After visiting the cat café at the space mall (Y/n) couldn't stop thinking about how cute Thace was while he was surrounded by cats; she'd had a huge crush on him for a long time and seeing him interact with the cats made her love him even more. She knew about galran courtship rituals after living in galra central command for so long, although as far as she was aware Thace still only thought of her as a friend. (Y/n) was still living in his habsuite because just the thought of living separately made her feel lonely, and thankfully Thace didn't mind her living with him. The woman often dreamed about being in a relationship with Thace, some of her dreams were cute while others were downright spicy. When Thace and Ulaz had to go out on a quick information gathering mission (Y/n) made sure he had everything he needed, trying her best not to cry after she saw him off; there was no doubt about her being attached to him even though they weren't a romantic couple.

Thace and Ulaz were going to be gone for about a day, meaning (Y/n) would be hanging out with some of the other operatives while they were away. Thace wasn't worried about anyone making a move on (Y/n); he knew that she was loyal and he had a feeling she liked him as more than a friend, unfortunately he didn't know that for sure. Ulaz knew what his friend was going through seeing as he had feelings for someone too, although he got the impression that Thace needed to talk about how he'd been feeling about his situation with (Y/n). Once Thace and Ulaz stopped for the night Ulaz reheated dinner for the both of them so he could give Thace a break, something Thace appreciated very much, and he thanked him. Once they sat cross-legged on the floor with their cups of instant noodles Thace tried thinking of something to say, unable to think of anything due to all the thoughts racing through his mind.

"I can tell that something is on your mind." Ulaz spoke after a few moments, looking at Thace and seeing him flinch ever so slightly due to being caught off guard by the sudden statement.

"There is; I know it's easy for everyone who knows me well enough to know what it is. I can't help it, though." Thace responded with a sigh, briefly meeting Ulaz' yellow eyes which made him feel unsure about talking about his crush on (Y/n).

"I see." Ulaz hummed with interest, turning his attention to his cup of noodles so that he could eat them before they got cold.

Thace sighed again and he too went back to eating his noodles, wishing that having a crush on someone could be easier and less stressful. On one hand he really liked (Y/n) and wanted to have her as his mate, but on the other hand it made him feel guilty for having romantic tendencies towards her because he practically watched her grow up. Thace enjoyed the meaty flavor of the noodles he packed, thankful there were plenty of them in the Marmoran storage room. Ulaz patiently waited for Thace to open up a little more because he knew that he would, it was just a matter of time before it happened. He thought of back when he first had a crush on Yemi, but things were going smoothly between them because he accepted that he had feelings for her; he wasn't courting her yet, but he would eventually when the war settled down a little more.

"I just- I'm afraid that if I reveal my feelings for (Y/n) I'll lose her forever if she doesn't feel the same way. I've known her since she was fourteen and in a way it feels wrong to have feelings for her." Thace said after he thought about what to say, opening up about his dilemma whether he should confess his feelings for (Y/n) or not.

"I know how you feel, but you've known (Y/n) since she was young which means you know her very well. I highly doubt you will lose her. You need to act on your feelings, otherwise someone else will take her as their mate." Ulaz replied, giving Thace the best advice he could; he wanted to see Thace and (Y/n) together, and hopefully they would be in the future.

Thace didn't know what else to say, although he appreciated the advice and decided to think about where he stood with (Y/n) and if he should ask her if he could court her. It was a big decision, one that should never be taken lightly, so he needed to think long and hard about it while also observing (Y/n's) behavior when they were together. Talking about it with Ulaz helped him feel better, although he would have to figure out how to go about confessing his feelings for his human friend. Ulaz and Thace ate dinner mostly in silence, occasionally discussing Thace's feelings and concerns more which helped the taller male. Thace wondered if his sister had the same worries when she started courting her mate several deca-phoebs prior; if he ever had the opportunity to ask her for advice then he would.

__________

For (Y/n) it felt a little strange not to have Thace around like she was used to, although she knew she was safe in the main Marmoran headquarters because no one would ever harm her. The young woman took the opportunity to think about where she stood with Thace; obviously he didn't mind her living with him, but she wished that she had the courage to confess her feelings for him. She took some time for herself for a few hours so she could read or watch some things whilst eating some kind of alien snack she'd developed a taste for; she eventually decided to go talk to Kolivan about Thace in hopes of getting some advice from the older male. Thankfully, Kolivan wasn't busy when (Y/n) entered his office which meant he was available for her to talk to him. Kolivan wasn't expecting (Y/n) to drop by for a visit, especially since she kept to herself, so he gave her his full attention seeing as he already finished his daily work.

"Um… H-hi, Kolivan. Can I talk to you about something?" (Y/n) shyly greeted the large male whilst standing a few feet in front of his desk, feeling anxious after she spoke up.

"About Thace, I presume." Kolivan responded knowingly; he couldn't give her relationship advice but he might be able to point her in the right direction.

"Y-yeah, about Thace. I just don't know where I stand with him. What's he really like, anyway? I've known him for a long time and yet I feel as though there's things about him that I don't know." (Y/n) explained after taking a deep breath, doing her best to address what was on her mind.

Kolivan wasn't at all surprised by what (Y/n) told him; in fact, he should have seen it coming even though he didn't expect it. He had to think about what he was going to tell her; he knew Thace very well and he knew how loyal the younger male was, so he knew he would be the perfect romantic partner for (Y/n). Sure, he'd chewed Thace out for being so reckless when he escaped galra central command and abandoned his mission, but he eventually forgave him. (Y/n) felt her heart racing in her chest when Kolivan sat back and squinted his eyes; she thought he was disgusted by her question, but in reality he was simply thinking about what to say. She could only assume the worst as the uncomfortable silence carried on for a few more minutes, wondering if she made the wrong decision by visiting Kolivan.

"Thace is very fond of you and he's one of the most loyal operatives in the Blade of Marmora. He doesn't necessarily have a rebellious streak like Ulaz, but he's fearless and would never abandon those he's close to. I've known him for a very long time and I can guarantee he's not hiding any dark secrets." Kolivan spoke after thinking about what he was going to say, opening his eyes and leaning forward in the process, and being as helpful as he could considering (Y/n's) situation.

"That's a relief." (Y/n) sighed; a few of her worries might have been put to rest but there was so much about Thace she wanted to know.

"As far as where you stand with him, only you can find that out; Knowledge or Death, that is the Blade's way." Kolivan added with a firm tone, hoping to send her on the right path to falling in love with Thace.

"Oh, okay. Thanks for the advice." (Y/n) replied, feeling a little disappointed and informed at the same time; she definitely appreciated Kolivan's advice, though.

Kolivan gave her a bittersweet smile before she turned around and left, deciding that he would sit across from her during dinner that evening so she wouldn't feel alone. Usually he would berate his subordinates for even considering getting into a romantic relationship because of the things it could lead to, but after Voltron returned the war would be done sooner which meant everyone could live their lives. Kolivan made sure that he saved everything to the correct files before he stood up and walked out of his office; he would go relax in his room for a while, desperately needing a few moments to himself after staring at the screen of his datapad all day. In the meantime (Y/n) decided to go on a walk around part of the massive base so that she could clear her mind while simultaneously thinking of ways she could sneakily find out if Thace had romantic tendencies for her or not. Her woman's intuition told her that he did, although she refused to get her hopes up in case he didn't have feelings for her and she didn't want to get rejected if she made the first move if it turned out to be the wrong move.