whatsacactus | (no subject)

[He nods, seeing Shadow sort of settle down by Shiro's chair. The warm ball of fluff in his arm. It's nice. All of this.

It can't last. Eventually the storm has to let up and they have to go back.

But for now, this is nice.]

One day at a time, then.

[He makes a soft, contented noise of agreement, reaching out to tangle his hand in the ruff at Shadow's neck. The wolf leans into him, craning her head around to lick at his palm.

Black, at the edge of his conscious mind, feels downright smug. Shiro blinks, and then--]

Oh.

[It clicks into place. Wryly,]

Can you feel that too?

[He feels a sense of it. Not as strongly as Shiro, he doesn't have the extended astral plane connection Shiro had but it's enough.]

A little bit.

Guess she did know what she was doing.

[He just huffs.]

She brought us out here to play matchmaker? The others are gonna be so pissed.

[But he says it with a smile. It's only a little bit shy, joking like that is still kind of a new thing.]

Or we could just tell them it was to help bond more.

[Not a lie, but they all have to bond with their lions too. Who knows.]

We could think of something.

I'm fine with just... omitting the entire truth.

[He shrugs a bit, lifting up his good shoulder.]

But I am, uh-- I'm really beat, Keith. I think I'm going to try and get some sleep.

[He didn't get much the night before. Or the one before that. And his leg is throbbing so badly he can feel his heartbeat with every passing tick. Before he stands--]

Are we good?

[He nods, watching him carefully. He'll follow Shiro up, make sure he doesn't need a second hand.]

I am, unless there's anything else you want to ask me.

No. Nothing comes to mind.

[He hesitates a moment, and then... just holds out a hand.]

You know, you're not out of the woods yet with that infection. I should keep an eye on you, too.

[He reaches for it slowly. Some anxious part of him is sure Shiro will change his mind any second.]

I-I know. [He forgot, he's so used to ignoring pain.] Thanks, Shiro.

You don't have to thank me for looking out for you.

[It's what they do. Regardless of anything else, it's what they've always done. But Shiro certainly does let Keith lead the way up the stairs, keeping their hands linked the whole while.

And then it's just a matter of crawling into the bed facedown and sort of... sprawling. The sheets have been replaced (again) so any gunk or food or two-years-without-a-shower-smell have long since been eradicated. It's comfortable, warm, and there's still a beautiful view of the storm that he shifts to look at.]

[Well. Watching Shiro crawl onto the bed face down isn't a view he would have asked for, but is grateful to get. He feels almost allowed to look now.

But for the moment, he pulls his attention away to help tug the blanket up to cover Shiro. He's grateful for this. For the time, for the talking. Thankful that Shiro agreed to keep this place secret.]

...Think you could stand some company?

[you doofus, you had to ask?? Shiro just looks at him.]

I didn't bring you up here so you could stand awkwardly at the bedside all night, Keith.

[Plus, the bed's huge. So... that's a bonus. Not that Shiro plans to do anything in it, because that's moving way too fast. But he and Keith have always been physically comfortable with each other.]

[He huffs out a little laugh and moves to climb in the other side. The sheets are clean and fresh, the weather outside - while rough - is still awe inspiring. The little griffon sort of flops out of his arm and onto the bed, looks around, then settles somewhere on the pillow Keith was planning to use.]

Oh. I guess make yourself at home then. [He only sounds a little put off, but clearly not serious with how he's grinning. Instead, he just lays on his side, not bothering with a pillow.]

How long do you think it'll go for?

I don't know.

[Look, there are many pillows. Clearly Zarkon was living the good life while he was here, so Shiro pulls one from where it's tucked between his pillow and the headboard and nudges it towards Keith.]

Judging by how much was dead beyond the radius of the dome... could be weeks. I'd hate to be gone from the others that long, but I'm not sure we could safely venture out in this, either. Once we're both recovered we should give it a try.

[He takes the pillow and tries to settle it where he can still lay on it but not disturb the creature. He has his back to Shiro so he can watch the storm too.]

Maybe. Guess we'll find out.

...It's still pretty.

Yeah. It really is.

[He's only partly watching the storm, though.

He doesn't try to get any closer to Keith, but he does reach out and let his hand fall against his shoulder blade. Not doing anything but maintaining a tenuous contact.

Whatever Keith says or does next really isn't going to matter, because between one moment and the next Shiro is definitely asleep. oop.]

[Keith lets the hand fall there, doesn't move to shrug it off. It's comfortably warm. It feels natural there.

But before long, the sounds of the weather outside and Shiro's steady breathing lull him to sleep there too. It doesn't take much for him to start sprawling, limbs everywhere and all over. He hasn't felt comfortable and safe enough to sleep so deeply in such a long time.]

[He sleeps like the dead. As one of the few people who knows what that feels like, it's an apt turn of phrase.

Some time during the night he gravitates towards the warmth and familiarity of Keith's body and they end up halfly tangled. When he wakes, Keith's arm is flung across his chest and Shiro's bum leg is being supported by Keith's thigh.

It's startlingly intimate and he blinks himself the rest of the way awake. Still, he doesn't want to wake Keith. So instead he just... closes his eyes and listens to the ongoing storm.]

[He doesn't know when he wakes up. He just knows it's warm. He shifts a little, feeling his weight distributed weirdly with his surroundings. Shiro's tangled up with him (and if that isn't a dream, he isn't sure what is), the little griffon nestled against his neck. At some point, Shadow climbed in and fell asleep on his not-used-by-Shiro-leg.

What if every morning they could wake up like this?

What if every morning he didn't feel like he was overheating.

He groans a little, tries to at least get Shadow off him while he sits up to peel his shirt off. It's almost too hot.]

Come on... Go to the end of the bed at least.

[He doesn't say anything, move or protest that. He does crack an eye as Keith shifts around, watches him take his shirt off. He's seen him shirtless hundreds of times, including most recently when he cleaned the injury on his shoulder, but the context has shifted.

Shiro kissed him. And it didn't... it didn't feel wrong.

He exhales faintly, and before Keith can settle back down he reaches up to that wound on his shoulder blade. It's bandaged, and he doesn't intend to remove them, but--]

Hold still.

[He touches the skin gently at the edge of the bandage, looking for the telltale lingering warmth of an infection, but when he's satisfied it's on the mend he lets his hand fall away, though not without first tracing down the bumps of Keith's spine.]

G'morning.

[He says that around a yawn, voice pitched low and husky from sleep.]

[Oh.

Keith waits when Shiro tells him to hold still. Feels the hand on his back and remembers his shoulder. Right. Shiro would want to check that. But it tracing down his spine gives him goosebumps and the tone of Shiro's voice... He hasn't heard it like that.

He swallows hard as he lays back down, not trusting himself to face Shiro. There's no telling what his face looks like.]

Morning.

Sleep all right?

[There's a note of concern there now, and Shiro pushes himself up into a sitting position.]

Yeah. [Oh god his own voice, he clears his throat. Shiro doesn't need to hear how bad he wants him this early.]

Did until Shadow decided to use my leg as a pillow.

[He huffs a laugh, and reaches out to where Shadow's sprawled across the foot of the bed to give her a playful scratch.]

I'm sure she meant well. Huh, girl?

[His attention flickers briefly to Keith, then away.]

We still okay?

[Last thing he wants is for Keith to have had some sort of change of heart in the night.]

[Keith turns his head to watch him, watch how Shiro moves. How he stretches.

When Shiro asks, Keith reaches to touch what he can reach - Shiro's side - and keep his hand there with a little smile.]

We are. Was thinking of different ways to spend the morning, is all.