gentle squeeze of their hands.

“Talking with everyone,” he began slowly, “I realized there’s not too much that I really want with all of this, aside from you. Colors, decorations, food, I’m fine with any of it in any form. But I do have just one selfish request, if it’s okay with you.”

Keith would have been happy just to elope like Pidge had joked. The ceremony and everything else that went with it was just extra credit. Little details. Of course he shared Shiro’s sentiment on it all, which made whatever this request he had seem so important. Keith had long since surrendered everything had had and was to Shiro. He wouldn’t possibly disagree.

“Anything.”

Shiro finally looked back at him with a relieved sort of smile that melted his heart like the sun on ice. His mother was definitely right about Shiro being serious and straightforward. Everything was done properly, formally, and with great care.

“Well, here goes.”

The doors opened to reveal a large sitting room and a desk at the far end, arranged like dozens of other rooms throughout the Atlas. Shiro had knocked to announce his arrival as always, so the occupants were already looking expectantly his way by the time he strode in with Keith trailing behind him. When he saw who was inside, Keith could only blink in surprise.

“Hi again, Shiro,” Pidge greeted with a haphazard wave from the corner of the room, where she was in the middle of very intently shoving a lighted screen in her brother’s direction.

It was just the Holts. What did Shiro need to be so nervous about?

Sam and Colleen beckoned them in with warm smiles and immediately bid for them to sit. Neither Shiro nor Keith could get a word in before Colleen had them seated on the couch, each with a steaming cup of her specialty tea in hand, and their family dog wagging her tail expectantly at their feet. Keith was the one who ended up obliging this time, reaching over to gently stroke the impatient dog’s head.

“Welcome back,” Sam greeted cheerfully as he took a seat across from them. “I’m sure you’re probably not as excited to be getting back to work here, but it’s nice to see you both around again.”

Shiro chuckled a little in response. “Thanks, Sam. It’s good to see you too.”

From observation, Keith could tell they could have easily delved in small talk while Shiro beat around the bush. He didn’t mind, personally—Shiro could have as long as he needed to say whatever he wanted. But like her daughter, Colleen didn’t seem to have the mind to wait too much longer.

“You know you’re always welcome here with us, but what really brings you in?” the woman asked. A knowing smile was already hanging on her face, as if she had devised at least a dozen possibilities and already sorted them down by likelihood. Keith remembered it was something Pidge told him that geniuses did.

“Seems like you have something you want to say.”

The fact that Pidge was there already and her family didn’t know yet was a testament to Shiro’s resolution. He had probably cautioned the other paladin not to say anything to her family so that he could tell him in person. Keith vaguely wondered just how long he had decided on this request of his that he was able to prepare as much as he did. He had also asked Krolia in advance too. Maybe Shiro had thought it out and planned everything more than Keith thought.

“You caught me,” Shiro admitted, sheepish smile on his face. Still, he needed a moment and paused to take it. Keith bumped their knees together faintly in a small gesture of reassurance. He smiled a little when he felt Shiro bump back and inhale deeply.

“Keith and I are getting married.”

The looks on the Holts’ faces immediately shifted through a spectrum of reactions, ranging from pleasant surprise to full delight. Their eyes shone with nothing but love and unconditional support, the same kind Keith always felt from Krolia. Experiencing it then again made him feel a little abashed under their gazes, exposed with raw emotions. But that was just what families felt like, he supposed. He was still getting used to it. Sneaking a peak at Shiro, Keith could tell he was thinking something similar.

The Holts expressed their fondest congratulations. Colleen wasted no time reaching across the coffee table to give Keith’s hand a firm squeeze and a brilliant smile. Shiro accepted their words with a pleased expression—he was happy and relaxed about saying that bit at least. Still, it wasn’t hard to see that there was still more to be said. As if on cue, Shiro took a deep breath, only serving to confirm Keith’s suspicions. Sam and Colleen caught on just as quickly, immediately quieting again to give him their full attention.

“I...haven’t had my blood family around for along time now,” Shiro began slowly. “At first it was distance, and then it was just me left.”

He paused in his words but his expression slowly turned more placid. It was like once he started, all his nervousness evaporated. He continued in earnest with more determination.

“But if there’s anything I learned through all of this, it’s to remember what’s really important and to keep living without regrets.” He reached over to take Keith’s hand in his own. “And keep cherishing the people who matter the most.”

He looked over with a smile. First to Keith and then to the Holts across from him.

“I may not have a blood family anymore, but I know who my true family is. Sam, Colleen, Matt —” he laughed when he spied the older Holt sibling waving furiously from the corner of the room as to not be excluded. “Thank you for always being there for me through all these years. I’d be honored if you could attend our wedding as my family.”

As always, Colleen was the first to action, rising this time to move around the table and collect Shiro into her arms. She lingered only a moment before shifting to pull Keith in her tight embrace as well, leaving only a little room for them to breathe. Affection radiated from her like an infinite geyser. Keith couldn’t help but smile at that warmth and the way it filled his heart.

“Of course we will,” she declared resolutely, still holding them tight. “Nothing could keep us away.”

Sam approached them next, placing a comforting hand on Shiro’s shoulder. The look on his face said everything he felt, but he still said it aloud anyway. ‘We’re so happy and proud of you. Both of you.”

Shiro brightened at those words.

“Thanks, Sam. I actually do have one more request for you. That is, if you,” his eyes briefly darted over to his side, “and Keith don’t mind.”

“Of course,” the man answered without hesitation. Keith nodded at the same time.

Smiling sheepishly again, Shiro asked, “Would you mind officiating?”

So that must have been Shiro’s “selfish request,” Keith thought to himself in amusement. It wasn’t really selfish at all even. Through their adventures, Keith had finally gained a family in discovering his mother and the other paladins. He was something he had been missing on earth before everything—just like Shiro. After their deep space travel mission together, the imprisonment and rescue, and everything that came after, it made all the sense in the world who Shiro realized his own family would be.

“Please,” Keith reinforced. They were in this together now, and he wanted to do his best to make it everything Shiro wanted it to be. If this was his one request then Keith wanted it too. He wanted to be everything Shiro dreamed of that night he proposed under the stars. (And again when they returned.)

Smiling widely, Sam joined Colleen in their hug this time and repeated again, “ Of course .”

As he let himself be enveloped by all the warm arms around him, Keith heard a soft sniffle from where the two siblings still stood off to the side.

“Dibs on best man,” Matt said quietly with another sniff and wide smile.

Matching smile adorned on her face, Pidge elbowed his side. “Sorry, I already called it.”

Warmth.

— 

One month.

That was as long as they (and by “they,” he meant Shiro) could stand to wait. Allura complained to them on at least a semi-regular basis that they simply hadn’t given them enough time to do everything. Keith, of course, disagreed. All they had wanted was the other paladins, Coran, Krolia, and the Holts. Everything else was up in the air. How much more could there possibly have been?

A lot, apparently.

They had taken back the remote beach resort easily enough, though Pidge had to check the weather on and out for weeks to be sure they wouldn’t be hit by some kind of tropical storm. Not to mention finding the exactly perfect location—which Keith didn’t quite get since...wasn’t it all just sand anyway? She had told him to leave it to the expert after that and kicked him out directly into Lance’s metaphorical arms. Lance had immediately rejected the notion of letting them wear their military uniforms for the ceremony and took them each out shopping at least ten times. His argument was begrudgingly fair enough: “We all see you as a Blade every day . Don’t you want to wear something more special on such an important day?” Still, if Keith didn’t hate malls and shopping before, he most definitely did now.

His mother and Coran helped them with the rings. Earth metals were beautiful but certainly not sturdy enough for wearing on any future missions, Coran had pointed out. Then, he volunteered to seek out the perfect material, which he naturally already had in mind. Keith suspected he was off to some kind of shady swap shop again or something worse, so he had Krolia go with him. Partly to keep him safe and partly to keep him sensible. After all the disasters he had put Lance through when he was courting Allura, they all knew well enough about Coran’s sense of...style. In the end, they finally returned with matching rings: dark but glittering, beautiful but near indestructible. And apparently, no pilforgs were even harmed in their making, Coran had announced proudly, whatever that meant. Krolia had told him not to ask.

Allura and Romelle weaved so many flower ropes (genetically enhanced ones from Colleen’s garden), that they had the floral fragrance of them perpetually attached at all times. Similarly with Hunk, who constantly smelled like cake and frosting.

All the while, Keith struggled endlessly with his vows. They were doing things a bit untraditionally and a little unconventionally, kind of like how they were, he supposed. The words they would exchange that day though was one thing they promised to keep. When it came to Shiro, Keith had a much easier time speaking of his feelings than usual. Hundreds of praises and even more about how much he meant. Still, it didn’t make finding the right words to say on this occasion any easier. He had a small drive with his blank document of intended words on him at all times, just in case the right thing popped into mind. Most of the time he just ended up staring at the small projected screen without putting anything down. It remained that way all the way until he found himself sitting on that familiar beach again with the slow ocean tides sweeping up against his toes.

Even though before he had insisted that a month was more than enough time, when he sat on the sand again the night before the ceremony with his mostly blank screen dimly glowing, it didn’t feel like enough anymore. Or that was the “pre-wedding jitters” Colleen had told him about. It was nervousness, but also a bit of excitement. Fear but still assurance. Calm and panic all rolled together, a calamity of turbulent emotions under a cool facade. Jitters indeed.

The waves rolled in continuously with the gentle breeze that night, making the moon’s reflection shimmer like a trembling flame on a candle. Keith breathed in all of the ocean air and swallowed his lingering doubts. When it came to Shiro, he never doubted himself in how he thought or felt. Like the tide that brought in streams of stars and their reflections, his feelings were constant, steady, endless. All that this was—the ceremony and everything else, all of it was just a formality. After this, he could go on to prove the depth of his devotion everyday. After this, they could really, finally start their lives together.

“Hey, Commander. Could you use some company?”

The voice that sounded from behind him didn’t surprise him, just made him snort a little at the title. Sand shifted at his side as Shiro sank down next to him, extending his toes into the cool ocean water in a mimic of Keith’s posture. Keith kicked up a few droplets of water in the other man’s direction as a playful welcome.

“Glad to know we’re still planning on keeping our titles after all this,” he joked.

Shiro smiled and splashed him back. “Should I have used the ‘future husband’ title here instead?”

The question made Keith freeze. Not in a way of shock. More in a way of mild embarrassment and a little bit of awe. Future husband , his thoughts echoed back, bewildered. Then in another day it would be just husband . It was a little ridiculous how giddy he felt at that.

“Are you going to get in trouble for being here?” Keith asked instead, misdirecting with a smirk.

A little while ago, the Altean girls had strongly declared they had to “stop sleeping together” before the ceremony. Lance had laughed hysterically at the unintended meaning, but of course, they meant it in the most innocent way. Something about the ceremony being more emotional and meaningful after a little distance before it. Coran had wholeheartedly agreed on the basis of tradition, and Lance agreed probably just to be annoying, claiming the two of them wouldn’t last a week. No one told Allura what he was insinuating (again). Still, as a result, they had spent the last two weeks doing preparations separately for the most part and staying in their own designated rooms. It felt a little strange after being together all the time for so long, but they were right about the feeling of reunion after it all. Just having Shiro sit beside him made his heart pound in his chest louder than any crashing wave.

Amused expression on his face, Shiro shrugged. “If it makes you feel better, I can sneak back in through the window.”

After a few chuckles, the two sat in an easy silence again, only the soft sound of the tides in between them. The longer he watched, the more he realized Shiro was right about the beach. There was something quintessentially Earth about the sea meeting the sand in the daytime. Palm trees and salt air, sapphire waters stretching out as far as the eye could see. At night, everything was different. It was like space, an endless expanse of rolling black waters and stars, his other home. It really was the perfect location.

“One more day,” Shiro breathed. His fingers brushed lightly against Keith’s in the sand, just like they had a month before.

Keith smiled. “One more day.”

They stayed like that for a long time after. Just comforting silence and the heat of each other’s presence. His turbulent emotions calmed with Shiro’s presence, as they always did. Keith lost track of how long they spent just looking out at infinity, even after Shiro eventually suggested they get some rest. He wasn’t sure how he would manage to rest with all the emotions still buzzing around inside, but he promised he would try. His half empty document remained as it was.

And just like that, tomorrow came.

His reflection looked strange; he couldn’t get used to it. On the surface, he looked prepared: crisp suit with flowers pinned to his breast, hair swept as neatly back as was possible despite a few stubborn locks, calm expression. His mother had come by to tell him how handsome he looked and how it was almost time, and even then all he could do was smile mutely. The waves of his emotions were rising again, but nothing on the outside showed it. A strange feeling.

Everything was beautiful. For all their concerns (and complaints) about time, their friends had done an incredible job. Ropes of colorful other-worldly flowers mapped a path in the sand towards the shore, the sun hit the water just right to make the perfect amount of sparkling glow. The breeze was gentle and warm, bringing smooth ripples across the women’s dresses. It was the same paradise they had just visited not too long ago, but somehow even better.

Keith tried his best to remember every detail as it was: where everyone stood and where every flower bloomed. Allura and Lance side by side and tightly holding hands, Conan just a half step behind. Pidge, Hunk, and Matt stood in a row, each doing their best not to tear up. Sam stood in the middle of the long stretch, smiling proudly out at him. Krolia was at his side, gently holding his arm and smiling wider than he had ever seen. There was so much seared into his memory, it ironically came together as an iridescent blur, an explosion of color and fragrance and emotion. He ceded in the end. Maybe he couldn’t remember exactly each picturesque detail, but he would remember the smiles on his friends and family’s faces and the full feeling of love in his heart.

Music was coming from somewhere, but all Keith could hear was the thumping of his own heartbeat in his ears. He felt immobile, trapped and choked by the emotion of just seeing it all stretch out in front of him. Ever knowing, Krolia gave his arm a reassuring squeeze.

“This is it,” he muttered quietly, returning the squeeze of his arm.

“You know.”

Keith blinked. “Know what?”

Neither of them looked away from the walkway that stretched before them, the soft melody of the music and perfume of the flowers gentle in the background.

“You know I wouldn’t give you away unless I absolutely knew you would be happy and cared for.”

“Mom…”

“I’m sure today,” she told him confidently. “You will be.”

Keith swallowed deeply, struggling against the first sting of tears in the corners of his eyes. He didn’t think he could feel this way, but everything about the day and people made a constant threat of tears. The only thing that stopped them from flowing was his desire to see as much as he could. That, and the fact that he didn’t want his voice to break when he had to talk later.

With all eyes on them and the music rising and falling, Keith breathed the ocean air and filled his lungs. Steeling himself, he held onto his mother’s arm and took his first step. Starting to walk was the hardest. Every step came easier after that. The closer he got to his friends and family up at the end of the path, the less doubt he felt. Every step filled him with confidence and reminded him that this was what he deserved. Then after an eternity, he arrived.

Soon after, Shiro walked down with Colleen. They went just as slowly as Keith had, smiling and whispering quietly to each other. When they finally made eye contact, Keith felt like his heart had been struck by lightning. Shiro was impossibly handsome, soul-achingly so. He always was. When their eyes met, it was like everything else in the world had melted away. For that long stretch, all Keith could see was Shiro—his hopes, his dreams, his future.

When they finally came together, it took every ounce of restraint to keep himself from kissing Shiro immediately, process be damned. Instead, he swallowed deeply and settled for holding his future husband’s hands as tightly as he could. Shiro looked as if he felt something similar, as he even unconsciously leaned forward a little with half-lidded eyes. Keith let an unrestrained chuckle escape, making Shiro catch himself and bolt upright with a little bit of color dusted across his cheeks.

“Since you’re both so eager, I guess we should get on with it then,” Sam declared with a grin.

He told a story about the universe: the infinite expanse, the depth of it all, and how far apart people could come and go. He talked about the connections people made. Unbreakable ones. Like the one between them. There was a reminder of the extents that they went for each other: the battles, the adventures, the search. Some people were bound by an inseparable gravity like planets in orbit, always drawn together. Marriage was about staying that way, with all the little compromises and challenges in between.

“We’ve been through dozens of journeys,” Shiro started when it was his time to speak. His eyes sparkled like the glittering stars they loved so much. “We’ve gone across galaxies and back. And while there’s so many things I’m proud and grateful for, the thing I’m happiest for is you. I can’t help but think all of the things I’ve been through were just the roads I had to take to come back to you. You’ve always been with me, even when there was nothing else in this world. Even when I wasn’t in this world. I promise I’ll do the same for you.”

Keith’s had been holding a small basket with their rings dangling from his mouth. While Shiro spoke, he took one dark shining ring and carefully placed it on Keith’s finger. It should have felt cool to the touch, but it was as warm as Shiro’s fingers and the tears that pricked at his eyes again.

“I promise I’ll choose you every time.”

When it was his turn, Keith swallowed the lump in his throat. His document had stayed mostly empty even up to the last moment. But after everything, he knew what he wanted to say.

“Shiro,” he began slowly. “You are, and have always been, my hero. You were always my aspiration, my...goal. I didn’t really know what that meant until recently, but I get it now.”

He looked up, determined, into Shiro’s gradually more misty eyes.

“I want to be with you. Forever. I want to protect you and keep you safe. I want to be there to hear all of your dumb jokes and the way you laugh at them after. I want to spar with you until we’re both exhausted. I want to eat your burnt cooking. I want to be your family...and I want you to be mine.”

Keith took the other ring from the basket and held it over the tip of his future husband’s—no, his soulmate’s finger.

“I don’t say it enough...but I love you.” Slowly, he slid the ring the rest of the way down. “And I promise I always will.”

There weren’t enough words Keith could think of to describe how he felt in that moment. Overwhelmed, accomplished, happy . Like he finally reached the infinity he looked out at on the sides of that beach, the distant future where the sky touched the sea. He could feel himself smiling to match the expression on Shiro’s face. Though he wasn’t sure if his words were good enough or proper enough, the devotion he saw reflected back at him in Shiro’s eyes made him melt. Maybe it wasn’t good enough for poetry or a speech, but it was good enough for him. Them .

This time Shiro didn’t bother to stop himself.

Before Sam could even open his mouth to declare it, he surged forward to pull Keith into his arms and brought their lips together. His lips were soft and firm, moist and eager after all of their waiting. If happiness had a taste, it would be Shiro’s lips, Keith thought dizzily to himself. The cheers of their friends and family beside them faded, and all he could hear was their heartbeats again. Only this time, it wasn’t just his. It was theirs together.

When their lips finally parted, Shiro still didn’t let him go. His arms stayed tightly wrapped around Keith’s waist, keeping him close up against his chest. Only a fraction of space remained between them. Just enough for smiles, their foreheads pressed against each other’s, and short, breathy laughter. Around them, the others laughed and cheered as well, a bright chorus of happiness.

After a long moment, Keith finally smirked and whispered, “Well, congrats, Captain.”

“You too, Commander,” Shiro shot back with a grin. His arms tightened still.

Keith let his own arms tighten around Shiro’s neck with no intention of letting go.

“Now that you’re married, what does the the triumphant Captain of the Atlas want to do?”

Eyes full of happiness, devotion, and love, Shiro laughed. “He’d like to ask his husband, the esteemed Leader of Voltron to dance with him on this beach.”

Keith smiled softly. “His husband accepts.”