What we think, We become (Shallurklance)

13/10 - Home

For once, it was quiet.

There was no rattling gun fire, no fiery explosions that shook the castle, no red alarms that indicated a Galra attack.

Just the quiet, humming, white noise of the castle, Allura's occasional mumbles of whatever she was reading, and the clacking buttons of Shiro and Lance's game controllers. Keith was leaning with his head on Shiro's shoulder, watching intently; he never really played with them. Back at the orphanage he always won, and eventually the other boys stopped letting him play, and no amount of persuading from Lance could change that. He was content just watching for now, laughing and shooting him a stupid name when Lance grumbled and head butted Shiro from his sitting position between his legs, cheering when Shiro took out an enemy.

"Okay boys," Allura asked with a smirk, setting her book aside and sitting up, "teach me how to play."
"Alright." Lance handed her the controller, wrapping his hands around hers to show her how to hold it, "you ready?"
Allura nodded confidently, flexing her fingers around the controller.
"Middle of the cuddle pile says Allura's better than you," Keith betted with a smirk, increasing when Lance whipped around and shot him a glare.
"You're on, mullet!" Lance challenged back, slowly turning back to face the screen.
Behind Lance, Shiro chuckled, jostling his arms slightly to accommodate Lance's movement. "Please don't tell me you guys are actually going to fight over this."
"I'm sorry Kashi, but Keith's said it now," Lance stated seriously, "we have to go through with it."
"Well then, I accept this challange," Allura replied serenely, "Lance, dear, good luck."
"Good luck? What's that supposed to mean?"
Allura didn't even respond, just rolling her eyes playfully and faced the screen once again. "Are you ready, Takashi?"
"As long as you are, Princess."

The game itself was paused on a long menu, humming with ambient music whilst Lance went over the basic controls, what each button did and which joystick moved the character, whilst Keith and Shiro interjected with tips and fun tricks that she could do if she was quick enough.
"Do ya' think you're ready?" Lance teased once the tutorial was over, leaning back into Shiro's chest.
Allura smirked. "Of course."

The thing was, was that she was very good.

Somewhere along the line, Allura had racked up a higher combo than Shiro, and had no qualms picking up weapons and attacking anything that strayed into her pathway. Even Keith was surprised at how much further she'd gotten than Shiro, and, if Lance's dropped jaw saw anything to go by, so was he.

"Allura, sweetheart, 'you okay there?" Shiro eventually asked gently, picking up on how she was now nearly hunched double.
In return, Allura growled quietly, shooting him a glare. "I don't understand why this is so easy."
"Easy?" Lance shot back, "you're playing on pretty much the highest setting there is!"
"There is the legendary mode," Shiro mused quietly.
Keith scoffed quietly. "But Takashi's shit at legendary mode, so he'd prefer you didn't play that."
"It isn't that bad-"
"You didn't even beat the first stage last time we tried," Lance shot back.
Shiro felt himself flush, listening to his loves laugh teasingly around him.
"I'll save your image, Takashi," Allura said gently, setting the controller down in front of her and stretching, "we should be resting, Kolivan wants to start some more intensive training tomorrow."
Lance paled. "I can already feel pain."
"Marmora training isn't that bad, Lance," Keith said, raising an eyebrow at Lance's complaints.
"Yeah, but not all of us are part time marmoran soldiers."
Keith shrugged. "Fair."

~

"So I was thinking, right," Lance said quietly, setting a small picture straight on the wall, "that this is kind of our home now, right?"
"I guess so," Shiro agreed, "and I'm completely okay with that."
"I am too!" Lance turned hastily, hands apologetically behind his back. "It just feels a bit weird, because it's not my 'home', but it is? Does that make sense?"
Shiro chuckled and sat down on the bed next to Keith, who was dozing with his eyes shut. "My Momma always used to say that your home was wherever your heart is." He looked at Allura, who was combing knotted hair in a mirror, at Keith, who was happily napping next to him for the first time in ages, at Lance, who had just secured a picture of all four of them to the wall. "I'd say my heart is certainly here, so this is my home, I guess."
"Well, if it's your home," Lance said slowly, grin growing on his face as he walked over, "I might be able to make it mine too."

Next to them, Keith stirred with a hum. "I've never really had a home," he admitted quietly, voice slurred and rough from sleep, but his fear of the truth still slipped through, "I like it here though."
A clack of a comb being set against the metal table echoed through the room, and they all turned to see Allura give a sobering smile. "You know I'd share my home with you, all three of you, and I'd be honoured if you considered it as such," she said warmly, crawling over the bed behind them to run a hand through Keith's hair and over his cheek, "it doesn't feel like home when you're not here, either."
"Aw, babe!" Lance tipped backwards, falling into her lap. "It feels empty with out you, too, like whenever you go off to do your diplomacy stuff?" He threw his arms out exaggeratedly. "Empty, babe."
Shiro felt a fond smile spread across his face as he looked over his loves that were spread over the bed. "I think this calls for a cuddle pile?"
Allura giggled. "Let us form Voltron!"
"Allura," Lance groaned, "I love you, but that was terrible." He flopped down on the bed next to Keith, tossing a leg over his and throwing an arm over his chest.

"Uh, Lance?"
"What?"
Keith smirked and laughed under his breath. "You still lost your bet."
Swearing quietly, Lance groaned and shuffled over to his other side at the edge of the bed. "Fine."
"Don't worry, love, you can have the middle tomorrow," Allura soothed gently, lying in the space where Lance was and pulling Keith close. Still sat, Shiro laughed, shrugging off his grey robe and lying slightly on top of Keith, but so his arms still reached around Lance and Allura. "I love you guys, so much."
There was a bit of struggle, and Allura was forced to sit up slightly, but he eventually kissed each one of his loves gently. "G'night guys."
"Night, Kashi!"
"Goodnight!"
"Go the fuck to sleep already, all of you."

It was, arguably, the first proper night in their new home.

And it certainly wouldn't be the last.