Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Without realizing it Keith was captured when he arrived on an alien planet alongside Shiro, Lance, Pidge, and Hunk due to a huge alien robot-lion. However, he can barely think of what happened around him when he was captured as a feeling of complete and total ecstasy and comfort overtook him. Such a surprise it was when he had a direct audience with the emperor of the race that had caught him, and even more surprised when he discovered that he is the soulmate of such a powerful and feared being.

              + For Another 10 Thousand Years +              

The situation is somewhat unbelievable in the current scenario. 

Keith sits next to Zarkon, both on their superb thrones which name their power. His catlike ears stand up to emphasize his alert posture to new guests. The half-galra was surprised by that as he did not expect to see Shiro or the others after he was taken back by Zarkon. 

The fact Keith didn't even imagine finding them alive after having known the destructible power of his empire, but now he had them here, and fortunately, or unfortunately, the highly esteemed Princess is here. She is a beautiful Altean, and the fact that she was the last of her kind in the purest form of blood only made her beauty unique. However Keith hoped for more after hearing so much about Allura from Lotor. He imagined she was beautiful, and of course he would not question the taste of his newest child, but he would like someone better for him.

Keith ignores the thousands of questions asked to himself. There is no benefit in wasting his voice and spit on answers they would not understand, so he keeps silent and watches his partner start his victory speech. 

The paladins's voices had stopped, he imagined it was for realizing they are lost now that Zarkon has captured them, but the real reason for the silence was their shock at seeing Keith's gaze completely passionate and affectionate under Zarkon.

Chapter Text

Keith walks out of the blue lion wanting to know the new land, his feet clatters softly when he steps on the floor outside the castle, and his eyes were the only thing in him that showed his surprise at the majestic building on which they landed.

Before going inside the castle with the others, he takes one last look at the landscape. He identifies in the distance tall pillars of light sandstone having here or there large branches of unknown but beautiful and colorful plantations. The desert appearance mixed with the splendor of the plantations around the castle was beautiful and somewhat peculiar. The curiosity and desire for adventure encourages him a little to explore the place later.

He turns back to the castle's entrance ready to enter, but a warm and comforting feeling invades him without permission. Keith feels his body tremble and falters a step and he's soon falling to his knees on the floor. His brain seemed to turn to clay; that feeling of pure comfort. 

Not knowing why, Keith starts walking in the opposite direction of Shiro and his ex-colleagues as soon as he stands, something or someone called him and Keith couldn't resist the call. He didn't want to resist something that brought him a feeling that haven't felt in a long time.

"Keith!" he hears Shiro call. He ignores it. Nothing would make him come back while that sweet charm filled Keith's heart with intense heat.

He starts to race towards that unusual flowering desert. In the sky he can see a ship: the same one they had found after leaving Earth and used to dodge a probable conflict. Keith knew that this would be his ticket to find who or what seduced him with these sweet emotions. He had no idea how he knew it, but it was enough to make him go where the ship landed without a moment of hesitation. There were screams behind him, calling for him to return. Saying it’s not safe. He could hear hurried footsteps following him yet none of that mattered except the bursting feeling blooming inside him.

So quickly and unexpectedly something Keith thought were the sentries Shiro had said earlier left the ship. They are all armed with their aim pointed at Keith. Even with the threat Keith knew he wasn’t the target and he honestly didn't even stop to see who they were aiming at with such conviction. 

When he was in front of the small troop he stops running and sees them making way for a purple yellow-eyed being in strong armor that clearly denotes her high rank. Keith first concentrates on catching his breath while trying to reason whether it was a good idea to heedlessly run to this ship. He can hear Shiro talking to him, but Keith couldn't make out the words. He has no idea if they are asking for something or encouraging him to continue, the feeling of ecstasy and sweetness filling his mind. It’s making him incoherent, lost, and frightened.

He can focus his vision on the purple woman in front of him and see her extend her hand. She says something but Keith doesn’t understand her language despite it somehow feeling familiar. All he could hear clearly — without understanding what it meant — was a " Tquizarp ", the reason why this unusual word etched into his brain was unknown to Keith, but that made no difference to him.

Then without thinking much — or nothing at all — Keith went up the ship's ramp, extending his right hand to hold the woman's and was promptly guided to the ship. 

He doesn't fight to escape. He doesn't even want to really think about the danger he may be getting involved in, much less make a point of remembering the horrors that Shiro went through with these beings. Keith just wants to know the source of his overwhelming feelings, and wants to understand why the woman treated him so well even when she pointed her guns at his friends. Keith wants to know more about this uncertain and seemingly incredible future. And no one will stop him, not really. No one will be able to.

+  +  +

He is finally able to understand what the woman was saying as she downloaded his language into her translator. Without a translator he cannot understand what she says or communicate with her in any way, so she makes a note to get that done right away.

Kahpu, as she introduced herself, is a Commander who serves her empire with great dedication. She is extremely proud of her achievements and spoke with joy of her memorable victories on the battlefield. Keith in his passion for fighting listened to every word with intense admiration. Every now and again he was confused when he suddenly received a discharge of emotion. In those moments Kahpu stopped talking and watched him with excitement and glee. Keith tried to ask what moved her so much in watching him dizzy and doped, but she dodged the question only reassuring that soon he would have the answer.

Kahpu is beautiful in Keith's eyes even though she is of a very different species and has her peculiarities. She is quite tall compared to Keith, and her ears are similar to a cat with short dark purple fur on the outside of the ear. The hair there is matching; reaching all the way to her hips and set in a complex braid. Her eyes are yellow with only a vertically slit pupil reminding Keith of a cat. Her upturned nose sports a horizontal scar, and her fleshy lips are painted black. They contrast to her dangerously sharp teeth that look artificially white, though Kahpu only grins wider when Keith inquires about it. Her curved body is better emphasized thanks to the armor that Kahpu herself designed. Her apparent muscles show her strength is superior to that of her many underlings, who are noticeably toned, but Kahpu shows a respect for her craft. 

Keith then sees the small swelling in her belly that is soon explained to be her growing child.

Since he entered the ship that feeling eased a little. This relieves Keith, as the feeling was foreign and frightening. He thought he was moving away from the origin of that sensation, but soon he was comforted having the first discharge of sensations. He realized he was on the right path when Kahpu started asking about what he felt, Keith couldn’t exactly explain the chaotic waves of emotion he feels, but he did what he could to express it and seems to have answered right since she gives him a huge smile. She didn’t stop talking to him, both asking lots of questions to each other about their lives and the things they like. Kahpu occasionally stops to do something on her tablet. She is sending information she received about Keith straight to the Emperor and she couldn't help feeling honored in her duty, though she doesn’t tell Keith that.

"If you are a commander of the fifth military squadron, why are you on a cargo ship carrying food to your colonies? Shouldn't you be... I don't know... leading your fleet to another colonization effort?" Keith asks and ends up receiving a snort of boredom from her. For a moment he thinks he has irritated her.

"It's exactly what I should be doing at the moment, but as I am already a quarter into gestation, the Emperor released me from my original duties so I could ensure a safe birth for my son" Kahpu explains not really angry, just not satisfied in not doing what she enjoys. "I'm just here because I can't stay at home when I could be doing the least for the glory of the empire. But when I complete two quarters I will stop to avoid putting my pregnancy at risk" Kahpu says, the light affection that she shows touching her belly from time to time announcing her love and care for her unborn child.

Keith can see clearly that she is a woman of action and has great devotion. "I'm just sorry that this ship doesn't have the capacity to capture the Blue Lion" Kahpu says in a low tone to herself as she finishes sending other information about Keith and to her relief he couldn't hear her.

"And what is Tquizarp?" Keith asks, seeing her yellow eyes open more and fill with sparkles. Kahpu perks up by the subject and points to Keith with a big smile showing her sharp teeth.

"It's you! More specifically, the Emperor's Tquizarp!" Kahpu says looking radiant leaving Keith even more confused. He explains he has not been told exactly what that is, and immediately the galra hurries to inform him. "Tquizarp is a very old term that roughly means 'Two souls make a whole’. It is a combination of the words Tquixoo that means incomplete soul with Yzarp that means finding. It is what we call galra that find the other half of their soul. Tquizarps are eternal companions, not necessarily a couple as it can also be a pair of friends, but most Tquizarps like us are romantic couples." Kahpu says spontaneously as she barely stops to breathe. When she finishes her explanation she takes a deep breath to recover the lost air, her explanation was shallow as she doesn't think she could explain something so complex in a sincere enough way, even when herself is a Tquizarp.

Keith takes a while to get the meaning by blaming the numbness he felt for causing his thoughts to slow down. Soon he associates Tquizarp with the soul mates described in romantic stories on Earth — but that in fact almost no one really believed in them, being just classified as stories for dreamers and romantics— surprised to see that something like this exists and he has one. Soon Keith associates the sudden emergence of intense and addictive emotions as some trait of the Tquizarp, but he doesn't stay much in this thinking when remembering what Kahpu had said initially.

"Wait. Am I the Emperor's Tquizarp?" Keith asks, being doubly surprised when Kahpu confirms once again, equally as excited. 

He tried to say something, to question how he ended up becoming the Emperor's Tquizarp. He is searching for a reason in his brain for an unprecedented fact like that, but his heart could only agree that the sensation that invaded him is too good to care who causes it.

"And to think I would be lucky enough to find another Tquizarp! We are so rare these days. And then the Emperor's Tquizarp! What honor!" Kahpu exclaims full of energy, not focusing much on the still surprised reaction of the human in front of her. 

"Oh, that's right, I am already forgetting," Kahpu says getting up from where she sat. "Wait for me here." She orders. Keith had noticed in her stance a sophistication and dominance even when she looked relaxed. It goes to show she is being nice to Keith. Probably nicer than how she treats others where she is from. 

Keith waits for her quietly and patiently, sinks his body deeper into the comfortable chair and lets his head fall on the back cushion. Keith thinks about what he will do from now on, but nothing comes to his mind, thinks about asking Shiro, but he realizes that entered the ship alone, so neither Shiro nor his ex-colleagues were there, little by little he realized that he was alone in an unknown environment and mainly he was with the beings who had done Shiro a lot of harm.

Maybe he should try to escape, or just stay and see what his destiny will be. Keith isn't sure what he should do, with the conscience more clear comes up a desire to flee being fueled by a sudden fear. He should logically run away, or he would have run if it weren't for the feeling of tranquility swallowing the fear and apprehension he'd begun to feel.

It came so strongly and hurriedly that Keith immediately knew it, realized the real meaning of it.

He was being deceived, his feelings being overcome by others more intense and good, taking his reason out of danger, taking away his desire to flee from a destiny that can be terrible. They were trying to addict him to these feelings of happiness and comfort.Trying to make him docile and manipulable, and worst, they’re succeeding.

Keith sees that he may be being guided to an uncertain and pain-filled path. He sees his addiction growing in that pleasant connection, but he wouldn't run away, he wouldn't even fight. Losing something as good as this morphine and ecstasy is the last thing Keith could want now. The fact is he was captured. It had never been his decision to enter this ship. Keith was kidnapped both mentally and physically. However he doesn’t care so much about it. If it is necessary Keith can swear to whatever deities out there that he prefers a thousand years of confinement in this emotional saccharine than another day in his life of daily dissatisfaction and loss.

When Kahpu comes back she is accompanied by two galra soldiers, both taller than she, surprising Keith by the generic galra height. The feeling of being very small increases in his seated position giving the impression that the galra are even taller than they are.

The three stop in front of Keith, the two soldiers with their heads down behind Kahpu respectfully. At first he thinks it is respect for her , but Keith will soon find out that he is now more important and valuable than many people or any possession in the universe. After all he is the beloved and feared Tquizarp of the Emperor.

"Unfortunately I cannot accompany you to the Central Command as I have a job to do and I will go to the opposite side from that point on. We will have to separate here." Kahpu states and Keith feels a little afraid that he won't have the company of someone he knows, even for a little bit. "These two soldiers will accompany you and protect you during your travel to Central Command. Here is a cape and a necklace that you should wear. It is a form of identification for your new rank." Kahpu says and takes a few steps back giving soldiers permission to approach Keith.

The taller and thinner of the two holds a red cape with the inside of a very dark purple almost black, on the back of the cape there was a black symbol that Keith could not imagine the meaning and the stitching is sophisticated. The shoulders of the cape have details possibly made of gold. 

The most muscular soldier holds a black square box. He shakily opens the lid showing the necklace Keith has to wear. It’s made of the same golden material that adorned the shoulders of the cape, purple stones inlaid with different sizes. The necklace is thick and looked heavy. He wonders if an accessory as flashy as that was really needed, but if Kahpu said it was necessary then he would use it. Even if it’s not his style to even wear jewelry.

Keith stands up and lets the soldiers dress him since he’s clueless about donning the uniform. The fear of breaking or tearing something in a more than failed attempt was not attractive to him, especially when it seemed to be worth more than the ship which he is traveling. When he is ready, Keith cannot help looking at himself, he notices that the cape is huge on his thin body, leaving some inches to be dragged across the floor. Kahpu looks at him holding her laughter, making it clear that the cape was made to measure of a galra and not someone of his physical stature. He looks silly. Kahpu says something in her language without translating and even without understanding it Keith suspects that she was once again calling him small and cuddly. He started to understand what she was saying as Kahpu had translated it several times: he’s cute and childish looking, so small. That his hands look like a child’s. He huffs in annoyance, making her coo more.

Both soldiers say something that Keith is unable to understand and extend their right hands while maintaining a forward bent stance, trying to not stand taller than the human. It reminded him briefly of when he first saw Kahpu. She said something similar and less long, and bending down while staring at her own outstretched hand and not daring to look him in the eyes or get taller than him. Kahpu was waiting for something that Keith didn't understand because he did not have knowledge of the custom, nor the mental fortitude to think about it. He just held her hand wanting her to take him to the source of those feelings, too open and trusting. Keith looks at Kahpu hoping that she will translate what they said or tell him what to do, but she seemed paralyzed staring at the soldiers, her mouth moving as if she was trying to say something and her eyes bewildered and frightened, Kahpu looks at him and still without reaction tries to explain what just happened.

"T-They ask your majesty to acknowledge their presence and to appreciate your grace. To accept you must put your right hand in the hands of the galras and to refuse you must lower their hands'' Kahpu says, hesitating in her tone and trying to maintain eye contact with Keith, but soon she looks down, looking embarrassed. It seemed strange when her tone got formal and serious. She was completely different from the lively and smiling Kahpu from before. It makes him shift in his spot, looking from galra to galra in confusion.

Keith soon associates this event with the one from earlier and notes that without knowing it he had agreed to acknowledge the presence of Kahpu. He didn't want to keep the soldiers waiting in that position that seemed very tiring and uncomfortable. Keith accepts the presence of both, hand in hand. Soon the two return to the original postures and finally since they arrived they look Keith in the eyes, both seemed satisfied and happy to be recognized by the Emperor's Tquizarp. Their faces look as if this was a grand and unimaginable achievement. Keith is surprised by the reaction that Kahpu also had before, but still smiling back, he made a mental note that he would have to learn not only about culture, but also about galra behavior. This would make his interactions with them less exhausting. He can only hope someone will have the time to teach him, or that he will need to be. Who knows what will happen to him really.

The moment does not remain. As soon Kahpu kneels to the floor with her ears squeezed against her head and eyes closed tightly Keith jumps in surprise at the unexpected act and the galra soldiers look away to any corner of the room. It’s like if they look at Kahpu now it would be something insulting.

"Please, your imperial majesty, forgive me for my indecent and abusive behavior. I promise I will not repeat a horrible mistake like that, I beg your pardon" Kahpu says with a high dose of regret and guilt in her voice, she trembled and she did not have the courage to even look at Keith's feet when she noticed her complete lack of discipline, she was not worthy of such a vision.

Her simple and clear orders were to make sure to keep him safe until he arrives at the central command, ask Keith about everything she can if he wants to answer, and make sure Keith is wearing the cape with the necklace. However she had invaded his personal space, touched him and filled with questions without his permission, spoke in inappropriate language used only by friends, praised his appearance without knowing if the emperor would grant her that honor, and now that she smelled Keith she realized a little bit of her own scent permeates him. Kahpu had crossed so many barriers that she wouldn’t be surprised if, besides being discharged, she wouldn’t even be able to work on cleaning the ship's turbines. Kahpu had to say clearly her errors to Keith, since he wouldn't understand why she was apologizing.

Keith looks at her kneeling without knowing how to react, Kahpu was blaming herself for treating him like a friend when she was supposed to treat him as someone superior and he didn't want that. He liked the friendship he was creating with the galra and didn't want it to be damaged for a status that he doesn't even understand.

"You don't have to apologize for anything, it's okay" Keith says and kneels on the floor in front of her.

He takes Kahpu's face in his hands and she opens her eyes surprised to notice what Keith was doing. He tries to guess what he should do now but Keith has no ideas. In his whole life he has never been in a situation like this and the fact galra have a different culture gives him some fear of doing something that could only aggravate them more. Heavens, Keith never had more than three friends in all his life. He has no idea what to say or how to say it, much less if it is okay to be so close and in affectionate contact with her. Keith hopes from the bottom of his heart that he isn't doing anything wrong, so he takes a deep breath and follows his instincts, since his mind is giving him nothing at the moment.

"I don't care about that, after all we are friends" Keith says with complete certainty and caresses her face slightly as he approaches her a little more. He wants his scent to catch her, but her surprised expression confuses him. "We are friends, right?" He questions with apprehension, Keith considers her somehow a friend, but he doesn't know if Kahpu thinks the same about him and her surprised look makes him think what he says was nonsense.

Keith soon begins to curse himself mentally for thinking that she would consider him a friend in such a short time. He shouldn't even consider friendship after all he hardly knows what that is. Keith hoped that he would finally get a friend now after so long without ever being able to talk in a friendly way with anyone without fear. Seeing that he may have been deluded himself broke his heart. Keith slowly takes his hands off her face when he thinks he was wrong about creating some kind of bond, however quickly Kahpu holds his hands back to her face and opens her most beautiful and happy smile she can.

"Yes, we are friends!" Kahpu confirms happily. Keith did not know, but what he said was like a great gift for Galra and she would appreciate it for so long as she lives. After all, the circle of family and friendship is extremely important to a galra. Him starting to be part of her friendship circle is something that fills the commander with emotion. "Thank you majes- I mean, Keith" Kahpu thanks him. Keith physically calms after that, knowing whatever grief he caused is now fixed.

The soldiers who previously pretended that Kahpu did not even exist when she subjugated herself in total shame now looked at them curiously. It was unusual for someone as important as Keith to stoop so much to assure someone else's friendship and happiness. In fact it is something completely unprecedented to see an emperor kneel to calm a commander. He should never have had so much touch and approach to avoid catching her scent, but Keith is not like them and neither grew up with galra. They understand that maybe in his culture this doesn’t have a problem with that. But they also like it in a way, seeing that Keith was so kind and that he didn't care about status and focused on calming someone he considered his friend made them view Keith as honourable. Taking care of the stability of his relationships is an act of respect and admiration between galra, and the fact he tried to mark his scent on her makes Keith more respectable than he already is to them.

"Excuse me, your Imperial Majesty, but the Emperor is waiting for you." The thinner soldier reminds Keith and Kahpu. He didn't want to interrupt their bonding, but it was necessary.

Kahpu immediately stands up, helping Keith to get up too, only now remembering that Zarkon was waiting for Keith to receive him. Keith also does not want to delay to see Zarkon, his anxiety and physical need to see who brought him such good feelings encouraging him to walk fast with Kahpu and the soldiers to the little hangar. Keith and Kahpu do not take long to say goodbye. This time she acts more relaxed, but not losing the respect in voice and actions. Before they finally part, she takes Keith's hands in hers. Kahpu lowers her head until it touches the back of his hands, Keith is not sure why she did it or why the act filled his heart with a sweet feeling, but repeated the same movement and received a bright closed lipped smile in return.

Then he entered the small ship in the hangar accompanied by the soldiers and Keith could not help imagining what it would be like going forward. His greatest wish is to see Zarkon soon. Keith was feeling completely silly for the emperor and had not even met him yet, he felt like a little girl in love who is about to see her first love. And to be honest, Keith is loving to feel that way because for the first time in his life it was as if he could be totally happy without hurt or rejection. For the first time Keith felt accepted and wanted, and he never wants to miss it, even if that means leaving behind those who once had wanted Keith first. But they had never made Keith feel this way before, so he falls into it and sinks into the warm gooey blackness of his mind. Someone is waiting for him, and he doesn’t have to be the one looking and waiting for them anymore.

Chapter Text

Keith enters the ship that would take him to Central Command. The strongest soldier asks for permission before taking control of the ship, while the skinnier one makes himself available to Keith to ensure total comfort for the human. Not knowing what to do other than follow the leadership of the guards, Keith just sat and remained silent, enjoying the view of space.

The view of the stars from this perspective was something he had never experienced so vividly before in his years on Earth. The starry view filled his eyes with such beauty and an intrinsic desire to explore that immensity that only grew more and more. An explosion of colors and lights that meant more unexplored life waiting to be appreciated. Keith never had the chance to confide in anyone about this, but the main reason he joined the Galactic Garrison was his charm for the hidden beauty of the cosmos. The only thing that remained for him after his father's death was this fascination with the universe and beyond.

He couldn't contain himself and took advantage of the view, but it was only a few minutes of appreciation before suddenly the glass went dark and he felt a slight pressure on his body. He looked at the soldier next to him, wanting to ask what happened, but he had no idea if he would be able to understand him.

"Your Majesty, do you need anything?" the soldier asks, noticing Keith's doubts. He hadn't taken his eyes off the human for a second, not wanting to miss any sign of need that would require action. The soldier felt a little embarrassed by this, especially for having permission to look so closely at someone so high up in the Galra hierarchy, but it comforted the soldier that Keith was very humble and common in his manners, something that didn't make the Galra feel ill-mannered and overstepping boundaries.

"What's happening?" Keith asks, pointing to the now dark glass. He still felt that strange sensation that his body felt strange and confused.

" Forgive the son of Savah , Your Majesty, we are making you suffer so much," the soldier says, understanding what Keith was referring to and apologizing in advance before getting to the point. "We are going through a wormhole to get to our destination faster, but this ship is very humble for Your Majesty and cannot suppress all the effects it can cause for those not accustomed. Please let me know if you feel any discomfort, this chipag'Vi will do its best to help," the soldier responds.

Understanding the situation and the discomfort in his body, Keith decides to say everything is fine, but before he can vocalize anything, he receives a much stronger emotional surge than before. A wave of joy and love so strong that he automatically leans back in his chair, trying to contain his ecstasy. His toes closed tightly in his boots and his hands grip the table in front of him tightly. His ears automatically went deaf and he no longer knew if he had closed his eyes or if his vision had completely darkened. His mind clouded with no trace of rationality. For a few seconds, Keith completely lost his sense of what was happening around him and even who he was himself.

Then, as quickly as it came, this wave of ecstasy was gone, leaving a dull pain throughout his body from the sudden lack of what was probably the best thing Keith had ever felt in his entire existence. For a moment, he felt like his entire life had been lived for this moment. His body trembling with anxiety, wanting more and his mind only able to return to the thought of how insanely good what just happened was.

“-jesty”

Keith thinks he heard something.

“You- Majes-!”

Again, the sound of someone in the background slowly comes back, anchoring Keith back to reality. With a deep and long breath, he feels his ears return to normal sound as well as his vision, but a bit blurred, which makes him blink several times to clear his vision. There is a relieved sigh in the background, it was the skinnier soldier who was nervous when he noticed his lord's blackout.

"Your Majesty, we have arrived at Central Command," the soldier who piloted the small ship was now next to his colleague and announces, knowing that this time the human would hear.

Keith only nods his head, not trusting his mouth to speak anything at this moment when he is still recovering from the numbness and subsequent pain. He almost wanted to complain about the painful after-effect that still resonates through his body, but considering how good the feeling was that he received before, his brain automatically assumed it was the fair price to pay for such a sublime drug.

It takes five attempts for Keith to stand up and another two to walk without his knees failing. All the time he keeps himself supported on the table until he has confidence that his legs will not betray him and leave him to fall the next moment. Unfortunately for Keith, this still did not prevent him from stumbling on the steps shortly after leaving the table, so, unable to balance properly, he stumbles, for his luck, the stronger soldier holds him by the shoulders preventing his fall and helps Keith balance properly before releasing his shoulders, thus returning to his position behind Keith while the other soldier showed the way out of the ship.

This reminded him of one of the few things Kahpu told him about Galra behavior. Touching between strangers or those without intimacy is something that does not usually occur, especially when the hierarchies are extremely distant. When there is a need for touch between Galra in these situations for whatever reason, it is polite to keep contact in the region of the shoulders and arms, avoiding touching another Galra in other regions of the body. This was mainly because of the species having a very good sense of smell and it being uncomfortable for them to carry the smell of someone they do not know. The arm being the easiest area to get rid of the smell was where it was most acceptable to contact strangers. Even so, some Galra could become extremely aggressive with unauthorized touch. Sometimes it is possible to see a fight happening in public places between Galra who bumped into each other by accident and at the same time became stressed with a foreign smell interfering with theirs.

Now, if it's someone you have intimacy with or are part of your circle, then touch is almost essential. The hug or rubbing against each other is something super common and necessary, especially when the act can mark the smell of one on the other bringing comfort to the Galra. Often, some friends and family could end up exchanging clothes with their loved ones who work far away to ensure that the other would never lose their body odor. Galra are extremely social and sensitive beings, so the good development of their social circles, as well as physical contact on a regular basis with them, is essential to ensure the mental health of a Galra. They are unable to live without these cycles and if a Galra reaches this point, he may end up entering a depressive and schizophrenic spiral. Practically 75% of Galra suicide cases that occurred in a year were for this reason.

A lonely Galra is a dead Galra.

Keith isn't even sure why he is focusing so much on what Kahpu told him about Galra touch and smell, perhaps he is just trying to focus on something to distract himself from everything that was preventing him from functioning normally. An attempt to be as healthy as possible when he meets his soulmate, or as the Galra say, his tquizarp.

Finally, being out of the ship to the Central Command's hangar, he did not expect the place to be so huge and so full as it is now.

Several Galra were there, all kneeling on the ground, the top of their bodies bent down until their foreheads touched the ground and one hand on each side of the head showing complete respect. Keith wondered if they all stopped their tasks just to pay homage to him, and the young man couldn't help but feel how much more serious the situation was than he imagined. Unconsciously, Keith straightened his hunched posture and raised his chin, something told him that if at this moment he was not able to show himself worthy and superior, then all the respect they paid him was pointless.

And a little distance away there were the only two beings standing in that crowd, from the distance Keith could assume that the one wearing a purple hooded cloak covering his face is Haggar, Kahpu told him some things about the druid, emphasizing that Haggar is someone of extreme importance and power, who can act rudely towards him because she has more freedom to do so than she should and that she was the only anchor of the Emperor. Keith took some time looking at Haggar before continuing his way to the two, he wasn't sure what to think of the druid, after all, he barely knows her, but he can't stop feeling a certain apathy for her, the fact that she carries such high importance to Zarkon only fed an increasingly strong sense of threat in him, unconsciously making him more vigilant and irritated, at this moment his hands itched to touch Zarkon as soon as possible.

Claim .

It was what an almost non-existent voice whispered so low to his conscience.

Returning to move towards the duo, it didn't take long for his steps to gain speed as soon as he felt his legs were firm and the pain in his body disappeared, the two soldiers who followed him stopped to join the crowd and bowed in reverence with everyone.

With the distance being much closer now, he could better observe the Galra standing, who would be his soulmate.

Zarkon is taller than those Keith has met so far and probably taller than most of the Galra present now. He wore red armor and helmet with white details, with a luminescent purple detail on the chest of the armor, under which was a common black suit, a simple visual compared to how Kapuh described the Emperor to always be impeccable, but up close it was obvious to see how there were some pieces missing when Haggar carried them in her hands without hiding. In a quick glance, you could only notice lower arm guards not fully wrapped in a dark red cloak, very similar to the one Keith had to wear.

Turning his eyes to the Emperor's face, Keith felt his heart race at the warm look and full-toothed smile directed at him. Once again, an almost unbearable feeling begins to grow in him and Keith knows that it is Zarkon overflowing with love at this moment, being able to experience it firsthand only proved to the young man that this was undoubtedly his soulmate. Without realizing it, Keith had already decided that this would be the man he would dedicate his life to from now on.

Keith was undoubtedly falling in love at first sight, vulnerable to this completely new and charming experience, he immediately forgot any objections. If someone asked him now about Shiro and his home, all the human could respond was that he does not remember who Shiro is and his home was obviously wherever Zarkon was.

Thus, Keith who was already walking fast, almost didn't stop himself from running. He just wanted to be with Zarkon as soon as possible, so the closer he got, the more the atmosphere around him seemed to lighten and calm.

His feelings seemed to blend with those of his tquizarp, Keith not understanding where his began and where Zarkon's ended, within himself a mess of sensations that offered no answer beyond flammable passion, which made his heart race so fast that he could swear he could hear his heartbeat so loud.

When he reaches the Emperor, Keith has his body pressed against the taller one and feels himself melt before a comfortable heat that spread through his body from where Zarkon touched, it was a delicious and passionate heat, nothing carnal or superficial, but pleasant and reassuring, something that brings Keith a feeling he hasn't had in a long time.

Peace.

Keith snuggles deeper into Zarkon's embrace and hears a low cheerful laugh from him, the Emperor's right hand goes to hold the young man's face and make him look in his eyes, due to the stark difference in size, both had to cooperate to be able to look at each other without letting go of the embrace. Zarkon's hand makes a sweet caress on his face with great care, the Galra Emperor was afraid of hurting someone as beautiful and precious as the young man, and with so much fear, he keeps himself very attentive to his claws to not accidentally hurt the human.

"Welcome my beloved tquizarp" Zarkon says in a low and affectionate tone, getting on his knees without thinking just so he can be face to face with his beloved.

Thus, the Emperor brings their foreheads closer, but stops before they touch, he wanted Keith to make the decision to have the contact, it's important for him to know that his tquizarp agrees with their relationship, even if it seems like a very premature decision according to human notions, for Zarkon this reasoning makes a lot of sense. And he would be very happy to ignore that Keith was not in his best mental state to correspond correctly, justifying to himself that tquizarps are rarely healthy when they first meet.

Keith knows exactly what to do by what Kapuh informed him, and doesn't disappoint his tquizarp, he approaches without breaking eye contact with Zarkon, and when their foreheads touch, an electric current passes through both their bodies, the feeling of happiness and passion being shared now without filter between them — even unconsciously on Keith's part —, a thought of complete peace reaching the souls of both to the core.

I've waited for you for so long. I've been so alone without you, I thought... I thought I would never see you again. My beloved tquizarp, my everything, stay with me forever, please stay. — Zarkon's thought echoed in Keith's mind, the sincerity of each word overflowed with a amount of longing that the human was unable to bear without his eyes filling with tears, but what made him cry was the size of the loneliness the other was trying to repress, something useless when both can feel and everything the other feels at this moment, but he did anyway and Keith couldn't help but identify with that loneliness.

Independent of how good and happy Keith's life could become on certain days, loneliness always pursued him throughout his life. He never knew how to explain why, after all, Keith really tried to be a more friendly and open person to others, but over time he could see that no matter what he did, Keith still had an aura and personality that kept others away, it got to the point where he decided to stop trying and things only got worse, others couldn't stand him beyond his good looks, and he couldn't deal with others.

Something always seemed to be missing in the way Keith understood others, and besides his father, no one else who could become his friend understood the non-negotiable need for platonic affection, so when his father died and Keith faced severe depression, where no one else understood that the pain of this loss was far beyond sentimental, it was a pain that ran through every vein and muscle, sometimes it incapacitated him so strong it became and at the moment he recovered it was for a feeling of desolation so strong that it made him want to destroy everything, most days the pain was weak but it remained for a long period and this gradually undermined his mind to despair.

At the time, the Shirogane family had gained custody of him, and despite having no special relationship with the family except with Shiro, who had taken care of him as a babysitter, they insisted on taking care of him due to their friendship with his father. Unfortunately for the Shirogane family, things did not promise to improve in the future. Keith continued to isolate himself from everyone, even Shiro, whom he liked very much, and in the garrison, there would be an occurrence of his bad temper causing confusion every week. Being an exemplary and intelligent student made it easy for him to avoid the consequences of his actions, with Shiro always appearing to save him from making things worse. Sooner or later, things would explode. Then when he was 17, the worst happened. After leaving Earth for an expedition, Shiro never returned and was declared missing by the Galactic Garrison. With time passing and without an effective response from the garrison about what happened to Shiro, Keith completely loses the little control he had left and decides to simply let everything he was holding inside out. Many people were caught in the crossfire of Keith setting the garrison on fire and trying to steal a ship. He never said before, but he was proud of how far he got by just hitting and shooting people along the way. If it weren't for the fact that the ships could only be activated with special authorizations from superiors, he would have left Earth much earlier than he knew about the Blue Lion. After finally being brought down and sent to the juvenile offender center, the Shirogane family went through a long period of stress where they negotiated with the families of the injured victims and worked to convince the Galactic Garrison that Keith was not mentally well enough to be legally responsible for what he did. The fact that Keith was actually going through psychological problems in the loss of his father and now the disappearance of Shiro only served to strengthen the defense of the Shirogane family.

In the end, he was expelled from the garrison, the Shirogane family paid each family compensation to not open a lawsuit against Keith, and he simply decided to move back to his father's desert home, leaving behind enough money to pay the Shirogane family for all these years of care and the problem of compensation, promising to accept psychological help, the family let him live in the desert under the condition that on weekends he would always return to the Shirogane house. Coming back to the house that had his father's smell in every corner helped him improve, but his temperament was now depressive instead of violent, and over time the only thing that kept Keith sane was his obsession with finding Shiro. He still felt the other somewhere in the cosmos, he was not dead, Keith was absolutely sure of that, even though there was no proof, he just knew it was so, and even though every night the loneliness seemed to torment Keith's mind with a new way to simply end this suffering, the thought that Shiro was lost somewhere in space and needed help was what anchored him for the next two years until Shiro's sudden return.

I am here now. You will never have to feel alone again — was this thought reaching Keith that brought him back to the present, he felt embarrassed for a second to have been so distracted and to let Zarkon see everything, but the galra's words serve only to cheer the human from his brief sadness.

I should be the one telling you this now... Thank you for finding me, Zarkon. Now I know that it was you that I have always been missing, all this time it was you that I wanted to find and never let go. So please don't let me escape away from you and I won't let you escape from me. — Keith lets his thoughts go to Zarkon, who only embraces him tighter and with closed eyes the human can only feel their faces getting closer, but not separating their foreheads as they enjoyed the first time they connect.

Thus, Haggar remained silent having the happiness of being the first and only one to witness the first encounter between these two tquizarps. It had been a long time since the last destined couple met, as important as the encounter of any tquizarp is, everyone in the Empire knows how much their Emperor has waited for his soulmate to return home. Haggar could already imagine the future days, how colorful and full of life they have become now that the most important piece of her and Zarkon's life has returned home, from now on she could only dream of the return of the old days and a future that can never be stolen again.

Chapter Text

"My all-powerful Lord," a strong female voice comes from behind Zarkon, he knew that she was not referring to him.

The emperor, even though reluctant, ends the contact. He was so fixated on the thought that he has his eternal partner finally in his arms that he forgot about everything else. So he opens space for Keith to see Haggar, but at no time does he let go of his tquizarp's waist, only repositioning his hand to a more comfortable position.

As soon as Keith looks at the druid, she bows exactly 90 degrees and extended her hand, asking for the human to acknowledge her existence. He, even uncomfortable with the fact that she was Zarkon's anchor , did not allow himself to disdain her. In any case, he owes her everything for not allowing Zarkon to be alone until today. If he was here, meeting his tquizarp, it was because she was here to anchor him. So he placed his hand on hers and held it firmly, hoping that it would show that he is at least grateful to have her there.

Haggar returned to her normal posture, looking surprised by Keith's touch. It was gentle yet strong, as if he were trying to thank her for something. She didn't hesitate to offer a small, cheerful smile to the human.

"It is an honor to finally have you waakajip among us, your imperial majesty," Haggar says in a neutral tone, but truly happy, even if she didn't show it much in her expression.

Keith was unsure when she pronounced a waakajip without translating it for him and felt Zarkon tighten his waist at that moment. He could feel through the connection between them that his tquizarp was tense and uncomfortable with what Haggar said, so Keith made a mental note to look up the word later if he still remembered it.

"Please look at all your followers, asking for the great lord to acknowledge them," Haggar says, extending her hand in a movement around her where there were various beings there anxiously waiting for Keith's first word to them.

Only now, remembering all the galras kneeling and waiting for his recognition, he noticed the druid's tone shifting from neutral to enigmatic, and Keith wonders what's there that she knows and he doesn't. Thanks to his suspicious nature, he couldn't help but notice that there was something hidden in her words, even Kahpu had said things beyond what was real, she used the excuse that he was the Emperor's tquizarp so she could speak of exaggerated things without being accused of wanting to say more than said, and that is something that Keith will find out how to handle. The human is more than committed to finding out what they seemed to want to tell as well as hide from him.

However, a question arises for Keith, it would be very unproductive to go to each one and give his recognition, there are many there and it would take hours and hours to recognize the last galra. Zarkon, seeing the human's hesitation, clears his throat in a loud sound to get his attention.

"Place your hand on your chest and say 'I see you' afterwards," Zarkon explains, raising his hand to the chest in a perfect posture exactly as the human should do.

"Thank you," Keith thanks, offering a sweet smile to Zarkon who is smitten with the affection he feels passing through the connection. Keith turns to the galras and raises his hand as he should. "I see you!" he says loudly, hoping to sound firm and sees them slowly rise, seeing animation and joy in each one. Keith felt shy to receive so many enthusiastic smiles, he wasn't used to so many pure smiles and gentle attention being directed at him. Usually, the smiles were false or had second intentions, and the attention was malicious or envious as if they wanted to devour him alive or simply kill him.

They greeted him, now and then they spoke in other languages of the Earth, surprising Keith that they knew so many languages from a place so extremely distant from there, of course, he responded as he could, feeling excited to be able to communicate with so many galras in a language he’s knowledgeable and confident to speak up.

Zarkon didn't hesitate to smile enchanted with how Keith gradually felt comfortable and more relaxed for the interactions. Normally, he would have blocked so much interaction with the rest of the common galra, after all it wasn't exactly appropriate for someone of high status like him, but seeing how it pleased his tquizarp, he became unable to interrupt his joy. The smell of him, highlighting his comfort as it spread around, inviting the galras to approach. Of course, Keith had no idea that without wanting to, he was calling the galras for a friendly and safe approach, and Zarkon is curious about how the young man didn't know his actions and natural galra instincts, the emperor knew that he wasn't just a human, especially since it was impossible for the most non-galra beings to feel and/or manipulate the emotional link between them, this is a characteristic that only galras or half-galras possessed, with only a few rare alien races that also had soul mates capable of this interaction and the human race was not one of those. The small test that Kahpu did with Keith on her ship and the information she sent him was enough to clarify this.

" Xipoh ta dom kito, naaro zecta kurazi zecta panazo roo " Haggar comments low for only the emperor to hear while observing Keith with hidden fondness under her cold expression.

" Gango, teno pee dom beahnt. Kura nacrep luuqua hitco un nitsse, no ief cup nacrepzo revlieeh cup inm xi tosp yddivojip " Zarkon responds equally low in his native language, not wanting to risk speaking loudly and clearly something that Keith should not know yet, some things should be kept secret until they don't pose a risk.

There were the galras nearby who could hear thanks to their sensitive and powerful hearing, but they knew they should focus on the sounds outside of the private conversation, because in addition to being impolite to listen to other people's conversation, it's the emperor's conversation, it would be suicide to steal information like that, no matter how useless the content of the conversation.

"O hnev teza zecta odut lliwbezo dem. Un quepa fo ypozs soid tá gihal pycompare dna grandfo. Jac busma berior xi goa pouseoz dna vilsome xirroh ta grafa pxi tquizarp tiçohalf dna wire zacrif " Haggar says, letting slip joy and confidence in her voice to convince Zarkon of what she says.

Haggar knew better than anyone how worried he was about the future, so she decided to distract him from that, and who better to do that than his tquizarp? Haggar silently approached Keith, knowing that she would have to interrupt his interaction with his species, if she didn't stop it now, no one would. Zarkon seemed too enchanted to do something, appreciating every inch and second of the various faces and tones of voice that Keith made. The half-human would probably not stop on his own until he spoke with everyone, and that would take a very long time for a half-human to endure without feeling hungry or sleepy. So, someone aware should take the reins now.

"Your Majesty," Haggar called Keith, taking a few steps towards him. Automatically, the galras stepped back, knowing that their new emperor would no longer have time for them. "I advise you to rest. It must have been a full and exciting day, and you deserve a rest," Haggar said, knowing how to read Keith like no one else. She could see that he was tired by the slightly drooping eyelids and the way he kept shifting his body weight from one leg to the other. When Keith seemed ready to contradict her opinion, she interrupted, "I know you must have many doubts and curiosities, but save them for the next day when you are well-fed and disposed. Your complete well-being is what the emperor wants," Haggar said, convincing him and including Zarkon as a final play, knowing that this would make Keith rethink his stubbornness immediately.

Zarkon raises an eyebrow at Haggar in response to her subtle manipulation and holds back his amusement from the scene so that it doesn't pass through the connection to Keith and he realizes she was trying to manipulate him. In fact, he decides to help Haggar, it wouldn't be as if he was lying anyway, after all he does want to take care of his tquizarp. He knew Keith was tired, but he also knew his stubbornness and curiosity would push him to the limit.

"Let's have a good dinner and then we'll go to our bedroom so you can sleep. It's important that you're well when we explain to you how things will be from now on and throughout your life with us," Zarkon says, pulling Keith into his arms. Keith instinctively starts rubbing his hand on the Galra emperor's arms to leave his scent on him. Zarkon couldn't help but smile and pass on his satisfaction to Keith for his act.

Keith didn't want to have to end his day so soon, there was still so much to ask and see, so many hypothetical and crazy questions to make, but he also felt tired and Zarkon wanted to take care of him, how could he deny something to him after speaking to him in such a warm tone and there was still the fact of ' our bedroom ' that Keith hoped he didn't understand wrong. Okay, maybe it should be a problem why of everything that was said this was the only thing Keith filtered and considered 100%, and no, he's not thinking of dirty things about sleeping in the same bed as Zarkon, but rather about a place just for the two of them, a safe and comfortable place, perfect for the two of them to spend their lives together.

And yes, it seems strange for this early thought even for Keith, it's not normal for him to want to mark Zarkon with his scent or mark his whole bedroom to turn it into a good nest and okay, Keith is seriously questioning his brain because the word 'nest' shouldn't have sounded in his mind with so much possession and much less with so much naturalness, but he doesn't know how to control himself and his strange actions, he always focused and saw the world differently from other humans, Keith was lucky to be skilled and physically attractive or else he would have had an even worse life on earth, being weird made his social life practically non-existent, but his strength and beauty at least prevented him from being treated badly.

However, he confesses that since he entered Kahpu's ship, he has never been judged or treated badly for some unusual act, in fact, he discovered that many of his strange habits are normal here, which made him feel accepted and welcome in a way that he had never felt before. It was as if he had finally found the place he belongs. So he was not afraid to follow his strange brain when he slowly rubbed his hand on Zarkon's arm. He remembers that Kahpu quickly commented after they both established the friendship circle something about rubbing against another galra, but he can't remember exactly what she told.

"Okay, so le-* yanw- let's go" Keith agrees but ends up yawning from sleep during the speech and blushes in embarrassment because it completely gave him away.

"You are too tired to go to the dining room, let's go to the bedroom and I'll have them bring your food," Zarkon decides, making a mental note to try to embarrass Keith later, he gets so cute with red cheeks, it's a rare fascinating color that only some half-galras acquire in their moments of embarrassment or anger.

"If you wanted to take him to bed, you just had to say it, Zarkon, you don't have to make excuses," Haggar says with a small mischievous smile escaping and Keith could feel amusement exuding from her.

Keith immediately covers his face in shame at what was said, even though it was just a joke, it's still a big insinuation and it made the little one think about Zarkon wanting him in so many different ways. However, his thoughts didn't stay on that, Keith quickly faces Zarkon when he hears a choking sound coming from him. The so grand and powerful Galra emperor is now completely embarrassed with his cheeks reaching a darker tone of purple, Keith can't help but admire how harmless and cute his Tquizarp looks now, so he makes a mental note to try and embarrass the Galra later, to cause this cute reaction every day and appreciate the cheeks gaining such tones has just become definitely his life goal now.

"D-Don't say nonsense" Zarkon says trying not to stutter completely and like a stubborn, contrariant child, he walks away grumpily.

Obviously, Keith laughed when he saw Zarkon acting so childishly when provoked, he gives a thank you to the druid for providing him with this unique moment of his Tquizarp and receives a short nod from her in response. He then starts to follow the emperor along with Haggar who remained respectfully three steps behind Keith. It doesn't take long for Zarkon to slow down his steps for Keith to catch up, when they're side by side, the human wraps his arms around Zarkon's right arm again feeling that comforting warmth again and lets out another yawn from his lips. He was hungry, but he was so sleepy and this pleasant warmth only made him want to sleep right there, no matter if he was standing in the middle of the hallway or not. Zarkon could feel Keith's fatigue getting greater, so with delicacy and calm, he picked the young man up in his arms.

"Just rest," Zarkon says, laying Keith's head on his shoulder. He heard the young man's grumblings but he just snuggled in better and finally allowed himself to fall asleep.

"Zarkon," Keith says as low as a whisper and the Galra looks at him showing that he is paying attention. " Thank you for finding me. I'm happy ," he says slowly falling asleep, but he doesn't sleep before lazily lifting his head and leaving a kiss on the Galra emperor's cheek.

Haggar observes Zarkon paralyzed in front of the sleepy Keith's act and opens a sincere smile, she doesn't stop herself from wishing again to the heavens for everything to go well, Keith is more important to all of them than the young man can imagine . How she wanted to be able to sit with him under the Gardneiras and be able to tell him everything that happened in those 10000 years without his presence, but she knows the risk of her actions and with a sad sigh keeps her hope to herself, the druid's heart tightening with the desire to have her cycle back.

And in silence, the druid and the Tquizarp couple follow to the royal chambers, both minds anxious for the future and the chance to have the most important person in their lives back.

+  +  +

Keith wakes up stretching, playful and happy. Still with his eyes closed, he feels how comfortable the bed is, so soft and with the unique smell of Zarkon, it seems to be even better! Following an instinctive thought, he decides to rub on the bed, with his arms and legs stretched, moving from side to side, in a movement that reminds the young man of when he lay in the snow and performed these same movements to make an angel.

The difference between these events is that now Keith only thinks about trying to leave his smell there as much as possible, a desire to mark that intimate place as his and Zarkon's, a desire that he sincerely would not be able to explain with human logic, but performs with all animation and naturalness.

He was having a good time marking the bed until he hears the low repressed sound of laughter.

Opening his eyes to know who was there seeing him act in such a shameful way, Keith sees Zarkon and Haggar together in a corner of the big room, sitting at the table drinking what he imagines to be some kind of tea and both look at him with smiles on their faces, although Haggar's smile seems almost non-existent, it's still a smile, Keith thinks.

With all this attention on him, he can't help but feel embarrassed. His cheeks coloring in an intense red, and to avoid having to face them, Keith pulls the blanket up until he is completely covered. However, this only caused more discreet laughter from the two, leaving the boy angry. However, not a pure anger of hatred, but a weak, passing anger, more like a child's tantrum, like that of children in response to their parents laughing at their embarrassment. Pouting, Keith decides to escape all his dissatisfaction and anger through the tquizarp connection and mentally celebrated when he heard a surprised choking sound from Zarkon. And Haggar, observing this, couldn't miss the chance to leave her own teasing comment.

"He'll tame you fast, I give you a month for that... No, better. I give you 15 days." Haggar makes sure to speak in English and use the Earth time system so that Keith can hear, knew that this would make the boy laugh. And when she saw the blanket trembling a bit from the muffled laughter he was giving, Haggar opened a victorious smile to Zarkon. She was challenging him, saying 'Hey, look how I can make him laugh better and faster than you, an inferior tquizarp like you can't compare to me!'

Obviously, between the two, the teasing was harmless, but outside of that, this teasing could lead to a duel, to death in more extreme cases, as a way for the Galra to demonstrate their power and strength, a public statement that their ability to provide and protect their tquizarp should not be doubted by anyone.

Zarkon huffs at Haggar, not really angry with her, but envious that she was able to make Keith laugh first before him, his pride as a tquizarp suddenly hurt and yelling for the Galra to do something that also pleases his partner.

And Zarkon wouldn't be himself if he didn't always show how much better he is than others when questioned.

Thus, Zarkon stands up from his chair to sit on the bed next to Keith's covered body, calmly. He pulls the edge of the blanket that the young man was hiding under, but doesn't take it off. It was a request for permission. If Keith pulls the blanket back, then Zarkon will immediately give up revealing the boy from the pile of cloth. And, if he does nothing, then the emperor has permission to take the blanket off the half-human and thus appreciate the expression he makes. So, when Keith didn't react, giving way for the Galra to take the blanket, Zarkon did so with all the slowness and delicacy possible, sighing passionately as he could see more of the young man and Keith looking at him without knowing what to do or say.

The two spend good minutes staring at each other, observing in the other the glaring differences of the ideal of beauty that they carried from their lives created in completely different cultures. However, even noticing every detail that could make them uninterested and repelled, there was this charm that only made every centimeter of their partner perfect. It was as if in their lives, neither Zarkon nor Keith had known the true meaning of beauty until they met. The attraction was automatic and any peculiarity would become an irresistible charm.

Keith couldn't resist getting closer, supporting his body on his elbows and his eyes deviating to Zarkon's lips. And Zarkon, forever trapped in the charm of having his soulmate there, didn't prevent himself from slowly lowering until his lips reach Keith's.

Perfection.

This would be the only appropriate word to describe the overflowing feeling of such a light and pure touch of the lips like this. It was just a peck, so innocent and simple, yet for the couple, the action was like lighting a modest paper lantern to illuminate an entire dark room, the light spreading and pushing away all the pain and loneliness that life in the shadows brought them.

This was happiness.

The simplest and purest happiness.

And oh, how Keith wanted this happiness to last forever.

He clings to Zarkon for a deeper kiss, his arms and legs wrapping around the big man. Keith just didn't want it to end.

He was so happy.

So happy that it was impossible to prevent the tears of happiness. How, on earth, could he imagine such a good feeling existing?

Oh God, I think I'll never be able to live without this man by my side — Keith thinks, feeling like he just signed a contract with the devil, trading his life and existence for eternal joy.

But, how terrible would that be if it were true? In the end, it seemed like a fair trade. Keith knows well that he couldn't force himself to regret the path he chose.

After all, he chose this.

...He chose it, right?

Chapter Text

Soooo, I kind keep forgetting this fic exist, and in the moment I'm focused in writing my own personal books in my mother language, beside translating one ORV fic I like.

But I have seen people still comment and give kudos to this fic from time to time, so I'm a bit compelled to comeback writing it only because some people look like they like the plot, and because I still have half the plot written in a old notebook I found past month behind my wardrobe.

The problem is, I'm occupied with my own aspirations and I won't let nothing stress or take my time from my dreams, right now I'm working hard in become a published writer and I have little time to write fics.

So I'll let you all know that when I have time, I'll write this fic and post again, but in my own mother language cuz right now I don't have time to translate it, so If you want to read the next chapters just follow the series I just created for this fic, Keith in space, and sadly you all will need live under mercy of Google translator to help you read. Saturday of the next week will post the new fic with the all four chapters out, and one or two bonus.

Thank you all for being the true Heroes in this fic, I have been considering in excluding this fic forever cuz my passion for the Voltron fandom died  with time, but I still have much appreciation for the time I spend writing this fic and reading Voltron fics, so I never truly wanted get rid of this fic or all the others of the same fandom. So I'll be writing back because I still like the plot a lot and because somehow you guys don't seem to be letting it go either lol

And don't worry, I'm not forcing myself to do shit, I wouldn't be doing that if it by any means made my life harder or if it brought me stress. The time for publication of new chapters will be long, probably something between 20 days or a full month for each chapter, but that's the time I have to give. So, that's it, I don't think I have anything more to say. And of course, I'll still write even if only a handful of people will be reading, I was never a spotlight chaser type of writer anyways.

Thank you all again for the support, see you next week for the continuation of this story!