whatsacactus | (no subject)

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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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[He kisses the bridge of Keith's nose.]

But let's stay here a while longer first.

[He nods, thumbing along Shiro's cheekbones.]

Agreed.

[The sound of the fountain behind them is so comforting, in its own way. Maybe, if nothing else, he could get a small fountain to put in his room, if he ever gets one again.

He shifts a little so he can still sit on Shiro's lap and see the fountain.]

[He accommodates the shift, content to just lean against him so they can both just relax and watch the flow of the water. The fountain is soothing. Between it and Keith's presence, he's actually calm for the first time in forever.

He rests his cheek on Keith's shoulder and just. Lets his mind drift. For once, it doesn't go to the sundry horrors he's seen (the ones he's done), it just-- rests.]

[He strokes along Shiro's spine watching the fountain. This, more than anything, is the moment he wishes he could capture and frame. This quiet peacefulness for them. He hopes he can recreate this when they settle elsewhere.]

...We've really come a long way since the Garrison.

[He snorts a little.]

Literally and figuratively, huh?

[He smirks, ruffling his hair some.]

Yeah, guess we can say both.

Edited 2018-07-02 01:48 (UTC)

[Shiro is really a fucking slave to that hair petting. Take notes for future reference, Keith.]

But you're right. We have. We've survived a lot.

[Oh, he is. He'll find something Shiro likes and run miles with it.]

Think they'll believe us when we tell the Garrison?

[Having the Lions will probably help the validity of their story. But it doesn't mean Keith doesn't expect them to not trust him. He did set a bunch of their stuff to explode the last night he was there saving Shiro.]

I don't know.

[He's gone quiet now. Pensive. He always has been duty-minded.]

If they don't, we're going to have to make them listen however we can.

[He hums an agreement at that. He doesn't know what they'll do, but he'll follow Shiro's lead. He rakes his fingers through the shorter hair on the back of Shiro's head before he moves to get up. It's getting a little too warm to sit here for his liking, not when they could be doing something else.]

You know, I never did clean up after looking at the speeder.

[He needs to shower and there's. The Keith equivalent of a silent offer there.]

[He hears it. Of course he does. He speaks Keith like a native tongue. And then he just laughs, and in one smooth motion he stands as well and--

Well. He can't carry Keith in any romantic way, not missing an arm the way he is. But he sure as hell can stoop, pick him up and toss him over his shoulder.]

Shower it is.

Ha! [He's laughing when Shiro gets him over his shoulder. Normally, he'd be moving around like an unhappy cat. With Shiro? It's perfect. The whole way back inside, he keeps his head resting against Shiro, ready to get back on his own feet if Shiro gets tired of balancing him like that one-armed.

He can't remember being this happy before.]

Put me down if it's too much.

[Shiro just shifts him a little higher up on his shoulder in answer.]

It's fine. You're more bony than you are heavy.

[And although this body still isn't at its best, it's still strong. It had to be. Keith weighs next to nothing comparatively.

Shiro packs him all the way up the stairs to the bathroom, and then very gently stoops so that Keith can get back to his feet without the jarring sensation of being dropped or thrown there.]

And you're all muscle.

[Keith likes to think he's filled out at least a little bit. It's just not anywhere close to a joking insult as he'd like it to be.

Even as he's getting back to his own feet, Keith keeps his arms on him, sliding his attention from his hair to his shoulders then his chest. Nevermind the bits of grease he's still training. Just means Shiro's got to shower too.]

[He sees what you're doing and he's spectacularly okay with it. Shiro raises both eyebrows and then, teasingly,]

You gonna help me out of my flight suit?

Guess I could lend you a hand.

[He's got jokes! He's grinning unzipping the back of the suit, sliding it off his bad arm first.]

Wonder if we could ask for big showers like this too.

[You're hilarious. Keith is probably the only person he'd tolerate teasing him about that - he can joke about it until his heart's content, but it's still a sore subject when it comes to other people.

He does, however, sort of... wag his eyebrows at Keith.]

I wouldn't mind sharing one in tight quarters with you.

Just not too tight.

[He'd still want to be able to move and do things. He helps get the suit off Shiro's other arm to his waist and leaves him to that, working on his own.]

You ever think how there were probably bigger rooms on the Castle than the ones we stayed in?

No.

[It was logical, but it had really just... never occurred to him. He was used to small living areas, and it had never really occurred to him that he could - or should - ask for anything beyond that.]

Why, do you want a master bedroom, too? To go with the huge shower?

[He kicks his boots off with only a little difficulty, peels off the rest of the flight suit. It's nice to look down at his body and see only scars, instead of myriad bruises and burns, but it's even better to look at Keith and see the same.]

[He tosses the suit to one side against the wall, starts working on his boxers. But he looks conflicted by the question.]

...Should I not?

[He never wanted anything big before, and truthfully I can't even imagine filling up a room as big as this bathroom with anything he could call 'his'. But he thinks it might still be nice.]

[Shiro knows that tone, and it's what makes him pause in reaching for the shower controls to turn them on. He turns around, and just gives Keith a long look.]

I think if you want it, you should go for it.

[Keith watches him, then steps in to reach and turn on the controls. He's smiling, albeit sadly.]

Probably don't have near enough stuff to make it worth asking. C'mon. [He tries to herd Shiro in with him.]

Maybe not now.

[He lets himself be herded, but he puts his palm down against the wall, effectively caging Keith (at least on one side) against him.]

But you can't live your life like you only expect to make it through the next day, Keith. You never know. Maybe a year from now you'll have a collection of books you'll need some space for. Rocks. Or maybe you'll keep adding to your menagerie. If you want the space, you more than deserve it. Why not ask for it?

[He blinks at Shiro's arm caging him in while the water starts, following it to Shiro's face.

He means well, he knows Shiro does. He wishes with everything he knew for certain they could leave here, get back to the others, and be part of the whole team again. His voice sounds rough, like he's on the edge of something.]

I'll keep it in mind.

[Soft,]

Keith. What's wrong?