whatsacactus | (no subject)

Got it.

[He has to bite back the instinctual yes, sir that almost slips out. Not here, not now. Maybe another time. Maybe after some rather honest discussions about what they like and want.

For now, he speeds up a little, working to get the shirt over Shiro's head and off, letting his fingers trace along the skin. He knows this is the clone body, and not the original Shiro. Not the same that crashed on Earth, that fought in the arena, that Keith fought alongside at the start of things. But for whatever reason, she'd mimicked some of the scars on this body.

Keith takes a breath and looks up to him, not sure what to do. He's used to being the one initiating and performing. Being here is... weird.]

Just didn't want to push too fast.

Don't worry about me.

[He's not unselfconscious about his body. Never really has been. Objectively, he knows he's attractive. It's the arm that bothered him. Its physical presence, its appearance. It would have been different if it was an Earth prosthetic. If the arm had been damaged or destroyed in a fight or an accident.

But it wasn't. Haggar just... had it removed. She wanted to see if he could take it, if his body could adapt to the tech. She wanted to experiment on a race she'd never come in contact with before. If it wasn't him, it would have been Matt or Sam. Being vulnerable like that is what he's ashamed of, more than the damage it did to his body. It tells a story of a time he wasn't strong enough. But at least it happened to him.

The skin is scarred where she fitted the prosthetic to this body, it's rough and calloused where the metal edge is overlaid on the skin. How many clones died before she perfected the process? Given how many pods there were, this can't have been the first. This was an ongoing project. And she lashed them all down and took their arms, too.

(He hasn't tried to suss out whether or not its removal is in the clone's memories. He remembers what it was like, he was conscious for it. He doesn't need to relive that. But he can be angry that it very likely happened to someone else. A clone is still a person, even if none of them were ever allowed to be anything but him.)

So Shiro's frowning, just a bit, as he glances down at the stump of the prosthesis, and then he shakes his head. Pushes it down.]

I'm pretty sure I've always been able to keep up with you.

[He's the only one that can match Keith's speed in a fight, after all.]

[Something close to want shines in his eyes at that. There's a ghost of a smirk on his face watching Shiro, resting his hands on Shiro's shoulders.]

We could always test that.

[There's a confidence there, confidence he hasn't shown Shiro in a while. Definitely not in a situation like this. He settles underneath him, trying to be comfortable with Shiro's weight on his thighs.]

Only if you wanted.

[It has been a while since he's seen that side of Keith. The one with boundless confidence that manifests as being purely cocky. It's-- nice, actually, because as much as he can love the somber young man with worlds of hurt in his eyes, this is the punk he dragged kicking and sometimes screaming into self-belief.

He reaches up and brushes strands of Keith's hair back from his forehead, smiling just a touch.]

Easy, cowboy. Give it a few days. I don't think it's a good idea for us to do anything strenuous when we still have open wounds. But after-- yeah. Yeah, I'm up for the challenge.

You're on, then.

[He's going to hold Shiro to that. He wishes he had a way to make their wounds heal faster, safer. He wants everything he wants now, while also wanting the slow route to get to know Shiro like this too. It's a shame he can't have it both ways.

There are really only a few things Keith prides himself being any good at: fighting, flying, and taking care of someone. Shiro's only really known about two of those, having never been in a position for the third.]

Only after we heal up.

[He sort of gets a pout to his expression.] And don't call me 'cowboy' again.

[Oh Lord, that's adorable. Shiro actually laughs, sits back (most of his weight is on his left leg, he's not really resting too heavily on Keith. He's skinny. Not fragile, but Shiro's always considerate.]

Oh yeah? What're you gonna do if I do?

[He says that so teasingly.]

Guess you'd have to try and find out.

[Precisely what Shiro just said they weren't going to do, but Keith is nothing if not stupidly determined to do what he wants. All he needs is a reason.]

You sure you wanna risk that?

[this is a terrible idea.

and yet.]

Come at me, cowboy.

[And yet.

A wide grin spreads across his face. For a couple of seconds, he almost lunges forward to shove Shiro back and climb on. It's only the bruises on Shiro's front that slow him down. Settle into grabbing him by the neck and pulling him in for a hungry kiss, eager and desperate. He isn't testing waters anymore here; he knows what he wants.

He pulls away breathless, tugging at Shiro's bottom lip with his teeth and grins.]

Keep it up, this cowboy'll have to find someone to ride.

[The kiss is sloppy and messy and completely engrossing and Shiro absolutely did not expect him to be that good at it. He finds himself kissing back hungrily, leaning into it open-mouthed. He's panting too, when Keith pulls away.

It's the spoken sentiment that's going to take some getting used to. Just hearing it, the crassness of it all. Shiro - gamely - does not choke this time, though he does turn a little red. Okay, point to Keith. Should he make a comment about bucking? No, probably not. Metaphor taken too far.]

Kissing first.

[He's. Not going to think about the rest right now or it's going to make his pants terrifically uncomfortable.]

Yessir.

[He does let that one out, still smirking and arms around Shiro's neck. He wants to keep him close, feel his warmth, his breath. Shiro turning red is... cute. He never thought anything about Shiro and Aisha those years ago, but now he sort of wonders what all they did. What experience Shiro might have if he's getting this flustered by just words and implications.

Keith pulls him back in, nosing at the scar on Shiro's face gently.]

[He'd expected to have an objection to the sir. But he doesn't, really, which... surprises him. Logically, he knows he was never Keith's direct superior except in rank at the garrison, and while they were paladins-- it couldn't have been more obvious that they were there as equals. Keith was - and is - his strong right hand.

He turns his head and kisses Keith's cheek, working his way along his jaw, back to his neck. He drags his teeth across his jugular, not quite biting but definitely making a show of it, slow but sure.]

[Shiro goes for the neck, and Keith leans his head up, starting to lay back again. He swallows hard, gasping feeling the teeth. There's the hint of a whimper in his throat.]

Please.

[It's soft, a barely there thing. Keith almost never asks for anything. But he wants this, wants to feel Shiro there.]

Edited 2018-06-27 03:56 (UTC)

[It's the pitch of his voice, that soft plea that hits some deep, primal thing somewhere he's never really examined too closely. Shiro draws a sharp breath. He's torn between never wanting to hear Keith begging for anything ever again, (I know you're in there) and wanting to give him exactly what he's asking for.

Different context. It's all different. But Shiro still hesitates, breathing heavily, eyes tightly closed where Keith can't see. All he sees is the galra blade burning that mark onto his cheek and Shiro--

He has to fight it. They're changing what the past means to both of them.

The latter wins out. He does bite at him this time, careful but not especially gentle, (he knows that gentleness isn't what Keith wants right now, and he'll worry about all that later).

He does reach for Keith's hand and twine their fingers together, though, pressing down against the mattress. Holding him there, firm and unyielding as he laves at the skin after the bite. There's a bruise welling up to the surface.]

[Shiro's using his weight to keep him in place as he bites. He feels the skin under his teeth, and there's a noise that comes out of him he's carefully kept to himself even when they were all living in the castle still. He can tell it'll bruise later, even as Shiro is trying to sooth it. He'll probably be caught looking at it (admiring) it later.

Keith squeezes his hand taking deeper breaths. It's hard not to let this get his blood running hot and down below the hips. But respect. Not going further than kissing right now.]

Thanks. Really wanted that.

[Shiro pulls back enough to raise an eyebrow at him. Keith thanking him for-- marking him, essentially. Gently,]

You don't have to thank me.

[Keith watches him from under his own bangs.]

You also didn't have to do it at all.

I wanted to.

[He kisses his cheek gently, and then sits back, just... looking down at Keith for looking's sake.]

[Keith probably looks a mess under him, still bruised and bandages, flushed and breathing hard. Shiro's being kind to him again, making sure he knows that he wants to do this.

It really just makes Keith want to pull him down and wear him out to the bone.]

'm glad you wanted to, then.

[They both look like they've been through hell and come out the other side. But at least they did it together.

He laughs a little, soft and quiet and splays his hand against Keith's stomach, sliding it upward against his sternum, over his heart. That's another thing that makes him hurt for Keith-- thinking that things like simple kindness, the barest whisper of attention paid solely to him is worthy of thanks, or praise, or an expression of gratitude.]

We're in this together, Keith.

...Yeah. We are.

[Keith smiles softly at that. Shiro always making sure he knows they're even. They're working together, neither of them pulling more weight than the other. He moves his hand to Shiro's on his chest, thumbing against the knuckles in small circles. He wishes he could make Shiro feel as good as he does right now. Maybe with enough time. Maybe with enough patience and care, he can help Shiro feel like a person again. He doesn't deign to guess what Shiro feels, but... Sometimes it's not hard.]

Even if this - between us - doesn't work out... I'm still with you. Never give up on you.

I know.

[He doesn't think he could doubt that absolute if he tried. It's a universal constant. Gravity. Oxygen. Keith was always someone worth saving, and would have been even if it didn't blossom into the boundless devotion he's shown to Shiro from the word go.

He catches Keith's hand, brings it up to kiss the knuckles gently.]

But I appreciate your saying so.

[I appreciate you giving me a chance. He keeps it to himself, that thought. Partly because he knows it'll just become another back-and-forth, but also because he knows Shiro doesn't like it when he puts himself down however indirectly. And for whatever it's worth... He knows he doesn't have to know. He knows his worth. It's more than he was told at the Garrison.

There's an especially loud clap of thunder outside and Keith draws in a deep breath.]

Doesn't look like we're going out any time soon. Still wanna just kill time here in bed?

Mmm.

[He is still exhausted, he realizes, and keyed up and on edge and a million different things that culminate in him just not really knowing what he wants to do.

So he just. Flops into a sprawl across Keith, nuzzling down against the crook of his neck.]

You got any better ideas?

Mm. [He tries to wrap one arm around him, hand resting in Shiro's hair.]

Could try reading more of those books... Could explore the house more.

Could let me take care of you.

[He's thirsty and Shiro's the only glass of water in this desert, can't blame him for having a one track mind.]