Winter Tree (Voltron: Legendary Defender Fanfic/ONC )

Worst Nightmare, Children

"Keith, you look tired."

"I feel tired." Keith's eyes blinked at Sven who was on the video conference screen. Hearing Sven's Swedish accent felt comforting. "How exactly did you deal with me when I was younger?"

Keith honestly didn't expect what he saw in the infirmary room; there was no way he could. In the back of his mind, the leader of Voltron knew the members of Voltron met alternate versions of themselves in the past but seeing a younger version of himself brought back memories Keith long ago pushed into the darkest corners of his mind.

When Keith was the age of that Keith he wasn't in a good place.

Neither was this Keith.

Keith wasn't surprised when that Keith attempted bolting from the room.

Sven's eyebrows shot up, but the curiosity was evident in his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Did you..." Keith's mouth twisted into a frown. "Around the time we met, did you ever have to hold me down? You know, prevent me from escaping from the infirmary?"

A silence came from the man on the other side of the screen. Sven crossed his arms, but one hand went up towards his chin. Keith recognized the look as the look Sven got when he was deep in thought. "Well..."

"Look. I know I was difficult. You don't have to lie about that Sven, particularly with me."

"Could we possibly not talk about your past issues?" Sven let out a sigh, yet Keith felt a slight sting. Sven noticed and closed his eyes. "It's not that I'm against talking about this, but if this is one of your attempts at guilt tripping yourself over your past emotional issues, don't. You've come a long way Keith, but it wasn't your fault you were messed up like you were."

Keith glanced at the keypad of the video communications system. "No. I wasn't thinking that. I asked if you knew how to deal with me when I was younger because I need advice."

"Oh?" Sven's eyebrows shot up, but his eyes twinkled in amusement. "Let me guess? One of your crew brought home a child and you're completely clueless on what to do? Need I remind you that you were in your late teens when I was finally able to track you down after our parents died."

"Something like that." Keith rubbed the back of his head, but his mouth twisted nervously. "More specifically Lance brought back an alternative version of me."

Keith saw Sven's mouth twisted into a circle when he looked up. Eventually, Sven spoke. "Oh. What happened?"

"The kid tried bolting from the room and..." Keith let out a deep breath through his nostrils and folded his arms across his chest. "I got into his face and told him to knock it off."

Sven's eyes closed, but he leaned back in his seat. "And?"

"I lost my temper. I can't remember..."

"The last time you..."

A loud sound interrupted Sven and Keith's attention was drawn out the window towards the sky. His eyes widened upon seeing a rather large spaceship come hurtling towards the ground. "Hold on a sec, Sven." Keith's finger reached for three buttons which allowed him to open communication with specific members of the team. "Allura, I need you, Pidge and Hunk to report to the communication room?"

"What about Lance?" Pidge's voice called out.

"Lance is unfortunately already occupied with another task." Keith released the buttons and looked at Sven. "Sven..."

Sven took a deep breath. "Let me guess? You would like me to come and help you out with this younger version of yourself?"

Keith's eyes closed. "Yes, though it's not exactly just a younger version of me."

"Oh..."

"It's also another version of Lance." A laugh from Sven made Keith glance up. "What?"

"No wonder you're flummoxed. The only thing needed to finish out your evil trio is a younger version of Hunk."

"Sven, this isn't funny."

"Yes, it is. Iverson asked me what I wanted with one of you three and that I'd be better off not having anything to do with what everyone dubbed the garrison delinquents regardless of the fact you three were his best team. He didn't understand how the three of you could cause so many problems, particularly you who was the top student."

Keith let out a groan. "Sven..."

"I then said..."

"Sven!"

"Oh, come on. Let me finish the story," Sven's laughter rang through the room. "I said something like, 'so wait. The baby brother I've been looking for this whole time is actually your number one cadet?' The look on his face was priceless, but that's when he decided he might as well get me to whip the three of you into shape."

A smile finally spread across Keith's face. "I remember that. I hated the fact yet another adult who was a complete stranger want to try and act like he got me, but you weren't a stranger and openly admitted you didn't get me." Keith pointed his finger accusingly at Sven. "I found out the second part first. I didn't find out you were my brother until you did something stupid and I got called as your family."

"Yeah. You wouldn't speak to me for days after that, and you'd just started warming up to me. Hunk didn't backtrack like you and Lance did, but he didn't like going against your lead." Sven leaned back. "See. Don't worry about that other Keith, Keith. You were always a born leader."

Keith took a deep breath. "Yeah, but there was none of this animosity between me and Lance like there is between this Keith and that Lance."

"What?" Sven sat back. "This Keith and Lance aren't friends?"

"No, I don't think so. I've not seen them interact though as that Keith is stuck in the infirmary and that Lance is with our Lance. That's the business I told about I'm not sure I want to put them in the same room."

"Keith..." The door of the communication room swished open. Hunk's voice made Keith turn his head. "When did Lance shrink? Is that the emergency?"

"I see Hunk's run into Lance's doppelganger, but where is our Lance?"

Keith sighed. "Hunk, where did you see him?"

Pidge pushed up his eyeglasses. "Huh. Doppelgangers of ourselves. I wonder what my doppelganger would like what I like."

Keith couldn't help but laugh at Pidge's comment regarding the possible Pidge doppelganger. "Hunk?"

"Outside the infirmary."

"Ah." Sven smiled at Keith. "I'm guessing Lance is checking up on your double, but I wonder how many times your double will attempt escaping the infirmary?"

Keith found himself grimacing. "So, could you possibly get over here and help?"

"It will take a few hours, but I'll let Romelle know I'm leaving." Sven started standing up but then stopped. There was a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "Oh. Almost forgot Keith. Romelle is expecting, so you know what that means."

The communication turned off while Keith spluttered. "Wait... what?"

He felt Hunk's large hand clamp down onto his shoulder. "It means Sven is going to be a dad. Isn't that exciting?"

Keith honestly didn't find the prospect of becoming an uncle exciting at all, but mentally imagined having to explain to Sven's wife why he'd made the baby cry.