Dusk 'Till Dawn (Book 3)

Uno 1

Hey guys! Welcome to book three!!! If you're still here after this long, thanks for sticking with me!!!

Also, I know that we don't have an actual cover yet, my internet is being stupid and it's to late for me to put up with this shit...

I'll get the cover up asap! Enjoy the chapter!!!

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It had been two weeks since Keith had returned to Voltron, a week since Ruu started training with Alkari, who Kolivan suggested train them personally. Ruu had caught on to hand to hand combat very quickly. Though their bayard, duel blades, proved to be a weapon only Allura could train them in. Training they excelled at.

Piloting proved to be a much harder endeavor. While yes, Ruu had memorized the controls and movements required for flight, the lack of practical use of that information made learning to fly one of the fastest ships in the universe near impossible. So they had stuck with learning in the Altean pods for the time being.

Team bonding had taken a more... unorthodox turn for the Paladins while they integrated Ruu into their team, at least that's how the Alteans' felt. The large nest Ruu, Sana, Keith, who had been dragged into it, and Alkari had made in the living room. Which they, mostly Sana who everyone had a hard time saying no to, then got the entirety of Voltron to sleep in with them, had been one of several experiences that confused the Alteans.

It worked though, and the other Paladins seemed interested in the customs that seemed to be more Ruu and Sana's than Alkari's, who had stated he hadn't built, or slept in a nest since he was a kit. The group also enjoyed comparing their traditions to Earth ones. For example, sleeping in a nest and sleepovers. Keith seemed to just be excited to find some comparisons between his human and Galra blood.

Not that Allura or Coran had a problem with either species traditions. Allura was adjusting to them, finding them to be great chances to bond with her team. She was trying to understand the meanings a reasons behind the customs, willingly sleeping on the floor everytime a nest was constructed.

Coran just worried about Lance and the baby. The former Blue Paladin was always being dragged into situations that worried Coran. Even knowing Keith would face Zarkon alone unarmed to keep Lance safe, he still didn't find much comfort in Keith promising it was safe. He figured it was simply his fatherly instinct that was growing with every day.

Today was such a day, the Paladins, Alkari and the Galra kit, which Lance had named Kit, nicknamed KitKat, Kat, or Kitty, yes he figured out what sex she was, giving her a bath was part of taking care of her, were all laying in a reconstructed nest. Lance curled up at Keith's side, drifting off to sleep as his boyfriend ran his hand through Lance's curly brown hair. Kit curled up in her Red Lion onesie in his arms, purring contently in her sleep.

Not that any of that worried Coran, it was the actions of two the other Galra inhabitants of the Castle that made the older man's heart race. Ruu and Alkari, who always seemed bring out the others "inner kit", had started play fighting on the opposite side of the nest. The pair were known to get caught up in their play fights, accidentally knocking Hunk over on one occasion. So of course them wrestling so close to Lance raised Coran's blood pressure just a little.

Again this was despite the fact that Hunk and Allura had positioned themselves in-between the pair, and Keith was keeping his eye on them. The two had learned Keith had boundaries when it came to their rough housing. Getting too close to Lance and or Kit was one of them. Ruu and Alkari had learned very quickly to back away if they heard Keith hiss or growl when they play fought. Getting chased a few laps around the Castle insured that.

Currently though, there was no growling or hissing from Keith, a soft content purr however filled the room.

Coran sat near the edge of the nest, glancing between Lance and Kit to Ruu and Alkari. Not quite being able to find the comfort Keith did in the situation. The group continued as they were for another varga, Lance falling asleep somewhere in that time frame, the playful, quiet, almost homie atmosphere desolving as a time went off. Signaling the end of the team's bonding training, that the Paladins had somehow convinced  Allura and Coran to call the time they spent in the nest.

Alkari looked up from his tussle with Ruu, huffing in defeat as he flopped down on top of them.
"Get off me!" Ruu growled playfully, pushing him off them.
Alkari blew a raspberry at them in response, something he pick up from Lance when he played with Kit. They smacked him lightly on the chest, which everyone knew would lead to another round of play fighting.

"Knock it off," Keith said, stretching out as he sat up.
Ruu stuck their forked tongue out at him with a playful glare, before standing with along side Hunk.
"What exactly are we doing know?" they asked.

Allura sighed, "Well we have to get ready for a meeting with some of our closer allies."
"It'll be our first meeting with you and Keith present," Coran added.
"Which is why we're meeting with only a few of Voltron's closest allies, particularly the ones who aren't so heavily apposed to Galra or understand that we don't choose the Paladin for a Lion," Keith added, the young man having taken on his roll as the Leader of Voltron much better than anyone had expected.

Coran suspected Lance had quite a bit to do with that. The Cuban was undeniably Keith's motivation for a lot of things.

"How exactly are we going to explain why Lance isn't piloting a Lion? Didn't you all want to keep the baby a secret?" Alkari tilted his head.
Allura and Keith shared a look, "Lance and I have talked about it, if it comes down to it, if we're asked point blank why Lance isn't piloting, we're going to tell them the truth. Most of our allies who'd be..." Keith paused, both composing himself and searching for the right word, "apposed, to  me and Lance's relationship are likely going to leave the second they see Ruu and me."

Everyone nodded in quiet, reluctant agreement that one, the true colors of their allies weren't black, white, and rainbow, and that there was an undeniable biased against Galra. Half breed or not.

"Do you think any of them would try anything?" Alkari asked, looking down at Lance and Kit.
"Hopefully not," Keith sighed, running his hand through his sleeping mate's hair, "but we can never be too safe. I plan on asking Kolivan if you can stay with us for the duration of Lance's pregnancy. Maybe even after it. I don't want to risk his, Kit's, or the baby's safety."

Alkari nodded, straighten his posture, similar to how he'd do so when given a mission or speaking with Kolivan. Being a guard my not have been something Alkari was trained for, but Galra were like pack animals, they'd do anything for their packmates. Lance was for sure Alkari's packmate, the rest of Voltron was certainly getting there as well.

"I'll do my best," he nodded.
Keith gave him a small smiled, nodding his thanks.

The Paladin of the Black Lion leaned down to his mate, placing a quick kiss on the other teens forehead. Before the Leader of Voltron stood and left the room, followed by the rest of Voltron.

Alkari glanced down at Lance's sleeping form, his more prominent baby bump showing from under his shirt. Kit nuzzled into his chest, her purring getting slightly louder as she did so. His small smile falling, the realization of just how fragile Voltron really was settling in. These two, three, depending on if you wanted to argue if the fetus was truly it's own person or not, could bring down the universe's only hope.

To say Alkari was glad the threat of the enemy finding out about them was impossibly low. It wasn't like the Galra had a spy.

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"Status update"

"Project KU-4017, is ready. It's passed all it's test. Would you like to begin it's in field testing?"

"Yes."

"Wake it up."