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[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.]

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[Keith shrugs and starts picking at his food too. It tastes good enough at least. He understands the gist of what Shiro's saying and that's what matters. It's still a nice meal.]

Did the princess say how long you'd be here? [He doesn't want to seem too eager, but he's hoping it's the same time he's here.]

She'd send me here for a month if she could.

[ Shiro barely resists the urge to roll his eyes and instead breaks some of the bread into smaller chunks and dips it in the sauce from the cooked fish. ]

I think we leave together, unless you want to stay longer.

[I think that's what she planned sticks in his throat; instead of trusting himself to say words, he takes a sip of wine. He wonders if maybe he'll ever get the nerve to tell Shiro how he feels. Probably not. But this sort of environment - the almost romantic dinner, the domesticity of being here, them alone like this - is encouraging.]

I think that's probably easiest. [That's safe to say, right?] Is she really that invested in you taking time off?

[ Shiro decidedly doesn't think about how this is so close to what he really wants with Keith, determined not to ruin whatever good thing they have going. The last thing he wants is to potentially ruin a friendship because he wants too much. ]

She is, but won't accept it when it's directed at her.

Then why didn't she come too?

[Crap he spent too much effort not saying what he wants. That one blurts out before he can think, but the truth is? He does want to know. She seems so invested in Shiro's happiness.]

Because the only person worse than me at taking breaks is the Princess.

[ He's full of affection when he says it, though, rather than irritation. He'd follow her anywhere; he has followed her everywhere, it feels like. ]

I'm going to try to convince her to take a trip later.

Maybe she'll listen. [Yeah, he gets his eyes back on the food. Don't think about this conversation too hard. The staff are covering their faces for whatever reason (annoyance? exasperation?) watching them. They're expecting more to happen than Shiro's probably going to allow.]

It still feels a little weird, knowing you were asleep for so long, but here you are. Y'know?

[ It's warmer in here than he expects it to be; he was planning on going to the hot springs afterward but he's too warm to even consider it. Shifting in his seat, he adjusts his shirt a little bit and cracks his neck, tipping it from side to side. ]

It is weird. It feels like it hasn't really...hit, yet. And then we go somewhere like here and it's....similar but it's changed so much. Are you warm?

If it gets too much, I can try to help.

[About the - the changes not--. God. Keith eyes Shiro warily and shakes his head.]

No, it feels fine in here. It may just be my genetics though? [Was there something in that potion they urged him to use.]

[ There's...something off but he can't quite figure it out. Shiro finishes off the rest of his food and toys with his wine, tilting it from side to side. ]

There's...not really any way to help, exactly. All we can do is keep moving forward.

[ He drains the wine in one go and then goes for the water instead. One glass shouldn't have this much of an effect on him, should it? Wryly: ]

Ten thousand years of sleep turns me into a lightweight, apparently.

Or maybe it all got stronger in the meantime?

[Keith is grasping at straws for any reason that isn't what he thinks is happening. He'd like to give the staff the benefit of the doubt they wouldn't put that there, but then at Shiro for not ....checking...

Oh man this is probably going to be bad whatever it is.]

Could be anything. But maybe you shouldn't have anymore? Just in case.

[ That prompts a smile. ]

The alcohol in the Castle is so old that we could probably sell it, too. I don't think you can get ten thousand year old aged liquor anywhere else, really.

[ He eyes the little bottles, but doesn't think that they'd poison him. He's warm, and his tongue is looser than he'd like but nothing so bad that he thinks they've tried anything. ]

The Princess said that I'm-- too cautious. So. [ He gestures to the bottle, lips twisting into a lopsided smile. ]

So you decided to drink an entire bottle of unlabeled something the staff gave you.

[SHIRO HE LOVES YOU BUT SOMETIMES....]

It's not a bad thing to be cautious. Especially with what you do.

[ Okay, yeah, that's...decently stupid. ]

I assumed it was flavoring.

[ They're eating all of the food that they're given so it's not such a stretch. Shiro drains the water, too, and then rises up, stretching his arms toward the ceiling, grateful for the baggier clothes he's wearing that hide how he's half-hard in his pants. It's ridiculous. ]

If I were as cautious as some people wanted me to be, I never would have come to the planet you were on. I wouldn't have met you.

[His eyes are fixed on his stretch, how long and big Shiro's arms can reach.

Right. Not for him. The words hit, though, and it's clear on his face they do. His eyes go a little wide. Shiro went against warnings to go there...]

If you'd listened, you probably wouldn't have bought me. [It's weird to think that his freedom of the last year may not have happened if Shiro had made any single choice differently. It could be so easy for him to still be stuck there.]

[ This isn't a conversation to have while standing but he also doesn't want to sit, restless. ]

I don't regret it.

[ Shiro heads for the small side table holding some of the other flasks and bottles, thumbing through them curiously. None are labeled, though when he picks one up and dumps a little into his hand, sniffing it. It smells like cinnamon, faintly. He hasn't looked through these before this point, really and now he's curious. ]

And I didn't buy you. I don't own you. The paperwork they had me sign when everything was finalized, I-- kept it. If you wanted to burn it, or destroy it.

[Keith instinctively wants to argue that. Shiro did buy him, in the literal sense. Money was exchanged and contracts were signed to make that happen. By all legal rights, Shiro owns him. Not the Altean people, not the royal family. Shiro, personally.

But the thought of burning that paperwork is intoxicating to think about. Officially cut all ties with that life. Actually be free, on every term. Keith moves to stand next to Shiro, because now he is warm, particularly in his cheeks with the blood rushing there at the thought of... this. That Shiro kept the papers and is offering this to him.]

You'd let me do that?

[ Technically, he does, but if he thinks too long on that he's too disgusted. He doesn't own Keith. Keith's his own person and the fact that Shiro had to pay money for him, to get him out of there, is unsettling at best. He's talked to Allura about going back there, trying to purchase all of the others, but they don't have the means to do it and it's more complicated than just doing that. ]

I kept it specifically so you could.

[ Keith comes closer and Shiro can't seem to stop himself from reaching out, curling his hand around Keith's shoulder, squeezing. ]

When we're back on the ship, I'll give it to you.

[The hand on his shoulder sends a fire through him. He finds himself wishing again and again that the warmth of those hands would be anywhere else on him, everywhere else. He's selfishly glad Shiro hasn't done this for any of the others back there; it makes him feel special. Keith picks up one of the small flasks and sniffs at it, notes that it smells like some weird hybrid of coconut and lavender and sets it back down.]

Thanks. I-- Wish I could do something for you.

It isn't give an take. I don't expect you to reciprocate.

[ He doesn't expect Keith to reciprocate feelings, or whatever Shiro's doing to try and help him. If he did all of this out of some expectation then that would be even worse. This close, though, he's hyperaware of how warm Keith is, the shine of the color he'd gotten put in his hair. The purple of his eyes. All of it is almost overwhelming and he blows out an unsteady breath. ]

I don't think what was in that vial was for entirely -- ah, innocent purposes.

Probably not.

[There's no sense playing coy or ignorant on that. He still can't figure out what exact effect will be on Shiro but he hopes it won't be too bad for him. He's careful not to make skin contact. He doesn't want something to happen that Shiro sober wouldn't want.]

How bad?

[ He licks over his lips to wet them and then swallows hard against what wants to come out. That won't help anything. He's been tortured before; he knows how to hold things back, how to make sure that he doesn't give up secrets, but this is...different. ]

Not poison, or painful, I just -

[ Keep thinking about you. For a moment, he thinks that he's managed to keep that silent, but then realizes that no, that was absolutely out loud. His hand jerks back and he brings it to his face, instead. ]

It's fine. It's the -- what was in that bottle. I wouldn't put that on you. It's inappropriate.

[For two, maybe five, long seconds, Keith's heart is in his throat. Keep thinking about you. Things he's wanted to hear for months from Shiro.

And then he continues. What was in that bottle. Of course. That's what it was. His heart drops like a stone to his stomach. He's selfish, is what he is, wanting that with Shiro. Of course he wouldn't want that with Keith. Especially not after that reminder of where he came from. Keith's hopeful expression falters to shame and he looks back at the side table flasks.]

Of course. Maybe best to sleep it off or something.

[ He feels almost like he's drunk, because where he'd normally just agree, instead he's inclined to push further. Unable to shut up, effectively. ]

Sleeping it off isn't going to make it stop.

[ It's a resigned mutter under his breath as he steps away and goes for the door that connects their shared dining space with his room, only to stop and press his palms to his closed eyes until he sees stars, frustrated at himself. ]

I'm sorry. I wasn't expecting it to do this. Whatever this is.

Shiro, I--

[He only stops because Shiro looks so... out of it. He knows that look, seen it so so many times on clients, just never could imagine it on Shiro. He hates that he wants to see this man come undone under his hands, to smell his sweat and skin and hear the noises he makes.

He wants all that. But not under an unwilling influence like this.

So instead he step to Shiro, only offering a hand.]

Should probably still get you laying down. Can I help?