And then I twisted the plot. Enjoy!
The room was quiet when Veronica stood up. She walked the length of the table, then came to a stop at the front. Her eyes scanned her audience.
"After much thought and consideration, the head council has decided that we don't have enough data on the Coalition planets," Veronica stated. She tapped a button on her tablet. Various pictures and stats came up on the screen over her head.
"As the home planet to the majority of the Paladins, Earth has been pushed into the spotlight, and we are sorely unprepared," she continued. "Most of our main allies like the Olkari and the Balmerans have come alongside us in getting us up to date on the politics of the universe, but many of those in the Voltron Coalition have only just recently heard that Voltron is still alive."
The analyst's eyes went to Shiro at her left, who stood. He leveled the group with a calm gaze. "We've been talking it over for a while. The ATLAS isn't ready for deep space travel, not with it being so new. The plan is to take the lions— it'll be the fastest and easiest way for us to travel."
Veronica nodded. "The tour has been mapped out. You'll visit one planet a day, some closer than others, so time will be of the essence. At each stop, you will meet with top dignitaries and leaders to gather information and reaffirm Coalition ties, not to mention check up on the aid needs of those planets which were formerly occupied."
Lance's head tilted. "That sounds like a lot. How long is this mission gonna be?"
"Just over a month," Iverson answered.
Katie found James' hand under the table. She squeezed tightly. He squeezed back.
"Well, when are we leaving?" Hunk questioned. "Seems like the details are still a little scrambled."
Keith inclined his head in acknowledgment. "We leave in a week. Matt's already gone ahead to set up appointments with each planet before we arrive. Everything will be ready by the time we get there."
"Any other questions?" Iverson asked. When he was met with silence, he nodded. "Then you are dismissed. Pick up the information packets on your way out."
The MFE's and Paladins began to get up from the table, and Katie let out the breath she'd been holding. Her eyes met James'. She wished she could read the emotions swimming in them, but she knew her own eyes must have looked the same. Neither of them knew how to feel about this.
"A month."
"Give or take a few days," her boyfriend joked, but his voice was strained.
Katie covered her eyes with her hands and shook her head. The bed dipped next to her. Warm arms wrapped around her shoulders.
"We'll be fine, Katie," James murmured. "We knew this was going to happen eventually. It's not going to be fun, but we'll get through it."
She snaked her arms around his waist and held on tight. She knew he was right— there had been whispers of a Coalition tour for weeks. She just hadn't thought it'd be so soon. Christmas had been barely a week and a half ago.
Katie pressed her eyes shut and buried her face in his chest. They'd only recently gotten used to him going on longer patrols, and now this? It sounded like a new kind of torture. Her heart was already squeezing painfully at the thought of being without him for so long.
"This sucks," she mumbled into his uniform. "This sucks a lot."
"It does," James agreed. "But it won't last forever. I'll be waiting for you when you get back."
Katie lifted her head to look into his eyes. "And I'll be counting the days until I see you again," she promised.
A tiny grin emerged on his face. "See? We'll be fine, just like I said."
Those words carried her through the entire week. Due to the amount of preparations to be done, all the Paladins were freed from their regular duties. And if people had thought that Katie and James spent a lot of time together before, then that didn't even begin to compare to how they were that week.
Not that either of them minded. It was like a clock was ticking down in their minds, constantly reminding them that these were their last few days to savor each other before she had to leave. It made sense that they'd stick together like glue.
Katie hated it. Did she love that James was making every effort to be with her through it? Of course. But did she hate how she'd catch him wringing his hands anxiously, only for him to then force a smile onto his face? With her entire being.
Part of her wanted to back out. She'd told him that four days before the departure.
"Katie, you're going to be fine," James stressed, his hands on her shoulders. "We're going to be fine. A little time won't change anything."
She huffed, crossing her arms. "That's not what I'm worried about."
His brown eyes softened. "Then what, Katie? What can I say to make you feel better?"
"I don't know!" she burst. "It's a lot of things, okay?"
And just like that, his lips were on hers. Tears were stinging her eyes, and she hated it. She hated all of it. She hated how she couldn't express how she felt. She hated the dread of their coming separation. She hated how she couldn't stand the idea of being without him for more than a couple days.
Katie poured everything she could into him, holding onto his uniform so tight she was sure her nails left indents in the fabric.
When James broke the kiss, his eyes gazed steadily into hers. "I know how you feel right now," he whispered. "I've been trying to act like I'm okay with all of this, but I'm not. I'm worried about you, worried that if something happens, I won't be there to help you. But I know you. I know you've been through everything imaginable, and I know that something like a peace tour isn't gonna take you away from me. We'll be fine. It's just a few weeks."
All she could do was nod.
After that, things didn't seem so bad, but the heavy cloud of dwindling time still loomed over their heads. They ignored it as best they could— they had plenty of things to do, anyways.
James helped her make lists of things to pack, then aided her in putting it all in boxes and loading it into Green. He was there when she ran system diagnostics, stowed away the new nanothermite suits for testing, and put up string lights in her room in Green.
Having James with her was both wonderful and bittersweet. She wanted to enjoy every last bit of his company, but at the same time, knowing they'd be apart soon caused her heart to twinge with pain every time she saw him smile.
Before they knew it, her Garrison quarters were practically empty. Most of her important belongings had been loaded up, all except for her bedding for the final night.
Speaking of which, she never did tell him she'd briefly stolen his cologne and sprayed her pillow with it. Though she was pretty sure he'd done the same with her perfume— his room had smelled all too familiar the last time she was in there.
On the final night before the tour began, they sat down in Green after dinner and went through his checklists one last time.
"Hairbrush?"
"Check."
"Bobbi pins?"
"Check."
"Hair detangler?"
Katie paused, then scanned her cabinet once more. "Hmm, I don't think I remembered that one—"
A bottle came down in front of her eyes, and she turned to give James an amused look. "I think you know me too well."
"Maybe," he grinned. He gave her a hand up from the floor, and they stood back to take in the state of her renovated on-board bathroom. Everything was stashed away in orderly fashion, organized by category and amount of use. Turns out having a type-A boyfriend could be handy sometimes.
James glanced down at his list one more time. "That should be everything, other than the last box tomorrow morning."
Katie nodded. "Wanna go to the cockpit and run another test on the communicators?"
He nudged her, and she took that as a yes. The couple walked in silence, both preoccupied by their thoughts. Katie didn't dare look at him. They'd been quiet almost the entire day, save for the few moments where they'd suddenly find themselves tangled in a mess of frantic lips and breathy I love you's.
Without thinking about it too much, she reached out and took James' hand. He squeezed reassuringly. She let out a breath she'd been holding.
The pair reached the cockpit, and Katie immediately sat down in the pilot's chair. She grabbed the communicator on the dashboard in front of her, handing it off to James after pushing the power button. He took it and moved to lean against one of Green's side walls.
"Testing, testing, one, two, three," Katie called out. "Come in, comm one."
After a slight delay, the screen on the device in James' hand lit up. He pressed the answer key, and the video feed came live.
"Testing, testing, one, two, three," she repeated.
James cleared his throat. "Yes, hello comm Green, my name is James Griffin. I'm calling to enquire about a beautiful young woman. Short, spunky, way smarter than me. Heard of her?"
Katie rolled her eyes and turned in her chair to give him a raised eyebrow. "Dork."
He chuckled, moving off the wall to kneel down in front of her. "Maybe."
Their gazes met, and silence held them captive. She searched his eyes. There was so much she wanted to say, but she had no idea how to say it. Was she being ridiculous for feeling like she missed him already?
Suddenly, James startled. "Oh! I almost forgot—" He reached into his pocket, producing a data chip. "This is for you."
Katie took it carefully. "What is it?"
"A playlist," he replied, smiling shyly. "It's got your favorites on it— some of mine, too. Plus, I put the soundtrack from Killbot Phantasm on there."
Quiznak, why'd he have to pull something like this right now.
Words weren't working, so Katie scooted up in her chair so she could reach his lips with hers. She'd never been good at articulating her feelings, and it turned out that kissing him had become her preferred method of expressing how she felt. It was a lot easier than stumbling over her words or wondering if she accidentally sounded sarcastic.
And besides, she'd been kissing James for just three weeks, now, and she was certain that she'd never get over how good he was at it.
"Thank you," she said when they parted.
"You're welcome." With that, he rose to his feet. Katie tried to not sigh. The atmosphere had never felt so heavy between them.
She turned in her chair to watch him. James had wandered over to the control panel on her right. One of his hands was resting on it, and his eyes were closed.
He'd been doing this a lot lately. It seemed Green had taken even more of a liking to James than they'd expected, often reaching out and connecting with his mind to speak to him. Katie never asked what they talked about— Green wasn't telling her, anyways, so she must have wanted to keep it private.
So she simply watched. It was quiet for a while, all except for the steady thrumming of Green's engines. There was a small rumble, and James' eyes flew open.
"Something interesting?" Katie queried.
Her boyfriend shook his head, laughing. "She's telling me you need to sleep, and that since you apparently aren't listening to her, you'll be more inclined to listen to me."
The Green Paladin glared up at the ceiling. "Tattle tail." A little zap of electricity rose from the chair to strike her fingers, and Katie rolled her eyes. Without any other choice (lest she anger a massive mechanical cat), she got up from the chair and stretched.
"Using you against me," Katie tutted as she walked up to James. She wrapped her arms around his waist, then leaned up on her tip toes, making a point of staring at his lips before she dragged her gaze up to his eyes. "She knows her tactics well."
James leaned down to come nose to nose with her. "Mmm, apparently," he hummed.
Katie felt a flip switch in her. She wondered if he knew what his voice did to her when it went low like that.
A sudden heat filled the air, and Katie didn't take long to contemplate it. She pressed her lips against his, letting him lead her in another one of their now countless kisses of that day. And for that moment, she let the inevitability of tomorrow leave her mind.
He held her flush against his body, allowing her to go weak at the knees when his lips parted and took her bottom lip between them. She reached up and tangled her hand in his locks. He groaned, and her heart skipped a beat.
She didn't want this to end. If she was honest, she was terrified at how much she'd come to rely on James. He'd become her everything so quickly. Before, she'd been independent almost to a fault, ready to face down anything all on her own. But now that she had him, now that she knew she didn't have to face everything alone, she had no idea how to go back to how she'd used to be.
Being with James had meant she wasn't alone. Being with James had meant she always had someone in her corner, always had someone cheering her on, telling her to keep striving forward. Katie had never thought such a force could become such an integral part of her life, but here she was, sighing into his mouth and praying that this was all some nightmare she'd wake up from. They wouldn't have to be separated. They would keep going on dates on the weekends, keep sneaking kisses in her lab when no one was around, keep holding each other on their bad days until they felt better.
Her hand snuck under his shirt before she even realized she'd done it. Her fingers drifted over his scars, and he shuddered under her touch. Fear gripped her. What if he got hurt while she was gone? What if it was worse this time? What if he couldn't be healed again?
When they finally broke apart panting, she wasn't surprised to see that James' eyes were shining with unshed tears. Hers were, too.
The next morning, there was little ceremony for their launch. Katie was grateful for that— mainly because she refused to let go of James' hand until the very last second she had to.
She'd already said goodbye to her parents that morning. Thus, when the Paladins were given the final go-ahead to board their lions, she didn't look back. She just tugged on James' hand to follow.
The couple made their way to Green in silence, both entirely wrapped in their own thoughts.
"Hey!"
They halted. Lance was standing at the foot of Red's ramp. He raised two fingers to his eyes, pointed them at James, then back to himself.
Katie rolled her eyes and kept walking, dragging James behind her. They made their way up the ramp, then turned the corner to head toward the cockpit. The second they were out of sight, James wasted no time capturing her lips with his.
She'd found that the more practice they got, the more passionate he became, often leaving her breathless with even the shortest of kisses. But this wasn't one of those— this was slow and firm, like he was trying to drink in every last bit of her essence before they had to part.
Katie melted into him, squeezing her eyes shut tight and losing herself in the sensations of the man who held her heart. She'd always hated goodbyes, but with one like this— his hands gripping her waist and his hot breath passing between them— it was hard to be upset. All she wished was that it lasted longer.
He made to move away, but she pulled him back in. His hands left her waist to cup her face. James slanted his lips against hers, and she sighed, clutching his uniform tighter.
Her heart felt like it was about to burst. She poured all the love she could into him, hoping that it was enough. Then slowly, an electric tingle began to run through her veins. It reached down her arm and stopped at her wrist, flooding into the Olkari gem. A pulse of energy dispersed from her fingertips where they rested on James' chest.
She only realized what she'd done when James gasped, breaking their kiss. Her eyes opened to see a flash of blue light just before it disappeared.
"Well that was…new," he panted. James licked his lips before he looked at her. "Did you mean to do that?"
Her face was burning. "I-I don't know," she admitted. Theories began to spin around in her head, but suddenly, she felt the energy return to her, only this time, it felt…different.
She closed her eyes to focus on it. It was familiar, warm and strong, and it— wait, was that the scent of pine and musk floating through her memory?
Katie's eyes flashed open. "I think it was a quintessence transfer. I can sense you," she realized before peering up at him curiously. "How do you feel?"
A familiar spark entered James' eyes. "Like I want to kiss you again."
Well who was she to deny him that?
When the pair finally untangled themselves a minute later, they were breathless all over again. Whatever the quintessence transfer had done, Katie felt like she'd never been more aware of James' overwhelming comforting presence in her life. Everything he did sparked something in her, just like how now he was gazing deeply into her eyes.
"I'll see you soon," he whispered. He took her hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it. "It'll fly by, and we'll be back together before we know it."
Katie nodded. "Eight o'clock?"
"Eight o'clock every night," James promised. "And I'll message you if I'm going to be late."
She nodded again. This was it. This was goodbye for now.
Slowly, she leaned up and pecked him on the lips, lingering a little longer than she'd intended to.
Her heels touched back down, and James set his forehead against hers. "I love you."
"I love you, too," she murmured.
They stayed in the peaceful silence for a moment more. Then, James moved back, a proud grin settled on his lips. "Go show the universe who Katie Holt is."
Smiling, Katie winked. "I plan on it."
James left before they could get lost in each other again, and Katie waved at him until the ramp shut. The moment it closed, she took in a deep breath. The clock to get back was already counting down.
She made her way up to the cockpit and sat down in her pilot's chair. The dashboard lit up in front of her. "Ready for some fun, Green?"
Her lion rumbled in agreement.
A couple seconds later, Lance appeared on her screen to the right, his eyes narrow in suspicion. "Have fun making google-y eyes at Captain Griff Griff, Pidge?"
Katie couldn't help the smirk that slid onto her lips. "If I say yes, will you shut up?"
Hunk's face popped up on her left. "Ugh, can you guys please not? I do not want to think about Pidge like that— she's like my sister."
"I second that," Keith sounded through the comms.
"Well I, for one, would love an update on their relationship," Allura commented. "Have you two begun to dance horizontally, yet? I think that's the term I heard in the movie Rizavi had us watch the other quintent."
"Nope! Nope! We are not talking about that!" Lance yelped.
Katie just cracked up laughing in her chair. She took ahold of the controls and grinned. "Come on, let's go on an adventure, girl."
Green growled happily, and then, they took off.
"You look beautiful."
Katie looked away from the mirror to face the direction the voice had come from. "Thanks, sweetheart," she replied, the endearment slipping off her tongue easily. She'd never thought she would be one for pet names, but after testing out several, sweetheart had been the one she'd decided upon. And besides, it described him perfectly.
James' eyes shimmered through the screen. "So, first formal event already, hm?"
"A royal gala," Katie confirmed, sticking her tongue out. "I've been trying to get ready for an hour now, but I kept forgetting where I put my favorite hair pin."
"Top drawer on the left," her boyfriend reminded her.
She rolled her eyes. "Honestly, you should've left me with a map of where you put everything. How'd your day go?"
James gave a dramatic sigh, setting his chin in his hand. "Dragged by without you here."
Katie snickered. "It's been less than twenty four hours! I just saw you this morning!"
"Still," he shrugged. "It was pretty boring. Ran some standard flight drills, nothing special. Rizavi accidentally let loose one of her EMP projectiles again."
"Doesn't she know it's the button on the—"
"Right, not left? Yeah, I keep telling her that."
Grinning, Katie reached for her necklace. She took her time fiddling with the clasp before it finally snapped together. She shifted the necklace around so it faced correctly.
"Well, guess that's it," she sighed. "I gotta get going. Wish you were here."
"I wish I was, too," James said, his eyes softening. "You really do look beautiful, Katie."
Her eyes flickered to glance at his lips before she could help it. "Thank you, James. I love you."
"I love you, too. See you tomorrow, okay?"
"Yeah, see you. Sleep well."
The video feed shut off, and Katie sat back in her chair, sighing. Her eyes drifted down to stare at her dress. It was green, of course. She was the Green Paladin after all. James had suggested she petition to wear her actual favorite color, purple, but she'd dismissed the idea, knowing that it would've probably confused everyone. Now, she wished she'd listened to him, if only so she could feel like she had a piece of him with her.
Then again, she decided as she stood up, listening to the clink of his dog tags in a pocket of her skirt…she always had part of him with her these days.
When she exited Green, her fellow Paladins were waiting for her.
"Took your sweet time talking with Griffy-boy, didn't you?" Lance questioned.
Katie rolled her eyes. "Took your sweet time gelling your hair, didn't you?" she jabbed back, pointedly staring at his slicked back hair.
"Hey now, I think it looks great!" Lance defended. He swiped a hand through his hair to make a point, and the gang rolled their eyes fondly.
"Come on, team," Shiro chuckled. "Let's get going."
The Paladins followed after him in an orderly fashion, making their way out of the courtyard the planet's royals had so kindly offered as a landing pad for the lions. They passed under several arches, though a couple tunnels, then finally found themselves at the front gates of the palace.
The gates opened, and immediately, Katie wanted to cover her ears.
There was screaming coming from every alien gathered around the processional aisle. They were a mix of colors and shapes— some tall, some short, some purple, others a combination of red and yellow. What all of them did have in common was a singular antenna that went up from their head, glowing brightly at the top. From what Katie could recall, the color the antenna took would signify what the alien was feeling. She spotted a lot of golden yellow, and she assumed that must have meant excitement.
"My ears are gonna fall off," Keith muttered to her right. Katie had to hold down her laughter when Shiro shot him a reprimanding look.
The Paladins followed the predetermined path set before them, which consisted of a blue carpet that lead to the thrones at the head of the ballroom. They stopped in front of the thrones in sync, then bowed their heads respectfully.
"King Tarir, Queen Sunessa, Prince Janlem," Shiro greeted. "Thank you for hosting us at your palace this evening."
The king stood from his throne. His antenna wobbled forward in what Katie guessed was a sign of cordiality. "The honor is ours, Paladin Shiro," the king replied. "I only wish you could stay with us longer than one nox."
Shiro smiled. "Believe me when I say I wish we could, too. You have been incredibly hospitable to us, and it is greatly appreciated."
King Tarir's eyes shifted to the right— his gaze landed on Prince Janlem. "Know that you are welcome anytime, Paladins of Voltron," the king said when his eyes had drifted back to them. "If I may, my son wished to speak to one of your Paladins about a matter of great importance."
Katie's eyebrows went up. Well that sounded weird.
But Shiro nodded politely. They'd been informed of the variety of customs on each of the planets they'd be visiting— it would most likely be a gift or spoken affirmation of their allegiance to the Voltron Coalition.
The king sat down, and Prince Janlem promptly rose. He cleared his throat, then tilted his chin up. "Paladins of Voltron," he began, his voice reverberating through the ballroom, "We the Jultii's have a tradition amongst our royal blood. A formal ritual, if you will, of securing and strengthening our ties with our allies. It is our view that any and all trusts must be formed on a foundation of true affection. Thus, as the crown prince of Jultii, it is only right that I offer my hand to one that has captured my favor."
Katie felt a grin forming on her face. Oh no, was Allura about to get propositioned? This would make a great story to tell James tomorrow night.
But then, Prince Janlem's eyes went to her, Katie Holt. She froze.
"Paladin of the Green Lion," the prince stated, "The tales of your bravery have entranced my ears for many a solus cycle, and to see you now standing before me makes me wonder why I had only heard of your great intellect and skill, rather than your radiant beauty."
Katie's mind barely registered what was happening as the prince began to walk toward her. Her entire body felt numb, and her mind had come to a grinding halt.
"Thus, Green Paladin," he continued as he approached, "It would do me great honor to have your hand in the eternal bond of one-ness."
The eternal what of what-ness? What was he saying? What was going on? Was this actually happening?
Prince Janlem was less than a yard away now, and Katie was still frozen. His piercing black eyes were cutting through her. Her mouth opened to say something, but what it was she had no idea—
Then an arm stretched out in front of her.
"Such proposals aren't common on Earth and will not be accepted as a part of our negotiations on your status in the Voltron Coalition," Shiro stated calmly. Katie's ears picked up the edge in his voice. "We will not entertain such an option."
The prince had stopped, and he now met Shiro's eyes with undisguised anger. "I see."
The tension was thick in the air, and Katie half wondered if Shiro was about to turn and have them follow him out.
But then, Allura stepped forward. "We thank you for this generous offer, your highness," she said, putting on a graceful smile. "I believe this shows how much our cultures have to learn about one another. How about we discuss it over tonight's meal? I smelled something wonderful on the way in."
King Tarir nodded slowly. "Very well. Let us proceed to the east wing of the palace."
Hunk had to nudge her for her to start moving, and for the rest of the night, Katie stayed in a similar dazed state. She vaguely noted how one of her fellow Paladins was always at her side, never leaving her alone for a second. She'd have to thank them for that later— she'd felt Prince Janlem's eyes on her all during dinner.
All she wanted was for this night to be over already. It was their first stop, and things already seemed to be a train wreck.
Her heart wrenched. She needed James.
"Well, glad to know you'd choose me over an alien," her boyfriend joked. He rubbed his eyes blearily, and Katie glanced up at the clock. It was just past two am for him. She hated waking him, but she hadn't been able to sleep. Prince Janlem's eyes on her all night had made her feel sick to her stomach.
Katie idly played with the dog tags around her neck. "Yeah, guess we kinda have to figure out when to announce our relationship to literally the entire universe," she sighed, then rubbed her temples. "This is already stressing me out. I need you here, James."
He smiled softly. Her eyes told him he felt the exact same. "We'll tell people when we're ready, Katie," he said. "For now, there's no rush. And after tonight, I'm sure the rest of your team will make sure something like that doesn't happen again."
"Funny thing is, I didn't think it was going to happen to me," Katie muttered, her eyes darting down. "I thought for sure he was talking about Allura."
"…Katie, are you comparing yourself again?"
She shrugged. "You know how I am. Sometimes I just feel like I don't measure up compared to other women."
"Katie, look at me."
She lifted her eyes.
James was gazing at her gently, affection clear as day in his brown eyes. "I know you're beautiful. There is no comparison. You are wonderful just the way you are."
Katie shook her head. "You're biased."
"Perhaps," he smiled. "But, you're not beautiful just because I say you are. The sky isn't blue because someone says it is, it just is."
Her heart swelled a little, and she blushed. "Thank you," she whispered. "Sorry for getting all insecure on you, there."
"It's okay, honey," he chuckled warmly.
Her heart skipped a beat at the nickname. That was a first.
"Besides, you think I'm the first guy to do a double take when I saw you for the first time?"
Katie blinked. "Wait, did that actually happen?"
James laughed bashfully, "Yeah, it did. Guess I'll have to tell you the story one of these days." Suddenly, he yawned, and Katie looked at the clock again. She needed to let him go back to sleep.
"I'll let you go, now. You're the best, James," she said. "And…thanks for not being jealous."
"Me?" James winked. "I'm still too busy daydreaming about our last kiss to be jealous."
Katie's heart squeezed. Why did that feel like ages ago instead of just this morning?
"Quiznak, I miss you," she whispered.
"I miss you, too," he murmured. "You'll get through it, Katie. I know you will. You've gotten through worse before."
She considered it for a moment. "True…but back then I didn't know what it was like to have you."
"And the same goes for me," James said. She tried to ignore how bittersweet his smile was.
"Okay. Goodnight, sweetheart."
"Goodnight, honey."
The screen shut off, and her room was plunged into darkness. Katie fell back on her bed. A little smile crept its way onto her face. Honey, hm? She'd have to ask when he'd decided on that one.
She sighed happily and curled up into her covers, hugging her pillow to her chest.
One day down, thirty three to go.
And until then, she'd just have to replay their last kiss in her head a million times over.
Am I mean for separating them? Maybe. Don't forget to leave a review!