Oh gosh, it's finally here... it's time. Reunion time! I'm so glad to finally be able to write this chapter, but it does also mean that we're super close to the end! I'll probably wrap this story up either in the next chapter, or the one after it. I won't really have a way of knowing for sure until I'm actually writing it, so we'll just have to see! There's definitely some stuff that I still need to address, the least of which is Shiro actually Officially becoming the black paladin, so stick around!

cosmic dust

chapter thirty three

reunion

He barely listened to what Pidge had to tell him as he left the Blade ship. All he heard were the words Shiro and bridge, and that had been enough to set him in the right direction.

He knew he wasn't thinking straight- or at all, really. Mostly he was moving on instinct, out of some desperate drive to see if what Pidge had told him was really true- if Shiro really was himself again. That alone wasn't enough to compel him forward- there was also fear. Not fear that Pidge had lied to him- she would never do that, not like this. But fear that Sendak might end Shiro's life before he ever got the chance to talk to him again.

The real him. Not the Champion. He didn't want his last memory of Shiro to be of the Champion.

So he ran.

His brain was pretty much on autopilot by the time he actually reached the bridge, just in time to watch Sendak launch himself at Shiro. He didn't think, just moved- though in hindsight, he would be surprised that what he had reached for wasn't his trusty knife, but the red bayard, the very thing that he had never managed to get working.

Until now.

Honestly? He didn't even register that it had changed form, much less that he had thrown it until Sendak had whirled around, growling fury towards him. But he wasn't focused on that- he was too fixated on the red and white blade that stuck out from his chest, tainted with violet blood.

It wasn't like him to freeze up during a battle, but he did just that.

Thankfully, where he froze, Allura didn't. His thoughts slowly started to come back to him as he watched Sendak collapse, a hole blown clean open in his head, traces of his brain splattered on the deck of the bridge. At the edge of his hearing, he could hear Hunk desperately try to hold back his own vomit, but the sight didn't faze him in the least.

He'd seen too much- done too much- for it to.

It also helped that again, his focus was pushed elsewhere. With Sendak's hulking body no longer blocking the view, he could see him. Not the Champion, but Shiro.

All he needed to tell was to look in his eyes.

Across the bridge, Shiro's eyes met those of his own. For a second, he just stood there, totally frozen in place- he was sure Pidge had tried to tell him something more specific about Shiro, but he couldn't remember what it was. Probably because he hadn't been paying attention, but still.

Slowly- painfully slowly, clutching his right side all the while- Shiro rose to his feet. He didn't once break eye contact with him the entire time, nor did he.

"...Keith?"

Shiro's voice was barely above that of a whisper, but even so, he could hear it. It was impossible for him not to, with how good his hearing had gotten- and that knowledge was what snapped him back to reality. All of a sudden, it dawned on him that while he was staring into Shiro's eyes as they should be- a gentle, soft gray, instead of the cold steel of the Champion's- the same couldn't be said for him.

This entire time, the eyes Shiro had been staring back into were those of a Galra.

He took a step back, and then another- and then, without thinking about it, he sprinted away from the bridge, as fast as his legs could carry him.

He couldn't- he couldn't do this. He couldn't face Shiro like this. Sure, Matt had assured him that Shiro would be fine with the fact that he was half-Galra, and fine with the fact that he looked a lot more like it than he used to. But that was before they had found out just what the Galra had done to him. It was bad enough that his right arm would always serve as a permanent reminder of his days as the Champion, he didn't need to look into his face and constantly be reminded of it too.

Having to look in the mirror every day and see the face of the enemy was bad enough.

In hindsight, he would have realized that when Shiro spoke his name, it was with a trace of hope in it. But right now?

Right now, all he could think about was the fact that his brother was going to hate him.

"Wait, Keith-!"

Wincing, Shiro pressed a hand against his side. All he wanted to do was run after Keith, to tell him it was okay, but every step was agony. He wasn't about to go anywhere soon.

All he could do was watch his brother's back disappear further into the Castleship. It was broader than he remembered- which shouldn't have come as a surprise. It had been four... no, maybe five years now since he had seen him last. Things were bound to have changed between now and then.

Which still didn't explain why he looked so Galra.

He was dimly aware of Allura resting a hand against his shoulder. She looked as if she were struggling just to stay upright, but still managed to give him a reassuring smile. "He will be alright. Just give him time."

He wanted to ask. She had to know. But instead, he just swallowed, nodding his head.

If he wanted to hear it from anyone, then he wanted it to be from Keith.

"Princess, are you alright?" Coran asked, making his way toward her side.

"I am fine, Coran." Allura said weakly. "But we need to move the Castle, or risk Haggar sending reinforcements."

"Normally I would agree, princess, but you're in no condition to-"

Allura just shook her head, cutting him off. "I can manage at least one wormhole jump."

Coran frowned, before heaving a sigh. "At least let me give you a hand."

She cast the man a grateful smile. "I would appreciate it. That last blow to the head seems to have left me just a touch disorientated."

He watched as Coran helped her to the central platform, helping to brace her in place as she rested her hands on the pillars that were fixed there. She drew in a ragged breath, closing her eyes, before he felt the rumble of the ship lifting off from the ground.

The sight of the wormhole stirred a memory in him- one of the Champion's. He had watched one form from the deck of Haggar's ship, as the lions of Voltron made their retreat through it. Haggar had been able to track its energy then, but she wasn't here now to do so. Once they left Arus, they would probably be safe.

At least, for awhile.

No sooner than had they slipped through the wormhole, did Allura collapse in Coran's arms. For a brief moment, he thought she had slipped into unconsciousness, before she weakly turned his head, gazing in his direction.

"Well," she said, "-it would seem we are both in need of some time in a healing pod."

In spite of himself, Shiro gave her a weak grin. "I've definitely been better."

"Right then," Coran nodded, "-let's take care of that. I'd say you two have more than earned your rest."

Biting down on his lip, Shiro's gaze darted behind him. The sword that had pierced through Sendak had transformed, returning to a state which his memories informed him was a bayard. The red bayard, specifically- Keith's bayard.

He'd put him through the ringer, and he had saved him for a second time.

"Are you sure he'll-?"

"I am quite certain Pidge has already gone to find him." Allura said. "I am sure by the time we have both recovered, he will be more than willing to speak with you."

Shiro swallowed, nodding his head. He hoped so. They had so much to talk about.

But he was alive, Shiro caught himself thinking. Keith was alive.

For so long, he'd had to endure everyone telling him that he was dead. That he was lost somewhere out in the desert, his remains likely torn apart by wild animals until there was nothing left to be found but bones. Or well... nobody had actually ever told him that much to his face- nobody he knew was that much of an asshole, not even Admiral Sanda. But the implication had always been there.

That they were right, and he was wrong. That he was crazy for clinging to the belief that Keith could still be alive.

But he was right. Keith was alive.

Alive, and a paladin of Voltron. Shiro couldn't be more proud.

"Hunk, do you think you could give me a hand?" Coran asked. "Provided you're done with your little gastrointestinal upset, that is."

Hunk groaned, very purposefully avoiding looking at Sendak- and only now did Shiro notice the way his brains had splattered all over his desk. The sight churned his stomach, and he had to force himself to look away- he couldn't blame Hunk for losing his lunch at the sight.

He was half glad he nearly did.

"Yeah," Hunk said weakly, "-yeah, I think I'm empty. What do you need?"

"Help me get Allura and Shiro down to the med bay." Coran told him. "I'd like to get you checked out while I'm down there as well."

"Mm, yeah, probably a good idea. I don't think I've got anything worse than a few bruises, but better safe than sorry." Hunk agreed, before pausing, his gaze darting behind him. "But wait- what about Haxus? Are we just gonna leave him here on the bridge, alone? That doesn't seem safe, even if he is handcuffed."

"I'll take care of Haxus." Matt's voice caught his attention, and he turned his head, catching sight of him at the entrance to the bridge. "Just tell me where to take him."

"There's a cryochamber on the lower deck." Allura informed him. "We will keep him there for the time being."

"Also," Allura frowned, crinkling her nose, "-why are you so dirty?"

Matt just shrugged. "I was in the vents. You're welcome for disabling Haxus' command module, by the way."

Allura merely clicked her tongue. "Ah. I suppose they will need a good cleaning then, when we have the chance. Coran?"

"I'll be sure to add that to my to do list!" Coran said. "But first, let's get the two of you in a pod. I'm worried about that head injury of yours, princess, and the way Shiro's holding his side doesn't look good."

"Doesn't feel too good either." Shiro mumbled.

Part of him was amazed at how easily Coran and Hunk seemed to be accepting his presence here- even if Hunk did seem to nervously shoot him a glance from time to time. Given how their first meeting had gone, he couldn't exactly blame him. He would have thought that there would have been more resistance to just... bringing him into the fold like this.

Whatever Keith had told them about him, it must have really been something.

Which was all the more reason for him to have a good, long talk with him. They had so much to catch up on- and there was so much that needed to be said. But Coran was right- the only reason he'd been holding up for this long was because of the adrenaline, and even that was starting to wear off. He probably could use some time in a healing pod.

But after that? After that, he and Keith would have a talk.

"You ran away."

Keith grumbled, burying his face deeper into his arms. It wasn't like he didn't expect Pidge to come looking for him- he just hadn't expected her to find him so fast.

"Shut up." Keith mumbled. "I panicked."

"You panicked." Pidge stated flatly. "You've fought off evil aliens, pulled off countless impossible stunts, and even escaped a nigh-impenetrable space fortress. But one sight of Shiro, and you panic."

Lifting his head, Keith glared at her. "And you wouldn't?"

Pidge hummed, taking a seat next to him. "No, you're right. I probably would too."

Keith huffed, staring at his hands. He thought he had gotten used to their appearance, like his fingers alone had been dipped in purple paint, but right now they just looked downright alien to him. Maybe it was just because Shiro had never seen him like this- at least, not as himself.

But he'd still recognized him.

That... should have encouraged him. It had been years since they had seen each other, and he knew just how different he had to look. But in spite of the changes wrought by both experimentation and time alike, he'd still looked at him, and seen Keith.

He just didn't know if he'd looked at him and seen his brother.

He did. When he looked at Shiro, that was all he saw. Not the Champion. Not Haggar's weapon, the one who had snapped his wrist and broken his ribs. Just... Shiro.

"I know you and Matt said it would be fine, but..." Keith trailed off, shaking his head. "I- I'm scared, Pidge."

Ducking his head, Keith bit his lip. He wasn't used to being this open to people, this vulnerable. He was terrified by the idea that Shiro might hate him, but normally, he wouldn't admit that so openly. But to Pidge... to Pidge, he felt like he could be at least a little more open.

Maybe she and Matt were on to something when they talked about him like he was part of the family. That would be... that would be nice, he thought.

By the time he met Shiro, he had been through so many different foster families, that he couldn't even dream of having a family to call his own again. He'd proved him wrong, but then he had been taken, his entire world turned upside down- and something like a family became a distant dream again. When he met Pidge...

...well, he didn't want to get his hopes up. Not again. He couldn't go through that again.

"I don't think Shiro is going to hate you, Keith." Pidge told him.

"You don't know that." Keith said.

"No." Pidge admitted. "But I doubt it."

Looking up at her, he frowned, wondering if she had some kind of basis for that. She sounded so sure of herself that part of him hoped she did. "Did he say anything? You spoke to him, right?"

"Well... he didn't say anything about you specifically." Pidge admitted. "Probably because his memories hadn't all quite caught up yet. But just because he didn't say anything about it, doesn't mean it's not true."

"But you don't know for sure." Keith said.

"No." Pidge shook her head. "But I do know that the Shiro my brother would always tell me about isn't the type of person who would hate you just because you're part-Galra."

Letting out a huff, Keith rested his head against the wall. "People change."

"Yeah, but they don't change that much." Pidge said, before pausing, almost seeming to reconsider. "I mean, not unless brainwashing is involved."

In spite of himself, Keith snorted. "So... where is he now?"

"According to Matt, both Shiro and Allura are in healing pods." Pidge told him. "Coran says they'll probably be in there for at least half a day, but that they should be fine. The fight against Sendak really took a lot out of them."

Keith winced. He couldn't help but wonder if he had a part in that- at least, in terms of Shiro's injuries. It didn't feel like he'd been in the pod that long before Sendak's attack, but then again, these past few days had been so filled with activity that his sense of time had gone a bit haywire. Not being able to sleep just ended up making the days blur into each other- it just felt like it had been one really long day, rather than several.

"Come on," Pidge said, getting to her feet, extending a hand to him, "-it's been a long day. We should probably try and get some sleep."

Keith took it, letting her haul him to his feet. "I can't, you know."

Pidge blinked, looking up at him. "Can't what?"

"Sleep." Keith confessed.

"Oh." Pidge's face fell. "You can't- no wonder you look so exhausted all the time. How are you even alive?"

Keith just shrugged. He honestly didn't have an answer to that. He figured it had to be because of something Haggar had done to him, but the list was so long that he couldn't even begin to pinpoint just what it was. "Sheer willpower?"

"You really ought to have Coran check you out." Pidge told him. "Who knows? Maybe he can even help. He seems to know all sorts of weird shit."

"Thanks," Keith said, "-I'll think about it."

"Do you actually mean that this time?" Pidge asked, linking her hands behind her back.

Keith glared at her, but he couldn't even say anything back to that. She had a point.

"I told you about it, didn't I?" Keith pointed out. "You can even hold me to it if you want."

Pidge tilted her head, seeming to consider it. "Maybe I will. But first, let's get out of this armor. I feel like I've been wearing it non-stop since yesterday."

That he couldn't agree more with. He still didn't feel totally at home in his paladin armor- he'd been trying, but he couldn't totally shake the feeling that he didn't deserve this. Even if he had been able to get his bayard to work, he wasn't even sure if that was something he could even replicate.

Still... it had worked. Maybe he wasn't as broken as he thought he was.

As the chill of the healing pod slowly seeped from his bones, Shiro gradually came back to awareness.

The first thing he noticed was someone's steadying hand on his shoulder, keeping him upright. Looking up, he met Matt's eyes. There was a hint of mirth in that smile of his, though part of him was too busy wondering just where he had gotten that scar on his cheek from to focus on it. He couldn't even remember where he'd gotten the one on his face.

"Look who's finally up." Matt cracked.

Shiro blinked, still feeling a bit groggy. "The princess...?"

"My healing cycle ended about a varga ago." Allura said. Looking up, he met her gaze. "Your injuries required slightly longer to heal. How do you feel?"

Shiro frowned, mulling the question over. Honestly? He felt better than he had in a long time. Probably since before the Kerberos mission- maybe even longer than that, now that his body was free of the disease that had ravaged it for so long. At least the Galra had done one good thing.

"I feel... fine. Great, actually." Shiro admitted. "How long has it-?"

"About half a day." Pidge supplied. Looking over towards her, he found her leaning against one of the other healing pods, a faint smile on her face. "Good to see you back on your feet."

"Glad to be back on my feet." Shiro told her. "How's the situation?"

"For now, everything is fine." Allura told him. "It seems we were able to make a clean break from Arus. Just to be safe, I wormholed us to a different location shortly after I awoke."

"Against my recommendations." Coran grumbled.

Shiro faintly laughed, his eyes scanning the room. Hanging a bit more towards the back were Hunk and another young man- one who he vaguely recognized as being one of the cadets from the Garrison. Probably the blue paladin. There was no sign of Ulaz, or anyone who looked like they could be Thace- and he couldn't find any sign of Keith.

His face fell a bit at that. Maybe he wasn't ready to face him just yet.

"So Haggar's not following us." Shiro said.

"Looks like we gave her the slip!" Coran chirped.

"I made sure to check your arm for any tracking devices." Pidge said. He blinked, staring down at his right arm- that hadn't even occurred to him. "Luckily, it doesn't look like there are any in there. I did have to kill some pretty nasty code that was tucked away in it though, but it should be fine now."

Huh. Somehow that didn't surprise him. Clenching his right hand into a fist, he drew in a deep breath. Guess he was just going to have to get used to it.

"Thanks." Shiro said, before turning his gaze towards the rest of his body. The suit that Coran had given him to wear in the cryopod was starting to itch. "I don't suppose you have any clothes I can borrow? I'm not exactly wild about the idea of putting on Galra armor again."

"Oh, no worries there." Coran said, motioning towards a not insubstantial pile strewn about a tabletop. "I went through our whole storehouse, looking for clothes that might fit. Pick anything you like!"

Shiro gave the Altean a weak smile, before making his way over towards the pile of clothing. Carefully picking through it, he managed to find a few articles he liked. There was nothing quite like his favorite leather jacket, the one that he had left behind on Earth. He wondered what had happened to it. Maybe Adam had it.

"We'll give you a bit of privacy so you can change." Allura said. "Feel free to take all the time you like."

Looking back towards her, Shiro nodded his head. "Thanks."

Allura briefly met his eyes, before she and the rest of the paladins ducked out of the room. He waited until the door shut behind them before he released the breath he was holding, his shoulders slumping. Honestly, he had been hoping to see Keith, but he could understand if he wasn't ready to deal with him just yet.

He had tried to kill him.

Changing out of the cryosuit and putting on new clothes felt strange. His body had gotten so used to wearing armor, that he almost felt strange now that he wasn't wearing it.

But at the same time... he felt more like himself than he had felt in a long time. Some of his memories were still pretty hazy, but for the most part, his time as the Champion was all starting to come back to him. It was strange, having memories that he wasn't entirely a part of- just his body, being used like a living marionette by an evil space witch.

And here he thought Keith and Adam were the only ones who could manipulate him into doing what they wanted.

"You know... I have something for you."

Shiro froze, for a second, nearly convinced he had imagined the voice. Slowly turning around, he came face to face with Keith, his brother hovering at the opposite end of the room, almost like he was waiting for an invitation.

He was taller than he remembered. His voice was deeper too. His hairstyle was still exactly the same, he noted with no small degree of fondness- that, and his draw towards red jackets. The one he had on was definitely new, but it had been five years. He was bound to get a new wardrobe between now and then.

"Keith." Shiro breathed. "It is you."

For a split second, his eyes peeked out from underneath his bangs, before disappearing just as quickly underneath them. It hadn't been long- just enough for him to get a good look at them, confirming that what he'd seen on the bridge hadn't been an illusion. His pupils were gone, replaced by solid Galra yellow.

"Yeah." He said weakly. "It's me."

Turning on his heel, his new boots squeaking slightly against the floor, Shiro rapidly closed the distance between them. Maybe a bit too rapidly, causing Keith to flinch and shrink back- at which point, he came to a complete stop. The last thing he wanted to do was make Keith feel trapped or uncomfortable.

He had hurt him. He couldn't blame him in the least if he was afraid of him now.

"You... said you had something for me?" Shiro asked.

Slowly, Keith nodded, extending his arms. There was a black vest in it, one that he vaguely recognized, but couldn't place. "It... used to be my father's. I brought it back from Earth."

Shiro's head snapped up, staring at him with wide eyes. Now he recognized it- he'd seen it in the few pictures Keith had of him with his father.

"Are you sure?" Shiro asked. "It has to be important to you."

Keith just nodded. "I want you to have it. If- if you want it, I mean. You don't have to take it. I'd get it if you didn't."

Suddenly, it dawned on Shiro that he had this all wrong. Keith wasn't afraid of him. He was afraid that he would somehow hate him.

No. Never. Even if taking the vest from him revealed purple, clawed fingers. Even if Keith's face, when he finally looked up at him, was spotted with purple by the eyes, sharp teeth showing as his mouth formed a small o of surprise.

Even if he was somehow Galra.

"I'll take good care of it." Shiro promised. "Thank you."

For a long time, Keith just stood there, staring at him. Then all at once, he closed the gap between them, almost seeming to bury his face in his chest. Those same clawed fingers dug into the fabric of his borrowed shirt, and he could feel him tremble as he carefully wrapped him in an embrace.

"I thought," Keith choked out, "-I thought I'd never see you again."

"I never gave up on you." Shiro told him, resting his chin on Keith's head. His hair was soft, softer than he remembered it being. "Everyone tried to say you were dead."

"Not dead." Keith mumbled. "Just abducted by aliens."

"A common mistake." Shiro joked.

He swore Keith laughed. "They think you're dead too. The same with Matt and his dad."

Shiro blinked. And here he'd just been trying to crack a joke to lighten the mood. "Apparently, a very common mistake."

Keith's shoulders trembled, but this time, it was just because he was laughing so hard. He felt something in his own chest ease at the sound of it, muffled as it was.

"Your sense of humor still sucks." Keith muttered.

"Hey, you're the one who was laughing." Shiro pointed out.

"That's because my sense of humor sucks too." Keith told him, pulling away from him a little, just enough so that his head wasn't buried in his chest anymore. "Seeing as I picked it up from you."

For some reason, he thought his eyes would be difficult to read, but he could make out the hope in them just as clear as day. Please don't hate me, they silently said.

As if he ever could.

"So... aliens, huh?" Shiro asked.

"Aliens." Keith echoed. "I guess I should probably tell you I'm actually half-Galra."

"Yeah, I kind of guessed that part." Shiro said. He still didn't understand how, but it was pretty clear that Keith had to have at least some Galra blood in his veins to look the way he did now. "Did Haggar-?"

Keith swallowed, ducking his head. He pushed away a bit, and he complied, releasing him slowly from his embrace, even though he was almost loathe to do so. But he knew Keith well enough to know when he needed a little space. "She did a lot of things to me."

"Yeah, me too." Shiro said, clenching his right fist. "How much do you think I can bench press with this arm alone? Be honest."

It got a chuckle out of Keith, which was exactly what he was aiming for. "Maybe enough to finally get a steady boyfriend."

"Bold of you to assume I haven't already gotten one while you were away." Shiro observed, quirking a brow. "You remember Adam?"

Keith tilted his head. "The flight instructor that transferred in from the west coast? Why?"

"Well, we're engaged." Shiro told him, before frowning. "Or we were, I guess, before I got abducted by aliens and was apparently declared dead."

Keith finally cracked a smile, though he didn't miss the tinge of regret it had. "Sucks, doesn't it?"

Shiro's shoulders slumped. He wanted to believe that Adam was still waiting for him back on Earth, but he wouldn't blame him if he'd moved on. "Yeah, it does."

Keith lapsed into silence, his eyes once more vanishing underneath his bangs. Shiro just let him be, carefully pulling on the vest Keith had given him, zipping it up. He was surprised by how well it fit. It wasn't quite like his old leather jacket, but it would do just fine.

"This ship has an observation deck." Keith said suddenly. "It's not quite the same as looking at the stars from the ground, but if you want to...?"

Shiro just smiled. For all the terrible things that had happened to him, and in spite of all the terrible things he'd been made to do, at least he had his baby brother back.

"I'd love to."

They must have sat there for hours, on the observation deck, just talking. Shiro told him everything that had transpired on Earth since he had disappeared, and he told him everything that he had been doing since he'd crash landed on Earth and ended up in Pidge's backyard.

They didn't touch on Haggar. On what she had done to them both. Not yet.

They told each other stories- anything that came to mind. Shiro told him the story about how he had asked Adam to marry him. He hadn't expected it to be funny, but it turned out that everything had gone hilariously wrong. He told him about the time he and Pidge accidentally ended up kidnapping a duke while trying to hide out from the Galra one time.

It felt almost like no time had passed at all. If he closed his eyes, he could almost pretend that they were on the roof of the Galaxy Garrison, chatting about how the day had gone.

"So... did you end up getting a pardon?" Shiro asked.

"No." Keith said. "Pidge and I can never go back to that planet ever again."

"That's... going to be a problem if we ever have to liberate them from the Galra." Shiro observed.

"Let's just hope we don't have to." Keith said. "They seemed pretty tough. I'm sure they'll be fine."

Shiro just shook his head. "I can't believe you and Katie became space pirates."

In spite of himself, Keith smirked. "You had to bail me out of juvie for stealing your car, and you're surprised I became a space pirate?"

"Okay, that's a fair point." Shiro admitted. "Still- Katie?"

"Hey, by the time we met, she had already hacked into the Garrison's probes." Keith said. "I don't appreciate your accusations of being a bad influence. She was like that when I got her."

"Fair enough." Shiro said. "So... why space piracy?"

Keith just shrugged. "It sounded like a good way to get back at the Galra while searching for the information Pidge needed. Plus, I figured if she found her family, maybe we'd find you."

"So you were looking for me." Shiro said.

Looking away from him, Keith fixed his gaze out the window. His reflection stared back at him, but for once, he felt almost at ease with the face he saw. All of his fears of Shiro rejecting him had amounted to nothing- it had barely even been an issue.

Now he just felt bad for ever thinking it could even be a possibility.

"Well... yeah." Keith admitted. "When I learned about the Kerberos mission from Pidge, and learned that you were a part of it... I didn't know what to think. All this time, I thought you were safe on Earth, but you were... you were on Central Command, with me."

"I heard Haggar had another prisoner that she was experimenting on." He added. "I didn't think it was you."

"I heard that too. Or at least, something pretty close to it." Shiro said. "I'd heard that one of her personal prisoners had escaped. I didn't think that was you either."

Keith nodded. "Thace helped me."

"He's with the Galra resistance, right?" Shiro asked. "The Blade of Marmora?"

"Yeah." Keith said. "I think- I think my mom might have been a part of them too."

Shiro blinked, surprise washing over his features. "Your mom? So you're..."

"Haggar didn't make me half Galra." Keith told him. "She just made me look like it."

Shiro took a second to process the information. He didn't blame him. Even if he hadn't gone through what he had at the Galra's hands, the fact that he was half-alien at all would have been revelation enough. He knew it had been for him, even if it had been accompanied by bouts of self-loathing at times.

He was... starting to get better about that. Starting.

"If it helps," Shiro said, "-I'm not sure if I'm one hundred percent human anymore either."

Keith stared at him, horrified. He knew exactly what Haggar was like, but for some reason, he still hadn't thought that she would go that far. "You think she spliced your DNA?"

"I don't know." Shiro admitted. "I just know that I'm a lot stronger than I used to be. Not to mention sturdier. And my eyesight..."

He shook his head. "The Castle's lights are kind of bright, aren't they?"

Keith just snorted, folding his arms in front of him. "Why do you think I like the observation deck so much? It's one of the few places on this ship that's actually dark."

They lapsed into silence, but it wasn't a heavy one. It felt... almost normal, Keith thought. Like nothing had changed.

Maybe nothing had. At least... nothing that actually mattered.

"So," Shiro began, "-your mom."

"My mom." Keith echoed. "I don't know who she is exactly. I think Thace and Ulaz might know, but I haven't had the chance to ask them yet. I'm not sure if I even want to know."

"Why not?" Shiro asked, looking over towards him.

Staring down at his hands, Keith narrowed his eyes. "She left me. Me and my dad. What if she just never wanted me?"

Shiro frowned. "Do you really think your dad would have fallen in love with someone like that?"

Looking up, Keith bit his lip, mulling it over. He didn't think so. His dad was the most caring, compassionate person he'd ever known- and that was including Shiro. He didn't think he could fall for someone who was any less. "I don't know. I don't want to think he could have, but..."

Carefully, Shiro rested a hand on his shoulder- his human hand. Even if it had been the arm Haggar had built for him, he wouldn't have objected. Where the Champion had been cruel, Shiro was gentle- exactly the way he remembered him. "You don't have to ask right away. You can do this at your own pace, Keith."

"I know, it's just... I've spent my whole life not knowing." Keith said. "And we're in the middle of a war. I don't want to end up waiting until its too late."

"I don't think this is something that has an easy answer." Shiro admitted. "But whatever you decide on, I'm here for you. I want you to know that."

Keith swallowed, meeting Shiro's eyes. The amount of warmth he found there was almost enough to make him want to avert his eyes, but he didn't. "Thanks."

"I'm just sorry I couldn't have found you sooner." Shiro said.

"It's okay." Keith told him. "I don't think anyone would have thought to check deep space."

"Probably not." Shiro cracked a smile. "But I'm still sorry you had to go through that."

From anyone else, it would have just sounded like pretty, shallow words. But from Shiro... from Shiro, there was a depth to it. He knew exactly what it was like, to be used harshly by Haggar, to be transformed into something horrible.

In some ways, he'd actually had it worse. At least he'd kept his mind- Shiro had been forced to become someone different, on top of becoming something different.

"Me too." Keith said. "I'm sorry."

"Not your fault." Shiro shook his head. "It's Haggar's."

"I-" Keith began, clenching his fists, "-she knew, Shiro. It was my fault she chose you."

He didn't have to specify just what she knew. Shiro had been through the same things he had. He didn't have to ask to know that Haggar had rooted around in his head. Of course she had- his time as the Champion was evidence enough of that.

"It's still not your fault." Shiro insisted, his grip on his shoulder becoming a bit tighter. But it wasn't painful- just reassuring. "Haggar is the one who chose to do all of this. If there's anyone to blame in this scenario, it's her. You did nothing wrong."

Swallowing, Keith looked up. He'd been told that before, but somehow hearing it from Shiro felt like there was a dam breaking inside of him, like he could finally risk actually believing it. He didn't have the capacity to cry anymore, but if he did, he knew he would have probably teared up.

So instead, he just did the next best thing- throw his arms around him and bury his face in his chest.

"You know," Shiro affectionately chuckled, "-I don't remember you being this clingy."

"Shut up." Keith mumbled, his words half lost in his chest. "It's been five years. I'm making up for lost time."

Shiro just chuckled again, before he pulled him into an embrace of his own. "I missed you too, Keith."

He just hummed, closing his eyes, taking a long whiff of Shiro's scent. It was calming, the same way it had been when he was just a scrappy foster kid that nobody wanted to deal with. He'd never told him this, but the way Shiro smelled had always reminded him of his father. It was part of why he had been willing to trust him.

It hadn't changed.

"I'm sorry too." Shiro told him, resting a gentle hand on his head. "I hurt you."

Keith just shook his head. "Not your fault. Haggar's."

"She really did a number on us, huh?" Shiro asked.

"She can get fucked." Keith muttered.

"Keith!" Shiro sputtered. "Language!"

Keith peered up at him, half-glaring at him. Suddenly he understood how Pidge felt. "I'm eighteen now, Shiro. I can swear as much as I want."

Shiro opened his mouth to say something, before quickly shutting it. "Oh god, you are eighteen. No wonder you got so big."

He stared at him suspiciously. "Are you making fun of me?"

Shiro blinked. "Wha- Keith, why would I be making fun of you?"

"Because I'm part Galra." Keith pointed out, pulling away just enough to get a bit of distance, but not quite releasing Shiro from his embrace just yet. "Even Lance is taller than me, and he's a year younger than I am."

"Lance is the blue paladin, right?" Shiro asked, to which he nodded. He'd kind of forgotten that Shiro hadn't totally been caught up to speed on everything just yet. There hadn't been time. "Katie is one thing, but you're definitely going to have to tell me the story of how two Galaxy Garrison cadets ended up this far out in space."

"Well," Keith told him, a faint grin on his face, "-it all started when we stole the blue lion from the Garrison."

"You what."