"Shiro?" Keith said as he turned Shiro's face towards him - he already knew, though, he knew. . . He could feel Shiro again, feel him properly, deep down and-

He'd thought it was Shiro - had pulled his mask down so Shiro could see him - but the instant his fingers had made contact he had known. The curl of presence around his heart had tightened and begun to throb with Shiro's pain and fear, dull from the distance in their bond and probably the groggy half-sleep he was in.

Keith's throat tightened as he forced himself to focus, drawing his knife and slicing through the bindings as Shiro groaned, his eyes still closed and his expressive brows drawing together. Keith didn't have time to linger, he had to get Shiro out of here - he barely stopped to care about the others now clustered around him, sharp rejoinders coming without thought as he focused on evasion.

His bond with Shiro was weak, but steady, filled with Keith's worry and relief and thrumming with pained fear under a drugged daze from Shiro. Even though he was on edge, feeling that, it kept Keith calm. It was there. Shiro was here with him. Safe.

When he did wake, Shiro somehow managed to quickly evade all of them, alone. Keith slipped outside as well, moving slowly up to join him on the small rise. Shiro had his left arm folded in front of himself and was looking down at his right hand, metal fingers curled in towards his palm.

Keith didn't ask - didn't mention it - only rested a hand on his shoulder - their bond thrummed a little louder at the contact, even not skin-on-skin - and moved up to stand beside him. "It's good to have you back." he said, a woeful understatement that carried the sincerity of his heart with it through their bond.

Shiro folded his arms and looked sideways at Keith. "It's good to be back." he said softly, their bond aching for a moment with the poignancy of his emotions. He didn't move to reciprocate Keith's touch, but Keith didn't push, not bothered.

Shiro had no answers - not for Keith, not for the others - and instead, Keith found himself trying to explain to them all about the Lion, the project that had consumed him. The prediction that something would happen that night - Shiro, Keith was so glad he had found the messages - and. . .

The project was crazy, he knew it was - although . . . his soulmate had just returned after a year, via a crash in an alien spaceship; maybe nothing was so crazy after all - but it had given him focus. He had been lost after the Garrison booted him - he had been lost without Shiro, and the Garrison had only drilled into him that Shiro was gone - that Shiro had made a mistake and killed his entire crew.

Keith hadn't been able to stomach that - had known it wasn't true even if he hadn't been able to feel the faintest thread that told him Shiro was still alive, his soulmate was still out there, if nothing else about him.

Actually finding the Blue Lion was . . . amazing - and it started off a whirlwind Keith never could have prepared for. The ship, the Lion was a ship - and the vision of what had to be Voltron, shared between them all - and then the other alien ship and fleeing. . .

Fleeing to the edges of the system and then beyond . . . the castle, the Alteans, the other Lions. Millennia-old wars that had snatched away his soulmate but Shiro was back now and they had the sudden shouldering of what the Princess seemed to think was destined responsibility - but nothing could shake Keith far now, not even this, not even the cold stab of terror he had felt from Shiro that did more to fire him up to battle the Galra than anything the Princess had said or finding the Lion, his Lion; he had Shiro back.

Keith would suffer through anything to keep that - and the hardest battle he went through was holding himself together as Shiro disappeared through a wormhole without him. The battle to reclaim the Red Lion was hard, and he began to doubt himself before the Lion awoke and claimed him, but nothing compared to watching Shiro leave him again and only able to cling to the thin ribbon of their bond and wait for his return.

The bond the Lion offered, sliding into his mind, was so very different to the emotion connecting him to Shiro, and yet . . . in the same way it felt as though it belonged.

Red purred in his mind, and Keith smiled slightly. That's my girl, he thought and she rumbled softly, not quite pleased and not quite disapproving either. Keith stroked her lightly as he left the cockpit, a little amazed he was still on his feet as he met up with the others. The battle had been hard, but before that had hardly been restful either. For what felt like days on end they had been thrown through shock after disaster after battle.

Keith was weak enough with his exhaustion that when Shiro gave him a light thump on the back he jolted forwards under the touch, nearly stumbling.

"We did it." Shiro praised, meeting Keith's eyes.

Keith yanked his helmet off - ugh, he was exhausted and sweaty all over beneath his armour - to meet his soulmate's gaze more easily. "Heck yeah we did." he said, grinning despite the aches he felt all over, the wavery quality to his vision that told him he had far overreached his limits, and the fact that he still hadn't gotten more than a few moments with his soulmate after over a year of being parted.

"How did we do it?" Shiro asked, looking around at the others. Hunk had either been more wobbly even than Keith felt himself or just given in to it, he was sitting on the floor.

Keith stifled a laugh at his soulmate's question - especially when there was silence answering him. None of them had any idea, even the Princess or Coran, he thought, but right now. . . He didn't think any of them cared. They won.

Defenders of the Universe. . . Keith nodded as the phrase echoed in his mind - Red purred again, prideful, and his lips quirked - though the idea was. . . It was simply too big to wrap his head around all at once. Not after a day like today.

Red nudged him with a gentle admonishment to rest, and Keith could barely restrain a yawn. Coran declared that there were bunks ready for all of them, gesturing in grandiose fashion and leading them off.

Keith lingered when he saw Shiro holding back, but wound up being swept along with the others anyway. The rooms were small and rather cool - pleasantly so, like most of the rest of the castle - and despite the fact that they were clearly Altean, much like every other barracks or dorm Keith had ever been in. He barely glanced at the room he was given, turning around immediately and making his way back to where they'd left Shiro behind as soon as he was alone.

He was down the hall from where Keith had last seen him, in a sort of lounge room with a circular sunken . . . couch, Keith guessed, though it didn't look very plush, more like a bench. Shiro was sitting there, still in his armour - so was Keith, he hadn't stopped long enough to strip it off yet - looking unfocused, eyes fixed on nothing somewhere above the couch opposite him.

Even so, he looked over as Keith stepped in, despite his silent steps. He smiled slightly.

"Shiro, you're. . ." Keith trailed off, biting his lip. He'd been suppressing his emotional reaction as much as possible ever since he'd realised it was Shiro that the carvings had been warning of, Shiro coming back - Shiro he was rescuing. . .

Because he had been focused on getting Shiro free, and then they hadn't been alone, and then the Lion and the castle and the enemy ship and the battle. . .

Shiro didn't rise from the couch - it must be more plush than it looked, it dipped beneath Shiro's weight - but tilted his head slightly and opened his arms. His expression was-

Keith swallowed down a tiny broken sound and went to him, settling into his arms gently in deference to Shiro's probably-bruised body, though he wanted to fling himself at his soulmate. Keith was bruised and battered as well, but that wouldn't have stopped him. He took a shaky breath as Shiro pulled him in with gentle firmness, settling into his soulmate's embrace.

Shiro held him tightly, one hand sliding slowly up his spine and then tangling in his hair at the nape of his neck. Keith took another breath, this time pressing his face against Shiro's neck - as best he could, anyway, with the high point of Shiro's armour blocking it - and returned the embrace.

He heard Shiro swallow, and felt tremulous uncertainty yawning in their bond. Keith seized it - Shiro should never feel that way, certainly not about him. . . Never. He growled softly, discarding his hesitance about stressing their still-renewing bond without thinking and pushing his love and fear and relief and need at Shiro.

He choked, and Keith nuzzled him gently, stroking his cheek, letting a softer wave of apology follow it. Shiro used to tease him regularly for being so hotheaded and impulsive, in a fond if wondering sort of way - Shiro had always been calmer, more relaxed, and Keith boggled at it but loved him for it all the same.

Shiro smiled, nudging his nose against Keith's in response. The scar across the bridge of his nose felt different, and Keith raised a hand to drag his fingertips over Shiro's face, feeling it out. Shiro's eyes shuttered, and Keith growled again, shaking his head and cupping Shiro's jaw, forcing him to keep Keith's gaze.

"You're back." Keith said, and- "You're mine," he rested his brow against Shiro's, settling a little where he had come to rest astride Shiro's thighs, "you don't get to hide from me. . ." he murmured, feeling himself softening as Shiro tensed, shivery, and raised his hands to curl around Keith's wrists.

Not pushing him away, but maybe not sure. "I love you." Keith gave the rarely-spoken words up almost directly into Shiro's ear, and he shivered again.

"I missed you." Shiro said, his eyes closed as he leaned against Keith's shoulder and held him around the waist. "I didn't know- I don't deserve. . ."

Keith wrapped his arms around Shiro's broad shoulders and hugged him close, coming up awkwardly against the armour but refusing to pull back long enough to try and work around it. "You deserve everything and more." he said sharply. Too sharply, but Keith had always been bad at that. "I missed you and I knew you were out there, knew you were- I wished I could find you myself, I tried."

"I'm glad you didn't." Shiro said wanly. Keith leaned back a little. "Keith if you had come- If you had managed- I wanted nothing more than to see you again," he said sincerely, his voice tight with it, "I . . . wanted you," he swallowed hard, eyes dark, "but if you had found me. . . They would have-" his voice cracked.

Keith hugged him hard this time, screw the bruises. He hummed soothingly. "You're safe." he said again, though he was beginning to wonder if it was to soothe himself or Shiro. "You have me now."

Shiro returned his embrace just as firmly, and their armour clanked quietly as they moved together. Shiro laughed into his shoulder, and Keith huffed, nuzzling the short, velvety hair just above Shiro's ear.

"Help me out of this?" Shiro asked, tipping his head and tapping lightly at the high collar of his armour.

Keith slipped backward, nearly falling out of his soulmate's lap only to be caught lightly by one wrist. Keith straightened and Shiro rose, their armour - already somehow easily familiar, despite its newness - coming loose piece by piece and discarded to the floor.

Keith couldn't quite hold himself back, as soon as he was free of the last piece of his armour, pressing against Shiro again. Able to get closer to his soulmate than he had been for. . .

Keith ducked his head, feeling a lump rise in his throat. Shiro's arms curled around him, and then sank down onto the couch again, the skin-tight suits that fit beneath the armour allowing them to tangle together closely. They were both sweaty and very much in need of a shower, but Keith couldn't really bring himself to care as he rested his head against Shiro's shoulder and felt his soulmate's body solid and warm against his once more.

The only thing that could have been better would be if they could be skin on skin. Later. Keith nosed closer, tucking his face against Shiro's neck and jaw as his arms wrapped around Keith, and felt him tense. He hummed softly, curious but not pressing.

Shiro shifted, his right hand lifting and- Ah. His fingers flexed with a tiny, tiny noise of shifting metal. Keith clasped his wrist and brought it close, and Shiro froze. Keith knelt up over Shiro and tucked his cheek into Shiro's palm, the way he had done before.

The metal was warm and while it wasn't soft, it wasn't a solid piece of steel, either. He felt like Shiro was holding his face. "It's you." he said as he felt the twist of nauseating distress through their bond. "Trust me." he added, and Shiro startled, then relaxed.

Keith nodded, satisfied. He wasn't sure what was troubling Shiro, exactly, but for now, if he would be content to simply let their bond flare and settle between them once more . . . Keith was happy. He sighed as Shiro pulled him in, and twisted, pressing his back against the angled back of the couch, letting Shiro rest against him.

"I'm heavy." Shiro said with a lazy curl of his lips. A familiar protest.

"I'm strong." Keith reminded him, as always, arching a brow, pleased when Shiro laughed softly and gave over into Keith's arms. Taking the comfort they both so sorely needed. Shiro stretched and let himself relax finally, and Keith hummed softly, pleased.

Red purred in the back of his mind, and Keith smiled as he closed his eyes. Her purr had a surprised, but definitely content tone. Shiro, he thought to her, the name conveying everything he could of his soulmate, his lover, no other words capable of explaining.

Red rumbled thoughtfully and purred again, no further curious impressions forthcoming.

"What are you two doing?"

It was a sharp, feminine voice, and Keith groaned as it lanced through his skull. "Sleeping." he snapped, even as he tried to figure out why he felt so . . . settled.

The heavy, warm pressure over him resolved itself as Shiro as it shifted a little and the confusion cleared. Keith let his arm settle around Shiro's waist and didn't move otherwise.

"Ah, Princess Allura. . ." Shiro said, and Keith groaned, tugging at him.

"You need to be training." the Princess said, the sharp tone in her voice fading slightly. "I . . . did not realise that any of you were-" she made a sound - a word - Keith hoped he wasn't supposed to be able to understand.

Red made a huffy little noise of amusement in Keith's head like she hadn't been surprised as well. Keith chuckled and then yelped as Red flared her displeasure in his mind.

"Keith?" Shiro asked, and Keith shook his head, finally opening his eyes to meet his soulmate's gaze. His irritation with his Lion faded and he grinned. Shiro smiled back.

"We're bonded." Shiro said without breaking gaze, a dusky blush rising over his cheekbones.

Keith stared, fascinated. Shiro blushed, true, that wasn't new - but the colour edged the scar across his face in a new and interesting way. Keith rubbed his thumb along the corner of Shiro's mouth, and his smile broadened, soft.

"Bonded?" the Princess repeated curiously as Keith looked at her.

He snorted, trying not to frown as Shiro disentangled himself and rose. He offered Keith a hand up, and he sighed, accepting it and stepping in against Shiro's side. His helmet - one of their helmets, anyway - clanked quietly, rocking on the floor, as his bare foot tapped against it. "You know, soulmates?" Keith explained dryly.

The Princess' brows rose. "Oh, lifemates? Humans also choose a lifemate?" she asked, smiling.

Shiro's brows drew together as he glanced at Keith. He shrugged. "We don't choose. We are made for each other." Shiro explained. The Princess looked confused again.

"Training?" Keith reminded. Shiro felt uncomfortable, and Keith would rather keep the happy warmth from their nap together. No doubt someone would have to explain to her at some point, if she really didn't understand, but . . . not now, he hoped. "Paladins, Lions . . . Voltron?" he suggested.

"Yes!" The Princess lifted one hand, slim fingers curled into a determined fist. "Assemble the other Paladins. There is much to do! We must be ready to fight Zarkon." Her eyes had gone hard before she turned and swept away, leading the way out of the lounge towards the control room.

Keith glanced at Shiro. He shrugged, and Keith leaned up, kissing him gently. "Training, I suppose. We'll . . . have time later?" he asked.

Shiro hugged him close, and Keith closed his eyes, soaking in the contact. "Yes. We're together again." He kissed Keith's cheek. "I'm not- I'm not letting you away from me."

Keith thought that was his line, but didn't protest, letting Shiro hold him tighter for a moment. Red grumbled with mild impatience in the back of his mind after a few moments, and Keith sighed, kissing Shiro again, lingering, before they parted to get their armour back on and prepare for their first full day training.

Paladins of Voltron; Defenders of the Universe.

This was written as part of my multi-fandom soulmate AU challenge. This is story #7 of 10, and the prompt that inspired it was 'Divine'.