❤️🍼💛 Little Keith with Uncle Hunk Headcanons! 💛🍼❤️
⚠️ Trigger Warnings: Parental loss, grief, reliving trauma through play, mentions of racism in regards to Keith being a hybrid. These bits will start at the parts marked with ~ ~ ~, and end with the following ~ ~ ~ under them. Please stay safe while reading, friends 🩷
When Daddy Shiro is busy or away, it's usually a toss up between Lance and Allura watching a regressed Keith, or Uncle Hunk--Keith is more than happy with either option, but he gets especially excited when it's Uncle Hunk's turn because Lancey and 'Lura always watch him, Hunk doing it feels like a special treat! 💛
Listen. It isn’t that Shiro can't cook, he can. It's just that Daddy only knows a few simple things off the top of his head and it takes him a while to learn a new recipe. When Keith is with Uncle Hunk, he somehow finds a way to make macaroni and cheese with hotdogs feel like a whole new meal
Playing restaurant with a real-life chef is very fun for Keith. Depending on how old he's feeling depends on what they play. Sometimes they roll out play dough to make cinnamon rolls for their bakery if Keith is on the smaller side, but if he's feeling a bit bigger, they'll play Hell's Kitchen!
(Hunk: Chef Keith! This chicken is raw! What do you have to say for yourself?!
Keith: *giggling his head off* Oopsie! Cook 'gain!
Hunk: Keith! We're thirty minutes into dinner service without a single appetizer going out! What's taking so long, chef?!
Keith, through even more giggles: Uh-oh! Forgots the-the ris-riso-to!
Hunk: You forgot?! Naughty chef!
Keith: *can no longer "cook" because he's too busy laughing*)
His favorite thing is getting to help Uncle Hunk in the actual kitchen! Hunk very carefully gets Keith cleaned up and into his high chair a safe distance away from anything sharp, and they work together to make something tasty, usually a batch of chocolate chip cookies to share 🍪💕
Hunk loves having Keith as his special little helper! He measures out the ingredients and let's the baby pour them into the bowl. He'll start the mixing process and hand the spoon over to Keith for him to try, and then he'll finish it off just to make sure everything is well incorporated. Seeing Keith so happy and smiley while he gets to share his favorite activity with the little one gets his heart warmer than their freshly baked treats. If he tears up, that's between him and Keith
It isn't just the cooking and baking that the two enjoy together, though--Hunk is a master cuddler! He's soft and warm, and he loves to hold Keith just as much as Keith loves to be held
There are three people and three people only that Keith will willingly play firefighters with, and that's Shiro, Lance, and Hunk. Hunk, and Shiro and Lance for that matter, never really know how the game will end: sometimes it's a simple, happy ending where everyone they're rescuing is safe, but other times it ends with a sobbing Keith curled up in someone's arms, reliving the trauma of losing his father. It can be a hard game to play, but if it helps Keith get his feelings out and allows him to process his grief for his dad, than Hunk is more than willing to play and provide all of the comfort he needs after
Movie nights with Uncle Hunk are very fun, because Hunk makes the best snacks, cuddles him throughout the whole movie, and helps keep Keith engaged by actively reacting to what's happening on the TV, even if it's a movie they've watched a million times before (like, for example, The Care Bears II movie)
Even with Keith being a very well-behaved baby, sometimes he still manages to get into a bit of trouble, even with Uncle Hunk. But not to worry: Hunk is always kind, gentle and patient with Keith, taking his time to explain to Keith why what he did was wrong and they figure out ways to fix it together
Whenever Keith colors with someone, they usually color him in red clothes, but whenever Hunk colors Keith, he puts him in purple as a small nod to his acceptance of Keith being part Galra, and it always makes Keith smile
(Once, Keith came back from a Blades mission that didn't exactly go well with other Galra outside of their organization because of how human he looks, and asked Hunk what he thinks he would look like if he looked more Galra. Hunk drew Keith just as he is.
"You do look Galra, buddy. Your eyes are a very pretty purple, and your hair has cool blue undertones. You even have cute little fangs! You don't have to look a certain way to fit in with anyone, and if they make you feel like you do, then I don't think they're acting like a very nice friend."
Hunk gives very good, very gentle life advice 🩷
He also 100% talked to both Shiro and Kolivan about it afterwards, and Keith never had to go to that particular sector ever again)
Hunk is happily in charge of everyone's birthday meals, but with Keith being such a little regressor, he really has fun with the menu every October! He makes all of Keith’s favorite safety foods, but rotates out which dish he'll make in a new way each year. The cake flavors always stays the same though: a decadent red velvet with a cream cheese frosting and a dark chocolate ganache filling. The decorations on the cake look different each year, but always features the red lion ❤️
Eating solids can sometimes be hard for Keith when he gets really small, so Hunk always makes sure that he has smooth, creamy protein shakes and smoothies on hand for when he gets his bottles 🍼
(Once, out of curiosity, Shiro tried a bit of Keith’s special drinks, and was so impressed with the flavors that he was almost jealous that he doesn't regress himself. He can see why his baby loves his bottles so much)
(Keith completely tattled on Shiro to Hunk, and Hunk started to make the protein shakes for Shiro to take to the gym or to training with him, but it isn't without some teasing
"Sorry it isn’t in a baba, big guy--"
"But I did put it in your favorite thermos. The black one with the Voltron sticker on the front."
Hunk's fridge both in his home and in his office at his restaurant are covered in pictures Keith has colored for him, and he loves every single one. He can't leave any out, they all need to go on the fridge, Shay, trust him on this
Speaking of Shay, she's a very good auntie to Keith! She loves to carry him around in a wrap on her back while she gardens if she's watching him while Hunk is busy, and she tells him all sorts of stories from her people. Keith showed her what butterflies are when one came into the garden to start snack on a daisy once, and she's loved them ever since. They like to sit and watch them together, usually while Shay holds Keith in her lap and plays with his hair while he sucks on his paci
Keith considers himself very, very lucky to have Uncle Hunk as such a big part of his life, and Uncle Hunk makes sure that Keith always knows that the feeling is reciprocated tenfold ❤️🍼💛
