Author's Note: Hello again! So since season six just came out, I wanted you guys to know that I wrote this beforehand, and given some of the massive changes that took place, this fic is basically an AU now. I'm not changing any part of what I planned to write, but I thought I'd make a note about that.

"—and so my fellow paladins—"

"Students, Katie."

"Quiznak, you're right. Ehem— and so my fellow students, as we go forward into the great unknown of the rest of our lives, we must…we must…crap, what is it again?"

"We must always keep in mind the greater picture," Lance filled in.

"Right," Katie nodded. "We must always keep in mind the greater picture. With the discovery of new civilizations in our universe, that picture will only keep expanding. As cadets—"

"Graduates," he corrected lightly.

"As graduates of the academy," she fixed, "It is our duty to come together to protect, guide, and be a light to our planet in these confusing times. With the fall of the Galra Empire, there is much work to still be done—"

Her boyfriend's nose scrunched up. "The fall? But it's still reigning."

Katie sighed and turned away from her mirror. "I know, but the UN has a whole new rule book on how we talk about intergalactic politics, and apparently they haven't officially recognized Lotor as a peaceful ruler, yet."

Lance chuckled, getting up from her bed and walking over to rub her shoulders. "I'm sure he'll love hearing that in the live stream," he joked. Katie stuck her tongue out. "Hopefully we can get them to see that he's good eventually," he encouraged. "Your speech sounds just fine, though. Why are you so worried about it?"

His querida shrugged. "I want it to be good, Lance."

"It is good, Katie," he said. He turned her around so he could tap her nose. "You need to have more faith in yourself. You're not going to mess up."

Groaning, Katie let her her head fall onto his chest. "Yeah, but you were helping me," she mumbled. "You even helped me write it, too."

He gave a little shrug. "So? I'm sure lots of people have help writing their valedictorian speeches."

Katie peeked up to give him an unconvinced look, to which he responded by pecking her on the lips. She gave a little moan when they parted. "I just wish you were up there with me," she admitted softly. "We do everything together, and it'll feel weird without you."

Lance wrapped his arms around her and stroked her back comfortingly. "Katie, you'll be fine. Just look for me in the crowd, okay? Besides, you almost have it memorized, and if you forget, you'll have your notecards, right?"

She nodded. "Yeah, but I hate using them," she sighed.

Lance raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Pet peeve."

He gave a snort and pressed a kiss to her head. "You're adorable. Come on, now—" he prompted, easing her off his chest. "—you need to get your gown on."

Katie let out a huff, but went to her closet regardless. Lance went over to her dresser and picked her Voltron pin off the top. He hadn't been sure if they'd be allowed to wear them to graduation, but as Katie had so eloquently said, "screw it."

As he stared down at the pin, a nervous jolt of energy ran through his heart. After today, this wouldn't be the only symbol they had that connected them. That is, if everything went according to plan and she said yes.

…Dios, please let her say yes.

Lance breathed on the pin and rubbed it against his gown, grinning when the pin gleamed. Katie stumbled out of her closet a moment later, and she walked up to him expectantly. He took the top of her gown in his hand and busied himself with attaching the pin.

"I guess this is it," he thought aloud. "Last day at the academy."

Katie tilted her head. "I thought you would've been more excited."

He gave a little laugh. "I am, but it's been fun, you know? It's the end of an era."

His girlfriend shook her head with an adoring smile. "You're so sentimental, Lance."

"It's why you like me," he winked, closing the clasp.

She grabbed his face and pressed her lips to his. "One of the reasons," she teased.

Overcome with emotion, Lance took her into his arms and held her tight. "I love you, Katie," he whispered. "I'm so happy I have you."

"I love you too, Lance," she replied softly. "There's no one else I'd rather be with."

His heart gave a happy jump (quiznak, if only she knew how much those words meant right now), and he made sure to give her another kiss on the head before he let her go.

She smiled at him brilliantly. "Shall we?"

Lance offered her his arm. "We shall!"

With that, the two set off down the hall. For a moment, Lance forgot about the anxiety that had been plaguing him all morning— that is, until he realized that his pocket was empty.

He felt his stomach drop. Quiznak, how had he forgotten the ring?!

Lance's heart was pounding, and his mind was racing, and they were still going merrily along the hall as though nothing was wrong. He screeched to a stop, so fast that Katie almost flew forward.

"Honey?" she questioned worriedly. "Are you okay?"

Lance blinked. "I-I forgot something in my room!" he claimed. "I just realized, a-and I have to go get it—"

Katie waved a hand, giggling. "Go get it, Lance. I'll see you in the line up, okay?"

Her understanding gaze made his anxiety begin to settle back down, and overwhelmed for the second time that day, he swooped down to capture her lips with his. She sighed into him, making him only redouble his passionate pursuit. All too quickly, though, she broke it off with a laugh.

"Lance, you only have ten minutes!" she said, shooing him away.

'But we have an eternity,' he thought dreamily.

Not to be deterred (and maybe to give his scatterbrained mind just a bit more time to think), he snuck in one more kiss. "Let's plan to meet at our picnic spot after graduation, okay?"

She nodded. "Okay."

There was a slight waver in her voice, and he gave her pin a little tap. "You're going to do excellent, Katie, I know it."

Katie gazed up at him adoringly. "I love you, Lance."

He pressed a quick kiss to her head. "I know," he teased. "Gotta go!" With that, he made a dash toward his room. When he arrived, he was practically bouncing on his feet as though the floor was molten lava. Through the door, falling to the ground, crawling over to his bed, pulling out a box, digging through the mess—

Lance let out a relieved breath when he saw the tiny box resting just where he'd left it. He opened it gently, taking in the ring with shining eyes. Today was the day. The day their future truly began. His heart swelled at the thought.

He shut the box and tucked it securely into his pocket. It was a little bulky, but he was sure the graduation gown covered it up. He got off the floor, dusted himself off, and ran back in the direction he'd come from.

When he reached the backstage of the main auditorium, his eyes started searching for his friends. He saw Hunk toward the middle of the line up, and a little ways after Katie. She waved at him brightly, then held up the notecards in her hand with a disgusted face.

He chuckled at her shenanigans before he blew her a kiss.

"You two really gotta cut it out with the being cute thing."

Lance's eyes were already rolling before he turned to the voice. "You're just jealous, Keith," he responded easily.

Keith grinned and crossed his arms. "Hardly. Charlotte and I are official now."

"There you go!" Lance cheered, giving Keith a slap on the back. "Took you long enough!"

The mullet head was blushing, but he had a dopey smile on, too. "Funny thing is, I always take everything else in life fast," he said thoughtfully, then shrugged. "Guess I just wanted to make sure I got this one right."

The little box in Lance's pocket suddenly felt heavy, and his anxiety spiked. "Y-Yeah, same with me and Katie, sort of," he replied quickly.

Keith quirked an eyebrow at the response, but anything he was about to say was cut off by a loud, "Get in line, everyone!"

The two men nodded at each other and walked away, Lance letting out a sigh as he did. It was so difficult to not give away his plan, especially around his fellow paladins— they knew him so well, they could read him like a book.

If he was completely honest, he didn't really care much about the graduation anyways. He wanted to listen to Katie's speech, of course (and she did amazing, by the way, as he knew she would), but all it seemed to be was a bunch of waiting. Waiting in line, waiting in a chair, waiting to walk up, waiting for your name to be called. In short, it was torture, but mainly because with each step they took closer to the ceremony being over, they took another step toward the moment that would change his life forever.

So maybe that's why when it was finally done, he could hardly believe it. They were asked to stand one final time, and it wasn't until people starting cheering and throwing their caps up into the air that he snapped out of the daze he'd been in.

And as soon as the now-graduates processed out of the auditorium, he ran.

All Katie wanted was Lance.

I mean, sure, maybe as the valedictorian she should've cared more about the traditions of the ceremony, but now that it was over, he was all she wanted.

Maybe it was because she wanted to hear him say that the speech went well. Maybe it was because she was overwhelmed with excitement. Maybe it was because she'd been anxious all day, and he was her place of refuge. Whatever the reason, she was running.

When she came around the last corner to their picnic spot, she saw a flash of a green and blue pin and a smile, and that was all the confirmation she needed before she launched herself into his arms. Lance was chuckling warmly, taking her up and spinning her around happily.

"I am so glad that's all over!" she laughed when he set her down. "I was so nervous all morning!"

Her boyfriend gave a wry grin. "No, really? You? Nervous?"

She punched him lightly in the arm. "Shut up," she giggled. His eyes were shining with amusement and love, and she just couldn't help herself, so she took his collar and pulled him down to meet his lips with hers.

He groaned into her mouth immediately, and she felt a flash of desire run through her. Usually he wasn't nearly as vocally responsive as this, so what caused the change? She just shrugged it off though, his soft lips chasing away any coherent thoughts about the subject.

When they parted, Katie sighed. "I missed you."

Lance snickered, "We were apart for two hours!"

"And they lasted ages!" she pouted, pecking him just once more. He was still laughing a bit, but she didn't care. "So, what did you want me out here for? You know our families are probably looking for us," she pointed out.

It was like her words flipped a switch. His usual charm and cheer were gone, replaced by a flustered expression and a raging blush. "O-Oh yes, about that," he stammered.

Katie smiled gently. "You're adorable when you're nervous, you know," she teased.

He ducked his head bashfully. "Yeah, I know," he mumbled, scratching the back of his head. "I just, um…can we walk a bit?"

She responded by intertwining their fingers and nodding. He gave her a tight smile, and then, they set off at a slow pace.

They walked in silence for a while. It was nice, honestly. The graduation ceremony had been so loud and crazy— it was relaxing to simply take in the grounds of the Garrison one last time.

After a few minutes had passed, Katie looked over at Lance. She could see it clear as day: there was a war in his eyes. His mouth was pulled into a frown, and he was staring down at the ground.

Concerned, she gave him a little nudge with her shoulder. "Everything okay, sweetheart?"

Lance startled. "Y-Yeah, sorry, lost in my thoughts," he stuttered. Katie ran her thumb in circles over his hand encouragingly, and his eyes met hers. "I-I guess, um…I was thinking over your speech."

She brightened. "Did it go well?"

Lance nodded quickly. "Of course it did! But, well, you know…you said all that stuff about this being the start of a new era in our lives, how it's like the beginning of our futures…" he trailed off. She noticed he swallowed hard before he continued. "…a-and I…I want that future to be together, with you."

Her heart filled with warmth, and she stopped them so she could lean up to kiss his cheek. "Why wouldn't it be?" she smiled. "I can't imagine you not being in my life."

A look of relief fell over him, and his tense shoulders dropped. "That's good to know," he laughed awkwardly, taking her hands in his. He took in a deep breath, then met her eyes.

"Katie, I, uh…quiznak, let me start over," he coughed, and she giggled. Whatever it could be that made him act like this, it had to be important to him. For a moment, she wondered if he was going to tell her about a job offer, if he was moving, or something else that would clearly be inconsequential to whether or not they stayed together.

But then he got down on one knee.

Her eyes went wide, and her mouth dropped open.

"Katie, you know I've loved you for years," he started softly. "And all that time of wishing and hoping and dreaming…none of what I imagined even begins to compare to how wonderful actually being with you has been."

Her eyes were filling with tears, and she couldn't stop herself from covering her mouth with her hands when he reached for his pocket. When his hand returned, in it sat a tiny box.

She let out a little happy sob, and Lance smiled, reaching up with his spare hand to wipe away one of the tears that had fallen. He gazed at her gently, taking his time to caress her cheek, then twirl a lock of her hair around his finger.

"I…you know that I love you with all my heart," he whispered, and she nodded. "And…I think you feel the same way about me."

"Of course I do, you idiot," she choked out.

He gave her a lopsided grin before he continued. "You've given me the greatest gift of my entire life by loving me…so, Katherine Elizabeth Holt," he said, opening the box to reveal a glittering ring. "Will you marry me?"

Tears were clouding her vision so much she could hardly see him. All she registered was the fact that she nodded as quickly as she could.

"Is that a yes?" he teased, hope in his voice.

Overcome with joy, she threw herself forward and crashed her lips against his. "Yes, yes, yes," she mumbled through the kisses, "A thousand times yes!" she exclaimed, sealing her promise with a long, sweet kiss.

Lance sighed heavily, leaning in to touch their foreheads together. "Thank Dios," he breathed. Another tear fell from her eyes, and he was quick to wipe it away.

"I can't believe this," she laughed. "I mean, I thought you might at some point, but I just—" she was cut off by Lance holding the ring in front of her face.

His blue eyes were filled with indescribable happiness. "May I?"

Without hesitation, Katie nodded. She watched in a daze as he took the ring and slipped it onto her finger. It was simple: just a white gold band and a single diamond at the top, but it was perfect. She admired it in the sunlight, watching as it threw specks of sunlight onto her boyfriend's— no, her fiancé's face.

Lance's adoring eyes caught hers, and her heart swelled. He gently took her face in his hands and pressed his lips against hers. She hummed happily against his mouth, and he returned the contented sound.

"We're getting married," he whispered when they parted. "We're getting married."

Katie giggled and leaned in to give him yet another kiss, but then a thought hit her like a train. "Crap, we have to plan a wedding," she realized in horror.

Lance blinked, and then he groaned. "And we have to tell everyone we're engaged."

The happy couple shared a worried look. "…quiznak."

"Okay, so we just sneak in—"

"Katie, there is no sneaking in with that ring. They'll notice it immediately."

"Okay, then we just avoid them."

"I thought you wanted to tell them as soon as possible!"

"Yeah, but you know everyone's going to freak out and make a scene."

Lance took her left hand and made a point of kissing the ring. "Right, like we're not used to making a scene wherever we go," he joked. "It's not like we pilot giant mechanical robots or something."

His fiancée rolled her eyes. "Lance—"

"Mrs. McClain—to—be," he chimed cheerfully.

Her faux-annoyed expression melted into one of adoration. "Do you really want to announce it now? People might be busy with their families still."

Lance's smirk softened. "If you don't want to yet, that's fine. But the sooner the better, in my opinion. You know how mad they'll get if they find out we're hiding our relationship from them again."

Katie cringed. "Yeah…on second thought, you're right. Let's get it over with."

He snickered. "Wow, with an attitude like that, you'd think you wouldn't want to marry me!"

As if to prove him wrong, she pulled him down for what had to be their hundredth kiss that hour. "You know the truth is exactly the opposite," she stated when they separated.

Lance hummed and kissed her forehead. "I'm a lucky man," he sighed.

Katie smiled brightly at him. "And I'm very lucky, too. There's no one else I'd rather be stuck with for an eternity," she teased.

"OH MY GOODNESS!"

The couple jumped at the shout, turning on a dime. Katie's mother was rushing toward them, her eyes glued to the ring on Katie's hand. She grabbed the two in a hug before they could protest.

"I'm so glad he finally proposed!" she exclaimed. She let them go and gave Lance a pretend stern look. "He asked for my permission months ago— I was starting to worry he'd changed his mind!"

Lance simply shook his head. "Never, Mrs. Holt. I promised you I'd always be there for her, and I intend on keeping that promise."

Katie stared up at him in wonder. "You…you asked my mom?"

He tilted his head to look down at her. "And Matt, of course. I know family's important to you, querida."

She opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, her mother had let out another squeak. "Oh, this is so exciting, Katie! We have to start planning the wedding now, maybe we can have it ready by fall—"

"Did someone say wedding?!"

The three turned around to see Hunk rushing toward them, leaving his family in the dust. He screeched to a stop and started inspecting the pair. It didn't take him long, but needless to say, Hunk was in tears the second he spotted the ring.

"I knew it, I knew it was going to happen soon!" he blubbered, then started to bounce back and forth on his feet. "Can I make the cake? Please, please, please?"

"Wait, what's going on?"

Now the group turned again, this time catching Shiro staring at them with a confused expression. Matt and Allura were by his side, both wearing a similar look on their faces. Lance snickered when Katie rolled her eyes and simply held up her left hand.

Shiro's face lit up. "Wait, you guys are—?"

"It's about time!" Matt cut in with a hearty slap to Lance's back. "I gave you her ring size decapheebs ago!"

Allura's head tilted. "I do not understand," she frowned. "What is the significance of this jewel?"

Shiro chuckled, crossing his arms fondly. "It means, Princess, that Lance has asked Pidge to marry him. It is the greatest show of love that humans can give to each other."

The princess smiled widely at the explanation, then clapped her hands together. "Oh, wonderful! We'll have to tell Lotor immediately— I'm sure he'd be thrilled to hear that your courtship has been a success!"

Lance didn't miss the way that Matt's face fell when the princess mentioned Lotor— it had been no surprise that the strange intergalactic love triangle had been rather strained lately.

Katie sensed the sudden awkwardness and covered it gracefully with a smile. "Thank you, Allura. I think both of us are very excited to—"

"Excited for what?"

For the fourth time, everyone's heads turned. Keith was standing there stoically, his arm around the young woman at his side. She had tanned skin and a head full of golden curls, and Lance immediately recognized her from Keith's long winded descriptions.

She was smiling brightly, and it struck Lance when looking at them how night and day they seemed. But then she leaned over and whispered something in Keith's ear, and he cracked a large smile.

"Oh, this is Charlotte, by the way," he introduced.

Charlotte let out a snort. "Smooth, Keith. And congratulations," she added on genuinely, nodding toward Katie's ring.

Keith raised a confused eyebrow. "Congratulations? For what?"

Lance could hardly contain his laughter as Katie huffed, stomped forward, and shoved the ring in front of Keith's eyes. He blinked, then smiled knowingly at Lance.

"I knew you were acting weird earlier," Keith claimed.

"Come to think of it, he's been acting weird for a month or two now," Hunk hummed thoughtfully.

Matt scoffed, "Oh please, it's been longer than that. He started talking to us about it way back in January."

Katie sent Lance a questioning look, and his bashful laugh confirmed that this was true. "I mean, technically, I've been thinking about it for years, but you know…" he mumbled.

His fiancée just giggled and leaned up to kiss his cheek. "Let me guess— you already have the color scheme for the wedding planned, too?"

Lance cast her a cheeky grin. "I would've thought that was obvious," he teased, tapping the Voltron pin on her gown.

Katie smiled. "Very true, Mr. Fiancé."

The couple was caught up in their own little world again, but it was quickly shattered by the sound of Charlotte loudly whispering to Keith, "They're so cute!"

Keith snorted, and everyone burst out laughing.

Author's Note: Wow, another author's note? How strange. This one is to let you know that if you have watched season six, I uploaded two short, fluffy one-shots based on it. One is Pidge x Lance, the other is Keith x Romelle. Hope you enjoy if you decide to read them!