Voltron - The Greatest Showman AU

A Million Dreams (Part 3)

Their dull yet kind eyes blink expectantly. Shiro sits on the dirty floor in wonder, awe, and confusion. Why would this poor, dirty freak help a starving, orphan thief like me? Are they really offering me an apple?

The apple giver seems to read Shiro's mind and gives a small nod of confirmation. The freak continues to hold out the apple for Shiro to take.

Shiro hesitantly takes the apple. He holds it tightly in his hands like if he let go, it would disappear and he would find out it was all his imagination. He looks back up at the apple giver with gratitude in his eyes. Shiro watches as the apple giver wordlessly stands up and walks away, not looking back once.

Shiro wanders the streets aimlessly as he mulls over the apple giver's kindness while eating the apple. He thinks of the other poor people in the alley; there must have been at least five! He remembers them all watching when the stand keeper took back his stolen bread. He recalls the freak being the only one who stepped forward and gave him an apple. When the freak gave him the apple, he had felt so happy, so relieved.

Shiro looks down at his eaten apple core. He wants to be like the apple giver. He wants to give to others. He wants to stop having to steal to get food every day. He wants to buy his own food. He wants to see Mattea.

Shiro throws his apple core away and sits on some steps. He watches the passing crowd, all walking toward whatever important place they need to be at. He sees men throw their newspapers away in the trash can next to him. His eyes light up. He has an idea.

He hurriedly grabs the newspapers out of the garbage, ignoring the stank. He rushes down the street to the next trash can and snatches the newspapers out of it. He flips through the newspapers, satisfied with his recycled papers.

Holding the stack of papers in his hands, he goes around the corner and walks down a busier street with a newfound purpose in each step. He finds a spot on the sidewalk where the crowd is densest. He takes out one of the papers, holding the rest with his other arm.

"Newspapers!" Shiro shouts, trying to attract attention from the passing crowd, "Amazing stories from around the world!" He hasn't looked at the news, he doesn't know what the papers are about. Hell, they might be about a thief or a new business or even the queen or king of England visiting some fancy, wealthy folk. Shiro has no clue, nor cares to check. As long as the news is making him money. Plus, people don't care if he's spewing lies, and if spewing lies is what gets him money, he's going to spew all the lies he can make.

((Bold = Mattea; Underline = Shiro))

A million dreams are keeping me awake
I think of what the world could be

Shiro sits in the alley as he writes a letter to Mattea on an old notepad he had found in the trash. He ignores the bitter cold of winter and the snow melting through his thin pants, instead, he focuses on the letter. He glosses over the subject of his own hardships and fills most of the paper with his dreams.

His lips quirk up into a satisfied smile as he reads over the letter. He quickly folds the letter and rips out another page from the notepad he stole. He shuffles his body so the papers are near the wall and his body is protecting the papers from the cold wind. He lays the freshly ripped paper on the ground. Carefully, he takes his letter and places in the center of the other paper. He folds the paper over his letter to form the resemblance of an envelope. He feels the ground around him until his hands touched something sticky. His faces curls in disgust, It's probably juice or- He cuts off his train of thought, not wanting to think about it anymore. He swipes the sticky substance, only taking what he needs, and lines the edges of his folded paper. He presses the paper down so it sticks properly. Tucking the top flap of paper in, he smirks at his envelop, albeit not the most well-made envelop but a working envelop nonetheless. He waves it around in the air, Not unfolding... It should work!