Apologies for the lateness, but here is my piece for the @keitorexchange, and this is for @squishy--squish~! She gave me a bunch of freedom on the prompt. c: I hope this is okay! ;;;;;
The premise behind this is that Keith - while visiting the castle for a bit - was heading to the newly-installed human pool, and took a wrong turn and found Lotor’s room instead. They spoke/caught up, then one thing led to another and welp all the smooching.
A Conversation Can Lead to Understanding (If You Let It)
Summary: Seeing that Lotor is down from the mistrust of the team, Keith - on a visit between missions with the Blade- goes to comfort him. The two discover they have a lot in common.
Rating: G
Ship: Keitor
Warnings: None
Can be read here.
For @forsakenangel88, written for the @keitorexchange
Prompts: I really truly deeply love the hurt/comfort trope like that's my biggest weakness (physical hurt/comfort especially with injuries or illness) combined with PROTECTIVE TROPE! I'll accept either Keith or Lotor getting hurt. I also love Fairytale AUs and Royalty AUs... Soulmate AUs are cool too! You could do the Hanahaki Disease trope too! I don't care if it's Keith or Lotor who gets infected! Modern AUs are fine or you can do Canon AUs! Doesn't matter!
> You can read this fic on AO3. <
Snippet: "Don't." as Keith took a step back. "Please don't."
"Keith."
Keith shook his head. "Don't, Lotor. This is not right."
"My little hippo."
His emotions and body have betrayed him. He can feel a small wetness gliding down one side of his face. It hurts to hear his old nickname. To hear his old nickname in a soft, hurt voice of the person he began to fall for.
"It wasn't supposed to come out like this. Our future."
++++++
This is for @nooowestayandgetcaught for @keitorexchange whose prompt had given me two fic ideas. I will post the other one later once I get my other event’s idea done first.
Keith and Lotor both had gone through multiple missions without resting for days, seeing each other was a rarity nowadays and interactions were minimized to a very limited amount such as a quick tight hug, a chaste kiss then they went back to their duties half a universe away from each other. That's why Keith had wished when they finally met and got some time to rest, they would be spending quality time together cuddling and snuggling on their soft bed. Apparently, Lotor had a different plan.
The @keitorexchange starts today! This is for the awesomely cool @stirlingphoenix . Hope you enjoy!
Keith had lost a lot throughout his life, a fact he didn’t like to dwell on often. He had lost his mother before he even got to know her, and his father shortly after that. He had made friends and lost them when it was time to switch homes, and had accepted he’d lost any ability to form relationships because of it all. When he finally did make a friend, one he treasured dearly, Shiro was sent up into space and declared dead due to pilot error....
He looked down at the luscious, white hair in his hands, the way it twined together to form an elegant braid. Yes, he had lost a lot in his life, but he had also started to gain.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
FOR @konaharts !!!!! This is my pinch hit for @keitorexchange event!!!
Hope you enjoy this??? kinda my first time to do a keitor huhu please go easy on me
Prince Lotor has one of the most outstanding albums of the year and Keith has yet to buy one. Word around the gossip mongers, though, say that Prince Lotor himself will be arranging his first private concert in the nearest mall right across the music store Keith works at. Additionally, anyone who signs up and wins a private concert ticket also gets a signed copy of P. Lotor's latest album (plus, if anyone's feeling lucky, a selfie with P. Lotor himself).
And no, he's not that excited like his friends claim he is. He definitely hasn't stared at the sign up page every time he's on break and no he definitely wasn't checking his phone for any notifications. Not at all.
"You definitely are." Pidge teases him and he flinches at the use of a present tense while stacking a pile of music records at the corner of the store, "Just listening to you rave about him with those adorable sparkling violet eyes of yours for hours on end is already a nuisance."
Keith shoots his mouth open but Pidge shushes him with her complaint, "I can't even do my homework around you!" His cheeks pooled when he eyes her quirked lips and gleaming eyes.
"First of all, my eyes don't sparkle." Keith shoot her a bland look as he careful places the last stack of records, "Second of all, I haven't been talking about him-"
"Raving. About it him, Keith." Pidge corrects, Cheschire grin in place, "Raving."
"For that long, Pidge." He continues on as though she hasn't opened her blasted mouth, "Not that long." He crosses his arms over his chest. Pidge's giggles burst into guffaws.
"Sure," she stutters through her laughter, "Tell yourself that." She pauses and then the same gleaming smile shines back on. "Fan boy."
He grumbles a sigh and turns back to the list of things he has to do today. Why is he friends with her again? And why is she here again? He rolls his eyes and checks his phone for a small email notification bell and was met with only a lockscreen of P. Lotor's latest album photo. His friend caught the image as well, responding a not-so-subtle sharp arch of an eyebrow and a dry expression.
He knows what's coming and prepares himself for the mockery that'll be thrown his way but jolts to a stop when a Ping! from his mobile phone caught his attention. His eyes swoop down and widen at the email notification. Immediately, he swipes his password, opens his mail and-
Congratulations!
You've won!
Hey Keith Kogane,
Congratulations, you've won a private concert with the one and only talented Prince Lotor, along with a signed copy of his latest album, 'Vrepit Za!' Selfies and pictures are permitted by the given guidelines (see page 2 on guidelines). You are allowed to bring at the maximum of three guests. Send a message through this number xx-xxx-xxxx for us to let you know when and where to claim your ticket! Have a great day!
There's a hitch in his breath and a thump in this heart before his head suddenly bursts into squeals for joy as his hands shake at the and the muscles on his cheeks ache for a blinding smile. He was so wrapped up in his own euphoria that he almost forgets that a certain presence is still in this room. Almost. His teeth wrench his lower lip to stop the smile.
"So who're you bringing with?" Pidge asks from behind and by now he knows that she's playfully batting her eyelashes. Pfft
He turns around with a curl on his lips and a gleam in his eyes and says, "Who else?" Pidge beams and cracks a grin at him.
"Awesome!" She says as they clasp their palms together, "I'll be there as punctual as possible!" Of course she'll be early. "And I'll call up Lance and Hunk too!" ...And of course Lance is coming. Hunk is tame and he can handle Pidge, but Lance? He'll never hear the end of Lance's teasing. He shakes his head.
"Anyways," Pidge slings her bag over her shoulder, "I gotta go! Try not to embarrass yourself!" Before he could form a comeback she aims a punch on his shoulder and when he finally does find one (because, come on, it's Lance is the one who should try not to embarrass himself), she's already sauntering of to wherever. Probably something to do with that new robot she, Hunk, and Lance have been scheming and building for the past couple months now.
When he's finally left alone, he breaks down his barriers and lets a smile fall on his face. He lifts his phone and looks to the email he received. No matter how many times he reads through the paragraph word per word, line per line, he still could not believe his luck.
He has so much to prepare.
+++
He has little to prepare at all. He's only going to bring his wallet, ID's and what not but nothing academic of the sort.
Still.
It's the fifth time he's checked himself in the mirror and he's not satisfied. Slightly rustled hair, accompanied with a tiny eyeshadow and stoic mien to mask his blazing excitement, along with plain red t-shirt that says "May the 4th be with you" and simple black jeans and sneakers isn't going to cut it. Maybe he needs more gel to flatten his tousled hair? Maybe the shirt's too much (but this is the fifth shirt he's changed)? Or maybe-
"Stop thinking about it so much." Pidge pesters him from his seat by the desk with a nudge on the shoulder, "Another wardrobe change is going to mess your closet and I'm not going to be the one who's going fix it!" He parts his lips but she shushes him once again This is happening too often.
"And no need to change your underwear," she pesters him some more as she throws his favorite underwear at his face until all he can see is light-sabers on a blue background, "No one's going to know your little secret."
He daintily takes the underwear off his face and slowly sets it on the table, as though his own blunt nails can rip through the threads, and glowered at her. "Can you not?" He says, fiddling the edge of his shirt and patting his hair. Unmitigated by his annoyance, she smiles.
"I can and I will." She replies, that same gleaming smile on her face, "I'm going down and meet with the others." Pidge stands up and pats him on the shoulder more than once and he falls for the bait, batting her hands away. She's already by the door before he can make a quip and she flashes one last giggle at her overly tense friend.
"Don't take too long!!' She reminds him and she slips out of the door before he can bang it on her face. Once her footsteps fade, he grunts to himself and checks his phone for the nth time. It's five minutes till six in the evening and the concert won't start until it's seven. Seems like he's got time but every tick of the clock counts and he's losing bit by bit of this safety net.
He heaves a sigh. It doesn't abate his nervousness but his excite hasn't waned in a moment, instead it multiplied to thousands. He's meeting his favorite artist today. Today. Today.
"Coming!" He yells from his room as he rummages his things in a small slingbag. He hastily fixes his shoelaces and he gives himself one more look at the mirror before zooming down the stairs and out of his apartment where his friends are grinning like mad and greeting him with a tease and a pat on the back.
It took fifteen minutes for them to arrive due to a heavy traffic along the highway and limited parking space but he's glad to have sometime to compose himself (and he's also silently grateful for Hunk offering to drive them all there even when he's been poking at him by playing P. Lotor's album on the radio the whole ride here). The four of them decide on a place to eat and settled for a semi-empty restaurant with fair enough food.
By the time they've packed up to leave, it's already fifteen minutes till seven. Keith restrains himself from brisk walking. Part of him wants to dash out of the mall and find a cab to drive him back but Pidge, of course, somehow notices and grasps his hand and pulls him along, their paces doubled. Lance and Hunk follow on beside him, and Keith has no where to escape. Great.
They walk past a couple of stores, turned right, and before Keith comprehends, they're all standing in front of the glass doors of a studio, the view obstructed by black paper. Pidge releases him from her hold and she knocks on the glass door. No one had to wait long and then they're all inside, sitting on comfy velvet couch and drinking cool ice teas offered by the staff. They're all facing a mini stage, with the whole set of instruments and the like and a closed door to the right.
And then suddenly, that door opens and Prince Lotor comes in along with his other friends. Prince Lotor. PRINCE LOTOR. In high ponytail, black turtleneck, ripped jeans, and black boots. Prince Lotor. He feels as though his heart has collided with a brick wall and he stops his mental screaming for a moment of breath.
"Hello everyone!" The familiar satin and sulky voice he's heard in those albums greets them with a saccharine smile, "Welcome to the private concert! How are you all?" His friends throw a hoot while Keith offers a shy smile. Lotor's beaming yellow eyes flit from face to face until it lands on Keith. His smile stretches to a full grin.
"Who here is Keith?" Lotor asks, keeping his gaze on Keith. He stills his body from fidgeting when his friends blatantly point at him. For some unknown reason, Lotor pulls a charming grin (then again, everything about him is just so charming) and stretches out a hand.
"Hello Keith," He greets him, and he can't refrain his own smile from stretching any wider nor his cheeks from blushing into a rose pink color. Keith replies with a small nod and takes the hand offered to him. He lets himself linger at the calloused feel of Lotor's skin before letting go a few ticks later. Dazed, Keith blinks the moment away while Lotor introduces his friends: Acxa, Ezor, Zethrid, and Narti. Ezor rushes, blazing in pink long fringes and pink-black ensemble, to them with an enthusiastic hug, immediately reintroducing herself ("Nice to meet you all!"). Zethrid follows up with an iron grip handshake while Acxa and Narti politely wave.
The events turn towards everyone greeting everyone with waves, gestures, or even some flirtatious marks (Lance). Lotor initiates the conversation first by asking how their day went (pretty chill, for a Saturday, exams just finished), what they do for a living (they're all students with part-time jobs), and anything mundane. They bond over food, with Hunk sharing his kitchen hacks and Ezor and Zethrid supplying with a combination of their favorite dishes. The conversation drags on to other random topics before Lotor interjects between a debate on a TV series, asking Keith what song would he like to play while flashing another one of those saccharine smiles.
Keith ignores the flame heating his cheeks and suggests, "Your favorite." He swears that Lotor's eyes soften at that. He watches his favorite musician sit on the chair by the mini stage. Lotor places a guitar on his lap and a foot on the guitar footstool as though he's following his muscle memory. There's a pause where Lotor lets his eyelids fall to a close and he breathes for several ticks until his fingers move in tandem.
Keith hasn't seen much of Lotor playing the guitar, not even through past live concerts he's watched through GalraTube. He hasn't heard this song, either, not from the previews in the GalraTube or anywhere else. It's different from any of the songs of the recent album because while they're fast-paced and techno, this one feels like he's on a slow drive accross the sunset with the wind kissing his face. Mesmerized, Keith lingers on the fingers dancing across the fretboard as Lotor's silky voice carries with his right fingers tiptoeing on the strings in a melancholic lullaby.
The tune spins in his head with memories of his own past, the ones longed buried now dredged up to the surface. He feels like he's floating on an ocean full of emotions he never wanted to revisit. They ripple through his thoughts over and over and then he gasps at his eyes welling up with tears. He blinks once, letting them streak down on his cheeks. By the end of the bridge, he wipes his face, unbeknownst to him that Hunk is doing the same.
This is the side of Lotor's music Keith's never delved into before. It's as though he's touched his heart in an intimate way. He muses if Lotor would ever produce this music live but his train of thought stops when Lotor ends his music with one last strum. There was that same pause again, where the song has ended yet the feelings linger as residue. And then everyone gives a round of applause.
"That was beautiful." praised Acxa.
"I just..." Hunk bawled into tears again.
The others around him clapped and gave their own sentiments. Keith finds his gaze intertwined with Lotor's once again. The corners of his amber eyes crinkled as Lotor wordlessly winks at Keith's direction. Keith gleams another shy smile in return and then he turns away and hovers his glass over to his lips. No one catches them except, well, Pidge. She shoots him a knowing look before returning to her conversation with Zethrid and Narti.
Lotor continues playing for awhile, indulging his own covers of his favorite artists as well as his music from his recent album, Vrepit Za, and music from his past albums. Zethrid and Narti harmonize on some occassions, making silly faces and over-the-top voices. Lance also has his own share of spotlight, only as a means to humor everyone.
When the last music cover ends, it's already past eight by fifteen minutes and everyone decides to wander around the mall. Zethrid, Acxa and Hunk hop over to the nearest bakery store while Narti, Pidge and Lance saunter off to the hardware store for their robot schema. Keith, on the other hand, is idly eyeing the music sheets in one of his favorite music stores a few minutes away from the studio they left.
"Looking for something?" He jerks at the charming voice behind him. Lotor's smile invites his own as the music artist walks to stand beside Keith. He tears his dazed look away from Lotor and instead continues roaming the collection of music sheets.
"Not really." He replies, casting a quick side glance at Lotor for less than a minute and then he's back again idly naming the records in his head, "There are some I don't have in my collection at home but I'm not interested in."
"If there's something you'd like to try, let me know." Lotor states his offer, flashing him a wink. He saunters past Keith, brushing shoulders as he touch so Keith responds with a quirk of an eyebrow and a small curl on his lips. He follows.
Keith begins another conversation again, praising Lotor for the first music he performed earlier. Lotor shares his insights and inspirations for the music, saying it's a personal piece for his family and Keith shares his sentiments earlier. Gradually, breaks away from his own aweness about Lotor and they begin to goof about over classical music.
They continue on amidst the slight crowd of people, knowing that it's already two hours before the mall closes, until they settle themselves outside by the park, where the full moon bares witness to them all and only a flicker of a few blinking balls of light can be seen from below. Keith and Lotor flip past the mundanity of their lives as they converse over their lives of then, now and the future. Of friends and embarrassing snippets. Of lovers and lamentations.
Unfortunately, their conversation was cut short by their friends hollering from afar. Soon, the mall would eventually have to close (as well as the park they're staying at) and there would be no place to sit. Keith, however, doesn't mind.
"I had a great time today."
"As do I."
Because at the end of the night, he got something more than the signed copy of P. Lotor's album, and that was a piece of his music still singing in his heart (plus his personal mobile number and a kiss on the cheek). Definitely worth it.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Keith/Lotor (Voltron)
Characters: Keith (Voltron), Lotor (Voltron), Original Alien Character(s)
Additional Tags: Set after season 5, Halfbreed Racism, Altean Racism, Blade of Marmora Keith (Voltron), Honorary Blade of Marmora Lotor (Voltron), Keitor Exchange 2018, Reckless Keith (Voltron), Keith is ready to fight, diplomatic mission, Emperor Lotor, blade of marmora, Declarations Of Love, Established Keith/Lotor, Established Relationship, Lotor refuses to put up with racism, Lotor bandages up Keith, First Aid, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort
Summary:
Keith and Lotor have travelled together on many diplomatic missions since Lotor became Emperor.
None of them have ever gone as badly as the one to Tatreylia has though.
My gift for @sebayard for the @keitorexchange! I hope you enjoy it!
