whatsacactus | (no subject)

[Keith blinks slowly at that, looking up at Shiro, then back to his plate.]

Hadn't really thought about it.

[His entire life has always been up in the air. He expects things to change at any second, so he doesn't bother planning. He isn't sure he even expects to live long given their current line of work.]

You could always open up an intergalactic pilot training academy.

[He says it off-handedly. Keith would be good at anything he decided to do, but the truth is-- if Shiro had a choice, he'd prefer he be somewhere more like--

... Well, more like this, actually. Speculatively,]

Or a farm.

Maybe.

[It's quiet, the way he holds himself now while he eats. Thinking about the future is just not something he's accustomed to.]

Focus on getting the universe safe first, I think.

[Gently,]

Goals help. Otherwise it's hard to know what you're fighting for.

[A beat.]

I've always known what I fight for.

[He just can't say it, not anymore. Not like he had. He's always fought for everyone's families, for their lives. But for himself? Shiro.]

[One of the reasons he's always gotten along with Keith is that he can hear the words beneath what's spoken. The things he's either afraid or ashamed to say.

(He doesn't want to think about how long I love you had been a drumbeat pulse beneath it all. Had he missed it, or simply overlooked its existence? He doesn't know.)

So he knows. And, briefly, looks away. Stirs up that food with a fork, even though he's not especially hungry. You have to eat to keep your strength. You have to have strength to protect people. The food isn't bad by any means, but he's lost his taste for it since being dead.

He hears what Keith doesn't say, and offers something back. Quiet, tentative. A little unsure of himself.]

I think I want to just find a quiet place. Somewhere like this.

...Yeah?

[His eyebrows go up a little at that. He always thought Shiro might be happy with something like that, but he didn't want to assume.]

This is nice... I think it'd be a nice way to live.

[It would be. He's lost his taste for-- being around people. Silence and solitude are such a large part of his life now. Being dead will do that to a man, he thinks. He smiles, a little wryly.]

Hard to work a farm with only one hand, though.

[He sets the fork down at the edge of the dish and flexes his hand.]

I kinda miss the Galra prosthetic.

Mm. Pretty sure Hunk and Pidge could work something together.

[He's trying not to think too hard about that farm comment. It's definitely something he'd enjoy doing, but...]

Anything I can do to help in the meantime?

[He smiles, shakes his head.]

Just having you here helps.

[-- and then a bit of a laugh.]

I'll be honest, though, you might have to do the dishes.

Kinda figured that'd be the case.

[There's the ghost of a smile on his face thinking about how... domestic this is. It's not at all what he expected when they crashed.]

Glad I can help. [And he means that, truly, sincerely. He is glad he can help.]

[Thunder is still cracking overhead. Rain is still falling outside the dome. They're still at the edge of every known universe, split off from their team, both of them battered and bruised in their own ways.

But they're together. They're alive. Shiro takes a final bite of the food and then leans back in his chair.]

I hope the others aren't too worried.

They might be.

[About you. He'd wondered while he was with the Blades if they missed him. He'd wondered again when he was on the whale. It's an odd thing for him, actually wanting to be wanted. But he'd spent more time with the six of them than he had anyone else in his life to this point. He hoped he was missed.]

'm sure they'd want to know where we've been. [His tone has the slight implication that he wouldn't tell them. Not about this place.]

[Shiro gives him a steady look. He isn't exactly in disagreement, but he wants to discuss the specifics of it all.]

Some of what we find here might be important. These books... Allura would be able to translate them.

[Shiro's right, of course. Allura would be thrilled to have this available to her.]

And Hunk would like the garden here.

The universe has plenty of gardens.

[He closes his eyes briefly. Then,]

We can take some of the things here with us when we leave, but I don't see any reason to tell them where the planet is unless it becomes strategically necessary. Agreed?

[Something sort of lights up in his eyes when he hears Shiro suggest that. It's what he wanted, but didn't sound like the conversation was going. Keith nods with a little smile.]

Works for me.

[Playfully--]

You always say that about my plans.

[He shrugs, stuffing a bite into his mouth.]

Your plans always do.

[It helps that Keith rarely ever has his own plans, so it's easy to work with Shiro's.]

Mm.

[He stands - favouring that right leg yet - and takes his bowl. He gestures for Keith to set his down on top.]

We should give it a name. This place.

[Keith watches him before carefully placing the bowl on top.]

Us name it, huh. So you'd want to stay here too?

[He's always honest, but there's a part of him that's always used it as a shield. He lies by omission when he has to, to protect others. So that they don't worry about him, or worse.

Keith has earned more than that from him. There are things that are between them they both need to approach unflinching.

So Shiro takes a breath, expecting that Keith will follow him as he heads back towards the kitchen. He steps carefully around Shadow.]

I don't know. It's beautiful here, but-- how many things that once belonged to Zarkon can I ['should I'] make my own?

...I don't know.

[And it's a genuine ignorance. He won't deign to speak for Shiro on what he should want. But the fact is... This place is free.]

He chose to leave this place. So that's really up to you, isn't it?

[He huffs a soft little breath as he sets the bowls down in the sink, runs water over them. Contrary to what he said earlier, he's perfectly assured in his competence at washing dishes.]

I could never stay somewhere like this unless the fight really was over. Maybe-- maybe after we're done. Everything. And we can truly set Voltron aside.

[That has Keith's attention immediately. He watches Shiro carefully before getting up to lean against the doorframe. There's the tiniest bit of confusion, a breath of hope in his voice.]

..."We"?