Keith had many meanings of what the word home meant to him throughout his life.
It was always a person, never a place to belong to.
When his dad was alive, he was Keith’s home, until their house beside the shack burnt to the ground, taking his father with it.
The next one was not really a home; it was the home, an orphanage.
And then, as fate would have it, he was whisked away to the Garrison after stealing Shiro’s car. Shiro and Adam became his home thereafter, never giving up on the lost boy who was not ready to be found.
When he finally gained confidence in what a home was meant to be, Adam broke up with Shiro for choosing the mission, the Kerberos mission whisked him away, and everything fell apart piece by puzzling piece. He took refuge in the belief that he would forever be the lost boy without someone to hold on to.
So he went back home, or what was left of it: the shack. He spent days and months out there collecting fragments, searching for some kind of meaning to it all: tracing Fraunhofer lines, newspaper clippings, marks on a cave.
As fate would have it, even though he found Shiro amidst the rubble, a new contender for home stood out to him: Lance.
Lance: the boy wonder, the lover boy, the pilot of the Blue AND Red Lion, the glue that held the team together, the one who fought with him in a food goo fight, brought a cow onto the Castleship, basically invented the word stability.
The one who sometimes doubted his own abilities, broke himself, and became stronger each time and time again with every fractured piece of himself that he glued back together.
Time out in space went quickly (do not even mention the Quantum Abyss), and suddenly they were back on Earth, then back in space again. Reality reset itself, and it is all a blur how they ended up here.
But, they're here now.
And no matter how many times life tried to strip home away from him, no matter how many times they lost and got back up again, there was one constant star orbiting in his gravity.
It was Lance, spooning him from behind on the cusp of sunset’s peak, napping within the warmth filtering through the bedroom window, the light illuminating their scars in gold, reflecting sunlight off their tissued-skin like a beautiful, war torn kaleidoscope.
It was always Lance, the Icarus to his sun, who made him feel cosy, safe and warm. Almost as if he invited his heart's warmth in, letting Keith subconsciously know that it was all right to rest now. No wars. No fights.
Just a cosy bed, a blanket over their hips, a pillow beneath their heads, and someone who understands your every move and thought.
Safe, warm and cradled in his arms, Keith is finally home.
Basking in the wonderful warmth that is Lance ☀️💙❤️
---
Art: @k1ance-a-lot
Story: @cookietails
Thank you @k1ance-a-lot for collaborating together!! Much love to you!!
❤️❤️❤️💙💙💙💜💜💜
My beautiful besties I need a good hurt/comfort fic for Klance preferably longer and set in the canon verse. Pls I beg drop recs if you know any good ones it can be any rating
The FINAL chapter of A Little Death will come out March 15th, 2026
Keith’s mother visits him in his sleep. The crafty hands of somnolence mold her face out of hues of purple, yellow, and black. He knows nothing of her, not her stature, the tilt of her eyes, or her hair. Keith doesn’t know whether she’s covered in tufts of fur, like a bear, or is smooth like a seal. As a child, Keith would stand in front of a mirror and make a game of theorizing which of his traits belonged to her. He’d try to map these features onto this mystery woman. Sometimes, Keith would try to draw her. The pictures would come out all wrong. He’d take one look at them and understand that it couldn’t be his mother.
Keith doesn’t play that game anymore. He doesn’t have time to stand in front of a mirror, and he only draws during banal meetings. His art extends to spiralling scribbles and scrappy sketches of the other paladins and animals.
Dreams are different. His soporific fatigue leads Keith into a maze. He stumbles through, turning right and left and left and right, backing out of dead ends, and searching for a road. In one of these pathways, Keith runs into his mother. She is faceless.
When she was a kid, and a court official’s child wanted her doll, her mother silently tugged it from her hands and placed it in theirs.
“We are royalty, Allura,” she had murmured, white hair glistening around her face under strong sunlit rays. “What belongs to us must always belong to our people.”
Her mother had seemed so otherworldly and powerful in that moment, gentle and yet unwavering all at once.
Allura knew she’d do anything to be like her, so she bit back her tears and nodded, swallowing the knot in her throat.
Then, the world changed. No, that wasn’t quite right.
The world died.
It blasted into shards too numerous and fragile to count, thrusting her into a deep sleep, and jolting her back just when she was on the cusp of a blissful, silent infinity. Reopening her eyes was like staring into a fluorescent nightmare. Her beloved home, her planet, had expanded in what felt like a day. She had gone from a figure on a rock, hurtling through space like all other living things, to a woman who was meant to see the universe all at once care deeply for every other creature.
Allura recalled her mother. She remembered sweet gentle hands and a tough, steady spirit. With arms wide open, she gave and gave all she had left, which wasn’t much.
First, she gave her castle. The last ties to her family now rested in the trust of five strange, well-meaning but ignorant humans. While the lions weren’t hers to hand over, that castle was, and each memory of her parents it held refused to fade as new ones of the team began sprouting.
Then, she gave her body. When she did finally enter the throes of battle, her strength and stamina advantages were still no match for the might of entire armies. She hid bruised ribs and sore joints from the team, took the occasional cut and scar from avoiding the pods.
Occasionally, mirrors haunt her. Allura still can feel her old body, the way it used to be soft edges and graceful curves. As a princess, she’d been known to slide effervescently across the dance floor.
As a warrior, she breaks.
It only made sense that she would give her mind as well. Though she prefers not to dwell, the nightmares are there. Occasionally, she trembles at a sound or a scent. Goosebumps follow her at every step.
But she keeps stepping forward anyways. No lingering. No hesitation.
So, when the battle reaches its epic climax, when the sounds of clanging and screams drown out every murmuring thing, when Allura can see into that infinity and all its gentle, unwavering light—
—she makes a choice. Isn’t she allowed to be selfish, for once? At last?
Because…
Because for all his foolishness. All his pompous, ridiculous commentary. All his lanky, uncoordinated movements and trite remarks and annoying habits.
Lance McClain is a boy who knows how to love. In her final days, after a lifetime of existing for others, Allura wants. She craves. She hungers for a time, a place, a people who loved her. Lance embodies that, shockingly enough, with his kind eyes and his tall, sure embraces.
Allura knows that her foreshadowed sacrifice will hurt him. When she vanishes from this plane, she wonders if people will call her awful for how she hurt him. Unfortunately, she just can’t help herself.
Despite everything, she’s still scared. And she’d rather have his warm, gentle, loving touch to guide her into that infinity than nothing. She’d like a glimpse of what is promised to her on the other side. Something to make her strong, allow her to slip into false confidence, and stay with her as she takes those final steps.
As she is showered in bright light.
As she hears the otherworldly and powerful.
As the sunlight shimmers down on her.
She turns her face to the warmth, remembering the taste of tears in her honor, knowing she was and will be forever loved. It is peace and it is relief.
Covered in scars, she walks toward bliss, having finally given everything.
Shiro: We need someone to fill in for Lance at the meeting.
Pidge: I think Keith is already filling Lance...
Hunk: Pidge!
Pidge: What? It's true! I already cockblocked them three times.
Shiro: Three times?!
Pidge: Hey, it's your fault if Keith is a vicious ass. He got that from someone, and Matt told me all the times he caught you and Adam!
for more, view my may and june rec lists too! organized by word count, and there's more under the cut! i was on a 7 hour flight this month sozzz yeah i read a bunch
a row of captured ghosts by kashuumitsus // 2.3k // Post Canon Divergence
writer's synopsis:
In the first year in space, Lance still holds out hope that they'll get to return to Earth soon. That he'll get to see his family, that nothing has changed much.
In the second year in space, Lance is starting to lose hope, starting to realize that he might never get back.
In the sixth year in space, Lance thinks it might be better if he never makes it home.
After ten years in space, Lance makes it back to Earth, but nothing is as he remembers.
my notes: deeply heartbreaking oneshot about Lance trying/failing to fit back into home after 10 years away at war. a few lines in this made me legitimately tear up
Worth It by europa_report // 2.9k // Canon
writer's synopsis:
“C’mon,” Lance complains. “You gotta have something worth sneaking out for.”
“Nah," Keith answers dryly. He marches stoically downhill, but blanches when Allura plants her hands on his shoulders and coos, “Keith’s actually got something really worthwhile.”
“Really?” Lance drawls. Cause what’s he gonna do, throw darts? Glare at the other wallflowers til they wilt?
Quelling an eyeroll, Keith says, “I’m meeting someone.”
OR
After a week of mind-numbing political meets, Lance finds the only thing on Cyantine worth sneaking out for: an afterparty. The only problem? Keith's found something even more worthwhile. And Lance does not like it.
my notes: this fic opened my eyes to jealous lance i WILL be munching more of it in the future!! i liked the the team dynamic bits in here a lot <3
If You Need Me, I'm Here Now by Riceisgood123 // 5.4k // AU
writer's synopsis:
“What the hell, man?” Keith whirled on him as soon as he let go of his arm, a spark of disproportionate rage flaring through his chest, but Lance wasn’t even looking at him, his bag shifted over his shoulder as he dug around in the pockets.
He opened his mouth to demand Lance tell him what the fuck was going on when he met Keith’s gaze and beat him to it.
“You’re bleeding,” Lance said simply as he pulled a pad out of his bag and held it out towards him.
Keith’s teeth clacked shut, the words dying on his tongue as his stomach plummeted straight through the floor and he felt all the blood drain out of his face before it came surging back, hot, hot, hot as he was overcome with pure, unadulterated mortification.
Or: Keith gets his period. Lance is there to help.
my notes: the perfect fluff/caring for each other fic i needed rn. Characterization is spot on and funny. there are set to be other parts in this series and i'm soooo sat for that. also may have already talked about this but i live for trans keith
Under Arrest by VulpesVulpes713 // 7.2k // AU
writer's synopsis:
Lance has a weakness when it comes to dares, and let's just say that this Halloween party, where his costume has all the bells and whistles of a legitimate police officer, is the perfect place to exploit that weakness.
Thankfully Hunk picked the perfect guy for Lance to handcuff himself to.
my notes: DRUNKEN FLIRTING MY BELOVED! such a sweet banter filled read <3
Home for the Holidays by Riceisgood123 // 7.3k // Post Canon Divergence
writer's synopsis:
“That’s good to hear.” Rosa gave him a warm smile. “I’m so happy you’ve settled back in so well.”
Keith couldn’t believe it. He was almost in the clear. He was actually going to make it through this Christmas dinner without embarrassing himself. As long as nobody brought up the—
“So when’s the wedding, huh?” Rachel interjected. “You’ve been engaged for what, over half a year now?”
Wedding… Keith bit back a sigh.
Or: The humor and fluff fest that is Keith spending Christmas with the McClains. Featuring post-war engaged Klance.
my notes: sorry for recommending christmas fics July but I couldn't help myself. this one was so sweet and perfectly blended klance being sappy and having banter. I always love the McClains and this fic did the sibling dynamic really well. also was surprisingly detailed about the ramifications of war, which I always appreciate!
people like you, people like me by ilgaksu // 7.5k // Pre-Canon/Canon Divergence
writer's synopsis:
Lance takes the seat directly opposite Keith without asking, and only grins wider in response in Keith’s death glare. He leans over with his own spoon and grabs part of the faintly toxic-looking rehydrated strawberry from Keith’s plate. Keith tries to slap his hand away, although it doesn’t work.
Not much works on Lance. It’s the third day, and Keith’s a fast learner.
my notes: a literally perfect klance-are-exes AU. all of the feels about the aftermath of kerberos and Lance and Keith's conflicting personalities are here. also Hunk being lovely as per usual.
Keith’s childhood is fractured with blurred-out edges, and it's partially his own fault. He made a point of forgetting old schools, old houses; finding nostalgia instead in redrock and tumbleweed and sandstorm-sharp wind.
But he remembers the Garrison.
my notes: very keith-centric but the kl is there swear!! this was so good and yummy and the perfect tie together of keith introspection throughout scenes from the show. the shiro and krolia dynamics here were also chefs kiss
skin hunger by hiuythn // 12.5k // AU/Canon Divergence
writer's synopsis:
Keith is touch-starved to the point of stupidity. Lance helps. Lance tries to help. Lance tries.
my notes: galra keith puberty for the win!! fluffy as shit with perfect paladin interactions and the boys being super super stupid
(un)spoken by hiuythn // 16.8k // Canon Divergence
writer's synopsis:
And Allura says, "Honerva is dead."
Or, I suplex s8 into the Earth's core. No mercy.
my notes: fix it fic for if you hated season 8 (VALID). scrumptious and also delish. canon to me <3
in the dream i don’t tell anyone (you put your head in my lap) by peachyaslans // 17.8k // Canon Divergence
writer's synopsis:
The war ends. Some things do not.
my notes: the prose here for lances longing was soooo delectable and heart wrenching. A classic case of the boys are stupid about feelings.
Ricochet by bluemantics // 23.6k // Canon Compliant
writer's synopsis:
A collection of works from @callmelyc's prompts for 2025 Julance. Each chapter is an individual piece, but all are connected. Reading in order is advised, as many callbacks do occur!
Can also be understood as a prequel to Walk With Me.
my notes: followed this along on tumblr and omgggg so good. much more lance centric than klance but it's there so i'm counting it!! i loved all the introspection and character development here!!
been living in a lonesome galaxy by Katranga // 36k // AU
writer's synopsis:
“You in a rush or something?” Lance laughs, a little breathless. Effortless. The nonchalance of a person somehow totally at ease in their body, comfortable in any situation. Hair mussed and eyes darkened with anticipation and a smile always tugging on his mouth.
Keith can’t stand him. They should stop this right now. They should do it every day.
—
When Keith’s now-ex surprised him with a threesome, that was the last straw for their crumbling relationship. He’s resigned himself to heartache and being alone forever, but then the most annoying guy in class offers to partner with him for a project. The only problem, besides everything? Lance was the third guy in the room when Keith’s life fell apart.
my notes: this was crazyyyyyy good i devoured it in one night (fucking my sleep schedule eternally, wtv). perfect balance of banter/hilarity/sweetness/attraction. warning, this fic is explicit but...couldn't not recommend. the autistic keith is strong here and i EAT IT UP!
kick at the darkness by ilgaksu // 61.2k // AU
writer's synopsis:
“I didn’t know they let boys like you carry anything.”
“You’d be surprised.”
“Yeah,” Lance says, dismissive and so close Keith can feel the heat rising from his skin, “I would be. Nyma, are you dancing?”
“I told you, Lance,” she says, “I’m making friends.”
“Once you’re done with that, he needs to go back.” Lance leans forward and brushes his lips over Nyma’s cheekbone. He looks sidelong at Keith. “House rules. Don’t take it personally.” He looks back to Nyma. “If you get bored, I’ll be here.” Lance gives Keith a final look over, the drag of it like a weight, and leaves.
“Your boyfriend’s a jerk,” Keith tells Nyma, watching Lance’s retreating back through the crowd of dancers. Nyma’s face does something complicated, even as she snickers.
my notes: historical au my beloved!!! insanely well researched 1960's AU. i love the way their personalities were adapted to fit the world of their era's social/identity politics. written in a deliciously literature-esque style. they're so sweet and scared in this it kills me.
Keith Kogane x Fem!Reader
Synopsis: locked in a cell, the white paladin remembers her happier times and hopes that she can make it back to a certain black paladin.
Word count: 3.7K
Tags: slight angst, flashbacks, mentions of torture but not graphic, set tentatively around season 4
Notes: Apparently, vld is having a resurgence so send in some requests!
You knew it was for the best. Sat cross-legged in the confines of your cell with a small smile on your lips, contented, knowing that you have done everything you could, that this wasn't in vain- rather it was what was supposed to happen. For the betterment of the entire universe, sometimes sacrifices need to be made. You remember telling Keith something similar during one of his many brooding moments. Now wishing that you could remember which conversation it was or maybe just that you had paid more attention to your time together, especially now you didn’t think you would ever see the boy with the mullet again.
You were sat next to Hunk, the pair of you looking up giddily at Takashi Shirogane, the famed astro explorer. He was speaking to the class about his recent accomplishment as he had just broken the record for the fastest orbital velocity. Everyone had tried the flight simulator and despite not being able to get passed level 3- like the rest of the class you were still excited by the prospect of meeting the youngest pilot to ever lead a mission in space. Even more happy that you had done better than James Griffin in the simulator- as he never stopped going on about his good grades and how much better he is. So to wipe that smirk off his face made it all worth it. As you and Hunk were fangirling in the corner you heard Griffins whining causing your attention to go back to the simulator, where apparently one more person was having a go. The pair of you walked towards the commotion as the annoyed brunette sounded out “No way! Keith made it past level five?! Thing's got to be broken.” That was the first moment you saw him, well properly at least. The young boy with a mullet and a ‘disciplinary issue’ if you were to listen to what your teachers told you. He walked away from the training simulator with a grin on his face and you couldn’t help but smile too. Especially when he looked your way as he walked off.
‘He doesn't even know you're gone’ you muse to yourself, and it’s true. The last you had heard from him was on the other side of a screen during a planning meeting with the Blade surrounded by your teammates, who similarly had yet to know the fate of the white paladin of Voltron. They would soon realise when you don't return through the wormhole and when they find your lion broken and alone. But then it will already be too late, as the galaran ship that held you prisoner was already galaxies away taking you towards inevitable doom. You think you're pathetic, as you are already giving up but what else can you do, your weapon is gone, lion missing, and you are locked in a cell with only your body inside of it with nobody even knowing where you are- not even you. Worry roots deeply inside of yourself as you think of your friends, a lump in your throat growing at the thought of them discovering that you're gone- they have all lost enough already. You’re sure Lance would try to be enthusiastic, claiming that they found Shiro so they could find you. Still, even he would know the saddening truth that the galarans won’t make the same mistake twice as he tries to hide his tears from Pidge who would be clinging to Hunk, begging him to tell her it’s not true- she only just got her brother back and now she has lost her sister- blood related or not. You knew it would destroy the team if you couldn’t get back to them and what worries you is that you're struggling to see a way that you can.
It was nerve-wracking, waiting to find out who Iverson and the rest of the teachers decided to team you up with for the simulators. It was a big deal, as this was going to be your team for the rest of your time in the Garrison. Last year you couldn’t wait for this moment, but maybe that was because you were certain that the boy with the mullet would be by your side as you were as Shiro put it “the only person that can put up with him” but he left, dropped out without so much of a goodbye, and you could understand, the loss of Shiro, Matt and Sam was difficult for everyone but nobody took it worse than Keith and you suppose it made sense as Shiro was all the boy had. You shook the thoughts of him out of your mind when Iverson finally came into the room, twiddling the rings on your rings on your fingers as you stood near Hunk who looked ghostly pale and going on queasy as you both prayed that the older man would do you both a solid and put you two together. You listened as he called names into groups, feeling somewhat better when Griffin was put in a group that didn't include you. Then your name was called and you were told to stand next to a tall Cuban boy wearing blue, you smiled as you walked up to him and he smiled back seemingly just as nervous as you were, then a smaller boy with round glass and a green jumper joined the group, your eyes squinting when looking at him, almost as if you had seen him before but you couldn’t place where. But before you could question it Hunk's name fell out of Iverson’s lips, you looked up in alarm as you saw Hunk coming towards your group, shocked that your prayers had been answered. The fear that was eating away at you was dulled slightly as he came to stand next to you. Sure it wasn’t the team that you wanted but maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all.
Being in space has always made your internal clock question how long has passed, but it seems to be worse when alone in this cell. You believe it has been a few days based on the number of trays of food delivered to your cell, the only interaction with another you’ve had this whole time. At least you think, as you find yourself waking up exhausted with pains and aches all over your body, but you have no memory of doing anything or even anyone coming into your cell in the first place. You thought you would've been face to face with Zarkon or his witch by now, but as time passes, you struggle to believe that would happen at all, which causes a pit to develop in your stomach as the unknown of your future begins to dawn on you.
You can still hear the conforming hum of your lion in the back of your head, trying to reassure you that all is well but as the days pass by you begin to believe it less and less simply repeating to yourself that it was for the best.
“Things could’ve been a lot worse” you theorised. Sat with Pidge in this trash heap with your lions completely shut down. At least you were together and there were (up to now) no enemies trying to kill you both. To be honest, you wouldn’t want to be stuck here with anyone else. After Pidge finally revealed to everyone that she was in fact a girl, something you had figured out back in your garrison days, not long after you had become a team and saw the photo of her and Matt taken prior to the Kerberos mission, but you only knew because he had shown it to you first, during one of his many tutoring sessions with you. You liked to think that while Shiro was Keith’s mentor, Matt was yours. A sentiment he very much enjoyed, so much that Pidge later told you that she had already known who you were when she met you. A fact that made your heart swell. Your friendship with Matt was one of the many reasons that Pidge thought of you like a sister and the main reason you looked after her so much- you wanted to look after her for him while he couldn’t and while this mindset got you into many arguments with Keith over putting her safety over your own you wouldn’t change a thing because you knew it was the right thing to do (Also Keith couldn’t really say anything as he constantly put himself in harms way for everyone on the team.) You couldn’t help but feel protective over her as she was the youngest out of your ragtag bunch and was annoyingly the only one you could baby as you were the second youngest of the group as Lance loved to remind you. While being here with Pidge definitely made you feel a little better, you couldn’t help but be relentlessly worried for the rest of the group, as they always found some way to get into trouble- especially Lance and Keith. It was like trouble sought them out, always getting into some sort of issue whether it be with aliens or with each other. So you couldn’t help but double over in laughter when Pidge using her junk-made paladins started an argument between the fake Lance and Keith. Eventually, you both decided that you had waited around for help long enough and decided to try and find your own way back to the castle. Pidge made you gather together materials to make a home beacon signal in hopes that it could reach the castles of lions to allow them to find you two. No surprise to you Pidge’s brilliance worked its magic as the castle of lions appeared in the sky from a wormhole, the pair of you hugged each other happy knowing that you weren’t going to grow old on a trash pile as you had both dramatically claimed. You two were more than ready to return to the fight against Zarkon to save the universe and hopefully, find Pidge’s family.
You dream of him, black hair, violet eyes and his grumpy temperament clouding your thoughts as you try to rest. But, when you wake cold and alone in that dark cell you are reminded of the present and how you need to try and stop yourself from dreaming of the past.
Thought it was “just goodbye for now” you bitterly mumbled as you awoke from another dream of him. This time the memory sticks with you- of the goodbye you shared as he left to find himself with the blades, those were the words he uttered to you as you blanketed him in your embrace. That it was temporary, that you two would come back together again and you remember how you smiled through your sadness nodding at his words, believing him truthfully- as you always did. But you are now struggling to believe it anymore and you don't know if you are more mad at him for uttering those words or yourself for trusting them to be true. Up to now, all attempts to contact your lion have failed miserably but you can still hear your lion if you concentrate enough- as though you two are connected to the same string and you pray that it never snaps, clinging onto it like a lifeline.
You were buzzing, tapping your hands against your legs as you bounced on the balls of your feet, waiting for Pidges Lion in the cockpit while the rest of the team looked at you, amused. Lance, clearly feeding off your joyous attitude, ruffled the hair on your head, messing it up slightly. You turned to the boy, pouting as he withdrew his hands, using your own to try to flatten whatever mess he had made as he giggled at your reaction. A smile quickly returned to your face when Pidge stepped out of her lion with a familiar boy following behind her, you ran towards the pair, wrapping your arms around Matt’s shoulders in welcome, your smile only increasing when he hugged back with just as much gusto, you could hear Lance muttering something about someone being jealous if they were here to Hunk and Shiro but you weren’t paying close enough attention to anything he said, instead, you were very happy that the man who you would call a brother was really okay and just like Shiro had survived the Kerberos mission. When the family reunion had ended Pidge introduced Matt to the rest of the group, except for Keith as he was yet again away on some mission with the Blades. You watched amused as Matt’s eyes landed on Allura and something similar to what you see in a romcom played out as he screamed “You are so beautiful!” you struggled to keep the giggles to yourself as you saw Coran turn red in anger, clearly seeing this as an inappropriate way to talk to the princess and finding humour in Lance’s clear jealousy as Hunk made the boy walk away from the group. You decided to do something similar telling Pidge to give Matt a tour of the castle ship as you walked away with Coran and Allura, pulling both the alteans away with your hands.
Calming down an angry altean was albeit harder than you expected, especially when Allura was of no help at all as she was just laughing at how worked up the older man had become, but you understood it was because he felt so protective over her especially since there was no Alfor to help him and she was like Coran’s little girl so nobody would ever be good enough, you whispered just as much to him as Allura was talking to her mice and that seemed to make him less annoyed, knowing that somebody else understood him. It wasn’t until later when gossiping with Allura about your lives before all this, that she mentioned that it wasn’t just Matt’s interaction with her that annoyed Coran but also his interaction with you, claiming that he always got annoyed when others in his eyes tried to “flirt” with you, her or Pidge. However, she quickly noted that he never got annoyed or got Lance and Hunk to intimidate Keith like he did anyone else when it comes to you a comment made your cheeks burn.
You startle awake to the sound of your cell door being opened, eyes darting towards the light, confused when the door continues to open, eyes squinting from the light now surrounding you for the first time in weeks as you try to identify the body in front of you when a voice gasped out and a familiar voice spoke your name. All worry evaporated from your body as Matt Holt wrapped you in a hug and you knew for the first time in weeks that everything would be okay and that maybe Keith was right- it was just goodbye for now.
You now sat in the control room of the ship you had been captured in surrounded by freedom fighters. After hearing over hacked intercoms about it carrying ‘precious cargo’ for the emperor, they had infiltrated and taken control of the ship.
“And that was me was it?” you mused looking towards the Holt boy to which he cracked a smile sending you a simple nod in response. You had changed into your white and silver spacesuit and your bayard had been retrieved for you. Now more than ready to return home to the castle of lions, to the paladins and to him.
The first thing you saw, unsurprisingly, as the ship came out of the wormhole was your lion, growling in happiness, bounding towards her paladin only stopping when she was at the front of the ship, eyes locked onto you. You smiled gleefully at your lion feeling your connection stronger than ever, as though the string that attached the you two was unwavering, unbreakable. As soon as the ship reached the castle of lions you were enveloped in the paladin’s embrace, you would’ve fallen over when Pidge launched herself into your arms, legs wrapped around your middle like a koala, if weren’t for Lance keeping you balanced by surrounding you in a hug from behind. Hunk joined the misfit group of cadets finishing off the group hug similar to how they used to in the Garrison when they, for once, completed the training simulator much to Iverson’s shock. Thoughts of worry could be seen swimming through Shiro’s eyes as you caught them when looking up, he nodded at you, the tension flinging off him like water down a hill as you turned back to your family holding Pidge and Lance by the backs of their heads, smiling and reassuring them that this was real, that you were real as tears dropped from the twos eyes. You could feel Hunk’s laboured breaths, clearly trying to stay strong for the group as the rest were blubbering messes. Walking away from your embrace and towards the freedom fighters with Shiro shaking hands and thanking them for getting you back to them as the trio dropped towards the floor, holding onto each other like it was the last time.
It was only later when you had changed into your everyday wear, speaking with Allura and Coran holding both of their hands, stroking them gently that the paladins noticed the new scars decorating your arms and some scorch marks adjourned your neck along with bruising that you wouldn’t comment on. Or rather that you couldn’t as you claimed to not remember anything except for the dark room you were kept in and then Matt saving you. Another change was your hair, which had a white streak in it, you simply chuckled at the development turning to Shiro claiming "We match now" causing everyone to laugh and they supposed it fit you well - “As she is the white paladin” Lance claimed.
It was only when Coran transferred your memories temporarily into a crystal that they all saw what you endured on the ship, you were beaten and tortured for answers, electrocuted, burned for sport and tested on by some druids. At that point, they stopped watching as Shiro was looking rather green, probably from remembering his own time with those vile creatures. But you mused that you were lucky as you still had all your limbs and according to Coran who looked at your scan results from the healing pod whatever they were trying on you didn’t work as you were the same as you were before, “except for a few scars and a new hair colour that is” He pondered twiddling his moustache. And he was right of course you didn’t feel any different, maybe a bit more anxious at night and a few more nightmares but who could blame you after being trapped in a dark room for weeks. Of course, the memory loss was slightly concerning but they all believed it to be a coping mechanism to keep you sane and you were glad that you could only properly remember the dark room, that it was all that really haunted you at night and that those things you saw on the screen projected from your mind didn’t and you hoped it stayed that way.
The entire universe that was apart of the coalition let out a sigh of relief when it was revealed by Allura on comms to the members of the alliance that the white paladin of Voltron had been found and returned mostly unharmed. However, nobody’s relief could be felt greater than that of Keith Kogane who had been fighting with Kolivan for weeks when they received the information of your disappearance and probable capture, he remembers the way his legs nearly gave out from under him when during a meeting with Allura the altean claimed that Voltron couldn’t come to the rescue this time as they were missing a paladin- missing you. He Surprisingly didn’t even need to sneak out on a blade ship to try and find the castle of lions to see if it was true, rather Kolivan who was probably fed up with his moping simply turned to the boy and gave him ship and co-ordinates simply asking him to back in time for the next meeting. The older Galaran didn’t think he'd see the boy move so fast, mumbling annoyed about how much more work would get done if he did.
You didn’t hear him on comms asking for Coran to allow him into the cockpit, too busy in the training deck with Shiro and Allura showing them that despite being out of action for a few weeks you were ready to get back out there because as you told them “the galra don’t wait for anyone” and that “this revolution wasn’t going to fight itself.” You didn’t even hear your teammates asking for you to come to the control room over comms, far too busy fighting the training dummies and your comms device left on the side. What you did notice was when you were lifted from behind, a pair of pale arms grabbing you by the waist causing a gasp to erupt from your throat, You spun around ready to attack until your eyes met his, and then your sword dropped to the floor as Keith held you in his arms, staring intensely at you as if you would disappear if he dared to look away for even a second. You quickly returned the embrace, arms circling his back as you threw your head onto his chest, almost unbelieving that he was there, his arms moved, crowding around your head pulling you impossibly closer to his body as he noticed the white strand of hair, his fingers pressed against it confused as he rested his nose atop your head, breathing you in, reminding himself that this was in fact, real and not just one of his sick dreams he has been having since finding out you were gone.
Being held in his arms made everything real, and you thought that if you had to through everything all over again just to have this moment, in his arms, you would. It was all be for the best if you ended up in his arms at the end of it all.
