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[The agreement to go back to Earth had been quickly decided without any argument. Krolia had agreed to ride with Pidge, leaving Shiro and Keith alone in Black with his cosmic wolf.

It's quiet. They're all still recovering from the long fight with Lotor, the exhaustion of the quintessence field, the everything about Shiro once Keith had the time to tell them. He left out a lot (Krolia and Coran's eyes let him know they could tell he left a lot out), but it wasn't their business really.

Keith takes a slow breath, trying not to disturb the wolf lazing next to his seat but he needs to move around. He's ready to be cooped up here for weeks going back to Earth, but after just a couple of days? He's getting cabin fever.

He doesn't get up yet, but squeezes the controls.]

You doing okay back there?

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Shiro?

[He can feel Shiro shifting unnaturally next to him and before he can stop it, Shiro's going down. His pulse is racing in his ears seeing him hit the ground. Keith feels unbearably hot suddenly, feeling that becoming-familiar adrenaline with the minute changes.

He uses the worry and fear as strength to lift Shiro up; it's like that night at the crash site all over again. Shiro's dead weight, and Keith's collarbone is popping here and there as he moves but he has to get him inside. Shadow nudges the door open for him when he gets around to it. The furthest he dares go is to the stairs, carefully laying Shiro there.

First aid. First aid, they'd used almost all their kit initially but there had to be scanners, some kind of diagnostic tool to figure out what happened. If not theirs, then the one for this house. (Zarkon would have to be an idiot, Honerva would have to be too arrogant to not have a first aid kit on what is essentially a garden and farm)

He doesn't find one. he finds what's left of one from before, but not one he can use. He also finds a centuries old pod, not unlike what they had on the castle. It's stuffed away in a storage closet off the kitchen, seemingly because of it's non-use. He rolls it out as far as it can go and still be powered. He doesn't bother getting his breath, he's biting down the inside of his cheek and tasting blood as he picks Shiro up and drags him to the pod.

He seals it, sets it with how long he thinks (he'd never bothered to find out the details or the quirks) is long enough. And then waits.]

[He doesn't dream. Not in the usual sense. But he is... aware of something happening outside his body, dimly. Like when people talk about an out-of-body experience. He knows Keith is upset. He wants to do something about it, but he can't move or react or think --

-- And then he's awake. Gasping. The absence of pain is as much a shock to the system as its overload, but he's

stuck in a pod he can't breathe he can't think he has to get out break the glass break the glass--

He only hits it once before his senses come back to him, and from there it's a matter of controlling his breathing, the sharp cutting panic. As soon as Keith sees he's awake he's already hitting the panel to let him out and Shiro stumbles out of the pod.]

Keith?

[He kept watch for some of the time. Some of the time, he walked around the house, sorted out the things he'd found while looking for the pod, stretched his sore muscles. But he didn't sleep. He didn't trust himself to sleep.

Once the pod beeps, Shiro's awake and looking distressed. He gets the pod drained and open, trembling as he holds Shiro up.]

Hey, hey easy. You're all right, you're safe. [Once he's sure they are't going to fall, he carefully starts easing Shiro to a chair to sit.]

Sorry.

[It's probably a sign of how distressed he is that he goes without protest, and doesn't immediately comment on Keith's disheveled state.

He is looking down at his hand, which is free of the nicks and abrasions from the last few days and it doesn't ache when he closes it. Altean healing pods.

He exhales shakily, and then looks up at Keith.]

You okay?

[Once Shiro is seated, he kneels down to squat.

He'd gotten mad at Shiro for making light of his injuries. It wouldn't be fair to not do the same. He sounds breathless when he answers, everything catching up to him.]

Tired.

[He rubs at the most apparent sore of his collarbone, eyebrow twitching as he does.] You passed out.

[He doesn't really care about the details. What matters: Keith got him into the house, found one of these pods, activated it and then probably paced a hole in the floor somewhere in worry.

Shiro's expression flickers into something soft, and he leans forward to brush his hair away from his face. He's willing to bet he's neither eaten nor slept nor showered.]

Okay. Your turn.

[He can't help how he leans into that touch, looking up when he hears that.

In all the time they've fought side by side, Keith hadn't had to use one of the pods. The thought is foreign.

Though it only takes a second to hit what he means. He doesn't feel right using it, but it would be for the best. They can't risk anything else and not being in the best condition. He nods, using the edge of the chair to pull himself back up and climbs into the pod.]

[Shiro had made sure that he knew how to operate these. The fact that it's Altean tech rather than Galra helps, and Shiro supports Keith as best he can as he climbs inside.]

Rest up.

[He says that gently, brushing at Keith's cheek before he closes the pod, keys up the healing process. Keith's injuries are extensive, and it'll take a fair amount of time before it's had a chance to work. At least they know it does work.

Once he starts the process, he lingers until he knows that everything's working properly, and then he... well, does much of what Keith did to keep himself distracted. He finds Shadow and brushes her down, makes sure she has a healthy amount of the cave bugs to eat. He drags the bike closer to the house until it's under one of its awnings. He does meal prep for a few simple things so that Keith has something available once he's out.

It feels good to move unencumbered. He's still tired, but that's fixable enough. Then it's just a matter of sitting down on the floor with his back against the pod door and waiting.

The little griffon finds him eventually, warbles in question and crawls into his lap, and Shadow comes as well to rest her head on his thigh. They both seem equally concerned with Keith's wellbeing.]

[He'd expected to dream, but something about this tech doesn't illicit them. It's dreamless, quiet. He wishes his regular sleep was like this.

And the pod does work. Aches he didn't realize were there, had become accustomed to almost immediately, drift out with the pod treatment. His bones stop hurting, bruises gradually stop throbbing. The edges of the scar on his face heal a little softer, not as jagged. It won't go away, not entirely, not as nicely, but it will be gentler.

He's there considerably longer than Shiro. The timer beeps at the end of its cycle, Keith waking with the noise and seeing the world in that blue-green tint. When the pod opens, Keith is already reaching for Shiro.]

[He meets him halfway, wrapping an arm around him.]

Hey. Feeling better?

Little bit.

[A lot of bit.]

Don't feel like I'm falling apart now.

Small favours.

[Ha, he's hilarious. Shadow whines, and noses at Keith's hand, and the griffon has the brilliant idea to flutter to Shiro's shoulder so it can get closer to Keith without hurting him, as if it realizes that he's newly come from injury.]

C'mon, I made us something to eat.

You fixed food.

[Color him impressed. He squeezes Shiro gently as they move until he can sit. He hadn't realized just how exhausted he was until now. Shadow stays there, sitting by him and resting her head on his leg.]

You ate already, right?

[Excuse you, he was a functional adult before Kerberos, thanks. He lived on his own. He paid bills!! Made food!!

Shiro takes a seat close by, keeping watch.]

Wasn't hungry. I'll eat when you do.

[He gives him as close to a look as he can as tired as he is.]

Shiro. You shouldn't've waited.

[He doesn't know if he really wants to get into his complicated relationship with physical needs and a body that isn't his own right now, so he just lifts one shoulder.]

You can lecture me later.

[Now that Keith's settled, he gets back up and fetches the food, having already set out places earlier.]

You're right, I will.

[There's food though. It doesn't look half bad and he starts picking at it.]

Glad you're okay.

It was all you, Keith. I didn't even know this thing was in here.

[He casts a glance towards the pod. He must have dragged it out of somewhere nearby.]

[He manages around a mouthful of food:] Found it in the closet.

[The pod can heal injuries, broken limbs, physical pains, but it can't do anything for hunger. And Keith hadn't realized how hungry he was. It doesn't take him long to finish the plate and looks down at Shadow seemingly fallen asleep on his leg.]

Just glad it worked.

Me too.

[He's still moving with muscle memory. He favours the leg when he isn't thinking about it. When Keith finishes the plate, Shiro spoons more onto it.]

Thanks, Keith. You're making a habit of saving me.

[He smirks a little.]

This was a lot easier than the last few times. [Okay but he doesn't need to eat that much. He eats considerably slower from there on.]

Should probably get some real sleep soon.

[He nods. He's still exhausted as well, the rest provided by the pod isn't actually... sleep.]

I could use some too.

Could do that now.

[He reaches for Shiro's hand, hesitates, and rests it on the table next to Shiro's hand. Getting him in the pod is one thing, but Shiro still saw that part of him. He's still self conscious about it, about Shiro seeing.

He knows they'll get over this, but it's still fresh on his mind.]

[He takes Keith's hand without hesitation, reading the intent in the gesture, and then he brings his hand up to his lips and kisses his knuckles.]

Keith, I don't care that you're Galra.

[He watches, squeezing his hand a little.]

What about if I look Galra.

[He knows he is part Galra, but he's always looked purely human, until these little pieces started slipping through.]