Disclaimer – I don't own Voltron: Legendary Defender. This is for the third day of Rare Pair Week, posted late. The theme was Awake/Dreams. I'm posting this late, and I'm still working on the fic for day one. his ties into 'The Imaginary Alu' fic I wrote, but slightly AU.

Dreaming of You

The sound of a backpack dropping on the ground announced a certain someone had arrived home. Shiro looked up from the papers strewn across the coffee table. Shiro's mouth twisted up into a soft smile, setting his pen down onto the table. "Keith…"

"Hmmm..." The younger teen wobbled on his feet, his pale face flushed.

The older teen's eyes blinked, before standing up. "You don't look too good."

"Fine…" Keith muttered.

Shiro brushed the dark lock of hair which constantly hung in front of the younger teen's eyes, touching his forehead against Keith's. "Sorry kiddo, but you've got a fever. Why don't you lie down on the couch?"

The younger teen's dark blue eyes blinked a couple of times, before a quick tug on his sleeve by the older boy made him stagger over to the couch. He flopped onto the couch, tucking his hands under his chin as he rested his head on the pillow. Shiro rubbed his back, before heading into the kitchen to make some tea for his companion. He set it down and managed to get Keith to sit up briefly. He watched the boy drink the tea and to take some medicine, before flopping down.

Shiro returned to his papers when suddenly a soft snore filtered to his ear. His mouth twisted up into a smile as he continued his work preparing for the Kerberos mission wash was still a few months away. He found himself soon greeted by Keith muttering in his sleep. "Alu-chan…"

The older teen blinked, then turned his head. "Alu?"

Shiro remembered the imaginary friend Keith had a child, his mouth pushing together, Keith continued to mutter in his sleep. "Don't go away, Alu-chan."

The dark-haired teen reached over to nudge Keith awake, and he watched his younger brother sit up. "You're talking to Alu?"

Keith stared, his eyes drooping. "Alu, yes…"

"What's she look like again?"

"Pretty."

Shiro's eyes blinked. "Um, pretty?"

"Pretty blue eyes." His younger brother titled his head to the side. "Pretty white hair. Pretty brown skin."

"Oh…"

"And pretty pointed ears."

"Um, Keith…"

"I think she's an alien like my mom."

"You mean our mom."

"No. Ryo says…"

"I don't care what Ryo says, go back to sleep, okay buddy?" Shiro watched Keith plop down onto the couch, a soft snore soon escaping his small body. The older of the two teens went back to his paperwork. The words Kerberos jumped out at him, knowing this would be the chance to seek the truth.

~V~

"So…"

Keith's eyes blinked a couple of times, his hair a complete mess from sleeping on the couch all night. The younger teen was also grumpy due to the fact his body was stiff from sleeping on the couch. "It's not a good morning Shiro, particularly if you've not had your coffee yet."

"Um, do you remember anything you said and did last night?"

Keith's eyes blinked a couple of times. "Um, no?"

"So you don't remember dreaming about your childhood imaginary friend."

Whatever lack of awareness there was before, it quickly sped away. The way Keith's voice cracked was adorable, delighting Shiro to no end. "What? I never had an imaginary friend?"

"Oh, wait. You had an imaginary girlfriend." Shiro found himself unable to resist pushing Keith's buttons. A pillow suddenly hit him in the face.

"You're no fun when you've not had your morning coffee!"

"And you're super adorable when you first wake up." The older teen smiled.

"Adorable?"

"Uh-huh. Adorable?" Shiro reached out to tug Keith's cheeks.

"Shiro, did you catch what I had, or do you just need your morning coffee?"

"Why do you ask?"

"I'm not five anymore, yet you're saying I'm adorable."

"Keith, you'll always be my adorable little brother. Particularly compared to you know who. You can do no wrong." The silence made Shiro laugh. "What?"

"I hate you."

"You do not."

"You're teasing me."

"Well, you had your first wet dream, so…"

"Shiro, I did not wet the bed."

Shiro's eyes blinked. "Wait. No, I didn't say…"

"Okay. Fine. I didn't wet the couch."

The older teen took a deep breath. "Never mind. The fact you're so oblivious is one of your adorable features."

"Stop calling me adorable."

"But we're alone, and the face you make when I say it is adorable."

"Shiro!"

"Fine. I'll start acting like an adult."

"Thank you!"

~V~

She was beautiful, to say the least.

She had beautiful blue eyes, hair as white as snow, the skin of a nice cinnamon color, and pointed ears.

Shiro brushed the thought aside, thinking it was just coincidence. It was just a coincidence that Keith found him like he did. It was also a coincidence that Keith described his imaginary friend as being like their mother, or as Keith put it, Keith's mother, not the mother of Shiro. In truth, he couldn't be sure if the rest of his family was correct about there being something odd. He wanted to pretend that Keith was as normal as could be because then it would be easier for Keith to live a normal life.

He knew though that pretending someone was normal didn't fix things.

Shiro also knew once Keith's Galra blood was found out that things likely weren't mere coincidence. He didn't have anyone to ask questions of, though, as ten-thousand years had passed, and an entire society was destroyed. Did they have the same mother? If so, shouldn't she have been Altean?

He watched as Allura gave Keith a cold shoulder after his little brother, at least half-brother, ended up finding out he was part Galra.

Allura was indeed the girl of Keith's dreams, his imaginary friend from childhood. It didn't seem as if Allura recognized him or that Keith recognized her. "So, do you remember your imaginary friend?"

"What?"

The reaction said everything after all these years. "You know. You're imaginary friend."

"You mean the thing which was just one more thing for others to make fun of me for?"

"Um…" Shiro took a deep breath. "Fine. How about Allura?"

Keith took a deep sigh. "Look, if you're talking about the fact we're not getting along and that you're worried I'm only able to make friends with imaginary friends. I've kind of made friends with Hunk. I think. Yes. I have made friends with Hunk, but he's friends with everybody. One friend is good, though, right?"

The black paladin took a deep breath. "Actually, I mean…"

"It doesn't bother me."

"Liar." Shiro watched the younger boy's head dart up. "I've lived with you for how long? Anyways, I know when something's got you upset. That's not though that I'm wondering about. Do you, perhaps…" He took a deep breath. "Never mind."

He might be wrong, but it felt like Keith definitely did have a crush on Allura.