whatsacactus | (no subject)

[It's been almost a year since Shiro got him out of the ring he'd found Keith in, bought him and brought him with the Alteans. There were some unsavory remarks at first, but they've since gotten used to this half-Galra former-prostitute being here, even found him useful when he showed he could hold his own in fights.

But even Allura could tell Keith had fallen hard for Shiro. And there wasn't anything happening there. While it's some good gossip to be sure, it's also irritating watching them go around each other so much without anything. So, she told Keith she needed him to take care of something for her, it may take a week or so at a specific location. Even when he protested, she explained Shiro was on a much needed vacation.

So he gets to the planet and realizes it's....... An alien hot springs.

He thinks he knows what's happening. And only seeing the guest sign in confirms it: Shiro's name, a line or two above his own now. He finds out pretty quickly they don't share a room, but they are next to each other; Allura had requested it arranged that way. Great.

He decides this doesn't have to mean anything. Go with it. Dresses down to the boxers and robe provided and moves to stand out on his room's balcony and look over the small resort.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

That's not how it should work, though. You can have wants and needs outside of my own, or outside of what I want. I don't want to argue, but I do want you to be comfortable disagreeing with me.

[ You're your own person, he wants to say, but he pushes that down and tries to keep it as simple as possible. ]

I care about you, too. I want to make you happy.

[They seem to be circling and it's getting aggravating. He can feel his hands wanting to do something, anything, so he taps at the table with an irritating rhythm.]

Shiro.

[How does he navigate this? If he were better, more practiced at conversation and not action, he could do this without effort.]

Let's. Try this different. I think-- I think we're both clear. We want each other happy. Right? [He waits, but just for a second. He's worked up the nerve to talk and he doesn't want to lose it now that he's going.] Do we want the same thing after that? Because I--

[Gulp. God.]

I've thought about you. A lot. For a long time. Physically. Is that-- I mean, is that. Something you've thought about too? Or not.

[ Does he also want sex, is what Keith's getting at. It's a valid question and Shiro's been wondering exactly how to address it after last night. ]

I... never wanted to allow myself to consider it more than a what if or a maybe. It didn't seem...right. But I want-- to answer your question, yes. I want whatever you're comfortable with.

[ Allura is going to rake him over the coals for handling this so poorly; he's a fucking diplomat, he should know how to talk about sensitive subjects. ]

[Keith won't tell Allura if Shiro doesn't. But he nods and sets down two strips of what he'd like to think is bacon but probably isn't.]

Okay. That's agreement then.

[They're off to... maybe not the right track just yet, but they're going somewhere at least. They want each other happy, and they both want each other physically.]

I. I've never... Been in a relationship before. So I'm not really sure how that works. But I'd like to try. If you want. [That has him nervous. That simple statement has his hands shaking, and he has to fist them on the table to not be so obvious.]

I haven't been in one in over ten thousand years. We'll figure it out.

[ He sounds so much more certain than he actually is in reality. This whole thing is an iffy situation and while he's glad they've acted on their thoughts, and have talked about it, he doesn't know how it's going to go. They won't be able to date like normal people because neither of them are normal. Their situation isn't normal.

They'll...just have to bumble around until they figure it out then. ]

Nothing much has to change here, you know. Past...not being afraid of touching you too much, or worrying that this isn't reciprocated.

[So Shiro is willing to try. That's all he was afraid of, that he'd be pursuing someone who didn't want to be pursued. Something warm settles in his chest as the reality of all this solidifies in his mind.

Carefully, Keith moves one hand closer to the middle of the table. No pressure or request, but an offer and easy to retract if Shiro doesn't want it.]

I was... Worried, even last night you didn't feel that way at all.

[ Yeah, last night. He doesn't quite cringe but damn it's a close thing, grimacing at himself as he goes back to picking at the last bits of fruit on his plate. His other hand reaches out and curls over Keith's in response to the silent offer. ]

I do. I thought it was -- that I was too obvious, sometimes and was making you uncomfortable.

[Shiro takes his hand and his heart leaps up. Keith smiles a little more, his whole face getting warm now.]

No. No, I - I thought... A lot of things. [No sense in hashing it out right now. They'd start going in circles again.]

What now?

Now...we keep going on, I suppose.

[ A pause, as he considers. ]

But we can... if you wanted, I mean, try to do things with more of a couple...feeling to them, where it makes sense.

[ Holding hands, kissing, all of those things he's wanted for ages. ]

Within reason. We...can't, for certain reasons in certain places, of course, but when and where we can--?

I guess this place is a good place to start trying.

[Why not at a romantic getaway resort? The staff looked pleased, though a little let down. They'd had their expectations high it seems. Keith squeezes Shiro's hand before carefully pulling it away. He wants to finish eating.]

We'll figure it out.