"So let me get this straight." Matt said, sometime later, "You, the problem child, my little sister, and two other kids from the Garrison, fly giant space lions - that are sentient, because why not? - and these lions combine to form this Voltron that I've been hearing all the rumours about."
Shiro nodded, "That's the super-short version of it, yes."
"And there is an actual Galra resistance that has been operating from the shadows like Batman wannabes for the past who knows how long."
Shiro nodded again, "Yeah, and they have really cool technology."
Matt nodded, "Right, technology that I definitely want to get my hands on. And then you guys teamed up with the Galra resistance and kicked Zarkon's ass."
Shiro nodded again, "At least, I'm pretty sure we did. I got ejected into space and passed out right after hitting him, so I can't be one hundred percent certain."
Matt nodded again, and then sat back in the chair he was seated in, opposite Shiro, at the little desk he had in his quarters. "Wow."
Shiro nodded again, "Yeah."
"And you have no idea why your lion decided to eject you into space again?"
Shiro shook his head, "I remember vague feelings, but it happened so quickly. It's almost like something caused him to panic… which lead to him ejecting me. For some reason. I won't know for sure until I can connect to him again."
"And you need to be in closer proximity to the lion to be able to do so."
"Yeah, seems like connecting with a paladin over great distances is Red's thing at the moment."
Matt nodded and seemed to be trying to absorb everything he had just learnt. Shiro waited, he knew everything he'd just told his friend was a lot to take in.
Eventually Matt shook himself out of his daze and said: "Damn, son. You sure have been hella busy since the last time I saw you."
The last time Matt had seen Shiro, snarling and baying for blood, flashed through Shiro's mind for a moment. He winced at the terror that he remembered seeing on his friend's face. Now that his current situation had become a real and solid reality to him, he couldn't understand how Matt could stand to look at him, let alone sit right across a small table from him, now. Surely Matt must resent Shiro now for injuring him and sentencing him to life as a slave for the Galra.
"Matt," Shiro said, his voice coming out strained with sudden emotion, "I'm so sorry."
Matt's eyes grew wide and alarmed, "What? Why? What did I say? I don't - what are you talking about, man?"
Shiro looked at the table, suddenly unable to meet Matt's eyes, "For… for the last time we saw each other." he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
Matt didn't immediately reply. Shiro imagined that the same look of terror he remembered must have returned to Matt's face. Or perhaps he wore a look of anger or disgust. Shiro was too afraid to look up and find out.
"Are… are you talking about the gladiator arena? When you saved me from being slaughtered?"
Shiro finally lifted his head, surprised into doing so both by Matt's words and the confusion in his voice.
"Because I don't hold that against you. Not at all. In fact, I'm glad you did."
Shiro frowned, "But, I hurt you. I remember, you looked so scared of me."
Matt mirrored Shiro's frown, "We'll obviously my best friend suddenly seeming to completely lose his mind scared the crap out of me in what was already a terrifying situation. But it didn't take me long to figure out why you did it, and then I was mostly terrified for you, Shiro. I thought you'd taken my place to die, while at the same time allowing me to live. How could you possibly expect me to hold any of that against you?"
"I-" Shiro began, but his argument died in his throat when he saw the utter sincerity in Matt's eyes.
"If you ever do something like that again, I will be pissed, though. As you can see, I am now perfectly capable of taking care of myself. And I have the Rebel Alliance at my beck and call. So no more stupid stunts. Got it?"
Shiro felt a small smile unfurl on his lips, "The Rebel Alliance?" he asked, trying to avoid making any promises he couldn't be sure he could keep.
"You still don't believe me about the name, do you?" Matt asked, amusement clear in his voice, successfully distracted.
"Ah, no. Not really."
"Well, what else was I supposed to name a group of rebels going up against an empire?"
"You named them?" Shiro asked incredulously.
Matt grinned and then fell into a tale of his own. He explained that although he had been reunited with his father after Shiro had injured him, they had been separated again a short time later, both sent to different labour camps. Matt with no time for his leg to heal
Shiro felt his stomach clamp at that. He clenched fist on the table in frustration. Of course the Galra would separate them. Why had he expected any form of kindness from them.
Matt noticed Shiro's clenched fist on the table and quickly carried on before Shiro could ask if the leg had sustained any permanent damage, "I kept to myself at first. Just keeping my head low and trying to do the work they gave me. It was difficult at first, with my leg, but they saw that I was good with the machines so they ended up sticking maintenance where I actually got to sit while working. I helped to fix and improve the smaller parts of the machinery used in the mine. Of course, that meant working much longer hours but," He shrugged, "I got to work with machines and my leg got to heal. So there's that.
"Eventually I fell into a group of prisoners that were itching to start a rebellion, but they were a bunch of muscle without the brains to come up with a good enough plan for escape. By that time my leg was fully healed, and I was ready to get the hell out of that hellhole. So I offered to help them. In return one of the prisoners, Drozan's brother, taught me how to fight. His name was Irkin, and he was our leader at first."
Pain suddenly flashed in Matt's eyes and he looked away for a moment, collecting himself. When he finally looked up to continue, his eyes were misty.
"He handed his command over to me as he was dying in Drozan's arms. He was badly injured during our escape, and died shortly afterward." he let out a dry chuckle, "I honestly still don't understand why. Drozan would have made a much better leader than me, but he wouldn't go against his brother's dying wish. So here I am." he shrugged, "At least he agreed to be my second in command. I'd be totally lost without him. I've been searching for my dad ever since."
"Anyway, after we escaped we hijacked a pod and got the hell out of dodge. We flew around kind of aimlessly for a while before coming across the planet we now have our base on. When the people there asked us to identify ourselves, all I could think of was the Rebel Alliance from Star Wars." he shrugged, "So I went with it."
Shiro shook his head, chuckling, "Only you."
Matt grinned and then shook his head, his expression turning from one of amusement to one of quiet wonder, "Who'd have guessed that we'd both end up going from space explorers to being unwilling leaders of groups fighting against an evil alien empire?"
Shiro shook his head, "Definitely not me." he chuckled again, "The the Rebel Alliance though?"
"Well what else was I supposed to name them? Do you have any idea what it's been like to be part of a group of rebels whose very name is a reference to one of the greatest movie sagas of all time and be the only one who gets it?" Matt asked, his eyes wide.
Shiro laughed out loud once more, "I cannot imagine the pain you must have been enduring." he said and then winked mischievously at Matt and said: "But, I understood that reference."
Matt let out a delighted chuckle, "And I understood that reference!" he reached out and gripped Shrio's flesh hand and squeezed it tightly, "I missed you so much."
Shiro squeezed Matt's hand in return, a swirl of emotions suddenly welling up in his chest again, "I missed you too."
"To be totally honest, Shiro, I blamed myself for what happened back at the gladiator arena. If I hadn't been so weak you would never have had to put yourself in my place like that."
Shiro immediately shook his head in protest, "No, Matt -"
"But that sacrifice that you made," Matt overrode Shiro's protest, "It's what kept me going, Shiro. I promised myself I would never again be so weak that I caused someone else's death again. And whenever I felt like giving up, I thought of what you did for me. What you gave up so that I could live. And it inspired me to keep going, to keep fighting, to keep living. I don't think you believed me earlier when I said I didn't hold it against you. I just want you to understand exactly what it actually meant to me."
Tears stood clear and obvious in Matt's eyes as he spoke, and spilled over as he finished.
Shiro slammed his eyes closed against his own tears and took deep breaths, trying to bring his emotions back under control. But it was just too damn hard after hearing those words from Matt. He didn't know exactly how he felt about them. All this time he'd thought Matt had hated him for attacking him back then, only to find out that Matt had been inspired by it? It was too much and Shiro didn't know what to do with the information. So the tears leaked out of his eyes regardless of his efforts to keep them maintained.
Suddenly Matt materialised on Shiro's left. He glanced over just long enough to see that Matt had moved his chair next to Shiro's. Matt slung an arm over Shiro's shoulders and pulled him close. Shiro responded by reaching up with his flesh arm to cling to the back of Matt's shirt.
That's how they stayed for some time. Neither speaking. Both crying. Holding on to each other for support and comfort.
