riverview | audio | un:blacklion

It's hard. I just keep... rethinking it... maybe... if I hadn't been off with the Blades all that time... or if I'd come back sooner... or, I don't know. [Keith sighed.] I know it was what I had to do at the time. I've accepted that much.

I just really hate that I had to hurt you at all.

Well, the others had been around and they didn't either. Also... it doesn't seem that the clone was too welcoming to you even if it didn't realize what it was doing.

[He could reply some of the conversations in his head and they were going all wrong in his opinion]

Mm... I guess.

[Keith shrugged.]

He wasn't exactly wrong. I wasn't doing so great of a job as a leader...

[Even knowing the clone was a clone, Keith did still take a lot of the criticism to heart... and it stayed there. He knew he was better now, and he knew he still had some growing to do, but he definitely wasn't proud of some of the things he did when he first started off before leaving to go to the Blades.]

I made a lot of mistakes.

No, you were still learning that is true. But part of being a leader is helping others learn how to be leaders as well. Things that were said... it was done wrong. When I think back on them, my instincts tell me it was wrong. You shouldn't have been berated in front of the team when you were the leader. You should have been supported in your decisions in order to help build their confidence and yours. I shouldn't have objected so harshly over it.

But- [Keith sighed.] Before you- before I found the clone... I made mistakes. I could have gotten us in a lot of trouble. I did get us in a lot of trouble. It wasn't just him. We couldn't form Voltron, and we weren't ready with me and Lance being in different Lions and Allura having never been in one before. And I stupidly followed Lotor right into a trap.

.....

I could have gotten them all killed. He wasn't exactly wrong. I wasn't ready to lead the team.

Everyone makes mistakes. Part of being a leader comes from experience, both good and bad. I haven't always made the best decisions.

But that doesn't explain it. The clone didn't know about that. He was talking about something else when he did that. He reduced your opinion of your abilities and the team's opinions in public and then said praise in private. That's not a good way to do it.

[The clone hadn't exactly had to push too hard to lower Keith's opinions of his own ability to lead a team. He already had been pretty sure at the time that he couldn't, regardless of any input from a fake Shiro.

But, he sighed a little. That was past them. And he'd taken the lead in recovering Shiro and fighting against Lotor, and they had a very long journey ahead of them. Keith was still nervous, but he didn't have as much doubt anymore. He knew it was kind of silly to keep dwelling on what happened between himself and the clone.]

I guess. [He looked at Shiro for a moment, and then managed a weak smile.] We're okay now, though, right? I mean, you're really you again. And I figured out a lot about myself while I with my mom, so... I think... I think we're gonna be okay. It's going to take a long time, but we'll get back to Earth. I know we will. We're a good team.

Yeah, we're okay. [He smiled] I'm me, in a body again. And I'm guessing you're you, but its hard to tell sometimes.

[He's trying to make a joke out of it]

I'm glad you figured things out. We'll all make a great team together.

Yeah... I'm still me. [Just... two years older and somewhat less temperamental, but he was still Keith. He nodded.]

We do.

[He reached over and put his hand on Keith's arm. Granted he only had one arm to do that at the moment, but he was still going to]

Thanks for all the help you've been giving me.

[Keith gave Shiro a small smile in return.]

Of course.

[Like he wouldn't have...]

[Yeah he knows Keith would have anyway, but he felt he should properly thank him]

You and Black have been a big help through all of this... and you too Youta.

[He added when the dog poked his head over the side of the couch]

[Keith smiled at the dog and then gave a small shrug.]

It's the least I can do. I'm just glad Black's been able to help, too.

[He had been worried that, after Allura had to pull that piece of Shiro's soul from the Black Lion, that the connection would have been broken.]

[The bond was weak, but Shiro could still tell the lion was there. Also it was pretty clear the lion was being protective, placing himself near Shiro to keep him extra safe]

No, the least would be to give me a bread box and say good luck.

[He's teasing!]

[Keith looked confused.]

What would you do with a bread box?

Well if it has bread in it, I can eat the bread without much trouble. If it doesn't, I can try to learn one handed juggling.

[Shiro, stahp... Keith was getting confuuuuused.]

I... don't get it.

[Okay... joke did not land]

Basically trying to say the least you can do is hand me something sort of easy to manage and let me do it on my own.

[Don't feel bad, Shiro. It wasn't the first time, and likely wouldn't be the last.]

Oh. [Keith was definitely overthinking this one, and couldn't see what was funny about that, but he let it drop.]

But... I wouldn't do that...

No, I know you wouldn't. You like me too much for that.

[Youta seems to know this is a good place to provide a distraction and bounds up onto the couch with them, forcing his way between them, tongue lolling as he looked between the two humans]

[Keith chuckled a bit.]

Yeah... [He rubbed Youta's ears playfully. The distraction was good. After all, Keith had a lot of really heavy things he could say about his relationship with Shiro, especially how much the other Paladin meant to him. He credited Shiro with essentially saving him when he was a young and very troubled teenager. Even if they'd never had to deal with Voltron and the Galra, Shiro had put Keith on a very different path, and given him something he felt he could never repay.] I do.

[Youta wagged his tail, leaning against Keith. Such was the life of a dog being pet.

Shiro knew he had been a great influence over Keith's life. He would have placed money that Keith was grateful to him for it though he would probably never know the exact extent of it]

I just had the feeling that you did.

[He grins, trying to lighten the mood. After a moment, he shifts, trying to get up]

[Keith chuckled a little at that, focusing on the dog for a bit. He looked over, though, when Shiro moved to get up.]

You okay?

Yeah. Just need to get up for a second. I'm not used to being unable to do things.

[Black was immediately there, ready to offer leverage for Shiro grab onto, but he's still off balance trying to navigate this one handed]

[Cue worried look from Keith.]

Want help?

[He reached out tentatively, in case Shiro wanted to use his hand for leverage if Black wasn't in the right spot for it.]

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