Chapter Text
It’s been a day since they realised.
Keith had gotten hurt - badly hurt, they all thought for a moment that he wouldn’t make it. On the way to the healing pod he had started to change, a purple glow covering him until it receded and left them with…
With a Galran.
Shiro nearly dropped him, and Lance actually did. He wouldn’t touch him again after that, so it was up to Hunk to help Shiro get him to the chamber. Coran tried to stop them, but Shiro just pushed him out of the way and kept moving forwards like a man possessed, while Hunk just tried to make sure Keith’s injuries didn’t get any worse.
After he had gotten him safely to the pod, Shiro had left, not once looking back. Pidge was still working on repairing the Lions, and Allura had pulled Coran away, not looking at all happy.
That left Hunk to watch over Keith, to make sure someone was there for him when he woke up.
He couldn’t deny being a little conflicted - the Galran were awful, but this… this was Keith.
Keith who frowned most of the time but still laughed at his dumb jokes. Keith who really, really loved his cooking, Keith who was the first to help Shiro escape, Keith who followed his gut to the location of a Lion that wasn’t even his own.
This was Keith. A Paladin. A member of their team. Their friend. Hunk would die before letting him wake up alone.
Over the 24 hours it took Keith to heal, the only other person to visit him was Shiro. Keith was almost completely healed, and back to his regular self. Hunk watched carefully as Shiro just stood in front of the chamber, arms crossed, frowning heavily. Trying to figure out how things were now.
Hunk had to assume Pidge didn’t know, or was being barred from entry, or something. He couldn’t be the only one who cared.
He couldn’t be.
As soon as the pod opens, and Keith falls to his knees, Hunk is there to catch him, moving quicker than anyone would have thought possible across the room to stop his friend from smacking headfirst into the floor.
“Ugh…” Keith groans, fingers digging into Hunk’s arms as he comes to, trying to get his bearings.
“Good morning, sleepy-head.” Hunk smiles, putting as much warmth into it as he possibly can. Maybe the knot of worry in his chest won’t go away, but he can at least ease Keith’s own troubles.
“What… happened? Where is everyone?” Keith asks, still groggy. He sits back slowly, rubbing at his eyes. Hunk hesitates before letting go of his arms.
“You were hurt when Red Lion crashed. You’ve been healing for a whole day.” His smile goes tense.
“Did everyone make it back okay? Where are the others?” Keith asks again, getting more and more frantic. Hunk sighs heavily and rests his hands on Keith’s shoulders, pressing him back down so he’s sitting completely on the ground.
“Keith… on the way here… you… you changed. Into a Galra. The others, they…” Keith goes pale, and Hunk’s heart breaks a little. All his friend can do is sit there, trying to process, trying to think of something, anything he can do, but what can he do? What can you do to make things better when you’ve been lying to your team about something this big?
Keith’s eyes focus on Hunk, kind, gentle, huge Hunk who could crush him easily, and fear spikes through him. Hunk recognises it instantly, and before Keith can run, he pulls him right up against his chest and presses his face into his hair.
“It’s okay. I’m not going to hurt you. It’s okay.” He whispers.
This isn’t how he expected it to be. Why is Hunk trying to reassure him? He should be afraid. He’s just found out he’s been living with the enemy.
Keith’s short laugh turns into a sob, and soon he’s clutching Hunk’s back and screaming into his chest, hot tears flooding down his cheeks and that damned purple light surrounding him. And Hunk keeps holding him, even strokes his hair, whispering reassurances and just letting him cry, letting him scream, letting him hold as tight as he needs to.
This is Keith.
Keith the Galra, Keith their teammate, Keith their friend.
Hunk will not abandon him.
~•~
It’s almost an hour before Keith’s sobs subside, and he slumps against Hunk’s chest, exhausted. Hunk lets him stay there for a moment longer, just breathing deeply and still clinging onto him like his life depends on it. Maybe it does. Hunk would be lying if he said he had any idea what awaited them in the main hub of the ship.
In the end, he doesn’t need to prompt Keith; he raises his head slowly on his own, eyes downcast, and murmurs:
“We… should go and see the others.”
“Right.” Hunk nods.
Keith tries to stand, and when he wobbles, Hunk is at his elbow, keeping him gently upright. How could he ever have been afraid of him?
The corridors of The Castle of Lions have never felt colder, more unwelcoming. Alone, Keith would have run, never left the healing pod, but Hunk’s presence at his side is warm and strong. He can do this. No matter what, he can do this, so long as Hunk doesn’t abandon him.
Still, he stops them in front of the final set of doors. Hunk turns to face him, and that knot in his chest tightens. Keith still hasn’t changed back. Hunk thought that the walk would have given him time to calm down, but bright yellow eyes are staring, frightened, up at him.
This would have been easier if he’d looked human.
“I’m right here.” He says, and smiles, and Keith finds it in him to press that button and open the doors.
Waiting on the other side are the Paladins, Allura and Coran. At the sound of the doors sliding open, all eyes turn to them. This is good. Hunk’s glad that the first time most of them see Keith is with Hunk by his side, supporting him. Maybe this’ll help convince them that this isn’t a bad thing.
“So it’s true…” Pidge murmurs, her eyes fixed on Keith.
“He shouldn’t be here.” Lance says. His voice is empty, void of anger, and of warmth. He had come to love Keith, Hunk knows, even started to accept those feelings. He can’t imagine how Lance must be feeling right now.
At Lance’s words, Keith flinches back, even as his grip tightens on Hunk’s arm. Hunk moves so he’s stood in front of him, protecting him.
“He belongs here. He’s a Paladin.”
“He’s a Galra.” Coran spits, and Hunk’s arm comes up, one more way of making sure none of them can lay a hand on Keith.
“The Red Lion chose him. It let him pilot it. He’s one of us.” He insists, and Lance scoffs.
“He’s one of them.”
“Name one time he helped them over us!” Hunk doesn’t mean to raise his voice, it just kind of… happens. Hurt flashes across Lance’s face for just a second before it goes completely blank.
“Whatever.” He mutters, standing and stalking out of the room.
“He can’t stay here.” Coran’s still scowling, and Keith whimpers, so softly only Hunk can hear him.
“If you make him leave then I’ll leave too.” Hunk threatens.
“Hunk!” Pidge looks at him in panic.
“Hunk be reasonable-” Allura pleads, but he won’t have it. Have they really all abandoned him?
“I am being reasonable! You’ve all lost your minds! This is not a bad thing! Sure, it’s not good, but this is Keith.” Somehow, that feels like the best and only explanation.
“This is a very bad thing! The enemy is aboard our ship-” He cuts Coran off immediately.
“Keith is not the enemy!” Hunk bellows, and the silence that follows seems to ring with his voice. This is more than just raising his voice. Finally, Shiro speaks up.
“A decision must be made, but there’s no need to make it now. We need to take some time to process this. Hunk, take Keith to his room. Coran, you leave them both be. I’ll talk to Lance.” And with that, he’s gone.
“That is unacceptable!” Hunk doesn’t wait around to hear what else Coran has to say, instead leading Keith through the room and out the door with a hand on his back and a dangerous look on his face. For all his anger, Coran doesn’t come close.
In Keith’s room, the boy in question collapses down onto his bed, head dropping into his hands.
“Keith?” Hunk asks worriedly, taking a step forwards.
“Why?” Keith croaks.
“Huh?”
“Why don’t you hate me? The others all do.” He shouldn't ask, but he can't help it. The need to know far outweighs his fear.
“No, they don’t not really, they’re just surprised-” Hunk tries to explain, tries to defend them, but even he has his doubts.
“So why aren’t you?!” Keith’s head snaps up, and the tears are back, dripping down a face twisted in pain.
“I was, at first. But you’ve been Galran this whole time, nothing’s changed. You’re still Keith. Besides, I can’t even imagine what you’ve been going through this whole time. It must’ve been hard, hiding who you are, and fighting other Galran.” Hunk smiles gently, and Keith kind of wants to hit him, kind of wants to run, kind of wants to be held again.
“… It wasn’t hard to fight other Galran.” He mutters, slumping back down, this time with his hands dangling between his legs, limp. Hunk's never seen him look so defeated.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Hunk sits down on the bed beside Keith, resting his hand just close enough to touch.
“They… I… I was never one of them. I was smaller, and weaker, and I couldn’t just… kill, like they could. Not even animals. Not even when they beat me. I just… it felt wrong. These creatures had never done anything to hurt us, so why harm them? … I don’t know where it came from. You’d think, being raised among them, I’d be just like them.” He laughs, quiet and bitter, and Hunk wonders if the knot in his chest won't kill him.
“I don’t think you could ever be like them.”
“You don’t know me that well.”
“I know you well enough to know that however cold you act, you’re never cruel. Everything you do is for a reason, to do what you believe is best for Voltron. I know that, no matter what you are or where you come from; you, Keith, are not bad." Hunk gently bumps his shoulder, and Keith has to bite down on his lip hard to keep from sobbing again. Quiznak, when did he become such a wimp?
"You should get some sleep." Hunk suggests.
"I've been sleeping for a whole day."
"It's been a stressful hour and a half."
"You've got that right." Keith sighs heavily and rolls over so he's curled on his side on the bed, Hunk sat on the bed in front of him.
He should have known that Hunk, of all of them, would be the first to accept him, but after that incident with Shay and the Balmera...
"Move over." Hunk grunts as he lays back on the very edge of the tiny single bed.
"Wha- this bed isn't big enough for two people!" Keith cries, bolting upright. This was a mistake, as Hunk just takes up more of the bed until he's comfy before dragging Keith back down so he's tucked up between his side and the wall.
It's clear that fighting this arrangement will get him nowhere, but Keith has to wonder how Hunk knew he didn't want to be alone. He was getting control back; his Galra form has already been concealed, leaving him looking as he always does. His face shouldn't have shown anything.
Pretty soon, Hunk's snoring softly, big chest gently rising and falling in a steady rhythm. Keith watches him for a moment, making sure he's definitely asleep before snuggling closer to him, pressing his face right up against his shoulder, forehead just brushing his neck. In the morning, he'll say he did it in his sleep, or that Hunk was the one who pulled him in, but right now, he'll indulge.
Hunk cracks one eye open and smiles.