"Paladins!!" Allura's voice cries, wrecked and loud through the castle communication system. You flinch, feeling a secure arm wrap around you, an instinct Keith has always had that isn't new to your relationship. Every time a Garrison alarm went off, it was awkward-side-hug (not real hugs) time.

"We need you at the landing dock immediately! Keep Y/n somewhere safe, Lotor's ship has docked in the Castle of Lions. I repeat,

Lotor's ship has docked in the Castle of Lions."

☆·.¸¸.·'¯'·.¸¸.¤ ☆ ¤.¸¸.·'¯'·.¸¸.· ☆

You've never seen Keith move faster than when he sat up in that moment. Like an unexpected flash strike of lightning, your light was right there, yet within milliseconds it was gone. Only darkness stayed, and until another crackle of lightning returned, in the dark you would remain.

"Keith." You tried to calm him, seeing his chest rise and fall faster and faster with passing silence. He stared at you, seeing the fear you reflected upon each other. "Keith it's-"

"Stay here. Don't move." He commands, pushing you down onto the bed. "I'm going to join the others. Don't move. For the love of god, don't f——-g move."

He covers your body with the bedsheet in a moment of panic, not knowing what else he can do to keep you safe. He's been caught in a true moment of weakness, he has nothing on him but some clothes and a blade. If Lotor thinks he's going to leave this ship with anyone or anything, he's wrong. And, he'd better hope that Keith allows him to leave with his own life at that. Hands hover over your body as Keith shakes, unprepared.

You try to sit up, hands hooking around the edge of the bedsheet- "Don't move!" Is all he repeats.

"Keith!" You sputter back. All that he gives you in return is the shutting sound of doors, and without a doubt, you're stuck in your own room with a life-or-death command to not move an inch.

You're left alone to thoughts, and the memories that tag along with them. Why is Lotor here? Is it selfish to consider that he's here for you? When you first came on board, the team mentioned wanting to have his help in the war against his Father. Maybe he just came to discuss what they had previously talked about. But then, would they turn him down because of what they had learned from you? Could they lose an important piece of help because of a past you can't remember?

Darkness remains.

Solitude is your only comrade for an unrecorded amount of time. Is Lotor really onboard? How did he get his ship in the castle undetected? Is Keith okay? Are the Paladins planning to fall for a trap?

It's like suffocating yourself with your own negative thoughts.

It was so simple an hour ago. No stress, no loneliness, no darkness. Just Keith, Keith's touch, Keith's taste, his presence and his comfort. Seeing him scared, soft, and anything else but calm-faced was an odd luxury. When you see him relinquishing his wall of calmness to let a pure emotion slip through, just for you, it makes you jittery. God, just the thought of him managed to calm you down for a few minutes..

There are too many questions that you can't answer while being under that bedsheet, one of the more terrible disguises you've used. And so the question remains: Do you risk it all and leave, and assist the team in anything you can, or do you stay here and wait possible hours until someone comes to retrieve you from your silky prison? Your breath is getting hot under the sheet, and the need to rip it off of yourself grows.

And so you do.

Keith may have promised you that he would always protect you, and you needed to show that albeit not as well, you could fight for him too.

...

After getting into his armor, Keith charges into the docking bay, his bayard already charged with his need to rip the intruder into fine, purple ribbons. He's managed to push his fear aside to make room for anger, an unhealthy, dangerous, lethal amount of raging anger.

The last thing he wants to see is Lotor's face, much less any kind of smirk or snarky comment that would piss him off. What's the first thing he sees when he walks into the room? Lotor, standing in the middle of a huddle of armed Paladins. He sees Keith as well, his eyebrows raising a little bit upon his arrival.

"You seem oddly familiar, but I swear we've never met outside of battle."

"Get the h--l out of here." Keith hisses. It's the only warning he's willing to give. A hand puts some restraint on his shoulder, and the last thing he cares about, other than Lotor's accidental death, is who's hand it is.

"I know why you are all displeased with me, and I have come to make amends on my own and my general's behalf." He says, more calm than Keith thinks he should be, especially with the state of anger he's in right now. "I also have an offer of trade."

"Absolutely not. You hurt her." Keith growls. Hunk has to grip tighter. Lotor hums. "Not too much. After some time, she became.. admirably pliant."

Curses and threats spew out of Keith, screaming out in chokes and trying to fight Hunk's grip.

Allura clears her throat, ready to take on the spotlight. "I speak to everyone in the room when I remind you all keep things civil. Lotor, if you are here to negotiate anything on behalf of Y/n, we cannot help you."

Lotor almost chuckles, every breath sends venom through Keith's veins. "Absurd. I've come to join the Voltron Coalition. Have me prisoner, lock me up, keep me on a different ship for heaven's sakes. I am here to help you, no more, no less."

"Don't." Keith spits.

Nods fill the room. "I don't trust him either. The only thing I know about this guy is that he's banned from his empire and that he brainwashes innocent people." Lance mentions.

"Oh, just the one." Lotor grins. "I have to admit, I was biased farther to come here when I found out Y/n was onboard. She is my partner, however, and I've been waiting quite a long time to see her again."

Keith freezes.

"Your what?.."

"My mate. She didn't know much about it either. Galra tradition calls that you choose a partner to bond with until betrayal or death. She is, technically speaking, mine."

A bubble clogs Keith's lungs. His bayard is more ready than he is, knowing him too well. The need in his bones to break some of Lotor's is only growing, and every last thing about this Prince is egging him on. He can feel himself losing control of his human tendencies. But, for the first time, he doesn't necessarily care.

"Consider it betrayal then, because I just left her somewhere safe. I'm proud to admit that she kissed me back, though." Keith cackles, feeling a rush of satisfaction in Lotor's expression change. There was an awakening within him, something entirely Galra that found satisfaction in his claims. "What? She's not under your little spell anymore, she has a choice as to who she loves now! And it's not you. It's me, you little bit-"

"That's where I remember you from." Lotor hisses, pointing a sharp finger at the other. "I couldn't court her because you were floating around in her little head. You're the entire purpose for the spell, I had no other choice if I wanted her to be mine. It was your fault!"

"Shut your mouth before I shut it for you!" Keith growls.

"You sound like children!" Allura shouts, standing between the arguing half-breeds. "By Altea, silence yourselves! Lotor, you have one shot to prove we should even listen to you before we send your ship right back where it came from." She glares.

"..Give him a chance." You say.

Dead silent, the entire room turns toward the open doors, where you stand still weakly in your pod suit. "Everyone deserves a second chance."

"Y/n!" Keith chokes, turning around immediately. Hunk lets him go, letting him rush toward you. He's in his Paladin armor now, and is wearing an even angrier, more fearful expression than before. "I told you not to move!"

This is the only time you can stand to see Keith angry at you, because now, you know you have the power to change his mind. You directly disobeyed him, sure, but you're determined to change the entire perspective of a conversation you haven't heard any parts of. Plus, you were starting to get a little bored of listening to men's orders anyways. "Y/n, I knew just well that you'd come for me. Tell them I'm a changed man." Lotor says, and you stare at him with the same anger as Keith.

"This has nothing to do with you." You spit. "But if we were too selfish to pass up on second chances.." You look up at Keith, who looks lost in your words. "I wouldn't be here today. Lotor wouldn't be here, he'd be with Zarkon still, and I'd probably be there with him. I wouldn't have known that I like Keith. Past mistakes don't define who we are today, but they pave the way to the future we want."

Everyone looks like the words had been dragged from their throats. Lotor has the strongest affect left on him, his face losing a bit of color.

"So if everyone is okay with it, I'd let him stay onboard and help us. If he's really here to help you end this war, if he really wants peace, he won't do anything to make us question him. Because if he's smart, he knows that Voltron definitely will."

Faces become less tense, looking towards Lotor with fonder looks. The Prince looks like he's ready for redemption that he deserves. The guilty may serve harsh sentences, but once out of punishment and prison can they finally be righteous again. You should know, you've served your own heavy time.

"Well spoken." Lotor looks to the ground, not ready to let giddiness show. You could have sworn that a little blush from fluster hit his cheeks. "I look forward to working with you all, I really do. I think we can finish this once and for all if we all learn from each other and work hard, of course."

Keith sighs, watching the room dissolve and integrate. Then he looks down to watch you, much less negative emotion on his face. Now this, you can tell, is definitely blush. "What if he tries to hurt you?" He whispers, tucking stray hair behind your ear.

"Then I've got a big, strong Paladin to keep me out of danger." You smile genuinely. You stand up tall on your toes, kissing his cheek, leaving him a flattered mess.

"And Lotor?" You turn towards the Prince, who's now shaking hands and experiencing the deluxe feeling of appreciation. "Yes?"

"One last thing before we start working together," You lock your fingers with Keith's, feeling his lightning once more. "I'm not yours anymore."