Waiting For You (A Sheith Story)

A Chance Encounter (Chapter 1)

I'm back with another Voltron story. This isn't exactly an AU, but rather a pre-season 1 story, of how the paladins knew each other before they really knew each other. Anyway, feel free to comment/ask questions, thanks for reading and hope you enjoy!

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Keith was maybe fifteen when the day came that his life was changed by him. That one special day. Keith didn't know it at first, but it was destiny that his hoverbike broke down, and he had to wander the hot desert for help or spare parts.

And it was destiny that nearly got Keith ran over by an adapted atv.

A small constant hum had emerged from somewhere on the horizon. Hot, exhausted, and sweat soaked, Keith knew it was an engine and dismissed it.

It was too far, and there was no way he would catch it on foot. From the way the engine roared, it sounded as if it was going away from him.

Keith hadn't been very lucky in his life, never knowing his mother, and his father dying from cancer when he was young. Not wanting to be put in an orphanage, Keith decided to live in his family's home in the desert.

He was lonely, and didn't always have the best food supply. The only time he recalled every being lucky was finding the nearly brand new hoverbike abandoned not far from his shack. It had only been out of gas, so Keith refueled it and could better find food.

But then again, today could've been his lucky day again. The engine roar didn't fade. In fact, it slowly grew louder. Keith perked up, watching from where he assumed the vehicle would come from, his back to a couple of plateaus that formed a mini canyon.

He didn't see any sand cloud in the distance though. Yet, the sound still got louder, before Keith figured the vehicle would be right on top of him. He meant that figuratively, and didn't know it would literally happen.

The noise roared behind him as something sped out of the plateaus and straight towards him.

Thankfully Keith had really good instincts, and dove away as the machine roared past. It was so close, the air from the vehicle ripped at his hair and clothing.

Brakes squealed as the machine suddenly came to a stop. Keith whirled around fuming.

"What the hell?! Watch where you're going you..." Keith's rant was stuck in his throat when the driver leapt out of the vehicle.

He was tall, in a gray uniform. Under a similarly dark gray hat, hair as black as Keith's, but not nearly as long, was tucked away, though a few black tufts poked out the front.

"I--I'm so sorry!" He quickly apologized as he helped Keith to his feet and started quickly brushing sand off Keith. His dark eyes were even darker in contrast with his pale skin.

"I--It's okay," Keith muttered as he stepped away.

"My name is Takahashi Shirogane, of the Galaxy Garrison. I had no idea there was a town around here, or else I wouldn't have chosen this place as a test site--"

"There's no town, I live a few miles south alone," Keith explained. "And if you want a really good test site, try the canyons a mile or two north. They're really hardcore."

"Wait, you live by yourself, mister, uh...?"

"Keith Kogane, and yes."

"You're kinda young to be alone... So what are you doing out here?"

"Looking for food and parts for my vehicle," Keith replied vaguely.

"I know a place you can get both, if you'd enroll there," Shirogane offered. "Join the Garrison. You seem to know the area, and if you hadn't noticed, we could use some decent pilots." They both gave the atv a wary glance. Keith knew that the driver was right.

Keith sighed. "Are you going to let me go otherwise?"

"Not really. Protocol insists I bring you in since no one is supposed to be out here," Shirogane admitted with a sheepish smile. "But if you enrolled, they wouldn't have any reason to interrogate you."

Keith gave a small one in return. "Guess I have no choice then, Shirogane."

"Please, call me Shiro," he grinned as he offered his hand to Keith and helped him into the Garrison vehicle.

"Hold on," Keith muttered.

"What?"

"A) I need some clothes and other things and b), after you almost ran me over, I'm driving."