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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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I don't, not right now.

[Haha he'll just. Breeze on past that, get the last bite in his mouth before Shiro takes the plate. Shadow is staring at Keith when Shiro moves, and Keith stares back at her. Don't look at me, I didn't make him get up.]

We know the juniberries for sure. [He's still unaccustomed to asking for anything for himself but.] What about those dark rose looking flowers. By the fountain.

[He'd forgotten about the fountain, Keith's utter delight at having found it. There's a momentary pang, and he realizes-- if they never come back here, he's going to regret having not taken Keith back to that spot.

Once Keith's done with his food, Shiro takes his plate as well, and after he sets the plate down he twines their fingers together.]

You just reminded me, I wanted to see that place again anyway. Come on. We can worry about the other stuff later.

[He watches Shiro's face trying to figure out what he's thinking. A bad idea, really. Keith nods and stands to head for the door. He won't say no to seeing it again.]

Shadow- Stay here.

[She tilts her head, a moment later stretching and laying on the cool floor. Keith walks them back out, remembering how to find it again and smiles at the archway.]

[Now that they aren't in terrible shape, it's-- even more incredible than the last time. The arcing lightning above them adds to the ambiance, but the fountain itself is well worth coming here.

Shiro just stands there a moment, with his arm slung over Keith's shoulders.

This was something Zarkon built for Honerva. That thought hasn't escaped him, but-- if Keith has the courage to make it his own, then Shiro will support that wholeheartedly.

He leans down and nuzzles at his cheek.]

Sure is a nice place, huh.

It is.

[It's nice, it's quiet, it's picturesque, it's romantic as hell. He wants to make this his own. Zarkon's dead, and who knows about Honerva (he doesn't). But he's good at that. Claiming unwanted things for himself, because scraps are all he's had. It's still astounding him Shiro even is with him.]

Wish we could've had something like this on the castle.

Well. Maybe on the next one.

[The one they'll build on Earth. They can do whatever they want with it, add whatever works for them. Anything that helps the mission, helps ease their minds between the fights. He's all for it.

Shiro sits down on the bench and tugs at Keith's hand. He's not going to outright suggest that Keith should straddle his lap, but the upturned quirk of his eyebrow sort of... implies it anyway.]

Mm. Maybe.

[Keith still isn't sure what his place is. He's still working with the Blades while also still being able to pilot Black. Does he even have a place on the Castle with them at this point? He moves with the tug, watching Shiro's face, then pointedly straddling his lap facing him.]

Talk to Coran and Sam about it when we see them.

[If they brought up wanting a fountain and garden, knowing it came from Keith would probably cause a lot of looks and some laughter he's sure. It's unexpected from him.]

All right. I will.

[He exhales - it's obviously a sigh of something like relief, the sound someone makes when they've come home after a long day - and leans into Keith, resting his forehead just under his clavicle and wrapping his arm around him.]

I think we can probably recreate it exactly.

[Keith makes a noise in his throat at Shiro shifting into him, smiles a little and hugs him close with both arms.]

...If we're going to, let's make it something special to us. [He's unfamiliar with the flowers used on this fountain, but he knows there's bound to be something sentimental between the two of them and no one else. Something besides Auntie's pancakes.]

This is beautiful, but... Would you want this exactly?

[He laughs a little, leans back to look at Keith directly.]

You mean, would I change anything?

Yeah. If you had to pick something as a fountain display that was for just us, what would you pick?

I'd pick this one.

[He doesn't think he'd change a thing. He just reaches up, brushes Keith's hair back from his face. It really is long enough for him to put it up, he realizes.]

So I could remember the look on your face the first time you saw how beautiful it was here.

Oh.

[That catches him off guard. Poignant and romantic, this really is a side he'd not gotten to see before. But it makes sense. Keith turns to kiss Shiro's palm.]

Then the same one when we ask Coran about it.

Agreed.

[He resumes his earlier position, head tucked down beneath Keith's chin, pressed into his chest. He can feel his heartbeat, strong and sure. He curls his arm back around Keith, low on his hips and lets his fingers catch at the fabric of his flight suit.]

I'm gonna miss this place when we leave. Even with the creepy basement.

I will too. 's why I'm going to make sure it's marked on Black's memory. Find it again in the future if we want.

[He rests his head against Shiro's, kissing the crown of his head and nosing against his hair some.]

Did we decide how much we want to tell the others?

[He's almost boneless against Keith, just letting himself be held and slightly spoiled. He'd be purring, if he wasn't-- you know, an adult human male.]

I figured I'd leave that one up to you. I'm comfortable with whatever you decide.

[With Shiro being so comfortable, he'll take advantage of it. For now, he strokes through Shiro's hair, admiring the white.]

Maybe work up to it?

Mm. All right.

[Okay but just keep doing that thing, please. Keith's not the only one starved for a soft touch. So many times over the last few years, physical contact has meant violence, near-death, suffering or pain. It's nice to just-- give in. Relax. He'd almost forgotten how.]

[He will. Keith settles his weight there on Shiro's thighs and draws aimless circles into Shiro's scalp. This is, without a doubt, the most at peace he's ever felt.]

They'll find out eventually anyway. Gonna be hard covering up us being in each other's rooms.

[That's okay to joke about, right?]

[It gets a soft, appreciative little groan.

He thinks they might have been holding a conversation, but it's hard to say. It feels so good sitting here like this. At length:]

I don't want to lie to them.

[But he doesn't want to tell them more than they have to, either. It's not that he objects to their knowing, or thinks that they'd make a big deal out of it, it's just-- Shiro's always been private. He doesn't like airing out the details of his personal life for anyone and he knows Keith's the same way.]

But I'm happy to leave out the details unless they ask.

Works for me.

[He kisses his hair again, sort of curling around him and hugging Shiro close. After all this time, he can't help but be a little possessive. He doesn't want to share this, and like Shiro, also likes his privacy.

The longer they sit, the easier it is to let silence settle between them. He mouths I love you into Shiro's hair, still afraid to actually say it out loud. But he needs Shiro to know.]

Mm.

[Whether he says it or not, it's always been understood. Shiro pulls back a little bit, just enough to lean up into Keith's space properly and kiss him. It's a quiet, intense thing, a glut of emotion poured into a singular point of contact and he doesn't break away until he's breathless.]

[The kiss is sweet, and Keith eats it up. He drags his fingers up Shiro's back when he pulls away, keeping their foreheads together. A few breaths pass before he shifts his hips against him, trying to get comfortable and ends up just rubbing against him. Not the worst thing he could do right now.]

Still a little weird not having a schedule to keep while we're here.

[No, not the worst thing. Although Shiro sort of... shifts surreptitiously himself. If Keith isn't careful, he's going to be very interested in some further downtime.]

Tell me about it. I don't remember the last time I wasn't on a regimented itinerary.

[The Garrison was all about protocols. The flight to Kerberos had all manner of things that needed doing at precise times. And in prison... well, meal deliveries were timed, the guard routines were timed. Being dragged up and out into a fight could have happened at any moment but in a way, the unpredictability of it all was predictable. He got used to it. This, though. Knowing they can do whatever they want, whenever they want. Sleep while the sun's up (metaphorically speaking) eat whenever they're hungry, have six showers in a day if they want them. It's oddly liberating.]

I don't think I've ever known you when you weren't. I'm liking seeing you relax.

[Keith may enjoy the further downtime, though. His hand moves from stroking Shiro's hair to the nape of his neck, just where the hairline starts and touching at the skin just under where the flight suit hits.]

Glad you get to have this time.