Archive of Our Own ^beta

“You know, Shiro, the History lessons?”

The Black Paladin’s head turned towards Keith, eyelids still heavy from the interrupted half-sleep.
“What?”

Keith’s fingers carded through his short black hair, stealing a pleased sound from the older one’s lungs.
“Come on, the boring ones. Why were we even studying History at the Garrison?”

“We talked about this…” Shiro’s voice was slowly lowering, signal of his will to get back to his peaceful rest.

“I know, but…I was thinking about those Greek things.” Keith lift himself up, elbow dug in the pillow and hand supporting his head, still caressing his lover’s hair.

“…what things?” Shiro was really trying to keep focused on whatever the other was saying even as his eyes closed again.
So cute.

Keith lowered, placing a quick kiss on his forehead.

“Myths. Am I your Hades or your Earth?” the question left Keith’s lips in a too light way. Like the problem was something common, a normal thing to discuss about.

Shiro’s body shifted position, turning completely towards Keith, curiosity awakening him even if his limbs demanded more rest.
“My what?”

Seeing his boyfriend so confused always made Keith smile: he looked so beautiful, like a child trying to comprehend unknown words, and he couldn’t help but drop another kiss in the same place.
“Hades or Earth. Like in the Hades and Persephone myth. I know you know it, Golden Boy.”

“I was a pilot, not a humanist.” Shiro pouted, but still the both of them knew the myth was common knowledge.
“What do you mean with that?”

“You know, you’re just like the girl, Persephone. Except for wonderful and perfect” at this, Shiro looked away with a shy, fake bored huff “you keep coming and leaving me. And my world blooms when you’re in it. She could do that, remember?”

“She was spring and summer on Earth, yes. She brought life.” The Black Paladin’s lungs breathed in and out in a silent sigh, making the defined muscles move under the skin.
“I don’t bring life.”

Keith’s index slowly traced the other’s head, outlining the neck and then the shoulder, nail reaching the ribcage where it lightly brushed.
“It’s winter without you, Shiro. It’s death. I die, when I’m not next to you. That year, all those days. Those were my personal hell.”

It hit like a punch in Shiro’s guts.
He left Keith.
He hurt Keith.
He left.
He-…

“Am I your Earth or your Hades?” the question came again, sliding through the sadness nestling in his brain, words caressing his thoughts just like the fingers did on his skin.

Keith was peace.

“…Hades.”

The single name made Keith raise his brows, uncertain of the meaning of it. It wasn’t nice to be the King of Hell, was it?

The explanation didn’t take too long to start.
“You love me. Do you?” the last part was a whispered, smiled joke, and Keith pressed his digit on the other’s nose, snorting.
“And I love you. I can’t stay away from you for too long, and when I do, I ache for you. I don’t want to go, but events take us apart. I got you in Hell, but I also came in Hell with you.”
Shiro’s human hand searched for Keith’s, lovingly intertwining its fingers with the tinier but not less stronger ones of the Red Paladin.

“Did I kidnap you, Takashi? Did I do it?” there was something near to disgust in Keith’s voice but, Shiro knew it, it was directed towards the boy himself. Keith had always been scared of messing things up when it came to the two of them.

“You kidnapped my heart, Keith. Stole it from my chest and placed it deep inside yours.”
Keith knew he should’ve smiled at that, but the lump in his throat only grew bigger, eyes dangerously threatening to water.
“And there’s no place it would rather be, my King.”

His tears wet Shiro’s cheeks in the following kiss, strong arms closing around him and keeping him close as they breathed together, that kind of sad and nostalgic feeling filling the dark room.

“I tasted you, there’s no going back. I like to be bound to you, Keith. I will always come back to you.”