Kidge Oneshots

Five Years Later

In which Keith and Pidge haven't seen each other in five years because Keith's space exploring and Pidge is science exploring.

Also non-binary Pidge? y e s

ALSO APPARENTLY WE'VE GOTTEN OVER 500 READS!? YOU GUYS IM ಥ-ಥ ༼ つ ◕◡◕ ༽つ

(sending y'all socially distanced hugs)

Five years. Keith couldn't believe it had been five whole years he'd seen the team. 

He had tried to meet them on Altea, but between organizing the Galra Empire, the election process for a representative of the Galra in the Voltron Coalition, and his relief missions with the Blade of Marmora, Keith barely had any free time as it was. He thanked every deity he knew that he could be away from it all, even if it was only for the week.

As soon as Keith's ship's door was open, he could see three figures running towards him dressed in blue, yellow, and black. Keith stepped out of the ship to meet them halfway, taking in the cool weather with the scent of juniberries floating on the breeze.

"Keith!" Hunk cheered as the bigger man wrapped him in a warm, cuddly hug. Hunk seemed even warmer and more comforting than he remembered, if that was even possible. There was a slight stubble on his chin and his eyes were even brighter than before. The one thing that had stayed the same was his orange headband, the wind tugging on it lightly.

"Hey man, glad to see you again!" Lance cheerily patted Keith's back as he pried himself out of Hunk's hug to see the others. Lance was leaner than before and the smell of juniberries that wafted around him was quite noticeable. The Altean marks under his eyes glowed a happy blue, his body more relaxed than the times he had just woken up in his robe and towel on the Castle of Lions.

"Hey," Keith replied, "how're you holding up?"

Lance seemed a bit startled by the question, his eyebrows going up ever so slightly. He knew what Keith was talking about, and he also knew that Keith was...blunt when it came to questions. But he still felt a wave of sadness wash over him, and to Keith, it looked like his markings dimmed a little.

"Thanks for asking, really. I guess...I'm doing good. It's pretty peaceful on the farm, and the talks I give to the schools about our adventures are always fun, but I still miss her every day." Keith's face was slightly mournful, his eyes downcast. "I'm glad you're better."

Lance smiled sadly. "Thanks man. I just don't get that question that often anymore, but because you've been so busy for the past years, it makes sense that you'd ask."

"Welcome back, Keith."

Keith turned his head to the voice and grinned at the person it belonged to.

"Good to see you too, Shiro."

Shiro, like Hunk, was starting to get a small beard, but to accompany the look, he was wearing a pair of black square-framed glasses, his small hair tuft moving slightly in the wind.

Keith chuckled. "Wow Space Dad, you finally look the part."

Hunk and Lance burst into laughter while Shiro rolled his eyes and said "Seriously? Did everyone call me that?"

"Hey, blame Pidge, they're the one who started it." Keith grinned at this comment and he grinned at the mention of them. Their silky honey hair and owl-like eyes— he could get lost in them for days. But then a realization hit him. He started looking at trio with a confused expression. "Hey, where is Pidge? I thought they'd be with you guys."

A ting! went off and Hunk looked down at his watch before covering up the notification with his hand.

"It seems like the pigeon wants a full nest." Hunk said mysteriously, looking pointedly at Shiro and Lance. Keith's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"But Hunk, there aren't any pigeons on Altea—"

"What Hunk means," Lance cut in, getting the message Hunk was sending his way, "is that we need to show you where you're staying!"

Keith shook his head, still extremely confused at Hunk's outburst.

"Is there a pigeon in my room or—"

"C'mon, Mullethead, no time to lose!"

---

"Lance, you're not listening, Kosmo would eat the pigeon the second he sees it—"

"No, no, we aren't giving you a pigeon, Well, kind of, but not really." 

"That is a vague and concerning answer, Lance."

Their conversation came to an end as the group filed into Keith's room. It was red all over, a bed in one corner and a balcony that overlooked Altea on one side. The strangest thing about the room was the giant cake sitting in the middle of the floor. It was red and white, and even from here Keith could see the 'Welcome Back Keith!' That had been done in perfect icing.

"Oh, wow! Thanks, you guys!"

Then, in the corner of his eyes, Keith saw the strangest thing.

Did the cake just flicker?

There it was again, slightest movement of energy and a thin sliver of the cake suddenly went pixelated, then back to normal.

"Guys...something's wrong with the cake."

Hunk's eyes widened slightly at his comment and Lance stopped talking abruptly.

"What do you mean?" Shiro asked, but there was a slight edge in his tone that Keith didn't like.

The cake flickered again, this time the stream of green pixels much more noticeable. "You seriously don't see that?"

"See wh—"

A cacophony startled the group as they turned to the cake which had been the source of the extremely loud noise. Keith would probably remember this image for days, not just because it was special and sweet, but also because—

"SURPRISE!"

Pidge was standing in the middle of a severed, pixelated cake.

Their hair was shorter than he remembered, the honey locks just barely long enough to frame their face. They were wearing a white lab coat with a green undershirt, but to Keith's surprise, none of their clothes had cake clinging to it. Keith was still half in shock as Pidge's smile grew wider.

"Welcome back!"

"How-"

"Oh, this?" Pidge waved a hand through the cake, and instead of hitting a solid form, it grasped the air and phased through the "cake", green pixels trailing after their hand. Then they reached down and picked something off the ground before pressing a button on it and the "cake" turned off, leaving only a small white disk with a blue circle in the middle that was the same color as how the Castle of Lions used to glow.

"It's a projection of a cake Hunk made for you. The real thing's downstairs, and it's delicious! Not that I've already had any or anything. It would have been a perfect holograph if Hunk hadn't INSISTED ON SINGLE-MODULATING IT—"

That was all Pidge could get out before Keith walked towards them and pulled them into a sweet, happy kiss, his hands on their waist and their hand holding onto his arm. Keith was the first to break the kiss, smiling as he did so.

"Did I ever tell you how much I love you?"

"Did you seriously miss me that much?"

Keith pecked their lips, quick and soft, before giving his answer.

"Absolutely."