As you slowly started to stir from sleep, you felt well rested. Almost like a new person after a good nights sleep. You didn't even remember seeing any dreams. And as you slightly opened your eyes, trying to carefully adjust to the new morning waiting, you suddenly remembered that you were in Keith's room.

You quickly turned around to look at the other side of the bed, hoping that he would be there. And your heart skipped a beat as you saw him lying next to you. He was awake, staring at the ceiling, a bit lost in his thoughts. His hair was all messy after sleeping, and it made you smile. You were glad that he was there.

You lifted your hand and gently touched his messy hair with your fingers, moving some strands of hair from his face. And as you did that, Keith turned to look at you. "Did you sleep well?" You asked him with a smile while twirling his hair with your fingers. But that's when he sighed, and without saying a thing, you saw from his eyes that he hadn't slept at all. And that's when a strange feeling tried to take over, but you just pushed it away, not wanting to think about anything bad at the moment.

"I just couldn't stop thinking..." Keith replied with a husky voice. "I know." You kind of agreed as you wrapped your arm around him, nuzzling a little closer, wanting to enjoy the moment. And as you leaned against his chest, you felt it rising along with his breaths. The sound made you calm, even though you knew he wasn't. But still, it was probably the best sound in the world.

Then you lifted yourself up a bit while looking at him. "Don't worry too much. Whatever you find out, we will deal with it. Alright?" You said while smiling reassuringly. But Keith just hummed in response while turning to look away. And immediately you frowned as you took a hold of his chin, turning him back to face you.

"Don't look away. I mean it." You said to him, now more strictly. And for a moment his eyes were wide while he looked back at you, puzzled by your commanding gesture. "Alright?" You then asked him, still not letting go of his chin.

For a short while Keith seemed to be thinking, and then he slightly nodded. "Good." You said before flashing him the most widest smile. You knew he must have been anxiously waiting to get to the Blade of Marmora to get some answers, so you really tried your best to act normal, wanting him to feel a bit better, even though you felt his nervousness too.

Then you quickly leaned against Keith, immediately kissing him, wanting to give him something else to think about. And you realised that for a moment he was almost holding his breath, clearly surprised of your actions. But as he finally got over his flustered state, he started kissing you back. And that's when you moved on top of him, kissing him passionately while letting your hands roam around in his hair.

But that's when Keith took a hold of you and pushed you slightly apart. "Are you trying to distract me?" He asked slightly baffled while looking at you with admiration in his eyes. "Maybe." You said back while smirking mischievously. And that finally made him chuckle a bit and seemingly relax. And that's when his eyes suddenly light up with fire as he pulled you back against him, wanting to clearly surpass your previous kisses. But you just hummed in satisfaction. You had given him something else to think about, at least for a moment.

After your short kissing session was over, you pulled away from him a bit hesitantly. You would have wanted to stay next to him longer, and it felt like he didn't want to let you go either. But you knew that duty called.

As you got up to sit, Keith put his hand on your back, fondling it silently. And when you glanced at him once more, giving him a small smile, he just looked back at you without saying a word. "See you later." You then said with a sigh before giving him a kiss on his forehead, getting up from the bed and heading out of the room, even though you really just wanted to stay.

But you returned to your room to change your clothes after a refreshing shower. And then you were ready for that day, whatever would come. And after grabbing quick breakfast, meaning the same old goo, you went to the control room.

"Morning everyone." You said quite happily as you entered the room. But nobody seemed to pay much attention to you, and immediately you realised that there was nervousness lingering in the tense atmosphere. And that's when you stopped as you suddenly felt the strange feeling in your gut again. This empty feeling that you quite couldn't figure out what it was. But you again just shook your head, trying to ignore it.

The others were gathered at the center of the room, while Keith was withdrawn further away, sitting on his chair. He was leaning on his knees, clearly lost in his thoughts. But at the same time you could see from his expression that he was on the edge, tense as hell again. You just really hoped he would get some answers from your destination.

"Coran, how soon will we get to the Blade of Marmora's base?" Shiro then asked with a strained voice. He too seemed more serious than usual. Until now, Shiro had been able to keep his nerves under control fairly well, but maybe the pressure was finally getting to him too?

"Based on the coordinates that Ulaz gave us, we should be there within a few doboshes." Coran answered Shiro without lifting his gaze from the control panel. And that's when Pidge got excited. "I can't wait to see it! I mean, they were able to fold space-time, and that was just at an outpost!" She sighed admiring.

"Mmm, the space taco. It left us too soon." Hunk then suddenly rubbed his stomach while getting lost in his culinary fantasies. But that just made you sneer. Both Pidge and Hunk were excited to see the base, but for different reasons. "Well, but my point is, imagine how amazing their home base will be!" Pidge then shrieked, like she couldn't even contain herself. And that's when you again glanced at Keith and realised that he was starting to clench his fists together, clearly getting more tense.

"Exactly. It could take on any shape. Like a space jelly donut. Or long, like a space éclair. Or a space cheese blintz with a cherry sauce on top. Maybe a little dusting of powdered sugar. That's the stars." Hunk started explaining more enthusiastically. But you just shook your head. How could he think of food now? "Hunk, it's a resistance base, not something you can eat." You said while sneering at him. "Aaaw! Now, I'm hungry for breakfast." Lance then suddenly whined.

But that's when Keith's irritated voice stopped the food conversation. "Guys, this is a serious mission. We need to focus." He glared at you all before turning away. And that made you sigh. Seeing him like that made you feel anxious too. "We need to focus." Lance then imitated Keith mockingly. And that's when you glared at Lance, quickly punching his arm. "Stop it!" You strictly said. "Ouch! Stop it yourself!" He replied back childishly while taking a hold of his arm, like it had hurt like hell. But just then Coran stopped your bickering. "The base is in range."

You immediately turned to look at where you were heading, and suddenly you felt your heart starting to beat fast. For some reason it suddenly made you feel really nervous. "Take us in slowly." Shiro said to Coran, who looked at the sight in front of you frowning. "That might prove the tiniest bit of a challenge." Coran then replied unsure.

Then an image of the base appeared on the large screen and everyone got quiet. "Is that the base?" You asked while looking at the screen, even though you weren't quite sure of what you were looking at. It was like something was stuck in between two portals.

"Is that a black hole?" Hunk asked, also puzzled. But that's when Coran turned to you. "No, no, no, no, no. It's two black holes and a giant blue star." He stated quite casually. "Really? That doesn't sound good..." You said back at him while frowning.

"No kidding. Just inside a black hole, the temperature is one millionth of a degree above absolute zero. But, just outside of that, it's hundreds of millions of degrees Celsius." Pidge then explained knowingly while lifting her glasses. And everyone listened to her kind of frozen. That sounded really bad. How were you supposed to get there?

Then Hunk let out a sound like he had figured out something. "Oh! Okay, it's like when you try to nuke a frozen burrito in the microwave, and it comes out all scorching hot on the outside, but it's still frozen in the middle, right?" Hunk tried to translate what Pidge just said, sounding quite happy. But you just chuckled. "Hunk, stop with the food."

"Now I'm hungry for lunch!" Lance then said while whining again. And that made Keith raise his voice again. "Guys, quiet!" He yelled while standing up from his chair. And suddenly the tension in the room got thicker again as everyone went quiet from his sudden outburst. But when everyone were finally quiet, Keith asked determined. "Coran, where's the base located?"

"In between those three deadly celestial objects." Coran explained while zooming in on the image of the base that was really well hidden. The whole base looked really small compared to the black holes and the giant blue star surrounding it, and you would have never guessed that there was something, if you wouldn't have known.

"The perfect defensive position." Pidge sighed, still excited, not affected at all by the dangerousness of it. "Or the perfect trap." Allura then said while crossing her arms. And you immediately heard from her displeased tone that she was clearly not happy about you being there. She still didn't trust the Blade of Marmora one bit, even after what Ulaz did. "Yeah, I'm with Allura. Maybe we shouldn't, like, go in there at all?" Hunk also agreed a little unsure, fidgeting with his fingers. And that's when you looked at him wondering. What's with the sudden mood change?

"What are you talking about? We have to go in! This is the whole reason we came out here! There is no other option!" Keith practically yelled at them. "Okay. Jeez. Calm down." Lance immediately tried calming him down. But Keith was really tense, and your heart grew heavy as you saw him struggling. You wanted to go and help him calm down, but you had a feeling that he wouldn't take closeness kindly when he was so on the edge. And when he realised that you were looking at him worried, he turned his gaze away immediately.

But then the tension was broken by a sudden voice. "Identify yourself." A computerlike voice echoed through the control room as purple text appeared on the large screen. "Is that from the base?" You then turned to Coran, who nodded at you. "Open a hailing frequency, Coran." Shiro then said, taking control of the situation again. And Coran obeyed straight away, opening up the frequency. "We are the Paladins of Voltron, sent here by Ulaz." Shiro then identified you.

And for a moment there was an agonising moment of silence as you waited. You felt nervous and noticed that your heart was beating so loud that you were certain the others would hear it too. It practically wanted to escape your chest. Then finally, the voice spoke again. "Two may enter. Come unarmed." It said before disappearing. But that's when you frowned. "Why only two?"

"And why would they insist we come unarmed?" Allura asked concerned. "Well, why would they welcome some unknown armed people to their base?" You asked Allura while spreading your arms. To you, it sounded perfectly logical. You were mostly concerned about the amount of people allowed on the base. Those who would go, would probably be totally outnumbered.

"No, this doesn't feel right." Allura then said while glancing at Shiro, like she was still trying to persuade him with her words. But it didn't sway his mind. "We've come too far to turn back now." Shiro stated strictly. And you agreed with him. "I am with Shiro on this one. We have to do this to gain allies. And to beat Zarkon." You tried to reason with Allura. And as you said that, you saw how Shiro glanced at you with a slight smile. He seemed glad that you were on his side again, like when Ulaz was there. And even though you knew why Allura was thinking like that, you believed going there would benefit you. You had to go there to find answers.

Then Coran turned to look at the control panel. "They just sent us a route to the base, but we'll have to move quickly. Because of the solar flares, it's only open for another varga. Then, it will be closed for two quintants." He explained as the flight route appeared on the screen.

"They're gonna close it for two years?" Hunk suddenly asked worried. And that's when you glanced at him, sighing a bit irritated. Even you had now learned those Altean time units. "No Hunk, two days. Haven't you still learned?" You corrected him quite harshly, at the same time realising that the tension in the room was starting to get to you too.

"So, any thoughts on who's gonna join you on this little mission?" Lance then asked while looking at Shiro, smirking, clearly wanting to go. Well, who wouldn't? You knew Pidge wanted to go. So did you, and so did Keith for sure. Hunk and Allura were probably the only ones who didn't want to go.

"I'm thinking things might get a little hot, so you're gonna want someone who can stay cool." Lance then said while lifting his eyebrows excited, sure of Shiro picking him for the mission. But Shiro just crossed his arms while looking at Lance, clearly thinking. Then he stated loud and clear. "You're right. Keith, you're coming with me." He then said and immediately Keith's and Lance's eyes widened.

"Keith's a hothead! He's probably going to shoot first and ask questions later!" Lance suddenly yelled irritated, while glaring both Keith and Shiro. "And they're not gonna be able to answer his questions because they'll be dead!" He just continued to yell, getting closer and closer to Shiro, practically yelling the last part to his face. But Shiro didn't even flinch by Lance's outburst.

"We haven't yet severed Zarkon's link with the Black Lion, so it has to stay here. And the Red Lion can withstand the heat from that sun. So, yes, it'll be Keith." Shiro then stated clearly, pushing Lance back calmly. And he was right. That was the only possible solution. Of course it would have been interesting to go, but you knew Keith needed to go more than any of you.

Then Coran started to explain Shiro's and Keith's next course of action, the flight route. "The course to the base will be quite treacherous, to say the least. You're walking a razor's edge between the gravitational pull of the black holes and the sun." He explained surprisingly calm. But as you looked at the flight route on the screen, you frowned. It really sounded quite tricky, and dangerous.

"One false move, and you'll either be crushed into infinity or burnt to a crisp." Coran then continued. And that's when your frown deepened while you glanced at Keith. But he just kept his gaze firmly on the screen, absorbing every little detail of information. And that determination made you feel a bit reassured, even though you still worried. But you couldn't help it. You cared for him that much, even though at the same time you knew if someone could pilot the Lion there, it would be Keith. He was the best pilot of you all. His quick reflexes and natural skills would get them there safely.

"We are going to monitor you from here, though if you encounter any problems, we won't be able to help. It's all up to you now." Coran then said. And that was all you could do now. Just watch and wait. You knew it would be agonising.

And when Coran was done with his explanation, Shiro turned to Keith. "Alright Keith, let's suit up." He said firmly, and Keith nodded. And with that nod, you suddenly felt the strange feeling you had trying to surface again. It was like this empty feeling trying to grow inside you. But you just took a deep breath, trying to fight it off. You didn't want to show your worry to the others.

"If you feel at all that they are not to be trusted, then pull away." Allura then said strictly while crossing her arms. And Shiro nodded at her, agreeing. "Allura, I know. But I believe Ulaz led us here with good intentions." He replied. And that's when Allura let out a sigh, finally realising that she couldn't convince Shiro.

"Then take care, both of you." She then said concerned. And then it was time for them to leave. Lance was still pouting, so he didn't say a word to neither of them. Hunk patted Keith's back while Pidge just stated. "Oh man, I wanted to go too...but good luck."

That's when you let out a sigh, not even realising how loud it was. And that made Keith turn towards you. And as you looked at him and saw those peculiar colored eyes of his slightly filled with worry, your heart started to ache and you just wanted to jump into his arms.

But as you started to instinctively reach out to him, about to hug him, you realised that everyone's eyes were on you. And you stopped. It made you feel self-conscious and awkward. "Guys, some privacy!" You just snapped at them, feeling that the tension again made you raise your voice unintentionally.

Everyone chuckled a bit and turned their gazes away. And then you wrapped your arms around his neck tightly. "I hope you get some answers. Please be careful." You silently whispered into his ear, feeling worried. And that's when Keith wrapped his arms around you and squeezed you back tightly. "I will, I promise." He muttered, his breath on your ear sending shivers down your spine. And for some reason it made you feel sad. There was something so melancholic in how he said it and how it felt.

You wanted to keep a tight hold of Keith, but you knew you had to let go. So you hesitantly pulled away from him. And as you did that, you grabbed a hold of his cheeks, leaning in for a kiss. You didn't even care if others were watching. You wanted Keith to know that you were thinking of him. And as you backed away, you smiled at him. You didn't want him to see you worrying.

But as you let go of Keith, you realised that Lance was looking at you and smirking. "(Y/N) and Keith sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s..." He started saying, but you immediately stopped him. "Lance, shut up!" You said harshly as you glared at him with a murdering look that made him shut up immediately.

When Shiro and Keith were gone, you went to the others near the screen. And now that the only thing you could do was to wait, you started feeling really anxious again. You hated waiting. But that's when Hunk came next to you, and without saying a word, he put his arm around your shoulder and smiled. And for a moment you just stared at him dumbfounded, until you realised what he was doing. He was trying to make you feel better. He was such a kind soul. It was really comforting.

Then you saw from the screen that the Red Lion left the hangar. And you took a deep breath. You had to keep yourself calm. You couldn't let the others know how worried you were. They didn't know about Keith's knife.

For a while the control room was silent. Everyone just watched the Red Lion moving along the flight route towards the base and nobody said a thing. You really hoped you worried for nothing, even though you just couldn't shake the strange feeling you had, no matter how much Hunk tried to comfort you.