Sunrise - Chapter 1

[paladinquen]

What is "home"?

"Home is where this sun rises, and where this sun sets." - That’s one idea.

"Home is the community you love." - That's another.

Or, two boys from the same town on a tiny blue planet called Earth only figure out the meaning of "home" when they venture out into the galaxy, and find that they're never too far from each other.

James - Earth




For the first time in his life, James doesn’t know what “home” means. It’s been three years out in space on the Atlas, living with her drills, stabilizing the galaxy, flying out into who knows what or where among the stars. Every day is a surprise, every day packed in close quarters with his fellow pilots and living among an adopted family. Every day is the reality of the dream he had when Takashi Shirogane himself first stepped into his classroom all those years ago.

Well now he’s back on Earth and James doesn’t know how to place himself in it. He loves it still, his body sings with the familiar gravity, but it also feels oddly alien, like any other beautiful planet or home he’s seen over the last few years. Or maybe it’s Earth itself - Earth hasn’t been the Earth that James once knew for a long time. It’s changed for the better - a hub for the galaxy, a beacon of cooperation, and James is proud to be part of that. It’s long since recovered from the darkness of Sendak’s occupation.

Some things will never be the same; his hometown is gone, destroyed in the initial onslaught. James is grateful that his sister, and many of the people he’s known all his life survived, but rebuilding was impossible - the ion cannon destroyed the very earth of the town itself, and it would be a few centuries before that ground could sustain life again. Rebuilding wasn’t impossible, but with most of Earth in a state of recovery, it just wasn’t a priority. Instead, everyone who survived the labour camps went to find new “homes” on this new Earth, or even elsewhere. So, the physical things - the house he grew up in, the trees he climbed, the boy scouts office, his little-league baseball field, the school where he had found his destiny - all were dust.

The truth is, he’s the alien now - maybe Earth has changed, but so has he...and maybe “home” can’t be too literal a concept. The thought makes him feel unsettled. That’s why he’s sitting at the edge of a rock cliff at 0400 in the morning on the first day of his shore leave for Admiral Shirogane and Commander Curtis’ wedding; he’s trying to see something he’ll never see anywhere else in the galaxy.

The show is slow but worth it, and James is in no hurry to go anywhere. The sky lightens. A pitch-black sky dotted with burning stars turns light grey, eventually followed by a tinge of light blue on the horizon. A pale orange glow creeps up, followed by the blazing sun, and James has to put his aviators on. There’s only one Arizona sunrise in all the universes in this reality, and for a few hours, it grounds James back to this concept - once so solid in his mind, now more a fluttering in the contemplative corners of wandering heart.

Home.

Home is where this sun rises, and where this sun sets.

That’s one idea.







“I’m glad there are Juniberry flowers in these bouquets. I always thought Mom would love them.” James helps his sister clean up their parents’ gravesite, and feels guilty that she’s had to do this on her own. There’s not much to clean, it’s more because the Griffins were proudly action-based people - good neighbours, good citizens, always doing or serving. The pressure of it was stifling sometimes, but James also took pride in it. It was only war that taught him that sometimes you needed to break the rules to be a good citizen - his parents had tried to teach that to him too, but there was only so much a 13-year-old could absorb. Still, it just feels right to be busy “doing” around Mom and Dad.

Mom, Dad. For the most part he’s processed the pain but you never really get over the loss. You just learn to live with it better. While he was safe behind the Garrison’s shield, grounded because Admiral Sanda wouldn’t call the MFE’s to battle, his parents were saving their neighbours. They had died, trying to save Mrs Collins from the collapsing school building, but the kids had made it out. His parents were ex-Air Force, he’s an MFE pilot, Eleanor, his sister, is a doctor. They’re Griffins, they serve.

“Yeah, kinda last minute honestly?” Eleanor smiles, stroking a petal. “I saw them in the market this morning and decided to add them. I fell in love with them when I went to Altea for that medical conference earlier this year. It’s just amazing James! I know I talk your ear off about it whenever we call each other but really! The kind of technology they have has pushed our medical knowledge forward by...I never imagined I would be able to do any of this when I went to med school, it was all a sci-fi fantasy!”

James gives her a crooked smile, he knows exactly how she feels. “Yeah and now we’re living the sci-fi fantasy. You know I’ve been to Altea, but it’s never for very long. We resupply or speak with Coran and the other Alteans, then head off again. I miss having that guy on the Atlas actually.”

Eleanor knows all about Coran, the MFEs, and basically everyone in James’ life. They speak at least once a week because communications is another great improvement thanks to alien technology being fused with Earth’s and the Holt family’s genius. In so many ways, she’s kept him sane. His state of mind since being able to talk to her again has calmed significantly, even when they’re separated by vast distances in space, than when he was here on Earth with her and unable to talk to her at all.

Eleanor clears her throat. “Actually I wanted to speak to you about it, Altea. I think I’m going to move there for a few years.”

James feels his jaw drop, before forcing it closed again. “Altea Ellie, that’s great. Um...when?”

“A months from now. There’s still things to clear here, but there’s an interplanetary exchange program that I’ve been invited to. I’m sorry I didn’t mention it till now, I think I was trying to ignore it but...Jamie, I can’t say no.”

He’s never heard her this happy or excited since “before.” “You shouldn’t have to Ellie. I mean, we’d probably see each other more often.” They both grin at that, then look at their parents’ tombstones and sober up. “It’s weird. I mean, I know that Mom and Dad would encourage us to go as far as we can, and it’s irrational I know, but it also kinda feels like…”

“Abandoning them.” She finishes for him. “Yeah I know.” After a pause, she continues, “I was invited earlier this year, actually. It took me this long to admit to myself what I really wanted, and I can just hear them in my head, telling me to go, but you’re right Jaime, it feels…” She sighs.

He can’t say anything, words can’t express them as well right now, so James envelops her into a hug. “Ellie, you deserve this. If you want to go to Altea, nothing should stop you. It wouldn’t be fair, me being able to...and you feeling stuck here. I’m sorry I didn’t know, I thought you wanted to stay.”

“I...I did. For a while. But...it’s time for me to move on. I couldn’t in the beginning you know? It felt like running away when our home needed me the most. You had to help other planets out there and that was your job, me? I’d stay and rebuild our home. But now it’s different. I think they would want that, it’s my turn to see what I can do for the universe. The grounds are well cared for, and you know this ritual, laying flowers, speaking to them...it’s more for us, than it is for them.”

She’s not wrong. Doesn’t change how it feels though. Maybe time will eventually heal that too.







“I look ridiculous.” James stares at his reflection flatly, one eyebrow raised in judgment against Nadia’s taste.

“You look incredible! Like...bad biker boy hot! We’re pilots James! We pull off the leather!”

She slaps a hand against his arm and the leather jacket mostly absorbs it. That’s cool, and the jacket admittedly could be great, but even if it wasn’t too tight around his shoulders, and chest (he could barely zip it up), it doesn’t quite strike him as “him.” It’s also just not what they’re shopping for. “Nadia we’re shopping for Admiral Shirogane’s and Commander Curtis’ wedding, not a flight show! We should be in the tux section!”

“BORING!”

“Hey guys, how do I look?” Ryan steps out in a fantastic suit - trust him to pull off tan with black collars. James glances over at Nadia, hoping he radiates judgment, not that it will stop her.

“I believe the fitting should be taken in at the waist by two inches, and the shoulders loosened.” Ina observes.

Right, about that, “Do you folks do alterations here?” James asks the somewhat star-struck store clerk. They wait, and James has to ask again, but the door opens and the clerk loses his mind halfway through James’ question.

“It’s the Black Paladin! And the MFE pilots in one room! Oh my God! Oh my God! I’ll be right back I need you all to sign my stuff!”

The Bla...Keith??

James turns to the door and has to do a double take. It’s Keith alright - James will never know how it’s possible that Keith can keep disappearing from his life and returning to it in front-and-center ways that’s impossible to ignore. He wonders if everyone else on Earth thinks the same of anyone who’s gone off to space and come back - do he and the others possess the same glamour that Keith seems to have every time he reappears? Keith’s hair is longer - long enough that even he’s decided to tie it back, his movements even more self assured, the air around him calmer than it’s ever been - even though he looks a little surprised at the moment.

“Hi everyone.” Keith waves, a little wide eyed at all of them. “Uh...Ina, Nadia, Ryan, James.” It’s actually kind of impressive he remembers all their names. The Keith he’s used to remembering didn’t really have much space in his head for things that weren’t directly important to him. James doesn't know if he feels complemented or just surprised. Is Keith still looking at him? Yeah, James starts to feel his heart beat a little faster, at least until Keith says, “Nice jacket. Did you get that here?”

Right...the jacket. Not him. And that’s what had struck James as off earlier, the jacket isn’t him, it’s Keith - dark red accent and all. Heck it’s probably even in Keith’s size. He unzips it and hands it over, “It’s the last one. More you than me anyway.”

When Keith finally accepts it and shrugs it on (it’s perfect, of course it is), James has to turn around and look for the damn suit he came here for in the first place. He doesn’t want to stare, but it’s dumb that Keith looks so good in something that James was just wearing but hey, who said James was smart? He grabs some suits off the rack and practically runs to the fitting room before Nadia can throw something else at him.

The first two suits are terrible, he calls it quits by the third, just because it’s tiring to keep changing in and out of them. Maybe he can get this one altered and call it a day. It’s a deep shade of burgundy, with black collars. He doesn’t usually go for shades of reds, but it appeals to him today, after wearing some combination of bright orange, white, and grey for years. He also doesn’t want to spend all day in the shop. White suits were reserved for the grooms and their groomsmen, or so he had heard, and honestly who else would wear white at a wedding when they weren’t the ones getting married?

James steps out from behind the curtains, buttoning up the white shirt and fiddling with the bowtie - how did one tie these again? “Hey guys, did we get an answer about alterations? Because it honestly feels like everything I try on here is just too tight, or built for a giant Galra, and if I wear these as is, I may as well imitate a stick for the whole wedding.”

Ina comes over to help him with the bowtie and Nadia looks like she wants to say something about James and sticks, but thankfully, Keith answers instead. He’s signing a poster with one hand, while carrying what looks like 5 white suits over the shoulder in the other. “They do full-on tailoring here.” He comments with an air of bored exhaustion, he’s too busy to look over, but that’s been Keith ever since he’s returned - all about the immediate mission at hand, securing the happiness of the family he found out in the universe. “And they do it for autographs and cloth from Lance’s sheep. He’ll be happy to cover you guys, I’ll let him know. See you all at the wedding, thanks for coming.” Keith disappears as quickly as he always has, a man on a mission. It’s kind of sweet that Keith approaches being the best man of a wedding with the same intensity as saving the universe, but it still makes him difficult to track down. It takes a moment for James to realize that Keith left wearing the new jacket.

“‘Thanks for coming,’” Nadia laughs. “As if we would miss out! What with Ryan doing the video, and the entire Atlas invited!”

Ryan shrugs, “He looks kinda stressed. Anyway, he was never really a small talk kinda guy.”

“I will inform the shop about our measurements, and I believe we each have...102 posters to sign.” Ina sighs at the pile of posters sitting on the counter.

Right.

“Hey James,” Ryan pats his shoulder. “Nice color.”

“Yeah boss,” Nadia nudges him with a mischievous raised eyebrow. “Very nice.”

James rolls his eyes, he’s used to this by now. “Let’s just sign these posters and go home guys, I think our mission is accomplished for today.”

Before he leaves he can’t help but buy a leather jacket of his own, just one that’s more him, and actually fits.







The wedding is perfect. There’s not a single dry eye or sad face here - it’s almost impossible.

Not that James had expected anything else with both Keith and Iverson at the helm. The Holts and Slav had built some kind of AI algorithm that calculated the most perfect, sunny late-Spring day, bright and filled with new beginnings; Hunk’s team was responsible for food and catering, bringing together the grooms’ favorite foods from across the galaxy. There’s a heavy helping in the middle of some kind of green Altean goo that didn’t taste all that bad despite how unappetizing it looked. Based on the faces the former Voltron paladins and Coran had when they looked at it, James guessed it was something shared between them. Lance had been responsible for the flowers and decorations, filling the air with a warmth and love that James never knew he had been missing out on until now.

He sees Keith zipping around at the periphery of sight, always making sure everything is going smoothly, guiding the more irritating guests away from the grooms so they don’t have to deal with stress and can just enjoy each other’s company. Keith makes sure that the Admiral and Commander Curtis only deal with guests when they want to, but have the private time to revel in marrying each other when they need to. Kosmo is loyally at Keith’s side at all times, occasionally teleporting him here and there, or completely away to wherever Keith needs to be to run this wedding. It feels like he’s been watching Keith all his life, and it’s become so second nature that his eyes are already anticipating where Keith will be next, before Keith even gets there.

As for himself, James is smiling so much his face hurts, and he can’t remember when he’s last done that - not even Clear Day, maybe before the occupation? There’s something about breathing in the familiar scents of Spring on his home planet, the blue of the sky being just the “right” type of blue. More than that, it’s about bringing his family together - he can finally introduce Eleanor to everyone, and for James it’s his two favorite worlds finally coming together in a way they haven’t been able to, ever.

Home is the community you love.

That answer feels right too - he loves sunrise, and sunset, the sky and the gravity that suits him just right, but for the last three years he’s also felt content being surrounded by the Atlas. All that’s been missing is Eleanor, and even she’s leaving Earth soon. The thought lingers in his mind, still disturbing him in some way, so he grabs more punch, determined to erase it. James is lucky enough to be a guest at the most beautiful wedding in the universe, as far as he’s concerned, and he’s going to enjoy it.

“Hitting the punch hard there Jaime.” Eleanor catches him with the warning tone that only older siblings who are doctors can pull out, even if she’s only a few years older than him.

He grins and holds up a glass to her. “It’s really good! You haven’t had enough of Hunk’s creations! They’re practically happiness and joy exploding in your mouth!”

She laughs at him and steers him away, “I need you to introduce me to Coran - he’s the big guy on Altea isn’t he?”

“Don’t tell him, but as far as I can figure, he is Altea right now.”

When they find Coran, he’s talking to Keith, hands on shoulders as if he’s trying to keep the him from disappearing. Considering how close Kosmo is, it’s entirely possible for Keith to do that. “...all work no play, you must enjoy yourself too lad! This is a celebration!”

Keith gives Coran one of those soft, small smiles that is only reserved for those closest to him, and James momentarily feels like...he needs more wedding punch. He takes a gulp from his glass and decides to smile and speak through the churn instead. “Hey Coran, Keith, sorry for interrupting, but I’d like to introduce you both to my sister. She’s-”

“Doctor Eleanor Griffin!” Coran exclaims with jubilance, “I was so happy to hear you accepted our invitation to the Academy!”

James blinks and looks at Eleanor. She looks equally surprised but recovers quickly, thanking Coran for the invitation. As Coran starts to tell Eleanor about what she can expect from Altea, it leaves James a little dumbfolded but happy - he doesn’t have to do anything really. That’s one of the--

“I should have remembered,” he hears Keith next to him. From the periphery of his sight, James can see Keith’s hand scratching Kosmo’s head. “I used to see her pick you up from school, and she was one of the doctors who attended to me when I was recovering. Thought she looked familiar, but I wasn’t sure if it was the drugs either.”

James finally gathers the courage to look over in full. Keith looks as ethereal as always, perhaps even more so today because it’s the first time James has seen him in so much white. He can almost imagine that it’s Keith getting married since the wedding party is basically dressed the same, but the idea is a fantasy as far as anyone is concerned. Many love and admire Keith, James can list so many names from over the years, but Keith is never concerned with something as paltry as individual romantic love. Keith’s love is reserved for the universe - his Voltron family, the Galra civilization that he’s helping to rebuild, the Blade of Marmora and the people they help. That is how Keith loves - he’s not distracted by just one person. At least, not anymore.

It’s still weird, getting used to a Keith that isn’t solely dedicated to Shirogane, or hell, a Keith that just doesn’t need Shirogane. It’s something that James had never ever thought to see. He remembers burning with jealousy as a first-year cadet. Burning with stress and anxiety, working so hard and so eager to do everything right so he wouldn’t keep anyone else behind - why was he there? James flunked out at Level 3, Keith could have probably made it to 12 if he hadn’t stopped to steal a car.

How times change. Now Keith is a stickler for order and he works all the damn time, James occasionally breaks the rules, and knows how to take a break.

“-ames?”

James blinks, focusing again on Keith’s face, “Sorry Keith, that was...rude of me.” He offers Eleanor’s untouched punch as apology. “Hunk’s really outdone himself, I shouldn’t have drunk so much already, but it feels like drinking pure happiness, I’ve been so distracted, but in a good way?” There’s an excuse for how red he’s turning. “I...you’ve really outdone yourself Keith, this wedding is...it’s nothing I’ve ever seen, but somehow so familiar. It’s like every imagination or fantasy anyone could have of a dream wedding.” It’s not just the perfect day, there really is an ethereal brightness lighting everything - Alteans. It had to be Altean magic, it was just subtly woven into everything that James had to think about it to see it.

It’s Earth magic and universe magic intertwined, kinda like the guy standing in front of him.

“Thanks.” Keith replies cautiously while taking the offered punch, which thankfully frees up James’ hand to scratch Kosmo’s head. “It’s not all me, though. Coran and the others weaved the uh, magic, you just mentioned Hunk’s food…”

“Yeah, and Lance’s flowers.” James takes another sip of punch unconsciously with the glass he’s still holding, because it’s easier to do something whenever he talks to Keith, “But you’re the one who’s made sure it’s all come together and staying together so, that’s on you. Wedding planning’s no joke, I remember when Ellie planned her best friend’s wedding. I heard about it for months.”

He’s about to take another sip when a familiar gloved hand covers the glass he’s about to drink from. It’s the closest that any part of Keith has ever been to him, besides a fist to the face, so James freezes. “Right, thanks James. I’m gonna ask Hunk what he put into this punch...”

When James looks over, he sees Keith trying to solve another problem. Great, more work. It’s actually kind of worrisome. “Hey Keith, I swear it’s not the punch talking, but how long are you sticking around on Earth?” It is most definitely the punch talking, he has never said this many words to Keith that wasn’t related to a mission, ever. He surrenders the second glass without a fight, it frees up both hands to spoil the wolf.

“A month.”

A month?! “Same.”

Keith raises an eyebrow, but otherwise doesn’t say anything.

“Yeah, I applied for extended leave. I haven’t really been back, and Ellie’s moving to a new planet so I wanted to stay and help her pack.” I wanted some time on my home planet to sort out how I feel about where I belong, “See how the recovery efforts are going, catch up with people, the usual, it’s been three years away.”

“Yeah. It’s...good to...touch base.” Keith is getting awkward again, and James is finally remembering that Keith never really liked their town. He wasn’t exactly there by choice in the first place.

“Hey Keith, I,” know you hated our town? “I mean, since you’re also going to be around for a bit, I know that Ellie would love to see you before we pack it all up completely, she likes catching up with old patients to see if they’re okay. Why don’t you come over next week before we pack up the kitchen?”

Keith has a peculiar look sometimes, that James can’t really decipher. It’ll go as expected then Keith will suddenly look at him with a raised eyebrow as if James had just grown an extra head. He got that look when he told Keith and Hunk that he and Veronica were going to help them free Hunk’s parents. It’s the same look now. “I mean,” James adds quickly. “No pressure, I’m sure you’re busy.”

Ellie swoops in to save him, as she’s done so many times. “Yes Keith please! I’d love to have you over if you have time. Otherwise I’m sure we’ll all be seeing each other on Altea.”

Keith manages to work up a smile, then looks suspiciously at the glass. “Doctor, have you had any of this?”

“No!” Ellie laughs. “Not a drop, and honestly I don’t think Jamie’s drunk, I think he’s just...very happy and a little less controlled. I’ll take care of him. Invite still stands though.” She grabs one of James’ arms over her shoulders and steadies him by the waist. Kosmo helps steady him while Keith looks at them, considering. James tries not to look so hard back, he tends to only do it when he knows Keith isn’t looking, but there’s nowhere else to look right now.

Finally, after feels like forever, Keith’s shoulder’s relax and he lets out a small laugh. “Okay Doc, if you’re both...sure. Thanks. But I...don’t know where you live.”

That’s a simple enough problem to solve, and once Keith has her address he disappears to find Hunk, and keep the wedding in order. Ellie just looks at him quizzically with a half smile on her face.

“See Ellie, you didn’t need me to introduce you to Coran.”

She just grins and shakes her head at him, dragging him to their table.