#shkidge

“Do you want to talk about it?” Shiro asked.

“I think she pretty much summed it up. We both want a kid one day, but right now isn't the right time,” Keith said. “There's still so much risk to what we do. I could never... I never want them to go through what I did.”

Shiro sat up so he could properly face Keith. “That would never happen. There are so many people in your life who would take them in, raise them with stories of the two of you. Pidge's parents would. Matt would. Allura and Lance. Hunk and Shay... Me.”

“You'd be a great dad, Shiro,” Keith said softly.

“And you and Pidge would be amazing parents. It's alright to be afraid of what the future holds, but if it's something you both want...” Shiro paused, frowning. “Is it something you want?”

“More than I've ever wanted anything,” Keith admitted.

Shiro leaned forward and kissed Keith on the forehead. “I'm glad. There's nothing that I want more than for the two of you to be happy.”

“Is that why you said yes?”

“No,” Shiro said with a shake of his head and a small smile. “I said yes because it's something I want.”

Keith relaxed slightly. “...but you still plan on leaving.”

“Yes.”

Keith lowered his gaze, not knowing what else to say.

“Keith, if all I get are a few months of happiness with you and Pidge, it's worth it. Going back and changing things is worth it, if it means you don't have to know the pain of losing another person you care about.” Shiro reached out and tilted up Keith's head. “I'd rather have this time with you than wonder for the rest of my life what it would be like.”

Pidge's words echoed back to Keith. “It could be a month or a year. But just for a while, we could try?”

Keith's tongue darted out to wet his lips. Any time with Shiro was precious, and while a few months would never be enough for Keith, he knew when to admit that they were right. If he didn't take advantage, he would regret it.

He leaned in slowly, his eyes fluttering shut as Shiro met him halfway. Their lips brushed together, parting briefly, and then Keith pressed forward. He could feel Shiro smile into their kiss.

“You should spend more time with Shiro.”

Pidge glanced up at Keith and then went back to her work. “I will. I'm just so close to... to, um...” She stopped what she was doing and fully turned around to face her husband, taking note of his unusually mussed hair with some amusement. “Are you sure you don't want to spend more time with him on your own? You look like you're having a good time.”

Keith flushed. “I am, but it's not right if you're not part of this too. You're so focused on your research that you haven't spent any time with him.”

A rush of guilt flooded her at his words. It was true; she'd been so wrapped up with her promise to find a way for him to go back that she'd let it consume her. Aside from shared meals and their brief morning greetings, she'd barely spent any time with him. And it wasn't like she was eager to send him away! She just wanted him to have the chance to choose for himself for once. He deserved that, after everything he'd been through.

Pidge glanced back at her computer and the algorithms she's written with help from Slav. They were almost perfect.

'It wouldn't hurt to take a break,' she mused to herself as she made sure her work was saved. Then she stood, wincing at the way her spine cracked in protest. She walked over to Keith and stood on tiptoe to kiss him. “Well, I can't let you have all the fun,” she murmured as she pulled away.

Keith chuckled and chased after her for another quick kiss. “Go. Get out of the house for a while.”

“What will you do?” Pidge asked.

“Probably clean up all of my tools that Kosmo's been using as chew toys. Maybe work on the bike for a bit,” Keith replied.

With one last kiss shared between them, Pidge set of to find Shiro and invite him for a leisurely walk. It wouldn't be a long one - nature was the Green Lion's element, not her own – but she couldn't deny that it was nice to get out of the house for a little while, especially when it meant getting to hold Shiro's hand as they strolled along.

“How's your research?” Shiro asked kindly.

“It's going well. It took a while to get Slav-” (Shiro made a face.) “-to stay on topic, but now that he knows I'm serious about it, there's no getting him to shut up about alternate realities and the flow of space-time,” Pidge grumbled. “I just have to make sure our calculations are correct and then I can start testing. Well, and actually build the time machine.” She frowned, scrunching up her nose. “It's going to need a better name. Like... like...”

“A time portal?” Shiro suggested.

Pidge hummed as she considered it. “That does sound better, but it's still not right. Time portal makes me think of something that lets you see different points in time, not travel to them.” She glanced up at him suddenly unsure of their conversation. Shiro didn't look like he minded it, but there had to be something more pleasant for them to talk about. Something that would be less of a reminder of how short their time together was.

Shiro squeezed her hand. “Maybe you could show me some of your designs, if you've started on them.”

“I might have a few,” Pidge said.

She had every intention of showing him her notebook full of designs. Really, she did. But somewhere along the way they ended up making out instead, and that was so much nicer than talking about time travel.

Pidge gasped as Shiro lifted her up, giving her little option but to wrap her legs around his waist for better stability. Her arms were already around his neck, her fingers entangled in his hair. It felt so undeniably good, but there was a quiet voice at the back of her mind telling her to slow down a little. There was something missing.

She made a throaty sound as Shiro swooped down and captured her lips in a deep kiss, losing herself in pleasure for a few minutes longer. “Wait,” she gasped as he drew back to catch his breath. “Wait.”

Shiro gently eased her down onto the bed, and while he didn't move away from her, he didn't push any further. “I'm sorry. It's too fast. I shouldn't-”

Pidge pressed a finger against his lips, cutting him off. “Trust me, it's not too fast and you have nothing to apologize for.” She slowly lowered her hand, trailing her finger down over his jaw and then back around his neck, keeping him right where she wanted him. “Have either of us told you how we got together?”

“A giant robot lion and an intergalactic war?” Shiro guess.

“Ha. Cute. I mean it, Shiro. Keith's never mentioned it to you?”

Shiro shook his head. “I think he's been waiting for me to ask. I... I haven't wanted to. It only reminds him.”

“Two years after you disappeared, we were celebrating. We'd just delivered a massive blow to Sendak's forces and chased him away from Earth. There was a little drinking. I think I remember Lance attempting a striptease. Hunk says I fell over myself flirting with Allura, but I'm sure he was just exaggerating.” She shrugged at Shiro's questioning look. “I have eyes, Shiro. Anyway, that's not the point. What I do remember is Keith walking me back to my room. And then not leaving.”

It was a good memory; one she would always cherish. It may not have been the most conventional way to start a lasting relationship, but she wouldn't complain. Besides, she thought they handled the whole thing maturely.

“And you started dating after that?”

“No, then we started sleeping together regularly,” Pidge corrected. “Eight months after that, we had our first official date.”

Shiro chuckled in amusement and pressed his lips to her forehead. “No wonder you don't think this is rushing. At least we're dating.”

A giggle burst free from Pidge's throat. Leave it to Shiro to treat even unusual circumstances as though they were perfectly normal. Though she couldn't help but wonder how he would have reacted had he still been with them when the team found out. (Matt, for example, had done his best to put Keith through a wall when he found out. It'd taken Allura, Hunk, and Lance to pull him away.)

She pulled Shiro down onto the bed with her, using his surprise to her advantage so she could flip him on his back and straddle his waist. Pidge grinned down at him.

Shiro's hands settled on her hips. “And what will you do with me now, Katie?”

Pidge swallowed, trying not to let it show how affected she was by the use of her real name. “Now... now I think I'll keep you here like this. It'll make a nice surprise for Keith.”

Shiro's eyes glittered with anticipation.

It was with great reluctance that Pidge dragged herself out of bed the next morning, moving slowly so she wouldn't wake Keith or Shiro. She dressed herself and then took a moment to look at them, smiling at the way Shiro had latched onto Keith in his sleep.

How had she gotten so lucky? Shiro fit together with them so well, like a puzzle piece they didn't know they'd been missing.

What were they going to do once he was gone?

She shook her head to clear herself of such gloomy thoughts and quietly made her way out of the room and downstairs to get started on breakfast. If she was lucky, they would sleep in for once and she could surprise them with breakfast in bed. (She doubted they would, but it was nice to dream.)

As she was gathering what she needed, the doorbell rang.

Pidge frowned as she set a pan on the counter. She could hear the sound of someone rolling out of bed upstairs, their feet hitting the floor hard. “I'll get it!” she called out, giving them extra time to prepare for their guest.

She took her time getting to the door, wondering who was there at such an early hour. It wasn't like they had neighbors and Matt always called ahead before showing up. She got her answer when she opened the door to see Hunk, Lance, and Allura on the other side.

“What are you guys doing here?” Pidge asked bluntly, nowhere near awake enough for pleasantries.

“We've been worried about you,” Allura said. “You and Keith have been holed up here for months except for missions. And Hunk says you've been talking to Slav about alternate realities or something.”

Pidge groaned and stepped aside, wordlessly inviting them inside. 'Damn you, Slav.'

'Sorry,' Hunk mouthed at her as he passed, offering her a sympathetic pat on the shoulder.

Pidge led them to the kitchen, where Hunk noticed her beginnings of making breakfast and automatically took charge of it, partly out of habit and partly to have an excuse to not actively participate in whatever Allura and Lance had planned.

“So what's so important that you had to show up at seven in the morning?” Pidge asked.

“It's like Allura said, you and Keith have just been sitting out here for months. You didn't even come to my birthday!” Lance said.

“We called and sent a gift,” Pidge replied, crossing her arms over her chest. “We just want some peace and quiet for a bit, that's all. That's why we built our house all the way out here.”

Lance mimicked her stance. “Yeah, but this is something different. I can feel it.”

“Well maybe it's none of your business!”

Allura stepped between them before they could really start yelling. “Okay, that's enough. Pidge, I'm sorry we came so early and without telling you. We really have been worried and just wanted to see if there's anything we can help with. You've both been so quiet lately and then I heard about you working on a project with Slav and... And it just seemed so unlike you to stay quiet about something, is all.”

Pidge's anger deflated as Allura calmly spoke. She couldn't really fault them for getting worried. They had been distancing themselves since they found Shiro.

“I have been working on something, I just didn't want to say anything because I wasn't sure if it would work,” Pidge said, picking her words carefully. She wasn't going to lie to them, but she couldn't tell the full truth either. “The only reason Slav is involved is because he knows more about it than I do and I needed the help.”

Lance fidgeted and then opened his mouth. “I think Keith's cheating on you.”

“Lance!” Allura snapped, whirling around to face her husband.

“What the fuck, Lance?” Keith growled from the stairway. He stalked into the kitchen towards the other man, fury radiating from his very being. “Why would you ever think something like that? I love Katie!”

Any other time, Pidge would have tried to intervene in whatever fight they picked with each other, but for once she though Lance deserved whatever Keith was about to do. In fact, she might actually help.

Hunk broke away from cooking to stop Keith before he could do anything he would later regret. “Keith, what Lance said is wrong, but can we stop and cool down for a second? Everyone?”

“Or at least let him explain why he'd say something so stupid before you punch him,” Pidge said.

“Yes, exact- wait, no,” Hunk corrected himself, frowning at Pidge. “No punching. Lance, explain.”

Lance looked around helplessly, as if he'd just become aware that he wasn't getting any backup. “Look, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said it like that. I just... I just had this feeling that there was something weird the last time we formed Voltron and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it! You know how we can kind of pick up on strong thoughts and feelings when we're together like that?”

“So... you think Keith has strong feelings for someone who isn't me?” Pidge tried to make sense of what Lance was saying.

“Yes! That!”

Pidge turned her gaze to Keith, who had calmed down enough that he no longer looked as though he was seconds away from decking Lance. And while she was still angry that he assumed such an awful thing, it was interesting that he'd picked up on their anxiety over Shiro.

She walked over to join Keith, waving Hunk away back to his cooking, so they could face their friends together. “Should we tell them?” she asked quietly.

After a moment of contemplation, Keith nodded.

Pidge took a deep breath. “Keith and I have a boyfriend.”

Their reactions were instantaneous. Hunk fumbled with a spatula and nearly dropped it on the floor. Lance's mouth hung open in shock. Allura choked on air as she gasped.

There was a beat of silence before Hunk recovered enough to say: “You know I was only joking about the harem thing, right, Pidge?”

“And don't you think I would have picked Allura first if that was my plan?” Pidge joked back. “And Lance too, I guess. Packaged deal and all.”

“I am never dating Lance,” Keith grumbled.

“I know, dear.”

“Boyfriend?” Lance squeaked. “What-? But who?”

“Me,” Shiro said, taking that as his cue to step out of the stairway and into the kitchen, giving their friends a second heart-attack in the span of a few minutes.

As before, there was a period of silence before all hell broke loose and their friends mobbed him, talking too fast for anyone to get a word in. Hunk was sobbing as he threw his arms around Shiro. Lance, tearing up even as he cursed Pidge and Keith for keeping it a secret. And Allura, openly weeping as she tried to confirm that it really was him.

It was some time later that they all sat down together, food forgotten as Pidge and Keith explained the events leading up to their unexpected visit that morning. Some things – the more intimate details – were naturally left out, as was Pidge's pursuit of a way to send him back.

“So you didn't want to tell us because...?” Lance prodded.

“Because Pidge is building a time machine,” Hunk said, his eye widening with realization. “That's why you're working with Slav! It's not alternate realities you're interested in, it's the flow of space-time!”

Pidge nodded.

“You're not staying?” Allura asked Shiro, sounding disappointed.

“I have to go back, if it's possible. I want to change things. Not everything, but...” He hesitated, looking at Keith. “But more than that, there's so much I missed out on. I want to be there to see your children born, Allura. I want to be there for all of you. For the good times and the bad.”

Allura's smile was a sad one. “You know it might not change things for us. It could just create an alternate reality.”

“I know. I still want to try. Even if it is another version of all of you, it's still you. It's a Keith who didn't have to spend ten years searching. A Pidge who didn't have to give up on a friend.”

Allura reached across the table to take his hand. “Alright. Then whatever you need in order to go back, let me know.” She turned to Pidge, who looked as though she was seconds away from crying. “We're here to help. Any time.”

With their friends on board to lend a hand, Pidge finished up the Time Transporter much sooner than she expected. What she predicted would take another six or eight months on her own, only took three, even with testing and building the machine itself.

The day before was dreary and overcast, perfect for the somber atmosphere of Shiro's farewell dinner. They'd all wanted the chance to say goodbye, but had agreed the day he left would be just Shiro, Keith, and Pidge.

Stories were swapped, from the times before Shiro's disappearance and more than a few through the years he'd missed. Mostly silly stories. Lance reminisced about the fun times on the Castle of Lions, like the food goo fight and the squishy asteroids. (Or even that one time the castle tried to kill them all.) Allura's stories of a houseful of half-Altean children and an offhand remark that maybe there was room for another. Keith's countless tales of Kosmo's antics when they all lived on the Atlas and how he would team up with Baebae to wreak havoc. Hunk, gushing over Shay and their baby boy, Vayren. Pidge had a number of stories about Matt and her family, carefully chosen to not reveal too much.

There were no dry eyes when Hunk, Allura, and Lance left that night.

The next morning dawned clear and bright, drying out the wetness from the day before. No one could stomach much of a breakfast and it wasn't long before the three of them were standing in the backyard.

Pidge knelt down to make sure the Time Transporter was set correctly, as well as to give herself a moment to collect herself. She knew if she looked at Shiro she'd never be able to get the words out. “Remember, I can't send you back to the exact moment you left, in case I overshoot and you go back too far. Your best chance is getting sent back ten years from this moment.” She stopped to rub her eyes and then stood up, her voice breaking. “It's set to target Keith. You'll show up wherever he is in the past.”

“Oh, Katie,” Shiro said softly, wrapping her up in his arms. “It'll be okay. You'll see me soon. I know it. Everything's going to be alright.”

Pidge sobbed and buried her face in his chest, unable to bring herself to say anything else. After a few minutes, she was calm enough to let go of him, though tears continued to stream down her face.

“Keith,” Shiro's voice cracked as he turned to face the other man.

Keith's smile was brittle. “See you soon, Shiro.”

Shiro looked away, his hand trembling as he gripped the handle of the Time Transporter. He flipped the switch to give it time to work and then lifted his head, getting one last look at them. “I love you both.”

And then he was gone.

Pidge fell to her knees, sobbing once again, and Keith went to her, hiding his face in her hair as he cried.

They sat in the grass and held each other for a long time.

And then Kosmo gleefully barked from somewhere in the house, and like waking from a spell, Pidge and Keith slowly untangled and he helped her up, freezing as he got a good look at her.

“Pidge?” His voice was full of wonder as he placed his hand on her belly, which had been perfectly flat the last he checked.

Pidge looked down, her eyes wide. “How?”

As new memories trickled in, slowly growing stronger and pushing aside the old until their ten years without Shiro felt more like a well-watched movie than reality, they knew what happened.

“Shiro,” they said in unison, hurrying inside to find him.

Pidge and Keith were almost to the hall when they heard the front door shut and Shiro's voice call out: “We're home!”

Tiny footsteps raced towards them and Keith stepped in front of Pidge in time to catch a little girl with dark hair and sweep her up into his arms. She squealed and giggled, wrapping her arms around his neck and planting a wet kiss against his cheek with a playful, “Mwah!”

“Keira,” Pidge breathed, staring at their daughter. She felt like crying all over again, but at least she could blame it on the hormones.

And then Shiro walked in, a little older and with much whiter hair, but still very much the Shiro they fell in love with. Keith slowly set Keira down, unable to take his eyes off of him.

“Sweetie, why don't you and Kosmo go play outside?” he asked.

“Kosmo!” Keira giggled as the comic wolf loped over to her and laid down, letting her climb onto his back. Once she had a good grip on his harness, he trotted out the back door.

Shiro set down his backpack, his expression one of concern as he approached Pidge. He reached out to brush away her fresh tears. “Hey, what's wrong? Did something happen? Is everything alright?”

“You did it,” Keith said, his tone conveying his awe. “You actually...”

“Changed things,” Pidge choked out with a happy laugh. “You changed the timeline. Our timeline!”

With a shout of delight, Shiro pulled his wife and husband in for a warm hug, basking in the knowledge that he'd done what he set out to do.