Hello all, much like a good portion of this community, I watched the V:LD the moment Netflix dropped it. I really did enjoy it and have enjoyed the conversations on the interwebs. While I try and not have too many distractions while writing another story, I couldn't help but jump on the KAEX prompt. The plot bunnies demanded and here we are!

KAEX CHALLENGE based on the pilot/episode 1: "Rise of Voltron" with a few slight spoilers for a few other episodes- very slight.

Title of the challenge: Two Hours – or what happened during the time the others left to find the Yellow and Green Lions, leaving Keith alone on the ship with Allura and Coran.

Enjoy!

Left behind.

It wasn't like this was the first time it happened to him. Hell, those two words could sum up the majority of his life at that point.

His parents – left him behind. Not that they had much say in their deaths in that mysterious Garrison accident; but still it didn't change the facts behind his first taste of abandonment.

That was when Shiro came into his life and took on the role of a surrogate big brother. Why the older man had done that for a boy who had no blood ties left on Earth or anything special about him, he would never know - mostly because he was too afraid to ask and be forced to deal with issues of the past.

From time to time, Shiro would go off on missions. But nothing like the one to one of Pluto's moons. A little over a year ago, he found himself left once more.

'It's just a short exploration mission. Think of it like Galactic Babysitting for a family of scientists,' Shiro had said. 'Soon you'll be doing the same. I've heard you are quite the promising cadet. I promise, a month, tops.'

It would be much longer than a month. When Shiro's team went missing, presumed dead, it hurt more than he wanted to recall. The one person who kept him going, kept him centered with all the rage inside him, just disappeared.

Pilot error. The official word from the Garrison explained.

'The Garrison's full of shit,' he huffed to himself, crossing his arms watching as his new crew exited the command center… left him behind.

Once the Blue Lion carrying Hunk and that smart-mouthed pilot, Lance, and the ship with both Pidge and Shiro disappeared on the screen, Keith remained with the feelings of irritation and abandonment bubbling in the pit of his stomach.

'What if they didn't come back?'

"They'll be back you know," came the accented voice of the only female of the group.

'Well, maybe...' His mind wanted to correct himself; he didn't even want to think about the youngest of their group. There was something off with the technology geek that he could not pinpoint.

Turning his head from the view of space and towards the woman who stood at the helm of the ship, he eyed her cautiously.

"You can't read minds, can you?" He asked, not wanting to offend her or her kind, but needing to know. She had pegged him so well before when assigning out lions that it startled him… and now her comment breaking the silence in the room.

A melodious sound erupted from her slender lips.

'Her laugh sounds like heaven.' His eyes went wide at the thought, and he shook his head to get that strange feeling out. He needed to stay alert, serious…

Allura wiped away a tear from her eyes after a brief moment of hard laughter. The look on his face and the almost hesitant and awed tone of his voice when asking had been too much not to laugh.

"I haven't laughed like that in… well, technically over 10,000 years." She smiled sadly, letting reality back in. "And no, I can't read minds. I just knew that look is all."

"What look?" He once more felt on the defensive, an eyebrow quirking upwards as he looked at her.

"The one where your whole world is walking away and you don't know if they will be back for you or not. It is natural to worry, but the Lions won't let anything bad happen. You must have faith in them and Voltron." Her voice turned somber and Keith felt like kicking himself for reminding her of what he assumed was a past that mirrored his own messed up childhood- probably worse.

"If… you… if you ever want to talk about it… what happened to you that is… I'll listen." She offered him, stepping down from her platform and walking closer.

Keith watched her silently as she slowly closed the distance between them. Her hand reached out and carefully placed it on his arm.

His eyes closed briefly at the warmth that surged from the innocent and heartfelt gesture. How long had it been since anyone tried to comfort him? Since he let anyone close enough to touch him like this?

Opening his orbs, he met with two blue ones looking back at him, with almost a similarly confused expression.

"Thank you, Princess," he nodded, "I'll try to remember that… and um, well," his voice stammered a bit unsure and uncomfortable with the whole feelings thing. "You too… if you need…"

The moment shared between them in a hushed silence crumbled to pieces as a loud shriek from Coran had both jumping apart.

"Give that back you little," the recently awoken royal advisor ran after the larger of the space mice. "We need that clauseomitter to help find the Red Lion! When I catch you… I'll... I'll fry you up!"

"I suppose I should be getting back to my job updating the ship," Allura sighed looking once more at the Earthling in the red jacket. His expression still held back most of his emotions, a solid wall he retreated back behind once the moment ended, but she could see a glimmer of appreciation in his dark orbs.

"You there, Earth person," Coran popped up, nearly startling Keith, "Help me with the input of this data, with any luck, we'll find that kitty in no time flat."

Taking the device the elder statesman had retrieved from the rodent, he walked to the seat in front of where the Princess stood.

Without hesitating, he sat and began to plug away at the controls.

"Impressive, I didn't have to translate any of that for you," the man with the bushy mustache nodded, "you're a natural at this!"

At that comment, Keith stopped, shocked himself.

"Yeah, I guess I am." But his voice didn't sound too convinced; inside he felt much like he had when searching for Blue Lion… something told him what to do.

As unnerved as he was, the need to find the Red Lion and help his friends... well, more like team mates at the moment, overpowered the need to ask questions. Questions that the two in the room might not even know how to answer. Pushing that and the weird feeling he felt at Allura's touch back down, deep inside, he tried to focus back on the screen.

'Focus on the lions first, help the team, questions later.' He told himself and went back to his work, ignoring the looks shared between the two Alteans behind him.

And there we have it- plot bunnies released during a lunch hour where I decided to not head out for a walk, but type instead.

See you all later!