Keith, Paladin of the Black Lion and leader of Voltron, was aboard the IGF-Atlas on the training deck battling the training drones.
His movements were swift and calculated, his sword slicing through the air with precision. The training drones came at him from all directions, but Keith was ready for them. He deflected their attacks with his shield, his eyes trained on the holographic displays in front of him.
Keith swung his sword rapidly at the holograms, each blow pixelating the holograms into nothing. As the last hologram shattered before him, Keith lowered his sword and said, "End training simulation."
"Well that was impressive." Keith heard a voice say from the other side of the training deck.
Turning around to see who said it was, Keith was met with the friendly smile of Ezor. Ezor was a former Galran general, turned rebel ally, who had joined the Voltron coalition in the fight against the Galra Empire.
Ezor was half Galra like the rest of Lotor's top generals, though you wouldn't know it from looking at her. She has candy red skin and with pastel stripes on her forehead and a prehensile tail attached to the top of her head.
"Ezor," Keith said, nodding and walking over to her. "What brings you here?"
"Well Acxa and I were talking and we both agree that you are working way too hard and deserve a break tonight. We were hoping that you would join us for dinner and drinks tonight." Ezor said, giving a hopeful smile.
Keith hesitated for a moment, thinking about the mounting responsibilities on his mind. But it had been a while since he had taken a break and he knew he needed it.
"Sure, why not?" Keith said, wiping sweat from his forehead.
"Aww, great! We'll be at your room at ten o'clock tonight." Ezor said, giving Keith a big hug before skipping off the training deck.
Keith watched as she walked away, her head tail swishing behind her. He couldn't help but smile at her infectious energy.
As Keith made his way back to his room to freshen up for the evening, his mind wandered to thoughts of Acxa and what the night might hold. He knew that she liked him, and he certainly liked her back but he wasn't sure if he was ready to pursue anything beyond a friendship. He had too many responsibilities to focus on, too much pressure on his shoulders as the leader of Voltron.
He made it to his room and collapsed onto his bed, not realizing how exhausted he truly was. As he lay there, he thought about the upcoming dinner with Ezor and Acxa. The thought of spending time with them lifted his spirits, and he began to relax. Before he knew it, he had fallen asleep.
Ezor bounced her way back to the dormitory she shared with Acxa, excited to share the news with her.
Acxa was sitting on the couch, flipping through a magazine when Ezor burst through the door.
"Ugh, what is it?" Acxa asked, seeing the look on Ezor's face.
"Well you know how you and Keith have been in love with each other but too afraid to do anything about it?" Ezor said, jumping onto the couch next to Acxa.
"We are not in love with each other, we simply have a mutual attraction," Acxa corrected.
"Right, well I just invited Keith to dinner and drinks tonight. And you know what that means?" Ezor said, wiggling her eyebrows.
Acxa rolled her eyes but couldn't help the small smile that played on her lips. "It means we get to spend time with Keith, what else?"
"It means you get to make a move on him," Ezor said, pushing her lightly.
Acxa groaned. "I don't know if I'm ready for that."
"Eh, you'll never know until you try," Ezor said, shrugging.
Acxa sighed. "I suppose you're right. I just don't want to ruin our friendship or complicate things with all the responsibilities Keith has to deal with."
Acxa couldn't help but feel nervous. She had been attracted to Keith ever since he saved her in the Weblum but she always felt like he was too focused on his duties as a Paladin to notice her.
"I get it, I do. But sometimes you just have to take a risk and see what happens," Ezor said, placing a hand on Acxa's shoulder.
"Alright, I'll do it." Axca said, taking a deep breath and getting up from the couch. "What time are we meeting him?"
"At his room at ten o'clock," Ezor said, hopping off and grinning madly. "Now, let's start thinking of what we're going to wear tonight."
The two half Galrans spent the next 3 hours getting ready, with Ezor constantly having Acxa change her outfit, insisting that she needed to look her best for Keith.
Acxa rolled her eyes at her friend's antics but couldn't help but feel a flutter of excitement in her chest at the thought of seeing Keith tonight.
Ezor finally allowed Acxa to wear a light blue hoodie paired with black skinny jeans, while Ezor herself wore a sparkly green crop top with a matching skirt.
Acxa looked at herself in the mirror and hoped that this outfit gave off the right impression. Her light blue skin paired well with the hoodie while her short purple hair kept well brushed with a piece of it sticking out. She added a touch of makeup to her face, hoping it would bring out her features.
Ezor saw Acxa looking at herself in the mirror, and wanting to help her friend she threw her arm around Acxa's shoulders. "You look amazing, girl."
Acxa couldn't help but smile at her friend's enthusiasm. She felt nervous, but also excited. Maybe tonight would be the night she finally took a chance and told Keith how she felt.
Keith woke up with a start, realizing he had fallen asleep for longer than he had intended. He quickly got up and checked the time, relieved to see that he still had some time to get ready before Ezor and Acxa arrived.
He took a quick shower and brushed his teeth before changing into a black shirt and jeans, and tried to style his mullet but didn't have much success in that.
Just as he was finishing getting his room ready he heard a knock at the door. Keith took a deep breath and opened the door to find Ezor and Acxa standing on the other side.
"Hey, Keith!" Ezor said cheerfully, giving him a hug.
"Hey," Keith said, returning the hug awkwardly.
Acxa gave him a warm smile, making his heart skip a beat. "You look nice," she said.
"Thanks, you both look amazing," Keith said, trying to hide his blush.
"Wow, this is your room? It's way bigger compared to ours." Ezor said, walking into the room and looking around.
"Yeah, one of the perks of being a Paladin of Voltron I guess." Keith said, rubbing the back of his neck.
Acxa looked around the room, noticing a few of Keith's personal items scattered about. "You have a nice collection of knives," she commented, admiring a display on the wall.
Keith grinned. "Thanks, it's a hobby of mine."
"Come on Keith, lets get going." Ezor said, grabbing Keith's arm and pulling him towards the door.
Once Ezor released her death grip on Keith, he slowed down and walked beside Acxa, rubbing his sore arm. As the trio of half-breeds walked through the hallways of the Atlas, Acxa couldn't help but steal glances at Keith, noticing how his hair looked particularly soft tonight.
The Atlas had set down on the planet Arus the day before to help continue make it into the trade center of their sector, and Ezor led them to a local bar that had become known among the crew for its delicious drinks.
As they entered, the smell of alcohol and fried food filled their senses. The bar was dimly lit, with neon lights spelling out the name of the bar, "Galactic Dreams," hanging above the bar.
Ezor led them to a booth in the corner, where they could have some privacy and enjoy the company of each other without being disturbed by other patrons.
As they settled in, a waitress came over to take their drink orders. "Can I start you off with some drinks?" she asked with a bright smile.
Keith ordered a beer, while Ezor requested a fruity cocktail. Acxa, feeling too nervous to order something with alcohol, asked for a soda. The waitress gave them a quick smile and walked away, leaving them to their own devices.
"So, Keith, how has your day been?" Ezor asked, breaking the silence.
Keith gave a small smile, grateful for the small talk. "It's been alright. Pidge and Hunk have been working on some small upgrades to the Lions so we've all been busy with that. How about you guys?"
Ezor beamed. "Acxa and I spent the afternoon practicing our combat skills. We're hoping to impress the rest of the crew with our moves."
Keith chuckled. "I'm sure you'll both do great. You two are always so skilled in combat."
Acxa couldn't help but feel a sense of pride hearing Keith complimenting her and Ezor's skills. She took a sip of her soda before chiming in.
"Speaking of impressing the crew, have you seen Lance's new hairstyle? It's quite... unique," she said, trying to steer the conversation towards a lighter topic.
Keith chuckled. "Yeah, I saw it. It's definitely... different."
The trio continued to chat and joke around, ordering more drinks and sharing stories of their past. As the night wore on, Acxa found herself feeling more and more comfortable around Keith, and the nervous fluttering in her chest began to ease.
Suddenly Ezor stood up saying, "Come on, lets dance!" Grabbing Keith's arm despite his protests, saying that he doesn't dance.
Acxa got up and followed them to the dance floor, wanting to see this.
The dance floor was crowded with people of all species and ages, all swaying to the music. Ezor dragged Keith towards the center, while Acxa followed them, feeling the beat of the music pulse through her body.
Ezor started to dance wildly, her body moving in ways that Acxa had never seen before. Keith, still looking uncomfortable, tried to copy Ezor's moves but ended up looking awkward and uncoordinated.
Acxa couldn't help but laugh at his attempts, feeling more relaxed now that she was seeing Keith let loose a little. Finally, Keith gave up and just stood there, watching Ezor dance.
Acxa walked over to Keith, trying to avoid the dancers around them. "Hey do you want to get out of here?"
Keith looked at her, surprised, but nodded. "Yeah, sure. Let's go somewhere quieter."
Acxa led Keith out of the bar and towards the outskirts of the city, finding a quiet spot under a tree. They sat down next to each other, the quiet of the night surrounding them.
"Thanks for coming out with us, Keith," Acxa said, breaking the silence. "I had a really good time tonight."
Keith smiled at her, his heart racing. "Yeah, me too. It was nice to hang out with you and Ezor."
There was a moment of silence, as they both sat there, not sure what to say.
Acxa took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. She knew that this was the moment she had been waiting for, the moment where she could tell Keith how she truly felt.
"Keith, there's something that I need to tell you," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I know that we've been friends for a while now, but I can't help the way I feel about you."
Keith looked at her, his heart beating faster. "Acxa, what are you...?"
Before he could finish his sentence, Acxa leaned in and kissed him on the lips. It was a soft, tentative kiss, but it conveyed all of the emotions that Acxa had been feeling for so long.
For a moment, Keith was too stunned to respond, but then he found himself kissing her back. It was like a dam had broken, and all of the feelings that he had been suppressing for so long came rushing to the surface.
When they finally broke apart, they were both breathless and flushed. Keith looked at Acxa, his heart pounding in his chest.
"Acxa, I had no idea... I mean, I've always thought you were amazing, but I didn't know you felt the same way about me," he said, his voice filled with emotion.
Acxa smiled at him, her eyes shining. "I've been wanting to tell you for so long, but I was afraid that you only saw me as a friend."
Keith shook his head, reaching out to take her hand. "No, Acxa. You've always been so much more to me than just a friend. I just didn't know how to tell you."
Acxa's heart swelled with joy as Keith's words washed over her. They sat there for a moment, just holding hands and enjoying each other's company.
"We should probably get back to Ezor soon." Keith said, squeezing her hand.
"Ezor will still be dancing her heart out, she probably doesn't even know we're gone." Acxa said with a small laugh.
Keith chuckled, his eyes never leaving Acxa's. "Yeah, you're probably right."
They sat there for a few more moments, enjoying the peacefulness of the night. Finally, Keith stood up and held out a hand for Acxa.
"Come on, let's go back." he said, his voice soft. Acxa took his hand, feeling a sense of happiness wash over her. As they walked back towards the bar, she made a mental note to thank Ezor for them up tonight.