The song is What about us? by P!nk
We are searchlights, we can see in the dark
We are rockets pointed up at the stars
We are billions of beautiful hearts
And you sold us down the river too far
"Thank you"
"What?" Keith asked, gently opening his sleepy eyes as Pidge cuddled even more against his chest.
"For all. The rendezvous, the breathtaking view, everything!": She smiled, looking into his eyes. She bit her bottom lip, pulling him into a light kiss. She giggled as they parted, resting her forehead on his neck.
"As if you haven't had enough": Keith smiled, stroking her bare back as her body moved ever closer to hers: "God, you're beautiful"
"As if you hadn't told me and yelled several times": she joked, while he lightly nibbled her neck. Again. Sometimes it was those moments that made them really relax. Keith was always traveling across the universe, offering humanitarian aid with the Blades of Marmora and his team, and having become the prince of the Galra he had a lot of work to do. Pidge, on the other hand, had remained on Earth to deal with the development of technologies and the education of new defenders of the universe. In reality, most of what they saw or heard from each other was through messages or video calls, but apparently their lives were very busy so much that they had little time for even that. But as soon as Keith was close enough to Earth, Kosmo would fetch Pidge and they would hang out in his spaceship.
It was fun: most of the time they hid in isolated places or looked out into the infinite space without being seen by the rest of the crew (especially by Ezor and Zethrid) and sometimes those good times as a couple turned into something more. But sometimes Pidge's escapades and Keith's absences had consequences: the worst that had happened to them so far was that Acxa was looking for him and saw them kissing in the armory, or the appointment on the ATLAS in Kinkade and Rizavi had dropped in for an interview and Nadia had grown suspicious.
She was laughing as he showered her with kisses on her collarbone. He continued to kiss her as he positioned himself on top of her. Once again. They both jumped when they heard a phone ring. It was an Italian song, most likely in a dialect.
"Shit, it's mine" she exclaimed as Keith moved her up. She answered immediately, as she gestured. He recognized those signs, she was nervous; she most likely was someone from the Garrison, but she couldn't understand him because she spoke in Italian.
"Sì, mamma. Sono alla Garrison, mamma. Faccio gli straordinari. Beh, ecco... non importa ho quasi finito. Sì, ciao mamma.": she put the phone down and sighed. Keith had never heard her speak Italian, at least not complete sentences. He sometimes he would say some greeting or expression, so that only meant one thing.
"Sorry Keith, but I have to go": she sighed, as she collected the clothes from where she had thrown them: "Matt didn't see me and called my mum, sorry but I really have to go"
"Don't worry": she smiled she: "Can we talk tonight?"
"See you tonight": she nodded, while, with a blue spark, Kosmo brought her back to Earth.
What about us?
What about all the times you said you had the answers?
What about us?
What about all the broken happy ever afters?
"I need an explanation, miss!" Colleen exclaimed, when Pidge returned home.
"I said it, I was at the Garrison": she rolled her eyes.
"I looked for you everywhere, for four hours and I didn't see you!": Matt broke in: "Explain to me where quiznack were you?"
"At the Garrison": she repeated: "Now I have to finish something"
"What do you have to finish": Matt held her.
"One thing," she repeated, pulling away from her grip and walking up the stairs, while she heard her two yelling after her.
"KATHERINE HOLT! COME BACK HERE, NOW!": her mother screamed.
"Pidge! Come on! We were seriously worried!": He tried to reason with Matt. But nothing happened. She went into her room, turned on the computer and began working on an engine capable of combining Altean, terrestrial and Galra technologies. This project had kept her very busy, canceling more than half of Keith's appointments and calls. But he didn't get angry, on the contrary, he understood and she didn't get disturbed by the fact that very often he was busy and didn't answer.
Yet she knew she couldn't go on like this: seeing each other in person only a few times a month, maybe a few times a year if Keith went on very long missions or if he had commitments on Daibazaal; constantly running away and hiding; lie to your friends and family. No, she didn't fit. They'd been together a long time, since before the war ended, they couldn't go on hiding like that. During Allura's commemorations they pretended to be just friends, but sometimes it was difficult after years of relationship: they couldn't be too close, they would have had the urge to hold hands; they couldn't be alone and walk around the castle when everyone was awake, they would have noticed; they couldn't gesticulate with each other when they were apart or glance at each other for the same reason as before.
It was just all... wrong. They had promised the team that there would be no more secrets between them, but now there was no more Voltron, there was only a group of friends and moreover, during the last months of the war, it was also dangerous for all the people who fought. Allura had mentioned that, in a dream, Honerva used the image of Lance and Lotor to manipulate her into absorbing the evil entity. It was just too dangerous.
But now? The lions were gone, proof the war was over, why did they have to hide it?
She shook her head, no, now she really had to finish the project. She looked at her watch: half past six, she still had some time before dinner. She could do it.
Five minutes later she heard the phone ring and answered it.
"Ciao Keith. How are you?" she asked, smiling.
"As I was a few hours ago": he replied. She giggled.
"Why your sudden call? Do you really miss me that much?" She smiled, biting her lip. If he had seen her do it, he would have literally exploded.
"I, I want to be honest with you": he replied firmly.
"You do not love me anymore? I thought you yelled it a few hours ago, can you fall out of love in such a short time?": She joked, but she turned serious again when he remained silent.
"I want to do.... One step forward": he sighed, Pidge could hear her voice a little nervous.
"Are you asking me to marry you?": She laughed, trying to ease the tension.
"No, I mean, not yet!": he replied embarrassed:" I was just thinking, you know, tell everyone about us"
She nodded: "Are we connected? I was thinking about it a few seconds ago too!"
"Oh, so we are soul mates!": she laughed at the joke."
What about us?
What about all the plans that ended in disaster?
What about love?
What about trust?
What about us?
"Everyone's going crazy": she laughed
"Of course": he replied.
"How do we tell them? How do we explain to them that we have been together for what, seven years?": he asked: "Maybe at the next commemoration?"
"But it's in four months, Keith!": she moaned: "I can already imagine Hunk crying and Lance with his mouth wide open"
He laughed at the comment. It had always been like this and it would always be like this: sometimes he looked at his team and he saw how much they had changed and grown together. Yet it was those little things that never changed: sometimes it seemed to go back in time, when they still fought Zarkon on the castle of the lions. Sometimes he missed these moments: when he was the red paladin and not the leader; when he was hotheaded; of the bond that bound him and Pidge tighter than ever, like arms of Voltron.
"And our parents? Matt and my folks are going to kill you after what we did today" Pidge laughed: "It will be hard for them too. The other day Matt introduced me to a friend of his who was part of the rebels. You should have seen how disappointed he was when I said I didn't want to date anyone!"
"Correct you, what we did today and many other times. And anyway, I'm sorry for his friend, but I took the place first": he joked, while she huffed: "No, now, seriously. You are the most beautiful and intelligent person in the entire universe. I love you, Pidge, do anything for you and will always protect you."
"Then it's really a marriage proposal!": she exclaimed, laughing harder.
"No! I'm saying how much I love you!": he replied, while she heard a voice in the background: "Okay, sorry but I have to go. I'm almost there on planet Ejutras. I love you, Katie."
"I love you too, Keith": she smiled.
We are problems that want to be solved
We are children that need to be loved
Pidge stood staring at the phone and laptop with the project. Katie??? He had never called her by her real name before. She felt herself blushing, how did it make one word make her so embarrassed?! Maybe something new was really starting: she thought about how their life would change. Would their friends treat them the same way? How would her parents react to everything? And Matt? Wait, if Keith was prince galra then she-
Her rush of thoughts about her was silenced when she heard her mother yell that dinner was ready. She took a deep breath and opened the door to her room. She stopped when she saw Matt standing in front of her, looking surprised, angry and confused. Merda.
We were willing we came when you called
But man, you fooled us enough is enough
Keith hated receptions, even if they were in thanksgiving or tribute for helping their people. It almost felt like a Victorian-style party: a ballroom; the girls in dresses rustling on the floor and the boys in suits and ties; the crystal chandeliers and dessert buffets (Hunk could have done so much better); and couples dancing in the center of the room. Keith just wanted to leave: they had liberated the planet from a hostile galra tyrant months ago, they would have perfectly left that ceremony alone and everything would have been fine. But no; he had had to jump into hyperspace (which he hated) and hang up the call with Pidge. The only real cool thing was that he wore his Blade suit, while he stood back leaning against the wall.
While he saw the alien couples dancing to the music, he thought. He imagined Pidge in a tight-fitting dress and long puffy skirt dancing with him. Hell, she'd look good in a dress, but she'd never wear it. Even at Shiro's wedding she wore a suit, while at Voltron Coalition meetings she wore a lab coat or Garrison clothes. But that was what he liked about her: she was rebellious, she broke the rules, way more than he expected. She wasn't afraid of other people's judgments, but she continued her life with her head held high despite having fought a war on the front lines at just 15 years old. She was strong, very strong.
Turning around, he saw her mother approaching her. She too was in her Blade suit, and he didn't imagine her in one of her skirts at all, even though she was now the empress of the galra.
"Found anyone?" She asked, looking first at her son and then at the rest of the guests.
"Never": he replied, crossing his arms. Not that Krolia was flippant about it, she was just used to the galra standards.
"Listen, Keith": she began: "I don't want to force you, but you have to understand that there are standards that other generals care about. Usually at your age you already have many children for the galra and many have not yet accepted the fact that their prince is a half-blood"
"I know, mom": he rolled his eyes: "It's just that I have one type of girl in mind"
"Oh yeah?": she raised an eyebrow: "And tell me, what kind of girls do you like?"
"Well, the strong, self-confident, intelligent but also sweet, nice, cute, funny ones-": he began to explain, only to be interrupted.
"Like Pidge?"
"What- No! I-! ": Keith almost choked, as he saw his mother laughing.
"I know everything, Keith! Don't underestimate a mother!": she paused: "I see how you look at each other, she has your perfume on her and Acxa told me about the armoury"
"Oh": he exclaimed, red in the face: "My perfume?"
"The Galra have a more developed sense of smell, that's how they can tell if a female is mated or not": she explained: "And you have Acxa to thank for not telling Ezor and Zethrid"
"I will": he smiled, for us to notice a group of aliens staring at him: "God, I want to get out of here"
What about us?
What about all the times you said you had the answers?
What about us?
What about all the broken happy ever afters?
What about us?
What about all the plans that ended in disaster?
What about love?
"What is that? A fad perhaps?!": Colleen exclaimed, enraged: "What if something would happen? When were you going to tell us?!"
"Ok, mom, now calm down": Matt tried to calm her down.
"No, I can't calm down! If Matt hadn't eavesdropped on your conversation, when would you have told us?!" she yelled.
"Soon," Pidge replied, sitting in a chair staring at her feet.
"Soon when?! In months? How long has this been going on!?": she continued. Pidge gulped.
"Sev-seven years": she stammered, while her mother was on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
"With whom, Katie? With whom?!": she yelled again. The girl didn't answer. Everything had happened as she had expected: Matt had listened and he had gone to report everything, or almost.
"With Keith," she answered, her voice breaking. Her mother sighed, she was still angry but she felt like a sigh of relief. She knew Keith, he was a good boy. He had saved the universe, how could he not?!
"Come on mom, calm down now": Matt repeated: "I'm sure Pidge will explain everything to us later, calmly."
"Wait for your father to know": she took a deep breath: "Now let's eat, before it gets cold."
What about trust?
What about us?
What about us?
"I'm sure Katie had good reason to do it": Sam said softly: "She was right after all, a relationship in a war is not safe"
"But she still could have told us! I am her mother! I should have been the first not the last," she exclaimed.
"Mi dispiace"
They turned around, Pidge still sitting in the chair, staring at her feet.
"Mi dispiace": she repeated: "I was stupid, I should have told you. It's just that I, I don't know what came over me, but we were going to tell you soon!"
"It's true": Matt affirmed, as he approached and embraced her sister: "We should be happy, weren't you the one who insisted on the grandchildren, mom?"
Colleen laughed, taking a deep breath: "You've grown so much, Katie, I couldn't be prouder!"
What about all the plans that ended in disaster?
What about love?
What about trust?
What about us?
Keith looked at himself in the mirror again, playing with the braid Kolivan had done for him. He sighed as he picked up his father's leather jacket, resting on the bed in his room on the ATLAS. Actually, usually he didn't go to Altea as an ATLAS passenger, but that year he decided it was a special event and Shiro happily agreed; plus seeing Hunk and Shiro for a few more hours wasn't a bad idea. Unless his team was there too. Those four months had been busy enough, plus he and Pidge had opened up their relationship to family. Keith had thanked Acxa for the silence, knowing that tonight, as soon as she got drunk, she'd spill everything to Veronica and, well, she'd spread it faster than a virus.
He put on his jacket and he checked the contents inside the pocket. As soon as he left the room, Ezor and Zethrid were standing by the door waiting for him. He was surprised to see them, but before speaking he was interrupted by the bigger galla.
"Will he do it?"
"What-": he tried to answer, not understanding the meaning of the question at all, but was interrupted by Ezor.
"Yes, he will!": She exclaimed, then ran away. He stood, confused, but he shook his head and started walking. He had a lot more to think about right now.
Sticks and stones they may break this bones
But then I'll be ready
Pidge could only be surprised to see the planet Altea before her. She saw that view every year, but it was the same every time. Wonder, alone and pure beauty. She heard footsteps approaching, but she didn't move. She knew perfectly well who they were.
"Is there anything more beautiful than this?": she smiled.
"I don't know, maybe me?" She turned, seeing Keith behind her. She hugged him and he kissed her forehead.
"You are always beautiful": he said: "Like Altea"
"Is your mission to impress someone?": She joked, playing with his braid: "Because if so, she succeeded even before starting"
"Oh, I know." He smiled, caressing her cheeks and looking into her eyes. Hell, he wished they were the first thing he saw when he woke up and the last thing before bed. He pulled her in a tender kiss as their lips touched.
"Your lips are so warm": she commented, while Shiro's voice informed that they were entering Altea's atmosphere.
"Are you ready?" she asked.
"Ready": he replied.
Are you ready?
"This will change many things": she sighed, looking at the flowering fields of julleberries. Lance had done a good job again this year.
"It's as if our story was about to be rewritten": he replied, giving her one last kiss on her cheek: "I bet that after dinner everything will have changed"
It's the start of us waking up come on
The two prepared to leave the spaceship, still holding hands. As soon as the doors opened wide, they got out together with Hunk and Shiro and headed towards the palace.
Are you ready?
I'll be ready
They continued to hold hands, always. They didn't leave them even for a second. At the table they sat close together, their fingers still together. And they liked it, there was that little bond, a connection they didn't want to sever. Was it so nice to hold hands? They did it very little, actually; only when they needed contact or just to tell the other that they were there. Yet it was so beautiful. Keith's hands were warm as usual and Pidge's were soft. He would have liked to stay like this for the whole commemoration, but no, if the others didn't understand him with simple deeds they had to do something bigger. The others had to know, of course, the end of lying to everyone had come. Lance had also told him earlier that his sister Rachel was still single! He wanted to be with Pidge, forever: he would protect her, he would do whatever she wanted, he would die for her.
I don't want control I want to let go
Are you ready?
I'll be ready
When their laughter died down, Coran stood up with the goblet of Altean wine and began his speech. As he listened, Keith felt Pidge tap her thumb gently on his hand. She smiled. He knew what she wanted, he could read it in her eyes. He nodded.
"And so, thank you again for making the universe a better place and continuing Allura's wish," Coran finished the speech. Everyone stood up, drinking the wine. Pidge and Keith looked at each other, set their glasses down on the table and walked over. It was time.
'Cause now it's time to let them know
We are ready
Their lips touched as they closed their eyes, savoring the moment. They could hear cheers and boos. It felt... it felt like a classic Hollywood movie.
What about us?
What about all the times you said you had the answers?
When their lips parted, they still remained close. Her hands brushed his chest and he touched her shoulders and arms. They looked at their friends, blushing slightly: as they had expected, Lance was open-mouthed, but with a half smile; Hunk wiped away his tears with a handkerchief; Shiro clapped happily and Coran hopped enthusiastically.
"We are happy for you guys": the white-haired man smiled: "We wish you all the best"
"Sure, sure, but REALLY!?" Lance exclaimed: "WERE THEY TOGETHER!? LIKE!? WHEN!?"
What about us?
What about all the broken happy ever afters?
What about us?
What about all the plans that ended in disaster?
"I thought Nadia spilled everything": she admitted: "She and Ryan interrupted our first date on the ATLAS"
"Wait, so it was a date!? That's why you were sulking!" Hunk exclaimed: "But whait-"
"Seven years": Keith interrupted him.
"SEVEN YEARS!?": jumped the former red paladin: "THEY'RE TOGETHER FOR SEVEN- ENOUGH I RETIRE!"
"We are happy that you have shared with us this... um... secret": added Coran: "I hope for you happiness for life!"
The two smiled. Keith nodded: he had another tank.
"Thanks, but now I have to do something else": he said, while she looked at him confused. He cleared his throat. It was time.
What about love?
What about trust?
What about us?
"Katie Holt": lui began, stroking her cheeks and her hair: "You are a wonderful woman. Since I fell in love with you I've done nothing but wait for this moment and I hope it's okay for you "
What about us?
"What-": she tried to ask.
"You are magnificent, the most beautiful woman I have ever seen": he continued: "If I had to go back, I would still choose to participate in this war just to meet you and fall in love again."
What about us?
"Ok, Keith, that's enough": she stammered, blushing from the sheer amount of compliments.
"No, I want to tell you that you are important to me. Much more than all the others": he smiled:" My life has never been easy besides the war, but you were my one and only ray of sunshine"
What about us?
"You are strong, courageous, you are not afraid of anything, you face everything and everyone head-on and without regret": he paused briefly: "You protect the people you love, facing problems bigger than you, but which they scare you. But you also have a kind and caring side, fragile and tender. I could never have wished for anything better."
Pidge was almost crying now, but with a smile on her face.
"That's why now...": he smiled, blushing.
"Yes?": she couldn't hold back the tears.
What about us?
"That's why I ask you to become my wife": he knelt down and took out a small box with inside her a small ring with small green diamonds: "Katie Holt, will you marry me?"
She didn't answer: she just cried louder and hiding her face with her hands, while everyone else applauded. Hunk was crying too, most likely Coran too.
"So? The answer?" Lance asked, staring at the two.
"I-I": she tried to say, then sobbed again.
"Did I say something wrong?" Keith asked, still on his knees and concerned.
"N-No": Pidge said between sobs: "Just.... I'm...surprised...I wasn't expecting this. Yes, yes I want to marry you!"
She squatted down in front of him and hugged him, still crying. He put the ring on her and they kissed.
Yes, that changed everything.
What about us?