They sat The other paladins down in the common room for this, Allura doing almost all the talking to his great relief. None of them seem to realize where this was going as she explained how the galras could reproduce with any species, Pidge and Keith listening with honest interest, Hunk just to be polite, but as always Lance got bored quickly, slumping on the couch not bothering to hide his uninterest.

"... Now that the biology lesson is taken care of, we can get to the actual point"

She said once she finished up explaining, turning her gaze on Shiro. He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, not able to look any of them in the eye. Resisting the urge to turn and run instead he took a deep breath and straightened up

"This... This kind of shocking, and not going to be easy for any of us but, well... I.. I-I'm pregnant"

He stuttered out, stumbling over his words. There was a very brief second of silence as the news settled over them before they erupted. Hunk made some garbled surprised sound as he fell off his seat with a thud and Pidge started firing off rapid questions, Lance sitting up quickly from his slumped position and shouting some surprised swears in Spanish. The only one who didn't have a loud reaction was Keith, who merely stiffened, his eyes locked on him with a mix of emotions in them Shiro couldn't read.

"Ok ok, team calm down!"

He shouted over all their noise but it took a few minutes to settle them back down and even then they all clearly had more to say, looking at him unhappily as they waited to hear what else he had to say

"This isn't going to change anything, I still have awhile before it will effect my ability to pilot my lion so-"

Shiro started to explain but didn't get to finish as they started up another round of yelling

"Fuck Voltron, what about you!?"

Lance snapped

"Yeah Lance is right, this is kinda a big deal, I mean with all the galra have already done to you..."

Hunk said less angry but just as upset, brown eyes full of worry

"You're acting like this is a stomach bug or some minor inconvenience, you're pregnant, they sexual assaulted you! This isn't ok!"

Pidge shouted, throwing their hands in the air in frustration, Shiro flinching as they said it aloud. Keith still wasn't saying anything but his gaze burned as he stared at him, mouth pressed in a tight frown and shoulders set ridged.

"This is just an inconvenience, in five months we'll find the child a home and it will all be behind us"

Shiro insisted, but just getting another round of shouting from them

"I'm sorry Shiro but I have to agree with your fellow paladins, you're trying to pretend this is just a minor issue. I'm not sure about humans but alteans can get seriously ill from repressing trauma like this"

Allura said with a worried frown once the yelling quieted down some. He opened his mouth to say that wasn't true with humans but Pidge cut him off before he could

"That can happen with us too, there's even something called Broken heart syndrome where we can literally die from stress or sadness"

They said which imminently raised Allura's concern ten fold. Before he could so much as begin to explain that was rare and super unlikely he was shoved onto the couch between Lance and Hunk, the princess frowning down at him with her hands on her hips

"That is enough, we aren't going to let you suffer in silence any longer. We're starting on helping you right now"

She said stubbornly

"I'm really fine, besides I've fallen behind on training a bit and should go-"

Shiro said as he started to get back up but Lance and Hunk pushed him back down before Pidge scampered over and sat themself down in his lap to prevent him from trying again. He twitched a bit as Keith wrapped his arms around his shoulders from behind, Allura settling down on the couch as well

"Guys-"

He started to complain, nervous by the thought of having to go into the more emotional side of this

"Shhh, only emotional issues now"

Lance cut him off, earning an eye-roll from Pidge

"Lance this is serious, if you quote any more memes I'm gonna kick you out"

They said with exasperation as they snuggled up to Shiro's chest, fitting nicely in his lap

"Ignoring the jokey way he said it, Lance is right"

They said as they looked up at him, their amber eyes distinctly reminding Shiro painfully of their older brother.

"Yeah come on Shiro, you've always been there for us, let us be here for you"

Hunk added, rubbing one of his big warm hands over his thigh comfortingly. He sighed and went limp, giving up. They had him trapped and clearly weren't going to let him up until they discussed this.

"... What do you want me to say? The little I can remember is awful if given the chance I'd forgot all of it"

He said in defeat, leaning his head back as Keith started to run his hands through his hair to help relax him

"What do you remember?"

Lance asked, resting his chin on Shiro's shoulder

"After the galra grabbed us it's all pretty hazy, I only remember bits and pieces... But it's been coming back to me slowly"

He muttered, frowning a bit, really not wanting to focus in on any of those memories, preferring to keep them vague and hazy as possible in the back of his mind

"Most of what I can remember is in the arena, fairly sure that's how most of that year was spent. I think they only started experimenting on me and doing... Other stuff... later, once I'd gotten their attention by surviving for so long"

He muttered with a bit of a grimace, keeping the details vague for his own comfort

"Do you remember which one of them did this to you?"

Keith asked quietly, the first time he'd spoken since learning the news

"Y... Yes, I do..."

Shiro answered hesitatingly, steeling himself before continuing

"Sendak. Sendak took a... "Speical interest" in me. I don't know why or what I did that made him want me so badly but from the best of what I can remember he just really wanted to break me"

He said with a shudder of what he remembered of Sendak. Keith's hands tightened on his shoulders and he didn't need to look at him to know the younger man was angry. The quiet that fell over them told him the news they'd faced the galra who'd done this to him shook the rest of them too. Pidge especially seemed disturbed, face going a bit pale as they pressed a hand over Shiro's stomach softly

"... If I'd known that I would have tried harder to kill him when we had the chance"

They muttered quietly after a minute to his shock

"Pidge-"

He started but Keith cut him off

"I agree, that bastard deserved a much worse beating then we gave"

He growled, gripping the back of Shiro's vest in rage

"I wouldn't have even considered keeping him in the castle if I'd known what he'd done to you, cryo-sleep or not you shouldn't have had to live with the man who hurt you like this. I would have disposed of him properly instead of letting him be in the same space as you"

Allura added firmly, reaching around Lance to touch Shiro's arm comfortingly. He swallowed hard, ducking his head, throat feeling a bit tight with emotion

"I... While I appreciate what you guys are trying to say, I'm not liking how fast you're turning bloodthirsty over this"

He said, barely able to keep his voice from cracking

"Well duh, of crouse we're all getting bloodthirsty, we want to tear that cabrĂ³n to pieces!"

Lance snapped, waving his arms in exasperation

"Just think for a minute Shiro, how would you feel if this had happened to one of us?"

Hunk asked him more calmly, making him stiffen, imagining if it had been Pidge or Allura or Lance or any of them had been put through what he had. All the things Sendak had done to him, the way he'd violated him... Shiro didn't realize he was gritting his teeth and digging his fingers into the couch cushions until it tore under his galra hand, the sound snapping him out of it. He quickly let go, leaving five holes in one cushion, now feeling a bit guilty. Of crouse they were reacting like this, he would be just as upset if it was one of them. "...You're right, I'm sorry. I didn't think of it like that, I'd be acting the same way you all are if it was one of you in my place"

He admitted, knowing if it was any of them he'd be out there right now looking for Sendak so he could kill him himself

"It's ok Shiro, just let us help you like you would help us"

Pidge said, nuzzling his chest. Shiro rested a hand on their head as he let out a sigh

"Ok... Ok, I'll try. I don't know how easy it will be for me, I'm used to taking care of all of you, but I'll try"

He relented, giving in.

"But for now we're wasting the day away, it's been too long since a group training exercise"

He said and Pidge got out of his lap, letting him stand, feeling a both relieved that this was over and grateful they'd made him do it. He would be lying if he said he didn't feel better with that off his chest.

"Aww come on Shiro, training? Right after that?"

Lance complained as he flopped over onto Hunk

"Yes training, I told you this doesn't change anything, we still have a universe to save"

Shiro huffed back as he stretched

"Shiro is correct, Zarkon isn't about to give us a break. Come on paladins, get to work"

Allura said, back to her usual commanding tone, giving a clap of her hands as she stood. The other paladins got up and started towards the training deck, Lance continuing to grumble, each giving Shiro an affection nudge or kiss as they passed. To his surprise Keith dragged his feet too, usual for him. He normally was eager to train, the first one in the training room, but today he just didn't seem into it at all. Though he wasn't the only one acting differently during this training session, all of them were. They were being way more protective of him, not letting the robot gladiators get too close to him, going easier on him when they sparred (Which was very noticeable since none of them could beat him anyway) He knew he should have expected it given what he'd just told them but it didn't make it any less embarrassing.

When they finished Lance, Pidge, and Hunk went to go get something to eat but Shiro hesitated, staying in the training room and watching Keith hack gladiators after gladiators to pieces. He wasn't surprised the red paladin was taking it so hard, he'd always been one to brood over his emotions, even way back when he'd first met the younger in the Garrison

"Keith"

Shiro called out to him once he'd ripped yet another training robot to pieces. He looked up at him, panting and bangs hanging in his face "Come on, you've done enough today"

Shiro said softly, gesturing for him to come over. Keith hesitated, gripping his Bayard

"... I'm fine, I can handle more than this"

He said after a beat

"I know you can, but that's still enough for today. Come on"

Shiro insisted and after another few minutes of staring him down Keith gave in and walked over to him, putting his Bayard away

"I thought we were supposed to be the ones taking care of you now"

The younger said grumpily as he looked up at him with his arms crossed

"I said you could take care of me, but that's not stopping me taking care of all of you as I normally do"

He said with a grin, resting his hand on Keith's back, feeling how tense he was

"You're letting your anger get the best of you again"

He added more seriously, hoping to calm him down but it just made him angrier

"Shiro how the hell do you not expect me to be angry!? Sendak was in this castle only days ago, we faced off against him. He raped you and we just, didn't do anything! We hardly even hurt him, he deserved to die"

Keith snapped before starting forward to push past him but Shiro quickly grabbed him by his shoulder and spun him around

"Do not talk like that! Fighting galra drones is one thing but killing someone, a living being with thoughts and emotions, that's something that scars you forever. Their blood will never come off your hands"

He snapped, some anger creeping into his own voice

"I'll do anything to save you from having to experience that"

He said with total seriousness as Keith stared up at him with wide eyes

"But... But with everything he did to you. He needs to face some punishment for that"

The younger man said after a minute, hands clenched

"Keith, I don't care about punishing him, or getting revenge on any of the galra. I just want to stop them so this can't happen to anyone else. I want to put it all behind me and move forward"

Shiro explained, rubbing his hands over Keith's back gently. The other paladin still seemed upset, frowning deeply. He was almost grateful for it, when one of them was upset he could ground himself and focus instead of losing track of things in his problems

"You don't need to go searching space for him, I don't want you to, and it's very unlikely you'd find him anyway"

He said as he ran his real hand through the smaller's hair, noting to himself it was getting a bit long

"But-"

Keith started again

"Hush. I appreciate all of you trying to help me but I just want to go back to normal. And I'm doing that, I'm fighting back against the galra, they don't... They don't own me anymore"

Shiro stuttered over the last part, having a hard time believing that himself, but continued on

"Hell look at my arm, they took it from me and tried to remake me as their weapon. But I've reclaimed it as my own, I use it as a weapon against them to hack into their tech and take down their soldiers"

He said with a slightly forced grin as he held up his metal arm, flexing the fingers. Keith stared at his hand, reaching up and taking it into his own hands, rubbing his fingers over the metal and seams

"... Reclaimed... I like that"

He muttered quietly after a minute, Shiro grinning at his approval.

"Exactly. I'm glad you understand now"

He said with relief, happy to have calmed Keith down. The red paladin still wasn't smiling but that didn't worry him too much, Keith not smiling wasn't anything new.

"Well, your way with words is just as good as your advice"

He said, looking up at him with those dark blue eyes but still not smiling even as he grabbed Shiro by his collar and kissing him gently. Shiro again didn't dwell on it, kissing him back as he pulled the smaller closer. When Keith pulled back he nuzzled his shoulder gently

"Thank you, Shiro, I'm going get some food, and think about stuff..."

He muttered, pressing another shorter kiss to his lips before stepping away and walking out of the room. Shiro watched him go, clutching his galra arm with his normal one. He was glad he'd calmed Keith down, glad he felt better about what he was going through. He just wished what he'd said could convince himself as well...