The team was doing fine without him. It took Keith two months to realize that, and it hurt. When Shiro disappeared it was awful, they couldn't function without him. Was he really that replaceable? He hated that fact, he thought he had finally found a family, he thought that the paladins had managed to realize that he wasn't just the hotheaded loner.

But, they didn't. They didn't and holy fuck it hurt. The only times they had ever called was to talk about battle strategies, not to just check up on him. So, in return, he did the same. If they didn't seem to give to fucks about him, why should he care about them in return?

(He cared, he definitely cared, but he didn't want the Blades to think that his loyalties lie elsewhere. So Keith never brought it up to Kolivan, he didn't want his opinion of him to lower than it already seems to be. Come to think of it, most of the Blades seem to have a low opinion of him).

He was happier with the Blades (he told himself that daily, even if a part of him didn't believe it), they didn't yell at him as much as the paladins did, they didn't make him do any of that "team bonding" that Allura did, and they drilled it into his head that he was replaceable - a fact that he had learned a while back.

The Blades didn't care if he lived or died, and he was okay with that. It was easier going on life-threatening missions without the fear of upsetting someone you love (the Paladins didn't care about him, they wouldn't care if he died). Yet, he couldn't help but miss Voltron. He missed the way Pidge would sit next to him and ramble about whatever she was working on, he missed the back and forth teasing with Lance, the warm and hesitant hugs Hunk gave him. And Shiro, he just missed Shiro.

He didn't know if Shiro and the others missed him. They didn't act like it, Voltron performed just fine without him.

"Keith," the voice startled him. When did the door open? "Kyösti wants to see you." Kolivan was standing in his doorway as he wracked his mind for the name, only to come up with a blank."

"Why?" He was stalling, he knew that, and he should stop stalling because Kolivan could get mad at him.

"He says you haven't had a medical exam yet. Let's go." The tallers patience was wearing thin (most peoples' did when it came to Keith, except for Shiros, never Shiros), beginning to walk away. The purple-eyed Galra scampered after him - even though he's been with them for months, he still manages to get lost.

Their walk to the Med-Bay was silent, a very awkward type of silence. Keith let out a tiny sigh of relief when they arrived, but looked to Kolivan in question when he followed him inside. He didn't get a response, only being ushered to a bed.

Kyösti entered the room (at least he thought it was him, Keith really needed to get better at remembering names and the faces they belonged to), walking over to Keith and Kolivan - who had taken a seat next to Keith - with a clipboard in hand.

"Let's begin, shall we?" His voice was deeper than Kolivans, not as deep as Antok's was, though. He asked basic questions, the scientific name for humans, what is considered poisonous to him, his weight - 119.6 - and height - 5'6.

He was asked to take a blood test, which was a bit of a problem for him as he despised needles. Getting stabbed by a knife, he was fine with that, getting shot, he could deal. But the idea of having a thin ass blade inserted into his body and taking his blood? No thanks.

"This should be quick, human blood vessels are relatively easy to find." Keith wasn't paying much attention to the quiet whining he was making, he didn't notice how Kyösti paused for a moment and exchanged glances with Kolivan with a raised brow. His mind was focused on the needle and the dense red liquid that was slowly filling it, and how he wanted it out.

"Keith," Kolivans voice startled him (again, he should really be more aware of his surroundings and the people - Galra? - around him) "How old did you say you were?" The question made Keith pause, he never recalled telling them his age. So he told them that, which obviously didn't satisfy them.

"I think I'm about 18 or 19, my birthday should have happened on Earth by now, I think. Pidge" her name made him pause "never did precise conversions, or maybe she did and just didn't tell me." He looked at the two Galra, quirking an eyebrow at their expressions.

"You're 19, that's practically an infant." Kolivan said, looking at Kyösti "And even if you are only half Galra, that would still mean your life-span is extended."

That got Keith's attention, "extended? Extended for how long?"

"An average Galran life-span is about ten thousand years, so yours would most likely be extended to about five thousand or so."

"What if I don't want to live that long? I don't want to see all my friends die!" Keith looked down, he did one of the only things he had sworn not to do, show any kind of loyalty to the Paladins. "I'm sorry, I just- I know that they don't like me. The Paladins, that is. But I can't help but care about them, we fought together, I almost died for them, and I miss them." His voice cracked at the end, he stayed silent after that. Waiting for Kolivan to get mad at him, or for Kyösti to tell him to leave.

But that never came

"Kit, don't despair for caring about the Paladins of Voltron. It's alright if you miss them, you're young, and have yet to see the true colors of war. And that is okay." Kyösti's voice was soft, understanding, and warm.

"He is right," Kolivan was standing next to his bed, now "you are a young kit, you shouldn't have to fight this war. And for that, I am sorry.'

That term tripped the dark-haired boy up, a kit was like a baby cat. Are they calling him a kitten? "Stop calling me a kit, I'm not a baby." He could hear the pout in his voice, that was definitely not helping his case.

A chuckle came from beside him, "whatever you say kit."