"Is that him? Really? …If I didn't know better, I wouldn't believe it… He's not a little boy anymore."

-V-O-L-T-R-O-N-

Paladins, please report for morning training!

Shiro woke up at the first sound of the alarm. By the second ring Keith was up as well. By the third and final go-round Shiro was half-way into his armour.

"I'd better get ready," Keith said groggily, dragging himself upright.

"Oh, no, no, no, no. You need to rest, you were up half the night," Shiro said, gently coaxing him to lay back down.

"So were you."

"Yes, but I'm used to fragmented sleep. You, on the other hand, have a regimented sleep schedule. I can't let you go against a gladiator-bot asleep on your feet."

"I have, and I will again," Keith said, but lay back down anyways.

"Sure you will," Shiro said, securing his cuirass. "And while you stay here,
I'll cover for you."

"Yeah, because you're not a terrible liar."

"Hey, I had you fooled for a few years, didn't I?"

"To be fair, I knew you were lying. I just didn't know what about."

Shiro paused in attaching his left vambrace.

"You're serious?"

"Yeah," Keith yawned. "Aguri, Ryou, and I… We all thought you were seeing some girl you were worried Sungmo and Samchon wouldn't like."

"Well, technically, I was seeing someone, just not in the way you all thought."

"Ha! Tell that to Aguri. She was wondering when you would tell us about your secret girlfriend."

"Oh, please tell me you're joking."

"Takashi, she was planning your wedding."

Shiro almost dropped a greave.

"Not officially, of course," Keith yawned. "Just on paper… She even designed a wedding dress, you know."

Shiro chuffed out a small laugh as he pulled his right sabaton, securing it to the rondels on his greave. Keith finally drifted off with a turn of his head. Shiro paused at the doorway and gave the younger a gentle smile.

"Sweet dreams kiddo."

With that he took off. He made it to the training room about three minutes before Lance rolled in. So, barely on time. Allura gave him a curious look, but said nothing. And then she noted Keith's absence.

"Where is Keith? I thought he would be joining us."

"Oh, uh… Well, he's still asleep," Shiro said.

"Asleep?" Allura and the other three paladins chorused incredulously.

"Yes, asleep."

"Keith sleeps?" Lance asked, genuinely confused.

Shiro had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing at Lance's question.

"Yes, Keith sleeps Lance. He's a living being that requires rest in order to function."

"That aside, why is he asleep?" Allura asked.

"We were might have been up half the night?"

"Is that an answer or a question?" Allura countered.

"Both."

"Alright, then!" Allura said, ending the conversation. "Right now I need all of you to focus!"

V-O-L-T-R-O-N

Training had been killer. Allura had been terribly brutal. He had almost sagged in relief when it was finally over. And he had thought Iverson's drills were harsh. Iverson couldn't have prepared any of them for Allura's training. The devil himself couldn't have been more barbarous. He fumbled into his room and found Keith beginning to wake up.

"Good morning."

"It should be almost noon by now Keith."

"Then good-almost-noon, Grumpy."

"I'm not- Sorry. Allura just put us through training from the depths of hell."

Keith sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"I wouldn't think Allura knows what hell looks like."

Shiro eyed Keith curiously.

"And just what is that supposed to mean?"

"It doesn't mean anything, Takashi."

That was his mistake.

"You like her!"

"What?"

"You, Keith Kogane-Shirogane, have a crush on the princess."

Keith eyed him quietly for a second, but it was long enough that Shiro caught the mild flush on his face.

"You're more delusional than Lance!" Keith finally snapped.

"Mm-hm, sure I am. I'm just imagining that you're in lo-o-ove with Allura," Shiro teased as he sat down on the bed and began poking Keith's sides.

"You're crazy."

"And you've got a crush."

Keith groaned and flung himself back as Shiro began to sing-song and babble nonsensical romanticisms.

"How are you the leader?"

"Don't ask me, I'm not the one who put me in charge. That was your girlfriend."

"I hate you."

"No you don't. You love me… But not as much as you love Allura."

"…Well you got one thing right," Keith muttered. He paused as he realized what he said. "Crap."

"I KNEW IT!" Shiro snapped. "You do like her!"

"Shut up!" Keith shouted. "Can you act your age for five minutes, please?"

"You sure you want that, Keith? I am only six years old."

"You're twenty-frickin'-five, you immature idiot."

Shiro blew him a kiss and Keith lost it.

"That's it. I'm done. I'm going to train before you drive me crazy. And don't think for a second that I forgot about last night, we're still talking about that."

"I patiently await your return, Romeo."

"Shut it Shirogane."

-V-O-L-T-R-O-N-

Keith absolutely decimated the gladiator bot pitted against him. He had fallen back into an familiar routine. Block, parry, sidestep, swing, kick. Parry, parry, lunge.

"I see the Blades are keeping you sharp."

Had Keith not been so focused, he might have miss-stepped. Instead, he cut the final gladiator down and ended the simulation.

"Have to be, considering they're almost stricter than you, Princess."

"I would hope I'm not that severe."

"You are. But you're actually a lot nicer about it than most of my commanders previous anyway."

"That is a compliment, yes?"

"It is," Keith said with a smirk.

"Good. Now… How have you been doing?"

"I've been fine."

"…Is that all?"

"Yeah."

"You know… We may primarily use communications for Coalition reports and such, but there are private channels that you can use if you ever want to talk to us."

"Really?"

"Yes really. We miss you, you know."

"…I miss you guys too."

"Ah, I just remembered I need to run a systems check on the bridge. Excuse me."

"No, its fine, I have to go anyway. I promised Shiro we'd talk."

As the two stepped out, Keith remembered something. On one of several broadcasts, the Coalition had made, there were a handful in particular he had found… interesting.

"Hey, Allura?"

"Yes?"

"I just remembered something I wanted to tell you."

"Oh? What's that?"

"Your 'Me' impressions are terrible."

With that he bounded down the hall in the other direction, careful to keep from laughing.

"Wait a tick- Keith! Get back here! Oh, Ancients!"

He couldn't stop smiling though. When he was far enough away, he stopped to catch his breath, grinning like an idiot. When his quiet laughter finally stopped. His mind reeled back. Dredging up cold memories he hated. His smile died, his lips quirking into a frown and brows knitting together.

"Stop that," he murmured to himself. "This is different."

-V-O-L-T-R-O-N-

"You're back earlier than I thought."

"I have a week before I need to get back to base. I'm not putting this off."

Shiro sighed and put down the mission reports. He sat down on the bed and Keith followed suit.

"I still can't believe you went digging into my life behind my back even after I told you not to," Keith said. "I didn't expect that from you."

"I was worried. When we first moved away you were living with your dad next to our old house," Shiro said. "Then one day I take a shortcut past an orphanage in a different town, and I see you huddled on the outskirts of the playground."

Keith couldn't deny that the situation was strange. Then again, he was a human-Galra hybrid, who lived alone in the desert for a year, who then travelled into space in a giant magitech lion and became part of a war for the freedom of the entire universe. And that last part was after he turned eighteen. It would be safe to say that absolutely nothing in his life was normal. But that still didn't excuse Shiro going behind his back. He kept his eyes down, staring at his feet.

"So, you found Tina and you met with her?"

"Once month until the Kerberos launch."

"Why didn't you tell me? I… I would've wanted to see her."

"I promised her I wouldn't," Shiro insisted. "Believe me Keith, there were so many times I thought about telling you, but a promise is a promise."

"Why didn't she want to see me?"

"I don't know. I didn't ask."

"She stopped caring then."

"Keith, look at me."

Slowly Keith brought his eyes up to the elder and Shiro placed his hand on his shoulder.

"Keith, she gave you up because it wasn't safe for you to stay. I told you that yesterday. If she could've kept you, she would have."

"How can you know that?"

"Because she loves you."

Now tears were welling up.

"I… I can't belive that."

"I'll keep telling you until you do then," Shiro insisted. "You didn't see her face when she told me about letting you go. You didn't see how happy she was when I told her you were the top of your class in high school. You didn't see they tears of joy she cried when I showed her a picture in your Garrison uniform. She loves you Keith, even though we're light-years away from Earth, she loves you. And I am so, so sorry you see it."

The tears began to fall then, and Keith sniffed quietly as he tried to stop. Shiro carefully wiped the tears from his face. Keith gave little almost-hiccups as he tried to stop.

"Crybaby Keith," he murmured.

"Keith, you are not a crybaby," Shiro corrected. "I swear, when I see Ryou, I'm gonna punch him in the face again."

"You know what the funny thing is Shiro?" Keith asked.

"What?"

"I don't know if I'm crying because I'm happy or sad."

"Really? I know what'll make you smile."

"What?"

"If you're happy and you know it clap your hands," Shiro sung.

"Oh my gosh, no," Keith snapped, but a small smile appeared anyway.

"If you're happy and you know it clap your hands."

"Shiro stop!"

"If you're happy and you know it and you really want to show it, if you're happy and you know it clap your hands."

"Takashi, shut up! No more!" Keith said; sobs now long replaced with giggles.

"But you're smiling!"

"You're ridiculous."

Shiro smiled clapped his hands.

"You did not just!"

The two burst out laughing. After a few minutes, the two caught their breaths and collapsed back onto the bed.

"You know… You should go talk to Lance," Shiro suddenly said slyly. "He's been half-bored to tears without you here to bug him."

Keith eyed him suspiciously.

"Are you giving me permission to annoy him?"

"As the leader of Voltron? No. As your favorite older brother? Please."

Keith gave a small laugh and smirked before heading out the door. But then he paused in the doorframe.

"Hey, Shiro?"

"Yeah?"

"Did… Did Tina tell you any stories about the others?"

"Yes, she did."

"Do you think you could tell me a few? Before I leave?"

"Of course."

Keith smiled.

"Thanks.