Written for Day 14 of Sheith Month: Alternate Realities.
I never intended to write a 'crossover' of sorts between the world of The Empress' Elite and the almost-canon universe . . . but this prompt made me think of how I might use the in-universe alternate realities theme . . . and then this sprang to mind. (There's a companion piece, of sorts, even, entitled Lost Child.)
Shiro stirred, wincing in pain and putting a hand up to his pounding head. He lifted it and opened his eyes, and his blood ran cold as he took in his surroundings by the glowing purple light emanating from thick strips in the walls.
He was on a Galra ship. And he was alone. And he had no idea how he had gotten there.
His breath caught and he pressed himself back against the wall in a messy scramble as he hurriedly sat up, struggling to even out his breathing. He was unharmed and he hadn't been discovered. Not yet. Somehow. He could make his way off the ship - a fighter, an escape pod, something - and then try and find out where he was in space. Send a signal to his team. He only had to get up and-
He blinked, startled, as a tiny purple fluffball tumbled through the doorway. It shifted and lifted its head and Shiro had to suppress a laugh, despite his alarm at finding himself on board a Galra vessel and his blank memory of how he got here. The little ball of fluff was a small Galra child, with absolutely huge ears.
He'd never seen a Galra child before.
He was so tiny, maybe seemed even more so than he truly was with those adorably huge ears but he looked possibly smaller than a human toddler, even - not that Shiro remembered young human children all that well. And, Shiro realised belatedly as the child fixed his gaze on Shiro and pushed himself to his feet to begin stumbling towards him, the child had oddly human eyes, purple-grey and. . . Familiar.
"Keith! Have you found him?" a far-off voice echoed through the doorway the child had come through as he toddled closer, and he paused briefly, his ears twitching.
Shiro, frozen, barely noticed the child's reaction. Keith. Keith wasn't a Galra name. Keith was-
"Sirikan!" A different voice, this one closer, and this time the child stopped moving. He turned his head towards the doorway with a little pout.
Shiro startled as he let out a high-pitched almost chirping yowl, his ears folding down briefly as he let out the loud sound. Quick steps approached the doorway from the other side, heavier than the child's own barely audible padding, and Shiro tensed, bringing his arms up defensively in front of his chest but not rising from the floor. A part of him didn't want to scare the little boy, though he kicked himself for it.
A slight figure appeared in the doorway.
"Sirikan! No!" The slight Galra dove forwards, scooping up the child and cradling him close. His ears folded back and he bared his teeth as he glared at Shiro. "Who are you? What are you doing here? How did you even get here?" he demanded through gleaming fangs, and Shiro opened his mouth but couldn't even begin to answer, staring into-
"K- Keith?" he said weakly. It may have been covered in purple fur but that was Keith's face and those were Keith's eyes, and that was Keith's voice, if pitched into more of a growl than Shiro had ever heard from him.
"Shiro!" Keith yelled, eyes locked with Shiro's. "Shh little one." he crooned, rocking the child and ducking his head closer as a small hand reached up, patting clumsily along his jaw. The child chirruped softly, leaning into the Galra version of Keith and rubbing his head against Keith's chest.
"I- Yeah?" Shiro said uncertainly. "I don't-" he fell silent as a much bigger, broader Galra strode through the door at a quick pace. Shiro's eyes widened.
"What in the name of-" The newly-entered Galra darted forwards, blocking the smaller figure and the child he held from Shiro with his own body. "How did you get on board?"
"I don't know." Shiro said weakly, still staring at the new Galra. The white strip of the forelock falling between nearly glowing amber eyes, the slash of a livid scar across a very familiar nose, the stubborn set of a likewise familiar broad jaw, even the dully gleaming metal arm raised in front of him defensively, though there was - as yet - no purple glow.
"Keith, are you okay? Sirikan?" he asked, tipping his head slightly.
"He's all right." Keith rose to his feet, shifting the child into one arm and reaching a hand out to rest on . . . Shiro had a horrible suspicion, Shiro's arm. "We're all right. Shiro. Shiro." He made a soothing noise, rubbing up and down the Galra Shiro's arm.
Shiro felt a panicky fizz in his chest at the confirmation he hadn't really needed.
The child cried quietly, flailing his limbs and turning his face in against Keith's shoulder, and the Galra Shiro twitched, his left ear tipping in the direction of the sounds as he turned slightly that way. "Hush, starshine. . ." Keith bounced the child gently, eyes straying back to Shiro on the floor, then tugged at Galra Shiro by the arm.
"Take him, darling." Keith said softly.
Galra Shiro hesitated, then turned and held out his hands, taking the child and cuddling him close in powerful arms. His face softened - his whole demeanour softened - as he practically curled around the child, dwarfing him, nuzzling his hair affectionately and purring to him.
Keith paced forwards around them, eyes sharpening again. "Who are you?" he demanded.
Shiro pressed his lips together, shoving himself harder against the wall. "Shiro." he said, wincing.
Keith's eyes narrowed, flicking up to Shiro's hair, then down to his arm, then meeting his own again.
"I'm sorry, I don't know-" Shiro broke off. What could he possibly say, anyway?
"Darling, what was Allura saying about that anomaly yesterday?" Keith asked suddenly, and Shiro sat up a little straighter.
"Allura?" he repeated, surprised.
"That it might- Oh." Galra Shiro said, eyes widening. He looked a little less dangerous as he met Shiro's gaze this time.
"Papa?" the child piped, his voice a little reminiscent of a mew.
"It's all right, cubling." Galra Shiro soothed absently, rubbing the child's back. Shiro swallowed. "There- You know an Allura?" he questioned, quirking an eyebrow.
Shiro nodded hurriedly. "Princess Allura is. . ." he trailed off. He supposed she wasn't exactly like a liege, or a leader, for them, but-
"Princess?" Keith repeated with a snort. Shiro watched them warily. "She'd love that."
"Sirikan, go to Daddy." Galra Shiro said gently, untangling the child's hands from his clothing. Shiro swallowed, watching them. Keith half-turned towards them, but Shiro wasn't foolish enough to assume he wasn't being watched carefully.
"Shiro. . ." Keith said warningly, eyes narrowing.
"Take him with you and go get Allura." Galra Shiro said softly. "I'll stay with him." He nodded towards Shiro.
"Shiro." Keith's jaw set, but he didn't push Galra Shiro away as he tried to hand the little boy over.
"Send one of the others if you feel I need watching over." Galra Shiro said as Keith took him, and Shiro recognised the amused look under the fur and the few strange lines of the other face. Fond and amused.
Keith snorted, shaking his head lightly, and stroked Sirikan's back. "I'm not rousting Pidge from her workshop today unless we have a mission or the ship is exploding," he said, and Shiro's chest eased a little more, "the others would be less help than hindrance for this and you know it. Just be careful." He stretched up and nuzzled Galra Shiro's cheek, then kissed him lightly as he bent to return the gesture.
"We'll be fine." Galra Shiro assured him, stroking his side and purring a soft note to the child he held before nudging him away. "I'll take him to the lab with the scanners, maybe Allura can figure out where he came from." Shiro felt a frisson of nauseating alarm shoot through him at the words.
Keith nodded, hand sliding reluctantly over Galra Shiro's arm as he glanced at Shiro - he tried to look harmless - then turned away. In a moment he was through the door and out of sight, his footsteps barely making a sound on the metal floor this time.
"I don't mean any harm." Shiro said honestly, looking up into the alien mirror of his own face. "I have no idea how I got here but I- I just want to get home."
"I didn't think you did." Galra Shiro told him with a half-smile. "For one thing, if you'd had any idea what you had in front of you and meant to pose any kind of threat, you could have hurt my son." His eyes flashed with terrifying fury for a moment and Shiro barely repressed a flinch backwards.
"He's- He's yours?" Shiro asked clumsily, and Galra Shiro's face softened again, his expression warm. "Yours and-" he broke off with a stilted nod.
"Yes." Galra Shiro said fondly. "He's ours." He snorted and pressed a hand to his belly. "And I've the marks to prove it." he added with a wry huff, lips curling and one brow arching. Shiro's eyes widened, dropping to his hand and then darting back up to his face. "You know Keith . . . in your world." Galra Shiro guessed, eyeing him. "You don't have a child, though."
Shiro shook his head. There was a brief pang for something he didn't even know that he would want, really - and certainly not now. Not with their lives the way they were. "My," he paused, "my Keith is only half Galra."
Galra Shiro raised an eyebrow. "So is mine. And you appear to be fully human where I am. . ." he trailed off with a little smirk, tilting his head slightly.
"He's half?" Shiro repeated, surprised. Aside perhaps from the eyes, this Keith looked as Galra as the mirror of himself did.
. . .then again, his Keith looked as human as he did, despite his mother's blood.
"He is. And no weaker for it." Galra Shiro's eyes narrowed.
"Keith has never been weak." Shiro agreed softly.
Galra Shiro nodded slightly, lips curving. "That he has not. Unwise, perhaps, but never weak." he said wryly. "He never would have risen to be one of our Empress' favourites." He shook his head. "Come on, up, we should head to the lab. Are you hurt?" he asked belatedly, frowning.
Shiro shook his head, though he wasn't quite stable as he pushed to his feet. Galra Shiro clasped his arm to steady him and pull him the rest of the way up when he wavered, and he couldn't help but stare at the clawed, purple hand wrapped around his arm. The grip didn't hurt, and Galra Shiro released him a moment later, but it was . . . strange, to say the least.
Shiro followed only a little hesitantly as his Galra mirror self led the way out of the room.
"Will- Will anyone. . ." Shiro looked around warily, then up to find Galra Shiro was looking down at him.
"You're with me." Galra Shiro said with a careless roll of one shoulder. "We'll avoid being seen as best we can, but if we are no one will argue with me."
Shiro blinked, eyeing his counterpart warily. He didn't ask why, just kept pace at Galra Shiro's side as they headed through the ship. There were no sounds of the patrols that set Shiro's heart to racing panickily when on board Galra ships in his own reality. He wasn't sure if that lack should actually be reassuring or not, but it did ease his tense worries a fraction.
"Why did . . . Keith say the others would be no help if- if I was a threat?" Shiro asked cautiously as he kept close at Galra Shiro's shoulder. Galra Shiro eyed him. "Would that be. . . Hunk or Lance?" he questioned half hopefully. He knew this was another reality and any number of things might be different here, but the familiar names were . . . reassuring.
Galra Shiro smiled. "Or Matt, perhaps." he agreed. "They wouldn't be much help with a single opponent in a confined space. Not if I was already fighting. Lance is a distance fighter primarily and while Hunk can do well up close," he paused, looking down at Shiro again with a wry smile, "he would likely hesitate facing someone who looked . . . so similar to a friend."
"Ah." Shiro said, and wanted to ask about Matt, but swallowed it down.
"Through here." Galra Shiro instructed, opening a door with a brush of his hand over the glowing contact pad beside it.
Shiro hesitated, but when he actually stepped through into the lab he relaxed a little. It was full of machinery that looked similar to things Pidge tinkered with all the time, and above all looked nothing like Haggar's workrooms or lab. There didn't look to be anything that even could be used as a restraint, much less designed for it, the contents were mostly screens and boxes with lit-up patterns on their sides, or channels that might light up when they were powered on.
"Make yourself comfortable, I suppose." Galra Shiro said, yawning - showing off fangs longer and thicker than the wicked points Keith had shown when he found Shiro - and lounging against one particularly large piece of equipment. Shiro looked around, but didn't do the same, just waited.
He opened his mouth a couple of times to ask questions, but stifled himself.
"What is it?" Galra Shiro asked finally, one ear flicking as he met Shiro's eyes. "You look curious and jumpy."
"Sorry." Shiro said, shrugging. "I- A lot of things. Everything is so different, I admit, I am curious. About a lot."
Galra Shiro snorted. "I suppose that's reasonable." he said dryly. "I might not answer everything, but you can ask what you will." he offered with a rather curious look himself.
"Would-" Shiro broke off. "Empress, you said earlier; Keith is one of the Empress' favourites?"
Galra Shiro bowed his head slightly, confirming it. "Empress Allura. Keith, Pidge, Lance, Hunk, and I are her elite squad." he offered, and Shiro blinked. "She and Keith get on alarmingly well sometimes." he added with a wry smile.
Shiro had more questions now, but if Allura was coming here he supposed that would answer some of them . . . and he didn't even know where to start.
"The five of you battle together in your world as well?" Galra Shiro asked.
"Yes." Shiro said, and hesitated, then chose not to mention Voltron, uncertain as to how different things were for the Galra here, even with Allura's name. He remembered what Keith and the others had said about the first alternate reality they had slipped into.
"You and your Keith, you are. . ." Galra Shiro hesitated, and Shiro met his eyes again. "The two of you are mates, are you not?"
Shiro blinked, then flushed. "Ah. . . I mean, I suppose you would say so."
"You suppose?" Galra Shiro eyed him almost warily. "One should never be uncertain about things like that."
"Ah- No. I mean." Shiro felt oddly flustered. "Keith is definitely my. . ." he trailed off, looking away. "But mates isn't . . . what . . . we call it."
"Hmph." Galra Shiro gave by way of response, and Shiro wondered a little crazily if that was what he looked like when he was scowling. "And no cubs?" he asked after a moment.
Shiro opened his mouth, then closed it. "We haven't discussed it." he said faintly. "And- And we couldn't, anyway."
"Couldn't?" Galra Shiro's eyes sharpened, then dropped to Shiro's midsection. He felt himself going red under the scrutiny. "Then you- I'm sorry."
"No, no!" Shiro held out his hands. "It's not- Humans can't." he said, gesturing at himself, his blush only deepening, he was sure of it. "I mean, I physically can't carry a child. The . . . equipment required. I don't have it. At all. It's not damage, it's- Humans . . . don't."
Galra Shiro eyed him dubiously.
"Male humans cannot carry cubs, darling." Keith said, and Shiro jumped. He hadn't heard anyone come in. Keith still had Sirikan cradled in one arm, resting against his hip, and following behind him was-
Shiro's eyes widened at the tall, elegant figure that was definitely recognisable as Allura, but- She looked even more Galra than when Princess Allura shapeshifted herself to seem Galra as a disguise. Shiro should have expected that, but- Somehow he hadn't.
"Hm. That is interesting." Allura said, brushing a hand over Keith's arm and walking past him, eyes on Shiro. "Fully human?"
Shiro nodded reflexively. "Um. Hello, your- Your Excellency." he said, bowing his head.
Allura chuckled, eyes glinting. "Hello, little Shiro."
Shiro blinked, but glancing at his counterpart he . . . couldn't really object to that even if had cared to do so.
"Another reality. . ." Allura gestured, glowing lavender spilling from her fingers, and Shiro tensed, but it drifted peaceably around him like smoke, then faded away. "I had thought yesterday's experiments probing into the anomaly yielded nothing, but perhaps I was mistaken. . . Another reality where . . . we are all human?" she queried, looking perhaps a little distressed.
"No." Shiro said, then bit his lip, hesitating.
"Tell me." Allura commanded, and Shiro tensed.
"Keith- Keith is half Galra . . . in my world as well," he glanced at Keith, then at the child he held, "although he takes after his human heritage more. And you. . ."
"I am half as well?" Allura asked, arching a brow as she moved over and waved a screen awake. "Interesting. . ."
"No. You're- Altean." Shiro said weakly.
Allura stiffened, turning back to face him. "Altean." she repeated.
Shiro flinched.
"Interesting." Allura said in a cool, even voice, and nothing more, and Shiro shuddered. "Come here, would you?" she requested, gesturing to a marked out square on the floor. "We're near enough to return to the anomaly if need be, but I wouldn't wish to send you between the dimensional walls into some other reality, rather than back to your own." she said with a wry look. "There should be some resonance of your own reality clinging to you. I simply need to read it."
"Oh." Shiro said, glancing at his counterpart, standing with one hand on Keith's shoulder as he bounced their child lightly in his arms. Shiro moved to where he was told.
Allura pulled a large piece of machinery over and pointed it at Shiro, which was a little nervewracking, but it did nothing, at least not tangibly or visibly.
"Keith could have." Galra Shiro said after another few moments, and Keith made a soft curious sound. "You could have carried our cub," he said, glancing down at Keith and trailing a finger over Sirikan's cheek before looking back at Shiro, "your Keith may look human, but he is not, fully." Shiro nodded understanding, vaguely confused.
"He might be able to carry a child." Allura supplied after a pause which seemed to be waiting for something, and Shiro choked at the thought. "I understand it is not possible amongst humans, but it is perfectly natural." she said a little sharply.
"It's- It's not that." Shiro said, although the idea was a little- more than a little bizarre. "It's- Why didn't Keith carry yours, then?" he asked, looking at the small family.
Keith cleared his throat and cradled Sirikan higher, nuzzling into his hair.
"Keith is a little more impulsive than I am." Galra Shiro said dryly. "It was . . . a thought that pregnancy would likely not mitigate that trait."
"You were afraid I'd run into a battle and get us both killed if I were carrying our cubling." Keith said with a snort.
"Among other reasons." Galra Shiro said with a huff of laughter, rubbing his knuckles up and down Keith's side.
"I believe it is for the best for everyone Shiro carried my little darling." Allura interjected, and Shiro startled as she moved over to them, holding her hands out.
"An'tie!" Sirikan said as he clambered into her hold. Allura crooned to him, stroking one of his ears.
"Auntie A." Galra Shiro told Shiro, looking an inch from breaking into real laughter. "Our best minder for him."
"Naturally." Allura said, with a regal toss of her head. "Isn't that right, little darling?" she cooed, expression softening back into something silly as she tickled under Sirikan's chin.
"Ah. Of course." Shiro said faintly, then- "Allura would probably do that." he realised, thinking of his friend. "And. Even if Keith, my Keith, could carry a child," the words barely made it off his tongue, the thought was so . . . surreal, "I can see similar, er, problems, so no."
"Stay still." Allura said, and Shiro was confused for a moment until she pinned him with a look. He straightened again. "It will take a little longer to finish analysing you."
"Sorry." Shiro said reflexively.
Allura flapped a hand at him. "No matter. Just stand there."
Shiro nodded and stayed put. As whatever-it-was continued scanning him he eventually steadied enough to ask a few more questions about their world - especially with the rather intimidating Galra Empress Allura happily occupied with the child.
Though he was no longer quite so . . . worried, Shiro couldn't picture his current situation ever being anything less than surreal.
He was tired enough to be swaying on his feet when a quiet ping startled him.
Allura swept back over to the control panel. "Ah! Excellent." She smiled at the results, and Shiro took a hesitant step closer to her. "We will need to return to the anomaly for me to work any further, but if a portal can be opened, I can lock on to your reality."
"Thank you." Shiro said, heartfelt, as a surge of relief rose in his stomach.
Allura smiled faintly at him. "Certainly. You do pose an interesting puzzle." She tilted her head, one fingertip resting at the corner of her mouth, claw dimpling her lip. "I think . . . we had best get you back where you belong, and then return to keeping the realities strictly separate."
Shiro nodded understanding and agreement. Honestly the universe was full of enough volatile and dubiously understood dangers without trying to add in other realities. He remembered Slav's endless calculations and comparisons and felt his eye twitch as his hands curled into fists.
"Commanders, I'll leave our . . . interdimensional guest in your charge." Allura said, passing Sirikan back to his parents with a waggle of her fingers in farewell. ". . .Shiro, we'll see to reopening a portal to return you to your place tomorrow."
"Thank you, your Excellency."
"Certainly." Allura said once more, and smiled, and then left Shiro alone with his Galra counterpart and his small family.
A brief debate Shiro stayed out of resulted in him following them back to their quarters. He paused just inside, eyes widening.
"Something wrong?" Keith asked, allowing Sirikan to the floor as Galra Shiro closed the door and tapped something on the pad beside it.
"No." Shiro said hurriedly, looking around. "It's just- Really different from the Castle. I should have expected that." he added, with a rueful laugh. He had, in a way, but somehow he hadn't expected something so. . .
Luxurious.
Sirikan took hold of a little model animal of some sort, rolling on a floor so covered in layered plush rugs he couldn't see if it was the same metal as the corridor outside or not, and Galra Shiro moved across the room to one of several doors spaced along the walls.
When he opened it there was a glimpse of a huge bed beyond, and at least one other door, further in. Shiro shook his head slightly, picturing the bunk he and Keith shared on the Castle of Lions with a little wry amusement.
"Sorry if it's . . . uncomfortable for you here." Keith said, eyeing Shiro.
"No! Sorry." Shiro shook his head again. "It's just very different from home."
Keith nodded understanding as he bent, gracefully snagging Sirikan as he reached for a tablet lying on the low table by several comfortable-looking pieces of furniture. "Shiro, would you put this away," he tossed it at Galra Shiro as he came back through the doorway from the bedroom, "and perhaps bring dinner back here?" He glanced at Shiro again. "I think it would be best we not drag him back and forth through the ship any more than necessary." He gave Shiro an apologetic look.
"As you wish, kitten." Galra Shiro said easily, ducking back into the bedroom. He returned in a moment, pausing by Keith's side and bending to kiss him lightly before striding back out into the corridors.
"Behave, cubling." Keith admonished his son, letting him down again.
"Yes Daddy." Sirikan said, and Keith ruffled his hair.
"I'm afraid your options are going to be sleeping on the couch," Keith gestured towards it, "or the floor tonight."
"That's . . . fine. I'm sorry to be putting you out." Shiro said, a little surprised they would allow him to stay in their quarters at all. Particularly with their child here.
Keith yawned, stretching and pushing one hand through his hair before dropping into one of the large chairs. "Make yourself comfortable." He waved a hand.
Shiro stepped carefully around the toddler on the floor - he looked up, and Shiro couldn't help a smile - making his way to the couch and settling on it. "So no one's ever dropped in from another reality before, I guess?" he asked after a few moments.
Keith snorted. "No, that's new." he said wryly. "I'm somehow not terribly surprised, though. Between them Allura, Pidge, and Matt were bound to break the universe somehow, eventually."
Shiro was startled into a laugh, and Keith grinned at him. Shiro's heart squeezed painfully and he looked away, pressing his lips together. Somehow, fur, fangs, and all, it was still an achingly familiar expression, and one Shiro didn't get to see often enough.
"Are you all right?" Keith asked, sliding his feet to the floor and leaning forwards.
"Fine." Shiro said, throat a bit tight. "I-" he paused. "I miss Keith." he admitted. "It's been a rough day." Keith nodded, the sympathetic look he was offering even more painfully familiar. Shiro smiled at him, then asked him what sorts of reality-bending things his friends had gotten up to before.
Keith looked at him for a moment, then settled back in his chair with a nod.
His story proved a good distraction, for both of them Shiro guessed, and had him laughing again soon. Even if his amusement was tinged with disbelief and alarm.
Shiro was distracted enough he was startled when a soft touch found his shin, and nearly jerked away before he realised it was the child who had been quietly muttering to himself nearby with a few model animals. Shiro opened his mouth, then closed it, glancing at Keith. He was watching, but he didn't make a move to remove his son from Shiro.
He offered his hands uncertainly, and Sirikan eyed them curiously, reaching out to him. "Um." Shiro said uncertainly as little clawed fingers tickled across his palm.
"You're not used to cubs, are you?" Keith asked wryly as Sirikan turned and toddled away again.
"Never had much to do with children." Shiro said with a shrug, watching the child round the table, bouncing lightly off the corner.
Keith hummed, but mercifully didn't comment further. Sirikan made his way over to Keith, plopping down at the foot of the chair with a yawn. Keith reached down and stroked his hair as he slowly slouched lower, eyelids drooping.
Galra Shiro returned with dinner for all of them shortly after, but Sirikan was fast asleep by then. Galra Shiro smiled fondly at both of them and began to set dinner out.
"Couldn't have waited until after dinner, hm?" Keith asked quietly, rising and scooping up their son. "Watch you wake up right after." he muttered, smiling despite his impatient tone as he carried the child through into the bedroom. Shiro heard Sirikan purring softly as Keith walked past, snuggling into his father's chest.
Sirikan did in fact wake after dinner, although not for some time - not until the adults were almost ready to bed. Galra Shiro and Keith exchanged an amused look before Keith fetched the boy, helping him to eat dinner as they continued their conversation - the same thing they had eaten, to Shiro's surprise. He would have thought the little boy was too little, perhaps. Then again. . .
Shiro eyed Sirikan's fangs as he crunched into a bite of raw vegetable. It was also possible when children had fangs they had a little less trouble eating regular food. Galra Shiro took him once he was finished eating, and Keith helped set up the couch for Shiro before they retired to their room. Shiro wondered idly if he'd be woken by a distressed toddler during the night.
While he lay awake for quite a while after they had gone to bed, wishing he was back in his own bed with his Keith, he was actually surprisingly comfortable on the couch. Even more surprisingly, he wasn't . . . actually too worried about himself being here. Getting back home, yes, that was worrying - mildly terrifying, even, although he didn't think it was too wishful thinking that their Empress could open a portal back to his reality - but he never would have expected to be so . . . unafraid on a Galra Empire ship. Even in another reality. He drifted off still puzzling over that.
Shiro was woken by a weight on his chest, and opened his eyes to find a small, purple face almost right up in his own. His heart sped even as his memories of the day before slotted neatly into place, leaving him fully aware of where he was.
"Sirikan!"
Shiro tipped his head back further in time to see Galra Shiro darting towards the couch.
"I'm awake." Shiro said, looking back at Sirikan. "Uh. Good morning."
"Morning!" Sirikan said with a grin, showing off tiny baby fangs. They were actually kind of cute. He bounced on Shiro's ribs, compressing them but not jumping hard enough to leave bruises.
"Sorry, I didn't think to stop him wandering out here." Galra Shiro said, rubbing his face.
"It's okay." Shiro said, reaching up tentatively and gently taking hold of Sirikan, who promptly let out a sharp yowl, mouth open wide, eyes scrunched up, and ears folding backwards. Shiro froze, eyes widening.
"He's playing." Galra Shiro said, voice wavering with laughter. "You didn't hurt him."
"Right." Shiro said, trying to relax. He sat up, sliding Sirikan off his chest and down into his lap in the process. Sirikan stopped yowling and grinned again halfway through the readjustment, holding on to Shiro's arm.
"Papa!" Sirikan used Shiro's arm as a support, scrambling onto the back of the couch and leaping off it in the next instant. Shiro's heart leapt into his throat, but Galra Shiro only shot out a hand to catch him by the back of his shirt without a hitch in his stride, bringing the child up close to his shoulder.
Sirikan giggled, reaching up to swipe at Galra Shiro's forelock, making him smile even when tiny claws scratched his brow, drawing a few beads of blood. "Allura's said she has calculations to run and if we come too early and distract her she'll do something awful to us, so breakfast with us and then we'll wait for her to summon us." Galra Shiro told him.
Sirikan gave a tiny growl, scrambling against Galra Shiro's shoulder and leaping up to swipe at his face again.
"Play nice with your Papa." Keith said, snagging Sirikan out of Galra Shiro's arms and tapping him lightly on the nose. He rubbed his cheek against Shiro's shoulder and kept walking, taking Sirikan with him. He curled up in a chair with a low groan, picking up a little metal model of a fighter from the nearest shelf and offering it to Sirikan, perched on his middle.
As his hands closed around it, the model lit up with purple streaks like a real Galra ship and made a little humming sound. Shiro watched, surprised, as it began to actually fly when Sirikan's hands loosened again.
"Aunt Pidge." Keith supplied, rubbing his face.
". . .of course." Shiro laughed.
"I'm going for breakfast. Don't go back to sleep." Galra Shiro told Keith, shaking his head and rubbing at the little scrapes on his face. He bent over the back of the couch. "Watch Sirikan if he does, would you?" he asked with a half-smile.
Shiro stared at him. "Uh, of course." He nodded as his Galra mirror straightened and strode out of the room.
It took much less time for Galra Shiro to return with breakfast than he had taken to fetch dinner the night before, but Keith had still fallen asleep by the time he came back. Sirikan was grabbing at his trailing hand from the floor, but it didn't appear to be disturbing him at all even when the toddler pulled at him.
"Oh, for- Kitten, wake up." Galra Shiro brushed his hand down Keith's face, pulling him gently from sleep.
Keith made a sleep-slurred grumbling sound so familiar it made Shiro's heart ache briefly, but uncurled a little and sat up. He accepted what looked like a roll from Galra Shiro, who offered another to Shiro before collecting Sirikan from the floor. He fussed a bit as his papa took away the model fighter, but quieted quickly even before Galra Shiro began to help him with breakfast.
The roll Shiro had been given proved to be filled with roasted meat and fruit, in an oddly-spiced combination, though it wasn't bad.
Breakfast was long over before Allura's summons came, and after it Shiro had found himself tugged down to the floor to play with Sirikan. A soft sound had him looking up from the puzzle, which formed glowing shapes of animals - most of which Shiro had never seen before, in a fantastically broad display of colours and shapes - at Keith to find him watching with his hands wrapped around a steaming cup.
"What is it?" Shiro asked.
Keith shook his head. "You really . . . are very alike." he said, gaze flicking towards the bedroom, where Galra Shiro had disappeared a moment before, then meeting Shiro's once more.
Shiro didn't know how to respond to that, and before he figured it out his Galra mirror returned, wearing a fresh shirt, without smears of his son's breakfast on it. "Ready?" he asked, and Shiro climbed hurriedly to his feet, nodding.
"Just a moment." Keith said, and they both startled. He took another sip from his drink, then put it down, freeing his hands to pick up Sirikan. "Wouldn't want him to be a distraction, and he shouldn't be near an opening portal anyway, so I'll stay here with him." He stepped closer, tilting his head and eyeing Shiro. "Shiro, it's been . . . interesting, meeting you. I hope you get back to your Keith safely." he smiled warmly.
"You too." Shiro said with wry honestly. "And . . . thank you."
Galra Shiro laughed softly even as he nudged Shiro towards the door, big hands gentle.
They made their way through the ship, this time passing by a small . . . Shiro would have said patrol, but the handful of Galra soldiers weren't in full armour, and they were laughing as they walked down the corridor - at least, until they spotted Galra Shiro and snapped to attention, bowing their heads respectfully. Shiro edged nervously a little closer to his Galra mirror as they passed all the same.
Allura was waiting at the doorway to the lab, a different one than the day before, when they reached it. Shiro was surprised to see a swirling portal already formed across the room when they entered, inside a faintly glowing barrier.
"It has been attuned to the resonance you carried with you already," Allura explained as she ushered Shiro closer to the portal, "and so it should be your reality on the other side. Only you can tell for certain, however."
Shiro startled, looking at her. How was he supposed to be able to tell?
Allura gestured at the portal, lowering the barrier. "Is it home?" she asked.
Shiro opened his mouth to explain that he had no idea how to even try, when he felt- He reached out towards the portal, feeling the tug of his Lion at the back of his mind. And something. . . Something else.
"Yes! It is!" Shiro said, startled. He dropped his hand and turned towards Empress Allura, the strange and somewhat unsettling figure that she made, and bowed. "Thank you, Empress." he said, heartfelt and faintly amazed.
Allura inclined her head slightly in return as he straightened, and raised her hands towards the portal, expanding it with a flare of shimmering purple magic that spiked and flashed like lightning. The feeling tugging at Shiro got stronger, and he leaned slightly closer without thinking.
"Be safe." Galra Shiro said, clawed hand resting on Shiro's shoulder for a moment, then nudging him towards the portal.
Shiro nodded gratefully. "You as well. Goodbye." he said, then turned and took a breath, bracing himself. He walked into the portal and felt himself- shatter, vision gone, noise and shards of perception tearing at him until-
Thump.
Shiro groaned, sprawled on a cool white floor. He pushed against it and managed to flop over onto his back, but at the price of his head feeling like it was about to explode.
He lay there, not quite able to do anything else just yet.
"Shiro? Shiro!"
Shiro's eyes snapped open and he struggled to sit up, managing it just in time to catch a red and black blur diving to the floor beside him, and then warm arms were wrapped around him. Shiro took a breath, Keith's wild hair tickling his face, and wrapped his arms around his lover in return, burying his face against one slender shoulder.
"Shiro, love, you. . ." Keith stroked the back of his head down his neck, hands roaming over his body as though confirming he was really there. "You're all right, you're back, Shiro, Shiro, Shiro. . ."
Shiro realised he was repeating Keith's name in return, and couldn't quite force himself to let go. It was Keith, his Keith, and Shiro closed his eyes tight and just . . . breathed.
While human!Shiro might be assuming stretchmarks from the 'I've the marks to prove it' comment (if he's thinking about it all) that isn't what Galra!Shiro is referring to. (Shiro came out of his pregnancy with a pair of Galra stripes down his abdomen to mark the experience.) They left out some of the other reasons Galra!Sheith eventually chose for Galra!Shiro to be the one to carry their cub when speaking to Shiro, but who can blame them for not going over the entire process, mm?
Empress Allura does in fact mean it when she says she plans to leave the walls between realities alone. She's ambitious and dangerous, but not unwise, and messing with the walls of reality is beyond risky for many reasons.