A/N: This chapter takes the story from kinda kooky to totally bonkers.
I made this a "Regris lives" AU, because I love writing him as Keith's Blade buddy.
Takes place at some time around The Voltron Show.
Keith was coming for a visit.
The team was excited for the former paladin's return, no matter how short. Kolivan had contacted the team after the last Coalition rally, briefly explaining that Keith had been working hard for the last few movements and needed a rest.
They found it odd that Kolivan, whose harsh leadership seemed to imply that the Blades got very little free time, would insist that Keith stop by for a visit. Because, as straightforward as Kolivan had been, he had been very clear that the team not let Keith return for at least three quintants.
The paladins and Coran gathered in the hanger as the Blade ship flew in and landed. The ramp lowered and the team found themselves facing a Blade that was familiar, but it wasn't Keith.
"Regris," Allura said, trying to subtly look past him. "I didn't know that you were visiting as well."
"Kolivan insisted," Regris said, not sounding upset about it. "Keith was in no condition to fly."
The team tensed.
"What happened?" Shiro asked. "Is he hurt? Where is he?"
"Nothing and no." Regris jutted a thumb over his shoulder. "He is right here."
The team then noticed the armored arms hooked over Regris' shoulders with the hands laced together under his chin. They had mistaken them as pieces of Regris' own armor in their distraction.
When Regris turned, however, the source became clear: Keith.
Keith's arms were slung over Regris' head, rather loose compared to his normal death-grip. His legs curled beneath him, somehow finding a grip in Regris' armor. He had his face tucked into the back of Regris' hood.
Keith's going koala -as the tendency had been named after he first did it to Shiro- was fairly rare as it was, but him doing it to a person was even more rare. He had done it twice more to Shiro and once to Hunk after a particularly tricky mission had apparently left him too exhausted to find either his bed or Shiro first.
The team knew that the Blades tended to be stand-offish, so they were startled that Regris didn't seem too concerned about Keith's condition or his position.
"Do you need help getting him off?" Shiro finally asked, the first one to shake off his shock.
Regris studied Shiro for a tick before shaking his head. "Where is your carrier?"
"Carrier?" Shiro repeated blankly. "Do you mean a stretcher?"
Another few ticks of silence filled the room. The paladins unconsciously shrunk back when Regris studied them.
"Have you not seen Keith do this before?" Regris finally asked.
"He has," Shiro said. "Just not usually to another person."
"I see. And when he does do it to one of you?"
"We pry him off and give him a pillow," Lance said, too cheerfully as Regris' tone had set him on edge.
Regris turned his masked face toward Lance. Despite not being able to see his face, the team felt as though Regris was judging them.
Regris shook his head. "No wonder he did it on his first night in the dorms."
"Um… What is Keith doing?" Allura asked tentatively.
"He needed to kola."
A beat of silence followed before Lance's, "What? Koala?"
"No, kola."
"I think we're saying the same thing!"
Regris sighed. "I suppose that humans and Alteans do not kola, so I won't judge."
"Great!" Hunk said. "Um… could you explain what it is, then?"
"It is an instinctive habit from when Galra are young. As there isn't always a safe place for the children to stay, they can often be carried in battle by their parents. We call it kola."
Pidge nudged Lance. "It's 'kola.'"
Lance huffed at her. "Close enough."
Regris went on, "Kolaing becomes unnecessary when they are old enough to fight for themselves, but even adult Galra do it on occasion."
"I thought he was just too tired to think," Hunk said.
"He does sleep much deeper when he's… kolaing," Shiro said.
Regris nodded. "We will do it if we are tired enough and comfortable with our surroundings. Sometimes, it is when we need to be comforted."
"Like the night that he left Team Voltron to join the Blades," Allura said in realization.
Regris nodded again. "Correct."
"So, it's best to just leave Keith when he does that?" Shiro asked, feeling guilty for the times that the team had pried Keith off of one of them and given him a pillow.
"He will be calmer when he wakes up if we let him kola for as long as he needs," Regris said.
"Right." Now Shiro felt really bad.
"How is he staying there?" Pidge asked, circling Regris. "He is barely hanging on."
"We have carriers for times like this."
Regris pointed. When Pidge leaned closer she realized that there was a frame attached to the back of Regris' armor. A hook in the frame held onto the front of Keith's armor. Keith's legs were coiled around two poles at the bottom of the frame, and his feet rested on small platforms.
After a tick, Hunk said, "We need to get one of those."
Several vargas passed, in which the team gave Regris a tour of the Castle and reviewed information that he had brought.
No one noticed when Keith woke up, only that they turned around at some point and Keith was standing beside Regris.
"What?" Keith asked when the team stared at him for several ticks. "Kolivan said I needed a break."
Shiro just blinked and nodded, then resumed the data scans. Allura and Hunk were quick to turn away, too embarrassed by their oblivion in the past to tease. Pidge smirked at Keith. Lance face-palmed as he realize that he had forgotten his photo proof for once.
A/N: In case anyone is wondering... yes, even Kolivan kolas. XD