Chapter Text
“Nice place.”
Keith set his bags down on the mattress and paused to look around. Yes, it really was a nice place. He gave a shy smile to Shiro, who was on the balcony looking out over the neighborhood with Curtis, his husband. The morning weather was pleasant, so the breeze coming in from outside was enough to cool down the loft.
“Thanks,” he replied as he crouched down to stroke Kosmo’s fluffy fur. “Do you like it, buddy? Want to go for a walk later?”
His cosmic wolf wagged his tail without making a sound.
“But after we tidy up,” Shiro said, stepping back into the room. “Let’s get started. Keith, put all your clothes away, and Curtis, honey, you take care of those boxes over there. I’ll handle this part.”
Both Keith and Curtis acknowledged the order with a military salute, causing Shiro to turn away in embarrassment. After all, it’s hard to break the habit of being a leader after so many years leading Voltron and later serving as captain of the Atlas; now that the war with the Galra was over and the universe was at peace, Shiro began working as an instructor at the Galaxy Garrison, training future combat pilots to face any adversity in space.
The war with the Galra ended three years ago, and his role as a member of the Blade of Marmora ended two weeks ago. Keith’s role as a high-ranking operative of the Blade was exceptional; his agility and strength captivated so many that both aliens and humans joined him to fight for peace in the universe. However, Krolia noticed that her son was missing something: a normal life.
Although Keith was someone with immense talent and skill for fighting for the good of others, he had forgotten to live for himself. And Krolia felt guilty about that. If she hadn’t left, Keith would have had a happy childhood with his parents. If she hadn’t left, Keith’s father would probably still be with them—or she would have stayed with Keith.
If she hadn’t left, Keith would have been a normal teenager.
Now that the universe was at peace, Krolia asked him to retire from combat and live a normal adult life. The universe no longer needed them. Keith resisted at first, but a—very—small part of him wanted to experience that normality he saw as so far away (especially being half-alien), so, after spending two straight days thinking it over, he agreed.
And thanks to that, Keith finds himself tidying up the apartment chosen by Krolia and Shiro the day before his classes at the university.
One of the reasons Keith rejected the idea of returning to Earth was because he’d been expelled from Garrison. Go back to school after being expelled? No thanks, I’d rather fight on some unknown planet. What he didn’t expect was that his brave role as leader of Voltron would exempt him from finishing school and grant him a high school diploma. Thanks, Voltron, I guess.
By the time they finished unpacking and cleaning, it wasn’t even 5pm, so after a pizza delivery and a couple more checks around the apartment, Shiro and Curtis got ready to leave.
“Don’t forget to call us if anything happens,” Shiro reminded him, pulling Keith in for a hug. “Have a nice day tomorrow, and please, cook. Don’t spend it ordering food or eating instant noodles.”
Keith laughed and hugged him tighter.
“I will,” he promised as he walked away. “Take care, guys. See you this weekend.”
“Good luck at college tomorrow, Keith,” said Curtis, hugging him too. “Bye. We love you.”
“I love you guys, too. Bye.”
Once they were gone, Keith collapsed onto the bed.
The apartment was small; the tiny room where his bed stood had a low ceiling, and he had to duck his head slightly to reach it. The bathroom was minuscule, he only had a sofa bed in front of the TV, and a wooden coffee table. His desk was next to the stairs, and he didn’t have a dining table—just a counter with two swivel stools outside the kitchen. Despite all that, Keith was happy in his new home. It was small, private, and comfortable. Perfect for him.
He pulled out his phone and looked up a nearby supermarket on the map. After all, he’d promised Shiro he’d eat well, hadn’t he? He pulled half his hair back into a messy ponytail to cool off a bit, grabbed his things—the canvas bag Shiro had given him with a Snoopy print on it—and headed out.
The supermarket was close by, yet he wasn’t in any hurry. He decided that, starting that day, he would try to live a quiet life, just like a normal twenty-five-year-old college student would—without intergalactic stress or thinking of using his fists as a response to almost everything.
“Stay here, Kosmo. I’ll be back in a few minutes,” Keith said, stroking the wolf’s fur in front of the supermarket door. He stopped a few steps before entering and turned back toward the animal. “Don’t go teleporting, okay?”
The dog sat down next to a pole with a snort, and Keith went into the supermarket. Almost ten minutes later, he realized he didn’t know what to buy. His cart was full of a thousand things because everything he saw in the aisles he considered an essential ingredient; however, he began to doubt his choices when he noticed the strange looks from people passing by him. He gave up with a sigh and pulled out his cell phone.
He had only one person in mind who could help him with this situation.
When Shiro disappeared and was expelled from the Garrison, Keith was determined to find his brother and discover what that strange, mysterious energy calling him was, which led him on relentless searches; so he survived on instant noodles and takeout food. His father had been a great cook; Keith had vague memories of his father preparing delicious meals for the two of them, and when he passed away, the orphanage, and later Shiro, took care of his meals. Now Keith regretted not having been more curious about cooking.
“Look who’s calling! It’s my favorite alien!” was the reply from the other end of the line. Keith smiled at the familiar face. “How’s it going, bro? Is everything okay over there on my beautiful Earth?”
“Hi, Hunk,” Keith greeted him. “Actually, I need your help.”
“Sure, tell me. How can I help?” Keith switched to the video and showed his shopping cart.
“I’m doing the shopping. Tell me, is anything missing?”
Hunk leaned his face toward the screen, and seconds later his mouth filled half the screen. Hunk was laughing hysterically.
“Keith…!” His sentence trailed off in the laughter. “Why- HAHAHAHA Why did you grab four kinds of cheese!?”
“Because I don’t know which one I’ll like best.”
“Whole milk? Seriously? Keith, you’re lactose intolerant,” he said. “What makes me laugh even more is that I see tons of ingredients—some I don’t even know—but I don’t see any fruit or vegetables.”
“Hunk, help me,” Keith pleaded in frustration.
“Well,” Hunk said, still laughing, then cleared his throat and turned serious. “Mission ‘get Keith to eat and not die trying’ is now in motion.”
Keith covered his face with one hand, feeling both embarrassed and amused.
Hunk continued: “So, first…”
Thirty minutes later, Keith had three shopping bags. The mission ‘get Keith to eat and not die trying’ was a success. Or at least the first part was.
When Hunk found out that Keith was returning to Earth, he gave him a recipe book he’d created himself, filled with easy and delicious recipes so Keith could cook for himself and not starve; he suspected Keith was capable of living on fast food alone (and he was right).
When he got home, he organized the groceries, worked out a bit, and took a shower before making dinner using Hunk’s recipe book.
Proudly, he took a photo of his masterpiece and sent it to Hunk.
(19:16): [Image]
(19:18) Hunk: Wow! That looks delicious, congratulations Keith. You can get married now lol /jk.
(19:18): thanks :)
Then, he sent it to Shiro with the caption “I won’t starve to death,” and Shiro called him to tell him he was proud of him for almost seven minutes.
After that, he sent it to Lance.
(19:29): [Image]
(19:30) Lance: are you showing off your omelet? It looks delicious. Where did you buy it?
(19:30): I made it
(19:30) Lance: NO WAY
(19:31): Yes way
(19:31) Lance: how many eggs did you burn before you got it right?
(19:31): ??
You think I can’t do it on the first try?
You’re insulting me.
(19:32) Lance: Keith.
(19:32): …
two.
I hate you
(19:32) Lance: LMFAO I KNEW IT
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
(19:33): Well, I’m going to eat my delicious omelet made with EARTHLY eggs, eggs from HENS that come from the EARTH.
(19:33) Lance: I GET IT.
i hate you.
when I come visit you, you have to cook an omelet for me; i’ll be the one to judge if it tastes good or bad.
(19:33): ok :)
Keith took a bite of his ham and cheese omelet and smiled at the taste. It wasn’t the most delicious, but it was good; and even better, he’d made it himself.
The next morning, he woke up three hours before his first class. He wasn’t sure if he was nervous about starting classes, if he still wasn’t used to sleeping in a bed again instead of a chair or a ship, or if he’d simply lost his sleep. Deep down, Keith knew the last two options were just excuses.
Unable to fall back asleep, he decided to go for a jog with Kosmo. He jogged to the nearest park and they circled the park five times before stopping to take a break; he bought a bottle of water, drank half of it, and gave the rest to Kosmo.
“Oh, what a cute dog!” someone exclaimed behind him, and Keith nearly dropped the bottle in surprise. “What’s his name? Can I pet him?”
“His name is Kosmo,” Keith said as he turned to look at the woman behind him, not bothering to clarify that he was a galactic wolf. “Uh… sure. Kosmo, be a good boy.”
The girl blinked a couple of times at the sight of Keith’s face and shyly approached to pet the animal.
“My name is Jane,” she said, still petting Kosmo. “I haven’t seen you around here before. What’s your name?”
“Keith,” he replied, wiping the sweat from his forehead with the collar of his T-shirt and then shaking it out to cool off a bit more. “And I just moved into the neighborhood.”
Jane looked away, blushing.
“Do you dye your dog’s hair?” she asked curiously. “And he’s huge—I think he’s about as tall as you… What kind of dog is he? He looks like one of those aliens that invaded Earth a few years ago.”
Keith scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably. He let out a nervous chuckle, not knowing how to begin his explanation.
“Well… Actually, he’s a galactic wolf, to be more precise,” he said, and she turned to look at him with wide eyes, stopped petting Kosmo, and backed away fearfully. “He’s docile; he doesn’t do anything. He just teleports, but anyway… I found him on one of my missions, and he’s been with me ever since, right, buddy?”
Keith stroked his wolf tenderly; even though Kosmo was a giant animal, he still saw him as the pup he’d met in the quantum abyss.
“Missions?” Jane asked excitedly. “Are you a pilot with the Garrison?”
“Um… Yes and no?” he replied uncertainly. Jane tilted her head, confused. “I studied at the Garrison, but I was a Voltron pilot.”
“Voltron!?” she almost shouted. “The Voltron with five lions? The one they made into a TV series? That Voltron?!”
Keith nodded, a little embarrassed and a little amazed. She continued.
“Wow! How exciting!” she squealed. “I met a Voltron paladin!”
Keith just let out a light laugh, not knowing what to say. His watch beeped, and Keith felt bad for feeling relieved.
God, I’m terrible at socializing, Keith thought, annoyed with himself.
“I have to go,” he said, standing up. “It was nice meeting you, Jane. Come on, Kosmo.”
“Same here, Keith,” she said, waving goodbye. “I hope to see you again soon.”
Keith just smiled and nodded before trotting off to his apartment.
“You made a friend and now you’re going to class in a good mood?” asked the person on the other end of the phone, clearly surprised. “Wow, mullet, that’s a huge step for you.”
“You think so?” Keith smiled. He wedged his cell phone between his cheek and shoulder to put on his boots.
“Of course!” he exclaimed. “And tell me, was she cute?”
“Who?”
“The girl, who else?”
Keith rolled his eyes and sighed.
“Jane?”
“Yep.”
“Why do you want to know, Lance?”
“Jealous, mullet?” Lance laughed. “I’m asking because who knows… maybe a romance will blossom on Earth.”
Keith stopped what he was doing.
“What?”
“Oh, come on!” said Lance. “You’re handsome even when you’re a mess. I don’t doubt you’ve charmed her.”
“I don’t care if I ‘charmed’ her or not,” Keith replied, standing in front of the mirror to get a better look at his outfit and forcing a smile at his reflection.
“Someday you’ll date someone, Keith,” Lance’s tone changed, becoming softer.
“Maybe. I don’t care,” he said. “You are the one who should move on, Lance. It’s been three years already.”
Lance let out a soft laugh.
“Keith, I’ve already moved on. Believe me,” he replied. “Besides, the reason I’m still on Altea is because I’ve gotten used to living here.”
Keith bit his lower lip, hesitating over whether or not to say what was on his mind.
“Wouldn’t you like to…” Keith cleared his throat nervously, “…go back to Earth and become a pilot? It was your dream.”
There were a few seconds of silence before Lance replied.
“Keith, we’ve already talked about this,” he sighed.
“You’re not betraying Allura, much less her legacy,” Keith insisted. “You have the right to live your life.”
“I… I don’t know, man,” he replied, his voice sounding choked up. “You know how hard it is for me not to feel like I’m pushing her aside. You know better than anyone how guilty I felt just for moving on, for meeting new people, for going on a date—a date! Sometimes I’m afraid of forgetting her; I feel like I have to keep a part of her with me always. She sacrificed herself for us, Keith.”
Here we go again… Keith thought sadly. He hated the fact that Lance had to carry all that weight on his own.
“I don’t think Allura would like to know she’s become an anchor in your life,” Keith said.
“Yeah, well…” Lance said, then went back to his usual cheerful tone. “Switch to video! I want to see your outfit.”
“Huh?”
“I want to see if you’re dressed cool.”
“I dress cool.”
“Keith…” Lance began, “you were wearing skinny jeans, a crop-top jacket, boots that Joan Rivers would have called fashion terrorism, and fingerless gloves. Fingerless gloves!”
“…And that wasn’t cool?”
Lance burst out laughing at Keith’s shyness.
“Keith, you’re adorable,” he said, still laughing. Keith felt his face flush. “Let me see you!”
“Okay, okay,” he said, switching to video. “Jeez, you’re persistent.”
He stood in front of the mirror so Lance could get a better look at his outfit.
Keith hadn’t put much thought into what he was wearing; he’d just put on whatever he thought would be comfortable for the rest of the day; dark jeans held up by a black belt and a loose-fitting black T-shirt—with a logo of something he didn’t recognize but thought looked cool—tucked into the waistband of his pants. He was wearing black boots, and his hair was down and a little messy. His backpack hung from his shoulder, and the hand not holding his phone held his earbuds and a red jacket—Shiro had told him the classrooms were cold.
“Lance?” Keith asked when he saw he wasn’t responding. “Is the wifi not working?”
“I’m here,” he replied. “Dude.”
“What?” he asked, feeling his stomach flutter with nervousness. He hated that he cared so much about Lance’s opinion.
“You look hot,” Keith turned red as a tomato, and Lance noticed, laughed, and moved his face closer to the camera. “Are my eyes deceiving me? Keith Kogane blushing?! I have to tell Pidge about this.”
“Don’t even think about it! I’m not blushing—what are you talking about?” A sound like a camera shutter caught his attention. “What did you do, you idiot?”
“A screenshot.”
“Delete that!”
“Make me.”
“I hate you.”
“You love me,” Lance teased. Keith rolled his eyes.
“I’m leaving; otherwise I’ll be late, and Pidge is waiting for me at the subway.”
“Bye, sexy Keith.”
“I’m going to kill you.” Lance cackled, and Keith said goodbye before hanging up.
Before leaving, he took three deep breaths and slapped his face with both hands to push that idiot Lance out of his thoughts.
Stupid Lance.
He said goodbye to Kosmo and stepped into the elevator. A middle-aged woman was walking quickly, carrying a large trash bag, so Keith acted fast and put a hand on the door to keep it from closing completely.
“Thanks, sweetie,” the woman said, smiling warmly at him.
“You’re welcome,” he smiled back.
The door opened, and Keith offered to take the trash out for her, since he was heading out anyway.
“Thank you so much, young man,” she said, smiling. “What’s your name? Are you the boy who moved in yesterday?”
“Yes,” he said, feeling a little awkward. “My name is Keith.”
“If you need anything, let me know. I live right across your door,” she said, reaching out a hand to stroke the mark on Keith’s face. “Be careful, okay? Don’t hurt yourself.”
Keith smiled, amused.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” he replied. “See you later.”
“Bye, sweetie. Have a nice day.”
Keith’s heart felt warm; it was nice.
“You too,” he put on his headphones and walked out as Bon Jovi began playing in his ears.
He dropped the trash in the bin and jogged to the subway. If he was late, Pidge would probably kill him. Like her, Keith had enrolled at the same university; the difference was that Pidge had been studying Biotechnology for two years, and he was just starting his degree in Marine Biology.
Choosing his major was a decision he’d made back when he was a pilot for the Red Lion. He’d always leaned toward piloting or astronomy, but now that he’d experienced space and its diverse species, he discovered that the ocean was a place he’d love to explore in depth—to discover new species, unravel its mysteries, and more. Just thinking about it made Keith’s heart race with excitement.
The first to find out was Lance, who shared his excitement and asked to be invited along whenever he went on an expedition; the second was Shiro, who would have been happy for Keith to study anything, but seeing the excitement in his brother’s eyes filled him with pride; Krolia took it a bit more nostalgically—it was the first time she’d heard her son talk about his studies, and her heart ached at the thought that her baby was going to college. Keith loved adventure—whether on land, in space, or in the ocean, Keith would go wherever his curiosity and spirit of adventure took him.
His phone buzzed with a message from Pidge saying she had already arrived at the station and was waiting for him at the entrance. Pidge doesn’t live near Keith, but they both realized that both subway lines lead to the same station where the line that would take them to the university is located, so they decided to take that route together every day.
Keith arrived at the station after almost ten minutes, scanned the area for his friend, and found her standing by the entrance; her gaze was lowered as she intently scrolled on her phone, and her head was bobbing slightly to the beat of the music playing through her headphones. Keith smiled mischievously and approached her silently.
“Don’t even think about it, Kogane,” Pidge said before Keith could startle her. “Or should I say ‘sexy Keith’?”
“What the fuck?” he asked, then remembered. “That idiot.”
“Hmm…” Pidge stood on tiptoe to get a better look at his face, frowned, and stepped back. “It doesn’t work when I do it; maybe it’s just the Lance effect.”
“Wh… What?”
“Oh look, our train’s about to arrive,” she grabbed her things and walked forward. “Let’s go.”
It took Keith a few seconds to get his feet off the ground and follow her to the train. Was he that obvious?
“You’re so obvious,” Pidge said beside him. Keith seriously wondered if she’d invented some kind of mind-reading device.
“Obvious about what? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Yeah, right.”
When they arrived at the university, Keith’s hands started to sweat. The campus was extremely crowded; many people were chatting animatedly with each other, while others walked lost in their own worlds. Likewise, Keith began to feel anxious.
“Are you okay?” Pidge asked, noticing her friend walking stiffly.
“I think I’m a little anxious,” he confessed with a grimace.
“I should have guessed,” she said. “You’re the most socially awkward guy I know.”
“Thanks, Pidge,” Keith said sarcastically.
“But,” she continued, “now you know a little more about how to socialize. On the subway, you told me about the girl you met—that’s impressive coming from you. Little by little, you’ll break out of that shell; you did it with us. Small steps, Keith.”
“I just don’t get it,” Keith grumbled. “In space, I was able to give speeches to convince people to join the Blade of Marmora. Why is it different here?”
“Because, Keith, people judge everything,” Pidge stepped in front of Keith, stopping him in his tracks, and rested her hands on his shoulders. “Maybe you felt more comfortable with the aliens because you’re both different. Here, we’re all human.”
Keith bit the inside of his cheek as she continued.
“Come on, Voltron leader, are you going to let some humans make you anxious? You’re half Galra! If they say something to you, show them your claws or something.”
Keith couldn’t help but burst out laughing; he ruffled her hair and thanked her with a smile.
“Thanks, Pidge.”
“Ugh, don’t get all mushy,” she replied, resuming her walk. “Go back to being the emo eighteen-year-old Keith who tried to attack a little Arusian.”
Keith felt a nerve being struck.
“He was their bravest warrior!” he exclaimed.
“Who was the bravest warrior?” someone behind them asked. They both turned around. “Keith?”
“James?”
Pidge pressed her lips together. Right, she’d forgotten to mention to Keith that James was also studying marine biology.
“Right, Keith! I forgot to mention that James studies marine biology too,” Pidge said. James narrowed his eyes at her. “Hehe, hi James.”
“Rebellious midget,” James said, but Keith didn’t sense any hostility in his words; he sounded quite friendly. “What a surprise to see you here, Kogane.”
“Same here,” Keith replied with a small smile. He couldn’t help but ask. “So… James.”
“Yeah?”
“Are we friends?”
He heard Pidge let out a “pffft!” and cover her mouth so her laughter wouldn’t escape. James’s face gave the impression that multiple question marks were floating in his head. Then, Keith realized what he just asked. What kind of question is that, Keith? You're such an idiot!, he scolded himself in his head.
“Yeah…? I guess,” he replied, then seemed to think it over. “I’d say so. I mean, when the Galra invaded Earth, we worked together and put our differences aside, didn’t we? Or did the Blade of Marmora wipe your memory?”
“You’re right,” Keith nodded thoughtfully, agreeing after considering it for a few seconds.
“Well, shall I show you around? I’m heading that way,” he said, then pointed at Pidge, “she’s in the same building, too.”
“We kept running into each other, so we eventually became friends.”
“You forced me to carry your lab equipment, and that was the first time you spoke to me beyond a simple hello,” James said, raising an eyebrow at her. Pidge waved her hand dismissively.
“Minor details.”
Keith smiled, amused. All the anxiety he’d been feeling vanished thanks to his two friends.
“Well, let’s go. Classes start soon” James said, glancing at his watch.
Keith nodded. Pidge shook his hand and gave him a smile. Keith was surprised but smiled back anyway, then headed off to his first class.