The story of us (Shance Fluff Week 17/18)

Mine is a hand to hold (2017 DAY 7: Past/Future)

When Lotor fell years after they started, it was rather underwhelming. It was Hunk the dealt the killing blow, but by the time they comprehended the death of the leader of the Galra Empire, they were far away from the mothership. They were far away from his blood that leaked onto the purple floor, staining their minds a sordid violet. The happiness that they expected to arrive with the death of their last possible leader wasn't near as great as they though it would be.
Lance had held Shiro close that night, both having gotten a little too close to their own deaths for each other's liking.

When Haggar fell, however? Now that was a different story.
She died in a blaze of light, of billowing, burning quintessenance that nearly blew a hole in Voltron's side. Her death was the catalyst of change; with her fell what was left of the Galra Empire and it's hold on the universe.

Ten years after they first got shunted into space, eleven since Shiro was taken from Kerberos, they were finally finished.

That night, they sat around in a disbelieving silence, trying to remember what life before war felt like. All that was needed now was a few round trips to clean up, sweep away the last remaining strongholds, and the universe was free.
"So we can go home?" Hunk had asked, voice scratching and solemn, speaking the thoughts of the team around the table. The princess nodded briskly, sympathetic smile understanding the rush of emotions the Paladins were experiencing. "You'll be needed up here normally. The universe is never free of evil, and Voltron will be needed more diplomatically now planets can fend for themselves again, but you all certainly deserve a holiday."

~

They took a pod down to a beach, at Lance's request, thrumming with excitement with each mile they got closer.
"The first thing I'm going to do" Hunk mused, "is buy some fruit. Some proper, ripe, Earth fruit."
"I'd die for an apple." Keith agreed, laying his head on Hunk's shoulder as Hunk wrapped an arm around the red Paladins waist and leaned onto short hair that had lost it's mullet years ago.

They landed just off a beach in the sweltering sunshine, pod touching down in a clearing of trees overlooking the stretch of sand. Lance was the first out, arms flying out the moment he hit the open air. Following him was Matt and Pidge, who in turn was pulling Allura by the hand. Hunk and Keith strolled out just after, and then Shiro, sliding the door shut and placing his hand on the cheek waiting for him.
"Can you believe this? We're back on Earth, Takashi! Earth!" The man was one voice crack away from crying, and Shiro was fairly sure that, if the Galra hadn't taken his eyes to replace them with the yellow prosthetics barely visible under his black shades, he would have been.
"I've dreamed about this for years." He sounded breathless, and his face was lit up with childlike wonder. "The beach, the air, the sea- Wait! Kashi, a beach shack! We can buy stuff!" His hand moved to the pocket of his shorts, checking the money they found was still there, sighing happily when he removed his hand and passed Shiro several dollar bills.
Laughing, Shiro moved his hand down to Lance's waist and began to walk down the pebbly cliff path to the beach. It was a job to make Lance stay by his side and he was tempted to let Lance run on ahead, but his boyfriend was insistent on trotting beside the older man, talking excitedly about how they were actually home and slipping their hands together with a swing.
When they finally made it down to the beach, Shiro breathed a mental sigh of relief. It was practically deserted, the only people around being the owner of a small shop and couple of tourists asleep in the sun. Sure, the family on the striped blanket may have seen the pod come in, but right now, Shiro didn't give a damn.
"Oi, loverboys, you up for a game?" That was Pidge's voice, stood by their bright pile of towels near the waterline that Coran had dragged up from an old storage room, along with summery clothes and sunglasses. Behind her, Matt and Keith were playfully tossing a cheap, white volleyball between them while Hunk introduced Allura to the plethora of fish that rushed around the shallows and swirled around their hands in curiosity.
"As long as you don't mind having your ass kicked, for celebratory reasons of course!" Lance called back before dropping his light jacket and turning to face his partner. "Are you gonna' play, old man?"
Shiro snorted. "I'm not old, I'm thirty. And I'm always ready to show who's best at volleyball, don't you remember the Tripen games that Allura made us compete in?"
Shaking his head slowly, Lance smirked and began to drag Shiro towards the makeshift court. "Babe, you are so going down."