For all that the Blade of Marmora was notorious for compartmentalizing information, Keith had never seen them take it to the degree that Coran and Acxa had. He wasn't even completely positive that Kolivan knew all of the factors at play, and he was one hundred percent certain that he and Lance didn't.
That certainty stemmed, in part, from how hard he'd seen Pidge and Hunk working over the last two movements, even though he had absolutely no idea what they were working on. Romelle and Coran, or rather, holograms of Romelle and Coran had been bid a very conspicuous farewell several days prior… and one of the biggest challenges any of them had ever faced was keeping the exuberance that was Coran hidden from prying eyes on the ship. Keith had never seen Kolivan so exasperated, even though the Alteans were safely tucked away from prying eyes on the Houston.
The fifteen people in the line of communication that they'd identified as being compromised were all fed individualized information about the procedures that would be followed once Keith and Lance arrived on Jazolwa that varied in minute details. Those details each created a different 'weak point' in their security that would be too tempting not to exploit. Reassuringly, eight of the fifteen people responded within moments of the protocols being distributed to point out the security gaps. It didn't automatically clear any of them, but it did increase the scrutiny on the others.
Once they all piled into the Houston, ready to land on the planet, and the airlock doors secured behind them, the tense silence was broken by Romelle's giggle. Before his eyes, his sister seemed to step through the wall. "Good, right?" she grinned at him, simultaneously fistbumping Hunk and high fiving Lance. "I haven't done that since I was little and we'd play Questers! I was so corroded!"
"Rusty," Acxa laughed, "you were rusty, Romelle."
Blond eyebrows drew together as Romelle turned the phrase over in her mind. After a few ticks she nodded, her expression resolute, "yes. Rusty. Thank-you, Acxa!"
"You did quite well, my dear," Coran commented, peeling away from the wall opposite the one Romelle had been hiding on, making Pidge yelp and jump onto Kolivan's back. He sighed and Krolia had to cough and turn away to hide her smile.
"Sorry," she said, dropping back to the floor lightly, "s'crowded in here."
"No apology required," he answered evenly, "you have quick reflexes- especially considering how sleep deprived you are right now."
Pidge grinned, something almost manic flashing in her eyes, "chocolate covered espresso beans, pixy sticks, and Galran battle-boost patches. Booyah!"
"Ohhhh-kay," Hunk let out a low whistle, "one anti-stim detox shot and a long nap on order for Katie Holt when we get back from the mission!"
"Were the battle boost patches really required?" Shiro asked, concern and skepticism in equal measure in his voice.
"You wanna take a guess at how many holographic nano-nets, closed circuit comms, and micro blasters I designed and constructed with only Hunk for help in the last couple of weeks? You wanna try to wrap your head around the challenge of finding a way to make those micro blasters non-lethal and still be able to stop a Galra in their tracks?" She got up in Shiro's face. She'd grown since their days as Paladins, but not by much and she was still wiry and slight- something that became very obvious when she went up on tiptoes and still had to crane her neck to face off against the former Black Paladin. "Or how about how many layers of stealth security I had to weave seamlessly into the fifteen unique intel packs that had to look identical to outside eyes? Hmmm, Shirogane? Hmmmm?! Yeah. That's what I thought!" She threw her hands up in a movement so, so, so much like Lance that everyone chuckled, the tension dissolving.
"Dial it back, Holt," Shiro said levelly, "Coran? This is your baby."
"Righto! Everyone will be receiving the devices that Pidge mentioned. The nano-nets should not impede movement at all, we've tried them out and they are truly a beautiful bit of tech. Pidge should be very proud of the ingenuity- why I am sure that even my dear old Pop-Pop-"
"Coran…."
"Yes, of course, Shiro- not the time. Not the time… Yes. The closed circuit comms fit over your back tooth- it is very important that you position it properly. Regular comms won't pick up your real voice, so these are the only way to identify each other once the nano-nets engage. You've all been trained in the micro blasters, so I won't go over those." He twirled his moustache, rocking on his heels and puffing his chest as Acxa and Veronica passed out the tech. "Once we land, if you haven't already done so, engage the nano-nets to trigger your holographic cover. Romelle and I will be posing as Blades in full gear. We get 12 paces from the lip of the airlock and the decoy holoprojectors will malfunction, replicating a poor shift from ship's power to self-contained power…"
"First opening," Veronica breathed, flashing Lance a wobbly smile.
"The holoprojectors will shut off, and reveal the projection under it- Keith and Lance." Acxa seemed to be calmer than Veronica, but Keith knew better. They had proven to be best at mimicking the way he and Lance moved and interacted (which… made sense, really) so they were the ones posing as the 'celebrated couple' as they exited the ship en masse… which meant that as soon as that projector 'failed' they'd be targets. He'd seen Acxa walk into heavy fire without a second thought more times than he could count, but he was quickly learning that it was a lot easier to face danger yourself than it was to know that the person you were in love with was at risk.
"And then Coran and I will pull you back into the ship," Romelle said. "Where we will be ready to blend into the walls and you will be ready with weapons if our mole has the intel about the poor ship security."
They ran through the rest of the plan together, each person speaking up to spell out their specific jobs as they all prepped up their tech. It was a lot. It was a lot, and it didn't even touch on the people who were monitoring who knew how many communication channels in real time for any indication of activity from the splinter cells, or running through personnel files and background checks for each and every person they crossed paths with. Not to mention whatever the heck they'd needed Matt's rebel contacts for! Keith was sure there were even more aspects to this mission that he wasn't aware of because it didn't have anything to do with what he needed to do in the moment.
One by one, familiar faces flickered and blinked, replaced by mirror images of him or Lance, which was eerie. "Closed circuit comms check," Hunk's voice came out of his own face, layered with the artificial 'Keith' voice that the nano-nets were generating and it was the weirdest thing Keith had experienced on this side of the astral plane.
A string of oddly doubled voices saying "check" worked its way through the ship.
"Matt, Ezor and Zethrid have the same tech and will be part of the planetary security that is handling transport from the landing site," Krolia said out of Lance's face, which Keith decided topped the Hunk thing. "They've devised their own best locations, so we aren't privy to where exactly they will be in the chain of responsibility, but they are there, and they have closed circuit comms so we'll know them when we hear them.
"Alright everyone, toggle your nets to your primary facade," instructed Pidge and everyone changed again. Keith looked like Shiro. Lance looked like Kolivan. Pidge, Hunk, Shiro, and Krolia looked like Blades in full gear, faces hidden by masks. Kolivan, comically, looked like Krolia. Tengrill and Lo'Kasil looked like Keith and Lance, but their illusion was designed to flicker and glitch almost imperceptibly, to further sell the idea that Veronica and Acxa were really Lance and Keith.
"We've got this, Cutie." Finger guns and that smirk was just so very wrong on Kolivan's image and Keith sent up a small prayer of thanks that Lance still smelled like himself and that his real voice was coming through on the closed circuit comms, because his brain really might not have recovered from the whole thing otherwise.
"Don't call me cutie," he answered, still trying to wrap his head around the fact that he still had a right upper arm, even though it looked like his forearm was free floating. "Shiro, this is a really wild head trip!"
"It sure is," he answered, "from this side, too. That's really impressive work, Pidge."
Pidge's response was to blow onto her gloved fingers and rub the curled nails against her shoulder like she was shining something and then let out a little giggle. He was really hoping she wasn't too punch drunk to hold it together on the ground.
Krolia and Kolivan headed to the cockpit and Keith took a deep breath, mentally shifting gears for the mission. Conversation died and everyone double and triple checked their armor, weapons and tech. Friends and family morphed into a highly trained (mostly- Romelle was kind of a wildcard) group of professionals and warriors in a shift almost as jarring as the face-swapping effects of the nano-nets. Kosmo rubbed against his leg, as if he could tell he needed the encouragement.
We've got this.
We've got this.
We've got this and then the whole mess will be over.
Slav, Keith was sure, would hate this plan. Well, more than he hated most plans… he kind of hated anything he didn't come up with himself. But this was the least streamlined plan Keith had ever seen for something that involved less than twenty people. He had faith in Acxa, and Coran's strategizing had been vital to Voltron… but almost everyone in the universe that he cared about was putting themselves in harm's way to flush out the people who were intent on hurting him and/or Lance and it had him on edge.
He tried to soothe his rattled nerves by running through all of the things that had worked perfectly already. The little misdirect with the fake hologram malfunction had been seamless, peeling Coran, Romelle, Veronica and Acxa from the group and leaving them to apprehend anyone who might try to plant a bomb or otherwise tamper with the Houston.
From there, Pidge and Hunk had taken over the roles of Keith and Lance, the nano-nets also projecting replacement Blades to make up the difference in their numbers. They'd been herded into a covered transport, one of the PDP- the Planetary Defense Personnel- hopping into the boxy vehicle with them. Pidge as Lance bounced and fidgetted in the narrow seat, chatting amiably with Hunk as Keith, and the Jazo operative kept staring, its eyestalks stretching out in curiosity as it adjusted its grip on the purpley baton it carried.
Keith had been about to make some Shiro-like comment about 'Lance's' high energy levels, when the lime green alien turned to him and said, "she better just be in character and not actually as high as she seems."
"Matt?!"
Making a little half-bow, he continued, "because I know she's a badass and she's all grown up but she's still my baby sister and I don't want to have to explain to my Mom that she went to space and came back a cokehead or something."
"Hi Matt!" the aforementioned baby sister said enthusiastically. "The tech works! Woot!"
"Woot." Matt's voice was dry; deapan, even. "Mid-mission. Woot." He lifted his free hand, pointing two fingers at the base of the alien eyestalks, which must have been where Matt's actual eyes were, and then turning his hand so the v of his fingers were pointing at a spot slightly above Keith's head where 'Shiro's' eyes appeared to be. "Woot."
"It's lack of sleep and a battle boost patch… non-addictive," Keith said, "she's fine when she has something to focus on, and we've already addressed it- she's going right to bed when we get back."
"I'm feeding her first," Hunk supplied and Keith didn't think he'd ever get used to seeing his own visage interacting with people from the outside. "Then sleep."
"Stop being such a worrywort," grumbled Pidge. "I've got this." It was almost spooky how much like younger-Lance Pidge acted when she was sleep-deprived.
"She better got this," Matt muttered, "oh, hey- congrats on the engagement… 'bout time you two smartened up."
"It's not-"
"Thanks, Matt," Lance said over him and once again he was left wondering why the hell Lance ended up looking like Kolivan of all people. "We're pretty excited… uh… other than all the drama, I mean."
"It's worth the drama to see them so happy," Krolia said beside him, patting his knee. At least she sounded fully like herself, since she was in full Blades gear and didn't have a 'disguised voice'.
There was a crackle and Matt lifted his hand, listening. "We're about to reach the tunnel." The tunnel was the next artificially created vulnerability, so everyone settled down, preparing themselves to be on high alert.
"This is where we part. I'll see you back at the Houston, Kitling." Beside him, Krolia adjusted her suit and stretched out on the floor behind the partition for the driver. Once she was properly positioned, she completely vanished, the nano-net projecting the image of the empty floor. Even her weapon was practically invisible, allowing her to provide cover should they need it.
Keith activated the next projection file and the image of his mother in her gear appeared beside him.
One by one they went through each 'potential action site' without incident. Any location that carried the risk of tampering with vehicles they'd be making use of again, or explosives being planted behind them to catch them on the return trip had at least one person staying behind. Every time the group lost a person, another projection was activated. Gradually, they gained allies among the mostly unknown PDP in Matt, Zethrid and Ezor as they made their way to their accommodations. The idea was to keep them well covered, with the illusion of a substantial protective detail and if they had to retreat, everyone would trigger their nano-nets to look like either Keith or Lance to create confusion. Then, they would be gaining fresh, rested people along the way, while whoever was giving chase would not. In theory.
It was pretty much guaranteed that the splinter cell would make some kind of attempt during this excursion. They'd officially pulled out of all of the other stops in their public itinerary after Yorak had been injured, with the exception of this and one other, and that was a former rebellion base with incredible security and low Galra presence. If the mole believed the information they got was standard issue and the same for everyone in the line of communication, then it would be beyond stupid not to make a play. There were only two scenarios where they wouldn't- either the terrorists had given up, or the mole spotted the trap. The former was so unlikely as to be downright comical, the latter possible, but unlikely given that it was Pidge who was in charge of information dissemination.
Hell, until they'd all been onboard the Houston with no access to outside transmissions, as far as he could tell, no one even knew the full plan for their group, or even the entirety of the route they'd be taking from the ship to their accommodations except for Coran and Acxa.
They were almost to the very small reception by select Jazol government officials; down to only seven of their original party- him and Lance, Pidge and Hunk still disguised at them, Kosmo, and Tengrill and Lo'Kasil- when the comms crackled to life. Matt, Zethrid, and Ezor had gone ahead to do one final security sweep of the rest of small hotel that was serving as reception hall and recording studio, leaving the six of them, plus Kosmo and their passel of holographic projections to wait.
"Someone is attempting to gain access to the Houston," Veronica's voice whispered over the line.
"Track that data packet," Coran ordered to someone back on the cruiser. Keith wasn't part of that closed circuit network, so he couldn't hear any of the responses to Coran's orders. Lance grabbed his hand and he hung on tight. This might all be over in a few doboshes.
It might be over without anyone else getting hurt.
"We've got a compromised point of ingress near the reception hall," Ezor added.
"Track it!" snapped Coran.
"Shit!" It wasn't often that Shiro cursed, but he was pretty much equidistant from both threats- essentially helpless- and with Keith at risk at one end, and both Acxa and Romelle at the other, that meant all three of the people he considered siblings were in danger at once.
"Everything is going to be fine," he heard himself saying. "We've got this."
"Found an unconscious staffer," Matt added, "time to split the package!"
There was a sudden burst of motion and his hand was wrenched out of Lance's- Hunk, Tengrill, and Lance exiting one end of the room, while he, Lo'Kasil and Pidge went out the other. They were headed to the same place, just via different routes.
"Taking fire!" Acxa's voice was low and serious, but he could hear fear around the edges.
"Assume that the intruder has holographic tech," Zethrid sounded frustrated.
"Second staffer out of commission!"
"Do not enter the transports until we rendezvous," barked Matt. "Repeat! Stay out of the vehicles!"
"I need names!" Coran hissed. "Tell me the instant you have the situation in hand!"
"Veronica!"
"I'm fine!" Lance's sister sounded pained, but her voice was strong, "just a graze! Sniper in the trees!"
"I'm coming to you!" Shiro insisted, "I need Kosmo!"
"Kosmo… right…" He stumbled to a stop in the weirdly lit service corridor they were taking to the parkade that held their transports, crouching down to ruffle Kosmo's fur, "Shiro needs you, buddy. I'm okay. Go to him." The air sizzled and the space wolf blinked out of sight.
"Shots fired in the reception room!"
"On it! Zethrid and Ezor, you keep looking for others, I'll deal with the reception room."
"This is turning into a shit show," Pidge muttered, "watch your back, Matt!"
"We've got this, Pidge," Lance was quick to assure, "this is the part where we circle the wagons. No one hurts our family..."
"...not if we have any say in it," Pidge finished for him, making Keith wonder if this was some kind of thing for the two of them that he'd missed out on.
"Coran? Any word from on high?" Bless Hunk for shifting the focus away from what might go wrong.
"We have one solution. Individual named La'Hukit- still waiting on the second."
Keith let out a tense breath, ducking through the door Lo'Kasil was holding open for him, Pidge right on his heels. The damp, oily smell of the Parkade hit him and for a tick it was the best thing he'd ever smelled in his life. Somewhere in the dim labyrinth of columns and partial walls sat their motorcade thing and even though they weren't going to load up without the okay, for some reason, knowing it was so close was calming him down.
Sounds echoed weirdly here, so that might have been why Pidge's "quiznak" seemed so loud. He spun, fearing she'd been hurt. "Lock's busted," she explained, pulling out a little tool kit, still looking like Lance and flanked by a pair of virtual Blades. "Go. Get him secure. I've got this. Won't take more than five doboshes to fix."
"Pidge, it's fine- we can't get into the transports yet, anyway..."
"I said Get. Him. Secure!" she snarled. Lo'Kasil grabbed him by the shoulder and dragged him away before he could say anything else.
"We are secure," Tengrill said over the line, "waiting on the go ahead to proceed."
"Matt? Ezor? Zethrid?" Hunk was as little winded, but otherwise sounded calm.
"Shooter down," Matt said proudly.
"Still securing rooms- standby."
"Same for me," Ezor echoed her wife.
"Shiro?" His voice was quiet, because he suddenly realized he hadn't heard anything from his brother since Kosmo left.
"I'm fine. I'm fine… just… pressure bandage!"
"Got it. Got it… come on Romy!"
"WHAT?!" His heart froze in his chest.
"It's okay, Keith," Romelle sounded drowsy, "just a little cut…"
"She'll be fine," Veronica cut in, "it's a laceration. It's bleeding a lot, but we've got it in hand."
"I don'like bloo…"
"She fainted," Acxa yelped, "just a faint. She just looked at the blood and dropped. We're good here. Ship is secure. Repeat. Houston is secure."
"Those sedative pellets work like magic, Pidge," Matt added. "This guy is bigger than Kolivan, but still less than a tick from shot to drop!"
"Yes! These micro blasters are ingenious!"
"Good… but… Kinda busy right now," Pidge snapped.
Lo'Kasil pushed him into a low crouch in the little hollow that had been decided was their fallback point and stood beside him, obscuring any line of targeting. Because he knew exactly where to look, Keith could only just make out the shadows that told him that Lance, Hunk, and Tengrill were indeed in position. He let his eyes drift shut for a moment, "status checks, everybody, in order. He took comfort from every beloved voice that answered with 'safe' or 'secure', letting the words bolster his confidence. Even the 'pending' answers were reassuring- if a tad brusque.
"I'm good, Keith," Romelle added, "sorry for scaring you."
Before he could even reply, his mother's voice cut through the line, "oh thank fuck! Romy, this is officially your first and last mission!"
"Agreed!" echoed Keith, speaking at the same time as both Acxa and Shiro.
"She did well, really," Veronica cut in, "we were lucky she was here."
"We have the second name," Coran said and all the chatter died. "Individual named Churrla. Hold on… there's…"
"Oh, holy crow that's a relief," Hunk let out a sigh, "you must be in your glee, Lance!"
"Yeah… uh-huh… of course…" Lance sounded off, distracted… or worried, maybe?
"Lan-"
"Oh dear!" Coran said loudly, "we have a casualty. The mole…"
"Victory or death," whispered Lo'Kasil beside him, sadness flooding his voice, "it's the Galra way…"
"Shit! Churrla! KEITH!" Lance screamed so loud that Keith flinched back into the corner, back pressing tight against the wall like he could escape the noise.
Everything seemed to slow down.
One pop and a puff of dust bloomed out of the wall. Keith recognized the familiar little red sedative pellet that was embedded right where he'd been a fraction of a tick earlier.
He caught movement in the corner of his eye and turned his head, unable to move anything else. Lo'Kasil's face was contorted in rage and pain. His hand swung, micro blaster pointed right at Keith's face.
iChurrla… Gengen pie on special occasions. His mate.
A cluster of pops and blood bloomed on Lo'Kasil's jaw, staining the pale purple fur in a few different spots.
Two more pops.
His hand felt like it was on fire.
"KEITH!"
His eyes felt like lead. "Lannnnn…"
Two things registered before anything else. The first was the scent of Lance's skin and shampoo filling his nose. The second was the soft fur his hand was buried in. Bit by bit, the rest of reality filled itself in. The weight of Lance draped over him. The familiar warmth of Kosmo pressed against his side. The low din of hushed voices in conversation. His Grekagan angora blanket tucked up against his face. The awful taste in his mouth and fuzzy tongue feeling that he remembered having before, but couldn't place. The itchy bandage on the hand that was resting on Lance's hip. Another on his forearm. The blinding headache.
"Hey… he's waking up… Keith?"
"Mmrrmmmph…" Turning his head, he cracked his eyes open and flinched from the sudden brightness.
"The lights! Dim the lights!"
"On it!"
"Mom?" A warm hand lifted his own from Kosmo's fur, and held it gently.
"Hi Kitling," Krolia whispered, "you're fine. Lance is fine. You've just been sleeping."
Oh. Good. Sleeping was good. Being fine was good. "Kay," he answered, making a face at how hard it was to talk. There was some rustling and he felt a straw tickling at his lip.
"Just water. Go ahead and drink." Oh. That had been Shiro. He sipped, trying to piece together why his mother and Shiro would be hanging around while he slept. Had he fallen asleep on the couch? God, he was sooooo thirsty!
"Keith?" That was Lance, and he was moving around, trying to roll away from his spot on Keith's chest. Growling, he tightened his arm around his boyfriend. He liked him right where he was. "Keith… Cutie… I'm not going anywhere. I promise." He felt Lance brush his hair back from his face and he smiled, relaxing again. "You gotta wake up the rest of the way, Cutie. Come on…"
"Don'..." he cleared his throat, "don'call me cutie…" There was a laugh and he felt the hot little kisses Lance peppered over his face like little stars of light. "Ugh… m'head…" He hadn't had a headache like this since that one time he tried out the Battle Booooooo- Oh God!
Everything came back to him in a rush and suddenly his fuzzy head cleared and things clicked into place.
"You're okay," he breathed, hugging Lance to him. "Romelle? Veronica? Were there any other injuries? What happened to Lo'Kasil? How long was I out?"
"Yup, he's definitely awake," chuckled Shiro. "Everyone is fine. Romelle and Veronica just needed a little patching up. You've been 'out' for a few varga. You needed to be treated for an overdose of the sedative in the micro blaster, but Pidge was quick to hit you with a couple of those boost patches when your pulse got too slow."
"Same with Lo'Kasil," Lance said, "he was treated for overdose, but he's fine. Physically, anyway."
"Churrla… was…"
"His mate, yeah. I knew I recognized the name when I heard it."
"You… wait… you shot him! How?! That was too far for the micro blasters…"
"He still had my blaster," Krolia said, "from after the meeting that quintant."
"But…"
"Babe- do you really think I was going out in the field with only that little pea shooter? I'm a sniper. I loaded up the blaster with those pellets before we even got on the Houston."
"You saved me…"
Lance shrugged, "you've saved me a ton of times. Good team, remember?"
"You'll be pleased to know that not only have we identified the moles, there is good reason to expect that the intel gathered will allow us to completely neutralize that splinter cell." Shiro patted his knee through the blanket, gently.
"That's great," he nodded for emphasis and flinched.
"Okay- that's our sign to leave." His mother leaned over and kissed his forehead, "I'll give the girls your love. Get some rest to rid yourself of the headache. We've got time before we land on Daibazaal."
"We're close, if you need us," added Shiro, catching his hand and holding it tight for a tick, "come on Kosmo, let's go find you a treat."
He heard the door slide shut behind them and sighed when Lance shifted and there was a little click that told him the lights were out. "I can go, too… if you want," Lance offered.
"Nuh-uh." He rolled onto his side, taking Lance with him, "you stay."
"Anything you want," Lance answered, curling into his chest and lifting his hand to play with Keith's hair.
"Just want that nightmare to be over," he cracked one eye to peek down at Lance, "and for the record, the nightmare is the death threat mess. Not being with you."
Lance shook with a soft, silent laugh, "yeah, I figured that out already. Forgive me for being a teensy bit insecure literally one day into our relationship!"
"Okay. You're forgiven." They smiled at each other and Keith couldn't help but sigh at how perfectly Lance fit in his arms. "Mom said something about Daibazaal?"
"Mmhmm… we sent regrets to the base, but just in case there are any stragglers wanting to make one last try for us, we decided it was best to get to Daibazaal well ahead of schedule. Everyone is pretty confident that once we complete the ceremony, following through on the threat would do more to garner loyalty to us than to swing any support for the racist assholes."
"So… we're doing the ceremony today?"
"Oh yeah… Ready to 'Present Your Beloved'?" Lance grinned at him, the marks on his cheeks glowing in the low light.
"Are you?"
"Uhh… have you not been paying attention in those interviews we've been doing? I am 100% on board with all this stuff. More than ready. Can't wait to live our love story. Bring on the Kai'imam Und'ill Tak Thrull'sai! Tell the whole universe that we are together, and someday, when we are ready, we plan to make it all legal and traditional and stuff. Foster-adopt three siblings. Have a space wolf and maybe a cat. All that domestic shit… but not until we get our fill of life out here, exploring and travelling and building a new peace. It's going to be awesome. I can't wait."
"God, you are amazing," Keith sighed, leaning in to kiss Lance softly. "I am so ready."
Daibazaal was a beautiful planet. It really was. Keith loved it here. He loved the sky, the taste of the air, the plants, and the animals. The history and architecture and the culture and so many other things.
He did not love the level of celebrity he had here. When he'd planned the trip, he'd hoped to be able to take a few quintants to show Lance around the wilder, less crowded spaces before they gave their talks at the Universi- oh, crap… he really hoped that Lance had remembered to reach out to the University when things went nuts, because he absolutely had not.
Instead, they arrived almost surreptitiously, trying to avoid notice of any sympathizers of the terrorists that could still pose a threat. The cruiser had stayed in orbit, most of their loved ones watching over them from space. Keeping them safe while they went through with this ancient tradition… and given that both Hunk and Romelle were on board, probably also planning some kind of party for their return. Keith found himself actually kind of looking forward to that possibility.
Kolivan had found them a location (that was *not* the University, but still met the requirements of 'a place of wisdom and esteem') that welcomed them with open arms and ensconced them in separate rooms to prepare.
He was nervous.
It was silly for him to be nervous- the only people who'd be there were people he knew and trusted. People who loved him. But, here he was, with Acxa fiddling with his hair and Krolia and Shiro milling around and offering words of encouragement, a bundle of nerves.
"This is stupid," he muttered.
"Don't let Lance hear you say that," his mother chuckled, "I think he's looking forward to it."
"He's definitely looking forward to it," Acxa corrected, "this actually means a lot to him."
"No- I meant me being nervous is stupid," he grumbled. Of course Acxa's commented didn't really help with his nerves.
"Of course you are nervous, making things official is kind of nerve wracking, and now you aren't distracted by the whole media circus thing, so it feels real. Instead of like a role you are playing," Shiro rubbed the back of his neck, the gesture familiar and reassuring, "and you've always been a disaster when it comes to Lance."
"Yeah… thanks for that, Takashi," he glared at his brother.
"Okay, I'm done!" Acxa snapped a picture on her phone and showed it to him. She'd pulled his bangs back from his face in three braids that rested on top of the rest of his hair. She'd woven little red and blue flowers and some kind of sparkling thread into the braids. "You like?"
"I have flowers in my hair," he observed, stunned.
"Yeah. Gilvrin blossoms for purity of intent, and Jocha vines for far-reaching love. They're traditional for a Kai'imam Und'ill Tak Thrull'sai, Keith… and the threads represent the lines of lovers that created you. Did you do any research?"
"Me? Noooo… but Lance did. I thought he'd told me everything."
"Was he, by chance, naked during any of these discussions?" Shiro snickered. Keith's face went so scarlet, so fast that it actually hurt. "Yeah- I've seen your focus disintegrate at the beach with Lance shirtless, so… that makes sense."
"Oh my God, shut up Shiro!" Why had Shiro said that in front of his Mom? Just, kill him now. "It looks good, Acxa. Thank-you."
"Okay, hair is done, time to change your clothes. This was a gift from the Palik'Ta'Enpar." His mother held out a shallow box, smiling sheepishly. "You don't have to wear it, but… we don't really have access to the traditional Galran garb on such short notice. It's Mallinox leather from a beast you killed, cured in a special process that… not important. What's important is that you can wear something you already own, or this. Either is fine."
"Well, there's also the thing from Coran," Shiro added with far too bright a smile.
"Yeah- don't trust that look. I'll wear this." He took the box, "thanks, Mom. I can… take over from here. You guys go get ready."
There was a flurry of hugs and cheek kisses and a rather comical moment when Shiro lifted his hand to muss his hair and had to dramatically abort mission at the last tick when he remembered the braids. Before he knew it he was alone in the room.
His phone chimed and he pulled up the message, which was from Lance.
'I can hear you thinking from here. Chill. It's just us. Just a new chapter in our love story. We got this.'
He smiled, touched that Lance reached out to reassure him. The phone chimed again.
'I needed to hear that, so I figured you did, too. Love you, Cutie.'
That made him laugh, outloud, his nerves melting away like they'd never even existed in the first place. He tapped out a reply, 'dont call me cutie love you too see you soon', and set the phone aside. All he had to do was get dressed and go meet Lance. Easy. Still smiling, he lifted the lid to the box, expecting to see the same pale grey garments they'd worn for the dinner.
Oh.
Oh wow.
Impossibly soft fabric filled his hands and he got choked up as he read the little note:
Former Black Paladin, and Honored Blade of Marmora Keith Kogane, of Earth and Daibazaal,
Terrible with names, I may well be, but I recognize deep love when I see it and I was thoroughly charmed by our conversation. Please accept these gifts and know they come with admiration and well wishes for you both. May your friendship continue to be the cornerstone of your life with your mate. May your hearts always remain so well matched. I hope someday to have the opportunity to visit with you both again.
Sincerely,
His Reverence, Vanzir, High Cleric of the Palik'Ta'Enpar.
Not a simple grey, this time. Keith knew that blue- the exact color of the water at Varadero before a storm; that brown-the way it had gleamed and glowed like sculptures; the paler, brighter blue that lit up when Lance laughed; the bright flashes of white teeth in a wide grin; and the touches of the sandier brown that looked so good on his pillow and tucked up on his shoulder. The colors of Lance, softly shifting and blending together as the fabric moved in his hands. He had no idea how the colors changed and moved like that- it shouldn't be possible.
The box also held the little chains he would need to secure the garment at the hips and ankles, and more fabric- meant to fall from the shoulders, based on the clasps attached to it.
He was so glad he chose this instead of whatever it was that Shiro had found so humorous!
He made it to the little courtyard before Lance did and he took a moment to just take in the beauty of the place. The sky stretched out above him, stars twinkling like diamonds on velvet, and he smiled to think that, in a way, everyone on the cruiser was watching over them.
The low walls and tall columns that ringed the courtyard were covered in twisting vines that had pale pink and yellow blossoms that glowed softly and someone had hung lanterns on some of the columns that added warm light to the soft glow. There was a fountain in the center of the courtyard, sculptures of four Galra holding large pitchers supporting a wide basin that held pinkish-purple flames that were bright, but somehow didn't cast much light. Water trickled pleasingly out of each of the pitchers, creating an atmosphere of calm. Beside the fountain sat two large cushions that looked to be made out of some kind of very long fur.
The night was warm, and the courtyard was sheltered enough to protect them from anything milder than a strong wind. Once upon a time, he wouldn't have believed that anything Galra could be this beautiful and peaceful and safe. Once upon a time, he didn't believe in miracles. He knew better now.
He heard footsteps and turned, so he got to see Lance step out of the shadows of the entrance and he was so. fucking. glad. for. that! Because, as long as he lived, he would never, ever forget the vision that was Lance when he stepped into that soft light!
"For a second, I actually thought I might have gotten ready before you for a change," Lance laughed, fidgeting nervously, "guess not. Have you been waiting long?"
"You look…" he breathed, unable to get past what he was seeing. He'd kind of expected the color scheme of Lance's clothes, once he'd seen his own- but he had no idea how incredible it would look on him. He could identify his own hair, his own skin tone, the color of his eyes, even the exact shade of the scar so many people mistook as a Galra mark, swirling and shifting through the fabric. It was dramatic and striking, where his own garment was soothing, almost hypnotic in its gentle shifts. Somehow, it seemed to suit Lance perfectly- and the low swoop of the neckline that showcased his broad shoulders and strong chest, the bared arms, the glimpses of long legs and narrow hips as he moved just made him even more breathtaking.
His hair was too short for braids, but the same flowers and threads that Acxa had woven into Keith hair had been twisted into a flower crown that sat low on his forehead, some of that unruly brown hair already starting to curl around it. His smile was surprisingly shy, but the way the marks on his cheeks glowed proved it was genuine.
Falling to the ground behind him was a wide swath of fabric held in place by the shoulder clasps that secured the jumpsuit thing. It seemed to be identical to Keith's- at first glance it looked to be simply black. The longer you gazed at it, though, the more details revealed themselves. Within a moment or two, colors and light appeared and slowly, galaxies burst into being, spiraled out, and then flickered into nothingness one sparkling star at a time.
"You gonna finish that sentence?" Lance asked, more confident now.
"Huh?"
Lance laughed, shaking his head at him, "you said 'you look…' and then just… stopped. I'm guessing it was a compliment, because… I can see your face, babe."
"I… don't think that words actually exist to describe…" He gestured helplessly, "all that… wow. Lance… how are you real?"
"You're asking me that?" He shook his head, the flower crown getting dislodged and tipping slightly. Closing the short distance between them, Lance caught his unbandaged hand, "you look like something out of a dream. A very, very, very good dream… I like the braids."
"The braids?" Oh. Right. Acxa had put his hair in braids. "Mmhmmm… okay," he nodded, "I tried… the bandages… I tried to get rid of them."
"You tried?"
"Mom and Shiro didn't like that plan. Like, at all."
The smile on Lance's face could have stopped a war. Keith was sure of it. "Yeah, that doesn't surprise me. But why did you try to get rid of them?"
He shrugged, "they're ugly? I don't like them?"
"Keith," Lance sighed, cupping his jaw, "you got shot. Today. Your arm is burnt from those patches. Let the bandages do their job. I didn't even see them."
"I'm allergic." He traced Lance's collarbone with the tips of his fingers, watching the gooseflesh that bloomed in the wake of his touch.
"Hmmm?"
"The patches. I'm allergic- mild but.. Yeah… God, you look amazing… and you smell so good…"
"We should… the thing… the… umm… Kai'imam Und'ill Tak Thrull'sai…"
"Mmhmm… we should…"
"One kiss first though…" He moved closer, fingers sliding into Keith's hair, cradling the back of his head gently. "Feel like I'm gonna die if I don't kiss you…"
"Yeah…" Their lips brushed together and someone sighed and someone else made a sound that might have been a whimper and Keith was too caught up in the need of it all to be able to tell which was which. He craned into the soft touch, a shiver rolling through him. His arm wrapped around the small of Lance's back, yanking him even closer, needing to feel that body fit up against his own.
Teeth caught his lip and tugged and when he gasped, Lance changed the angle of his head and let go of his lip. Slotting their mouths together, he licked into Keith's mouth and they both groaned. The kiss ignited, everything they'd been through that day boiling up through them and fueling a need to connect. It flared bright and intense and fast, and it was only a couple of moments later when they pulled back, but they were both breathless and giddy with the rush of it.
"Wow," Lance whispered shakily, "definitely gonna follow up on that later."
"When you are my betrothed?" Keith teased, suddenly very excited about the prospect.
"Yeah," Lance answered, smiling brightly, "when I'm your betrothed. Ready?"
"Ready." He stepped back, because him getting distracted and kissing Lance again was a real danger. "What do we do?"
"We sit," chuckled Lance, "facing each other. Then we hold hands and we… think."
"We think?" Keith let Lance lead him over to the pillows and they both sat, which took a little fiddling because of what they were wearing.
"Yeah, doofus… we think. Specifically, we reflect on… us… I guess. How we met, how we got close, got together, what we mean to each other… the life we want to share… All that high school daydream stuff."
"Your high school daydreams were very different from mine," he observed wryly. "Mine were like: being a pilot, having my own place, sex… sex was heavily featured."
"Oh my God, Keith!"
"I'm just saying- it was high school. High school was a horny time." He shrugged, "I didn't think I was… the exception… in that."
"Not the time to be discussing that, Cutie," Lance muttered shaking his head. "Serious. Grown up stuff right now. Us. How we got here. Where we want to go from here."
"Don't call me cutie. Okay. Right. So, we think… about all that stuff. Until?"
"Umm… my research says that we'll know. There's a sign or something… and then the others come in, and we repeat some stuff and we're done. What is this place, anyway?"
"Um… this is... The Library of Marmora. Where the Blades started."
"Really? Wow… Knowledge or death- makes more sense now. Fitting. It's beautiful. So? Think, sign, repeat stuff, done. Got it?"
"Mmmhmmm… seems simple enough. No talking?"
"Well, mostly no… but we're supposed to like ask questions if the answer might make us change our minds…" He trailed his thumb over the back of Keith's hand, his expression soft, "and if there's something we feel like… needs to be said. Something emotional, not something horny- just to be clear."
"Yeah, I figured," he muttered, "but, for the record- when it comes to you, it can definitely be both at the same time."
"Keeeeith!" His voice was exasperated, but Keith could see the smile he was fighting and the shake in his shoulders that betrayed the laugh he was holding back. He looked so happy, and for so long, that had been missing. Lance, happy was his favorite thing in the world.
"I love you," he whispered, letting all that love and awe that was swelling in him spill over into his voice. "Let's start."
The marks on Lance's cheeks flickered and he nodded. They settled into an easy quiet, letting the sound of the fountain fill the air. It was hard to believe this was really happening. They'd been so caught up in getting here that Keith hadn't really thought much about what would happen when they did. Now, he was sitting across from Lance in this courtyard following a tradition that his mother's people had been doing since before humans had written language (he thought... History wasn't his strength). When they left this courtyard, Lance would be his betrothed. Not exactly the pace he ever would have expected, but he wasn't nearly as panicked and overwhelmed as he kind of felt like he was supposed to be so soon after getting together. It felt… right. Natural. Like he was exactly where he should be, sitting across from the only person he could be- like every decision in his life had brought him here. Now.
Kismet.
Lance was his heart's match. Lance was his match. They weren't really all that different, but the ways they were different balanced each other out. They kept each other from going too far in one direction or the other. Lance had his back, but he didn't stifle him. Even with the press and the looming threat, the time that he'd been with Lance was the happiest he'd ever been. He could be sappy with Lance and not worry about being mocked for it or ever having it thrown back in his face. He could be playful and silly. He could be quiet. Whatever his mood, Lance found a way to fit into his life.
He hoped that the same was true for Lance. That he could be… at ease, with Keith. He didn't like the thought that Lance was… stifling himself to accommodate Keith's moodiness. "Lance?"
"Mm?" Their eyes met and Lance smiled at him, soothing some of those jangly nerves with just a look.
"I don't want you to think you have to… tone yourself down because I'm… umm…"
"Moody?"
"Yeah… I guess that's the right word. I want… you to be comfortable being yourself with me. Do you?"
"Like, do I stay quiet about stuff that bugs me, or pretend to like stuff I don't, or defer to what you want to be doing because I don't want to start a fight?"
"Yeah… but even like… when you don't think it will start a fight. Like, if you want to watch a movie and I want to read… I want you to still watch your movie. I don't want you to give things up because of me. I don't want you to… not be you... God, I suck at words. Am I even making any sense?"
"You don't suck at words… or maybe you do but I just know you well enough to get the point. No, Keith, I don't ever feel like I can't be myself with you. I don't think we always have to be on the exact same page… we can do different stuff because we are in different moods. We're stronger than that. I am the most me with you. Why?"
"I was just… I was thinking how much it means to me that I can just be with you… like when I'm by myself, but better… and I wanted to make sure you felt… like that."
"Yeah. I do. I feel safe with you."
Pleased, Keith smiled, lifting their joined hands to press a kiss to Lance's knuckles. They went quiet again and Keith thought about how nice it was to be able to do this. He liked this tradition. It made so much more sense than a lot of human traditions that couples did. It was so simple- sit, think, together- but it felt magical and special and… sacred, almost. He let his mind drift, trying to imagine what things would be like after they left here. Lance had made comments about joining him in space, but he didn't want Lance to give up the things that were important to him, so he made a mental note to make sure that if he did… Keith would make a point to ensure that they spent plenty of time on Earth.
"Keith?"
"Yeah?"
"You know how everyone jokes about how extra I am?"
"Mmmhmm…"
"Just… if you ever feel like… I'm… too much work… you can tell me. I won't get offended. I know I'm… a lot. It's okay."
"Too much… work?"
"Yeah, like… too intense, or too loud, or too needy… like- I get it. I've been hearing it my whole life. I'm… I'm just… a lot. I know that."
"You're not work," he answered, torn between anger at the people that taught Lance that he was… some kind of burden, and heartache that Lance believed them. "Loving you isn't effort. Being with you isn't something I have to do. You are…" Keith paused, trying to find the right words to describe the man he loved. "You are powerful. Like… a surge, you know? Like… umm… water! Yes! Perfect. Lance- you are like the tide. You are powerful and intense, and some people might find that scary or whatever- but that's because they can't be bothered to learn you! You make so much possible just by being you. You lift people up, you carry them away with you. You are so… vital and vibrant and important. You can never be too much or not enough- you are just… perfectly you, you know?"
"I'm the tide?" There was something strange about Lance's voice and Keith worried that he'd said the wrong thing, somehow… but it just made so much senses to him.
"Yes. The tide. You're the tide."
"You think I'm the tide," he breathed, "that's… God, Keith… that's… Holy Crow! Keith! Look!" Dropping one of Keith's hands, Lance pointed at the fountain. Keith twisted, his gaze following the line of Lance's arm to the…
Holy Crow!
The flame in the basin atop the fountain blazed a bright, bright purple, like neon lights. While they watched it pulsed and churned, the color shifting and the flames dwindling down for a beat. There was a soft hum, almost musical, and Keith could smell ozone.
"We'll know," whispered Lance, hanging on to Keith in a death's grip and yelping when that hum cracked and a beam of pure, white light shot up into the sky. Before their eyes, the night retreated, the sky above the courtyard taking on the vibrant hues of sunset.
"Holy shit!" Keith gasped, "I'm pretty sure that's our fucking sign!"
They stared at each other for a tick before collapsing into a giddy hug, "we did that! That's… amazing! Look, Cutie! Just… Look at that!"
"It's… beautiful! Lance, my God, that's so beautiful!"
They clung to each other and stared at the light with tears in their eyes, until they heard the others arrive. Veronica and Acxa pulled them to their feet and then Keith lost count of the hugs he got pulled into.
"Remarkable! Truly remarkable!" Coran crowed, clapping them a little too hard on the back.
"We are soooooo doing this, hun!" Veronica sighed, awe lacing her voice.
"Shall we continue?" Krolia asked, and he'd never seen his mother look so happy, "let these soulmates make their promises so we can go celebrate?"
"Soulmates? What?!" Lance asked, clutching his hand tightly.
"Did you think that was the typical reaction?" Coran boomed, "oh no, my boys, oh no! The flame will always change, but it can change in any number of ways… This is… rare. Special. Kra'Pau Zol… translated roughly… it means…"
"Twin flame," Krolia finished for him. "It means twin flame."
"That's an Earth term," observed Shiro, "another word for soulmates. You guys are soulmates!"
"I think.. That's a good sign," laughed Lance, catching Keith around the waist and spinning with him. "Oh my God, I love you. I love you so much, Keith. So much."
Keith couldn't even string words together. He was so overwhelmed with emotion. All he could do was laugh and cry and kiss Lance- his soulmate- as tears streaked down his face.
"I have no idea about what tradition says about recording this… but if I don't get at least some pictures, my family will kill me," he thought he heard Veronica say, but it didn't really register.
"Soulmate," Lance whispered into the kiss, "you're my soulmate. You're my… vows!" His head snapped up, "there are vows! Keith! Cutie! We have to say vows! Come on!"
Krolia and Shiro moved them around until they were where they were supposed to be standing, because neither of them were really with it enough to move on their own. They folded Keith's and Lance's hands together and stepped back. Ringed by their friends and family, clinging to each other, a mess of tears and laughter, he and Lance managed to calm themselves enough to follow the simple instructions of 'repeat after me'.
"I pledge to reach for you first and always," said Coran, and they repeated it.
"I pledge to be true in my words and my actions, to treat you always as my closest ally," said Acxa, and they repeated it.
"I pledge to watch over you, to be your shield and your sword when danger arises," said Shiro, sounding suspiciously like he was crying, himself, and they repeated it.
"I pledge to make my home with you," said Veronica, and they repeated it.
"I pledge that all my journeys will start and end in your arms," said Krolia, and they repeated it.
"I pledge to treat this troth as precious and true, to behave with honor and courage, and if our paths shall part, to remember this day and treat you as I would wish you to be treated in this moment," Veronica said, and they repeated it.
"If you have words you wish to speak from the heart," said Krolia, "this is the time to do it."
"I love you, Lance," Keith said, surprising himself.
"I love you, too, Keith," Lance answered, sniffling, but smiling.
"Kai'imam Und'ill Tak Thrull'sai to family is complete," Veronica and Krolia said in unison.
"Kai'imam Und'ill Tak Thrull'sai to the human line is complete," Shiro said, and yeah, he was definitely crying- Keith could tell.
"Kai'imam Und'ill Tak Thrull'sai to the Galran line is complete," Acxa whispered.
"Kai'imam Und'ill Tak Thrull'sai to the Altean line is complete," Coran said, voice wavering a little. "Congratulations Paladins, you are betrothed."
Veronica and Acxa hooted and triggered a group hug, everyone piling onto them in excitement and happiness. He lost himself in the sheer joy of the moment, still clutching Lance's hands tight in his own until they were pulled apart for proper hugs by everyone. They were all crying, Lance kept commenting on it, complaining that no one had tissues.
Keith's eyes just kept drifting up to that beam of light, which was slowly dimming. Even fading away, it was so beautiful. He'd never seen anything as beautiful in his life… except… Lance grabbed him and kissed him and he used the bandage on his hand to wipe the tears from his perfect face.
Keith had never seen anything more beautiful than the Kra'Pau-Zol except… That smile. Those soft, affectionate eyes. The blue marks glowing gently in the fading light of sunset. The vision from the Quantum abyss that had haunted him for years. It wasn't sunset, it was this. It was here. This is what he'd seen. He'd seen their betrothal! The scent of juniberries filled his nose, crowding out everything, even the scent of Lance's skin and he knew, without a doubt… wherever she was, Allura was giving her blessing.
"I love you," Lance whispered, "my betrothed."
"I love you, too," he answered, "my betrothed."
"Are you ready?"
"I am," he answered, kissing Lance quickly, "we get a love story… let's go enjoy it."
-Fini-